Volume 1: Mission in Danger Chapter 63: Dinner
"Don't worry. Our Wu family is always reliable when it comes to doing good things." Wu Chengjian said, "But recently there are too many people coming to collect debts. They have blocked the front and back doors, making it inconvenient for my family to come in and out. I can't always come up with a trick to lure the tiger away from the mountain. Can Mr. Cai ask Master Jishan to send a few bannermen to the door of our house to protect our Wu family?"
Cai and Xie looked at each other, thinking that even if you didn't say anything, Master Jishan would have arranged it. Since you asked for it yourself, that would be even better. So General Manager Cai said, "Okay."
"Thank you very much," Wu Chengjian bowed to Mr. Cai and said, "Mr. Cai, remember to come for a drink on the day of the birthday party." As he spoke, he actually took out a pile of invitations and distributed them one by one in public. In the entire conference room, all the guarantors got one, except for the empty one.
When the guarantors received the invitations, they were all suspicious because Wu Chengjian had just sent out the invitations and left.
Looking at his back, he said, "Just let him go like this?"
Cai Zongshang did not answer, but thought in his heart: "Although Guangdong and Guangxi are big, they are just a turtle trapped in a jar. Although the world is big, it all belongs to the emperor. As long as He Zhongtang does not fall, the Wu family is a turtle in the jar. Why worry?"
He just smiled and said nothing.
Lu Guanhuan was the second to leave, followed by the shopkeeper Liu, and then Pan Yiliangma. They all said goodbye one after another . The four of them breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that the investment was finalized. After this event, the Thirteenth Line should be able to live in peace for a few years, and they can also have a few more good years. After returning, they will have to buy more beauties, get more fun things, eat more delicacies from the mountains and the sea, and drink more aged wines. Sooner or later, the money from the Thirteenth Line will not be theirs, so they should enjoy it more while they can.
Ye Dalin stayed and waited until everyone else had left before saying, "Mr. Cai, Brother Xie, this kid is weird."
Xie Yuanli also nodded: "He is probably planning something and deliberately delaying time. But what can he do within seven days?"
Ye Dalin said: "This kid has been full of bad ideas since he was young. He has many tricks up his sleeve. We should be on guard against him."
Mr. Cai said, "I will give you peace of mind." He said to Galiu, "Manager Galiu, let's go and pay a visit to Master Jishan together."
Galiu glanced at Ye Dalin and said, "Well, today is your blessing!"
He led the way and came to the back garden. They saw the back of a Manchu official in the pavilion from afar. Cai, Xie and Ye lowered their heads and dared not look around. They all walked with their eyes fixed on the ground.
When they arrived outside the pavilion, the three of them prostrated themselves on the ground and kowtowed while still kneeling. When Jishan turned around, the three of them raised their heads slightly, but they did not dare to raise their heads high enough to see Jishan's eighth button. They just looked at the ninth button and replied.
Jishan said: "I know everything that happened before. You did a good job."
Cai, Xie and Ye hurriedly said, "Thank you for the compliment, Master Supervisor."
Jishan added: "Ye Dalin, you are not bad either."
Ye Dalin didn't expect that he would be singled out and praised like this. He felt a cool breeze all over his body and couldn't help but tremble slightly. He said happily, "Thank you, Master Supervisor. Being able to work for you is a blessing that Ye Dalin has cultivated for three lifetimes."
Xie Yuanli was slightly jealous and glanced at Ye Dalin sideways, but did not dare to speak. However, he had already made up his mind that he must not allow Ye Dalin to have any chance to contact Master Jishan, nor let Cai Shiwen get too close to Ye Dalin, lest Ye Dalin replace him.
Mr. Cai spoke again, "Everything is normal today, except for that kid Wu Chengjian, whose words and actions are a bit strange."
Jishan laughed: "What can he do? No matter how high Monkey King jumps, he can't jump out of Buddha's Five Finger Mountain."
The three of them praised in unison: "Exactly, exactly!"
Xie Yuanli buried his head two inches further—he could only bury it two inches further, if he went any lower he would have to eat dirt—and said hastily, “Even if Wu Chengjian had seventy-two transformations, he couldn’t escape the control of the supervisor.”
Jishan sneered: "Can I be called Buddha?"
Xie Yuanli didn't expect that he would hit the horse's leg by flattering him, and he was panicked for a moment. Fortunately, Master Jishan didn't seem to be really angry about this, and just said: "The Buddha I'm talking about is higher."
After hearing these words, Cai, Xie and Ye felt mysterious and frightened.
Ji Shan said, "I know what you are still worried about, so I will give you another reassurance today: the Guangzhou general and several generals in Guangdong and Guangxi have already been informed by the Zhongtang. If Zhu Gui does not have a solid reason, he will not be able to mobilize a single soldier in a few months. Not to mention seven days, I will really give him ten days and a half months, and that little monkey will not be able to do anything. Unless he can really move the gold and silver assets of his Wu family, including people and money, to the outside world, no matter how many transformations he has, he will inevitably come to me to suppress the Five Finger Mountain."
When Cai, Xie and Ye heard this, they were all terrified and said, "Master, you are a genius! And Zhongtang is wise!"
At this point, Ye Dalin finally put his mind at ease.
In Guangdong, the only thing that could disrupt the current situation is the change of the governor-general's mind. But now, the prime minister and the prime minister have already taken action secretly and have restrained Zhu Gui. What is there to worry about? Even if Wu Chengjian has some calculations, there is a saying that one force can defeat ten skills. In the case of a huge disparity in strength, even a thousand strategies cannot break the net formed by swords and guns.
Before Wu Chengjian even got home, the entire Xiguan had already heard the news.
He was sitting in the sedan chair and heard crying from afar.
The crying sound first came from the Yang family, which was the closest. Not only were the Yang family's relatives crying, but dozens of merchants gathered outside the Yang family's door were also crying - the Yang family's silver was sealed, and they could not take out even a tael. The Yang family was going bankrupt, and many of them would go bankrupt as well.
The profits of the Thirteen Hongs' monopoly of overseas trade were too high. Even small merchants who had been exploited for two or three times could make money as long as they could participate. Therefore, many people borrowed money to join the business every year. However, as the returns were high, the risks naturally increased. In a situation like today, not only would they lose their capital, but they would also have to bear an incalculable debt!
When they passed by the Yang family, the crying suddenly became much louder. Wu Qi left for a moment and then hurried back, saying through the sedan window: "Shangzhu Yang committed suicide."
Wu Chengjian said "oh", and although there was no expression on his face, he actually felt a little uncomfortable.
Wu Qi said: "Third Young Master..."
Wu Chengjian said in a deep voice: "Call me Haoguan!"
He rarely put away his frivolous smile, but when he saw his colleague die in front of him, Wu Chengjian's mentality changed a little. He was no longer himself. He was the business owner of Yihehang and the head of the Wu family. He was responsible for the property and lives of so many people!
Seeing Wu Chengjian's strange expression, Wu Qi felt a little nervous and changed his words to "Hao Guan..." He had been calling him Young Master for more than ten years, and it felt a little strange that he suddenly changed his words. However, he knew that he might have to call him by his business name from now on.
Wu Chengjian said, "I'll ask my uncle to send some money later."
Wu Qi said, "Yes." Unconsciously, he spoke less and looked much more serious.
Wu Chengjian stopped talking. Xiguan was actually not very big, and the sedan chair soon reached Wu's house. Before they reached the house, they heard crying again from afar.
From the sound, it was all men crying. Wu Chengjian knew without thinking that it must be the merchants gathered outside the Wu family's door. He knew what they were worried about, but there was nothing to say at this moment. He just ordered: "Carry the sedan chair directly in. I won't get off the sedan chair."
When the sedan chair arrived outside the gate of Wu's house, the merchants gathered around it as expected. Fortunately, there were sixteen bannermen accompanying it this time. They protected the sedan chair. When the merchants saw the half-drawn sword, they dared not approach and cried even harder.
Some were heartbroken, while others were furious and cursed the Wu family.
After the sedan chair was forcibly carried in, Wu Chengjian stepped out. Wu Qi listened to the crying and cursing outside the door and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you cursing our Wu family? Is this what we wanted?"
Wu Chengjian glared at him and said, "Shut up!"
He naturally knew that the fault was not his, but with bankruptcy imminent, it was only natural for him to become frustrated and vent his anger on others.
The doorman Wu Dacheng stepped forward, and Wu Chengjian beckoned him to come closer, whispering, "For the next seven or eight days, you should guard the door for me, and don't think of anything else. I've buried a sum of money for you outside, enough for your family to find another way out."
"Ouch!" Wu Dacheng said, "Third Master, how can this be possible?"
Wu Chengjian whispered again, "Ten days later, ask Wu Qi where the silver was buried. Take good care of your family these days and don't pay attention to rumors. You know the old man's temper. He won't treat you unfairly."
These words were meant to reassure the doorman by threatening with profit. Wu Dacheng's position was very important, and he had to be able to feel at ease to look after the Wu family for the last few days.
Wu Dacheng had indeed been worried these days, but after hearing what Wu Chengjian said, he felt relieved. He was about to say something, but Wu Chengjian ignored him and went to the backyard.
Along the way, all the servants they met had bad faces, but they didn't dare to ask anything, and the atmosphere was extremely depressing.
In the backyard of the Wu family mansion, except for Wu Chengjun, almost all the family members were crowded here. Seeing Wu Chengjian coming in, Aunt Yang winked at her son, while Wu Chenggou seemed to want to say something but stopped, looking at Wu Guoying who was sitting on the side.
Wu Guoying opened her mouth but in the end no answer came out.
Everyone heard Wu Chengjian say with a smile: "It's almost time for dinner, right? Are we going to eat here at noon today, or should we go back to the courtyard and cook our own meals?"
The Wu family still lived together as a large family. They had always eaten communal meals, but since Wu Guoying retired due to illness, Wu Chengjun took over the family business. The new head of the family was either too busy outside to go home, or too busy in the accounting office to have time to eat. There were less than five or six opportunities in a month to sit down and eat communal meals on time. Almost every time, Wu Guoying asked Cai Qiaozhu to prepare some simple meals and send them to her eldest son. Later, for the convenience of both parties, Wu Guoying asked Cai Qiaozhu to cook a small meal in the right courtyard. The head of the family started the meal first, and then it was out of control. Wu Chengjian and Wu Chenggou went out to eat one after another. Only occasionally, when Wu Guoying or Wu Chengjun suggested it, or on the New Year or birthday, would they sit down to eat a family meal.
When Wu Chengjian mentioned this, everyone remembered that it was time to eat.
Wu Chenggou couldn't help but ask, "You're still in the mood to eat now? Third brother, is it true that the investment in the business insurance conference is as rumored outside, that our Wu family was the winner?"
Wu Chengjian nodded: "Yes, thanks to my uncles, I have been invited to participate in this donation."
After hearing this, Wu Er Shao almost vomited blood: "You...what did you say!"
He was not surprised by the news itself, but by the tone of Wu Chengjian's words - he was clearly sent a death warrant, but Wu Chengjun spoke as if he had gotten a huge bargain.
Wu Chengjian smiled and said, "This time, Merchant Yang voted for the Cai family, while the Pan and Lu families abstained, so our Wu family received a total of eight chips and won the contract from the top six families."
Wu Chenggou stared at him and shouted, "You won... the contract? Lao San, you... have you lost your mind?! Ah! Ba Chou, you... you didn't join the Wu family yourself, did you?"
Wu Chengjian said, "Of course. This is a great thing that benefits the country and the people. Our Wu family should not lag behind. Master Jishan was moved by me. Didn't you see that the Supervisory Office even sent flag soldiers to help us guard the door?"
