Chapter 126 Licking the Bowl
Chapter 126 Licking the Bowl
Here at the makeshift accounting office, Wang Sumo watched Zhang Youjin's figure disappear into the distance, her heart filled with a multitude of emotions.
Seeing her so engrossed, Old Master Weng glanced at her a few times, then casually asked, "Do you know Zhang Youjin from the Golden Escort Agency?"
Wang Sumo smiled and nodded: "It's a long story."
Wang Sumo also asked, "Do you know Grandpa Weng?"
Old Master Weng rearranged the abacus, calculating the numbers again as he spoke, "Years ago, he registered the Golden Escort Agency in Zhenhu County. I was there at the time, and seeing how young he was, I wondered if it was reliable for someone so young to register a martial arts sect. He gave me a whole bunch of hype, saying that his escort agency would one day rival the Golden Might Escort Agency and so on..."
Wang Sumo laughed; there was such a twist.
Wait a minute, Wang Sumo realized, "He didn't recognize you just now?"
Grandpa Weng paused in his abacus calculations, looked up at her, and asked, "What do you think?"
That means they recognized it.
Wang Sumo leaned closer: "I don't think I heard you guys talking."
Grandpa Weng said slowly, "The escort business is easy to do, all you need is passion, drive, fearlessness, and the ability to endure hardship; but it is also difficult, the world is so big, with all sorts of people and things, far more complicated than the martial arts world."
"Having been in this business for so long, the escort agency's business has gradually grown from a rarity to a thriving success. He's no longer the impetuous young man with only a burst of energy. He's become more composed and has a deeper understanding of human nature."
"He knew I recognized him, but I didn't greet him specifically. He understood perfectly. True friendship is like water, pure and simple. This child is intelligent; given time, he will surely achieve great things."
Grandpa Weng's tone was full of praise for Zhang Youjin.
Wang Sumo smiled wryly, a sigh escaping her lips. Who could have imagined that years ago, Zhang Youjin was just a good-for-nothing bandit on a mountain stronghold? Since meeting Liu Henshui, the two had journeyed together, and their lives had taken a turn for the better…
Fate is truly a wondrous thing.
The Zhang Youjin that Liu Henshui encounters is a younger version of himself, and the Zhao Tong is a younger version of himself.
Helping others is like helping yourself.
Wang Sumo recalled the beggars in the dilapidated temple and Chen's words.
There are fine woods and ordinary woods in this world. They can't be made into fine woods for carving beams and painting rafters. I just want to try to help them and see if they can become ordinary woods again.
At this moment, in her eyes, Liu Henshui and Daoist Liaochen were the same...
Just then, Old Master Weng finished moving the last bead on his abacus, his fingertips stopped, and he slowly said, "Perfectly, I've paid an extra hundred taels of silver."
Huh? Wang Sumo snapped out of her daze: "Who?"
Then Wang Sumo realized: "Zhang Youjin?"
Grandpa Weng picked up the huge silver ingot and looked at it, then sighed softly, "Back then, he wasn't old enough to register for the sect, but he was shameless and refused to leave, even trying to bribe me. I sent him away today, but he'll come back tomorrow. I think this kid is quite interesting."
"He genuinely wanted to open a security escort agency. He prepared a thick business plan to convince me, and I read it carefully. I found that he really understood it and had a plan for how to do it step by step."
"And then?" Wang Sumo felt this was another interesting story.
"Then..." Old Master Weng stroked his beard and said easily, "I told him that he was underage and that even if he bribed me a hundred times, I wouldn't pass. So, don't try to take shortcuts. He was very disappointed and said, 'Then I have to wait another two years? What if the rules change again after two years?'"
"I asked him, 'Life is so long, is there anything that absolutely must be done in this year?'"
Wang Sumo blinked and nodded, saying, "That makes sense, sir."
Grandpa Weng continued, "I kept asking him if there were any problems that couldn't be solved. He told him to leave it to time, and that time would tell him that there was more than one solution to the problem. Perhaps in two years, when he looked back, he would find an even better solution."
Wang Sumo recalled when she took the preliminary design drawings of the Eight Treasures Pavilion to her Uncle-Master Yu Daozi. Yu Daozi said it would take three to five years. If she hadn't waited then, she wouldn't have had the Eight Treasures Pavilion that had accompanied her for so long. So it's true, some problems don't need to be solved the moment they're raised; perhaps time will provide a better answer.
Wang Sumo was deeply moved.
Old Master Weng continued, "I asked him, 'In the past two years, if you haven't established your own security escort agency, are there some things you absolutely cannot do?'"
"He asked me what I meant. I told him, 'I know you've worked at Jinwei Escort Agency for a long time, but that's all you've ever worked for. Does that mean if you take something from Jinwei Escort Agency, it will definitely work for you? Why don't you give yourself two years to try out other escort agencies?'"
"He seemed to understand but not quite, but he was indeed very clever. Two days later, he came to see me and said that he would not bribe me this time. He was going to go to the Dragon and Phoenix Escort Agency to learn from its strengths. He planned to work there for two years and then come back to open his own Golden Escort Agency."
"Heh~" Bai Cen poked his head over at some point.
Wang Sumo reached out and pushed his head away. "So, did he come back two years later? Please continue, sir."
Grandpa Weng continued, "That's why I said this child is smart. In the first year or two, he went to the Dragon and Phoenix Escort Agency, then in the next year or two, he went to the Bashan Escort Agency, and then in the next year or two, he went to the Shuzhong Escort Agency... And so, I saw him again six years later."
"Wow~" This time, it was Duan Wuheng who exclaimed "Wow~".
They're all so incredibly idle, one after another.
But Wang Sumo was extremely curious and couldn't care less about anything else: "Six years later, this escort agency was completed?"
Grandpa Weng smiled and nodded: "Yes, after six years, he came to build the Golden Escort Agency again. I asked him if he had thought it through this time. He smiled and told me that he had indeed intended to stay at the Dragon and Phoenix Escort Agency for two years, but after going there, he found that it was very different from the Golden Might Escort Agency."
"In those two years, he traveled to many places and learned things completely different from those at Jinwei Escort Agency. The two years flew by so quickly that he didn't even realize it. But the more he saw, the more he hesitated, constantly asking himself, 'Is now the right time? Are there any problems I haven't encountered yet?'"
"And so, he suppressed the idea of coming to Zhenhu Division and went to Bashan Escort Agency instead. Bashan Escort Agency was a place completely different from Jinwei Escort Agency and Longfeng Escort Agency. Here, he felt as if he truly understood the underlying logic of the escort agency."
"But that's not enough. In the past two years, he has reviewed the problems, bottlenecks, and advantages of several escort agencies. He would think about how he would do it if he were in charge. In this way, he was no longer in such a hurry to do something, and went to Shuzhong Escort Agency again."
"Oh~" This time it's to fetch the old man.
The old man wasn't much of a gossipmonger, but as someone with experience, he sometimes enjoyed listening to the stories of young people. At least, he found Zhang Youjin rather agreeable. Besides, the old man had met Liu Henshui before, so he naturally felt a certain respect for Zhang Youjin.
"He worked at Shuzhong Escort Agency for another two years. With the experience he had gained before, he did very well during those two years. The head of Shuzhong Escort Agency wanted to keep him, but he told the truth that he also wanted to make a name for himself and establish his own escort agency."
This time, it's Jiang Yutang.
Unlike the others who would exclaim "Wow!" or "Oh!", Jiang Yutang simply walked calmly to the group without making a sound. However, her bright red dress and high ponytail were already quite eye-catching.
As for gossip, everyone at Bazhenlou has a knack for watching the excitement.
Grandpa Weng continued, "That's why I say this guy is smart. Over the years, he has learned how to do things and, more importantly, how to be a person. He was able to leave and open a security escort agency with conflicting business interests, and he even became sworn brothers with the chief镖头 of the Shuzhong Security Escort Agency. The start-up capital for opening the security escort agency was even given by the chief镖头 of the Shuzhong Security Escort Agency."
"Wow~" This time, everyone was surprised.
Grandpa Weng stroked his beard again: "So, you need to be good at doing things, and you also need to be good at dealing with people. You need to be able to stand up to your competitors in the business world to this extent. Do you think a security escort agency run by such a person would be trustworthy?"
The group nodded in agreement.
"And so, the Golden Escort Agency was registered. Zhang Youjin told me that he finally understood that time would solve many problems, and sometimes, problems that are not in a hurry to be solved will have better answers. He has become very calm, mature, and reserved."
"So," Old Master Weng said, returning to the large wad of silver ingots in his hand, "charging him an extra hundred taels for this meal isn't too expensive, is it?"
Bai Cen was the first to jump out and respond: "Not expensive! Not expensive! Absolutely not expensive! With Uncle Weng personally instructing us, even ten thousand taels wouldn't be expensive, let alone a hundred taels!"
The old man looked down on him; he was a sycophant.
But even sycophants have their supporters; for example, Duan Wuheng wholeheartedly agrees.
The old man glared at him: "Don't you all have anything to do? Look at Zhao Tong! Go, everyone!"
Bai Cen, Duan Wuheng, and Jiang Yutang quickly packed their bags and left.
Wang Sumo couldn't suppress her laughter.
The old man also said to Uncle Weng, "You too, why are you saying all this? We're closing up shop tonight, isn't that enough for you to talk about!"
Grandpa Weng: "..."
Okay!
Wang Sumo went back to the kitchen to get busy.
The guests at Bazhenlou Restaurant paid their bills and left one after another, and the candied hawthorns in the kitchen were also delivered out one after another.
It was a busy, fulfilling, and enjoyable day.
It was an experience I had never had before.
Sure enough, Grandpa Weng was right. How would we know if we didn't try?
Moreover, with more staff, she got to know more people and things who dined at Bazhenlou.
For example, today I heard Mr. Weng talk about Zhang Youjin.
The Zhang Youjin described by Grandpa Weng and the Zhang Youjin described by Liu Henshui seem to be two completely different stories.
Life's encounters are sometimes so wondrous; meeting different people brings about different changes...
Wang Sumo recalled the time when only the old man and she were at Bazhenlou, but now, it was truly lively and bustling, with enough food to fill a large table.
After seeing everyone off, Bai Cen and Duan Wuheng began serving dishes to the octagonal tables on the first floor of the Bazhenlou restaurant; it was time for their meal.
While Wang Sumo was tidying up candied hawthorns in the kitchen, she overheard Duan Wuheng saying to Bai Cen with some concern, "Mother said she was coming to see me today, why hasn't she come yet? Is something wrong?"
Yes, Wang Sumo also remembered that Duan Wuheng said his mother would come to see where he was working as a helper, but he didn't see her.
Bai Cen responded with something, and Duan Wuheng nodded, "I'll go back and check on things after I finish eating."
Lost in thought, Wang Sumo looked up and saw a little girl hiding behind a big tree some distance away outside the kitchen window. She was cautiously looking at the brightly lit Bazhenlou restaurant with curiosity, nervousness, and panic, but of course, she was also very hungry.
Wang Sumo had never seen her before; she must be a child from Meishan Village nearby.
Wang Sumo looked at his hand. After tidying up, he found he had an extra string of candied hawthorns. He thought for a moment and then beckoned her over.
The other person was slightly surprised, and looked around again. There was no one else there. She was sure that Wang Sumo was calling her. She thought about it and realized that he must be curious and a little scared at the same time, so he was trying to come here little by little.
She has a pair of clear and bright eyes, like stars in the night sky.
Wang Sumo had never seen such beautiful and clear eyes. Wang Sumo leaned out the window and handed her the candied hawthorn in her hand: "This is for you. It's a candied hawthorn. It's very sweet and delicious."
Having probably been hiding behind the big tree and watching for quite some time, and having seen many people eat it, she wasn't worried at all. Instead, she looked at the candied hawthorn that Wang Sumo handed her, swallowed carefully, and said softly, "My mother said that I can't take things from strangers."
After saying that, he didn't forget to swallow.
Wang Sumo was amused and replied truthfully, "Your mother is right. She's worried you'll run into bad people, but I'm not one of them. Bazhenlou will be staying here for a few days, so I'm stuck here and can't leave."
She rattled off a whole bunch of things, and it seemed the little girl didn't understand, but she believed her.
"So, you're not a bad person, can I eat you?" The four or five-year-old girl was really innocent and cute.
Wang Sumo nodded firmly: "Yes!"
"Thank you~" The little girl stood on the stone outside the kitchen window, tiptoed to get the candied hawthorn, took a bite and was delighted by the sweetness: "So delicious~"
"I'll be there tomorrow too, you're welcome to come and eat tomorrow," Wang Sumo said sincerely.
The little girl thought for a moment and said, "But I don't have any money."
Wang Sumo thought for a moment, tore a page from the small notebook where Duan Wuheng kept records, then heated the spare chopsticks on the stove to extinguish the ashes, and used the carbonized chopsticks to write—an invitation card.
“Here, those with invitation cards can eat for free,” Wang Sumo said to her.
The little girl laughed: "Then I'll come again tomorrow."
Wang Sumo watched the figure skip away, feeling indescribably good. It was as if so many unexpected good things happened every day, such as seeing a cute child.
*
After a long day, everyone ate quite a bit for dinner.
Duan Wuheng went back to see his mother, and the rest of the group reviewed the day. They realized that they weren't really tired; at most, they felt fulfilled.
Wang Sumo wanted to stay here for a few more days, but there might not be enough supplies. Bai Cen and Zhao Tong said that they would go back to Meizi Town early tomorrow morning to buy supplies and cook two meals. Zhao Tong nodded and had no objection.
Old Master Weng had been making a good profit all day. Even excluding Zhang Youjin's hundred taels, it seemed like today's harvest was quite good, mainly because Old Master Weng had appropriately "premiumned" certain tables.
After dinner, Bai Cen went to walk Wei Wu and Wei Meng, while Wang Su Mo rested her chin on her hand, thinking about what dessert to make for tomorrow. She had already given out invitation cards, so she had to make something unique.
Got it!
And so, after a diligent day of business, the little girl came again, and this time Wang Sumo left her a bowl of sesame paste.
"Wow, what is this?" The little girl's eyes were full of curiosity.
Wang Sumo patiently explained, "This is called 'Mani,' made by grinding roasted black sesame seeds with glutinous rice into a paste, adding maltose, and then mixing it with boiling water. Does it taste good?"
"It's delicious!" the little girl exclaimed happily, looking at her with curious eyes. "You're such a kind person!"
Wang Sumo couldn't help but laugh: "That's such a high compliment!"
The little girl picked up the bowl of spicy sauce, tilted her head back, and drank the whole bowl of spicy sauce down. Then she licked her lips and the bowl, looking incredibly cute.
"Are you coming again tomorrow?" Wang Sumo asked her.
She put her hands behind her back, a little embarrassed, and asked, "Can we do it again?"
“Of course.” Wang Sumo rested his chin on his hand and looked at her. “Come tomorrow, and I’ll make ‘lactose dumplings’.”
The little girl's eyes lit up: "Great!"
But then she frowned and said softly, "Tomorrow might not be possible. I need to visit a friend, and I might not be able to come back so soon."
Wang Sumo glanced at her. Was she her friend?
Wang Sumo didn't make things difficult: "Then go see your friend first, and come back the day after tomorrow."
"Aren't you leaving the day after tomorrow either?" The little girl was overjoyed.
Wang Sumo nodded.
"See you the day after tomorrow~" The little girl skipped away.
Bai Cen stepped forward with his arms crossed: "We've been feeding this little girl for two days now..."
Wang Sumo recognized the voice immediately and didn't hide it: "Yes, she lives in Meishan Village. I saw her secretly looking here that day, so I gave her a string of candied hawthorns."
Bai Cen: "I guess a lot of people have come to Meishan Village recently. The children don't know what's going on, so they're running around and looking everywhere."
Wang Sumo: "What an adorable little kid, with eyes like stars in the night sky."
Bai Cen smiled; such a comment meant he genuinely liked it.
Bai Cen: "By the way, boss, we've been to Meizi Town these past two days. Brother Zhao and I are discussing going to Meishan Village tomorrow to see if there's anything new or interesting, otherwise we'll just be dealing with the same old stuff..."
Wang Sumo agreed: "I'd like to go too."
With so many martial arts practitioners arriving these past few days, what's the state of the tiger threat?
Logically, those who went into the mountains on the first day should have already returned.
"Shall we go together first thing tomorrow morning?" Bai Cen asked.
Wang Sumo nodded.
Bai Cen leaned closer to look at the bowl the little girl had just put down, and exclaimed in admiration, "She really likes it! She even licked the bowl clean! We should really thank her on Yu Tang's behalf!"
Even though he was joking, Wang Sumo couldn't help but smile, feeling quite pleased.
Bai Cen smiled, and after laughing, he casually mentioned, "The old man came to Meishan Village before, and it seems he has some unresolved issues. These past two days, when the business is closed, he often sits alone on that cliff over there, lost in thought. Do you want to go and take a look?"
Wang Sumo has been busy with various matters these past two or three days and hasn't had time to look after the old man.
"Is it still there?" she asked.
Bai Cen nodded: "Yes, I've been sitting here for quite a while."
"I'll go take a look."
[Author's Note]
Guess who the little girl's best friend is?
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