From street tabloids to the first newspaper of the Republic of China

Twilight Quadruple.

The alleyway was filled with the aroma of food, and the clanging of spatulas could be heard.

Shen Zishi stood at the hotel entrance, a pipe dangling from his mouth, and impatiently shouted upstairs:

"Wang Zheng, are you done yet! Someone invited you to dinner, and you're making them wait? Don't you want some Moutai anymore?"

Lin Wangzheng's voice came from upstairs:

"Coming, coming, what's the rush?"

Footsteps thumped down the stairs.

Today he was wearing a modern student uniform, and his hair was neatly parted in a 3/7 ratio. A small wisp of hair framing his face made him look particularly dashing; at Aurora University, he would definitely be considered a campus heartthrob.

In addition, he was carrying a small cloth bag containing two boxes of Western pastries from "Maggoli Bakery," otherwise he would have had to go to the banquet empty-handed.

Shen Zishi looked his nephew up and down, and surprisingly nodded:

"Finally, I've learned to dress myself up! Last time I went to the Shenbao office, I looked like a waiter. People who didn't know better would have thought I'd hired a waiter. Today, I'll show him what a modern-day Pan An looks like!"

Lin Wangzheng smiled silently.

The two headed towards Sijing Road in the International Settlement, heading to Shi Jiaxiu's home for a banquet.

What's that saying again? A family dinner is the highest form of etiquette!

Leaving the alley and walking east along Aidoya Road, the night wind, carrying the smell of coal, brushed against my face, bringing a touch of coolness.

Autumn is getting stronger.

However, the people of the Shanghai International Settlement were used to nightlife, and the drop in temperature did not have much of an impact. Music was still played and dancing continued as usual, and the streets were even more lively at night than during the day.

They hadn't walked far when a rickshaw sped past them.

Shen Zishi suddenly clutched his waist and said:

"Nephew, shall we take a car?"

Lin Wangzheng shook his head and replied:

"If you don't want to sit, just walk over; it's not far."

Why?

"Ever since I investigated rickshaw pullers, I can't accept this kind of business that treats them like cattle. On ordinary days, it's best to walk; if you're in a hurry, you can take a horse-drawn cart."

"..."

Shen Zishi sighed and put away his pipe. "You're too demanding of yourself, making me suffer along with you. I'm so old, and you expect me to walk?"

Lin Wangzheng glanced at him, his tone sharp:

"It's not that I have high expectations, but look at yourself, you're as big as a bucket now. You should walk more to avoid getting obesity later."

Shen Zishi's face flushed instantly, and he retorted with a stiff neck:

"Fat? I call this a sign of wealth and good fortune! The fortune teller said my physique is a sign of wealth and prosperity in my later years!"

Lin Wangzheng couldn't help but laugh:

"Did the fortune teller say that your wealthy appearance requires you to lose weight in your belly before it will show?"

Shen Zishi was speechless with shock and raised his foot to kick Lin Wangzheng.

Lin Wangzheng dodged forward a few steps, then turned back to provoke him:

"Uncle, if you can even touch the hem of my clothes today, I'll treat you to a rickshaw ride!"

The two of them joked and teased each other until they arrived at Sijing Road.

The alleyway is lined with rows of Shikumen houses, with blue bricks and gray tiles, and patterns carved on the lintels. The streetlights are dimmer than those on Dongxinqiao Street.

The Shi family's house was number 13. It was a two-story building with a large area and should have had a courtyard. They lived a comfortable life.

"Thump, thump, thump—"

This time, Shen Zishi didn't kick the door open; instead, he slowly knocked on it.

When visiting someone's home, you can't just do whatever you want.

A moment later, the door opened.

Behind the door stood a little boy of about four or five years old, wearing a very stylish little suit with a bow tie at the collar, his hair combed even neater than Lin Wangzheng's. His face was round and chubby. He leaned on the door, tilting his head to look at the newcomer, and asked very confidently:

"Are you here to eat too?"

Lin Wangzheng squatted down to be at eye level with the little boy and gently pinched his cheek:

"Yes, what's your name?"

The little boy wasn't annoyed when his face was pinched; instead, he smiled, revealing two missing front teeth.

"My name is Shi Yonggeng! I'm four years old!"

"This is Old Shi's son, let me play with him!"

Shen Zishi pushed Lin Wangzheng aside, bent down and picked up the little boy, then frantically frightened him.

The little boy looked frightened; his lips trembled, his eyes instantly welled up with tears, and he looked like he was about to cry.

Shen Zishi quickly patted his back and shamelessly coaxed him:

"Grandpa was just kidding! Don't cry, don't cry!"

"You son of a bitch!"

Shi Jiaxiu hurriedly walked out of the main house, wishing he could kick Shen Zishi.

Shen Zishi laughed heartily and returned the "hostage".

The little boy buried his head in his father's arms, but ultimately didn't cry. He looked at Lin Wangzheng with curiosity.

Shi Jiaxiu held his son in one arm and gestured with the other:

"We've been waiting for you for ages, come in quickly."

The uncle and nephew entered the courtyard together.

The yard was planted with flowers and plants, and there was a water tank in the corner with several goldfish swimming around, wagging their tails.

Shi Jiaxiu shouted towards the kitchen:

"The guests have arrived, come out and greet them!"

The kitchen curtain was lifted, and two women came out.

The one in front was older, around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, with her hair pulled back and adorned with a silver hairpin. She had a round face and gentle features.

The one behind was younger, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with delicate features and an indescribable charm in her eyes.

Shi Jiaxiu pointed to the older woman and said:

"This is my wife, Pang Mingde."

After saying that, he pointed to the smaller woman and said:

"This is the concubine, Shen Qiushui."

The two women smiled and nodded in unison.

That's right, this media tycoon had two wives.

His first wife, Pang Mingde, was his childhood betrothal gift. After their marriage, she assisted Shi Jiaxiu in founding the Songhu Girls' Sericulture School, the first vocational school for women in the Xia Kingdom. Now that he was running a newspaper, she was even more helpful in handling all matters, big and small. It can be said that half of Shi Jiaxiu's success was due to her.

As for his other half, it was Shen Qiushui, who was once a famous courtesan.

Shen Qiushui, whose original name was Shen Huizhi, was known as one of the "Three Beauties of the Fourth Street Brothel" along with her elder sisters Lingzhi and Caizhi. Among the three, she was the most intelligent and quick-witted, with superb skills in playing the zither and chess, making her a woman of both beauty and talent.

A complicated past is a standard feature of every courtesan. She was initially taken in by Tao Baojun, a patron from Dantu, who promised to redeem her with a large sum of money after the military campaign in the north. After Tao Baojun left, Huizhi met Qian Youshi from Sijing and his fellow townsman Shi Jiaxiu. The Qian family owned three thousand acres of fertile land and several rice shops, and were deeply infatuated with Huizhi, also promising to redeem her with a large sum of money. However, Huizhi neither loved power nor wealth, but instead developed feelings for Shi Jiaxiu, her chess partner and musical soulmate, yet she struggled to confess her love.

One day, a prince from the capital arrived in Shanghai and fell in love at first sight with Huizhi, a courtesan from Jiangnan, and redeemed her. However, the prince soon fell ill and died. Unable to endure the accusations and insults from the prince's wives and concubines, Huizhi fled the capital on a dark and stormy night and returned to Yingchunfang on Fourth Road. Shortly after, Tao Baojun returned from his northern expedition. The Shanghai governor, Chen Qimei, invited him to a banquet. Unaware of the trap, Tao went to the banquet, entrusting the large sum of military funds he had brought with him to Huizhi for safekeeping before leaving. Unexpectedly, as soon as his carriage entered the Haifang Hall compound at the Xiaodongmen gate of the governor's mansion, he was shot and killed on the spot.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Huizhi was terrified. Shi Jiaxiu went to see her, and Huizhi recounted how Tao Baojun had entrusted her with hiding a huge sum of military funds. Shi Jiaxiu told Huizhi, "If anyone asks, hand over the money. If no one asks, don't make a sound. Don't worry, I will protect your safety." Thus, Huizhi, along with the large sum of money, entrusted herself to Shi Jiaxiu. After marrying Huizhi, Shi Jiaxiu renamed her Shen Qiushui. Later, Shen Qiushui moved into the Shi household, becoming his wife, managing the household affairs, and handling all social interactions.

That's how the money they later used to acquire the Shen Bao newspaper came about.

Shi Yonggeng calls his birth mother, Pang Mingde, "Good Mom," and Shen Qiushui "My Real Mom." The family lives in harmony and has never had any arguments or conflicts.

Speaking of being a playboy, this is a bit too much of a playboy, and the key is that his harem never caught fire...

However, Lin Wangzheng still bowed respectfully and said with his hands clasped:

"Hello, uncles."

"Oh my, this child is so polite."

Pang Mingde's eyes narrowed into slits as he laughed.

Shen Qiushui also smiled, looked Lin Wangzheng up and down, and then turned to Shi Jiaxiu and said:

"He's even more handsome than you described."

Shi Jiaxiu laughed heartily:

"How could the son of an old friend be bad?"

The two women took out red envelopes and handed them over one after the other.

Lin Wangzheng quickly waved his hand, declining the offer:

"Aunt, this is unacceptable!"

Unexpectedly, Shen Zishi rushed forward, snatched two red envelopes, stuffed them all into his pocket, and said with a grin:

"A fool wouldn't take advantage of such a good deal; I'll keep it for him!"

Pang Mingde and Shen Qiushui exchanged a glance, rolled their eyes at the same time, smiled, turned around and went back to the kitchen, the curtain falling behind them.

"Shameless."

Shi Jiaxiu was very disdainful and told the child to go find his mother himself, then led the two of them into the living room.

A group of people were already sitting inside, and they all stood up when they saw them arrive.

Shi Jiaxiu introduced them one by one.

"This is Wang Yaoqin, the director of the application department. He's a long-time employee of the Songhu Women's Sericulture School, and we ran the school together."

"This is Huang Yanqing, the director of the General Affairs Department, and my family's old housekeeper."

"This is Feng Zipei, the head of the accounting department."

"This is Xu Canting, the head of the distribution department."

"This is the chief writer of 'Free Talk,' a fan of Wu Jue."

Those whose names were called all greeted Lin Wangzheng and showered him with praise.

Lin Wangzheng returned the greetings one by one.

Finally, Shi Jiaxiu pointed to Chen Huasheng, who was holding the tea:

"This 'cold-blooded' guy needs no introduction, right?"

Lin Wangzheng nodded and greeted Chen Huasheng.

The atmosphere in the living room warmed up. Some people offered seats, some poured tea, and some offered cigarettes. Shen Zishi didn't try to steal the spotlight. He found a chair in a corner, crossed his legs, smoked a pipe, and looked at Lin Wangzheng with a smile.

Shi Jiaxiu arranged for everyone to sit down, and he himself sat down in the main seat, picked up his teacup, and took a sip:

"Let's have some tea and chat first, then wait for the individual meals to begin."

"Who?" Shen Zishi asked.

Shi Jiaxiu waved his hand, maintaining his mystery:

You'll find out soon enough.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone gradually got down to business.

Wang Yaoqin put down his teacup and looked at Shi Jiaxiu:

"Brother Shi, what's your decision regarding building the new building?"

Shi Jiaxiu leaned back in his chair and tapped the armrest twice lightly.

"We've thought it through. We've invited everyone here today not only to celebrate Wang Zheng joining the Shen Bao newspaper, but also to discuss this matter."

"Build a new building?" Lin Wangzheng asked, somewhat puzzled.

Shi Jiaxiu glanced at him and smiled:

"You didn't know? No wonder, you're new here, but it's a long story..."

He became lost in his memories and recounted the inside story in detail.

Because the Shenbao newspaper was acquired from Xi Zipei, and last year, Xi Zipei was ousted from the Shenbao newspaper. He was advised by Wang Hanxi of the Xinwenbao newspaper to file a lawsuit with the Public Trial Chamber, accusing Shi Jiaxiu of infringing on his trademark rights.

The lawsuit dragged on for a long time and became quite ugly, eventually leading to Shi Jiaxiu being sent to the police station. Fortunately, Xu Jingren, the owner of Puyi Yarn Factory, vouched for him, allowing him to be released.

The final judgment was for 205,000 silver dollars, and with the help of Sir MacLoughlin, an English lawyer, 42,000 silver dollars were raised, thus bringing the case to a close.

However, it can also be considered a blessing in disguise.

Chen Huasheng pushed up his glasses and continued the conversation:

"I often went to the Xilou nightclub to play cards. All sorts of people came there, and they were well-informed. Once, I met a comprador named Lu Shaotang. When we talked about the Shenbao stall, he said he was willing to build a world-class European-style building for Shenbao at the lowest possible price."

Shen Zishi asked in confusion:

How cheap?

Chen Huasheng glanced at him and felt that this person was deliberately making a fuss:

"The exact figures are still under negotiation, but they will definitely be much lower than the market price. We are currently selecting a site, which is on Wangping Street. Once the site is chosen, construction can begin as soon as possible. At that time, we will have our own building when we apply for approval."

The core members all wore expressions of satisfaction, as if they had just eaten their fill of flatbread.

The future looks promising!

Lin Wangzheng nodded, leaned close to Shen Zishi's ear, and whispered something:

"From now on, we can use the newspaper office that handles our applications for the Shenbao newspaper!"

Shen Zishi turned his head, glanced at him, and the two smiled at each other.

It's a fool not to take advantage of a good deal! The uncle and nephew have lived together for so long that they've long been assimilated by each other, it's just a matter of degree.

Once the building is built, new printing equipment will definitely be needed. We'll talk to Shi Jiaxiu then and see if we can get some printing services.

You can even rent a room inside to use as a distribution point, so you don't have to hide it anymore!

However, it's estimated that building a new building won't be completed anytime soon.

Shi Jiaxiu saw the two men grinning mischievously and felt a chill run down his spine. He stood up, greeted them, and went to the kitchen to help with the cooking.

Just as I stepped out the door, there was another knock on the courtyard gate, very softly and with restraint.

Shi Jiaxiu walked straight over and opened the door.

A young man, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, stood outside the door. He was wearing a dark suit, his hair was neatly combed, his face was thin, his cheekbones were high, and he exuded a chivalrous air.

He was carrying two bottles of liquor wrapped in newspaper, so it was impossible to tell what brand they were.

"Ji Luan, you've finally arrived!"

Shi Jiaxiu took the wine and quickly ushered Zhang Jiluan in: "You've come all this way, why bring wine... Oh ho, it's even old age wine! That's quite a gesture!"

The two crossed the yard and returned to the living room.

The people in the living room all stood up.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Chen Huasheng was the first to step forward:

"Brother Ji Luan! It's been a long time!"

Zhang Jiluan grasped his hand:

"Was the last time we met before I went to Beiping?"

"Yes, the year before last! I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Well, it's fortunate that I made it back to Shanghai alive."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a while.

Shi Jiaxiu led Zhang Jiluan to the center of the living room and introduced her to everyone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Zhang Jiluan. In the first year of the Republic of China, when the Nanjing Provisional Government was established, he was President Sun Yat-sen's secretary and participated in drafting the 'Provisional President's Inaugural Declaration.' In the second year of the Republic of China, he founded a branch of the 'Minli Daily' in Beiping, exposing the draft agreement for the loan from the Five Nations Banking Consortium to the Beiyang Government. He was arrested and imprisoned in the Military and Political Law Enforcement Bureau for more than 100 days. After his release, he wrote 'One Hundred Days in Prison,' recounting his experiences in prison."

"When someone asked him if he was afraid, he said, 'A journalist who hasn't been to jail isn't a good journalist!'"

Everyone applauded.

Only Lin Wangzheng stood at the back of the crowd, staring blankly as Zhang Jiluan greeted everyone one by one.

This person came out alive from the military and political law enforcement department.

According to the timeline of historical writing, this means that he and the original owner's father were imprisoned in the same place, and the two may have met.

Zhang Jiluan turned around one last time and saw Lin Wangzheng.

He was not yet twenty years old, wearing a school uniform, with a handsome face and a sharp, heroic air between his brows.

He stood there, neither moving forward nor retreating, just standing there. Like an old tree, its roots firmly planted in the ground, unmoved by the wind.

Their eyes met under the living room lights.

Zhang Jiluan's lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. She took two steps forward and then stopped, as if confirming something.

Then, he suddenly laughed, a laugh of relief, as if he had found something. He then lowered his head and wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes.

"So similar."

The people in the living room, unaware of what had happened, fell silent and stared at the two.

Zhang Jiluan raised her head and glanced at Lin Wangzheng again; her eyes were already red.

Lin Wangzheng realized what he meant, his brows furrowed, he wanted to say something, but he didn't say it.

Under everyone's gaze, Zhang Jiluan slowly squatted down, covered her face with her hands, and her shoulders heaved violently.

He was crying.