At 2 am, the doorbell of Chen Yuanshu's apartment rang. At that time, only Chen Xiangyu was fast asleep, Zhou Jingzhen was watching TV in a daze, Chen Yuanshu was constantly on the phone in her room, Cao Jingjian was still reading books in the study, and Wang Huren hid in the corner, not very politely opening a bottle of wine. He even asked Chen Yuanshu for cigars, enjoying the life of a rich man without spending a penny. The key is that he scolded these things as unreliable while drinking red wine and smoking cigars.

  After the doorbell rang, Cao Jingjian, who seemed to have a tacit understanding, was the first to come out. He smiled and scratched his head, followed by Wang Jiefang with a relaxed expression and Chen Qingzhi with a stiff face. The situation was already set, and Cao Jingjian did not show any surprise or ask how they were doing. Instead, he gently helped Chen Erdogu pick up his slippers and softly asked, "Why didn't you call ahead to give me some notice? Did you want to surprise me?"

  "Hurry up and drive, want to come over and see you as soon as possible, didn't have time to make a phone call, didn't think of it either." Chen Ergou said with a slightly embarrassed smile, he was indeed a man who was somewhat out of touch with the big times, modern things were far from being as familiar as his bow and arrow, but getting used to them should also be a very simple matter, for a guy who took over both Guo Jue and Xia He's forces at the same time, there was no lack of women, nor was there a lack of money.

  "Go and give your sister a message of safety." Cao Jingjian nodded and squatted down to help Chen Erdou change his shoes in a very natural manner. Not only was Chen Erdou stunned, but also Zhou Jingwen and Wang Huzi who rushed over after hearing the news were shocked by this action. Chen Qingzhi and Wang Jiefang seemed to be somewhat overwhelmed as well, each with an unusual expression on their faces. Only Cao Jingjian remained calm and composed, as if it was a matter of course.

  Chen Ergou rushed upstairs to find Chen Yuanshu, and finally saw Zhou Jingzhen return alive, so she could sleep peacefully. After a courtesy farewell, she left the apartment quietly by herself. Her life was far from being intertwined with Chen Ergou like Chen Yuanshu and Chen Xiangyan. Although they were on the same boat, her relationship with Chen Ergou was not only insignificant but also embarrassing to mention, today and perhaps even more so in the future.

  Chen Yuanshu and her were just right, Cao Jingjing was even more at a suitable distance from her. It's not that every two excellent women sitting together can become sworn sisters, on the contrary, because of the same man standing in the same camp, there will be more suitable for each other to guard against and beware of.

  After the age of thirty, regardless of whether you're a man or a woman, who doesn't have some kind of unspoken grievance or injustice in their heart? Who hasn't experienced the unpredictability of life? Being a bit naive and simple-minded before the age of twenty can be seen as cute, but once you reach middle age, it's just ridiculous. Especially for women like Zhou Jingru who are sharp-tongued and unconventional, they have to endure even more ups and downs in life compared to ordinary housewives. As she sat in her Q7, Zhou Jingru had the habit of wanting to smoke, but then she remembered Chen Ergou's comment that "smoking gives you a dusty flavor" and gave up on the idea. Starting the car, Zhou Jingru began to imagine the inevitable huge storm that was about to erupt in Nanjing.

  Chen Yuanshu listened to Chen Ergou's calm tone as he recounted his experience that night, and it was like listening to a dramatic story with ups and downs. She thought that killing Guo and cutting off the enemy's head was already an insurmountable peak, but he took it to another level. When she heard about Xia He's death, Chen Yuanshu's face had already turned slightly red and her ears were burning. Chen Yuanshu admitted that she didn't dare say she had experienced many ups and downs, but she had seen quite a few storms and fierce people. Chen Ergou didn't speak much, and adding to the fact that he had agreed with Qian Zixiang on the entire description process, it all added up to just a few hundred words. She believed that if Wang Huren were to say it, it would definitely be more sensational, but it was destined to not be as thrilling as Chen Ergou's account. At the same time, Chen Yuanshu was curious about how he had convinced Fang Jie and Qian Zixiang, but Chen Ergou didn't say, and she didn't dare ask further. Just hearing that one night he killed two people was enough to make her lose sleep for a whole night.

  What is the Jianghu? Chen Yuanshu has never understood it. Before, she vaguely saw Wei Duan Gong and Qiao Baizhang jumping up and down, thinking that was the Jianghu in a first-tier city like Nanjing. As for the occasional rumors about Zhejiang's Dan Tai Lao Fo Ye being arrogant and Inner Mongolia's Sun Laohu fighting against hundreds, she just treated them as gossip after dinner, not to be taken seriously.

  At this moment, Chen Yuanshu carefully examined Chen Er Gou's calm and peaceful face. Chen Yuanshu suddenly felt a little sad. This child was no longer the simple kid who had anxiously waited at the 21st Club. The innocent times when he would explore her Maserati were probably gone forever. She would rather have this younger brother be anxious, confused, and terrified after killing someone than be calm and composed now.

  When a child learns to wear a mask when interacting with you, it means they've grown up, and also that they no longer consider you someone they can open their heart to. Chen Yuanshu had too many couples around her who were polite on the surface but actually had different dreams in bed, as well as couples who quarreled every day but could grow old together.

  Chen Ergou didn't understand what Chen Yuanshu was thinking, and Chen Yuanshu hadn't communicated with Chen Ergou to the point where she could express her inner feelings. The two people faced a brief moment of silence, and Chen Ergou saw that Chen Yuanshu seemed to be in a daze, showing no signs of snapping out of it for a while. He couldn't help but speak up in a soft laugh: "Sister, what's going on? Are you thinking about reporting me, then taking a Nanjing Honorary Citizen flag?"

  Chen Yuanshu made a gesture to hit, but since there were only two people in the room, the atmosphere was already somewhat ambiguous. In the end, he didn't make a move and couldn't help but say with a smile: "If I'm going to sell you off, I'll have to wait until you're worth more money. You're my biggest potential asset right now, and I don't want to let you go."

  "When will it be upgraded to a non-sellable item?"

  Laughing radiantly, like a big wind blowing violently in the rain, swaying and shaking but never willing to fall or break, like a dog's tail grass. Who says dog's tail grass can't be described as radiant?

  Chen Yuanshu's hard heart was slightly stirred by this careless remark and the faint, insincere smile. The guilt she owed him surged up in her mind, and she reached out to touch Chen Ergou's flat head, saying softly: "Let me test you again, if I say you're a non-sellable item today, I'd be too pretentious. Flo, sister can actually understand Fang Jie, just like how she would abandon the millstone after killing the donkey and kick you out of the Wei family, I wouldn't possibly stand up for you to deal with Qian Zixiang either, because apart from being your sworn sister Chen Yuanshu, I'm also a woman of the Chen family. As long as I don't get married, I represent the Chen family. But do you know how many phone calls I made and how many Bodhisattvas I invited tonight?"

  Chen Ergou shook his head.

  Chen Yuanshu didn't say anything, but when Chen Ergou knocked on the door, she was still busy helping him wipe his butt. No matter how carefully Chen Ergou handled things, two people with extremely large weights disappearing overnight would inevitably stir up many hidden forces beneath the surface. Chen Yuanshu's reason for not choosing to enter politics wasn't just because she was a woman, but also because the political arena is full of checks and balances, and very few people can truly be free and unfettered. No matter how big an official you are or how strong your red background is, every step will have some degree of negative impact. It's not coincidental that many third- and fourth-generation reds have abandoned politics to go into business. Chen Ergou played his hand with great fanfare, but the one who suffered was Chen Yuanshu behind the scenes. She had to convey her meaning in a way that could be quickly responded to, without doing good deeds that would end up causing harm, especially not expanding the situation. If Chen Ergou made another scene, Chen Yuanshu estimated she would be left with nothing to do but cry. However, these sacrifices were something Chen Yuanshu didn't rush to let Chen Ergou know about. It wasn't that she didn't want to, but rather because she knew that many things would only be understood by him when he truly rose to power and came out on top, and then he would appreciate her goodness even more.

  "You go get some good sleep." Chen Yuanshu said with a smile, indirectly giving the order to leave. She had been holding on until now and was so tired that she couldn't take it anymore. Although she was excited, her body was actually exhausted.

  "I'll go have something to eat and drink with Wang Hu first." Chen Ergou said with a smile, striding out of Chen Yuanshu's room.

  Chen Yuanshu came to the window, holding back her bubble coffee, pushed open the window, but it wasn't cool. On the contrary, due to the air conditioning in the room all year round, a refreshing hot wave came face to face. She suddenly thought of a sentence: people forget each other in Taoism, fish forget each other in rivers and lakes. Chen Yuanshu smiled at herself, she didn't like Buddhism, so she acknowledged that she couldn't reveal the elegance of "lotus flowers not stained with water" of Cao's women. She looked at this pair of matching yet extremely mismatched men and women with a benevolent playful attitude. One was struggling to climb up with all his might, not afraid of bloodshed, while the other was detached from worldly affairs, with an air of being naturally carefree, like "I alone reside in the serene and pure Taoist temple amidst mountains and rivers". They didn't match, but paradoxically formed a tacit understanding. Chen Yuanshu muttered to herself: "Cao Jingjian, are you really going to spend your whole life with Fusheng in Nanjing?"

  In Chen Yuanshu's eyes, the mysterious Cao Jingyan was one of the few women who considered herself inferior to her. The fleeting glance of Shanghai's Bamboo Leaf Green was one, and Zhou Jingzhen, who was called Nanjing's number one beauty 10 years ago, could be counted as half a person. The others were all elegant and refined ladies from good families. Cao Jingyan made Chen Yuanshu think of the legendary goddesses in books who breathed in the wind and drank the dew, although it was a bit exaggerated. However, she was willing to admit defeat and acknowledge Cao Jingyan's superiority, which showed how well-matched Cao Jingyan and Chen Er'gou were in the eyes of outsiders.

  Wang Hu, who almost choked to death when smoking cigars and drinking red wine like water, suddenly became energetic upon hearing that they were going out for a drink. Together with Wang Jiefang and Chen Qingzhi, the four old men set out to find a place. Cao Jingjian quietly pulled Chen Erdou to a corner and asked, "Do you have money on you?"

  "I'd almost forgotten, I spent about the same amount on cigarettes and wine earlier, I'm really worried that later I'll have to eat a boxed lunch." Chen Ergou said awkwardly, four bottles of wine, one Supreme Nanjing cigarette, indeed emptied his pockets.

  "Take this money."

  Cao Jingjian quietly handed Chen Ergou a stack of money, probably over two thousand yuan. Cao's eldest sister was doing something unprecedented, like stealing chickens and dogs, which was quite interesting. Even Chen Ergou felt like crying and laughing at the same time. However, when Cao Jingjian's hand lightly entered his pants pocket and then withdrew, Chen Ergou almost surrendered. The old second in his crotch wanted to stand up straight immediately. Chen Ergou scolded himself for being embarrassed and smiled: "You're not doing anything bad, why are you hiding?"

  Cao Jing glared at him, thinking he was a good-natured fool.

  Chen Ergou finally understood Cao Jingjian's intentions at this time, perhaps because he was stimulated by Cao Jingjian's unintentional move and his brain became hot-headed. He unknowingly grabbed Cao Jingjian's hand, which she had not yet withdrawn, and she was clearly startled by Chen Ergou's bold and unscrupulous behavior. She wanted to pull her hand back and avoid him, but Chen Ergou's rough hands were not letting go. Instead, he continued to touch, rub, and pinch her hand, which rarely came into contact with the opposite sex. Cao Jingjian's face turned bright red with embarrassment for the first time in front of everyone. Due to the angle, Wang Hu and his three companions could only see Chen Ergou's back and Cao Jingjian's rare shy expression. Even Chen Qingzhi, who never interfered in other people's business, stretched his neck to take a peek with a playful gaze. What made Cao Jingjian laugh and cry was that Chen Ergou still had a sanctimonious expression, as if he were a superior leader comforting the common people, saying: "Anyway, you said you want to spend your life with me, so your money is my money, and my people are your people. Just use it."

  "What's wrong with that?" Cao Qianqian suddenly changed from shyness to coquetry, the speed was so fast that it made people tongue-tied.

  Wang Hu Sheng and Wang Jiefang were momentarily stunned, thinking that if this woman could tease them once or twice a day, which man could withstand it? Even the most incompetent man would be invigorated, able to perform two or three times a day. The extreme male chauvinist Wang Hu Sheng thought that kneeling down at Cao Qiu's feet wouldn't be humiliating at all. However, he had always kept a respectful distance from her, being extremely polite and humble, completely reaching the state of not daring to glance sideways.

  Wang Jiefang admired Cao Jing's distant and respectful attitude, so he was startled and returned to being startled, without any crooked thoughts.

  Chen Ergou, who was in a daze, nodded and immediately knew something was wrong. As expected, Cao Jingyue once again used an even more beautiful and sharp shoulder throw than the one under the Shanghai wutong tree to heavily toss out Chen Ergou, who thought he could just add some color and open a dye shop. However, thanks to the carpet and his experience of being tossed, Chen Ergou quickly got up this time and calmly led the three people, who were staring at him in shock, out for drinks.

  Cao Jing's face was burning as she turned into the study, but somehow she couldn't focus on reading. Her eyes kept drifting involuntarily to that hand. It wasn't until she picked up a book from the corner of the bookshelf, "New Wisdom of China", and found a crumpled piece of paper with obvious creases inside, that she slowly regained her calm composure, looking refreshed and spirited.

  Cao Jing finally understood why Chen Yuanshu was willing to acknowledge Chen Ergou as his sworn brother and played a crucial role in this turbulent situation.

  The note had only ten words, with sloppy handwriting, Cao Jing could tell at a glance that it was written by a certain person.

  "There is a fierce tiger in my heart, sniffing at the rose."

  ——————————

  Even to this day, Chen Ergou is still not used to wearing expensive leather shoes and luxury watches, dressing up in a suit and tie, smoking cigars like Qiao Liu, or drinking tea with the elegance of Fang Jie. He's even less accustomed to the pretentious literary pursuits of Master Qian. He believes that for his entire life, he'll only be suited to playing the erhu, smoking dry tobacco, eating at street stalls, and drinking heavily - no matter what kind of halo is placed on him, these habits bred in his bones will never change.

  Chen Qingzhi, although a scion of a noble family fallen on hard times, had also acquired a certain air of villainy from his long years on the road. So when he drank with Chen Ergou and Wang Huzi, it was quite a lavish affair. It had been too long since he'd seen White Knife stab into Red Knife's drawn sword, and Wang Jiefang was overjoyed to see him, almost to the point of madness. With one cry of "Doggie!", he downed three bottles of beer with Chen Ergou, nearly forcing Chen Ergou to retreat to the bathroom. Even if it were just water, drinking bottle after bottle could still induce a pressing need to urinate. Wang Huzi also joined in the teasing, as if afraid that heaven and earth would not be thrown into chaos. Either he goaded Chen Ergou into going back to execute the Cao family woman on the spot, or he allowed Chen Ergou the opportunity to turn his "dry" sister-in-law Chen Yuanshu into a "wet" one. Chen Ergou's face turned red with rage as soon as he thought of how Wang Huzi had "sold him out" in front of Cao Jingzhi, and without saying another word, he downed several bottles. Chen Qingzhi watched the group chatting freely and also joined in the revelry.

  This meal was more delicious than any other time, especially when Wang Hu and his brothers followed Chen Erdog from the beginning. They saw every step of Chen Erdog's climb, every effort he made. Drunken Wang Hu shouted: "From now on, all those miscellaneous little brothers will have to call Erdog 'Dog Master', but I won't, I'm General Wang Hu, and for a lifetime, I'll call him Erdog. I have the qualifications."

  "Who cares, it's not like I'm embarrassed." Chen Ergou laughed and slapped a palm on Wang Huzi's head, startling him into quickly putting down the wine bottle and carefully styling his hair.

  Wang Jiefang always had to look up at the sky or pretend to gaze at the moon, otherwise Wang Huzi would habitually take it out on him. Today, perhaps having drunk too much and being less inhibited, Wang Jiefang was kicked over by Wang Huzi while secretly enjoying himself. With a cunning kick that didn't forget to check his hairdo, Wang Huzi's face red with anger shouted: "You dare laugh at me!"

  Four people had already finished three crates of beer, and Chen Ergou, with a red face and ears, ignored the two treasures, picked up a bottle of wine, opened it with his teeth, stood up, and said to Chen Qing: "Qing, this wine is for you. I don't dare to take your life now, nor do I want to have that day. I just hope you can be like Hu Ze and Jiefang, accompanying me through thick and thin. I've never been good at speaking eloquently, but I can guarantee with my chest that Chen Ergou will absolutely not betray his brothers. Since you dare to share difficulties with me, I will also share happiness with you. If I become a white-eyed wolf, I'll be too ashamed to visit the graves for the rest of my life."

  "Floating life, no matter how beautiful you say it is, I've heard it all before. Don't believe me? Even if some people tell me the truth, I won't believe them, but I believe you, even if it's fake."

  Chen Qingzi smiled warmly, picked up the wine bottle, drank it all in one gulp, wiped his mouth and rarely made a joke, saying: "If you didn't have a wife, I wouldn't marry Xiang Yu to you, let him be my younger brother-in-law, so that Hu Ze and Jiefang can call me Brother Chen."

  "Damn it, you're really despicable, and indeed a cultured person is often a loser." Wang Hu said with a hearty laugh.

  Chen Ergou sat down after finishing his wine, then shoveled half a bowl of rice into his mouth. He tossed each of the three men a cigarette, lit them up and took a long drag before exhaling slowly and saying in a low voice: "Actually, Guo Jia's coming to me might have been just a ruse from the start. If Chen Qingzhi lost, he would probably really want my arm, but if Chen Qingzhi won, he knew he'd be on a dead-end road anyway. Is it worth betting so big and risking his life?"

  Wang Hu was half-aware and half-understanding, Wang Jiefang was in a fog, only Chen Qing was clear-minded.

  Chen Ergou finished his cigarette in silence, opened a bottle of wine, poured it on the ground, then drank another one himself, saying: "Guo Guizi, I don't know why you did this, but I won't let you take that knife for nothing. Because of your step, I can take my first step in Nanjing, and every year on this day, I will offer you the best wine."

  The answer to the matter and the truth have been completely destroyed with Guo's death, just like Wei Duan Gong was discovered by Qiao Ba in Qingdao, and Guo has always been guarding his sister-in-law Fang Jie, all of which cannot be told to others, can only be deeply buried in heart.

  This celebratory banquet was simple to the point of being unimpressive, with a total cost of just over 300 yuan, yet it was the most delicious meal for the four of them.

  Chen Qingzhi held up the bottle and touched it with everyone, saying to Chen Ergou: "Floating life, there is a first step, and there will be a second and third step. One day you can say that you have friends on your journey."

  "What does it mean?" Chen Erdou was stunned for a moment.

  Chen Qingzhi didn't say anything, and Wang Huzi didn't explain either. The two men looked at each other and smiled, then drank their wine with gusto.

  "Do not say that there is no one who knows you on this road" The next sentence is "Who in the world does not know you!"

  Tomorrow's Nanjing will be who doesn't know Chen Fusheng? (If you want to know what happens next, please log in. More chapters are available. Support the author and support the official version!)