Zhang Junmen's concubine listened to the waiter at a Western-style restaurant talking about the things that Diao Maipeng did against them. She thought to herself that they wouldn't stay in this place for long, and apart from joining a church, there was no other way to deal with them. After the waiter left, she pondered for a few days before summoning him back and asked her uncle to help introduce them, and they both joined the church.
It had been over a month since the three families had been robbed, extorted, and fined, and there were no clues about the thieves. Even if they tried to redeem the confiscated items with money, the officials refused to give them back, saying it was confiscated. Even the promissory notes that Hu Gui cheated them out of were not reported in the account book; the notes could not be replaced, and the interest could not be recovered. They were desperate and had to seek help from the priest. Fortunately, the priest was very fair. After asking if they were hiding anything, he said, "The local officials and police are supposed to protect residents. But they did nothing when thieves harmed you. As for the IOUs, you can report them lost. And your jewelry, used as collateral, should be returned. There’s no reason to keep it." Then, the priest wrote a detailed letter to Diao, the magistrate, requesting him to investigate the matter. Everyone was relieved to see the priest willing to help, so they decided to leave it for now.
Anyway, on the evening when the three families had trouble, the police commissioner first went to report to the governor's office: "The three wives from the Zhang family went out to watch a play, and the patrol officers have already brought them to the station. Please instruct us on how to handle this." Diao Maipeng ordered, "Make an example of them!" The next day, the commissioner handed over the jewelry, and Diao Maipeng accepted it. The commissioner also reported two other cases of robbery and theft, as well as the incident where a family member, Hu Gui, deceived away some documents. Before Diao Maipeng could speak, the county magistrate also came to report on the matter. Diao Maipeng said, "If you don't punish them, you're encouraging more crime. If we don't rob them, then who should we rob? Although theft cases in the city are the police's responsibility, in my opinion, these two families brought it on themselves. If you can solve the case, that's great; if you can't, I won't rush you. Even if they come to complain, I will reprimand them." The county magistrate and the commissioner knew that the governor's recent style of doing things was a bit different, so they were happy to put the matter aside after hearing this. Diao Maipeng also said, "If the money notes can't cover the fines, how could they be deceived by their subordinates? Could it be that they were giving money to them? We need to get to the bottom of this. How could a good servant run away?" They had nothing to say after hearing the governor's words, so they had to leave.
Diao Maipeng hurried to send a letter to Madam Zhang to show goodwill and said, "This time I will ruin them!" He also said, "Some of them had their pawnshop notes deceived by subordinates, and now they want to reapply for them. They want the pawnshop to reissue them. I do not agree with this. How could a good subordinate run away? How could good notes be lost? We need to get to the bottom of this before making any decisions." Madam Zhang already hated those wives, so when she heard Diao Maipeng's words, she was very happy and immediately instructed the bookkeeper to write to inform the managers of each pawnshop: "If someone comes to reapply for money notes, do not allow them to do so! Let them come find me in person!" The bookkeeper agreed and went to handle it.
Diaomai Peng saw his chance and figured out how to get his hands on Mrs. Zhang's money. He started up a bunch of businesses – weaving, soap, candles, waterworks, paper, even cigarettes – offering interest rates as high as eight percent, sometimes even more than the principal itself. He cleaned up in a year. Mrs. Zhang thought he was a good egg, and he completely took advantage of her. She gave him a ton of cash to use as he pleased. A month later, Mrs. Zhang's money was all gone, and there wasn't enough left for business investments. He told her, "Those pawn shops are just sitting there doing nothing. Let's mortgage them and put that money to work." Mrs. Zhang believed him and entrusted him with the task.
Zhang's family's over two million yuan all ended up in Diao Maipeng's pockets. One day, he was sitting in his yamen office, thinking, "The money is in hand; I need to find a way to leave here quickly." Just then, a letter arrived, saying it was from the church. Diao Maipeng was startled at the mention of the "church," and when he opened the letter, he found it all flowery and stuff. The letter said he wasn't doing his job, letting thieves run wild and cases go cold. It also mentioned the matter of Mrs. Zhang being fined, stating that she had pledged her jewelry as collateral and was promised redemption, but Diao Maipeng had withheld it, being crooked. The letter added that Mrs. Zhang and others had converted to the church, and the church was there to protect them, demanding that local officials solve the case quickly and return Mrs. Zhang's jewelry to her. After reading the letter, Diao Maipeng felt like someone had thrown a bucket of ice water on him, unsure of how to respond. He angrily cursed, "Those women are slick! Using the church to get to me!" After thinking for a while, he decided to play dumb and shift the blame to the county magistrate and council members, replying that he had ordered them to handle the matter. He dodged the question. The folks from the church thought the higher-ups didn't know what was going on, so they waited for half a month without a response before sending another urgent letter. During this half month, Diao Maipeng had most of the money shipped to the capital, all set. On that day, the church's follow-up letter arrived just as he received a telegram appointing him as a third-ranking official to serve in a certain country. Diao Maipeng was overjoyed. "Can't have it all," he thought to himself, "Mrs. Zhang's money is all in hand, and those other women cleaned up too, one way or another. Now I have to play it smart; they have someone backing them up, and I'm about to leave the country. If I get too greedy and ruin my rep, I'm screwed. When it's time to let go, I have to let go; that's what a real man does." So, he invited a foreign affairs guy to draft a letter together, stating that we gotta solve that theft case by a certain date, Mrs. Zhang's jewelry can be redeemed, and he promised to pay interest. The church received the reply and had nothing to say. The women who got fined got their stuff back right away. Although the pawnshop of Zhang's family was theoretically pawned by Diao Maipeng, he still controlled it, and they were stuck and had to figure something else out. Seeing how Diao Maipeng handled things, although those few cases couldn't be solved for a while, they weren't hassled like before.
Let's talk about Mrs. Zhang. It is said that when Diao Maipeng went abroad on a mission, she freaked out. She thought to herself, "I have entrusted all my properties to him. If he leaves, it will be at least three to five years before he returns. Who will I figure out what to do about the businesses he conducts?" She immediately sent someone to deliver a message to the authorities to congratulate and also invited Diao Maipeng to discuss matters. After Diao Maipeng finished dealing with the church's affairs, he came over and said, "Even if Mrs. Zhang didn't call me, I would have come. You never know what's going to happen." Mrs. Zhang thought he was referring to going abroad, so she said, "The Emperor clearly values you. With your influence, you'll be a high-ranking official – maybe even a governor!" Diao Maipeng frowned upon hearing this and said, "That's not it." Seeing his face fall, Mrs. Zhang hurriedly asked, "Is there something else?" Diao Maipeng hesitated deliberately before saying, "I have to tell you something. She has been sued by some foreigners." Mrs. Zhang was terrified upon hearing she was sued by foreigners and said, "I am Chinese; they are foreigners. What did I ever do to them?" Diao Maipeng said, "Let me explain. You might not understand, and I also find it strange. This issue was caused by people here." Mrs. Zhang asked urgently, "Who here caused this?" Diao Maipeng said, "Who else could it be! It's those concubines who moved out. I was kind and helped Mrs. Zhang divide them up to prevent her from getting angry and to let them live on their own, saving some public funds. I helped her deal with their thefts and fines, preventing future trouble. If I had urged the county earlier, would the case still be unresolved now? I don't know what bad things they heard, but they all obtained foreign citizenship. The Chinese officials can't control them anymore, so if they have any issues, they can come bother us. Sis, are you angry?" Mrs. Zhang said, "Which country's citizenship did they obtain? Is it the country where you, Mr. Diao, went as an envoy? If so, please beg their emperor to send them back and not let these bad people harm the common people." Diao Maipeng said, "It seems they obtained citizenship from some crazy ocean, maybe even 'Black Water Ocean' or 'Red Water Ocean.' I can't remember it clearly. Anyway, they're foreigners now, and we're outmatched."
Blank (no text provided)
Mrs. Zhang asked, "Are the foreigners you mentioned before the same group, or are there newly arrived ones?" Diao Maipeng said, "It's a different group of foreigners, but they are in cahoots." Mrs. Zhang asked further, "Even if they sue me, they must have a reason, right? What are they suing me for?" Diao Maipeng said, "This is a long story; let me explain slowly. In this matter, although I have helped you, I have been considerate to them. Initially, each person received thirty thousand silver taels in pawnshop interest money, calculated at an annual interest rate of eight percent, which means they get over two thousand taels a year in interest—enough for them to spend. Besides, they also had their own private money! They were not satisfied and actually colluded with foreigners, became naturalized citizens, and turned around to sue you, which is unbelievable! When my brother found out about this, he was so furious he skipped meals and hurried over to inform you."
Mrs. Zhang urgently asked, "What are they suing me for?" Diao Maipeng then said, "They are accusing you of taking the family fortune and driving away concubines." Mrs. Zhang said, "This is outrageous! If the master left behind the family property, who else would inherit it if not me? As for those concubines, they were already living apart; when did I drive them out? This accusation is simply unconscionable! Even if I, as the main wife, really wanted to drive them away, they could only leave. At worst, I'd get a bad name; it has nothing to do with the family property." Diao Maipeng chuckled and said, "Madam, you've got it all wrong. Things are different now compared to before. In the past, concubines treated the main wife like the mistress; they behaved like maids. So if the wife wanted to send them away, she could do so without anyone saying anything. Now, it's a different world. The foreigners talk about equality and rights, without distinction of high or low. You are the master's person, and they are also the master's people—there's no distinction of rank. If there's money, it needs to be shared equally. Otherwise, they can sue you—and they will."
Mrs. Zhang said, "I am Chinese and do not understand foreign laws. Mr. Diao, as a Chinese official, why don't you use Chinese laws to refute them?" Diao Maipeng replied, "I also thought the same way, but my official position does not have the power to control them." Mrs. Zhang said, "If you can't control them, why not just ignore them when they come? What can they do to you?" Diao Maipeng explained, "If I ignore them, they will go to Nanyang, the Liangjiang Governor-General. If the Governor-General ignores them, they will go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As long as one of these places accepts their case, we will definitely lose." Mrs. Zhang asked, "Then what should we do? Should I divide our property among them, or should I invite them back to stay? Otherwise, what should we do?" She said, crying in distress. Diao Maipeng reassured her, "Ma'am, don't worry. If they sue you like this, I must tell you that I also have to find a way to help you. Although I do not have the power to control foreigners, I will find a way to mediate for you." After speaking, he took his leave. Mrs. Zhang wanted to keep him and ask for help. Diao Maipeng added, "Ma'am, I am more anxious than you. Even if you don't ask me, I will help you. Otherwise, how can I face my brother? Since receiving the telegram to report to Beijing, my brother has been so swamped he hasn't even had time to send a reply. I really have no time now. I will think of a solution when I go back and come to discuss with you tomorrow." After saying this, he left. After Diao Maipeng left, Mrs. Zhang thought to herself, "Every time Mr. Diao comes, he is so humble and dedicated in helping me. Why is he different today? Has his promotion gone to his head? If that's the case, he's not a reliable friend anymore." But then she thought, "All my property is in his hands, and now that I have to deal with foreigners, besides him, no one can help me. Moreover, he was originally the governor here, and now he has been promoted, so the foreigners will have to give him some face. I am now completely at a loss, unable to move an inch. There is no other way, I can only rely on him." Mrs. Zhang decided to keep her thoughts to herself for now.
Once Diao Maipeng returned to the yamen, he was busy wrapping up his duties while preparing to go to Beijing for an audience. He was constantly being visited by foreigners, and then he had to go out for return visits. He was bombarded with letters and telegrams, constantly replying and sending more. He took a few minutes every day to visit the Zhang family's mansion. Mrs. Zhang asked him as soon as she saw him, "How is it going?" Diao Maipeng always made alarmist pronouncements. Mrs. Zhang asked again, "How are you dealing with them?" Diao Maipeng firmly said, "Not giving them a single cent!" At first, Mrs. Zhang thought Diao was a loyal friend and blamed herself for almost wrongly accusing him that day. But day after day, every time Diao Maipeng came, he said the same thing. Later, Mrs. Zhang asked him, "So, when's this going to get sorted?" Diao Maipeng frowned and said, "If we don't pay up, they're not gonna let this go easily!" Mrs. Zhang said, "Mr. Diao, you're leaving soon! If we don't fix this before you go, who am I going to go to then?" Diao Maipeng said, "Yesterday, a letter came from the provincial capital, appointing a replacement magistrate. I have met him. After I see him, I will do my best to entrust him." Mrs. Zhang realized the situation was not good and quickly said, "This has to be settled while you're still here, Mr. Diao!" Diao Maipeng hemmed and hawed, clearly thinking Mrs. Zhang was too cheap and the problem was unsolvable. Mrs. Zhang insisted, "I will not give any money!" Seeing he wasn't getting anywhere, Diao Maipeng decided to try a different tack. He said his goodbyes and headed back to the yamen.
There was a foreigner who worked in insurance. Hearing that a big shot named Diao was coming to Wuhu from Nanjing, he asked Diao's friend to write a letter to him, asking him to come to Wuhu to do business. Diao, wanting to help the guy out, decided to assist the foreigner. When Diao came out of Zhang's house that day, he was thinking about how to deceive Mrs. Zhang when he met the foreigner. Diao got a bright idea and said, "You came all this way, I have to help you do more business!" The foreigner was over the moon. Diao said, "I have a friend named Zhang who is very wealthy. I recommend you go to his house, but only the ladies of the house are there. You go first, don't say anything to them, wait for me to come, I'll help you negotiate, it'll be a piece of cake." The foreigner was so grateful he practically wept, quickly asked for the address, and went first. Diao hotfooted it over there in his sedan chair.
When the foreigner arrived at Zhang's house, although he had a translator with him, Diao instructed him not to speak, so he remained silent. The gatekeeper, seeing a foreigner, asked where he came from, and the foreigner only said, "From a distant place." The gatekeeper was stumped and had to invite him to sit in the hall before asking further questions. While making tea, he went to inform the lady of the house. Mrs. Zhang thought he was there to rob the house, and her face turned pale, shouting, "Oh my God, what are we going to do?! Quickly invite Diao to come and find a way to send this foreigner away!" The servants rushed off to find Diao, and they met him on the way. Diao heard in the sedan chair and said, "I was just about to go to your wife's place, a foreigner, huh?" The staff confirmed. Diao urged the sedan chair bearers to hurry, and when they arrived at Zhang's mansion, he got out of the sedan chair and shook hands with the foreigner, saying, "I've got this, you can relax." The foreigner, through the translator, said, "I gotta be here! I gotta be here!"
Mr. Diao had not yet gotten off the palanquin, but his family had already rushed back to tell Mrs. Zhang, "Mr. Diao heard that the westerner is here, and he has already come over." When Mr. Diao finally got off the palanquin and entered the hall to speak with the westerner, Mrs. Zhang had already run out and was hiding behind the screen, listening. When she heard the westerner say, "I will come," and Mr. Diao reply, "Leave everything to me," it sounded awfully like they were colluding against someone! Mrs. Zhang was so scared her face turned white. In a flash, Mr. Diao exchanged a few words with the westerner and then went to the backyard. Seeing Mrs. Zhang crying with tears streaming down her face and unable to speak, Mr. Diao said, "Let's go inside. We can't talk here."
Mrs. Zhang followed Mr. Diao into the room and cried, "There's no need to say anything else. Since my husband passed away, we have entrusted all our family affairs to you. If you won't help me, who will?" As she knelt down, Mr. Diao helped her up and pretended to sigh, "Oh dear, what am I going to do? How can I repay my deceased brother?" He walked the floor restlessly for a moment, then came out to speak to the westerner. Noticing that the westerner had not left yet, he returned to Mrs. Zhang and said, "There’s only one way now, which could make me look bad."
Eager for a solution, Mrs. Zhang asked what the method was. Mr. Diao hesitated, saying, "It's not something I want to say out loud. It's a bit delicate." Seeing his hesitation, Mrs. Zhang furrowed her eyebrows. Mr. Diao paced the room again, clenched his teeth, and declared, "There's no other way. For the sake of friendship, I can only do this. Even if others say anything, I have a clear conscience." Others watched him muttering to himself, feeling uneasy and not knowing what was going on.
Just as everyone was puzzled, they suddenly heard him say, "Sis, this westerner is not willing to leave now. I have only one way. I will tell him that the remaining assets you have are limited, and the rest have been mortgaged to repay my brother's debts. If he asks who they were mortgaged to, you can say it was me. But words alone won't do it; quickly ask the accountant to write a few mortgage notes, even if they are made out to anyone—just sign them and give them to me. If the westerner doesn’t believe it, I will show him this."
"I'll take care of it for you, including the money from the pawnshop and the bank, totaling two million, six hundred and seventy thousand. Okay? You *have* to write me that check."
Being a woman, Mrs. Zhang immediately called the accountant to write it down as soon as she heard this. Unexpectedly, the accountant was a straight shooter. He had noticed that something was wrong with him for a long time and had told her several times, but she did not listen. Now she asked him to write a receipt, and he just stared at him, speechless. Mrs. Zhang urged him again, but the accountant still did not write. Mr. Diao was very shrewd and had already guessed what was going on. He quickly said, "Everything you own is in my care. I'm about to go abroad, and it may take ten or eight years before I come back. I need to find a reliable person to hand over to. Someone as serious and trustworthy as you, why don't we wrap this up today?" Mr. Diao said with a smile on his face. Mrs. Zhang did not understand; she just urged the accountant to write quickly and hand it over to him. After thinking for a while, the accountant sighed, picked up his pen, and wrote it all in one go. Afraid of writing something wrong, he would ask Mr. Diao for advice at any time. Seeing that he was willing to write, Mr. Diao did not make things difficult for him. After finishing, he read it to her, line by line, urging her to sign. Mr. Diao said, "Don't worry, I just need this. I'll just show it to them and get it back." With that, he put away the document, whispered to the foreigner for a while, shook hands, and they split.
Diao Maipeng returned the IOU to Mrs. Zhang and said, "This did the trick. After showing it to the foreigners, they actually left without saying a word. Mrs. Zhang, you keep it for now. When the foreigners want to see it, they can come to you." Mrs. Zhang replied, "Why give it to me? Mr. Diao, you can keep it too, right?" Mr. Diao insisted, "No! No! They’ll suspect I’ve taken your family property."
Now, folks, when you hear this, do you think Diao Maipeng is just pulling the same old trick on Mrs. Zhang? Actually, no; he’s using a clever ruse. The matter involving Gaidao Yun ties into Jiang Futai and is quite serious, so he had to swap out the IOU. As for Mrs. Zhang, well, she’s just a woman—catching her is like shooting fish in a barrel. However, he wanted to be thorough. If the case dragged on and Mrs. Zhang managed to escape and go abroad, where would she find him? So after handing over the IOU to Mrs. Zhang, he returned to the yamen and spent some time with the insurance agents, saying that Mrs. Zhang definitely wouldn’t buy insurance. The insurance guys had no choice but to give up. He blew off Zhang Mansion for a couple of days and didn’t go over.
Mrs. Zhang was worried and sent someone to invite him, but Diao Maipeng said he had official business. Mrs. Zhang had no choice but to go herself. After meeting, Diao Maipeng said, "You don't need to worry about your wife's matter. That foreigner definitely won't come. Those concubines all know they can't win the lawsuit, so they've given up. These days, I'm happy to have handled everything for you. Why are you so anxious?" Mrs. Zhang said, "I'm not worried about anything else. As long as Diao is here, I feel relieved. But if you leave and the foreigner comes looking for me again, what should I do?" Diao Maipeng intentionally said, "Oh," and paced back and forth, saying, "Oh, I hadn't thought of that. Your wife's really thoughtful. But I think it's okay. Anyway, you have the IOU I gave you; just show it to him." Mrs. Zhang said, "You should keep this note, not me." Diao Maipeng said, "It's not appropriate for me to keep it. First, although your wife doesn't doubt me, I still need to guard against others gossiping; second, if I bring the IOU abroad, I can't show it to foreigners. There's no other way. You need to bring out that fake IOU, I'll help you write a report, file it first, then find two reliable witnesses. Even if I'm out of the country, with those guys vouching for me, that foreigner won't bother you. Mrs. Zhang brought the IOU and handed it to him immediately, then asked who the witnesses were. Diao Maipeng counted on his fingers, saying that the successor would arrive tomorrow and would give Mrs. Zhang an answer in three days. Mrs. Zhang returned to her place.
When the new official, Diao Maipeng, took office, he said to him, "The former resident, Zhang Junmen, has passed away. His family was left with over two million in debts—official and private—which they entrusted me to settle. I've settled all the debts; everything's paid off. To prevent any further trouble or attempts at extortion, they asked me to report this to my superiors and register it with the local yamen. I'm still settling in and haven't gotten around to this yet, so I'll need your help." He then handed over the memorial he'd written for Mrs. Zhang, along with the mortgage deed and forged repayment receipt, for the new official's review. The new official, a highly regarded imperial envoy, readily agreed, knowing he might need Diao's favor in the future. He signed and sealed the documents, and it was all taken care of by the next day. And so, another debt was neatly swept under the rug.
Once everything was sorted, he went to inform Mrs. Zhang. Before the go-ahead from headquarters came down, he showed Mrs. Zhang the official document from the county yamen and said to her, "Now you don't have to worry about me leaving without evidence. It's all on record with the county, and I've notified the bigwigs in the province. You'll be fine. However, the approval may take some time to come back. Once the approval is received, the new county boss will be paying you a visit. And since the county yamen has filed it, they've got the paperwork. Even if they're gone, the county records are solid; no one can dispute it. It's all squared away. Only your mortgage in my name will show up, so those foreigners won't bother you. If anyone gives you trouble, the county will back you up. Is that good?" Mrs. Zhang asked about the promissory note. Diao Maipeng said, "It's filed away safely, with a trusted third party holding onto it." Mrs. Zhang remained silent. Diao Maipeng continued, "I'm heading out, but I need to wrap up my accounts first. It'll take a bit, so I've found someone trustworthy to take over." With that, he shouted, "Hey, get Seven in here!" Then he turned to Mrs. Zhang and said, "This is my cousin, he handled things for you in Shanghai. He's taking over for me, so meet him. You can go straight to him with anything you need."
Seven guys walked in, dressed like regular Joes, not a bit like big shots. Mrs. Zhang, to save face for Diao Maipeng, could only greet him. Diao Maipeng said, "My brother can only manage roughly, and he’s too busy on his own. This time, I carefully selected a few minor officials that I mentioned to my sister-in-law last time. They were all pretty sharp. I picked out seven or eight of the cream of the crop, a few big jobs, and sent one to look after the money in each place." Mrs. Zhang said, "They can't read, will it work?" Diao Maipeng replied, "They’re all our own people, they can definitely be trusted. Can't read, but they can count." Because there weren't enough people, he sent all the accountants in the house out as well. As Diao Maipeng assigned tasks, he had someone bring pen and paper, and had all the business he handled, as well as who was now in charge of what, written down in a ledger by the accountants, which he handed to Mrs. Zhang. Since Mrs. Zhang let him handle the money, no matter what business it was, he spoke nicely, but never signed a contract, issued stocks, or gave interest statements. He probably thought that was sufficient. Luckily, Mrs. Zhang was a woman, and he got away with it. The accountants and minor officials, seeing everyone had a job, didn’t complain. After giving instructions, Diao Maipeng bowed, bid farewell, and gave a few more instructions. Mrs. Zhang also exchanged a few polite words. Then Diao Maipeng gave a little bow, grabbed his brother, and split.
Diao Maipeng's brother is the manager of the silk factory mentioned earlier, Diao Maikun, a real smooth operator. Diao Maipeng can't handle some things himself, so he always has his brother do them. His brother can make money, so he plays along and works with him. This time, Diao Maipeng conned Mrs. Zhang out of over two million silver dollars and pocketed two million for himself. He spread the rest around and made quite a bit of money with other investments. Among them, the silk factory managed by his brother is the largest in scale. At first, he did this to keep it under wraps. Later, after Mrs. Zhang reported the collateral receipts and filed them, he didn't care anymore. But he was still afraid that his brother and those old acquaintances under Mrs. Zhang would reveal his secrets, so he fixed his brother up with a cushy job as a Daotai, letting him run things in Shanghai, with an eye to promotion. The other Zhang family accountants and officials, totaling just over a dozen, were given a title only, but in reality, they had already been told by the manager that they were only given sinecures. However, their salaries were slightly higher than when they were at the Zhang family. Who'd rat on him for a pay raise? Within a year, they were all gone, and Mrs. Zhang was none the wiser.
When Mrs. Zhang couldn't collect the interest, she frantically wrote to Shanghai demanding her interest, but Diao Maikun was evasive. Later, Mrs. Zhang became anxious and personally went to Shanghai, inquiring everywhere, but no one knew if the money was invested in Diao family property or shares. So she went to the silk factory to find Diao Maikun, only to learn he'd gone to Beijing to sue. When she asked the old employees, they all said they didn't know. Mrs. Zhang was both angry and anxious, and could only stay in Shanghai. Although no one drove her away, no one paid attention to her either. A woman alone and helpless in Shanghai, after two frustrating months, she thought of returning to Wuhu first and then finding a way out. Who knew that when she bought a boat ticket and was ready to depart, she suddenly fell ill. Since arriving in Shanghai, Mrs. Zhang had been staying at the Anquan Inn, and this illness lasted for more than twenty days. She hadn't brought much money from Wuhu, figuring the interest would cover her expenses in Shanghai. She had no idea what she was in for, facing obstacles everywhere, not receiving a single penny and taking a lot of abuse. By the time she wanted to return, the money she brought had long been spent, and she had to sell a gold bracelet just to buy a boat ticket. After being ill for more than twenty days, her money was also gone. Stuck in Shanghai, she had her servant send word home for money and left Shanghai.
After returning home, a letter from Diao Maikun arrived, saying: "Just returned from Beijing, and my brothers weren't in Shanghai, so I apologize for any inconvenience." However, the letter did not mention anything about business. Mrs. Zhang wrote another letter asking him: "How is the principal? How is the interest?" He wrote back a blunt reply, saying: "The Shanghai Silk Factory and all other businesses were your family's assets. Your wife mortgaged them to my brother years ago, and the matter was fully settled. If you doubt this, check the official records in Wuhu. I wouldn't lie to you." The letter ended with: "If your wife needs money, I'll help as a friend, even though my brother's abroad. But your doubts about the mortgage make it impossible for me to intervene." Mrs. Zhang was furious when she read the letter, nearly passing out. Her loyal employees encouraged her to sue. She spent tens of dollars to have someone write the lawsuit, and then spent a lot of money to submit it to the Wuhu Road yamen. Wuhu officials reviewed the records, confirming the Zhang family assets were long mortgaged to Diao. Her suit was dismissed. Mrs. Zhang was not satisfied and appealed to the province. The province ordered Wuhu Road to re-examine. At this time, Diao Maikun had already received the news and immediately sent a telegram to his brother. His brother sent a telegram from overseas to Wuhu Road, explaining the situation of the archived records. Regardless of who ran Wuhu, they'd side with the living official, not a dead one. Mrs. Zhang's appeals kept failing. Not only did she not get back any of the external money, but even her savings gradually ran out. In her anger, she fell ill again and eventually passed away! When Diao Maipeng received this news overseas, he was happy in his heart, but still said: "What a nice house. I wonder who got such a bargain."
When it comes to this, I have to first put aside the matters of the Diao family. Let's talk about the Zhang family. Since Mrs. Zhang passed away, there are only three widows left in the family. Although the family's money is gone, fortunately, they each still have some private savings that they can sell to get by. They also live in a very nice big house, with no one to bother them, so the days ahead are peaceful and stable.
On that day, it was the third anniversary of Mr. Zhang's passing. A group of monks was specially invited to the living room to hold a memorial service for him, and they also wrote the couple's memorial plaques on yellow paper and placed them in the middle for worship.
Around noon, the three widows came in plain clothes to mourn. They were crying sadly when suddenly, a man in his thirties rushed in. He was tall and thin, with a fair complexion and handsome features, having the air of a government official. Although he was dressed in fine blue silk robes and a sky-blue satin jacket, with elegant black boots, he clearly had a status. The family hesitated to stop him, so they asked, "Excuse me, sir, where did you come from? Please sit over there in the living room." The man ignored them, ran to the altar in three steps, and knelt down, weeping bitterly. He pounded his chest and stamped his feet, shouting, "Unfilial son, I failed to send you off on your final journey, I'm really sorry!" Hearing his cries, everyone felt strange, thinking, "Where did Mr. Zhang have a son like that?" But seeing how sincerely he cried, they didn't dare to doubt him and quickly stopped him, asking, "Where have you been all this time? When did you arrive?"
He wiped away his tears, saw three women in plain clothes, knew they were the three concubines, and immediately knelt down, prostrating himself three times while shouting "Auntie." After sitting down, before anyone else could speak, he said, "I came here today, and if I don't make things clear, you will definitely be surprised. My mother, Mother Liu, was the original wife of my father. At that time, my father was leading troops in Hunan, and he heard a joke from a friend, so he callously drove my mother away, without a second thought. At that time, my mother was already two months pregnant, and my father did not know. Fortunately, my maternal family was in a good position back then, and they took my mother to live in Changsha. Later, I grew up and wrote a few letters to my father, but he never responded. Until I was seven or eight years old, my father suddenly remembered that he had no son and was very bitter. Someone must have told him about us, and I heard he deeply regretted his actions. But he had already been promoted by then, afraid of causing gossip, and dared not acknowledge me. However, he often sent people to inquire about my mother and me. After more than ten years, my father was promoted to a high-ranking official, and my mother passed away. By then, I was already in my early twenties, and I finally found Huang Junmen, who used to work in Langshan Town, and knew that he and my father were brothers. I went to him to explain the situation and ask for help. Huang Junmen let me stay in his yamen, and later took me to Zhenjiang to meet my father. At that time, my father was planning to remarry, saying that he had no son, so he still dared not acknowledge me. When I returned home, I repeatedly asked Huang Junmen for help. After that, my father sent two hundred taels of silver to me through Huang Junmen every year, three hundred taels each time, totaling six hundred taels a year. In the year my father remarried, he sent an extra thousand taels, all delivered by Huang Junmen. Three or four years later, Huang Junmen was ordered to oversee military affairs in Sichuan and took me there. By then, I had become a reserve guard. I lived in Sichuan for five years, fought and won against bandits twice, my official career was not bad, and I eventually became a reserve guerrilla. Unexpectedly, Huang Junmen passed away at that time. Fortunately, the person who took over valued me very much and gave me command of four battalions. Over the years, I've kept up with family affairs, except for my father's illness and passing. But separated by thousands of miles, and afraid that my stepmother or the other wives at home would not acknowledge me, I have never dared to write a letter. This time I came to Hankou on a business trip, met Huang Junmen's eldest son, and only then learned about the situation here. I have always been concerned about my parents and didn't know the situation at home, so I specially rushed over to take a look. I didn't expect to find three concubines at home who seem to have everything under control, which is great.
Not provided.
This remark made the three concubines suspicious. The eldest concubine knew some old stories and was aware that Mr. Zhang did indeed have a concubine surnamed Liu, whom he couldn't get rid of, so he kept her around. Later, there was no news about her, and Junmen never mentioned her again. As for the son, nobody ever heard of him having one. Seeing the three concubines silent and suspicious, the man took out a stack of letters from his boot and said while flipping through them, "My name is Guozhu. Back when Huang Junmen helped me seek a recommendation, he wrote a letter to the master to give me a name. After the master replied, he gave me the name 'Guozhu.' Here is the master's handwritten letter as proof; I couldn't have made it up. I must clarify one thing first: I am now forty years old, I've achieved some success, I have a wife and children, and I have a job and a decent life. I definitely didn't come for the family property." He then asked his follower to take out some papers, showing several documents as proof of recommendation, all with his name on them, and showed them to the concubines. The three concubines looked at each other in bewilderment.
At this time, they asked him, "Have you eaten?" He said, "I just arrived here, rushed over as soon as I got off the boat, and haven't eaten yet." He continued, "I’m family; no need for you to fuss, and I don't need to be polite either. I'll only be here a few days. I need to say some prayers for my father, pay my respects at his coffin, and then I'll be on my way." Although he said it politely, everyone still had some doubts. He understood this, quickly finished his meal, returned to his residence, took out a five thousand taels silver note, went back to the accounts, and had them help him exchange it for cash. After the silver was exchanged, he immediately took out three hundred taels to cover the funeral costs. Then, he slowly chatted with the three concubines about the situation at home, knowing that the family was broke and the three concubines were living on their own. He said, "I haven't brought much with me, but here's five thousand taels for the household. If you ladies need anything, just let me know; I can send more from Sichuan."
Everyone thought he was so generous with his money, but they all had their doubts. The concubine devised a scheme and said, "If he really is Zhang Junmen's son and holds such a high official position, we can let him go out and meet people, visit the district and county. It's not uncommon for sons to be raised elsewhere and then return to claim their inheritance. Let's see what happens when he visits. If he's lying, he'll never go through with it." And that was that. She told Zhang Guozhu about it. Far from being scared, he was thrilled. He said, "As the old man's son, I ought to pay my respects to these places. While it's common for sons raised elsewhere to return, it still raises eyebrows. I'd like the second wife to send a trustworthy person with me, so we can clear things up and avoid any misunderstandings. And after that, I'll need to take care of my father's funeral arrangements!" The next day, Zhang's mansion sent two servants and an official to serve this "young master" visiting guests. The officials in the district, county, and military camp were all new appointments. Since Zhang Junmen passed away, no one from the family had any dealings with the officials. Nobody knew him well enough to question him and were happy to let him slide. Only a handful of old-timers and a few businesses that had dealings with the Zhang family, such as money shops and pawnshops, knew he never had a son. After the family clarified the situation, no one was particularly bothered. After his visits, the family dropped their suspicions and let him stay.
Interestingly, this official from Wuhu Dao is quite old-fashioned. Because Zhang Junmen had a good reputation in the past, when Zhang Guozhu came to visit, he immediately received him and even returned the visit on the third day. After meeting, they made small talk. Zhang Guozhu did not hide anything, directly stating, "I am the son of my father's concubine. 'The tree grows tall, but its leaves fall back to the roots.' My parents have not been buried yet, and my three stepmothers are also living in poverty. These are all things I should worry about." He also said, "I led troops outside for several years, and my father used to send me money regularly while he was alive. Now that my father has passed away, I did not expect him to be in debt and have lost all his property. This matter was handled by Uncle Diao before, and all the government offices have records. I think Uncle Diao knows about it. Regardless of whether I have money or not, I must take care of the matters before and after my father's death to the best of my ability." Wuhu Dao said, "I heard that when you retire and return home, you have quite a fortune. Even if you have lost a lot, the matters after his death should not be too difficult. Even in the hands of your three stepmothers, they should be able to manage. If not, this house alone is worth more than a hundred thousand." Guozhu replied, "Regardless of whether my father left behind any property, these are matters I cannot shirk. Moreover, when he was sick, I did not take care of him with medicine, and when he passed away, I did not keep watch over his spirit. I have already been unfilial as a son and unjust as a person. If I were to now go and claim what little inheritance the old man has left, would I still be considered a human being? So, after I return, I will deposit five thousand yuan in the public account as a reserve. If it is not enough, I will send more from Sichuan. Even if the public account has money, I will not touch a single cent. As for selling the house, that is out of the question." Wuhu Dao praised him greatly, saying, "It is rare to see someone like you who is so responsible and considers the overall situation!" He then asked, "You are young; I suppose you have read a lot of books?" Zhang Guozhu replied, "I studied for several years under Huang Zhongjie and Huang Junmen, and I have read classics and ancient texts." Wuhu Dao remarked, "I guess you must be very knowledgeable. If you had not studied, you would not understand these great principles."
From then on, Wuhu Dao acknowledged Zhang Guozhu as the son of Zhang Junmen and really took a shine to him. So, nobody argued. What happens next? You'll have to wait and see!
