In the corner behind the painting and calligraphy store on the street, Lu Gaosheng listened to the conversation coming from inside the store.
He thought for a moment. He took out a report from his sleeve obtained through interrogation and torture. This was captured by Li Xing some days ago. Through Wang Xiaoer's setup, he sold this shop where someone had died to Zhang San and his son. Then Li Xing personally interrogated them and got these conclusions.
After thinking it over, Lu Gaosheng gave up on today's plan and slowly left.
With Lu Gaosheng leaving, the garrison troops in the streets further away also all withdrew, only leaving that laborer and traveling merchant still on the street.
Because he didn't see anyone coming and only heard sounds, Zhang San frowned in the painting and calligraphy store.
Zhang San thought, was he being too paranoid? There could still be some pedestrians coming and going on the main street, right?
This was the second time they almost met, but it ended without incidence.
...
...
Inside the store, Wang Xiaoer happily accepted and repeatedly expressed thanks. He looked at Zhang San with a "pitiful" expression.
Zhang San was unmoved, but felt that it was fine to just go eat a meal. Also, if he acted too deliberately, extremely unwilling to interact with Bai Fang, it might make Lu Gaosheng, who was still secretly watching him, become more suspicious.
However, he really didn't want to get too close with this Bai family.
Zhang San was hesitating.
Bai Xiaoyu also said, "Right, Mr. Zhang, my mother also said there is some important matter she wants to ask you about."
This made Zhang San somewhat doubtful.
An important matter?
Could it be that he was found out?
Or was this going to be a Feast at Hong Gate?
While thinking this, Zhang San secretly thought - if it was going to be a Feast at Hong Gate, they probably wouldn't send a child to invite him...
After thinking it over and over, Zhang San chose to agree. And he felt some strange emotions in his heart.
After his master died, every year during the holidays he seemed to be alone. Spending the New Year festival with others, this was still the first time in many years.
...
...
Later at night, there were lights lit everywhere in people's homes.
Even in these poor areas it was still the case. Of course, perhaps the lights were not as prosperous as those in the Eastern District. But however poor one's family, on the night of New Year's Eve, there would still be more candles lit, as custom required.
Then there was the New Year's Eve dinner.
Cook more meat, heat up several pots of wine - we have to indulge ourselves a bit too.
This was what most people in the Southern District were thinking.
Inside the tofu shop, the dishes on the table were clearly more plentiful than usual. Many lights were lit around, illuminating the dark night very brightly.
Looking at that table full of fish and meat.
Wang Xiaoer was so excited he almost cried.
Who could know what kind of days Wang Xiaoer had lived this past year following that stingy master! Other than those days in the mountain bandits' lair where money was no object and he could eat extravagantly, for the rest of the time, how did Wang Xiaoer live!
Every morning it was forever clear porridge and fried breadsticks. Lunch was either greens, cabbage, or plain rice with soy sauce!
And the master even called it: people as animals can clearly eat meals and vegetables without dying, so why must they insist on eating meat?
Eating meat brings happiness?
Isn't that happiness built on the suffering of those poor animals? Not to mention your grandmaster died from choking on a chicken leg. We later generations should take those lessons to heart.
Therefore, as righteous people, we do not advocate eating meat.
It was about the same situation for Bai Xiaoyu. Because of poverty at home, they seldom got to eat fish or meat.
Seeing the two children heartily eating at the table, Zhang San frowned slightly. He felt that this apprentice of his really f*cking brought him shame!
On the other hand, seeing the children eating happily, Bai Fang showed a faint smile.
The children were eating happily, but Bai Fang and Zhang San had barely touched their chopsticks. Zhang San was thinking about what Bai Fang wanted to ask, while Bai Fang just quietly watched her daughter, a gentle look in her eyes.
At the dinner table, when Zhang San noticed Bai Fang's gaze, for a moment he felt lost in memory.
He thought back to many years ago, it seemed like he had seen this scene before.
In SiFang village twenty years ago, on the night of New Year's Eve.
A rare sight of an impoverished family's table filled with red braised fish and red braised meat...
His mother hadn't eaten, only watching him quietly.
That gaze was as gentle as Bai Fang's right now.
But the two children soon noticed that the master and mother were not eating much. Puzzled, they both stopped.
It became quiet.
The desolate winter wind swayed the lights.
In the flickering candlelight, Zhang San looked at the fish and meat on the table. He suddenly felt that if he could have meals like this every day for a lifetime with his parents, or with that chicken-leg-choking grandmaster, those days would definitely have been wonderful.
Indeed, that old saying rings true. Food is heaven for people.
...
...
After the two children ate their fill, at Bai Fang's indication, they went to walk around the backyard to digest their food.
At that moment, only two people were left at the table.
Bai Fang and Zhang San.
Zhang San basically hadn't eaten anything. Although he didn't feel this was going to be a Feast at Hongmen, he still remained prudent.
Bai Fang asked, "Do the dishes not suit your taste, Sir?"
Zhang San thought, finally getting to the main point. He replied, "Of course not, Sister Bai. It's just that before coming, Little Yu told me you had some important matters to ask me about, so I've been distracted thinking about it this whole time, which affected my appetite."
Bai Fang's expression remained tranquil as usual. Zhang San just saw her nod and say, "The reason I invited Mr. Zhang here today was actually that I wanted to ask... about Xiao Er's family background."
Zhang San was surprised.
Something's not right!
Seeing Zhang San's expression, Bai Fang continued, "In our hometown, girls can marry once they turn 16. You see those two children play together every day. In a few more years..."
Zhang San quickly said, "What, has that apprentice of mine been improper towards Little Yu? Sister Bai, don't worry, just say the word and I'll go break his legs right now."
These were Zhang San's true feelings. He had wanted to break the legs of that disobedient apprentice, who was bewitched by women, for quite some time now.
Hearing this, Bai Fang laughed for a moment, "Sir misunderstands. It's just that these days I can see Wang Xiao Er is smart and clever. I like him quite a bit. He treats Little Yu sincerely as well. Little Yu also told me she quite likes Xiao Er. You saw my health condition earlier..."
Speaking of which, Bai Fang suddenly went into a violent coughing fit!
Seeing Bai Fang's condition, and perhaps due to the dinner they just had, Zhang San unexpectedly felt a flash of worry for her.
When the coughs stopped, Bai Fang continued, "Eventually the child will grow into an adult one day. So I wanted to ask about Xiao Er's background. Please don't conceal anything, Sir."
Zhang San was silent for a bit. Unwilling to lie at heart, he told the story of how Wang Xiao Er's parents both died, but in order not to make Wang Xiao Er too sad, his mother had concealed the truth from him.
As for Gray Lion, Song Tianxing and those matters, Zhang San hid them all and didn't mention them. For ordinary people knowing these things would only invite trouble.
Hearing this, Bai Fang couldn't help sighing, "So it was actually like this?"
Zhang San said, "I hope Sister Bai will never speak of this to others."
Bai Fang said with regret, "That's natural. I didn't expect that child Xiao Er, who's always smiling cheerfully, actually has this kind of family history. So it turns out Xiao Er is indeed from a respectable background, a good match for my Little Yu."
Hearing this, Zhang San secretly thought - good match my ass! That stinking rascal Wang Xiao Er just happens to be smart; everything else about him is problematic. With what is that enough to match the granddaughter of the famous Zhennan General!
But of course, he couldn't voice these words.
After finding out what she wanted to know, Bai Fang tidied up the empty dishes from the table and carried them towards the backyard kitchen.
Zhang San watched her back and thought - was it my imagination? The coughing sounds just now seemed to contain a lot of noise, quite severe. Could it be her condition was deteriorating?
Bai Fang hadn't noticed Zhang San's thoughtfulness. As she passed through the backyard, seeing the two children frolicking in the yard, she couldn't help showing a faint smile.
In the end, she entered the kitchen.
In the dim darkness, Bai Fang, no longer able to hold on, spit out a mouthful of blood!
Having had lung problems since she was young, she knew from a small age that her fate would not be like ordinary people's, especially in recent years - she increasingly clearly understood this point.
But this was an incurable illness.
It was the fate of the Bai Clan, and also the fate of the Bai Family Clan.
Illnesses could be cured but fate couldn't be altered.
So, just like Wang Xiao Er's mother, before she died, she found a master for Wang Xiao Er and wrote many letters possible so that Wang Xiao Er wouldn't discover everything too early.
Presently Bai Fang could only think of one thing.
Her own daughter, Bai Xiaoyu.
Girls are different from boys, especially in this age of rampant gangs. A beautiful yet fragile woman, her beauty would become her doom.
Bai Fang knew that relying solely on an upright scholar and a clever child was not enough, so she thought of someone else as well.
That was all they could do.