When Cheng Ruian saw Ma Hougu, he did not come forward to say hello.
Because he found that Ma Hougu's demeanor had changed too much.
In Cheng Ruian's impression, Ma Hougu was tolerant and modest, and he was a humble elder.
However, Ma Hougu stood at the counter, skillfully moving his abacus, looking up at the store from time to time, and occasionally whispering a few words to the waiter in the store.
All this made Cheng Ruien feel very strange.
If Mahougu was still a pharmacist here, he would not hesitate to come forward to meet him.
He grew up playing in the security guard and was a classmate of Ma Yuzhen, so Ma Hougu was very familiar with him.
Especially after he and Ma Yuzhen were admitted to Nankai University at the same time, he often went to Ma's house.
After Cheng Ruian graduated from university, he stayed in the concession for a while. Because his identity might be exposed, after the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the organization arranged for him to be transferred.
Since then, Cheng Ruian has never been to Ma's house, and he didn't know that Ma Hougu had become the shopkeeper of the Chinese and Western Pharmacy.
This time Cheng Ruian came back and shouldered a special mission. Ma Hougu became the shopkeeper of the Chinese and Western Pharmacy, so Cheng Ruian did not dare to contact him easily.
Cheng Ruian looked at Mahougu from a distance, hesitating whether to leave immediately.
In fact, he had already attracted Ma Hougu's attention.
Just now a clerk told him that the man in the melon-skin hat was asking about him.
Ma Hougu was very surprised. Since he was asking about himself, why didn't he come over to meet him?
He accidentally glanced at Cheng Ruian, feeling familiar.
Cheng Ruien's melon-skin hat blocked most of his face, and the two suddenly looked at each other.
Ma Hougu raised the chopping board on the counter and walked to Cheng Ruien.
"Sir, I am the shopkeeper of our store. What do you want to buy?" Mahougu asked, clasping his hands.
Cheng Ruien let go of his cap, looked around, and whispered, "Uncle Ma, it's me."
Now that Ma Hougu has come out, Cheng Ruien can only tell the truth.
"When did you come back?" Ma Hougu asked in surprise after seeing Cheng Ruian's face clearly.
"Just got back." Cheng Ruien said quickly.
"Speak at the back." Ma Hougu is responsible for the operation of the entire Chinese and Western Pharmacy. Lu Chengzhou has nothing to do, and everything is decided by him.
"Uncle Ma, when did you become the shopkeeper?" Cheng Ruian only relaxed when he came to the back.
Mahougu's attitude towards him did not change, and the concern in his tone clearly came from his heart.
"Thanks to Lu Chengzhou's respect, he asked me to act as the manager after he purchased the Chinese and Western Pharmacy." Ma Hougu said with a smile.
During this time, he went from being frightened at the beginning to becoming more confident and calm.
It was not only because of Lu Chengzhou's trust in him, but also because he became familiar with the various businesses of Zhongxi Pharmacy.
"Lu Chengzhou?" When Cheng Ruian heard this name, he was suddenly stunned.
"Yes, Lu Chengzhou lives in Ji'an and is also a good friend of you." Ma Hougu said with emotion.
It is indeed a pity that Lu Chengzhou did not go to college.
But after graduating from the police training institute, he joined the workforce two years earlier than Ma Yuzhen and Cheng Ruien.
Two less years of studying is equal to two more years of earning. Lu Chengzhou can be considered promising in the public security field.
Not only did he work as an inspector in the British Concession, supervising dozens of people, but he also accumulated a substantial fortune.
Dozens of gold bars are not something just anyone can get.
Ma Hougu worked in the Chinese and Western Pharmacy for most of his life, but he never saved a single gold bar.
After comparison, he felt very ashamed.
"What do you mean, the Chinese and Western Pharmacy now belongs to Lu Chengzhou?" Cheng Ruian's eyes widened. He never imagined that this pharmacy actually belonged to Lu Chengzhou.
"Yes, otherwise who would let me be the shopkeeper?" Mahougu said with a smile.
"He doesn't usually come, does he?" Cheng Ruian asked nervously.
He knew that Lu Chengzhou was actually a Japanese spy, so being able to take over the Chinese and Western Pharmacy was nothing.
But Lu Chengzhou also had doubts about his identity.
If they meet Lu Chengzhou, I'm afraid one of them will fall down.
"I don't usually come here very often, but I called today and will come over at noon. He is going to Dahongqiao Pier and comes here to have a look." Ma Hougu didn't know the situation of Cheng Ruian and Lu Chengzhou, thinking that they were still good friends.
"Uncle Ma, I have something else to do. You should be busy first. I will come see you next time when I have time." Cheng Ruien suddenly felt that this was a good opportunity to get rid of Lu Chengzhou.
When Ma Hougu was about to speak, Cheng Ruien had already turned around and left. He opened his mouth and had to return to the counter.
Cheng Ruian didn't know that Ma Hougu was actually half of his own family.
Ma Hougu had already joined the workers' group when the Haigu branch of the Chinese Pioneer Corps was established.
When the Democratic Pioneer Corps began to move, he resolutely stayed. Currently, there are only a few members in the Democratic Pioneer Corps, and only a dozen or so people can be contacted by the workers' group.
Among them, there was a group of workers who came to work as clerks when the Chinese and Western Pharmacy was first established. In fact, they were using the identity of the Chinese and Western Pharmacy to hide their true identities.
Zhongxi Pharmacy is the property of Lu Chengzhou, and he has good relations with Xia Ningjing, the Director of Health, Sun Zhishu, and Huang Xiaoan from the Municipal Office. The business of Zhongxi Pharmacy is booming.
Ma Hougu was already familiar with pharmacy matters, and with the care of Xia Ningjing and Huang Xiaoan, he had no worries about the business of Zhongxi Pharmacy.
Many hospitals in Haigu City can only purchase medicines and medicinal materials from large Chinese and Western pharmacies, and even some medical equipment can only receive the above allocations if they purchase from large Chinese and Western pharmacies.
Ma Hougu had already heard about what Cheng Ruian and Ma Yuzhen did in school.
They actively resisted Japan and were fiercely loyal to the country, and Ma Hougu admired them very much.
He also heard about Cheng Ruien's sudden disappearance. It should be that Cheng Ruien had a deep relationship with the Communist Party.
Maybe, Cheng Ruian is the Communist Party.
Cheng Ruian came to Zhongxi Pharmacy today, and Ma Hougu originally wanted to have a good talk with him.
If Cheng Ruien was a Communist Party member, he would also be willing to join.
Although the Democratic Pioneer Corps also resisted Japan, it was only a peripheral organization led by the Communist Party. Except for the backbone of the organization, most of the other members were not party members.
Ma Hougu felt that with his current status, he could do something better for the anti-Japanese war.
Cheng Ruian thought in his mind that Lu Chengzhou might come to Zhongxi Pharmacy at any time, and of course he couldn't stay.
Ever since he was young, Lu Chengzhou had always been under his protection.
But after Lu Chengzhou entered the police training center, he couldn't do it anymore.
In this regard, Lu Chengzhou is more talented.
If he fought with a bayonet on the battlefield, Cheng Ruian would definitely not be afraid of Lu Chengzhou.
But in the city, his status was restricted and he did not dare to confront Lu Chengzhou head-on.
Besides, Cheng Ruien came with a mission. At any time, the organizational mission comes first.
What's more, before coming, Li Xiangxue specifically told him not to have contact with Lu Chengzhou as much as possible.
