Chapter 66: That kid is not bad

  "Baoye just praised you in the study room, I don't know if you can live up to Baoye's appreciation." Zhang Zhong looked at Zhao Fei with a hint of curiosity.

  After listening to Zhang Zhong's words, Zhao Fei couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. "This shopkeeper is really something, talking nonsense for no reason. If he answers well, that's fine, but what if he makes a mistake and answers incorrectly? What am I supposed to do then?"

  "This... this... those are all the shopkeeper's exaggerated praise, I myself know my own weight and worth, what talent do I have that is worthy of the shopkeeper's such high regard?" Zhao Fei replied very humbly.

  "So you're saying that Bao Ye is deceiving me?" Zhang Zhong's voice suddenly rose by a degree, his face also becoming extremely solemn. "You should know that deceiving me is a very serious offense!"

  "Th...th..." After hearing Zhang Zhong's words, Zhao Fei's forehead immediately broke out in sweat, his mind went blank, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably. "I...I hope the master will calm down. I...I..."

  Just as Zhao Fei's mind was racing to think of a solution, Zhang Zhong suddenly burst out laughing.

  "Haha." Zhang Zhong turned his head and said to Zhang Bao, "What you said is not wrong, this kid does have some cleverness, but he lacks a bit of experience. He was deceived by my trick and revealed his true nature. In business, it's all about deception and counter-deception. He can't do it like this, it's far from enough. Take him back and train him well, if he doesn't make any progress, don't let him come see me again."

  "I will obey the master's orders." Zhang Bao lowered his head to accept the order, then continued to say: "Master, you can rest assured that I will train Xiaofei well. I won't disappoint the master's expectations."

  "Uh-huh." Zhang Zhong nodded. "It's getting late, let's just take him back if there's nothing else." He pointed at Zhao Fei, who was still in a daze, and shook his head.

  Zhang Bao then took his leave and walked over to Zhao Fei, pulling him by the arm as he turned to leave. Our poor classmate Zhao Fei was still in a state of unconsciousness, being roughly dragged away like this.

  "What do you think of that young fellow?" Zhang Zhong suddenly turned his head and asked Zhang Bo as they watched Zhao Fei's departing back.

  "That little kid..." Zhang Zhong didn't know what he was asking about, and Zhang Bo hadn't hurried to answer, instead deliberately drawing out his voice.

  "Answer truthfully and speak your mind." Zhang Zhong wouldn't know why Zhang Bo was like this, after all these years of being master and servant, he knew Zhang Bo very well.

  "That kid is pretty good." Zhang Bo said with a sentence.

  Zhang Zhong nodded meaningfully, "Indeed, it's not bad." It was unclear whether he was saying this to himself or to Zhang Bo.

  As they walked out of the Zhang's mansion, Zhang Bao looked at Zhao Fei with a mixture of disappointment and frustration. He slapped Zhao Fei's shoulder hard. "Alright! Alright! It's time to snap out of it!"

  "Ah!" Zhao Fei suddenly came back to his senses. Looking around at Zhang Bao beside him, Zhao Fei asked: "Boss, where are we?"

  "Look at your behavior, how did I teach you before? You should be calm and composed no matter what happens. Look at the state you're in now!" Zhang Bao pointed at Zhao Fei's face, scolding him severely.

  Facing the garrulous shopkeeper, Zhao Fei's face didn't change color (actually, it was still that pale color). He lifted his sleeve to wipe off the spittle that Zhang Bao had sprayed all over his face. Then, with a flattering expression, he said: "Shopkeeper, please calm down first, calm down first."

  "How am I supposed to vent my anger? I could have praised you in front of the master, but instead, you were beaten back into your original shape." By this point, Zhang Bao's anger was no longer contained.

  "I didn't want to be in this situation either." Zhao Fei's face was bitter. "Today's events are more than I've experienced in my entire life. I couldn't control it either." Zhao Fei said with extreme grievance. "You blame me, who should I blame? Not only was I tied up for half a day for no reason, but also threatened and scared by this person and that person. Even if I'm used to it, my heart can't take such a big shock." Of course, these words could only be muttered in Zhao Fei's belly.

  "A low, muffled roar issued from Zhao Fei's abdomen, also silencing the loquacious Zhang Bao."

  "Haven't you eaten yet?" Zhang Bao asked.

  As soon as he said this, Zhao Fei became even more aggrieved. With a sorrowful face, he said to Zhang Bao: "I'm still eating, but I was tied up by someone for half a day, and it wasn't until just before you arrived that I was untied. How could I possibly eat?" As he spoke, Zhao Fei rolled up his sleeves, revealing the rope marks on his arm.

  Looking at the clear scars on Zhao Fei's arm, Zhang Bao couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. He had always treated Zhao Fei like his own son, and seeing Zhao Fei's pitiful arm, how could he not feel distressed? Rubbing his slightly sour eyes, Zhang Bao pulled Zhao Fei over. "Alright kid, you've suffered enough, come home with me for a meal."

  Zhao Fei quietly wiped away a tear from the corner of his eye, "Boss, when did you learn to be so sentimental? You're making me want to cry." Zhao Fei muttered softly.

  Li Jin hummed a tune, his heart filled with joy. "That little brat is finally gone, and this Zhang family wine workshop will be mine again. Haha haha haha!" A triumphant laugh echoed out of the window, startling several birds on the rooftop who were preening their feathers. The birds circled around the rooftop a few times before flying away into the distance with pitiful chirps.

  As soon as Zhang Baogang entered the door, he heard Li Jin's eerie and mournful laughter. The anger that had just subsided instantly flared up again. "What are you laughing at!" A loud roar directly stunned Li Jin, who looked like a duck with its neck trampled, mouth agape, but not a sound came out.

  "Hahaha~~~" Seeing Li Jin's comical appearance, Zhao Fei couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  "Ah……ah……" Li Jin slowed down for half a day, and finally came back. Looking at Zhang Bao's face like the bottom of a pot, Li Jin couldn't help but tremble with fear. "Boss, you're back," Li Jin took a step forward and asked in a low voice.

  "Where else can you go if you don't come back?" Zhang Bao glared at Li Jin, "Didn't you say you were going to find Xiao Fei? Now that you've found the person, why are you laughing so loudly."

  "This... this..." Li Jin muttered, unable to get the words out. How could he dare tell Zhang Bao the truth? To be honest, he had never taken finding Zhao Fei seriously, and since Zhang Bao left, Li Jin had been gloating in his room, laughing loudly. In the end, he was caught red-handed, what could he say?

  "Alas! You useless thing!" Seeing Li Jin's whining appearance, Zhang Bao's anger grew. "What's the point of keeping you around?!"

  When Zhang Bao said that, Li Jin immediately became anxious. He quickly ran to Zhang Bao's side and knelt down on the ground. He hugged Zhang Bao's thigh and burst into loud sobs. "Uncle, I was wrong, I really was wrong! Please don't drive me away!"

  Looking at Li Jin's dejected appearance, Zhang Bao felt extremely helpless. Li Jin had followed him for so many years, and to say that he didn't have any feelings for him would be a lie. Seeing Li Jin in such pain, Zhang Bao's heart couldn't help but soften. "Alright, get up. I won't drive you away."

  "Uncle, you really aren't driving me away." Li Jin said with a sad face, looking up.

  "Uh-huh." Zhang Bao nodded in response.

  Having received Zhang Bao's affirmative reply, Li Jin stood up with Zhang Bao's support. He stretched out his sleeve to wipe away the tears and snot on his face.

  "Let's leave it at that for today. If there's a next time, I won't be so lenient." Zhang Bao said seriously, staring at Li Jin.

  "I understand, Uncle Li." Li Jin nodded in response. In fact, he was secretly delighted. "My acting skills are still pretty good, I managed to deceive the shopkeeper so easily."

  "You go to the kitchen and prepare some food now, Little Fei hasn't eaten anything yet." Zhang Bao instructed without knowing what Li Jin was thinking in his heart, seeing that Li Jin was no longer crying bitterly.

  Zhang Bao finished speaking, and Li Jin just realized that there was still someone standing behind Zhang Bao, who was not Zhao Fei. Seeing Zhao Fei, Li Jin was stunned at the moment. To be honest, Li Jin had not seen Zhao Fei at all, first because Zhao Fei was following behind Zhang Bao and his body was blocked by Zhang Bao, plus it was dark; secondly, Zhang Bao's loud shout when he entered the house had already scared him out of six souls, where did he have time to notice Zhao Fei.

  "What are you still dazing around for, hurry up and go." Seeing Li Jin standing there foolishly, although Zhang Bao couldn't bear to drive Li Jin away, he still didn't have a good expression on his face.

  "Oh, oh." Li Jin came back to his senses amidst Zhang Bao's loud voice and hastily replied: "I'm going right now, I'm going right now."