20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 848 The most poisonous thing is a woman’s heart
The dust has settled.

The river flows horizontally like a calm lake.

This was not the first time he had faced an assassination attempt. While he was not used to it, he was certainly not so frightened as to panic.

Moreover, from beginning to end, Lao Ye was all alone, and Li Zhengxi and Hai Xinnian had long since protected Jiang Lianheng behind them.

What just happened can only be described as a close call.

Jiang Lianheng didn't even draw his gun. Instead, when Xu Ruqing's coffin landed, his heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly got up and looked back.

The large coffin cover was placed on the ground, steady and stable, as if it were a heavy burden.

The brothers who were "in the help" felt guilty for their dereliction of duty, their faces turned pale, and they explained tremblingly, "Boss, we're sorry... we just... we made a mistake."

As he spoke, he quickly lifted the coffin back up.

Jiang Lianheng's face was gloomy, but he simply waved his hand and did not pursue the matter further.

The coffin has already hit the ground; it's too late to say anything more.

Moreover, he knew better than anyone else that this was the true nature of the "helping" brothers.

This group of people are often all talk and no action, loud and boisterous in ordinary times, but they always fail when it comes to crucial moments. At heart, they are just a bunch of bullies who pick on the weak and fear the strong. They can only make a show of strength, but they cannot be entrusted with important tasks.

In the world of outlaws and bandits, there's never been much loyalty and courage.
However, although the coffin was lifted again, the situation just now seemed too bizarre.

The coffin hit the ground, and the gun jammed—was it really just a coincidence?

Jiang Lianheng had never believed in ghosts or gods, but at this moment, he couldn't help but have some doubts.

Life is unpredictable, and people's thoughts are always changing.

When you're young and energetic, you always feel that "my fate is in my own hands, not in the heavens," and that everything you have is the result of your own hard work, and you owe no one anything.

Even if you happen to meet a benefactor by chance, it is an opportunity that you have risked your life for.

But after reaching middle age, even if one doesn't believe in ghosts and gods, one is unwilling to rashly blaspheme. Looking back on the past, bit by bit, one realizes that the word "fortune" is by no means a mere illusion.

Jiang Lianheng sat down again, lost in thought, and remained silent for a long time.

Li Zhengxi ran to Lao Ye, bent down to check, and made sure the man was dead before picking up the pistol from the ground. He turned around and muttered under his breath as he walked back, "This gun is too light. I've never seen one like it before!"

"Third brother, let me see!"

Zhao Zhengbei, being a soldier, immediately recognized the equipment as belonging to the Japanese upon taking a look. He then handed it to Jiang Lianheng, saying, "Brother, this is a Japanese gun, the latest model. It shouldn't be circulating on the black market yet, but even if it were, it probably wouldn't be in high demand."

"how to say?"

Jiang Lianheng took the pistol and looked down at the bullet stuck in the chamber.

Zhao Zhengbei sneered, "This gun is no good, it's practically defective. A full magazine of bullets will jam at most three times. Even the Japanese themselves are cursing it, saying that the Japanese are trying to kill them."

Jiang Lianheng did not express his opinion.

Perhaps he prefers to believe that it is Xu Ruqing's spirit in heaven—who can say for sure?
After a moment of silence, he turned his gaze to Wang Cheng, raised his hand to Li Zhengxi, and said coldly, "Get him to talk and find out where Qin Huaimeng is hiding!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Cheng panicked and struggled to shout, "I've already said I'm not high enough level, what else are you asking? We're all online, let's not push things too far. A bet is a bet, if you're a man, give me a quick death!"

Li Zhengxi strode over, grabbed his hair, and whispered in his ear, "You'll never have a good time again in this life."

As he spoke, he led a few men and dragged Wang Cheng into the grove of trees by the roadside.

Gangs have plenty of ways to torture people.

Gouging out eyes, cutting off ears, pulling out teeth, chopping off fingers, smashing kneecaps, severing tendons in hands and feet...

If pushed to the limit, the whole family and relatives will suffer as well. How many true heroes in this world can withstand such torment?
Before long, Wang Cheng's wailing and lamentation echoed from the woods, silencing the Qin brothers and making them all feel insecure. They kowtowed and begged for forgiveness.

Jiang Lianheng wasn't idle either. He looked around and suddenly shouted, "Chengye!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Zhengnan led Jiang Chengye over from beside the sedan chair. He patted the dust off his clothes and said with a smile, "Brother, Chengye is here! Don't worry, the child is fine. He just fell on the ground and scraped his palm a little. He'll be fine after applying some medicine when we get back."

Jiang Lianheng glanced at it, showing no concern whatsoever, but instead said to Wang Zhengnan, "Go and call those musicians back; the old lady hasn't been buried yet!"

Upon hearing this, Nanfeng nodded, then turned around to reassure everyone and encourage them to return to their posts as soon as possible.

Jiang Lianheng stopped worrying and turned to stare at Jiang Chengye, suddenly asking, "What did I just tell you?"

Bei Feng and the others frowned, not reacting for a moment.

Jiang Chengye, however, understood perfectly what his father was talking about. He immediately strode over to the chair, stood respectfully with his hands at his sides, and said, "Dad, you just told me to stand here, so don't embarrass you."

"louder!"

"You made me stand here, so I won't embarrass you!"

"And where are you?"

"I……"

Jiang Chengye lowered his head, his heart pounding. He couldn't help but turn around and look at Nanfeng, as if he wanted to explain, but dared not say anything more.

"What are you looking at?" Jiang Lianheng questioned sharply. "Just say what you think! What are you looking back at? Do you have answers growing out of the back of your head?"

“Dad, I…” Jiang Chengye stammered, not daring to offer any rebuttal.

Fortunately, Zhao Zhengbei came over in time, patted his nephew on the shoulder, and came to his rescue, saying, "Brother, Chengye is still young. In that situation, what could he possibly do—"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Lianheng raised his hand to interrupt him.

Disciplining one's children is ultimately a private matter for parents, so Zhao Zhengbei couldn't say much. He could only silently stay by Jiang Chengye's side, helping his nephew to be more courageous.

Jiang Lianheng, his eyes fixed straight ahead, was burning with anxiety. He suddenly sighed, shook his head, and said, "Chengye, when your fourth master was alive, he once told me something he wanted me to remember. Now you must remember it too: 'When swords and spears are at your throat, open your eyes and you may live; close your eyes and you will die.' It's not that I'm not telling you to run, but you can't just stand there like a headless fly, running around aimlessly! How can you make a good judgment if you don't even know where the enemy is? Never put your back to anyone else, understand?"

Jiang Chengye nodded obediently and said, "Dad, I understand."

"Knowing is useless, practice slowly!" Jiang Lianheng said earnestly. "You're not a child anymore, be smarter in everything. Step outside this house and you'll be in the martial world. Just remember one thing, apart from this family, no one will treat you like a child!"

"Uh-"

Suddenly, Wang Cheng's shrill screams echoed from the woods.

This time, his cries were noticeably different, indicating that he was being tortured to the point of near exhaustion.

Sure enough, not long after, Li Zhengxi and his men dragged him out of the woods.

Wang Cheng was now a complete mess, his kneecaps shattered, his face covered in blood, and he had only six fingers left on each hand. He was on the verge of death, utterly devoid of his earlier bravado. When the crowd threw him in front of Jiang Lianheng, he nearly collapsed to his death. Jiang Chengye was startled and instinctively turned his face away, not daring to utter a sound.

Li Zhengxi was a little stunned when he saw him there. After hesitating for a moment, he pointed at Wang Cheng and said, "Brother, this kid has confessed."

Jiang Lianheng, his eyelids drooping, asked casually, "Tell me! Where is Qin Huaimeng hiding?"

Wang Cheng was panting heavily, unable to even lift his head. He could only press his cheek against the ground and say intermittently, "Ping...Ping An Tong...207...Kill me!"

Jiang Lianheng frowned. It seemed that this kid really didn't know where Qin Huaimeng was hiding, so he was of no use to him.

Wang Cheng lay on the ground, tears streaming down his face, sobbing uncontrollably, almost pleading, "Boss Jiang... I've said everything I needed to say... Please give me a quick death, okay?"

Jiang Lianheng did not answer, but called his eldest son to his side and said, "Chengye, come and see him, and those people behind him. They are the ones who want to harm our Jiang family. Your Uncle Yuan, Aunt Yingzi, and many, many others were indirectly killed by them. Tell me, what should we do?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the group of brothers behind Wang Cheng began to kowtow desperately, crying out, "Young Master, spare our lives! The people who died in your family have nothing to do with us. It was all done by Whistle Li. We're just out here to make a living. Please have mercy and give us a way out!"

Jiang Chengye, being of pure and kind nature, panicked upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Dad, they said—"

"Don't worry about what they say. I'm your father. Would I lie to you?" Jiang Lianheng continued to press. "I just want to hear what you think. What do you think we should do? Like I said, just say what you have to say."

"Young master, spare our lives!" the Qin brothers cried out again. "We also have elderly parents and young children to support. If you kill me, it's not just killing one person, it's killing an entire family! Young master, please, I'm begging you!"

"Dad, look at them—"

"That's just how they are! One lie, two lies, it's always the same old story, they never change it. If you believe them, they won't thank you, they'll laugh at you for being stupid and think you're easy to bully. If you let them go, aren't you afraid they'll come back for revenge? You're educated, you should have heard the saying—'A petty person fears power, not virtue!'"

The Qin brothers hurriedly said, "Don't worry, Boss Jiang. As long as you show mercy, we'll leave Fengtian right away. Qin Huaimeng isn't our blood relative. We really wouldn't fight to the death for him, so why would we come back for revenge? Young Master, you're so kind. Please put in a good word for us!"

Jiang Lianheng ignored all of this and only asked his eldest son, "Stop listening to their nonsense and just tell me directly, what should we do?"

"That……"

After hesitating for a long time, Jiang Chengye said timidly, "Dad, then... let's hand them over to the authorities?"

Upon hearing this, everyone shook their heads and smiled wryly. Even the guards brought by Bei Feng couldn't help but purse their lips and sigh sincerely, "Young Master Jiang is still inexperienced!"

In this lifetime, only after reporting a crime and going to court once can one know what it means to be incompetent, understand how much filth and corruption there is in this world, and comprehend what it truly means for officials and criminals to be in cahoots.

Fortunately, Jiang Chengye didn't have to go through any of that.

Unfortunately, Jiang Chengye has not yet experienced these things.

He still lives in books, in some imagined perfect world, but that doesn't seem to be a reason to repay evil with good.

Jiang Lianheng was quite disappointed by this.

He couldn't understand why his eldest son's personality was so different from his own.

The most frustrating thing for a father is probably that his son doesn't resemble him. Whether he's better or worse, he always feels that his son isn't like him, which inevitably leads to some distance between them.

Jiang Lianheng's face immediately darkened. He waved his hand at his eldest son and said impatiently, "Go find your second uncle later. Don't get in the way here!"

Jiang Chengye dared not disobey, so he could only turn around and leave with a wronged expression.

Just then, a cloud of dust suddenly rose in the distance.

A black car, its engine roaring, sped toward the funeral procession.

Zhao Zhengbei, with his sharp eyes, squinted and immediately reported, "Brother, it's sister-in-law's car!"

It turns out that Hu Xiaoyan wasn't skipping the funeral; rather, she decided to travel separately from the others due to health reasons.

Now that we've arrived at the foot of Longshan Mountain, the curtains in the back of the car are still tightly closed, making it impossible to see what's inside.

Now that Hu Xiaoyan and Dongfeng have arrived, Jiang Chengzhi can't stay home alone.

The kid was sitting in the passenger seat. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, he impatiently rolled down the window, leaned half his body out, waved, and shouted, which startled Zhang Zhengdong, who quickly pulled him back.

Upon hearing the noise, Jiang Lianheng immediately got up, went over, opened the car door, and held his youngest child in his arms.

As the old saying goes: You can tell what a person will be like at three years old!
Jiang Chengzhi is six years old this year (by Chinese reckoning). Although he is still not settled, his behavior and mannerisms have already begun to show signs of maturity.

This kid isn't as composed as his brother; he's more like his sister, even more so.

The difference is that although Jiang Ya is willful, she is a worrier at heart, always thinking about everyone and afraid of neglecting anyone, acting like a little adult.

Jiang Chengzhi, however, was different. He always put himself first and did whatever made him happy. Wherever he went, he carried a wooden toy gun on his waist. No matter who he saw, he would hide and secretly fire a couple of shots. He didn't need anyone to accompany him; he could play by himself for most of the day and never get tired of it.

This is understandable, as the three children came from three different mothers, had different living environments, and naturally had very different temperaments and personalities.

Jiang Ya, relying on her status as the legitimate daughter of the main wife and with her mother Hu Xiaoyan backing her up, was destined to be showered with love and affection.

Although Jiang Chengye was the eldest son, he was born to Hua Jie and lived under his father's watchful eye all day long. He had to be polite and careful at all times, which inevitably made him appear weak.

Jiang Chengzhi was the youngest son born out of wedlock, and his status should have been the lowest. However, he grew up in the outer residence, and all the servants and servants were at his beck and call. Zhuang Shuning often played cards with the wealthy lady, so he inevitably neglected to discipline him. Jiang Lianheng also felt indebted to him, so he would always grant his requests whenever they met. Over time, he gradually became arrogant and domineering.

Despite his young age, he has a lot of hostility.

Jiang Lianheng held him, pointed to the Qin brothers kneeling in a row not far away, and asked a very similar question: "Chengzhi, have you seen that group of people?"

Jiang Chengzhi nodded and asked, "Why are they kneeling?"

"They were bad guys, but I've beaten them into submission. What do you think we should do?"

"Bad guy?"

Without hesitation, Jiang Chengzhi pulled out a toy gun, aimed it seriously, and then gave himself a voiceover: "Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Hahahaha!" Jiang Lianheng was delighted and exclaimed with great satisfaction, "That's my son! We'll do it your way!"

In his view, paying for blood debts is a matter of course.

The idea that revenge only leads to more revenge, and that if you can't get revenge, you can't get revenge, is just an excuse for incompetent people.

As they were talking, they prepared to call Beifeng and the others to execute the Qin brothers on the spot.

But just then, Hu Xiaoyan suddenly pulled back the curtain and rolled down the car window a crack, saying, "Wait!"

Jiang Lianheng paused for a moment, then walked to the rear window and asked in a feigned manner, "What is it, Madam? What brilliant idea do you have?"

Hu Xiaoyan's face remained calm as she said indifferently, "I've heard that in the past, living people were used for burial. My aunt has treated me well, but paper figures and horses are not enough to express her filial piety. Let them go down to serve the old lady as well!"

(End of this chapter)