In the end, Tang Chen gave up the idea of settling down in Jiangdu County and her own plan to make money. The reason was simple: this place was not suitable for her. Moreover, she had no talent for business at all.
The gold leaves Yan Shaoqing had given her before seemed like a drop in the bucket to him, but after Tang Chen had gotten to know her better over the past few days, that bag of gold leaves was enough for an ordinary person to have enough food and drink for a long time.
She wanted to travel around first, find a quiet town to settle down in, and then slowly consider her future. She was too anxious right now, and sometimes, being too anxious made it harder to get what she wanted. She didn't need anything right now, so she decided to make the most of it. She might as well travel around, broaden her horizons, and relax.
Even now, she still sometimes wondered if she was dreaming, but sometimes, the truth was right in front of her, and she had to admit it. Her only friend was Su Zhirou, and she couldn't share her fear of the unknown with someone who already carried so much. Since she had no one to confide in, she might as well follow the ancients and express her feelings in nature.
Dawn was approaching, but the sky was still inky black, and the stars were still shining. Tang Chen changed into an old dress, packed her bag, took the dry food and water bag from the waiter, and slowly walked out of the inn.
This was the first time she had seen such a quiet long street. When the city gate opened, she didn't leave immediately, but stood in the middle of the road, taking one last look at the bustling city.
Tang Chen didn't know where he was going, but he had heard people say that there were many legendary beautiful scenery along the Jiangnan Road. After all, he had his own legs, so he decided to go wherever he wanted...
However, Tang Chen had truly overestimated her abilities. She couldn't quite grasp the feng shui and topographical maps of the era, so she simply wandered aimlessly along the main road. Before noon, her eleven-mile bus had run out of gas. Looking at the tasteless steamed bun in her hand, Tang Chen considered turning back the way she'd come. Ah, woman, why are you always so fickle?
Just as Tang Chen was sitting on a large rock by the roadside, preparing to nibble on the shriveled steamed bun with a heroic look on her face, the smell of barbecue suddenly wafted past her nose, and her eyes suddenly lit up again: "What a nice smell, the smell of barbecue!"
Tang Chen stuffed the buns into his bag, sniffing the air as he searched for something to eat, while pulling out his purse. When Tang Chen followed the smoke to the river, he ran into the man from the Su Mansion garden that day.
Before Tang Chen could speak, the man sitting on the small bamboo chair, concentrating on grilling fish, looked up at Tang Chen and smiled: "Miss Tang, we meet again."
"Aren't you Fake Orange? What a coincidence." What a coincidence, she also likes to eat grilled fish. When she smells the aroma, she knows that this little thing must taste a hundred times better than this dry steamed bun!
"Tang Chen" nodded slightly, then lowered his head to sprinkle seasoning on the fish on the fire. He did not forget to interact with Tang Chen, who had taken the initiative to sit down by the fire: "Miss Tang, are you going on a long journey?"
Tang Chen swallowed his saliva and shook his head, "It's not really a long trip. I don't live here anyway. Your grilled fish looks good."
"If you don't mind..."
I was waiting for you to say this. This thing should taste great when it touches steamed buns. Steamed buns, oh steamed buns, you are so lucky: "Don't dislike it, don't dislike it, turn it over, turn it over, the eyeballs are bulging, it should be ready soon."
...Tang Chen ate the grilled fish with a happy expression on his face, praising it non-stop: "Well, this fish is grilled to perfection, and it doesn't seem to have any bones. Is it a catfish?"
"Well, I just met a fisherman and he gave it to me."
Looking at the delicious food in front of him, Tang Chen saw that the host hadn't touched it. After taking two bites, he felt a little embarrassed: "Well, you don't want to eat it?"
"No, I don't really like fish." Actually, it wasn't that he didn't like it, but he couldn't bear to see her eat it directly. But she was a girl after all, so he couldn't say she wasn't. Alas, the chopsticks in his sleeves were already thirsty, so he decided to make do with some steamed buns...
"Oh, then I'll help you solve it!"
...After eating and drinking, Tang Chen asked Fake Chengzi's name. He only said his name was Wang Yanzhou and didn't mention anything else. Seeing that he didn't want to say anything, Tang Chen didn't ask any more questions.
She remembered that last time they were at Zisang Mountain, the Beauty Lamp had mistaken her for him and even called her Valley Master Wang. This Wang Yanzhou, I suppose, couldn't be some minor figure. But then again, his lifestyle was truly enviable.
When Tang Chen returned from washing her hands by the river, Wang Yanzhou lowered his head as if observing the carcass of the fish she had eaten. Looking up again, Wang Yanzhou asked with a playful expression, "Miss Tang, since we're lucky enough to meet again, how about we make a bet?"
Tang Chen's heart skipped a beat. Although he was a little reluctant, he still agreed. After all, people are always soft-hearted when they eat people. "Okay, what's the bet?"
Wang Yanzhou took out a square handkerchief from his sleeve and wrapped his hand, saying, "Let's bet on the number of fish bones we can find, whether it's an odd or even number."
Tang Chen squatted down and nodded in agreement, "Okay, okay, but what if I lose? You can see that I'm a poor man, hahahaha."
"You're an interesting person. You always hope to win when you bet, but why are you saying you'll lose before the bet even starts?"
Tang Chen coughed dryly and said, "I'm preparing myself to lose." I'm doing this to avoid being cheated. I'm unfamiliar with the place, what if I'm sold out?
"I haven't thought about it yet. I'll tell you when the time comes."
"Okay, then I'll bet on an odd number!"
After a while, the two stood up from the ground, squatted down by the river, and began to wash their hands. Everything was over. Although Wang Yanzhou was still smiling, Tang Chen could still clearly see the bulging veins on his forehead: "What do you mean."
Tang Chen didn't answer him immediately. After thinking for a moment, she made a serious decision: "How about this, I'm new here and can't find a free tour guide. If you have nothing to do, why don't you be my tour guide? I can tell you like traveling."
And, even though you don't say it, the Beauty Lanterns are calling you Valley Master. Your real name can't be Valley Master Wang, can it? Looking at your appearance, your aura, and your attire, you're clearly not someone to be trifled with. If I could stay with him for a while, firstly, I'd feel safer with someone to guide me, and secondly, I could trick others into thinking we're familiar. That way, any scoundrels I encounter in the future would have to think twice! This is a sure win, this is truly a lucky break!
Wang Yanzhou didn't say yes or no, but just expressed his opinion: "I can't always be your guide, right?"
Tang Chen quickly added: "If you agree, how about a two-month period?"
Wang Yanzhou closed the folding fan in his hand and said, "...I, Wang, have never regretted a bet, but if I have something to do, I might disappear for a while."
"It's okay. I'll just wait for you. You can be my guide and bodyguard for sixty days."
Wang Yanzhou raised his eyebrows slightly when he heard this. She was taking advantage of the situation and still acting naively. Did she really dare to gamble her own safety on someone she had only met twice? Was she foolish, or was she wise?
"You have a pretty good plan. You even want me to be your cheap bodyguard."
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