20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 542 Fengtian Dragon Head
The blast of arrows flew into the sky, and people responded in droves!
Hu Xiaoyan, the sister-in-law of the grain depot, sat firmly in the Jiang residence, calm in the face of danger. On the one hand, she opened the warehouse to prepare money and grain, and on the other hand, she quickly mobilized manpower, made plans, and sought help from the underworld.

In less than two days, the people familiar with Fengtian had already sent people to the Jiang family to provide assistance.

No matter they are green forest bandits, street gangs, or guild celebrities, they always have connections in both the black and white worlds. Due to human relationships or interests, they do things according to their ability. Even if it is just a small favor, there are few people who dare to stay out of it.

Some online collaborators, although they had not received any requests for help, took the initiative to visit and offer advice and help after hearing the news.

However, when my sister-in-law calls on us, she values ​​quality over quantity. If you are not a tough guy, I will politely decline and just remember her kindness.

In this way, half of the people Hu Xiaoyan mobilized were Jiang family's gang members, and the other half were Hu bandits on the mountain.

Although there were only more than twenty of them, all of them were vicious villains who were willing to take risks, kill people without blinking an eye.

Each gang only needs two people to help at most, otherwise there will be too many people and they will become unruly when they arrive in Shanghai, which will be difficult for Zhao Guoyan to lead and control.

Those who came first from a short distance stayed in the provincial capital to rest for a night; those who came from afar made a tiring journey without stopping; those who pretended to be deaf and dumb and did not come could only wait for the Jiang family to settle the score in the future.

In short, on the afternoon of the third day, all the brothers received their orders and gathered in the north of Fengtian City, waiting for orders from the Jiang family.

……

At about two o'clock, the sky in Fengtian City was clear and cloudless.

In the courtyard of Jiang family, Zhao Guoyan sat upright in front of the gate of the mansion, his hands on his knees, with the imposing manner of a tiger crouching and a dragon coiled in front of him, truly a one-man-block-the-pass army that ten thousand men cannot break through!

Twelve Jiang family "Xiangzi" men dressed in black suits and leather shoes stood on the left and right, ready for battle.

Soon, Wang Zhengnan led a dozen bandits from the hilltops to report for duty.

Although the number of bandits is small, each of them represents a force of their own and they bump into each other and the situation is no different from a whip-beating meeting among the green forests.

Compared with Jiang family's "Xiangzi", these bandits all came from the mountains and fields. There was a big temperature difference between day and night, so they all put on double-padded jackets early.

Everyone was reporting to each other without showing any sign of anxiety, as if this errand was as common to them as harvesting crops in the fields.

He clasped his hands and asked cheerfully, "Bingjianzi, which gang are you doing business with? What's the matter?"

The man on the other side laughed loudly and said nonchalantly, "Hu Tou Man'er, you are running away from the Badaling 'Chuan Shan Hao Zi', brother, who are you?"

"Northeast Wind, I'm here to eat at 'Old Box' in Diaobingshan. How's it going over there? Is the Gangster Bureau doing well?"

"It's all over. Business has been tough these past two years. Kicking a few clods of dirt is good enough."

"Well, even if old man Zhang is in Fengtian, he still has to let the north take its ease."

"Not necessarily. Didn't you hear what the two brothers of 'Yanwang Li' said? It's not easy to cause trouble for the Russians in the north."

As they were talking, the bandits walked into the Jiang family compound one after another. When they saw their leader Zhao Guoyan, they remembered the instructions of the leader on the mountain and immediately fell silent.

Wang Zhengnan walked quickly through the courtyard and came to the gate of the mansion. He said, "Old Zhao, everyone is here. If you have to travel far, you can't catch up. So forget it!"

Zhao Guoyan nodded and whispered, "Nanfeng, go inside and get ready first."

Wang Zhengnan responded and immediately turned around and walked into the mansion.

Immediately, Zhao Guoyan stood up from his chair, clasped his hands and fists towards the bandits, and shouted loudly:
"Brothers, it's not easy to be in the martial world. Even if you have great abilities, as long as you often hang out online, you will inevitably encounter bumps and bruises. To be honest, the Jiang family recently ran into a problem when they were out of town. They originally thought that they could be patient for a while and take a step back to have a broader horizon, but the other party relied on their numbers and took advantage of them, playing dirty tricks-"

Before he finished speaking, a bandit in the audience took over the conversation and shouted at the top of his voice:

"Brother, stop talking. I don't mean anything else. I just want to say one thing - get the fuck out of here!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the bandits burst into wild laughter.

The bandit looked up with his head raised, saying indignantly:
"Take a step back? Why should we take a step back? Just because those bastards are the local bosses? Damn it, we won't take a step back. Whatever you want, just fight. We are here for this matter. There is no need to talk about those nonsense."

His words were instantly recognized by the other bandits.

Everyone was talking at once, arguing with each other, and rushing to express their opinions.

"Well said! Boss Jiang has been very kind to us in the past few years, and no one can find fault with him. What the hell are the rules of the underworld? This time I came here with only one fucking principle - help people instead of the logic, and love whoever you want!"

"Yes, Lao Zhao, you don't need to talk to me about those useless things. I swore an oath in front of the boss before I came here. I will do whatever Boss Jiang says!"

"Who said it wasn't true? I've fought with soldiers and devils before. Why would I be afraid of a few scoundrels?"

If the "Xiangzi" of the Jiang family are a group of assassins, then the gang of green forest bandits in front of them are reckless men who are willing to risk their lives.

They are desperate criminals who dare to rise up in rebellion, and they are fundamentally different from the thugs in the city who live off the powerful.

Zhao Guoyan's eloquent speech was interrupted, but there was no unhappy expression on his face. Instead, he smiled with relief and said, "Okay, okay, in this case, I won't nag you brothers anymore. We'll see you when the time comes. But before I leave, please wait a little longer. My sister-in-law has a few words to tell you."

After saying that, the door of the Jiang family mansion slowly opened.

Sister Hua was wearing a black-bottomed plum cheongsam. She folded her hands and walked gracefully to Zhao Guoyan's side. She took a deep breath of Dantian Qi, tried her best to calm her nervous emotions, and faced the group of bandits. Like a parrot, she nodded and greeted according to Hu Xiaoyan's instructions:

"Thank you all for your help, I won't waste any more words, I just hope you all remember what I said: The Jiang family will repay a favor. I've remembered your kindness, and in the future, if you can use the Jiang family, just let me know."

As she spoke, she turned slightly and called out softly, "South Wind." Then she turned her head and continued:
"My brothers have come from afar, and now we have to go back again. It is cold and damp in the south of the Yangtze River, so I specially prepared a few outfits for you. I don't have time to tailor them for you, so please don't dislike them."

After saying this, Wang Zhengnan led several servants out of the house, holding several sets of appropriate clothes, and distributed them to the bandits in the courtyard one by one.

Everyone took the package in a daze, looked down, and was immediately surprised to find that the Jiang family gave not only luggage, but also two or three hundred yuan in silver.

"Hey, sister-in-law, what are you doing?"

The Jiang family is now powerful and no longer what it used to be. Even the greedy bandit Hu now knows how to pretend to refuse.

"No, Madam Jiang, we can keep the clothes, but you can't take the money. The boss specifically told me before I came here that I can't take money. If I ask for money, it will stop being a business!"

"Yes, yes, yes, my boss also said that the provincial government was suppressing bandits last year. Fortunately, Boss Jiang informed us in advance, so we were able to escape in time. Otherwise, we would have been wiped out. We can't take this money, we really can't take it."

"Sister-in-law, you are being a bit shameless. Two years ago, our 'Chuanshanhaozi' was short-sighted and accidentally kidnapped the family of Captain Huang of the Seventh Brigade as hostages. If it weren't for Boss Jiang's help and intercession, all our brothers in the mountain would have been killed."

"That's right. When we started Old Box, even the bottom line was given to us on credit by Boss Jiang. If we charge for it, people will definitely poke us in the back!"

Regardless of whether it is a sincere refusal or a false politeness, there is always one thing that is true, that is -

All the bandits from various mountainous areas present had, to varying degrees, received favors from the Jiang family.

Others mistakenly believed that these mountain bandits were acting out of justice, but little did they know that the Jiang family had helped them solve countless troubles over the years.

From this we can see that Jiang Lianheng’s leading position was by no means given for free by relying on his backers, but was the result of Hu Xiaoyan’s hard work over the years.

Under the porch, Sister Hua pretended to be indifferent and said with a smile on Hu Xiaoyan's behalf:

"Don't be polite, brothers. Favors are favors. We should treat each other separately. The mountains are high and the road is long. You all are doing errands for the Jiang family. We cannot treat you unfairly. If you insist on not accepting it, it must be that I didn't give you enough. I am a woman and I never go out of the house. It is inevitable that I have limited knowledge. Let me apologize to you all first." After saying this, the bandits felt even more embarrassed.

"Tsk, sister-in-law, look at you, what you said actually makes it impossible for us old men to deal with it, what else can we say!"

"Then don't say anything. Just consider it as a favor to me and accept it!"

Upon hearing this, the bandits naturally obeyed the order and stopped refusing, and happily accepted the silver.

Hu Xiaoyan had already decided to give this money, as she would feel uneasy if she didn't.

Think of that foreign concession, with its bright lights, wine and women, its decadence and glamour, and its dazzling array of flowers.

Not to mention the bandits who rob people on the road and smash kilns, even if a rich young man went to Shanghai, he might be dazzled by the prosperity of that place and lose his masculine energy.

Human relations and interests are both indispensable.

This gang of bandits already owed the Jiang family a favor, and now they have received money, and they have also sworn an oath in front of the boss. In addition, some of their parents and relatives are left in Fengtian. All these factors are like an invisible shackle that tightens their will and makes them dare not betray easily, let alone be bribed.

Hu Xiaoyan has worked hard, considered everything, and done her best to control everything that can be controlled.

The sister-in-law of the grain station has done her job conscientiously, and the rest of the matters can only be left to Jiang Lianheng.

The bandits took the money and prepared their clothes. Zhao Guoyan then ordered his servants and said loudly, "Come here, bring us a bowl of soup to moisten our throats!"

At the command, Zhang Zhengdong immediately called Yuan Xinfa and others, set up a table in the center of the courtyard, placed twenty-five large bowls in two rows, filled them with strong liquor, and swore an oath together.

"Come on, brothers!"

Zhao Guoyan held the white porcelain bowl in both hands, looked around at Jiang Jiaxiangzi and the bandit gang, and shouted loudly:
"We will go to southern Liaoning tonight and leave for Shanghai tomorrow morning. From now on, we brothers will be of one mind and trust each other. If anyone betrays us, I don't ask God to strike him down, but I ask you brothers to cut him into pieces!"

"Okay!" everyone shouted in unison.

Immediately, Zhao Guoyan turned around, raised the white porcelain bowl above his head with both hands, and took the lead in shouting:

"Sister-in-law, please be patient, Guoyan will come back soon!"

"Sister-in-law, please be patient and wait for the brothers to bring the boss back to Fengtian!"

"Sister-in-law, please be patient and wait for us brothers to avenge Boss Jiang!"

Waves of loud shouts, like surging waves, echoed throughout the northern part of Fengtian City.

The bandits on the mountain, and even many of the Jiang family's "ringleaders", only looked at Sister Hua standing on the porch. Few people noticed that Zhao Guoyan was looking at a window on the second floor of the mansion, showing his loyalty.

"Brothers, do it!"

"Done!"

Zhao Guoyan took the lead and accepted the order. All the brothers immediately raised their white porcelain bowls, gulped down the wine, raised their heads and finished it, full of heroic spirit!

Finally, everyone wiped their mouths carelessly, raised their hands suddenly, and heard a "crack" sound - they shared the same hatred and smashed the bowls to show their determination, then immediately turned around and walked out of the yard.

"Let's go to the train station and head to southern Liaoning first!"

"Which way are you going? You're going the wrong way. The train station is this way!"

Everyone laughed heartily.

Zhao Guoyan took the opportunity to walk up to Zhang Zhengdong and Wang Zhengnan, patted the brothers on the shoulders, and solemnly told them: "Dongfeng, Nanfeng, stay home and take care of the business!"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of the business!" Wang Zhengnan said hurriedly, "Fengtian is as stable as a rock now, no one dares to mess with us!"

Zhang Zhengdong clasped his fists and said to him, "Old Zhao, Shanghai is not our territory, so don't be careless."

Zhao Guoyan responded and when he reached the gate, he turned around and glanced at the study on the second floor of the mansion. He saw the mistress's gentle face appearing in the window. He nodded heavily, said goodbye to Dongfeng and Nanfeng, and led brother number 24 to rush to the train station in a hurry.

……

At the same time, in the study on the second floor.

Hu Xiaoyan was sitting in front of the window, watching everyone gradually leave the Jiang family residence.

She was relieved.

Over the past decade, she has fulfilled her promise - Hu Xiaoyan has never been dragged back by Jiang Lianheng, not even once - even though Jiang Lianheng has never asked her to do so.

Her daughter Jiang Ya stood beside her, leaning against the window, her arms folded, her chin propped up, her head tilted, a small candy ball in her mouth, looking at the mess downstairs with interest.

"Mom, aren't those our bowls? Why did they break them all?" Jiang Ya asked thoughtfully, "What a waste!"

Hu Xiaoyan smiled and replied softly: "It's okay, those bowls are meant to be smashed, and they're not expensive anyway."

"That's a waste. The teacher said we should be frugal."

"Xiaoya, being thrifty is good, but you don't have to keep a close eye on everything. Some things may seem useless, but they are actually useful. It depends on whether you think they are worth it."

Jiang Ya didn't understand.

The little girl shook the braids on her head, brushed away the loose hair that covered her eyes with her hand, and her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

"Mom, who are they?"

"He works for our family."

"But I haven't seen them do any work!" Jiang Ya frowned and said, "It's obviously always Song Ma and the others who do the work at home!"

Hu Xiaoyan pursed her lips, thought for a long time, and finally changed the subject.

"Xiaoya, aren't you going to play the piano for me? I'm free now and I want to hear you play."

If it were an ordinary situation, with Jiang Ya's personality, she would immediately jump up and run to show off.

But not today.

For the first time in her life, Jiang Ya became extremely curious about her family background.

She turned her head and blinked, her eyelashes gently brushing across her clear, limpid eyes, her eyes full of confusion.

"Mom, you and my dad, what do our family do?"

(End of this chapter)