Carp Talk (Part 4)
After the banquet was over, Chu Mo slowly led Xiao Lin and Mu You out of the Sun Mansion.
After the meal, the two looked miserable and downhearted. After all, they had just heard a piece of shocking bad news - they missed the best opportunity to change the outcome!
"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Mu You was furious.
Ke Chumo spread his hands as if it was a matter of course: "You didn't ask."
Well, indeed, they spent several days trying to save that little bit of money without asking him anything.
But who could have guessed that he was in a good mood this time and didn't charge them any money!
Never mind, they just admitted defeat this time. There should be some chances of a turnaround later anyway.
So, with sullen faces, Xiao Lin and Mu You walked out of the Sun Mansion angrily.
Just as the soles of several people's shoes were hanging above the threshold, a voice came from behind and called out to everyone:
"Boss Chu! Boss Chu, please stay!"
The three of them looked in the direction of the sound.
The person walking towards him from a distance had his robe swaying slightly, and he walked slowly with light steps through the mottled light and shadow in the hall.
Lord Sun's eyes were as gentle as jade, and the corners of his mouth contained a smile. He bowed to Chu Mo and said, "Boss Chu, did you enjoy your meal today?"
Chu Mo smiled without saying anything and nodded slightly.
Lord Sun still had that smile on his face: "Lord Wang Hu, you have honored me with your presence today. Have you had a chance to catch up with him?"
Hearing him mention Wang Hu, Chu Mo raised his lips and asked, "Lord Sun, I have been away from the court for a long time. Now I just run a teahouse. Why don't you come to my teahouse when you are free?"
"Oh hahaha..." Lord Sun laughed and looked up at the sky. "Some other day, I will definitely visit with Lord Jiang some other day. Boss Chu, please save two cups of tea for us."
Lord Jiang? Why is there another Lord Jiang? What on earth did Chu Mo do before?
The less he mentioned it, the more curious Xiao Lin and Mu You became.
But when Lord Jiang was mentioned, Chu Mo's eyes obviously darkened a lot.
He immediately put away his smile and spoke after a while: "Master Jiang, how is he doing recently?"
"The eldest daughter of the Jiang family gave birth to a grandson just two months ago. The child will be celebrating his first full month soon. If Mr. Chu wants to know how Mr. Jiang is doing, why not go to the banquet and see for yourself?"
The more he listened, the more confused he became. Xiao Lin unconsciously took a step closer. Mu You glanced at him and followed him.
"Okay." Chu Mo responded.
But after he responded, he did not argue with Lord Sun anymore, and immediately led Xiao Lin and Mu You away from this dangerous place.
He turned around and left without even saying hello. This is really Chu Mo's style.
Xiao Lin and Mu You were used to it, and so was Lord Sun.
But just as Chu Mo disappeared around the corner with the bunch of grapes in his hand, Lord Sun changed his smiling expression and turned into a sinister one.
He shrugged his nose and muttered disdainfully, "Why are you so arrogant? If you leave the Wang family, won't you just be able to do business? And you still want to go to Lord Jiang's banquet? You've ruined the Jiang family like that, and you're lucky you're not going to die. How arrogant..."
After saying that, he also waved his sleeves and turned back to the house.
Along the way, Xiao Lin and Mu You both looked like they wanted to say something but hesitated.
The two of them tilted their heads from time to time to glance at Chu Mo's expression, but they only saw that he was still eating grapes rhythmically, one at a time, with great energy.
And when he finished eating the grapes, the three of them set foot back on the grounds of Liuxiangju.
Business was still surprisingly good, and the shop assistants were busy and sweating profusely.
I thought I got a good deal and went out for a good meal, but I have to start working when I come back, right?
So, before Chu Mo could even say a word to remind them, Xiao Lin and the others took up the rag and started wiping the table.
Seeing them so self-aware, Chu Mo found it very interesting and praised them casually: "Not bad, you are self-aware."
After he finished speaking, he immediately turned around and walked towards the backyard.
However, after he dropped the grape stems he had been carrying all the way, he suddenly stopped and returned to Xiao Lin and Mu You.
A shadow suddenly appeared before his eyes, and Xiao Lin couldn't help but raise his head.
"Oh, by the way, I received an urgent letter yesterday saying that there was a problem with a shop I own and that I had to go there."
"so what?"
"So I'm asking, do you two want to go together?"
After saying that, Xiao Lin and Mu You immediately stopped what they were doing, stood up and looked at Chu Mo.
Mu You asked, "Where are you going?"
"Wu County."
---
At least there are still three days to prepare something, and it will also allow the Wan family father and son to think carefully about whether this decision is right or wrong.
The next day, Wan Mian went to school as usual. Although he had failed the exam, he couldn't give up on his studies. Besides, how many people had passed the exam twice in previous years? Thinking about it carefully, he didn't feel sad anymore.
In the lecture hall, the teacher sat on a high platform, with ancient books and a pot of tea on the desk.
The teacher was deeply absorbed in his lecture, but Wan Mian's mind had already drifted out the window with the wind.
Now, his mind is full of the way of making money that Wang Hu mentioned yesterday - it is indeed dangerous, but it is indeed very profitable.
He thought about it and decided that there must be some trickery involved. It would be safer to refuse. But... with Wang Hu's methods, could they refuse...
Maybe this time God will bless the Wan family and let them really reap the benefits?
After all, he has been unlucky for half his life, so it’s time for good fortune to favor his family this time, right?
However, his worries kept coming to his mind one after another, and his absent-minded look was caught by someone with ulterior motives.
Just as Wan Mian was still immersed in the chirping of cicadas outside the window, a prickly paper ball suddenly brushed past his face, and the sharp corner scratched his left cheek and caused pain.
"Ouch!"
Wan Mian screamed and covered his cheeks, but he didn't dare to shout, for fear of disturbing the teacher who was immersed in the sea of books.
Turning his head, he saw a few guys sitting behind him winking at each other, pretending to be serious while taking notes and secretly rejoicing.
They looked like weasels that had managed to steal a fat chicken by chance.
Wan Mian looked over and saw that they were even shamelessly rubbing their eyelids, with strange curves at the corners of their mouths and a playful look between their eyebrows.
It was Prince Wang's gang again. Normally, they wouldn't tease the teacher when he was giving a lecture, but this time, when they heard that he had failed the exam again, they would be the first to laugh at him, even though they had failed themselves.
Wan Mian disdained to argue with them. After all, although he was not good at writing, the upbringing ingrained in him made him not to go along with the corrupt others.
However, his days in the academy were not as easy as he had imagined.
Soon, the morning lecture officially came to an end as the sun rose higher.
On weekdays, Wan Mian has long developed the habit of bringing his own lunch, partly to read more books and partly to save money.
In the early morning, Fang Jingyu packed delicious food and told him to take it with him and eat it during the lunch break. She did this every day for more than ten years.
But this is not a good strategy—
The summer heat made it very easy for food to go bad, so Fang Jingyu had to cool the rice down in the morning before putting it in the lunch box.
It was cold in winter, and even though his hands were numb from the cold, he could only force himself to eat the hard food. Sometimes he would put the lunch box in his arms, but he still couldn't withstand the raging cold wind.
If he can endure all these hardships, what else can stump him?
The rosewood business has been bad in recent years, and the family has gradually become unable to make ends meet. Seeing that many servants have been sold one after another, Wan Mian began to understand his father's difficulties.
That day, he opened the lunch box that Fang Jingyu had prepared for him as usual and was about to pick up his chopsticks when suddenly, a black hand rose from the ground and instantly overturned his bowl and chopsticks.
"What are you doing!" Wan Mian immediately jumped up and cursed at the person who was playing tricks in front of him.
Who would have thought that the man had no regrets at all. He folded his hands over his chest, tilted his head, raised his brows, and said arrogantly: "Your food is rotten. It stinks even to me, young master."
"You..." Wan Mian raised his arm slightly, as if to punch him, but suddenly stopped in mid-air.
It was precisely his hesitation that actually emboldened Prince Wang's arrogance.
He was ready to cover his head, and even pulled a few of his brothers to block him in front. He lowered his head and peeked into the gap. Seeing that Wan Mian did not make a move, he immediately straightened up.
Prince Wang flung his arms and legs aside, swaggering over and challenging him provocatively: "What? You still want to fight me? Just you?"
Many times, Wan Mian could not tolerate this person at all, but he was forced to do so. After all, the Wang family was very rich, and even the academy where he was studying was funded and built by the Wang family.
At the beginning, in order to get him into this academy, Wanzhe used a lot of connections and spent a lot of time and effort, and finally with the help of a distant relative of the Wan family, he arranged for Wan Mian to come in.
Therefore, during his years of studying in the academy, Wan Mian did not dare to rest for a moment.
But while he studied hard, many people wasted their time.
Wan Mian didn't intend to argue with him, but quietly bent down, used his fingertips to make claws, and picked up the food that was not yet covered with dirt bit by bit, and put them into the lunch box one by one, thinking that he could wash them in clean water and they could still be eaten.
"What? You're ignoring me?" Young Master Wang seemed unwilling to give up. "Who are you? How dare you ignore me?"
Wan Mian's breathing became heavier, but his reason kept urging him to calm down.
"Speak! Are you mute?"
"I don't want to argue with you."
In the end, Wan Mian still couldn't suppress the anger in his heart and retorted.
But who could have known that it was this retort that directly provoked the deepest dissatisfaction in Prince Wang's heart.
Seeing that Wan Mian still had some ability, he pushed aside the younger brother beside him and strode up to him, looking him in the face with his nose: "Don't bother to bother with us? Who are you? You are just a poor guy whose family has fallen on hard times. How can you have the guts to speak to me like that?"
Wan Mian kept silent.
Prince Wang continued in a sarcastic tone, "It's understandable that poor people have short aspirations."
Wan Mian remained silent, but his teeth were clenched tightly.
Prince Wang openly insulted him, "There have always been stories of humble families producing filial sons and humble families producing nobles. What about your family? You may be poor, but you can't even produce a scholar. You pretend to be noble and study hard every day, but in the end, you still fail the exam? You're really a joke!"
"What about you?" Prince Wang's words were full of sarcasm, and every word struck Wan Mian's heart. "It seems you are not on the list either?"
However, Wan Mian's sarcastic remark didn't catch Young Master Wang's attention. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled up even higher. "I'm different from you. Our Wang family is wealthy and powerful. Our annual turnover alone can support nearly half of the ordinary families in Tianling City. As for you? I'm afraid you've already been unable to protect yourself, right?"
That’s right, the Wang family is so wealthy that it can support a playboy like Young Master Wang; the Wan family is indeed as he said, and is now at the end of its strength.
"So? So you want me to be your lackey for money? Don't dream."
"You really are the most stubborn person I've ever met. I wonder where this temper comes from? When your father came to my house to ask him to enroll you in the academy, he was so humble, bowing his head and lowering his eyebrows. How come you didn't learn anything from him? Could it be that your bad temper is the result of your mother's early death..."
Before Prince Wang had finished shouting, when he heard the words "your mother died a long time ago", Wan Mian's fist rushed uncontrollably towards his cheekbone.
Punch after punch swollen Prince Wang's eyes and shattered Wan Mian's future.
In an instant, the two men fought like tigers, punching and kicking each other. Wan Mian's clothes rolled over, and Prince Wang's jade belt loosened under his suppression.
"How dare you hit me!"
Prince Wang roared, but was unable to stop Wan Mian's continuous punches.
On the side, several classmates rushed forward, some pulled at the corners of their clothes, some hugged them around the waist, trying their best to separate them and stop the dispute between the two.
"Stop it! Stop it now! Stop hitting me! If the Master sees you both, you'll both be in trouble!"
"Stop fighting! Stop fighting!"
“…”
There was a lot of noise all around, but no one's voice reached Wan Mian's ears.
With punch after palm, Wan Mian at this moment returned all the oppression he had experienced in the past ten years to Prince Wang in the form of anger.
"Madman! You madman!"
Prince Wang was obviously furious. He kicked Wan Mian's legs again and again, trying to kick him away, but failed again and again.
Afterwards, during the time when Wan Mian's mind was away from his body, bruises gradually appeared on Prince Wang's eyes, blood flowed uncontrollably from his nostrils, and a crack appeared at the corner of his mouth because his teeth accidentally hit his lip.
"What are you doing!" The teacher's voice suddenly rang out from behind him, followed by unclear footsteps. Then, Wan Mian was forcibly grabbed by the shoulders and pulled away. "How disrespectful! How dare you fight in the academy without permission!"
It wasn't until the Master's deep voice rang in Wan Mian's ears that he regained consciousness. But at this moment, looking at his blood-stained knuckles, he realized that he could no longer go back.
"Master! He was the first to attack!" Young Master Wang staggered to his feet from the ground. Although he was obviously beaten with bruises on his face, he spoke very clearly and repeatedly grabbed the master's sleeves to accuse Wan Mian of his bad behavior.
The Master looked solemn, staring straight into Wan Mian's eyes.
Wan Mian was speechless for a moment and had nothing to say. He silently accepted the charges.
Then, the teacher sighed softly, shook his head, and said, "Wan Mian, you took the initiative and assaulted your classmate. You have no manners at all, and your behavior is truly unbearable. Such behavior is beyond my ability to teach you. Please leave now, and do not come to the academy again!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Wan Mian's eyes suddenly became empty. The only bit of strength he had left was as thin as a cicada's molt and shattered at the slightest touch.
At this moment, he secretly planted a seed in his heart, a seedling that was enough to lift him up and surpass all the money and power in the world. It was called ambition.
After packing up the books, he poured out the food he was about to wash underwater before eating, glanced at the greasy empty box inside, and threw it into a corner of the academy with an indifferent expression.
"You're so stupid! How could you do such a thing!" Wan Zhe, who had just seen Wan Mian at noon, cursed without hesitation after learning what had happened. "That's the best academy in all of Tianling! Now that you've been kicked out, where can I find another good academy for you?"
"Then go somewhere else! Why do you have to stay in Tianling?"
Wanzhe never expected that Wanmian would talk back.
Then he frowned and asked, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
But Wan Mian felt that he had never been so clear-headed. "Just as Lord Wang said, we'll accept the mission and leave for Wu County tomorrow!"
"Are you crazy? You know..."
"Dad! We have nowhere to go! This Tianling Mausoleum has no room for us!" Wan Mian's eyes were red with anger, "How about we go to Wu County? Let's run away to a place where these beasts can't find us and start over, okay?"
Wanzhe's mouth twitched. He looked at his son's pleading eyes and felt a pang of pain for a moment.
He swallowed, his lower lip bitten until it lost its color.
“Okay… okay…”
Thinking back to what their son had gone through, all the past events suddenly turned into unwillingness, forcing the two to take risks and fight to the death.
But fate is like the sea, inconsistent on the inside and outside.
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