20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 827 Hometown
"Big brother, your seventh brother has come to see you."

At the foot of Longshan Mountain in the northern suburbs of Fengtian, a familiar figure stood in front of the tombstone of the Jiang family ancestral grave. The afterglow of the setting sun illuminated the inscription on the tombstone: "Tomb of Father Jiang Gongchenghai, born and died, son Jiang Lianheng and daughter-in-law Hu Xiaoyan respectfully erected."

As dusk approached, a thin, fiery cloud stretched across the distant mountains.

Gong Baonan remained silent for a long time.

Time is fierce, and people are gone forever.

More than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye, and looking back now, it feels like a lifetime ago.

A moment later, he knelt down on one knee, brushed away the withered branches and leaves in front of the grave with his sleeve, and then patted the tombstone, as if patting his elder brother Jiang Chenghai's shoulder, solid and heavy.

"I'm fine!" he chuckled to himself. "It's just that no one's been around to criticize me all these years, and I always feel like something's missing..."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "I sent the Bai family's daughter abroad to study; it's fashionable these days. I told her a lie, and she's very smart. Over the years, she's never questioned me once... Brother, you're right, I'm not ruthless enough to survive online... But I still came back. I was a little worried, and I also came to see you all..."

After saying that, he got up and walked towards the other tombstones.

"Second brother, third brother, fourth brother... the world is in chaos right now. Seventh brother came empty-handed, so please don't be unreasonable and be understanding!"

As Gong Baonan spoke, he paced back and forth among the graves, seemingly searching for something.

The Jiang family ancestral graves are nestled against the mountain and face the sun. After two consecutive days of clear skies, the snow in the graveyard has almost completely evaporated, leaving only a few patches of ice in the nooks and crannies.

He walked to the graves of Tan Renjun and Liu Yansheng and saw the words "Half a lifetime of wandering, now at peace here" written on the tombstone. Although he was a little surprised, he did not stop.

Finally, he became certain that Guan Wei's grave was not there.

But he wasn't sure whether his sixth brother was alive or simply didn't deserve to be buried here.

Gong Baonan had just returned to Fengtian and hadn't even had a chance to enter the city yet, so he knew nothing about the Jiang family's current situation.

He set off from Shanghai by boat, first to Jiaodong, then changed boats to Yingkou. Yingkou was under wartime control, and train tickets were hard to come by, so he took a large cart to continue north to Haicheng to buy a ticket. He finally arrived at the provincial capital and rushed over to visit the graves.

The sights along the way, though not quite the result of a complete transformation, were already quite unfamiliar compared to when he left Fengtian.

Gong Baonan wandered around the cemetery for a while, finally finding an open space. Suddenly, he plopped down, looked at the tombstone beside him, and muttered:
"Fourth Brother, I'll sit next to you from now on!"

Then, he lay down on the ground, put his hands behind his head, turned his head to look at the setting sun, and the past slowly surfaced in his mind.

"Seriously, this place is quite comfortable!"

After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but sigh, "All the old guys are taking a break, and they still have the nerve to call me lazy..."

As I lay there, I suddenly felt a bit cold.

In the depths of winter, the days are short and the nights are long in the region beyond the Great Wall. In just a short while, the sky darkens and quickly becomes gloomy.

As night fell, the temperature plummeted, making it chilly enough to make one shiver.

Gong Baonan hurriedly stood up, turned around, patted his butt, and muttered under his breath, "Alright, let's get together another time! Don't let you guys get carried away and take me away again!"

Immediately afterwards, he came to Jiang Chenghai's grave, nodded and said, "Brother, I'm leaving now. I'll come to see you again when I have time."

……

The moonlight was cold and clear, the mountain path was winding, and the branches on both sides were bare.

The forest was deathly silent, the entire mountain was empty, and even the slightest rustle of wind could be heard far and wide, but Gong Baonan's footsteps were barely audible.

He walked at a leisurely pace, and soon he was down the mountain. He then walked on the dirt path for another three to five minutes before suddenly stopping.

A cold wind swept in.

Gong Baonan frowned, puzzled, and listened intently. His expression immediately became serious.

This time, he was certain that footsteps were approaching from not far ahead, and there were quite a few people, at least three or more.

Recently, Guo Jun has arrived in Xinmin County, and his troops are heading straight for Fengtian, which has led to the provincial capital entering a state of wartime control.

The city gates were only open during designated hours, and all citizens coming and going were subject to strict checks. People from surrounding villages and hamlets had already flocked into the city to seek refuge.

Apart from those merchants who risked their lives for money, the entire city of Fengtian was almost entirely a place where people came in but never left.

Although Gong Baonan did not yet know the specifics, he heard rumors on his way back to Fengtian and knew that the situation in the provincial capital was urgent.

At this time, in the dead of night, a group of suspicious-looking people suddenly appearing on the dirt road in the suburbs must be no pushovers!
Even if they weren't bandits, they couldn't possibly be ordinary people.

Gong Baonan was cautious. As soon as he heard the footsteps approaching, he immediately slipped into the forest, hiding his tracks and holding his breath.

Before long, several figures appeared in the moonlight.

But the night was still too dark, and the leader's appearance could not be seen clearly. There was only a blurry outline, but it was clear that he had broad shoulders and a thick body, and his steps were steady and rooted to the ground. However, when he walked, his body was slightly tilted, like a crab in a rice field.

The rest of the people need no further introduction.

The footsteps were soft and rustling, and the pace gradually slowed down when they reached the foot of the mountain.

The leader stopped, pointed to the mountainside, and said in a deep voice, "Not far ahead is the Jiang family's ancestral graves."

Immediately afterwards, someone suggested, "Old Ye, since we're already here, shouldn't we go back and take another look?"

As soon as the words were spoken, someone quickly retorted, "No way, wandering around a cemetery in the middle of the night, just thinking about it gives me goosebumps."

"Damn it, with your cowardice, you think you can survive online in the future?"

"Hey, you can't say that. I'm not afraid of the living, but the dead... even if they're not haunted, it's still bad luck to get covered in their bad luck!"

"Pah, pah, pah! We don't talk about people during the day, and we don't talk about ghosts at night! What are you muttering about? Do you think you're the only one with a mouth?"

"See, that means you're a little scared deep down too."

"Alright, alright!" Old Ye waved his hand, interrupting their argument, and then said, "It's just a graveyard, there's nothing much to see anyway. I've already scouted the place, there's no mistake. Most importantly, this is the only way to get to the Jiang family's ancestral graves!"

The group nodded in agreement, then looked around as if searching for a suitable hiding place.

In the darkness, Gong Baonan frowned deeply.

He could deduce from just a few words he overheard that these people must be Xiaodao's enemies.

who can that be?

Gong Baonan had no way of knowing.

He had been away from Fengtian for too long and had no grasp of the current situation in the martial arts world, let alone the current predicament of the Jiang family. Therefore, he could only listen silently and wait and see.

The conversation resumed, and someone laughed and said, "We've pretty much figured out everything about the Jiang family. Apart from Wen Tingge, the other key members are all in Fengtian: Zhao Guoyan the Cannon Head, Xue Yingqing the Madam, Zhang Zhengdong the Knife, Wang Zhengnan the God of Wealth, Li Zhengxi the Third Master, and what's the surname of the soldier?"

"Zhao Zhengbei!" someone responded. "He's a regimental-level officer; he should be busy setting up defenses over the Julu River right now!" "Regimental-level?"

Everyone was taken aback and hurriedly said, "His rank is quite high, he can't possibly come after us later, can he?"

"What are you afraid of?" Old Ye rebuked sharply. "This is Fengtian, and it has no shortage of military leaders. There are plenty of generals in the city. What does Zhao Zhengbei have? Besides, we have connections in the military. What is the Fengtian regimental commander? We can easily crush him with any Japanese officer we invite!"

The man next to him quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes. To put it another way, would he dare to lead troops into the city without permission and shoot civilians in the streets? Not only would the Japanese not agree, but even Marshal Zhang wouldn't allow him to be so presumptuous!"

After thinking about it, everyone agreed.

Then, he suddenly asked, "When exactly is the Jiang family planning to hold the funeral? Is there any news yet?"

Old Ye shook his head and said, "Not yet, but Jiang Lianheng is a filial son. Over the years, every time we visit the graves during Qingming Festival, the Jiang family makes a big show of it, and all the key members have to be there. Given his personality, he won't do it hastily; he'll definitely hold a grand ceremony. That'll be the perfect time to take them all down."

"But... now that things have turned out like this, can the Jiang family still hold a funeral first?"

"What are you thinking about?"

Old Ye cursed and scolded, "Didn't I just tell you? Jiang Lianheng is a well-known filial son. The old lady's body has been lying in state for so long, almost half a month now. With the war going on, if it's delayed any longer, it will be rotten by spring. Every extra day he leaves it there, people will laugh at him. With his temper, he simply can't stand it."

The crowd was still skeptical: "Are we really going to go against the wind like this?"

Old Ye sneered, "That's why I say you can't be the boss. If he doesn't dare to go against the wind, it means he's scared. What kind of leader is a coward?"

"I don't quite understand. Is your reputation more important than your life?"

“You’re not the head of the household, so of course you wouldn’t understand. If he loses his reputation, he’ll be no different from a nouveau riche, and anyone will dare to take advantage of him.”

At this point, Lao Ye suddenly lowered his voice and said with a half-smile, "Moreover, Master Qin will deliberately give the Jiang family a weakness so that they can gain momentum."

Everyone hurriedly asked, "What flaw?"

However, Lao Ye refused to reveal the plan, and simply waved his hand and said, "Don't ask too many questions. Just keep this to yourselves. The most important thing is to remember this place. When Master Qin gives the order, bring your men over and lay in ambush in advance. Understand?"

Everyone nodded: "Understood!"

Old Ye was very satisfied. He then straightened his neck and looked around at the dark forest. Suddenly, as if possessed, he walked forward and came to a large tree that was as thick as a man's waist. He suddenly dodged and found that there was nothing behind the tree trunk.

Everyone frowned and crowded around to ask, "Old Ye, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I'm just taking a piss."

"Damn, I thought you saw a wolf!"

Old Ye chuckled twice, faced the tree trunk, spread his legs, and after a series of rustling sounds, without trembling, he turned around and said, "Let's go. I'll take you back the way we came so you can familiarize yourselves with the place again. Don't make a mistake. Without Master Qin's orders, no one is allowed to come here again for the next few days."

Everyone quickly agreed, "Don't worry, who would bother wandering around a cemetery all the time!"

After saying that, the group turned around and, taking advantage of the still-dark night and the chilly wind, went back to where they came from.

The moonlight remained cold and clear. Long after Lao Ye and the others left, the soft rustling of footsteps echoed again on the dirt road...

…………

The next day, the sun shone brightly.

The eastern part of Fengtian City has always been somewhat remote. Because the South Manchuria Railway is located to the west of the provincial capital, industry and commerce have moved westward, making this area particularly desolate and bleak.

However, there are benefits to this.

Because the surrounding area was a poor neighborhood, when the Guanxiang area was in turmoil a few days ago, everyone rushed to the concession area. As a result, the eastern part of the city was not greatly affected. However, supplies were scarce, and people often had to walk a long way to the Xiaheyan vegetable market to buy food.

Around eight or nine o'clock.

As usual, Guan Wei opened the courtyard gate, carried a small stool in his hand, and shuffled to the gate to bask in the sun.

"Cui'er, why aren't you out yet?" he shouted into the courtyard. "If you don't go out soon, the stalls along the river will be closing up shop. What will we eat then?"

"Are you ever going to stop?"

Xiao Cui rushed out of the house with a vegetable basket on her shoulder, muttering to herself, "I've already made more than sixty pancakes for you, enough for you to eat for two months and still have some left over. There's enough rice, flour, oil, salt, pickled vegetables, and salted vegetables at home. I'm a woman and I haven't even said anything yet, but you're acting like the sky is falling down. You have to worry about everything."

"Oh my god! You're my own mother, can you please stop yelling like that?"

Guan Wei was on high alert. He hurriedly raised his voice and shouted, "It's over! It's over! We just finished eating the noodles, and now there's no rice left. Are we going to starve to death? We can't go on like this! Cui'er, hurry up and go find someone to borrow some food. We have to at least get through the New Year!"

He shouted it for the neighbors to hear, every day, just to make people think he was about to starve, when in fact he ate his fill of flatbread every night.

The world is going to the dogs; learning to feign poverty is always a safe bet!
Xiao Cui rolled her eyes and couldn't help but tease, "If you can't survive, just find a rope and hang yourself, so I don't have to serve you all day!"

Unexpectedly, these words were exactly what Guan Wei wanted to hear. He quickly gave her a thumbs-up and whispered, "Yes, yes, that's how it should be said! Say it as terrible as it is!"

"That old geezer, he's got more tricks up his sleeve than anyone else!"

Xiao Cui was too lazy to waste any more words with him, so she strode towards the door. But when she passed by Guan Wei, he stopped her again.

"Cui'er, when you go to the riverbank, make sure to ask around!" Guan Wei said worriedly. "Help me find out what happened to the Jiang family, who died, and how they died. I only heard that there was a funeral in the family, but no one came to tell me."

Xiao Cui snorted coldly, "I don't think you're asking me to go buy groceries at all. Why are you asking around? If you really want to know, I can just go to the landlord and ask for you, right?"

"No, no, no, this isn't appropriate... The Jiang family didn't even send anyone to tell me, it's not appropriate for me to rush over and ask... It's really not appropriate..."

"Being too proud is a recipe for suffering!"

"Oh, don't worry about this. Just go out and ask around on the street. Ask as many questions as you can. I won't force you."

"If you can't get the answer, don't blame me! I'm leaving now. It's too far, I won't be back by noon, so you'll have to fend for yourself!"

After saying that, Xiao Cui quickly left the house.

Guan Wei was still sitting at the gate, basking in the sun, waiting for news, hoping that Jiang Ya would come to see him.

Day after day, year after year, life seems to be forever cut from the same mold, without any waves or tragic moments.

He's used to it.

Suddenly, a figure enveloped him, and the bright light dimmed instantly.

Guan Wei mistakenly thought it was Xiao Cui who had returned early, but when he glanced up, he saw a pair of men's shoes. His gaze slowly moved upwards; the person was backlit, their face very blurry, and he couldn't recognize them at first. Then, the person suddenly raised their chin and asked in a lazy tone:

"Hey, still alive?"

Guan Wei shuddered, squinted, and scrutinized the man for a long time before still hesitantly reading, "Seventh Brother?"

(End of this chapter)