Chapter 64: A Married Couple
Cheng Qianfan trailed far behind Brother Luo.
His mind raced as he considered the possibilities. Whose man was Brother Luo?
A Communist agent?
A Japanese agent and traitor?
Or was it really just a coincidence, and he genuinely had an upset stomach?
Just then, an inconspicuous flash of light flickered before Cheng Qianfan’s eyes.
His heart skipped a beat.
Without changing expression, he continued following Brother Luo. After another dozen or so meters, he saw from a distance that Brother Luo entered an open-air latrine.
Taking out his pocket watch, Cheng Qianfan checked the time and muttered something under his breath before turning around and heading back.
No matter what Brother Luo was going to do, he could not follow!
“Huh.”
On the second floor of a building several dozen meters away, a young man with triangular eyes lowered his binoculars, spat out the toothpick in his mouth, uttered a surprised sound, then raised the binoculars again and saw Cheng Wufang returning to the surveillance point at the wonton stall.
“What is it?” his companion asked.
“You keep watch. I’ll report to the captain.”
The triangular-eyed man handed over the binoculars and spoke.
Watching the man’s departing figure, the companion spat on the ground.
“Damn it, trying to slack off again.”
Going downstairs, turning left, and following the moss-covered stone-paved road for about eighty paces before turning right led to a three-story building.
This was the administrative office of Selling Fish Bridge Wharf.
He Qichen was in a second-floor lounge, embracing a gaudily dressed woman and enjoying himself.
“Boss He.”
The triangular-eyed man pushed open the door and saw the hostess feeding water to Captain He mouth-to-mouth. He was accustomed to such sights and let his eyes wander toward the woman’s waist and hips.
“Go on. My people need to discuss something with me.”
He Qichen patted the woman’s buttocks. She coquettishly struck him twice with her handkerchief before swaying her hips as she left.
After the woman departed, the triangular-eyed man closed the door.
“I already told you that kid was nothing. You insisted on testing him again. So what did you find?” He Qichen asked irritably.
“That Cheng Wufang followed Luo Six for less than a hundred paces. When he saw Luo Six enter the latrine, he turned back.”
The triangular-eyed man reported.
“See? I told you so. That kid is slow and dull, a blockhead. He’s just a prop sent by Yu Ping’an.”
He Qichen yawned.
The yawn brought tears to his eyes. He rubbed them and picked out the eye crust.
“Did you use Liu Yishou or Sun Duantui this time?”
Both Liu Yishou and Sun Duantui were itinerant fortune-tellers who worked around the area.
“Liu Yishou.”
“What an idiot.”
He Qichen cursed.
The triangular-eyed man smiled ingratiatingly. He knew the captain was not cursing him, but Luo Six.
Luo Six was hopelessly addicted to gambling and extremely superstitious.
The triangular-eyed man had arranged for Liu Yishou to “coincidentally” encounter Luo Six and tell him that if he bowed three times toward the east in Hulu Alley precisely at eight o’clock that morning, he would certainly win every gamble.
Luo Six believed this completely and would definitely find a way to shake off Cheng Wufang and make it there in time to perform the ritual.
Meanwhile, Luo Six climbed over the wall of the latrine and escaped.
Seeing that Cheng Qianfan had not followed him, he immediately broke into a full sprint.
Rushing out of the alley, he became somewhat disoriented.
He had never been here before and was not especially familiar with the roads.
Seeing a rickshaw approaching, he grabbed it and climbed aboard, handing over five yuan in legal tender.
“Hua Shiliu Alley. If you get me there in five minutes, it’s all yours.”
The rickshaw puller snatched the banknotes and began running like a madman.
It took less than five minutes.
Checking his watch, Luo Six saw that the trip had taken only three minutes.
Jumping off the rickshaw, he dashed into the alley with all his might.
No. 3 Hua Shiliu Alley.
It was a small courtyard.
Luo Six cautiously examined the surroundings.
Suddenly, the door to the inner room opened, and a man and woman stumbled into the courtyard while pulling and shoving each other, arguing loudly.
“You damn woman, let go! If you don’t let go, I’ll beat you to death!”
The man clenched his teeth and shouted while holding a wooden box.
“Then hit me! Beat me to death! There’s nothing left in this house, and you’re still gambling! The children haven’t had a full meal in two days!”
The woman’s hair was disheveled. Clutching the man’s leg desperately, she cried at the top of her lungs.
“Let go! Don’t block me from making my fortune! Immortal Sun told my fortune and said I’d definitely win back everything this time!”
The man grabbed the woman’s hair and yanked viciously.
At that moment, someone in the neighboring courtyard shouted, “Every day with you two. Aren’t you tired of it?”
Someone from the house opposite also called out, “Brother Meng, ignore him. I enjoy watching.”
“Shut up! I’ve got guests at home. I’ll treat you all to drinks another day.”
The man cursed while covertly glancing at Luo Six.
The neighbors on both sides immediately fell silent.
“Just kill me then!”
The woman suddenly wailed to the heavens.
“You spendthrift woman. If your crying ruins my luck, I’ll sell you next time.”
The man finally tore himself free, kicked the woman in passing, and strode away.
The woman struggled to her feet, then sat on the ground.
Her face was smeared with tears and dirt, and she cried with heart-rending grief.
Luo Six bent down.
“Miss, are you alright?”
The woman continued crying without answering.
Luo Six reached out to help her up. Glancing around, he quickly whispered,
“Is this Old Zhang’s place?”
“No, it’s Old Du’s place.”
“I’m looking for Old Du Four.”
“There’s only Big Brother Zhang here.”
The recognition code matched.
“Something’s happened. Selling Fish Bridge Wharf is crawling with agents. Tell our people to withdraw immediately.”
After speaking, Luo Six suddenly cried out in alarm.
“Miss, what are you doing? Let go!”
“Ouch!”
The woman cried out after being kicked by Luo Six.
“Help! Help!”
Luo Six turned and ran for his life.
About half a minute later, the man who had left earlier came rushing back carrying a wooden club.
“Where is he? Where is he?”
“Couldn’t hold him. He got away.”
“You stupid woman.”
The man cursed repeatedly, then glanced at his wife.
“That bastard didn’t take advantage of you, did he?”
“What did you say? What did you say? If you weren’t so useless, would I have to do this shameless work with you?”
The woman clawed at the man as the two pulled and shoved each other back into the house.
“Emergency intelligence. Something’s happened.”
The woman picked up a cup of water from the table and took a drink.
“Selling Fish Bridge Wharf is full of agents. Find a way to notify our superiors and tell our people to withdraw immediately.”
“Understood.”
The man nodded and moved to open the door, then stopped.
“Sanni, if I haven’t come back by noon, take the child and go to the countryside.”
“Father of my child.”
The woman looked up. First stunned, then suddenly terrified, she stared at her husband.
“Our child is still so young.”
“Don’t wait until noon. Go pick up the child from Granny Lu’s place shortly and leave. If anyone asks, say you’re returning to your parents’ home.”
The man did not dare meet his wife’s eyes.
He understood what she meant.
The child was still young and could not grow up without a father.
“Father of my child.”
The woman’s eyes remained fixed on him.
“Remember it. Leave shortly.”
The man raised his head and looked at his wife. He wanted to leave her with a smile, but ultimately could not manage one.
“Sanni, you’re a Party member too. Be strong.”
Suddenly the man let out a howl.
“You damned woman, you bit me!”
Then he stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face before yanking open the door and slamming it shut as he left.
Watching her husband curse and stride away, the wife stood there with a bright red handprint on her face and blood at the corner of her mouth.
She cried out in anguish.
“Meng Qiang, you bastard! Come back! Come back! Come back!”
Their contact point was only a low-level one, merely a minor intelligence relay station.
Unless their superiors contacted them in an emergency, there was no way for them to rapidly reach higher authorities themselves...
At this very moment, Cheng Qianfan was chatting with Old Xue, the owner of the wonton stall.