Chapter 965: Questions about the Tongcao Haihai Family
The front of Xinglong Anbao has no pretense and no signboard. Outsiders only see this building with hanging windows and exquisite carvings.
A small two-story building occupies a corner of the street. It is remote and elegant, with a rare curtain hanging on the door.
Speaking of businessmen, who would hang up the thick curtains on the door except in the cold weather in the north? Doesn’t this discourage guests from coming?
But Xinglongan's house just hung two heavy and thick door curtains to prevent anyone from seeing what kind of business it was doing.
The guests who come in and out here are all dressed in rich and luxurious clothes.
But there are no secrets that can be kept hidden in Zhigu City. The gossips in the streets and alleys made it clear that the boss of Xinglongan gave birth to a son without an asshole and opened a harmful opium den.
The Zhigu water system is developed, so there are many floods.
A local man, Li Shan, built two rows of earthen houses on a wasteland northwest of his garden, Rongyuan, and named them "Li's Little Houses" and rented them to the victims of the disaster.
Some disaster victims could not afford to rent, so they built their own "rolling dragons" to live in. The houses were connected to each other, with various heights and eight lowers, varying sizes, concave and convex, and extremely messy.
In this way, many local gangsters and tyrants from the green leather shop were attracted, and the public order gradually became chaotic.
When the Boxers broke out, the imperial court made an agreement with the foreigners, borrowed foreign ships and artillery to quell the chaos, and accepted the foreigners' contributions and sold another piece of land next to Li Jiarong Garden to the foreigners to build the Chongde Church of the Holy Church.
This place where people live in chaos is named "Qiande Village"!
Here, Yanku foreign trade is its specialty.
There are many foreign cigarette ointment shops in Aideli, Shangdeli and Andeli, which are built by Chongdetang.
The cost of this kind of store is so low that it can be opened with only one counter and a copper scale.
But a well-run store is like this Xinglongan.
We have an exquisite mahogany pear-shaped bed, a smoke gun that is a clever combination of cloud copper and yellow bamboo, Guangzhou's characteristic lamps, and Yunnan's finest pipes, all showing nobility and elegance.
When you open the curtain, you will be greeted by thick smoke, which ordinary people call extremely smelly. Only those smokers who are skeletal, with hunched shoulders and neck, and withered skin like a sick man think it is a fairy mist, and smelling it will cheer them up.
, the sunken eye sockets glowed with excitement.
Excluding the private rooms on the second floor, there are about twenty or thirty kangs in the hall. One kang seat is divided into two positions by a kang table in the middle, with a person lying on each side.
On the Kang table, there is a Guangzhou glazed smoke lamp, tea bowl and lamp tray, all of which are exquisite.
The big smoker curled up on the kang, held up a big smoking gun in his hand, put it on the lamp plate and lit it, then took a deep breath and refused to spit it out for a long time. There were often servants and boys standing aside, also looking around.
He turned his head to inhale the smoke exhaled by the owner, showing his hunger and thirst.
However, only their owners didn't pay attention to the disturbing appearance, and some even deliberately blew smoke into their faces.
The waiter nodded and bowed to the people who came in, vividly describing this "wonderland" scene.
But Lao Guangming just shuddered when he came in.
He took off his hat and glanced around.
The faces of everyone in this poisonous cave are filled with ecstasy, but the rotten yellow teeth, the deep-set eye sockets and dark circles under the eyes are signs of decadence and depravity that cannot be concealed by the aura of wealth.
The people in the lobby, even the young ones puffing away the smoke, couldn't help but feel exhausted and burst into tears!
Their dull eyes looked over with a hint of hunger, and their narrowed pupils were as greedy as jackals, tigers and leopards, yet they were numbed by the smoke.
Reveals greed and laziness.
There is both gluttony, desire and rage, but all the hunger and thirst are numbed by the smoke, revealing a kind of arrogance... a look that is half like a demon and half like a ghost.
Even though Lao Guangming was used to seeing monsters and ghosts, he only provoked the ghost child yesterday. Seeing that look in his eyes, he couldn't help but feel numb in his heart.
How can those smokers still be human? They have clearly revealed their true nature and form as ghosts, and are about to reveal their true colors of cannibalism!
Seeing him standing at the door and not coming in for a long time, the waiter winked at the two gangsters guarding the door.
Two gangsters who were not wearing 46's and had slanted eyes and hats walked over sideways, looked at Lao Guangming from top to bottom, and sneered: "It turns out he is a black-skinned dog, why don't you even look at this?
Where is the trouble going?"
Lao Guangming put his hand on the match box at his waist, looked at the two gangsters, and said with a smile: "Why, there are people in Zhigu city that I can't afford to offend, so why not brother Liangliang?"
With these two tricks, let’s go to the bottom of the ocean!”
"How to speak?"
Lao Guangming shouted loudly.
"The eagle's claws are high-quality (people in the Gongmen speak big words), and the first five words in the door are: respect, learn, eat, fear, and beg (we are from the Qinggang)."
The gangster rolled his eyes and said: "The big head of the Sea Wings (the official gets the big head), the brothers have tea (the brothers eat the small head)."
Lao Guangming raised his hand and said, "May I ask what water you need to drink and what firewood you need to burn?"
The gangster responded: "Ask the gang, don't ask where you are, ask where the sea and forest are. We eat in the long running water, burn Kunshan firewood, and there are forty-six full transport ships, thirty-eight of which are in operation, and ten of which are not repaired. We usually fly white flags.
Number, yin and yang moon, first and fifteenth day of the lunar month, white flag with red trim, half moon. Wooden boat, black oil bird pole, golden hook, also known as golden stick, mixed with the gang, dead eagle arms."
"The grain exchanges are in Shimen and Tongxiang Counties, Jiaxing Prefecture, Zhejiang Province. Each boat of grain exchanges is 1,225 shi, and the total grain exchange is 45,000 dans. The head of the first boat is named Li Shangyan and Xia Lin, and the surname of the waist boss is Yudan Rui.
Dock at Prince Edward Wharf, Tunliang Laoniu Temple, and pay Zhaozhouba Shibali Xiaohongqiao Wharf.
"I bestow you with a phoenix ticket, and the name of the ship is Shishaozi."
This long walk refers to the door of the house.
It is also a secret ritual. The disciples of the Qinggang are required to open an incense hall, worship three masters, and be taught various secrets in the form of incisions.
What flag, what water to eat, what firewood to burn, what name, who loaded the grain, how many stones were in the grain, what marks were placed where they were unloaded, how many were peaceful, how many were out of repair, how many grain ships were there in total, the first and fifteenth day of the lunar month
What kind of flag should be flown, the form on the flag, and whether there are any streamers?
The question is a symbol of Luo Zu's overview of the three religions and the secret path opened by Caobang.
The Qing Gang, Cao Gang, and Hong Bang Ge Lao all originated from this path and were divided into branches. Among them, the Qing Gang, Cao Gang, and Cao Gang were subordinate to the imperial court and were engaged in business. The Hong Bang Ge Lao was concerned about the previous dynasty and was engaged in rebellion.
One is safe and the other is lost, which is the reason for the two branches.
When Lao Guangming heard this, he just sneered: "It turns out to be Jiahaiwei from the Qing Gang!"
Lao Guangming crossed his hands, with one thumb pointing up and the other pointing down. The right hand hidden under it still clasped the middle finger and ring finger, holding the three holy seals and forming a Xuanzhen seal.
"Fighted two dragons in the Qingcao River, and suppressed the Nine Rivers with just one palm. Worship the Three Saints in the temple at home, and ask my brothers about Xuanzhen when I go out!"
(I worship the Three Saints of Creation at home, and I am a Xuanzhen believer when I go out. We taught three battles to defeat two river-crossing dragons from your Qing Gang and Cao Gang. According to the rules, we have the final say in Zhigu City.)
“You don’t ask questions about what’s going on in the family, but you rely on your teaching voice when you go out!”
(This time I came to check your background, not as a public servant, but because of Xuanzhen Sect matters.)
The two Youth Gang disciples looked at each other but still said nothing.
Lao Guangming took a step forward again: "What else can I say?"
The two Qing Gang disciples had no choice but to clasp their fists and say: "We are all brothers from the Jianghu when we go out. Your sect has won two battles, but there is still a third battle. The Qing Gang loses and does not lose the battle. After the big battle is completed, this restaurant will have its own
Give me your share of money."
Lao Guangming only said coldly: "You are not allowed to make matches or smoke cigarettes in the church. I'm afraid it's not money that can make peace. Of course, there will be a deacon in the church to talk to you at that time. But I came here this time to check.
There is a ghost. There is a woman in the river in front of the door. She is wearing fake pigtails and she is pregnant with a child. She has become a drifter today. I want to ask my brother why!"
At this time, the shopkeeper saw that the Qing Gang could not solve the problem, so he had no choice but to come forward on his own.
First he gave a bag of silver, and then he greeted with a smile: "Second Master, we really don't know who this woman is. This restaurant is doing business for men. She is a girl with long hair, how can I keep her?"
"
"You can use this money to drink tea. Brother, I will personally visit the sect and the Xuanzhenluo Temple another day."
Lao Guangming said calmly: "Brother, I have been sent. Although I am not here as a public official this time, the superiors have also said it, and the teachings have made it clear that what we just talk about is etiquette. This is the principle of etiquette before fighting.
, the shopkeeper should know."
"Brother, what I'm asking about this time is about etiquette. Since I dare to come and ask, there must be a reason. The shopkeeper can handle me, but I'm afraid he won't be able to handle the people who come after me!"
This was half a threat and half a truth.
After the ghost case broke out yesterday, someone in the Xuanzhen Sect naturally called him over for questioning. Only then did Lao Guangming realize that his status as a patrol officer had never been hidden from anyone in the sect.
Xuanzhen Sect also asked him to investigate the case.
Therefore, he half-actively and half-passively went to the opium shop to test the smoke.
Outside the Xinglong An Opium House, the patrol officer and a group of people hid in an alley. It took a long time to see Lao Guangming come out, put his hands in his sleeves, and made a gesture in their direction.
"Wait a moment and don't move?"
Mr. Ba wiped the cold sweat from his head and glanced at the Taoist priest Qin Tianjian next to him suspiciously.
The Taoist priest from the Qintian Prison looked serious, but still motioned for him to wait.
Lao Guangming walked quickly to the door of Chongde Church, lowered his hat, and walked in. He recalled in his mind the face of the shopkeeper who looked ugly at first and then changed color continuously.
"When that woman floated, half of the city saw it! Brother, of course I also asked people to see it, but the errand boy also recognized her. She was a religious woman, and the man in the family was a religious man and often took her with him.
We worship in a foreign church. Her husband is a foreman in the port, and sometimes he comes to buy tobacco from us. He bought the most the day before yesterday. He said that the foreigners were unloading a big ship and they were very tired!"
"These are my words to outsiders, brother."
"The second master came to ask today! Let me tell you the truth. Her husband is the foreman of loading and unloading, and he borrows foreign ships to transport some private goods. Our library sometimes accepts some things from him, most of which are blood smoke."
"You know, foreign smoke is first-class, and native smoke is third-class. The reason why foreign smoke is superior is the blood medicine."
"Her man is a blood demon and bat spirit who betrayed his ancestors!"
Lao Guangming closed his eyes in front of the church.
The door in front of him slowly opened, revealing the huge silver triangle enshrined in the church.
Chapter completed!