The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 820: Once whipped a famous horse because of drunkenness

The morning wind darkens the high building, and we vow to grow old together in the mountains. Good things only worry that the heavens will envy me, so I buy a boat for you across the five lakes.

~~~~
The two grown men stood in front of Chongwenmen and exchanged greetings. When it was time for dinner, Qi Meng said, "We had a great chat and it's a pity that we didn't meet earlier." He insisted on inviting Yu Dafu to visit his newly opened car dealership and have dinner.

That’s right, Qi Meng now has his own car shop.

"We just met by chance, how can I let Boss Qi spend money?"

"Although I am a layman, I have great respect for you, sir. Since we have met, why should we forget each other?"

Yu Dafu was surprised and asked, "Boss Qi also likes to read novels? 'Sinking'?"

Qi Meng smiled awkwardly. "I don't read novels, I only read Mr. Li's essays, like Autumn in the Old Capital and Correspondence on the Sea. His travelogues are, well, no worse than the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties. He indulged himself in mountains and rivers, and his footprints were all over the country. Think of Xu Xiake of the Ming Dynasty, who was no better than him."

Yu Dafu laughed and said, "You are too kind. I have no extra money, and my family has no extra funds. I have only traveled around the world and learned from you. How can I be compared with the ancient sages?"

Qi Meng still has fresh memories of Yu Dafu's travel essays. His writings are like the man himself, expressing his true feelings directly and creating wonderful rhymes with ease.

It’s a pity that Duff didn’t reach his destination.

He had a life full of misfortunes and was displaced. He was first ostracized by the Creation Society, and then suppressed by the Left Face. His wife and children were separated, his country was in ruins, his life was ups and downs, and he eventually died in Southeast Asia. It was a sad and lamentable thing.

Yu Dafu was quite friendly to the group of rickshaw drivers. He only wore cloth shoes in his life and interacted with all kinds of people wherever he went. After all, he was a man of temperament, so he only declined a few words and followed Qi Meng.

~~~~
The door was open and four coachmen were sitting on benches, smoking with their heads down. When they saw Qi Meng come in, they quickly stood up and greeted him.

"Master Qi, good luck to you."

"Brothers are busy."

There were a few teacups on the eight-immortals table against the wall, and a new iron kettle on the ground. The teacups were shaking slightly, and screams came from the inner room. Qi Meng glanced and saw Xiao Fuzi's two younger brothers beating someone. A coachman came up and whispered a few words to Qi Meng. Qi Meng listened and nodded.

"What? The I-Kuan Tao? Trafficking women? That's so unkind." Qi Meng was furious.

"Leave a finger, beat him half to death, and throw him out."

Qi Meng's tone was gentle, as if he was instructing a child to do housework.

Yu Dafu took a deep breath, knowing that he had walked into a den of thieves today.

Qi Meng handed over the cigarette, lit one himself, puffed out the smoke, and put it out:
"Let's go, brothers, to Liufuguan!"

After saying that, he put on a gray gabardine robe.

When he heard that they were going to Liufu Restaurant for a drink, Yu Dafu's tense expression relaxed a little.

Xiao Fuzi's brothers came out from the inner room. Although they were only fourteen or fifteen years old, their eyes were fierce and their fists were stained with blood. Yu Dafu could clearly see that the two young boys had hard weapons hidden in their waists.

"The future life is terrible."

When they heard that they were going to have delicious food, several drivers grinned, their throats moved, and one driver subconsciously licked his lips.

Liufuguan is one of the most famous restaurants in the city. When they arrived, Qi Meng asked everyone to be casual and eat as much as they could because they had made a big deal today and they wanted to celebrate.

So everyone didn't hesitate, some asked for crystal elbow, some asked for pot-crusted chicken, and some even asked for monkey brain.

Qi Meng and Yu Dafu sat at a table alone. Yu Dafu was from Fuyang, so Qi Meng ordered several Jiangsu and Zhejiang dishes, including West Lake vinegar fish, Song Sao fish soup, Dongpo pork, Longjing shrimp, and lotus leaf steamed pork.

"I wonder if the Jiangsu and Zhejiang cuisine served at Liufu Restaurant is authentic? Northerners don't know how to cook southern food. If it doesn't suit your taste, Mr. Yu, please forgive me."

Qi Meng filled a glass of wine as he spoke.

The driver next to him started playing finger-guessing games, and the surroundings were very lively.

Yu Dafu had a capricious personality, but he had studied in Japan, applied for a diplomat, and worked as a university lecturer. He was a worldly-wise man. Seeing Qi Meng being so attentive, he knew that this man had other intentions, so he took the opportunity to chat with him intentionally or unintentionally while the dishes were being served.

"Boss Qi doesn't look like he's from Beijing?"

"Hahaha, sir, you have good eyesight. My hometown is Hubei, adjacent to Henan and Shaanxi, a poor and remote place!" Yu Dafu frowned:
"It seems that Boss Qi's business is more than just rickshaws."

Qi Meng nodded without comment.

"To be honest, I do some human trafficking occasionally. I just enjoy helping others."

Yu Dafu opened his mouth wide and remained silent for a long time.

Qi Meng put down his wine glass and said lightly:

"Mr. Yu, your fellow countryman, Mr. Dai, likes to have his men disguise themselves as detectives and come to the north to extort money and investigate military intelligence. We..." Qi Meng pointed at the drivers sitting around him, grabbed two Hangzhou dumplings, and swallowed them in one gulp.
"I'm responsible for arresting these Southerners and making them throw meat buns at dogs. There's no return."

So this is how the human population business works. Yu Dafu felt relieved and took a sip of Shaoxing rice wine.

In recent years, he was also wanted by Boss Dai, so he fled from Hangzhou to Beijing. Although he escaped danger, he still felt scared.

Qi Meng actually dared to deal with Boss Dai directly, which shows that he is no ordinary person and must have someone backing him.

Thinking of this, Yu Dafu said seriously:
"Mr. Qi, who are you?"

"I am a good person."

Qi Meng glanced at the dishes on the table. "Opium, illicit drugs, white flour... Half of the northern trade belongs to Marshal Zhang. I'm just his errand boy. Everyone from south to north has to deal with me. This fellow of yours, relying on his connections in Nanjing, doesn't take our Yongqi Car Dealership seriously. He doesn't worship the spirits when he enters a house, doesn't burn incense when he enters a temple, and instead kills people and steals things when he comes. How can that be allowed?"

Yu Dafu certainly knew who Marshal Zhang was that Qi Meng was talking about. He took a sip of rice wine and said cautiously:

"Then how many legs does our Marshal Zhang have?"

"Sanjo!"

Qi Meng held up three fingers and said, under the influence of alcohol, "My leg is the thinnest, but it's still growing."

"The guy you beat up in the car dealership just now wasn't a passenger, right?"

Qi Meng said carelessly, "Mr. Yu has a good eye. Of course he's not a passenger. He's been sent by your fellow townsman to seek revenge. Marshal Zhang's territory, can he tolerate his presumption?"

Yu Dafu's thoughts raced as he gazed thoughtfully at the extraordinary car dealership owner before him. After a long pause, he asked, "Boss Qi, do you want me to be the middleman and mediate between your two families? To turn hostility into friendship?"

Qi Meng filled the glass with wine, offered it to Yu Dafu with both hands, patted the writer on the shoulder, and showed a righteous expression:
"Since the abdication of Emperor Xuantong, a total of 51 presidents have come to Beijing. They are all bastards, beasts, brutes, and parasites. However, this Marshal Zhang above me is not a bastard, not a beast, not a brute, and not a parasite. I heard that Marshal Yan in the south has joined forces with Marshal Ma to launch a northern expedition? Brother, I just want you to pass on a message. Our Marshal Zhang said that the north and the south should not interfere with each other. Don't think that just because you have the support of the Japanese, you can fight against each other. We want peace, not war!"

Yu Dafu never imagined that he could become an envoy between the northern and southern warlords, and one day he would be between Qi and Chu.

"A great war is imminent. If you can save the people from danger, it will be Mr. Yu's good fortune. I will report to Marshal Zhang and ask for your credit."

As soon as Qi Meng finished speaking, all the drivers around him looked towards Yu Dafu.

Yu Dafu took a deep breath, now seven parts sober. Whether he was timid or didn't want to be disturbed, he quickly shook his hand and said:

"Yu has long since left his post in Nanjing. His influence is insignificant, so how can he take on such an important task?"

Qi Meng clapped his hands and laughed: "Hahahaha! Mr. Yu, you are too modest. Your classmates and friends are all over the world, and many of them are high-ranking officials, such as Guo Moruo and Xu Zhimo. I heard that several important officials in Nanjing were your students... If you don't act as the middleman, who will? Don't worry, after the matter is completed, the Marshal will reward you handsomely. Aren't you building a house in Hangzhou? After the matter is completed, I will give you 30,000 yuan..."

"Humph!"

Yu Dafu slammed the table and stood up, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent.

"How could I be someone who covets power and wealth! Boss Qi, there's no need to say more! Go back and tell your Marshal Zhang that the northern and southern warlords are just birds of a feather! I'm from the same hometown as Ms. Qiu Jin, and I have the integrity of a scholar, so I will never help the tyrant!"

After all, walk away.

Leaving the whole room stunned.

Qi Meng was full of sympathy for the tragic life of this bohemian talent. Thinking that Yu Dafu had studied in Japan, he was not only proficient in Japanese, but also had a good understanding of the customs of the island country. Such talents must be recruited in the future.

(End of this chapter)