Chapter 19: Attending the Banquet

Chapter 19: Attending the Banquet

When Old Ma left Mr. Fu’s room, his legs were still weak.

He practically crawled and stumbled into his own apartment, where a woman’s scolding voice immediately rang out from inside.

“Team Leader, we’re just letting him go?” one team member asked.

Song Fuguo did not answer immediately.

About several minutes later, Big Eyes silently returned from the corner outside Old Ma’s apartment wall and shook his head, indicating that he had not overheard any suspicious conversation.

“Arrange for two unfamiliar faces to keep a close watch on him,” Song Fuguo said in a deep voice.

In a room across the hall, Kang Erniu peered through a crack in the door.

Only after the chaotic footsteps had faded away into the distance did everyone inside finally let out a long breath of relief.

“We’re moving. Damn it!” Kang Erniu cursed under his breath.

They could not stay here any longer.

The police station had come to arrest someone during the day, very likely one of their comrades.

Then another group had arrived that night, looking very much like secret agents.

With people constantly coming and going like this, even if they were not arrested, they would eventually be frightened half to death.

If those people had knocked on their door just now, Kang Erniu had already been prepared to lead his comrades in a desperate fight.

“Old Kang, we don’t have the money to rent another place,” a middle-aged man sighed.

The room fell silent.

Ever since last year’s major roundup, everyone had been hiding and constantly moving around.

They had changed jobs several times.

The money they earned had to be used both as operational funds and to support their families.

Everyone was poorer than poor.

Kang Erniu pondered for a long while before gritting his teeth.

“I do know of a place, but I don’t know whether it’s still safe.”

Yingbin Restaurant.

It was both a restaurant and an opera house.

People drank downstairs while performances took place on the stage.

Eating, drinking, and listening to opera at the same time.

Jin Kemu was an opera enthusiast, so when he hosted gatherings, he usually chose this place.

By the time Cheng Qianfan arrived, the policemen had already begun eating and drinking.

“Xiao Cheng, Inspector Jin is the host tonight. Why are you so late? You should be fined a drink.”

“Xiao Cheng, did some pretty young lady get hold of you and refuse to let you go?”

Everyone burst into laughter.

“Over here, we saved you a seat.”

He Guan waved him over.

After thanking him, Cheng Qianfan quickly stepped forward and saluted Jin Kemu before saying with a bitter smile,

“After getting off duty, I had some business at Teacher’s house. Teacher’s Wife insisted I stay for dinner, so I was delayed.”

As he spoke, he placed a bottle of foreign liquor on the table.

“Teacher had important matters to attend to and could not come personally. He specifically instructed me to bring this fine bottle of liquor to Inspector Jin.”

“Oh?”

Jin Kemu raised an eyebrow and glanced at Cheng Qianfan.

Then he happily announced to everyone,

“A fine liquor from Translator Xiu’s household must be something exceptional. Please thank Translator Xiu on my behalf.”

The crowd immediately echoed their agreement.

By the time they were done praising it, the bottle might as well have contained nectar from heaven.

“Come, come, open it.”

Jin Kemu chuckled.

“This imported liquor is good stuff.”

Cheng Qianfan filled Jin Kemu’s glass first, then poured a drink for his own master, Ma Yishou.

Only afterward did he hand the bottle to He Guan, signaling him to pour drinks for everyone else.

“You really know how to order me around.”

He Guan grumbled.

“I’m telling you to pour drinks. What are you muttering about?”

Jin Kemu laughed and scolded him.

Watching He Guan cheerfully carry the bottle around the table pouring drinks, everyone burst into laughter.

The way they looked at Cheng Qianfan became even more meaningful.

“Inspector Jin, Qianfan is borrowing another’s flowers to present to the Buddha. “May everything go according to your wishes, and may good fortune shine upon you.”

“Haha, you brat. Good. I’ll drink to that.”

Jin Kemu said happily.

After taking a sip, he smiled again.

“All right, sit down, sit down. Since this is a private gathering, stop calling me Inspector Jin every sentence. You’re good friends with He Guan. If you don’t mind, just call me Uncle Jin.”

This was exactly what Cheng Qianfan had been hoping for.

Delight immediately appeared on his face as he changed his form of address.

The others exchanged glances and then burst into laughter, shouting that such an occasion definitely called for several more drinks.

Since Jin Kemu had declared it a private banquet, everyone relaxed even further.

Cups were raised and exchanged freely as they drank to their hearts’ content.

At this moment, a young female opera performer who had just finished a song came over to offer a toast under the guidance of the troupe manager.

The manager’s surname was Zhao.

Holding a wine cup, he approached the table and smiled ingratiatingly.

“Zhao the Second offers a toast to Inspector Jin and all the officers. You officers safeguard peace in this area. Your contributions are immense.”

After speaking, Manager Zhao drained his cup in one gulp.

Then he gently pushed the young woman beside him forward.

“Chunxiang, offer a toast to the officers.”

Miss Chunxiang blushed bright red with embarrassment.

Yet the rosy flush only enhanced her beauty.

Shyly, she said,

“Chunxiang offers a toast to all the officers.”

She first took a small sip.

Apparently unaccustomed to drinking, she stuck out her tongue as the liquor burned her throat.

Then she copied her manager’s example and drained the cup in one go.

The liquor choked her, and she covered her mouth while coughing repeatedly.

“Good!”

The crowd let out strange cheers.

He Guan shouted especially loudly.

“Sing one! Sing one!”

Manager Zhao said to Chunxiang,

“Come, come. There are no outsiders here. Sing a passage to entertain the officers.”

After hesitating bashfully for quite some time, Chunxiang finally parted her lips and softly sang:

“All at once, the profusion of crimson and violet blossoms fills the garden; yet such beauty is surrendered to broken wells and ruined walls. What can be done with such a glorious day and splendid scenery? In whose courtyard do joyful pleasures dwell...”

This was an aria from The Peony Pavilion called Dreaming in the Garden.

Chunxiang was already beautiful.

The expressions in her eyes and brows added an even more alluring charm.

Thunderous applause erupted around the banquet table.

Everyone shouted repeatedly,

“Another one! Another one!”

Jin Kemu applauded enthusiastically.

Then he waved his hand.

Manager Zhao offered another toast before leading the young woman away.

Cheng Qianfan watched the woman’s departing figure and fell into thought.

By the time several rounds of wine had been consumed and the dishes had been thoroughly tasted, everyone’s tongues had become completely unrestrained.

They began bragging and gossiping about anything and everything.

They talked about how White Peony of the Great World entertainment hall was being kept by Fan Gandi, the brother-in-law of Liang Fangshu, Chief Inspector of the Songhu Garrison Command, and how Inspector Chen Haitao, who had long coveted White Peony, was furious and had threatened to settle accounts with Fan Gandi.

They talked about how the third concubine of a quartermaster director in the Shanghai Security Corps had been caught in bed with a White Russian in a private residence on Sinan Road.

They talked about how the wealthy merchant Jia Dafu of Avenue Joffre had claimed his house was haunted and held Buddhist and Taoist salvation rites for half a month, only for the scandal of a fake Taoist priest seducing one of the household’s concubines to emerge instead.

After drinking too much, these men would say absolutely anything.

Jin Kemu had been quietly observing.

Among all his subordinates, only Cheng Qianfan remained relatively steady.

He merely applauded and joined in the fun from the sidelines.

Yet he did not seem aloof or out of place.

The young man drank cup after cup with everyone and mingled warmly.

Jin Kemu could not help nodding inwardly.

As expected of the student whom Xiu Gongshen was grooming as a priority.

He truly was talented.

Thinking back to the day’s events, Jin Kemu still felt somewhat annoyed at having been pushed into a situation not entirely of his choosing.

“Qianfan, on behalf of Uncle Jin, go around and drink with everyone.”

Jin Kemu paused before adding,

“He Guan, you go with him.”

“All right, Uncle Jin.”

Delight flashed through Cheng Qianfan’s heart.

His face was already slightly flushed with drink as he forced a bitter smile.

“After one full round, Qianfan will probably end up under the table.”

Everyone roared with laughter.

Sure enough, after making a full round of drinks, Cheng Qianfan collapsed drunk.

His alcohol tolerance was genuinely poor.

After barely managing an apology, he caused no disturbance and simply rested his head on the table and closed his eyes.

Jin Kemu chuckled.

This kid.

Apparently he had already been six or seven parts drunk earlier.

Yet when told to make the rounds, he had not hesitated at all.

He had simply obeyed.

That reassured Jin Kemu somewhat.

Previously, he had worried that the young man might become difficult to control after gaining Xiu Gongshen’s backing.

Hmm.

His drinking manners were excellent.

One could judge a person’s character by how they behaved when drunk.

The more Jin Kemu observed him, the more he liked him.

If only he were not Xiu Gongshen’s man.

What a pity.