20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 875 Brothers
It was still early, but the sky was already getting dark.

Fine snowflakes drifted in the air, carried by the wind, leaving only a thin layer on the ground.

Xiao Cui, wearing an indigo cotton-padded jacket, a square scarf on her head, and carrying a vegetable basket on her arm, was taking small, quick steps in the snow, hurrying towards the east of the city.

Turning into an alley, after walking for a short while, we arrived at the gate of the small courtyard.

She pushed open the courtyard gate to the side, then breathed out two breaths of warm air to warm her hands before locking the gate. When she turned around again, she couldn't help but pause in surprise.

From the bright window of the east room, one could faintly hear the sounds of laughter and conversation.

Xiao Cui was very surprised, as this had never happened before.

Back then, she was bought back by Hu Xiaoyan at a high price. In addition to taking care of Sixth Master's daily life, she also had an unspeakable task: to pay close attention to Sixth Master's words and actions at all times and not allow him to have any interpersonal interactions.

Of course, times have changed, and now the Jiang family's surveillance of Sixth Master has become virtually non-existent.

What truly trapped him was no longer the small courtyard or his physical disability, but the obstacle in his own heart.

For more than a decade, Sixth Master has lived in seclusion, never stepping out of his small courtyard, and naturally, no relatives or friends have come to visit him.

Could it be that the eldest and youngest members of the Jiang family have arrived?
Xiao Cui didn't dare to delay, so she picked up her vegetable basket and hurried to the main house.

He lifted the cotton curtain and looked inside, only to see a strange man sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed).

Several side dishes were laid out on the kang table. Gong Baonan and Guan Wei were sitting opposite each other, drinking. Hearing the noise outside the door, they turned around with smiles.

Xiao Cui stood there, stunned, and asked blankly, "Who is this...?"

"Oh, this is Lao Qi!" Guan Wei turned around, waved to her, and said with a smile, "Cui'er, come in, come in and get acquainted. He's the one I always talk about, Gong Baonan. We're like brothers, like father and son!"

Xiao Cui had taken care of Sixth Master for more than ten years. She had heard of Gong Baonan, as well as Jiang Chenghai, Li Tianwei, Sun Chengmo, Jin Xiaoyi, and Shen Guoliang.

She had even heard a little about the old stories of the "Sternig" (a mythical sea owl).

Sixth Master often said, "Don't look down on me now. Back in the day, I was a big shot. Everyone in Fengtian City would call me Sixth Brother with utmost respect."

However, Xiao Cui didn't take it seriously, always feeling that those so-called "glory" were just old men bragging.

After all, most men, regardless of age, have this problem—after a little wine, they start talking nonsense, turning trivial matters into earth-shattering stories, as if everyone in the world has been confused throughout history, and only they have figured things out.

Let's not talk about anything else, just the seventh brother.

In Guan Wei's words, Gong Baonan was a ruthless character with great skills and courage. In the entire Fengtian City, there was no one with better skills than him. However, he had a flaw in his personality. Because he had no ambition, he always looked half-dead.

Now that Xiao Cui has seen the real person in person, she is greatly disappointed. She can't see anything special about him, but she can clearly see that he looks "half-dead".

However, the seventh brother was younger than she had expected, and seemed more easygoing.

When Gong Baonan saw Xiao Cui, he didn't seem inclined to get up. He simply sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), nodded at her, and asked with a half-smile, "How should I address you?"

Xiao Cui was taken aback, her face flushed, and she subconsciously turned to look at Guan Wei.

Guan Wei didn't look at her, waved his hand, and said casually, "Call me sister-in-law!"

Gong Baonan still didn't get up, but just smiled and explained, "Sister-in-law, I've been running around outside these past few days and I've got a big blister on my foot that hurts a lot, so I won't be able to give you a proper bow. Please bear with me!"

Xiao Cui, knowing her place, quickly said, "Seventh Master, please don't joke with me. I'm just a maid, and I can't accept you calling me that. If you were to bow to me, it would shorten my lifespan."

"Hey, don't listen to his nonsense." Guan Wei pursed his lips at Xiao Cui, but then glanced at Gong Baonan and said, "Don't I know him? He's a lazy bum. Apart from my older brother, I've never seen anyone else who can be bossed around. The saying 'a lazy donkey on a millstone will produce a lot of excrement and piss' comes from him."

Gong Baonan lifted his foot and hurriedly said, "It's true, you can smell it if you don't believe me."

"Go to hell! Who can smell blisters on their feet?"

"my home."

The two brothers started bickering again, leaving Xiao Cui standing to the side, and for a moment she felt a little superfluous.

However, she also realized that after more than a decade, the room finally had a cheerful atmosphere.

This joy is different from the feeling of seeing a younger person; it is the feeling of peers reuniting after a long separation, and there is not a trace of awkwardness between them.

Guan Wei was still the same as always, unable to win an argument with Lao Qi, so he found a way to change the subject and turned to Xiao Cui, saying, "It's perfect that you're back. Help us two brothers make a few more dishes to go with our drinks. Keep it simple. Once it's done, come and eat with us."

Xiao Cui hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "It's nothing, but... does Madam know that Seventh Master has returned?"

"I know," Guan Wei replied immediately.

"Then...should I inform Madam?"

"No need. After the New Year, once the excitement has died down, Lao Qi said he will find an opportunity to go to the Jiang family and explain things clearly."

Xiao Cui still seemed to have some concerns. After hesitating for a while, she said, "If you two aren't in a hurry, I'd better go and tell Madam first."

Guan Wei wanted to say something more, but Gong Baonan interrupted him, saying, "Then go ahead, so you won't be in a difficult position. When you get to the Jiang family, just tell Xiao Yan... just tell Madam Jiang that I'm staying here with Lao Liu for a few days. It's nothing. I'll visit them again when I have the chance."

"Call me Sixth Brother!"

"Okay, Lao Liu, give me some money. It's snowing outside, have someone call a car over."

"You sure know how to handle people," Guan Wei rolled his eyes. "All you do is spout useless nonsense. You think all you know is how to care for others?"

As he spoke, he rummaged through his trunk and pulled out three silver dollars, handing them to Xiao Cui and instructing her, "When you come back, buy two bottles of good wine, and some sausages or something. You can spend them as you see fit!"

After Xiao Cui left, Gong Baonan watched her go through the window for a moment, then turned around and asked, "How many years has she served you?"

Guan Wei did the math and said, "It's been thirteen years. When she first came here, she was only sixteen. Now she's almost thirty."

"It's not easy either."

"Do you even need to tell me? She'll get a share of all my assets after I die." "How many shares in total?"

“Three portions: one for her, one for Xiaoyan, and one for my granddaughter as her dowry.”

"What about my share?" Gong Baonan asked.

"Come here, come closer." Guan Wei leaned down and whispered to Lao Qi, "Do you have any shame?"

Gong Baonan didn't respond, but instead craned his neck to look at the large trunk behind Lao Liu.

Guan Wei quickly sat up straight, blocking Lao Qi's view, and said, "Hey, hey, what are you looking around for? Are you going to drink or not?"

Gong Baonan pursed his lips and muttered, "Thieves are really stingy!"

"Heh, you're such a tightwad, how dare you call me stingy?"

"Didn't I just give you my face?"

"Don't interrupt!" Guan Wei suddenly remembered the topic Xiao Cui was discussing before she came back. "Where were we? Keep going!"

Gong Baonan picked up a pickled cabbage heart from the plate, dipped it in egg sauce, and asked while eating, "I've said everything I needed to say, is there anything else to say?"

"The moment Qin Huaimeng got into the car, you shot him dead in three shots, and that's it?"

"No, I even chatted with him about life and ideals for a bit, but the topic was too heavy, and I couldn't understand what he was saying, so I just cut him off."

"Don't talk nonsense!" Guan Wei quickly said, "What I mean is, why didn't you meet with Dongfeng and the others or anything?"

"I don't know anyone in either of the two cars except for Xiao Dongfeng. What's there to see? What would we say if we met?" Gong Baonan took a sip of his drink and continued, "My original intention in coming back was to see how Xiaodao was doing. If I meet with other bastards, there will be too many people talking, and I'll just get dragged into it again!"

Guan Wei twirled his wine cup, sighed, and said, "I just don't understand. It's just clearing out Qin Huaimeng, why send two truckloads of men? Quality over quantity is key. What's the point of making such a big fuss? Back in the day, we brothers—"

"Don't dwell on the past, things are different now!" Gong Baonan interrupted. "Back then, no matter how bad the imperial court was, it wouldn't allow secret societies to cause trouble. What's the situation now? This warlord is a member of the Gelaohui, that councilor is a member of the Green Gang, and the politicians in the south are double-flowered red sticks. The rules have all changed. What's the point of talking about the past?"

Does this contradict what I said?

"Have!"

Gong Baonan explained: "The officials in the three northeastern provinces before, no matter how bad they were, were still proper civil officials. Now it's different. The officials in these places outside the Great Wall are basically all from bandit backgrounds. They call each other brothers. As long as the relationship is strong enough, what does it matter if someone kills someone in the street?"
"Unlike before, although the Shengjing Generals were also corrupt, they fundamentally looked down on people like Zhou Yunfu. Back then, we went to great lengths, setting up schemes and assassinations, simply because our backers weren't strong enough!"

“You’ve been staying in this little courtyard for too long, you have no idea what the situation is like outside! I’ve come to realize this recently. The Jiang family’s power is too great, so great that even if something goes wrong under their command, they can easily smooth things over. Under such circumstances, the brothers under their command are too lazy to use their brains anymore.”

After listening, Guan Wei also felt that there was some truth to it.

Humans are always prone to developing laziness.

Take martial arts as an example. Twenty years ago, guns were not as rampant in the Northeast as they are now. Back then, to make a name for yourself online, you had to work hard. Unlike now, guns are everywhere and their lethality is getting stronger and stronger. No matter how good your skills are, one shot will take you down. Naturally, no one is willing to work hard anymore.

Even Jiang Lianheng, when he was young, thought that practicing martial arts was a complete waste of time.

What's the point of training if you can't even withstand a broadsword or bullets?

If it weren't for his father and fourth uncle forcing him, he wouldn't have the skills he has now. He might have become addicted to smoking much earlier, and his health might have collapsed.

Gong Baonan continued, "Moreover, I heard that during this Fengtian turmoil, the Jiang family was caught off guard and lost many brothers. They probably don't have many real experts left. They were also afraid of missing the opportunity to assassinate Qin Huaimeng, so they sent out so many people."

"In the end, it still didn't work out!" Guan Wei sneered. "Even if we sent so many people and cleared out Qin Huaimeng, whether we could retreat safely was still a problem. What if the Japanese captured one alive and he confessed?"

How would I know if something hasn't happened?

"So it's all thanks to your timely intervention that we were spared all that trouble."

“I didn’t want to get involved,” Gong Baonan shook his head, picked up his wine glass and said, “I’m getting old, and sometimes I can’t help but feel that my legs are getting a little heavy.”

Guan Wei was about to say a few words of comfort when Gong Baonan added, "However, I'm definitely much better than you. When I see you, I feel like I'm still quite young."

"Fuck you..."

Guan Wei couldn't help but curse under his breath, and said, "I hope Xiaodao can find a way out soon. It's not right for him to keep floating around online all the time. I've only realized this now that making a name for yourself is nothing. The real skill is to be able to retire unscathed!"

After thinking for a moment, he suddenly added, "Hey, I didn't say you were capable!"

Gong Baonan chuckled, but said, "Don't worry, with Xiaoyan by his side to advise him, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Yes, Xiaoyan is indeed a woman of her stature, but her health isn't very good." Guan Wei shook his head with a smile. "Back then, the two of us brothers stood in the way, trying to stop Xiaodao from marrying her!"

"Who can stop him!"

"That's not necessarily true. Xiaodao is thirty-six or thirty-seven this year. Can he still be as stubborn as he was when he was a child, unable to distinguish between good and bad words? After running his business for so many years, he's become quite the old hand. His business has grown so big, he must have become much more shrewd."

"He's faking it!" Gong Baonan said. "That innate drive he has, can it just disappear like that? It's just that no one has pushed him to that point yet, so he can keep up the act. Otherwise... just you wait and see!"

Guan Wei said, "I hope I never see that day. Fortunately, this mess is finally over. What are your plans now?"

"I don't know, I'll stay here with you for a few days. I'm a bit tired, I haven't had a proper rest since I came back from Shanghai!"

"Then don't leave, stay and keep me company!"

"I'm afraid my sister-in-law won't be happy!"

"She dares!"

"Forget it, I'm not happy about it either!" Gong Baonan picked up the wine cup, deliberately covered his nose, and teased with a smile, "You already smell bad!"

Guan Wei was taken aback, sniffed around, and hurriedly asked, "What's that smell?"

Gong Baonan tapped his sixth brother's wine cup and whispered, "The taste of an old man..."

(End of this chapter)