20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 692: Secret [Part ]

Jiang Ya was a little hesitant to begin with, not knowing whether she should reveal the truth. Seeing that her father would not pursue the matter any further, she was naturally happy to let it go without saying anything. She nodded and said clearly:
"If you want to learn, what will you become?"

"Don't ask me what I can do yet, I haven't finished what I'm saying yet!"

Jiang Lianheng suddenly put on airs and said with a half-smile, "This is a hard skill that requires diligent practice. If you don't work hard for three days and then stop for two days, I won't blame you for not being able to learn it. But if you go out and embarrass yourself and make a fool of yourself, don't say that I taught you. I can't afford to lose face."

"Oh, I promise this time, I will practice it well before I perform it for others." Jiang Ya promised quickly.

Jiang Lianheng deliberately showed off, pretending to be so serious for a while before saying, "Okay, then as a father, I will show you my skills and open your eyes."

As he spoke, he straightened his lapels twice, then reached out his hand, and right in front of his daughter, he twisted two fingers and pulled out a piece of wire about an inch long out of thin air.

As soon as he made a move, before he could even react, he frightened Jiang Ya so much that she stood there in a daze.

The girl snatched it away, looked at it carefully, and asked in surprise, "Where did you get the wire?"

"Well, that's not important. That's not what I want to teach you."

"important!"

Jiang Ya was unwilling to miss any details and wanted to get to the bottom of it. She quickly circled around Jiang Lianheng, looking at her father's palm and playing with his hair. However, she could not find any flaws. She blinked and asked, "Dad, where did you come from?"

"Is that strange?"

“Isn’t this amazing?”

"Haha, look at you, you look like you have never seen the world!"

Jiang Lianheng smiled, then adjusted his sitting position, and put his hands in front of his daughter. They were obviously empty, but suddenly he closed them, and then opened them again, only to see a piece of iron wire appear out of thin air in his palms, which surprised the girl.

Jiang Ya cheered and clapped her hands, saying, "That's amazing! Change another one, change another one!"

"Haven't you seen enough?" Jiang Lianheng was also interested. "Okay, let's do it again. Watch carefully!"

As he spoke, he rolled up his arms and sleeves, then raised one of his empty hands to his ear, and with a little trick, it seemed as if he had pulled out a wire from his ear.

Jiang Ya was convinced and smiled from ear to ear.

She could never have imagined that her father, who was always so angry and glaring, actually had these two tricks up his sleeve behind the scenes without showing off.

I couldn't help wanting to flatter him, so I smiled and said, "Dad, you are really awesome! You are much better than those performers at the lantern festival."

The child was ignorant and didn't expect that his flattery would hit the horse's hoof.

Jiang Lianheng immediately frowned and shouted, "What are you talking about? Why are you comparing your father to those street performers?"

"So what? Is it not okay for me to praise you?" Jiang Ya didn't understand and felt that her father was angry for no reason.

"Is there anyone who praises others like you?" Jiang Lianheng said sternly, "They are low-class, low-class people who are not worthy of being on the stage. How can you compare me with them?"

Jiang Ya curled her lips, seeming a little impatient.

She had heard of "lower nine classes" and knew it was not a nice word but a dirty word, but she had no idea what "lower nine classes" meant and had no clear concept of it.

After all, what kind of young lady from a wealthy family would spend all day pondering such underworld jargons as "all kinds of people", "all kinds of things", and "Golden Reviews and Colorful Guess"?

Jiang Ya didn't understand, and didn't want to ask for details at the moment. All she could think about was the magic trick just now, so she apologized: "Okay, okay, I know. How did you do it? Teach me quickly!"

Jiang Lianheng was still worried, so he called his daughter over and repeatedly warned her, "Girl, you can just enjoy these little tricks at home. Don't get too caught up in them. You are a lady, and you should act like a lady."

"Oh, I know!" Jiang Ya was very impatient. "You said you would teach me just now, but now you're keeping me in suspense. Aren't you annoying?"

Jiang Lianheng had no way to deal with her, the words had already been said, so he had no choice but to give her careful instructions.

I had planned to bend the wire into a loop to act as a ring, so that I could perform a "shape-shifting" trick on the girl. However, Jiang Ya wanted to trace the origin of the trick and insisted on starting from scratch, first learning how to change the wire, and then learning other things.

Jiang Lianheng didn’t know any magic tricks, but his tricks were clearly the work of the “Rong family”.

Jiang Ya didn't know how to distinguish it, and was confused, just thinking it was a magic trick.

After all, he was young and easily blinded by appearances. He forgot the basics and was only curious about how the iron wires were made. He did not bother to think carefully about why his father had three iron wires on his body.

However, wire was too dangerous, so Jiang Lianheng refused to teach him. Instead, he twisted the candy wrappers on the coffee table into "needles" and handed them to his daughter for practice.

Jiang Ya listened carefully. Despite repeated attempts, she was still a long way from becoming a master.

Jiang Lianheng had no intention of passing on his skills to his daughter. He just thought of it as a way to cheer her up, so he waved his hand and said, "Alright, that's all. Go back to your room and play! Remember, show off to your classmates after you've practiced well, to avoid embarrassing yourself!"

"Tsk, I can learn it right away!"

Jiang Ya couldn't wait. The scene of showing off her skills in front of Master Liu emerged in her mind, and her expression became filled with joy.

Jiang Lianheng had already seen through everything, but for some reason, he never broke the window paper.

Jiang Lianheng never asked when and how the girl met Sixth Master, or what the details were. He not only did not ask Jiang Ya, he did not even plan to ask Hu Xiaoyan.

He just pretended that the incident had never happened and was willing to be blinded by his daughter's clumsy lies.

At the same time, Jiang Ya didn't know that what her father passed on to her was not a skill at all, but a letter -

A letter without handwriting.

When she stood in front of Sixth Master with great interest, performing her "magic trick" clumsily but seriously, Sixth Master would understand what her father meant, even though she was completely unaware of it.

It's late at night and quiet outside the window.

The father and daughter practiced hand in hand in the living room for a while, chatting and laughing, and couldn't help but forget the passage of time.

Suddenly, there was a conversation outside the gate and footsteps hurriedly passed through the house.

Jiang Ya stretched her neck and looked out the dark window: "Dad, my fourth uncle is back!"

"Okay, that's enough, you should go back to your room and sleep, and stop bothering me here." Jiang Lianheng urged while wiping his feet.

Before he finished speaking, two figures flashed in from the entrance. It was Zhao Zhengbei and Hai Xinnian who had rushed back.

Seeing someone in the living room, Hai Xinnian hurried over and called out "godfather".

"Brother, you're back?" Zhao Zhengbei was also a little surprised. "It's so late, why haven't you slept yet? Is there something wrong at home?"

Jiang Lianheng pointed at his daughter and said with a smile, "Nothing much, just played with this girl for a while."

Jiang Ya immediately perked up and said hurriedly, "Fourth Uncle, can I show you a trick?"

"No, why are you showing off again?" Jiang Lianheng frowned and said, "What did I tell you just now? Have you forgotten everything?"

Jiang Ya had other plans, but she said, "I'll turn my fourth uncle into that, telekinesis!"

Zhao Zhengbei was also really flattering, and immediately said with a smile: "Okay, but you have to wait for a while, I'm going to go to the bathroom first."

After saying that, he greeted Jiang Lianheng first, and then walked to the bathroom at the end of the corridor.

"Then hurry up!" Jiang Ya hurriedly followed. The footsteps of the uncle and nephew gradually faded away, and only Jiang Lianheng and Hai Xinnian, the father and son, were left in the living room.

Hai Xinnian was still a little reserved, not knowing what to say. He saw a basin of foot-washing water next to the sofa, so he stepped forward and asked, "Godfather, let me go get some water."

"No, no." Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and couldn't help laughing, "Boy, your filial piety is in the wrong place. You are my godson, not a servant. Sit here."

Hai Xinnian said nothing and immediately sat on the sofa diagonally opposite his godfather.

Jiang Lianheng took out a cigarette box and asked him, "Do you want to smoke?"

Hai Xinnian quickly waved his hands and said, no.

Jiang Lianheng lit up a cigarette himself and asked, "I heard that you and your fourth uncle went out of town to shoot targets?"

Hai Xinnian replied, "Yes, it's in the eastern suburbs. I don't know where that is, but my fourth uncle said it's not far from the East Camp."

"What kind of gun did you shoot?"

"It seems to be called Bo... Oh, it's Browning. Uncle Dong got it for me and now he's giving it back to Uncle Si."

Jiang Lianheng smiled and exhaled a puff of smoke, saying, "Your fourth uncle is famous for being straightforward, sharpshooter, did you win?"

Hai Xinnian scratched his head and said ashamedly, "No, I'm definitely not as good as Fourth Uncle. He's too accurate."

This result is really not unexpected. All professions in the world, no matter what they are in, are inseparable from the word "talent".

Back then, when the Great Plague broke out in Guandong, Gong Baonan took the opportunity of the city lockdown to train the Four Fengkou and gave them a few simple pointers. He was not partial to anyone and taught them the same way and method. Only Beifeng was extremely good at using a gun, which must have been due to his natural accuracy.

After all, guns, no matter how hard you try, are not that mysterious and profound.

But Beifeng's use of a gun was incomparably superior to that of others, and it was impossible not to accept it.

Hai Xinnian had just arrived and was certainly no match for his fourth uncle.

However, under Zhao Zhengbei's guidance, the boy quickly standardized his shooting posture and gradually understood the advantages and disadvantages of different firearms.

Jiang Lianheng was immediately relieved after hearing this, and couldn't help but comfort him: "It's normal to lose, it's no big deal. After all, your fourth uncle is not an ordinary person. His shooting skills are probably only comparable to those of me when I was young."

Hai Xinnian quickly expressed his opinion: "Godfather, I will try my best."

"Well, it's good that you know how to work hard. Your fourth uncle is a soldier, and he's a professional. Take advantage of the time he's at home to learn from him."

Hai Xinnian nodded heavily, and other than that, he said nothing more.

Jiang Lianheng asked again: "Have you met all the uncles in your family?"

"I haven't met my second uncle, third uncle, and little aunt yet. Also..." Hai Xinnian hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard there are also third and fourth aunts, but I haven't had the chance to meet them recently."

"Oh, woman, don't worry, we'll see when we can." Jiang Lianheng said, "The day after tomorrow is the holiday, your second uncle and third uncle will be here, see you then."

"Okay, I'll follow my godfather's arrangements."

"Where are the places in the house? Have you seen them all?"

Hai Xinnian counted on his fingers, "Zongheng Insurance Company, Huifangli, and Heshengfang in Xiaoxiguan, Songfengzhuyun in Bagua Street, Chunqiu Theater and Huiyou Club in Xue Street... Mr. Zhao has taken me to see these big places, but I haven't been there myself. Fengtian is too big, and it's hard to avoid a sudden turn."

"That won't work." Jiang Lianheng said, "We travel the world, we rely on our brains first, and our mouths and legs. I can see that you are not good at talking. It's your nature, and you can't change it easily. But you have to walk around more often. If you have nothing to do, go out for a stroll. When you get to the wrong place, find a store and ask where the Jiang family is. They all know it."

Hai Xinnian responded and was about to answer, but his godfather raised his hand to interrupt him:

"in addition--"

Jiang Lianheng suddenly said seriously: "Guo Yan is my brother, we have a life-and-death friendship, and based on seniority, you should call him uncle. I know that you may be a little dissatisfied with him because of your sister's matter, but I still have to remind you that 'Cangzhou Tiger' is just a joke, and 'Jiang Family Protector' is his position in this family."

Hai Xinnian was stunned, but even though he was unwilling, he still admitted his mistake honestly.

Zhao Guoyan embarrassed Xiaoqing in public. In Hai Xinnian's eyes, although this matter was a little awkward, it was not a blood feud.

Otherwise, Haichaoshan would not have allowed his youngest son to come to Fengtian.

"I won't say more. It's just a small matter. You will get over it in a few years." Jiang Lianheng put out his cigarette. "Besides, your Uncle Zhao is not an ordinary person. He is from Cangzhou, Hebei. You can't underestimate him. He has practiced martial arts and is very capable. Although he is not as good as me, he is also a well-known figure in Fengtian. You should follow him and learn well."

Hai Xinnian felt a little guilty, but said, "I'm afraid that even if I want to learn, he won't be willing to teach me..."

"Well, I can't tell others, but if you want to learn from him, I guarantee he will teach you!"

"Really? Then... I'll follow my godfather's arrangements."

Seeing this, Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and said, "Alright, I think you are completely clueless and don't understand anything. Go back to sleep if you have nothing to do!"

"Okay, godfather, go to bed early!" Hai Xinnian responded and stood up.

"By the way," Jiang Lianheng suddenly asked, "Are you used to living here these days?"

This was originally just a meaningless compliment, the speaker probably didn't mean it, and the listener probably didn't take it seriously, but Hai Xinnian was suddenly stunned for inexplicable reasons.

Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but frown and asked, "Why, you still picked it?"

"No, no," Hai Xinnian quickly explained, "It's just that the bed in the room is too soft. I've been sleeping on the floor recently."

"Oh, there's nothing we can do about it. Just get used to it as soon as possible. There's heating in this house. I can't build a brick bed specially for you." Jiang Lianheng replied nonchalantly.

After all, Hai Xinnian is just the adopted son of the Jiang family and he has no right to make any demands.

Of course, his original intention was not to make a request.

Hai Xinnian has been living in Jiang's house for more than ten days.

Recently, he has become more and more certain that someone seems to be trapped under this glamorous and imposing mansion...

The sound was very faint. Only in the dead of night, if you put your ear close to the floor, could you barely hear some movement, like sobbing, laughter, or both.

This seems to be some kind of ancient heritage. Hai Xinnian often heard the old people talk about it -

In every large mansion, there is a nearly insane woman; just as in every village, there is a nearly idiotic disabled person.

As for why they are crazy and stupid, I'm afraid no one can explain it clearly, but from experience, this is almost standard, just like a house, there will always be a wall.

Hai Xinnian was of course curious, but he always kept in mind his father's advice before he left - when you get to the Jiang family, talk less and do more.

Perhaps, Hai Chaoshan had foreseen this and tacitly acknowledged that behind all splendor there must be a dirty and dirty reality.

But he still sent his youngest son to Fengtian. This was the way the world was and everyone had to learn to get used to it.

Seeing that he didn't leave, Jiang Lianheng asked, "What are you doing standing there? Is there anything else?"

"No……"

Hai Xinnian shook his head, looked at the foot-washing water in the wooden barrel, thought for a moment, and said, "Godfather, I'll pour out this bucket of dirty water for you!"

(End of this chapter)