20. Two Elder Sisters

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Zhou Hongyi took the blind man to a pharmacy, where he tended to his injuries briefly. Then, he followed him all the way to the blind man’s home.

The blind man lived in an alley not far from the bustling city center. To the north lay Henan Road, which led to Huangpu District, the famed “Ten-Mile Foreign Settlement.” It was clear that the blind man’s mother had once earned quite a bit; even in this alley, the houses here were likely more expensive than in other districts.

“Mother~~~ I’m back, and I brought a guest. Have you started cooking yet?”

The blind man led Zhou Hongyi into the alley, stepping over a small drainage ditch, and they saw a heavily pregnant woman boiling water not far away.

She had an oval face, her long hair pinned atop her head. Though her pregnancy caused some puffiness, her features were delicate—large eyes, a slightly upturned nose, full lips—and even with her belly, she retained an alluring charm.

“No wonder… but even a person like that could be deceived? Aren’t those dancers supposed to be seasoned in matters of the heart? I guess the blind man’s mother must be the classic hopeless romantic,” Zhou Hongyi mused silently. He thought the woman looked quite young, and with her son appearing rather mature, strangers might mistake them for siblings or even a couple. The mother-and-son relationship was certainly unusual.

“Got a guest? We’re nearly out of rice; what will we serve them? Oh~~~ is this handsome young man your friend? I’ve never seen him before.”

The blind man’s mother’s eyes lit up instantly when she saw Zhou Hongyi’s neat attire and upright posture, like a hungry old cat spotting a fat mouse.

“Mother, this is my benefactor. When Brother Dao found out I was stealing weapons, look at the beating he gave me. If not for this benefactor covering the costs, I’d be sinking into the Huangpu River tonight.”

“What~~~~? That little bastard, Xiao Dao, dared to beat my blind boy? And planned to drown you? He must have forgotten I once gave him a good beating when he was naked! Just wait—tomorrow I’ll go to their place and give them an earful. We grew up in the same alley; how could they be so cruel?”

The blind man’s mother even called her son “the blind man” herself—truly a mother lacking tact.

“So, you’re the benefactor~~~ Come inside. I just boiled some water for tea. Blind man, go out and buy two taels of pork head meat and half a catty of wine to properly thank our guest.”

“No need, no need. Madam Shen, I was just escorting the blind man home. He’s fine now, so no trouble. You’re not very mobile, and it’s dark and slippery outside—better get some rest early. Well then, blind man, see you tomorrow. I have some things to ask you.”

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“Is the benefactor not staying for dinner~?”

The blind man’s mother was surprised and reached out to grab Zhou Hongyi, missing him and losing her balance. With a cry, she fell toward the door.

Zhou Hongyi broke out in a cold sweat. She was heavily pregnant—he couldn’t let anything happen to her. If she died, he’d become a murderer.

Fortunately, she wasn’t far from him. Zhou Hongyi caught her gently, and she collapsed into his arms, pouting softly.

“Oh dear~~ this waist has thickened, and I’m not as agile as before. Benefactor, you saved my life again today. No matter what, you must stay for dinner. By the way, my name is Shen Qingxia. You can call me Sister Qingxia. Judging by your looks, you’re probably younger than me. What’s your name?”

Leaning on Zhou Hongyi’s shoulder with no intention of rising, Sister Qingxia whispered the question into his ear, her warm breath tickling him. Had she not been pregnant, he might have pushed her away immediately.

“Sister Qingxia, I do have some matters I hope the blind man can help me with. Well then, since you insist, I’ll stay for dinner. Something simple will do—no need for anything fancy.”

Zhou Hongyi agreed and carefully helped the seemingly boneless pregnant woman to a chair inside before finally relaxing.

Shen Qingxia studied Zhou Hongyi’s face, smiling after every glance. She seemed quite pleased with this well-dressed, handsome young man and even gave her son an encouraging look, as if saying, “Take your time shopping, no rush to come back.”

“Mr. Zhou, if you really have business, I’ll go buy some meat and wine. We can eat and talk,” said the blind man as he left with money in hand, leaving Zhou Hongyi alone with the pregnant woman who treated him like a revered monk.

“Benefactor, you haven’t told me your name yet~”

“My name is Zhou Hongyi, Sister Qingxia. I didn’t expect you to be so young. If I didn’t know you were the blind man’s mother, I’d have thought you were his sister.”

“Heh heh heh~~~ young? I’m old and faded now… Back in the day, I was quite the star at the Paramount Club. Wealthy tycoons fought to dance with me and listen to my singing. Now, I’m old and can only watch younger girls take my place… I finally found a man, but he was unfaithful—cheated on me and swindled my money. That damn scoundrel must have slipped somewhere and drowned in the Huangpu River by now!”

Seeing she had steered the conversation there, Zhou Hongyi played along.

“Sister Qingxia, I just heard from the blind man that you once were the top star at the Paramount Club. That’s one of the finest entertainment venues in the Ten-Mile Foreign Settlement. You must have met many officials and dignitaries, had a lot of connections, right?”

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Shen Qingxia curled her delicate fingers, smoothing back her temple hair, exuding pride.

“Of course~~ Back in the day, I, Qingxia, was known as the ‘Flower of the Paramount.’ From military and political circles to gang leaders, everyone showed me three degrees of respect. If you, Mr. Zhou, want to visit the Paramount, I can take you in.”

Zhou Hongyi glanced at her swollen belly, a little speechless.

“Sister Qingxia, given your condition, such places aren’t suitable for you now. But I truly want to ask—does the Paramount still have a girl named Manyu?”

Hearing this, Shen Qingxia scoffed and rolled her eyes dramatically.

“That little floozy Manyu used to trail behind me all the time, calling me sister, acting like a country bumpkin. Now, she’s something else! Even with money, if you want to dance with her, you’d have to line up from one end of the Ten-Mile Foreign Settlement to the other. She’s quite something. So, Mr. Zhou, have you taken a fancy to her? Let me tell you, girls like that are just for looking at. If you want a woman, go for someone mature, charming, and able to bear sons~”

As she spoke, she deliberately rubbed her belly, hinting something to Zhou Hongyi, who awkwardly coughed, pretending not to understand.

Goodness gracious, this lady was so forward—pouncing on a man at their first meeting. No wonder she got deceived!

“Oh, I didn’t mean anything else. I just heard about Manyu from a friend and was curious. If there’s time, when you’re feeling better, could you introduce me?”

“Of course~~ Absolutely~~ Oh, it’s just childbirth. I’m not that delicate. If you want to go, come to my house tomorrow night, and I’ll take you. Don’t worry—I know my body, and it’s not time to give birth yet. Mr. Zhou looks like a wealthy young master. Our blind man may not have much skill, but he’s smart, filial, and grateful. Since you saved his life, let him be your aide. You don’t have to be polite to me—just order him around, heh heh heh~~~”

They chatted about the Paramount for a while longer before the blind man returned with pork head meat and greens. He skillfully stir-fried the vegetables. The three of them enjoyed a simple meal of meat and greens, accompanied by some homemade yellow wine.

Yet the blind man’s mother was truly a character. As they ate and talked, tears welled in her eyes, and she shyly admitted this moment was her long-held dream—to have her family of three sit together, share a warm meal, and drink a little wine.

Her dream nearly choked Zhou Hongyi on the greens. Overwhelmed, he finished quickly and left in haste. He needed to prepare, first settle the money with Brother Dao of the Axe Gang, then return to this enchanting pregnant woman to ask her to introduce him to Manyu of the Paramount.