20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 863 Face
Seeing this, Si Mao and the others also clasped their hands in greeting and said, "Big brother, you've worked hard!"

However, when they called him "Big Brother," they were no longer addressing Lao Dou, but rather Tang Wenbiao, who was standing in front of them.

The old heaven is dead, the new heaven shall rise; out with the old, in with the new.

Kneel down, touch your head to the ground, who are you worshipping?
Who becomes emperor is not important; fame and fortune are the most important!

On the other hand, although killing Lao Dou would benefit everyone, betraying one's elder brother is not something to be proud of.

As the saying goes, "If the name is not correct, the words will not be proper," and the necessary drama cannot be avoided.

But then Tang Wenbiao laid Old Dou's body down, wiped the dagger clean, turned around, and clasped his hands in a fist salute:

"Brothers, I, Tang, personally escorted our elder brother to his death today out of sheer desperation, so that you could all escape unscathed. Now that our elder brother is dead, take his head to Jiang Lianheng, and I'm sure the Jiang family will no longer blame you. My crimes are unforgivable, and it is time for me to go with our elder brother!"

After saying that, he raised the dagger and pretended to gesture it towards his throat.

Si Mao was quick-witted and immediately stepped forward to grab Tang Wenbiao's wrist, shouting, "Brother, don't do anything foolish!"

"Let go of me!"

"I won't let go!"

"Fuck you!" Tang Wenbiao raised his arm and pretended to draw his sidearm. "I'm determined to go, and nobody can stop me!"

Unexpectedly, Simao simply pressed the gun muzzle against his chest and shouted, "Big brother, kill me if you want!"

Tang Wenbiao froze on the spot, then gradually softened, shaking his head and sighing, "Alas! Brother, look at you... why did you do this to yourself!"

Si Mao said, "Brother, don't blame yourself. Everyone knows what's right! You dared to defy the world today, but in the end, it was all for the sake of the brothers to make a living. If you just leave like this, the brothers will have nothing left for the rest of their lives but guilt!"

The others immediately chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes! Since it's for everyone's sake, how can we let our eldest brother suffer the consequences alone?"

Si Mao added, "A country cannot be without a ruler for a day, and a family cannot be without a head for a day! Brother, the brothers are counting on you to follow us in the future, so don't do anything rash!"

"Join me?" Tang Wenbiao quickly declined, "No, no, I'm an unfaithful and treacherous person, how could I have the face to be a big brother!"

"Hey, you saved our brothers' lives, if you don't step up, who will?"

"This is not suitable, this is not suitable, let's choose someone more capable!"

“Okay, that works too!” Si Mao immediately turned around and asked, “The current leader is a bit too unsophisticated. The gang can’t be without someone in charge. I’m voting for Tang Wenbiao. What about you guys?”

Everyone looked at each other and quickly raised their hands.

A few who hesitated slightly, under pressure from the situation, had no choice but to obediently comply with the crowd.

Si Mao secretly noted those people down in his mind. After counting them again, he saw that it was a unanimous vote. He then turned around, spread his hands, and said, "Big brother, look, it's really not me trying to make a big show of things. This is the will of the people, so don't try to refuse."

After declining three times and seeing that the act had been performed to the fullest, Tang Wenbiao finally sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), waved his hand, and sighed repeatedly, "Enough! Enough! Enough! Since the brothers trust me, if I continue to refuse, it would seem like I lack responsibility!"

"Hey, you should have thought of that a long time ago!" Simao quickly called to his brothers, "Big brother, please accept my bow!"

Unexpectedly, just as everyone was about to follow suit, Tang Wenbiao raised his hand to stop them.

"Wait, I have another condition."

"What conditions?"

"Don't call me 'Big Brother' anymore, just call me 'Second Brother' as usual!" Tang Wenbiao pointed to Old Dou lying in a pool of blood. "I've never been subservient to anyone in my life, except for Brother Dou. Even though he's dead now, he's still my good older brother!"

Upon hearing this, Si Mao immediately gave a thumbs up and said with a pout, "Second Brother, you're so kind!"

Everyone chimed in, saying, "Second Brother is righteous and benevolent!"

Si Mao looked at Lao Dou on the ground and asked, "Second Brother, what should we do with this good brother now?"

Tang Wenbiao pondered for a moment and said, "Let's remove his ladle first, it'll be easier to carry it later."

After saying that, he took charge himself, squatted down, cut off Lao Dou's head with a dagger, found a piece of hemp cloth, wrapped the head in it, picked it up and handed it to Simao, and then led his brothers away from the watchtower.

By this time, Skyhawk and Whistle Li had long since disappeared.

A gust of cold wind blew by, making the surroundings seem even more desolate and empty.

Someone asked, "Second Brother, which way are we going?"

Tang Wenbiao hesitated for a moment, staring intently at the old city wall in the distance. Finally, as agreed last night, he nodded and said, "Go to the South City and seek peace with the Jiang family!"

…………

The Jiang family's outer residence is currently undergoing renovations. Apart from the Shao family's wives and relatives who are taking refuge in the side rooms, the entire residence is mostly empty. However, carpenters and bricklayers come and go every day, so it is not lacking in human activity; on the contrary, it is bustling with activity.

Tang Wenbiao was a member of the maintenance committee before, and he knew that he had offended many people. Now that he had returned to the Chinese territory, he dared not wander through the streets and alleys. Therefore, he took a detour and entered the city from the small south gate. By the time he arrived at the Jiang family's outer residence, it was already late afternoon.

The brothers did not dare to go directly to the door, but instead went around to the back of the mansion and carefully observed it for a while through the courtyard wall.

But then they heard a great commotion coming from the courtyard. It was a huge crowd of people talking and laughing, like a surging tide on the riverbank. It was probably a hundred or so thugs holding a meeting.

It's quite ironic, really: just a month ago, when the Jiang family was in trouble, they only managed to recruit about fifty brothers. Back then, no one obeyed the Jiang family's orders. Now that the Jiang family is rising again, these same people are volunteering and vying to show their loyalty, afraid of missing the chance to prove themselves.

Helping the winner is never a sign of ignorance or stupidity, but rather a sign of shrewdness and worldliness, even to the point of being repulsive.

Simao panicked and hurriedly asked, "Second Brother, why are there so many people? Could this be a trap?"

Tang Wenbiao, however, seemed unusually at ease. He smiled and said, "What do you know, you half-witted fool? If this house were quiet and still, there wouldn't be a problem! The fact that there's such a commotion shows that they weren't planning to hide anything. Since we're already here, don't overthink it, let's go!"

"Wait a minute!" Simao scratched his head, grinned, and gave an embarrassed smile. "Second Brother... my leg is numb!"

"This is a dead product!"

Tang Wenbiao had no interest in arguing with him, so he called over two more skilled men, instructed the other brothers to wait around the west wall, and then picked up the package containing Old Dou's head, mustered his courage, and strode towards the gate of the Jiang family's outer residence.

The courtyard gate was ajar, but there were no lookouts outside.

Tang Wenbiao took a deep breath, held it in his throat, turned his body to the side, and slowly moved closer like a crab.

To say he wasn't afraid would be a lie, but now that things had come to this, there was no reason to back down. After a moment's hesitation, he finally knocked on the gate.

"Boom boom boom!"

Three muffled thuds followed, and the courtyard fell silent instantly, a silence so profound it was chilling.

Tang Wenbiao and the others looked at each other and couldn't help but lower their voices, muttering to themselves, "Why is no one answering the door?" After waiting for a moment, they knocked a few more times.

"咚咚-"

Before the third knock could even be made, someone in the courtyard suddenly shouted in an unfriendly tone, "The door's open, come in!"

Tang Wenbiao's heart tightened, and he slowly pushed open the two door panels. The hinges on the door immediately made a creaking sound, which sounded particularly jarring.

The courtyard was packed with people; looking around, there were at least seventy or eighty brothers gathered there.

Upon seeing Tang Wenbiao arrive, everyone turned to the side, their faces stern, saying nothing, but staring intently at him with murderous intent in their eyes.

Tang Wenbiao swallowed hard, about to step over the threshold, when he suddenly caught sight of Li Zhengxi out of the corner of his eye. Startled, he immediately shrank back, bowed respectfully, and said, "Third Master, you've worked hard!"

Li Zhengxi remained unmoved, as if he hadn't heard anything; his eyes showed neither anger nor goodwill.

Tang Wenbiao looked a little embarrassed, glanced around, and muttered, "Um... excuse me, brothers, is Zhao Taibao here?"

The courtyard remained lifeless, without any response.

At this moment, the two brothers behind Tang Wenbiao couldn't help but tug at his sleeve, lean close to his ear, and whisper, "Second Brother, do you think... we can still make peace like this?"

Tang Wenbiao was at a loss for what to do. He thought to himself that whether or not he could make peace was not up to him. The people in the courtyard were like wooden stakes, not responding at all. If they said they couldn't make peace, then they could start the fight now. But if they said they could make peace, he didn't know what this behavior meant.

Just as he was deep in thought, he suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from the main room.

"Who's coming?"

Tang Wenbiao and the others looked in the direction of the sound and saw Jiang Lianheng wearing a cotton robe, walking slowly out of the house accompanied by Zhao Guoyan and Hai Xinnian.

"Boss Jiang——"

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Lianheng suddenly laughed loudly, "Heh! Guoyan, is this the Tang Wenbiao you were talking about?"

Zhao Guoyan nodded and said, "Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng immediately strode towards the door. He walked so fast that his cotton robe slipped off his shoulder, but he didn't care. In the blink of an eye, he was at the door, grabbed Tang Wenbiao's wrist, and laughed loudly, "Brother, we've been waiting for you!"

Tang Wenbiao was flattered and quickly bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, Mr. Jiang!"

"You still call me Boss Jiang?"

"Ah, no, no, no!" Tang Wenbiao quickly corrected himself, "Master, master, please forgive me!"

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand, ignoring the comment, but quickly pulled Tang Wenbiao into the courtyard, chuckling, "Brother, come in and we'll talk!"

As he spoke, he glanced towards the courtyard gate again and asked, "What, is it just the three of you who came?"

Tang Wenbiao grinned and said, "There are still more than a dozen people outside."

"Please come in, please come in!" Jiang Lianheng said to his men as he made the arrangements. "Someone, quickly pour a few bowls of wine for Brother Tang to warm up!"

After the landlord spoke, there was finally some movement in the courtyard.

Three or five brothers went into the kitchen and immediately started pouring wine to serve the guests. However, there were busy figures all around, but no lively atmosphere.

Before long, Simao and the others arrived, trembling with fear.

As soon as everyone entered the courtyard, they were led to a side room to drink and warm themselves by the fire.

Logically speaking, the Jiang family had done their best to entertain their guests, but the brothers around them all had stern faces, so Tang Wenbiao and the others were still a little reserved.

Jiang Lianheng was quite pleased. He patted him on the shoulder, looked him up and down, and said with a smile, "Good! Good, good, good! You are indeed a dignified and valiant general!"

Tang Wenbiao quickly declined, saying, "I'm ashamed, I'm ashamed!"

Just then, someone handed them a bowl of wine.

Tang Wenbiao held the cup in his hand, glanced at Jiang Lianheng, hesitated for a moment, and finally drank it all in one gulp. Fortunately, he did not experience any discomfort.

However, after downing a bowl of strong liquor, he felt much more relaxed.

Jiang Lianheng exchanged a few polite words with him, then suddenly changed the subject, pointed to the package in his hand, and asked with a smile, "Brother, do you want me to guess what's in here?"

Tang Wenbiao realized what was happening and quickly said, "Oh dear, boss, I'm so sorry. Look at my memory, I was so nervous that I forgot. This is a gift for you."

"Oh? I'm in a hurry, brother, could you open it and take a look?"

"of course!"

Tang Wenbiao immediately squatted down and unpacked the package. Due to his clumsy movements, he accidentally shook off Lao Dou's head, which rolled on the ground and landed right at Jiang Lianheng's feet. When it stopped, it was still swaying slightly, just like Lao Dou had come back to life and was gently shaking his head at Jiang Lianheng.

Seeing this, the expressions on everyone's faces finally softened, and smiles gradually appeared.

Jiang Lianheng, however, looked worried. He suddenly sighed and said, "It was also because of Qin Huaimeng's instigation. The dead should be respected. Let's give them a proper burial!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than one of his men came and picked up Old Dou's head.

This behavior was observed by Lao Dou's former brothers, who suddenly realized that Jiang Lianheng was not a cold-blooded and ruthless person. They recalled Lao Dou's words before his death, which seemed somewhat biased. They also felt that Jiang Lianheng was actually a good person. With so many people under Jiang's command, they couldn't blame everything on their leader. Perhaps his intentions were good, but his subordinates simply carried them out incorrectly?
Jiang Lianheng suddenly looked at Tang Wenbiao and said bluntly, "Old Dou's old territory is now in your hands. Do a good job. Your affairs are now closed. Follow the old rules. What was the way it was before will be the way it is now."

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!" Tang Wenbiao immediately knelt down and kowtowed. "However, as a convict, I dare not accept such a great favor. If you trust us brothers, sir, just give the order whenever you want to deal with Qin Huaimeng. I am willing to lead the charge for the Jiang family!"

Surrender inevitably leads to defection, and the more a general surrenders, the more eager he is to gain merit.

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "I don't know about Whistle Li and the others yet!"

Upon hearing this, Tang Wenbiao immediately recounted the events of the earlier infighting, saying, "Boss, they've already broken up! I don't know where Whistle Li is, but Skyhawk said he's going back to western Liaoning to do his old job. He just left this morning, so he probably didn't take the train and can't have gone very far!"

Is the information accurate?

"If I utter even half a lie, you can shoot me dead!"

"Alright, I'll trust you this once!" Jiang Lianheng immediately ordered, "There's no time like the present. Since you've come to surrender and all the brothers are here, let's smash the Qin family's kiln tonight!"

Tang Wenbiao was taken aback, and said after a moment of thought, "But... Boss, Qin Huaimeng went into hiding a long time ago. I don't know where he is now!"

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and said, "I know, Ping An Tong No. 207!"

(End of this chapter)