NFBE Chapter 142 The Transformation of the Stone
Chapter 142 The Transformation of the Stone
The Linqing General's Mansion is now truly a general's mansion, because Shen Hu has been granted the highest military rank of First Rank, Jianwei General.
Shen Hu looked at the children setting off fireworks in the yard with a big smile on his face. His own grandson would be born next year.
He was granted the title of General Jianwei, his son was ennobled, and now he will soon have a grandson. He feels that he has no regrets in his life.
Xiao Yue'er secretly glanced at the old man's face, her expression full of grievance. Why couldn't her own belly cooperate! Sigh!
Shen Lian sat on a large recliner, wrapped Nie Xiaoqian tightly in a mink coat, and held her in his arms.
"Husband, what name should we give our child?" Nie Xiaoqian murmured happily, leaning against Shen Lian's chest.
"How about we name him Gou Sheng'er?" Shen Lian grinned crookedly.
"No! You're so mean, that sounds awful!" Nie Xiaoqian raised her little fist and punched Shen Lian, pouting.
"There are still a few months left! What's the rush! I bet the old man has already made preparations, and I might not even have a chance to show off by then," Shen Lianxiang said.
"Hmm!" Nie Xiaoqian hummed softly.
The old man was so full of dog food that he left with his stepmother early!
Seeing the old man leave, Xiao Yue'er hurriedly pulled Shen Lian and the other man towards the room. Those two were so shameless; so many servants were watching!
. . . . . .
Fifty miles from Qiqihar lies Qitaizi Mountain, a steep and densely forested mountain.
At this moment, in a large village deep in the dense forest, a bonfire was burning brightly, and hundreds of strong men dressed in cotton-padded coats, sheepskin overcoats, and dog-skin hats were eating large chunks of meat and drinking large bowls of wine around the fire.
Shi Tou raised his head and drank the wine in his bowl, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve. They had been in this place for over two months, and today was Lunar New Year's Eve, so the brothers could drink to their hearts' content.
Since their cavalry regiment left the pass, they had traveled a long and arduous journey to Fengtian. They were warmly welcomed by the General of Fengtian, who provided them with ample supplies.
With the agreement reached between the imperial court and Russia, the previously tense situation in Northeast China quickly stabilized.
The cavalry regiments also began to patrol various places, and the local governments that had been destroyed by Russia began to gradually recover.
Russia has now retreated to the railway line, and vast swathes of territory have once again returned to the hands of the imperial court.
With Jiang Shan and his men's secret arrival, the commander-in-chief's plan began to be implemented. A portion of the cavalry regiment's officers and soldiers were drawn from their ranks and began to infiltrate various parts of Northeast China.
After the Battle of Beijing, Shi Tou was promoted to second lieutenant platoon leader for his merit in following Shen Xiaohu to capture the Japanese command post.
Unfortunately, his smugness didn't last long before he learned that Zhang Tieniu had been promoted to captain and company commander. In order to catch up with his older brother, Shi Tou volunteered to participate in this "Hidden Arrow" operation.
He was promoted one rank and, as a lieutenant and deputy company commander, followed Company Commander Jiang Yong, leading more than fifty soldiers into Qiqihar.
After wiping out a band of bandits who had previously occupied the area, they took control of the place and adopted the bandit slogan "Protect the Three Provinces."
Because Stone was fast and skilled at traversing mountains, he earned the nickname "Mountain Leopard." His men called him Master Leopard, and his original name, Stone, was rarely mentioned.
Today is Chinese New Year. I wonder how Grandma and Xiaohua are doing? Thinking of Xiaohua's soft and cuddly body, Shitou felt a surge of warmth in his heart.
The Northeast is great in every way—vast land, abundant resources, and mountains full of treasures. It has no shortage of clothing or food, except for women.
Although they now resemble bandits, their underlying rules remain unchanged. Rape, in particular, is a capital offense.
If any of the brothers couldn't hold back any longer, they could go to the brothels in the city to relax. As the second-in-command, "Leopard" naturally had to set an example. He had never been, and had to endure it all by himself.
"What's wrong? Missing home?" the head manager, Jiang Tieshan, asked as he approached.
"Master Leopard" nodded obediently.
"That's right! You're just a naive kid who's already tasted the sweetness of success, how can you hold on for long! Hahaha!" Jiang Yong laughed heartily.
"Let's wait a few more months! Once things have settled down, I'll help you find a decent woman. As long as it's consensual, we'll support you." Upon hearing this, Shi Tou quickly shook his head.
"Haha, don't refuse so quickly. We don't even know how long we'll be staying! You'll find out then." Jiang Yong laughed and didn't say anything more.
Although they have only been here for a little over two months, they have already made a name for themselves in the surrounding area.
After eliminating several groups of vicious bandits, they not only obtained a large amount of gold and silver, but also expanded their forces to nearly two hundred men.
This is under the condition that they strictly control the quality of their personnel. If they expand recklessly, it would be easy for them to gather 500 people.
In a place where swords and spears were still the norm, their modern rifles completely overwhelmed these bandits.
The "Protect the Three Provinces" also collected protection fees and extorted money from passing merchants and travelers. However, they never indiscriminately killed innocent people, raped or robbed, and the fees they collected were relatively reasonable. They actually earned a good reputation in the area.
Some gold prospectors from the surrounding area even offered them protection, along with glittering gold.
The two men strictly adhered to their orders: not to provoke the Russians in the city before they had sufficient strength. Therefore, despite their large-scale disturbance, they never attracted any Russian army encirclement or suppression.
As for the local officials of the Qing government, they were already grateful if the Qing government didn't cause trouble. They certainly wouldn't dare to attack or suppress them!
"Drink less and get some rest! I'm going to check the sentry post!" Jiang Yong patted Shi Tou on the shoulder, slung his gun over his shoulder, and walked out.
Although they are now bandits, they cannot abandon their original military orders.
Stone shook his head, picked up his gun, and followed him out.
"Here!" Shi Tou took out a cigarette case and handed a cigarette to Jiang Yong.
Jiang Yong quickly took it and lit it. Everything else was negotiable here. This cigarette was extremely rare; a pack of cigarettes that cost twenty coins inside the pass could sell for two hundred coins here, and even then, it was hard to find.
The two of them were allotted one box of cigarettes a day, but the supply was intermittent. Jiang Yong was a heavy smoker and often lacked mental nourishment.
Shi Tou was alright; he only smoked one cigarette occasionally, and Jiang Yong basically finished off the rest.
After finishing their cigarettes at the door, the two men picked up their guns and cautiously made their way toward the sentry post.
. . . . . .
On the eighth day of the first lunar month, the Shandong government offices resumed work. Although the New Year had just passed, a large number of wealthy merchants from all over the country flocked to Linqing City.
Before the Lunar New Year, the governor of Zhenyuan announced that Shandong would hold its first investment promotion conference. The provincial government would offer dozens of projects for cooperation with businesspeople from various regions.
This news was disseminated through ICBC's branches nationwide, attracting the interest of many businesspeople.
Whether they're in business or not, everyone wants to see what this Marquis is really up to!