Chapter 44: The Thoughtful Zhang Youchu (Please follow and collect!)

Yin Qi nodded slowly and said, "That is fine. Then the matter of introducing and guiding Qiu Jin into the society shall be left to Brother Tao. Women can also hold up half the Heaven; they may appear to have low social status, but they possess strong influence within the home and cannot be ignored."

Tao Chengzhang and Lu Xun both nodded, for they both deeply respected their own mothers.

If their mothers truly had something to say, they would listen.

Yin Qi continued, "By the way, do you currently have any targets you are vetting, and how is the progress?"

Tao Chengzhang said with joy, "These past few days I have written over twenty letters, secretly revealing in them my dissatisfaction with the corruption of the Manchu Qing Government. I have now received replies one after another; fifteen people have resonated with me in their letters, while others advised me not to let my imagination run wild. These are all my former classmates or close friends, and I am very familiar with them; they are absolutely reliable."

"Good!"

Yin Qi said with excitement, "Brother Tao, write to them again and invite them to Shanyin, for instance, inviting them to be editors-in-chief, or perhaps to visit the Newspaper Office. Once they arrive, you can test them one by one to confirm whether they have a firm anti-Qing consciousness. If they do, introduce them into our Revival Society. As for the travel expenses, our Newspaper Office will reimburse them."

People have their circles; a person with progressive thoughts like Tao Chengzhang would naturally have friends who are much the same.

If their thoughts were different, they naturally would not be able to associate with one another.

Lu Xun said with shame, "Although I also have many former classmates and close friends, their thoughts are relatively conservative. There are only five who can resonate with our thoughts, three of whom are right here in Shanyin, and two are in other places."

Yin Qi said, "That is also quite good. You know my past; currently, I do not have a single target. However, all things are difficult at the start. Once we have absorbed the first batch of members, they will each go on to develop their own members; this speed of fission will only grow faster and faster."

Tao Chengzhang and Lu Xun both nodded, feeling filled with drive.

…………

After walking out of the Newspaper Office, Qiu Jin said, "It is getting late, let us all go home. If you wish to publish any articles, you may show them to me first, and then submit them to the Newspaper Office."

Yin Shishi and the other three nodded one after another, eager to try.

For them, if they could publish an article or some Poetry in the People's Newspaper, it would be a great honor.

After giving a few more instructions, Qiu Jin turned and left.

Li Ying and another young woman also left separately, both followed by their own personal maids.

Zhang Youchu bit her lower lip lightly and suddenly said, "Shishi, didn't you say last time you wanted to take photos of me? Why don't we go to your house now; we can take more in the afternoon."

"Alright, let's go!"

Yin Shishi nodded happily, but she soon said with surprise, "I've told you several times before, didn't you say you didn't want to show your face, and even said that the camera would capture one's soul?"

Zhang Youchu's expression remained as usual, but her heartbeat accelerated slightly as she explained, "I was a bit superstitious before, but after reading the newspapers during this time, I have learned many things. That camera is science; it belongs to the application of optics."

Yin Shishi nodded and said, "That's true, let's go."

The two young women walked together, followed by two maids.

Because it was almost noon, there were not many pedestrians on the street, though the fragrance of food from various households drifted onto the street.

Zhang Youchu feigned curiosity and said, "I really didn't expect that Ximen Yaochuixue is actually your second brother. But Shishi, I remember you once said before that your second brother was good-for-nothing and just a playboy?"

Yin Shishi also said with frustration, "I don't know either. He used to be a playboy who only knew how to hang out and fool around outside with a group of fox friends and dog companions every day.

If my father hadn't forced him, I reckon he wouldn't even be able to recognize all his characters by now.

Didn't I go to Shanghai to visit relatives with my mother a while ago? After I came back, I discovered that my second brother had not only changed his appearance, but his personality had changed too. Every day he only knows how to practice martial arts, and he has never gone out to fool around again.

Many of his former fox friends and dog companions came to find him to play, but he rejected them directly, not even meeting them."

Zhang Youchu was thoughtful and said, "Do you think your second brother was just pretending outside before, and in reality, he was still studying hard in private?"

"Why would he pretend?"

Yin Shishi seemed to be asking back, and also asking herself, frowning in deep thought.

Zhang Youchu also thought about it, but had no clue, so she said, "Perhaps he had other compelling reasons. By the way, does your brother have a sweetheart, or is he betrothed?"

Yin Shishi said, "Neither. You don't know what he was like before; which girl would like him? Let me tell you, a while ago my father wanted to arrange a marriage for my second brother, but after the word got out, we didn't receive a single response.

Even when we entrusted people to act as matchmakers, the matchmakers were at their wits' end.

I don't know what kind of expressions they will have when they find out my brother is Ximen Yaochuixue, hee hee."

"Is that so!"

Zhang Youchu laughed upon hearing this and said, "I think they will definitely regret it very much."

Yin Shishi nodded and said, "That's for sure. My second brother is not only a famous great talent now, but it is said that his martial arts are also very powerful; he can be called both scholarly and martial. Where else in this Shanyin Prefecture could you find a second one? Hey, it's just a pity that my second brother actually told me not to tell the family about this, otherwise, once it was spread out, the threshold of my house would be trampled down by people. I can't figure it out."

Zhang Youchu's expression panicked, and she hurriedly said, "Shishi, since your second brother said so, he must have his reasons. You must not let it slip. I see that your second brother is a man who does great things; some matters are not suitable to be publicized."

She was as clever as ice and snow and had already vaguely sensed something.

The People's Newspaper was definitely not just a simple newspaper office.

Yin Shishi nodded and said with a giggle, "Chuchu, let me tell you something fun. In order to arrange a marriage for my second brother, my father actually set his sights on me, asking me to introduce my close friends from our Jingxiong Society. Hee hee. It's just a pity that I didn't know my second brother's situation at the time, so I refused flatly. Do you think if I took on this matter now, how many people would be willing?"

Zhang Youchu gritted her teeth and said as calmly as possible, "Better not. If you do that, wouldn't it be exposing in disguise that your second brother is Ximen Yaochuixue?"

Yin Shishi said, "That's true. Forget it, never mind. My second brother is young anyway; when he achieves success and fame in the future, he won't have to worry about not finding a wife, right Chuchu?"

Zhang Youchu nodded deeply: "Mm, that is exactly it."

"By the way Chuchu, there is one more thing, I almost forgot to ask you!"

Yin Shishi asked curiously, "When my second brother appeared earlier, you exclaimed; it seems you recognize my second brother?"

Although Zhang Youchu was her close friend and had been to the Yin Family many times, Yin Qi basically was not at home during the day in the past, so she would miss Zhang Youchu every time and had never met him.

Zhang Youchu nodded and said truthfully, "Mm, I know him. A while ago I snuck out of the house alone, but I didn't expect to be stopped by a missionary. He said I was an angel reincarnated and wanted to take me back to the Church to serve God, which scared me to death, so I kicked him and took the opportunity to run away. When I was about to be caught, it was your second brother who beat him down, letting me take the opportunity to escape."

As for the matter of bumping into Yin Qi's arms, she was too shy to speak of it.

Yin Shishi exclaimed: "There's such a thing? Then isn't this a hero saving a beauty? Hee hee, Chuchu, since you and my second brother are so fated, why don't you just become my sister-in-law? That way we can play together every day."

"You little girl, what nonsense are you talking about!"

Zhang Youchu's heartbeat accelerated, but she feigned anger and scolded her.

Yin Shishi exclaimed: "Look, she's embarrassed into anger!"

"You're asking for a beating!"

"Come and catch me!"

"You stand still!"

……

(End of chapter)