20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 872 Farewell
The Jiang family mansion is located in the north of Fengtian City.

Under the vast darkness of night, scattered snowflakes appeared and disappeared.

Jiang Lianheng and Li Zhengxi returned one after another, just in time for dinner, so everyone got together for a meal.

Hu Xiaoyan had a poor appetite and only ate half a bowl of rice with the pickled cabbage soup. She couldn't swallow anything greasy.

Jiang Lianheng drank with the officials at noon. As soon as he entered the house, he felt his stomach was empty. He ate ravenously, without touching any oil or fish. He ate two large bowls of sorghum rice with pickled vegetables, but he still felt a little unsatisfied.

After the meal, tea was served.

Since the family hadn't had time to replace the maid, they decided not to remove the table yet. After Sister Hua, Jiang Ya, and the others returned to their room, they started talking at the dining table.

The number of people this time is less than in the morning.

Zhao Guoyan has already gone on a business trip.

Fang Yan handed over the arms inventory, and Chuang Hu published a missing person notice. Having completed his tasks, he did not attend any further events.

Jiang Lianheng recounted the results of the negotiations at the Fengtian Police Department, the most important point of which was to ensure that the secret societies would cease their disputes and that the provincial capital would remain peaceful within three months.

Hu Xiaoyan nodded and said, "That's good. The family suffered a lot of losses recently. Some of our brothers died or were injured, and we spent a lot of money. We need to catch our breath and rest for a while before we can..."

Before he could finish speaking, he began to cough softly.

Jiang Lianheng glanced at her and asked casually, "Have you seen a doctor?"

Hu Xiaoyan covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, coughed for a while, and then said, "I saw it. Doctor Jia came by around noon."

Seeing that her throat was hoarse and her voice was heavy, Jiang Lianheng simply turned to Dongfeng and asked, "What did the doctor say?"

Zhang Zhengdong replied, "It was said to be a cold. I prescribed some medicine and told my sister-in-law to rest well and not overwork herself."

"Just a cold?"

"Well, they didn't say anything else, it's still the same as always."

"Then why isn't it getting better?" Jiang Lianheng turned to Hu Xiaoyan and asked, "Other people's headaches and fevers usually get better in three to five days, but how long has it been for you?"

Hu Xiaoyan shook her head and didn't say anything; perhaps even she herself couldn't remember clearly.

Zhang Zhengdong said, "Doctor Jia said that my sister-in-law's illness isn't anything serious, it's just... what's that phrase again?"

"Poor immunity!" Xue Yingqing suddenly interjected. "To put it bluntly, it's all from overwork. A good rest for a while is better than anything else!"

"It's just flipping through the ledgers every day. It's tiring, but is it really that tiring?" Jiang Lianheng was skeptical and muttered to himself, "I think maybe that Doctor Jia isn't good enough. Let's ask a few other doctors to come and take a look!"

"You think using your brain isn't tiring?"

Xue Yingqing immediately retorted, "You've never managed accounts before, so you don't know how meticulous this work is. If there's a mistake in the accounts, you have to check it from the beginning. Sometimes you can find the mistake in ten minutes, and sometimes you can't find it even after several hours. That's the most grueling job. It's not like doing manual labor or carrying heavy loads. No matter how tired you are, you can rest for a couple of days after a good meal and drinks and recover. It's not easy to use your brain. When it's really important, you can't even sleep, let alone rest."

Jiang Lianheng was speechless for a moment.

Hu Xiaoyan quickly waved her hand and said, "Forget it, forget it, I don't have anything serious to do, let's not waste time on this topic."

Then he asked Xifeng, "How did your talks with the Fan Gang go?"

Li Zhengxi dared not hide anything and quickly replied, "Sister-in-law, to be honest, the brothers are indeed a bit dissatisfied."

Hu Xiaoyan was not surprised by this, and simply asked, "It's normal to have emotions, the key is whether you can control them?"

Li Zhengxi thought for a moment and said, "It should be fine."

Hu Xiaoyan's face immediately fell, and she slammed her hand on the table, saying, "A problem is a problem, and no problem is no problem. What do you mean by 'shouldn't be a problem'?"

Despite Xifeng's reckless and impulsive nature, especially when he gets angry, making him one of the most notorious hotheads in Fengtian, he seems to never grow up in front of Hu Xiaoyan. In his every move, he is still the same Xifeng who used to roam the streets.

Upon seeing his sister-in-law's anger, Li Zhengxi immediately stood up, lowered his head, and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm mainly worried that Tang Wenbiao will cause trouble. Back when Lao Dou was around, they had a grudge against Lai Zi, and now there's another murder debt. Tang Wenbiao isn't someone to be trifled with either, and their territories are right next to each other..."

“No way!” Hu Xiaoyan interrupted. “Tang Wenbiao just surrendered recently. He was able to take over Lao Dou’s territory not because of his prestige, but entirely because the Jiang family was backing him. Unless he’s out of his mind, he would never provoke the Jiang family, including relying on the Fan Gang.”

Li Zhengxi thought for a moment and said, "If Tang Wenbiao doesn't cause trouble, then relying on the fan gang will be fine."

"you promise?"

Hu Xiaoyan's eyes were sharp as she stared intently at Xifeng.

Li Zhengxi raised his head slightly, met his sister-in-law's gaze, couldn't help but swallow, and finally made a promise: "Yes, I promise!"

Hu Xiaoyan didn't immediately look away, but stared at him silently for a while, still seemingly a little uneasy, and then said, "This time, with the turmoil in Guanxiang, the Jianghu in Fengtian has been reshuffled. The Jiang family is fortunate enough to continue to be in charge. Huo Laogui's ten rooms have now been assigned to Zeng Shouyi, and Lao Dou's territory in the south of the city has been assigned to Tang Wenbiao. Shaozi Li has run away, and his few streets in the north of the city are still empty for now. Don't say I don't think about Kaoshan Gang. Tomorrow, you can transfer some people there and let Kaoshan Gang take over for the time being!"

Li Zhengxi was overjoyed upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "Thank you, sister-in-law, but... this is in the north of the city and this is in the south of the city. Aren't we a bit far apart? If something urgent happens in the future, it won't be convenient to notify you!"

Hu Xiaoyan didn't explain much, only saying, "Just do as I say, that way you can have an explanation to give them when you go back."

Actually, what she wanted was to divide the fan gang in two, separating the north and south.

After all, the members of the fan gang were a mixed bag, and they were numerous and powerful. They only obeyed Xifeng's orders. Although Xifeng had done a good job of "saving the emperor" before, it also served as a reminder to Hu Xiaoyan that nowadays, this small fan gang had already taken shape and could not be suppressed at will, but they also had to be careful.

Despite Xifeng's unwavering loyalty, this did not dispel the concerns in the head of the family.

The gentleman does not stand under the wall.

Hu Xiaoyan was already clearly aware that the potential dangers of relying on the fan gang had to be addressed, but the situation was only just beginning to stabilize and the timing was not yet right.

In contrast, Jiang Lianheng did not take Lai Zi and the others seriously, but repeatedly emphasized: "In short, I have agreed to Director Chen and Xiao Dongyang's conditions. Within three months, the Fengtian secret society will cease its disputes. Anyone who dares to defy the wind will be disrespecting the Jiang family."

Li Zhengxi nodded and said, "Brother, don't worry, I'll deliver it online tomorrow."

At this moment, Wang Zhengnan suddenly remembered something and hurriedly asked, "Brother, did you let the Japanese release Manager Shao's son?"

"Yes!" Jiang Lianheng seemed to have no concern about the matter at all. He casually lit a cigarette and slowly asked, "The people have been released?" "They were released a long time ago!" Wang Zhengnan said with a smile. "And Manager Shao too. The two of them went home this afternoon!"

"Didn't this family even think of coming to me to express their gratitude?"

Jiang Lianheng certainly didn't want the Shao family's money, but if they didn't even have this small token of appreciation, then they were being rather ungrateful.

Wang Zhengnan said, "How could I not want to! This afternoon, I went to find the boatmen to hire some day laborers for my family, and I happened to run into Manager Shao, who was carrying large and small packages and came over here. He said he wanted to thank me in person, but I told him that he had gone to drink with the officials and that he might not finish drinking for a while, so I told him to come back early tomorrow morning!"

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and said, "Hey, no need to meet in person. They sell hardware, they can't give us much money at most."

"Brother, this isn't just about money. You probably don't know, but the news has already spread throughout the city!"

"Passing what?"

"They said you have influence with the Japanese. They said they would get Manager Shao's son out of prison, and the Japanese police would immediately release him obediently!"

As he spoke, Wang Zhengnan gave a brief overview of the various rumors circulating on the street in front of everyone.

As the saying goes: Rumors in the martial arts world become more and more mysterious the more they are spread!
The reason why the Shao family father and son were released by both Chinese and foreigners was simply because Jiang Lianheng mentioned it casually at the Fengtian Police Department and, on this condition, promised that no more serious cases would occur in Fengtian within three months.

In order to keep their positions, Director Chen and Chief Ishihara agreed to Jiang Lianheng's request not to pursue the culprits behind the Ping'an Tong bombing and Naniwa Tong shooting.

The entire negotiation process was nothing more than a transaction of interests between government officials and gangsters.

The three parties reached a compromise and ultimately agreed.

However, such stories clearly do not appeal to the general public.

People don't want to see people scheming and being burdened by fame and fortune; they only want to see people living freely and having clear minds!

Thus, these street gossips were filled with many unrealistic fantasies, which were used to console the various bitternesses in life. In the end, the rumors spread and the true nature of the matter was blurred. By the time they came out of their mouths again, the truth had already been distorted and was even comparable to nonsense.

In their words, Jiang Lianheng was far too domineering.

How domineering is it?

When Jiang Lianheng arrived at the Fengtian Police Station, he had barely sat down and crossed his legs when Director Chen had to quickly serve him tea and water. The captains were also busy, lighting cigars for him and massaging his shoulders and legs. It was quite a grand affair.

After a few words, Jiang Lianheng slammed his hand on the table and shouted angrily: Go and bring that old thief Ishihara here!

Little did they know, there was no need to call out at all; that little Japanese guy was already waiting next door.

Hearing the commotion, the old thief Ishihara scrambled to Jiang Lianheng's side and asked in a trembling voice, "Boss Jiang, what are your orders?"

Jiang Lianheng sneered: Oh, so you're the one who arrested Manager Shao's son?
Sweating profusely, Ishihara hurriedly said, "Boss Jiang, it's a misunderstanding! It's all a misunderstanding!"

Jiang Lianheng wasn't about to let him get away with it. He immediately cursed, "Damn it, don't give me that crap. Release him before 5 a.m. tonight! Otherwise, I'll have your head rolled in the middle of the night!"

All you've said is these two sentences, and guess what?

Shopkeeper Shao's son was indeed released by the Japanese Police Department!

After Nanfeng finished speaking, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but shake his head and smile bitterly: "Damn it, these sycophants are desperately trying to flatter me, they really can't wait for me to die!"

Hu Xiaoyan also said, "You can't spread these kinds of rumors. Who started this rumor?"

Wang Zhengnan sighed helplessly, "Sister-in-law, these rumors have no source. In teahouses and restaurants, one person tells ten, ten tell a hundred, and who knows who will hear it and it will be distorted. There's no way to trace it back to its origin. Anyone with eyes can tell it's nonsense without being reminded. Even if you remind them, it's useless. They only believe what they want to believe. But one thing is certain: Manager Shao's son has really been released. All the big bosses in the city have heard about it. My brother is famous now!"

"The higher you're lifted up, the harder you fall!" Hu Xiaoyan said. "This is not a good thing!"

Wang Zhengnan said, "That's the logic, but the merchants and gentry in the city all agree on this, especially Mr. Ren from Yongxing Match Factory. Today, when I went to hire some day laborers for the boatmen, I ran into Mr. Ren's steward. He even asked if there was any progress on the Fengtian business community's joint guarantee. Everyone is hoping my brother will step in!"

Hu Xiaoyan hesitated slightly, then turned to look at Jiang Lianheng and asked, "What do you think?"

Jiang Lianheng pondered for a moment and said, "A joint guarantee among business groups would also benefit our family. The Japanese are only temporarily backing down now; sooner or later they will still try to seize the commercial lease rights."

"Of course there are benefits, I just don't want you to take the lead."

"I don't want to either, but the problem is, if I don't take the lead, who will?"

Wang Zhengnan interjected, "Brother, sister-in-law, I think the Jiang family should take the lead! Think about it, since it's a joint protection effort, it's definitely not a small-scale affair. When all the major merchants and gentry unite, it will be a hidden danger for us. If we get involved, then needless to say, my brother will definitely be elected as the chairman! Some time ago, Qin Huaimeng called for a rebellion, and the Jiang family's prestige has dropped quite a bit. This time, with the business community uniting for mutual protection, my brother's public appearance can turn the tide and boost morale. Don't you think so?"

Jiang Lianheng pondered for a moment, then looked around and asked, "What do you think?"

Zhang Zhengdong said, "I have no objection."

Li Zhengxi thought for a moment and said, "Since it's a joint guarantee, it would seem a bit like we're not on the same page if we didn't participate. Let's join!"

"What about your aunt?" Jiang Lianheng looked up at Xue Yingqing. "Your establishment isn't small either. What are your thoughts? Tell us!"

Xue Yingqing was lost in thought. When he came to his senses, he smiled awkwardly and said, "You guys discuss it. I'll leave after the New Year. I'll leave all the property deeds for Songfeng Zhuyun to the Jiang family. You can also take care of those prostitutes and their staff. I'm getting bored in Fengtian and want to go out and have some fun."

The restaurant suddenly fell silent.

Just as everyone was about to say something, Xue Yingqing quickly interrupted, "Don't try to persuade me anymore. I've already made up my mind. I said I would leave Fengtian after Qin Huaimeng was defeated. Now that the Jiang family has overcome their difficulties, I can leave in peace. Of course, I know the rules. If the master wants the three cuts and six holes, I will not refuse."

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand, somewhat reluctantly, and said, "It's not that bad... But, have you found out the cause of Aunt's death?"

Xue Yingqing shook his head and sighed, "Those three people's faces have all changed. We can't find out their identities for a while. There's been no news for so long, so they're probably not online. Maybe they're refugees or laborers. Who knows? Even if we find out, what can we do?"

"Revenge!"

“They’re all dead, and we can’t find any power behind them, so what’s the point of seeking revenge? Even if we did, my senior sister wouldn’t be coming back.”

"And what about you?" Jiang Lianheng asked with a wry smile, "After you leave this time, will you come back?"

"Perhaps!" Xue Yingqing's face always held a faint sorrow. He forced a smile and said, "I didn't come back to see you, but to see my goddaughter! I've also prepared a dowry for Jiang Ya. I'll come back to see her on her wedding day. I hope everyone will still be there by then, and that your so-called 'Hengshe' will be a great success!"

(End of this chapter)