money player

Kaicheng.

On July 10, it was selected as the site for the Korean Armistice Negotiations. On July 15, it was officially designated as a neutral zone by both sides, with a radius of 5 kilometers, and neither side was allowed to bring heavy weapons into it.

Several members of a People's Army infiltration squad codenamed Eagle Peak are cleaning up the crime scene.

As the war dragged on, and people around us died one after another, we became numb to the promises of victory after victory, day after day, that kept being dragged on.

Finally, we saw the two sides negotiating, but the negotiation was like a casual chat; they talked for a whole month and still hadn't reached a result.

The promised benefits are nowhere in sight, the supplies we were supposed to receive have been reduced again and again, and the best weapons have been given to badges on our chests. We've been pointing our guns at the special security forces who outnumber the enemy. We may not be very educated, but don't think that just because we're called by a different name we don't know that this is the damn supervisory force.

We can't live like this anymore; we need to start thinking about ourselves.

"Captain, Park Tae-sik has confessed. Here's the formula."

"Was the cedar wood vat smashed?"

"They're all smashed."

"Eliminate them. We'll leave in half an hour. We need to infiltrate Seoul before 3 p.m.

The soldier who reported saluted, "Forward!"

"go ahead!"

Ongjin Peninsula.

A cellar in a salt warehouse.

Several members of the Tiger Boys gang, composed of retired Korean soldiers who served in the Japanese army, are smashing dozens of century-old jars used for making kimchi with wooden sticks in their hands.

Several other members were interrogating three men—one older, two younger, and one older—using various methods in turn. It wouldn't be long before they got a confession from them.

Kimchi existed on the Korean Peninsula even before North Korea. After two thousand years of development, some families that excelled at making kimchi naturally emerged. The Park family of Kaesong was one of them, proficient in processing Kaesong Goryeo ginseng, pickling kimchi, and making three-year aged soy sauce.

About an hour later, the Tiger Cubs completed their mission and walked out of the salt warehouse cellar. A hail of bullets came at them. Before they lost consciousness, they heard a slogan: "Long live the Korean People's Army!"

Three minutes later, the members of Group B of the Chicken Bowl Squad cleaned up the battlefield, carried the corpses, and quickly retreated to the seaside, but one person went in the opposite direction.

Similar incidents occurred elsewhere, in Jinju and Jeonju in Gyeongsangnam-do. In addition, some South Korean soldiers died under mysterious circumstances, but without exception, they were killed by North Korean guerrillas behind enemy lines.

The three top kimchi families—the Choi family of Jeonju, the Park family of Kaesong, and the Lee family of Jinju—have all their adult males killed off, leaving only female members and underage children.

Busan.

A middle-aged woman entered the refugee camp and came to a stall selling rice porridge with soybean paste.

She bowed slightly to the busy female stall owner and said, "Hello, I am Zhao Mingji from Jiugangfang, Hanyang."

Upon hearing this, the young woman's eyes flashed with panic. She put down the tools she was holding, wiped her hands on her apron, tidied her hair, took off her apron, and returned Zhao Mingji's greeting, "Hello, I am Li Zhenxi of the Li family of Jinzhou."

"Madam Li, I am now in charge of Kongfu Pickled Vegetables and would like to invite you to join us. I will offer you generous benefits."

Li Zhenxi bowed again, "I am deeply grateful for Zhao Daimu's appreciation. May I ask how much my monthly salary is?"

"One pound of tofu every day, one pound of bean sprouts every day, one pound of seasonal vegetables every day, fifteen pounds of pork every month; one bottle of milk for the child every day, five pounds of biscuits and two chocolates every month; five feet of cloth every month, and 120 million in rent."

Every time Zhao Mingji said something, Li Zhenxi's heart skipped a beat. She would do anything else if this treatment didn't require her to hand over the two volumes of the Li family's "Sauce Classic".

At this time, Zhao Mingji's daughter, Zhao Yingmei, was on Jeju Island, where there was a lineage of haenyeo (female divers) who had made a living by diving and collecting abalone, sea urchins, and kelp for generations.

The Jeju Go clan is a branch of the Haenyeo (female divers) lineage. The head of the clan is Go Malsoon, who has two daughters, Go Ok-hee and Go Mal-hee.

Gao Yuji had been following Gao Moshun in hiding for ten years and was being groomed as his successor.

Komo-hee inherited the Ko family's secret recipe and was originally in charge of marinating seafood kimchi, but Jeju Island was a rear supply port for the United Nations forces, and seafood was given priority to the US military.

Women from the Gao family who wanted to go diving had to register for a diving quota with the military administration. Their time for collecting fish was greatly reduced, and there wasn't enough fresh seafood to go around. There was no need to marinate it at all. With no other option, Gao Mo Ji had to work in the US military kitchen in exchange for cornmeal.

Zhao Yingmei and Gao Moshun held talks, and Kongfu Pickles signed an acquisition agreement with the Gao family. From now on, the Gao family's seafood pickles will be sold to Kongfu Pickles. In return, as a gesture of goodwill, Kongfu Pickles will provide the Gao family with food and pickles during the war and offer Gao Moshun a high-paying job.

Seoul.

Nagumo Keiko and Kong Lingxian chatted all the way from the third floor to the courtyard. Kong Lingxian took Nagumo Keiko to visit the Longdao Restaurant and introduced her to the restaurant's owner, Park Chang-hee. She then took her to visit the Longdao Bean Company and introduced her to the person in charge, Choi Hae-soon.

During wartime, news travels very slowly for ordinary people, and some people are separated for a lifetime. But for Kong Lingxian, many things are very fast.

Because of the war, many South Korean civilians were circling around refugee camps, making it easy to find people. Park Chang-hee was a descendant of the royal chefs of the Joseon Dynasty, and Choi Hae-soon made tofu with two apprentices, supplying it to US military hospitals and refugee camps. She was known as the "Mother of Tofu Fragrance."

None of the leaders of the Great-Grandson Company are simple people; they are all talented individuals.

On the way to Jiangnan Vegetable Garden, Kong Lingxian introduced the situation of Kong Family Pickled Vegetables. "In the letter that the last chairman wrote to me, he instructed me to find a way to monopolize the Korean kimchi market. In order to achieve this goal, I had no choice but to use some extreme measures."

"The methods were too ruthless, and the arrangements were not rigorous enough, which posed a risk of leaks."

"I did not show up."

"Whoever benefits is a suspect."

Kong Lingxian exhaled a puff of smoke. "I'm not worried about being suspected, as long as there's no concrete evidence. In times of war and chaos, it's perfectly normal for a few people to die."

Nagumo Keiko sighed softly, "No wonder the president likes you and values ​​you. In terms of composure, you are very similar to the president."

Kong Lingxian smiled and said, "I am very curious about the chairman and would like to meet him as soon as possible."

"You'll see soon enough. In a few days, the president's secretary, Miss Elizabeth Van Fleet, will come to South Korea to inspect the situation here."

"Van Fleet?"

"It's no coincidence, Elizabeth is the second daughter of General James Van Fleet."

"Is Miss Van Fleet here to pave the way for the Grand President?"

"That's part of the purpose, but the main reason I'm here is to help you clarify your business relationships."

Kong Lingxian nodded slightly.

……

Jing Shu Zhai.

Tang Yiying handed the microphone to Xian Yaowen, "They called from home looking for you."

"Hey."

"Master, come back quickly."

"it is good."

Xian Yaowen rushed home, where Fei Baoshu handed him a fax sheet with only the Arabic numeral "3" on it, indicating that three faxes would arrive in 3 minutes.

Waiting quietly, the fax machine beeped on time, and the message was transmitted in less than two minutes. The translated message contained only three words: Zhou Duwei!

His father-in-law and Du Yuesheng were both dying.

He and Fei Baoshu were like a pair of donkeys that had been whipped, suddenly getting moving, one arranging work and the other arranging things at home.

The next day.

Sin Yiu-man was sitting in the dining room of his home in Sham Shui Po, with Wong Ha-man sitting next to him.

"The doctor gave us the notice yesterday; it'll be over in the next couple of days."

"Is Ruoyun in the hospital?"

"Not even an inch away."

“Three things: find a knowledgeable Chaozhou person to prepare the things the son-in-law should prepare; inform the newspaper to be ready to publish the obituary at any time; and in the name of Lady Xian, go to the Du residence every day to deliver the two-hundred-year-old Korean ginseng.”

"Okay." Wang Xiamin picked up the serving chopsticks and put some food on Xian Yaowen's plate. "Please eat more, sir. We don't know if we'll be able to eat on time for the next few days."

"Ah."

Finished eating.

When Sin Yiu-man arrived at the hospital, the Zhou family was all in the corridor outside the ward.

Uncle Zhou Maoming, cousin Zhou Xiaochen, Ling Junru, Zhou Xiaohuan, Zhou Xiaoyun, wife Liao Kexin, son Zhou Yuming, Zhou Ruoyun, and housekeeper Uncle Hua.

"Uncle, younger cousin, mother, second brother, eldest brother, sister-in-law, Uncle Hua."

"Yaowen, it's good that you made it back. Your older brother wants to see you."

"Uncle, should we let Dad take a nap first, and I'll go in later?"

Zhou Maoming hesitated for a moment, then said, "Alright, let my brother take a nap."

Xian Yaowen nodded slightly, came to Zhou Ruoyun's side, and pulled her into his arms.

Zhou Ruoyun's face was gloomy, but she wasn't heartbroken. After all, she had known "that day" would come, and the sadness had faded considerably over the long two hundred days.

"just came back?"

"I went home for a bit. I'm here, you can take a nap."

Zhou Ruoyun pointed to the side, "Go to the ward."

Xian Yaowen embraced Zhou Ruoyun and led her to the ward next door. He helped her onto the bed, took off her outer clothes and trousers, covered her with a blanket, and left his hand under the blanket to gently stroke her large belly.

“Weizhen has been very naughty these days, kicking my stomach every day.”

"Don't call her by name yet. If it's for Jin, she'll be sad."

Zhou Ruoyun stubbornly said, "No, it must be something in my belly."

"Okay, okay, for Shenzhen."

As Xian Yaowen spoke, he thought to himself, "Weijin, don't be angry with your mother. Dad will take good care of you."

He also had his own selfish motives; he hoped that Zhou Ruoyun would be carrying a daughter, and that Cen Peipei would give birth to the eldest son of the Xian family, which would be the best outcome.

"Won't your rush back disrupt your business in Taiwan?"

"It won't have much of an impact." Xian Yaowen looked gently at Zhou Ruoyun's face. "Close your eyes and take a nap."

"Mmm." Zhou Ruoyun obediently closed her eyes, but reached out from under the covers with one hand and grabbed Xian Yaowen's hand. "Don't go away."

"Well, I'm not leaving."

Sin Yiu-man sat quietly, and when he heard a soft snore, he moved his hand up and gently stroked the child's food storage container to ease Zhou Ruoyun's swelling.

Zhou Ruoyun was tired and didn't wake up until four o'clock.

He couldn't stay any longer, so he released his grip on Zhou Ruoyun's soft hand, tested its temperature on his cheek, then took her hand back in his own. He called Xie Tingyun to his side, pulled his other hand out from under the covers, and held her palm to warm it.

When it was almost time, he pointed to Zhou Ruoyun's delicate hand, indicating that Xie Tingyun should take his place.

Upon reaching the outer corridor, they saw only Zhou Xiaoyun, but no one else.

Before Xian Yaowen could ask, Zhou Xiaoyun explained, "We haven't had lunch yet, so we're going to the garden to get something to eat."

"Is Daddy awake?"

"The doctor just gave Dad morphine an hour ago."

"Dad must be in a lot of pain."

"He was in so much pain he couldn't stand it, and yesterday he wanted me to strangle him," Zhou Xiaoyun said calmly.

Sin Yiu-man remained silent.

"Go in, you're the only one left."

"Ah."

As Xian Yaowen pushed open the ward door, a pair of bright and spirited eyes immediately looked over. Upon seeing the gaze, his heart skipped a beat. Looking at Zhou Maochen's face, he saw that his complexion was flushed and he looked very energetic.

"Yaowen, you're back."

Zhou Maochen's voice was strong and powerful, not at all like that of a seriously ill person.

"Dad, I'm back."

Sin Yiu-man quickly walked to the bedside, squatted down, and kept his eyes level with Zhou Maochen's.

"It's good that you're back." Zhou Maochen grasped Xian Yaowen's hand. "Yaowen, I only have one daughter, Ruoyun. You must treat her well."

"Dad, don't worry. I may not be a good man, but I have a conscience. Ruoyun won't be mistreated in the Xian family."

"I believe you, I believe you did a great job."

"Dad, would you like some water?"

Zhou Maochen shook the hand that was holding Xian Yaowen's. "I'm not thirsty. Yaowen, you're more capable than Xiaoyun and Xiaohuan. Help him out in the future."

"I will."

“Junru didn’t do well, but she didn’t make any major mistakes either. I don’t want to see her suffer in her old age.” Zhou Maochen released Xian Yaowen’s hand, reached under the pillow and took out a deposit slip. “There’s 50 on it. You can take it. If Junru doesn’t remarry, give her a dividend every year.”

"Okay, 5 a year, to be given to Mom until she gets old."

Ling Junru is only in her early forties. Barring any accidents, she can easily live past sixty. Moreover, it's impossible for her to have 5 forever. Money becomes worthless, so it has to go up in value.

Zhou Maochen patted Xian Yaowen's hand with satisfaction, "Good, good."

After making his final arrangements, Zhou Maochen was still in high spirits and told Xian Yaowen about his business acumen and his arduous struggle, which lasted for more than an hour.

Sin Yiu-man accompanied him, allowing Chow Mo-chun to speak his mind.

It was nearly six o'clock when he left the ward, and the corridor was full of people again.

"Uncle, Dad is in good spirits."

Zhou Maoming nodded. "It's been fine since last night, Yaowen. Don't leave."

Sin Yiu-man nodded in response.

Zhou Maochen was in his final moments of lucidity and could pass away at any time.

He went to the next ward, where Zhou Ruoyun was already awake and combing her hair.

He stepped forward, took the comb, and styled her hair into a bun.

"Have you seen Dad?"

"I saw him."

"What did I tell you?"

"They gave me everything I could think of and even gave me 50 yuan."

"Aunt Ling?"

"Ah."

"Annual dividends?"

"Ah."

"Nothing else was explained?"

"what?"

"nothing."

“How could Dad tell me something like that? You should ask Uncle Hua.”

“That’s true.” Zhou Ruoyun nodded. “I was just worried that the son’s name was missing from the engraving.”

"This is none of your business." Xian Yaowen straightened his hair and kissed Zhou Ruoyun's hair. "Are you hungry? Do you want something home-cooked or something from outside?"

Zhou Ruoyun rubbed her stomach. "I'm not too hungry yet. I want to eat the wonton noodles that Mrs. Song makes."

"it is good."

Xian Yaowen poured warm water to wash Zhou Ruoyun's face and then helped her move her ankles.

Zhou Ruoyun looked thoroughly enjoying herself. "Master, your technique is even better than that of Doctor Ajiao."

“How could my skills be better than Chen Ajiao’s? It’s just that I’m a bit special. Besides foot massage, I can do other things, which will make you release more dopamine and enjoy it more.”

Zhou Ruoyun understood the implied meaning in the song and chuckled, "Stay a few more days and keep me company."

"Okay, do you want to go swimming?"

"Dr. Chen said swimming can reduce edema, but I'm afraid the pool water is dirty."

"The swimming pool at Shangyuanling is the cleanest. I'll book it in a couple of days, change the water, let it sit in the sun all day, and then I'll go swimming with you."

"it is good."

The two chatted for about an hour before Xie Zhanran entered the ward carrying a thermos.

A bowl of wonton noodles and a few side dishes were fed to Zhou Ruoyun by Xian Yaowen.

Zhou Ruoyun swallowed a wonton, and then asked, "Master, what would you like to eat?"

"Don't worry about me, just eat well." With that, Xian Yaowen brought the cooled noodles to Zhou Ruoyun's lips.

Time passed by, and the next day at noon, Zhou Maochen was in good spirits while eating lunch, but as soon as he finished eating, his eyes became cloudy. Everyone gathered around the hospital bed, and the women began to gather their strength, waiting for that moment to burst into tears.

Sin Yiu-man and Chow Hiu-wan, however, seized the opportunity to stuff themselves with food and ate their fill.

At 2:17:21 PM, Ling Junru shouted, tears streaming down her face, followed closely by Zhou Ruoyun and Liao Kexin.

Men don't cry, and they don't have time to be sad; they have a lot of things to do later.

For two days straight, Zhou Xiaoyun was extremely busy with the funeral arrangements, including the preparation of the body, the placement of the coffin, calling close relatives, and choosing an auspicious time. Xian Yaowen took on the responsibility of sharing the burden with Zhou Xiaoyun.

On the third day, Zhou Xiaoyun was going to report the death, and Xian Yaowen became an "outsider" again, driving for Zhou Xiaoyun and providing logistical support.

According to Chaozhou custom, the son-in-law is not supposed to be in charge of announcing a death; it's acceptable for him to stay with the eldest son, who is the rightful heir. Of course, his presence is mainly due to considerations of social etiquette.

The Zhou family has many connections, and the list is long. Since there is no way to plan the route, they can only proceed according to the order of closeness and distance. Xian Yaowen stepped on the gas until it was smoking, and when they arrived at a house, he helped Zhou Xiaoyun to kneel down at the door.

"My father passed away on the ninth day of the seventh lunar month at the hour of Wei (1-3 PM). As his closest relative, I humbly request to attend his funeral."

The other party replied with "Please accept my condolences" and reciprocated by giving a mourning scarf.

The obituary is sent out early, and those who are supposed to receive it have already received it. Announcing a death is an indispensable ritual procedure, with symbolic significance outweighing its practical meaning.

From morning till night, the car was refueled once. Zhou Xiaoyun's legs were so weak from kneeling that it was difficult to walk as evening approached. However, the car could not be driven to other people's houses. In the end, he had no choice but to pretend to be too sad and walk with the help of Xian Yaowen.

After all, being a dutiful son is tiring; it's easier said than done.

The announcement of the death took a day and a half. Then the Teochew-speaking Nam Mu group performed merit-making rituals. Sin Yiu Man took charge of external affairs and logistics, going to the cemetery to look after his father-in-law's house. He either looked after it himself or followed along, paying money when needed, offering cigarettes when needed, and quickly arranging anything that was missing.

They were busy day after day, barely making it to the day before they had to climb the mountain. With just one more push, they could finish. (End of Chapter)