Linxia

Chapter 126, Fame

Prefect Pu looked at the investigation recording Fang Lin's life, which was extremely detailed, from his performance and reputation in Xiaohe Village when he was a child, to his escape to the county town, when the Song family asked for food, the old Fang family asked for food, and went fishing...

"When he was in the village, he did his duty and kept a low profile. But when people were in real trouble and danger, he was able to stand up and take responsibility." He nodded slightly and understood why Master Peng said that he was a "man of character".

"Sir, you may as well continue reading." Master Peng said with a smile.

He has seen the other party's investigation, and this is just the beginning, there will be more exciting things to come.

"Oh?"

Prefect Pu understood what he meant and continued reading: Arrived at the county town, got more food for helping the petty official, came to the prefecture town for the fourth wife, killed the lame Liu on the way...

Yes, this matter could not be concealed. However, both Master Peng and Prefect Pu did not care after seeing it. Not to mention that the investigation showed that Cripple Liu was a fugitive with a murder on his hands. Just to say that in that situation, on the one hand, Cripple Liu deserved his death and deserved it, and on the other hand, the Fang family was forced into a desperate situation. If Fang Lin was really submissive, endured bullying, and took his seriously ill parents out in the rain, then they would be disappointed.

After that, he came to the city, and he had a clear understanding of grudges and took the villagers he was close to to find work; he saved Manager Liu from a mad dog and entered Xuan Mo Zhai; he helped Weng Tang and got to know Dong Zugao; he took a stroll in the morning, helped Xu Xianwen, and got to know Xu Kuo Lao; he keenly discovered business opportunities and started a feces business with Dong Zugao; he defeated Master Zhuo San...

Prefect Pu read them one by one and felt that Fang Lin's experience seemed to be more exciting than the novel. In just less than a year, he went from being a refugee to bringing his family to the current situation. If he asked himself, he might not be able to do it.

What caught his attention even more was that Fang Lin took walks along the school and teahouse routes every day. He seemed to be utilitarian, but he was actually sincere. He often helped people in need, such as an old waiter who fell down last winter, and a schoolboy who had a leg cramp while swimming a few days ago... It can be seen that he treated everyone equally, regardless of whether they were noble people or not, and he did not just seek utilitarian rewards.

In this way, it is not difficult to understand that during the investigation, Fang Lin and even the entire Fang family have a good reputation, and an extremely good reputation!
During the investigation, the villagers of Xiaohe Village all spoke well of Fang Lin's family and the old Fang family, saying that the brothers were friendly, filial and harmonious, etc. The neighbors in Xixiang Hutong also spoke well of Fang Lin, saying that Fang Lin had a promising future and that the Fang family was easy to get along with. In Xuanmozhai, everyone, from the shopkeeper to the clerk, spoke well of Fang Lin...

"'Just do good things and don't worry about the future' is one state of mind, 'being wise and understanding, knowing the ways of the world but not being worldly, seeking benefits but keeping a clear mind and restraining oneself' is another state of mind."

Prefect Pu sighed and commented: "Fang Lin has a bottom line, courage, brains, and virtue. He is indeed a man of character."

——Yes, it is the character, not the talent. In a certain mentality, they are placed on the same position.

All I can say is that he was impressed by Mr. Zhuo Sanye the first time he met him, and the second time at the debate. And with today's investigation, this exposure effect has made his favorability towards him increase gradually, and now it has reached an extremely high level.

Identity and status will inspire awe; noble virtues and personality will also make people feel good and respectful.

Identity and status are indeed important factors in interpersonal communication, but if the virtue of the other party is confirmed, even if the status is not as good as the other party, in many cases, people will not look down on the other party. This is the case with Fang Lin. After this investigation, Prefect Pu treated Fang Lin differently, and in a sense, regarded him as his son or nephew.

At this time, the doorman came over to report that Fang Lin wanted to see him.

"He's here just as we were talking about him. Let him in!" Prefect Pu ordered Fang Lin to be invited in, and Master Peng withdrew with the investigation materials.

When Fang Lin came in, Prefect Pu asked the maid to pour tea. His attitude was gentle, and he seemed to be better than before. Fang Lin sensed this and made some guesses. His attitude was the same as before, neither humble nor arrogant, and he said his intention: "Sir, I wrote a popular novel, and I came here to ask you to take a look at it."

"Oh? That's good. The capital sent a letter two days ago supporting popular novels. You can be considered to be responding to the court's policy."

Prefect Pu took it, flipped through it, and commented at the beginning: "It's about the history of the Three Kingdoms? In the form of a novel, not bad... The poem at the beginning is very interesting, and it is in line with the purpose of the book, very good... The first chapter 'The three heroes swore brotherhood at the banquet in Taoyuan, and the hero made his first contribution in the battle against the Yellow Turbans', the plot is fascinating, also good..."

I was still commenting at the beginning, but as I read on, I was soon immersed in it and stopped talking. After an hour or two, I stopped flipping through the book.

"No more?" Prefect Pu looked over, with a hint of anxiety in his voice.

"Sir, that's all. I haven't written the sequel yet." Fang Lin said, giving an affirmative answer.

"It's really gone!" Prefect Pu sighed and glanced at Fang Lin quietly.

Fang Lin suddenly felt a chill on his back, and he confirmed the look in that instant. It was the look of a reader who wanted to kill the author because the book was discontinued. Really, he confirmed a sentence today: the look in the eyes of a reader who wanted to kill the author cannot be concealed.

However, Prefect Pu's temper was good enough to stop the loss of composure for only a moment, and he quickly calmed down and commented: "Fang Lin, you have written a good book, connecting countless characters and events from the Three Kingdoms period to form a magnificent masterpiece... Judging from the level of the first thirty chapters alone, it is not inferior to "Water Margin", and even better. If the whole book can guarantee the same quality, it may even be higher than "Water Margin" in the future."

Dong Zugao could see it. Given his status, position, and the information he was exposed to, he could naturally see it even more clearly.

——In fact, what Pu Zhifu said was correct and it was not an exaggeration. Among the four great classics of the past life, Romance of the Three Kingdoms was more widely circulated and had a greater influence than Water Margin, and its status was indeed slightly higher than the latter.

"Fang Lin, please write this book well. Maybe this book will make you famous in history." Prefect Pu sighed and looked at Fang Lin with a complicated look, which contained envy, loss, and lack of interest.

Needless to say, I am envious.

As I said before, writing books and leaving one's name in history is the unremitting pursuit of countless scholars throughout the ages.

The feeling of loss and boredom came from seeing Fang Lin and thinking of himself. Others could leave their names in history just by reading a popular novel, but he, who had studied hard, worked diligently, and governed a place, didn't know whether he could leave a mark in history books.

'Probably not. From history, we know the present. People only know Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, and Su Shi, but how many know about the famous ministers and emperors in their era? Who knows, thousands of years later, it will be the same. Fang Lin's name will be passed down with the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and people of all ages will know him, while he and even His Majesty will be lost in history and unknown. 'When I thought of this, I felt very disappointed.

"I will keep your teachings in mind. To be honest with you, I came here not only to ask you to read this book, but also to write a preface for it." Fang Lin sensed some of Magistrate Pu's emotions, guessed it in his mind, and proposed at the right time.

"Is there such a good thing? Oh, I mean... writing a preface for Romance of the Three Kingdoms. I have agreed to this!"

Prefect Pu laughed and clapped his hands, his joy beyond words. All his Qi-cultivating skills had failed at this moment, but it was not his fault. He was just sighing and lamenting, feeling sad about the passing of time, but now there was a sudden turn of events, a ray of hope, and he was filled with both sorrow and joy. How could he not be excited and lose his composure?
At the same time, this also opened his mind: he didn't have the ability to leave a name in history, but he could rub it in, just like Wang Lun, who rubbed Li Bai and left a name in history? If the other party could do it, he could certainly follow suit!
When Prefect Pu thought of this, he looked at Fang Lin with a complicated look: "Who knows, I will go down in history because of this. If that's the case, I'm taking advantage of you and doing you a big favor!"

"What are you talking about, sir? Your virtue and reputation are well known in the city. This book is easier to circulate with your preface. The quality of this book and your preface complement each other. It may become a good story in the future."

Fang Lin's words made Prefect Pu's eyes relax. Taking advantage of the other party's good mood, he proposed another matter: "In addition, I have another unwelcome request. I plan to open a bookstore to sell popular novels. I would like to ask you to participate in it." "You are cautious by nature." Prefect Pu pointed at Fang Lin and instantly saw his plan. He knew that he wanted to use his background for protection. He also knew that with just this copy of "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Fang Lin's bookstore would not lose money, but would make a lot of money. This was tantamount to giving money. Therefore, it is hard to say whether it is a favor to ask him to do something, or a favor to him.

However, if it were someone else, even if they offered him benefits, he would not accept them. Only Fang Lin did not refuse it outright.

"I don't really care about the profits from selling books, but for this kid's sake, I really need to protect "Romance of the Three Kingdoms." "

Prefect Pu thought for a moment and said, "You wrote Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It would be a pity if it was sold by other bookstores. How about this? I will take a 10% stake as a symbol and let my father hold it on my behalf. He often goes to Yishun Teahouse to watch operas. You may have seen it."

"Thank you, sir." At this moment, Fang Lin felt more clearly his importance in Prefect Pu's heart. You know, in this era, introducing family members definitely means that the relationship has reached a certain level.

In fact, what he thought was right, because of their first meeting regarding Master Zhuo Sanye, the debate conference a few days ago, the previous investigation, and the opportunity to leave his name in history just now, Prefect Pu really regarded Fang Lin as his own junior.

"Well, let me think about it. Three days from now, on the Chinese Valentine's Day, there will be a Chinese Valentine's Day Lantern Festival in the city, and there will also be a banquet hosted by dignitaries and wealthy merchants on the Yuehu Tower Boat. They invited me, but I didn't want to attend. Now it seems that I have to change my mind. I will give you an invitation later, and you can bring your family to see it. On that day, I will also try to make you famous at the banquet so that "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" can be released in the future." This was the other party's return of favor by asking him to write a preface.

Of course, it can also be said that because of writing the preface to "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", Magistrate Pu developed a sense of ownership and became more interested in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms".

After all, this is related to whether one can leave a name in history, so how can one slack off? Under the premise of not bending the law for personal gain or violating the rules of conduct, one is really willing to devote all one's energy to it, and even fears that one has not done enough!
……

Xuan Mo Zhai, the craze for "Water Margin" in the city has gradually subsided, but the business of Xuan Mo Zhai has not recovered, and it is still deserted and depressed, not as good as before.

In the past two days, Fang Lin, Huang Di and Chai Yiwei have been so busy that they are even less busy than when Cheng Shiliang was still there, when there were four of them.

"How could this be? The Water Margin craze is over, so why are there so few old customers coming back?" Shopkeeper Liu sighed and asked Fang Lin, "Fang Lin, what do you think about this?"

"Maybe it's because "Water Margin" is popular these days, and those old customers have gone to other stores and gradually got used to it." Fang Lin thought for a while and said so.

In the past, bookstores competed for customers at a slow pace, and Manager Liu might have gotten used to it. But with the advent of the popular novel craze, things were different. In the great development, there were earth-shaking changes, and everything was different every day.

——Just like in the previous life, online stores squeeze out physical stores, mobile payments crack down on thieves, the tide of the times arrives, and everything enters a fast pace all of a sudden, eliminating you without even a word.

Shopkeeper Liu understood, but he was confused. He sighed, "I'm old, old, no longer good! I can't keep up with the times. Things are changing so fast!"

"Tomorrow is Chinese Valentine's Day, so I'll give you a day off. That's all for today. We're closed, so you all can go back!" He said, turning around dejectedly.

……

Fang Lin walked back to Xixiang Hutong in the sunset.

At the door of Xin's house, Sha Xiaoyun sewed a big pocket on his clothes and put Xin Yaer in it when he was working. At this time, he fed the chickens while greeting Fang Lin.

Walking this way, I came to the door of the house. The orange tree was green, but it was still growing and had not borne any fruit this year. The kitten lay obediently under the tree, licking its paws. When it saw Fang Lin coming, it meowed and came over to greet him, and was rewarded with a piece of roast duck meat.

"Brother Lin, you're back. Look what this is?" Tian Xuan brought a plate with fruits on it. "It's Chinese Valentine's Day. I made some snacks. This year I used more ingredients. I used flour, eggs, icing sugar, lard... Brother Lin, do you think they taste good?"

She pinched one with a rabbit pattern on it with her slender fingers and handed it to Fang Lin's mouth.

Fang Lin took a look and saw that the snacks on the plate were in the shapes of fish, rabbits, roosters, etc., which looked lifelike. One could only say that Tian Xuan was very clever and deft. He looked at the snacks that were brought to his mouth, opened his mouth and ate them with an "ah", then handed the roast duck he had bought to Tian Xuan, and talked about the family going to have a banquet on the boat tomorrow night on the Chinese Valentine's Day.

"They are all noble people. They are from the countryside. It's not embarrassing for us, right?" Fang's mother poked her head out from the kitchen and said, looking a little afraid to go.

"Yeah, what if something goes wrong or I offend someone..." Tian Xuan subconsciously thought of some plots in dramas where women were forcibly abducted, and she was afraid of causing trouble for Fang Lin.

It’s not that she is not smart, but rather that she is too smart. At the same time, she has learned to be cautious under Fang Lin, so she doesn’t want to take any risk.

"Not really."

Fang Lin saw what they were thinking and smiled, "Mother, Sister Xuan, don't worry, we are just going to see the world, don't worry about what others think. This is an invitation from the prefect, and it won't offend anyone."

Indeed, the higher the position, the less likely they are to make enemies, especially for trivial matters other than major interests, otherwise, they would not be able to reach that height. And don’t treat the children of the rich and powerful as fools in the storybooks. Some of them may be indulgent in private, but their ability to judge the situation is definitely not bad. Who can be provoked and who cannot be provoked, why it is okay to provoke and why it is not worth provoking, whether there is a corresponding reward for provoking... These things have become instincts.

Anyone who can get the invitation to board the ship must be either rich or noble. The level of the banquet is higher than that of Mr. Yang. There will be no unqualified people coming in to fill in the numbers. Even if they are dressed a little worse, people will be cautious and dare not discriminate against them. If they are impolite at the banquet, no one will say anything or point fingers to their face. It is even more impossible that some dandy young man will be bored and come here to cause trouble or step on others. It would be really unthinkable to act like a tyrant and act crazy at such a high-level banquet!
Moreover, even if we take a step back and say that there is something wrong with the invitation sent by Prefect Pu, as long as Fang Lin himself does not feel guilty, then those who are looking for trouble are just slapping Prefect Pu in the face.

Fang Lin explained this principle clearly, and then said that on the boat, there were the Bieshan Lanterns that he had seen during the Yuanxiao Festival, and this time, he could watch them from a very close distance.

"Okay then." Fang's mother and Tian Xuan agreed, with anticipation in their eyes.

When Fang Lin saw their happy faces with curved brows, his heart seemed to be filled with sunshine. Not to mention the hard days in the past, from now on, he just wanted to take his family to see more of the prosperity of the world.

Drinking and singing, how long is life? Like the morning dew, the past days are full of suffering. In this extremely limited life full of hardships and sufferings, we should take advantage of the good time and pursue the fleeting happiness more, find joy in suffering, so that our life will not be in vain.

Fang's father had not come back yet. Fang Lin was talking to Fang's mother and Tian Xuan. The setting sun shone into the house. The fragrance wafted out of the kitchen. The smoke fell on the wall of light and shadow, casting shadows like quicksand. The invisible and intangible happiness at this moment melted like sugar and fat.

……

(End of this chapter)