Shanghai in the 30s of the last century was chaotic and chaotic, and power and money were intertwined. In the center of the city, known as the "Little Paris of the East", a seemingly ordinary incident of refuge actually involves a story of loyalty and trust. The son of a distant relative came to defect to the Qinggang boss Du Yuesheng, and Du Yuesheng's wife Shen Yueying set a bizarre test in order to see through the true character of this cousin. The banknote that was thrown down symbolizes the test of human nature, and to pick it up or not to pick it up, represents two completely different destinies in life. How will all this turn out? Will Du Yuesheng reuse this cousin? Please wait and see what happens next.
A family story in troubled times
In the thirties, Shanghai was one of the famous cities at that time. Du Yuesheng, the leader of the Green Gang, has taken root here for many years and has accumulated a lot of power and wealth. However, behind all this, there is a warm family story.
It was an early summer in 1936, and a mother and son came to the gate of the Du Mansion in Shanghai from their hometown thousands of miles away with trepidation. They have no belongings, they are destitute, and their only hope is to take refuge in their distant relative, Du Yuesheng. The mother, Mrs. Wan, is over sixty years old, and her only son, Wan Molin, is only in his early twenties.
Du Yuesheng, who was in his early Chinese New Year's Eve, had long been notorious. He not only holds the authority of the Green Gang, but is also admired by the powerful people in Shanghai. Just when the two were discouraged, Du Yuesheng actually greeted them in person and personally welcomed the mother and son into the door. It turned out that this old lady Wan was Du Yuesheng's life-saving benefactor when she was young, and if it weren't for her comprehensive care, Du Yuesheng might not be able to grow up healthily.
Facing the life-saving benefactor of the year, Du Yuesheng naturally welcomed it without hesitation. However, I don't know if it was out of prudence, he did not arrange the mother and son in his residence, but asked his wife Shen Yueying to take care of it temporarily. This decision also indirectly brewed the next interesting story.
The mother and son took refuge in the Du Mansion, which aroused the doubts of the wife
Du Yuesheng warmly accepted Mrs. Wan's mother and son, reflecting his importance to his benefactor. However, he did not place the two directly in his residence, but temporarily arranged them under the jurisdiction of his wife Shen Yueying. This practice also aroused Shen Yueying's doubts.
Shen Yueying is a close confidant of Huang Jinrong, an important figure in the Youth Gang, and her marriage to Du Yuesheng also carries Huang Jinrong's expectations for Du Yuesheng. She is not only Du Yuesheng's wife, but also his closest advisor. As Du Yuesheng's virtuous helper, she often participates in the major affairs of the gang and has a great say in Du Yuesheng's decision-making.
When Du Yuesheng handed over the mother and son to Shen Yueying to take care of, Shen Yueying felt a trace of doubt. She knew that in these chaotic times, any outsider who suddenly broke in could be a hidden danger. Although Mrs. Wan was Du Yuesheng's benefactor, she still couldn't completely let down her guard.
Shen Yueying didn't suspect Mrs. Wan herself, she was more worried about the young man Wan Molin. She didn't know anything about this young man in his early twenties. Mixing in Du Yuesheng's territory, a little carelessness may cause a catastrophe. Therefore, she decided to secretly investigate Wan Molin.
In order to eliminate hidden dangers, Shen Yueying arranged for Wan Molin to temporarily engage in some miscellaneous labor, so as to observe his conduct and style. At the same time, she also asked her henchmen to keep an eye on Wan Molin's every move, for fear that this young man would make any changes.
After a period of time, Shen Yueying's impression of Wan Molin gradually improved. This young man was diligent and down-to-earth, and although he was silent, he handled his affairs in an orderly manner. It seems that he is not good enough to take on the heavy responsibility, but at least he is still a middle-aged man.
However, this alone is not enough. Shen Yueying decided to set up another test to see Wan Molin's character thoroughly. She deliberately left a banknote in the stairwell and let Yahuan spy on Wan Molin's reaction. This practice is very likely to hurt his self-esteem, but in Shen Yueying's opinion, Du Yuesheng's safety is far more important than this.
The bizarre test of throwing banknotes, testing character loyalty
The test set by Shen Yueying seems ordinary, but it is actually intriguing. In those days, banknotes were worthless, but for most ordinary people, picking up a banknote was still a trivial. Therefore, Shen Yueying deliberately left a banknote in the stairwell, the purpose of which was to test the moral integrity of Wan Molin, a young man.
When Wan Molin inadvertently discovers that banknote, his first reaction will decide his fate. If he returns the money with righteousness, then he proves himself to be a good young man who is honest and trustworthy; But if he covets the meager money and carries the banknote in his arms, then he will be regarded as a personal ghost, and Shen Yueying will inevitably keep him away from Du Yuesheng to avoid causing a big disaster in the future.
Wan Molin's performance was unexpected by Shen Yueying. After the young man found the banknote, he did not pause for a moment, but picked up the banknote without hesitation and quickly returned it to Shen Yueying. His behavior demonstrated his noble moral cultivation, which made Shen Yueying finally let down her guard.
From this small matter, it can be seen that Wan Molin is simple and duty-bound, has no greed, and will not do things that hurt nature and reason. Although his family is poor, he has an unswerving integrity in his heart, which is exactly the quality that Shen Yueying expects Wan Molin to have.
Subsequently, Shen Yueying reported all this to Du Yuesheng. As the leader of the Green Gang, Du Yuesheng is crucial to the loyalty of his subordinates. Once there is a traitor, his life is in great danger. Therefore, when he heard that Wan Molin had passed this test, Du Yuesheng's impression of him changed greatly.
Originally, Du Yuesheng just wanted to give this cousin a meager errand so that he could fulfill his kindness. But now it seems that this cousin is not only honest and trustworthy, but also able to endure hardships and stand hard work, and is the right-hand man he desperately needs by his side. So, Du Yuesheng decided to reuse Wan Molin and let him participate in the core affairs of the Green Gang.
The enemy suffers and is tortured severely
Wan Molin passed Shen Yueying's test and won Du Yuesheng's reuse. Since then, he is no longer an obscure small role, but has been entrusted with important responsibilities and began to participate in the core affairs of the Green Gang. However, the trajectory of his life was turned upside down by a sudden change.
July 7, 1937, was an ordinary day, but for Shanghai, it was the beginning of a nightmare. On this day, Japanese artillery fire suddenly attacked nearby Baoshan County, leading to the outbreak of a full-scale war of resistance. As a member of the Shanghai gang, the Green Gang naturally could not stay out of the situation, and they had to be involved in this catastrophe.
At the beginning of the war, Wan Molin was unfortunately arrested by the Japanese army and subjected to harsh interrogation and torture. As Du Yuesheng's cronies, the Japanese army naturally tried their best to extract confidential information about the Green Gang from him. To this end, they used all kinds of torture in an attempt to force Wan Molin to confide in him.
Someone witnessed that Wan Molin was tied up with five flowers at that time, his clothes were torn off, and his naked upper body was covered with scars. The molten iron was poured on his flesh and skin, making a "zizi" sound, as if it was going to burn his flesh alive. Wan Molin gritted his teeth, but never confided half a word.
Seeing that the prisoner was so stubborn, the Japanese hung him from a tree and beat him in the head and ribs. The blood in Wan Molin's mouth flowed, almost dying, and he still didn't move. Eventually, the Japanese army became so angry that they abandoned him on the streets, leaving him alone to survive.
The news soon reached Du Yuesheng's ears. As the son of an old friend, Wan Molin is one of Du Yuesheng's closest confidants. Knowing that he was beaten like this, Du Yuesheng was furious, but also felt mixed feelings. He secretly admired Wan Molin's loyalty, but he also felt guilty that he had put him in such a dangerous situation.
Du Yuesheng immediately made a decision, and immediately arranged for his subordinates to secretly take Wan Molin back, and invited the best doctor to treat him. At the same time, he also sent the most elite Qinggang thugs to search for those Japanese thugs who abused Wan Molin and punished them mercilessly.
A tale of troubled times, celebrating the character of loyalty in human nature
This family story that happened in the thirties of the last century, although it is only a small wave in the magnificent history, reflects the purest and most beautiful side of human nature. In that turbulent and chaotic era, noble virtues such as loyalty, trust, and friendship still shine brightly, piercing through the smoke of war.
The cause of everything is just a bill that was inadvertently lost. For Shen Yueying, who is in a high position, this is just a small test; But for Wan Molin, it was a major turning point in his life. With his honest and trustworthy character, this young man won Du Yuesheng's reuse, and since then he has had the opportunity to display his talents in the gang.
However, the good times were short-lived, and the smoke of war soon embroiled Wan Molin in it. Under the severe torture of the enemy, he chose unswerving loyalty, which not only moved Du Yuesheng, but also showed the most glorious side of human nature. Even though life and death were uncertain, he did not disclose any secrets, and showed his loyalty to Du Yuesheng with his actions.
At the same time, Du Yuesheng also repaid Wan Molin's loyalty in his own way. He spared no effort to treat the wounded, and personally avenged Wan Molin's brutal atrocities. This kind of deep friendship between life and death was rare in those turbulent times.
From Wan Molin's experience, we can see that in that cruel era, the noble character in human nature was not extinguished by the flames of war. On the contrary, it is these qualities that bring a ray of hope to the dark world. Virtues such as loyalty, integrity, and friendship have never wavered even in times of crisis, creating a moving story.
This little story that happened in troubled times bears witness to the most cherished part of human nature. It reminds us that no matter what the circumstances we are in, the attachment to good character is the foundation of life. Only with this firm belief can we find light in the darkness, grasp order in the midst of chaos, and gather strength in the midst of difficulties.