20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 776 The rumbling wind
"Aunt——"

Jiang Lianheng walked slowly into the bedroom with a smile on his face, trying his best to appear calm and composed.

Xu Ruqing heard the noise and quickly put the photo frame upside down on the table. He turned around and asked with concern, "Xiaodao, is your toothache better?"

"Hiss, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten about it."

Jiang Lianheng covered his cheeks, smiled bitterly, and came to the table, saying in a gentle tone: "Aunt, pack up and come with me later."

"Where are you going?" Xu Ruqing asked.

"Well, we're not going anywhere, just strolling around." Jiang Lianheng said carefully and vaguely, "Anyway, we're leaving soon, so you should hurry up and keep things simple. If there's anything you can't take, I'll buy it for you later."

"Xiaodao, don't lie to me. I'm not going anywhere."

Xu Ruqing suddenly stood up, walked to the bed and sat down. Like all people over sixty, he always had some kind of instinctive resistance when facing changes in life.

Jiang Lianheng had expected her to say this, and he also understood his aunt's worries and concerns.

After all, in the year of Xinhai, there was also a great riot in Guanxiang. Xu Ruqing had planned to take Hu Xiaoyan to the south to seek refuge, but was intercepted by the Bai family at the Fengtian Railway Station and taken to the Dongyang Police Station, where he was subjected to all kinds of humiliation and abuse.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Xu Ruqing's body and mind were severely damaged, and his mental state was already worrying. Now he was faced with war and man-made disasters. He was willing to defend his home and was not willing to take any risks easily.

No one has the right to say that she is stubborn.

"I know there's a war going on outside and the city is in chaos, but is there any place safer than the provincial capital?" Xu Ruqing shook his head repeatedly, asking himself, "No place, the provincial capital is the safest, home is the safest!"

"But Marshal Zhang is about to run away."

"He can run away. Fengtian is permanent, but the Marshal is transient." Xu Ruqing was unmoved. "I'm old, and don't want to struggle anymore. You guys go, I'll stay and help you look after the house."

"Aunt, please don't be confused. Now all the wealthy families in the city are preparing for evacuation. Bandits are like combs, and soldiers are like combs. This is what you taught me. If Guo's army attacks, anything can happen. How can I feel at ease if you stay at home?"

Jiang Lianheng tried to persuade Xu Ruqing patiently and kindly, saying all that needed to be said, but Xu Ruqing just kept repeating the same thing over and over again.

"I won't leave. I won't make any more trouble. I really won't make any more trouble..."

"Look, why are you doing this? The train station isn't far from here. Let's go together and stay there first. We can wait and see what happens. It's better to be prepared!"

"I'm not leaving, I really am not leaving..."

"Aunt, let's stop dawdling. Listen to me. I'll ask Aunt Song to come up and bring you two pieces of clothes. Come downstairs with me and sit for a while!"

As Jiang Lianheng spoke, he moved over and took up his aunt's arm, intending to forcibly take the old lady downstairs.

Unexpectedly, just as he grasped his arm, Xu Ruqing's face suddenly changed. He suddenly jumped up, swung his hand and slapped Jiang Lianheng hard in the face with a "slap".

"Do not touch me!"

The situation took a turn for the worse.

Xu Ruqing suddenly became nervous, startled and evasive, as if he was looking for something, but he didn't dare to look Jiang Lianheng in the eye.

Jiang Lianheng was completely unprepared for his aunt and was slapped in the face unexpectedly. He was stunned for a moment until he saw Xu Ruqing desperately using her sleeve to cover the scar on her arm. Only then did his heart soften and he felt a pang of pain and realized that it hurt.

The scar has been there for more than ten years, and it is still shocking to see it today.

"Aunt..."

Jiang Lianheng stood there in a daze, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"Don't touch me!" Xu Ruqing's body trembled slightly. He still didn't dare to look Jiang Lianheng in the eye. He just pointed outside the door and said, "Get out, get out!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go out. I'll go out right away."

Jiang Lianheng raised his hands, slowly retreated to the door, turned his head and shouted downstairs: "Xiaohua, come up and sit with the old lady for a while!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a few crisp "pa pa" sounds coming from outside the window.

The sound was neither far nor near, and at first it sounded like firecrackers, but anyone who knew a little could immediately tell that it was undoubtedly gunfire.

Jiang Lianheng's heart tightened, and just as he was about to ask loudly, he saw Sister Hua running towards him with a "dong dong dong".

"Master, something seems to have happened outside!"

"I heard you. Please help me keep an eye on the old lady here. I'll go downstairs to check the situation!"

Jiang Lianheng turned sideways, let Sister Hua into the bedroom, and then ran downstairs.

When we returned to the living room, everyone looked obviously flustered.

Zhao Guoyan, Zhang Zhengdong, Li Zhengxi and Hai Xinnian all rushed out to check the situation. Only Hu Xiaoyan and Guyu with their three children, as well as Song Ma, Yingzi and others were left in the room.

"Dad, was that a gunshot just now?"

Jiang Ya stood up and walked over hesitantly, with a look of panic finally showing in her eyes.

"It's okay, just stay in the room."

Jiang Lianheng raised his hand to stop his daughter from coming over, then glanced at his eldest son and called out quickly, "Chengye!"

"Dad!" Jiang Chengye stood up and waited for his father's instructions.

"Go draw the curtains, turn off the chandelier, stay in the room with everyone, don't walk around casually, don't go near the window, and don't let anyone come out without my permission."

"understood."

Jiang Chengye immediately walked to the window, drew the curtains, turned off the chandelier, pushed Hu Xiaoyan to the corner of the living room, and then sat down with the women of the Jiang family.

The room suddenly became dim and dark.

Jiang Lianheng didn't hesitate for a moment and rushed out of the room.

When I opened the door, the north wind blew in my face, mixed with a little fine snow, like a steel knife cutting bones.

There were about twenty people in the courtyard, most of them gathered near the gate. Only Hai Xinnian and a few brothers were guarding under the eaves.

"Godfather, did you hear the noise?"

"I heard it. What's going on?"

Jiang Lianheng looked around and asked hurriedly, "Where are Guo Yan and the others?"

Hai Xinnian pointed to the gate and said, "They left and asked me to stay here to guard the house."

Jiang Lianheng nodded, didn't ask any more questions, and immediately walked towards the gate.

When the brothers saw the leader coming out of the mountain, they all stepped aside to give way. Although they responded with "Boss" as usual, there were clear signs of hesitation in their eyes.

As soon as I arrived at the gate, I saw Zhao Guoyan and others turning around and coming back.

"What's going on? Where did the gunshots come from?" Jiang Lianheng asked anxiously.

Zhao Guoyan looked serious and whispered, "Boss, it's bad. Marshal Zhang is really going to run away."

Jiang Lianheng was stunned and asked quickly, "Is the news reliable?"

Li Zhengxi responded, "Brother, Yang Lazi saw it with his own eyes, so he must be right. I heard that Staff Officer Yang has already arrived at the train station, preparing to take refuge in Lüda!"

It turned out that Yang Lazi had just been ordered to lead people to protect Madam Zhuang. Unexpectedly, when he passed through the inner city, he suddenly saw chaos in the pass. The streets were full of people running around. The scene was extremely chaotic, so he hurriedly sent his brothers back to inform them. The Marshal's Mansion had already started moving his belongings to the South Railway Concession.

Gold, silver and valuables were packed into boxes and driven one truck after another, as if there was no end in sight, straight to the warehouse of the Nantetsu Corporation.

He is not called the King of Northeast for nothing.

Whenever Lao Zhang catches a cold, the three provinces in Kanto will start sneezing.

The news in the newspapers was false, and any movement in the Marshal's Mansion had become an important basis for everyone to speculate on the outcome of the war.

Now, the Marshal's mansion was in turmoil, and the people were like frightened birds, spreading rumors that Guo's army was already at the gates of the city and was about to bombard Fengtian.

Is the news true?

I’m afraid no one can tell for sure!

In fact, no one saw Lao Zhang escape, no one saw Guo’s army approaching, and no one heard the sound of artillery fire.

However, panic is still spreading rapidly.

The current situation is that the municipal office is on the verge of paralysis, patrol police refuse to go to work, and the gendarmerie in the city has abandoned the common people and gathered in the Marshal's Mansion to protect the safety of one family. After all, they are just the Zhang family's private soldiers.

The officials in Fengtian had already sent their families to settle down in the Nantie Concession and live under the protection of the Japanese, leaving only themselves in the city for show. How could Fengtian not be in chaos?

Although most of the rumors are groundless, at this critical moment, no one should pretend to be wise.

This is what everyone is saying. Believe it or not, it’s up to you. No matter how much you don’t believe it, it won’t stop the provincial capital from falling into a state of anarchy and chaos.

Risking the safety of the entire family just to prove that I am the only one sober while everyone else is drunk?
I'm afraid no one can do it.

Jiang Lianheng had seen the chaos of the world before, so he did not dare to take it lightly. He asked hurriedly, "What was the gunshot just now?"

Zhao Guoyan immediately responded, "Someone at Dabeiguan is destroying the kiln with open fire, and there are quite a few of them. Now the Nanchengguan is also about to become chaotic."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng immediately ordered Yuan Xinfa to close the gate, then led Zhao Guoyan and others to a corner and asked in a low voice, "Who is smashing the kiln?"

"It's still uncertain," Li Zhengxi said. "It was too dark. Yang Lazi and his men didn't see clearly, so they sent someone back to deliver the message. But I heard there were at least dozens of people."

Zhao Guoyan continued, "Boss, I suspect there are bandits among the refugees who have come to the city recently."

"Yes, it is very likely." Jiang Lianheng nodded.

There are many mountains in western Liaoning, and the bandits are also human beings who want to avoid war. It is not uncommon for them to sneak into the provincial capital among the refugee groups.

It is only natural for them to take advantage of the chaos to rob.

In Jiang Lianheng's view, as long as the other party did not deliberately target the Jiang family, he would be confident enough to ensure the safety of his family.

Even so, chaos will lead to changes. Considering the critical situation, the plan to move to the South Railway Concession for refuge can no longer be delayed.

As they were talking, a few gunshots were heard in the distance.

Jiang Lianheng looked around, feeling uneasy, and quickly ordered: "It's impossible for everyone in the courtyard to follow me later. I have to leave a few 'Xiangzi' to watch the house. I want to make sure there are no accidents on the road. Dongfeng stays here, Guoyan and Xifeng, you two take a few people to gather the other brothers over, as many as you can!"

Before Zhao Guoyan and Li Zhengxi could agree, they immediately turned around, each called two fast helpers, and then ran away.

Then Jiang Lianheng turned to look at Dongfeng and said, "Go to the basement and get a few more guns, big mirrors, and Horse brand pistols. Bring all the useful ones and prepare enough supplies."

Zhang Zhengdong nodded and was about to go back to the house when Jiang Lianheng suddenly called him.

"Brother, what's the matter?"

Jiang Lianheng did not respond immediately, but walked back with Dongfeng first. When they reached the center of the courtyard and saw that there was no one around, he whispered a few words.

"Dongfeng, there are changes in chaos. Give the good guns to reliable people. If you are not sure about the order, ask your sister-in-law for advice."

Zhang Zhengdong didn't say anything, just nodded silently, then walked quickly towards the mansion.

Unexpectedly, just as I arrived under the eaves, I saw Jiang Ya suddenly push open the door, her eyes wandered in the courtyard for a moment, and finally fell on Jiang Lianheng.

"dad--"

"Hiss, what's going on?" Jiang Lianheng was a little dissatisfied, "Didn't I just tell you not to come out?"

Jiang Ya pointed inside the house and said, "My second uncle called and wants to see you."

"What's wrong?" Jiang Lianheng responded and walked over, asking as he walked.

Jiang Ya looked a little bewildered, and shook her head, saying, "I don't know either, but from what my mom said just now, it seems that there are no vacancies at the train station."

"what?"

Jiang Lianheng immediately quickened his pace, cursing and complaining: "How on earth does he do things? Didn't he say before that he had already booked a room? Now it's gone?"

Having said that, he quickly turned around and walked into the living room.

The light in the room was dim and shadows were everywhere. No one was moving except Xifeng and Guyu's children who were still crying.

Seeing that her elder brother was about to answer the phone, Guyu quickly got up and left the living room with the child in her arms.

Hu Xiaoyan also noticed that Jiang Lianheng was upset, so she whispered a reminder, "It's not Nanfeng's fault."

It’s a pity it’s too late.

Jiang Lianheng walked over angrily, picked up the phone, and shouted: "Hello?"

Nanfeng on the other end of the phone was timid and just responded with "Brother" when he was immediately scolded.

"What the fuck are you doing? Your family asked you to book a room yesterday, but you didn't even know how to do it. Sometimes it's available, sometimes not. You keep saying the opposite of what you want. Do you have any reliable words left in your mouth? If there's no room, you better fart the fuck out sooner!"

"Brother, I really did order it, but...but things have changed now!"

"What changes?" Jiang Lianheng asked sternly, "I'm asking you now, is it you who made the mistake, or is it the hotel that made the mistake?"

Wang Zhengnan said in a trembling voice: "Nothing is wrong, but I just came here to find out that the room we originally booked has been occupied by someone else."

"Fuck, who dares to occupy the room I booked?"

"Old Yu's house."

"What's in his house?"

"Brother, that's a distant relative of the young marshal's father-in-law's family!"

"Forget it, just pretend I didn't say anything!" Jiang Lianheng was still resentful and continued to complain, "Didn't I ask you to book a few more rooms? Apart from that hotel, is there no other place?"

Wang Zhengnan sighed and said, "Brother, Marshal Zhang suddenly went to the South Railway Warehouse to transport some stuff today. The whole city is in chaos. All the officials have brought their families here like a swarm of bees. The Japanese are taking care of them and require the hotel to accommodate them. The previously booked rooms are no longer valid."

"Is there no worse hotel nearby?"

"It's no use having one. You have to come quickly. Even if there is a vacant room now, someone else will move in if you're not here."

"Is the situation so serious?"

"It's too serious. The Nantetsu area is packed with people. The queue has already reached Xiaoxiguan. I'll look for an empty room here first. I think I can still find one if it's a bit run-down. Anyway, I'm on Naniwa Street now. You guys should hurry over. If you're late, I'm afraid there won't be a place to stay."

(End of this chapter)