There's a saying that goes, "Having eyes but not recognizing gold inlaid with jade." This perfectly describes Zhao Youliang at this moment.
The four characters he barely recognized were not the author's name at all, but the title of the book.
It's not some "Laozi Xiang'er Zhu" (老子想你着), but rather the "Laozi Xiang'er Zhu" (老子想尔注), one of the three great classics of Chinese Taoism.
It's a classic that has already been lost!
The Laozi Xiang'er Commentary, as the name suggests, is a detailed explanation of the Tao Te Ching.
Legend has it that its author was Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism, also known as Zhang Tianshi, the head of the Four Celestial Masters.
However, there is another theory that the book was written by Zhang Jiao, the leader of the Way of Peace in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.
Therefore, the author of this book remains a subject of much controversy.
Unfortunately, this classic Taoist text has been lost in modern times.
To be precise, the fragments were only discovered in the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang during the late Qing Dynasty.
Because it was taken to Britain by British archaeologists, it is now kept in their museum... Damn!
The copy that Wang Youcai gave to Zhao Youliang through the old man selling Maotai is even more precious.
In addition to his commentary on the Tao Te Ching, Wang Youcai also recorded all the Taoist magic techniques he knew in the book.
Although Wang Youcai was not a Taoist successor, and could even be said to have no connection with Taoism at all, his noble status and long existence allowed him to have an extremely wide range of interests.
......
Time flew by and night fell in the blink of an eye. After closing up his paper-making shop, Zhao Youliang went to help out at the barbecue stall.
By this time, Sister-in-law Yingchun had already found a barbecue chef and hired a waiter, so she was no longer as busy as before.
In addition, feeling sorry for Zhao Youliang who was recovering from a serious illness, they simply didn't let him do any work and just let him sit on the side.
"Quantum, if you're hungry and want to eat something, just ask the kitchen to grill it for you."
"I'm not going to take care of you anymore."
Zhao Youliang nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, and while looking at the various diners, he thought about his own affairs.
Just then, the unlicensed taxi driver, Xiao Li, walked towards us: "Hey, Quantum, you're here too! That's great!"
"Come on, have a drink with me! I was just thinking it's no fun drinking alone!"
"My treat!"
Since someone was treating, Zhao Youliang certainly wouldn't be so shameless as to accept Yingchun's "free meal," and immediately went over with a smile.
"Li Mao, why are you being so generous today? Did you strike it rich?"
Hearing Zhao Youliang's teasing, Xiao Li burst into laughter.
"That's exactly what it means to make a fortune!"
"To be honest, I met an incredibly generous customer today."
"I took him to Mad Dog's Hollow, and the normal price was around 300, but he generously gave me 600."
"That's why I came back late. I'm here to get something to eat now."
As he spoke, Xiao Li pulled the money he had just earned out of his pocket and slammed it on the table with a thud.
"Eat and drink whatever you want, Quantum, it's all on me!"
After hearing what Xiao Li said, Zhao Youliang couldn't help but wonder: Why is it Mad Dog's Hollow again?
Isn't that the place where the mad ghost kidnapped Huang's young master?
Hearing it so many times in one day, is it just a coincidence?
Seeing that Zhao Youliang was neither speaking nor ordering food, but just sitting there blankly, the unlicensed taxi driver, Xiao Li, couldn't help but tease him.
"What's wrong, Quantum? Are you jealous of my good luck?"
Zhao Youliang then came to his senses and replied with a smile, "Isn't it because I'm envious!"
"You know my shop, it's always empty, I don't make much money!"
Seeing Zhao Youliang's feigned annoyance, Xiao Li laughed even harder.
"Your paper-making shop is better off not making any money!"
"If you want to make big money, the only way is for everyone in our town to die overnight!"
Logically speaking, Xiao Li was just joking, but for some reason, Zhao Youliang trembled violently after hearing it.
Then a sinister woman's voice rang in his ears: "Soon...soon, you'll all be dead, hehehehe..."
"Who the hell?!" Zhao Youliang was startled and stood up, looking around.
His actions startled Xiao Li: "Hey, Quantum, what's wrong with you? Why are you so jumpy!"
Still shaken, Zhao Youliang didn't look at Xiao Li, but continued to rummage around, searching left and right.
"Li, Li Mao, didn't you hear anything just now?"
The unlicensed taxi driver, Xiao Li, was taken aback: "A sound? What sound?"
"Does the fart from Fatty Ma behind us count?"
Because the town isn't very big, most of the people who come to eat barbecue know each other.
The "Fatty Ma" that Xiao Li mentioned is the town mayor's son, one of the town's notorious thugs.
Although Fatty Ma was a local thug, he didn't dare to mess with Little Li.
Because Xiao Li is a tough nut to crack, the kind who fights like there's no tomorrow.
This proves the saying: the soft fear the hard, the hard fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless.
Therefore, even when he heard Xiao Li deliberately insulting him, Fatty Ma could only greet him with a smile.
He then sat down at the table with a mug of draft beer in his hand, saying, "Brother Li, you're teasing me again."
"Come, let me toast you."
After finishing his drink, Fatty Ma didn't rush to leave. Instead, he sat down and started sniffing the air.
"Brother Li, can you smell that? What's that stinky stuff?"
After sniffing around, Fatty Ma finally settled his gaze on the money—the six hundred yuan that Little Li had just slapped on the table.
"This money is rotten; it smells like a dead pig!"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li laughed and scolded, "Fatty Ma, have you gotten too big for your britches? How dare you say money stinks?"
"Besides, have you ever eaten a dead pig? And it stinks just like a dead pig... I think you're just like a dead pig!"
Although Xiao Li didn't pay attention, Fatty Ma's words caught Zhao Youliang's attention.
Just as Xiao Li took out the money, he also smelled a faint stench of decay.
Driven by curiosity, Zhao Youliang picked up a piece of paper, held it under his nose, and sniffed it carefully. It really did have a foul stench.
"Oh my god, Li Mao, you didn't rummage through your pants pockets and get money stuck in them, did you?!"
"How could that be!" Xiao Li was clearly unconvinced and, imitating Zhao Youliang, picked up the money and sniffed it.
"I haven't pooped in months... Holy crap, it stinks!"
"Why does it smell so bad!"
Seeing this, Fatty Ma laughed heartily: "Brother Li, you see, I told you you wouldn't believe me unless you listened to the quantum theory."
"Oh, by the way, speaking of money being corrupt, I remembered a story that's related to taxis. Would you like to hear it?"
It's common knowledge that people tend to talk more after drinking alcohol.
Therefore, Fatty Ma didn't wait for Xiao Li and Zhao Youliang to answer and started talking on his own.
"You believe that dead people can take taxis? You don't believe it? Well, let me tell you!"
"A few years ago, there was a taxi driver who worked night shifts... They rented a car and the two of them drove it together to save on car rental costs."
"One day it operates, the next it operates all night..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
