Chapter 89 Integration
Chapter 89 Integration
It was late at night when Jiang Yutang finished washing the dishes for the first time at Bazhenlou. She saw Old Master Qu sweeping fallen leaves on the floor of Bazhenlou, and Old Master Weng writing and drawing on the account book at the Eight Immortals Table. There was a sense of tranquility and peace in the early autumn.
If it weren't for Wang Sumo diligently fiddling with the seasonings in his treasure chest near the eaves lamp on the second floor, Jiang Yutang would have felt that Bazhenlou had a touch of decline.
On her first day at Bazhenlou, she observed and listened extensively, but spoke very little.
In particular, the grandfather mentioned by the maternal grandmother seemed to be quite different from the old man.
She mostly just watched quietly, not getting too close.
For example, right now, she asked Wang Sumo if there was anything else she needed to do.
Wang Sumo looked at her with a smile, telling her to do whatever she wanted, since she had nothing else to do anyway.
She was slightly surprised.
Wang Sumo sighed softly, "I'm waiting for those two people who led the pig to come back."
Jiang Yutang then remembered that there were still two people at the Eight Treasures Restaurant, and a pig on the road...
Wang Sumo really did have those two people lead the pig all the way back, but they still haven't seen any movement.
Wang Sumo said gently, "When we're not open for business, there's not much to do. You can do whatever you like."
"Okay," Jiang Yutang said softly.
There were also a lot of fruit trees next to the Bazhenlou restaurant. Zhao Tong hadn't used up the fruit wood roasted duck from last night, so they were all tied up and piled together.
Jiang Yutang selected a piece of wood from the pile that was of good quality, size, and feel.
She could do whatever she liked—the only thing that came to mind was carving little wooden figures.
She wasn't much of a talker to begin with, but carving wooden figurines allowed her to stay quiet for a while.
Moreover, carving is the best form of concealment.
She could carve while keeping an eye on the old man from afar. If the old man looked at her, she could simply lower her head and pretend she wasn't looking at him.
But she didn't want to sculpt the old man.
When she didn't know what to carve, "威武" (Weiwu) snuggled up next to her and curled up.
Perhaps it was because she fed it shredded beef that it became affectionate with her on her very first day.
Just when she was wondering what to carve, a little dog came to her door and curled up in front of her.
She doesn't even need to look down; she can see it just by looking down.
While tinkering with her bottles and jars on the second floor, Wang Sumo glanced down at the ground floor.
Dressed in bright red and with her hair tied in a high ponytail, Jiang Yutang sat on the roots of an old tree, slowly whittling the wood with a dagger.
"Weiwu" was curled up in a ball, lying next to the tree root where she was sitting.
One red and one black, one still and one in motion, the colors and the imagery possess an indescribable beauty and harmony.
More importantly, she's finally not the only girl at Bazhenlou!
Moreover, they won't bring back a whole pig all the time...
*
As night deepened, the distant sound of horses' hooves finally broke the silence.
"Grandpa! Grandpa Weng!" Bai Cen's voice could be heard from afar, followed by, "Look what we brought back!"
Wang Sumo and Jiang Yutang both looked up.
Basically, the person was very energetic, the horse wasn't tired much, but the pig was so exhausted that it felt like it had no will to live!
Let it eat, but why make it go on a rampage for a while!
Finally, it stopped, and the pig immediately lay down, refusing to do anything else, right at the intersection.
No matter how hard Bai Cen tried, he couldn't drag him away.
They tried everything – threats and bribes – but the pig remained completely unmoved.
Bai Cen tried pulling, pushing, and even going so far as to forcefully push and shove at him, but nothing worked.
The pig was still perfectly fine and stayed in the distance.
Jiang Yutang frowned as she looked at him: "..."
Zhao Tong went to tie up the horses to the side, just as Wang Sumo had done earlier. The horses returning from outside should be tied up among the horses at Bazhenlou first; this step cannot be missed.
When the horse returns, it needs water and grass.
Zhao Tong probably didn't expect that Bai Cen couldn't handle that pig by himself.
While keeping accounts, Old Man Weng chuckled, "Alright, now pigs are being bought by the head! In a few more days, they'll be sold by the pen. How much will this pen of pigs cost?"
Jiang Yutang: "..."
On the second floor, Wang Sumo should have been used to it by now.
Finally, it was Grandpa Qu who stepped forward to help, as he hadn't finished sweeping the fallen leaves.
Jiang Yutang craned her neck, witnessing for the first time in her life how a pig was frightened into jumping up by a "Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand." Bai Cen then seized the opportunity to lead the pig away quickly and tied it to a tree nearby.
Before Bai Cenxie could even say a word, the old man grabbed a broom and started beating him.
Jiang Yutang: "..."
Bai Cen ran so fast that the old man missed his chance to hit him. He simply threw down the broom and used the Cloud Piercing Mountain Breaking Hand technique.
Bai Cen was chased all over the mountains and fields.
Jiang Yutang: "..."
— When your maternal grandfather was young, he was handsome and dashing, and every move he made exuded the air of a chivalrous hero.
Jiang Yutang frowned unconsciously.
Night had fallen, and although it was still unknown where the old man had chased Bai Cen into the deep mountains and forests, Wang Sumo had already come down from the second floor of the Bazhenlou Restaurant.
"Go to sleep early, we don't know how long this will go on," Wang Sumo said gently.
Jiang Yutang: "..."
Jiang Yutang didn't know how she guessed it.
However, the Eight Treasures Pavilion does seem to be quite different from what I imagined.
"The carriage garden, second floor, outside the carriage, hammocks are all fine." After all, she was a girl, so Wang Sumo brought her along.
Jiang Yutang succinctly replied: "Hammock."
Wang Sumo: (⊙o⊙)…
Jiang Yutang said calmly, "I like sleeping in a hammock."
Perhaps it was the hammock that suddenly brought the two of them closer, but Wang Sumo said enthusiastically, "I have another really comfortable hammock, you can try it~"
Jiang Yutang looked at her and said, "Okay."
...
Jiang Yutang doesn't actually fall asleep very easily.
An unfamiliar environment and unfamiliar people always make one feel uneasy; Wang Sumo deliberately slept in the same place as her, probably because he was worried that she wouldn't be used to it and wouldn't be able to sleep.
The two hammocks were very close together, and Wang Sumo slept soundly in the hammock next to her.
Early autumn has passed, and the nights in the mountains are a bit chilly.
Wang Sumo gave her the thick quilt to use as a base for the hammock, while he himself was wrapped up like a cocoon, but still felt very secure.
This place is clearly the middle of nowhere, which shows that she is never worried.
You can confidently leave the surrounding area to the other members of Bazhenlou.
As night deepened, most of the eaves lamps on the Bazhen Tower were extinguished, leaving only a few dimly lit to illuminate the distance.
A bonfire was also lit in front of the Bazhen Tower, firstly to scare away wild beasts in the wild forests, and secondly to keep warm.
They were well-positioned to sleep, the warmth of the fire directed right towards them, while Zhao Tong slept in a tree further away, where it was much colder.
In front of the fire, Grandpa Weng was leisurely reading a book, with a teapot beside him. He read and drank tea at the same time, turning his night watch into a leisurely pleasure.
The staff at Bazhenlou should take turns on night duty.
Whoever is on night watch will guard the fire.
Today it's Grandpa Weng's turn.
Old Weng turned the pages very softly, and in the desolate wilderness at night, this gentle sound of turning pages inexplicably brought a sense of peace.
Jiang Yutang couldn't sleep, so she simply listened to the sound of Old Man Weng turning the pages of his book and looked around with her eyes open.
The sound of Old Man Weng turning the pages of his book was actually not as loud as the sound of a pig a little further away.
One pig would normally be fine, but Bazhenlou also has a dog.
The dog named "Weiwu" at Bazhenlou is not afraid of strangers. When she came, "Weiwu" came over to play with her and begged for beef jerky; now that the pig has come, it went to play with the pig.
Pigs are naturally wary of strangers, and with "Weiwu" around, they probably feel safer.
It's just that "Weiwu" is too restless. It was taken for a long walk and just wanted to take a nap, but "Weiwu" kept coming up to it, so it couldn't sleep well.
But there was no way to get rid of them.
The pig was restless all night, but it didn't want to chase "Weiwu" away.
"Weiwu" was also busy. It spent the whole night playing around, wanting to play with the pig but afraid that the pig wouldn't like it.
The pig was afraid it would leave, yet also afraid it would get close.
Jiang Yutang: "..."
This spectacle was probably unlike anything seen elsewhere. Jiang Yutang silently observed "Weiwu" and it for a long time, even giving it a name in her mind—"Mighty".
Further away, rumbling sounds could be heard occasionally, probably because the old man was still chasing Bai Cen.
Jiang Yutang took a deep breath and carefully recalled every scene of seeing the old man today. Then she thought more and more that her grandmother might be confused and have remembered the wrong person.
Lost in thought, a gentle, soothing voice came from the fire: "Aren't you going to sleep?"
Jiang Yutang was slightly surprised; he was speaking to her.
She whispered, "I can't sleep."
The voice was very soft, so as not to wake Wang Sumo, who was fast asleep.
Grandpa Weng said gently, "If you can't sleep, come down and warm yourself by the fire for a while?"
Jiang Yutang: "..."
Jiang Yutang still went to the campfire.
The night was still chilly, and the fire was very comforting. Jiang Yutang stretched out her hands, the firelight making them glow red. Jiang Yutang thought of her grandfather's Cloud-Piercing Mountain-Splitting Hand technique...
"Grandpa, you seem to be in good spirits?"
Jiang Yutang didn't ask them directly when they would be back.
Weng laughed: "He's been fishing all day and he's bored."
Jiang Yutang: "..."
Jiang Yutang doesn't talk much, and Weng He could tell at first glance.
On her first day at Bazhenlou, she mostly observed people's expressions and didn't speak or stay with anyone; but just now, she "casually" asked Lao Qu, so it must not have been a casual question.
Weng He knew perfectly well what was going on, but he didn't expose it.
"Here are a few books. If you really can't sleep, you can read one," Weng said, trying to smooth things over.
Jiang Yutang breathed a sigh of relief.
She really couldn't sleep, but she didn't want to chat either. Reading was definitely a way to get through the situation, and she nodded in gratitude.
She randomly flipped to a page; although it was quite dry, she could get into it. She preferred reading to talking.
The two did not disturb each other, and the sound of turning pages was even soft and synchronized.
Zhao Tong glanced at the tree from afar. Although it was Old Weng's turn tonight, he would still be on guard.
From his vantage point, he could see a great distance. He could vaguely discern traces of the old man chasing after Bai Cen. The commotion was one thing, but the old man's care for Bai Cen was another.
Bai Cen had no internal strength left, and could only barely manage some physical skills.
If a person lacks internal strength, they need to be agile in their hands and feet and have physical endurance.
Endurance and physical strength can be trained. The old man chased Bai Cen all over the mountain every day, and Bai Cen never stopped for a single day.
If they were truly threatened, given Bai Cen's daily training intensity, his escape speed, endurance, agility, and alertness would far surpass those of someone with no internal energy whatsoever.
Moreover, this was personally overseen by the old man, so Bai Cen didn't even have a chance to slack off.
It's almost midnight, time to get back.
Zhao Tong withdrew his gaze and looked back at the campfire.
The backs of Grandpa Weng and Jiang Yutang were facing him. He glanced at them briefly and suddenly realized that the way they turned the pages of their books, how quietly and intently they read, and even the way they tilted their heads were somewhat similar...
Zhao Tong suddenly felt quite good, since Bai Cen was keeping the old man company, and there wasn't a single day he was idle.
Old Mr. Weng loved reading, and the scene of Jiang Yutang reading with him inexplicably brought a sense of peace and harmony.
In the past, he and Deyuan lived day by day, without any hope, their lives as bland as water; but now, his mind was full of the hairy crabs that Wang Sumo had mentioned, hoping that after purchasing them in the next town, Bazhenlou would open for business.
Looking forward to slaughtering the pig tomorrow; looking forward to roasting the duck with fruitwood again next time. The heat was not right last time, but it was hard to control the heat the first time.
He was so focused on Heji Knives after leaving Liucun that he forgot about the whetstone. The whetstone in the kitchen was no longer usable after he found it last time, so he'll have to get a new one next time he gets there...
And last time, Eagle Gate chased Bai Cen all the way.
It's not so much about chasing Bai Cen, but rather chasing after Bazhenlou.
But why is Eagle Gate chasing after Bazhenlou?
What's the purpose behind this?
He had never worried about anything concerning the Rakshasa Sect, but now he was seriously worried about the Eight Treasures Pavilion.
Zhao Tong leaned against the tree trunk, arms crossed, and could vaguely see the old man and Bai Cen returning in the distance. De Yuan was right; he would gradually become part of Bazhenlou. He seemed to already be gradually becoming part of Bazhenlou…
Gradually, I could hear the old man's complaints: "Such a big pig, why are you leading it everywhere you go!"
Soon, the old man said in a haughty tone, "Fine! You can ride it!"
Zhao Tong closed his eyes, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly again.
This is so typical of Bazhenlou, and tomorrow looks very promising...
[Author's Note]
Yes, this is the pet pig of Bazhenlou Restaurant; it won't eat those kinds of food...
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