20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 459 Everyone has their own agenda
"Noble?" Jiang Lianheng stood up and asked with a smile, "How expensive are nobles?"

Everyone was amused, and then there was a roar in the room, which frightened the four "foreign Guanyins" so much that they didn't know what to do.

There was still fear and shrinking on their faces, so they still looked half human.

Jiang Lian walked forward gracefully, picked out a so-called aristocratic girl, suddenly raised his hand, pinched her chin, turned her around, and looked at her carefully for a moment.

Indeed, compared with those Russian girls just now, these "foreign Guanyin" in front of them seemed particularly pleasing to the eye.

His hair is brighter, his features are smoother, his face has more flesh, his body has no injuries, and his frame has become much lighter, perhaps because he has not yet fully grown.

Although it cannot be said that he was meticulously cared for, he should not have suffered any serious harm.

"How are they, Boss Jiang?" said the man in the dog-skin hat, Pang. "These were all coded in August and September. Are they okay?"

"It looks good."

Jiang Lianheng lowered his arm, grabbed the hand of the "foreign Guanyin", rubbed the palm of his thumb twice, and then smiled slightly.

These were hands that had been used in work, not those of an aristocrat at all.

But he didn't care about it. Nobility was just a gimmick. When it came to business, Pan Erliang was the real deal.

Xue Yingqing felt that it was not satisfactory, so he asked, "How much are these?"

"Eighty dollars, in dollars."

The price of the dog-skin hat was quadrupled on the spot. When Sheng Baoku heard this, he hurried over to plead for a bargain.

"Brother, Shopkeeper Xue and his men have been close friends of mine for many years. Please give me a discount and waive my share for my sake!"

The man in the dog-skin hat glanced at him with disdain, but said, "For Mr. Zhan's sake, seventy dollars."

Sheng Baoku added: "Brother, this is not about money. They are in this for the long term. Don't treat this as a one-time deal."

"If you take Yangzi back and make her a prostitute, you can get your money back in a few months. This price is not expensive." As he said that, the man in the dog-skin hat suddenly looked at Tou Daozi, "However, for this brother's sake, I can reduce the price by another ten yuan."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was stunned and looked at Tou Daozi. Except for Xue Yingqing, even Kang Zheng was a little confused.

"Hmm?" Sheng Baoku looked around, "What do you mean? Do you know each other?"

"I don't know him, but he looks familiar." The dog-skin hat asked Tou Daozi, "Brother, have you eaten and strolled in the mountains before?"

Toudaozi himself was also stunned for a moment, his cloudy eyes fixed on the other person's face, and he pondered for a while, but it seemed that because it was too long ago, he still had no clue in his mind.

"If I remember correctly, your name seems to be Bramu, right?" asked the man in the dog-skin hat with a smile.

The leader immediately became alert and asked, "Did I call you?"

"Hahaha, that's not the case. It seems like you really forgot about it, brother. No wonder. It's been nearly twenty years."

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but calculate in their hearts.

Toudaozi has a rough face and is actually only about thirty-five or thirty-six years old. Twenty years ago, he would have been seventeen or eighteen years old, at the age when he was vigorous and fearless. Could it be that he looked so mature before?

The man in the dog-skin hat smiled and said, "We used to fight the Russians together. They called me 'Chuan Lin Zi' back then. Have you forgotten?"

"I have some impression." Tou Daozi lied and actually didn't remember it at all.

"The year of Gengzi?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

The man in the dog-skin hat shook his head and said, "After the Gengzi Year, it will be just the next two or three years!"

This is not the case anymore.

Back then, when the Russians led their troops south, General Fengji surrendered without a fight. There were indeed several gangs of Hu bandits, large and small, who had several encounters with the Russians.

This gang of green forest bandits subsequently gathered together the remnants of the boxing group, defeated Qing army soldiers, and local militia. At its peak, it had about 20,000 people.

The so-called "loyal and righteous army" that fought against the Russian invaders and recovered the country's territory came from this.

Eventually, this force was defeated and destroyed by the joint encirclement and suppression of the Qing government and the Russians. The remaining remnants retreated back to the mountains and gradually disappeared.

The man in the dog-skin hat still remembered Toudaozi, not because he had a good memory, but because Toudaozi was too fierce in front of the battle. He was simply a man who didn't care about his life. Moreover, all around him were Zhang, Wang, Li and Zhao, and there was only one Solon man named Bramu, so of course he left a deep impression on him.

"Brother, aren't you hanging around in the mountains now?" he asked with a smile.

The head knife leaned over and rubbed his hands twice, shook his head, and said with a snort: "I didn't mix well in the first place."

"That's normal. If there's unrest on the mountain, either you kill me or I kill you." The man in the dog-skin hat said self-deprecatingly, "Don't talk about others. Even I have changed three mountaintops in the past twenty years."

Tou Daozi said nothing more.

Sheng Baoku hurriedly smiled and surrounded them, saying, "Oh my, look at this! That's why they say that when you are in the arena, you will meet again! This is really a case of acquaintances connecting acquaintances, and friends connecting friends. I think today we have both done business and fulfilled the righteousness!"

Unexpectedly, Xue Yingqing said: "Business is business. These are acceptable, but sixty dollars is still a bit expensive."

"Manager Xue, how about you give me a price?" asked the man in the dog-skin hat.

"Don't ask me. You have to listen to the boss about this matter. I'm just telling you my opinion."

"What do you think, Boss Jiang?"

Jiang Lianheng was stunned. He had never done this business before. He was not sure if he would be treated as a fool just by opening his mouth. He felt a little uneasy.

After thinking it over and weighing it over again and again and hesitating for a moment, he finally opened his mouth and offered: "Forty dollars, forty dollars, I want it all."

"Hahaha, Boss Jiang is straightforward, deal!"

"Ok?"

When Jiang Lianheng heard this, his face turned dark. He thought to himself, brother, you should at least hesitate for a moment, even if you were pretending. I will feel better even if I lose!

He turned his head and glanced at Xue Yingqing. Seeing that she didn't react, he felt a little relieved and felt that he was not such a sucker.

The kidnapping of the "foreign Guanyin" by the bandits was originally a business that made huge profits without any investment, and of course there was no such thing as losing money. However, they suddenly cut the price in half, and I don't know whether it was because the price they offered was too high or because they were ignorant in bargaining.

The man in the dog-skin hat explained in a clear voice: "It doesn't matter whether the business can be done in the long run or not. The main thing is the relationship between Zhan Ye and Bramu. I also want to take this opportunity to make friends with Boss Jiang."

After hearing this, Jiang Lianheng felt much better.

"Brother, you are too polite. We are all online friends. We don't need to talk about business when we talk about friendship. But the point is, I don't even know where your mountain is--"

"Boss Jiang, don't worry too much. Mountains are dead, but people are alive. No gangster will die on a mountain. I am glad to meet you today, so our trip to the city is not in vain."

Everyone looked at each other and gradually realized that the Jiang family had indeed become famous.

Sheng Baoku laughed and said, "Okay, okay, we have gathered here today. How do you two plan to settle this business?"

No one would walk around the street with a hundred or eighty dollars in cash in their pocket.

Jiang Lianheng suggested: "How about I give you a deposit first, and then I'll send someone to pick up the rice seedlings later?"

"No need!" The man in the dog-skin hat waved his hand, "I've heard of Boss Jiang. The three words 'ghost knocking on the door' are your deposit."

The four "noble girls" didn't understand the conversation, so they just looked at Jiang Lianheng blankly. Xue Ying glanced at them and suddenly said, "The key is how to connect. The white-haired people in Harbin are quite powerful, right?"

The man in the dog-skin hat laughed and said, "Don't worry, Manager Xue. These Russians all fled from the north in droves and dared not report to the authorities. If they really go back there, they will either be coolies or digging potatoes. You just need to give them a bowl of rice and they will stay here on their own."

The foreign war has not ended yet, and the civil war has just begun.

The Russians have been in turmoil for a long time, and the serfs are starving. These "noble girls" are just seeking a safe haven. If they really wanted to go back, they would not have escaped here in the first place.

The man in the dog-skin hat said, "If you are really worried, just hire a car to take them to Kuanchengzi and take them on the South Manchuria Railway. The Japanese won't care about this."

"I'll think about this when I get back." Jiang Lianheng raised his hand and asked everyone to stand up. "Then let's keep these 'foreign Guanyin' with me for now? When we return and exchange them for cash, we'll come back to find you tomorrow."

"Okay, let's meet here at the same time tomorrow. We'll wait for Boss Jiang here."

Sheng Baoku quickly smiled and said in a high-profile tone: "Okay, the deal is done. How about this, brothers, go to the city and have a meal?"

"No!" The man in the dog-skin hat waved his hand impatiently, "Brothers, it's inconvenient to go into the city, so I won't talk about useless things."

"Understood, understood."

Jiang Lianheng and others walked towards the outer room.

When they were near the door, he stepped aside to let them pass, but the man in the dog-skin hat said, "You go find Master Zhan first. I'll gather the rice seedlings here and come find you soon."

Without giving it much thought, everyone left the room first.

At this time, the two Hu bandits who were watching the seedlings finally spoke up.

"Brother Pang, when we do kidnapping business in our mountain, when have we ever negotiated the price with anyone? Aren't we being too indulgent to them?"

"I think so too. On the one hand, they say they have plenty of money, but on the other hand, they are trying to bargain. What kind of nonsense is that!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" The man in the dog-skin hat scolded in a deep voice, "He is the leader of Fengtian. It's worth it to use a few tricks to make friends with him!"

"What does the leader of Fengtian have to do with us?" The two bandits were puzzled.

The man in the dog-skin hat frowned and patiently explained, "The Jiang family has a shop in Fengtian, and they are very good at listening. If they can give us a leaf when there is another bandit suppression outside the Great Wall, it will be convenient for us to withdraw in advance. And--"

He suddenly glanced out the window and continued, "I heard that the Jiang family has connections in the spray gun business. We might be able to do business with them in the future."

The two bandits woke up as if from a dream and nodded immediately: "Brother Pang, now that you mention it, I remember that last year a group of gangsters came from the south. The gang was very powerful, even with the Japanese mountain artillery. They were fucking bastards, and it seemed that they came from Fengtian."

"You mean the guy named Li? Humph, he's a little crazy, just wait and see!"

"Brother Pang, why didn't you mention this to Mr. Jiang just now?"

"That's too obvious. The first time is strange, the second time is familiar. The more you talk about your friendship, the easier it will be to handle things in the future!"

As he spoke, the man in the dog-skin hat glanced at the foreign Guanyins and snorted, "Forty dollars in cash is not too little. These bitches can only be sold at a good price now. Now they are flocking to our place. When there are more people in the future, they won't be so interesting anymore."

The four "noble girls" rubbed their arms timidly. Although they could not understand what he was saying, they could guess their future fate.

…………

Inside the main house in the inner courtyard, Guan Fu stood on tiptoe and looked out the window. When he saw Xue Yingqing coming out of the side room, his small eyes, like date pits, immediately gleamed with brilliance.

"Hiss - Godfather, look, this little girl is so sexy!"

Mr. Zhan closed his eyes slightly, took two puffs of his pipe, and reminded him in a deep voice: "Boy, I'm telling you, stop causing trouble for me!"

"Men should get married when they are old enough, and women should get married when they are old enough. How is this called making trouble?" Guan Fu's eyes were fixed on the beautiful figure outside the window.

"You should move that thing to another place to warm it up. Jiang Lianheng is not an ordinary person, so don't mess with him."

Uncle Zhan tapped his pipe twice on the spittoon and sighed, "Now, Heilongjiang and Fengtian provinces are all in the hands of Zhang Lao Geda. I think Jilin will be in his hands soon. Harbin is such an important place, and it will definitely be replaced by Zhang Dashuai's confidants. By then, my relationship will be useless, and it is uncertain whether I can continue to be the 'director'! Let's make friends with the Jiang family as soon as possible, just in case."

"Ah, yes, yes, godfather is right!"

Guan Fu scratched his crotch and looked at Xue Yingqing. He felt as if there were ants crawling on his heart and could not help but grimace.

"But... Godfather, this little slut seduced me!"

"What?" Zhan Ye's eyes suddenly widened.

"Really, really. When we were in the room just now, she glanced at me twice, and I felt like she was interested in me."

"Bullshit! She was fucking looking at me!"

"That's different. She just smiled at me. She must have had that thought."

"You little bastard, if you dare to have any evil thoughts, I'll beat you to death!"

While cursing, Uncle Zhan poked his adopted son on the back with the "whip" in his hand.

"Hey, godfather, what are you doing?" Guan Fu turned around and said aggrievedly, "I didn't say I kidnapped her. We are just looking for a wife openly. There is no taboo. Does that mean that wandering around can't get married?"

"You? And you're doing it in a fair and aboveboard manner?" Zhan Ye frowned, "Can you please stop embarrassing me?"

As he was talking, he heard the door suddenly open, and Jiang Lianheng and others walked into the room with a smile, clasped their hands and said, "Master Zhan!"

Before Zhan Ye could say anything, Guan Fu immediately started wagging his tail.

"Hey, Shopkeeper Xue, are you back? Why did you take so long? Come, please sit down. I just warmed up this chair for you!"

Showing courtesy for nothing is either cheating or stealing.

How could Xue Yingqing not see through his little thoughts? He pretended not to hear anything and just stood in front of the hall with everyone else. He said a few words to Zhan Ye, and when the man with the dog-skin hat came back from the wing, they bowed to each other and said goodbye.

Guan Fu immediately stood up to see him off on behalf of Zhan Ye, showing every courtesy.

A few people walked through the hall and courtyard and soon came out of the "Shuangcheng Mansion Beggars' House".

The little follower named Yu, who was driving the carriage, had been waiting at the gate for a long time.

"Come on, Manager Xue, let me help you get into the car. It's winter now, so be careful not to get bumped into anything." Guan Fu followed behind with a flattering smile on his face.

Sheng Baoku took the opportunity to pull Jiang Lianheng aside and asked quietly, "Boss Jiang, the deal is done. How about we go somewhere else?"

Jiang Lianheng looked around and laughed softly, "Old Qian, if you have anything to say, don't beat around the bush and just say it."

Not far away, the little follower named Yu scratched his head. He wanted to come over to listen, but he was afraid that this action would be too obvious, so he rolled his eyes anxiously.

At this moment, Kang Zheng came towards them and was about to get into the carriage. The little follower smiled and asked, "Brother, what are you doing here?"

Kang Zheng frowned and asked, "Does this have anything to do with you?"

"Are you guys... coming here to buy female hair?"

Seeing Kang Zheng's face suddenly turned cold, the little follower hurriedly lowered his voice and explained:

"Brother, don't get me wrong. If you really want to buy Maozi, I have connections. The goods here are better than theirs!"

(End of this chapter)