Linxia

Chapter 71, leaving
Perhaps because he won the money, he was in a good mood and his irritability was gone. Cheng Shiliang took a piece of pork elbow and said with a smile, "Linzi, I misunderstood you at noon. This is my apology."

"Brother Cheng, you are too polite." Fang Lin laughed, and suddenly a thought came to his mind: 'If I couldn't keep calm and sit down to explain at noon, I'm afraid the situation would not be like this now. Most likely, I would have fallen out with Cheng Shiliang. Cheng Shiliang only gave Huang Di and Chai Yiwei food when he bought it, but not me. Was he deliberately isolating and ostracizing me?'

This is very possible. Cheng Shiliang has a generous side, but he also has a petty and vengeful side.

'Many times, the choices and reactions to a matter often lead to different paths.' Fang Lin thought.

He is indeed not afraid, nor does he care about isolation and exclusion, but it is better to be without these. It is not a bad thing to blend in with the world.

"Brother Cheng, you are so partial. You only have Linzi, but where is our share?" Huang Di joked and pulled Chai Yiwei over: "Yiwei, what do you think?"

Chai Yiwei waved his hands, feeling that he should not accept any reward without doing anything, and that it was too much for Cheng Shiliang to get it for free.

"Haha, eat, eat, all of you, don't be polite to me." Cheng Shiliang handed it over: "If you don't eat it, I'm afraid you will tell the shopkeeper, and this will be considered a bribe to you."

He said this in a joking tone, but he actually had some concerns in this regard.

"You're kidding. How could that be possible? Even if I don't eat, I won't do that kind of thing!"

"Yes, but, Brother Cheng..."

"Yiwei, stop talking, eat, eat. We are soft-hearted when we eat from others and soft-handed when we take from others."

……

The night is getting dark, the light of the oil lamp flickers, and in the small room, there are aromas and delicious food.

The crystal pork elbow and spicy chicken at Xianglai Pavilion are both delicious, with the aroma of burnt fat, but not burnt. They are just the right amount, and the taste is really great, which greatly satisfies the gluttony in my stomach.

"Brother Cheng, did you go around to Xianglai Pavilion to buy it? That's not right. Xianglai Pavilion is closed at this time. Brother Cheng, you can't buy it even if you go around!" Huang Di asked while eating.

"I didn't go to Xianglai Pavilion at all. They're in the gambling house. You don't know that Xianglai Pavilion prepares some food every day and sends it to the gambling house. The gambling house heats it up, so it's very convenient to eat. It's just a little more expensive than going to a store."

Cheng Shiliang sighed: "Money is such a good thing!"

"No, Brother Cheng, is it that easy to win money in a gambling house?" Huang Di asked.

"It depends on your luck and skills. Anyway, I win more than I lose." Cheng Shiliang said complacently: "How about, Dizi, Linzi, Yiwei, I'll take you out to play some other day?"

Since everyone knew about his visit to the gambling house and the three of them didn't look at him strangely, he simply didn't want to be shy about it.

"I'll let it go." Fang Lin refused.

"I, I won't go either!" Chai Yiwei waved his hands in fear.

Huang Di was slightly tempted, but he didn't act impulsively. He just said let's wait for an opportunity!

……

In the next two days, Cheng Shiliang worked during the day and went to the gambling house at night. He came back after half an hour and brought back some food.

As a result, because he got enough sleep at night and did not make any mistakes during the day, Manager Liu did not notice it and thought that Cheng Shiliang had listened to his advice.

Until one day, Cheng Shiliang came back at night without bringing anything and with a sullen face. Fang Lin and the other two knew that he had probably lost money, so they didn't go to him to provoke him.

The next evening, Cheng Shiliang prepared to go again. Before leaving, he borrowed money from Fang Lin and the other two, borrowing five cents of silver from each of them.

'This is the time to pay your debt.'

Fang Lin knew that if Cheng Shiliang won the money, he would naturally pay it back; if he lost, it would most likely be wasted, but he still lent it to him, as if it were the food expenses for the next few days.

"Thank you!" Cheng Shiliang knew that the situation of the three was not very good. Huang Di had always been stingy, Chai Yiwei lived in the countryside below the city, and Fang Lin came here to escape. This was already their limit. He thanked them and prepared to go out.

"Brother Cheng!"

Fang Lin suddenly stopped him and said, "If you lose, forget it. Don't borrow money from the gambling house."

"Got it." Cheng Shiliang waved his hand.

Seeing that the other party didn't listen, Fang Lin could only shake his head and continue learning characters.

……

That night, Cheng Shiliang did not return home again. When he came back the next morning, his face was pale and he was in a daze. He made four or five mistakes in half a morning.

Shopkeeper Liu knew that Cheng Shiliang was back to his old ways. He frowned and made up his mind: "I can't stay in the store any longer."

As for his personality, he is indeed easy to talk to in small matters, but he is also very principled, or stubborn - take Fang Lin for example, he persisted for ten days, demonstrated his value, and was a great match for Xuan Mo Zhai, but he still couldn't impress him, because he values ​​character more.

Just when he was about to speak, two burly men in black clothes came in from outside the store: "Cheng Shiliang is working here, right? We have something to talk to him about." "Coming!" Cheng Shiliang's face was obviously flustered. After going out, he said something to the two burly men, nodded and bowed, and sent them away temporarily.

After they left, Cheng Shiliang came back, and Shopkeeper Liu did not avoid Fang Lin and the other two: "Cheng Shiliang, what did I say last time? Well, I'm afraid I can't keep you in my shop anymore, so go on your own!"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Shiliang's already pale face turned even paler.

"Boss!" Huang Di and Chai Yiwei wanted to persuade him, but Fang Lin also spoke.

However, Shopkeeper Liu had already turned around and ignored him. It was obvious that there was no room for negotiation.

"No need to persuade me." Cheng Shiliang gave Fang Lin and the other two an ugly smile, went in and packed up his things.

Chai Yiwei was in low spirits and said worriedly, "Brother Cheng, those two people just now, they...you..."

"I am fine."

"Brother Cheng..." Huang Di also said.

Cheng Shiliang turned around, patted Huang Di on the shoulder, and said with a forced smile: "Dizi, don't learn from me. Don't gamble. Just work hard in the store."

When facing Fang Lin, he moved his lips for a while before saying, "Linzi, you are right. I really regret not listening to you!"

At this point, Fang Lin had no choice but to watch Cheng Shiliang leave with the things in his arms.

Huang Di choked with sorrow, looked at Cheng Shiliang's back, and muttered softly: "I just want to say that Brother Cheng still owes me five cents of silver!"

Chai Yiwei is usually the most honest and reserved person, but at this moment his eyes were slightly red.

"Let's go, we still have work to do!"

Fang Lin sighed, turned around and went outside.

On the way forward, there will always be people who cannot keep up. Don’t linger. Say goodbye and continue to stride forward. The right path is often bumpy and rugged, and you can only walk alone.

……

Because Cheng Shiliang left, there was one less person in the store, and the remaining Fang Lin and the other two were much busier than before.

At dinner in the evening, the three of them sat down tiredly, panting. Huang Di said, "It would be great if Brother Cheng was here. We could relax a little more."

He paused, then added: "Brother Cheng still owes me five cents of silver!"

……

A few days later.

On this day, it was Manager Liu's eldest daughter-in-law, Liu Ding, who cooked, and in the evening the three of them were lucky enough to taste rice mixed with coarse salt grains.

"I really miss those days when Brother Cheng always brought back good things."

Huang Di recalled and sighed: "I don't know how Brother Cheng is doing now. He still owes me five cents of silver!"

……

A few days later, during the afternoon break, Huang Di said again: "Brother Cheng still owes me five cents of silver!"

Shopkeeper Liu heard this and sighed, "I heard that Cheng Shiliang left me that day. When his parents found out that he was fired because of gambling, he had a big fight with his family... Outside, his legs were broken by debt collectors, and he became lame..."

Usually when we say a leg is broken, we mean a bone fracture, but being lame is different and that is extremely serious.

"Boss, what happened next?" Fang Lin asked.

"What else can we do? After all, he is our own son. How can we just ignore him? His parents sold their house and at least paid off the debt." Shopkeeper Liu shook his head.

This was the last time Fang Lin heard the name Cheng Shiliang in Xuan Mo Zhai. After that, no one in the store mentioned Cheng Shiliang again, and Huang Di never mentioned the five cents of silver again.

No one is indispensable, and as time goes by, Fang Lin and the other two gradually get used to this busyness.

Manager Liu wanted to find another person, but he couldn't find anyone suitable. He was quite honest, so he gave Huang Di and Chai Yiwei an extra eight cents of silver, and gave Fang Lin an extra one tael of silver, because the three of them did more work. This was not because Fang Lin was treated specially, but because Fang Lin took over Cheng Shiliang's job as cashier and sometimes had to act as a fire brigade. He was relatively the busiest and did the most work.

And Cheng Shiliang seemed to have been forgotten and disappeared in Xuan Mo Zhai.

This is how relationships between people work. For a while, they seem to be very close and have a good relationship, but when there is no communication or contact, they quickly become strangers. Until one day when you recall it, that person seems to have disappeared from your life, and when you meet again, it’s just a rush, and things have changed.

……

(End of this chapter)