Chapter 65

Generally, the curfew starts at the hour of Hai, which is 9 PM.

However, due to the extraordinary times, the curfew in Changping City began to be enforced halfway through the hour of Xu, around 8 PM.

If converted to modern time, it was only around 8 PM.

But when Yang Shouwen and Yang Rui walked out of the Fanren Li gate, the street was already deserted, with no pedestrians in sight.

"Are you two, Daliang and Erliang, going out?"

The Fanren Li gate was closed, and when the two Yangs were about to leave, they were stopped by a Wu Hou.

"The curfew has already started. If you don't have a pass, it's best not to go out. Moving around within the Li is not much of a problem; we can ignore it. But if you go out of the Li gate and are seen by the patrolling soldiers, it will be very troublesome."

The Wu Hou meant well, and Yang Shouwen naturally did not treat him coldly.

He took out the pass given by Song's family and handed it to the Wu Hou, "We have a pass and are going out to help our father with some matters."

"Oh, so it's the County Magistrate's order."

The Wu Hou inspected the pass and, after confirming it was correct, opened the Li gate.

"Please be careful when you go out. It's not very peaceful outside recently. If you encounter any trouble, just call for the patrolling soldiers."

After all, the Wu Hou was under Yang Chenglie's command.

Here, it's necessary to explain the nature of the Wu Hou, which is similar to a community police officer in modern times. Generally, the Wu Hou belongs to the patrolling soldiers and is mainly responsible for guarding and patrolling duties. Each Li has a Wu Hou station, with several Wu Hou on duty in rotation.

Yang Shouwen smiled and thanked the men, then led Yang Rui out of the Li gate.

"Big Brother, where are we going to gather information?"

As soon as they reached the main street, Yang Rui became excited, looking at Yang Shouwen with an eager expression.

Yang Shouwen said, "We're going to the Old Army Inn."

"The Old Army Inn?"

Yang Rui, upon hearing this, seemed to bristle and immediately jumped up, "Big Brother, are you crazy! Going to the Old Army Inn at this time?"

"Can't we go?"

"Have you forgotten that Father raided the Old Army Inn before and almost killed the Gai family? If we go there now, aren't we just walking into a trap? We might not get any information and end up in trouble."

"Are you afraid?"

"Me, afraid?" Yang Rui stiffened his neck, "Am I afraid? Ha ha ha, don't joke, am I afraid of Gai Laojun?"

Yang Shouwen smiled but said nothing, just quietly looking at Yang Rui.

After shouting a few times, Yang Rui seemed to deflate like a defeated rooster, slowly lowering his head.

He whispered, "Big Brother, to be honest, I am a bit afraid... The Old Army Inn is a place where all sorts of people mix, with many desperate men. It's the most chaotic area in Changping County. Even the people from the government offices don't want to go there unless they have something special to do... In Mianshan Li, murders can happen at any time."

Mianshan Li is named after Mianshan Mountain outside Changping City.

Seeing Yang Rui's pale face, Yang Shouwen softly said, "If you're afraid, you can still go back now."

"How can I do that!"

Yang Rui raised his head, trying to puff out his chest, "Mother asked me to accompany you. If she sees me come back, she will scold me to death."

Yang Shouwen laughed and softly said, "Let's go, nothing will happen."

"But..."

"Mianshan Li is chaotic, but it's also the place with the most information.

The Old Army Inn may have desperate men, but Gai Laojun is a smart person and won't dare to cause trouble at this time."

After saying this, Yang Shouwen walked off.

Yang Rui muttered a few times, though somewhat unwilling, he finally followed behind Yang Shouwen.

On the way, they encountered a group of patrolling soldiers.

This time, Yang Shouwen had a pass, so he didn't have to hide in the ditch like last time. After the patrolling soldiers checked his pass, they warned him to be careful on the road and then let the two brothers go.

"Big Brother, why would Murong Xuankong, who was a military commander, surrender to Moche?"

"Big Brother? Big Brother?"

Yang Rui called out a few times before Yang Shouwen came to his senses.

However, his eyes showed a glimmer of understanding, and he asked in a deep voice, "Erliang, do you remember that map?"

"What map?"

"The Feihu map?"

Yang Rui thought for a moment and nodded, "Do you mean the map we found in the washing mallet from Jasmine?"

"Exactly!"

"Of course I remember."

"Do you remember the numbers on it?"

Yang Rui scratched his head, looking troubled.

He thought for a moment and said softly, "I remember a few... 810/826/828... There were many numbers, and I can't remember them all, just these few. Big Brother, have you found something? Can you tell me?"

Yang Shouwen shook his head and said in a deep voice, "I'm not sure yet. I'll discuss it with Father when we get back."

"Can I join in?"

Yang Rui's eyes showed a hint of anticipation.

Yang Shouwen smiled and gently patted his head, "Of course, you must join in. You are a key person."

"Really?"

"Of course!"

In fact, since the incident with Gai Jiayun, Yang Rui's state of mind had not been good. Yang Shouwen could feel that when he encountered problems, he lacked confidence and even wanted to retreat.

It's no wonder Yang Rui, after all, he was only thirteen.

Encountering such a situation, no matter how smart he was, he would be affected.

Yang Shouwen knew that in this situation, he had to find a way to boost Yang Rui's confidence and help him gradually regain his self-assurance.

Seeing Yang Rui's spirits improve, Yang Shouwen was also very happy.

After all, they were brothers now. In battle, fathers and sons fight together, and brothers fight together. To stand firm in this era, relying on himself alone was impossible; he needed trustworthy people around him.

And Yang Rui was undoubtedly an excellent choice.

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Mianshan Li is located in the northeast corner of Changping County, covering a large area.

It is also the slum area of Changping, with very chaotic public security. Most of the hooligans in Changping County come from Mianshan Li. The most influential gang leaders in Changping also live in Mianshan Li, taking orders from Gai Laojun.

The walls of Mianshan Li are very low, made of rammed earth, and are less than a person's height.

The walls are covered with messy weeds and branches, giving off a sense of decay in the night.

Yang Shouwen knocked on the Li gate, took out his pass, and handed it to the Wu Hou on duty. The Wu Hou did not check it carefully, just glanced at it and let Yang Shouwen and Yang Rui in.

"If you two, Daliang and Erliang, have nothing to do, leave quickly."

"Huh?"

The Wu Hou said softly, "Recently, things have been chaotic here. A few gang leaders seem to be looking for trouble with the Old Army. Fights often break out. If you have nothing to do, don't linger here. If you want to have fun, don't come here recently."

The Wu Hou had made it very clear, and Yang Shouwen nodded in thanks.

As he left, he casually slipped a string of Kaiyuan Tongbao into the Wu Hou's hand, making the two Wu Hou smile broadly.

This is Mianshan Li, a place of chaos and poverty.

The rich, the Wu Hou dare not provoke; the poor, the Wu Hou can't squeeze any money out of.

A string of coins, if divided, would give each Wu Hou about forty to fifty coins, a considerable income.

"Big Brother, don't you have any weapons for self-defense?"

"Oh... when we came out, we were worried about being questioned by the patrolling soldiers, so we didn't bring any."

The two Wu Hou looked at each other, and one of them went into the Wu Hou station. A moment later, he came out with two Tang knives.

"If you walk around here without weapons, you never know what might happen."

The other Wu Hou, while speaking, took out a whistle from his body and handed it to Yang Shouwen, "If you encounter any trouble, you can blow the whistle, and we will come as soon as possible. Although we are not much, in Mianshan Li, everyone will give us some face. Still, finish your business and leave here as soon as possible."

Yang Shouwen nodded, thanked the two men again, and then walked off with the knives.

This made Yang Rui even more nervous.

He held the knife, closely following Yang Shouwen, and said as they walked, "Big Brother, if it's not urgent, let's come back tomorrow."

"What are you afraid of? Just follow me."

Yang Shouwen glared at Yang Rui and walked ahead with his head held high.