Chapter 6

On the way home, Zhang Weixin learned from his conversation with Mr. Zhong that the house in the village was one of his summer retreats, mainly used to escape the heat. The main residence was in Fanyang County. As the weather was getting hotter, he had brought his family here to avoid the heat. Most of the land around the village belonged to his family, passed down from their ancestors. Additionally, they owned some land around the county, so even though he no longer held office, he did not have to worry about food and clothing.

"Looks like this kind and plump Mr. Zhong is a landlord after all!" Zhang Weixin thought to himself while listening to Mr. Zhong introduce himself. "We are now a group of people who lack food and clothing, and we don't even have a single coin on us—though we do have plenty of RMB and bank cards, which are now worth less than a piece of scrap paper. If we can get on good terms with this plump Mr. Zhong, we won't have to worry about food and clothing for a while." With this in mind, he chatted even more enthusiastically with Mr. Zhong.

Before long, they arrived at Mr. Zhong's house. As Mr. Zhong had said, this was just a summer retreat, so the gate was not particularly grand or beautiful, just a simple black-painted door. Once inside, they found the place to be quite spacious, with a three-section courtyard, as well as east and west annexes and side courtyards. Servants came forward to attend to them, and Mr. Zhong instructed, "Zhong Fu, these two are my newly acquainted friends. Quickly clean the guest rooms and have the kitchen prepare a banquet. I want to welcome these two friends." He then turned to Zhang Weixin and the other person and said, "Gentlemen, please don't be too formal. Follow Zhong Fu to settle your luggage and freshen up, and then we'll talk in the main hall." Zhang Weixin quickly thanked him and followed Zhong Fu.

Zhong Fu led Zhang and Wang to the guest rooms in the west annex, where they rested for a moment. He then instructed others to bring them water for washing and tea. After washing their faces and drinking tea, Zhang and Wang began to chat.

"Mr. Zhang, this Mr. Zhong is really quite interesting," Wang Feng said, somewhat puzzled. "We are strangers to him, and our appearance is so strange, yet he chatted with us for a while and then brought us home. Isn't that a bit too trusting? What if we are bad people and plan to raid his place at night?"

Zhang Weixin shook his head and said seriously, "Not necessarily. I think this person is not ordinary. As you said, we are dressed strangely and our origins are unknown. If he were an ordinary person, what would his reaction be? Either he would be at a loss, like that old man, or he would see us as a threat and want to get rid of us. But Mr. Zhong is different. Although he was surprised by our appearance, he didn't show it and instead engaged us in conversation, showing great interest in our origins. This is also a way of probing and understanding us. Even though he is now a wealthy man, he has held office before. With such strange strangers appearing on his land, how could he not investigate carefully? If he ignored us, that would be abnormal. Don't you think so?"

"But he didn't have to bring us home. He could have just found a peasant's house for us to stay in," Wang Feng still didn't understand and pondered for a moment before asking.

Zhang Weixin smiled and patted his shoulder, saying, "My naive brother, if he didn't bring us home, how could he monitor our every move without missing anything? And even if we had bad intentions and planned to commit a crime at night, we could still be used as hostages, making it safer for him."

"Wow, there's so much to it!" Wang Feng exclaimed in surprise. "What if we have extraordinary martial arts skills? Then it would be like inviting a wolf into the house, and he would be making a big mistake. Besides, if he wanted to take us as hostages, he shouldn't have let Da Zhi go. What if Old Zeng went to get help?"

"Perhaps it's because we look so clean and refined that he doesn't think we have any martial arts skills, so he felt safe bringing us back. Da Zhi, with his strong build and muscles, looks like a martial artist. And he has a saber on him. Mr. Zhong would rather have him go for help than bring him home," Zhang Weixin said half-jokingly.

This made Wang Feng不服气 (unconvinced). He stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and flexed his biceps, saying indignantly, "I've practiced Wing Chun for over ten years. Although I don't look as big and strong as Zhi Lin, I have plenty of muscles. Ordinary men can't even get close to me."

Seeing his indignant look, Zhang Weixin couldn't help but laugh and patted his solid biceps, saying, "Alright, alright, I know you're strong. Cover up quickly. Be careful that others don't get suspicious and make our night uncomfortable." Seeing that Wang Feng was still upset, he added earnestly, "We are walking on thin ice with every step. We must be cautious everywhere. Being competitive is not good. Since they think you are a weak scholar, just be a weak scholar and don't show off."

After a while, they heard Zhong Fu's voice from outside the door: "Are the two gentlemen settled? My master invites you to the main hall for a chat." Zhang and Wang quickly responded and walked out of the room, following Zhong Fu.

When they reached the main hall, they saw Mr. Zhong already sitting there in a comfortable robe, waiting for them with a smile. Beside him sat a handsome young man, whose identity was unknown. Without much thought, they hurried forward to greet him. Mr. Zhong and the young man stood up to return the greeting and then invited them to sit down, ordering tea to be served. Mr. Zhong then asked, "Are the two gentlemen satisfied with the accommodations? This is just my summer retreat, so the conditions are a bit simple." Zhang Weixin quickly replied, "This is already very good. We are strangers to you, yet you treat us with such courtesy. I don't know how to thank you. How could we be dissatisfied?"

"Not at all, not at all. Mr. Zhang, there's no need to be so formal. Since you have come from afar, it's only right for me to show you hospitality," Mr. Zhong said, pointing to the young man beside him. "This is my son, Shiweng. He heard that we have guests from overseas and insisted on meeting them." They exchanged more pleasantries. Then Zhong Fu came to report that the banquet was ready in the flower hall, and Mr. Zhong and his son invited Zhang and Wang to join them.

At the banquet, Zhong Shiweng, hearing Zhang Weixin's sophisticated conversation and realizing that Wang Feng was also well-versed, felt a desire to befriend them. Moreover, his father had already told him that these two and their companions were not ordinary people and should not be taken lightly. He needed to interact more with them to understand their purpose and decide how to treat them. Thus, he frequently raised his cup to toast, and the atmosphere at the table gradually became lively. After a few cups of wine, everyone's spirits lifted. The conversation shifted from the chaos of the Five Barbarians and the late Tang Dynasty to the maritime adventures of Zhang and Wang's ancestors, and then to a wide range of topics, including geography and astronomy. Even Wang Feng, who was usually cautious about speaking too much, began to talk freely about subjects he was familiar with.

The more Mr. Zhong listened, the more amazed he became. He thought to himself, "I consider myself a well-read person. Before I held office, I was an avid reader, and during my time at the county school, I read many rare books that ordinary scholars could not access. I can be considered well-versed. But these two young men, who are only in their twenties or early thirties, have such broad knowledge. Many of their theories are new to me, but when I think about them, they make perfect sense. These two young men are truly enigmatic. Their arrival will either bring blessings or curses to me, to Huangshandian, to Fanyang County, to Youyun, and even to the Liao and Zhou states!"

"Daddy, I heard that two strange monks from overseas are staying at our house. Where are they? Let me see them," a light and pleasant voice called out from outside the flower hall. Before the words were fully spoken, a graceful and lively young girl burst into the hall. The previously lively atmosphere instantly became quiet. Mr. Zhong shook his head helplessly, his son looked embarrassed, and Zhang Weixin and Wang Feng, feeling wronged, looked up to see who had called them strange monks. The moment they saw her, they felt a sense of refreshment and elegance, and their sense of wrong was instantly forgotten. They saw a tall, slender girl with two small mountains rising in front of her chest. Her hair was styled in two buns, and her large, bright eyes blinked rapidly. Her delicate nose flared slightly from running, and her smooth, rosy cheeks were flushed from the exertion. Her small, pink mouth was open in an "O" shape, making her even more charming.

"Even in ancient scholarly families, there are such lively, elegant, and refined young girls," Zhang Weixin and Wang Feng thought almost simultaneously. Wang Feng, upon seeing the girl, immediately dismissed all the so-called young idol stars he had idolized in his previous life. He wanted to shout, "What is purity? What is refinement? I, Wang Feng, have truly experienced it now. The past twenty years were wasted, mistaking stones for jewels. Thank you, heaven, this trip is worth it."

The girl, upon entering, saw the people she had called strange monks sitting in the hall and noticed the interesting expressions on her father and brother's faces. She exclaimed, "Oh!" and lifted her skirt to run away.

Seeing the graceful figure of the girl disappear outside the flower hall, Wang Feng felt somewhat disappointed and thought, "She is the daughter of this magistrate, so she must live in this house. I will have the chance to see her again. As for being called a strange monk, it doesn't matter. Although I am not a lolicon, being noticed and evaluated by such a beautiful girl is quite pleasant."

"Cough, cough, this... this is my daughter. She is spoiled and has no manners. Please don't take offense, gentlemen," Mr. Zhong, embarrassed, explained to the two guests after a moment of silence.

"No problem, no problem," Zhang and Wang said almost in unison. After all, who could bear to blame such a cute and beautiful girl?