20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 639 Proposal
A few sticks of old firewood burned out, the bonfire suddenly collapsed, and the bright flames gradually turned into dark red embers.

The morning star was in the sky, daybreak was approaching, and everyone was feeling a little sleepy.

Jiang Lianheng stood up and brushed off the dust on his pants. He raised his chin towards Li Zheng and asked, "Let's go for a walk?"

Li Zheng nodded, told his men to disperse, and arranged for "Shuixiang" to stand guard. He took his gun and then walked towards the valley side by side with Jiang Lianheng.

The two walked aimlessly and soon they were far away from the crowd.

"Where have you been settling down recently?" Jiang Lianheng asked as they walked.

"The area southeast of Kuanchengzi." Li Zheng whispered, "It was pretty good originally, we settled down in a small county town, but recently the government sent troops to suppress the bandits, and everyone had no choice but to hide in the mountains again."

"How many people do you have under your command now, including those who fight alone and those who are just strolling around?"

"More than 2,000, less than 3,000."

"Oh, that's not a small number. You're qualified to be a regiment leader!" Jiang Lianheng asked again, "Are the people you brought tonight all trustworthy brothers?"

Li Zheng didn't say it explicitly, but he smiled and joked: "What, you finally figured it out, are you planning to come with me to the mountains?"

Jiang Lianheng smiled but said nothing.

Silence is also an answer. He has no reason to abandon his family and career and become a bandit, at least not yet.

After walking a few steps forward, Jiang Lianheng suddenly sighed, "There's no comparison between the mountains and the foothills. A gang of two to three thousand people has been established for six years and has not been cleared out by the government. This is not easy."

"What are you afraid of?" Li Zheng said with a hint of ridicule, "Don't we have Boss Jiang to help us?"

Although Jiang Lianheng did not deny it, he had no intention of taking credit for it.

In fact, in the past few years, the number of times Li Zheng asked him for help was extremely limited, almost never, and when he did, it was only for the sale of guns and ammunition, and there was no question of help at all.

Jiang Lianheng did not regard Li Zheng as an outsider. After thinking for a while, he suddenly stopped and looked back at the bandit in the distance, and asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

"Later?" Li Zheng was a little puzzled. "You mean, after we catch Lao Mang?"

"Yes and no. What I want to ask is, do you really intend to be a 'boss' online forever?"

"That's right. I've been robbing people in the mountains since I was a teenager. If I don't do this, what else can I do?"

Jiang Lianheng shook his head: "Some time ago, I became sworn brothers with someone. My eldest brother is Zhang Xiaokun, and he is the newly appointed garrison commander of Suining."

Li Zheng was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening, and he stuck the Golden Hook rifle in his hand on the ground, sneering and asking: "Old Jiang, from what I hear, you're planning to treat me to a meal of government rations!"

Jiang Lianheng did not mince words and said directly: "General Zhang is recruiting soldiers recently and is in urgent need of manpower. You have seen Liu Kuaitui and his men. They have all been granted amnesty and become officers and soldiers. If you have any ideas, you can tell me at any time. I will recommend you. With a group of two or three thousand people, I will definitely make you a regiment commander."

"No!"

Li Zheng's answer was extremely straightforward, and he was unwilling to say even a word more.

This was a perfect opportunity to get promoted and make money, which many people would love. But Jiang Lianheng refused it on the spot without even thinking about it. It was inevitable that he was a little confused.

"Li Zheng, don't you think about it carefully? Being a bandit is not a long-term solution. There are only three possible outcomes -"

"Surrender, die, hide!" Li Zheng interrupted, "You don't need to tell me this. I have been in the mountains for more years than you, and I know more than you."

"I know you're still unwilling to accept the imperial edict?" Jiang Lianheng said, "It's different now than before. The three provinces outside the Great Wall all have the surname Zhang. You can only stand firm if you have an identity."

Li Zheng still shook his head and said stubbornly, "My heart is like a horse running on a plain, easy to let go but hard to control! I am used to being wild and free, I can't be a soldier, and I can't stand the restraint."

"General Zhang is not that strict in leading his troops. If you have a chance to meet him in person, you will understand everything."

"No matter how lax he is, he is still a general. I have the final say in the mountains. Why should I be someone else's grandson?"

Jiang Lianheng knew Li Zheng's temper, so he changed his proposal: "If you want to make decisions on your own, I can help you run things and serve as a forest guard or a local security team. I can do whatever I want in the future. As long as it's not excessive, I can also get a monthly salary by hanging the Zhang family flag."

"Old Jiang, stop trying to persuade me!"

Li Zheng finally became impatient and said solemnly, "When I was a child, I swore a solemn oath that I would never serve the imperial court as a slave. Death or seclusion is my fate, but I will not surrender!"

Did you swear an oath as a child?
Jiang Lianheng didn't understand this obsession. He had heard many half-grown children swear to become heroes, generals, or top scorers in the imperial examination, but he had never heard of anyone swearing from a young age not to serve the court. Besides, the Republic of China had already been in existence for ten years, so where was the court?
Li Zheng looked up at the gang in the distance, and seemed a little worried, so he said, "Lao Jiang, if you still regard me as a buddy, don't tell my brothers what you just said."

Poaching is a big taboo in the industry.

The nickname "Yanwang Li" was the result of Li Zheng's years of hard work and was not easy to come by. Jiang Lianheng naturally understood the reason, so he took him to a secluded place to have a private chat.

"Alright, a forced melon won't be sweet. Anyway, I've brought this to you. It's up to you whether you're willing or not. If you change your mind someday, what I said just now still counts. You can come find me anytime."

Jiang Lianheng had nothing more to say and was about to go back. Unexpectedly, just after he took a few steps, Li Zheng suddenly called him from behind.

"Old Jiang, the same goes for you."

"What?" Jiang Lianheng didn't understand.

Li Zheng smiled and said, "What I just said still counts. If you change your mind one day, you can always come up the mountain to find me."

Jiang Lianheng paused, was stunned for a while, and finally laughed: "If I ever change my mind, I'm afraid the world outside the Great Wall will change first."

"Who knows?" Li Zheng walked over, dragging his rifle. "Anyway, I still believe in my own judgment. You shouldn't have stayed in the city. You're wasting your talent. Look at you now. You've made yourself look like yourself. You're almost not yourself anymore."

"So what should I be like?"

"Back then at the Falun Temple in the North Pagoda of Fengtian, when you chopped off Bai Guoping's head with one knife and wiped out the entire Bai family without blinking an eye, that was you."

"That's too rude. I'm trying to be polite now and I don't dare to speak loudly when I go out."

"Hahahaha, just pretend, but don't pretend to lose your soul."

The two of them walked towards the gang with laughter, into the dark red light, and before they knew it, into the field of view of the binoculars...

On the upper floor of the Lianzhuanghui Tower, Mr. Shen stood by the window in the corridor, slowly put down the binoculars in his hand, his eyes full of confusion, and muttered to himself: "This...what is going on!"

"master--"

The old, weak, women and children in the corridor looked at the old squire anxiously, with a hint of uneasiness in their doubts: "The people have been handed over, why haven't those bandits left yet? Have they changed their minds?"

The bandits were camped not far from the Lianzhuang Association, and several bonfires could be seen clearly. Although the blockhouse had not been attacked, as long as the bandits were still there, the villagers dared not close their eyes.

"Don't panic, don't be afraid, our tower is still fine!"

Mr. Shen tried to comfort everyone, but he was actually more panicked than anyone else.

As the old man got older, he no longer took care of things and seldom went to the county town. He could only rely on his youngest son's retelling of the changes in the current situation, so his insights were naturally not as good as they used to be.

His understanding of Jiang Lianheng was still based on what he had heard a few years ago. He knew that he was a wealthy and powerful man in Fengtian, and had many connections, but he had only a vague idea of ​​how far the Jiang family had developed. He had no choice but to hand over Jiang Lianheng. After all, there were about 200 bandits outside the door. If they pulled out two mountain cannons unexpectedly, they could take down a small county town, let alone his blockhouse.
To put it another way, even if he wanted to act as a guarantor, the villagers might not agree.

As soon as Jiang Lianheng left the village association, the old man immediately began to rack his brains to prepare excuses, thinking about how to evade and distance himself from the matter if someone asked about it in the future.

For this reason, he even secretly hoped that Jiang Lianheng and others would be killed by the bandits.

If the person is gone, there is no evidence.

Unless the gang of bandits is arrested and confesses, the exact reason why Jiang Lianheng was abducted will depend entirely on Shenjiadian's one-sided statement. However, with too many witnesses, it seems unrealistic.

Mr. Shen was at a loss for a moment. He took two steps back from the window and asked anxiously, "Where is Zhiye? Have you seen where Zhiye is?"

The eldest young lady squeezed out of the crowd and pointed to the corridor staircase: "Dad, Zhiye and the others went downstairs."

Master Shen knew what this meant and couldn't help but curse: "This bastard, I said he is useless, he wants to run away at the slightest sign of trouble, he can't catch up with his brother even a hair!"

"Master, what should we do now?" Several village women asked hurriedly, "Those bandits won't leave, and all the houses outside have been occupied. They can't destroy our crops, can they?"

"No, no, you guys stay here first and take the child to the room to sleep. I'll go find Chaoshan to ask about the situation!"

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Mr. Shen entrusted the wooden box in his arms to his daughter-in-law for care, then walked down the stairs slowly, leaning on his crutches and holding the handrail.

The torches in the yard were about to go out. The summer days were long, and the peaks of Laoyeling Mountain were already slightly white.

At dawn, the air was crisp and Mr. Shen couldn't help but shiver.

"Chaoshan, Chaoshan!" The old man walked closer to the gate and looked up and asked, "What's going on outside? Why didn't those bearded men leave?"

Hai Chaoshan turned around in response, looking a little embarrassed. He walked down the wall while muttering, "Master, they seem to know each other."

"Ah?" Mr. Shen was shocked. "Then...then why did you say that if you don't hand over the person, you will massacre the Shen's store?"

"I do not know either."

Haichaoshan did not dare to jump to conclusion, but he could not stop the tenant villagers from speaking with certainty.

"If they know each other, then it proves that they are the ones who brought the bandits outside!" Although they only had a vague idea, the tenant villager said confidently, "Master, come up and take a look at them. They have already started to set up camp outside. I guess they will attack us as soon as we relax!"

Some people were making up stories, and others were following suit: "Right! I think that Boss Jiang is just a stooge. He is in league with the bandits Hu. He came here to gather intelligence, check the terrain and the watchtowers, and he's planning to steal our things!"

"Don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense!" Mr. Shen was not that confused. "Boss Jiang is a wealthy man. He is here to solve the problem. How could he look down on our small Shen's store?"

However, once the conspiracy theory is brought up, it seems that everything has flaws, and ordinary things suddenly seem suspicious.

At that moment, a villager retorted: "Master, I'm not trying to argue with you, but how do you know that it was Boss Jiang? Have you ever met Boss Jiang?"

Mr. Shen was startled and murmured, "Uh... I've never seen this with my own eyes."

"Um... um, have you seen the photo?"

“I’ve never seen this before…”

"I understand, I understand everything!" There is always a wise man in the village who thinks he is smart. "Master, Brother Hai, this Boss Jiang is actually a fake. He is the spy disguised as a spy by the bandit Hu!"

When this was said, the tenants and villagers all felt that it made sense.

Before long, everyone began to list the "abnormal" things about Jiang Lianheng and others.

One said that the "fake Jiang Lianheng" had sparse eyebrows and thin lips, and looked unlucky, asking how a big boss could look like this; another said that the "fake Jiang Lianheng" was wandering around the yard in the afternoon, as if he was scouting out a place; even Xiaoqing remembered Zhao Guoyan's strange behavior.

"So that's how it is!" The girl frowned, "No wonder he was sneaking around the mink cage this afternoon, he's really not a good person!"

"Xiaoqing——"

Hai Chaoshan looked up and scolded his daughter: "Don't believe everything you hear. Use your brain!"

Mr. Shen did not agree with this groundless speculation, so he stepped forward and said with a thick face: "Chaoshan, you are the captain of the armed forces. The situation is unclear now. I have to trouble you to ask. If it is a misunderstanding, we can resolve it in time."

"No!" Xiao Qing didn't take the old man seriously at all and stuck her head out of the sentry tower. "We should all go together. Why should I let my dad go alone? What if there's danger?"

Mr. Shen was a little scared, and hesitantly said: "But...if everyone goes out, who will guard this blockhouse? When we resist the bandits, we never fight outside, we always fight in the blockhouse..."

The Hai family's children disagreed and said, "We can't let our father go alone. We must at least bring half of the armed team with us!"

Young people are hot-tempered and lawless with guns in their hands.

Mr. Shen didn't dare to offend them, but he put on a bitter face in front of Hai Chaoshan: "Chaoshan, you see, my son handed the armed team to you before he left. He trusts you. Before he left, he specifically told me to listen to you when I encounter difficult problems. So... can you give us a plan?"

Hai Chaoshan remained silent. When he thought of the young master's instructions before he left, his shoulders suddenly felt heavy.

We also saw about two hundred bandits outside the village, who were unwilling to advance or retreat, and occupied the fields. If they stayed one more day, the villagers would not have peace.

Jiang Lianheng seemed to be a person who was not easy to mess with. After thinking about it, he made up his mind and said to Master Shen:
"Don't mention the young master, I'll go."

"father--"

The Hai family's children tried to dissuade him, but it was no use. Hai Chaoshan just said, "Second brother, third brother, you two come with me."

"I am coming too!"

The eldest son of the Hai family and Xiaoqing hurried down the wall, and even the youngest son, who was in his teens, rushed out of the room with a machete in hand.

"You three, stop causing trouble for me!" Hai Chaoshan walked to the door, turned around and glared, "Stand there, don't force me to slap you!"

Xiaoqing stopped and knew her father's temper. He would beat children regardless of gender. After thinking for a while, she suddenly walked to a member of the armed team, changed to a good gun, and climbed up the watchtower again. The eldest son of the Hai family followed closely behind him. The youngest also wanted to take a gun, but was kicked away by Hai Chaoshan.

Immediately afterwards, the door of the Lianzhuang Association was half opened.

Hai Chaoshan led his two sons out on horseback. Before leaving, he suddenly turned around and told the armed team members behind him: "If something happens to me, you hold down my eldest son and Xiaoqing. Don't let them open the door. Don't rush out. Guard the blockhouse."

"Don't worry, Brother Hai."

The armed team members immediately closed the door of the village association.

Haichaoshan took the lead, walked forward a few steps, looked back, and saw Xiaoqing standing on the watchtower with a gun in hand, her pink cheek pressed tightly against the butt of the gun.

At this time, the morning sun had already risen, and a hint of red appeared on the top of Laoyeling Mountain.

The three men took off their rifles, held them in front of their chests, and slowly approached the gang's lodge. Unexpectedly, halfway through the journey, they suddenly saw a horse team of seven or eight people in the southeast, galloping towards the Lianzhuang Association...

(End of this chapter)