Madmen don't keep diaries

Chapter 400, 399: Deeply Winning the Hearts of the People - Xu Liansheng
When he woke up that day, Fang Youliu had gone to work early again.

Feng Xiuhu stood by the railing on the second floor and saw Shunzi sitting in the living room on the first floor, carefully wiping his "new toy".

He wiped it carefully and meticulously, and Feng Xiuhu watched it for a long time without Shunzi noticing.

Shunzi didn't look up until she heard footsteps coming downstairs.

He asked, "Brother, where are we going today?"

Shunzi's eyes held a hope that he himself might not have realized—he remembered that Feng Xiuhu had said that they were going to eat fishless food today.

Feng Xiuhu's gaze fell on the hunting rifle in Shunzi's hand.

This was the first time Feng Xiuhu had properly examined the hunting rifle.

It is actually a size larger than a regular shotgun, and its seamless matte metal material gives it a substantial feel.

Feng Xiuhu pointed outside: "No rush, let's go have some tea first."

Shunzi had already put on the matching gun belt. Upon hearing this, he stood up, inserted the hunting rifle into the pocket at his waist, and then covered it with his large overcoat, so that no one could tell that a murder weapon was hidden under his clothes.

……

When the teahouse owner saw the two of them coming from afar, he had his servant bring over the "set meal," with all sorts of pastries and snacks covering the entire table.

Feng Xiuhu sat down in his usual spot and, as usual, took out a silver plate and handed it over.

Shunzi muttered to herself, "We still haven't finished the takeout from a couple of days ago..."

The shopkeeper pretended not to hear, expertly tucked the silver plate into his sleeve, and asked Feng Xiuhu with a smile, "Second Master, what are we talking about today?"

Feng Xiuhu thought for a moment: "Let's continue our conversation from yesterday."

The shopkeeper understood: "A bidding war without intestines?"

Feng Xiuhu nodded: "Who is the owner of the bidding house?"

The shopkeeper shook his head upon hearing this: "This has stumped me; I have no idea."

Feng Xiuhu looked at him: "Didn't you say that teahouse owners have the best access to information?"

The shopkeeper couldn't help but smile wryly: "That's what we say, but we only listen if people are talking about it. The bidding industry deals with high-end business, which ordinary people can't access. Moreover, the bidding industry has never been involved in any scandals or anecdotes, so ordinary people wouldn't even talk about it in their casual conversations."

To put it bluntly, people who have connections with the bidding houses won't come here for tea.

The teahouse isn't up to that standard yet.

The shopkeeper continued, "If you ask about other things, like the owners of water shops or the managers of oil, vinegar, rice and noodle shops, I can tell you a thing or two. But I really can't say anything about auction houses."

"Second Master, consider this: although the auction house operates openly in broad daylight, many businesses operate in a clandestine manner. So, although they are both owned by the same people, can the owner of an auction house be the same as the owner of a rice and flour shop?"

Feng Xiuhu understood and nodded, saying, "It is indeed different. If I were running an auction house, I would also prefer to keep a low profile, at least so that my enemies wouldn't easily come knocking on my door."

"Hey!"

The teahouse owner gently tapped the table: "That's exactly right."

Feng Xiuhu realized that it was because of Xiong Guiyuan that he had a preconceived notion, so he naturally didn't take the bidding too seriously.

It should be noted that he met Xiong Guiyuan first, and only later learned that she ran a bidding agency.

It was still the auction house in the lower city. Thinking about it carefully, until Feng Xiuhu left Fancheng, he never knew who the owner of the auction house in the upper city, which catered to many dignitaries, was.

Seeing that he couldn't get any information about the bidding house from the shopkeeper, Feng Xiuhu changed the subject: "Then tell me about Madam Xu. What kind of person is she in your eyes?"

Shunzi, who had been watching the storyteller, turned around silently and stared at the shopkeeper as well.

"Madam Xu?"

The shopkeeper stroked his mustache lightly: "It's hard to say about other places, but in Qianyu City, he's a truly important figure."

"Before the former mayor got into trouble, not many people knew her. It wasn't until the 'Fish Without Food' restaurant opened with great fanfare that people realized the big boss behind it was actually the former mayor's widow!"

The innkeeper glanced at the guests in the restaurant: "In this vast city of Qianyu, if you ask people what the former mayor's name was, many people might not know. But if you mention Madam Xu's name, everyone will know it."

He rambled on and on, but never actually said anything substantial.

Feng Xiuhu couldn't help but interrupt: "You keep saying she's a rare and extraordinary woman, but what I want to know is—what exactly makes her extraordinary?"

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment: "We insignificant people have no way of getting close to her. If you want to know what kind of person she is, I can't tell you. I can only tell you a few things I've heard about her—"

"After Madam Xu made her fortune by selling fish, she took the initiative to fund the repair of the long-neglected bridges between the islands. Moreover, she was shrewd and did not take credit for herself, but instead used the name of the government office. This move not only earned her a good reputation, but also made good friends with the government office."

"Although she was on good terms with the government, she did not collude with them. Instead, she was righteous and secretly collected evidence to bring down several corrupt officials. I still remember the scene of the crowd applauding and cheering at that time."

"Furthermore, in the early years, bandits were rampant outside the city, causing widespread resentment. The government originally intended to order the Da Xuan Army to suppress the bandits, but the bandits gathered on Jinlou Island, which was easy to defend and difficult to attack. Suppressing the bandits would be costly and laborious. Guess what? In the end, it was Madam Xu who stepped in to quell the banditry."

Feng Xiuhu looked up and said, "Even the bandits give her face? Isn't her face worth a little too much?"

The shopkeeper shook his head: "How would I know the specifics of Madam Xu's conversation with the bandits? But I imagine it was nothing more than clarifying the facts—after all, if things really escalate to the point where the Great Xuan Army is forced to come, the bandits will have no way out."

The shopkeeper didn't know, but Feng Xiuhu did. Xu Liansheng had given the bandits a new way to make a living: selling fish.

But to be fair, Xu Liansheng was indeed an extraordinary woman.

This conclusion wasn't drawn from the few hearsay tales told by the shopkeeper, but rather because—to have the entire city speak well of her, Xu Liansheng was no ordinary person.

After finishing their conversation, Feng Xiuhu got up to leave.

Shunzi, as usual, had the servant pack up the pastries.

Because it was nearby, Feng Xiuhu originally planned to put the food box at home first, but Shunzi said, "No need, just go directly."

Seeing Feng Xiuhu looking at him, Shunzi explained, "We're going to pay a visit today, it wouldn't be right to go empty-handed."

It's not really appropriate to give leftover pastries as a gift.

But Feng Xiuhu thought it was a good idea, so he simply nodded: "Okay, we can't finish it anyway, let her help us finish some."

So the two of them didn't linger any longer, hailed a carriage by the roadside, and headed straight for Shi Wu Yu.

The two did not speak to each other in the carriage.

Shunzi stared out the window, lost in thought.

Feng Xiuhu was pondering what the shopkeeper had just said.

He felt that something was wrong.

For example—the shopkeeper said the banditry had been quelled, so what did Feng Xiuhu encounter when he arrived?
(End of this chapter)