Sun Sixin shuddered and said with her hands hanging down, "Manager Liu doesn't usually talk to us subordinates much, so I don't know anything else." This guy is cunning enough; he said this to both clear his name and make his stance clear.
Wu Yong waved Sun Sixin away and said, "Brother Shi Qian."
Shi Qian replied softly, "Yes."
"First, search the area within a few miles to see if you can find those eight people."
"Yes." With that, Shi Qian pushed open the small window and jumped out. The window of the private room was meant for ventilation, barely wide enough for a cat to squeeze through, but Shi Qian moved out with ease. He tapped the tent of a wonton stall downstairs, then leaped to the second floor opposite, clinging to a balcony, before jumping to the adjacent third floor, and after a few zigzags, he ascended to the sixth floor diagonally opposite. He was small and quiet, practically a stray cat.
I cautiously asked Lu Junyi, "If this was really done by that kid surnamed Liu, what are you going to do with him?"
Lu Junyi looked at Wu Yong and said, "Fortunately, Zhu Gui wasn't seriously injured..." I quickly nodded in agreement. Lu Junyi asked for my opinion, "I think we should just cut off his arm?" Wu Yong said, "I think that's fine."
I plopped down on the ground, almost bursting into tears.
Du Xing pulled me up and said, "Look how angry Xiao Qiang is. Don't worry, once we catch him, you'll be the one to do it yourself." I fell to the ground again. Du Xing asked me what was wrong, and I said, "Nothing, I'm just resting for a bit..."
They were a band of bandits, a ruthless killer, a band of ruthless killers with only a year to live. Calling them gangsters would be an insult; they were more ruthless than the Mafia, more terrifying than terrorism, a factionalists whose motto was, "If you don't mess with me, I'll mess with you." Although they always seemed so jovial, they didn't take Zhu Gui's matter lightly. Forty-nine of their heroes were still sitting downstairs waiting for news. As soon as Shi Qian returned with confirmation, they would gleefully go on a killing spree…
I can't live like this anymore, I might as well join the bandits. When the time comes, I'll bring Baozi along. Aren't there many couples on the mountain? Like the Vegetable Garden Mother and Daughter Night Demons, or the Dwarf Tiger One-Zhang Green? Baozi and I will be the 109th and 110th heroes of Liangshan. My nickname is Unhappy, and hers is Brainless.
Fortunately, they were from the Song Dynasty after all. Although they had Spider-Man Shi Qian, they weren't as quick-witted as me—I could find that kid Liu Xuan with just one phone call. So their thinking couldn't keep up. Although Zhu Gui and the others also had phones, they didn't think to ask for someone's number.
I need to figure things out in advance so I don't end up in a passive position.
I shakily made my way down the corridor, leaning against the wall with one hand. I pulled out my phone, found Chen Kejiao's number, and had just dialed when someone slapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and saw Du Xing. He said, puzzled, "Why are you shaking?"
It turned out that my fingers were tapping on the phone. Chen Kejiao's voice came through: "Hello? Mr. Xiao? What's that sound?" Luckily, she had never been a secret agent, otherwise she would have thought I was sending Morse code. This plot was almost like "Infernal Affairs".
I hung up the phone and asked Du Xing where he was. He said, "Song Qing got me a winery, I'm going back to take a look."
"At this juncture?"
"Hey, you mean Zhu Gui's matter? It's a small matter, you don't need me to help."
As soon as Du Xing arrived at the dance hall, he was surrounded by a large group of enthusiastic fans, mostly young women. When they heard he was leaving, they wouldn't let him go. Two female fans with cars almost got into a fight over the right to take Du Xing home.
The heroes were all in the hall. When they saw me, someone invited me to sit down. I saw Lin Chong and headed towards his table. Halfway there, I was stopped by the Ruan brothers and Zhang Shun. These three were hilarious; because they hadn't had water for a long time, their hair was all curly, like they were wearing instant noodles. Zhang Shun said weakly, "Xiao Qiang, don't you even have a well here?" I quickly promised to take them to find water the next day.
When I got to Lin Chong's table, Li Yun opened a bottle of beer for me and handed it to me. He looked around the bar and said, "This bar is too ordinary, nothing special. Especially the decor, it's all the same." It seems he's been to bars quite a bit lately.
I said, "Then what do you think we should do?"
"Four plaques hang at the entrance, with the words 'Reversing Time' written in clerical script. At night, four large lanterns are lit, bearing the inscription 'May wealth flow in.' The waiters here all wear short-sleeved shirts with handkerchiefs draped over their shoulders, and greet customers with 'Welcome!' as soon as they arrive. The shop is filled with rough wooden tables, and a long row of jars is stacked on the counter..."
I asked in astonishment, "This is what you call a unique feature?"
Li Yun said, "This is certainly not a special feature where we are, but what about here? Doing business requires using your brain."
After hearing what he said, I actually found it quite interesting. A retro-style bar? Nowadays, bars are all about individuality and taste. Hiring naked girls might make a little money, but it won't retain regular customers. It's much more attractive to hang straw hats and chili peppers on the walls. And if Li Yun were to decorate this bar, it wouldn't be a simple retro style; even archaeologists would be impressed.
Just then, Baozi stormed over, saying, "What are you doing here? I'm looking for you. Are you coming back or not?" Then she noticed that there were other people with me, nodded to Lin Chong and the others, and asked me, "Are they all your friends?"
Lin Chong and the others looked at me with smiles, and I said somewhat awkwardly, "This is my wife." Baozi took the beer from my hand, clinked glasses with Lin Chong and Li Yun, took a big gulp, and said, "Nice to meet you."
At the table, Lin Chong, Yang Zhi, and their group of leaders all stood up to toast her. In an instant, everyone around them rose to their feet, dozens of people calling her "sister-in-law," "brother's wife," and "girl." Then, a bunch of bottles were turned upside down, and a loud clattering sound filled the air. Baozi was startled and whispered, "Are these all your friends?"
Hu Sanniang jumped up and said, "Are you this boy's wife?" Baozi chuckled. I told her, "Quickly call her Third Sister." Hu Sanniang said loudly, "Just call me Third Sister. I'm actually only 23 years old this year."
Baozi finished a round of toasts, her cheeks flushed. I told her, "You guys go back first. I'll sit with them a little longer. They're all college classmates, and I haven't seen them for years."
Baozi asked, "When did you go to university?"
I said, "The University of Life..."
Chapter Sixty-Four: Leaving No Trace on Water
I said to Baozi, "You take your cousin and the others and go ahead. I might go back at any time."
Baozi nodded and whispered in my ear in a seemingly tender manner, but what she said was, "You'd better watch out if you dare to go bathe with them!" Then she stood up, said goodbye to the heroes, and glared at me as she left. I quickly said, "I will be careful."
Baozi left, and Hu Sanniang grabbed my neck and asked, "What did she say to you?"
I said with a pained expression, "She told me to stay away from you."
Hu Sanniang knew I was in Huqin. She put her arm around my shoulder and said to Lin Chong and the others, "Hey, have you noticed? That girl looks just like my second sister." Everyone nodded and smiled.
I knew she was probably referring to Sun Erniang, so I couldn't help but ask, "Second Sister, you look just like her? No wonder my brother Zhang Qing can't have a proper worldview and values; he's so twisted that he sells human flesh char siu buns." Then I said with a grin, "So you're only 23 years old. Your brother Xiao Qiang is 27 this year..."
Hu Sanniang punched me, leaving a bump on my forehead: "Didn't I tell you? I'm 900 years old this year. Your Xiao family's ancestors for over a dozen generations might have drunk wine with me." She glanced around, then suddenly pointed at the renowned scholar Xiao Rang and said, "That might be your ancestor. Go and kowtow to him." Xiao Rang actually didn't stand on ceremony, pulled up a stool and sat down, saying, "Perhaps it really is. Do you have a family genealogy?" These scholars are so cunning!
I made up a story: "I heard my grandfather say that his father's original surname was not Xiao, but he changed it to Xiao after his stepfather."
Hu Sanniang said, "Then tell me your surname, and I'll find one for you. Today, I'm determined to make you acknowledge your ancestors and return you to your clan."
That's the advantage of having a large group. These 50-plus people have almost every surname imaginable. Looking at their eager expressions, some of them actually wanted to claim me as their thirteenth-generation descendant. I said, "Just by looking at me, you can tell that my ancestors were definitely law-abiding citizens, maybe even from a scholarly or official family. I absolutely have no connection whatsoever with any of you brothers."
The heroes laughed and said, "If all the descendants of officials were like you, we would still be rebelling against Mao."
Only Lin Chong looked displeased, as if his painful memories had been stirred up.
I quickly changed the subject, saying, "Brother Lin Chong, I've made great progress in the spear technique you taught me last time."
Lin Chong's spirits lifted immediately: "Oh, really?" He placed an unopened bottle of beer in front of me and then looked around. I asked him what he was looking for, and he said, "I'm looking for a stick for you. If you can break it, I'll teach you something else."
Hearing him say that, several people nearby also helped to look for one. Xiao Rang asked, "How long of a stick do you need?"