Carp Talk (V)
After returning from outside together, Wanzhe and Wanmian hurriedly packed up their things.
Fang Che was very confused when he saw this. Even though Wan Mian asked him to help pack the bags, he kept asking while folding the clothes, "A Mian, what are you doing?"
But Wan Mian still didn't stop. While counting the items, he told him everything that had just happened.
Unexpectedly, Fang Che was horrified after hearing this. He quickly dropped the clothes he had just folded and grabbed Wan Mian's shoulders tightly: "A Mian, you must not agree to this! Although I am a rough man and don't understand these things, this pie-in-the-sky deal is definitely not a good thing!"
Fang Che knew there was something fishy going on, so how could Wan Mian not understand it?
But he still chose to take this path, even if it was a gamble.
"I know this is definitely not a good thing." Wan Mian took the clothes from Fang Che's hand and folded them up himself. "But wealth and honor are sought through risk. Maybe after this experience, I can get a chance."
"But...but the risk is too great! It's easy to lose both your money and your life."
"No, at worst I'll just give Lord Wang away and we'll both be dead and buried."
Every time Fang Che said something, Wan Mian would retort. In short, he was determined to go down this road of no return.
After trying to persuade him back and forth for a long time, seeing that Wan Mian was still stubborn, Fang Che didn't know what to say anymore, so he just said, "No, let's be safe and not take this job."
"I'm going!" Wan Mian violently yanked Fang Che's hand away, the veins on his forehead bulging, each one expressing his dissatisfaction. "We've run out of options, Che. Guess why I'm going to the workshop to help out? It's because there are only a few elderly carpenters left in the workshop; the others have all run away! You know my family's current situation. Do you really think the silver Lord Sun gave us can support us forever? After paying the craftsmen, there's not much left!"
Suddenly, Wan Mian's roar broke their quarrel. After an unknown shattering sound, only silence remained for the two of them.
Fang Che's heart ached, and he said earnestly, "A Mian, as long as we live a little more frugally, we can get by in the future..."
"Why not make money? I wasn't born to live a hard life."
Wan Mian's coldness immediately frightened Fang Che.
This was the first time he had lost his composure in all these years. Fang Che understood his feelings, but he couldn't comprehend them.
"Ah Che, don't you understand? We...we have no choice but to take this path. Maybe...maybe if we do things well, we can hide the truth from the world. When the deadline is up, we'll quit, and I'll start a new business and live a peaceful life. Then we can retreat unscathed, away from the secular world and officialdom, huh?"
Fang Che looked at his childhood playmate in front of him. Deep fear was revealed in his eyes. Fang Che immediately understood his helplessness, but sadly, he had no idea what to do about it.
The next day, Wang Hu sent someone as promised, asking Wanzhe to set off for Wu County.
For this reason, Wanzhe dismissed the servants and maids around him, and Wanmian only left Fang Che and Fang Jingyu.
The father and son stood in front of the door, still knowing nothing about this road.
But the road is full of unknowns and also full of temptations.
They watched helplessly as the door of this old house where they had lived for decades was closed, and their hearts occasionally skipped a beat with the sound of the copper lock on the wooden door being fastened.
The horse was urged onto the road by the reins, raising a cloud of dust along the way.
The journey was long, crossing the north and south, passing through all kinds of places. After half a day's journey, it started to rain, and the raindrops hit the leaves, making a beautiful rain song.
The groom could only wear a straw hat and a raincoat and try his best to control the reins in the rain.
In the car, Wanzhe sat next to Wan Mian. The father and son, who usually seemed to be very close to each other, felt choked at this moment.
"Dad, what are your plans after arriving in Wuhu County?" Wan Mian's question broke the solemn atmosphere.
Wanzhe straightened himself, tilted his head back, closed his eyes, and replied, "We'll take it one step at a time."
"Do you really think this is a good opportunity? I don't think Lord Wang is giving us, a father and son with no connection, a chance because he's really interested in the Wan family's business."
"It seems you expected this."
Wanzhe opened his eyes when he heard Wan Mian's whisper and turned his head to look into Wan Mian's eyes.
"We must be in great danger on this journey, or we may be bearing disaster for Lord Wang, but we still don't know what it is."
"Since you already know you're going to be a scapegoat, why are you still going?"
"Go, you must go..." The determination in Wanzhe's eyes turned into helplessness in an instant, "Classes are static. Our path to scientific research is blocked for merchants, so we can only rely on the powerful."
"Mian'er, you don't understand the difficulty of this, but you can think about it carefully. We can't support the family business if we stay in Tianling. Going to Wu County can not only make money but also have the support of powerful people. Although it is dangerous, it is also an opportunity."
Wan Mian didn't know how to respond.
"Merchants are just like the carp in our pond. They don't know whether they're hungry or not. They just swallow all the food they see. They eat whatever the owner throws at them. In the end, they can't resist their greed and eat more and more until their stomachs burst and they die..."
Wanzhe sighed softly and turned to Wanmian again, frowning slightly. "Isn't our fate like this too? Lord Wang is the master, and we are just the fish begging for food in the pond..."
I don't know if it was the shimmering car curtains lifted by the wind and rain, or the faint light of the rainy day shining into the car, but Wanzhe's eyes were filled with mottled white light, and his half-covered pupils expressed endless melancholy.
As the horse's hooves stepped into one mud puddle after another, splashing water, the groom realized that the rain was too heavy.
He pulled the rope, opened the curtain, and said to Wanzhe, "Master, the rain is too heavy, and it's getting late. Why don't we find an inn to stay in and continue our journey tomorrow?"
Upon hearing this, Wanzhe slowly stuck his head out and looked outside.
The raindrops had covered the surrounding scenery with a layer of white mist, and made a rustling sound when they fell on the wheels.
Seeing this, Wanzhe agreed and followed the coachman's advice to find an inn to spend the night.
After a simple dinner, Wanzhe and Wanmian washed up and went to bed.
However, even in the inn, Fang Che and Fang Jingyu still served them well.
After Wan Mian fell asleep, Fang Jingyu tucked in the corners of the quilt for him. In the room where they were alone, she couldn't help but look at him a few more times. Then she tiptoed with the washbasin and quietly closed the door for him.
But when she just passed the corner of the corridor, she bumped into Xiao Lin who appeared out of nowhere and spilled the water in the basin all over her.
Fang Jingyu panicked and hurriedly knelt down to wipe her with her clothes, muttering "I'm sorry, miss. I'm sorry, miss."
Xiao Lin is kind-hearted and cannot bear to see others bowing down to her.
So when Fang Jingyu squatted down, she also leaned over to help him up, repeatedly comforting him: "It's okay, it's okay."
In fact, Xiao Lin's appearance was by no means accidental.
After following the Wan family's carriage for a while, she saw the Wan family father and son driving off the main road, so she begged Chu Mo to follow them and stay at this inn for one night.
Chu Mo was still thinking, but his thoughts were disrupted by Mu You who followed him.
"Boss Chu, Boss Chu, please!" Mu You swung his arms and pleaded coquettishly with his throat clamped.
Unable to bear his disgusting behavior, Chu Mo finally let go.
From then on, Xiao Lin squatted in the corner, watching Wan Mian's every move, waiting for the opportunity to talk to him.
But who would have thought that instead of waiting for Wan Mian, he met Fang Jingyu.
She held Fang Jingyu's elbow, exposing her wrist.
In the dim candlelight, Xiao Lin accidentally caught a glimpse of several red spots on her wrists caused by mosquito bites.
After thinking for a while, she took out an exquisite little ball from her waist and handed it to Fang Jingyu.
"This is a mosquito repellent ball, a gift from my boss. I'm not particularly attracted to bugs, but you seem to be quite attractive to them. You probably need it more than I do."
"No, no, absolutely no!" Fang Jingyu hastily pushed Xiao Lin's hand away, panic written all over her face. "It was me who wet your clothes, young lady. How could I shamelessly accept your gift? This is unreasonable!"
"I'm not a lady, I'm just a waiter." Xiao Lin waved his hands repeatedly to explain, "Besides, firstly, my clothes needed to be washed anyway, and you splashing water on me helped me cool down. Secondly, I spent a lot of money on this little ball, but it's useless. It's a waste for me to keep it with me, so I might as well give it to someone who needs it."
Fang Jingyu stood there in a daze after hearing Xiao Lin's words.
Seeing that she still didn't want to take it, Xiao Lin sighed lightly and forced the small ball into Fang Jingyu's hand.
Fang Jingyu was incoherent for a moment and had to quickly put away the mosquito repellent ball. Then she said, "Miss, are you in a hurry?"
Xiao Lin nodded.
"Where are you going?"
Xiao Lin pursed his lips, looked into Fang Jingyu's confused eyes, opened his lips slightly, and uttered two words - Wu County.
After hearing this, Fang Jingyu looked much more relaxed: "We are going to Wu County too."
"What a coincidence?" Xiao Lin also imitated Chu Mo's usual attitude and pretended to be serious. "My name is Xiao Lin, and I'm glad to meet you."
"My name is Fang Jingyu."
"Well...see you in Wuxian County? If you encounter any difficulties, be sure to come find me! I'm helping out at Liuxiangju, a teahouse."
"Okay! When we get to Wu County, I'll definitely treat you to a meal."
As soon as the words fell, the two of them stretched out their little fingers and made a hook, making an agreement.
After that, Xiao Lin said goodbye to Fang Jingyu.
Thanks to the mosquito repellent balls Xiao Lin gave them, the Fang siblings not only had a good sleep that night, but their simple clothes were also stained with the fragrance of the mosquito repellent balls.
After entering the room, Xiao Lin could no longer control his pounding heart, so he leaned against the door and rested for a while.
Even though they have known each other for more than ten years, Mu You still feels sweet when he sees Xiao Lin's puffy cheeks.
He couldn't help but jokingly said, "Isn't it just to say hello? Why are you so nervous?"
Xiao Lin said nothing.
"Speaking of which," Mu You turned to Chu Mo after not getting any flattery from Xiao Lin, "I thought I could stay in the capital longer this time, but now I'm going on a long journey again."
"The emperor is far away, and only when I leave the capital can I commit evil deeds."
Mu You snorted, then turned and fanned Xiao Lin with a bamboo fan.
Xiao Lin felt a little cooler and recovered a little.
She glanced at Mu You, then at Chu Mo, and doubts suddenly arose in her heart.
In fact, she had wanted to ask for a long time - about Chu Mo.
They were clearly told to rewrite the story, and the protagonist of the story was indeed someone else, but he also seemed to be a character in the story.
A teahouse owner? A government official? Or perhaps he possesses magical powers and is actually a deity?
The more she looked into it, the more frightened she became.
But if she didn't go into details, she would feel uneasy.
So, Xiao Lin took a step to the side with his right foot and asked the question that puzzled him deeply: "Boss Chu... who are you? Or, what are you?"
Chu Mo said nothing, turned away from them, found a chair to sit down, took out a storybook from his sleeve pocket and began to read.
Although she didn't get an answer, Xiao Lin was still unwilling to give up. She continued to ask, "Are you a god or a human?"
Mu You was obviously shocked by Xiao Lin's series of questions.
But at the same time, he was also waiting for Chu Mo's answer.
"And last time in Yunchong, did you see something on the street? Or someone? You usually act like you know everything, but you froze at that moment?"
After hearing this, Chu Mo stopped turning the pages and stood still.
Xiao Lin was very observant and would not miss any clues. Mu You looked around in shock, first at Xiao Lin, then at Chu Mo.
Then, Chu Mo raised his head as the two men stared at him, meeting their indifferent yet sad gaze.
At that moment, the surrounding noise suddenly dissipated, and the chirping of insects at night and the ripples on the surface of the lake outside the store, stirred up by the evening breeze, harmonized with each other.
But this quietness makes it difficult to feel at ease.
Chu Mo looked into their eyes, his eyelashes lowered an inch. He took a long breath and whispered, "I...was already a dead man in that bloody factional dispute that washed the court clean a dozen years ago..."
It was this sentence that completely shocked Mu You and Xiao Lin who were standing there.
In the silent night, the rain was still falling recklessly.
It seems that the sound of rain has cleared away all the noise, making the world especially quiet; but it also seems that the sound of rain is all the noise, quietly covering up all the ugly sounds in the world.
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