Young Marshal: Many children bring more blessings, marry a wife who is as powerful as the world - Chapter 27

Chapter 27 Target The Largest Internationalized City in Northeast China during the Republic of China—Harbin!

A monthly salary of five silver dollars per person. Others might think it was high. But Zhang Xueming didn’t care much about it. Every month, he received 200,000 silver yuan from Yu Fengzhi.

When he calculated carefully, it was enough to pay the salaries of 400,000 people. If his father-in-law could really recruit 400,000 people, he would probably laugh himself awake in his dreams.

At this moment, looking at the silver mountain on the ground and then at the confident Zhang Xueming, Yu Wendou could feel his heart racing. Damn it, he had married his daughter to the second son of the Zhang family, thinking it was a last resort. But now, looking at it this way, he might have climbed up a big tree!

Yu Wendou gritted his teeth.

“Rest assured, son-in-law, I’ll take care of this matter!”

………

A week later, Zhang Xueming left Yu Family Village. When he arrived, he brought 800 cavalrymen, but when he left, there were more than 300 wagons and over a thousand laborers behind him!

The wagons were all loaded with grain, totaling more than 500,000 pounds, which emptied out a good portion of Yu Wendou’s grain cellars. This time, Zhang Xueming had successfully taken advantage of his father-in-law. However, he didn’t treat his father-in-law unfairly.

To secure his father-in-law’s support and ensure he would continue to supply grain every month, Zhang Xueming selected some still usable old weapons from those confiscated during the anti-bandit campaigns, gathering a thousand guns and sending them to Yu Family Village’s militia.

Among them were even two Qing Dynasty “tiger squat cannons” and several smuggled revolvers with worn-out rifling. To him, these were practically scrap metal. But to Yu Wendou, these were rare treasures.

Having guns made him feel secure.

When Yu Wendou strapped a revolver to his waist and looked at the militia of his family, all armed with guns, he finally understood what his son-in-law meant by ‘providing security!’

“Damn it, our Yu family has become a warlord now!”

The successful example of Zhang Zuolin was right in front of him. In all of Northeast China, who didn’t want to rise to power in these chaotic times?

…………..

“Master, please drink tea!”

“Master, allow me to rub your legs.”

On the carriage, Zhang Xueming calmly sipped the tea offered by Rulan. Because this was a visit to Yu Fengzhi’s family home, Zhang Xueming didn’t bring Gu Ruiyu and Zhang Shuzhen along.

In these few days, Rulan and Ruyu had been eating so well, and any lingering resentment they had turned into tender affection. They could hardly wait to pamper Zhang Xueming like a pampered young master.

Zhang Xueming, on the other hand, turned his attention to his wife.

“Fengzhi, where are we now?”

It had been more than a week since he left. The basic buildings in Daqing City, which were at level 0, should have been completed by now!

It was time to start level 2 buildings!

“Replying to master, we are about to reach Harbin. But since we have so much grain, and you don’t want to cross the iron bridge built by the Japanese, we will have to change to a boat to cross the Songhua River.”

Yu Fengzhi’s family had been in business for a long time and knew something about grain transport. Although she didn’t understand why Zhang Xueming didn’t want to use the Japanese-built iron bridge, she didn’t argue.

Only Zhang Xueming knew that his base in Daqing was only 150 kilometers from Harbin in a straight line. This was an extremely dangerous distance.

If the Russian Empire or the Japanese eyed him, they could reach the city in just three days. And right now, Daqing’s various buildings were just starting, and even the arms factories hadn’t been built yet. There were no defenses. So the longer they could avoid being detected by the forces in Harbin, the better. These hundreds of wagons full of grain were too conspicuous!

The Japanese weren’t fools. If they crossed the city’s iron bridge, it would be like a child carrying gold through a noisy market. It would be like delivering a delicious meal straight to the Japanese.

After thinking for a few seconds, Zhang Xueming nodded.

“Let the grain convoy try to avoid Harbin and load the grain onto the boats further out.”

“As for us… my wife, you’ve endured rough living for this period of time, and I’m taking you to visit Harbin’s city.”

Zhang Xueming knew in his heart that once he was strong enough, he would definitely seize Harbin. He would take this largest city in the world’s northernmost region.

For now, let me explore Harbin’s strengths and weaknesses!

……….

Harbin is known as one of the top ten cities of the Republic of China. Its permanent population exceeded one million. Having been infiltrated by the Russians for many years, the city was filled with Russian-style architecture, with the most famous being the ‘Harbin Railway Station’ and ‘Saint Sophia Cathedral.’

Because of the many Russian-style buildings, it was even referred to by foreigners as “Moscow of the East!”

At this moment, Zhang Xueming, with Yu Fengzhi, Rulan, and Ruyu, arrived in the commercial district of Zhongyang Street. The street was bustling with people!

There were Chinese men with their braids cut off and dressed in suits, Russians with blonde hair and blue eyes, Korean refugees in traditional clothing carrying baskets, and even many Japanese soldiers patrolling with guns.

If Zhang Xueming hadn’t known in advance that this was Harbin, he might have thought he had arrived in some bizarre alternate world. This city was one of the most modernized cities in the Republic of China, with telephone exchanges, telegraph offices, power plants, and even intercity railways.

Seeing a tram jingling its bell as it passed by, even Zhang Xueming couldn’t help but praise it.

“I didn’t expect that in the Republic of China, there would be such an internationalized city!”

At this moment, his desire to take over Harbin grew stronger. Yu Fengzhi, on the other hand, wasn’t thinking too much about it!

Since becoming pregnant, she had been holding back for four months. Now that she had finally reached a big city, she immediately started shopping like crazy.

Italian leather bags, French perfumes, American elastic stockings, steel-boned bras, and Russian chocolates and sweets. Yu Fengzhi bought everything she saw.

As for Zhang Xueming, he just followed behind and paid.

“Husband, you’re too good to me!”

………………..