20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 653: Owl Cry [6K]

Lao Mang suddenly felt a little flustered. He quickly struggled with his wrist, stepped back and kept some distance, his eyes still looking at the shed in the distance. Although he didn't say anything, the suspicion was clearly revealed in his eyes.

Jiang Lianheng stood there in a daze, seeming a little stunned and a little amused. He looked around blankly, as if trying to find the reason.

Seeing this, Zhao Guoyan hurried over and whispered a few words.

Jiang Lianheng listened carefully and nodded, probably understanding it. He then leaned over and smiled apologetically:
"Brother Mang, I know you may have some concerns about going down the mountain this time, but don't worry, Guo Yan is Jiang's right-hand man, his words are my words, since I have made a promise, I will never regret it. Besides, we will be friends in the future, so what's the point of talking about revenge? The banquet is ready, please give me some face, brother Mang."

At this point, he paused, then raised his eyebrows and asked, "Could it be that... I have to swear on the lives of my entire family before Brother Mang will believe me?"

After he finished speaking, the whole place fell silent and the atmosphere suddenly became a little stiff.

Everyone grimaced when they heard this. Jiang Lianheng pushed the problem to Lao Mang in just a few words.

People who travel around the country are afraid of stage fright.

The Jiang family has already said so much. If they continue to procrastinate, they will appear to be too cowardly and timid, and in the end they will lose face for everyone.

However, Lao Mang was still hesitant.

Seeing this, several shirtless burly men could not help but look at each other, feeling ashamed and regretting that they had followed the wrong person.

Moreover, after two days of rushing along the mountain road, they finally saw people again, and they were looking forward to having a good meal and drinking to their heart's content. Strong liquor goes through the intestines, not for a lingering taste, but for a strong effect, and then falling asleep at the end. Otherwise, it is not enough to comfort the body and mind.

What's the logic behind saying whether to advance or not, and whether to retreat or not?
Gradually, it is inevitable that one becomes impatient.

Soon, even Lao Mang's twenty or thirty confidants swallowed their saliva and whispered: "Commander-in-Chief, we still have so many people!"

When Jiang Lianheng heard this, he immediately suggested, "Yes, yes, yes, why don't we all go together? In this way, Brother Mang will be relieved, right?"

As he spoke, he suddenly raised three fingers, swore and vowed, "Why, Brother Mang, you're still worried? Well, I, Jiang Lianheng, swear to heaven—"

"no need!"

Before he finished speaking, Lao Mang finally spoke up, raised his hand and said, "It's useless to talk nonsense. Boss Jiang, please lead the way!"

Jiang Lianheng smiled in response and immediately stepped aside to offer his presence: "Brother Mang, please!"

Everyone looked delighted and immediately walked towards the shed not far away.

…………

The sun sets in the west and the sky suddenly becomes dark.

Twenty meters away from the entrance of the Lianzhuang Association, three awnings had already been set up, and under the dirty coarse cloth awnings, there were ten round tables.

On the north side, there is a row of earthen stoves, where cooks who prepare buffets stand side by side, and waiters carrying plates are ready to go, just waiting for the word "serve the dishes".

Right in front of the pergola is a newly-built temporary stage. There are no big vines in the countryside, so they had to find a makeshift troupe nearby. The singing was shaky, but not up to standard, so the important thing was to keep it down to earth.

Everywhere, the Shen family's servants were busy lighting lanterns.

The fiery clouds had just faded away, and dots of red light once again illuminated the Shen family store.

Lao Mang led the crowd into the pavilion, but did not sit down. He stood in the middle of the field and looked around.

At this time, the first two rows of awnings were still empty, but the round tables under the last row of awnings were full of people. When I got closer, I saw that they were the bandits that Lao Mang had sent to smash the kiln.

But after a closer look, I felt something was wrong. There were too few people. Even if there were ten people at a round table, there were only a hundred people at the moment. There were more than that number of people who came down the mountain.

There were dozens of people missing for no reason, and Lao Mang started to feel uneasy again.

But, to be honest, this situation is not that strange.

The brothers had suffered in the mountains for more than a month and had long wanted to disband. When they were sent down the mountain, they had not expected that they could all return.

But even so, Lao Mang still insisted on moving forward, hurriedly passing by several round tables, his feet never stopping, as if he was looking for someone, but in the end he found nothing.

The brothers who were sitting there knew that they had failed to live up to the trust placed in them, and they were all very ashamed, so their eyes were wandering, their gazes were evasive, they looked around, pretending to be outsiders.

Lao Mang didn't care about them. After all, they had already surrendered. It would be a waste of time to hold them accountable at this time.

After wandering around for two rounds, he finally stopped and asked only one question: "Did Lao Song run away too?"

Everyone looked at each other, and when no one answered, they all nodded in silence.

Jiang Lianheng was a little curious, so he came over and asked, "Brother Mang, who is Lao Song?"

Lao Mang said nothing, and the military advisor Ye Laodao said, "The three of us are sworn brothers. We have been together since the day we founded the company. The commander-in-chief is the big boss, I am the flipper, and Lao Song is the cannon! We swore brotherhood in Peach Garden, and we originally thought we could do something!"

Jiang Lianheng nodded, and suddenly sighed: "Alas, the world is going downhill, people's hearts are not the same as before, you can only know a person's face but not his heart!"

Lao Mang turned around, narrowed his eyes, and asked, "Boss Jiang, have you really never met Lao Song?"

"Brother Mang, I don't even know what he looks like."

"He has short legs and speaks aggressively."

Jiang Lianheng thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "I have no impression. When they came to smash the kiln, I was staying in the blockhouse. When there was a noise from both sides, I came out to mediate. It was dark, so how could I see clearly? Anyway, there was no fight in the end. When I went out, the only ones I saw were these brothers."

The old Taoist curled his lips and suddenly said in a strange voice: "Boss Jiang, you are also a well-known figure, you have to be reliable in what you say, everyone is watching us!"

"Military Advisor, what do you mean by this?" Jiang Lianheng asked, "Could it be that you suspect that I have stabbed Old Song?"

The old Taoist snorted coldly: "Who knows?"

Jiang Lianheng asked: "Guo Yan and Tui Zi just came down the mountain, where can I get the manpower?"

The old Taoist said nothing, but glanced at the armed team members on the wall of the Lianzhuang Association.

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "Why, you still expect the Lianzhuang Association of Shenjiadian to work for me? Well, even if I stabbed Old Song, what do you want to do? In order to avenge him, do you plan to continue to oppose the government and stay in that poor mountain valley forever waiting to die?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Erma and others hurriedly said, "Hey, Boss Jiang, he is him and I am me. Whether Old Song lives or dies has nothing to do with us. I am a person who thinks things through. It's time to turn the page. It's all in the past. We should all move on, right?"

Everyone nodded, unwilling to waste time.

Seeing this, the old Taoist was disheartened and hurriedly took back his words, stammering, "That's not the case... We still have to put the overall situation first."

"If that's the case, why should I lie to you?" Jiang Lianheng spread his hands. "Besides, most of the people here are yours. What are you afraid of?"

This is a true statement.

A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in. It is not uncommon for wanderers to change their jobs.

The young and the old are already a family, let alone the younger generations?

He was lucky enough to meet a responsible elder brother who had already prepared a retreat for his loyal younger brothers when the company was about to collapse. This is also a good story in the underworld.

Of course, surrendering to the enemy is another matter.

Killing the old master is a taboo in the martial arts world. Even if you are a Lu Bu among men, you will become a rat crossing the street, a pile of stinky dog ​​shit, and no one will care about you. Once you lose your power, everyone can kill you.

Although Erma and others were willing to surrender sincerely, they were still hesitant and unwilling to turn their guns around to kill Lao Mang. Besides, Lao Mang had never done anything wrong to them.

The old Taoist smacked his lips and consoled himself: "I'm not afraid of anyone when I say this. I just want to ask for a definite answer."

"To be frank, I didn't kill Lao Song. What else do you want to say?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"That's enough, that's enough!" Lao Mang waved his hands impatiently, and suddenly looked up at the wall of the blockhouse, "Boss Jiang, what's going on with those people?"

Jiang Lianheng laughed and said, "They are country folk who have never seen the world. I told them that Brother Mang has turned from evil to good and will not send anyone to destroy the kiln again, but they didn't believe me and insisted on standing there and watching."

Liu Kuaitui immediately cursed: "Damn it, I've said it before, that Hai Chaoshan has no sense at all, he spoils the fun all the time, he deserves to be a watchdog for the rest of his life!"

Jiang Lianheng ignored him and tried to smooth things over, saying, "Well, he is just like that, don't bother with him, let's eat our own food, come on, come on, Brother Mang, please take a seat!"

Lao Mang looked around and naturally led the crowd to the front awning. He chose a table facing the stage. As soon as he sat down, his figure was obscured by the coarse cloth roof. Even though there was a sharpshooter on the wall of the Lianzhuanghui, he could only see in the dark at this moment.

Even so, when he was about to sit down, he still signaled to his trusted subordinates to be on guard against the armed members of the Lianzhuang Association at all times.

Jiang Lianheng sat down next to Lao Mang. Zhao Guoyan, Yang Lazi, Liu Kuaitui, Ye Laodao and other leaders also gradually gathered around. Only Yuan Xinfa did not sit down. He stood behind Jiang Lianheng with his hands behind his back, like a door god, protecting his boss firmly in front of him.

The remaining soldiers and bandits also found a place to sit down, banging their bowls and chopsticks, and shouting that the meal should start quickly.

As soon as Jiang Lianheng shouted "serve the dishes", the kitchen staff beside the earthen stove immediately got busy preparing them.

At a banquet, people don't care about exquisiteness and delicacy, but only care about quantity and taste. They use too much oil and salt, and use less sugar to enhance the freshness. It is better to eat enough than to eat well. After all, it can satisfy your cravings and make your stomach feel good.

Soon after, the makeshift troupe also began to make their debut by beating gongs, drums, playing suona, and singing.

This opera troupe is very unprofessional. From musicians to artists, all of them are part-timers. They usually farm the land and only go there to join in the fun when there are weddings or funerals nearby to earn some extra money to make a living. As a result, when they sing, they often have trouble finding the rhythm. They just rely on their bright voices and high pitch to shout loudly. They are selling their strength, not their skills.

Bengbeng is also known as Errenzhuan.

This kind of local opera is somewhat evil, often with a crying tone and irregular recitation, like talking in a dream. When it is sung at night, it always makes people suspect that something might happen.

Fortunately, there were many people on the scene, more than 200 strong men, carrying three yang fire lamps. If any monsters and demons in the mountains came, they would probably have to retreat.

In the Peking Opera industry, actors cannot scold the drummer. That is the position of Emperor Tang Minghuang. He is in the audience to add to the rhythm and support the singing. So you need to respect him a little. If you sing out of tune, it's your own fault.

It's different with Benben. The artists specifically target the music troupe to make fun of them, including those playing drums, string instruments, and suona. After a show, no one can escape and they will be criticized one by one.

After the song was over, I found out that the musician was already a member of the same family, his wife had run away with someone else, leaving behind a son, who was the son of the neighbor, Mr. Wang. Of course, it was all a joke, to get a laugh and ask for a few cents, that's all.

Most of the bandits are rough and uncouth. They have no interest in anything elegant. They just like to listen to obscene and lewd talk. When they are happy, they raise their hands and throw a few things out with clanging sounds.

The artist on the stage thanked him repeatedly and bent down to pick up the money. When he looked down, he saw three or five bullets. His face became stiff and he didn't dare to ask any more questions.

The bandits were drunk and shouted, "Sing, keep singing. Did I ask you to stop?"

The artist did not dare to delay and immediately continued singing "Han Xiangzi Asks for a Title", a dramatic piece that suited the occasion.

It is said that Han Xiangzi lived in seclusion on Mount Zhongnan, devoting himself to the study of Taoism, waiting for an opportunity to become an immortal. One day, he counted with his fingers and found that the Tang Emperor's birthday banquet was taking place. So he flew on a cloud and went straight to Chang'an, where he cast spells and displayed his supernatural powers, which greatly pleased the Tang Emperor. Finally, he was rewarded and became an immortal.

The play is still going on.

The banquet is still going on.

Jiang Lianheng raised his wine glass and called out to his left and right, "Come, come, come, I wish that Brother Mang can also be rewarded for his merits like Han Xiangzi and finally achieve success!"

They had been eating for more than half an hour. The bandits put down their chopsticks one after another and took a sip of wine to calm themselves. After a while, they gradually became a little tipsy.

Erma and others were sitting at the next table, drinking so much that they were talking nonsense. With guns on them, they couldn't move, and they poked the guns at the edge of the table, so they couldn't fight for food. They simply put them under the table and stepped on them.

Lao Mang was tense for a long while, but nothing unusual happened. After taking a few sips of wine, he finally relaxed gradually. He put down his glass and couldn't help but say a few words from the bottom of his heart.

"Boss Jiang, don't think I'm deliberately against you. I really don't mean that. The Jiang family is powerful, but you have to leave some food for others, right? My business is different from others. It's arms smuggling. There are only a few buyers. You have them all in your hands. Don't blame the brothers for feeling resentful."

"Yes, yes, after Guo Yan told me just now, I also thought about it carefully. Brother Mang was actually reminding me. My brother is young and hot-tempered. If he only cares about his own business, it would seem that he is not loyal. I will change it. If Brother Mang does not plan to join the army, then the arms market outside the Great Wall will be divided equally between the two of us!"

After hearing this, Ye Laodao waved his hands and said, "Boss Jiang, we don't have a backer as big as you. Even if you agree to it, the government won't agree!"

"Oh?" Jiang Lianheng lit a cigarette, "Military Advisor, what do you think we should do?"

"If Boss Jiang really wants to do this, 20% will be enough for us."

"You slander me!"

"No no no!"

"underestimate me?"

"No, no, I really didn't mean that!" Ye Laodao said, "Others may not know, but I know it very well. In Marshal Zhang's military camp, the old guns that are replaced every year are all sold by Boss Jiang. If we take your share, wouldn't that be stealing Marshal Zhang's business?"

Old Zhang has issued an order that the bandit problem outside the Great Wall requires the concerted efforts of the people of the three provinces. All landlords, no matter how big or small, are ordered to prepare guns to prevent the bandits from causing chaos.

Most of the guns kept by landlords are second-hand goods passed down by the government.

Jiang Lianheng nodded and said, "But... the goods I have are indeed not as good as yours. If we really compete, I'm afraid I can't compare to you!"

The old Taoist priest immediately became interested and said, "What's so difficult about this? We'll give the goods to you, and you'll take the commission from the underwriting. The money you earn will be enough to settle Marshal Zhang's account, and there will be some left over. Isn't this the best of both worlds?"

After hearing this, Jiang Lianheng leaned back, looked around, and suddenly laughed: "Look, he is a military advisor after all, so he has a lot of tricks!"

After saying that, he suddenly leaned forward and asked the old man across the old beast, "Where is your source of goods?"

The old Taoist was about to speak, but his eyes rolled and he retracted his gaze. He chuckled twice and said no more.

Lao Mang took over the conversation and said, "Boss Jiang, you don't have to worry about the supply of goods. Just collect the money when you see the goods. It's a good deal. It saves you a lot of trouble!"

"That's right, that's right!" Jiang Lianheng smiled and stopped asking questions. He turned around and said, "Well, if Brother Mang had made this proposal earlier, why would there be such a misunderstanding? Wouldn't it have been over if he had just talked to me earlier?"

"The Jiang family has a high threshold!" Lao Mang said in a strange voice, "It's not like I haven't tried before, but how can I meet Boss Jiang just because I want to?"

Jiang Lianheng was neither anxious nor annoyed, and hurriedly smiled and said, "Is that so? Then it must be my fault for being careless. I have so many things to do, so please bear with me, Brother Mang. If nothing else, it's all in the wine!"

As he spoke, he drank another glass of wine and no longer mentioned the past.

Jiang Lianheng picked up the chopsticks and served the food like a host, greeting them warmly: "Come on, everyone, continue eating. There will be more main dishes later!"

Then he shouted to the north: "Why isn't the hard food ready yet?"

Someone at the stove responded, "Almost there, right away!"

Jiang Lianheng smacked his lips and sighed, "There are about thirty tables, it's not easy to arrange, can you wait a little longer?"

Everyone waved their hands and said they were full.

"Let's drink!" Jiang Lianheng shouted for more wine while picking and choosing, "Drink slowly, it's still early and the food is ready, it would be a waste if we don't eat." Suddenly he put down his chopsticks and changed the subject, "Brother Mang, I just heard Guo Yan say, how do you know where Gao Shibin and Lu Yonggui are?"

Lao Mang nodded: "I know, but I have to wait until I meet General Zhang before I can tell you."

"Are you afraid that your brother will steal the credit from you?" Jiang Lianheng said jokingly, "Okay, if you don't want to tell me, then don't tell me. I'm quite familiar with General Zhang. I'll take you to see him in a few days!"

Everyone was clinking glasses, drinking heavily and drinking water. When they couldn't hold it any longer, they got up and ran to the nearby fields, making a few splashes, and then came back to continue.

As they were talking, the drama "Han Xiangzi Asks for a Title" had come to an end.

The main show was not easy. The two artists on the stage were sweating down their foreheads and into their eyes, which were too spicy to open. But the bandits in the audience had not heard enough. They had some wine in their stomachs and started to get confused. They were staggering. Someone fired a shot into the sky, which made a hole in the awning. They shouted and cursed:
"Fuck you, keep singing! If you stop, I'll shoot you!"

Although others advised against it, the requirement was the same: the show could not stop until the wine was finished.

Errenzhuan is a two-person show. Two men, one plays himself, and the other dresses up as a woman. The man dressed up as a woman can no longer shout, so the other is still quite righteous. He hurriedly clasped his hands on the stage, apologized repeatedly, and said:

"My dear soldiers, my brother is not in good health and is really tired. Please let him go down first to relax."

"Let him come down! I don't think he dares to come down!" A drunkard shouted with a gun in his hand, almost unable to stand.

The artist was also an old hand. Although he was trembling with fear, he did not stop talking. He said hurriedly, "No, no, no, my fellow soldiers. It's not easy to make a living. Please bear with me. Let him rest for a while. I'll take the lead for everyone and perform a great show to show my ability - the ghost array!"

After saying that, he winked at the band, and immediately three clappers flew onto the stage and were caught by him.

The artist did not wait a moment, picked up the three-section board, and started singing.

The singing is performed with the help of a clapboard, with words spoken at a fast speed and flavor spoken at a slow speed. It is fast but not chaotic, slow but not interrupted, and there are no other instruments to cover up the shortcomings. It is indeed the time to show one's true colors and abilities.

They had already started singing. The drunkard was about to rush forward to pick a fight, but was stopped by someone else who said, "Alright, alright, be quiet for a while. They've already started singing. Just listen first."

What is the experience of the underworld?

This is called underworld experience. It is useless to just apologize on stage. You have to bring real skills to the stage. Once you start singing, you will be confused and pass out.

Jiang Lianheng turned around and looked at them, and couldn't help but remind him in a low voice: "Brother Mang, today is a happy day, you have to stop them, don't let anyone get killed and ruin everyone's fun."

Lao Mang nodded, curled his lips at Ye Laodao, and told him to go and appease everyone and not cause any trouble.

Jiang Lianheng was relieved now. He put down his glass, stood up, clasped his fists and said, "Brother Mang, I'll excuse you for a moment. I need to go to the bathroom."

Lao Mang didn't say anything and continued to sit there and watch the show.

Seeing this, Jiang Lianheng instructed again: "Guo Yan, Tui Zi, help me entertain Brother Mang well, don't neglect him."

They both said of course.

Yuan Xinfa moved a chair to the side for Jiang Lianheng and was about to follow him, but Jiang Lianheng persuaded him to stop and said, "Don't follow me if you want to pee. I'm going to fertilize the old Shen family and will be back soon."

After saying this, he stood up and leaned out of the shed, glanced at the wall surrounding the Lianzhuang Association, then hummed a little tune and ran towards the fields.

As Lao Mang watched him go away, he suddenly reminded several confidants at the table and pointed at the shed behind him with his thumb. Several people raised their feet, released the rifles under the table, and looked back at the blockhouse of Shenjia Store. The door was still closed and there was nothing unusual.

…………

It was a dark and windy night, and everything around us suddenly became quiet.

Jiang Lianheng staggered to the edge of the field, picked a ridge that he liked, untied his belt, and let the water flow. Finally, he shook himself twice, and his physique was no worse than before.

Just as he was doing it, he suddenly heard a sharp scream from behind his head:
"Chirp—"

Jiang Lianheng frowned, turned around and looked, and found that the sound actually came from an old elm tree beside the dirt road. It was an owl!

Owl, also known as owl.

The night owl came into the house for no reason and saw the owl sitting on a branch with one eye closed. It tilted its head to look at Jiang Lianheng, seeming a little curious. It chirped twice, its voice hoarse, like the cry of a ghost.

Jiang Lianheng looked at it and suddenly thought of his father. Just as he was about to step forward, he heard a crisp sound under his feet.

The owl was frightened and chirped twice, then finally flapped its wings and flew away.

This bird of prey is different from other birds. When flying, it only makes a slight sound at the moment of take-off and landing. Once it is airborne, it becomes silent, as if it is not flying but floating.

The owl flew over Shen's store, the three pergolas in front of the Lianzhuang Association, and the makeshift stage illuminated by red lanterns. There were too many people there, so it didn't dare to stop and continued to fly forward.

The mountains were dark and pitch black everywhere.

The owl finally floated into the woods in the southeast direction, found a tree to stop, turned its head, and chirped twice. Its pair of golden eyes widened, reflecting countless dark figures. It was a horse team hidden in the dense forest.

Sun Xiangyang rode forward, listened, and then said, "Boss, it's time to sing 'The Ghost Array'."

Li Zheng nodded, put his hand to his waist, drew his machete out of its sheath with a clang, and a cold light flashed across his face.

Soon, the sound of knives became more frequent, as if adding fuel to the flames, with bursts of cold light and murderous aura filling the air.

The wild birds in the forest were startled and flew away; the beasts in the mountains fled in panic!
Li Zheng stood on his horse with his sword drawn, striding forward. The auspicious time has arrived, and the King of Hell is calling!
(End of this chapter)