Chapter 35: Now That You're Here, Don't Leave

  Wu Lao Liu is a loafer who hangs out on the streets. Whenever someone has a wedding or funeral, he takes his ancestral suona and plays it at their doorstep to earn some money and a full meal. Although his life is poor, it's also very leisurely. Today, the weather is fine, Wu Lao Liu is sitting in front of his own door with several other loafers chatting and bragging about the delicious braised pork he had yesterday at that wedding in East City.

  A black sedan sped into the alley and stopped in front of a large red-painted gate, from which three people got out carrying two large suitcases. Wu Lao Liu muttered to himself, "Look, it's that newly rented mansion again, who knows what kind of people are living there, someone's coming to visit in a car."

  "You don't know, do you? I heard that the person living there is a noble, with a certain surname. If it were in the past, that would be the Beile Master, and ordinary people like us wouldn't even get to see him." A loafer with a garlic-shaped nose continued speaking without end, picking up where Wu Laoliu left off.

  "Tsk, tsk, it seems you've changed your ways and become a busybody, or else how would you know so clearly about other people's situations?" Wu Lao Liu said with a smile, shaking his head and pointing at the garlic-nosed Hou Si. These people were usually gathered together chatting as neighbors, each knowing the others' temperaments inside out. Otherwise, even with Wu Lao Liu's small stature, he wouldn't dare to mock the burly Hou Si in front of everyone.

  The three people who got off the sedan were Xiao Jirou and his two attendants. He wanted to take advantage of Wu Ye's absence to buy the bronze tripod from the steward with a small amount of money. "Deng deng deng" Under Xiao Jirou's indication, an attendant knocked on the red lacquered gate, the door opened, and a young boy like a servant poked his head out of the crack in the door and asked, "Who are you looking for?"

  That little boy was originally born with a rosy complexion and extremely cute, plus that Beijing accent, Xiao Cilang couldn't help but feel a bit better, thinking to himself that he must get this little fellow from the five of them. If his own shop had such a small guy, it would be really interesting. Xiao Cilang already knew the name of the attendant that day, and immediately took a step forward, "I have an appointment with Mr. Yang who is in charge of your household, I am the owner of Yù Pú Zhāi, please go and announce me."

  "Oh, it's you, Mr. Yang had instructed earlier, please come in." Seeing that the visitor was a guest of Mr. Yang, the young servant, with an air of importance, led Xiao Erlang and his two companions into the courtyard, even changing his address to "you". The servant's cleverness pleased Xiao Erlang, who readily pulled out two silver dollars to reward him, and even patted the servant's hat as if he were a kind person, with a very friendly attitude. However, after they were welcomed into the living room, Xiao Erlang did not notice the hint of disgust in the servant's eyes, nor did he see that the two silver dollars had been thrown into the well in the courtyard.

  "For two bucks, you want to buy me? I'm not that cheap!" The young servant Luo Ying quietly spat a mouthful of saliva into the tea bowl, then stirred it with his finger before composing himself and stepping into the living room. "Mr. Yang will be here soon, please wait." Luo Ying handed the tea bowl he had spat in to Xiao Cilang, watching as he drank from it, Luo Ying's heart was filled with laughter.

  "Mr. Yang, hello!" Just then, Zhao Zhigang walked into the living room in his usual casual attire, and Xiao Cilang stood up very politely and bowed to him. In order to obtain the bronze tripod smoothly, Xiao Cilang did not hesitate to lower his posture, even if it meant offering his own wife, let alone bowing to this Japanese man.

  Xiaojirou's behavior was apparently already within Zhao Zhi's expectations, and with a slight smile, Zhao Zhi clasped his hands together in respect. "Sir is too polite, Yang Mou is just an idle person by the side of the fifth master, not worthy of such great courtesy from sir. Our fifth master is not at home, what brings sir to our doorstep? Although Yang Mou is a person by the fifth master's side, household matters still need to wait for the fifth master's return before they can be decided."

  Xiao Jiro was somewhat tongue-tied, this surname Yang is too annoying, he thought of many conditions yesterday to find this guy, but before he even started talking, he was shut down from the beginning, what can be done about it? Zhao Zhi sat on the side, sipping tea with a small mouth, seemingly unintentionally glancing at the two suitcases brought by Xiao Jiro. This action of Zhao Zhi was seen by Xiao Jiro who was distressed by his inability to persuade him, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy in his heart, gesturing for his followers to open the suitcases.

  "Wow!" Xiao Cai exclaimed exaggeratedly, only to see that the trunk was filled with stacks of silver dollars. The two trunks must have contained tens of thousands of yuan. Xiao Cai seemed pleased as he took a sip of Luo Ying's specially prepared tea, "Mr. Yang, here are 50,000 yuan. I'd like to take a look at your bronze tripod. What do you say?" Xiao Cai's eyes, hidden behind his glasses, stared fixedly at Zhao Zhi, filled with menace and greed.

  "Mr. Kojirō, I remember that Fifth Master and you agreed on a price of 500,000 taels, not 50,000. Did you forget?" Zhao Zhi's expression remained calm as he slowly sipped his tea from the cup, occasionally smacking his lips, as if the tea in his hand was some kind of divine elixir.

  "Mr. Yang, there is a Chinese proverb that says 'those who know the times are heroes'. As soon as Xiao Cilang's words fell, his two followers took a timely step forward, and the pistols at their waists were exposed. Zhao Zhi glanced at them, and it seemed that these two Japanese youngsters had some experience in battle, looking like they were Japanese military police disguised as followers borrowed from the Japanese military police."

  "Mr. Xiao, there's a Chinese proverb that says 'a weasel paying New Year's greetings to a chicken is not a good omen.' It seems you've come for the bronze tripod today. What if I'm not willing to give it to you? What do you plan to do?" Zhao Zhi gently placed the teacup on the table, smiling ambiguously as he gazed at Xiao's pale face. His right hand quietly rested on the cuff of his left sleeve, where three flying daggers were concealed in a skin sheath on his forearm. If Xiao's two followers dared to draw their guns, Zhao Zhi would instantly throw out the daggers and take their lives.

  Perhaps the old fox, Shojiro, sensed something and suppressed his anger, clearing his throat a few times before getting up to bid farewell. Shojiro had only brought two people with him on this trip, and he hadn't told anyone else about their destination beforehand. If this Yang person were to pull off some underhanded trick, wouldn't he end up at a disadvantage? Normally timid and cautious, Shojiro never ventured into danger, so he turned around and headed out of the living room, planning to gather enough manpower before coming back to deal with this Yang character.

  "Mr. Xiao, now that you're here, don't leave," Zhao Zhi said with a push of his hand, and the teacup on the table fell to the ground. A flurry of footsteps came from the dark corner of the courtyard, and more than a dozen men wearing black short clothes rushed out, blocking Xiao's way. The gleaming long knives and daggers dazzled Xiao's eyes.