20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 880 First Show of Strength
After a long and dusty journey, as we approached Shi Hospital, before we even got out of the car, we could see about twenty fans gathered outside the building.

As mentioned earlier, in order to appease Xifeng's gang, Hu Xiaoyan decided to temporarily hand over the territory of Shaozi Li in the streets of the north of the city to the Kaoshan Gang.

In reality, it was also to dismantle the power of the fan gang.

Therefore, the current fan-making gang has split into two, with Lai Zi and Shi Tou each managing one stall.

Lai Zi went to the north of the city, but Shi Tou remained the same, still setting up his stall near the riverbank.

The hospital was not far from the riverbank, and in accordance with the principle of providing emergency care nearby, those who came to donate blood were naturally all of Shi Tou's young men.

Everyone was squatting under the wall, basking in the sun. They were all young men. Some of them were wearing tattered coats with their shirts open, showing only one arm and holding it up. They looked very dignified, but they also looked sickly, listless, and dispirited. They would nod and doze off from time to time.

As soon as the car came to a stop, Dongfeng carried his sister-in-law and rushed into the hospital, with Xue Yingqing and the others following closely behind.

The gang members recognized the Jiang family's car and stood up when they saw them arrive, thinking they should go up and greet them. However, the Jiang family's wives and relatives didn't even glance at them and hurried past.

The situation is critical, which seems understandable.

Upon arriving at the hospital, everyone busied themselves arranging for Hu Xiaoyan to register and receive a consultation, leaving Dongfeng and Sister Hua to look after her.

Immediately afterwards, the others hurried toward the operating room.

The operating room was at the end of the corridor, and several guards stood at the corner, strictly prohibiting strangers from approaching. Only when they saw Xue Yingqing and the others did they step aside to make way.

At this time, Li Zhengxi was still pacing back and forth outside the operating room, with only Shi Tou by his side and no other outsiders.

Despite his initial dissatisfaction, Stone arrived faster than anyone else when West Wind called him.

Hearing a noise coming from around the corner, he patted Xifeng on the shoulder and whispered, "Third Brother, Manager Xue and the others are here."

Li Zhengxi turned around in response, and upon seeing his nephew and niece, he felt extremely ashamed and couldn't help but lower his head, too embarrassed to speak.

But who has the time or inclination to blame him?
They immediately rushed forward, eager to inquire about Jiang Lianheng's condition.

Li Zhengxi sighed, shook his head, and said, "I don't know, they've been inside for over an hour."

Unconvinced, the people asked again, "Didn't the doctor come out and say anything?"

Li Zhengxi said, "The nurse just told me that my brother lost too much blood and needed an emergency blood transfusion. We have enough blood now, but we don't know what the outcome will be."

Xue Yingqing, quick-witted and discerning, immediately turned to look at Shi Tou and said with a forced smile, "Is this the brother who brought the men? You see, I'm busy with business all day and I'm not good at recognizing them. Here, take this money and treat the brothers to something good to eat later to help them recover!"

As he spoke, he pulled out several foreign currency banknotes from his pocket.

Stone glanced at the money but didn't touch it; instead, his gaze turned to the west wind.

Li Zhengxi waved his hand and said, "Just take it!"

Stone then accepted the reward money.

Of course, it wasn't that Xifeng didn't want to reward him, but he had always given a lot of money to the Kaoshan Gang, helping the brothers buy houses and land and get married, and also helping out starving beggars. He was already short of money, and the money he had on him today had just been used to pay for medical fees and medicine. Where would he have any money to give as a reward?

Without these accumulated efforts over time, how could the Third Master of the Jiang family have become so influential?

Shi Tou recognized Jiang's wife and relatives, but his status was too low, so they didn't recognize him. He felt rather bored staying here.

Moreover, he already harbored some resentment, and now that he had received a reward, he simply made up an excuse and said, "Third Brother, I'm going out to distribute money to the brothers. I'll be outside. Just call me if you need anything."

Li Zhengxi didn't linger; he waved him off.

Then, his gaze swept over everyone, and suddenly he remembered something, and hurriedly asked, "Why didn't my sister-in-law come?"

They looked at each other and then told him about Hu Xiaoyan's illness.

Upon hearing this, Li Zhengxi felt even more guilty. His temper flared up, and he slapped himself across the face, cursing, "It's all my fault! Why did I go and distribute millet? I should have gone up with my brother when he went on stage!"

Everyone advised him not to blame himself too much, saying that no one is perfect and everyone makes mistakes; everyone has moments of carelessness.

In fact, it wasn't just the West Wind that was negligent.

After Qin Huaimeng's death, the entire Jiang family, including Jiang and Hu, became complacent for a time, and it was no wonder that no one could be blamed.

At this moment, Jiang Ya suddenly remembered something and hurriedly said, "Third Uncle, my mother said in the car that she wanted Uncle Zhao to come back quickly. We were in such a hurry on the way that we didn't have time to send a telegram. Could you send someone to do it?"

Xi Feng was about to nod when Xue Yingqing raised his hand to stop him, then turned to Jiang Ya and said:
“Jiang Ya, you’re not a child anymore. The family bodyguards are over there. It’s just a matter of a few words. Don’t always ask your uncles for help. Go and talk to them yourself.”

"I go?"

Although Jiang Ya was adventurous and outspoken, and often played around with her family's bodyguards when she was young, she had never actually given any tasks to her family's "Xiangzi".

Xue Yingqing nodded and said, "You're the eldest daughter of the family. If you go and say something, who can find fault with you? You'll be fourteen years old by the New Year, right? Don't always act like a child. It's time to take on some responsibilities!"

That's right.

These days, children are all forced to mature early.

In ordinary families in the city, children would become apprentices at the age of ten. After three years of apprenticeship, they would have already mastered the basics of business. If their family was running a small business, they could be sent out to run their own business at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Even if they couldn't be independent, they could at least make a living in this world and not starve.

Jiang Ya was a wealthy heiress who could have lived a life of luxury, waiting to get married, have children, and have a fulfilling life.

However, since she comes from a family in the martial arts world, her future direction should naturally be considered differently.

Leaving aside the influence of her parents, Xue Yingqing, a seasoned member of the Yan family of martial arts, usually disdains such talk about female virtues and believes that one must rely on oneself in everything. Of course, he does not want his goddaughter to become just a rich woman who plays cards with her eyes open and sleeps with others with her eyes closed.

Jiang Ya was quite precocious. Seeing her father seriously injured and her mother ill, she felt a sense of urgency and immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll go!"

"Go on!" Xue Yingqing patted her shoulder and whispered, "Be strong, act like a master, don't embarrass your parents!"

Jiang Ya didn't say anything more. While recalling the tone of her parents' voices, she turned around and slowly walked towards the corner of the corridor.

Several bodyguards were chatting idly when they saw the young lady approaching. They lowered their hands, stepped forward, and whispered words of comfort:

"Miss, don't worry, the master will be fine."

Unexpectedly, Jiang Ya didn't appreciate it and raised her eyes to ask, "How dare you tell me not to worry? My dad is paying to raise you, are you just here to watch the show?"

With just that one sentence, several grown men were rendered speechless and unable to lift their heads.

The guys were still a little uncomfortable, but Jiang Ya's status was undeniable, so they could only sheepishly admit their mistakes, saying, "Yes, yes, Miss is right. This whole thing... is all our fault for being negligent!"

Jiang Ya recalled what her mother had said in the car, waved her hand, and said, "What's done is done, it's too late to say anything now. We won't hold you responsible this time, but if something else happens in the future, it won't be fair."

It's actually quite amusing when a petty person talks big.

The men couldn't laugh; they quickly apologized, saying, "Thank you, Miss. It won't happen again."

"Which of you can read?" "Can read?"

The group looked at each other, and then two brothers stepped forward and said, "I can read, but not much, but it's enough for everyday use."

"Then it's just the two of you!" Jiang Ya instructed. "Go to the telegraph office right away and send a telegram to Uncle Zhao, telling him to return to Fengtian as soon as possible, the sooner the better!"

The two brothers scratched their heads, glancing at Xue Yingqing and the others as they whispered, "It's fine, but... whose idea is this?"

"What I mean is!" Jiang Ya frowned and said, "Why are you two looking at me when you're talking to me?"

The two brothers came to their senses and saw Xifeng nod slightly to them, so they dared not delay and immediately turned and left the hospital.

Jiang Ya didn't say anything more and turned back to her family.

The remaining men watched her retreating figure, clicked their tongues, and muttered to themselves, "She's not someone to mess with!"

Indeed, Jiang Ya seemed very comfortable with her role, and from beginning to end, she did not show the slightest sign of stage fright.

She possesses not only the haughty and arrogant air of a rich heiress, but also the decisive and efficient nature of a gangster's daughter.

This is not surprising. She grew up surrounded by her parents and was influenced by them from a young age. Even though she has only recently come to understand her family's true nature, she has already learned her parents' words and actions very well. She is no stranger to this style and is even quite adept at it.

Upon seeing this, Xue Yingqing felt gratified and couldn't help but praise, "Jiang Ya, you're starting to take shape."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the operating room door was suddenly pushed open.

Everyone rushed forward, only to see a foreign doctor come out.

This foreign doctor must have been new to the Far East; his Chinese was terrible. He rambled on and on, leaving everyone completely bewildered.

He was quite anxious himself, so he quickly turned around and called the nurse in the room to come and translate.

But at that moment, Jiang Chengye suddenly stepped forward and said a few words in English to him.

Upon hearing this, the foreign doctor's eyes lit up, and he nodded hurriedly as if he had met a savior.

Immediately afterwards, the two began to communicate very smoothly.

Xue Yingqing and the others listened from the side, and while they were surprised, they were also somewhat admiring. They thought that the young people of today were really amazing. After a moment of envy, they turned to look at Jiang Ya and whispered to her, "See? You still need to study more. Learn from your brother more often. Look at him, how fluent his English is!"

Jiang Ya retorted, "What English? They're speaking French!"

Everyone was confused. Wasn't this hospital founded by the British? Why were they speaking French?

Furthermore, where did Jiang Chengye learn French?
“My fourth aunt taught me,” Jiang Ya explained. “I can say it too, but I certainly can’t do it as well as he did.”

Everyone was even more confused. Why was Tonya, a Russian, teaching French?
It turns out that most European nobles in those days learned French, which was said to be elegant and precise, a language that could be presented in public.

Due to the war in the north, Tonya went from being a noblewoman to a commoner, and was even sold like livestock. However, the noble education she received in her childhood could not be taken away from her.

Donya naturally had no feelings for Jiang Lianheng, but she loved children. Whenever Jiang Ya and Chengye went out to play, she would hold up a foreign novel and read stories to the children.

Children learn quickly, and over time, without even needing to be deliberately taught, Jiang Ya and Cheng Ye gradually became fluent in French and Russian.

Not to mention the two of them, even Jiang Chengzhi would often call out "stupid pig, stupid pig" in the yard.

At first, Zhuang Shuning thought the kid was swearing, but later he realized that "stupid pig" was actually the French word for "hello".

European languages ​​share a common origin, so the siblings will naturally learn other foreign languages ​​faster.

Jiang Chengye was a book lover and had a refined inner nature, which allowed him to learn faster. Although his Russian was the best, his French was already good enough for daily communication.

Fortunately, the foreign doctor also understood French, so the two of them saved time on translation and communicated directly.

After a few words, the foreign doctor returned to the operating room and closed the door again.

Everyone rushed over to Chengye to ask him questions.

Jiang Chengye relayed, "The doctor just said that my dad is not in immediate danger, but he is still unconscious. As for whether he can wake up, we need to observe him further. The surgery will be completed soon. He also asked me what medications my dad usually takes."

Upon hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Where exactly did the bullet hit?"

“Shoulder and abdomen,” Jiang Chengye replied. “The gunshot wound on the shoulder is not serious, just a broken collarbone, it won’t be life-threatening. The gunshot wound in the abdomen is more serious. The doctor said that luckily my dad was wearing thick clothes, otherwise he might not have made it to the emergency room. The bullet has been removed now, but a section of his intestine needs to be cut off.”

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts tightened again, and they asked, "Will it be possible to fully recover in the future?"

Jiang Chengye shook his head: "Probably. The doctor didn't say. Anyway, saving our lives is the most important thing right now."

"Of course, of course..."

As everyone gradually calmed down, they thought about it and couldn't help but praise Chengye, saying that he was usually quiet and reserved, but unexpectedly, the books he had read really came in handy at this crucial moment.

Jiang Chengye rarely had the opportunity to be in the spotlight, and when praised, he blushed. He turned to look at Jiang Ya and said, "My sister's French is better than mine."

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them again.

Everyone turned their heads and saw that the east wind had arrived.

"Brother Dong, how is your wife?" Xifeng asked hurriedly.

Zhang Zhengdong waved his hand and said, "Tell me how my brother is doing first. My sister-in-law is urging me to come and ask. Without news of my brother, she can't focus on getting better."

So everyone briefly recounted what had just happened, and then inquired about Hu Xiaoyan's situation.

Zhang Zhengdong said, "The doctor suspects it's a gastrointestinal problem."

This statement was completely unexpected by everyone.

Hu Xiaoyan coughed all day long, so much so that everyone thought she had a lung disease, but the doctor suspected it was a gastrointestinal problem.

Looking back now, after Hu Xiaoyan fell seriously ill, she had a poor appetite and ate very little at the dinner table, but she took a lot of various soups and tonics. Moreover, she usually worked from dawn till dusk and had very irregular eating habits. So, it was unexpected, but also reasonable, that she developed a stomach problem.

The stomach is a sensitive organ.

When a person's emotions are not right, whether it is sadness and resentment or grief and anxiety, the first reaction is often that they can't eat.

Zhang Zhengdong explained, "The doctor said it's acute. My sister-in-law just vomited blood. From what I heard, this illness still needs to be treated by herself."

Upon hearing this, a shadow fell over everyone's faces.

Jiang Lianheng was unconscious, and Hu Xiaoyan was seriously ill and bedridden. Although the external troubles had been quelled, the two pillars of the family suddenly collapsed.

Xue Yingqing couldn't help but sigh, turning to look at the operating room, muttering to himself, "They really are a perfect couple..."

(End of this chapter)