gnovel Chapter 4 It's you again, you grandson?
Chapter 4 It's you again, you grandson?
"Coming right away!"
Awakening, Lu Xingzhou, dressed, remarked with a sigh, "Being too healthy has its downsides!"
The refined young ladies of this time were not the wealthy second-generation heirs of later generations who could sleep with anyone they met.
Bai Xiuzhu, who values self-respect, did not blindly pursue him. On the passenger ship from the United States back to China, she not only refused to give him food but also ruined his attempt to sneak a bite.
Nourished by the primordial energy of heaven and earth, his desires grew stronger and stronger, to the point that he was having erotic dreams.
Once I've settled down, I'll definitely find a renowned martial arts master to learn from and burn off my excess energy.
It's not that he's not lustful; on the contrary, he's extremely amorous.
But his soul, nearing forty, knew clearly: focusing solely on matters of the groin would never lead to anything significant, regardless of the era.
Upon arriving at the reception room, Wu Junsheng warmly introduced him to his two old buddies.
"This is your sixth great-uncle, Sun Liechen, and this is your uncle, Zhang Zuoxiang!"
In Northeastern dialect, the youngest person in a family is not called "xiao" (小) but "lao" (老), which is how terms like "oldest son," "oldest daughter," "oldest uncle," and "oldest uncle" come about.
Born in 1881, Zhang Zuoxiang was only thirty years old, so he couldn't possibly be older than Lu Xingzhou's father. Being the youngest of eight brothers, he became the uncle.
Knowing the importance of connections, Lu Xingzhou certainly wouldn't let down Master Wu's kindness.
"Sixth Uncle, Uncle!"
"Hey~~ Nephew!"
"Nephew, don't stand there, sit down!"
If we were to categorize people into factions like in a certain game, Zhang Zuolin's eight brothers would basically be a mix of chaos and kindness.
As long as there is no conflict of interest, everyone is warm and generous. They will not look down on Lu Xingzhou because of differences in age or social status.
In those chaotic and turbulent times, Lu Xingzhou would not hesitate to cultivate good relations with several warlords whose futures were bright.
After a few words, the atmosphere became harmonious, and then everyone could sit down and start drinking.
Then Wu Junsheng and the other two truly witnessed Lu Xingzhou's true calling.
His fighting ability comes from the [Yi Yang Ding], but his drinking ability is a skill that Manager Lu honed through the trials of alcohol.
With the added advantage of the space within the cauldron, their combat strength at the dinner table increased dramatically.
He addressed each drink as "Grandpa" and "Uncle," spewing out toasts as if they were free, and within two hours, he had three completely drunk men under the table.
Unconvinced, they then enlisted Tang Yulin as an accomplice. After three days of drinking, they still couldn't gauge Lu Xingzhou's true strength, and only then were they completely convinced.
Handsome, skilled, knowledgeable, wealthy, and generous.
Most importantly, unlike the little brat at home who would run away whenever he saw them drinking, he could chat and drink to his heart's content with the old folks. He's almost become a perfect role model for the younger generation, and his affection for Lu Xingzhou is evident in his words.
Unfortunately, several of the uncles and elders who were not doing their jobs properly were core figures in the Fengtian Army and could not drink heavily all the time.
On the fourth day, Wu Junsheng gave him two letters and 10 silver notes, telling him to go to Zhengjiatun to find Yu Wendou, and then he was taken away to handle military affairs.
Lu Xingzhou thought to himself, "My uncle and grandfather really know how to treat people well; those three days of drinking weren't for nothing!"
Master Wu asked Yu Wendou to help him buy land and property. With the warlord's letter, he could get 14 silver dollars from Yu Wendou, saving more than 1 in handling fees. It was a sure thing.
The key point is that this is an opportunity for him to get to know Yu Wendou!
This man was not well-known in later generations, but at the time when Hu Xueyan fell from grace and Sheng Xuanhuai fled to Japan for refuge, he was the de facto richest man in China.
Zhang Zuolin and Wu Junsheng, the four major military leaders of the Fengtian Army, both rose to power with his financial support.
Right now, in this part of Northeast China, Uncle Yu's influence is not much less than that of General Zhang before he became the King of the Northeast.
As for this commander who speaks and acts beautifully but is not a very decent person, well, if you didn't meet him, you didn't meet him.
I was leaving the Wu residence and heading to the train station.
A long, snotty-nosed face emerged from behind the hitching post, and the person said in a tearful, aggrieved voice:
"Good heavens! Why are you taking so long to come out? I've been waiting for you here for three days!!"
That despicable bastard only says he'll wait, but doesn't even give a timeframe.
Thank goodness it was March, otherwise he would have frozen to death long ago!
Looking at his miserable state, Lu Xingzhou felt no sympathy and even wanted to laugh.
I knew he looked familiar, and now he's really making a fool of himself!
"You actually came to see me?! Why don't you go and have some fun with a bunch of money?"
The beggar rolled his eyes. He may not have been to school, but he wasn't stupid!
Is it hard to choose between being full at one meal and being full at every other meal?
It's such a rare opportunity to walk the right path, no idiot would want to hold onto it so tightly!
Judging from his smug little expression, Lu Xingzhou knew he was a clever person.
"Since you're willing to come, you can work with me from now on. I've just returned to China and need someone familiar with the customs and culture of the region."
That's exactly what the little beggar came for!
"Hey~ Young master, you've come to the right person! I'm a regular on the streets of Fengtian, nobody knows the area outside the Great Wall better than me!"
Ni Yang?
I don't know which movie or TV series it's from.
When Lu Xingzhou met Bai Xiuzhu, he thought this was the "The Story of a Noble Family" universe. But when he met several uncles and grandpas from "Young Marshal", he knew this must be a crossover movie world.
He doesn't watch many TV dramas, so it's not surprising that he saw a few familiar faces but didn't know their origins.
"Let's go to the train station."
Ni Yang immediately switched to his follower role: "Alright~ I'll lead the way for you, sir!"
When the two returned to the station square, they found it was once again packed with people.
Chen Daye was gesturing wildly and shouting in the middle:
"Take a look! Don't miss out! A beautiful and well-proportioned young lady, only 400 yuan to take home!"
It's that bastard again, buying and selling people in the street?!
Lu Xingzhou looked behind him.
A body wrapped in straw mat lay on a cart, and a pretty girl knelt beside it.
On her perfectly oval face were bright, captivating eyes that couldn't hide their allure even when they were red and swollen from crying.
His height was not visible when he was kneeling, but his bulging figure, which could not be concealed even by thick winter clothes and mourning attire, was particularly eye-catching.
Lu Xingzhou recognized her at a glance, and his resolve to act bravely and righteously suddenly strengthened.
This head needs to be removed!
He immediately shouted, "You unlucky wretch, you really are persistent in your inhuman behavior!"
"Damn it, who, who..."
Enraged, Chen Da looked closely and swallowed his profanity.
"Don't talk nonsense! That old bastard of hers borrowed money and never paid it back. I even helped sell her and bury her. I was doing a good deed!"
A few henchmen chimed in.
"Yes, yes!"
"My older brother is a good person; he does good deeds!"
Lu Xingzhou was too lazy to waste words; problems that could be solved with money weren't really problems.
It's just about loan sharks, what's so new about it?
"How much money does she owe you?"
Such a beautiful woman is rare, and Chen Daye originally intended to keep her for himself.
Unfortunately, the girl was too headstrong and would rather sell herself as a maid to pay off her debts than become his wife, which is why he made such an exorbitant demand.
If you sell it, you make a huge profit; if you can't sell it, you have to accept your fate and stay with it. You lose money both ways.
"Hehe~ I wouldn't sell her for half a penny less than 400 silver dollars, but if you want her, you have to settle the 300 silver dollars her father owes me, and this pretty girl is yours! I'll just consider it making a friend!"
Lu Xingzhou, who was unfamiliar with prices, thought it was a great deal and was about to take out his money when Ni Yang quickly stopped him in a low voice.
"Young master, that much money could buy ten maids like Shen'er. No wonder no one's buying after all that advertising. Don't be fooled!"
Lu Xingzhou was unmoved by the well-intentioned advice, and even wondered if the man was blind or just bragging.
Although Liu Yan may not be considered a stunning beauty, she is at least one in a million.
Paying 300 yuan for 10 is such a rip-off!
The girl kneeling on the ground, sobbing, couldn't hear what Ni Yang was saying, but she was very good at reading people's expressions.
Knowing that she wasn't trying to persuade Lu Xingzhou to buy her, she quickly and plaintively explained why she was there:
"My name is Lin Fengyi. My father borrowed 80 silver dollars from Chen Daye to pay for my medical treatment."
"The patient died before the illness was cured, and before the seventh day after his death had even passed, Chen Daye took away all the land deeds and house deeds of my family, which were worth 200 silver dollars. He even insisted that I owed him a lot of interest and demanded that I marry him to settle the debt!"
"When I refused, he threatened to sell me to a brothel! Fengyi had no one to back her up and couldn't resist, but she didn't want to be the wife of this heartless bastard, so she wanted to sell herself to a good family!"
After recounting the whole story, she looked with teary eyes at Lu Xingzhou, the only person in the room who might be able to buy her.
"This young master seems to have a kind heart. You should buy Fengyi! I... I'm clean and tidy, and I'm good at serving tea and water, washing clothes and cooking. I'm also skilled at needlework. I will definitely serve you well and repay your kindness!"
What the heck?!
Even knowing it was a cliché of loan sharks forcing women into prostitution, Lu Xingzhou was still quite shocked.
Borrowing 80, you have to pay back 5 or 600!
Even Huang Shiren would have to call him ancestor, right?!
The heartless and rotten-minded Chen Da-yan doesn't think he did anything wrong at all. "I didn't even sleep with this little wench right away, I even accompanied her to sell her body, how chivalrous of me!"
He asked impatiently, "Mr. Lu, are you going to buy it or not?"
Lin Fengyi also looked at Lu Xingzhou, her eyes filled with desperate pleading.
In those days, selling one's son or daughter was commonplace. The government was too busy to manage it and was unwilling to do so. There were few wealthy people in Fengtian who were willing to spend 300 silver dollars to buy a maid.
Even someone as well-dressed and distinguished as Lu Xingzhou wouldn't be willing to buy it.
She would either be violated by Chen Daye or sold to a brothel to be violated by even more people.
Knowing the state of the world, Lu Xingzhou originally did not intend to become an angry young man and was prepared to pay money to buy people.
However, Chen Daye's ruthless and exploitative behavior crossed the line of his understanding of the word "insatiable greed."
Having harbored murderous intent, he asked with a sly smile:
"I don't want to pay the money, but I want the person. Is there any way to resolve this?"