20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 591 Returning
On the eve of departure, a passenger ship came from the north, passed through Wusongkou, entered the Huangpu River, and finally anchored at Jiangshan Wharf.

Passengers walked down the gangway one after another, looking around, and when they found their relatives and friends, their faces showed joy of reunion after a long separation.

Cui Yingzhen, wearing a tweed coat, squeezed in the crowd, stood on tiptoe and looked around for a long time. Finally, her eyes lit up, and she waved and shouted excitedly.

"Brother, I'm here!"

She ran, pushed left and right, swam in the crowd for a while, and when she swam near the approach bridge, she shouted again: "Here, here!"

Four or five young men walked down the gangway, their eyes all confused.

The leader was even more surprised when he saw Cui Yingzhen. He carefully identified her for a long time before he smiled.

"Yingzhen, I haven't seen you for two or three years. I almost don't recognize you."

The man quickly quickened his pace and led everyone over.

Even in front of their fellow family members, the brother and sister still communicate in Chinese to avoid being seen.

Maybe it was because of the cold wind by the river or because she was so happy, but Cui Yingzhen's face was flushed, making her look even more charming.

She grabbed her brother's hand and reminded him softly, "Brother, you have to call me Cui Yingying here."

The man suddenly came to his senses and immediately became alert.

Cui Yingzhen checked the number of people and asked, "Hey, why are you the only ones here? Where are the others?"

The man lowered his voice and explained, "A few of them don't want to come to Shanghai. They said that the Northeast is close to home and convenient for the national restoration movement. They are trying to get armed!"

Cui Yingzhen nodded, and seeing people coming and going around her, she did not continue the conversation.

The man looked his sister up and down, and was pleased to see that she was doing well, so he asked, "What do you do here?"

"Work?"

Cui Yingzhen suddenly lowered her eyes, as if a little ashamed, and then quickly waved her hand and said, "Let's talk about this later. I'll take you to the restaurant first. Don't let Mr. Jiang wait too long."

Everyone agreed, so they immediately picked up their luggage and took the bus to the French Concession to keep the appointment.

We sped along the way and arrived at the booked hotel in no time.

This restaurant is not big and serves home-style dishes.

The banquet was held not only to welcome the members of the Righteous Corps, but also to see off Jiang Lianheng and others.

When Cui Yingzhen and others rushed over, Li Zaichun was talking to everyone in the private room.

In his conversation, he was still repeatedly warning Jiang Lianheng to be careful of Xiao Dongyang and to be even more wary of Xiao Dongyang, because only Xiao Dongyang was the real threat.

"Mr. Jiang, never believe the devil's words. This is a lesson for our country's demise. Remember this, remember this!"

Li Jae-chun said this with gnashing teeth. Only those who have personally experienced the destruction of their country and their family could never forget it for the rest of their lives like he did.

As he was speaking, he suddenly heard a noise coming from the door.

Seeing that it was Cui Yingzhen who brought people back, everyone stood up and greeted them.

The newly arrived Koreans did not know Jiang Lianheng, but when they were in Fengtian, they all recognized Zhao Guoyan.

The two sides introduced themselves to each other, expressing their gratitude profusely, but they kept repeating the same old stuff over and over again.

Jiang Lianheng couldn't remember so many names in such a short time, so he declined a few times and said, "Please sit down. My brother just passed away. I won't drink anymore. You can do whatever you want."

Everyone looked at each other, and since the benefactor said he didn't want to drink, then no one should drink.

Therefore, this farewell dinner was eaten very quickly.

Seeing that the show was about to end, Li Zaichun put down his chopsticks and asked, "What time will Mr. Jiang leave tomorrow?"

"We left early in the morning," Jiang Lianheng said. "I'm going back by boat instead of train this time. I feel a little uncomfortable."

A few Koreans asked him which boat he was going to take back. Zhao Guoyan told them the boat number, and it turned out to be the same boat Cui Yingzhen's brother took when he came back.

Some come by boat, some go by boat, all for reunion.

Everyone said it was a coincidence, and suddenly they felt emotional.

Jiang Lianheng knocked out a cigarette and said, "I have never been on a boat before. I thought it would be nice to see the sea and feel relaxed."

Li Zaichun nodded and said, "Mr. Jiang is now a well-known person in Shanghai. Unfortunately, it is not convenient for us to show up and we cannot be there in person tomorrow. This dinner tonight is a farewell for you. Please bear with me, Mr. Jiang."

"What famous person? Don't humiliate me. There is no shortage of news in Shanghai. Once I leave, it won't take long for everyone to forget about this."

"We will not forget, and the Righteous Group will not forget."

As soon as Li Jae-soon finished speaking, several other Koreans immediately echoed him.

"Yes, our Yilie Group was originally established at the foot of Mount Paektu. Although a few of us are in Shanghai, most of our brothers are in the mountainous areas of Northeast China. If you need us in the future, Mr. Jiang, just let us know. We brothers will go through fire and water for you!"

When you are in trouble, you should be heroic.

"Well, if you need help from the Yilie Group in the future, you can come to Fengtian to find me." Jiang Lianheng stood up with his cup, "We are going to say goodbye. If we have the chance, we will visit each other often. Don't forget our friendship. Let's drink tea instead of wine. Let's drink."

"Done!"

Everyone drank their cups and went their separate ways.

…………

After the banquet, Jiang Lianheng and others returned to the Lao Qingyun Hotel and immediately began to pack their luggage.

The trip out of Shanghai was very low-key, and no one else was notified except Officer Wu from the Military Guard Office.

But just as I was getting ready to go, the shop assistant knocked on the door again and said someone was looking for me.

Before he finished speaking, he saw three figures suddenly jump out from behind him. He stretched his neck to look inside the room and immediately asked in surprise, "Brother Jiang, are you leaving?"

Jiang Lianheng was startled when he heard the voice, and looked over. It was indeed Wang Laojiu, Dai Qiu Sheng and Chen Lixian who came, so he quickly got up and went to the door to greet them.

"Brother Jiu, why are you here? I heard from Officer Wu that you went to Lin'an, didn't you?"

"I just got back. I was afraid you were going to leave, so I came to check on you!"

Wang Laojiu walked in and saw that the luggage had been put away, so he asked, "Why are you in such a hurry? Let's go a few days later. When I'm done with this busy period, let's have a good drink before leaving!"

"The tickets have been bought!" Jiang Lianheng shook his head and said, "It's time to go. The New Year is almost here, and Yan Sheng needs to be buried as soon as possible!"

The dead are the most important, so Wang Laojiu tried to persuade the other party to stay, but seeing that the other party's attitude was particularly firm, he couldn't help feeling annoyed.

"What happened? I haven't seen you for just a few days and you're leaving. I don't have much to prepare. I have to go to the Guard Office tomorrow morning!"

"Well, no need to prepare anything! Before the boss leaves, we two brothers can still catch up and see each other, which is better than anything else."

Jiang Lianheng invited the three to sit down, said a few words, and then asked: "Brother Jiu, I heard that you went to see Governor Lu? How was it?"

Wang Laojiu looked a little proud and said with a smile: "General Lu heard that I was involved in the revolution and that I am not the same kind of person as Du Yong and his people, so he is going to assign me some tasks. It has not been decided yet, but I guess it will be to help train the soldiers or set up a mobile team or something like that!"

Jiang Lianheng was stunned and asked hurriedly: "What about the Axe Gang?"

Wang Laojiu waved his hand and said, "When I'm not around, Lixian will help take care of things."

After hearing this, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but frowned.

It is somewhat irresponsible for the leader to just leave without saying goodbye.

Chen Lixian smiled and said, "Don't worry, Boss Jiang. We will continue to cooperate. Shiliupu is under my management now. You can rest assured about the merchant ships and cargo in Fengtian. I will also help you find a branch of your insurance company. If you need any information in the future, you can always send someone to the guild hall to find me."

It can be seen that he obviously got what he wanted and was lucky enough to pick peaches in this dispute. This may not seem very glorious, but many of the combined characters on the line actually became prosperous in this way.

Not to mention others, let’s just talk about Jiang Lianheng himself. He also caught a big fish in the muddy waters during the dispute among the three major families in Fengtian.

There was also Du Yong, who took the opportunity to develop his own power when Huang Ma Pi was squeezing Shen Xingshan.

If we put it in a broader sense, Wei, Shu and Wu were once the three major powers, but in the end, didn't it end up being the old villain Sima who gained the upper hand?

It's just like this: Those who plant the trees will reap the harvest, so what's the point of talking about dragons fighting against tigers?

Jiang Lianheng turned around and looked at Dai Qiusheng again, and asked, "What about you?"

"I'm hanging out with Brother Nine!" Dai Qiu Sheng said very straightforwardly, "Wherever Brother Nine is, I'll be there!"

Wang Laojiu smiled with satisfaction, thinking that this little brother was someone he could get along with.

Jiang Lianheng frowned and asked again: "Brother Jiu, are you really going to work for Governor Lu?"

Wang Laojiu nodded and said, "These trivial things in the martial arts world, such intrigues, are meaningless. A seven-foot-tall man should do something big!"

"But you are not Kropotkin?"

"Hey, General Lu thinks highly of me, I should take action if I have the chance, and besides, fighting against the Zhi is the most urgent task."

Jiang Lianheng wasn't sure whether this was considered a betrayal of ideals, but he felt that many people nowadays were confused and ambiguous, so he gradually lost interest in talking.

Seeing that he was determined to leave, Wang Laojiu naturally did not try to persuade him any further.

Several people sat around the tea table and chatted for an hour or so. As it was getting darker, and everyone had important things to do the next morning, they said a lot of grandiose but empty words to each other. Finally, they stood up and said goodbye, and the surroundings suddenly became quiet again.

The room was empty, and finally Jiang Lianheng was the only one left.

…………

At dawn the next day, as soon as it was light, everyone had already washed up and went out to start their journey home.

After leaving the Lao Qingyun Hotel, Jiang Lianheng and others went to the French Concession Hospital first to say goodbye to Wen Tingge. After giving him a few instructions, they asked Lao Jie to stay with the two Xiangzi, both to take care of Wen Tingge and to prepare for the subsequent branch of the insurance company in Shilipu.

Afterwards, everyone hurriedly took the tram to Jiangshan Wharf in the International Settlement.

At this time, the sky was still dark, a cloud of mist rose from the Huangpu River, and the surroundings were gray, with cold colors, damp and chilly.

Even so, many citizens had already gathered at the dock, including passengers boarding the ship and relatives and friends who were seeing them off.

Everyone was saying goodbye, but when they got to Jiang Lianheng, no one came to see them off.

Soon, the gangways were lowered on the ship one after another.

"Ding Ding Ding!"

The bell rang suddenly, and the customs patrolmen and the sailors on the ship followed suit and shouted, making people panic. They were reluctant to leave, but also afraid that they would not be able to board the ship in time.

"Ticket checking, ticket checking, second class goes over there, first class is here, tickets are ready in advance, don't rush, don't squeeze!"

Jiang Lianheng carried his suitcase and the boat ticket and walked across the approach bridge. When he reached the gangway, he couldn't help but look back a few times.

There were crowds of people on the shore, but the person he was looking for was not there.

Chuang Hu was holding Liu Yansheng's urn in his hand and was about to board the ship when he saw Jiang Lianheng blocking his way. He asked, "Boss, why don't you leave?"

"I'm tired, take a break."

Jiang Lianheng made a few evasive remarks and then stepped onto the gangway. Naturally, several of his cronies, including Chuang Hu, Li Zhengxi and Zhao Guoyan, followed closely behind him.

After a while, everyone came to the deck.

Zhao Guoyan and Li Zhengxi were busy looking for the cabin and putting their luggage away, but Jiang Lianheng was holding onto the railing on the deck, looking down on his own.

Chuanghu stole a few glances, then came over and asked, "Boss, what are you looking at?"

Jiang Lianheng waved his hand impatiently and said, "Just take a look, go in with them first."

Chuanghu refused to leave and asked, "Boss, are you...looking for that Seventh Master?"

"If you keep talking nonsense to me, I'll kick you out."

Chuanghu immediately covered his mouth and dared not say another word. Suddenly he remembered that he was holding an urn, so he spat twice and put his hand down again.

Soon, the whistle sounded.

Then, the chain was tightened, the anchor was raised, the boat swayed, and finally left the ferry.

The scenery on the shore began to move slowly, and many passengers rushed onto the deck, rushed to the edge of the fence, and waved goodbye to their relatives and friends who were seeing them off on the shore. Some of them were so emotional that they burst into tears on the spot.

It was time to leave, Jiang Lianheng suddenly felt a little anxious.

There were too many people on the shore, including patrolmen, laborers, people in long gowns, people in suits, some passing by in a hurry, and some stopping to stay, but until I was dazzled by the sight, I still couldn't get what I wanted.

Seeing the dock getting farther and farther away, Jiang Lianheng suddenly raised his arms and waved desperately towards the shore.

Chuanghu was startled and forgot his warning. He blurted out, "Did you find it? Where is it? Where is it? Let me have a look!"

"I didn't find him." Jiang Lianheng didn't care at all and continued waving his hands, "But I know he must have come to see me off. I have to let him know that I know he is coming."

"Is it possible? That's wonderful!"

Chuang Hu was stunned for a moment, savoring the lingering taste of the human kindness, then suddenly stood on tiptoe and followed Jiang Lianheng, waving towards the shore.

"What are you doing?" Jiang Lianheng grabbed his collar, pulled him behind him and asked.

Chuang Hu said, "I was thinking that Master Qi might go back someday, so I'd better say hello to him and make him familiar with me!"

"Get out of the way, you're everywhere!"

"Hey, hey, hey, jar, I have a jar in my hand!"

After a few commotions, the passenger ship gradually accelerated and went farther and farther away. Jiangshan Wharf finally became small, like a grain of sand.

The foreign concessions are slowly waking up, but that has nothing to do with Jiang Lianheng anymore. At least, it has nothing to do with him for a long time.

The morning sun slowly rises, the Huangpu River sparkles, and it is a new day.

The passengers on the deck also returned to their cabins one after another.

Chuanghu protected Liu Yansheng's ashes and murmured, "Boss, I think Shanghai is pretty good..."

"If you just come over to play, that's fine."

It’s a pity that I came here against my will and I’m reluctant to leave.

Jiang Lianheng looked into the distance for a while, and finally left the fence, shaking his head and saying, "From the beginning, I didn't want to come here at all, and I shouldn't have come here, but I had to come. Now it's finally over, let's go, it's time to go home."

"Well~ Let's go home~"

Chuanghu made another strange sound.

Jiang Lianheng frowned, knowing that he was about to have another attack, so he turned around and walked back to the cabin, saying, "If you are sick, get treatment now, don't keep complaining here!"

Chuanghu ignored him and followed closely behind, sighing:

"Alas, the clouds have no intention to leave the mountains, and the birds know to return when they are tired of flying!"

(End of this chapter)