Chapter 14: Lanterns, Half Fate, Half Disaster
"...Young Master, do you think I'm someone who can be patient?"
Shen Zhiwei took the bamboo stick and looked at it, only to see four small words engraved on the stick.
Half fate, half disaster.
The edges of the bamboo sticks were rubbed until they were round and smooth, and the small characters were filled with cinnabar, so deep that it seemed as if blood was dripping from them.
"The donor's fate is peculiar, as if he is under a heavy bondage that cannot be broken by mundane means."
Huiming's voice was clear.
"This sign indicates great misfortune and also great ruin. Karma and calamity are interdependent, fortune and misfortune are interdependent. It all depends on what the donor holds in their heart and what they do. A single thought can lead to bliss, but a single thought can also lead to utter depravity. If one can sever worldly ties, the ancient Buddha with a green lamp may..."
"Maybe we can have some time to breathe?"
Shen Zhi smiled and interrupted him, throwing the bamboo stick back into the stick holder, where it made a crisp sound. "I appreciate your kindness, young master...but I can't eat vegetarian food and can't stand the rules."
Huiming raised his eyes but was not angry. His expression was slightly stagnant, and his words remained calm.
"The donor's heart is open-minded, not common to ordinary people... But if one day the donor finds it difficult to overcome the suffering, although the humble temple is small, it can still accommodate a small boat for temporary mooring."
Shen Zhiwei nodded without saying anything in response. He took out a silver note and placed it under the teacup. He stood up on the cushion, bowed to the Bodhisattva, and turned to leave.
As he stepped out of the temple gate, it was already completely dark. The hustle and bustle and the smell of fireworks hit him in the face. The night wind with moisture slapped his face. Shen Zhiwei turned his head to look at the temple behind him, and suddenly felt that his chest was not as heavy and painful as before.
But her stomach was empty. She didn't touch the vegetarian food in the temple. Now, when the wind blew, her stomach felt a little weak.
She strolled slowly along the long, brightly lit street, her gaze grazing over the dazzling array of restaurants and stalls on either side. Huaiyang cuisine was exquisite, but right now she just wanted something simple and warm to warm her stomach.
Not far ahead, a small shop with a Zhangji Soup Noodles cloth banner hanging on it was emitting the tempting aroma of bone soup. There were a few simple wooden tables outside the shop, and it was quite quiet.
Shen Zhiwei walked over and sat down on a bench in the corner. The shopkeeper, a gray-haired old woman, saw the customer sitting down and hurriedly wiped the table clean. She smiled and asked, "Sir, would you like a bowl of plain noodles?"
"Okay, please." Shen Zhiwei nodded, his voice slightly hoarse after coughing.
The old man was quick and nimble, and soon he served a bowl of steaming noodle soup. The clear broth, thin white noodles, drizzled with sesame oil, and a few chopped green onions floating on the surface, filled the air with an aromatic aroma.
Shen Zhiwei felt a cramp in his stomach and picked up the bamboo chopsticks. Just as he picked up one chopstick, he suddenly heard suppressed struggle and whimpering coming from a dark alley across the street.
The light at the entrance of the alley was dim and blocked by the sundries of several vendors. If she hadn't been sitting in a remote position, it would have been almost impossible to notice.
I saw two burly men, one on each side, dragging a girl deeper into the alley. The girl was young, about fifteen or sixteen, wearing a bright red jacket and skirt made of good material, and looked like the daughter of a wealthy family.
She struggled desperately, but with a cloth stuffed in her mouth, she could only whimper.
The alleyway was bustling with people, lights flickering, laughter blaring, yet not a single person paused to glance. The faintest struggles and sobs were instantly drowned out by the clamor of the crowd.
Shen Zhiwei paused holding the chopsticks, leaned forward to blow away the heat on his face, and tapped the table lightly with his other hand.
Half a step behind him, the air rippled silently, and a dark figure came closer. It was Seventeen.
His voice was extremely low, barely audible: "Sir?"
"In the alley, there are two men and a girl." Shen Zhiwei didn't turn around, his eyes still fixed on the bland face, "Go and take a look, don't let anyone get killed."
"Yes." Seventeen responded, and his figure flashed and slid silently into the night.
Shen Zhiwei picked up a handful of noodles with her chopsticks. The thin white noodles trembled between the chopsticks, dangling from the clear broth. She put it into her mouth. The broth was pork bone broth, obviously simmered for some time, rich but not greasy. The warm broth slid down her throat, temporarily soothing her empty stomach.
After a few bites, she put down her chopsticks, stood up, walked to the busy boss, lowered her head, and raised her voice: "Mother-in-law, please keep this bowl of noodles for me, I will be back soon."
"Oh, okay, take care, sir."
Shen Zhiwei turned around and walked slowly into the narrow alley.
The alley was darker than the entrance, with high walls on both sides. The ray of light above was swallowed up by the thick shadows. Only the street lights in the distance cast a vague halo at the entrance of the alley, barely outlining the contours of the ground and debris.
The air was filled with the damp smell of mold and urine, mixed with a hint of sweet powder.
Deep ahead, the sound of fabric rubbing against each other became clearer, mixed with vulgar curses.
"Behave yourself! If you move again, I'll smear your face!"
"That little girl is quite naughty!"
Before Shen Zhiwei stopped walking, Seventeen's figure had already silently entered.
There were no shouts, no flashes of swords, only the dull thud of fists and feet hitting each other and short groans of pain.
The two strong men didn't even have time to fight back before they fell down like broken sacks, curled up on the dirty ground and twitched.
Shen Zhiwei walked closer, his eyes passing over the two limp figures on the ground, and fell on the girl curled up in the corner.
She was wearing a bright red jacket and skirt. Even in the dark, the material was obviously fine, but now it was covered with dust and wrinkles.
The little girl's legs were too weak to stand up, her body was shaking like a sieve, her hands were on her knees, and her pale jaw and tightly bitten lips were visible under her messy bun.
Not far from her feet, a delicate lotus lantern rolled over. The lampshade was made of gauze, dyed the color of a tender lotus, and the slender ribs of the lamp were obviously a favorite of the girl, who had just slipped out of her hand during the struggle.
Shen Zhiwei leaned over and picked up the lotus lantern. The body of the lantern was stained with mud, but fortunately it was intact, and the thin red string tied to the pole was also intact. It was a style Jingshu would like, and it was easy to get.
The flickering candlelight shone through the lotus-colored gauze, casting a small circle of hazy light at the bottom of the alley.
The halo just happened to cover the girl curled up in the corner.
Shen Zhiwei paused in turning around.
The flickering lights illuminated a pale yet radiant face. The girl, about fifteen or sixteen, had wide-open almond-shaped eyes, still terrified. Beneath her disheveled hair, the tip of her nose was slightly red, and her lower lip, tightly bitten, was bloodless.
That face...
The outline of his eyebrows and eyes was surprisingly similar to hers, only rounder and with a touch of innocence and innocence.
Just saying they are similar is just fooling yourself.
This girl looks almost exactly like her.
Even the very light brown mole under the left eye is located in the same exact position.
Shen Zhiwei's first reaction was that he had encountered a ghost, but then he thought that this was much scarier than seeing a ghost.
"Ahem... young lady," Shen Zhiwei's voice was steadier than expected. She held the lotus lantern forward, its warm yellow light illuminating the girl's tear-stained and dusty cheeks more clearly. "Can you get up?"
The girl suddenly raised her head, tears still in her eyes. The moment she saw Shen Zhiwei's face clearly, her pupils suddenly dilated. Astonishment overwhelmed her fear. Her mouth opened slightly, but no sound came out.
The eyes were crystal clear, reflecting the flickering candlelight and Shen Zhiwei's face, which was as pale as a ghost at the moment.
Shen Zhiwei squatted down in front of her, rubbed his trouser seam with his hand before reaching out to her. Looking at the face that looked so much like his own, he sighed, "Are you hurt? Those...those two bad guys have been subdued. Where do you live, young lady? I'll have someone take you back."
The girl finally came to her senses and hurriedly wiped her face with the back of her hand. She stood up with the help of Shen Zhiwei's hand, her legs and feet still a little weak: "Thank you...thank you for saving my life! My...my name is Lin Chuyu, my home...my home is in the capital...I came to Huai'an with my mother to visit relatives." She paused, and her eyes could not help but glance at Shen Zhiwei's face again, "Sir...you..."
"It's just a small favor. However, Miss Xiaolin seems to have a good family background. Why did you choose to come to Huai'an to visit your relatives at this time? Floods are frequent here. Although the government has put things under control, if something unexpected happens..."
Miss Xiaolin was frightened and her body swayed, barely standing. When she mentioned her family, she tried to straighten her back. "Mother... Mother is from Huai'an. My grandmother is seriously ill, so we had to come. I thought there would be a lot of people during the Lantern Festival, so I came out to see it and then leave, so I didn't bring any servants. I didn't expect to encounter something like this. Thank you for your help, young master."
As she spoke, her eyes couldn't help but glance at Shen Zhiwei's face again.
Shen Zhiwei felt uneasy when she looked at him. He smiled and weighed the lantern in his hand, then stepped aside and signaled her to leave.
"Since you want to thank me, this lantern is mine."
Lin Chuyu's eyes widened, and she didn't react for a moment, staring blankly at Shen Zhiwei. She seemed to want to say something, her lips moved, and in the end she just nodded vigorously, with a slight blush on her cheeks, not knowing whether it was because of fear or something else.
"If you like it, sir... just take it!" She waved her hand, and the hem of her bright red dress swayed with it. "This lamp... I made this lamp myself. It's a blessing for it to catch your eye."
She paused and added softly, "Sir...you are so handsome, more handsome than anyone I have ever seen."
The child is somewhat narcissistic.
Shen Zhiwei didn't know how to respond to her. After a long silence, he raised his chin and pointed in the direction of the alley: "Let's go, my guards will take you back."
How could the secret guard be assured: "Young Master..."
"Do as I say."
"Yes!" Lin Chuyu quickly responded, and bowed deeply to Shen Zhiwei, "Master, your kindness is so great, Chuyu will remember it in my heart! If...if we meet again in the future, I will definitely repay you!"
After she finished speaking, she followed Seventeen, looking back every few steps, towards the bright light at the alley entrance. The bright red skirt disappeared at the intersection of light and shadow, leaving only Shen Zhiwei and the two unconscious gangsters in the alley.
Shen Zhiwei yawned, walked out of the alley to find the yamen runner who was guiding the crowd, told him the whole story, and then returned to the noodle shop.
Seeing her return, her mother-in-law hurriedly brought out the bowl of noodles that had been warming on the stove, and began to ramble, "Sir, you're finally back. The noodles are all clumping together, so I made you a new bowl. We're almost closing up, so I won't charge you any more. The soup is still piping hot!"
The freshly cooked noodles were thin, white, and chewy, the soup was clear, the chopped green onions were emerald green, and it was steaming hot. Shen Zhiwei thanked her and sat down again. She was indeed hungry.
The warm soup slid down my throat, the warmth spreading along my meridians. After finishing a bowl of noodles, a thin layer of sweat oozed from my forehead, and my cold fingertips warmed up.
She ate a little more, a rare occurrence. She put down her empty bowl, took out a piece of silver and placed it on the table, nodding to the shopkeeper: "Thank you, mother-in-law. The noodles are very good."
"Oh, this is too much. As long as you like it, it's good..." The mother-in-law took a look at the silver, stopped her hand that was trying to refuse it, smiled so hard that her teeth were showing, and took it quickly.
After having a good meal and a good drink, she took the lamp and walked forward, avoiding the most crowded river bank, ready to look for Xiao Wangqing and the others.
She walked and stopped, searching among the crowd of people, and soon locked onto her target.
A little further out from the crowd, Xie Mingxu was hunched over, one hand on the backrest of his wheelchair, the other gesturing to the old man at the candy art stall. His pretty face was illuminated by the small oil lamp on the stall, and a little syrup stained the cuffs of his brocade robe, but he didn't care.
Xiao Wangqing in the wheelchair was as quiet as a stone. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes following the copper spoon in the old man's hand. His injured leg was covered tightly with a blanket and rested on the pedal of the wheelchair, motionless.
Shen Zhiwei didn't go over.
Voices, laughter, hawking, exclamations from the drifting river lanterns in the distance... all the noise came over like a tide, and then at the same time retreated a little around her.
She stood in a dimly lit corner not far away, watching silently across the noisy crowd.
Watching Xie Mingxu bargaining with the old man.
Looking at the old man, he shook his head and waved his hands, feeling both amused and helpless.
Xiao Wangqing's profile seemed a little blurry in the dim light.
Look.
At one point while her gaze was lingering, Shi Tou in the wheelchair turned his head without warning.
His sight passed through the swaying figures, through the drifting sweet smell and hot air, through the flickering lights, and came straight towards him.
Suddenly, everything was silent.
The author has something to say:
----------------------
Shen Zhiwei thought
Xiao Wangqing always catches her eye at the first moment
It's also quite scary
The author has something to say:
The male protagonist did not do anything to hurt Xiao Shen except biting her at the beginning. He would only knock over other people.
Silent Beagle
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
