Chapter 2 The Young Master Next Door

  In the future, Father-in-law Chai Shen was a big official, but Chen Yingliang wasn't really interested - anyway, they had already come to ask for a divorce, so no matter how big Chai Shen's official position was, it had nothing to do with Chen Yingliang. What Chen Yingliang was more interested in was his current body, and how he had gotten entangled with the Chai family back then, and even got engaged to the eldest young lady of the Chai family?

  After spending more than a day carefully sorting through the memories brought by his new body, Chen Yingliang found the answer. It turned out that his great-grandfather Chen Xin had been an official in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, serving as the governor of Xiongzhou and being granted the title of Duke of Xuchang County. At that time, he was considered a member of a prominent family. After Chen Xin's death, his grandson Chen Wandi succeeded to the title, while Chai Lao's grandfather Chai Lie was a renowned general in the Northern Zhou Dynasty, serving as the governor of Sui and Liang states and being granted the title of Duke of Guanjun County. The two families had a very close relationship and had considered forming an alliance through marriage, but unfortunately, due to various misunderstandings and missed opportunities, the Chen-Chai alliance was not realized in Chen Yingliang's parents' generation.

  Later, Yang Jian replaced Zhou Li with Sui, Chen Wanneng and Chai Lie, although they did not have the opportunity to become a dragon in time, but also did not stand on the wrong team with the old Yang family, the family industry was basically equivalent, and the relationship was still close. Therefore, 16 years ago, when Chen Wanneng was about to die, he made an agreement with Chai Lie, letting his grandson Chen Yingliang, who had just turned one year old, marry Chai Lie's unborn daughter - that is, the daughter in Chai Shenzhong's wife's belly.

  Of course, if Chai Shen's daughter-in-law gave birth to a son, this marriage would naturally cease to exist.

  Chai Shen's wife gave birth to a granddaughter, also considered as a future daughter-in-law for Chen Yingliang, named Chai Qian. However, no one expected that the year of Chai Qian's birth would become a turning point for both the Chai and Chen families. After Chai Qian was born, Chai Lie's son Chai Shen suddenly gained recognition from Emperor Yang of Sui and was promoted to Taizi Right Inner Rate, with his title elevated to Duke of Julu County. The family's fortunes continued to rise.

  In contrast, in the same year, Chen Wandi passed away, and the old Chen family suffered a great calamity. Chen Yingliang's father, Chen Shan, not only failed to inherit the title but also made one mistake after another, relying on officials and nobles who fell from power one by one. The political investment in them was all wasted, and their property was completely lost. Chen Shan also lost his official position due to the downfall of his political patronage.

  Later on, it became even simpler. Chen Yu's family property was completely lost, and he could not withstand the blow, becoming ill with anger. He died of illness when Chen Yingliang was 10 years old. The distant relatives of the Chen family divided up the last bit of family property and disowned them. Chen Yu's wife worked hard to raise Chen Yingliang until he was 15 years old, but two years ago she also contracted a serious illness and passed away, leaving behind only an old servant named Chen Lao San who was almost 60 years old, and Chen Yingliang had to rely on him for survival. Their life was extremely difficult.

  The Lao Chen family has fallen to this point, and it would be strange if the Lao Chai family, who were once so proud, did not have the idea of divorce. At the same time, Chai Lie, who had been engaged to Chen Wan's daughter three years ago, had already broken off the engagement three years ago. Chai Shen was able to send someone to break off the engagement only after completing his filial duties for three years, which is already considered a very difficult thing to do. This led to what happened later: young Chen Yingliang hanged himself, and police chief Chen Yingliang, who had embezzled public funds to buy a kidney machine as office supplies, was possessed by the spirit of the deceased.

  By the way, Chen Yingliang didn't think that Lao Chai's family was being unreasonable in asking for a divorce due to their dislike of poverty and love of wealth. If Chen Yingliang were the current head of the Chai family, Chai Shen, he would never be willing to give his daughter to a poor and lonely young man. What Chen Yingliang was most dissatisfied with about Lao Chai's family was that they directly asked for a divorce without trying to support their future son-in-law, giving him an opportunity to develop and see how things go - if it were like this, Chen Yingliang would at least be able to drink some thin porridge that could reflect a person's shadow.

  "Master, dinner is ready."

  Just as Chen Yingliang was regretfully eating his congee, Chen Lao San's voice entered his ears. Immediately after, Chen Lao San walked into the room with a wooden tray and placed a large bowl of coarse rice and a large bowl of fragrant mutton stew on the table. His thin, old face was full of kindness and affection as he gently said to Chen Yingliang: "Young master, eat quickly! This is your favorite mutton stew, I've added pepper to remove any gaminess."

  "Mutton soup?" Chen Yingliang, who had been drinking thin porridge for a whole day, was overjoyed and rushed over to grab his chopsticks. But after picking up the rice bowl, Chen Yingliang suddenly remembered something and asked Chen Lao San in a hurry: "Third Uncle, where did you get the money to buy mutton and rice? If I'm not mistaken, we've been out of money for some time now! Two days ago, you paid the doctor's fee, but it seemed like you were still short of one dollar."

  "You can rest assured, old slave neither stole nor robbed." Chen Lao San smiled and replied: "It was a kind-hearted young master who gave us one yuan to help our family, letting me buy some rice and meat for you to nourish your body. I've already thanked him on your behalf."

  "Who is so kind?" Chen Yingliang asked in surprise - he had seen many people add flowers to the brocade, but he had rarely seen anyone send charcoal in snowy weather.

  "The young master forgives the crime. I promised that young master that I couldn't mention his name, nor could I talk about this matter." Chen Lao San shook his head.

  "Why? Doing good deeds without leaving a name, didn't the Sui Dynasty have Comrade Lei Feng?" Chen Yingliang became even more curious.

  "I don't know, I've asked him too, but he won't say." Chen Lao San continued to shake his head and urged: "Young master, hurry up and eat, I've already thanked that neighbor's young master three times. When you become successful and restore the glory of the Chen family, we'll thank him properly again."

  "Is that our neighbor?" Chen Yingliang discovered the hint in Lao San's words and immediately realized, laughing: "I understand, no wonder he didn't want to say his name and didn't want others to know about this matter. This young master is really careful."

  "Sir, do you know why he did this? Why?" Chen Lao San asked curiously.

  "He's afraid that in the future, he won't be able to cope with all the troubles." Chen Yingliang replied: "As the saying goes, 'helping in urgent situations but not in poverty', our neighborhood is full of poor people. If he lets others know about this matter, every household will come to him for help when they have troubles, and they are all neighbors. How can he cope with that? So he sees that our family is suffering and pitiful, and he's willing to help us once in an urgent situation, but he doesn't want others to know."

  "Yes, that's probably the reason." Chen Lao San applauded and praised: "Young master, you are really clever. That young master must be afraid that everyone will go to ask for his help, so he doesn't allow me to tell others about this matter. Otherwise, even if it's just our poor people in this area, one person helping another would be unbearable for him."

  Chen Yingliang smiled and beckoned Chen Lao San: "Third Uncle, let's eat together. It's not often that we have some meat to eat, so let's split it in half."

  "Master, I've already eaten at the stove, you eat now."

  Chen Lao San hastily pushed it away, but Chen Ying Liang didn't believe him. He went to the kitchen and brought back a bowl, dividing the white rice in half for Chen Lao San. Then he personally served Chen Lao San a bowl of mutton soup, moving Chen Lao San to tears. Chen Ying Liang used a lot of effort to comfort him before finally pulling him down to sit and eat together.

  Chen Lao San's culinary skills were mediocre, and the mutton soup still reeked of gamey smell despite the addition of pepper. However, Chen Ying Liang and Chen Lao San, who relied on each other for survival, both ate with relish, constantly urging each other to take more food, their affection palpable. After dinner, Chen Lao San went to wash the dishes, while Chen Ying Liang strolled into his own dilapidated courtyard, exercising his legs and sorting through the memories left behind by the deceased Chen Ying Liang, all while contemplating his current situation and future prospects.

  Things have come to this, Chen Yingliang naturally doesn't dare to hope that he can return to modern society. As for the marriage with the Chai family, Chen Yingliang also doesn't care. If the Chai family comes again to demand a divorce, Chen Yingliang will agree immediately. The Chai family looks down on Chen Yingliang who is now poor and destitute, but Chen Yingliang, who has some pride, is not willing to cry and beg to marry Miss Chai, so he might as well just agree to the divorce. Who knows who will regret it in the future?

  Chen Yingliang had absolute confidence to make the Chai family regret, as a traverser, with both martial arts and intelligence, Chen Yingliang, the captain of the metropolitan police department, not only had knowledge and experience exceeding this era by over a thousand years, but also had the greatest golden finger of a traverser - knowing the direction of history! Knowing that in just a few years, the Sui Dynasty would perish, and Li Yuan would replace Emperor Yang Guang of Sui to establish the greatest dynasty in ancient China, the Tang Dynasty!

  Knowing this, Chen Yingliang naturally thought of the fastest and most effortless way to get ahead, a way that would make the Chai family regret it, which was to go and rely on Li Yuan! Relying on Li Yuan and his son Li Shimin, who did not kill meritorious officials, and hug their thighs!

  Chen Yingliang's only headache now is how to go and rely on Li Yuan. It's not difficult for a big name like Li Yuan to find him, but after finding him, how can he let him reuse himself and give himself the opportunity to show off his skills? Chen Yingliang couldn't possibly tell Li Yuan that he was a traverser with over 1,000 years of historical knowledge and experience. If there wasn't a special opportunity, he wouldn't be able to demonstrate the outstanding ability that would make Li Yuan look at him in a new light. Even if Chen Yingliang went to rely on Li Yuan now, he would definitely have to start from the lowest level as a cannon fodder.

  He passed the civil service examination and entered the police station, and after much hardship, he finally climbed to the position of head of the municipal bureau's criminal police detachment. Chen Yingliang, who had already suffered enough, did not want to be cannon fodder again, suffer twice, and bear double punishment. Therefore, Chen Yingliang decided to plan carefully before acting, first thinking of a way to make Li Yuan look at him with new eyes, and then going to curry favor with him.

  What method can make Li Yuan look at himself with new eyes, Chen Yingliang has not had any clues for the time being, but fortunately, Emperor Yang of Sui can still jump around for several years, and Li Yuan will also have several years before he will start a rebellion. Now 17-year-old Chen Yingliang has plenty of time to prepare, so Chen Yingliang, who has not fully integrated into this era, is not too anxious, and puts this matter aside for the time being, with great interest in measuring the residential courtyards of this era.

  The small courtyard where Chen Yingliang now lives is the only immovable property left by the dead ghost Chen Yingliang, located in the civilian area of Nanjing City, Daxing City. The surrounding residents are all urban poor people, and the location is extremely poor, with a narrow and low value that is not worth much money. There are only three old, dilapidated, and low-rise earth houses, one small kitchen that can only hold one person, no well in the yard, only one tree with mottled bark, the broken and worn-out courtyard wall is so short that you can see outside without looking up, covered with moss, and may collapse with a slight touch.

  "It's not the mountain that's high, but the immortal spirit that dwells there; it's not the water that's deep, but the dragon that inhabits it. This humble abode is only fragrant with my virtue."

  Living in such a desolate place, Chen Yingliang, who liked to attach himself to the elegant and refined, couldn't help but recite a famous ancient article that was timely and fitting. With his hands behind his back, he loudly chanted: "The moss marks on the steps are green, the grass color enters the curtain blue. Talking and laughing with great scholars, coming and going without common people. One can tune the qin, read the golden scriptures. Without the disturbance of silk and bamboo, without the labor of official documents. The Nanyang Zhuge Liulou, the Western Shu Zi Yun Ting. Confucius said: What is there to be ashamed of?

  "Good! Good writing! A good sentence is a humble abode, only my virtue is fragrant!"

  Suddenly, applause and cheers came from outside the courtyard wall. Chen Yingliang turned his head to see a tall and handsome man standing outside the low and dilapidated courtyard wall, about thirty years old. When he saw Chen Yingliang looking at him, the tall man smiled kindly and bowed politely across the courtyard wall, saying with a smile: "Don't mind me, sir. I just happened to be passing by and accidentally heard you reciting poetry that expressed your feelings. I think your talent is extraordinary, and your poetry is exquisite. I couldn't help but applaud and cheer, disturbing you. Please forgive me."

  "Who are you?" Chen Yingliang, who hadn't fully merged all his memories yet, felt that this tall man looked somewhat familiar. He seemed to be the neighbor of the deceased Chen Yingliang. When Chen Yingliang first crossed over into this era, among the neighbors who came to visit and rescue him was also this tall man, but what his name was, Chen Yingliang couldn't recall for the moment.

  "Qiao Song, how come it's you? Please come in." Chen Lao San ran out of the kitchen, bowing to the tall man while making a gesture of respect with his hands. He turned his head and winked at Chen Ying Liang, introducing: "Sir, this is Qiao Song, our neighbor."

  After finishing, Old Man Chen bowed to Qiao Songzi repeatedly and explained: "Young Master, please don't be offended. After my young master was rescued and woke up, he was a bit disoriented and forgot many things, so he also forgot your esteemed name."

  "Ah, I see." Qiao Song Gongzi nodded his head, and only then did he understand why Chen Yingliang had forgotten about himself. At the same time, Qiao Song Gongzi also felt some doubt, and asked: "Third Uncle Chen, what did the doctor say about your son's illness? That after being rescued from hanging oneself, one would forget about past events? I don't recall any similar records in medical books?"

  "That day, the doctor saved the young master and left. I didn't have time to ask." Chen Lao San explained while opening the courtyard door, "Yesterday, I wanted to go ask the doctor, but someone had to stay with the young master, and I didn't have a single copper coin on me, so I couldn't go inquire. But thanks to you, young master, I'll go ask in a moment."

  "Judging from Old Three's tone, could it be that the one who helped me and Old Three out with a thousand taels of silver is this Mr. Qiao Song?" Chen Yingliang picked up on the flaw in Old Three's words and suddenly felt a great deal of goodwill towards this Mr. Qiao Song - for someone to be so generous as to send charcoal in snowy weather, such people were rare throughout the ages.

  At this time, Mr. Qiao Song had already stepped into the courtyard under Chen Lao San's invitation, which made Chen Yingliang quite unexpected. This generous and polite Mr. Qiao Song was dressed very plainly, with a coarse linen shirt that had been washed until it turned white, and his cloth shoes and pants had patches on them. His clothes looked no better than those of the poor Chen Yingliang. However, Chen Yingliang soon discovered that this Mr. Qiao Song's demeanor was quite uncommon, elegant yet dignified, and even in plain clothes, he gave Chen Yingliang a sense of being outstanding and extraordinary.

  "Chen Gongzi, are you feeling better now?" Qiao Song Gongzi asked with concern and sincerity.

  "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Qiao Song, I'm fine now." Chen Yingliang bowed his hands in gratitude.

  "It's all right." Qiao Songzi nodded and smiled, saying: "Chen Gongzi, you almost scared your Third Uncle to death the day before yesterday. Cheer up, for the sake of your deceased parents and also for your hardworking Third Uncle, don't do such foolish things again. You're still young, there's no need to be afraid..."

  "It's right here! It's right here!"

  A shout from outside the courtyard interrupted Qiao Song's words. Chen Yingliang and Qiao Song turned their heads to look, only to see a man dressed as a servant of a wealthy family standing outside the courtyard gate that had been opened by Old Man Chen, pointing at the gate and shouting loudly towards the road, "It's here, it's this one, the Chen family lives here."

  "Who's here?"

  Chen Yingliang was taken aback, and the neatly dressed house servant pointed out the location of Chen Yingliang's small courtyard before directly rushing into the small broken courtyard of the Chen family. With a spirited and lively demeanor, he shouted at Chen Yingliang and Qiao Songzi: "You two, who is Chen Yingliang?"

  Chen Yingliang's expression was cold and indifferent, too lazy to bother with the arrogant house servant. Qiao Song Gongzi smiled but didn't speak. Only Chen Lao San, who was timid and afraid of trouble, came over, nodded and bowed to the house servant, saying: "This young master, Chen Yingliang is my young master's younger brother, what instructions do you have for my young master?"

  "Something good has happened to the little Chen boy!" The Dings' arrogant attitude was on full display, and with a pompous tone, he said to Old Man Chen: "The Emperor's personally appointed Thousand Bull Guard, the eldest son of the Duke of Julu, the Marquis of Chai! He has come in person to pay his respects to the little Chen boy! What are you still standing there for? Why haven't you called the little Chen boy out to kneel at the gate and welcome him?"

  "Chai Da Gongzi has come in person?" Chen Lao San's mouth was agape.

  "Of course." The Dings were very satisfied with Lao San's surprised attitude, and they drank triumphantly: "Your Chen family has accumulated virtue for generations, quickly call out the little Chen to kneel down and welcome us! If you're late, don't regret it!"

  When he heard this, Chen Yingliang's face showed disdain and laziness, but Qiao Song, who was standing beside him, patted his shoulder and said in a soft voice: "Yingliang brother, I'm older than you, so I'll call you younger brother. Listen to my advice, no matter what the reason is, the Chai family and your Chen family have been friends for generations. Chai Gongzi has come to visit you in person, regardless of his intentions, it's reasonable and polite that you should go out to welcome him, don't lose face."

  Chen Yingliang was also a person who could listen to advice, and he felt that Qiao Songzi's words made sense, so he nodded and replied: "Thank you, Brother Qiao, for your guidance. I understand now. Please wait for a moment, brother, while I go out to welcome him. I'll be right back."

  Chen Yingliang's address to Qiao Songzi was somewhat problematic, but Qiao Songzi didn't mind and thought Chen Yingliang was just speaking out of anger, so he reminded him: "Brother Yingliang, be more magnanimous, you're still young, there's still a future ahead."