Volume 2: Eagle vs. Dragon Chapter 45: Entering the Garden
Wu Chengjian was stunned for a moment, then he remembered that he shouldn't vent his anger on Zhou Yijin, so he suppressed his temper and said, "This thing was popular in... our hometown in Fujian. It was developed by some playboys who turned drugs into toys. After taking it, it is true that for a period of time, you will feel refreshed, sharp-eyed, and even ecstatic. But after the effect of the drug wears off, the whole person will soon become exhausted, empty, and powerless. You have to take it again to get that kind of hallucination again."
Zhou Yijin said: "What if I stop smoking..."
"It's impossible not to smoke it again." Wu Chengjian said: "Who, having tasted that kind of taste, would be willing to try it again? And after the second time, there will be a third time, a fourth time, and then you can't live without it anymore."
Zhou Yijin asked: "Is this an addiction?"
"It's addictive." Wu Chengjian said, "There's tea addiction, there's wine addiction, but no matter tea addiction or wine addiction, they're not even one ten-thousandth as bad as opium addiction. And the harm of drinking tea and drinking is limited after all, but if you take opium for a long time, it will make you feel weak all over, anxious and irritable. If you take it for a long time and don't stop, your body will collapse. If you don't take it, you may go crazy. When I was a kid, I went back to my hometown and saw a man who killed his wife and children because of his opium addiction."
Zhou Yijin shuddered and said, "Is it so scary?"
Wu Chengjian said: "Fortunately, there is not much of this stuff and it is expensive. Even if you collect it from the whole Fujian, you can only get a few pounds. If we cut off the source, the users will be forced to quit and slowly get better. But think about it, if this stuff is mass-produced, shipped in by the tens of thousands, and enters China like tea, it will become a staple on the tables of countless people. When our elders and children become addicted, what will happen to our elders and children, and what will happen to this country?"
Zhou Yijin was silent.
Wu Chengjian said: "I can tolerate and compromise on other things, but I can't negotiate on this one!"
Zhou Yijin sighed softly and said, "You... you did the right thing. But this way, we will have to face one more enemy. It will be even more difficult to deal with the wolf in front and the tiger behind. And..." He looked into Wu Chengjian's eyes and said, "And it will be even more impossible for you to let go of this burden in the future. If opium is really as profitable as Milton said, then... not everyone can refuse it."
Yes, if Wu Chengjian disagrees, Milton can still go to Pan Youjie and Ye Dalin, Lu Guanhuan and Cai Shiwen, Pan Yiliang and Ma. As long as the profit is high enough, not everyone can refuse such temptation - it can even be said that few businessmen can resist it.
If Wu Chengjian really wanted to stop opium, he couldn't just refuse to cooperate with Milton. He had to go one step further and control the Thirteen Hongs or even gain power at a higher level.
However, this power needs to be pursued before it is obtained, and once it is obtained, it will be a heavy responsibility.
Wu Chengjian was stunned. He had not thought too much when he firmly rejected Milton just now , but now that Zhou Yijin reminded him, he realized that he had unknowingly added another burden to his shoulders, and he had taken it up himself...
Zhou Yijin said: "We have one less good card in our hands. This round of mahjong will be even harder to win."
Wu Chengjian said: "If you really can't fool me..."
Zhou Yijin asked: "What should we do?"
Wu Chengjian said: "Let's overturn the table!"
Changzi was like a headless fly, running around Henan Island. However, at this time, Wu Chengjian was surrounded by layers of blockades from information to manpower, and even Milton could hardly see him, let alone this night-scented boy. Moreover, the servants under Wu Qi knew that Qi Ge disliked this stutterer, so they avoided him when they saw him.
Changzi couldn't beat the gongs and drums to attract the attention of the Wu family like he did last time - this was a wedding between the Wu and Ye families, and the Ye family also had many servants coming in and out of Wujiayuan. If he did this, the Wu family might not have to do anything, and the Ye family would be able to arrest him before he met the core members of the Wu family. Moreover, Wujiayuan was much larger than the Wu residence in Xiguan, and they didn't know where Wu Guoying and Wu Chengjian were, so beating the gongs and drums might not be heard by the other party.
During that time, he failed to meet Wu Chengjian, but accidentally bumped into Xu.
Xu was placed in a small yard where geese were raised in the northwest corner of Wujiayuan. Ma knew that she was cowardly and incompetent, so she was not as strict in her supervision of her as she was with Ye Youyu. She just asked an old woman to watch over her and not let her go too far.
When Xu came out to pour water, Changzi heard her, so he climbed over the low wall and went to see Xu without telling the old woman. When Xu heard about her daughter's situation, she was worried and sad, but she didn't have any idea, so Changzi climbed over the wall and left.
He was in such a hurry for the whole day. Seeing that Ye Jiayuan had already carried the dowry boxes to the Wu family, Changzi thought to himself: "Tomorrow is the wedding day, and the bride will be carried to the door for the ceremony tomorrow night. If we delay any longer, it will be too late." He was extremely anxious, but at a loss as to what to do. Suddenly, he saw from a distance the sedan chair carried by Ye Dalin towards them - it was the Ye family's eight-man sedan chair, and Ye Zhong was following beside the sedan chair - and Ye Dalin was the only one who could allow Ye Zhong to follow beside the sedan chair.
Changzi thought to himself, "Why did the master suddenly come to Yejiayuan?" He was so scared that he hid away. Ye Zhong, who was sitting next to the sedan chair, caught a glimpse of Changzi and glanced at him.
When Changzi got a glance from him, he felt scared at first, but then he suddenly thought: "If the master comes to Wujiayuan at this time, the person he will meet will be either Hao Guan or Mr. Wu. It doesn't matter which of these two people I meet!" So he followed him secretly.
After Ye Dalin entered the gate of Wujiayuan, Changzi prepared himself mentally, plucked up his courage, and walked over and said to the gatekeeper: "I, Ye Ye Ye's family, my master, forgot to bring his snuff bottle. Madam, please bring it to me."
Seeing that his attire was similar to the Ye family's accompanying servant who had just passed by, and that his words were in line with his, the gatekeeper let him in. After crossing the threshold, he asked about Ye Dalin's direction and walked all the way to the Moon Viewing Terrace, which was located on a higher ground in Wu's family garden, and the Wu family had built a pavilion here for viewing the moon and the stars.
Tonight, Pan Youjie received news from the capital that Wu Chengjian's imperial title had been granted, but the decree was still on the way to Guangzhou, and it would probably take another ten days or half a month. Pan Youjie already knew about it, so he came to congratulate Wu Chengjian in advance, and also called Ye Dalin along - since Wu Chengjian had received the imperial title, his newly-married wife would be able to strive for a title of Lady with an imperial decree, and this matter was also somewhat related to the Ye family.
Inside the garden, the three giants Pan, Wu and Ye were congratulating and accepting congratulations, drinking and chatting. Outside the garden, Changzi saw that the person guarding the door was Ye Dalin's long-time male servant Ye Duofu. This man was Ye Dalin's confidant and not from the Ma family. Changzi recognized him, but the other person might not recognize Changzi. So he plucked up his courage and bumped into him. Changzi was still worried that his stuttering would be too obvious, so he pretended to run and said breathlessly: "Xiguan, urgent matter! Looking for Master Zhong." He had thought about these eight words carefully, and when he said them, he didn't sound like he was stuttering. It just sounded like he was gasping for breath.
Ye Duofu was stunned for a moment, said something to the gatekeeper of the Wu family next to him, and took Changzi in.
After entering the garden, there is another crescent-shaped door. Ye Zhong, Wu Qi and Pan Haigen are sitting by the door, eating melon seeds around a small table. From here, one can vaguely hear the voices of the three richest men talking inside.
Ye Duofu pointed at Changzi and said, "Master Zhong, this kid is looking for you."
Ye Duofu usually didn't pay attention to Changzi, but Wu Qi did. When he saw Changzi, he glared at him. Ye Zhong stared at Changzi and asked, "What's the matter?"
Changzi said, "Madam, please find the master. There is something going on!"
Wu Qi was about to say something, but Ye Zhong pointed inside and said, "Go in."
Wu Qi frowned slightly, but Ye Zhong was of the same generation as Lao Gu and Wu Erliang, and Ye Zhong had kicked his bare butt when he was wearing open-crotch pants. Now that Ye Zhong had spoken, he couldn't openly refute him.
Changzi entered the garden trembling with fear. The three giants Pan, Wu and Ye were talking happily in the garden. Apart from their voices, there was no other sound, not even the chirping of insects. Only Xia Qing was serving, and Zhou Yijin was sitting next to them drinking, and both of them were silent.
Pan, Wu and Ye all stopped when they saw Changzi, and glanced over at him vaguely. To Changzi, it was like three huge mountains pressing down on him.
Changzi only felt his shoulders sink and his breathing became heavier.
Fortunately, Pan and Wu looked away after just a glance, but Ye Dalin frowned and asked, "What's the matter?" He vaguely saw that it was his own servant, but he didn't know which one.
Changzi thought to himself: "Let me die!"
Without replying to Ye Dalin's words, he rushed over, hugged Wu Chengjian's legs and shouted: "Hao, Hao Hao Guan! Help, Third Miss! Help, Third Miss!"
This pounce hit Xia Qing, and she was so scared that the wine jug on her plate fell to the ground and completely destroyed the good atmosphere in the garden.
Ye Dalin was very quick-witted and reacted immediately. He knew that this person was most likely Ye Youyu's man. Seeing that this person stuttered, he remembered that there was a stuttering servant beside Ye Youyu. He was annoyed and angry, and shouted: "You little bastard, get out!"
Wu Chengjian has also recognized Changzi.
Changzai just hugged Wu Chengjian's legs and cried: "Hao, Hao Guan, help, help, help!"
Within two sentences, Ye Zhong, Wu Qi and Pan Haigen all came in.
Pan Youjie watched coldly from the sidelines. Wu Chengjian sneered at Wu Qi and asked, "How many times has this happened?"
Wu Qi was suddenly filled with shame. Although this time it was because of Ye Zhong, in the end he still let this little stutterer get in front of Wu Chengjian - this guy was simply his calamity!
Pan Youjie saw that it was probably not a big deal, so he smiled and said, "What kind of drama is this?"
Ye Dalin didn't want Changzi to talk, so he shouted, "Get him out!" He turned around and said, "Excuse me."
Ye Duofu came to fork Changzi, Wu Qi also came to help, Changzi struggled and shouted: "Fake, fake bride! Haoguan, that is, the second girl, the bride, fake."
Wu Qi was stunned when he heard this, and Wu Chengjian was also startled. He raised his hand, and Ye Duofu didn't dare to move again.
Wu Chengjian asked, "What's going on?"
