The Plow

When the car stopped at the gate of Yue Mansion, the hands of the pocket watch stopped at twelve o'clock in the middle of the night.

The driver trotted forward and opened the door.

Suddenly his right cheek was a little cold, Yue Dingtang wiped it with his hand, it was snow water.

Under the illumination of the headlights, the finely shattered snow particles are distinct, and occasionally there is a bit of wind, which blows the snow particles into the neck. The driver shrank subconsciously and muttered softly.

"Why is it still snowing?"

But once inside the gate it was warm.

The warm wind was blowing in, mixed with a faint fragrance, and the instant alternation of hot and cold made the nose itchy, and the driver couldn't help but lowered his head and sneezed.

"Little brother!"

A beautiful figure came down from the second floor, but she was wearing stilettos and a cheongsam, and could still be swept around like a whirlwind.

Yue Dingtang didn't even need to look at the other person's face to blurt out: "Third Sister, why are you back?"

Yue Chunxiao smiled: "Why, you don't want to see me? Your brother-in-law has returned to China with the minister. I don't want to go to Nanjing, so I just go home and have a look."

Yue Dingtang: "Mrs. Jiang is here in Nanjing, and there are dances and banquets every day. Isn't that your favorite?"

Yue Chunxiao curled her lips: "I like to be in the limelight, not because I like to be humble and suffer. I didn't know the officials and juniors before I went to Nanjing. There are a lot of royal relatives and relatives, so I am not interested in serving you. Why don't you go home and be happy and comfortable? Besides, those people Thinking that going abroad is a good job, you will definitely ask questions, thinking how much money your brother-in-law made!"

Yue Dingtang nodded: "It's still that violent temper."

Yue Chunxiao made a gesture to hit him, but the latter quickly moved away with his sharp eyes. Yue Chunxiao's hand reached halfway, turned his palm into a finger, and pinched his ear.

Yue Dingtang hissed, "Easy!"

Yue Chunxiao: "Are you convinced?"

Yue Dingtang: "The five bodies cast themselves on the ground."

Satisfied, Yue Chunxiao let go: "I made some dumplings and rolled out the noodles. What do you want to eat, dumpling soup? Noodles with scallion oil?"

Yue Dingtang: "Noodles with scallion oil."

Yue Chunxiao said angrily: "It's still the same one, it hasn't changed since childhood."

After all, he was happy to prepare.

Mixing noodles with scallion oil is very fast. Heat the scallion oil in the pan until the color of the scallions changes, then remove the noodles after cooking, and then pour the hot scallion oil down.

A bowl of noodles has thus become the dream of most people in this city, from high-ranking officials and dignitaries to traffickers and pawns, without exception.

Yue Chunxiao didn't just make noodles with scallion oil.

There are also stuffed mushrooms and small soup dumplings on the table.

These two things can't be done in a short while.

Yue Dingtang twitched the corners of his mouth: "You're not afraid that I'll hold you to death as agreed for late night snack."

Without pretending to be a servant, Yue Chunxiao brought out the noodles with scallion oil and placed them in front of him.

"I thought your second elder brother would come back to eat, but who knew he would go to Peiping temporarily." Yue Chunxiao sat down opposite him and sighed, "It's better at home. The cabinets look better than the outside."

Yue Dingtang bowed his head and ate several mouthfuls of noodles before he smiled and said, "What kind of crime did you suffer to make this sigh? Don't you always think that the Western countries are much better than the places of your ancestors? They are advanced, beautiful, and have tall buildings. Mansions, civilization and etiquette, is that what you said?"

Yue Chunxiao gave him a white look: "I used to go to study abroad. Can studying abroad be the same as being stationed abroad? You can only make sarcastic remarks here. I really should let you go and see it with your own eyes. I know. It's an embassy. I don't know." , Think it is a haunted house that has been in disrepair for a long time!"

Yue Dingtang was surprised: "At any rate, you are also representing a decent country. Didn't the Nanjing government allocate funds?"

Yue Chunxiao smiled wryly: "Decent? Nanjing should have allocated your brother-in-law's salary, but it has not been paid since the first half of the year. Those like us still have some wealth and can still manage it. Can’t afford it! There is also embassy repairs. Whenever it rains, the ceiling will leak, not to mention your brother-in-law’s office. The windows are broken and cannot be closed. The floor around the circle is wet, and it will become moldy after a long time. If you want to change the place, even if the salary is in arrears, where will the funds come from?"

At the beginning, the hand in the sandwich did not stop, but gradually, the movement slowed down.

Silence flowed between the two.

"How about Nanjing, Minister Chen sent a telegram?"

"I've posted it every few days, asking for salary, asking for funds. Nanjing always says it's difficult and difficult, and let them find their own way to raise money. If you want me to say, this shit is not a good diplomat!"

"Respect is earned by oneself, not given by others. Even your own country doesn't take the dignity of this country seriously, so why should your brother-in-law and the others go abroad to endure hardships and suffer?"

"You don't know, before we returned to China, there was a dance in the British embassy, ​​and your brother-in-law also took me there. At that time, the French counselor asked your brother-in-law in front of the secretaries of the counselors from other countries. He heard that the rain had stopped outside. Only the rain inside the Chinese embassy can be called a sight, isn’t it true?”

She was full of complaints, and she was not at all complacent as before going abroad.

Yue Dingtang: "How did brother-in-law return?"

Yue Chunxiao: "Your brother-in-law said that the world is not peaceful now, and we Chinese like to be prepared for danger in times of peace, and always remind ourselves not to forget suffering, so that we can do more practical things for the people."

Yue Dingtang laughed and said, "This answer is not bad."

Yue Chunxiao said angrily: "You're still laughing! If your brother-in-law is a member of the American or British embassy, ​​would the other party dare to make such a joke?!"

Yue Dingtang: "This is originally a joke in an informal setting, internal and external troubles, and I can't blame others for taking it lightly."

Yue Chunxiao: "So I will never go to Nanjing. Your brother-in-law and the others are outside in the wind and rain. They don't have enough to eat and don't have enough clothes to keep warm. But those people in Nanjing are always rich and rich. I'm afraid that after I go, I can't help but shoot Swearing at people at the table will hinder your brother-in-law's official career, it is better to stay at home comfortably, go shopping and meet old friends."

She complained a lot, and Yue Dingtang listened patiently. After all, if the couple had to go abroad again, the family still didn't know what year and month they would be able to meet.

"By the way," Yue Chunxiao pierced the soup dumpling with chopsticks, the juice flowed out and the aroma was overflowing. "I went to have afternoon tea today and met Ling Yao, do you remember? The sister of your old classmate Ling Shu."

Yue Dingtang paused while holding the bowl to drink the soup.

"What's up with her?"

Yue Chunxiao: "It's nothing. I only found out when I came back to China this time. She married a small clerk from the municipal government. Her personality hasn't changed much. It's just this chance. Tsk tsk. I think the Ling family was so beautiful back then, but it's gone now. She She still wanted to maintain her status as a rich wife in front of me, but I mercilessly pierced it."

Yue Dingtang: "I remember you guys had a good friendship before?"

Yue Chunxiao smirked: "You don't know women too well. She wants to overwhelm me, and I want to overwhelm her. Do you understand?"

Yue Dingtang concluded: "A hypocritical superficial friendship."

After finishing speaking, he quickly turned his head and dodged the third sister's grabbing hand in time.

Yue Chunxiao continued to sigh: "I still remember that when I was in school, Lingyao saw Tian'er changing clothes. She didn't bring a duplicate set every day. She had brought back handbags and perfumes that were not available in China, but now, she The plaid cheongsam on her body is clearly frayed, and she is still wearing it, so one can imagine what Ling Yao's life is like now! Speaking of which, how is your old classmate Ling Shu, you have no contact with him ?"

Yue Dingtang: "Very few."

Yue Chunxiao: "As the saying goes, the friendship of an old classmate is the most precious. If you have time, ask him to come to your house to have a chat, talk about friendship, and talk about the past years. I like that child since I was a child, and he is beautiful. And clever, if it wasn't for the downfall of his family, he might be doing better than you now!"

Yue Dingtang: "What's wrong with you? On the one hand, you hate his sister, and on the other hand, you call me to invite him to sit at home."

Yue Chunxiao laughed and said, "Is this contradictory? I hate his sister, but I don't hate him."

Yue Dingtang put down the soup bowl.

"Then I'm afraid I will disappoint you."

Yue Chunxiao was puzzled.

Yue Dingtang: "Ling Shu was involved in a murder case, he is the biggest suspect."

Yue Chunxiao was shocked: "Then Ling Yao..."

Yue Dingtang: "She probably doesn't know about it yet. We are suppressing the news at the moment, and the newspapers are not allowed to publish the news for the time being. Otherwise, as the deceased, I'm afraid there will be an uproar."

Yue Chunxiao: "Impossible, Ling Shu was such a well-behaved child when he was in school, I still remember..."

Yue Dingtang: "The deceased is Du Yuning, you also know the third sister, my old classmate with Ling Shu."

Yue Chunxiao stopped talking.

"I'm done eating."

Yue Dingtang got up, ready to go upstairs and return to his room.

"Little brother."

Yue Chunxiao called him to stop.

"Ling Yao, although I don't like her, I don't have any deep hatred. Speaking of which, we are still old classmates. The Ling family is like this now. Ling Shu is the only male in the Ling family. Could this be a mistake? "

Yue Dingtang: "The case happened in the International Settlement. I will help Smith follow up. It is still in the evidence collection stage."

Yue Chunxiao was startled, then sighed again.

"Tell me, what is this all about? It's almost the Chinese New Year. If Ling Yao knows, the sky above his head may collapse."

The last thing Yue Dingtang glanced back as he walked up the stairs was a table full of home-cooked dishes that were still steaming, and Yue Chunxiao who was frowning beside the table.

Back in the room, after washing up, he was supposed to go to bed and rest. He had to go to school to correct his thesis tomorrow, but Yue Dingtang tossed and turned without falling asleep.

The phrase "Ling Shu is the only male in the Ling family" is all in his mind.

He copied the pocket watch on the bedside table, which showed three o'clock in the middle of the night.

Yue Dingtang rubbed his nose, sat up again, took off the crumpled satin nightgown, changed into a suit slowly, and called the servant again.

"Fourth young master, what are your orders?"

"Go and wake up the driver, I'll go out."

"so late?"

"Well, let's go."

……

As soon as he entered the arresting room, Shen Renjie hurried up to meet him.

Yue Dingtang already had an impression of this fat Huazhu.

"Mr. Yue, why are you here so late?"

Shen Renjie's face did not have the joy of fawning last time, and the corners of his mouth were pulled up reluctantly.

Yue Dingtang felt suspicious.

"Du Yuning's case, I thought of some details, and want to ask the suspect, please help me bring up Ling Shu."

"This..." Shen Renjie looked embarrassed.

Yue Dingtang: "Why, no?"

Shen Renjie: "No no, look, it's so late, in the middle of the night, how about tomorrow? At least let the suspect get a good night's sleep, and he will recall clearly tomorrow, right?"

Yue Dingtang has heard a lot about the way the patrol house treats suspects.

Although he has not seen it with his own eyes, Yue Dingtang knows that most of it is true.

There are countless ways to make a person submit——

Those that make people want to die, those that make people want to live, and those that make people unable to live or die.

"I don't know when the patrol room has been so lenient to suspects. Questioning cases is divided into day and night."

Under his eagle-like gaze, Shen Renjie's nose was sweating in the cold winter months.

"Then, wait a moment, I'll let them bring him here!"

"no need."

He passed Shen Renjie and strode towards the prison behind him.

"I'll pick it up myself!"