After a long period of rain, the sun actually came out today. The streets and alleys of Mulhe became much busier and more crowded. People rushed out to stretch their muscles and get rid of the musty smell on their bodies.
The cleaning work of Wangchen Tower started early in the morning as usual. There was a lot of work to do today. Master Zhou ordered the servants to take out the sheets and curtains from each room and hang them out to dry. The colorful cloths and gauze were floating between the high and low pavilions of Wangchen Tower, like a festival celebration.
In the side room at the backyard of Wangchen Tower, the only bed was occupied by Shrike, and Xiao Nanhui lay on the soft couch with his legs spread out, sleeping unconscious.
In fact, she hasn't slept well since she left Quecheng.
At first, he was afraid that Xiao Jun would find out that he had run away without permission and send people to chase him, so he dragged Shrike on the road all night; after entering the territory of Huozhou, he was on guard the whole day and looked at everyone as if they were not good people; yesterday he was even more busy all day, and at night he had to climb over the wall and be chased by people. Although Wangchen Tower is not a comfortable home now, at least there is a place where he can sleep peacefully, and he fell asleep and slept until noon.
A rapid knock on the door woke Xiao Nanhui from the chaotic darkness.
She flexed her fingers and felt every joint in her body was stiff. She turned back angrily and saw the culprit staring at her from the bed with one eye open, looking fearless.
The knock on the door came again, even more urgent than before.
She took a sip of the overnight tea on the table and felt that she was about 70% awake, so she walked lightly to the door.
A shadow was cast on the carved wooden door. It looked short and thin.
When Xiao Nanhui opened the door, he was faced with Jin Douer who was about to knock on the door again.
Jin Dou'er's face was covered in sweat, and she was holding a large wooden basin filled with a miscellaneous collection of clothes. She was clearly busy again. She was stunned by Xiao Nanhui's disheveled hair, and seemed unsure how to address him. She stuttered before speaking, "Well, there's a young man outside who wants to see you. He's waiting in the lobby of the building."
As he was speaking, Shrike with messy hair popped his head out from over Xiao Nanhui's shoulder, startling Jin Douer: "I, I have something to do, so I won't disturb you anymore." After saying that, he lowered his head and hurried away.
She blinked, stared at the fleeing figure, then looked down at herself, thought for a while, and suddenly realized something.
This golden bean seems to be a boy.
Shrike yawned, smoothed his curly hair with the half cup of tea left on the table, and said, "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Didn't you say someone was looking for you?"
Xiao Nanhui didn't say anything. She seemed to already know who the person in the front hall was.
******************
After walking through the corridor and turning into the front hall, Xiao Nanhui saw two people standing there at a glance.
Ding Weixiang was still wearing black clothes, I don’t know if it was the same one he wore last night. It was obviously his first time in such a place. He stood straight with his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart.
The person next to him was completely the opposite. He was looking around out of curiosity. Xiao Nanhui noticed that everyone in the building was secretly looking at him.
This is no wonder, people in places of fireworks always pay special attention to beauty.
Zhongli was wearing a thin white gown today, which looked particularly bright among the flying colorful sheets.
Because he was slightly bent over, the clothes outlined an arc on his back. Apart from the Buddhist beads in his hand, he had almost no decorations on his body. But even such a plain outfit made him look somewhat alluring.
He seemed to be aware of Xiao Nanhui's arrival, turned around and smiled, and the heads on the second, third, and fourth floors who were leaning on the railings and peeking in all gasped.
This was the first time Xiao Nanhui saw this man smile.
He had shown something resembling a smile before, but it was only a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth, never reaching his eyes. But now it was different. Those eyes, which had always seemed to be half-smiles, became lively, like a lifeless statue coming to life.
This reminded her of the Buddha statues in Yongye Temple. The people who carved the Buddha statues always had a skill that allowed people to feel the Buddha's gentle gaze no matter from which angle they looked at the statues.
That's the case now.
"Mr. Yao, did you sleep well last night?"
The Buddha began to speak, and she shuddered.
"How did you find this? Didn't we agree to meet at the teahouse?"
"I changed my mind." Zhongli said, and smiled again. Those around him who were supposed to be working could no longer work, and the whole building suddenly became quiet.
This person must have done this on purpose.
Grandpa Zhou, the supervisor, noticed something and came out from behind the clerk. His face didn't reflect the pleasant expression he wore when entertaining guests that evening. He waved the feather duster in his hand as he walked, "You guys sneaked off when I wasn't paying attention. Do you think I've been easier to talk to lately?"
The men and women in the building finally came to their senses, resigned themselves to their fate and went back to their work, returning to the dust and trivialities.
Seeing this, Grandpa Zhou put away the feather duster with satisfaction. He turned around and saw the two people standing in the courtyard. He was also stunned.
Seeing this, Xiao Nanhui quickly stepped forward and explained, "Master Zhou, these two are my friends. I'm taking them to the room to talk. They won't stay long."
Grandpa Zhou glanced at Zhongli Jing, a strange expression on his face. He pulled her aside and asked in a low voice, "Is the one in white really your friend?"
She nodded halfheartedly, expecting Grandpa Zhou to be up to something, but he seemed uncontrollably excited. "Then talk to him and ask if he's willing to work here. I'll waive all his expenses for the first year. He only needs to put up a sign and welcome guests ten days a month, and I'll split the profits 70% with him."
As soon as he said this, Xiao Nanhui couldn't control his distorted facial expression. After a long while, he said tactfully, "Mr. Zhou may not know that my friend is not someone who needs money."
Who would have the luxury of booking a hotel they rarely use for a whole year? It's not just that they're not short of money, they're probably so overwhelmed with money they don't know where to spend it.
Grandpa Zhou persisted, "So what if he's rich? Who would think he has too much money? In my experience, with his appearance, he can easily make a fortune every day." He paused, then added meaningfully, "If this thing works out, I'll give you 10% of the first year's money."
She looked at Grandpa Zhou's eyes, which were shining with seriousness, and swallowed hard: "I'll do my best."
Grandpa Zhou nodded in satisfaction, ending this private conversation. Before leaving, he deliberately winked at Zhongli and smiled, his face wrinkling like flowers.
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