20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 632 Villa [Thanks to the old fairy leader at the bottom of the sea for the reward]

"Guo Yan, you still need to practice your skills!"

At the corner of the stairs, Jiang Lianheng stood against the wall, watching the last faint candlelight in the corridor gradually being swallowed by the darkness.

Zhao Guoyan had nothing to say.

He is indeed not as good as Jiang Lianheng in this aspect. When he was a child, he practiced martial arts, focusing on building strength from the ground, stepping firmly with each step. Although he is agile, he can never be as stealthy as Master Fo and move at night.

I accidentally stepped on something and made a slight noise, which almost made Mr. Shen notice it.

Jiang Lianheng did not criticize him, but smiled with interest and said, "This is going to be interesting."

The two stood side by side in the dark in silence for a moment, making sure that there were no other noises in the corridor before they took a step forward and continued walking slowly towards Young Master Shen's room.

There was still a faint light in the room, and the door frame was surrounded by a gold border.

The door was ajar, and a faint smell of tobacco wafted out.

Jiang Lianheng raised his toes and pressed against the door panel, then he turned his heel slightly and pushed the door open silently.

At this moment, Shen Zhiye was lying on his side on the bed, holding the pipe in both hands, puffing smoke towards the lamp, living a life of drunkenness and dreaming.

Like many rich young men, he wore silk pajamas, had a crane-shaped body, and looked frail, which was euphemistically called "dragon and phoenix decadence" or misinterpreted as the style of the Wei and Jin dynasties.

"Master Shen——"

Jiang Lianheng didn't want to scare him, so his voice sounded extremely gentle.

But Shen Zhiye couldn't help but let out an "Ah", his whole body trembled, and the cigarette pipe in his hand fell to the ground.

"Clang-crack-"

It was a dark night and the sound of the cigarette pipe falling to the ground seemed particularly harsh, as if the entire tower had suddenly coughed.

Seeing this, Jiang Lianheng hurried over.

Just as they were about to bend over to pick it up, Shen Zhiye suddenly raised his hand to stop him, and then made a gesture to silence them.

Perhaps because he had just lit up a cigarette and was still conscious, Young Master Shen turned around and immediately sat up from the bed.

He looked a little panicked, but his eyes were not looking at Jiang Lianheng and Zhao Guoyan. Instead, he stared vigilantly at the wall opposite, like a cat with its fur standing on end.

After a moment's silence, Shen Zhiye stood up and waved, indicating that the two should close the door.

Jiang Lianheng was a little stunned. He didn't know what this young master was afraid of, but he had no choice but to do as he was told.

Then, Shen Zhiye hurried to the desk, picked up the pen, licked the ink, scribbled a few big words on the rice paper, handed it to the two of them, and pointed to the north wall.

Jiang Lianheng took it and looked down -

"Walls have ears!"

Hiss, this is interesting!

Just now, Master Shen was talking in this room. Although his voice was not loud, it was not like whispering. A few words could be heard in the corridor. How come he dared not make even a sound now?
Moreover, as far as Jiang Lianheng knew, the person living next door to this house was not Mr. Shen, but a maid who was responsible for taking care of Mr. Shen's daily life.

Could it be that even this maid has a problem?
Jiang Lianheng turned the note upside down on the desk, snatched the wolf-hair brush from Master Shen, and wrote crookedly:

"If it's inconvenient, you can write down what you want to say."

Shen Zhiye took a look, immediately frowned and shook his head vigorously. It seemed that he didn't want to write, but it was a long story and it was difficult to describe it in detail.

Seeing this, Jiang Lianheng changed a piece of paper and wrote again: "If that's the case, you can come to my room to discuss it in detail."

Shen Zhiye was panicked and wanted to use all his hands and feet to quickly reject it. This time it was not because he was reluctant, but because he was afraid.

I just couldn't understand why the second young master of the landlord's family was so scared in his own watchtower?

Jiang Lianheng was really puzzled. He turned around and looked at Zhao Guoyan in surprise.

The three grown men just looked at each other and suddenly froze in place.

After a while, Shen Zhiye signaled the two to stay calm, and then picked up the pen and wrote: "Tomorrow at 3 pm, in the backyard of the manor, near the mink cage, maybe we can have a meeting -"

Jiang Lianheng's eyes followed the pen, and just as he was about to be delighted, he saw that the note was not yet finished:
"Hide first and wait for me. Only when I am alone can you show yourself..."

When he got to the end, Shen Zhiye's hands suddenly trembled, and his handwriting became even more sloppy, as if he was a little scared.

At this moment, a faint voice came from the next room:
"Master, go to bed early and stop smoking. That stuff is bad for your health!"

People are afraid of the unknown. The girl's light greeting came so suddenly that even Jiang Lianheng and Zhao Guoyan felt inexplicably nervous.

Shen Zhiye was even more frightened. He hurriedly crumpled up the note on the desk, put it on the cigarette lamp to light it, and replied in a trembling voice:

"Ah... um, um, I'm almost going to sleep..."

The maid didn't respond. Several notes started burning and the surroundings became so quiet that it made people feel uneasy.

Shen Zhiye finally came to his senses and realized that his tone was a little abnormal, so he immediately changed his tone, put on the posture of a young master, and scolded in a low voice:

"Fuck it, is it any of your business when I go to bed? You, don't forget, this is my fucking home..."

Although his words became stern and harsh, his voice was still trembling, so much so that his throat tightened uncontrollably as he spoke.

There was still no response from the next room, instead there was a rustling sound.

The maid is changing clothes!

Shen Zhiye hurriedly waved to Jiang Lianheng and Zhao Guoyan, and urged them to leave the room quickly.

This was the only clue, and it was not the time to speak frankly, so Jiang Lianheng naturally did not waste a moment. He slipped away from Young Master Shen's room like smoke.

I retreated to the stairs and peeked sideways. Candles were lit in the corridor again.

"Squeak-"

The door opened and the girl's voice was heard.

"Master, what's that smell? Did you burn something?"

"Why should you bother me with what I do... This house is mine, I can burn it if I want!"

"No one wants to control you, I'm just asking...what did you burn just now?"

"I burned the land deeds and house deeds! What's wrong?"

"…The ink on the pen isn't dry yet. Do you want to write a letter? Who is it for? I'll ask them to deliver it for you…"

"No need! Can I just write in my diary?"

"Okay, okay, write whatever you want. Why are you so angry? You're not feeling well. Go to bed early. I'll blow out the light for you. Don't let your imagination run wild. I've taken the paper and pen!"

"..."

"..."

After returning to the guest room, the first thing Zhao Guoyan did was to take out the pistol in his arms and hand it to Jiang Lianheng.

"Boss, you should take the gun!" Zhao Guoyan said, "I always feel that there is something weird in this village. The whole family is talking nonsense. Let's move out tomorrow and stay with Liu Kuaitui and the others. It will be better to have more people to take care of us."

However, Jiang Lianheng shook his head and said, "At present, it seems that they are just guarding against me, and they didn't say they want to harm me. During dinner, I just told Mr. Shen that I planned to stay here for a few more days, and those maids heard it. If I leave tomorrow, it will easily arouse suspicion, and it might backfire and harm myself."

"What should we do now?"

"Play dumb!"

Zhao Guoyan was a little hesitant.

If you think about it carefully, even though the Shenjiadian Lianzhuang Association is full of doubts and abnormalities, so far, it seems that the people here have no ill intentions towards the Jiang family. At most, they are just not very welcome. If they overreact, it may indeed backfire.

"The key is that we only have this one gun!" Zhao Guoyan handed it forward, "Boss, take it. You have to be on guard against others!"

Jiang Lianheng thought about it, but pushed the gun back and said, "It will be more beneficial to my safety if the gun is in your hand. You keep it! In addition...you go to see Master Shen at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

"What do you mean?" Zhao Guoyan was a little puzzled, "Boss, you're not going?"

Jiang Lianheng nodded and explained, "I am the host, so I should follow the host's wishes. I think Mr. Shen will take me to visit the tower early tomorrow morning and won't let me out of his sight. I won't be able to get away by then, so it's actually best if you don't go. But I don't trust anyone else, so you have to go."

Read more latest popular novels at 6.9*shuba!

"What excuse?"

"When the time comes, just go find Liu Kuai Tui and tell them that they have to stay a few more days."

Zhao Guoyan nodded and memorized it, then took out his pocket watch, carefully turned it twice, and checked the time.

Today has been very busy. I have traveled a long way and have been busy until now. In the blink of an eye, it is already late at night.

Jiang Lianheng was inevitably a little sleepy. He yawned a few times, then took off his clothes and hung them on the head of the bed, and went to sleep.

Zhao Guoyan rubbed his eyes but did not leave. Instead, he dragged a chair over quite consciously and sat at the door. He leaned his legs against the door, put one hand quietly in his arms, supported his chin with the other hand, and leaned sideways in the chair, silent, half asleep and half awake.

…………

Silent all night.

Sure enough, the next morning, Mr. Shen was waiting in the restaurant, waiting for Jiang Lianheng and his group to come downstairs for dinner.

As the second young master, Shen Zhiye attended the party as usual. However, he just drank his porridge at the table without saying a word, and did not even dare to make eye contact, which was a bit deliberate.

During the dinner, several female members of the Shen family also met one by one.

Mr. Shen's first wife died early, and now only the second wife is left. She seems to be out of favor. She eats vegetarian food and chants Buddhist scriptures all day long, and looks older and older.

The eldest young lady looked dignified, but her eyes were like a dry riverbed, and it was obvious that she had been a widow for many years.

The Second Young Lady brought a child with her and didn't talk much. She and Shen Zhiye looked harmonious but were actually distant, and there was no sign of any closeness between them. If they were close, how could they sleep in separate rooms?

All in all, this family is weird. When they get together, there is no laughter and the atmosphere is rather depressing.

Only Mr. Shen is still talkative.

"Boss Jiang, did you sleep well last night? Did you choose a bed?"

"Very good, very good!"

Jiang Lianheng smiled and said, "Mr. Shen is too polite. If a person is tired, he can just lie down on the pillow. Why would he bother choosing a bed?"

"Rest more if you are tired!" Master Shen said hurriedly, "If you don't know how to take care of your health when you are young, you will inevitably be sick when you are old. As long as you have the green mountains, you will not be afraid of running out of firewood. Health is your capital. Boss Jiang is in charge of such a big business, you must not act on impulse, and you must consider everything carefully. Don't lose the big picture for the small!"

There was something behind the old man's words, and it was obvious that he didn't want the Jiang family to continue investigating.

Jiang Lianheng didn't want to talk and just finished his breakfast.

Afterwards, Mr. Shen took Jiang Lianheng to visit the interior of the blockhouse just as he had expected last night.

Sometimes he walked to the portrait and talked about the glorious days of his ancestors; sometimes he walked to the observation deck and introduced the customs and products of Laoyeling; sometimes he walked to the courtyard of the manor and recalled the grand occasion when the watchtower was built and the record of resisting banditry - but he never talked about robbery.

This is not surprising.

After all, the Shen family has already received compensation.

Moreover, as Mr. Shen said, he didn't expect to make money from selling grain.

The main source of income for landlords always comes from renting out or lending money. They take advantage of small disasters or famines to compound interest, and annexing land is their way of making money.

However, the old man knew that the Jiang family came for the robbery case, but he kept silent about it. It didn't make sense no matter how I looked at it.

Jiang Lianheng pretended to be ignorant even though he knew the truth. He was not anxious at all. He just followed silently and flattered him from time to time.

After lunch, in the afternoon, several people walked out of the blockhouse one after another.

Although the compound is quiet, it does not feel like a private property at all, and the air is filled with the scent of life.

The men from the Lianzhuang Association had not returned from working in the fields yet, and only the elderly, the weak, women and children were left sitting at their doorsteps, chatting and gossiping.

Zhao Guoyan followed Jiang Lianheng and was just casually visiting, but he always felt that the women around him were looking at him with strange eyes. They probably thought he was a pervert, so they were a little wary.

When Mr. Shen passed by, the old, the weak, women and children immediately stopped talking, stood up and greeted him in a low voice.

"master……"

"Okay, okay, you guys keep chatting!" Master Shen laughed, "Everyone is doing well, right? If you have any difficulties at home, feel free to come and see me."

"Thank you, sir..."

Several women responded quietly, and only sat down and whispered again until Mr. Shen walked away.

Seeing this, Jiang Lianheng couldn't help but whispered in flattery: "Mr. Shen is very wealthy, but he can protect this area. This is really a great merit. I admire you!"

"Well, the world is difficult, and it's not easy for everyone. I have only done my best, and I only hope to leave a good reputation a hundred years later. How can I dare to talk about immeasurable merits!" Master Shen said elegantly, "I am just following the teachings of the ancient sages - if you are poor, you should take care of yourself, and if you are rich, you should help the world!"

As they were talking, Hai Chaoshan and a few strong men suddenly came walking quickly towards them from not far away.

"Master Shen, the fur seller is here."

"Oh, let them in!"

The Shen family not only raises minks for skinning, but is also a major buyer of furs in the Laoyeling area.

Hunters from far and near traded in piecemeal fashion, and although they had materials they could not make goods, and it was not easy for them to enter the city, if they came across the best furs, they would sell them all to the Shen family for circulation.

Soon, three or five middle-aged hunters came over in the scorching summer sun, with all kinds of furs on their shoulders.

At a glance, the most common skins were rabbit skins, followed by fox skins, and there were two deerskins.

Several people put the furs on the shelf to show their quality. Suddenly, they spoke in a stiff tone, "Master Shen, the goods are all good. We really need money now. Can you give us some more?"

Jiang Lianheng frowned, feeling that the other party's words were not very smooth, and couldn't help asking: "Where are you from? Your accent doesn't sound like you are from outside the Great Wall!"

After hearing this, Mr. Shen quickly explained with a smile:

"Boss Jiang, these people are all Koreans. They come over the mountain to deliver goods to me every now and then..."

(End of this chapter)