20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 817 Cooperation between Officials and Businessmen
The messenger sent by Old Zhang was surnamed Kong. He was the company commander of the first company of the guard brigade and was usually responsible for guarding the second gate of the Marshal's Mansion. Although his military rank was not high, he was highly trusted by the old marshal.

This man was a graduate of the military academy and was not very old, not yet thirty. He was robust and had a dashing demeanor. He wore a neat military uniform and high-top leather boots, and walked with a light step. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he was warmly received by the Jiang family as if he were surrounded by stars.

As the head of the household, Jiang Lianheng naturally took the lead in greeting, and hurriedly cupped his hands in a salute, saying, "Commander Kong, I was unaware of your arrival. I apologize for not welcoming you properly!"

Company Commander Kong hurriedly said, "Boss Jiang, you're too kind. The Commander-in-Chief sent me to offer my condolences and also to see if there's anything I can help you with."

"I dare not accept such praise. With the battle raging on the front lines, how could I possibly trouble the Commander-in-Chief with my trivial family matters?"

"Hey, Mr. Jiang, you're not quite right about that!"

Company Commander Kong suddenly turned to look at the group of guests in the courtyard and said in a very serious manner, "The Commander-in-Chief got up this morning and was flipping through the newspaper when he happened to see the obituary published by Boss Jiang. He was still talking about it in his office, saying that little Jiang didn't tell me about his family's event. Was he afraid that I couldn't afford to give him a gift or something?"

Upon hearing this, everyone chuckled and said, "The Commander-in-Chief is as witty as ever!"

Company Commander Kong then changed the subject, saying, "To put it another way, Boss Jiang is a major taxpayer in the provincial capital and has made considerable contributions to our Fengtian business community over the years. The Commander-in-Chief understands the people's needs, rewards those who have made contributions, and punishes those who have made mistakes. Only when officials and the people are in harmony can our three northeastern provinces prosper!"

Both publicly and privately, in just a few words, he not only conveyed Commander Zhang's meaning effectively, but also made it reasonable and logical, leaving no room for criticism.

The guests immediately echoed, "General, you have worked so hard and worried so much for the people of Fengtian. You must take good care of yourself!"

Jiang Lianheng also said, "Thank you for your concern, Commander! Dongfeng, please invite Commander Kong inside!"

"No, please!" Company Commander Kong hurriedly said, "The world is vast, and the deceased should be respected. Now that I'm here, I must at least offer incense to the old lady!"

The Jiang family members quickly expressed their gratitude: "Very well, then we'll have to trouble Commander Kong."

With that, he turned and headed straight for the mourning hall, leaving the guests at the door marveling at his words.

"See that? It has to be our boss. Who else has such influence that the Marshal's Mansion would send people to offer condolences?"

"Hey, I guess I came to the right place today. The boss is still the same boss. What are Whistle Li and Old Dou compared to me? They're all freeloaders!"

"Hey guys, hurry up and get to work, or it'll be worthless!"

Inside the mourning hall, Company Commander Kong saluted in condolence, and Jiang Lianheng, along with his wife and relatives, returned the salute.

After the formalities were completed, it happened to be lunchtime.

Jiang Lianheng immediately suggested, "Commander Kong, since we're already here, why don't we sit a little longer, have some drinks to warm up, and then head back?"

Company Commander Kong readily agreed, nodding and saying, "Alright, then I won't refuse. Just to be clear, I'm drinking on official business!"

Jiang Lianheng quickly smiled and said, "Not at all, please take a seat."

Company Commander Kong clearly did not act on his own initiative. Since he came under orders, it was impossible that he was only there to elevate the Jiang family's status and provide them with prestige.

It should be understood that the presence of a person of high rank, the presentation of wreaths and elegiac couplets, signifies a relationship, and the decision to remain at the banquet demonstrates the importance attached to this relationship. This was not a decision made on a whim. As everyone could see, Old Zhang was not merely putting on a show, but was declaring to the public that Jiang Lianheng's actions had been tacitly approved by the government.

The banquet was set out, and about a hundred people took their seats one by one.

The monks, nuns, and Taoist priests ate their vegetarian meals in a corner; the musicians and drummers finally got a moment of peace; the guests, according to their relationship to each other, age and status, took turns sitting down at the table to drink; even the shop assistants, guards, and old men patrolling the streets outside the door were given cigarettes and waited in groups of three or five for the continuous feast.

The large round table in the center is naturally reserved for the host and distinguished guests.

Zhao Guoyan, Wang Zhengnan, Li Zhengxi, and Hai Xinnian moved around the various tables, serving guests on behalf of Jiang Lianheng.

After three cups of warm wine, people gradually warmed up, and conversations became more frequent.

Company Commander Kong held his wine glass but didn't drink. He seemed to have something to say. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Gentlemen, life is unpredictable. There is no greater suffering in the world than the pain of death and separation. The old lady has passed away, and her body is still warm. Boss Jiang is in grief. There are some things that shouldn't be said in this situation, but now that Fengtian is in danger, I have no choice but to speak. I can only hope that Boss Jiang will not take offense."

Jiang Lianheng quickly said, "Commander Kong, there's no need to worry. The dead cannot be brought back to life. We living people still have to live our lives. Please feel free to speak your mind!"

Other guests chimed in, saying, "Yes, yes, host, you must take it easy and not be too sad, lest it affect your health."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Company Commander Kong finally got down to business.

"As you all know, Guo Jun is now rebellious, colluding with foreign enemies, raising troops to cause chaos, and harming the people of Fengtian. A few days ago, he caused turmoil in the provincial capital, and the people were living in misery. His crimes are simply unforgivable. The Commander-in-Chief sent me here this time not only to comfort Boss Jiang, but also to take this opportunity to say a few words from the bottom of my heart to you all."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately fell silent, pricked up their ears, and said, "Commander Kong, please speak!"

Company Commander Kong sighed, “Guo, relying on the young marshal’s trust, has amassed a large army and brazenly provoked a civil war, catching our army off guard. He has committed arson, murder, looting, and all sorts of atrocities in western Liaoning, which can be described as inhumane and unjust. Moreover, he has no legitimate reason to fight, and he will surely be destroyed soon. You are all well-known merchants in Fengtian. At this time, you must trust the municipal government and the Northeast Security Command. You must not lose your composure, lest you give Guo’s army an opportunity to take advantage of you.”

Everyone understood and quickly expressed their support: "Of course! We have all witnessed the General's governance of Fengtian for so many years, so we must support the General in suppressing the rebellion!"

"That's good!" Company Commander Kong said. "Now is the time for cooperation between officials and businessmen. With your support, I'm sure Guo and his bastards won't be able to keep up their act for much longer!"

"He should have died long ago! He eats the Zhang family's food and beats up the Zhang family's people. What kind of person is he? I despise this kind of scum!"

Everyone casually exchanged a few polite words, which was considered as cheering for Commander Zhang. They all knew that the provincial government urgently needed to stabilize public sentiment, but they were unclear about what they could actually do.

Jiang Lianheng pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked, "Does the Commander mean... that he wants us to resume business as soon as possible?"

"That's right!" Company Commander Kong nodded and smiled. "That's why I say Boss Jiang is a man who understands the big picture. I've only said a few words, and you've already guessed the Commander-in-Chief's intentions!"

Jiang Lianheng hurriedly declined, saying, "Not at all, I really owe it to Commander Kong for his guidance!"

Company Commander Kong waved his hand and hurriedly said, "Hey, I'm just conveying the Commander-in-Chief's message. It's the dead of winter now, and with the war in western Liaoning, freight transport on the Beijing-Fengtian Railway is disrupted. The city's residents are already having trouble getting around, and recently a large number of refugees have poured in from the surrounding areas. If you big bosses go on strike and close your businesses, the people's basic needs for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation will be impossible to meet. If this continues, how can the city not descend into chaos?"

Everyone nodded.

Company Commander Kong continued, "Therefore, everyone must work hard to cooperate with the provincial government and resume business as soon as possible. Only when the city is stable can the war outside proceed smoothly! In addition, recently, some unscrupulous merchants have been hoarding supplies and driving up prices, disregarding the lives of ordinary people. Such things should be stopped as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, everyone blushed slightly, secretly taking it personally. Some people hurriedly tried to cover for themselves, saying in a low voice with a forced smile, "Commander Kong, it's not that we don't want to reopen, nor that we're deliberately hoarding supplies, but we were genuinely frightened by what happened a couple of days ago. We were afraid that as soon as we opened, those unruly people would rob us."

"Don't worry, this situation won't happen again," said Company Commander Kong. "You've all seen it yourselves, haven't you? Now we have Japanese people helping to manage the city's security. Everyone should have confidence in the provincial government. We are under wartime control now. If anyone endangers public order, they will be executed on the spot once they are investigated."

As he spoke, he patted Jiang Lianheng's arm and said earnestly, "Mr. Jiang, you are a leading figure in Fengtian's business community. You must set an example. Maintaining the security of the provincial capital, restarting commerce, and restoring people's livelihoods will require everyone's joint efforts."

Jiang Lianheng nodded and said, "That's right, that's right..."

Just as the others were about to respond, Company Commander Kong suddenly adopted a very serious expression.

"But there is one thing I must remind you all of!" he said. "The Commander-in-Chief hopes that you all understand that the provincial government has repeatedly emphasized that it is strictly forbidden for merchants and gentry in various places to rent or sell land to foreigners, especially Japanese and Koreans. Once verified, the land will be confiscated immediately, and the provincial government will not recognize any related transactions!"

The group looked at each other and nodded in agreement, saying, "Understood, understood..."

Company Commander Kong then turned to Jiang Lianheng and said in a low voice, "Boss Jiang, I think Director Chen has already told you about these matters. You'll have to put in a lot of effort on them!"

"Please ask Commander Kong to relay this message to the Marshal. I, Jiang, will do my utmost."

"Great, that's exactly what I've been waiting for! Come on, let's all have a drink!"

Company Commander Kong had said all he needed to say and explained everything he needed to explain. Now all that was left was to drink and eat.

Everything is a transaction.

Jiang Lianheng used his connections with underworld gangs to help Lao Zhang solve his problems and do his best to maintain order in the provincial capital, in exchange for various privileges such as "no prosecution for murder and arson".

There's nothing shameful about it. The reality is that you use me and I use you. It's not that there's no relationship between us, but rather that so-called relationships need something to rely on in order to last.

If Jiang Lianheng is of no use whatsoever, even if Old Zhang considers their past relationship, he probably wouldn't be willing to come and ask for help.

After Company Commander Kong left, the news spread quickly.

Before long, everyone knew that Old Zhang had sent someone to the Jiang family to deliver wreaths as a token of condolence.

The signal released by this event was like a shot in the arm, and the merchants, gentry and officials of Fengtian City took action almost immediately.

That afternoon, several high-ranking officials from the government came to the Jiang family to offer their condolences, and countless other wealthy and powerful figures also came.

For three whole days, the Jiang family's gate was bustling with visitors. From morning till night, guests came to pay their respects. All kinds of vehicles lined up from west to east, stretching for almost two miles. Wreaths and paper offerings were piled up like mountains. In the end, there was simply no place to put them, so they were all piled up in the alley. The monetary gifts received alone filled three ledgers.

The paper-making shops in the city were doing booming business, and the paper-mounters were practically worshipping Jiang Lianheng's picture as their patron saint by pasting it above their beds.

As a result, with the Jiang family taking the lead, commercial activities in the provincial capital gradually resumed.

During this period, there were a few minor clashes between the Jiang family's "helpers" and the Japanese police, but these incidents were not serious and will be left aside for now.

Most importantly, Old Zhang sent an envoy to offer condolences, which allowed the Jiang family to quickly regain their footing and not rush to retaliate. This gave them ample time to verify the members' identities and wait for the right opportunity.

However, no matter how many guests come to offer their condolences, a funeral is ultimately a family affair, and outsiders are ultimately there for the living.

Since it was none of my business, I could only exchange a few polite words, and Xu Ruqing's mourning hall inevitably became increasingly deserted.

Jiang Lianheng suddenly felt a little sorry for his aunt.

The old lady is dead, lying in her coffin, yet she still tries to pull her eldest nephew along. What an unfilial descendant! I am ashamed and ashamed.

What made Jiang Lianheng even more uneasy was that so many guests had come to pay their respects to Xu Ruqing, but Xue Yingqing had not come even after three days of the funeral.

Zhang Zhengdong took Jiang Ya to invite him several times, but they didn't even get to see Xue Yingqing.

Hu Xiaoyan said, "She was scared."

Jiang Lianheng knew very well that she was blaming him for not taking good care of her only relative.

But what's done is done, and there's nothing anyone can do about it.

By the time the "third day" had passed, very few guests had come to pay their respects, and those who had been sycophants had all gone home, waiting to come and help again on the day of the funeral.

In the dead of night, the monks, nuns, and musicians had all gone to bed.

Jiang Lianheng then closed the courtyard gate, knelt before Xu Ruqing's coffin, and earnestly burned several stacks of paper money for his aunt. It was only when no one was around that he secretly wiped away a tear.

Unexpectedly, at that very moment, the knocking on the door started again.

Jiang Lianheng was a little confused, wondering who else could come to offer condolences at this time, so he got up and walked towards the courtyard gate.

They had only taken a couple of steps when the courtyard gate was gently pushed open halfway.

Zhao Guoyan turned around outside the door, somewhat surprised, and said, "Master, look who's here."

"Who is it?"

Jiang Lianheng frowned as he walked over, only to see a middle-aged man wearing glasses standing outside the door, accompanied by a teenager.

The father and son are practically identical, both so delicate, with a touch of femininity, and both gentle and refined.

Jiang Lianheng was slightly taken aback and almost didn't recognize him.

Ten years later, Su Wenqi stood outside the Jiang family's gate again, still with a refined and courteous demeanor, cupping his hands in greeting, and said in a low voice, "Brother Lianheng, I've come to offer incense to the old lady."

(End of this chapter)