In the early morning, people were outside Suzhou City, with waterways densely covered with mist, and trees were hidden, with reeds in the distance, with pink walls and black tiles, wooden pavilions and farmhouses, like a layer of thin white veil, the village silhouette was full of views, the tall Suzhou City stood tall, surrounded by moats outside the city wall, with many ponds, like straps strung with shiny pearls, and on the trees in front of and behind the house, the morning birds chirping, making it lively.

The farmhouse is surrounded by trees and bamboo forests, and the houses are surrounded by bamboo fences. Most of the gardens are planted with mulberry trees. Although the mulberry trees are dense, they are green and green, and there are open spaces in the yard to grow vegetables.

Almost apart is a manor for a large family. There are small courtyards of ordinary farmers scattered around. The gap between the rich and the poor is very large. Early farmers have begun to work a new day in the fields scattered farther around.

The rivers that can be seen faintly in the distance are full of fleets. Even if they are occupied by aliens, the people have to start their hard work in order to survive under the whip of the Japanese.

Zeng Xiaobei hurriedly had breakfast and entered the city with his father Zeng Renjie. Zeng Renjie and Ji Xiaofei went to the city. Those shops and business banks still had to be managed. Zeng Xiaobei went to the police station and agreed to come back for lunch.

Zeng Nan and Li Yuan sat in Zeng Renjie's study. The study was originally a very private place. Zeng Renjie seemed to be not wary of Li Yuan, and seemed to be very satisfied with Li Yuan, his son-in-law.

Li was not familiar with Suzhou and asked Zeng Nan: "Can you tell me about Suzhou? I always feel that Suzhou is strange."

Zeng Nan: "You mean my family is weird?"

"No, just like your family, you should have lived in the city, right? But living outside the city should not be a matter of money." Li Yuan was a little puzzled.

Zeng Nan: "This matter is a long story. As early as the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom in the late Qing Dynasty, several major families in Suzhou formed a militia to fight with the wise king Li Shi. Later, after several major battles, they were finally defeated. Most of the wealthy families were killed by the rebellious peasants. Some families surrendered to the Taiping Army, but their wealth was also lost, and they only survived their lives."

"What about the others?" Li Yuan estimated that these people should have been hiding in the countryside.

Zeng Nan: "Others were unwilling to surrender, and some of them scattered into the mountainous areas west of the countryside. The other had already arranged at home. The male direct descendants took their families with their gold and silver to Jiangxi. Many years later, after the Taiping Army was wiped out by the Qing army, those who fled back to this land had already changed. However, because they took away a large amount of gold and silver when they left in the early years, they bought land in large quantities, and then came from behind. After the Republic of China, after decades of development, the rich became richer, and they often said that the four symbols, eight cows, seventy and two dogs."

"Then what do you mean is your ancestors who are also those who fled?" Li Yuan was a little curious.

Zeng Nan: "Yes, our ancestors are. This time the Japanese came, and our third and fourth brothers had already escaped. How about it, my dad did a good job? In fact, this is a common method used by prominent families. When troubled times come, eggs will never be placed in a basket."

"This is understandable. It is the instinct of seeking profit and avoiding harming others." Li Yuan felt that this was also human nature.

Zeng Nan: "After our ancestors came back, they found some family relatives who were still in these places, and they soon made a comeback. Therefore, if a family wants to prosper, they must first be someone and have culture. Those who came back at that same time were similar in this situation. They supported each other and struggled to seize land with those officials and some local gentry, and through marriage cooperation with each other, so the relationship became complicated."

"As soon as I am a pauper, why do you like me? A hero saves the beauty and promises you?" Li Yuan joked.

Zeng Nan: "Young poor, you have saved me. Our big family attaches great importance to education. Most of them are studying and educated. Just like Shanghai and Huzhou universities are donated by local gentry, and they also respect cultural people. I will bring you back. My parents know that I have a high vision, so they have no objection at all. They can fall in love with you. Your ancestors burned high incense, hahaha."

"Then I am flattered. I remember that the organization has high requirements for marriage among comrades. I heard that what 258th Regiment is needed?" Li Yuan was overjoyed and a little worried.

Zeng Nan: "Shou comes, you are not a formal member of the organization now, and I am not a guerrilla team. We are all local staff members and are not listed here."

"That means we have to do the business before I join the organization?" Li Yuan's heart beat faster.

Zeng Nan: "I think beautifully. Now that the Japanese have fought, there are too few people in the organization who stay here and cannot be transferred to those big families. Until we go forward, there are very few people who can be used by us. Our most important task now is to bring a group of these big families into our organization to ensure the funds, and to devote another energy to ordinary people. Anyway, the difficulties are serious, and it depends on how many strength you still have, so you can use it."

"I am good at fighting the Japanese, but what you said about intelligence work is not my strength in those local work." Li Yuan said awkwardly.

Zeng Nan: "The organizational meeting sent people from Shanghai. What is most hateful now is that Jiangnan's economy was developed very well, and several big families speculated to support the Kuomintang Chiang Kai-shek, which brought huge economic returns. After the Japanese came, these big families could not escape, so they kept some of the family members and participated in the maintenance meeting. Many of them were also instructed by the National Government. So now the national army in the south actually met the Japanese and even reached some shameful agreements."

"As you say that, those underground gang organizations have no way to fight against these old families, so they can only make small fuss." Li Yuan felt that these guys were not worth mentioning at all.

Zeng Nan: "It is true, but many gangs were originally supported by some small families. A few years ago, they began to open opium restaurants. The poisonous things were too harmful, which caused the people here to have no intention of farming, deserted fields everywhere, selling their children and daughters. Later, they were discovered by aspiring people. They contacted several big families to set up a plan and wiped out most of the opium business. However, it was not a matter of a few years that some gangs actually started armed smuggling and trafficking again. After the Japanese came, these people became even more crazy and defected to the Japanese and opened opium restaurants and brothels."

"Why not eliminate these people?" Li Yuan was curious.

Zeng Nan: "Now that the Japanese are in power, everyone is unable to protect themselves. The organization requires us to get rid of those who sell opium at all costs."

"Leave this matter to me. There is no problem killing a few local bandits, as long as you can provide information." Li Yuan was very confident.

Zeng Nan: "The source of intelligence is mainly in the Military Control Commission. Most of our people come to Suzhou. They are not familiar with the complex situation here and their work must be kept confidential. Like Suzhou, we are also divided into two lines. We cannot let the Military Control Commission know that we are entering in large quantities. These people still have to be guarded. Therefore, there are not many people on the surface. As for taking action, we try not to use the name of the organization, so we will be exposed to the eyes of the Military Control Commission. The Military Control Commission is now in ambiguous relationship with the Japanese and must be guarded."

"Have you heard of Gu Zhengchu, the guerrillas here?" Li Yuan suddenly remembered the guerrillas he encountered some time ago.
Chapter completed!