Explore Chapter 3 of "八十一梦 五子登科" with the original Chinese text, English translation, detailed Chinese vocabulary explanations, and audio of the Chinese original. Listen and improve your reading skills.
Upon arriving in Shanghai, Jin Ziyuan took up residence in a Western-style house that had once belonged to a major traitor. The house was astonishingly large, with a garden of lush green lawn and a fountain spraying water in all directions. He had barely taken a puff of his cigarette in the living room when a visitor arrived. The visitor was a tall, thin man wearing a long gown and mandarin jacket. He bowed deeply upon entering and said, "Mr. Jin, my surname is Liu. I was secretary to the former Mayor Zhou. Hearing of your arrival, I came especially to pay my respects." Jin Ziyuan nodded and gestured for him to sit. Secretary Liu took a small red silk bundle from his bosom and presented it with both hands, smiling. "This is a small token left by Mayor Zhou. It is unworthy of your acceptance, but please do take it, Mr. Jin." Jin Ziyuan opened it and saw a pair of jadeite bangles, translucent green, and knew they were of great value. He frowned slightly and said, "How can I accept this? I have never even met Mayor Zhou." Secretary Liu hastened to reply, "Mayor Zhou has long admired your great name, Mr. Jin. These things would only go to waste in his possession; better to offer them to you." After some perfunctory refusal, Jin Ziyuan pocketed the bangles with feigned reluctance.
After seeing Secretary Liu off, Jin Ziyuan was about to go upstairs to rest when the doorman announced another guest. This time it was a fat man in a Western suit and leather shoes, his face wreathed in smiles, who claimed to be the manager of some company. He handed over a business card, and Jin Ziyuan saw that it listed seven or eight titles. The fat man laughed, "Mr. Jin, you have just arrived in Shanghai, so you must be very busy. Your humble brother has prepared a small gift, unworthy of your acceptance, but I hope you will kindly take it." As he spoke, he ordered his attendant to carry in a large leather trunk. When opened, it was filled with brand-new banknotes, neatly stacked in bundles. Jin Ziyuan was taken aback and asked, "How much is this?" The fat man replied with a smile, "Not much, just one million. Consider it pocket money for Mr. Jin." Jin Ziyuan waved his hand and said, "How can this be? One does not accept rewards without deserving them." The fat man said, "Mr. Jin is the reception commissioner sent by the central government. In the future, your humble brother will rely heavily on you. This little token is nothing." Jin Ziyuan hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.
For several days in a row, Jin Ziyuan's living room was a constant stream of visitors. Some brought gold bullion, some brought property deeds, and others brought antiques and calligraphy paintings. Jin Ziyuan accepted them all, but felt a twinge of unease in his heart. He remembered that when he was in Chongqing, he was so poor he couldn't afford a decent suit of clothes, and now, in the blink of an eye, he had become a millionaire. Yet he also thought that these valuables had been extorted from the people by the enemy and puppets, and that by taking them over, he was recovering part of the nation's losses. With this thought, he felt at ease.
One evening, while Jin Ziyuan was going over the gift list in his study, the phone suddenly rang. He picked it up and heard a woman's voice, syrupy sweet: "Is this Mr. Jin? I am Mrs. Wang. I heard you arrived and would like to invite you for a casual meal. Would you do me the honor?" Jin Ziyuan asked which Mrs. Wang, and she laughed, "You'll know when you come. I have prepared a generous gift for you." Jin Ziyuan was intrigued and agreed. The next day, he went to a luxury hotel as arranged. A young woman glittering with jewels was waiting at the entrance. She took his arm and led him into a private room where the food and wine were already laid out. During the meal, she took out a small box and opened it to reveal a diamond ring, a full carat in weight. Jin Ziyuan made a show of refusal but eventually accepted it. The young woman then said, "Mr. Jin, my late husband was an economic adviser to the puppet government. He left behind a number of properties. I want to ask for your help in legally inheriting them." Jin Ziyuan naturally agreed without hesitation.
Thus more than a month passed. Jin Ziyuan had accumulated a mountain of wealth. He set aside a special room to store it all and went in every day to look at it, feeling an indescribable delight. But one day, he suddenly received an anonymous letter that read: "Mr. Jin, the properties you have taken over are the blood and sweat of the common people. If you have any conscience left, you should hand them over to the national treasury; otherwise, calamity will surely follow." Jin Ziyuan was startled after reading it, but then he thought: everyone else is doing the same, why should I be any different? So he tore up the letter and tossed it aside. However, from then on, he often had nightmares at night, dreaming of countless wronged souls demanding his life. He would wake up in a cold sweat and could no longer fall asleep.