20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 856 Emerged at the historic moment
The Jiang family mansion is located in the north of Fengtian City.

As darkness fell, Chuang Hu brought over several evening newspapers, which he handed to Jiang Lianheng and Hu Xiaoyan to review public opinion.

The furniture ordered by the Jiang family has been delivered, giving the entire mansion a brand-new look, which naturally added a considerable amount of money to the expenses.

With nothing better to do, Chuang Hu sat on the sofa, swinging his legs, looking around at the new look of the house, feeling quite emotional.

Jiang Lianheng and Hu Xiaoyan ignored him and kept reading their newspapers.

The living room was quiet, except for the rustling sound of papers turning.

Many newspapers added extra issues to specifically comment on the riots by merchants and residents in Bagua Street, with the Shengjing Times even dedicating an entire page to the commentary.

"It is reported that Kojima Kenji, a Japanese expatriate, was attacked by merchants at approximately 10:00 AM today in the Bagua Street of the South Market. The assailant, wielding a hammer, struck Kojima Kenji on the head, causing serious injury and unconsciousness. His actions are heinous and severely damage the friendly relations between the two countries. The Consulate General of the Great Eastern Empire in Fengtian has now sent a note to Commander-in-Chief Zhang Yuting, requesting the following:"

"Firstly, the Fengtian Police Department should promptly transfer the perpetrator to the Dongyang Police Department for interrogation within three days, without delay."

"Secondly, the anti-Japanese demonstrations in the city should be stopped immediately, order in the provincial capital should be restored, and the instigators should be arrested and severely punished."

"We urge the Northeast Security Command to consider the goodwill between the two countries, abide by the treaty provisions, and comply promptly, as a warning..."

This is not surprising. The Shengjing Times was a publication founded by Japanese people, so naturally it would speak on behalf of the Japanese in every way.

Looking at the other evening newspapers founded by Chinese, the tone was quite different, full of passionate rhetoric. A quick glance revealed several headlines that stood out, such as "The Fengtian Business Community is in Peril, Mutual Protection is Imminent," "Business Community Unity: The Capable Should Do It," and "A Letter to the Compatriots in Fengtian—Boycott Japanese Goods, Revitalize Industry and Commerce," etc.

"Did you write this?" Jiang Lianheng asked, pointing to the newspaper.

Chuang Hu leaned forward and took a closer look. His eyes narrowed, and he nodded, saying, "I wrote it. And this one, I wrote it too."

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "I didn't realize you could write such serious things!"

Chuang Hu was taken aback for a moment, but said, "Master, what I write has always been serious and proper, but it has been misinterpreted—'Those who follow the heart are beasts!'"

"Who are you cursing?" Jiang Lianheng frowned.

Chuang Hu panicked and was about to explain when he saw Hu Xiaoyan cough twice, spread the newspaper on the coffee table, pick up the hot tea beside her, and gently blow on it twice.

"Stop with the nonsense, what's the situation now?" the woman asked, sipping her tea. "Has the yamen handed Manager Shao over?"

Chuang Hu shook his head and said, "As far as I know, there isn't one yet. I heard from a few reporters that the provincial government is also negotiating with the Japanese. The final result will probably be that the government will preside over the trial, and the Japanese will attend as observers. Anyway, it's something they're discussing!"

"What about the parades in the city?" Hu Xiaoyan asked again.

"The military police and patrolmen were all mobilized and followed the march for half a day, but no one was arrested. They just wouldn't let everyone break into the concession to demonstrate. At most, they could only shout slogans at Ping'an Tong. If they went any further, even if the officials didn't care, the Japanese would probably open fire."

Chuang Hu vividly described the grand occasion of today's parade.

Writers' words are inevitably somewhat exaggerated, but the most basic facts are always unchangeable.

After hearing this, Hu Xiaoyan nodded and said, "Since no one has been arrested, it means that Commander Zhang has tacitly approved of this matter."

Chuang Hu also said, "Yes, the government is now deliberately stirring up public opinion to delay the implementation of the treaty, and all the merchants and gentry are planning to unite and protect each other. The timing, location, and people are all in place. Master, I think the time is ripe. Why don't you just take a step forward?"

“It’s still not quite there,” Jiang Lianheng said. “It won’t be too late to take another step after I get rid of Qin Huaimeng.”

What he meant by "going a step further" was actually Boss Ren's suggestion that day: the merchants and gentry of Fengtian should unite and mutually protect each other to prevent the Japanese from acquiring commercial real estate and jointly resist foreign capital invasion. On a grand scale, it was a righteous act for the country and its people; on a smaller scale, it was to protect the profits of each business.

You can say this out loud and have a clear conscience no matter where you go.

After considering all the factors in Fengtian City, only Jiang Lianheng is capable of undertaking this important task.

Moreover, the government had already conveyed Old Zhang's instructions. Although it was not explicitly stated, the implication was that the Jiang family should take the lead and tacitly allow the public to resist the acquisition of commercial real estate by Japanese immigrants. In a sense, this could be considered as acting under orders.

However, since the decision was made to have a mutual guarantee between merchants and gentry, there had to be a formal name. It was impossible for all the major merchants in Fengtian to use the Jiang family's name. Even if other merchants didn't mind, Jiang Lianheng himself had to think it over. After all, a big tree catches the wind, and if he really used his own surname, it might bring trouble.

"What's your name?"

Jiang Lianheng muttered to himself, at a loss for what to do. Several names flashed through his mind, but they were either too flashy or too vulgar, and he felt that they were all inappropriate.

If Liu Yansheng were still alive, with his exceptional knowledge, he might have been able to come up with a decent name.

"Chuang Hu?"

Jiang Lianheng leaned forward and asked, "You're a writer, don't you have any good ideas?"

Chuang Hu pondered for a while, then his eyes suddenly lit up. He said, “Master, the Merchant-Gentleman Mutual Protection is essentially a social group. We can’t give it a bandit name like ‘Ghost Knocking on the Door’ or ‘King Yama Li’. We need to come up with something more classy, ​​catchy, and with a touch of domineering presence.”

"If you have a good idea, just say it. Stop beating around the bush!"

“Oh! I’ve thought about it. The mutual guarantee between merchants and gentry is a kind of alliance, which happens to coincide with the name of the host. It is also a spontaneous social organization. Why don’t we take one character from each side and call it ‘Hengshe’ (Horizontal Society)?”

"Hengshe?"

"How about it?"

Chuang Hu was quite pleased with this, feeling that it was the most appropriate name he could think of.

Jiang Lianheng pondered it for a moment and thought it was quite good, so he turned to Hu Xiaoyan and asked, "Wife, what do you think?"

Hu Xiaoyan didn't care much. She waved her hand and said, "It's just a name. It doesn't matter what it's called. The key is to see how effective it is. If everyone works together, that would be best. I'm just afraid that some people will take advantage of the Jiang family for nothing, and then back down when it really comes down to it."

“That’s not difficult,” Jiang Lianheng said. “As long as those big bosses are sincere, there won’t be any problems.”

The Jiang family already controlled the labor foremen of various factories in Fengtian. If they could also completely control the business world, they would naturally be even more confident. If they encountered any trouble in the future, they could simply call for a halt to business or strike the market with their left hand. Even the Japanese would probably have to give them some leeway.

On the other hand, the reason why the Jiang family has not called for a break recently is twofold: firstly, the war has just ended and the provincial capital urgently needs to resume production; secondly, the laborers are also having a hard time, and many have lost their livelihoods after production stopped, so they have no intention of calling for a break.

Just then, a commotion came from the courtyard.

The three of them craned their necks and saw Li Zhengxi and Hai Xinnian rushing back, looking travel-worn. Li Zhengxi walked into the living room, sat down, and said, "Brother, Qin Huaimeng's matter has fallen through. Manager Shao and Manager Feng haven't signed the contract. Several businesses that had already signed were scared when they saw the demonstrations in the city and their doors being splattered with excrement. Some of the owners even went to the Commerce Bureau to complain and demand that their contracts be nullified!"

Jiang Lianheng said with some emotion, "I didn't expect that Manager Shao, who is over sixty, would still have some spirit."

Li Zhengxi sighed, "Sigh! He was out of options; people are forced into this situation!"

Chuang Hu nodded and said, "That's true, people are forced to do things."

Everyone was taken aback. Perhaps influenced by his usual writings, they all felt that there was something more to his words, and when they looked at him again, their eyes were filled with a strange look.

Chuang Hu frowned, unaware of his own ignorance, and asked, "What's wrong? I was right, people are forced to do things."

"Tiger, go upstairs and wait a bit!" Jiang Lianheng said, trying to get rid of him. "Just wait for dinner to start. There's nothing for you to do here."

After Chuang Hu left, Hu Xiaoyan asked Xi Feng, "How are the Shao family members now?"

Li Zhengxi said, "The old man and his son have both been arrested. One is in Nancheng Prison, and the other is in the Concession Prison. Only the old lady, daughter-in-law, and child are left at home. Most of the shop has also been emptied. The two of them are now busy raising money to bribe the officials so that the old man can suffer less!"

"Sigh, it's not easy either."

Hu Xiaoyan sighed, coughed twice, and then said to Jiang Lianheng, "Although the Shao family hasn't made a clear statement, they haven't signed a contract yet. Now is the time to win people over. Why don't you go over there later and help them smooth things over? Maybe they'll agree to our terms!"

Jiang Lianheng also felt this was a good opportunity to feign kindness, so he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go to the yamen and find out how this case will be settled in the end."

After saying that, he turned to look at the west wind and asked, "Where is Guo Yan?"

"Oh, Old Zhao is strolling around the South Market with Zeng Shouyi! There are a lot of people there, so the two of them are showing their faces, hoping to get a few people to surrender!"

"Alright, let's instigate them to break up as soon as possible, then Qin Huaimeng will collapse on his own."

"The problem is, we still haven't found where Qin Huaimeng is hiding!"

At this point, Li Zhengxi suddenly seemed confused and asked, "Brother, at the Manchu-Mongolian Cultural Association meeting that day, my informants clearly saw Qin Huaimeng enter Ping'an Tong 207. Chuang Hu also confirmed that Meng Duo had seen Qin Huaimeng there. How... how could you be so sure that Qin Huaimeng wasn't there?"

Hai Xinnian also found it strange and added, "Godfather, Uncle Zhao and I also scouted the place. These past few days, there have been Japanese soldiers everywhere around that villa. The person living inside is obviously someone important. Who else could it be but Qin Huaimeng?"

“He’s not there,” Jiang Lianheng said with certainty. “Those Japanese soldiers are just a smokescreen.”

"But... what's the basis for that?"

"according to?"

Jiang Lianheng thought for a moment, patted Hai Xinnian on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Once this period is over, I'll show you what a basis is."

Hai Xinnian nodded, naturally having nothing to say.

Li Zhengxi frowned. His elder brother and sister-in-law were never the type to speak in riddles. Their current secrecy meant they had another way of gathering information, and the only helper he could think of was the Su family.

That makes sense. Su Wenqi didn't want to get involved in the conflicts of the martial arts world anymore, so it's understandable that Jiang Lianheng wouldn't reveal his source.

Just then, Gu Yu suddenly came out of the kitchen and whispered, "Brother, sister-in-law, dinner is ready."

After Song Ma and others met with misfortune, the Jiang family did not hire another nanny to ensure the safety of the mansion. Instead, the wives of each family temporarily became kitchen helpers. Although everyone worked together, in reality, only Sister Hua and Gu Yu were the main force.

Zhuang Shuning was a well-bred young lady who never lifted a finger.

Having grown up like this, I don't even know how to chop scallions, let alone cook.

Although Cheng Fang also came from a merchant family, she wasn't that wealthy. She did know some cooking skills, but she always made excuses about having to work on her family business. When it came time to work, she was often nowhere to be found.

This cannot continue indefinitely.

Once they get through this crisis, Gu Yu and Cheng Fang will probably have to go back, and Zhuang Shuning probably won't want to stay here and be inferior to others.

Hu Xiaoyan was thinking to herself that she should hire a few more servants in the future. Whenever she thought of this, she would think of Song Ma and the night of the chaos in Guanxiang. Song Ma carried her wheelchair from the house, but she scolded her and sent her back. Song Ma did not complain. She still led Yingzi and others to escort the Jiang family's caravan to the gate of the mansion. She stood in the wind and snow and watched the crowd gradually disappear into the distance.

Little did I know that this wave of the hand would be our final farewell.

Old servants are hard to find, especially those who have served the Jiang family for over a decade. They may never be found again. Even if a satisfactory one is found, it will only be an employment relationship, and there will always be a lack of the feeling of being half a family member.

After dinner, Jiang Lianheng changed into a cotton-padded coat and, together with Li Zhengxi and Hai Xinnian, took a car to Bagua Street in the South Market. This was partly to test the Shao family's attitude and partly to help bribe the officials at the yamen gate.

Hu Xiaoyan's health has been deteriorating lately. As soon as she gets off the dinner table, she feels palpitations and shortness of breath, and her whole body feels exhausted. She is also a strong-willed person and is afraid of appearing useless, so she still goes to the study to sort out the year-end accounts. She often feels physically weak, so she drinks a strong cup of tea and takes a strong medicine to tough it out, working hard for her family.

Just as she was feeling drowsy, Nanfeng suddenly knocked on the door and came in. When he saw his sister-in-law's face, he was startled and quickly said, "Sister-in-law, let's take a break if we can't manage! If you don't trust others to handle it, I'll take care of the bill for you, okay?"

Hu Xiaoyan waved her hand and said, "No need. The family's expenses have been too high lately. I need to check them myself so I can have a better understanding of the situation. What's wrong? Is there something you need?"

Wang Zhengnan said, "I just came back from the outer residence. It's almost finished being repaired there. When I got to the gate, guess who I ran into?"

"Who is it?"

Hu Xiaoyan was startled, almost thinking that Nanfeng had accidentally bumped into Seventh Master.

Wang Zhengnan, however, said: "Old Yuan's son, Yuan Gang."

Hu Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Didn't that kid go to study in Jilin Province?"

“Yes! I heard his studies are going quite well. He’s on holiday now!” Wang Zhengnan said. “There was a war a while ago, and the South Railway was shut down, so he couldn’t come back. Now that the railway is running again, he was worried and came back immediately.”

Hu Xiaoyan was silent for a moment, then sighed and asked, "Then he must already know about his parents, right?"

"Of course they know. We don't need to tell them; the neighbors all know." Wang Zhengnan also felt a little sorry for him and shook his head repeatedly. "That kid is waiting in the yard right now, saying he wants to see you and my brother. If you're not feeling well, I'll have him come back tomorrow."

Hu Xiaoyan immediately refused, saying, "No need, just let him come up! I have to see the Yuan family's son no matter what!"

(End of this chapter)