20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 773: Muddy the Waters First

Late at night, the clouds cleared and the snow disappeared.

There were at least three to five hundred rickshaws in the parking lot of Qin's rickshaw shop, all neatly stacked and now covered with snow.

There was a new moon in the sky and there was almost no light, only a bright window in the guardhouse at the entrance of the parking lot.

It was quiet all around, with the occasional barking of dogs coming from afar.

After a while, a warm yellow light was seen swaying and slowly approaching, and the sound of car bells began to ring.

Then, the window of the watch room was pushed open, and someone stuck his head out from inside. He looked at the person who came and greeted him with a smile, "Old Ye, you're back?"

The old man with squinting eyes nodded, pulled an empty cart to the window, glanced at the men playing cards in the room, and then asked in a low voice:
"Master Qin is still here?"

"Yes, I'm waiting for you, hurry over!"

The brother in the room pointed with his thumb to the parking lot behind him.

Looking in the direction of his finger, there were two small bungalows at the end of the parking lot. Every evening, men and women who rented cars would rest there after changing shifts. Now they were empty and hidden in the shadow of the courtyard wall, so dark that they could not be seen clearly.

Lao Ye - the slant-eyed old man got this nickname because he often worked at night - didn't think much about it, parked his rickshaw nearby, brushed off the snow on his body, clenched his hands and face, and walked over.

When I got closer, I saw a ray of red light coming through the crack in the door.

Qin Huaimeng was sitting on the kang, warming himself by the fire. The coal briquettes were burning dark red, and it seemed as if his shadow was filling the entire room.

Hearing the movement of the door, he turned around, waved to Lao Ye and asked, "How is it?"

Old Ye came over, put his hands on the stove, and replied in a deep voice: "I heard from that kid that I think I will take action first."

"If I remember correctly, that guy's name is Ma Xiaozhu?"

"Yes, I just sent him home. My father is preparing something explosive, and he wants the homemade gun in his hand."

"Didn't the old man send anyone to follow him?"

"I followed him, but I went straight to his house. We talked on the way and no one heard us."

"What about you?" Qin Huai Meng asked, "Did Lao Dou send someone to follow you?"

Lao Ye nodded, but said, "They can't keep up with me with their skills."

Qin Huaimeng felt slightly relieved, and then asked, "Besides the situation with Lao Dou, what else did Ma Xiaozhu tell you?"

Lao Ye did not dare to hide anything and replied truthfully: "He asked me when I could meet Huo Laogui."

"Then what do you say?"

"I told him that this matter is top secret now, and the fewer people who know about it, the better. When the time comes to reward people for their contributions, he will definitely get his share."

"Did he believe it?"

"I believe it. Before the boss left, he asked me to help him say hello to Huo Laogui!"

Hearing this, Qin Huaimeng couldn't help but burst out laughing and said, "A loophole is a loophole. Young people are still impatient. They haven't even met the big brother they are connected to. They dare to work hard for the money they get. They have never suffered a loss before. Their brains are too stubborn."

It turned out that from the beginning to the end, there was no trace of Old Ghost Huo in this matter.

Instead, it was Qin Huaimeng who sent someone pretending to be Lao Gui's spy and instigated Ma Xiaozhu to go to Nan Ji Grain and Oil Store to cause trouble, disrupt the situation and cause trouble, forcing Lao Dou to think about a fight.

If nothing unexpected happened, Ma Xiaozhu might have been tortured by his father now.

Qin Huaimeng was very satisfied with this.

Lao Ye was a little confused and even found it hard to agree. Now that the job was done, he couldn't help but say a few more words.

"Master Qin, there is no such thing as an impenetrable wall. We can't keep it a secret for long. Aren't you afraid that you will end up shooting yourself in the foot?"

"Then what do you think we should do?"

Qin Huaimeng showed no dissatisfaction and seemed to be asking the question sincerely.

Unexpectedly, Lao Ye thought of something even more radical, and said bluntly: "I think we should just fuck Ma Xiaozhu!"

"What's the reason?" Qin Huaimeng asked.

Old Ye said, "You asked Ma Xiaozhu to cause trouble at Nanji, wasn't it to sow discord between Old Dou and the Jiang family? Old Dou is already panicking now. If Ma Xiaozhu dies at this time without knowing why, Old Dou will definitely think it was the Jiang family who did it. In that case, even if it's just to protect himself, he will definitely fight with the Jiang family."

"How can you be sure that Ma Xiaozhu is the only traitor around Dad?"

"what?"

Lao Ye was stunned. Could it be that there was a spy around his father?

Qin Huaimeng did not comment, but leaned over and rubbed his hands beside the stove, and then said, "Old Dou is not an empty hand. For so many years, who can set up a shop under the nose of the Jiang family without some skills? He is an old man in the world. Now he wants to rebel against the Jiang family. The first thing he must do is to investigate his subordinates, otherwise he will feel uneasy!"

"But……"

Old Ye still disagreed: "Master Qin, a lean camel is bigger than a horse. Although the Jiang family has suffered a lot of losses this year, it has not been seriously damaged. If we want to rebel against the Jiang family, we have to unite with Old Dou and the others. If you do this, won't you destroy your own company flag first?"

Qin Huaimeng suddenly became a little impatient, waved his hand and said, "Old Ye, do you really think that I plan to rely on these three to accomplish my goal?"

"What else?" Old Ye asked, "Just rely on ourselves?"

"Depend on the situation!"

Qin Huaimeng stood up and put on his coat while muttering, "Heroes are made by the times! Jiang Lianheng got his start by relying on the times, otherwise he wouldn't be where he is today. I never planned to rely on Lao Dou and the others for help. I was afraid that they would stab us in the back while we were fighting in front!"

As he spoke, he picked up the otter fur hat on the table and added, "So, I can't let the three of them get too close."

Lao Ye understood, but he just didn't understand what the so-called current situation meant.

Is Guo Guizi rebelling?

If Guo Jun wins, it will definitely cause heavy losses to Jiang Lianheng, but to say that his family will be destroyed is probably a bit of an exaggeration.

The most important thing is that Jiang Lianheng’s loss of power does not mean Qin Huaimeng’s rise.

The Jiang family is so fat that even if they lose 50 kilograms, it is not something that can be replaced by others. How can they win?

Qin Huaimeng had packed up his things and explained in a low voice: "If it happened in the past, with Jiang Lianheng's personality, how could he let his father go back so easily? Not to mention whipping him, at least he would have to ask his father to call Ma Xiaozhu out, right?"

"That's true!"

"But he gave in this time. Why?"

Qin Huaimeng asked himself and answered: "He is afraid that the provincial capital will be in chaos! Guo's devils have already conquered Jinzhou and are now approaching Fengtian. Look at how many refugees have come to the vicinity of the provincial capital recently. When Guo's army arrives, more refugees will pour into the city. By then, the administration will be in chaos. How can he not ease relations with everyone?" Lao Ye nodded.

The truth may be a bit harsh, but the truth is there: refugees are no different from animals, and as long as they can survive, it is not uncommon for them to eat their own children.

"When something happens, muddy the water first. Only when the water is muddy can you catch the big fish!" Qin Huai patted Lao Ye's shoulder. "What I want is not a rebellion, but a chaotic fight. The more chaotic, the better!"

"Isn't it a bit too risky?" asked Lao Ye.

"You can only get rich through risk," Qin Huaimeng walked towards the door. "If you don't want to take risks, why don't I just pull a rickshaw?"

When I opened the door, a gust of cold wind penetrated my lungs.

Qin Huaimeng stopped, turned around and said, "You should stay in hiding for the time being and don't show your head again."

"Then I'll stay here?" Lao Ye suggested.

Qin Huai shook his head fiercely and rejected the idea immediately: "The Jiang family has spies in every corner of the provincial capital. Do you dare to say that there are no Jiang family spies among those who come to rent a car from me? Go to the South Railway Affiliated Area. I have already arranged a place for you."

Old Ye said nothing else, and quickly nodded and obeyed Master Qin's arrangement...

…………

Three days later, in the north of Fengtian City, at Xifeng Mansion.

It was almost noon when the aroma of rice wafted slowly from the courtyard, which seemed particularly tempting during this time of war.

After Guyu moved to Jiang's house, it became Xiaokaoshan's base, as refugees continued to pour into Fengtian, and recently even a few helpless orphans were taken in. There were at least 20 to 30 half-grown children in the main house and the side rooms.

In the outer room, there was a sea pot on the stove.

The porridge in the pot contains multi-grain porridge, with more water than grain. At first glance, it looks like a pot of rice washing water.

Even so, the rice bag next to it deflated quickly.

The fifty kilograms of rations that Xifeng brought back a few days ago may not sound like much, and in fact it is very little, not enough for everyone to eat.

Firstly, there were too many people relying on fans; secondly, there was no side dish. From morning till night, everyone depended on two bowls of thin porridge to survive. Even pickled vegetables were rare, so the food was naturally eaten up quickly.

All the little fans came over and squatted beside the stove, three layers inside and three layers outside, holding Xifeng's bowls and chopsticks in their hands, waiting for dinner to be served.

"It's not healed yet, it should be healed, right?"

"Let's eat, there won't be enough to share after we finish the dry pot!"

The younger child was anxious, but the older child was still relatively patient. He swallowed his saliva, calculated the time, and when he thought it was about time, he stood up and lifted the lid of the pot.

A burst of hot steam rose to my face, and suddenly the sound of "gurgling" came from the pot.

Everyone scrambled for food and there was chaos for a long time. Finally, everyone got some food and went around with their bowls, each finding a place to slowly drink their porridge.

Every room in the main house and the side rooms was in a mess.

It's not that Xiaokaoshan was not careful, but that he was born and raised in the wild, exposed to the wind and sun, and used to being outdoors. He doesn't care about anything except food.

In the past, they stayed in Xifeng Mansion and could go out to beg for food during the day, but recently there have been more and more refugees and food prices have remained high, so they had no choice but to leave it to fate.

The porridge was drunk very quickly.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door.

Someone went out to answer the door, then turned around and shouted, "Come out quickly, the Third Master is here!"

Hearing the noise, the little fans rushed out immediately, filling the courtyard in an instant, looking eagerly towards the door.

Li Zhengxi walked into the courtyard with a sack in his hand. He was a little uncomfortable with the little fan boy calling him "Third Master".

Over the past decade or so, he has taught so many young fans, one after another, that even he himself has lost count.

He only remembered that in the beginning, the little guys under his command all called him "Third Brother", but now they have become uncles, and calling him uncle doesn't sound good, so they all called him Third Master instead.

When these little fans grew up, some went to work in factories, some pulled rickshaws on the street, and some became apprentices in shops. Although most of them were at the bottom of society, they were the eyes and ears of the Jiang family when Xifeng needed them.

Of course, there were also those street urchins who were brave, aggressive and idle, and in the end they all joined Laizi and others in the fight.

When Xiaokaoshan saw Xifeng holding a sack in his hand, his eyes immediately lit up. He wondered whether it was filled with rice or noodles. He wanted to ask but didn't dare to. He just watched and waited with a smile.

Unexpectedly, when the sack was thrown on the ground, it made a clanging sound - it was not rice flour!
Everyone was disappointed.

Li Zhengxi frowned, seemingly not thinking about eating at all, and asked curiously, "What are you looking at?"

Everyone came back to their senses, waved their hands and asked, "Third Master, what's in this?"

“Guy!”

Li Zhengxi responded and then called to the half-grown children around him, "Come here and pick something!"

A few people, about thirteen or fourteen years old, walked over with puzzled looks on their faces, opened the sack, and looked down. There were more than a dozen machetes, sticks, daggers and the like inside, all of which were tools for self-defense.

Someone looked up and asked, "Third Master, what does this mean?"

There were also a few reckless people who immediately said with certainty: "Oh, damn stupid, isn't it obvious that the Third Master needs us!"

As he said that, he immediately squatted down, pulled out a few machetes from the sack, patted his chest, and said in a pretentious manner: "Third Master, just tell me who you want to fight with. Whoever you say to stab, I will stab him. It's just a matter of one word!"

Li Zhengxi smiled and said, "Come on, come on. Who said I'm going to let you go to a fight? This is for your self-defense. There are too many refugees in the city recently. There were two robberies yesterday. I can't stay here all the time. If something unexpected happens, you guys have to take responsibility."

Everyone was very surprised and asked, "Third Master, is there anyone in this city who dares to rob your house?"

Li Zhengxi paused, as if he had something to say, but felt it was not worth telling them, so he said, "It is better to be prepared. There is a war outside now. If the city gets into chaos, anything could happen. Especially you girls, be careful not to be abducted by others in the chaos."

The kids who hang out on the streets are very mature, they know how hard life is and what sufferings people suffer. When they heard this, they asked hurriedly, "Are they going to fight here soon? Third Master, you won't be taken away as a soldier, will you?"

"What are you thinking? It's not that serious!" Li Zhengxi waved his hand. "Forget it, forget it. You won't understand what I'm saying. If there's nothing else, I'll leave first!"

With that said, he turned around and left.

Seeing this, Xiao Kaoshan no longer held back and hurried over to ask, "Third Master... can you get anything to eat?"

"Is the rice gone?" Li Zhengxi asked.

Everyone nodded, pointed to the main house and said, "It's almost empty, and there's not much firewood left. It's okay if it's a little cold, but the problem is that we can't cook!"

Li Zhengxi always responded to Xiaokaoshan's requests, but this time he seemed quite embarrassed. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Okay, I understand. Don't worry, I'll think of a way. It doesn't matter if it's too much or too little, we have to get through this year!"

(End of this chapter)