Chapter 66: Something Strange Is About It; I Suggest You Don't Rush...
The year of Dazhou, the 26th day of the eighth month in the lunar calendar.
As dawn broke, the earth was shrouded in a hazy mist, as if covered by a light silver veil.
With a creak, the wooden door opened, breaking the silence of the courtyard. Su Mang came out of the room and went straight to the kitchen.
Today is the official opening day of Qingming Pavilion. People are in high spirits when they have a happy occasion. Su Mang's smile has been on her face since early morning. She is beaming with joy and smiles.
As the morning mist gradually dissipated, a pale white light appeared on the eastern horizon, and the dawn's rays slowly began to unfold, gradually enveloping the entire courtyard in a soft glow.
As Fu Yun opened the wooden door and came out of the room, Cheng Jincheng also came out of the dilapidated house.
His face was clean and refreshed, and he no longer covered his mouth and nose with a face mask.
Last night, before going back to bed, Fu Yun reminded Cheng Jincheng that he no longer needed to wear a mask and that she would never let anyone take him away. Even if he was not present at the time and was eventually taken away, she would definitely get him out afterward.
As Fu Yun said, Cheng Jincheng has already removed his face mask.
From a man's perspective, Cheng Jincheng is very masculine. He is tall and strong with full muscles. He is the type who looks slim in clothes but muscular when undressed, a typical male model physique.
His features were actually quite good, with distinct and well-proportioned features. Although he wasn't the conventionally handsome type, he was definitely a model of masculinity, exuding a strong aura of male hormones. His wheat-colored skin gave him a wild and vigorous power.
Fu Yun thought to herself: Cheng Jincheng must have been very popular with women of all ages when he was at the gym.
Upon seeing Fu Yun, Cheng Jincheng laughed heartily and greeted her, "Good morning!"
Fu Yun smiled and replied, "Good morning."
After exchanging greetings, the two went to wash up.
In the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the two of them walked into the courtyard at the same time and stopped next to the temporary exercise equipment that Fu Yun had set up a while ago.
The two robust men exchanged a smile, each choosing a piece of exercise equipment to work out. During their warm-up, they chatted casually, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
They are both in a strange state of excitement. When a person accidentally enters a completely unfamiliar world, they think they are the only one left behind, but they unexpectedly discover that there is another one of their kind.
The two come from the same time and space, share the same nine-year compulsory education background, both come from bustling metropolises, have good family living environments, and their understanding and acceptance of things are not far apart.
In this unfamiliar world, on a journey burdened with responsibilities, having a friend who understands your thoughts and actions is such a rare thing.
From now on, the road ahead will be much brighter. I will no longer have to grit my teeth and walk to the end alone, but will have a partner with whom I can discuss things.
Because her hand was still recovering from an injury, Fu Yun couldn't do any strenuous exercise. She could only do thirty pull-ups with one hand and then sprint in place for more than ten minutes before stopping to rest after getting tired.
He took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing, his gaze falling on Cheng Jincheng as he watched him lift dumbbells. Fu Yun was incredibly envious of the firm, muscular arms on Cheng Jincheng's arms. He glanced down at his own flat, lackluster arms and felt a pang of sadness and shame. He sighed heavily in his heart.
Cheng Jincheng watched Fu Yun's workout from start to finish and was surprised to find that he could do pull-ups with one hand and did 30 in one go: "Brother! You're amazing! I never would have guessed that someone with such a small build could have such strong stamina and endurance."
Fu Yun twitched her lips: "Personal attacks are prohibited!"
Cheng Jincheng retorted, "I wasn't insulting you, I was praising you!"
As he spoke, he clenched his fist, raised it in front of his chest, and encouraged him with a beaming smile: "Keep it up, bro! Stick to exercising every day, and you'll definitely get the physique you want. Sexy, slender muscles are just around the corner."
Fu Yun twitched the corner of her mouth, too lazy to pay attention to this guy who talked without understanding the situation.
He took a few steps to the side and came to an open space, intending to lie down and practice planking for a few minutes.
Just as he bent down to assume a plank position, Cheng Jincheng suddenly spoke up, saying, "I suggest you don't rush into doing planks for now."
Fu Yun looked puzzled and looked up at him: "Why? Isn't the plank exercise good for strengthening your arms?"
Cheng Jincheng replied, "Plank exercises can strengthen muscles, improve physical fitness, and enhance coordination. They also improve posture, boost metabolism, and help burn calories, thus aiding in weight loss. You..."
His gaze fell on Fu Jun's arm, revealing a hesitant expression.
Fu Jun immediately got up from the ground: "OK, I understand, you don't need to say anything more."
It's just that Su Fuyun is currently too thin and doesn't have enough calories and nutrients to support muscle growth.
If you exercise frequently when you don't have enough nutrition and calories, you may not achieve muscle growth. Instead, you may become lighter and lighter, leading to insufficient energy and malnutrition, which can negatively impact your health.
Seeing that Fu Yun's expression gradually became melancholy after hearing his words, and that she seemed a little discouraged, Cheng Jincheng quickly comforted her, "Don't be discouraged. Muscle building and shaping are things that can't be rushed. What you need to do most right now is to increase your nutritional intake, eat more high-quality protein foods, and ensure you get enough sleep to meet the needs of muscle growth. During this period, you are only suitable for moderate aerobic exercise. If you exercise too much, it will also affect muscle growth and will not be conducive to your goal of building muscle."
Fu Yun nodded, knowing that Cheng Jincheng was right.
His personal trainer had previously mentioned that building muscle requires considering one's own physical condition; different people have different fitness levels, so the training methods will also differ.
Cheng Jincheng truly lives up to his reputation as a fitness coach; he possesses exceptional professional skills.
"It's all ready now, are you still busy?"
Su Mang's voice came from the direction of the kitchen.
"It's ready, coming right away."
Fu Yun responded to Su Mang, looked at Cheng Jincheng, and gestured for him to come over and have breakfast together.
Cheng Jincheng's expression became somewhat subtle, as if he felt it was inappropriate: "No need, I already feel bad about staying here, how could I possibly eat your food for free?"
Fu Jun said dismissively, "What does it matter? You'll be one of my top generals from now on. Since I've hired you to help, of course I have to take care of your food and lodging. Do you expect me to let you eat dirt and sleep on the streets?"
Cheng Jincheng hesitated: "But..."
“There’s no ‘but’,” Fu Yun interrupted Cheng Jincheng before he could finish speaking. “If you really feel bad about it, then consider this a loan for your food expenses. I’ll cover it for you first, and you can pay me back when you have an income.”
Cheng Jincheng pondered for a moment and finally agreed to Fu Yun's suggestion: "Okay! I'll pay you back the rent and food expenses together later."
His expression was serious, and his tone was sincere: "I know you are easygoing and carefree, someone who is destined for great things and doesn't care about these trivial matters. But I also have my own principles. Although I am not a selfless and noble person, I am not the kind of selfish person who likes to take advantage of others and only cares about my own interests. If I really had to give a definition, I would barely be considered a model young person with a good moral character!"
After hearing Cheng Jincheng's heartfelt words, Fu Yun felt both amused and exasperated: "Alright! Good young comrade, can we have breakfast now?"
Cheng Jincheng felt embarrassed when he saw the hint of sarcasm in Fu Yun's tone. To others, what he had just said sounded a bit like a peddler praising his own wares. Fu Yun must think he was a narcissist with a high opinion of himself.
He awkwardly touched the tip of his nose, looked away from Fu Yun, and walked towards the kitchen.
After breakfast, it was already fully light, and it was time to go to Qingming Pavilion to meet Lu Zhisheng so we could officially open for business.
Fu Yun, Su Mang, and Cheng Jincheng went back to their rooms to tidy up.
Cheng Jincheng had no luggage at the moment. He simply tidied his worn-out clothes and somewhat disheveled hair, and took his only personal belongings to wait outside the courtyard.
Fu Yun changed into the cleanest and tidiest clothes in her wardrobe, put some loose silver into a money bag and tucked it into her waistband, then wrapped some paper and pens into a small package, slung it over her shoulder and walked out of the room.
When Fu Yun came out, she immediately saw Cheng Jincheng waiting in the courtyard. His clothes were unchanged, indicating that he had not changed his clothes.
We don't know where he originally lived. Did he temporarily squeeze into a beggar's den or make do in a dilapidated temple in the mountains? How did he manage to get three meals a day?
Fu Yun walked up to Cheng Jincheng and stopped beside him, saying seemingly casually, "I forgot to tell you to go back to your place and get your luggage last night."
Cheng Jincheng gave an awkward smile, seemingly embarrassed: "I don't have any luggage."
Fu Yun asked in surprise, "Then how do you manage your food, clothing, shelter, and transportation?"
Cheng Jincheng looked helpless: "We make our home wherever we go, using the sky as our blanket and the earth as our bed. If we get dirty, we find a place with a water source, take a bath and wash off our clothes at the same time. Then we gather some dry branches, build a fire on the shore, dry our clothes, and then wear them again."
Fu Yun: "..." Could this be considered a wilderness survival story?
"Hungry? Shall we grab a fish to fill our stomachs?"
Cheng Jincheng smiled and shook his head: "Of course not, fish are not so easy to catch. You may not have noticed, but there are actually kind-hearted people outside the city every day who give porridge to beggars with missing limbs and poor people who are destitute."
Fu Yun nodded in response: "I really haven't paid attention to it, because when leaving the city, I'm basically always sitting in a carriage."
Cheng Jincheng didn't feel there was any injustice. Although Fu Yun never worried about food and clothing, she suffered different degrees of mental and physical harm.
They're evenly matched, neither of them is happier than the other.
"That's understandable. Different living environments naturally lead to different people around them."
Fu Yun looked at Cheng Jincheng's not-so-thin face and asked, "With your physique, eating only porridge probably won't be enough, right?"
“Yes.” Cheng Jincheng didn’t try to hide anything. “Porridge is indeed not very filling and is easily digested. But it’s good enough to have something to eat. Although plain porridge can’t fill my stomach, at least it won’t make me skin and bones. If I’m really too hungry, I’ll think of other ways to pick some wild fruits in the wild to fill my stomach.”
Fu Yun couldn't help but sigh: "You've come here for no reason, it must have been tough for you."
Cheng Jincheng shrugged, trying to make the best of a bad situation: "I must have dug up someone's ancestral grave in my past life, that's why I'm stuck with such a tragic thing in this life."
Fu Yun reached out and patted Cheng Jincheng on the shoulder: "Don't overthink it, everything will get better slowly."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Mang finally came out of the room, but her mood seemed a little off. She had a smile on her face before she went in, so why did she have a different expression when she came out?
When Su Mang looked up, she saw that Fu Yun and Cheng Jincheng's clothes were covered with morning mist, indicating that they had been waiting in the courtyard for a long time. She immediately felt apologetic, composed herself, and said, "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."
Fu Yun waved his hand, indicating that it was nothing serious and there was no need to take it to heart.
His gaze fell on the overly heavy bundle on Su Mang's shoulder, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Sure enough, he hadn't been wrong; Su Mang must have something on her mind.
She's just opening Qingming Pavilion for business, not going on a long trip. She'll be back after closing tonight. Why is she carrying such a big bag?
The outer fabric of the bundle outlines the shape of the items inside, which don't look like pastries and food, but rather like clothing and jewelry.
However, although Fu Yun found it strange, he didn't dare to ask too many questions in front of Cheng Jincheng.
Men and women are ultimately different, and Su Mang certainly has her own privacy, so we shouldn't interfere too much at this time.
Fu Yun decided to stop thinking about it and simply stepped onto the carriage and climbed into the carriage compartment.
Su Mang and Cheng Jincheng followed him up. Just as Cheng Jincheng got into the car, Fu Yun suddenly remembered that he had forgotten something important: the promotional poster that Cheng Jincheng had hand-drawn last night.
He could only remind them, "Wait a minute, I forgot to bring the poster from last night. I'll go in and get it."
"Don't go, I'll go." Cheng Jincheng reached out and blocked Fu Yun: "I put the poster up last night, so I can find it faster."
Before Fu Jun could respond, he had already jumped off the carriage.
Fu Yun didn't say anything more and let him go.
Taking advantage of Cheng Jincheng's brief moment of entering the house, Fu Yun lifted the carriage curtain, looked at Su Mang's back, and asked, "Su Mang, did something happen to you?"
Upon hearing this, Su Mang immediately turned around, a strange light flashing in her eyes for a moment before she smiled faintly and asked, "Why do you ask that, young master?"
Fu Yun bluntly stated, "You're not in the right state of mind."
Given Su Mang's meticulousness, she would never forget something as important as the promotional poster if she wasn't preoccupied with something else.
Su Mang stubbornly shook her head and insisted, "Young master, I'm really fine, don't worry about it."
Fu Yun stared at Su Mang for a moment, and seeing that she really didn't want to talk, he finally didn't say anything more.
Not long after, Cheng Jincheng boarded the carriage carrying the hand-drawn poster he had finished the night before.
Fu Yun said, "Thank you."
Cheng Jincheng waved his hand and replied cheerfully, "Why are you being so polite with me? It's just a small matter."
As he spoke, he casually leaned the hand-drawn poster against the carriage to make sure it was secure, and said with a cheerful expression, "Alright, let's go!"
"Giddy up!" With a soft shout from Su Mang, the carriage swayed and moved forward.
On the way into the city, Cheng Jincheng was in a very good mood and kept enjoying the scenery along the way.
When I returned to Su Mang's place last night, it was almost dark, and the scenery in the distance was no longer visible.
Since they weren't quite familiar with each other last night, he naturally couldn't occupy the viewing window in the carriage to look at the scenery outside.
Today was different. After several in-depth conversations, he and Fu Yun had become friends, so he didn't need to be as reserved as he was yesterday.
Fu Jun remained silent throughout the journey into the city, seemingly lost in thought, clearly uninterested in the scenery outside.
Of course, it's also possible that he's gotten tired of seeing it so many times.
Since Fu Yun doesn't use the viewing window, it wouldn't be a waste of resources for him to use it, right?
Upon arriving at an area not far from the city gate, Cheng Jincheng immediately spotted the familiar scene of distributing porridge.
"Huh? Why is that kind person here distributing porridge so early today?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Yun's heart stirred slightly, and she rose slightly to move closer to Cheng Jincheng.
Noticing Fu Yun's approach, Cheng Jincheng quickly leaned back to give Fu Yun the best viewing position so that she could see what was happening over there.
Fu Yun's gaze slowly moved forward from the end of the long queue, then stopped at the very front, looking out at the center surrounded by the crowd, where two figures were distributing porridge and steamed buns to the people in line.
The distance was too far to see their faces clearly, but it was vaguely discernible that they were two women.
"Do you know who the two people who distributed the porridge are? Aren't they from one of the major families in Lingzhou City?"
Cheng Jincheng shook his head and replied, "I don't know them, and I don't know which family they belong to. But once when I was queuing, I overheard two people behind me discussing these two women. They said that they heard from others that the great philanthropist who distributed porridge was also born into a poor family. Ten years ago, her elders went to Yinzhou to do business, making a living by running a small cloth shop. Eight years later, the cloth shop had expanded from a small shop into a famous large cloth store, enjoying unparalleled success for a time."
Sadly, the founder of the cloth shop passed away two years ago due to illness. Her dying wish was to return to her roots, so her daughter returned here. She then began a charitable act of distributing porridge outside the city. Her reason for doing this was out of compassion for these impoverished people, unable to bear seeing them suffer from hunger and cold, and wanting to do her part to alleviate their torment of hunger.
Fu Yun frowned slightly and asked, "Are these two sisters?"
Cheng Jincheng shook his head: "It seems not. It is said that they did not know each other two years ago, but happened to meet on the way back to Lingzhou City. The two hit it off immediately and felt that they were old friends. They felt that they were destined to meet. After a deep conversation, they were pleasantly surprised to find that they had the same idea and agreed to do good deeds and accumulate good karma together in this place."
Fu Yun: "..." Why does this sound so strange? She's not a Taoist nun practicing cultivation, so why would she talk about doing good deeds and accumulating good karma?
If they are not sisters, why are the rumors circulating so ambiguous? It seems as if they are deliberately trying to create the impression that the two are as close as sisters, inseparable.
Are there really people in this world who have so much free time that they do good deeds but still remember to gather people into groups and make such a big fuss?
Or is the information circulating about these two incorrect? Is their true relationship not one of deep affection and sisterly bond, but rather a private collaboration where they deliberately stage a facade of sisterly love to mislead the public?
These two people, with their deception and deception, could they possibly have some other unknown purpose, using the guise of charity porridge distribution to cover it up?
The righteous movement has been going on for two years. In these two years, it seems that a lot of major events have happened in Lingzhou City. Could they be related to them?
Regardless, their behavior is really suspicious. We must inform Zhilan about this and have her arrange for someone to investigate it privately.
After the carriage approached the city gate, Fu Jun could no longer see the two people.
He looked away, sat back down, and remained lost in thought.
When they arrived at Qingming Pavilion, before Fu Yun even got off the carriage, Lu Zhisheng had already warmly greeted them.
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