Nanyang Storm 1864

Chapter 14: Secret Return
After returning to Xishan County, the Du Biaoying army planned to rest for a few days before setting off back to Jinling City.

Zheng Guohui used the excuse of catching a cold to stay indoors in the camp, declined many invitations to dinner from local officials and gentry, and took good care of his health.

Actually

On the night of his return to Xishan County, Zheng Guohui changed his clothes and traveled quietly, accompanied by only a dozen trusted followers and guards. He took a boat from Taihu Lake into the Jiangnan section of the Grand Canal, and then sailed to the north bank of the Huangpu River.

next morning
The boat that Zheng Guohui was on arrived at Tongzhou Wharf. Fishing boats gathered at the wharf in the early morning. The cold wind brought bursts of fishy smell. Many early-rising fishing boats had already left the wharf.

Zheng Guohui was dressed in a scholar's long gown, a warm brocade jacket on his upper body, and extremely rare Western-style cowhide boots on his feet, which were polished to a shiny finish.

After getting off the boat, stepping onto the cobblestone road that had been polished to a shine by countless years, and breathing the slightly fishy and salty cold wind of his hometown, Zheng Guohui felt that he had become more deeply integrated into this era.

When the dozen or so people accompanying them arrived at the dock, they immediately attracted other people's attention.

No matter how hard you try to hide, some things cannot be hidden, just like fireflies in the dark night.

These attendants were all strong men with broad shoulders and big waists. Although they did not wear conspicuous swords, they all had revolvers from the United States on their waists, which were concealed by their jackets.

There was a fierce look in his eyes and brows, and one could tell at a glance that he was not a good person.

no way

These elite soldiers who had emerged from the pile of corpses could hardly conceal their strong and valiant spirit.

The accompanying captain of the personal guards, Zheng Shun, was extremely excited after setting foot on the land of his hometown, and he trotted around for a while.

Not long after
He brought over three donkey carts with covers. These were the carters who picked up fishermen and merchants at the dock. It was about ten miles from here to Tongzhou City.

The fish on the fishing boats often weigh hundreds of kilograms, and it is impossible to transport them without a large truck.

Zheng Shun helped Zheng Guohui sit in a relatively clean covered carriage with a brocade quilt underneath, and then he climbed up and sat on the outer side of the carriage.

The others were not so particular and sat in the other two covered wagons.

A row of three donkey carts followed one another and headed towards Tongzhou City.

All the way
The fields were filled with heavy dusk mist, the village not far away was half hidden and half visible, and the big trees blown by the cold wind were painted with the pale yellow color of early winter.

The village children drove the cattle on the ridges of the fields just to eat a bite of the tender grass covered with dew in the morning.

"Young Master, last time I heard from the Fourth Master that the family has already arranged several marriages for you, and they are just waiting for you to go back and make the final decision."

"What nonsense are you talking about, that you have already arranged several marriages?"

"Master, please don't blame me. I was wrong. Master has already picked out several suitable marriage candidates. This matter cannot be delayed any longer. Once you come back and set the rules, we can choose an auspicious date."

"Okay, I'm getting married, why are you so excited?"

"I'm so happy for the young master! I also want to know who the young lady is. Maybe by next year, I can serve the young master."

"What do you mean, little master? Just be quiet."

"No, Master. After I came back, every pore on my body was itchy. I couldn't even sit still. I felt so happy that I wanted to fly. Don't you feel the same way?"

Oh……

Zheng Guohui was speechless. He simply turned his head to the side and looked at the scenery outside the window that was constantly receding. A strong sense of belonging arose spontaneously.

He was born into the wealthy Zheng family in Tongzhou, which owned tens of thousands of acres of land and had more than a hundred slaves. His father, Zheng Shouren, was the eldest among his peers and was also the patriarch of the Zheng family.

The Zheng family not only owned extensive land, but also had dozens of workshops including rice mills, oil presses, wineries, tofu shops, blacksmith shops, brick kilns, salt fields, etc. They were also engaged in grain and oil trade, had their own docks and grain transport fleets, and were extremely wealthy.

Among the four great gentry in Tongzhou City, Zheng, Wang, Lu and Qian, the Zheng family ranked first with its strong strength. The Tongzhou militia was mainly composed of the Zheng family and enjoyed a high reputation in the local area.

Zheng Guohui was promoted to the rank of the third-rank captain of Jinling City, with nearly 10,000 elite soldiers under his command. He won a great reputation across the country and further strengthened the power of the Zheng family.

Qian Jiang, a captain under Zheng Guohui, was from the Qian family in Tongzhou. The family was also close friends with the Zheng family, and the two families had close intermarriage ties.

The donkey cart was not moving very fast. It took more than half an hour to finally enter the city with its clattering movements.

this morning

Tongzhou City just woke up from the long night. Pedestrians were constantly coming and going in the city streets and alleys. White mist was rising from the doors of restaurants and breakfast shops serving the morning market, emitting a mouth-watering aroma.

The hawkers' shouts echoed one after another, and there were diners feasting at small tables, women walking with baskets on their shoulders, and peddlers carrying loads on their shoulders weaving through the crowd, creating a lively and vibrant atmosphere of life.

Walking along the street and following the cobblestone road, we soon arrived at the gate of Zheng Mansion.

Zheng Guohui got off the covered carriage and looked around. He found that the dozen or so houses on the opposite side of the stone road had been demolished into ruins, and there were several strong men in blue shirts guarding them with sticks.

Seeing more than ten strangers coming to the gate of Zheng's mansion, these strong men in blue clothes immediately became alert. After shouting a warning, they immediately gathered together.

At this moment

Seven or eight burly men in blue robes rushed out from the gatehouse of the Zheng Mansion, shouting, "Who dares to cause trouble in my Zheng Mansion? Are you really that bold?"

Seeing this scene, Zheng Guohui was speechless.

Zheng Shun naturally went to negotiate these trivial matters. He strode forward and slapped the big man who rushed towards him, cursing.
"Zheng Gui, you idiot! You've lost your mind! Open your eyes and see who's back! It's the Second Young Master and Nong Zhengshun. Hurry up and tell the Master and the Mistress to open the main gate and welcome the Second Young Master! Go! If you're any slower, I'll break your legs."

Zheng Shun cursed at him like a machine gun, and slapped him in the face. This woke Zheng Gui up immediately, and he jumped for joy after realizing what was happening.

He turned around and ran towards the mansion, shouting as he ran, "Oh no! The second young master is back! What a great joy! The second young master that the master has been thinking about is back..."

Zheng Gui's hoarse voice was so loud that it could be heard from far away in the quiet morning.

Soon, the entire Zheng Mansion became restless.

Upon hearing the sound, the master, the first lady, the second concubine, the third concubine, the fourth concubine, the fifth concubine, sisters and brothers, the housekeeper and maid, the cook, the servant girl, the private school teacher, the tutor and the servants and guards all rushed out, and the news was still spreading at an alarming speed.

When the masters of the second, third, fourth and fifth rooms who lived on a long street heard the news, they hurried over with their children without even having time to change their clothes.

In just a few minutes, more than a hundred people poured out of the gate of Zheng's mansion, surrounding Zheng Guohui and chattering excitedly. Several ladies were so excited that they cried.

Zheng Guohui didn't hear clearly what anyone said. The chaotic crowd blocked the door and no one could get in.

The master Zheng Shouren, who was left behind, was extremely anxious. He looked at the crowded crowd in front, all gathered around Zheng Guohui.

Zheng Shouren was so anxious that he kept knocking his crutch on the stone pavement and shouted, "Get out of my way! You have no respect for hierarchy. This is outrageous!"

The instructors and guards rushed over to separate the crowd. They didn't dare to take action, so they could only shout;
"Fourth Concubine, please make way and let the master go over to see the Second Young Master."

"Miss San, Miss San, please make way."

"Hey, you idiot, what are you doing here? Fifth Young Master, please make way when you have time. I want to go over there."

"Madam, madam, please don't be so excited. The young master is back. Let's talk it over. How about you give way? The master is still behind us."

Before the crowded crowd here separated, they heard a commotion coming from not far away on the street. A large number of relatives from the second, third, fourth and fifth houses had arrived again.

(End of this chapter)