20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 874 After the Storm
Soon, news of the deaths of Whistle Li and Sky Eagle reached Fengtian.

After receiving the telegram, Hu Xiaoyan finally felt relieved, but as the tension in her mind eased, she felt even more exhausted.

Everyone advised her to rest and recuperate.

Hu Xiaoyan finally heeded the doctor's advice.

In fact, she was well aware that her health condition was not good. However, she had not dared to rest casually because of the previous turmoil in the Jiang family. Now that the external troubles had subsided, she no longer forced herself to rest. So she put aside many trivial matters and stayed at home to rest for a few days.

However, a three-foot layer of ice is not formed in a single day.

Hu Xiaoyan is not young anymore, approaching 40. She has been working hard and is ill. How could she possibly recover easily with just a few days of rest?

What's even more worrying is that she eats almost entirely herbal medicine every day, yet her health condition still doesn't improve.

Moreover, she is someone who really can't sit still.

As the saying goes: People are similar in nature, but their habits are different.

Busy people are destined to be worryy all their lives, they can never be idle; idle people, even when things are urgent, will always be slow and leisurely.

For over twenty years, Hu Xiaoyan toiled for the Jiang family. Unexpectedly, she learned to relax and enjoy life, like other wealthy wives who spent their days playing mahjong, looking at magazines, and studying fashion trends. She wasn't used to it and always found it boring.

Seeing this, Dongfeng suggested driving her out for a drive, intending to help his sister-in-law relax, but it backfired.

As the car drove towards Xiaoxiguan and passed Huifangli, Hu Xiaoyan looked out the window and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "The storefronts in Huifangli need a makeover."

Zhang Zhengdong nodded and said, "Understood."

Immediately afterwards, they quickly changed direction and headed straight for the south city.

Once they reached the southern part of the city, Hu Xiaoyan said, "Take me to the riverbank and see how the Fan Gang and Tang Wenbiao are doing now."

Zhang Zhengdong said, "Sister-in-law, the market over there is too chaotic and prone to traffic jams. Let's go another day!"

After saying that, he immediately turned the car around and sped off towards the east of the city.

Hu Xiaoyan suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "If I remember correctly, the sand and gravel plant's mining license has one year left. I'll have to ask your brother to find someone to renew it in advance."

Zhang Zhengdong scratched his head, then drove the car towards the north of the city.

Hu Xiaoyan didn't object, only saying lightly, "Going to Beicheng to take a look is fine too. Guyu always complains to me that those young punks have made a mess of the house..."

Zhang Zhengdong interrupted in a muffled voice, "Sister-in-law, the car is almost out of gas, let's go home!"

Hu Xiaoyan was stunned and speechless. Knowing that Dongfeng meant well, she didn't say anything more and just nodded silently.

After returning home and spending three days doing nothing, everyone noticed that Hu Xiaoyan was acting strangely.

But she often sat blankly on the edge of the bed, as if she had lost her soul, her eyes vacant and dim. Apart from eating and sleeping, she just quietly waited for Jiang Lianheng to return.

In a daze, she seemed to have become an insignificant person, or even a decoration in the room.

That's when everyone realized that Hu Xiaoyan was actually very lonely.

She was different from everyone else; she was disabled and had no social connections or friends in Fengtian except for her family.

Even family members can't revolve around her all the time.

Hu Xiaoyan always felt empty inside, as if she had nothing to cling to and that a gust of wind could blow her away. Over time, she gradually began to feel uneasy.

When she was a child, if she didn't get money in one day, she would be scolded by Old Mrs. Feng; if she didn't get money in two days, she wouldn't get any food; if she didn't get money in three days, she would be beaten severely. It wasn't just a couple of slaps, but whipping, burning with cigarette butts, and stabbing with awls. It was like being in hell, making her wish she were dead.

Now that Hu Xiaoyan is the eldest sister-in-law of the Jiang family, no one dares to hit or scold her anymore. However, her childhood experiences have been deeply ingrained in her bones and have become a shadow that she can never shake off for the rest of her life.

Several times, she dreamed of Old Mrs. Feng late at night.

With a sinister grin, Old Mrs. Feng asked her, "Good girl, how much filial piety did you get for your mother today?"

Hu Xiaoyan suddenly woke up, feeling cold sweat pouring down her body. She sat quietly in the darkness for a while until she heard a soft snore beside her, then reached out to touch him. Jiang Lianheng was sleeping soundly when he suddenly felt an itch on his face. He cursed and waved it away, then turned over and went back to sleep. Hu Xiaoyan was no longer afraid.

However, this sense of security ultimately does not originate from the depths of one's heart.

Three days later, Hu Xiaoyan finally couldn't help but ask about the trivial matters at home.

Fortunately, the situation is stable at the moment. Although the Jiang family has some miscellaneous matters that need to be dealt with, they are not particularly important, let alone decision-making issues.

When Hu Xiaoyan asked about these things, everyone immediately noticed that her eyes had finally lit up again.

So, what have the Jiang family members been busy with lately?

Meanwhile, Zhao Guoyan went on a business trip to Jinzhou in western Liaoning. After eliminating Zuantianying, he did not rush back to Fengtian. Instead, following Hu Xiaoyan's instructions, he traveled to several other places. This was because the Jiang family had several branches in the province, among which the larger ones were Jinzhou, Liaoyang, and Yingkou. Further north, there was another branch outside the province, namely Kuanchengzi.

Previously, due to the war in the province, although there was telegram communication between the branch and the head office, Hu Xiaoyan was not very clear about the actual situation on the other side.

Therefore, Zhao Guoyan accepted the order and, in his capacity as the head of the Jiang family's cannons, personally went to check the business status of each branch.

As for Zhang Zhengdong, because Yang Lazi and others had died, more than half of the Jiang family's original "Xiongzi" had been lost. Now that a batch of new people had been brought up as replacements, he naturally had to teach them to be familiar with the rules of the sect, and also to examine who was worth keeping and who was really not up to the task.

Wang Zhengnan was also busy, as he had to manage his grain and oil shop business while also finding a new batch of nannies and maids for the Jiang family.

Li Zhengxi was responsible for conveying the Jiang family's orders online. In addition to the requirement that "the secret societies cease their disputes within three months," he also needed to coordinate the relationship between the Kao Shan Gang and Tang Wenbiao.

Zhao Zhengbei has already returned to the army camp. Whether he can get the substantive post of brigade commander is still unknown. But one thing is certain: the Fengtian Army is stepping up its reorganization and rapidly replenishing its troops and weapons. It seems that by early next year at the latest, Marshal Zhang will definitely lead his troops into the pass again, determined to avenge the previous humiliation and regain control of the capital city.

As for Xue Yingqing, he had already begun to secretly pack his bags, preparing to leave Fengtian quietly after the New Year.

Of course, the busiest person in the Jiang family is Jiang Lianheng himself.

With the strong support of major merchants and gentry, the preparation for the joint mutual guarantee of Fengtian merchants has progressed quite smoothly.

Jiang Lianheng proposed naming the association "Hengshe" (横社), and everyone agreed.

In the private words of Mr. Ren, the owner of Yongxing Match Factory, "Call it whatever you want, horizontal or vertical, who cares what kind of society it is? As long as we can unite and protect each other, safeguarding the vital interests of Chinese merchants, it doesn't matter if it's called 'Horizontal Society' or even 'Jiang Family Ancestral Hall'."

Ultimately, what the major merchants and gentry valued most was the Jiang family's methods.

Thus, Hengshe came into being, and naturally, it did not encounter any resistance.

From selecting a location to serve as the club's headquarters, to signing a written agreement on mutual protection conditions, to negotiating membership fees, and even electing a president, vice president, treasurer, and directors, the entire process proceeded smoothly and astonishingly quickly, without any unpleasant incidents. These individuals originally had some conflicts of interest, but when faced with a common crisis, they had no choice but to temporarily set aside their differences.

The location for the Hengshe Museum was ultimately decided near Deyilou in Daxiguan.

Although it is not as lively as Xiaoxiguan, it is conveniently located, not far from the South Market and the Japanese Concession, making it easy for people to gather for meetings.

It goes without saying that Jiang Lianheng was elected as the head of the "Hengshe" (Horizontal Society).

Because of his proactive performance and the numerous help he had provided over the past few days, Mr. Ren was unsurprisingly elected as the vice president.

Soon after, other officers were also selected.

Because Wang Zhengnan was the second master of the Jiang family, everyone was very sensible and chose him to be in charge of the Hengshe's financial work.

In just a few days, the official establishment of "Hengshe" was only a matter of time before an auspicious day was set.

Someone asked, "Is it really that fast?"

Hey, think about it!

The head of the largest gang in Fengtian, in alliance with more than a dozen wealthy merchants and gentry in the city, can make even the most difficult things simple.

Putting aside other things, take the two-story building of Hengshe Hall for example. It originally belonged to one of the merchants. Since he was not short of money, he simply vacated the place, thus waiving the annual membership fee. In the subsequent decoration, the merchants used their own ingenuity to try to speed things up.

After all, the Chinese New Year is just around the corner.

Everyone felt that to usher in a new year and bring a fresh start, it would be best to get the Hengshe (a local folk association) organized within the first month of the lunar calendar.

Therefore, Jiang Lianheng has been meeting with these merchants and gentry quite often recently. They take turns hosting, treating each other every day, and by the end of the year, the business has been mostly settled.

It happened to be Jiang Lianheng's turn to host a dinner party that day, and it also happened to be the last performance of the Spring and Autumn Grand Theater before the end of the year. So he invited the dozen or so wealthy merchants and gentry to go to the theater to watch the play first, and then go for drinks afterwards.

Everyone had no objections and laughed, saying that they would follow the host's lead and do whatever Boss Jiang said.

Upon arriving at the Chunqiu Grand Theater, the same three familiar couplets still stood there. Every time I looked at them, I couldn't help but sigh—life is like a play, and a play is like life.

Jiang Lianheng was the owner of the opera house, so the last grand performance before the new year was naturally all done according to his wishes.

Several days ago, he had already chosen the play, and finally selected "Xue Gang Rebels Against the Tang Dynasty".

This is a paisley play about revenge.

The story goes that Xue Gang, drunk, caused a disturbance at the Lantern Festival, killing the son of the treacherous minister Zhang Tai. This incident shocked Emperor Gaozong, leading to his death, and Wu Zetian seized the opportunity to consolidate her power. Fearing the Xue family's power and further framed by the treacherous Zhang Tai, Wu Zetian used this opportunity to exterminate over three hundred members of the Xue family. Xue Gang escaped by fleeing to Xiliang. The veteran minister Xu Ce secretly rescued Xue Gang's nephew and ordered him to find Xue Gang. Together with the Qinglong Society, they recruited soldiers, raised an army, and rebelled against the Tang Dynasty to kill the treacherous minister Zhang Tai.

Jiang Lianheng had just eliminated Qin Huaimeng, Whistle Li, and Skyhawk, and was feeling quite pleased with himself. He chose this play to fit the occasion.

The group went to the private seats on the second floor to listen to the opera. There were indeed quite a few opera enthusiasts among them, who listened with great enthusiasm, swaying their heads and clapping their knees while humming along softly.

In contrast, Jiang Lianheng wasn't so enthusiastic, and Boss Ren didn't seem very interested either.

So, the two of them took the opportunity of listening to the opera to chat idly.

Mr. Ren said, "Mr. Jiang, I've had someone look into it, and the first day of the Lunar New Year is an auspicious day. It also happens to be a time for breaking with the old and establishing the new. Why don't we start the Hengshe Society on that day?"

Jiang Lianheng thought for a moment and said, "I don't really care, but right now, only our group has confirmed to join the company. Although we have enough strength, our influence is a bit small. I'm thinking, shouldn't we recruit some more mid-sized merchants?"

"Hey, why do you care about them!" Boss Ren curled his lip. "Boss Jiang, to be honest, the most important part of the mutual guarantee among the Fengtian business community is our dozen or so mutual guarantee partners. All those other people, even if you tied them up, wouldn't be enough to make a ton of meat. If you bring them in, then it's no longer a mutual guarantee; it's just us protecting them!"

Jiang Lianheng said, "Having more people is never a bad thing. Although they can't protect us, when things really get tough, as long as they can help support the strike, that's enough. I can speak up in the union, so if the Japanese try to forcibly acquire us again, we can strike together and have more confidence during negotiations, right?"

"Hmm, that makes sense!" Boss Ren nodded and said, "Then we need to start promoting in advance. I'll have someone print some flyers later, and we'll find an opportunity to..."

Before he could finish speaking, a thunderous applause erupted downstairs.

Looking up, I saw Xue Gang appearing on the stage, singing:

"My uncle's words, once uttered, turned his black face to green. Kui'er rode the black horse and stormed the Emperor's palace gate!"

After a few spoken lines, he sang:

"Dismount and let's talk. Listen to me, Uncle. I was wrong to cause trouble at the lantern festival, so why did you kill my entire family? What crime did a three-month-old child commit? Why was he cut in three at the waist? Think about it, does it break your heart?"

Just as the applause was about to begin, Mr. Ren stopped, unsure whether he should continue.

Jiang Lianheng didn't care and turned to laugh, "Boss Ren, you can say whatever you want, I'm just here for the fun."

Boss Ren then continued, "I was thinking, if all else fails, we should do some good publicity before the New Year, set up a stage, say a few words, so that everyone knows what our Hengshe does and we can quickly recruit members!"

Who should speak?

"You're the president, so of course you should speak!"

"I can't do it, and I have nothing to say about it. You should do it!"

"Hey, Mr. Jiang, are you still worried about not having anything to say? Just go up there and repeat the story of the Shao family father and son. That will be more effective than any flyer!"

Jiang Lianheng frowned and said, "The rumors circulating on the street are too exaggerated; it's not true at all!"

Boss Ren replied, "Then you should say a few patriotic words. Anyway, they're all just platitudes! The main thing is that you're the president. If you don't say anything, we can't get things organized!"

Jiang Lianheng hesitated for a long time before finally reluctantly agreeing: "Then I'll just say a few words, and you'll have to do the rest."

Boss Ren nodded and smiled, "Alright, as long as you show up, we won't have to worry about attracting people! On the first day of the Lunar New Year, when the ancestral hall opens its doors to bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new, let's go to the Imperial Temple to burn the first incense stick for good luck!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Lianheng suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but sigh again.

Seeing this, Mr. Ren quickly asked, "Mr. Jiang, is there something you're dissatisfied with?"

"Oh, it's nothing!" Jiang Lianheng waved his hand and smiled. "It's just that when you mentioned bidding farewell to the old year and welcoming the new, I suddenly remembered that this year is my birth year in the Chinese zodiac. Damn it, this year-end hurdle is finally almost over!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Xu Ce on the stage began to sing:

"The clear blue sky cannot be deceived, right and wrong, good and evil are known to all, and the blood feud must be avenged in the end. Let's see if it comes sooner or later!"

(End of this chapter)