Chapter 14

The beauty of knowledge lies in making one utterly confused; the beauty of poetry lies in inciting men and women to be unfaithful; the beauty of women lies in their unwavering foolishness; the beauty of men lies in their ability to lie so convincingly that it seems like daylight turns into darkness.

Old Ye had a mouth that could make one utterly confused, incite men and women to be unfaithful, and turn daylight into darkness. Whatever fruit he talked about, it seemed to be the only one in the world, rare and precious.

Coupled with Tang Zhendong's handsome appearance, many young girls, young wives, aunts, and grandmothers would buy some fruit whenever they passed by Tang Zhendong's fruit stand.

By noon, Tang Zhendong's sales for the morning were equivalent to two days of normal sales. Fortunately, he had stocked up more fruit that morning, or it wouldn't have been enough.

The weather at noon was the hottest, but thanks to the scorching heat, Tang Zhendong and Old Ye had a chance to catch their breath. Old Ye had been shouting all morning, and at around eleven, Tang Zhendong went to the front to buy two boxed meals, one for each of them.

"Uncle Ye, you've been helping me all day, and you haven't done any business yourself. I feel a bit guilty about it."

Old Ye waved his hand, "Do we need to say this to each other?" He stuffed a mouthful of rice into his mouth. Neither Old Ye nor Tang Zhendong were picky eaters. Old Ye was forced by life, while Tang Zhendong had been hardened by his time in prison.

In prison, they didn't even have the luxury of a boxed meal. The vegetables were never stir-fried, mainly because there were too many people to cook for. As the song goes: "Holding a steamed bun in my hand, there's not a drop of oil in the vegetables."

However, the prisons of the 1980s were different from today's prisons, which have been modernized and humanized. At least in terms of food, they no longer treat prisoners like pigs. Although prisoners lose their political rights, they still have human rights. For ordinary people, the loss of political rights doesn't really matter, as political rights are far removed from our lives.

In the past, the rice might have been moldy and red, but now it's much better. Even if it's moldy, it's not as obvious. However, the rice is definitely of poor quality.

As the prison guards put it, this is called: "Ruining your own body to redeem your once sinful heart."

Tang Zhendong ate quickly. The chicken pieces in the potato and chicken dish were clearly from a chicken frame, but he still enjoyed it.

Old Ye wasn't slow either, and he had a skill that Tang Zhendong didn't have: talking while eating. If Tang Zhendong hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that Old Ye could talk non-stop and eat faster than him.

"Xiao Tang, I find you more and more inscrutable. You're just a fruit vendor, but you know qigong? I find it hard to believe. And a disease that costs tens of thousands in the hospital, you can treat with just a few dozen yuan? I used to think I was the best at bluffing, having seen all kinds of people, but I've never met anyone like you. It's strange, too strange. I can't figure you out."

Old Ye shook his head and nodded, looking like a complete charlatan.

Tang Zhendong laughed, "Old Ye, you flatter me. I just know a bit of qigong and some medical principles, and I can combine them. It's not as magical as you say."

Old Ye still didn't believe it, "Xiao Tang, I've noticed that you're a bit inscrutable. You must have a story. I've never asked, because everyone has a past. But you're too low-key. You have such great skills, and others haven't noticed, but now that I've noticed, you still won't admit it?"

Tang Zhendong laughed, "Alright, alright, I admit it. I admit it. I'm the reincarnation of Hua Tuo, the new Sun Simiao, the next Zhang Zhongjing. I have unparalleled medical skills. Let me tell you a secret that others don't know: I'm actually related to the divine farmer Shennong, who tasted hundreds of herbs." Tang Zhendong lowered his voice and leaned in to Old Ye's ear.

"Enough, enough," Old Ye pushed Tang Zhendong, "Don't give me that. You, I find you more and more inscrutable. If I say you're slick, you rarely talk when you're doing business. If I say you're dull, you seem a bit like Guo Degang."

Old Ye clapped his hands, "Right, just like Guo Degang, and you have a quality that Guo Degang doesn't have."

Tang Zhendong had heard of the famous Guo Degang, but he didn't know what his qualities were. The only thing he knew for sure was that Guo Degang looked unattractive.

So Tang Zhendong was curious about what Old Ye hadn't said, "What quality? Tell me."

"You're as humorous as Guo Degang, but you look like Lin Zhiying. Hahaha." Old Ye laughed.

Tang Zhendong was a bit puzzled by Old Ye's laughter, "Old Ye, is it really that funny? I have a strong, masculine aura, how can I look like the effeminate Lin Zhiying?"

During his eight years in prison, Tang Zhendong didn't understand the common points between Guo Degang and Lin Zhiying, who were completely different. Lin Zhiying was known as the "eternal child," while Guo Degang looked middle-aged, but both were 38 years old. Many people marveled: "How can there be such a big difference between people?"

Tang Zhendong didn't laugh, and Old Ye's laughter became tasteless and abruptly stopped.

"Old Ye, there's one thing I admire about you. Do you know what it is?"

"Oh, I have something you admire? It must be my incredible fortune-telling skills, which shock even the gods and ghosts." Old Ye was very confident in his eloquence and ability to read people.

"Right, that's it. There are three types of fortune-tellers: the first-class ones make people so convinced that they thank them for life; the second-class ones make people not too dissatisfied, but not overly impressed; the third-class ones make people curse them and want to dig up their ancestors' graves. When I first started, you were second-class, but now you've been promoted to first-class. Congratulations, congratulations."

During the time Tang Zhendong had been selling fruit, he had seen Old Ye's growth. In the past, Old Ye would shout at every passerby, but gradually, he only shouted at those who seemed to believe in feng shui. Finally, Old Ye's eyes became sharp, and he rarely shouted. When he did, he always hit the mark, targeting people's psychological weaknesses. In the past two months, Old Ye had only done five deals, but all of them were successful.

Fortune-telling requires talent, and reading people's expressions and moods also requires talent.

Old Ye was at a loss, "You, I really don't know what to say to you. I'm not just making people convinced and grateful; I have real skills. Can't you see that?" Old Ye raised his eyebrows at Tang Zhendong, signaling him to back him up.

Because a middle-aged woman was walking by, the same one who had been frowning yesterday and was tricked out of three thousand yuan by Old Ye. Mobile users, please visit http://m.piaotia.net

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