Chapter 84 — Birthday Gift
Summer.
The Russians broke their agreement and began heavily taxing Chinese goods entering the duty-free zone.
Negotiations between the two sides failed, and by June, the century-old duty-free policy was abolished.
Horvath, the Russian head of the Eastern Province Railway, was at first aggressive and unyielding. But gradually, he found himself losing control—not only due to pressure from the three northern provinces but also because of the Russians making a living along the railway. The Prohibition had caused an uproar; along the Eastern Province Railway alone, there were over a hundred thousand Russians. Having lost their factory jobs and sinking into poverty, they began protesting—some even resorted to violent “actions of support.”
The workers formed unions and launched four large-scale strikes across the entire railway.
A small faction even went around trying to capture Horvath himself, forcing the once-noble official to hide in disgrace, living in constant fear.
General Bai of the provincial government was naturally pleased to see the chaos. He secretly encouraged it, and within two months, the Railway Protection Army disarmed the Russian military and police forces stationed along the Eastern Province Railway, dismissed Horvath from all his posts, and—by direct order of the Governor-General—swiftly and forcefully took full control of the railway. Important positions along the route were completely overhauled, marking the beginning of a new chapter in history.
At the same time, the Russian October Revolution [1] erupted.
The Russians were too occupied to look eastward anymore; no one mentioned the Prohibition again. The territory along the Eastern Province Railway was redrawn—China’s border advanced a full fifty li (about 25 kilometers).
General Bai was a man with a fierce love for land—if he could claim more, he would never settle for less.
There had always been minor skirmishes along the border. During the years of turmoil in China, the Russians had taken full advantage; now that chaos had erupted in their own country, China naturally returned the favor.
The ruble’s value plummeted.
Sensing danger, Chinese merchants along the border exchanged their rubles for gold and silver, sold off all foreign real estate and factories, and began transporting the proceeds—converted into goods—back to China.
The Bai family had started preparing for this a year earlier and were among the fastest to act. Instead of hoarding gold and silver, they purchased vast quantities of supplies: food, leather, cotton, medicine, and more. Their ships docked one after another. Outwardly, they declared the cargo was “cotton,” but anyone could see from the waterline that the ships carried much heavier goods. Many crates were sealed wooden boxes, and as soon as they reached ports like Ai Hu, orderly “patrol teams” immediately came to transport them away.
These “patrolmen” were unlike the usual ones—they were well-trained, practically indistinguishable from soldiers.
Rumor had it that Lord Bai Jiu of the Bai family was purchasing supplies for a certain senior general in the Governor-General’s Office—military rations and armaments, in fact.
The rumor spread for half a day before vanishing completely.
No one dared to discuss it further.
But the more silent it grew, the more convinced people became that it was true.
Nanfang District.
Inside a Western-style villa, the East Courtyard members were busy packing, preparing to return to the provincial capital.
Outside, a row of brand-new cars waited—all gifts from Bai Hongqi. There were seven or eight of them.
Now that business in Nanfang was wrapped up, Lord Bai Jiu finally had some leisure time and had been resting at home for a few days.
In the study, he was teaching Xie Jing how to write. Standing behind him, he encircled the young man with his arms, guiding his hand slowly stroke by stroke—patient and focused.
When Bai Mingyu knocked and entered, he froze at the sight before him.
Lord Bai Jiu didn’t move, merely lifted his eyes slightly. “Did I say you could come in?”
Bai Mingyu stepped back, obediently knocked again, then waited at the doorway for permission.
Lord Bai Jiu looked back at the paper, finished a character while still holding Xie Jing’s hand, and finally said, “Come in.”
Bai Mingyu approached and gave his report—nothing urgent, just arrangements for the Nanfang businesses. Since they were leaving, someone else would need to take over, especially the taverns along the railway—they were doing well and earning steady profits.
Lord Bai Jiu said, “Write up a list. Include the deeds and employee records. Send it to my aunt tomorrow. It’s her birthday this month—give it to her as a birthday gift.”
Bai Mingyu blinked. “All of it?”
Lord Bai Jiu paused, raised his head in mild surprise. “Of course. Didn’t you fancy Hong’er? Why so stingy? It’s only a few shops—you can’t even part with that?”
Bai Mingyu’s face went crimson. He didn’t dare meet the man’s eyes. “Who—who said I fancy her! She’s so fierce, never once has she been nice to me…”
Lord Bai Jiu said calmly, “Then I’ll tell my aunt not to hold her back any longer. Let her marry someone this year.”
“W-wait, Master! I was just saying nonsense, I—”
Bai Mingyu stammered for a while, scratched his face, then muttered, “I just think… she’s pretty, that’s all.”
“Marriage can’t be decided by looks alone.”
“…She’s nice too. And capable.”
Lord Bai Jiu nodded. “Then you’d better hurry up.”
Bai Mingyu flushed deeper, awkward and shy. “Master, how did you even know?”
Lord Bai Jiu said, “You wear your heart on your face. Who wouldn’t know?”
Bai Mingyu’s expression froze. “Wait—does Hongqi know too?”
Lord Bai Jiu only shook his head, giving him a look both complicated and amused.
Both were brilliant businessmen—but perhaps too clever for their own good. In matters of the heart, they were astonishingly dense.
Xie Jing focused hard on his writing, pretending not to hear, lips twitching to keep from laughing.
The second young master really was too naive.
When he’d first noticed Bai Mingyu’s interest, he’d been just as surprised—who would’ve thought he’d fall for Bai Hongqi? But after a year in Nanfang, Xie Jing had seen it with his own eyes: Bai Mingyu trying to flirt daily, thinking he’d made progress, only to anger the girl every time until she nearly wanted to fight him.
A year of “courting” and he’d almost turned her into an enemy—an achievement in itself.
Bai Mingyu added, “Master, those shops were bought with your money. Giving them all away isn’t right. I’ll keep half, convert the rest to silver, and send it back to the East Courtyard. When I borrowed from Steward Sun, I promised to return it doubled.”
Lord Bai Jiu asked, “How much did you borrow from Sun Fu?”
“Eight thousand silver,” Bai Mingyu answered honestly.
Lord Bai Jiu said, “You’ve already sent back nearly twenty thousand in profits. That’s more than enough. The Nanfang shops are now yours—whether they thrive or fail depends on your skill. For my aunt’s birthday, jewels and antiques are fine, but I’m having you send the shops so she’ll see your sincerity.” He added pointedly, “When you present them, say it nicely. Understand?”
Bai Mingyu suddenly understood and nodded repeatedly.
Xie Jing had finished the calligraphy piece and shifted slightly. Lord Bai Jiu leaned close, murmuring, “Don’t move yet—we still need to add the date.”
He guided Xie Jing’s hand again, finishing the final delicate strokes in elegant small script. At the very end, beside Xie Jing’s writing, he added his own signature—swift and powerful, in stark contrast to the gentle style he had been teaching.
Lord Bai Jiu set down the brush, stood, and looked at Bai Mingyu. “Anything else?”
Bai Mingyu had been distracted watching them; when addressed, he snapped out of it and hurriedly excused himself.
Even after leaving the villa, he still felt dazed.
Lord Bai Jiu and young Xie were a bit too close—but somehow it didn’t feel improper. Their closeness seemed natural, as if it was meant to be.
Bai Mingyu scratched his chin, frowned, then relaxed.
He couldn’t figure it out.
After a while, he gave up trying and went to prepare the shop deeds as instructed.
Before departure, there was a small incident.
The leader of the Azure Dragon Society came to bid farewell.
Over the past half year in Nanfang, Lord Bai Jiu had completely subdued the Azure Dragon Society, absorbing it under his control.
Those with criminal pasts had been purged; only a few behaved decently. Most of the ranks had already been replaced by men from the East Courtyard who obeyed only Lord Bai Jiu. The so-called “leader” that remained was merely a puppet, clinging to survival.
Having accepted his fate, the man now tried to curry favor.
He’d once angered Lord Bai Jiu by sending an inappropriate gift, so now he was hesitant—unsure what would please him.
An aide suggested, “Boss, how about sending someone again?”
The leader frowned. “Don’t mess around. Master Bai doesn’t like that sort of thing.”
“Not for him,” the aide said, “for Steward Xie.”
“Steward Xie?”
“Yes, the young one the Master favors most. Heard he’s capable, efficient—and last time, he did accept a ‘gift.’ He kept a person!”
The leader perked up. Any preference was better than none. “What kind?”
“A man—one of the sedan carriers. Name was Huang… Huang Renfeng, that’s it!”
The leader blinked, then remembered. Yes, they had chased off the opera singer but left that man behind—and lately, he had indeed seen Huang Renfeng visiting the villa often, nine times out of ten getting inside to chat with Steward Xie.
The aide continued, “We can’t read Master Bai’s mind, but since Steward Xie likes that type, let’s send another one. Sedan carriers are cheap, too!”
The leader’s face twitched. “He… likes sedan carriers? What an odd taste.”
None of them could make sense of it.
Still, the leader ordered preparations and, before Lord Bai Jiu’s departure, personally brought the “gift” to the villa.
When the man was presented, Xie Jing was utterly dumbfounded and refused at once.
The leader insisted, “No need to be polite, Steward Xie. I heard that Huang Renfeng’s getting old—good talker, but not much muscle. This one’s younger, stronger—use him however you like!”
Unfortunately, at that very moment, Lord Bai Jiu came down the stairs and witnessed the entire scene—his expression turned cold for once.
Unsurprisingly, the leader and his “gift” were thrown out together.
Lord Bai Jiu looked displeased, then turned toward Xie Jing—who was laughing so hard he was leaning against the stair post. Lord Bai Jiu’s expression softened slightly.
He said quietly, “One man may not be enough for your errands. I’ll assign two more to accompany you—it’ll make things safer, and messages will get through faster.”
Xie Jing nodded. “Grandmother mentioned before that my mother’s family once lived in Shanghai, but she never spoke of Rongcheng. Still, I’ll look around.”
“Good. Whatever you wish.”
Lord Bai Jiu approached and reached out to smooth Xie Jing’s hair. It had grown a little long—glossy black, setting off his porcelain-white skin. His features were sharp yet refined; his lips, though firm, looked soft to the touch.
Xie Jing lowered his gaze slightly but didn’t move away.
Lord Bai Jiu’s thumb brushed the corner of his lips—the skin was cool and delicate to the touch.
His Jing’er was growing more and more beautiful, and he found it harder and harder to endure others even looking at him—let alone misunderstanding.
He didn’t know why, but the more time they spent together, the more obsessed he became. It felt as though, whatever words came from those lips, he would grant them all without hesitation.
Footnotes:
[1] The October Revolution (November 7, 1917, by modern calendar) was a Bolshevik-led armed insurrection in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) that overthrew Russia’s Provisional Government, establishing the world’s first communist state under Vladimir Lenin and Leon Trotsky, marking a pivotal moment that led to the Russian Civil War and profoundly shaped 20th-century world history by introducing a socialist model of governance.
