Volume 1: Mission in Danger Chapter 43: Rebellious General
Cai Qiaozhu couldn't find Wu Chengjian last night and guessed that he had gone out to do something. She waited all night for her uncle to come back but he didn't come back. At dawn, she was so tired that she fell asleep next to him on the small bed in the room. Ever since Wu Chengjun fell seriously ill, she had someone install a small green gauze bed in the inner room so that she could take care of her husband at any time at night.
When she woke up, it was already past noon. This was something she had never experienced since she got married. She had always been a good wife since she married into the Wu family. How could she not get up at noon? However, the Wu family had been in trouble recently, but no one would blame her.
Cai Qiaozhu helped Wu Chengjun clean up, watched Bitao feed her husband medicine, and went to see Guang'er, who was taking a nap. Guang'er had been feeling uneasy recently because of the changes at home, but children were not very sensible after all, so he could still eat and sleep. His cheeks were still chubby. Seeing Guang'er grinding his teeth in his sleep, she felt a pain in her heart: "Child, child! I wonder how long you can live like this!"
She had her husband to protect her from the wind and rain before, but now her husband fell ill and the family faced an unprecedented terrible situation. However, her determination became stronger day by day. She had not shed tears much in the past two days. She touched her child, walked out, and sat in a daze under the pear tree in the yard.
Cai Qiaozhu liked white, pears and pear blossoms. Not long after she and Chengjun moved to this courtyard, Wu Chengjian, who knew her preferences, saw this pear tree during a trip. He thought the tree looked good, so he moved it over from 200 to 300 miles away. He used cars and boats, and countless people worked hard. In order to keep the tree alive after transplanting, he also dug up half a boatload of soil around the tree and brought it back.
Sure enough, after the transplant, the tree still thrived just as it did when it was in its original place. Every February and March, the tree was covered with pear blossoms, and the fragrance of the flowers and snow-white petals filled the entire yard, becoming the most beautiful scenery in the entire Wu residence.
However, there is one unpleasant thing: pear blossoms are white, which represents mourning, and “pear” has the same pronunciation as “li”, which means separation. Therefore, wealthy families do not like to plant pear trees at home, as they think it is unlucky.
This matter had been passed around among some maids, and Cai Qiaozhu had also heard some of it. She was not the kind of person who wanted to be accused of something, and she was also really afraid of bringing bad luck to the Wu family. Although she loved the pear tree very much, she still talked to Wu Chengjun and asked him to move the tree.
But Wu Chengjun never believed in these things about ghosts and gods. After hearing the story, he just laughed it off and refused to move the tree. After Wu Chengjian heard the whole story, he gave the two gossiping women a good beating. From then on, no one in the house dared to say a bad word about the tree anymore.
At this time, Cai Qiaozhu looked at the pear tree and thought of how her husband doted on her, how her uncle cared about her, her kind parents-in-law, and her filial and intelligent children. The sweetness of the past was matched by the sadness of today. The more she thought about it, the sadder she felt. However, she still held back her tears and refused to cry, because she had realized that crying was useless.
Suddenly, he thought again: "Pear means separation... Could it be that what those two maids said was right?"
Thinking about your husband’s impending death, isn’t this divorce?
Thinking about being separated from my parents if something happens to me, isn’t this separation?
Thinking that Guang'er might really be exiled to the frontier, isn't this a farce?
Thinking of the sad part, he couldn't help but said, "Go and call someone to cut down this tree for me tomorrow!"
Lianqiao and Bitao looked at each other, not daring to ask or deny, and could only say yes.
Wu Chengjian had lunch on the Huachai when Tietou Junba came to report that the people in Foshan had been trained and asked when the Third Young Master would transfer people over.
Wu Chengjian asked: "How many people have been trained?"
Tietou Junba said: "We have opened six night porridge places, each with fifty people."
Guangdong has always been a martial arts country since the mid-Ming Dynasty. Although the imperial court banned soldiers, the folk practice of martial arts has always been very popular. However, the folk practice of martial arts is naturally impossible to practice martial arts as a profession like the hired soldiers. They can only practice boxing and weapons in their spare time. They still have to go out to make a living during the day, so they rely on this time at night.
Practicing martial arts consumes physical energy, so one has to eat more than ordinary people to replenish nutrition. Therefore, after practicing martial arts at night, one needs to eat a meal of porridge - so "eating porridge at night" has become synonymous with practicing martial arts in Cantonese. If a Cantonese person says that he or she has "eaten porridge at night", it means that he or she has learned martial arts.
At this time, Wu Chengjian heard that six night porridge places were opened, each with fifty people, which means 300 people. If equipped with weapons, the same number of Green Camp soldiers might not be able to resist, but if this group of people were the base, it would be no problem to gather thousands of people.
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "This probably means we can capture the Nanhai County Government Office."
"Don't worry, Third Young Master." Tietou Junba said, "The night porridge places are scattered and not all together."
The culture of learning martial arts in Foshan is prevalent throughout the whole province of Guangdong. There are countless martial arts schools in the area, and there are hundreds of night clubs of all sizes all year round. These five night clubs are scattered in various places so they are not conspicuous and will not attract the suspicion of the government.
Wu Chengjian asked again: "What's the reaction from the Cai Family Fist?"
"They are also gathering people," Tietou Junba said, "They are obviously a little scared."
"There's no need to transfer people to Nanhai." Wu Chengjian said, "It only takes two hours to get from Foshan to Nanhai, so why rush? Well, in the next few days, send some people to provoke the Cai Family Fist and cause some trouble. But don't make it a big deal, just act like you want to force the Cai Family Fist boss to come out and admit defeat. You can injure people, but don't maim or kill them."
Ironhead Army Scar said: "Okay, I know what to do."
Zhou Yijin suddenly said, "You have received the last sum of money, so don't come to spend money again in the future."
Tietou Junba was stunned and didn't know what to do.
Wu Chengjian said with a smile: "Because I will be deserted by everyone. You have got the money, the people, and the revenge, why do you still care about me? It is human nature for you to leave after you get the benefits."
Tietou Junba shouted, "What are you talking about, Third Young Master! If Third Young Master hadn't mentioned it this time, Tietou would have let go of his grudge long ago. From now on, as long as I can keep my life to support my mother, I won't care about other things. But Third Young Master has given me enough money to support my mother until her death - from now on, my life belongs to Third Young Master. I am Third Young Master's stick, and I will hit wherever Third Young Master points. If Yihe Bank really fails and Third Young Master is sent to Ningguta in Xinjiang, Tietou will follow Third Young Master."
"Okay, okay, you are such a sincere person." Wu Chengjian sighed and said, "It's not that you really want to betray me, but you want people to think you want to betray me."
Tietou Junba was just honest, not stupid, and he reacted immediately and said, "Okay!"
He thought for a moment and said, "Now that Tietou's men have trained their hands and feet and boxing skills, it would be useless to leave them alone. Should we send a group of people to look for the batch of tea from Huizhou?"
"No need to look for it." Wu Chengjian said, "Today, I have a rough idea of where the batch of tea is."
"Oh? Where is it?" Tietou Junba said, "I'll take someone to get it out right away!"
"We can't get it now. If we go now, we can't get the tea back. Even if we get it back, the problem of disaster relief allocation is not solved, and Yihehang will still be involved in the end." Wu Chengjian said: "Get the people ready. In about ten days or half a month, it will be the day to start. Come by water then. I will let the boat of the Tanka people pick you up."
"By water?" Tietou Junba was moved: "The tea is in Guangzhou?"
"Yes," Wu Chengjian said, "It's in Guangzhou, under the jurisdiction of Nanhai, and even not far from Baietan."
After Tietou Junba left, Tan Sanniang came in and said, "The Tanka brothers came to ask, they want to see you."
Tan Sanniang was a Tanka family. When the Tanka family suffered a great disaster, Tan Sanniang, who was only 17 years old, sold herself in exchange for some money, food and medicine for her family to survive the disaster. However, she was a Tanka girl and could not sell herself for much money. It was by chance that Wu Chengjian took a fancy to her, married her and gave her a sum of money. She used the money to save the entire Tanka fishing village.
Although she has been living in poverty these years, she would always help the Tanka people whenever they needed help. If they could not do something and asked Wu Chengjian for help, Wu Chengjian would definitely help. Over time, all the Tanka people knew about this relationship, but they only regretted that they could not repay them. In the past few years, they had never had to pay for the fresh river and seafood on the Huachao, but how could this little thing repay the great kindness?
Wu Chengjian said: "Our Wu family is about to go bankrupt, and we can no longer help them. Why are they still looking for me?"
When Tanka Sanniang heard this, she said angrily, "What do you think of us Tanka people? You have helped us Tanka people so much over the years, openly or secretly. We don't say it, but we remember it in our hearts. We just hate that your Wu family is rich and powerful, and we Tanka people are poor and have no ability to repay you. But now that your Wu family is in trouble, Tanka people will do anything they can to help, even if the price is the destruction of the village and the death of people. Although we are people living on the water, we all know what loyalty is."
Wu Chengjian quickly smiled and said, "I'm just joking with you. Why are you so excited? Come on, come on, have a drink to calm down. Others may not know the loyalty of the people living on the water, but don't I know it? Come on, don't be angry anymore."
Tan Sanniang blocked the teacup in his hand: "My elder brother and younger brother are outside, you..."
"I won't see them for the time being." Wu Chengjian thought for a moment and said, "Also, ask them not to come to Huachahao for the time being. When I need them, I will send someone to find them."
Tan Sanniang just said "OK" and went out.
Zhou Yijin sighed: "Although Sanniang has fallen into the dust, she is truly a heroic woman!"
Wu Chengjian curled his lips and said with a smile: "She is just too heroic. I was attracted by this point of her at first, but... now, oh, it would be great if she was less heroic and more charming."
