Chapter 76 Do You Think I’m a Fool? (Two Chapters in One)

Looking for the source of the voice, it turned out to be an old acquaintance.

The person who scolded the old man was a teenager with a foreign accent, about seventeen or eighteen years old, full of vigor and vitality.

This was already a busy area, and the young man had a loud voice, so he soon attracted a lot of onlookers.

Those people did not know the truth. They only saw that a young man was speaking ill of the old man, and they all thought that the young man was going too far.

The young man was already angry, and after being pointed at by these people, his face flushed red. He pointed at the old man and shouted, "Compensate me with the buns, compensate me with the buns!"

The old man looked innocent and said, "I'm not hungry. These buns are so disgusting. I'm giving them to someone who is really hungry on your behalf. What's wrong with that?"

The boy was so angry that he wanted to hit someone, pointing at his nose: "You, you, you are shameless!"

There was a bun stall next to it, and the bun seller was unhappy: "You old man, you still dare to say my buns are bad? It was obviously you who wanted to steal my buns first, and then this young man kindly invited you to eat buns. He invited you to eat buns, and then you gave the buns to the beggar, and you still pretend to be pitiful, bah!"

Well, now the onlookers finally understood what was going on, but those who came here to hang out were all outsiders, and it was better to be cautious when going out. Therefore, they could not even immerse themselves in watching the fun, but just laughed and cursed a few times before dispersing.

The bun vendor was not so magnanimous. He looked at the old man with disdain and said, "Get lost! Don't think I won't beat you up just because I'm old. If you stay here and don't leave, don't blame me for being rude."

The old man snorted, swung his sleeves and walked away. After a few steps, he saw Zhao Shiqing.

"My friend, we meet again in this world."

His voice was so loud that everyone who had not yet left looked over again, including the vendor selling buns and the boy who was still eating them.

Zhao Shiqing: It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have stood here and watched the fun.

Just now, she was so kind that she wanted to buy some meat buns for the old man.

However, she was quite interested in this old man, because it was the first time she had seen an old man who was so good at asking for trouble.

"You know this old man? Then you can return the money for the buns to me."

It turned out to be that unlucky boy.

Zhao Shiqing asked, "How much?"

Young man: "Eight cents."

Ling Bo took out eight coins and gave them to the young man without saying anything. The young man took the money and kindly reminded him, "Be careful, this old man doesn't look like a good person."

......

Zhao Shiqing and the other two turned and left. The old man quickly followed them: "My friend, listen to my explanation. I really am a good person."

Zhao Shiqing ignored him and considered the eight cents as a good deed she had done.

The three of them were all skilled in martial arts and were still young, so the old man had to jog to keep up. But after a while, the old man couldn't keep up anymore and gasped: "My friend, wait a minute and listen to my explanation. How about this, I'll give you a free fortune-telling!"

Zhao Shiqing stopped and said, "Then calculate, can I get rich today?"

The old man said: "My friend, you have helped me out, which is a good relationship. I will repay you tenfold in the future."

Zhao Shiqing nodded. "So, if I pay you eight cents and you pay me back ten times that, then I'll be rich?"

Old man: "Yes, my friend is smart."

Zhao Shiqing asked Ling Bo, "What is ten times eight cents?"

Ling Bo: "Eighty cents."

Zhao Shiqing: "How much is one tael of silver?"

Ling Bo: "One tael of silver is one thousand wen."

Zhao Shiqing: "Is eighty cents considered rich?"

Ling Bo: "Definitely not."

Zhao Shiqing said to the old man, "Your fortune telling is terrible. It's not even as good as the little toe of the third aunt."

After saying that, he turned around and continued walking.

The old man was anxious: "Who is Aunt Kang? Where is she? I want to fight her to the death."

Zhao Shiqing pointed to the side and said, "Go straight, turn, and behind the fifth willow tree on the side of the road is Keng Sangu's dojo."

Old man: "Okay, I'll go meet her right away."

Zhao Shiqing waved: "Goodbye, I won't see you off."

Seeing that the old man had really left, the three people hid first. When they saw the old man walking away, they followed him from behind.

Let’s talk about the old man. He followed what Zhao Shiqing said, walked straight, turned, and counted the willow trees one by one. When he counted to the fifth tree, he saw a house there.

This place is no longer in the downtown area, there are no lights, and the view is not very clear.

The old man pushed the door open and came in, followed by a cry of "Ah!"

A moment later, he ran out in a mess. This was not the place where Kang Sangu practiced, but a toilet. Unfortunately, his old eyes were blurry and he fell into the pit.

Toilet?

Aunt Kang?

It is clearly a trap for Sangu. The toilet god is trapping Sangu. Since Sangu is the toilet god, then this place must be a place for cultivation.

At this moment——

"Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

"Hahaha!"

"Meow~"

There was the sound of three people laughing, a cat meowing, and then the sound of footsteps fading away.

Zhao Shiqing and the other two ran away as fast as they could after seeing enough of the excitement. Although the excitement was fun, it was too smelly and the wind was blowing!

The old man was alone and disheveled in the wind: "I wanted to turn my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon only shines on the ditch..."

Zhao Shiqing brought Lingbo and Niqiu back to the inn. The three of them were still laughing. When they had finished laughing, Lingbo pointed at his head and said, "There seems to be something wrong with that old man."

Zhao Shiqing frowned slightly. "Now that you put it that way, it seems to be true. You also said his shoes were very expensive. Could it be that he ran away from home because he was mentally ill?"

Ling Bo and Ni Qiu exchanged a glance, then looked at Zhao Shiqing together: "Very likely."

Zhao Shiqing: "Did we go too far just now?"

Loach: "Not too much, not too much at all. That old man doesn't know how to appreciate kindness. Someone kindly bought him some buns, but he gave them to a beggar and even asked the second young lady to pay him back."

Ling Bo: "But he gave the meat buns to the beggar, which was kind of him."

Loach: "What kindness? Didn't you hear him say that he thought the buns were not tasty, so he gave them to the beggar."

Ling Bo: "He could have thrown it away, but he didn't. He gave it to the beggar instead. That shows he at least has a little bit of kindness in his heart."

The two of them started arguing with each other.

Zhao Shiqing clapped his hands and said to Niu Qiu, "Go out and look for that old man. See where he went, and buy some tea eggs for a midnight snack."

The three of them were growing up, and they were a little hungry after running all the way.

After about an incense stick of time, Niu Qiu came back from outside. As soon as he entered the door, Zhao Shiqing covered her nose because it smelled so bad.

Loach was a little embarrassed. "That old man is really homeless. I didn't walk far before I saw him. He was being chased and beaten by some beggars. Those beggars said that the old man had been staying in the doorway of Aunt Liu's house for the past few days. Today he fell into the pit toilet and it was too smelly. Aunt Liu didn't allow him to stay there anymore and kicked him out."

Zhao Shiqing felt a little guilty. Did he go a little too far?

"Ask the shopkeeper if he has any rooms. If not, let him stay in your room for one night. If the shopkeeper thinks he stinks and doesn't let him in, give him some more money."

With Zhao Shiqing's order and the knowledge that money can get things done, the old man finally followed Niu Qiu into the inn.

Two waiters covered their noses as they brought over hot water, put it down and ran away because it was so smelly.

Loach asked the old man to wash himself well and he hid away.

When he came in again, he was shocked to see the old man sitting naked cross-legged on the ground, meditating.

......

The next day, the three of them left the inn early in the morning without checking out because they had to come back to stay that night.

When they left, the old man was still sleeping. Zhao Shiqing left some money with the waiter and asked him to deliver the food to the room when it was time for dinner.

Today they went to three or four more villages, but just like yesterday, they still didn't get anything.

When Zhao Shiqing returned to the inn at night, he remembered that there was a crazy old man living there.

Unexpectedly, before they even went upstairs, the waiter stopped them and said, "Sir, I followed your instructions and went to the room to deliver the food. There's no one inside. I don't know when the old man left. No one saw him go out."

This was the waiter who worked there on the first day I moved in. I have a deep memory of that old man.

Zhao Shiqing sighed: "Originally, I just wanted to take him in for one night. Now that he's gone, there's no need to worry about him anymore."

They spent three days in Bailu County, visiting all of the dozen or so villages where looms were most concentrated, but found nothing.

Early in the morning of the fourth day, the three checked out and prepared to return to Luzhou.

When they were almost at the city gate, they saw a snack shop. Zhao Shiqing asked Niuqiu to buy some dry food to eat on the road. Unexpectedly, Niuqiu went alone, but when he came back, he was followed by someone, who was the old man.

"Grandpa, why did you leave that day?" Zhao Shiqing said with a smile. She had cheated the old man once, but she also took him in for one night and let him take a hot bath, so they were even.

The old man said: "I just don't accept food given out of pity, that's why I've ended up like this."

The corners of Zhao Shiqing's mouth twitched, but she saw the old man hid his hands behind his back. She looked at Niu Qiu and asked him with her eyes: What's going on?

Loach: "The rice cake that the old man is holding is the one I just bought."

It’s a good idea to not accept food given out of pity.

Seeing through Zhao Shiqing's trick, the old man simply took the rice cake and started eating it. Zhao Shiqing was slightly stunned. The old man was obviously very hungry, but he ate the rice cake in a very polite manner.

She recalled the first time she met Chen Guanyue. At that time, Chen Guanyue was dressed as a street urchin, but he ate a bowl of wontons with elegance and nobility.

Of course, she later learned of his identity: the second son of the Princess's Mansion. Although he was born out of wedlock, he had grown up in the mansion since childhood and was well-versed in etiquette and rules.

But who is the old man in front of me?

The loach was drinking water. Seeing the old man eating rice cakes, he kindly handed over the water bag and said, "Drink some water, don't choke."

The old man glanced at the water bag but did not reach out to take it. Zhao Shiqing actually saw disgust in his eyes.

Is he disgusted with the water bag?

Is it because it’s dirty?

Yes, the water bag is from loaches, and loaches drink directly from their mouths. The old man thinks loaches are dirty.

Zhao Shiqing was speechless. This old man was so poor that he had to live in someone else's doorway, yet he still complained about other people's dirtiness. He didn't know whether this was being particular or not.

"Grandpa, where is your home? We are leaving the city now. If it's on our way, I can give you a ride." Zhao Shiqing said. After all, he was the one who was tricked into the toilet by her, so it was only right for her to help him a little. It was just a piece of cake.

The old man finished his last bite of rice cake and looked at Zhao Shiqing: "Since you treated me to rice cake, I will forgive your disrespect that night."

Zhao Shiqing: "Just treat you to rice cakes? I even invited you to stay at the inn that night."

Old man: "There is such a thing? I don't remember it."

Zhao Shiqing......

"Where is your home? We'll take you there." Zhao Shiqing said.

Old man: "Where are you going?"

Zhao Shiqing felt there was no need to hide this, so she told the truth: "Let's go to Luzhou."

Old man: "Then I will go to Luzhou. You can take me to Luzhou."

Loach could no longer bear it. The second lady said a few polite words, but the old man took it seriously. He was going to Luzhou. Why didn't he say that he was going to the capital?

Zhao Shiqing's gaze fell on the old man's feet. This time she saw clearly that Ling Bo was not wrong. Although the shoes on the old man's feet had exposed his toes, it was still possible to see that both the workmanship and the fabric were of top quality.

"Okay, then I'll take you to Luzhou, but can you ride a horse?" Zhao Shiqing asked.

The old man's eyes lit up: "I can ride!"

Zhao Shiqing said to Niqiu, "After we leave the city, go to the government post and rent him a horse."

Loach said distressedly: "Renting a horse at the government post is very expensive. You have already spent enough on him."

Zhao Shiqing smiled and said, "It's okay. Just keep a record of it for him and let him pay it back later."

She looked at the old man: "You can pay it back, right?"

The old man nodded: "I will definitely be worth ten times as much..."

He suddenly remembered what Zhao Shiqing said that night about not getting rich with eighty cents, and hurriedly said, "I will repay you a hundredfold."

The four of them left the city together. Outside the city was the official post station. When they arrived at the post station, Zhao Shiqing borrowed a pen and paper and asked the staff, "How much is the price for renting a horse from here to Luzhou?"

The official at the post station held up ten fingers and said, "First, pay ten taels of silver and take the badge. When you return the horse to Luzhou, you can return five taels of silver by showing the badge."

Zhao Shiqing thanked him and said to the old man, "Forget the money I paid you before. The rent for the horse now is five taels. One hundred times five taels is five hundred taels. Write me an IOU and owe me five hundred taels of silver."

The old man took the pen and actually wrote an IOU for five hundred taels of silver.

Zhao Shiqing asked him to sign his name, but he took out a small seal from his body and stamped it on the IOU.

Zhao Shiqing took a closer look and immediately widened his eyes.

"Who sent you?"

The old man looked puzzled: "Who in the world would send me to do this?"

Zhao Shiqing pointed at the seal on the IOU and asked, "Are you trying to help Xiao Xiaosu piss me off to death and inherit my Fanghe Mountain?"

Who doesn't know that releasing cranes is her taboo?

Because of these two words, she and Xiao Su fought a battle of wits and courage for many years.

The old man said: "Fanghe Mountain? I have never heard of it. Fanghe is my nickname. I am also known as Fanghe Xianweng."

Zhao Shiqing: "You said you have a better name than Fanghe Xianweng. How about this, I will lend you another ten taels of silver, and you can change your name to Guihe Xianweng."

The old man looked at the IOU for five hundred taels and said, "If you lend me another ten taels, then I will owe you one thousand taels, right?"

Do you think I'm a fool?