A large courtyard with five entrances and five exits in the donkey meat alley of Yanjing City is Wang Tianzong's mansion. Yuan Shikai was really good to him, not only gave him the rank of lieutenant general and the rank of deputy director of the Army Law Enforcement Department, but also let him lead the commander-in-chief of the joint forces of Zhili, Jiangsu, Henan, and Hubei provinces. However, this is the same as the deputy director of the law enforcement department, which is also an empty title and has no real power. What's more, Jiangsu and Hubei provinces are under the control of Chai Dongliang, and even if Yuan Shikai wants Wang Tianzong to go there to suppress bandits, it depends on whether the Jianghuai army agrees.

In the hall of Wang Tianzong, there is a statue of King Jinnaro, which is a custom from the Shaolin Temple, and the people who practice martial arts in the western part of Henan have eight out of ten to worship the great sage King Jinnaro.

There was a wine banquet in the house, eight cold dishes and eight bowls, the cook brought it from Luoyang, and made a sour and spicy Luoyang water seat, but it was also enjoyable to eat on this cold winter moonlit day.

"Father-in-law, what do you want to taste this?" Wang Tianzong smiled and picked up a piece of chopsticks and put it on Master Zhang's plate.

The old man tasted it carefully, first with his head and then with a frown: "Yes, it tastes like bird's nest, but it doesn't taste like shark fin?" It's not shark fin, shark fin is slippery than this! A fan of someone? Fans don't have this taste??? Let's talk about it. ”

Wang Tianzhong said with a smile: "This is called Luoyang Yancai, which is made of shredded radish!" ”

The old man shook his head again and again: "Don't bluff me, the old man, I have eaten radishes since I was a child, and I have never eaten radishes with this taste." ”

Zhang Weiyu smiled and said, "Dad, he didn't coax you, it's just shredded radish." ”

The old man put another pair of chopsticks in his suspicious hand, chewed carefully for a long time, and said, "It seems to be a little fragrant with radish, but it's still not like it." ”

Wang Tianzong laughed and said: "Father-in-law, this dish is the main dish of Luoyang Water Banquet, it has a history, when Wu Zetian was the emperor, someone in the eastern suburbs of Luoyang planted a thirty catties of big radish, and the people dedicated it to Wu Zetian as auspicious. But the imperial chef felt that this thing couldn't be on the table, so he thought of a way. Cut the radish into a hair-thick thickness, then put it in the basket drawer to steam, after steaming, put it in the sun to dry, and then steam, after three steaming and three drying, simmer the soup with abalone, sea cucumber and pork bones, put the steamed and dried radish shreds into the broth and cook, after it comes out, it is in the shape of a peony, you see! ”

After that, he scooped a small bowl of soup with his own hands and handed it to Old Man Zhang, and then picked up a ball of swallow vegetables with chopsticks and put it in the soup.

Old man Zhang said with a smile: "This is like "Dream of Red Mansions" Grandma Liu eating eggplant in Daguan Garden, but ordinary eggplant is refined with high-quality ingredients, no wonder eggplant can't taste eggplant, and this radish is not the taste of radish." ”

Spicy fish pieces, sweet potatoes in honey sauce, water bleached meatballs, lotus soup slices???? The dishes of soup and water, the old man Zhang was sweating profusely, and he was addicted.

Seeing the old man eating happily, Zhang Weiyu hugged her son, who was only more than two years old, and couldn't help but be overjoyed, since she separated from her parents four years ago, she broke off contact, at that time she still had some resentment of her father's ruthlessness, obviously he was not long-sighted, and promised himself to a mountain king, but he disliked himself for marrying a bandit.

But blood is thicker than water, and the resentment after seeing my father has long since dissipated, leaving only the inseparable flesh and blood affection.

"Father-in-law, have another drink!" Wang Tianzong respectfully held a glass of wine.

Old man Zhang took it with a smile, but put it down and put his hand on the mouth of the cup: "I can't drink it anymore, if I drink it again, I will make a mistake." ”

Wang Tianzhong then remembered that it seemed that when his father-in-law came, he said that he had something to talk to him.

"Virtuous son-in-law, is this official pleasing to his heart?" Old man Zhang asked.

A sentence poked Wang Tianzong's heart, and he forced a smile on his face: "It's okay, it's okay??? Don't say this, drink, drink. ”

Old man Zhang looked at Wang Tianzong and his wife, and said with a straight face: "If this official is not going well, then it is not appropriate, where not to eat a bowl of rice?" ”

Zhang Weiyu was shocked and said, "Dad, you don't want him to go back to Yangshan, do you?" You hate the rivers and lakes the most. ”

Old man Zhang dipped a little wine with chopsticks, handed it to the baby's mouth, and watched him spit out his red little tongue and lick it, and then grin and inhale, the old man couldn't help laughing.

Zhang Weiyu was anxious, and snatched the old man's chopsticks with his hand: "Dad, what do you think?" In the past, you thought he was an official, so you gave me to him, and now you don't let him be an official, what kind of medicine are you selling in your gourd? ”

Old man Zhang laughed and didn't say anything, just teasing his grandson and making a child giggle.

"Father-in-law, if you don't say a name, my son-in-law will feel uneasy!" Wang Tianzong couldn't help but ask.

Only then did the old man straighten up and asked, "Virtuous son-in-law, do you tell me that President Yuan is still long?" ”

Wang Tianzong had already drunk more than half a catty of liquor, and he said the words that were pressed in his heart while covering his face with wine: "The regent of the Qing Dynasty knows that you can't use force to coerce the Imperial Yuan, Yuan Shikai, the president of the Republic of China, is not as good as the Tartar prince of the Manchu Qing Dynasty!" Although I fell into the grass, but this thief also has the rules of showing talent and not killing people, loyal ministers and filial sons not robbing, and using hooligans to coerce members of Congress, Yuan Shikai's Republic of China political axe is worse than that of the Manchu Qing Dynasty??? This dignified president of the Republic of China has no charter? I think he's a big president, just a rabbit tail! ”

Old man Zhang stood up and walked up to Wang Tianzong, grabbed his rough big hand and said, "Virtuous son-in-law, since you know this, then you haven't made plans early?" ”

Wang Tianzong said with a bitter face: "I am now being stared at, and I can't go back to Henan several times, how can Yuan Shikai let me go back to Yangshan?" ”

Old man Zhang said with a smile: "This important place in Beijing is a good place for men and husbands to make contributions. ”

Wang Tianzong suddenly shivered, the wine flowed down the sweat, and he lowered his voice and said, "What does my father-in-law mean?" ”

Old man Zhang dipped his finger in the wine syrup and wrote the words "Seven Things to Open the Door" on the table.

Wang Tianzhong was puzzled: "What does father-in-law mean by this?" ”

Old man Zhang smiled indifferently: "Seven things to open the door, what is the first one?" ”

Zhang Weiyu, who was holding the child on the side, dilated her pupils violently, and said in a low voice: "Could it be that my father is talking about the firewood in Anqing?" ”

Old man Zhang nodded and said, "It's that firewood!" ”

Wang Tianzong scratched his scalp and said, "What kind of dumb riddle are you playing?" What chai? ”

Old man Zhang's father and daughter smiled at each other, and said in unison: "You fool! ”

Wang Tianzong was still confused, and was about to ask a question, when he saw a man with thick eyebrows and round eyes walking in. Wang Tianzong greeted with a smile: "Tianheng, come and eat together." ”

This honest-looking man is Wang Tianheng's younger brother Wang Tianheng, and he said in a low voice: "Brother, Director Lu is here!" ”

A cold light flashed in Wang Tianzong's eyes, and he snorted coldly: "Lu Jianzhang is here?" Please! Old man Zhang hurriedly said: "Virtuous son-in-law, do you have a guest?" Then you go to the front to receive it, and the girl and grandson will accompany me to eat and drink. ”

Wang Tianzong smiled bitterly and said, "Father-in-law, people just want to meet your old man?" ”

Old man Zhang shuddered: "See me?" I don't know anyone in the capital! ”

Wang Tianzong smiled bitterly: "I'll explain to you later, Tianheng, please ask Director Lu to come to the inner hall." ”

Zhang Weiyu lowered her voice and instructed: "Dad, that Lu Jianzhang is not a good person, you should be cautious when you speak." ”

Old man Zhang is also a person who rolled out of the officialdom in the late Qing Dynasty, how can he not understand the joints in this? He bowed his head and said, "I understand this." ”

After coming over for a while, I saw a man wearing a major general's uniform, a round head and small eyes walking in with a smile, and said to Wang Tianzong with a fist: "Brother Xujiu, how is the New Year?" ”

Wang Tianzong smiled and saluted: "Thank you Director Lu for your care, the New Year is fine." ”

Lu Jianzhang is the director of the Law Enforcement Department, Wang Tianzong is the deputy director, and Lu Jianzhang is high according to his position, but Wang Tianzong's military rank is lieutenant general, Lu Jianzhang is a major general, and the military rank is Wang Tianzong's highest, so the two met according to the usual courtesy.

Lu Jianzhang saw Old Man Zhang, pretended to be surprised and said, "It turns out that Brother Xu Jiu has guests here, but it is unfortunate that I came!" ”

Wang Tianzong said with a smile: "This is Jiayue, who came to Yanjing from his hometown in Jiangxi. ”

Lu Jianzhang made a look of sudden realization and said: "Oh, it turned out to be the old Taishan of Brother Xujiu?" Little nephew Lu Jianzhang has given you a gift to the old man! ”

Old man Zhang's eyes rolled, and he looked like a faint old man in the countryside: "What? Gift? You're too polite, and you give a gift the first time we meet, then I'll be disrespectful. ”

Lu Jianzhang couldn't cry or laugh: "The little nephew is talking about ???"

"Filial son? Your dad is dead? You kid is not filial, hurry back and put on filial piety clothes??? There are dead people in this house and they are still running around, bad luck! Old man Zhang spat twice on the ground, and said to his daughter and Wang Tianzhong: "Spit on the ground twice, the bad luck of the dead people in this family, let the evil spirit collide with the gods, and it is a big New Year!" ”

Wang Tian suppressed Le, pretending to be apologetic, and said, "Director Lu, don't be surprised, the old man's ears are not good. ”

Lu Jianzhang touched his head, so he had to say casually: "It's unfortunate that my brother came, so I will come to visit the old man again." ”

With that, the dog ran away like an ass. Seeing him go out, Wang Tianzong couldn't hold back anymore, and almost sat on the ground laughing.

"Dad, you can really do it, you can pretend to be deaf and dumb and make fun of this Lu butcher." Zhang Weiyu also laughed and trembled.

Wang Tianzong spat out the door and said, "This dog has a well-informed nose, and he came to the door when he smelled it." ”

After that, he explained to Old Man Zhang: "This guy's name is Lu Jianzhang, he is an eagle dog raised by Yuan Shikai, and Zhang Zhenwu, the hero of the first righteousness, died in his hands, and it is not a thing!" Someone must have reported to him that there was a birth in my family, and he pretended to spy on me during the New Year's visit, but he didn't expect it to fall into the hands of his father-in-law. ”

Old man Zhang suddenly said with a worried face: "Xu Jiu, your situation here is sinister!" ”

Wang Tianzong smiled bitterly: "It's not what's wrong, you also saw it, Yuan Shikai's eyeliner is everywhere outside my big mansion, and the more than 300 people I brought down from Yangshan are being stared at??? By the way, what do you mean by firewood, rice, oil and salt just now? ”

Old man Zhang glanced outside, then lowered his voice and said, "Virtuous son-in-law, have you heard of Chai Dongliang in Anhui?" ”

Wang Tianzong's eyes lit up: "Are you talking about the Jianghuai patrol envoy, Chai Dongliang, vice chairman of the Kuomintang?" This bottle jar has an ear, how could I not have heard of him! ”

Old man Zhang smiled and said, "It's him, Chai Dudu asked me to give you and the Yangshan brothers a good meal." ”

Wang Tian jumped up from the chair in a hurry: "Chai Dudu also knows me?" ”

Old man Zhang said with a smile: "Not only does Governor Chai know about you, but Governor Gao Ming of Jiangxi and Mr. Gao Chuguan, the head of the Manchurian and Mongolian Joint Administration, have asked me to say hello to you." ”

Wang Tianzong's excited eyes were red, when he learned martial arts from the senior monks of Shaolin Temple, he looked forward to the day when he was like the Ming Dynasty, the warrior monks of Southern Shaolin relied on their martial arts to defend the country, and the Jianghuai army went out of the north to recover Mongolia and defeated the army in Fengtian. Grandpa Chai led Erlang to collect the story of Mobei, listening to the gathering every day, and the more he talked, the more mysterious it became. Wang Tianzong went to the teahouse and the overpass to listen to the book in the capital, and every time he heard the blood and blood, especially the section where the company commander Zhang Mingqi stood at the head of the West Gate of Fengtian and summoned the artillery to "fire at me" with the flag, which made him tearful every time, and he couldn't wait to die with such a hero who sacrificed his life and forgot to die, so as to live up to his martial arts and a brave loyalty.

"I'd rather lead a horse to a good man than give Lai Han an ancestor, father-in-law, just say, what is the use of Chai Dudu to my Wang Tianzong, I will never give up!" Wang Tianzhong's surname does not change, and he pats his chest on the mountain.

Old man Zhang bowed his head and smiled: "That's right, a manly husband either relies on poems and articles to seek a name for eternity, or he is a meritorious frontier wife and son, which lives up to your good skills!" ”

The house was full of conversation and laughter, Zhang Weiyu was also smiling, I hadn't seen her husband so happy for a long time, and her father reconciled with him, which was a double happiness.

When Lu Jianzhang went out, he was depressed, and he saw a middle-aged man dressed as a hawker shivering in the cold wind. Lu Jianzhang hooked his fingers: "Come here!" ”

The guy dressed as a peddler ran over happily and said with a lingering smile: "Director, did you see it?" Isn't that old man a little weird? ”

Lu Jianzhang said quietly: "Well, it's a little weird. ”

The thief-eyed peddler smiled and said, "My lord, I found information, this reward???? ”

Lu Jianzhang suddenly raised his fan-like palm, and the split face was a loud slap: "Lord rewarded you with five cents, you dog thing, lard blinded your heart?" Or was your head burned unconscious by horse urine? Lao Tzu will go to Shaanxi next month to supervise the military affairs of the West Road, this juncture is embarrassed by you, a rabbit cub, if Lao Tzu listens to your words and breaks in to arrest people, and is bitten back by Wang Tianzong to the president, Lao Tzu's future will be ruined??? Lao Tzu killed you dog who doesn't have long eyes! ”

"One slap is five cents, two slaps are one piece, the lord will reward you with one hundred and eighty today, so that you can have a good New Year!"

Lu Jianzhang was angry in the old man Zhang's stomach, and the evil fire happened to be sprinkled on this informant guy, and he felt that his hand hurt after a few slaps, so he changed his kicks, and the riding boots wrapped in steel plates didn't know how many kicks he had kicked, and after a while, he saw the guy's eyes roll and he fainted.

"Cheap you bastard, me!" Lu Jianzhang scolded stupidly, got into the car and drove away.

(To be continued)