Chapter 17: Men's tears

The summer sun is white and shining makes people dizzy. The cicadas chirp in the big tree at the entrance of Yao Mansion is unceasing, which makes people feel anxious. Chen Zikun sat in the car and smoked a cigarette, and the little things he was with Yao Yilei replayed in his mind.

As time goes by, the world is separated and the fall of the Anhui government, the Yao family will inevitably fade out of politics, and the chances of meeting each other from then on are extremely slim.

After smoking this cigarette, he threw the cigarette butt on the ground and was about to set off when he suddenly saw a familiar figure pulling a rickshaw and running by not far away. Perhaps seeing the fully armed soldiers here, he subconsciously accelerated his pace, but he fell to the ground, the rickshaw overturned, and the guest fell to bite the shit.

The guest got up and scolded: "I'm so proud, how can I pull the car!"

The coachman was motionless and was already unconscious.

Chen Zikun pushed open the car door and shouted, "Okay, let's accumulate some virtue on his mouth."

Seeing that he was dressed in military uniform and followed the guards behind him, the guest immediately did not dare to speak and went in shame. Chen Zikun walked up and helped the driver up to see that it was Wang Dongliang from the Ziguang Car Factory. His naked upper body was hot and red by the sun, his face was sweating and his lips were dry, which was obviously heatstroke.

"Quickly, carry it to the shade of the tree." Chen Zikun asked Wang Degui to carry Wang Dongliang under the big locust tree, poured some cold water into his mouth, and pinched the person. After a while, the person recovered. When he opened his eyes, he said in surprise: "Boss, it's you!" and struggled to get up.

Chen Zikun said: "Lying down and not moving. Why are you still running out on this hot day? You don't even wear a straw hat. Come on, drink another sip of water."

Wang Dongliang said: "I don't drink anymore. I didn't eat at noon. I drank enough water and ran away."

Chen Zikun felt sad and asked someone to bring two big cakes over. Wang Dongliang took it and rolled his eyes to the point of choking. He took the kettle and drank it hard. He looked like he was hungry for a long time.

Looking at the rickshaw, it was worn out, with mottled paint and rusted strips. It was not a car from the Tsinghua Car Factory at all. Chen Zikun asked, "Why are you pulling such a broken car?"

Wang Dongliang said: "After Shopkeeper Xue was arrested, the car factory was occupied by the Ma family, and we coachmen were driven out. Other car factories did not accept it and they had no money to buy a car, so they had to pull the car together with others. These days, wars outside the city are hard to do business, so I came out for sports cars because I was so hungry... Shopkeeper, what's your outfit?"

Chen Zikun said: "Dongliang, stop talking about anything, follow me."

Wang Dongliang said: "What should I do with the car?"

"I don't want this broken car."

He took Wang Dongliang back to Liang's house in Anfu Hutong. When the soldiers at the door saw Chen Zikun, they immediately shouted, "Salute!" Chen Zikun returned the gift in a casual manner, and Wang Dongliang was stunned: "Boss, what kind of military officer are you now?"

Chen Zikun just smiled and entered the main hall. Zhao Yufeng was sitting on the chair of the Grand Master and flipping through the newspaper. He heard the sound of horse boots and jumped up to report: "I am incompetent, and I didn't catch Duan Zhigui."

"Where did he go?" Chen Zikun took off his white gloves and threw them on the table.

"I went to Dongjiaomin Lane. Our soldiers could not enter the embassy area, so there was nothing we could do." Zhao Yufeng said.

Chen Zikun was not surprised. The front line was defeated like a mountain. These military bosses must be the fastest. It would be strange if they stay at home and wait for someone to catch them.

"It's okay, I'll send a few people to change into casual clothes and guard me in Dongjiaomin Lane. I'll catch people as soon as I come out." Chen Zikun gave the order, Zhao Yufeng went out to arrange it, and came back and whispered: "Brother, I've discovered a big discovery."

"Oh?" Chen Zikun knew what he had discovered when he looked at Zhao Yufeng's expression. He turned around and asked Wang Dongliang to sit for a while. He followed Zhao Yufeng to the back hall. There was a vermilion lying box in the room with copper locks hanging on it. When he opened it, he found that it was full of silver dollars, shining and dazzling.

"Brother, heaven knows the earth, you know me, I know... it's better..." A silver light flashed in Zhao Yufeng's eyes.

Chen Zikun knew that these were the funds for the Anfu Group's activity. With Xu Shuzheng's style of doing things without missing a lot, he must have accurate records of every account. If he has it, he may be a bit risky.

But then I thought about it, as soon as the war ended, the gang members of Anfu Club fled and hid, and the situation was in chaos. Even if they broke the money, who would know?

He was struggling with a fierce ideological struggle, but his face was full of a firm expression. Zhao Yufeng stuttered: "Brother, I am actually doing it for your own good. We should not be on the belt. Isn't it just for the sake of getting rich? The wealth is right in front of us, so why bother to look far away?"

"Let me think about it." Chen Zikun only felt that two villains were fighting in his head. One villain in military uniform said: "As a soldier, you must not do unfaithful things. This money should be handed over to Marshal Wu." Another villain dressed in a bandit said: "Whoever grabs it first will belong to whoever belongs, what are you worried about?"

The two villains were evenly matched, and no victory or defeat was decided. Zhao Yufeng stroked the box and kept whispering: "Look at this box, it's sandalwood, at least worth a few hundred yuan."

Chen Zikun's heart lit up. This Anfu Club was built by Xu Shuzheng for huge expenses, and was specially used for members of Congress to enjoy themselves. The decorations and furnishings were all exquisite and luxurious. These sandalwood furniture alone were valuable. There were antiques, jade, copper tripods on the antique shelves, and calligraphy and paintings of famous Ming and Qing dynasties hanging on the walls. Which of them was not priceless! It was ridiculous that I was actually struggling to get a box of silver dollars.

Thinking of this, he covered the box lid with a bang and said resolutely: "Is Chen Zikun's personality worth this box of oceans? If I am greedy for money, how can I be worthy of the cultivation of the Grandmaster!"

Seeing his righteous words, Zhao Yufeng naturally did not dare to talk nonsense and locked the box in shame.

Not far away, Commander Li of the Pistol Company gently lowered the curtain and tiptoed back.

...

Chen Zikun withdrew the military police company from Anfu Club, posted a seal on the gate to fight against rebels, and left a squad of soldiers to guard the place. No one was allowed to enter and exit, so he went to do his own business.

Outside Xuanwu Gate, there were cicadas in Willow Tree Alley, and the dilapidated cries were still broken. The smelly ditch behind the slums was bubbled by the poisonous sun, without a trace of wind. Xue Baoqing sat on the threshold with a bowl of sea, sighing and looking at the porridge like clear water in the bowl.

After his father Xue Pingshun was arrested by the police department, the Tsinghuan Train Factory was also sealed off and his family was sold out. In addition, Chen Zikun and Xiao Shunzi came from Shanghai Hui for 800 yuan, so they were not wasted. The police department agreed to release the person, but on the night before he was released from prison, Xue Pingshun died in the detention center inexplicably.

The police department said that Xue Pingshun died of sudden illness and had nothing to do with them, but what Baoqing found out was that his father was covered in quilts and suffocated to death by other prisoners.

Last summer, the second child in my hometown died of a wound infection, and the third child was imprisoned. Everyone thought that the Ma family was over. They knew that Mr. Ma was desperate to make a bet, sold the car factory, and raised a huge sum of money to deal with the money. Not only did he rescue his third son, but he also moved the fifth official position.

The Ma family made a comeback and returned to their old business. The foreign cart that was seized by the Tsinghua Car Factory was inexplicably brought to their hands. Xue Baoqing had also gone to search twice for this, but was beaten to the point of being blue and swollen.

It rained again overnight. Doctor Stanley's clinic closed. Baoqing lost even the mission, and the family had no overnight food. Fortunately, he still had the strength to do his best by pulling a rickshaw. He had wars outside the city these two days, and the city was very depressed. He only earned a cent for a whole morning, but he didn't even have enough food.

The porridge like clear water can reveal the figure. Baoqing drank the porridge in one gulp, took a deep breath, and killed the belt tighter. Then he got up and went back to the house, took half of his pocket, and walked towards Xing'er's house.

Baoqing is a kind man. He was driving a rickshaw outside alone, but he wanted to support a whole family. In addition to his own mother, there were also Aunt Wang picked up by Chen Zikun from outside and Xing'er's family. Zhao Dahai was far away in Hankou, Chen Zikun and Xiao Shunzi were desperate. He was the only adult male left in the slum. Who would support him if he didn't support him?

The noodles bag was sent to Xing'er's house, and the family was speechless. After a while, Xing'er's mother sighed and said, "No matter how hard this life is, you have to live. Choose a good day in two days and get your marriage done."

Xing'er's face turned red and she didn't say anything. She knew Baoqing's kindness to her, and she was at ease to live with such a man.

As for the young player with the white horse and silver spear in the girl's hazy dream, let him go with the wind. Poor people are not qualified to talk about their dreams.

The good news came too quickly, Baoqing was caught off guard, rubbed his hands on his clothes, and his face turned red. It took him a long time to put on a sentence: "I will go home and talk to my mother, and I will definitely do it lively and not let Xing'er be wronged."

"Cough cough" With a dry cough, Chen Sanpi came in and said to Baoqing: "Big nephew, you go out for a while first. Xing'er's mother and I have something to say."

Baoqing nodded and went out, and closed the door. Chen Sanpi's voice came from the room: "I think you are sick and confused. What can our family do if you marry your daughter to a poor laborer who drives rickshaw?"

Xing'er's mother said, "Baoqing is quite kind. Our family has always been safe, otherwise we would not be able to hold on to what we are today."

Chen Sanpi sneered: "Can you be kind to eat or drink? I have already helped Xing'er find a good family. The third young master of the Wang family in Fangzhuan Hutong is only twenty years old this year. That is a well-known family in Beijing. Xing'er did not marry her but was a serious young grandmother, and she would not be able to suffer any loss."

Xing'er's mother knew her husband very well and retorted: "Is this third young master of the Wang family a cripple or a blind man?"

Chen Sanpi said: "It's neither lame nor blind. It's just that I took too much cold medicine when I was a child and I was not very smart. This is also good, so it saves Xing'er from getting angry."

Xing'er's mother was furious: "Okay, you marry your daughter to a fool. Is there anyone like you who is a father like this?"

Then I heard the sound of pots and pans in the house, and Xing'er's sobs. Baoqing clenched his teeth and clenched his iron fist. As soon as he was about to enter the house, Chen Sanpi said with a stern saying: "What's wrong with a fool? The fool's family has money and can support our family, let Guo'er study, treat you, and let us live with decent life! You really think I'm a beast, and you're married to a fool. I'm not for you, for this family!"

Hearing this passage, Baoqing was immediately depressed. Yes, in this year, if you don’t have money, you have to live without dignity like a dog. Perhaps Xing'er is better to marry that fool than to marry herself.

A man doesn't cry easily, just because he has not reached the sad place. Baoqing is really heartbroken this time, and a big man just squats in the corner and sobbs.

Suddenly someone came behind him and hammered it on his shoulder. A familiar voice sounded: "Baoqing, what are you doing?"
Chapter completed!