ebookland Chapter 330: Righteousness Remains in the Ancient Heart and Shines for Thousands of Years
Chapter 330: Righteousness Remains in the Ancient Heart and Shines for Thousands of Years
On February 2, a message came from the He family's old house in Beilong City that He Zhengnan, the most senior and highly respected member of the Hongmen in China, who was admired by countless people, was on his deathbed and could pass away at any time.
Su Zhengyang immediately put aside all the matters in his hands and rushed to the He family with Yang Jiakai, Duan Jinshu and other Northern Xinjiang leaders.
"Before the New Year, Mr. He's health had been deteriorating and he caught a cold. I didn't expect that even with this cold, he would never get better. He coughed all day long. He is old after all."
Inside the car, Yang Jiakai kept shaking his head and sighing. The atmosphere was extremely depressing.
He Zhengnan, the only remaining leader of the highest generation in the Hongmen, is a giant who founded the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. He has lived an upright life, dedicated to the country and the people. He is a truly respectable senior.
When talking about He Zhengnan, both ordinary people and the 100,000 disciples of the Hongmen would give him a thumbs up and express their admiration.
Such an old man who could be regarded as a great man of his generation eventually came to the end of his life. It was just like the saying goes, no matter how brilliant and proud you are, in the end you are nothing but a handful of earth.
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped in front of the gate of the He Mansion. Su Zhengyang and others couldn't wait to come to He Lao's room in the backyard. At this time, He Lao's face looked pale and gray, his hands were shaking constantly, he was half lying on the bed, and he was barely breathing.
While wiping away tears, He Qinglan said to Su Zhengyang and the others, "My grandfather cried out for help and barely held on to his last breath, just to see Councillor Su. After my brother got the news, he started rushing back from Linzhou. I don't know if he can see grandpa for the last time."
At this moment, Su Zhengyang was in an extremely heavy mood. Out of respect for Mr. He, he really didn't want this respected old man to pass away at this time. He Zhengnan's only long-cherished wish was to see the unification of China with his own eyes and to be able to truly straighten his own backbone in the future.
The old man looked at Su Zhengyang with cloudy eyes, opened his mouth slightly, stretched out his skinny right hand, and motioned Su Zhengyang to come to his side.
Su Zhengyang quickly walked to the bed, bent down, and put his ear close to the old man's mouth.
"Zheng...Zhengyang...You led the Northern Expedition Army to recover the Northeast, which really gave an old man like me a boost of energy...I was planning to invite you to come over so that we could have a drink together, but now it seems there is no chance."
Su Zhengyang forced a smile, looked at the old man and said: "I should have come to visit you as soon as I came back. It's my fault..."
"It's okay...it's okay...national affairs are more important, Zhengyang...it's time for you to take that step."
Su Zhengyang nodded solemnly.
"Okay... okay! The hope for China's future rise rests on your shoulders. I hope that when that day comes... you can come to my spirit tablet and tell me in person... so that I can be happy even if I know about it in the afterlife."
"Zhengyang, after I leave, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be handed over to you. The only thing I am worried about is the descendants of our He family... I hope you can help me take good care of Qinglan and Qingzhu. Then I will feel relieved."
Su Zhengyang looked at Mr. He sincerely and said, "From now on, the affairs of the He family are my affairs, Su Zhengyang's. Qinglan and Qingzhu are my family members, Su Zhengyang. I will ensure that they live in peace and safety and that the He family prospers."
There was a hint of smile on He Zhengnan's wrinkled face. His eye sockets were sunken, his eyes were dull, his hair was sparse, and he looked like a skeleton. Ever since He Zhengnan caught a cold, his condition suddenly worsened five days ago, and he had not eaten or drunk anything for three consecutive days.
Su Zhengyang suddenly felt that He Zhengnan's right hand, which was holding his palm, suddenly loosened and fell to the side of the bed. Looking carefully, he found that the old man had lost his breath silently and passed away.
"Mr. He! Mr. He!"
At this moment, He Qinglan rushed over, lay down beside her grandfather's bed, and burst into tears.
After the old man passed away, the He family began to formally deal with the funeral affairs. They built a mourning hall and temporarily placed the old man's body in an ice coffin, waiting for the day of burial. During this process, Su Zhengyang stayed in the He Mansion and did his best to help He Qinglan, who was extremely sad and had extremely red and swollen eyes, to deal with the old man's funeral affairs.
Two days later, He Qingzhu, the eldest grandson of Mr. He, rushed back to Beilong City wearing a black Zhongshan suit. Since he went to Linzhou, He Qingzhu became a regiment commander of the 5th Division of the newly established 113th Army of the Northwest Revolutionary Army because of his outstanding performance. He was involved in the intensive training of new recruits and did not return to Beilong City until the New Year. Unexpectedly, just after the New Year, he received the sad news that his grandfather was about to pass away.
As the eldest grandson, He Qingzhu changed into linen mourning clothes, greeted Su Zhengyang in a depressed mood, and then knelt in front of the mourning hall to keep vigil for the old man himself.
In the few days after the old man's death, Su Zhengyang witnessed with his own eyes the terrifying network of contacts that old man He had. Not to mention Yang Jiakai and his group from the high-ranking Northern Xinjiang government, the Hongmen in Tianjin, the Qing Gang bosses, Beilongcheng, as well as wealthy families and merchants from all over the country came to pay their respects in an endless stream, from all walks of life. Even Huang Guangtai from the Southern Government personally sent people to pay their respects to the old man and presented him with a pair of elegiac couplets.
Su Zhengyang also felt heavy-hearted. He picked up the brush and personally wrote a couplet for Mr. He.
The upright spirit will last forever, and the loyal heart will shine for ten thousand years.
This is a true portrayal of Mr. He's life. In order to express gratitude for his help all the time, the Northern Xinjiang government lowered the five-color flag that had been hanging in the square of the Central Government Building for many years to half-mast on the day of his death to show respect for the old man.
While sorting out the old man's belongings, Su Zhengyang discovered that in the will left by the old man, not only did he give him his life's work and most of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce as agreed upon at the beginning, but he also left his Hongmen Order as the president of the Hongmen General Association to Su Zhengyang. As the most senior and experienced old man in the entire Hongmen, after his death, it is likely that no one will be able to take over the position of president for a while.
Seeing the order is like seeing the person. In other words, Su Zhengyang holding this order is basically equivalent to being able to command the Hongmen gang throughout China. Throughout China, there are countless Hongmen disciples in the north and south, at least 700,000 or 800,000. This shows the importance of this seemingly insignificant token.
Su Zhengyang couldn't help but sigh in his heart. In addition to seeing the hope of China's rise in him, the old man probably regarded him as his own descendant because of his friendship with his father, which is why he helped him so unremittingly. His kindness is as deep as the sea. All Su Zhengyang can do is to fulfill the old man's long-cherished wish and take good care of the descendants of the He family, so that the old man will be comforted if he knows about it in his afterlife.