I asked, puzzled, "How come... you also know about Yue Fei?"
"Are you going to take me to see those people?"
"Yes, what's wrong?"
Wang Anshi slapped his leg and shouted, "Stop the car! Stop the car!"
I stopped the car and looked at him with a puzzled expression. Wang Anshi kept wiping the sweat from his forehead and muttered, "I can't see them."
"Why?" We're on an overpass right now, and parking isn't allowed here.
Wang Anshi was completely different from before. He chuckled dryly and said, "I... am not really Wang Anshi..."
An ominous premonition slowly grew within me, and I put on a stern face, saying, "What do you mean? What do you mean you're not quite right?"
"Wang Anshi" gave me a lewd smile: "I used to have another name, surname Qin, with the character '桧' (cypress)."
"Qin Hui?"
Qin Hui, in a sly manner, cupped his hands in greeting: "It is indeed I."
"Damn it!" I jumped up from my seat, grabbed my bag, and yelled, "What are you doing back here? Haven't you had enough of living like that infamous guy? What, are you trying to trick our mayor into killing me too?"
Qin Hui covered his head with his hands and cried out repeatedly, "Don't hit me! Don't hit me! It's a misunderstanding!"
"There's some ridiculous misunderstanding. Didn't you kill Yue Fei? Has history wronged you? And you still dare to impersonate Master Wang!"
Qin Hui said with a bitter face, "When I was in the underworld, they told me that the year I lost could be made up for in the celestial realm, which is why I came here. I never expected they lied to me."
I said, "How do you know you've been scammed?"
Qin Hui said, "It started off fine. Liu Laoliu led me into a taxi, and I thought this was what paradise was like. But as soon as he paid the fare, I knew something was wrong. What kind of immortal does business?"
I chuckled and said, "You're quite shrewd, aren't you? What did he tell you?"
"Later he had no choice but to tell me the truth. He also said that although I'm a jerk, I'd still hit him with a brick as soon as I heard my name; and that even after all these years, I'm still quite hated—what's a brick?"
I held the brick in my hand and flashed it at him. Qin Hui, huddled in a corner, continued, "In the end, I had no choice but to come up with this solution. Now it's too late for regrets. I just hope to get through this year without any disasters."
"You really regret it?"
Qin Hui nodded.
Holding up the brick, I said, "Then I'll take you home."
Qin Hui immediately said, "I am your client, after all. You have to treat everyone equally. I don't believe you won't get into trouble if you kill me."
I was so angry! I really wanted to find a stick, prop up the accelerator, and just drive the car off the bridge. In my worldview, there's nothing I can't do, except hate traitors and collaborators. This might be related to the education and painful lessons I received growing up. That attempt to turn the tables on Erpang failed because of Zhu Dazhuang's betrayal!
This time, I finally had the chance to make a choice on matters of national importance. My choice was—I really wanted to choose the former, but killing him would ruin our lives. For now, I can only endure it and find a place to settle him. The pawnshop is full, and we can't go back to Yucai. If 300 sees Qin Hui, something truly outrageous would happen. Entrusting him to a friend or renting a room outside won't work. Just look at his hairstyle and beard; he'd be arrested by the police without doing anything. Or what if people find out this is Qin Hui…
I asked him rudely, "How would Yue Fei's army know you?"
Qin Hui said, "Before we turned against each other, I represented the court in rewarding the troops several times..."
"You're a fucking nuisance!" I cursed as I started the car. I thought about it, and the only place left was the villa. It was secluded, and there was no way I could find it on 300.
On the way, I bought Qin Hui several boxes of instant noodles. After we got home, I taught him how to use the water dispenser and the toilet, and said, "From now on, you'll stay here and atone for your sins. When you realize that your sins are unforgivable, I'll come back and help you turn on the gas or teach you how to touch the electric switch."
Qin Hui walked around the house with his hands behind his back and said, "How can anyone live in such a mess? I'll make do for today, but you'd better buy me two maids before noon tomorrow."
I kicked him so hard he fell to the ground, grabbed a tourist brochure from the coffee table, flipped to the Hangzhou Yue Temple, pointed it at his nose and said, "See? This is what happens to you and your wife. If you keep talking nonsense to me, I'll send you to the Yue Temple to kneel and worship the immortals."
Qin Hui took it and glanced at it, immediately breaking out in a cold sweat. He said guiltily, "This...is this me?"
I yelled at him, "And another thing, don't ever tell anyone your name is Qin Hui again. Don't you like to impersonate Wang Anshi? Then just call yourself Qin An, number 9527."
Qin Hui climbed onto the sofa, stunned and unsure of what to say.
Only then did I take a closer look at him. I saw that he had a fair complexion, a black beard, and long, slender fingers. I couldn't help but sigh to myself: Damn, this treacherous minister is actually quite handsome.
At this moment, Sun Sixin called me again, saying that the second truckload of wine had arrived, but the taste hadn't changed back yet.
I sat opposite Qin Hui, both of us lost in thought, unable to make sense of anything. Suddenly, I slammed my hand on the table and shouted, "Hey!"
Qin Hui was startled: "Huh?"
I briefly explained what happened at the bar to him, then glared at him and said, "Use your heartless cunning to analyze what's going on here for me?"
Without a second thought, Qin Hui placed one hand on the coffee table and said, "This is the distillery, there's no problem." Then he placed his other hand on the other end of the table and said, "This is where you sell your wine, that's fine too. So do I need to tell you where the problem lies?"
I looked at the space between his two palms and asked suspiciously, "Are you saying that Old Wu, who delivers the wine, is up to something? But he doesn't drink."
Qin Hui finally had a chance to look down on me: "What kind of logic is this? According to you, then people who love to eat watermelons can't sell watermelons?"
I suddenly realized: "You mean Old Wu sold our wine? But he's always been a very honest man."
Qin Hui shook his head and said, "People can change, especially after they've tasted the sweetness of success."
After thinking for a while, I had to say, "Your analysis makes sense; you truly are a model of a petty person."
Qin Hui said aggrievedly, "What did I do to deserve such hatred? I merely guessed what the Emperor was thinking and spoke along his lines. The 'Yue Family Army' only knew Yue Fei, not the Emperor; no wonder he died. Let me give you another example—just an example, really. Take your tavern, for example. That foreman surnamed Sun is shrewd and capable, yet kind and generous to his subordinates. With him around, your business thrives. But what if one day he becomes dissatisfied with you and leaves? Or even turns against you and starts his own business? Will your tavern still be able to stay in business? As the owner, would you want to be controlled by a mere foreman? You can only get rid of him before he gains enough influence, don't you think?"
I nodded in agreement, thinking to myself: If Sun Sixin really leaves, my bar will definitely lose money. Even when Zhu Gui and Du Xing were around, those two were only good at causing trouble. Without Sun keeping things in check, the bar would probably have been ruined by Zhu Gui long ago. This made me wonder, what if Sun Sixin really leaves? Should I train another manager in advance as a backup…?
Seeing that I remained silent, Qin Hui quickly leaned closer and said, "One must act early; if we wait until he gains power..."
I slammed a trash can down on his head and yelled, "You son of a bitch, you never forget your old ways no matter where you go! You've only been here an hour and you've already tricked me into almost firing my own manager!"