It's the first week of July, and because of the rain last night, the weather in New York is a little hot today.

With the rainwater accumulated in the puddles on the side of the road, Tang Qingrao wiped his face full of sweat and oil, and looked up at the "Doug and Lehr Savings Bank" across the street. At this time, the small bank had just opened, and a young woman wearing a tight black skirt and a bowler hat was coming out of the bank with a delicate handbag.

Under the backdrop of the tight skirt, the woman's slender figure is fully revealed, and the two calves under the skirt are snow-white, which is coveted. However, Tang Qingrao didn't pay attention to these, he stood up from the side of the road and slowly followed the woman east on this side of the street.

The woman did not walk fast, she followed the street until she reached the intersection with Liberty Street, stood at the corner of the intersection, stared at the opening poster of a Metropolitan Opera House outside the shop window for a while, and then turned right and went in the direction of the Catholic Church.

Seeing the woman turn the corner, Tang Qingrao quickened his pace to keep up, and also followed the woman around the intersection, and followed all the way down, until he saw the woman enter the Catholic church, and then stopped.

"Hey, Adelle!" Just as Tang Qingrao was about to find a place to sit for a while, a guy in tattered clothes and dirt on his face ran over from across the road, shaking a food paper bag in his hand as he ran, and shouted loudly, "What do you think I got today?"

Hearing someone greet the name "Adair", Tang Qingrao was in a trance for a while before he understood, that's right, Adel Conlando, this is his current name, to be precise, it is his name in this time and space, in this life.

Out of habit, Tang Qingrao turned around and looked at the shop window behind him. In the clear glass window, a tall young man with the image of a beggar was reflected. Despite the dirty and unkempt hair, it can still be seen that it is golden, with pale blue pupils, a straight nose, and a sharpened chin, which is completely characteristic of a handsome white man.

At this moment, the beggar on the opposite side had already rushed to the front, and he handed the food bag to Tang Qingrao like a treasure, oh, it was Adel in front of him, opened the bag, and then said: "Look, apples, it's apples, fresh apples, a kind lady gave it, I heard that she made a lot of money in the stock market." ”

Adair is still immersed in his own memories, in fact, in the past half a month, although he has been trying to adapt to his current life and adapt to his current identity, on the surface, he seems to have adapted well, but in his heart, memories like today's, wandering, will appear from time to time.

More than half a month ago, Adel was still a successful person living in South China in the 21st century, he had his own company, his own family, and his own life, but in the confusion of a drunken derailment, he came here inexplicably, and came to New York, USA in 1929, and became a beggar living on the street, and he was also a beggar of Irish descent.

"Come, Adele, friends need to share this good thing," said the beggar, who happily took an apple from his bag, wiped it with his dirt-stained sleeve, handed it to Adair, and said, "Here, this is yours." ”

The beggar's name was Clifford, Clifford Claude, who was also an Irish immigrant, but in Adelle's memory, he had only come to the United States two years earlier, and the two met here, became friends, and usually begged and lived together, which was a companion.

In Adele's impression, this former member of the Northern Ireland Republican Army who fled to New York to escape the British because of the bombing in Birmingham is actually a bit silly, a guy who lives by begging all day long, is so happy every day, which is really a bit incredible.

To tell the truth, in terms of appearance, Clifford has nothing to do with the word silly, on the contrary, his appearance is very vicious, with a square face, thick eyebrows and big eyes, thick lips, a double chin, and the nearly two-inch-long scar on the right cheek, which makes people feel scared at a glance.

Interrupted by Clifford, Adair sighed, took the apple, and took it to his mouth. Apples are not very sweet, because they have been left for a long time, they are dry and not very juicy.

"Are you still staring at that woman?" Turning around, and taking two steps back, Clifford stood side by side on the curb of the road, he looked at the Catholic church opposite, shook his head, and said, "I advise you not to waste your efforts, that woman is so beautiful and rich, even if she is a widow, you can't get your hands on it." ”

"You know what," Adel said, pouting and spitting out the apple pomace from his mouth, "to tell you, as long as my plan is carried out, I will be able to get her hands on her in a few days." ”

"You always talk about your plan, your plan, but until now, you don't know what your plan is. Clifford said disapprehantly, and then, he thought of something again, put his hand into his arms, dug into his tattered shirt for a while, took out a roll of newspaper, and handed it to Adair, "Well, here you go, this is today's newspaper...... I don't understand you anymore, and I even remember to read the newspaper. ”

Adair took the newspaper and didn't read it directly, but said, "Clifford, I'm going to start implementing my plan tomorrow, but we still have to make some preparations before the plan is implemented." ”

"What preparation?" asked Clifford, nibbling on an apple, looking around a little boredly, without looking back.

"We've got to get two new clothes, oh, if not new, they can't be as shabby as they are now. Adel touched his chin and said.

"New clothes, but my entire fortune is only $12," said Clifford, with a bitter face, grabbing his trouser pocket with his right hand, and with some hesitation.

"Don't worry, I didn't have the idea of beating you for that little money," Adel said angrily as he kicked him in the leg, "we can go steal two clothes." ”

"What if I get caught by the police?" asked Clifford, a man with a story, shrunken his head all day long for fear of being targeted by the police. If he was sent back to England, he would not be able to escape by hanging for his crimes, and he did not want to die.

"Clifford, Clifford, Clifford," Adair sighed, reached out and pressed Clifford's shoulder, and said, "You are too timid, you are always worried about this and that, do you want to be a homeless man for the rest of your life?"

After saying that, without waiting for Clifford to speak, Adel pushed him to the side of the road, and made sure that there were no pedestrians around before he continued: "Remember that German house on Elder Avenue?

"No. 137, yes, No. 137," Clifford replied.

He remembered this clearly, it was half a month ago, he and Adel wandered to Brooklyn, that day because they were so hungry, so they touched a house at night, which was the family that Adel said, and had a full meal.

"Do you remember what's in the basement of this house? Adel continued.

"Bottles, lots of bottles, oh, and big bottles," Clifford replied after a moment's thought.

"No, Clifford, that's not a bottle, that's a dish," Adel said with a grin, "for distilling spirits, have you forgotten that the wine in the basement smells strong?"

"But we didn't find any wine," said Clifford, glaring for a moment, with some regret.

"Oh, that's not the point, Clifford," Adair said, rolling his eyes, "the point is that the family is making wine in the basement without permission. ”

"Winemaking, that's a great skill," Clifford muttered, before his mind was on track, "my uncle, old Chris also makes wine, and he was in ......."

"Alright, alright, Clifford, don't miss your uncle, he's still damned England," Adel hastily interrupted him, "and this is America, and in America, it's illegal to make wine." ”

"Uh-uh-uh-uh......" Clifford still didn't understand, he nodded again and again, his face confused.

"Alright, let's go to Brooklyn first," Adel said, his hand distracted, he had lost hope in his fellow's intelligence, "and I'll show you what to do when we get to Brooklyn." ”

"And I'll do what you say?" Clifford's face showed a sudden expression, and he said happily, "I like this, Adele, I like this, you tell me how to do it, and I do it, I like it because it allows me to make as few mistakes as possible." ”

Adel didn't say anything, just nodded helplessly. He looked at the Catholic church opposite, and at the door of the church, the woman was coming out of the door and swaying down the steps in front of the church. For the past week or so, Adel has been following the woman, and he knows where the woman will go next, and her life is regular.

Adel likes people who live regularly, and according to his experience in his previous life, the more regular people are, the easier it is to be deceived. And a woman who has a regular life, likes money, and loves vanity is even more easily deceived.

"The woman is out, Adele," Clifford said to Adel with some excitement as he saw the woman, "Ah, I have to admit, Adele, this woman is so beautiful, if I can sleep with her in my arms, I will never get bored." ”

"Don't think too much about it, Clifford," said Clifford, patting Clifford on the shoulder, dropping half of the apple in his hand, "women will always have it, and they won't keep you waiting too long." ”