As the saying goes, misfortunes never come alone, and blessings never come in pairs. The source of income was gone, and the couple's precious son fell ill at this time. In order to cure his son's disease, Li Bin took his son to see doctors everywhere for a month. The family's little savings were all spent, but his son's disease showed no improvement. I saw my son getting weaker day by day, but I no longer had the money to see a doctor. And even if we look for a cure, there is not much hope. As a result, Li Bin and his wife instantly fell into the biggest dilemma in their lives.
Li Bin took a few puffs of cigarette, as if he had made up his mind, he put out the cigarette holder, stood up and walked out. The wife sobbed and asked, "Dad, where are you going?"
"I'm going to ask Guan Wang for help. He has many connections and may know those foreign doctors. Anyway, we have no choice but to try our luck." After Li Bin finished speaking, he strode towards the city.
The Small North Gate of Taiyuan Ancient City, also known as Gongji Gate, has a history of more than 600 years. It was trampled by the iron hooves of the Tatar cavalry, occupied by Li Zicheng's peasant army, bombed by the Western artillery of the Eight Banners Army, and sounded the gunshots of the Taiyuan Uprising in the Revolution of 1911. During the Anti-Japanese War, it became the last resort of the Shanxi-Suiyuan Army to defend Taiyuan. A line of defense. It has gone through many vicissitudes but still stands proudly, silently guarding the historic city of Taiyuan.
A straight road leading from the city gate to the city is called Xiaobeimen Street. Li Bin turned along Xiaobeimen Street and turned into an alley, and came to the entrance of a medium-sized house...
At this time, a middle-aged man, in his forties, tall and thin, stood in the courtyard of the house. His name is Wang Wenzhao, and he is the manager of the Taiyuan Arsenal Gun and Ammunition Branch. The so-called steward is actually the deputy director responsible for managing production.
At this time, Wang Wenzhao also had a frown on his face. It's not that he was worried because of his difficult life. He had worked as a steward in an arsenal for many years and had quite a lot of savings. A few months without income would not immediately affect his life. What's more, he also has a wealthy relative, the owner of Fuyuan Trading Company in Lishi County, Shanxi Province, who is his brother-in-law.
Although my sister had passed away many years ago, my brother-in-law valued love and righteousness and did not renew their relationship. The two families usually have close contact, and he often goes to the branch of Fuyuan Company in Taiyuan to help take care of them. He had already thought about it. If the arsenal collapsed like this, he would go work for his brother-in-law. My brother-in-law is a dream come true. I have invited him many times before.
What Wang Wenzhao is worried about now is related to his brother-in-law. Half a month ago, news came from Fuyuan Store in Taiyuan that my brother-in-law fell ill. Wang Wenzhao knew that since his sister's only son, his nephew Zhou Wen, disappeared a year and a half ago, his brother-in-law's health had deteriorated day by day. But the problem becomes bigger when you fall ill. The Fuyuan Company's huge fortune would be in chaos without the help of his brother-in-law, who was the anchor of the sea, and the young master's family was missing again.
At that time, Wang Wenzhao was busy with the aftermath of the factory shutdown and couldn't get away. In desperation, he sent his eldest son Wang Chenghao, who was studying at Shanxi National Normal School, to take leave to visit Lishi County. As a result, as soon as this person left, he disappeared and no more news came from him. Even the shops here in Taiyuan didn't get any news. Wang Wenzhao is planning to set off to visit Lishi in person in the next few days.
When Wang Wenzhao thought of his brother-in-law, he naturally thought of his nephew Zhou Wen. Zhou Wen has been close to him since he was a child, and he dotes on his nephew. If there are delicious and fun things, they will be given to him first, and even his two sons can't stop eating them.
Just a year and a half ago, my nephew, who I had promised to stay at home for a few days, disappeared. His wife cooked a table of Zhou Wen's favorite meals, and the family waited until dark. Wang Wenzhao ran to the junior high school to inquire and knew something was wrong.
I know very well what kind of temperament my nephew has. He has been well-behaved and sensible since childhood. It's impossible to take a day off in the morning and not go home until dark. Immediately launch various relationships to investigate and find. Finally, I learned that he and a good friend named Xu Dacheng left the New South Gate early in the morning, saying they were going to watch the military drill.
In the following days, after hearing the news, his brother-in-law Zhou Jinghai and the Xu family jointly mobilized countless human and financial resources to search for him, and even paid local gangs for help. Finally, they concluded that Ding had been kidnapped and taken away. It is difficult to determine where exactly they were caught. It is possible in Anhui and Henan provinces. Looking for two people in the vast land of the Central Plains is tantamount to finding a needle in a haystack. This matter can only be discussed in the long term.
Why! My poor nephew, this is the only son my sister left behind. I can only pray to God to bless him and turn his adversities into good fortune.
Just when Wang Wenzhao sighed, there was a knock on the door outside the courtyard. Wang Wenzhao opened the door and saw that it was a technical backbone under his previous supervision. The social hierarchy at that time was very strict, and factory managers would not have any personal dealings with these lower-level workers. He looked at the worker named Li Bin in surprise. Before he could ask, Li Bin knelt down and said with a choked voice: "Please show mercy to the king and save my poor child."
Wang Wenzhao is a peaceful person. Although he is usually stern towards these workers, he does not feel any discrimination in his heart. Seeing this, he quickly pulled Li Bin up and said, "Li Bin, we are old acquaintances. Don't kneel down. What's wrong with your child? Don't be impatient. Come, sit down and talk slowly."
After Li Bin got up, he didn't dare to ask him to sit down, so he stood up and told Wang Wenzhao the situation. After finishing speaking, he looked at Wang Wenzhao with expectant eyes.
Wang Wenzhao frowned and thought for a moment, then said: "I don't know many foreigners. The one I know best is Hobert, the German consultant of the arsenal. But now that the arsenal is closed, I still need to find out where they are."
He thought for a while and then said: "Well, I'll go to the foreign area in the afternoon to ask around. The people in Hobart are quite good. If I find him, he will help as long as it's not too difficult. You go back first and come back tomorrow to hear the news." At this point, there is no need to rush. Don’t worry, it’s about the child’s life, and I will do my best.”
Seeing Li Bin walk out with a lot of gratitude, Wang Wenbin's wife Zhang came out and complained: "Look at you, your own affairs are still in a mess, and you promised to help others."
Wang Wenzhao sighed softly and said: "Human life is at stake, so we must help. It is not easy for everyone."
…
In the afternoon, Wang Wenzhao went out wearing a thick gown, holding an umbrella and a top hat, and walked towards Donghua Gate.
During this period, there were still relatively many foreigners in Taiyuan. Several foreign banks had branches in Taiyuan, as well as some foreign trading companies and missionary schools. Basically, they are concentrated in the area from Donghua Gate to Gulou Street, so this area is also called the Foreigner District.
Wang Wenzhao had been here several times before, so he inquired with acquaintances nearby, and finally found the residence of the German consultant Hobert, but he was not there. According to his landlord, he went to Dabeimen to pick up his friend. .
Wang Wenzhao felt a little anxious. This child's illness would not wait for anyone, so he called a rickshaw and rushed to the Dabei Gate to see if he could find anyone there.
