20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 486: A Big Family Is Exhausting [6K]

In the north of Fengtian City, there is the Jiang family mansion.

Outside the window, the bleak autumn wind blew past, making the pomegranate tree in the courtyard rustle.

Doctor Jia Shukai put away his stethoscope, buckled the medical box, and then turned around and said with a smile, "Madam, don't worry, it's nothing serious."

Hu Xiaoyan was leaning against the head of the bed, her face a little pale. Although she looked listless, she looked relaxed and did not seem to be suffering from any illness.

"Thank you for your hard work, Doctor Jia." She smiled lightly and nodded slightly.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Ruqing, who was sitting at the end of the bed, came over and said, "Doctor Jia, why don't you stay and have dinner before leaving?"

Jia Shukai quickly waved his hand: "No, no, there's something else going on at the hospital. I have to go back before the evening."

"Then let Dongfeng drive you back?" Hu Xiaoyan suggested immediately.

Jia Shukai stood up and looked at the time. He didn't refuse anymore and nodded and smiled, "Okay, time is indeed a bit tight. Thank you for your kindness, Madam."

After saying that, he bowed and said goodbye, then turned and walked towards the bedroom door.

Xu Ruqing hurriedly followed behind, casually asking a few questions about Dr. Old Jia's recent condition while escorting Dr. Young Jia to the corridor outside the door.

The most unretainable thing in the world is that the red face leaves the mirror and the flowers leave the tree - the "Chuanerhong" has also grown old.

Xu Ruqing is now in his fifties. The skin on his shoulders and neck is loose, the wrinkles on his face are becoming more and more distinct, and most of his originally jet-black long hair has been cut off, with the roots gradually turning gray.

Time is fierce. The fame and beauty of "Chuan'erhong", who was once a famous figure in Fengtian's romantic scene, have all gone with the wind without a trace.

However, time not only brings aging, but also wipes away her cleverness in her glory days and cures her madness when she is humiliated.

The past is like smoke, fading away without a trace.

When life returns to ordinary, there is a bit more peace and kindness between the brows.

Xu Ruqing now looks no different from an ordinary old lady next door, except that she has more money and leads a more leisurely life, that's all.

Her greatest daily pleasure was listening to Jiang Ya playing the piano, reciting Tang poems and singing nursery rhymes. When the little girl was naughty, she would hold her in her arms and would not tolerate Jiang or Hu beating or scolding her.

After opening the door, Jiang Ya immediately squeezed through Xu Ruqing and Jia Shukai, rushed into the bedroom, and ran to the bedside, asking anxiously, "Mom, mom, what's wrong with you?"

"I'm not feeling uncomfortable anywhere." Hu Xiaoyan took her daughter's hand and smiled to comfort her, "Mom is just a little tired."

"Did you get the injection?"

“No need for an injection.”

"Have you taken your medicine?"

“No need to take medicine.”

"Then how can you get better?"

"Mom, you'll be fine after a nap."

"Then can I lie down with you for a while?" Jiang Ya blinked and said, "I promise not to make a sound!"

"Okay, come up then." Hu Xiaoyan smiled and moved in a few times to make some room for her daughter, then asked, "What did you learn in school?"

Jiang Ya said proudly, "A lot. I memorize things the fastest in the class, and the teacher always praises me!"

Hu Xiaoyan's eyes lit up and she said quickly, "Really? What did you learn? Recite it to me..."

As the mother and daughter were talking, Jia Shukai saw them and couldn't help but smile and praise them, "Young Miss is so precocious. She has grown up so fast and is so sensible!"

Xu Ruqing was happy in her heart and smiling in her eyes, but she said, "This child has a loud voice and is always noisy. She doesn't act like a little girl. I'm sorry to make you laugh."

"Hey, it's a good thing for children to have personality!" Jia Shukai said as he walked, "Besides, now is a new era, little girls and little boys are the same, they should be nurtured well, and children's nature should not be suppressed."

Xu Ruqing nodded: "Haha, Doctor Jia has studied abroad, so his perspective is different from us rough folks."

As they were talking, the two of them came to the stairs in the corridor and happened to meet the brothers Dongfeng and Beifeng who were running towards them following the sound.

Zhang Zhengdong was wearing a black shirt and black pants, and his skin was a bit dark, making him look like a blurry and elongated shadow.

Zhao Zhengbei was still wearing a neat military uniform, a leather belt, black military boots, a peaked cap in his left hand and white gloves in his right hand. He had a strong figure and majestic manners, revealing masculinity everywhere, and his brows were full of heroic spirit. Now he is the battalion commander of the 2nd Regiment of the 3rd Mixed Brigade of the Fengtian Army.

Logically speaking, considering the Jiang family's connections in the provincial government's military camp, Beifeng's promotion shouldn't be so slow.

However, over the past few years, Hu Xiaoyan has never helped him to build relationships in the military camp, or to smooth his network of contacts, to help him get a higher military rank or an easier and more lucrative job as soon as possible.

Not only did he not help, but he also deliberately slowed down Zhao Zhengbei's promotion, and downplayed his relationship with the Jiang family everywhere, especially trying his best to downplay his "merit in saving the lord" back then. He didn't say anything and didn't think about it. When others occasionally brought it up, he would just laugh it off and never talk about it any more, as if it never happened.

Zhao Zhengbei might not understand this good intention, but he has always been respectful to his sister-in-law, so naturally he never objected to her arrangements, let alone expressed dissatisfaction.

In Hu Xiaoyan's opinion, promotion is not about speed, but about doing it right.

It is true that Zhao Zhengbei is brave and fearless, but whether he can be considered a talented general remains to be tested in the future.

The official path is full of dangers and obstacles. Only by taking one step at a time can one become solid and win the support of the people. If one rises to the sky quickly, although he is in a high position, he is bound to be envied and hated by villains, who will secretly trip him up, and in the end he will probably fall even harder.

Not to mention Zhao Zhengbei, even if the prince was in a high position, most of the Fengtian Army soldiers were unwilling to obey him, but no one dared to do anything bad.

When one's ability does not match the title, official title becomes a curse; especially when one is in the military camp, if things go wrong, one will be dealt with by military law.

So, in the eighth year of the Republic of China, the Military Academy resumed classes. After Zhao Zhengbei completed the rest of his studies, he became the battalion commander, a position he has held until now.

However, as a battalion commander, he lives a more comfortable life than many regiment commanders.

The reason is simple, it's because this is the formation where the prince is, Marshal Zhang loves his son, and allocated all the best equipment to the Third Mixed Brigade. The officers, big or small, have never been in arrears of military pay, and all treatments are more generous.

Hu Xiaoyan was ill, and Zhao Zhengbei was worried when he heard the news, so he simply took a few days off to go home and visit her.

As soon as he saw the doctor coming out of the bedroom, Bei Feng immediately stepped forward and asked, "Doctor Jia, how is my sister-in-law?"

"Oh, Chief Zhao." Jia Shukai said hurriedly, "Mrs. Jiang is fine. She is just overworked. She just needs to take good care of herself. You don't need to worry too much."

"Nothing wrong?" Zhao Zhengbei asked suspiciously, "Why are you so confused if nothing is wrong? Didn't you faint once?"

Jia Shukai nodded and explained, "Don't worry, Chief Zhao. We have checked everything that needs to be checked. Madam Jiang really doesn't have any symptoms. She probably fainted because she was overworked on a daily basis, and she was originally weak..."

At this point, he hesitated for a moment, and then he continued carefully: "Mrs. Jiang is not very mobile, and she is usually bored at home. In addition, she often turns day and night upside down. If this continues, even if she is not sick, she will get sick sooner or later."

"How should I recuperate?" Zhao Zhengbei asked blankly.

Jia Shukai smiled and said, "Actually, there's nothing special about it. Just eat on time. If you feel dizzy, just hold a piece of candy in your mouth. Exercise more and take a rest. You'll be fine after a while."

"Strengthen exercise, take good rest..." Zhao Zhengbei repeated it twice, and couldn't help but muttered softly: "Isn't this contradictory? Doctor Jia, don't we need to go to the hospital for another checkup?"

Zhang Zhengdong waved his hand and said, "My sister-in-law felt dizzy before and went to the hospital once, but nothing was found."

"Why don't we go to the military hospital?" Zhao Zhengbei suggested, "I'll ask the doctor in the camp?"

Xu Ruqing immediately secretly grabbed a handful of Beifeng and said with a smile without changing his expression: "Xiaodong, Doctor Jia is in a hurry to go back to the hospital, you go down and drive him there!"

Zhang Zhengdong responded and immediately led Jia Shukai down the stairs.

Zhao Zhengbei came to his senses immediately after being pulled by Xu Ruqing, and quickly followed him to see him off.

In fact, ever since Hu Xiaoyan started to feel unwell, she had already visited various major hospitals for consultation, both Chinese and Western medicine, both Eastern and Western medicine, Shi Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Fengtian Medical University, and even the Military Hospital.

In the end, all the doctors came to the same conclusion - Jiang's eldest sister-in-law was not sick, she was just overworked and must pay attention to her health.

After passing through the entrance hall, the two brothers escorted Dr. Jia Shukai out of the room.

Today, the Jiang family mansion has already undergone another expansion.

The changes to the western-style house were minor, except that a gentle slope was added to the stairs; but the entire house was twice as large as before. Not only were two gatehouses built on the east and west sides for the "Xiangzi" who guarded the house and the long-term male servants in the family to stay, the courtyard was also paved with asphalt. The surrounding grass and green plants were trimmed in neat squares and circles, setting off a small double-decker flower bed in the middle. If you look down from a high altitude, the road surface in the courtyard is like a key.

Zhang Zhengdong walked to the car and was about to open the door when he suddenly heard the roar of an engine coming from outside the yard.

Looking up, I saw Jiang Lianheng's car coming back.

Seeing this, Jia Shukai hurried forward and greeted with a smile: "Boss Jiang is back?"

"Hey, Doctor Jia, why are you in such a hurry? Let's eat first!" As soon as the car door opened, Jiang Lianheng asked, "How is my wife?"

The two of them were old friends, so they were not unfamiliar with each other and there was not so much false courtesy.

Jia Shukai then repeated what he had said before.

Jiang Lianheng opened his mouth and asked, "Doctor Jia, would it help to give her some ginseng to nourish her?"

"No, no," Jia Shukai said hurriedly, "My sister-in-law is fine. She is weak to begin with. It's okay to eat something good, but don't eat anything else. The most important thing is to get more rest."

"Okay, okay, thank you for your hard work, Doctor Jia." Jiang Lianheng said with a smile, "Dongfeng, send Doctor Jia back quickly."

Zhang Zhengdong nodded and started the car.

Yuan Xinfa and others immediately opened the iron gate, and saw the car circling the flower bed and then slowly driving towards the gate of the mansion.

Jiang Lianheng watched him for a while, then turned around and walked into the mansion, asking Beifeng as he walked, "When did you get home?" "Just got back around noon." Zhao Zhengbei followed behind and said, "Brother, I have to tell you something. There's been some movement in the camp recently."

"Is it urgent?" Jiang Lianheng asked, "No hurry, let's talk about it in the evening. I'll go upstairs to see your sister-in-law first. By the way, your second and third brothers will also be home for dinner in the evening. If you have nothing to do tomorrow, let's have a drink in the evening."

Over the past three years, Wang Zhengnan and Li Zhengxi have been married one after another and have already moved out of the Jiang family mansion. Although they live not far from each other and visit each other frequently, the opportunities for Jiang, Hu and the Sifongkou to get together are becoming fewer and fewer and more precious.

As for Zhang Zhengdong and Zhao Zhengbei, one is taciturn and the other is focused on his work in the military camp. It seems that both brothers have no intention of getting married and starting a family.

As he spoke, Jiang Lianheng had already climbed up the stairs.

At this moment, a thin figure suddenly appeared in the corner of the corridor at the stairs and stood in front of the two of them in a very arrogant manner.

Jiang Lianheng was stunned for a moment, and when he looked carefully, he realized that the person coming was none other than his enemy in his previous life, his creditor in this life, the notorious female devil - his own biological daughter!
Jiang Ya was standing on the stairs angrily, with her hands on her hips and her neck stiffened. She asked angrily, "Where have you been?"

"You little bastard, who are you showing your teeth to?" Jiang Lianheng raised his head and scolded, "Where have I been? I have to report to you. Who is the boss between us?"

"Why did you come back just now?" Jiang Ya continued to ask, "My mother is sick, why haven't you come back to accompany her?"

"I'm back now!"

"You're back late! And why didn't you come back yesterday? My mom went to the hospital, and you didn't come back. What were you doing?"

"Get lost, if you keep disrespecting me, I'll slap you!" Jiang Lianheng pretended to raise his arm.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Ya refused to accept the defeat and stood in front of her father with her neck stiffened. She said, "You can hit me, but I'm not afraid of you! Go and apologize to my mother!"

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "My dear, she is your mother and I am still your father. Don't be too partial. Why should I apologize to her?"

Jiang Ya was so anxious that she jumped up and down, and emphasized again: "I've already told you, my mother is sick, why did you come back just now, what have you been doing, you... do you still want me and my mother?"

"I've been working to earn money. How can I see a doctor if I don't have money?"

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand, pushed his eldest daughter aside, and walked towards the bedroom door.

Jiang Ya was stunned for a moment, her hands slowly dropped, a worried look suddenly appeared on her face, she hurriedly followed her father, tilted her neck and asked: "Then...then have you made money? If you don't have money, I...I still have New Year's money."

"The world is tough, and I don't make any money." Jiang Lianheng turned around and held out his hand, "Girl, for your mother's sake, please give us your New Year's money."

"Ah? Dad, you really have no money?" Jiang Ya's expression became more and more worried, "Then...what about my New Year's money?"

"Are you feeling distressed?"

"I don't feel bad!"

"Then go back to your room and get the money!" Jiang Lianheng said with a smile, "I'll wait for you in your mother's room."

Jiang Ya looked up at her father walking by. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. She ran over, grabbed her father's hand, pointed at the large golden stud on it, and suggested:
"Dad, Dad, why don't you sell this one of yours to pay for my mom's medical treatment? I...I'll buy you a bigger one when I make money later, okay?"

Zhao Zhengbei couldn't bear it any longer, so he quickly squatted down, hugged Jiang Ya in his arms, and laughed, "Niece, your dad is teasing you. Come on, your fourth uncle will take you downstairs to play, and let your dad and mom chat in the house for a while."

Jiang Ya watched herself being carried away by her fourth uncle, but she still pointed at Jiang Lianheng and shouted, "Dad, you are not allowed to make my mom angry! Do you hear me? You are not allowed to make my mom angry!"

Jiang Lianheng shook his head helplessly, feeling somewhat jealous.

He opened the door and walked slowly to the bed.

The couple looked at each other, their eyes met for a brief moment, but they suddenly turned their heads away at the same time and snorted coldly.

However, after a few seconds, Jiang Lianheng turned his head involuntarily and glanced at Hu Xiaoyan secretly; but he didn't expect that Hu Xiaoyan was also secretly glancing at him in the same way.

Then, the two of them turned their faces away again as if they had been electrocuted, and neither of them wanted to talk to each other.

Hu Xiaoyan was in her early thirties. There was a hint of tranquility between her brows and she looked more dignified and quiet. Although she looked tired, she also looked a little gentle. She just didn't want to look at Jiang Lianheng, so she turned her back, faced the wall, and said nothing.

Seeing this, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but mutter a few words, then slowly walked to the window, sat on a chair and lit a cigarette.

After finishing a cigarette, three or five minutes later, seeing that Hu Xiaoyan still didn't move, he lit another cigarette while cursing, but still no movement.

Jiang Lianheng had no choice but to clear his throat and asked stiffly, "Are you asleep?"

"I didn't sleep." Hu Xiaoyan said in a muffled voice, facing the wall, "There's smoke, and it's giving me a headache."

"There are so many fucking things going on. You get a headache after smoking two cigarettes, and does your butt hurt? It's a common problem for people!" Jiang Lianheng immediately put out the cigarette he had just lit, turned around, opened the window, and fanned it twice.

Hu Xiaoyan remained silent and did not move.

Jiang Lianheng smacked his lips, took a deep breath, and asked hesitantly, "Um...how are you now? I heard that something happened to you a few days ago, and you even fainted?"

"I didn't faint, I just felt dazed for a while."

"Ah, what happened...hiss, did you fall...I mean, did you break anything in the house?"

"I broke your Ming Dynasty porcelain vase."

"Oh... well, that bottle is pretty thin. If it breaks, it'll hurt your hands easily..."

"Ah."

Jiang Lianheng frowned and hesitated for a long time. In the end, he did not speak, but leaned forward slightly and looked eagerly at the bed. Unexpectedly, Hu Xiaoyan turned around suddenly, and he was so startled that he sat back quickly, looking left and right, trying to cover up his mistake, which made it even more obvious.

"Do you have anything else to do?" Hu Xiaoyan asked.

"I'm fine."

"Then go out, I want to sleep for a while."

"You can sleep on your own. I won't say anything." Jiang Lianheng said nonchalantly, "Why can't I stay in this room anymore?"

Hu Xiaoyan turned her head away and muttered, "Then don't keep looking at me. I'm scared."

Jiang Lianheng sneered: "You are such an interesting person, who cares about you?"

"Well, if you didn't watch it, then you didn't watch it." Hu Xiaoyan waved her hand without looking back, "Okay, get out now."

Jiang Lianheng refused to leave, and instead said, "You, you are not destined to enjoy life! There are so many accountants at home, taking turns to check each other's accounts, and Yansheng and Nanfeng are helping to keep an eye on them. Do you think it is necessary for you to tire yourself out like this?"

This is true.

The Jiang family's businesses are now too big, too numerous, and too diverse. No matter how energetic they are, they cannot handle everything themselves. What's more, Hu Xiaoyan is disabled and weak.

At the end of each year, it is sufficient to check the accounts carefully.

If you have to take care of every detail yourself, it will not only be tiring but also unnecessary.

If the water is clear, there will be no fish.

Which big business family doesn’t have some corruption among their people?
What Jiang Lianheng couldn't understand the most was that Hu Xiaoyan understood this truth, but she still insisted on her own way.

The Jiang family has spies throughout the provincial government.

In fact, Hu Xiaoyan could find several discrepancies in the accounts every year. As long as the situation was not excessive, she would turn a blind eye and not investigate further. Only when the embezzlement was extremely serious, even to the point where they were treating her like a fool, would there be no room for negotiation.

But this kind of situation is actually rare, and it can serve as a warning to the rest. After being warned twice, the others will immediately behave themselves.

Even so, Hu Xiaoyan still monitors the Jiang family's various businesses year after year without getting tired of it.

Jiang Lianheng couldn't understand this.

Moreover, he would never be able to truly understand Hu Xiaoyan's state of mind.

Because physical disability will inevitably lead to psychological illness.

A person who is hard of hearing always suspects that others are saying bad things about him secretly; a person who is blind always suspects that others are plotting to play a trick on him behind his back.

The same goes for Hu Xiaoyan.

Because of her physical disability, it was inconvenient for her to show up in public, so she always suspected that the people under her were deliberately deceiving her and teasing her. In addition, she was always afraid of becoming a burden, so she had to review everything personally. Over time, she was inevitably overworked.

No matter how her family members tried to persuade her, it was of no use; she still had to overcome the hurdle in her heart.

Jiang Lianheng couldn't persuade them, so he had to change the subject and said, "Nanfeng and Xifeng are going home for dinner tonight, did you know that?"

"Okay, got it." Hu Xiaoyan said weakly, "So you should leave quickly so I can take advantage of the time to take a nap."

Jiang Lianheng stood up and walked to the bedside, scratched his nose, and suddenly suggested: "How about I lie down with you for a while, you sleep, and I won't say anything."

Hu Xiaoyan couldn't help but roll her eyes and muttered in a low voice: "It's okay that they have similar tempers, but even the words they say are exactly the same."

"What do you mean exactly the same?" Jiang Lianheng was puzzled. "Move in and make room for me."

Hu Xiaoyan fluttered on the bed like a fish that had been pulled ashore, and moved to the side. She thought she could be quiet, but unexpectedly, a big hand reached for her waist. She was so annoyed that she immediately turned around and complained loudly:

"Tsk, Jiang Lianheng, am I dying on the bed? You have to come over too?"

"Don't move, let me see where you hit your head!"

(End of this chapter)