Yang Ge sat at the entrance of the inn, sipping tea and chatting with Li Qing.
Soon, he saw Zhao Miao coming over, looking downhearted, sweat beaded on her forehead...
"Hahaha..."
Yang Ge laughed so hard he leaned back and forth, "That’s what you get for showing off. Now you know how tough it is, huh?"
Zhao Miao wiped the sweat off her forehead, still shaken, and stared at the trio who were also laughing and leaning back and forth: "They are, they are so good. Whatever card I wanted, they knew..."
"Hahaha..."
As Yang Ge laughed, he gave the trio a middle finger: "With you revealing your emotions while playing mahjong, it would be strange if they couldn’t tell."
Zhao Miao slapped her thigh in frustration and declared loudly, "From today on, I quit mahjong!"
As soon as her words fell, a burst of laughter erupted from the front hall.
Annoyed, Zhao Miao glared at them, but eventually, she also started to laugh foolishly with a "hehehe."
Yang Ge pulled up a stool and made her sit down, "Are you going back home for the New Year this year?"
Zhao Miao glanced at him, hesitating.
Yang Ge smiled, "If you want to go back, go back. It’s been almost a year since you left; your mom must miss you."
Zhao Miao thought for a bit, then shook her head, "Forget it. I won’t go back now. I’ll pick another day after the New Year to spend time with her."
Just as Yang Ge was about to persuade her further, Li Qing suddenly stood up and walked away, saying wordlessly, "Discussing love in front of a monk, you two really have the nerve!"
Yang Ge: "Hahaha..."
Zhao Miao: "Quack, quack, quack..."
After Li Qing walked away, Yang Ge continued, "You should go back. Who doesn’t visit their parents during New Year’s?"
Zhao Miao stared at him, unblinking: "What about you?"
Yang Ge, perplexed: "What about me?"
Zhao Miao murmured softly: "If I leave, then you’ll be all alone..."
Yang Ge grinned, "What are you talking about? There’s still the shopkeeper and others. Lu Ting is lively during the New Year. I’m used to it!"
Zhao Miao twisted two fingers together, silent.
Yang Ge gently stroked her head, smiling, "Stop worrying. I’ll take you home tomorrow. It only takes an hour to get there... "
Zhao Miao expressionless: "No."
Yang Ge looked at her: "What about the day after tomorrow then?"
Zhao Miao glanced at him: "Next year, at the start of the year, you have to come to the capital to pick me up."
Yang Ge frowned: "I’m not going!"
Zhao Miao: "Then I’m not going back!"
Yang Ge, resignedly: "Fine, fine, fine. I’ll come to pick you up next year..."
Zhao Miao, delighted: "You have to keep your word!"
Yang Ge: "My word is my bond!"
Zhao Miao beamed with joy, "Then tonight I want to eat hotpot, tripe, and also glutinous rice balls..."
Yang Ge, "Alright, alright, alright, second brother will cook for you."
He stood up and headed to the backyard.
Zhao Miao followed him like a little tail, step by step, continuing to order dishes as they walked.
The people inside the house stealthily watched the two of them, one in front of the other, walking to the backyard, exchanging knowing, teasing glances amongst themselves.
"Look, look..."
Yang Tiansheng pointed toward the backyard, chuckling wickedly, "What’s this about heroes struggling to overcome the charm of a beautiful woman!"
Li Jincheng also laughed, "That’s good news!"
Xiang Wudi voiced his concerns in a low tone, "Aren’t you going to say... isn’t this girl the daughter of the Zhao Family?"
Yang Tiansheng glanced at him, furrowing his brows as he replied softly, "You better not mention that in front of Second Brother, he’s already troubled by it... He can’t possibly remain a bachelor forever, right?"
Li Jincheng nodded, "Does it matter whose daughter she is? Do you think Second Brother cares for her only because she is the Zhao Family’s daughter? Do we sit with her at the same table to eat and play mahjong just because she’s from the Zhao Family? Does the Zhao Family hold such high regard?"
Xiang Wudi thought for a moment, the worried look fading from his expression, "You guys have thought it through more comprehensively..."
...
The end of the year was approaching.
The next morning, those who planned to head home started their journeys in small groups.
Yang Ge accompanied them out of the town, waving goodbye as they either rode horses northward or took boats downstream southward.
Only the homebound Yue Lai Four Bears were left in the inn, who, as usual, met on time at the inn to play mahjong... These four brothers somehow managed to give their life in the jianghu a flavor of punching the clock at a job.
On the afternoon of the third day, Yang Ge, with one hand carrying big and small packages and the other holding Zhao Miao, soared into the sky amidst a series of "Ah, ah, ah, ah" screams. They transformed into a golden rainbow and flew towards the capital city.
The Yue Lai Four Bears stood at the inn entrance, watching the rainbow disappear into the sky, all three sighing deeply.
Dog Shit looked around, "You all sighing there?"
Xiao Baoqi laughed and slapped his right shoulder, "Which of your eyes saw us sighing?"
Dog Shit, "Both of my eyes did!"
Flea, wearing a full-faced smile, slapped his left shoulder, "You don’t understand, they’re just sighing in relief... glad to have survived another calamity!"
The Rogue gave him a glance and said sarcastically, "Of course, you wouldn’t understand, standing there, not feeling the pain. Your ’Oyster Shell’ establishment is too shrewd..."
Flea arrogantly, "Exactly, isn’t life good? Did anyone who opposed Second Brother ever end well?"
The Rogue disdainfully, "What’s there to be proud of? Our Leader Yang is Second Brother’s sworn sibling, and if there’s any trouble in the future, it won’t be related to our Ming Sect anymore!"
Flea exclaimed, "Bloody hell," then turned his head to look at Xiao Baoqi.
The Rogue and Dog Shit also turned to look at Xiao Baoqi.
Xiao Baoqi angrily said, "What are you looking at me for? I’m not from the White Lotus Sect!"
Flea, "Tsk," "You’re not, but your woman is, right? I heard she even bore you a daughter, didn’t she?"
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Xiao Baoqi was shocked, "You know that?"
Flea patted his chest, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Fu Qian, honored to be the fire emissary of ’Oyster Shell’. From now on, all outposts of ’Oyster Shell’ in the Heluo area will be decided solely by me!"