coobybook Chapter 1110 Zhu Zhiming Regains His Memory
Chapter 1110 Zhu Zhiming Regains His Memory
Wu Mingqiang set a time to go to Macau and told Gui'er that he wanted to bring all the people from Juzhen Pawnshop over for a reunion dinner.
Gui'er thought about visiting Zhu Zhiming before setting off. Since it was already the New Year, she would bring some New Year's goods as a way of paying her respects.
So he prepared some snacks, fruits, and rice cakes, and asked Acheng to drive him to Wu Mingqiang's house.
Zhu Zhiming was washing clothes alone at home when he saw Gui'er come over. He quickly shook the water off his hands and said with a smile, "Miss Sha, you're here! Happy New Year! I didn't even know you were coming. If I had known, I would have gone out earlier to prepare some candy."
Gui'er smiled and said, "Mr. Zhu, there's no need to be so polite. I was planning to go out for a few days, and since it's the New Year, I was wondering how your health was recovering, so I came to check on you first. Are you alright?"
Acheng also placed the things he brought on the table.
Zhu Zhiming wiped his hands on his clothes, invited them to sit down, brought over a kettle to make tea for them, and then sat down and said, "I'm all alone, so it doesn't really matter whether it's the New Year or not. But thanks to you, I remembered something. I went to look for my brother and found that he had moved away. I asked the neighbors, but they didn't know where he moved to. I wonder if you know?"
Gui'er was overjoyed to hear this: "You've regained your memory. How did you get injured? Do you remember?"
Zhu Zhiming shook his head and said, "I can only remember some things. I remember that my family only consists of my younger brother's family. I can't quite remember the others."
Acheng said, "When we took you to the hospital, the young lady told us to go to that newsstand right away, but it had already been moved."
Zhu Zhiming paused for a moment and said, "So, we knew each other before?"
Gui'er then realized that he still hadn't regained all his memories.
She said, "We're not just acquaintances, we're also comrades."
"That lady I saw at the hospital last time..."
“Mr. Zhou, let me be frank with you. You are actually a revolutionary, working with a comrade named Chen Zhongyu. He sacrificed his life, and the woman I saw in the hospital last time was his fiancée.”
"I'm a revolutionary?" Zhu Zhiming was very surprised. "Then, what was the cause of Mr. Chen Zhongyu's death?"
"He was maliciously hit and killed by a car, and the murderer has not been found." Gui'er felt that since Zhu Zhiming had begun to regain his memory, it would be best for her to tell him the truth, so that he wouldn't run into the people who had harmed them before because of his amnesia. Telling him would at least make him more cautious.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Zhiming's eyes widened in shock, and he suddenly clutched his head, appearing to be in great pain.
"Mr. Zhu, what's wrong?"
Zhu Zhiming gripped the edge of the table, his face as white as a sheet, fine beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He muttered, "Chen Zhongyu... the car... hit me..." He suddenly pressed his temple, as if countless fragments were colliding in his mind, "No... the shadowy figure in the alley... the person who hit me..."
"Mr. Zhu!" Gui'er quickly handed him a cup of tea. "Don't worry, if you can't remember, don't think about it."
He took a sip of hot water and waited a while before raising his head. His eyes were clearer, yet still shrouded in confusion: "It seems... there was a group of people chasing me, with sticks... I ran for my life, and then something hit my head..." He paused halfway through his sentence, his brows furrowing. "The rest... is blurry."
Seeing that his expression had eased slightly, Gui'er breathed a sigh of relief: "It's okay if you can't remember. Focus on getting better first. Do you need to go to the hospital?"
Zhu Zhiming waved his hand, his face a little pale: "Miss Sha, thank you... I'm fine. It's just that after listening to your description, it seems like I have some recollection of it. I think I'll remember more and more things."
Gui'er comforted her, "That's a good thing, but we can't rush it. Take it slow and focus on getting better. The most important thing is to get your health back."
When saying goodbye, Gui'er specifically instructed Acheng to have someone keep an eye on things around here before getting into the car. In the rearview mirror, Zhu Zhiming stood at the door watching them, his figure appearing particularly thin in the alley where the festive atmosphere was fading.
The next morning, the shop assistants and clerks of Juzhen Pawnshop squeezed into two hired cars and followed Wu Mingqiang's car to the dock.
The festive atmosphere was less intense than it had been a few days earlier. Some shops had already opened, and the lingering smell of firecrackers still lingered at the Hong Kong docks, but it couldn't mask the tension in the air. Japanese patrol boats cruised Victoria Harbour, with cannons faintly visible under their canvas canopies. Everyone boarding the boats had to undergo a body search by Indian police officers, and the search warrants in English were posted on the dock pillars, rustling loudly in the sea breeze.
The ship bound for Macau was an old passenger ferry, its peeling paint bearing the words "Macau-Hong Kong." The passengers were a diverse group: businessmen in suits clutched their suitcases, laborers in coarse cloth huddled in corners, and several women in cheongsams covered their mouths and noses with handkerchiefs, disgusted by the fishy smell on the deck. Wu Mingqiang's men stood guard in a corner of the cabin, whispering, "Don't wander around once you get to Macau. Although it's Portuguese territory, there are plenty of Japanese spies there."
As the ship departed, its horn echoed through the harbor, startling a flock of seagulls into flight. Gui'er leaned against the railing, watching the shadow of Hong Kong Island gradually shrink, the sea breeze carrying a salty, fishy smell against her face.
Dingxiang leaned closer and said, "Miss, look over there, so many fishing boats." On the distant sea, a few small fishing boats were drifting by, and the fishermen were bending over to haul in their nets, completely oblivious to the shadows of warships in the distance—in chaotic times, livelihoods are always on the edge of a knife.
The passenger ship swayed and rocked for more than three hours before finally approaching the Macau pier. The Portuguese-style buildings along the shore glowed warmly in the setting sun, their church spires piercing the clouds, creating a strange harmony amidst the traditional Chinese arcade buildings. At the pier, uniformed Portuguese police lazily checked documents, speaking Portuguese mixed with Cantonese. When stamping the documents of those crossing the border, their fingers would pause in mid-air until a few coins were handed over before slowly lowering their stamps.
After clearing customs, the group hired rickshaws and headed to their pre-booked accommodation in Macau.
"We're here." After walking for about half an hour, Wu Mingqiang pointed to a small building not far away. "The pawnshop is over there. Let's stay here first. I'll treat everyone to a good meal tonight."
The group arrived at the small building. The first floor was already renovated, with a dark red wooden facade and a black plaque with gold lettering above the door. The words "Juzhen Pawnshop" were still wrapped in red silk and would not be revealed until their opening day. The two heavy wooden doors were ajar, with the brass rings polished to a shine. The decor was similar to that of Juzhen Pawnshop in Hong Kong—subtle and understated.