Chapter Nineteenth: Pulling Four Helpers

  It seems that Sun Ximei really likes to eat at Hongchen Guest House. The restaurant has been open for three days, and she comes every day.

  Xue Weihai left after drinking free tea water.

  Song Kai then sat at the edge of the table, thinking about his plan with Xue Lao. Finally, he stood up and went downstairs to find Ah Fu, who was busy as usual.

  "Uncle Fu, help me with something," Song Kai pulled the old man, instructing him in a somewhat rude tone.

  "Big Brother says," Ah Fu wiped his nose with his sleeve and cleaned up the snot.

  Song Kai quickly let go of Ah Fu's sleeve, grandma, this old man... needs to be educated.

  "Fubo, it's like this, we need to think of a way to tarnish Yang Huaiyan's reputation, but of course, we can't let suspicion fall on our own heads," Song Kai said in a low voice.

  "What's all the whispering about! You guys!"

  Nie Ling Tong walked over with a band-aid on his face, loudly questioning, "You two aren't working hard, are you trying to get me to deduct your wages?"

  Song Kai rolled his eyes, this is my inn, isn't it?

  A Fu also ignored him, wiped his nose again and said: "Dà Láng, did you hear some rumors?"

  "What?" Song Kai wondered.

  A Fu didn't lower his voice, he just said: "Wasn't that old woman Jiang beaten by Yang Huaiyan yesterday? Now, this morning, she's slandering him, saying things like Yang Huaiyan has contracted a venereal disease, goes to brothels without paying, and instructs evil slaves to hurt people, insulted the family's servant girls and so on."

  "Really?" Song Kai was taken aback, his expression filled with great joy.

  Ah Fu didn't know why Song Kai was so happy, he just nodded and said: "Yes, Big Brother, you don't know that the old woman Jiang is not a good person. If we hadn't given her two taels of gold, she would have definitely made trouble for me. She's an expert at blackmailing people, with a sharp tongue, always gossiping about others' family affairs and scandals in the market streets, wherever there are many people."

  Song Kai slapped his hand heavily and said, "Good! Too good! Fu Bo, like this, you go out now, to Changsheng's house, find Wang Dama, oh, and Cui Lan's mother, when you find them, tell them how vicious Yang Huaiyan is, and let the two women help spread some rumors too. Anyway, Fu Bo, your task today is to ruin Yang Huaiyan's reputation, and it must reach Liu Ji Qian's ears."

  Ah Fu stared blankly at Song Kai, "Husband, why?"

  "Never mind why, Fu Bo, just go and handle it," Song Kai pushed Afu.

  Ah Fu sucked his nose and had no choice but to go out and spread rumors.

  "Hahaha!" Nie Lingdang burst out laughing, the silver bell in his hand ringing non-stop. "Song Kai, I didn't think you were so wicked!"

  Nie Lingdang pointed his finger at Song Kai's forehead and tapped it lightly.

  Song Kai stared at Nie Qingtong, "Don't come here to flirt with me, or I won't be polite to you."

  "Who's teasing you? Virtue!" Nie Zhong snorted, then continued to laugh. "Song Kai, do you think Liu Ji will marry his daughter to you just because of this? Don't be too pleased with yourself."

  Song Kai smiled and said, "I still have a trump card, what do you know?"

  As he spoke, Song Kai took a few Supreme Card wooden plaques and ran upstairs to the VIP room.

  In Room 3 on the second floor, Sun Ximei, Li Menghan and two half-grown boys sat together eating.

  Song Kai knocked on the door and walked in with a big smile, "Four distinguished guests, today you can eat to your heart's content, because I'm treating."

  Sun Ximei stared at Song Kai, pouting her mouth, "There's no such thing as a free lunch in the world, you must have come up with another money-making trick."

  "Yes, yes," Li Menghan sat beside Sun Ximei, also pouting, and said: "I went back yesterday and told my father about the membership card. My father said you're a... scammer! He said that if this system is promoted, the entire business system will be messed up."

  If it were in the past, Song Kai would have definitely taught this kid a lesson, but today was different, today he had to ask for favors.

  "How can it be messed up?" Song Kai smiled, "Drinking, drinking, come, I'll pour heroic liquor for the four young and talented men."

  Li Menghan muttered: "Anyway, my father said so. My father's words have always been reasonable. He said that the inn's rules are very good, but they must not be written by you, because you are not old enough. He also said that if this method becomes popular, people will deposit their money in various places and use wooden tokens to buy things. If someone accumulates a lot of wealth, they will privately dispose of gold, silver, and money. What if they run away with the money outside of Datang? Wouldn't that be chaotic?"

  Song Kai was taken aback for a moment, and then he suddenly remembered that there were no banks or money houses yet, it seemed that his membership card system was the prototype of a money house, if one day he...

  He shook his head vigorously, and Song Kai immediately drove away the thoughts in his mind. What was he thinking? He came to marry a wife, not to discuss banking matters. He smiled awkwardly: "Your father's words are naturally very reasonable, but this is a small business, it won't have those harms... Come, let's drink together, thank you four young talents for supporting our store's voice...... Cheers! Cheers! Add two more dishes!"

  Song Kai drained the wine in his cup and then asked Chang Sheng to add more dishes.

  Sun Ximei sat quietly beside Song Kai, without criticizing Song Kai, and didn't say much. On the other hand, Li Menghan kept asking Song Kai about Shui Diao Ge Tou.

  After three cups of wine, Song Kai saw that the four people's faces were all red and flushed, and he was delighted in his heart. These Tang Dynasty people can't hold their liquor at all? He deliberately let out a long sigh and said: "Alas, to be honest, those few poems were actually written by me."

  The four of them all let out a cry of "Ah!", Sun Ximei's voice was because Song Kai had actually spoken it himself, while Li Menghan and the other two boys' voices were due to their incredulity. This Song Kai was only a few years older than them, but he could actually produce such poetry.

  "Deceitful! My father said you absolutely couldn't have such understanding," Li Menghan swirled the wine cup in her hand, humming softly, but her eyes stared unwaveringly at Song Kai, hoping that it was indeed what Song Kai had done, so that she could refute her own father.

  Song Kai sighed again and said, "Your father is right. At my age, I shouldn't have had such a realization, but alas... fate plays tricks on people! Ah, you may not know that I and Liu's wife were childhood friends, we grew up together like green plums and bamboo horses. But in recent years, my Song family suddenly declined, my father was addicted to gambling and whoring, and pawned all the family's belongings. At that time, I was also deeply immersed in Buddhist studies, and our family's fortunes fell sharply. Liu forced me to break off with his daughter, ah...

  All four of them were staring at Song Kai.

  Song Kai started by downing a cup of strong liquor, then wiped his eyes and began to speak. "A year ago, I was reading in the mountains outside the city when two wild geese flew over. One of them was struck by an arrow that came flying straight at it and fell to the ground not far from me."

  As they spoke, Sun Ximei was also drawn over, and the four of them all looked at Song Kai, wondering why he had suddenly brought up the topic of wild geese.

  Song Kai was a deeply emotional performer, his voice filled with sorrow and vicissitudes. "At this time, a mournful cry echoed in the sky, I looked up in surprise to see that the big goose that had flown away earlier had returned again. Then three arrow feathers flew into the air, but the big goose didn't care at all, it landed directly on the ground, only checking on its companion's situation. The big goose on the ground was already dead, so the other big goose flew up in a circle, crying 'ga ga' sadly, it circled around the corpse of the big goose on the ground three times, then flew high into the clouds, I thought it had flown away, but after a while, it came flying down from the sky at an incredible speed, and finally crashed to death against the mountain rocks beside!"

  "Ah!" The four people in the room all covered their mouths, none of them had expected this outcome.

  Song Kai sighed, "At that time, I was heartbroken. With the only one yuan left on me, I bought two dead geese and buried them together. I even wrote a poem for them."

  "Song Lang, you've done it just right," Li Menghuan wiped the corner of her eye, "It's touching, I didn't know that all things in this world could be so deeply emotional."

  Song Kai nodded and said in a low voice: "What is the world's sentiment? It makes people promise to live and die together. The couple flies far apart, north and south, east and west, their old wings have experienced many cold winters and hot summers. Joyful reunions are sweet, parting sorrows are bitter, and among them, there are also foolish boys and girls. You should have something to say, but the vast clouds of thousands of miles, the snow on the mountains at dusk, only the shadow is left, going towards whom?

  "Suzhou city, the loneliness of years past. The desolate smoke still clings to the flat plain. The soul of Chu is summoned, but alas, it's too late. The mountain demon weeps in secret at the wind and rain. Heaven is also jealous, not believing that the oriole and swallow have both turned to yellow earth. For a thousand autumns and ten thousand ages, for those who remain with feelings, I sing wildly and drink bitterly, only because of the depth of emotions."

  After reciting a poem in a low voice, Song Kai himself was also moved. He lowered his head and sighed, "Now you know why I can write those poems, don't you? Your father is right, without life's separations and farewells, how could one have such deep emotions? But perhaps the fate of the wild goose is also mine and Liu Niangzi's."

  The private room was quiet for a moment, and then came the sound of light sobbing, it was Li Menghan who had cried red eyes.

  Sun Ximei also wiped the corner of her eyes, she reached out and patted Song Kai's hand, "Song Lang, in the past, I had always misunderstood you, it's really embarrassing, I didn't know...I didn't know you were such a sentimental and emotional person, your experience is truly heartbreaking."

  Li Menghan lifted her head, wiped away her tears and said: "Where is Liu's wife now?"

  "She... alas, she is going to be forced into an engagement with Yang Huaiyan," sighed Song Kai.

  "Yang Huaiyan? Is that the Yang Huaiyan who claims to be one of the four great talents of Suzhou City? What's going on? So they haven't finalized their engagement yet? Don't worry, Song Lang, we'll definitely help you, and we'll definitely help you and Liu Niangzi!" Li Mengyan said seriously, biting her lip.

  Song Kai raised his wine glass, "Thank you, thank you, thank you all, come on, let's finish this cup of wine..."