Chapter 66 Accounting
Chapter 66 Accounting
The atmosphere at the scene became eerie for a moment, and even the fire in front of them seemed to jump once and then crackle.
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen couldn't help but look at the old man.
In the past, the old man was the one who disliked Bazhenlou adding people the most.
But right now, it was the old man who took the initiative to invite him.
Although the old man wasn't the owner of Bazhenlou, Wang Sumo certainly wouldn't object if he asked. However, neither of them expected the old man to suddenly bring it up like that…
Weng He was also surprised, then lowered his head and chuckled, "Are you joking with me?"
But when I looked up again, I saw that the person who had unfollowed me was unusually calm and serious, without a trace of joking.
“I’m a big problem…” Weng He said leisurely, but the old man interrupted him, “If you were really a big problem, you wouldn’t have set up a fire by the roadside and warmed up some wine while waiting for me.”
Weng He paused for a moment, his fingers gripping the wine pot, then a knowing smile returned to his eyes. He looked up and sighed, "If you had been this insightful earlier, Ruan Niang would have followed you back then. There wouldn't have been that down-on-his-luck scholar incident, and I wouldn't have ended up with this whole mess. Really!"
The old man's voice was somber, "I'm the one who's fallen on hard times, what good would it do her to be with me..."
Wang Sumo, Bai Cen: →_→
Wang Sumo, Bai Cen: ←_←
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen held their breath, listening intently, from the accountant to Ruan Niang, afraid of missing a single detail.
But the old man suddenly fell silent.
Weng He also looked at the two of them. Wang Sumo and Bai Cen quickly put away their amused expressions and seriously started eating chicken and drinking wine to moisten their throats.
Weng asked in a gentle voice, "Young lady, are you the owner of Bazhenlou?"
Wang Sumo held her wine glass and nodded gently, "It's me."
Weng He looked at her and asked, "What exactly are you planning to do, traveling all over the world with your Eight Treasures Pavilion?"
Although many people in the martial arts world know about Bazhenlou, very few have actually come to Bazhenlou to eat martial arts cuisine. Even among those who have been to Bazhenlou, very few have seen Wang Sumo, let alone know the reason why Bazhenlou appeared out of nowhere. At most, they know that it was built by the Xuanji Sect leader over several years and are amazed by it. How many people would really investigate the purpose of Bazhenlou?
It was only after Wang Sumo visited Qingyun Manor that Master He specifically mentioned this place, so it's normal for Weng He to be curious.
Not to mention Weng He, Bai Cen also looked at Wang Sumo with curiosity.
Having been at Bazhenlou for so long, he only had a superficial understanding of it. He also wanted to know why the owner went to such great lengths to drive Bazhenlou all over the world.
Wang Sumo looked at the old man and saw that he nodded to her, meaning he could tell Weng He.
Wang Sumo also spoke up, "My father had a book called 'The Tale of Delicacies,' which recorded all sorts of legendary seasonings. His greatest wish was to collect all the seasonings in this book. After he passed away, my mother took me to continue fulfilling my father's wish."
"One autumn, the autumn rain was bitterly cold, and my mother caught a cold. At first, we thought it was a minor illness, but later the illness struck like a landslide. The things she was doing were very exhausting. We thought she would get better. She said she was a little tired and would be fine after a good night's sleep, but she never woke up again."
"I was completely lost then, and I cried for a long time. I didn't know where to start or who to see. But by chance, I met the leader of the Xuanji Sect. He said to me, 'Girl, I'll build you a carriage that can collect spices along the way so you can do what you want.' And later, as you all know, that led to the Eight Treasures Pavilion..."
Wang Sumo rarely mentions this part.
Firstly, every time the topic is brought up, the origin of Bazhenlou inevitably comes up.
When mentioning Bazhenlou, one must mention Master Yudaozi.
Even though she had tried her best to portray her Uncle Yu Daozi as a man of passion, after hearing her talk about going to find the seasonings for "The Tale of Delicacies," she spent three years building the Eight Treasures Pavilion for her.
However, upon closer examination, it is still full of loopholes.
Therefore, she tries to gloss over the details and avoids going into too much detail.
The old man and Master He were both men of strong character, and they would probably react the same way in such a situation, so they didn't ask any further questions.
But Weng He was shrewd and calculating, and had once been known as the "Ghost-Slayer" in Zhenhu Division. Even if she didn't say it, he should have been able to detect the oversights in her casual description.
There's also Bai Cen.
Although Bai Cen is usually carefree, he is actually thoughtful, tactful, and quick-witted.
What the old man and Zhao Tong might not investigate in detail, Bai Cen might.
Even if Bai Cen understands or realizes something, he won't say it.
Wang Sumo glanced at Bai Cen out of the corner of his eye. Sure enough, Bai Cen was holding a handful of fine sand on the ground, deep in thought.
Instead, Weng He chuckled, “No wonder you joined me in unfollowing, little girl. Driving a carriage to find spices sounds much more interesting than Zhenhu Division.”
Wang Sumo chimed in, "It's interesting, but also has its ups and downs. You have to avoid it when it's windy or rainy, and there are people chasing after the Eight Treasures Pavilion. You have to keep an eye on whether the mechanisms are stuck or the wooden blocks are damaged; you also have to watch out for fire, lightning, and petty thieves and uninvited martial arts figures who might challenge you to a duel outside the Eight Treasures Pavilion..."
"Hehehe!" Weng He laughed heartily after hearing this, as if all the troubles in his heart had been swept away and he had returned to a state of open-mindedness.
"Old Qu, you're really living a very comfortable life!" Weng He commented.
The old man couldn't smile; he just crossed his arms and looked at him.
Those who didn't know better would think he was causing trouble at the Zhenhu Division, but in reality, he had been using the Zhenhu Division as a front all these years, living a life of constant danger, as if he were standing on the edge of an abyss or walking on thin ice.
In the end, one still has to protect oneself...
When Weng He saw that he didn't say anything and was just frowning at him, the smile on Weng He's face gradually faded.
The old man said in a deep voice, "Come to the Eight Treasures Restaurant. It has been more than thirty or forty years since we parted at Hongyun Pass. We are both old now, but the dream of the martial world still remains..."
Wang Sumo and Bai Cen both looked at the old man in surprise. These words did not seem like something the old man would say. They were so incongruous and even a little "creepy".
“Old Qu, I’m in trouble now,” Weng He also said in a deep voice.
The old man said, “If you stay in one place, you might be a nuisance to others; but if you travel the world with Bazhenlou, you will no longer be a nuisance.”
Perhaps it was because the old man's words were so insightful that Weng He couldn't refute them for the time being...
Weng He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Over the years, I've caused these martial arts sects no small amount of trouble while I was in Zhenhu Division. If I were at Bazhenlou, these sects would probably treat Bazhenlou like half of Zhenhu Division. Do you really dare to let me accompany you?"
The old man said in a deep voice, "Bazhenlou is Bazhenlou, and Zhenhusi is Zhenhusi. How can they be easily confused? Zhenhusi has Guijianchou because it is in Zhenhusi. Bazhenlou does not have Guijianchou."
Weng He looked at him.
The old man slowly propped himself up and said, "We've had our wine and chicken, and we've caught up. If you want to leave, then leave now, but there won't always be a horse left for you."
Weng He's gaze lingered slightly.
"Girl, Xiaobai." The old man called out, and Wang Sumo and Bai Cen both stood up.
Wang Sumo hesitated for a moment, glanced at Weng He, and then looked at the old man.
Bai Cen first bowed to Weng He, a gesture of farewell from a junior to a senior in the martial arts world.
Weng He frowned, his cheeks flushed red from the fire, but his gaze remained fixed on the old man for a long time...
"Let's go." The old man got into the carriage first, followed by Wang Sumo and Bai Cen.
"Master." Bai Cen called out softly to Wang Sumo. Wang Sumo looked at him and asked, "Master, shall we leave now?"
Bai Cen was in a dilemma.
After all, the old man was clearly angry, but he had invited the ghost... Old Master Weng along. Although Bazhenlou was owned by the owner, the owner would definitely respect the old man's opinion in this matter.
Wang Sumo was also in a dilemma.
Bai Cen sighed softly again, "Should we leave the horse with Old Master Weng for now? I'll go to Huzhen tomorrow to buy a horse before I leave?"
Wang Sumo kindly reminded him, "If you dawdle a little, the others will catch up."
Bai Cen: "..."
Wang Sumo leaned closer, "Or, why don't you think of a way to get Grandpa Weng into the car?"
Bai Cen blinked.
Wang Sumo smiled, "You can do it, Xiaobai~"
Bai Cen was in a bind. Nevertheless, he got off the carriage. Weng He saw him turn back after leaving and looked at him with a probing gaze.
Bai Cen took a deep breath, then slowly squatted down next to Weng He, and said sincerely, "Senior Weng, there is something I'm not sure if I should say?"
Weng He chuckled and exposed her, "If it's not meant to be said, you won't open your mouth."
Bai Cen coughed lightly twice, clenched his fist, nodded, and said, "What the senior says is true. I would like to tell you that there is no need to calculate so clearly."
Weng He stared at him intently.
Bai Cen smiled and said, "Actually, Master He of Qingyun Manor was also at Bazhen Tower before. Later, he met an old friend and left temporarily. Maybe he will come back one day, or maybe he will never come back."
Weng and others looked at him with curiosity.
Bai Cen continued, “Senior Weng, there’s no need to be so calculating with Bazhenlou. When fate brings us together, we get on the train and travel together for a while; when fate ends, we get off. It has nothing to do with personal feelings or morality, it’s just fate.”
Weng He neither agreed nor disagreed, but reached out and stroked his beard.
Bai Cen continued, "The Eight Treasures Pavilion is lit up at night. If you've ever seen it, you'll know that it's dazzling and exquisite. Moreover, each lantern was left by a companion who had spent some time with us at the Eight Treasures Pavilion. Aren't you curious about such a place, Elder Weng?"
Weng He narrowed his gaze slightly, looking at him with increasing scrutiny.
Bai Cen sighed softly, "I just got on the train too. I'm a handyman at Bazhenlou, oh, and also a guard. I don't know how long I'll be staying at Bazhenlou, but this trip here has been quite pleasant."
Bai Cen seemed to have thought of something and suddenly smiled.
Weng He didn't know if he had heard or not, but he just smiled and said bluntly, "You like Miss Wang, don't you?"
Bai Cen: (｀Д)!!
Bai Cen lost his balance and was caught off guard by Weng He, who chuckled and said, "Young people are so interesting. I haven't been an accountant in a long time. It wouldn't be bad to see how long I can work as an accountant at Bazhenlou."
Bai Cen's eyes lit up with joy, "Senior Weng has decided to go?"
Weng He looked at him, then reached into his belt and pulled out half of the jade pendant. Bai Cen was slightly taken aback and tried to take it back, but he didn't have time.
Holding the half of the jade pendant in his hand, Weng He's smile gradually faded. "Young man, who is Cen Wenting to you?"
Bai Cen was surprised, but as clever as he was, he had expected the other party to ask this question, and it was impossible to hide it from him.
Bai Cen whispered, "My father."
Sure enough, Weng He's eyes showed a rare sense of relief, "Heaven rewards those who persevere. My trip to Shanhe Town has actually led me to find Wen Ting's son."
Bai Cen looked at him in surprise.
Weng He swallowed softly, “Bai Cen, you should call me Master Uncle.”
Bai Cen was slightly surprised, "Senior Weng?"
Weng He shook his head, his face full of the smile of an elder. "Wen Ting was my teacher's closed-door disciple, and I was closest to him. He deeply inherited my teacher's teachings and was highly regarded by him. If he were still alive, he would have long been a pillar of the court. What a pity..."
Weng He reached out and patted him on the shoulder, sighing, "Ah Cen, I will teach you everything Wen Ting didn't have time to teach you."
Bai Cen: "Uncle?"
Weng He was clearly much happier. "Your father and I are different from that guy who unfollowed me. That guy was a country bumpkin, but your father is a top scholar..."
Bai Cen has a big head.
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