20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 816 White House Meeting

Red and white celebrations, joyous occasions, birthdays, and other auspicious events—the cycle never ends.

This is the most laborious and demanding task, especially for wealthy families who have more to say and a grander scale. Even in turbulent times, as long as the money is right, there is no worry about it not being done.

However, Xu Ruqing did not die of illness, but died suddenly in the street. The Jiang family did not have time to prepare, and due to the restrictions on travel inside and outside the city, there were fewer people such as monks, nuns, musicians and so on. Even so, all the necessary items for the funeral were still available.

The business of handling funerals is essentially run by people from all walks of life.

Upon learning of the Jiang family's funeral, before they could even go to find them, people rushed to their door to offer sacrifices.

Upon hearing the news, Feng's Tailor Shop immediately worked overtime to make a shroud and quilt for the old lady; Ruixiang Timber Factory in Xiaonanguan used its best timber to make a black lacquered and gold-painted coffin for the old lady; Yuanhe Shed Shop in Dadongmen, the old manager personally led more than twenty employees to build a large shed for the old lady, covering the entire Jiang family mansion, with an inner platform and a sutra pavilion, and an outer bell and drum tower, stretching as far as the eye could see.

All of this is simply to show our attitude—we old shops and established businesses still recognize the Jiang family and Boss Jiang as the leader.

The Jiang family spent two whole days preparing before the official funeral was held.

That evening, Chuang Hu went to various newspapers in the provincial capital, found the editors-in-chief, paid a deposit, published the obituary, and left.

The next morning, a white paper was posted on the gate of the Jiang family compound with four large characters written on it: "Sorry for the lack of information!"
As soon as dawn broke, people began to come to offer their condolences.

Cars, horse-drawn carriages, rickshaws; officials, merchants, gentry; people from all walks of life, regardless of their wealth or status, all came out of respect for the deceased. They were there because of Jiang Lianheng's reputation, and their presence was appreciated. The Jiang family would remember any sincerity shown by them.

Guests who had arrived by car and turned into Jiangjia Hutong all switched to walking, carrying wreaths, elegiac couplets, and paper banners, and walked solemnly into the Jiang family residence.

As soon as you enter the courtyard, you can hear monks, nuns, and Taoist priests chanting sutras for the deceased, and the sound of a band playing drums and cymbals. It's quite a lively scene!

The mourning hall was fully equipped with incense, candles, and offerings; piles of paper money and other valuables for the deceased were stacked high; one couldn't help but marvel at the grand scale of the event!
However, even with such a commotion, no one could find fault with it.

The Jiang family held a grand celebration to show their filial piety; the numerous guests in the hall were simply to reciprocate the courtesy. As long as it doesn't violate the law or moral principles, why can't they hold such a celebration?
As the guests entered the mourning hall, they looked up and saw two banners that read: "May you return to the Jade Pool in peace and happiness."

The Jiang family members were dressed in mourning clothes. The geomancer stood to one side. In the center of the hall was a black lacquered coffin with gold decorations. On the left and right sides were painted "Golden Boy Holding a Banner" and "Jade Maiden Carrying a Stove". The head of the coffin was painted with five blessings surrounding longevity, and the bottom of the coffin was painted with lotus leaves and lotus flowers. It was extremely luxurious and could not be compared to ordinary people.

The geomancer called out loudly, "A guest has arrived! Bow once, bow twice, bow three times! The ceremony is complete, please rise!"

The guest rose to offer incense, his face filled with grief, and devoutly performed the prayers.

The geomancer shouted again, "Filial sons and virtuous grandsons, return the courtesy!"

Jiang Lianheng and his entire family of wives and relatives respectfully expressed their gratitude. Hua Jie served as the principal wife, and several children were also by his side. Only the matriarch, Hu Xiaoyan, was not present.

The guest walked around the coffin, paying his respects to the deceased. Finally, he came to the host's side, grasped Jiang Lianheng's hand tightly, and said solemnly, "Master! Please accept my condolences!"

Jiang Lianheng nodded repeatedly, memorizing the visitor. He then invited the visitor out of the mourning hall and said earnestly, "You've worked hard. Please sit over there for a while. If you have nothing else to do later, please stay for lunch!"

"Boss, tell me who did this! I'll bring some men and have him killed, so he can be sent down to the underworld to be a slave to the old lady!"

"Sigh, I'm a bit busy right now, let's talk about it later!"

"Okay, I'll stay and keep vigil for the old lady!"

"Thank you, thank you very much."

As they were talking, more people came to offer their condolences.

Seeing that Jiang Lianheng was too busy, the guest exchanged a few pleasantries and then turned and walked towards the corner of the courtyard.

On the other side, Fang Yan set up a small square table and sat in a chair, writing down the monetary gifts for the guests.

The guest hurried over and waited in line for a few minutes before it was finally his turn to present his gift money. He took out a stack of envelopes from his pocket, handed them to Fang Yan, and said, "Secretary Fang, thank you for your trouble. This is a small token of my appreciation to my employer."

"Alright, alright, thank you for your help!" Fang Yan picked up his pen and wrote down the monetary gift, then looked at the extra envelopes on the table. "Who are these two for?"

"Oh, this is from Manager Ma of Hengrui Pharmacy. He's been unwell lately and can't even get out of bed. This is from Boss Lü of Shanming Inn. He said his shop was robbed a couple of days ago and he was beaten by vagrants. He asks for your understanding."

"Hey! It's nothing. Everyone has busy times, and the boss understands!"

As he spoke, he wrote down the monetary gifts in the ledger, but he added a punctuation mark under the names of the two people almost imperceptibly.

The guest, unaware of the danger, thanked them a few more times and then walked towards the guest seating area.

At the base of the east courtyard wall, there was a row of eight-immortal tables with some snacks and tea on them, along with several seats. At this moment, quite a few people were already sitting there.

Everyone was doing business in Fengtian. Even if they didn't know each other, they only needed to chat for a few minutes and exchange names to know each other's businesses. For example, Mu Fengchun ran a pawnshop, He Bianxia ran a gambling den, Ye Zhiqiu ran a brothel, and Mei Jingdong ran a theater. Their businesses were more famous than their names.

Everyone took their seats one after another, chatting idly and casually.

Meanwhile, everyone couldn't help but secretly speculate about who was challenging the Jiang family. Some said it was Whistle Li, others said it was Old Dou the Basket Weaver. After all that, they wondered why Master Qin from the rickshaw shop hadn't come.

In short, none of the people here are easy to deal with!
Not everyone who comes is truly loyal; many others are simply looking for an opportunity to see how much the Jiang family has lost and whether Jiang Lianheng is still the same person.

As they chatted, someone stood up and sighed, "Alas, the city was in utter chaos the other day. I still have a lot of things to do at my counter. I'll have to excuse myself now and leave with you guys. I'll go tell my boss I'm leaving!"

As he spoke, he got up and went to the mourning hall to complain to Jiang Lianheng, explaining the reasons and saying polite words such as "I'm sorry I can't accompany you, please accept my condolences."

Jiang Lianheng didn't linger, and immediately called to Nanfeng to see the guest out of the house.

Wang Zhengnan greeted and saw off guests, and also noted down many of their words and actions. He turned and looked up at the second floor of the mansion, where he saw the curtains inside the window swaying gently, and Hu Xiaoyan was secretly watching the guests coming and going outside the courtyard gate.

Time flies, and it's almost noon in the blink of an eye.

As the weather gradually warmed up, those old and frail friends began to come to pay their respects.

This group of guests were all elderly people, such as Doctor Jia from Jiang Chenghai's generation. The youngest was over sixty years old. These people were long past their prime, and they suffered from backaches and leg pains on a daily basis. They could hardly go out until the sun was high in the sky. Although they arrived late, they did not come because of Jiang Lianheng's face, but because they genuinely wanted to see Xu Ruqing off.

Jia Yisheng led his eldest son, Jia Shukai, to pay their respects. They walked shakily into the mourning hall and began to weep and wail. When they saw Jiang Lianheng again, they felt that a new generation had replaced the old. They still kept their old habit of saying sadly, "Young Master, I was thinking a while ago that I would take some time to visit Manager Xu, but my legs... alas, one cannot wait!"

Jiang Lianheng said, "Sir, you could just send someone to deliver a message. Why bother coming all the way here yourself?"

"No, I have to come and see Manager Xu!" the old man sighed softly. "Alas, they've all left. I should be leaving tomorrow too. I'll sit here for a while!" "Alright, Dongfeng, quickly have someone help the old man inside to rest!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a wolf howled outside the door!
"Old shopkeeper, Fulong has come to see you!"

Jiang Lianheng frowned. So this big teapot wasn't dead after all!

He originally didn't want to receive him, but Fulong was, after all, an old colleague of his aunt's. In front of so many people, he couldn't very well kick him out, so he let him into the mourning hall to pay his respects three times.

After seeing Fu Long off, Wang Zhengnan returned to report, "Brother, Mr. and Mrs. Feng Baoquan from the tailor shop have arrived."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng hurriedly went to the door to greet her. Feng Baoquan's wife was Liu Yuqing, who was Xu Ruqing's senior sister. According to seniority, the Jiang family had to call her "aunt".

The elderly couple, both in their seventies and frail, showed signs of impending death. Supported by their children, they slowly entered the Jiang residence.

Feng Baoquan immediately said, "Master, I'm sorry I'm late!"

Jiang Lianheng hurriedly declined, saying, "Uncle, please don't call me that!"

Liu Yuqing waved his hand and said, "Boss Jiang, let's keep things separate. Calling him 'boss' doesn't mess up the seniority. That..." As he was speaking, tears started falling. "I came to see Ruqing. It's the last time I'll see her. I had to come and see her one last time."

Jiang Lianheng stepped aside and said, "Alright, please come in, you two!"

Mr. and Mrs. Feng Baoquan entered the mourning hall and bowed in respect. Liu Yuqing, suppressing her grief, was so weak that she could barely stand and had to be supported by her two children.

After the formalities were completed, Feng Baoquan asked Jiang Lianheng to speak privately.

"Master, I'd like to tell you something..." The old man rubbed his hands, seemingly a little hesitant to speak, "It's just that on the day of the turmoil in the outer suburbs, my branch in the west of the city was robbed, and we suffered considerable losses. You see..."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng immediately frowned. Knowing that Feng Baoquan often bought insurance from the Jiang family, he couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, are you... here to claim compensation from me?"

"what?"

Feng Baoquan was taken aback and quickly waved his hand to explain, "No, no, no, we are relatives by right. With war and man-made disasters, what's the point of talking about compensation? I really didn't mean that. But you see, the city is so chaotic lately. Those Japanese devils claim to be on patrol, but they're really just extorting money. They come into my shop every few days these past few days, and they take whatever they see. And those traitors following behind them are even worse. Yesterday, they openly robbed me of twelve bolts of silk. If this continues, I won't be able to do business!"

Then he called over his eldest son, "Feng Chong! Come, come and greet the master!"

Feng Chong was in his forties. Although he was older, he was extremely respectful in front of Jiang Lianheng, and hurriedly nodded and replied, "Master!"

“This is my son,” Feng Baoquan introduced. “He’s the one who manages our family business now. This kid is too good for his own good. Look at his bruised face. That’s what those traitors beat him up a couple of days ago. I reckon my wife and I don’t have many years left to live. I hope you can take care of us in the future, for the sake of my wife.”

Although the old man spoke politely, his meaning was very clear—we buy the Jiang family's fire and water insurance, not seeking compensation, but you must at least guarantee that our family will not be bullied.

To put it more bluntly, if the Jiang family can't even guarantee the safety of those they "rely on," then why should everyone respect them as their boss?
Feng Baoquan's request was reasonable and justifiable, and no one could find fault with it.

Actually, it wasn't just him; all his old friends, including Jia Yisheng, brought their own successors with them, all with the same intention.

People are still willing to trust the Jiang family, but at the same time, the Jiang family must also find ways to prove to everyone that the underground order in Fengtian City is still controlled by the Jiang family.

This is not just a matter of saving face.

The Jiang family's insurance business originally consisted of two pillars: one was the transportation of opium, and the other was local insurance.

The opium trade is already crippled, and the local "fire and water safety" must not be cut off, otherwise the Jiang family will lose another source of income. Without money, many official matters cannot be handled, and the situation will only get worse.

Therefore, the Jiang family's counterattack should have been an urgent matter, but now it is necessary to unite the members to prevent traitors from emerging among them, so this funeral was held first.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng could only nod and say, "Don't worry, you should write down those people first. I'll send someone over to check on them tomorrow. Once I've finished with the old lady's funeral, I'll definitely help you get revenge."

Upon hearing this, the Feng father and son immediately bowed and expressed their gratitude.

Before they knew it, it was noon. The Jiang family began preparing a meal for their guests, and the number of people who came to pay their respects gradually decreased.

Jiang Lianheng, dressed in mourning clothes, walked to Fang Yan's side and asked in a low voice, "How is the situation?"

Fang Yan flipped through the ledger and carefully checked, saying, "Boss, so far we've received 132 monetary gifts, but only about half of them came in person. A lot more left just now, and I estimate that a few will stay for dinner..."

"No need to calculate it!"

Jiang Lianheng raised his hand to interrupt, as the number of guests who came to offer their condolences was far fewer than he had imagined.

Of course, the number of people on the ledger does not represent the actual number of brothers that can be recruited. There are quite a few unknown figures who come to help out and assist because they cannot afford the gifts. In addition, some leaders may come alone, but they have dozens of brothers under their command.

Fang Yan said, "Master, this is only the first day. Some people may not have received the news yet. I estimate that more people will come on the third day after the funeral, the seventh day after the death, and the funeral procession."

Jiang Lianheng shook his head and said, "The first day is the most important. Most of the people who can come on the third day, the seventh day after death, and the day of the funeral will come on the first day. As for those who spread rumors and gossip afterward, who knows what they are thinking?"

As he spoke, he picked up the account book on the table and glanced at it casually.

However, among the names of the guests, most were old acquaintances, who could be considered the original shareholders when the Jiang family started their business. They already had some connection with the Jiang family, and even had direct interests tied to them. Even so, some of them did not attend, or came and stayed for a short while before leaving.

Moreover, most of the wealthy and powerful families around Fengtian, as well as the high-ranking officials of the government, did not come. Perhaps they were still observing the situation, or perhaps they were delaying because of their high positions and power, unwilling to appear too condescending or proactive.

"This won't do!" Jiang Lianheng put down the ledger and said with a furrowed brow, "The fewer people who come, the more easily they will waver. In the end, we might not even be able to guarantee the opinions of those who are present. I'm afraid I need to make a response first!"

"But if we act now, wouldn't all our efforts be for nothing?"

"There's nothing I can do about it. I have to win this round first before they'll show any reaction!"

Unexpectedly, no sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion was heard outside the door.

Slightly surprised, everyone looked around in the direction of the sound, only to see Wang Zhengnan jogging up to Jiang Lianheng. Despite it being a funeral, he couldn't help but laugh:

"Brother, Commander Zhang sent people over to offer his condolences, and they even brought wreaths and banners!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present was shocked and hurriedly got up to go to the door to greet the guests...

(End of this chapter)