Newborn 1927

Yang Jiefang's deterrent effect had some effect, and he also received some money and supplies. Feng Yuxiang, during his retreat, did not sabotage the railways, but the confiscation of supplies was inevitable. On May 27th, Feng Yuxiang also employed a strategy of feigned retreat, announcing his resignation. This move temporarily eased the tensions between Chiang Kai-shek and Feng Yuxiang, preventing a major conflict.

The railway between Mumaji and Shangqiu, after emergency repairs, has finally reopened to traffic. Meanwhile, the oil refining equipment purchased from the United States and the hired refining technicians arrived in Rizhao. Good news kept coming in, and Yang Jiefang was overjoyed as he looked at the reports.

Just then, the phone rang. Yang Jiefang picked it up casually, and a seductive voice came through: "Little brother, I have some good news for you, do you want to hear it?" It was Liu Yamei calling. Yang Jiefang replied, "Even if it's bad news, I want to hear it." Liu Yamei said, "Come to my office, there's a surprise!" Then she hung up. Yang Jiefang was a little helpless; what couldn't be said over the phone? Since there was nothing urgent at the moment, he got up and went to the headquarters hospital.

Yang Jiefang went straight to Liu Yamei's office and asked, "What's so important that we have to talk in person?" Liu Yamei was the reserved type, always serious in public, and replied, "Dr. Tang Feifan has returned to China." Yang Jiefang nodded; he had returned on the same ship as the oil refining equipment, as Jiang Tingxuan had already informed him. Liu Yamei continued, "Shanghai Central Medical College intends to hire him as an associate professor and head of the Department of Bacteriology. He sent me a telegram saying he couldn't come to Jinan and was very sorry."

Yang Jiefang sighed, "We still lack a decent medical university! I can understand why he didn't come. Did he mention the penicillin research?" Liu Yamei said, "I was just about to tell you. Tang Feifan's suggestion is to establish a research institute at the medical school. He can use the medical school's faculty to participate in research and train more medical students." Yang Jiefang nodded and said, "That's a good idea. Please tell him that I can fund his research institute and support his research. If he can purify penicillin, I can also invest in and set up a pharmaceutical factory in Shanghai."

Liu Yamei took a magazine out of the drawer and said, "The penicillin you mentioned, is it the one mentioned in this article?" Yang Jiefang didn't look at the magazine and replied, "That's right." Liu Yamei opened the magazine and said, "Penicillin was only discovered last year. You knew about its existence before I did! Even Tang Feifan only paid attention to this article after you reminded him. Can you give me an explanation?" Yang Jiefang laughed and said, "A scholar can know everything without leaving home. I pay attention to the major events happening in the world every day. What's so strange about knowing some things before you?" He secretly felt lucky that someone had already discovered it, otherwise it would have been difficult to explain.

Liu Yamei frowned, sensing that things weren't so simple. Yang Jiefang, not wanting to dwell on the matter, changed the subject, saying, "It's just a matter of a few words, why did you make me come all this way? Couldn't you have said it over the phone?" Liu Yamei immediately smiled and said mysteriously, "I have some good news to tell you, you're going to be a father!" Yang Jiefang was taken aback, stood up, and looked Liu Yamei up and down. She didn't seem pregnant at all! Besides, it seemed like he hadn't touched her since they got married.

Liu Yamei scolded, "Where are you looking? It's not me, it's your mistress Zhao Xiaohui. That girl is really confused! If she hadn't come for a checkup because she wasn't feeling well, she wouldn't even know she was pregnant. How could you not care?" Yang Jiefang felt his head buzzing. He and Zhao Xiaohui had only been together once, and it was under the influence of drugs. How could she be pregnant? Had he been cheated on?

Liu Yamei said again, "What's with that expression? Shouldn't you be happy?" Yang Jiefang asked, "Are you sure she's pregnant?" Liu Yamei said, "You still doubt my professional skills? Go home and take a closer look! It's been over three months already, she'll be showing soon enough to hide it!" Yang Jiefang, of course, trusted Liu Yamei's professional skills. The timing made sense; could she really be pregnant? Yang Jiefang immediately thought of the pill and asked, "Do you remember the pill I got from you on New Year's Eve?" "Of course I remember." Liu Yamei suddenly paused slightly, looked up, and said, "You didn't give it to her, did you?" Yang Jiefang nodded seriously and said, "If that pill worked, she shouldn't be pregnant."

Liu Yamei suddenly burst into laughter, saying, "You slept with her and then won't let her get pregnant? You dislike her that much? Haha, what a pity! Things didn't go as planned, and she got pregnant anyway." Yang Jiefang was very depressed and said, "I suspect..." Liu Yamei said, "Don't suspect anything, there's nothing wrong with that pill." Yang Jiefang immediately felt like he was being cuckolded and sat down in his chair, even more depressed. Liu Yamei continued, "That was originally a pill to treat female infertility and increase the chances of pregnancy. You gave her the pill, and it happened to be her ovulation period, isn't it normal for her to get pregnant?"

Yang Jiefang exclaimed, "Didn't you say it was a birth control pill?" Liu Yamei replied, "I had two kinds of pills with me at the time. Because it was dark, I didn't see clearly and took the wrong one." Yang Jiefang was stunned. You didn't deliberately take the wrong one, did you? He stared blankly at Liu Yamei, but saw a faint sadness on her face. Recalling the situation, he slowly realized that she had prepared the pill for herself. Yang Jiefang tentatively asked, "Sister, why don't you move to the Commander's Mansion too?"

Liu Yamei shook her head and said, "Don't you have enough women around you? They're willing to have multiple wives, but I'm not. I only like to think about other women's husbands." Yang Jiefang smiled bitterly and said, "Is there a difference?" Liu Yamei replied, "From now on, I'll only think about them in my heart, I won't steal them." After saying that, she turned her head away, clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.

Yang Jiefang changed the subject and asked, "Is Zhao Xiaohui still in the hospital?" Liu Yamei replied, "I told her to wait at the hospital and asked you to come pick her up. She refused and went back by herself. What's wrong with you? You've been married for so long, and you've had so many wives, and only she's pregnant." Yang Jiefang smiled wryly and said, "How should I know? I treat everyone equally, okay?" He treated everyone except Zhao Xiaohui equally.

Liu Yamei thought for a moment and said, "A woman only ovulates once a month. If you miss it, you have to wait until next month. You've been trying to ovulate in every month, haha, you've missed them all perfectly. If you want to have a child, you should pay attention to their ovulation period in the future! Do you want me to teach you how to calculate it?" Yang Jiefang replied, "No need, I know." Liu Yamei didn't say anything more.

After leaving the hospital, Yang Jiefang went home and checked on Zhao Xiaohui, who was indeed home. Upon seeing him, she immediately said, "I wasn't feeling well today and didn't go to the performing arts troupe. I asked Sister Sheng for leave." Seeing her uneasy expression, Yang Jiefang felt a little guilty and said, "Then rest well at home! I just got back from the hospital. Dean Liu told me you're pregnant. You need to be more careful about resting! Don't go to the performing arts troupe for now." Zhao Xiaohui smiled and nodded.

After Zhao Xiaohui moved into the commander's mansion, although she was well-provided for, Yang Jiefang treated her coldly and indifferently. His grudge against the Zhao family made him constantly uneasy about her. He had Bao Ziqiang investigate Zhao Xiaohui's family in Shanghai, but found nothing unusual, and continued to monitor them. Now, Zhao Xiaohui is pregnant with his child, making the situation even more complicated.

Yang Jiefang casually looked around the room and said, "If you need anything, just say so, and we'll get it." Zhao Xiaohui replied, "We have everything we need, nothing is missing. If we're talking about anything we need, it's things we'll need after the baby is born. Dean Liu said the baby will be born in the fall. By then, the weather will be cooler, so we'll need to prepare some warm clothes. But it's still early, so there's no rush."

Yang Jiefang said, "Since it's necessary, let's prepare it in advance. You're pregnant now, so you need to strengthen your nutrition. We'll add a couple more dishes to your meals from now on." He had no experience in taking care of pregnant women. There's a saying from later generations that pregnant women enjoy the treatment of a royal concubine for ten months. What does "royal concubine treatment" mean? He didn't know either. He could only provide for them with material support.

But after a woman's material needs are met, what she needs is emotional comfort. If not now, when? Zhao Xiaohui said, "Our living conditions in the Commander's Mansion don't require any extra nutrition. It's just that I haven't been sleeping well lately, which isn't good for the fetus. Experienced people say this is the baby looking for its father." Yang Jiefang didn't know if she was telling the truth, but he knew that pregnant women are often emotionally unstable and need companionship, so he said, "Okay, I'll come and keep you company whenever I have time." Zhao Xiaohui was already satisfied with this and didn't make any further demands.

Seeing that it was still early, Yang Jiefang went to his office again. He first drafted a telegram and arranged for it to be sent to Shanghai on the first day of the lunar month using the Military Intelligence Bureau's dedicated radio. He wanted Bao Ziqiang to thoroughly investigate the interpersonal relationships of Zhao Xiaohui's family members to confirm whether she was truly innocent.

Then, he summoned Kong Zongru and arranged for the couple to return to Shanghai when they had some free time. They were to visit Tang Feifan and provide him with funding to establish a research institute and set up a pharmaceutical and medical device factory.

Back home that evening, news of Zhao Xiaohui's pregnancy had spread, and all the ladies were filled with envy. Zhao Xiaohui had arrived the latest, yet she was the first to conceive; did she have some secret? Taking this opportunity, Yang Jiefang also gave them a lesson on physiology and hygiene, teaching them how to calculate their ovulation period. If they wanted to get pregnant, they shouldn't miss this time. Thus, the order in which the ladies would serve him in bed had to be rearranged.

For the next period of time, Yang Jiefang spent a lot of time with Zhao Xiaohui after returning home. Zhao Xiaohui, who had initially been somewhat cautious, gradually became more cheerful with Yang Jiefang's care, and their relationship deepened. As the days passed, Zhao Xiaohui's belly became increasingly prominent. In this life and the next, this was her first child, and Yang Jiefang was filled with anticipation.

Just then, Bao Ziqiang sent an urgent telegram from Shanghai, ordering him to closely monitor Zhao Xiaohui. The specific reasons would be reported in person by Yan Donglai in Jinan. Yang Jiefang was puzzled. Yan Donglai should be in Japan; even if he went to Shanghai, he shouldn't be involved with Bao Ziqiang. A bad premonition welled up inside him—it was exactly what he feared! However, he didn't take any action against Zhao Xiaohui, continuing his normal life and work without making a sound.

Two days later, Yan Donglai arrived in Jinan. His public identity was that of a Japanese ronin, making it inconvenient for him to enter or leave the provincial government. Therefore, Yang Jiefang disguised himself and secretly met with him. Upon meeting, Yang Jiefang eagerly asked, "What exactly happened? Was Zhao Xiaohui really sent by the Japanese?"

Yan Donglai replied, “Whether it is or not, we cannot judge. I can only tell you the ins and outs of the matter. Last time in Qingdao, you asked me to find a way to deal with some Japanese spies, one of whom was Yoshiko Kawashima. This woman is very famous, and she was my first target. She was the mastermind behind the assassination of Zhang Zuolin. I followed her to Shanghai, hoping to find an opportunity to eliminate her. During one of my surveillance trips, I discovered that she had contact with a woman. I felt that the woman looked familiar, so I paid attention to her. Later, I discovered that the woman was being followed, and the person following her was actually sent by Bao Ziqiang. When we met, we learned that the woman who had been in contact with Yoshiko Kawashima was actually Li Juan, Madam Zhao's sister-in-law. I had seen her in Zhao Family Village before; she was quite good-looking, so I recognized her.”

Yang Jiefang was genuinely shocked. He had underestimated Yoshiko Kawashima, who had already extended her reach to him. After calming himself, Yang Jiefang said, "That Bao Ziqiang is really something. He's been investigating for so long, and Yoshiko Kawashima is right under his nose, yet he hasn't noticed anything amiss." Yan Donglai said, "You can only say that Yoshiko Kawashima is incredibly shrewd! To be honest, if I hadn't followed Yoshiko Kawashima's trail and happened to meet Madam Zhao's sister-in-law, we wouldn't have discovered this situation either."

Yang Jiefang pressed, "What about Yoshiko Kawashima?" Yan Donglai replied, "I rushed to Jinan and haven't had time to deal with her yet. But I've already tracked her down." Yang Jiefang said, "Start from the source and take care of Yoshiko Kawashima. Leave Zhao Xiaohui—her family—untouched for now." Yan Donglai sighed, "Commander, you once said in Weihaiwei that a good hunter always appears in the form of prey. I didn't quite understand before, but now I truly do. If Yoshiko Kawashima is this formidable, the others you mentioned are probably no less so. We must deal with them as soon as possible." Yang Jiefang said, "Fortunately, they're in the open, while we're in the shadows. We'll take them one by one and deal with them slowly."

After exchanging a few more words, Yang Jiefang got up to leave. The first thing he did upon returning to his office was to call Aunt Chu and tell her about Zhao Xiaohui. Aunt Chu was also surprised, saying, "I never imagined she really was a spy. I had already given up monitoring her. But I'm puzzled. If she didn't have a child, she wouldn't stay by your side. Now that she has a child, why would she betray you?" Yang Jiefang smiled wryly, "Zhao Xiaohui has never even met Kawashima Yoshiko. She doesn't even know that Kawashima Yoshiko deliberately arranged for her to come to Jinan. That's the most ingenious espionage tactic!"

Aunt Chu then asked, "So what do you plan to do now?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Zhao Xiaohui has already been exposed, so she's a dead end, nothing to fear. What I'm worried about is that since the Japanese have already infiltrated, there can't be just one Zhao Xiaohui. I want you to thoroughly investigate; perhaps there are other Japanese spies around us!" Aunt Chu frowned and asked, "The key is how to investigate?" Yang Jiefang said, "The Japanese are used to employing beautiful female agents. People like Yoshiko Kawashima and Zaoko Nagumo both relied on their beauty to obtain intelligence. We should start from that point. We need to investigate all the high-ranking military officers and government officials within our ranks who have married beautiful wives in the past two years, especially those who have taken concubines or kept mistresses outside the marriage!"

Chu Gu said harshly, "Like father, like son. You've set a bad example." Yang Jiefang said with a bitter face, "This isn't the time to talk about these things. Let's find a solution quickly!" Chu Gu also knew this wasn't the time to complain. After thinking for a moment, she said, "There's also the matter of assets. Most of the people we rely on come from poor backgrounds. If they now possess huge sums of money, there's definitely something wrong with them." Yang Jiefang agreed, "Let's start by investigating within the military. Under the guise of investigating corruption and enforcing military discipline, we can secretly investigate spies."