20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 602 Winter Passes and Spring Comes [5K]

On the other side, after Matchstick left, Li Zhengxi shouted away the beggars who were watching and went into the inner room.

Guyu was still sobbing softly, lying on the kang with his back to the door, unwilling to pay attention to the west wind.

"Angry?"

Li Zhengxi moved closer to the edge of the kang, cleared his throat, and said with a forced smile, "Not really. I just checked and there's still some money in there. It's not like they can't afford to eat."

Indeed, there was still some money left in the suitcase, and quite a bit of it.

If judged by Xifeng's standards, it would even be enough for the couple to live on for the next year.

Guyu just told a lie.

Come to think of it, the eldest sister-in-law always treats Sifengkou as her own brother. The Jiang family's business is booming, so how could Li Zhengxi be without money to spend?

What's more, Hu Xiaoyan also deposited additional money for several people in the Jiang family's treasury, which was enough for them to live a life without worries about food and clothing for the rest of their lives, and even in the next life.

If he really had no spare energy, he would naturally have to think twice; it was precisely because he still had spare energy that he always felt reluctant and unable to save face when his brothers came to him for help.

Having said that, it’s not just about the money, but that life just isn’t meant to be lived this way.

Guyu expressed his attitude through silence.

Li Zhengxi put on his slippers and got on the kang. He went over and pushed him, but said, "Don't be angry. We are all brothers. We should help him if we can. If he can reform himself in the future, he will remember the good things we did for him. Don't just worry about the little money you have on hand."

Guyu snorted coldly and still refused to speak.

Li Zhengxi scratched his head, thought for a while, and then said, "Besides, those kids don't always stay at our house. It's winter now, and it's very cold outside. They have nowhere else to go. They are all very pitiful. There are two kangs in the front yard of our house, in the east and west rooms. Let them squeeze in and get through the winter. They will leave in the spring, right?"

Guyu still didn't speak, but her sobbing gradually stopped.

Li Zhengxi saw that there was a chance, so he immediately pursued the matter and said with a smile: "You just said you wanted to make new clothes? What style do you want? I'll take you to Lao Feng's place to have a look."

"No more!" Guyu finally relaxed and spoke, "With the little money we have, no matter what kind of clothes we make, they can't compare to others."

Li Zhengxi frowned and asked in confusion, "Who can't compare to me?"

"Who are you talking about?"

"Second sister-in-law?"

Guyu lifted the quilt, and although he didn't respond, it was considered as his consent.

Li Zhengxi slapped his thigh and said, "Well, we just live our own lives. Why should we compare ourselves with others?"

It's easy to say this, but how many people in this world dare to say that they have never had a comparative heart?
Guyu was not vain, nor did he deliberately want to compete with others. It was just that the two families were neighbors and they would see each other every day, so it was inevitable to compare with each other.

Moreover, the two brothers, Nanfeng and Xifeng, have been friends since childhood, got married one after another, and are of similar age. They are both brothers of the Jiang family, and their annual salaries and dividends are treated equally without any difference. Even the houses of the two families are similar.

Now, seeing that the lives of the neighbors next door are getting better and better, and the gap between the two families is getting bigger and bigger, Guyu is just an ordinary girl, how can she remain calm?
Li Zhengxi didn't mind and said with a smile: "My second brother is smart, can take advantage of loopholes, and knows how to do business. I can't compare with him in this aspect, and there is no need to compare with him."

"I didn't ask you to compare with him, but you shouldn't be too far behind!" Guyu turned around and said anxiously, "Every time I give gifts to my sister-in-law during festivals, what she gives is more expensive than ours. You two earned about the same amount at the beginning. Last year, she gave me a mink coat, but you gave me two kilograms of hazelnuts. What are you thinking? I'm embarrassed to go with you."

"My sister-in-law loves to eat that."

"Even if you love to eat, you can't give it as a gift!"

"Well, you don't understand. Sister-in-law can't pick on us. What does she want? The main thing is the thought!"

"You know, I see you've spent all your affection on those lousy gamblers."

Li Zhengxi didn't care at all. He waved his hand and said, "Wife, don't argue with me. You really don't understand. I have already promised my life to the Jiang family. What does that little bit of money mean? With a word from my sister-in-law, I can go to the execution ground in my brother's place!"

"What about me?" Guyu asked.

"What do you mean by you?" Li Zhengxi asked in confusion, "You are my wife, so why should I say that? But you are an honest man, so you don't need me to do anything for you, right?"

Guyu stared at him blankly, suddenly smiled self-deprecatingly, shook his head helplessly, then lay down again, turned his back, and said no more.

"Hey, we were just talking fine, why are you angry again?"

Li Zhengxi was puzzled and went over to comfort her: "Anyway, don't worry, sister-in-law is not the kind of person who cares about trivial matters. You think too little of her. Let me tell you, when the plague broke out, it was thanks to my elder brother and sister-in-law that we four brothers and Xiaohua were saved—"

Before he finished speaking, Guyu suddenly turned around and said coldly: "I'm not angry, go out for a walk!"

"Well, I'll go out for a walk!" Li Zhengxi was about to get up and put on his shoes, but suddenly he felt puzzled, "No, where can I go for a walk in this heavy snow?"

"Go wherever you want, just stay out of my sight."

"No, you took gunpowder?"

Li Zhengxi felt that he was innocent, and tried to persuade for a long time, but to no avail, and he gradually felt bored.

Towards evening, the heavy snow finally stopped, and the little beggars in the yard began to sweep the snow and cook a big pot of rice together.

Li Zhengxi was bored and had nothing to do, so he got up and walked around the yard twice. When he felt like it, he left home and went to talk to his second brother across the street.

"Boom boom boom!"

After knocking on the gate a few times, the person who came out to answer was a servant from the Wang family.

The servants of the Wang family all knew that the two brothers Nanfeng and Xifeng were good friends, so they didn't even need to inform them. They immediately stepped aside and greeted them with warm smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Third Master is here, please come in, Master was just talking about you!"

"Really? You've said a lot of bad things about me, haven't you?" Li Zhengxi joked.

"Oh, you're making fun of me again. If you say anything bad to me, beat me up first to vent your anger." The servant of the Wang family led Xifeng down the stairs.

Although the Wang family’s house also has two courtyards, it is arranged in perfect order.

The heavy snow had just stopped. Three or two servants were clearing snow in the yard, and three or two maids and old women were shuttling back and forth in the kitchen, busy but not chaotic.

Li Zhengxi walked through the front yard and just entered the middle door when he heard bursts of bird chirping coming from the main house.

"Hello, Nicetumidiur!"

"Sorry, Patopolis, Oko-ok, Egoteit!"

"Hey Mekmani, the knife is here, Ace, the knife is here, hello?"

Li Zhengxi frowned and looked at the servant of the Wang family and asked, "Hiss, how long has he been in this condition?"

"It's been almost two or three months, and sometimes they ask us to learn it, but we don't know how to do it!" The servant smiled and then shouted, "Master, the Third Master is here!"

The person arrived as the voice came, and as soon as the words fell, Li Zhengxi had already lifted the door curtain and walked into the outer hall.

Wang Zhengnan was wearing a white shirt with a cashmere vest on the outside. At the moment, he was pacing back and forth in the hall with a big belly and a book in his hand, babbling foreign words to himself. When he heard the noise, he immediately turned around and greeted them.

"Hey, Xifeng, come in and sit down!"

"Second brother, what are you talking about?" Li Zhengxi stepped over the threshold, walked to the front of the hall and sat down.

Wang Zhengnan followed and just as he landed, before he had time to chat, he saw the door curtain of the inner room was lifted, and it was his wife who came out to greet him.

Cheng Fang was still wearing silk and satin, gold and silver jewelry, but her figure was a little petite. When she was next to Nanfeng, she looked even more delicate.

It’s strange that the fat men in this world always seem to find a slim wife.

"The west wind is coming?" Cheng Fang walked forward and ordered the servants to bring some tasty food. Then she smiled and said, "Don't pay attention to your second brother. He is chanting sutras every day. I am so annoyed. He hasn't even learned all the Chinese characters yet, and he has even learned foreign languages. Where can you go to reason with him?"

"Women, they have long hair and little knowledge." Wang Zhengnan closed the book and said with a pout, "This is called fashion. Open your eyes and see the world. There is no harm in learning some foreign languages!"

As they were talking, the servants brought in a few dishes of snacks.

Cheng Fang suddenly asked, "Xifeng, why didn't your sister-in-law come? I'll ask someone to call her. Can you two eat here tonight?"

"Sister-in-law, don't bother me." Li Zhengxi waved his hand quickly, "It's done at home. I'm here to talk for a while and then I'll leave."

After all, the two families lived too close to each other, so Cheng Fang didn't persuade them any more. She nodded and told the two brothers to chat slowly and call her if they had anything. Then she went back to the inner room. Wang Zhengnan glanced at Xifeng, then smiled knowingly and asked, "Did you have a fight?"

Li Zhengxi lit a cigarette, shook his head and sighed, "It's just a trivial matter, but it never ends."

"Why this time?"

"Money!"

Li Zhengxi simply recounted what had just happened.

After hearing this, Wang Zhengnan pondered for a long time, but he was not thinking. He was a little hesitant. He weighed it over and over again in his mind for a moment, and finally just shook his head and said, "It's not about money."

Li Zhengxi was stunned and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "Forget it, this is just a matter of money. If I had tens of millions, would I be so upset about this?"

"Well...if you say so, then so be it!"

"Hiss, second brother, why are you still keeping people in suspense? You only finish your words. Are you going to let me live?"

Wang Zhengnan sighed and asked, "Can you listen to me if I tell you?"

"Then you have to say it first!" Li Zhengxi said anxiously.

Wang Zhengnan said with some embarrassment: "Xifeng, if it was in the past, I would have explained it to you, but it's different now. We are already married. This is your family matter, so it's not convenient for me to say too much."

"Inconvenient?" Li Zhengxi almost suspected that his ears were broken. "Second brother, we have been playing together since we were young, for more than 20 years, and you still find it inconvenient to be with me?"

"Alas, things are different now."

"I know what you mean. You want me to stop helping them in the future, right?"

"I didn't say that." Wang Zhengnan quickly denied, "If you are willing to help them, then help them! I've thought about it, suppose you help ten people, and nine of them are ungrateful. If there is one person who truly remembers your kindness and helps you out, then the money won't be wasted. After all, no one can make a profit without losing money, right?"

"Is it a sure win?" Li Zhengxi frowned and asked, "Second brother, I have always been sincere to my brothers, how come it's like a business deal in your mouth?"

"Tsk, can you please stop having that expression when you mention business?" Wang Zhengnan explained, "What's wrong with business? There's buying and selling, and it's not a dirty thing. Business is supply and demand. In other words, business is everywhere in this world. When making friends, don't you want a give-and-take relationship?"

"So what you're saying is that there's someone who's about to die, and you can save him, but you still have to ask him if he can repay you first?"

"Look at you, you're always arguing with me, is that fun?"

"I don't think this is just arguing." Li Zhengxi said, "Second brother, you have never done dirty work. The word brotherhood cannot be bought with any amount of money."

"Okay, okay, let's not argue!" Wang Zhengnan laughed, "What you said makes sense, and what I said is also correct. Let's seek common ground while reserving differences, is that ok?"

Although the two brothers have a deep affection for each other, they have very different views on many things.

Moreover, the gap between them is widening year by year due to their different jobs, and it seems that they will eventually go in opposite directions.

Li Zhengxi has experienced life and death, and the more dirty work he does, the more he values ​​the word "brotherhood".

He does not live an ordinary life like ordinary people. His thinking patterns, behavioral codes, and value judgments are naturally different from those of ordinary people. It is even more impossible to judge his actions by ordinary people's standards.

Wang Zhengnan has been in the business world for a long time. The more negotiations he participates in, the better he understands how to weigh the pros and cons.

If the two people could be swapped, perhaps they would have a deeper understanding of each other's views; unfortunately, this is not possible, and the gap between them will naturally become deeper and deeper.

After a moment of silence, Li Zhengxi felt a little awkward, so he changed the subject and asked, "Second brother, how is your grain and oil store?"

Wang Zhengnan was delighted when this was mentioned. He nodded and said hurriedly, "My sister-in-law agreed. I have already found a shop. I think we can open it in the spring!"

"Not bad, not bad!" Li Zhengxi is really happy for his second brother. "From now on, you will have your own business."

"Hahaha, you have to work harder. It's not easy to support a family. Just do something. As long as it doesn't conflict with the family, my sister-in-law will agree."

"I don't need it. It's fine now. I still have to run chores for the family from time to time!"

Wang Zhengnan smacked his lips and said, "Xifeng, you have to save some money and buy some property. You are already a married man, so don't just think about yourself! Now that you have a family, you have to put your wife and children first, don't you understand?"

"What should we do at home?" Li Zhengxi suddenly became alert.

"What home?"

"Big brother and sister-in-law."

"Look at you, you're arguing again. These are two different things!" Wang Zhengnan sighed, "What I mean is, you have to keep it in your heart..."

"In my heart, it's my elder brother and his wife." Li Zhengxi interrupted, "Without my elder brother and his wife, how can we get the money to marry a wife? Are you going to accuse me of being argumentative again? I'm not arguing. You've been hanging around with those businessmen all day long--"

As he spoke, he suddenly looked at Nanfeng and whispered, "Second brother, don't be obsessed with money!"

"I asked you to say it, why would I do that?" Wang Zhengnan was a little dissatisfied, "Can you please stop talking as if you are the only one with a conscience?"

"That's good!" Li Zhengxi clapped his hands and stood up. "Okay, the food smells good. I'm going to go back now. You two should eat quickly!"

"Why don't you have a bite here too!" Wang Zhengnan hurriedly stood up to see him off.

"No, I want to eat at your place. I'm afraid the one at home will be angry."

"Go back and talk it over. Reflect on this matter yourself."

The two of them walked quickly across the courtyard.

Just after passing the middle gate, Wang Zhengnan suddenly remembered something and said, "Xifeng, whether you are willing to help Laizi and the others or not, I don't care about this matter, but there is one thing I must tell you clearly."

"You're so mysterious. Just tell me if you have something to say!" Li Zhengxi did not stop.

"You should take time to discipline Laizi and the others and make them put themselves in their proper place."

"How do you say this?"

"A few days ago, I heard from two Xiangzi that there seemed to be a man in Xiaoheyan who pretended to be a brother of the Jiang family. He was talking nonsense outside and was reported to the police."

"Who is it?" Li Zhengxi stopped at the gate.

"How would I know? I don't have the time to ask!" Wang Zhengnan said, "When I saw the two Xiangzi, they had already gone to report to Brother Dong."

"Are you sure it's Laizi and his gang?"

"I'm not sure, but Xiaoheyan is your land after all. I'm just suspicious. Please remind them and don't be so careless every day."

Li Zhengxi thought about it for a while, but he didn't remember anyone telling him about this, so he didn't pay much attention to it. He just asked, "If we catch him, what should we do? Should we fuck him?"

"It depends on the consequences." Wang Zhengnan muttered, "If it's just for bragging, it's not a big deal. But if you use the Jiang family's name to offend people everywhere, then it's another matter. I guess the worst you'll get is 'Hanging Armor'."

"What's the difference between wearing armor today and inserting it?"

"One person took it, and the other was taken by God. Maybe that kid is lucky!" Wang Zhengnan patted Xifeng on the shoulder. "Okay, it's best if he's not one of your men, but you should remind him anyway. If he is one of your men, don't beg for mercy..."

"If it's really the lechers, I'll do it myself."

Although Li Zhengxi spoils his brothers, the prerequisite is that they cannot touch the Jiang family, otherwise he will take action without hesitation.

Wang Zhengnan knew his temper very well, so he didn't dare to say too much. Before leaving, he just casually reminded him, "Xifeng, after so many years, you should also pick a few capable people from those little fans back then to practice with. Keep your eyes open and don't make mistakes."

"Okay, okay, I got it." Li Zhengxi waved his hands impatiently and walked towards home.

Wang Zhengnan watched the west wind enter the courtyard gate. When he was about to go back to the house, he saw the winter afterglow shining brightly. The distant sky changed from golden to dark purple, with an orange sea of ​​clouds in between, like flowers competing for beauty or surging waves, layer upon layer, very spectacular.

Nanfeng's eyes lit up and he looked around anxiously, wanting to invite someone to appreciate it with him.

The sunset is infinitely good, just near dusk.

Unfortunately, when the servants rushed out, the exciting scene had disappeared in the blink of an eye, and in the end he was the only one who saw it.

Suddenly he felt a little regretful, and when he turned around, he saw the ice and snow had melted, and it was March, the time of year when the weather was still cold but warmer.

It’s the eleventh year of the Republic of China.

(End of this chapter)