Now that the background and connections between everyone have been clarified, it's fair to consider each other as "one of our own," allowing for more pleasant communication. In the ensuing conversation, Duanmu Ci also learned why Shen Yadong had approached him.
The root of the matter is still the Crane Garden auction that took place a few months ago.
The identity Duanmu Ci used to attend that auction was that of the heir of the American Duanmu family; otherwise, he would not have been qualified to receive that invitation.
As the owner of Crane Garden, Shen Yadong would naturally go through the list of guests... To be honest, the surname "Duanmu" is really rare, even among compound surnames. It's quite eye-catching to see one occasionally. What's more, Shen Yadong once had a good brother with the same surname, Duanmu...
So Shen Yadong sent people to investigate, and they eventually found out at customs that the young man had returned from the United States, and that his family was also based there. This matched the information Shen Yadong already had in mind—Duanmu had once told him that he had returned from the United States…
This is terrible...
Over the years, he had been trying to find news of "Duanmu Yan." As people get older, they inevitably become nostalgic, especially for important people. Unfortunately, the world is vast, and where could he possibly find out? Besides, the Duanmu family is such a low-profile family, and they all belong to different circles—the business world and the military world have absolutely nothing to do with each other!
Hearing news of this family now, even just a few clues, was enough to make the old man overjoyed. But having grown up in a time of war, he was quite composed and, fearing a misunderstanding, he immediately sent people to investigate and verify the information before daring to invite them to meet, being extremely cautious.
Duanmu Ci also learned that his former brother was no longer just a regimental commander. After more than ten years of bloody struggle and accumulating experience, he had become a renowned general when he retired, with countless disciples and former subordinates. After retiring, he did not settle down in the capital, but returned to his hometown of Haishan to live a peaceful life.
Crane Garden is the nation's recognition of the general's ten years of bloody service. Of course, after the old general's passing, this place still belongs to the nation.
This explains why an ordinary classical garden could possess such a formidable presence—the reason lies entirely in the people who live there. A fierce tiger dwells there, though an aging one, but its power remains. Until it completely collapses, no little fox would dare to dart about in its presence.
A general whose power still lingers can intimidate the enemy with just a large banner embroidered with his surname!
...
...
Shen Yadong seemed to be thirsty, so he picked up his teacup and took a sip. Although he was already quite old, his hand holding the cup was still as steady as a rock, as if a general were gripping a sword.
"Since we parted ways in Taiyuan, decades have passed since I last saw Brother Buyu. I never expected to hear the news of his death. It is truly disheartening!"
"Silent" was the pen name of Duanmu Ci's nickname from back then.
Duanmu Ci, suppressing his mixed feelings, comforted him, "Elder Shen, there's no need to worry too much. My great-grandfather passed away at a ripe old age, without any illness or pain, which can be considered a happy death. His family was all by his bedside when he passed away, so he must have had no regrets in this life."
Shen Yadong was still sighing, his eyes shining brightly, as if he could vaguely see the past. "That year, when General Peng launched the Hundred Regiments Offensive, my unit was ordered to cut off the railway within 15 miles of Taiyuan City, so that the Japanese could not enter or leave! However, the enemy was powerful and there were many troops guarding the railway, so my unit could not achieve success in a short time. So I went into the city in plain clothes to gather information."
At this point, Shen Yadong, who was nearly a hundred years old, blinked like a child, a hint of youthful vigor flashing across his eyes. "It was around this time that I met and became acquainted with your great-grandfather. Do you know where we first met?"
Duanmu Ci couldn't help but think to himself... Of course I know...
But life is all about acting, so he pretended not to know and said with great interest, "This... I haven't heard my great-grandfather mention it, so I really don't know. Did you meet him at the teahouse? My great-grandfather loves to drink tea."
Shen Yadong laughed heartily, "Of course, we can't let you juniors know about this kind of thing! Brother Buyu also knows shame, how could he possibly bring up such a thing with you juniors?" The general's laughter was hoarse, but one could hear the heroic spirit in it.
"I met your great-grandfather in a brothel... I mean, a brothel!" Shen Yadong changed his words several times, finally waving his hand impatiently and saying arrogantly, "Never mind, it's that kind of place anyway. We're disciplined, of course we wouldn't go to places like that normally! But that day was different, that day we had a mission! I remember there was a division commander in Taiyuan named... Miura Saburo who was in that place, and I wanted to go and gather intelligence!"
Duanmu Ci, “…” Actually, you don’t need to explain…
"After I went in, I found a place to sit in the lobby and ordered a pot of wine. Just then, a popular courtesan was about to get married... which means she was entertaining customers! That's when I realized that this guy, Miura Saburo, was looking for a girl! Speaking of which, Miura Saburo is indeed a man of honor. He liked that girl so much, but he refrained from making a move! He said he wanted to compete fairly with all the customers, so as not to violate the honor of a samurai."
"I was so naive back then! I thought to myself, what else can you compete in a brothel? It's all about throwing money around, what else could there be? Hey! Turns out there really is something! The top courtesan was said to be the orphaned daughter of a prince during the Qing Dynasty. After her family fell into poverty, she was kidnapped by human traffickers and sold to prostitutes. This top courtesan had been taught a lot by her nanny when she was young, and she was quite a talented woman, so talented women compete in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting."
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