The Downfall of Isla Ge in Mrs. Vivienne's House Chapter 4

Isla Ge felt like a scholar in "Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio". After she went to the mountains to visit her relatives, she found that the mansion of the noble family had turned into a huge graveyard in the blink of an eye. If the white house of the Liang family had turned into a graveyard, she might not be surprised. She thought her aunt was a capable woman who held the wheel of the times with one hand. In her own little world, she retained the licentious atmosphere of the late Qing Dynasty and became a miniature Empress Dowager Cixi behind closed doors. Isla Ge thought: "As for me, since I have walked into this ghostly world with my eyes open, who can I blame if I am possessed by evil? But we are aunt and niece after all. She is bound by face. As long as I act uprightly and stand upright, I am not afraid that she will not treat me with courtesy. Let outsiders gossip, let them say whatever they want, I will study my books. In the future, when I meet someone who really likes me, they will naturally understand and will never believe those boring rumors." She went back that day and thought carefully. She had to lie in front of her father. She had to contact her mother and lay a line in Shanghai. If they were on the same page, there would be less chance of her lies being exposed. After making up her mind, she told her mother everything about how she met her aunt and how her aunt agreed to pay for her tuition and let her live at home, but she omitted what she had seen and heard about Mrs. Vivienne's family situation. Although her mother was worried about her leaving her alone in Hong Kong, she also didn't want her to delay her studies. The things that her aunt had said in the past had long since passed and became a thing of the past, and people had forgotten about them over time. Now that her aunt was older, she was naturally different from before. This time, she had forgiven her niece and generously donated money to help her niece study. That was the best thing that could happen. Isla Ge's mother wanted to go to the door in person to thank her, but Isla Ge tried her best to stop her, saying that Mrs. Vivienne would go to the hospital to have her appendix removed in the next two days, and the doctor had told her to rest. The aunt and sister-in-law had not seen each other for many years, and once they met, they would inevitably cry bitterly, and their emotions would be agitated, which might not be good for their health. Mrs. Ge had no choice but to give up, and in front of Ge Yukun, she only said that Isla Ge's excellent grades made the principal look at her differently and donated a scholarship for her to live in the school for free. Ge Yukun was originally a celebrity with an unkempt temperament. He was used to being careless and not as particular about etiquette as his wife. After hearing this, he only praised his daughter and had no intention of visiting the principal to thank him in person for his efforts in cultivating talents.

The old couple of the Ge family were eager to go home, so they packed their bags and went back to their house. There was only one old cook in the house, who had worked in Shanghai for many years, and she also went back to Shanghai with them. Another cook, Chen Ma, was hired in Hong Kong, so they paid her wages and sent her away. Isla Ge sent her parents on the boat. It was already dark, and Chen Ma accompanied her and carried a suitcase to Mrs. Vivienne's house.

It was a damp spring night, and the fog on the mountains of Hong Kong was the most famous. The white house of the Liang family was melted in the white fog, and only the lights in the green glass windows could be seen, swaying green and faint, like ice cubes in mint wine. Gradually, the ice cubes melted into water - the fog thickened, and the lights in the window panes disappeared. The Liang family was the only family on this street. The asphalt mountain road was empty and quiet, but there was a line of cars lined up. Isla Ge thought to herself: "I came at an unlucky time today. My aunt is treating me, so how can she have time to greet me?" I climbed the stairs all the way to the street. There was only an antique palace lantern with red copper flowers lit by the small iron gate. When I arrived at the door, I still felt that there was no one inside, and it didn't seem like there were any guests. I listened carefully and just heard the crisp sound of shuffling cards. There must be four or five mahjong tables. Compared with the compact, modern, and economical houses in Shanghai, the deep courtyards in Hong Kong have a different atmosphere. Just as Isla Ge was about to ring the bell, Chen Ma said from behind: "Miss, be careful, there are dogs!" Before she finished her words, a group of dogs really barked together. Chen Ma panicked. She was wearing a brand new blue bamboo cloth coat, which was starched very hard. When she was embarrassed, she rubbed the blue cloth coat, making the bamboo cloth rustle. She had braids like the Liang family's Ni Ni and Ni Er, but her braid was tied with murderous intent, like the nine-section steel whip in martial arts novels. Isla Ge suddenly felt that she didn't know her and had never looked at her objectively - it turned out that the servants in her family were so unworthy of being on the stage! So she said: "Chen Ma, you go! If you delay for a while, it's scary to walk on the mountain. Here are two dollars for you to take the bus. The box is here, someone will take it." She sent Chen Ma away and rang the bell. The little girl reported in. The eight rounds of cards had just been played inside and they were about to take their seats. Mrs. Vivienne hesitated for a moment when she heard that her niece was coming. She was always careful about money transactions. This time she was going to spend a lot of money on her niece, but she was still undecided. She didn't know if this little girl would have a future and was worth investing in. The tuition fee was not big, but not small either. Fortunately, the money had not been paid yet. She might as well take the opportunity of tonight's dinner party to ask the child to change her clothes and come out to meet the guests. As the saying goes, "Real gold is not afraid of fire." The difference will be obvious immediately. There is only one thing. The men and women present today have all been matched, and the arrangement has been painstakingly done. If this girl really makes a big splash, the voice of the young phoenix is clearer than that of the old phoenix, which will inevitably cause a commotion and disrupt the balance. If Isla Ge is useless, it will be bad. It will be even more disappointing to have a wooden child in the middle of the event. There is also another layer. There are too many people who are jealous. Mrs. Vivienne glanced at the skinny old man sitting opposite her. He was the only one left among the countless lovers in her heyday. His name was Situ Xie, a small wealthy man in Shantou who owned an enamel toilet factory. Although Mrs. Vivienne had a wide circle of friends, she always preferred the local tyrants in Hong Kong and the gentry class with some official appointments. The reason why she was reluctant to part with this businessman was because he was knowledgeable, interesting, and good at seducing. After they had known each other for a long time, Mrs. Vivienne was actually a little afraid of him. She was a little cautious about anything that got in his way. Situ Xie and Mrs. Vivienne had been the same for twenty years because she knew her temper well and was considerate. Moreover, although Mrs. Vivienne did not pay him, she did not need him to spend money. She borrowed her place to entertain guests. The scene was beautiful and the entertainment was thoughtful. Why not? Today's card game was because Situ Xie was going back to Shantou to marry his daughter, and Mrs. Vivienne gave him a farewell party. If he fell in love with Isla Ge, he would not be able to return to Shantou, which would cause all kinds of trouble. Mrs. Vivienne called Ruby over in a low voice and told her, "Go and deal with the Ge family's child. Tell her that I can't leave here and I'll see her tomorrow morning. Ask her if she has had dinner. The blue guest room is allocated to her. Take her up there." Ruby agreed and walked out. She was wearing a snow-blue tight jacket, emerald blue narrow-legged pants, and her hands were tucked into a white and gold vest. She was still dressed like a maid in the Dream of Red Mansions era. Only her flat face was not made up, but only a layer of clear oil. The coppery complexion was charming. As soon as he saw Isla Ge, he rushed forward, took the suitcase, and said, "Young lady has been thinking about you all day, wondering why you haven't come yet. Unfortunately, there is a large group of guests today." He whispered in her ear, "They are all elderly masters and ladies. Young lady is afraid that you can't get along with them and it will be awkward, so she asked the girl to prepare another table for dinner upstairs." Isla Ge said, "Thank you, I've already eaten." Ruby said, "Then I'll take you to your room. If you are hungry at night, just ring the bell and ask someone to bring up some sandwiches. There will be people in the kitchen until dawn." When Isla Ge went upstairs, people were eating downstairs. There was melodious music coming from the radio. Isla Ge's room was as small as a boat, and it was pushed by the sound waves. The half-worn red gauze wall lamp seemed to sway, and people in the room felt floating, relaxed and happy.