I can't do it. I can't take him away...
Brother Zhou!
Wen Zichuan chased him for a few steps, but the terrain of the porcelain kiln area was complicated, and Cheng Sizhou disappeared, and he could not find him.
They hadn't seen each other for such a long time, nor had they communicated on the phone or sent messages. He was not sure how Cheng Sizhou would view him. Was he disgusted by his avoidance and escape, or had he let go of the past and was no longer a stranger to him?
If it was one of those two, then why did he stand outside the crowd, look over, and then run away without a word? Could it be that he, like me, just wanted to take a sneak peek and not disturb each other?
Wen Zichuan was tormented by chaotic thoughts and unknowingly followed the crowd to the Yu Family Porcelain Factory.
The porcelain factory is not big, with various porcelain-making tools spread out on the ground. Yu Ming is busy working inside, wearing a dusty apron. His naturally cold face makes it seem as if he doesn't take anyone seriously.
"It can't be repaired." He glanced at the porcelain vase and came to the conclusion.
"Can't be repaired? How could it be impossible?" the craftsman was anxious. His family's porcelain-making skills had been passed down for seven or eight generations. They could replicate it closely, proving the shape was correct. It was just that the original was an antique, with exquisite patterns and glazes. He was worried they might ruin it with their careless work. "Don't think we don't know. You're the apprentice of Master Jiang the Lantern Master. What strange things haven't you repaired? I don't think it's impossible to repair it, but you've become so skilled that you look down on your fellow villagers and don't want to repair it!"
After Yu Ming returned home, he had to comfort the depressed Xu Yang, take over the porcelain factory from his father, and later had to take care of Cheng Sizhou. He was extremely busy and got used to staying at home, and would never get involved in things that he could avoid.
But so many people came today. They heard that he was a disciple of Jiang Yunli, and they all wanted to see his real kung fu. He didn't know how to refuse this matter.
Wei Jing was wearing sunglasses and had his hands behind his back, looking like he was watching the fun. Seeing that the craftsmen were unable to hire Yu Ming, he coughed lightly, made a "five" sign with his hand under his elbow, pressed his middle finger on his index finger, and leisurely turned it around twice.
When the craftsman saw this, his pupils shrank. Judging from what the big boss said, did he want to take away his heirloom for five million?
Seeing his moral blackmail failed, he had no choice but to plead softly, "Hey, young man from the Yu family, we're all porcelain makers in Jiqing Town. Aren't we all relatives going back three generations? When you were away, your father injured his hand, and I even carried firewood for your family! If you help me make up for it, I won't let your work be in vain. I'll give you 50,000! No, 100,000 for your hard work! What do you think? Is that sincere enough?"
Wen Zichuan, standing nearby, scoffed at the thought. He thought, "What a brilliant calculation! Mr. Wei even offered 300,000 for a replica, let alone the real thing? He gave Yu Ming a paltry sum, showing a complete disregard for Master Zhou's craftsmanship."
"One hundred thousand isn't a small amount! Why don't we just give him the compensation?"
"Yes, the boss of Renda is here. If he likes your craftsmanship, you won't have any trouble selling your products!"
"Hey, why aren't you talking? Is it because you haven't mastered the skills yet that you're afraid to take it?"
The spectators around him were all talking and making noises, but Yu Ming remained silent, his knuckles clenched so tightly that they were turning pale and blue.
Wei Xiaoming didn't understand the excitement in front of him and nudged Wen Zichuan with his elbow: "Zichuan, do you know him? This can make money, why doesn't he want to take it?"
Wen Zichuan certainly understood that Yu Ming and Cheng Sizhou, two of his fellow apprentices, were extremely serious about the task of restoring cultural relics. Just as Cheng Sizhou refused to flatter Wei Jing in exchange for compensation, Yu Ming must also be hesitating whether he could make money with the skills he learned from Master Jiang.
"You're right. I'm not very skilled, and I've already left the Lantern Museum. I won't be repairing anything again..."
"I'll make up for it." Before Yu Ming could finish his words, a person suddenly emerged from the crowd and interrupted him loudly.
Hearing this, Wen Zichuan felt a tingling sensation down his spine. Half of his body was hidden behind Wei Xiaoming, but his eyes passed through his shoulder and saw the person who was speaking clearly.
This glance almost met his, and Wen Zichuan lowered his head guiltily, only daring to glance at her secretly with the corner of his eyes, as if he was afraid of being seen by him, but also afraid that he didn't see it.
"You want to make up?" Yu Ming frowned and was about to stop him, but Xu Yang who came over grabbed his sleeve.
"I want to make up for it." Cheng Sizhou's eyes were firm, "I won't take his money."
Yu Ming looked back at Xu Yang, then at Cheng Sizhou, and suddenly breathed a sigh of relief: "Okay, you come and make up for it."
"Young man from the Yu family, who is this?" The craftsman had never seen Cheng Sizhou.
"My junior brother, dear." Yu Ming said coldly.
"Oh! It turns out that you are also a disciple of Master Jiang!" The craftsman uttered a few more words and flattered his two brothers. After all, a business that does not charge money but still requires work is a profitable one no matter how you look at it.
The matter of Jiang Yunli was a scar on Cheng Sizhou's heart. Just when he heard others mention it, the light in his eyes dimmed a little.
He was ill and did not have enough mental strength, so he soon stopped caring about what the people around him said or did. He just stared at the pair of broken blue and white porcelain vases without blinking.
Yu Ming said that it would take at least ten days to repair it, and the skills would not be passed on to outsiders. He used this as an excuse to dismiss the crowd who were still reluctant to leave.
On the way back to the B&B, Wei Jing asked Wen Zichuan, "Aren't you going to say hello?"
Wen Zichuan shook his head: "There are too many people, it's inconvenient."
Wei Jing laughed dryly and said, "Then go quietly."
"Why? Do you wish me to—"
"This place is remote, there aren't many paparazzi or reporters. Besides, you won't have many opportunities to meet in the future, so it's better to make it clear as soon as possible."
Yes, although there are many homosexuals in the entertainment industry, no one dares to come out publicly. Moreover, once a coming out scandal is exposed, the only outcome will be being banned and blacklisted. No matter how stupid they are, they will not joke about their bright future.
If Wen Zichuan wants to make this quick money, he has to submit to the established rules. Just as Mu Qi reminded him, if he wants it all, he may end up with nothing.
In the next two or three days, Wei Jing no longer asked about the porcelain repair, but instead made it a vacation, taking them to eat farm food, go boating, fishing, and pick lotus seeds, and they had a great time.
During the day, Wen Zichuan had to put on a smile and accompany him shopping, eating, and playing. At night, he walked alone and finally arrived at the Yujia Porcelain Factory.
"Sorry to bother you." Seeing Yu Ming busy, he felt a little sorry.
"It's okay, I know you will come again." Yu Ming put down the work in his hands and invited him to sit in the yard.
There was a stone table and a stone bench in the courtyard. Various tools that had not been put away were placed on the table. The bright lights illuminated the courtyard, which was a bit dazzling. Wen Zichuan chose a seat with his back to the main hall and sat down.
Yu Ming noticed his discomfort and explained, "They're both a little afraid of the dark."
"They" refers to Xu Yang and Cheng Sizhou. Putting people who are in a bad mood in a bright environment may also be a form of psychological therapy.
Yu Ming sat down opposite Wen Zichuan and said, "Ask whatever you want to ask."
Wen Zichuan pinched his fingers for a while, and then slowly spoke after a few seconds: "How is his condition?"
Yu Ming had already prepared the answer to this question: "When he was first brought here, his condition was quite bad. He wouldn't eat or drink, and sometimes he wouldn't even get out of bed. He would break down and cry after just a few words. Xu Yang spent a lot of time every day helping him water the vegetables, dig the mud, and mold the clay, slowly guiding him. Later, we discovered that his inability to concentrate wasn't typical of depression. At least if we gave him paper and a pen, he could sit and paint for an entire afternoon."
After hearing this, Wen Zichuan felt extremely heartbroken. His brother Zhou was such a cheerful and optimistic person. He never imagined that his brother Zhou would suffer from this disease.
What made him feel even more guilty was that he claimed to love him, but left him when he needed love the most.
"I'm sorry." He clenched his hands so tightly that his nails almost dug into his flesh.
"What's the point of apologizing?" Yu Ming's tone was full of helplessness. "Can you take him away?"
"I... take him away?"
"After he was diagnosed, he took sick leave and is recuperating with me for the time being, but he can't stay in Jiqing forever, right? Master's wife said that as soon as he recovers a little, he will have to return to Dengyuan, after all, his work and family are there. Do you want him to go back?"
After two conversations, Yu Ming had made it very clear that the relationship between him and Cheng Sizhou was unacceptable to the secular world. If he had the ability to take Cheng Sizhou away, whether to the far corners of the world or abroad, as long as they were free from the constraints of family, they could stay together for a lifetime; but if he did not have this ability, then he should not provoke him again and should not add to the worries of Cheng Sizhou's mood that was on the verge of collapse.
"I don't want him to go back, but... I can't take him away."
Wen Zichuan's eyes were red, and his heart was filled with a strong sense of powerlessness. He had never been so envious of Wei Jing's attitude towards Wei Xiaoming as he was now. He envied him for having endless money and being able to buy whatever he wanted. It didn't matter even if the other party had nothing, because he had enough ability to support the other party's life and even his dreams.
"Mr. Jiang's condition is getting worse, and the Lantern Museum restoration team is short of staff, so they only approved him for two months of leave. I don't know how much he can recover in two months."
"Yu... Senior Brother." After a moment's hesitation, Wen Zichuan followed Cheng Sizhou's lead and called out, "Excuse me, since Elder Jiang needs care and the restoration team is short on staff, why are you leaving the Lantern Expo at this juncture?"
Previously, Yu Ming explained to Cheng Sizhou that people's gossip in the unit was scary, and after Xu Yang's accident, they didn't want to stay in Dengbo and endure secondary harm, so he left for Xu Yang.
But from the perspective of time, it was actually him who submitted his resignation application first, and then Xu Yang got into trouble. It was just that Cheng Sizhou already had symptoms at that time, but he didn't notice it immediately. Yu Ming's logic is completely untenable.
"Are you blaming me? Do you think that because I left Deng Bo and Deng Yuan and didn't share Cheng Sizhou's burden, he became like this?"
"How dare I blame you? Everyone has their own choices, but since you care about him so much, why did you leave him alone when he was in the most difficult time? I'm not innocent, and neither are you."
"You know shit!"
"I really don't understand, but I won't be a deserter. I will find a way to figure out the whole story. If it's really related to my dad, I will make him pay the price, and then I will apologize to Brother Zhou."
"Who can't boast? You're already a big star, is it necessary for you to worry about this?"
Wen Zichuan was about to retort when suddenly there was a "clang" and the sound of something being knocked over was heard in the room.
Yu Ming immediately stood up and waved at him as he walked, meaning that if you have nothing else to say, you can leave.
Wen Zichuan knew he was an uninvited guest and shouldn't be staying here, but he was also worried. What had been knocked over? Was anyone hurt?
"Well!"
He was stunned for just two seconds when someone suddenly grabbed his arms around his neck from behind. He had suffered losses in this kind of thing before, so without even thinking, he bent his elbow and hit the other person in the stomach!
But when he raised his elbow halfway, he realized that the person's fingers were white and slender, with well-proportioned joints. They were the hands that he had seen and touched countless times, and that had wandered inside and outside his body countless times, and whose fingers had been intertwined with his countless times.
“Brother Zhou…!” Wen Zichuan lost all his strength and allowed himself to be dragged away until he was dragged into some room and fell backwards on the bed with a thud.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
