Well, my plan to announce nine thousand words today failed. There were only six thousand. I'd try for nine thousand again tomorrow.
Wangjiang Restaurant, Room D-4.
A bearded middle-aged man occupied nearly half the window by himself. He did not spare a glance for the performance that had everyone else cheering nonstop; instead, his shifty eyes kept sweeping over the floor, as if he wished he could burrow into the piles of cash scattered there.
"Damn it!"
After a long while, he suddenly cursed resentfully. "That ass-selling rabbit's quite the expert at raking in money! If I'd known this caterwauling was so profitable, I should've bought myself a share!"
Aside from him, most of those gathered by the window were opera enthusiasts. Hearing him disparage Jiang Yuhan onstage, they could not help rolling their eyes. But knowing how overbearing he usually was, none dared contradict him to his face.
Oblivious to the public outrage he had stirred up, the bearded man turned back and drunkenly swept his gaze around the room. Then he asked several men at the table who were busy stuffing themselves with wine and meat, "Where's that southern barbarian? Why hasn't he come back after all this time? Don't tell me he greased his soles and ran off?"
Most of them remained silent. Only one, a slick-haired, powdered-faced fellow, wiped the grease from his hands onto the tablecloth and sneered. "Xie Laosi, it was one thing when you called him a southern barbarian before. After all, First Master Jia never cared much about that brother-in-law of his. But now that Old Xing has latched onto a higher branch, aren't you afraid of his bargain-price son-in-law...?"
"Pah!"
Xie Laosi spat onto the floor and cursed, "Son-in-law my ass! His daughter became someone's concubine, and he still has the