Chapter 65 No one is better at accounting than you
Chapter 65 Nobody knows how to do accounts better than you
We're getting close to Xishui Village.
Wang Sumo also imagined several completely different versions of the Zhenhu Division's Ghostly Sorrow in his mind, and Bai Cen's carriage finally came to a slow stop.
We haven't even reached the village entrance yet...
Just as Wang Sumo was about to speak, he saw a fire in front of the carriage.
It turned out to be an old man setting up a fire by the roadside, with a chicken roasting on it, warming himself by the fire and roasting the chicken at the same time.
A horse was tied to a tree nearby.
What else could it be but the horses of their Bazhenlou restaurant?
No wonder Bai Cen stopped his carriage so easily. The other party was waiting openly by the roadside, roasting chicken over a fire, without making any attempt to hide it.
It seems like they came here specifically to wait for them...
Bai Cen and Wang Sumo exchanged a glance, then looked at the old man together.
The old man stared intently at the face illuminated by the firelight, remaining silent for a long time.
After thinking it over, Bai Cen got off the carriage first.
Regardless, they'll stay here for now. Even if they want the horse back, someone has to go and greet them first.
"Greetings, senior." Bai Cen bowed.
The other party naturally heard the sound of hooves and knew that a carriage had stopped in front of them.
He could still calmly roast chicken by the fire, his gaze serene, his voice gentle, "It's been many years. I've prepared some light wine; come down and have a drink."
Bai Cen turned to look at Wang Sumo.
The two suddenly understood that this sentence was meant for the old man.
The other party came here specifically to wait for the old man...
"Grandpa," Wang Sumo said softly.
The old man seemed to snap out of his reverie, glanced at Wang Sumo, and then looked back at the figure by the roadside, its shadow flickering in the firelight...
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen never imagined that their trip, originally intended to find a horse, would end up here with the old man, waiting for the chicken to roast. The firewood crackled and popped, and the chicken gradually released its aroma.
As the Mid-Autumn Festival approaches, the weather seems to suddenly turn cool after nightfall, with the night wind carrying a chill.
Wang Sumo held the wine glass tightly in her hand. The warmth in the glass, whether in her hand or as it seeped down her throat into her limbs, could dispel the chill.
"Little girl, would you like more?"
Weng He noticed that she had just finished a cup of wine, and the glass was now empty.
Wang Sumo was already quite young, so it was normal for Old Man Weng to call her "little girl." But since she was used to the old man and Master He calling her "girl," and other people rarely called her "little girl," it still sounded a bit awkward at first.
This man was previously known as "the devil's nightmare" by others, but in reality, he seemed to possess the reserved nature of a scholar.
"Thank you, senior." Wang Sumo really wanted to hold it in her hands and warm it up.
A chicken was roasting over a fire, and wine was warming up nearby.
Wang Sumo had never drunk alcohol like this before.
It turns out they were on their way to find the horse...
Looking at Weng He in front of her, Wang Sumo found that he was indeed different from what she had imagined.
Zhenhu Si Guijianchou, what a terrifying name.
But what came into view was a face that, even just by looking at it now, suggested he must have been handsome and refined in his youth. Although his temples were streaked with gray and he carried a long beard, his face exuded a rare wisdom and nonchalance. He was unlike the old man or the old master He.
Perhaps it lacks a certain江湖 (jianghu) spirit, or perhaps it has a different kind of江湖 spirit.
Like a scholar wielding a sword...
Wang Sumo tilted her head slightly to look at Bai Cen, and the feeling was somewhat similar to that of Bai Cen when he was serious.
Bai Cen was also holding a wine glass, looking down at his reflection in it, lost in thought, and remained silent.
Meanwhile, Weng He continued, "I never expected to see you here in Shanhe Town."
Weng He's words were clearly meant for the old man. Wang Sumo and Bai Cen politely refrained from interrupting, simply watching and listening silently.
Now, the horse isn't so important anymore.
Both horses were getting restless from hunger. Horses don't get fat without night grass, so it was time for the old man to feed them hay.
Bai Cen consciously used his hands to help himself up.
A bundle of grain was habitually tied to the outside of the carriage; Bai Cen always paid attention to these details.
Bai Cen went to feed the horses and give them water, while Wang Sumo, itching to get her hands on the roast chicken, took over the task.
I couldn't bear to see that chicken being roasted so carelessly.
Hmm, but after turning it over completely to check the color, the roasting time is just right. The person must have roasted it a lot, at least they're an expert at it...
Wang Sumo glanced at Old Man Weng but remained silent.
"How did you end up in Shanhe Town?" Old Master Qu asked in a deep voice from the side.
Perhaps it was due to the surrounding environment, but the crackling fire seemed to carry a sense of weight and vicissitude, and the leaping flames made people's faces look slightly distorted, as if time and space were being warped.
For a moment, a strange feeling arose in my heart.
So before the other party could respond, the old man added, "Are those people from Shanhe Town looking for you?"
They were old friends after all. With such a big fuss in Shanhe Town, the old man had no idea what trouble he had gotten himself into.
He has always been the most calculating one.
The mess he made was definitely not a small one.
“Not really,” Weng He said, downplaying the issue, and then bent down to retrieve the wine pot.
The old man was annoyed. "Stop beating around the bush!"
Weng He couldn't help but smile.
It must have been a long time since I'd been with someone as impatient as the old man. Amidst the nostalgia and nervousness, a long-lost smile also appeared. I said calmly, "Those people aren't looking for me."
The old man glanced at him. "So how come you just happened to be there?"
The old man thought to himself, "Why can't I believe it?"
The old man really didn't believe it.
There are some people who bring no good fortune when you get involved with them, and Weng He is one of them.
Those who are too good at calculating will eventually find themselves caught in their own trap.
He thinks it's about right.
Weng He drank his wine with a calm and elegant demeanor, saying, "I never said I just happened to appear..."
The old man continued to irritate, "Say it all in one breath, don't you feel uncomfortable if you have to catch your breath?!"
Weng said calmly, "It's not me who's suffering."
The old man: !!!
Who else could it be?
He hates it when someone listens only halfway and then leaves you hanging—that bastard!
Wang Sumo: "..."
Indeed, it seems like the old man is the one who is suffering more. The old man is like someone being led by the nose by the other party, but also someone with a fiery temper that can be ignited at any moment.
Wang Sumo could clearly sense the difference between the two when they first met.
Wang Sumo suddenly realized how much anger the old man had harbored before...
Few people could remain calm and composed while dealing with the old man's volatile temper.
Even Master He cannot.
But the other party can.
Weng He held his wine glass and said leisurely, "I escorted people all the way to Shanhe Town. Those people didn't come looking for me, but I did travel with the person they were looking for."
The old man couldn't help but get angry, "Then you can give it away if you want, but why did you steal our horse?"
Weng Heyou glanced at him and laughed, "I didn't know it was the same horse as you."
Take the old man: →_→
Wang Sumo: "..."
Wang Sumo sighed inwardly. The old man was truly completely under their thumb. If they dug a pit, the old man would definitely jump in and then get furious.
Logically, it is true that at that time, Old Master Weng only saw her, Zhao Tong, and Bai Cen, and did not see the old man, so he did not know that the horse was with the old man.
The old man frowned at him again, "Your whereabouts were discovered? The horses coming and going in Shanhe Town are too conspicuous, so you didn't dare to bring them; in the end, you detoured to Xishui Village, and then saw this carriage at the entrance of the village?"
Weng He glanced at him, then smiled without saying a word.
It is the default.
Weng He poured him wine.
The old man picked up his wine glass without thinking.
The aroma of roasted chicken grew stronger and stronger over the side.
Wang Sumo diligently turned the thick branch used for roasting the chicken. He carried his usual seasonings in his pouch, which he could use to quickly prepare the chicken and make it more flavorful.
The oil dripping from the roasted chicken sizzled in the fire, and the aroma wafted down with each drop.
The aroma and the sizzling sound were so tempting.
The old man couldn't help but swallow hard, then complained, "Since we've already been discovered, why aren't we leaving? What are we doing roasting chicken here!"
The old man muttered something in an annoyed tone.
Weng He calmly replied, “The surrounding terrain is flat, so I can’t ride a horse very fast. I’ll also get spotted and chased. Luckily, I have some experience with riding horses, so I decided to hide the horse in the village. I also made some footprints as a cover, thinking that once everyone left, I would ride away and no one would be able to find me when they came back.”
Weng He raised his wine cup and said with emotion, "Later, when they left, I was about to leave too, but suddenly I saw the three characters 'Bazhenlou' carved on the horse's hoof. I had heard that you had been working at Bazhenlou all these years, and I thought it couldn't be such a coincidence that this was just a horse from Bazhenlou?"
Weng Hefeng drank a cup and then gently put it down.
A night breeze blew by, just enough to illuminate a faint light in my eyes, and I said gently, "But since this is the Eight Treasures Restaurant, and we've run into each other, I think we should wait by the roadside for a while. Perhaps we can catch up with an old friend? And have a drink together?"
"And sure enough, it came true, which means my calculations weren't wrong."
The old man paused, and his anger seemed to have dissipated by more than half in the night breeze.
Many old memories flooded back to me like fleeting shadows. We had fought side by side, one of us covering the rear while the other led Ruan Niang and the little child from the Ruan family out of the encirclement.
At that moment, he turned to look at Weng He and Ruan Niang.
No one knows if that will be the last time they see each other...
But even after Weng He left with Ruan Niang, he still turned back and rushed towards the pursuing crowd!
Countless people, endless blades, and blood that could never be wiped away, but the longer he held people back, the further away Weng He could escape with Ruan Niang.
Such is the nature of human destiny and fate.
He was exhausted and thought he was going to die in the crowd, but he was rescued.
The person who was with him was the leader of the Kunlun Sect at that time, who later became his master.
Long ago, he asked He Wenxue where he should go, and He Wenxue told him to go to Kunlun. Kunlun's palm techniques are unparalleled in the world, and who would have thought that he would end up in Kunlun Mountain by sheer chance.
Those are things for another time...
The old man also picked up his wine cup, downed a cup of warm wine, and said in a deep voice, "Didn't they all go to Zhenhu Division? Why are they still getting involved in the affairs of the imperial court?"
"There's no other way. My student is here, and I have to protect her for a while." Weng He didn't hide anything. "Now that we've traveled this far, my master-disciple relationship with her has come to an end. From now on, the farther I stay from the imperial court, the better."
The old man scoffed lightly, "We've been saying this for decades."
Weng He also laughed, "There's nothing I can do, I have no choice. Even after going to Zhenhu Division, I still couldn't avoid it."
The old man was both amused and exasperated. "You weren't idle at Zhenhu Division either. How did you get the reputation of being the 'Devil's Bane' of Zhenhu Division?"
Weng He shook his head, "I'm ashamed, I have to do something to let others see, otherwise how can I fish in troubled waters in Zhenhu Division?"
"Not touching it now?" the old man asked, looking at him.
Weng He chuckled self-deprecatingly, then his tone suddenly lightened, "My student..."
Take the old man to see him.
Weng He glanced at Wang Sumo, seemingly considering his words for a moment, before saying calmly, "She is Ruan Niang's daughter's daughter..."
The old man suddenly fell silent.
Another long silence followed.
As the old man and Weng He drank together, Weng He looked up and sighed softly, "I've been teaching her since she was little. She's very smart, no less than any man in this world. Even with a difference in status, she has such ambition and will not stop. I helped her along the way. Now, as time goes by, the more I know about her, the further I need to stay away from the high places of the court. The further away from the world, the more secure I will be."
Wang Sumo didn't understand at all.
But the old man should have understood most of it...
"What are your plans for the future?" the old man asked.
Weng He shook his head, "I haven't thought it through. The world is vast, I'd rather stay away from the court and protect myself."
The old man said irritably, "Then why did you make such a fuss!"
Wang Sumo was startled.
Weng He sighed softly, "Even a cunning rabbit has three burrows; someone has to search them all, clear their mind, and then create some kind of corpse to fake your death. Then she knows you're faked, you know she knows you're faked, and she knows you know she knows you're faked, and that's how the matter is resolved."
The old man remained silent.
Wang Sumo: (⊙o⊙)…
However, she seemed to understand.
Weng He reminded her, "Little girl, it's almost burnt."
Wang Sumo smiled and politely suggested, "Why don't we eat first?"
"Okay, okay!" Bai Cen was the first to respond, and the old man glared at him.
...
After a while, the drinking around the fire turned into eating roasted chicken around the fire.
"This roast chicken is so delicious!" Weng He exclaimed.
Wang Sumo replied, "I added seasoning."
Then, laughing, he patted his purse, which was bulging, and chuckled, "Is it full of spices?"
"Yes," Wang Sumo nodded.
Weng He had a faint smile on his face, but he didn't look at Wang Sumo. Instead, he looked at the fire, as if he was thinking of something from a long time ago.
Wang Sumo looked at Bai Cen, who was happily munching on roast chicken beside her.
Wang Sumo suddenly thought that although she only half understood what Bai Cen was saying, she felt that Bai Cen must have really understood, but he didn't say anything and just focused on eating the roast chicken.
Mmm, the roast chicken is delicious! Bai Cen sucked his fingers.
But it seems we missed out on Zhao Tong's place again...
"How about we leave Old Zhao a chicken neck?" Bai Cen asked with a smile.
Wang Sumo looked at Weng He, after all, it was someone else's chicken, but it was obvious that both Old Master Weng and Old Master Qu were thinking about something.
Wang Sumo whispered, "Let's grill it ourselves next time. This chicken neck is someone else's chicken neck. We just ate so much of theirs, it's not good to eat it and then complain..."
Bai Cen also realized, "That's right, give Lao Zhao another chicken leg next time."
Wang Sumo nodded.
As the moon and stars shone brightly, the two spoke quietly. Suddenly, the old man, who had been silent all along, spoke up, "Let's go to Bazhenlou."
around:"……"
Everyone looked up at the old man, their expressions varied and fascinating.
Wang Sumo: (⊙o⊙)…
Bai Cen: ∑( ° △°||)
Weng chuckled softly.
But the old man said with utmost seriousness, "The Eight Treasures Restaurant has always been short of an accountant. In the whole world, there should be no one who can do the accounting better than you!"
[Author's Note]
The unscrupulous merchant has arrived.
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