Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 548 - 44: Scallops and the Belated Chang
"Of course I remember, but the sun hasn’t set yet."
Li Yan replied to Dorothy while taking off the steam gauntlet he accidentally damaged and tossing it into an iron box.
"Let’s leave early, today is the final performance."
Dorothy walked over with a beaming smile and doffed her hat to Liang Hui in salutation.
"Mr. Liang, Frederick is an excellent and upstanding lawyer, he will surely be able to help you."
Liang Hui bowed deeply: "Thank you very much, Miss Dorothy, the Chinese in this city will remember your deeds."
"I’m only doing what any person with a conscience would do. I have a performance this evening, so if there’s nothing else, I’ll be taking my leave."
Having said this, Dorothy glanced at Li Yan.
Li Yan nodded understandingly.
Then he followed Dorothy out the door and onto the lavish track carriage.
From beginning to end, Duke Weilang just stood there quietly, somber and silent.
The short-haired girl driving Dorothy’s carriage whistled: "Gentlemen of the Pinkerton detectives, could you please move your carriage a bit?"
Several black-clad detectives looked toward Duke Weilang.
"Let’s go."
Duke Weilang gestured with a wave of his hand and nastily dropped a line to Liang Hui: "St. Yves of Enfield sends his regards to you."
After saying this, Duke led his agents away in the steam carriage under everyone’s gaze.
Inside the carriage.
"I believe I will be on tomorrow’s headline of the fringe newspaper."
Li Yan lifted the floral curtain of the carriage.
"Do you know what today’s headline was?"
Dorothy poured Li Yan a cup of tea: "Several local papers harshly criticized my new version of ’Giant Lake’ because I used a Chinese person as the protagonist. I received many threatening letters, and someone even reported the Black Rose Theatre to the government. These Americans sure are"
"Sounds like you’re in a tough spot."
"On the contrary, I see it as an opportunity."
Dorothy shrugged: "If I stop performing without any reason, I would face a lot of resistance. This could be a good excuse."
She looked hopefully at Li Yan: "If you truly manage to drive it away. All of this would be worth it."
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"You promised Pinkerton would stop pestering me, but you broke your word."
Liang Hui stared at Zhen Lian with a severe tone.
Zhen Lian’s face showed some panic, but she quickly composed herself: "Didn’t he ultimately leave with his tail between his legs? Pinkerton’s criminal investigation against you was long called off. I can stake my life on that assurance. As for why Duke Weilang still came after you, that I do not know."
Liang Hui’s face suddenly calmed down: "That Venomous Snake Detective deliberately used St. Yves’s name to threaten me before he left, indicating that Pinkerton Detective Agency has taken Enfield Arms Company’s employment; they’ve heard of our plans to strike. Humph, like a bad penny."
Zhen Lian, both scared and angry, retorted fiercely: "If you had already guessed, why blame me for nothing? It’s not my fault."
Liang Hui ignored Zhen Lian’s complaint and just paced back and forth in the room, frowning.
With Pinkerton’s reputation, and Liang Hui’s own shady background, it was impossible not to be distressed.
Zhen Lian watched him, speaking softly: "Perhaps, we could set aside..."
"Do you think this is child’s play?"
Liang Hui interrupted her, sat back in his own seat, picked up the tobacco pipe from the table, hurled it to the ground in frustration, and knocked out ashes all over the floor.
"Fifty-two chairpersons from seven major associations of the Chinese General Association, except for two abstentions, everyone is on my side. The president of Ningyang Guild Hall has spared no effort in supporting me. I’ve invested favors and spent money. The strike was my initiative; now, you want me to be the first to back down? I’d rather die for real."
Li Hui, once full of injuries, relying on opium to ease the pain, might not have had the courage to challenge Pinkerton. But today, his abundant energy and ambition had swelled to an extent he had never dared to imagine before.
"Pinkerton has a history, what if it really leads to someone’s death? How will you end it? The gentleman said he would not intervene."
Zhen Lian said with a cold laugh.
Li Hui’s eyes rolled again: "Don’t we still have a Mr. Cha?"
Zhen Lian revealed a trace of a cold smile: "Aren’t you underestimating him a bit? Flame only dances with flame, and playing with fire is to court self-destruction."
Li Hui kept a straight face: "These past few days, he has been hanging around brothels. In that district, there have been several violent incidents against Chinese people, as well as three major fires, yet nothing has happened these past two days. You should know what that means. My request to him is just going with the flow. In the past, you were always serving the two gentlemen; it might be better if you took charge of this matter. It would be beneficial for both of us if it works out."
Zhen Lian pondered for a while, removed a scale-like hairpin from her hair, and vaguely nodded.
"Fine, I’ll think of something."
As dusk neared, the girls with their hair let down came downstairs in twos and threes, yawning lazily as they washed up, with the music from the gramophone deep and resonant.
Cha Xiaodao had been staying here for two days.
That "Book of Creation" was still in his hands, and besides strolling through various district markets and restaurants every day, Cha Xiaodao spent the rest of his time studying the book, unfortunately without gaining anything.
When Zhen Lian came to visit, Cha Xiaodao was in the kitchen, unused to sourdough and clam chowder, and with a naturally good appetite, he often cooked for himself. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮
Clang~
Cha Xiaodao brought a plate of steamed mussels with onion to the table, shelling them while listening to Zhen Lian’s purpose, then nodded: "No problem."
"Really?"
Zhen Lian didn’t expect things to go so smoothly.
"I’ll be staying here for the next few days. If you can’t find me, or if there’s anything I can help with, I won’t refuse."
After saying this, Cha Xiaodao smiled at Zhen Lian: "Am I not much easier to talk to than your blue-robed emperor?"
Zhen Lian awkwardly smiled.
"If there’s nothing else, go about your business."
It was only after Zhen Lian stood up and bowed that she left.
Cha Xiaodao somehow pulled out the hefty "Book of Creation," struggling to decipher its contents while peeling the shellfish.
His hand groping in the plate full of mussels, he accidentally touched a chilling palm.
Cha Xiaodao looked up and saw Yanzi, who had just washed her hair.
"You don’t mind sharing a bit, do you?"
Yanzi’s smile revealed a small dimple.
"Not at all."
During these two days in the brothel, Yanzi and Cha had become much more familiar with each other.
To be honest, Cha Xiaodao really liked Yanzi’s temperament. If it weren’t for the psychological barrier he had with Chang Yu, their relationship might have progressed further.
"Chang Yu hasn’t come to see me for two days now."
Yanzi tilted her head.
"Two days isn’t long."
"I’ve known him for a year, he’s come every weekend. Even if it’s just to see me for a moment before he has to leave because of rush work. Hey, the mussels you made are delicious!"
Upon hearing this, Cha Xiaodao looked up: "He didn’t tell you about the deed?"
Yanzi wiped her lips with her finger, eyes wide: "What deed?"
Suddenly, the door was pushed open.
Chang Yu burst in excitedly, and as soon as he saw Yanzi and Cha Xiaodao, he couldn’t contain his emotion: "Yanzi, I did it! I’m going to London to participate in the World Expo!"
