Newborn 1927

Jiang Xingfu interjected, "Then thank you very much, young lady." Chu Gu replied, "Xiao Jun and I are like sisters; this is nothing. Xiao Jun teaches the brothers on the mountain, instructing them to read and write. The brothers on the mountain all respect her; no one dares to harm her!" Jiang Xingfu asked in surprise, "She teaches the brothers on the mountain… um, the brothers! Is that true?" Chu Gu nodded, glancing back at Yang Jiefang.

Yang Jiefang began, "I've heard that the Jiang family is a scholarly family. Uncle Jiang even established a modern school in his hometown, encouraging girls to attend. He also said that one must read more to understand right from wrong and know honor and shame. Miss Jiang follows her father's teachings diligently, not looking down on us because of our background, and is tireless in teaching. She is truly a model of education for all." Jiang Qingfu smiled unconsciously at this compliment.

At this moment, Jiang Xiaojun came out carrying a red lacquered wooden tray with tea on it, and presented it to the Jiang brothers. Behind her followed a beautiful young woman of similar age, who also carried a wooden tray and gently placed the tea in front of Yang Jiefang and Chu Gu. The two women put down the tea and left without saying a word.

Yang Jiefang picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and said, "Our Qinglong Village wants to shed this bandit label. What do you think, Uncle Jiang?" Jiang Qingfu replied frankly, "As the saying goes, a prodigal son's return is more precious than gold; this is naturally a good thing. I wonder what your status is on the mountain? Can you represent Qinglong Village?" Yang Jiefang answered, "Our Qinglong Village has two leaders, one big and one small. You've probably heard of the big leader, Black Widow; and I'm the small leader. I can usually make decisions about things in Qinglong Village." Jiang Qingfu was a little surprised, nodded, and said, "So what do you plan to do?" Yang Jiefang said, "First, we've become self-reliant and self-sufficient, and we've already established some industries, enough to support the brothers on the mountain. Your son, Brother Jiang Tingxuan, should know this. Second, we need an official position so that we can legitimately shed this bandit label."

Jiang Qingfu immediately understood why Yang Jiefang had come to his door. After a moment's thought, he asked, "How many men and how many guns does your stronghold have now?" Yang Jiefang smiled slightly and said, "We only have a little over a thousand men and a little over a thousand guns, with ample ammunition." Jiang Qingfu was startled. A little over a thousand men wasn't much, but a little over a thousand guns was a different story, and he couldn't help but take it seriously. So he asked, "What kind of official position do you want? And what do you want to do after you get it?" Yang Jiefang replied, "I'm not picky. As long as it can accommodate my little over a thousand brothers, that's fine. As for what I'll do afterward, that depends on what kind of job I get." Jiang Qingfu immediately began to consider, hesitating for a moment.

Jiang Xingfu interjected, "My elder brother is a civil official, specifically one specializing in external affairs. What you're planning isn't something that can be done immediately; it requires careful consideration. However, these days, being granted amnesty isn't uncommon. As far as I know, if someone in your situation were to be granted amnesty, they would generally be reorganized into a county's garrison. But a small county can't support too many garrisons; at least a hundred or two hundred people, and at most three to five hundred. Settling over a thousand people would be quite difficult."

Yang Jiefang said, "As I just said, we have our own businesses and can support ourselves. We just need a formal position; we don't need military pay." Jiang Xingfu nodded slightly and said, "If that's the case, I have an idea. In Fushan County, our Jiang family still has influence. If you're willing, we can form a security regiment. Although it won't be formally established, it will still be a legal armed force." During this period, the county administrative office had a police station (or public security bureau). Those police brigades (or garrison units, the names vary from place to place; in large cities like Yantai, police brigades and garrison units are distinguished as two separate armed forces) were formally established armed personnel, and the government paid their salaries. Many counties, to save money, didn't have many of these formally established armed personnel. In recent years, the warlord conflicts had led to widespread poverty and rampant banditry. To compensate for the lack of armed forces, the county administrative office would allow townships to form security regiments (or security teams, security offices, etc.). The security regiments were still under the management of the county administrative office, but the government did not pay their salaries. The salaries of the security regiment members were raised by the local gentry themselves, making them a legal local armed force.

Yang Jiefang immediately began to consider the options. Fushan County was a great place! It was very close to Yantai City, separated only by the Jiahe River. The Jiahe River was formed by the confluence of the Inner Jiahe River and the Outer Jiahe River upstream, and Jixian Village was located in the triangular area between the Inner Jiahe River and the Outer Jiahe River, under the jurisdiction of Fushan County. If he could have a legal identity in Fushan County and openly recruit soldiers, that would be wonderful. Yang Jiefang immediately stood up to express his gratitude. Jiang Xingfu said, "This is just one of my ideas; whether it will succeed or not is still uncertain. It requires a suitable opportunity." Yang Jiefang said, "Whether it succeeds or not, I will always be grateful for your kindness, sir."

The Jiang brothers exchanged a smile. Jiang Xingfu said, "Brother, it's getting late. Why don't we arrange for them to stay?" Jiang Qingfu nodded and said, "They've come from a long way and are exhausted. They should rest well before continuing their journey." Jiang Qingfu nodded, and Jiang Xingfu turned to instruct, "Qi'er, arrange accommodations for these brothers. And this young lady, since she's on good terms with Xiao Jun, arrange for her to stay in the backyard!" Jiang Tingqi agreed and led Yang Jiefang and the others to the guest rooms.

As soon as they entered the guest room, they heard a rapid "knock knock knock..." sound coming from outside. Jiang Tingqi's expression changed, and he said, "You all rest here first, I have something to attend to, please excuse me." Without waiting for Yang Jiefang's reply, he turned and hurried away.

Hou Fei said, "That's the sound of a gong. In the countryside, generally speaking, gongs are only sounded to signal an emergency when something big happens." Yang Jiefang pondered, "Judging from the timing, Ma Shangfei and the others should have arrived by now. Could it be that their arrival caused a misunderstanding in Jixian Village? Go out and take a look, try to contact Ma Shangfei." Hou Fei pressed, "After contacting them, should we take any action?" Yang Jiefang smiled and said, "If it really is them, then let's play along and do a small job, but don't kill anyone. After that, move to another place and continue. It would be best to lure the Fushan County garrison out of the city and take them out..." Hou Fei immediately understood and smiled, "I understand, this is to create conditions for taking over the Fushan County garrison." Yang Jiefang nodded, praising his intelligence.

Hou Fei immediately went out, skipping the main gate and scaling the courtyard wall to leave the Jiang family's residence. Jixian Village was in complete chaos. Women, children, and the elderly were all running home, while able-bodied men, armed with various weapons, emerged and converged on the Jiang family's gate. Jiang Tingqi was already there calming the crowd and inquiring about the situation. Taking advantage of the chaos, Hou Fei took a shortcut out of the village and encountered Ma Shangfei and his group, who were looking utterly bewildered, not far outside the village.

Ma Shangfei and his group had never been to Jixian Village before and didn't know its exact location. By the time they realized they were too close, they were already out of sight of the villagers. It was the busy farming season, and villagers could be seen working in the fields everywhere. Ma Shangfei sent someone forward to ask for directions, but the man accidentally revealed a pistol tucked into his waistband. The villager was so frightened that he turned and ran. Imagine, a group of outsiders riding tall horses, with weapons concealed at their waists, and looking fierce, asking for directions to Jixian Village—it was obvious they weren't there to deliver gifts. The villager ran while calling to the other villagers, and then returned to the village to ring the gong. It's no wonder the villagers misunderstood; there were just too many bandits these days.

At first, Hou Fei didn't quite understand the situation and simply slowed down to continue his journey. As he approached Jixian Village, he heard the sound of gongs and knew things were not going well. Just as he was wondering what to do, he saw Hou Fei running towards him from a country path. Overjoyed, he quickly dismounted and went forward to inquire about the situation.

Hou Fei briefly explained, conveying Yang Jiefang's intentions. Ma Shangfei was overjoyed and said, "It's time to test our training results. Go back and tell the young master to wait for my good news!" Hou Fei reminded him, "Be careful! I'm going back now." Ma Shangfei laughed and ordered, "Everyone cover your faces and show your weapons. From now on, we're a band of bandits, roaming Fushan County committing crimes." Everyone responded in unison, preparing to begin.

Immediately after checking each of the thirty-six riders, Jiang Tingqi pulled out his pistol and fired three shots into the air before charging ahead towards Jixian Village. In the threshing ground in front of the village, Jiang Tingqi was leading the armed villagers to assemble. The villagers carried a variety of weapons, mostly broadswords and spears, with many muskets, but few real guns. The previously noisy scene fell silent upon hearing the three gunshots, everyone too afraid to move.

Ma Shangfei shouted, "Listen up, Second Master! We're here for money, not to risk our lives. Hand over ten thousand silver dollars right now, and we'll leave immediately. Otherwise, these weapons aren't to be trifled with!" He then fired three more shots into the air, and the others followed suit, raising their guns and firing. Gunfire erupted, terrifying the villagers. Jiang Tingqi, steeling himself, stepped forward and said, "Heroes, these past few years have been filled with natural disasters and man-made calamities; everyone's life has been difficult. We truly cannot afford such a large sum of money. Please, have mercy! Let our Jixian Village live." Ma Shangfei scoffed, "You don't seem like someone who can make decisions. Let someone else speak! I don't like nonsense." Jiang Tingqi frowned and replied, "Then please wait a moment, heroes! I'll go back and discuss it with the villagers." Ma Shangfei waved his hand, "Go! Go! No matter how you discuss it, you only have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. After that, you won't be waiting."

Jiang Tingqi turned and walked into the Jiang family home, quickly arriving at the guest room where Yang Jiefang and the others were being housed. Coincidentally, Hou Fei had already climbed back over the wall and briefly reported the situation. Jiang Tingqi cut to the chase, saying, "A group of bandits have come, demanding ten thousand silver dollars. My uncle and my father want you to mediate. You're the leader of Qinglong Village; they should give you face, right?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Mediating is no problem, but I wonder how much you plan to offer to appease them?" Jiang Tingqi stared into Yang Jiefang's eyes and raised a finger. Yang Jiefang exclaimed in surprise, "A thousand silver dollars? You're really good at bargaining! Everyone else cuts the price in half, but you've cut it by ninety percent! How am I supposed to negotiate?" Jiang Tingqi shook his head and said, "You've misunderstood. We'll offer a maximum of one hundred silver dollars." Yang Jiefang stared in disbelief and said, "You're not asking me to negotiate, you're clearly sending me to my death!" Jiang Tingqi sneered, "Do you think we don't know what's going on outside? This one hundred silver dollars is my father's idea. If it were my uncle's idea, he wouldn't offer a single penny. If you can negotiate, then go ahead and negotiate. If you can't, my uncle will arrange for Xiao Jun to negotiate." If Jiang Xiao Jun were to go, their family's connection with bandits would be impossible to hide. Therefore, they would rather spend one hundred silver dollars to cover things up than let everyone know that their family was involved with bandits. Yang Jiefang cursed the old fox inwardly, but said angrily, "What kind of talk is this? How can you let a girl face the dangers outside? Fine, it's just a reconciliation, right? I'll take care of it. What about the hundred silver dollars? I'll take them with me, so I don't have to run back and forth."

Jiang Tingqi snorted coldly and said, "Come with me." He led Yang Jiefang and the others back to the living room. The Jiang brothers, Qingfu and Xingfu, sat there with frosty expressions. On a mahogany tray on the coffee table beside them were two silver dollars. The hundred silver dollars had already been prepared. Yang Jiefang greeted them, saying, "I understand the situation. I'll mediate; they should be willing to give me face. However, according to the rules of the underworld, a thief never leaves empty-handed; I'll take these hundred silver dollars with me." Jiang Qingfu remained silent, while Jiang Xingfu said expressionlessly, "Then we'll trouble you." Hou Fei stepped forward, picked up the wooden tray, and then retreated behind Yang Jiefang.

Yang Jiefang led several men out of the Jiang family home, with Jiang Tingqi following closely behind. They arrived at the village entrance, and Yang Jiefang went straight to Ma Shangfei and the others, saying, "I, Yang Jiefang, represent Jixian Village in negotiating with you gentlemen." Ma Shangfei waved his hand, saying, "What can a little brat like you do? Let your elders speak!" Yang Jiefang replied, "Brother, please forgive me! Actually, I'm not from Jixian Village. I have a sweetheart here, and I've come to propose marriage. The marriage hasn't been finalized yet, and then you gentlemen came to visit. My father-in-law said that if I can persuade you all to leave, he'll agree to marry his daughter to me; otherwise, there's no point in talking. Brother, my lifelong happiness rests entirely on your shoulders, so please give me a chance!" Ma Shangfei couldn't help but laugh heartily, saying, "As the saying goes, it's better to tear down ten temples than to ruin one marriage; I'll give you that chance. Tell me! What's your explanation for the ten thousand silver dollars I want?"

Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "It's the lean season now, everyone's struggling to make ends meet, where would we get the money to give to you gentlemen? We don't have a single penny..." Ma Shangfei immediately flew into a rage and shouted, "Then what are you even doing here? Ah... how much does your father-in-law dislike you! Can't you see he's deliberately making things difficult for you? Fine, I won't make things difficult for you, you should go back! It seems this marriage is off!" Yang Jiefang immediately pleaded, "No! Brother—the village doesn't have a single penny, but I have some money on me, please accept it!" Ma Shangfei asked, "Oh, how much money did you bring?" Yang Jiefang replied, "Although my family isn't wealthy, we have some savings. This time, to propose marriage, I sold everything I owned and raised a total of one hundred silver dollars. Although it's not much, it's my dowry for my future wife. I'm willing to give this money to you, brother, I only ask that you be lenient and not hurt the villagers of Jixian Village!"

Ma Shangfei, playing along with Yang Jiefang's performance, said, "You gave me your dowry, so what are you going to use to propose?" Yang Jiefang shook his head and said, "She's from an official's family. Even with this hundred silver dollars, I might not be able to find a good match. But if I can persuade you all to stop now, maybe my father-in-law will keep his promise and give his daughter to me!" Ma Shangfei laughed and said, "In that case, I'll accept your gift. Fellow villagers of Jixian Village, you've all seen that Second Master is only stopping today for the sake of these young men. If he can really marry a rich girl, that would be a wonderful thing. But if anyone goes back on their word, hehe, Second Master will be back!" As he spoke, Hou Fei, suppressing a laugh, carried the wooden tray forward. Ma Shangfei scooped up the silver dollars from the tray and shouted, "Brothers, let's open the door to good fortune, and then we'll go look around somewhere else!" The heroes agreed, turned their horses around, and rode away.