Chapter 28: The Yangwei Qian Family

  Qian Yaozu has lived in Yangweizhen for a whole cycle, but if he counts his ancestors, it's hard to say how many cycles that would be. He doesn't know if his ancestors ever left, but starting from his daughter Qian Ruyun, someone from the Qian family has been leaving continuously. Provincial cities, Wuhan, Shanghai, Beiping, and so on, all have traces of the Qian family. Whether it's the changing times or the decline of the family fortune, he's too lazy to keep track. Whoever wants to leave can leave, anyway, he won't leave. Not mentioning the family business, but this big ancestral house, with over ten courtyards and nearly a thousand acres of good land, he just can't bear to part with it. The hometown is hard to leave, after all, the hometown is one's true kin.

  These days, he always hears someone shouting in his ear. Some say that a group of demons suddenly appeared on the mountain in the north, eating people without spitting out bones. Others say it's a group of heavenly soldiers and generals who descended to guard the northern mountains and eliminate evil spirits. He listened and wanted to laugh. As the only holder of the imperial examination in Tang County, he was well-read in poetry and books, and had his own good judgment.

  What nonsense, what superstition! Those are just ignorant people talking, uneducated. Besides, if they were really a group of demons, would they still be sitting in front of their own houses, grinding their teeth like that? Given the proximity of Yangweizhen and Beishan, I'm afraid the people here would have been wiped out long ago. And yet, they're all chatting away peacefully. On the other hand, what Ruyun said is quite reasonable. This little girl has learned some real knowledge from her studies at Shanghai Academy. If you want to talk about demons, there really is one around these days. Ruyun was right, that demon has its mouth wide open, staring straight at us!

  That day, Qian Yaozu was reading the Shun Pao newspaper that his son Qian Ruwu had sent back through someone when the servant at the door came in hastily to report that the man had come again.

  Qian Yaozu put down the newspaper and thought for half a day before he remembered the person mentioned by his house servant.

  This man, despite being unassuming, exudes an air of elegance that is deeply ingrained in his bones. He appears to be a military man, yet he is refined and courteous, not at all coarse. With these qualities, one would expect him to be a respectable person. Unfortunately, this man is actually Dragon's Roar Heaven's subordinate. It's strange to say, but since this man appeared, Dragon's Roar Heaven has been silent and out of sight. Some people say that on North Mountain, they captured Ma Da Hu Zi and Dragon's Roar Heaven, Ma Da Hu Zi was clearly dead, while he clearly disappeared without a trace. Suspicious, suspicious indeed.

  Qian Yaozu thought for a while and finally stood up and said: "Please invite the guest in, serve some good tea."

  Before long, the three of them walked through the courtyard and arrived in front of Qian Yaozu under the guidance of Jia Ding. Without waiting for him to speak, one of them clasped his fists and bowed: "Mr. Qian, I'm so sorry, we came uninvited, please forgive us."

  "It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter." Qian Yaozu looked at the three of them and bowed his hands.

  When offering tea, the house servant whispered to Qian Yaozu's ear: "Master, the bald-headed one wearing a hat is Mr. Cao who came last time. The other two are strangers and don't know their background. There are seven or eight people outside the mansion, but they seem harmless."

  Qian Yaozu nodded and picked up his teacup, "Mr. Cao, please have some tea."

  Mr. Cao hastily turned sideways and made a gesture, introducing the person who had been smiling to one side: "Mr. Qian, this is Manager Meng, it's his first time coming to Baodi, he has come to pay respects to you."

  "I don't dare, I don't dare." Qian Yaozu said, taking a close look at Meng Dapang.

  Meng Da Zhuanggui met his gaze with a slight smile, stood up and bowed: "It's really presumptuous, Mr. Qian, I'm just a wandering cloud who happened to arrive here, and I'm grateful for your hospitality."

  "Polite, polite." Qian Yaozu's hand holding the teacup suddenly trembled.

  This Mr. Meng, with a bookish air about him, has such a strong presence. Facing someone and having this feeling, it seems that only the original Duke of Fu had such an aura in my memories. But looking at his age, he's still just a young boy. No need to guess, this Mr. Cao and others are all under this so-called Meng Da Zhuang's command.

  As expected, Mr. Cao glanced at Meng Da Guan and quickly shifted the topic to the main issue: "Mr. Qian, regarding the matter we discussed last time, how is your esteemed family considering it?"

  Qian Yaozu listened and beckoned the servant to come over, instructing him with a few words. In an instant, an envelope was handed to his hand. After the servant retreated, Qian Yaozu slowly pushed the envelope in front of Mr. Cao, nodding his head and smiling: "This is the contract document drafted by both parties last time, my son Ruyang has signed it. Oh, Ruyang is now in charge of all the industries under our mansion, including the shops in the provincial city and Shanghai. I won't hide it from you, without Ruyang or even Yuyun, I wouldn't understand the technology you're talking about."

  "As if in a cloud, this is..." Mr. Cao said somewhat hesitantly.

  "Oh, little girl like cloud, some things, her big brother will also ask her sometimes." Qian Yaozu said with a hint of pride, "No harm no harm, our family door has always been open-minded, no distinction between men and women, noble or humble."

  At this time, Manager Meng suddenly spoke out in praise: "Today's China has Mr. You as a model of the new fashion, truly a blessing for our region."

  Qian Yaozu hastily waved his hand in a humble gesture, couldn't help but take another glance at him, and then solemnly said: "In addition to the contract, an additional 800,000 taels of HSBC bank draft will be provided as capital for Rongchang Shanghai Business Firm's shares. As for the technical documents, patents, etc., I don't know..."

  Mr. Cao stared at the letter excitedly rubbing his hands, and when he heard this, he hastily said "oh" and looked at Manager Meng.

  His action made Qian Yaozu secretly smile. Indeed, let the old man guess it right, the old man's eyesight still has the bravery of Lian Po, haha.

  Mr. Meng suddenly put away his smiling face and replaced it with a serious expression, gazing at Qian Yaozu solemnly, saying in a solemn tone: "Please rest assured, Mr. Qian, we will send someone to deliver all the documents tomorrow, and after signing the contract formally, a technical expert team will also go to Shanghai to assist with the work. Thank you for your great trust in our company. Here, I use tea instead of wine to toast our cooperation in advance."

  Qian Yaozu suddenly looked at Meng Dapu with suspicion: "What's going on? You're not coming tomorrow?"

  "Ah, that's right," Mr. Cao hastily took over the conversation to explain, "The big shopkeeper will not be in town tomorrow and still has other matters to attend to."

  "Hmm," Qian Yaozu's face was smiling, but he was obviously somewhat unhappy.

  "Master, master, something terrible has happened—"

  Jia Ding suddenly shouted loudly and rushed over, rolling and crawling, and fell to the ground in front of Qian Yaozu, hugging his legs with a look of horror on his face.

  "Speak up," Qian Yaozu kicked a servant, with a calm expression. "What's the matter that you're so flustered?"

  Jia Ding slowly got up, only then remembering the thing in his hand, and hastily handed it over to Qian Yaozu. "Master, this is a telegram sent by the steward's people via express horseback ride. He has already set off with Second Young Master on the fastest train to the provincial city. Additionally, Eldest Young Master has also departed from Shanghai and is en route to the provincial city."

  Qian Yaozu had just glanced at the telegram when he suddenly let out a loud cry, "Ah, my daughter!" and fell to the ground in a faint.

  Meng, the shopkeeper, couldn't care about etiquette at this moment, picked up the telegram and read it quickly. After finishing reading, he looked at Qian Ya Zu on the ground with a solemn face, waved his hand forcefully: "Biaozi, you immediately return to the liaison point, notify your family to immediately dispatch Niu Gang's armed police squad and one company of soldiers, fully armed, to assemble in Yangweitown."

  It turned out that Mr. Cao and Meng Daguai were actually Meng Yao and his friends in disguise.