Ninety-four

The three of them arrived at Wang Bo’s home to find that Mistress Li had already prepared quite a feast. Duo’er was watching the food on the table with wide, longing eyes, muttering something under her breath. Seeing Wang Bo return, she quickly hid her yearning expression and hopped over to him. "Brother, you’re back!"

Duo’er ran to Wang Bo’s side and greeted the village chief, Wang Feng, with practiced grace. "Good day, Grandpa Village Chief. Good day, Brother Feng."

"Haha, what a good girl, Duo’er," the village chief praised, charmed by her sweet demeanor.

Wang Bo looked at her in astonishment. *Is this really Duo’er?* he wondered to himself. She was always so mischievous and quirky around him, yet she became so gentle and well-mannered when faced with others.

Just as the village chief finished speaking, Wang Hu hurried out from the house to welcome them. "Village Chief, you’ve arrived. Please, come inside. The food will get cold if you wait any longer." He ushered the chief inside and invited him to sit.

Looking at the table full of dishes, the village chief was deeply moved. He smiled at Wang Hu and said, "You have truly raised a fine son."

"Xiao Bo’s achievements are all thanks to your guidance, Chief. Without your careful teaching, he wouldn't be who he is today," Wang Hu said humbly.

The village chief waved his hand. "I wouldn't say that. If Xiao Bo were merely a common rock, no matter how much effort I put in, I could never polish him into jade. As Xiao Bo once told me, 'Gold will always shine.' It is a simple saying, but it carries great truth. I merely wiped away the dust that hid his luster; he has yet to reach his truly dazzling moment."

Hearing such praise, Wang Bo felt a sense of inadequacy. He quickly interjected, "Master, you flatter me. Your student is nowhere near that exceptional; I am just an ordinary man."

"I know what kind of person you are," the village chief said, staring at him. "You are indifferent to fame and fortune. That is both a virtue and a flaw." He paused before continuing, "With your current foundation, if you were to train for a few more years, you would have a limitless future in officialdom and surely rise to greatness. Yet, you have no such ambition. Sigh." The village chief let out a long, heavy sigh. "Even if you have no heart for official service, why choose to be a merchant?"

Wang Bo knew that his teacher had been against his decision to go into trade from the very beginning—perhaps even disgusted by it. But Wang Bo felt helpless; one was his teacher, the other treated him like a son, and he could not refuse either. Hearing the chief, Wang Bo stood up quickly. "Master, Shopkeeper Zhang treats me like his own child, and I have already given him my word. You wouldn't want your student to be a man who breaks his promise, would you? Besides, I truly have no desire for official life."

Hearing this, the village chief sighed once more. "Very well. It seems your mind is made up, and no matter how I try to persuade you, you will not change your heart. If you wish to be a merchant, then so be it." As he spoke, the village chief seemed to age visibly.

Looking at the lonely old man before him, Wang Bo felt cruel. He had stripped away an old man’s hopes, and he felt a profound sense of guilt.

"Master..." Wang Bo began, but he didn't know what to say.

"Forget it. I am fine, just a little tired. Don't just stand there, sit and eat," the village chief said, waving his hand.

The village chief’s melancholy cast a pall over the entire room.

"Alright, why so gloomy?" the village chief said, sensing the shift in mood. "It’s just an old man’s grumbling. I’m at an age where I like to mumble about such things. Come, Xiao Bo, sit."

Wang Bo sat down helplessly, thinking to himself, *Once I succeed, I will repay the village chief well.*

Seeing the situation, Wang Hu spoke up: "Let’s not dwell on unhappy things anymore. Let’s eat, or the food will truly get cold."

"Exactly, let's eat." Wang Bo quickly stood up, picked up a piece of meat, and placed it in the village chief’s bowl. "Please eat, Master."

"Mm, you eat too," the village chief said, nodding and picking up his own bowl. Seeing him start, the others followed suit. Duo’er, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately reached out with her chopsticks.

"Duo’er!" Wang Hu barked, glaring at her. Frightened by her father’s shout, she timidly pulled her hand back.

"It’s alright, it’s alright," the village chief said kindly. He picked up a piece of meat and put it in her bowl. "Go ahead, eat."

Duo’er looked at the kind village chief, then longingly at the meat, and finally at her father with a hint of fear.

"Look how you’ve scared the child," the village chief chided Wang Hu, then turned back to Duo’er with a smile. "It’s fine, Duo’er. Eat. Let’s see your father try to say anything about it." Wang Hu scratched the back of his head in embarrassment and gave a silly grin.

With the village chief’s blessing, Duo’er ignored her father and began to eat with gusto, her manners not at all like those of a refined young lady. Her behavior made everyone laugh. Hearing the laughter, she looked up, confused. "Grandpa Village Chief, Brother Feng, why are you laughing? Why aren't you eating?"

The village chief chuckled. "Duo’er is right. Let’s eat, everyone. Don’t let Xiao Bo’s hard work go to waste." The once-dull dinner was suddenly livened up by Duo’er’s antics. Just as they were about to dig in, a voice drifted in from the courtyard.

"Is Brother Wang Hu home?"

Recognizing the voice, Wang Hu set down his bowl and went to welcome the guest. Wang Bo knew exactly who it was and wondered why he had come. *He hasn't stepped foot in our house all year, yet the moment I come back with gifts, he shows up. Isn't he like a dog sniffing out food?*

Indeed, the man Wang Hu brought in was Wang Cai, followed by his fierce-looking wife. Seeing the village chief at the table, Wang Cai’s expression shifted noticeably. "Oh, Village Chief, you are here as well."

The village chief nodded briefly. Wang Feng didn't even look at Wang Cai, which made it clear that Wang Cai’s reputation in the village was quite poor.

Feeling the cold reception, Wang Cai felt awkward. His wife, seeing her husband fall silent, also stood quietly behind him.

"Brother Cai, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Sit down and join us," Wang Hu offered politely.

Wang Cai’s wife looked tempted, but a sharp glance from her husband kept her in place. "That wouldn't be right. My wife and I have already eaten. We just came by to see Xiao Bo." Hearing this, his wife looked annoyed and was about to speak, but Wang Cai yanked her arm and glared at her. She glared right back, and the display made Wang Bo struggle to suppress his laughter.

Seeing the table’s reaction, Wang Cai realized he was making a fool of himself. His face flushed, and he said, "Well, we’ve seen Xiao Bo, let’s go." He turned and left without looking back. His wife, still eyeing the food on the table, swallowed hard before following him out. Wang Hu hurried out to see them off.

Once they were gone, Wang Bo finally burst into laughter, and soon, the village chief and Wang Feng joined in.

"That’s enough, what’s so funny?" Wang Hu asked when he returned, glaring at the laughing Wang Bo.

"Alright, stop laughing, or we won't be able to finish our meal," the village chief finally intervened.

His authority was absolute, and Wang Bo slowly regained his composure.

"Was it really that funny?" Wang Feng asked, nudging him.

"Of course," Wang Bo replied. He had always despised Wang Cai, and seeing him suffer such a loss was delightful.

"Let’s eat," the village chief said.

The meal continued, unaffected by the interruption. Notably, Duo’er left the table early to sit to the side, patting her bulging belly and humming—a sign she had eaten far too much. The sight made the village chief laugh once more.

The lunch ended in high spirits.

"The hour is late, I should be heading back," the village chief said as he stood up.

"Let me see you off, Master," Wang Bo said, following him.

"I’ll be going too, Uncle Hu," Wang Feng added. Wang Hu and Mistress Li also followed to see them out.

Once outside, Wang Feng headed home, while Wang Bo walked the village chief to his house. It was late autumn, and the night air was sharp and cold. Wang Bo tightened his clothes as a gust of wind blew past.

"Can you tell me why you truly don't want to enter official service?" the village chief asked suddenly.

"I... I just don't think I'm cut out for it," Wang Bo said frankly. He felt it was the truth. Aside from his foresight, he didn't see what else he had to offer. When it came to schemes and politics, he was just a regular guy; how could he compete? Even if the era was currently peaceful, chaos was coming, and he wouldn't even know how he died. It was better to be a small, quiet merchant. A man could have passion, but only if he could keep himself and his family safe.

"How can you know if you haven't tried?" the village chief stared at him.

"This..." Wang Bo didn't know how to respond. "My ambitions don't lie there. I just want to live a steady life, take good care of my parents, Duo’er, and you, Master. I haven't thought about anything else. Besides, Master, you have such great talent, yet you never entered officialdom yourself, choosing instead to live in this small village."

"Sigh," the village chief let out another heavy sigh. He hadn't expected Wang Bo to use him as an example. He couldn't find the words to argue and finally said, "It seems your mind is made up. There is no use in me trying to persuade you further." He waved his hand. "Very well. If you have decided, then go ahead and do it. Your teacher is old now; perhaps the future depends on you."

"Don't worry, Master, I will," Wang Bo said solemnly.

Two days passed quickly, and it was time for Wang Bo to return to the city. As he walked, he muttered to himself, "The weekend goes by so fast. Back to work in a blink. Sigh, Monday is always the most torturous. I’ll endure it to buy a house, I’ll endure it for a better life. To think I was a slave to a mortgage in my past life, and I’ve become one again in this one."

"First, I need to buy a house for myself. Then, when Duo’er grows up, I’ll need one for her. And the Master, and Brother Feng..." He kept talking to himself, oblivious to his own neurotic state.

Without realizing it, he had reached the gates of Zhending City, still head down and muttering. People gave him a wide berth, sensing he was acting strangely.

Li Chao, who was on guard, looked on in confusion. *Why is this kid acting like this after a trip home?* Seeing Wang Bo about to walk straight into him, he shouted, "Xiao Bo! What’s wrong with you?"

Wang Bo looked up, startled to see Li Chao standing right in front of him. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Brother Chao, why are you here?"

Li Chao stiffened. "Why am I here? Look at where you are!" he said, looking at Wang Bo with a baffled expression.

Wang Bo looked around and realized he was about to enter the city. He gave an awkward laugh.

"What was wrong with you? You looked like your soul had left your body," Li Chao asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just thinking about some things, got a bit distracted," Wang Bo replied.

"Anything you can tell your Brother Li? I’ve been guarding this gate for a long time, I’ve seen more of the world than you have. Maybe I can help," Li Chao said, patting his chest.

Over time, Wang Bo had come to understand what kind of person Li Chao was—greedy, prone to bullying the weak, and a bit of a coward.

"Actually, it’s nothing much. I’m just planning to buy a house in the city."

Li Chao was stunned. *This kid has only been in the city for a month and he wants to buy a house? How much is he earning?* A greedy thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. *No, better not. This kid clearly holds a high position in the Zhang household. If I lose this gate-guarding job, I might need him to help me find a new one.* With that, he put on a fake smile.

"Xiao Bo, you want to buy a house? Are you planning to do it now?"

"No," Wang Bo shook his head. "It’s just a plan. You know, the village is nothing compared to the city. I want to buy a house and bring my parents here when I have the means."

"To think you’re such a filial son," Li Chao said, genuinely moved. A teenager already shouldering the burden of a family. "Well, your big brother wishes you success." He patted Wang Bo on the shoulder.