Chapter 8: Predestined Fate

  It is said that one cannot judge a person by appearance, nor can one measure the depth of the ocean with a dipper. The newly rich man took out a 500-tael silver note, while the young master in front of him, dressed in tattered clothes, was actually able to produce money from various parts of his body to pay back the debt.

  The sign of Xin Kaiyuan Wine House is very famous in Shazhou City. Qiuxi followed the rich young master, wondering why someone with so much money would come to compete with him for a bun. The young master just said he wanted to experience the hardships of the common people. If he knew that the food bowl used to pack buns originally belonged to Da Huang, I wonder what this young master would think.

  "I'm telling you, Ah Qi, can't you stop looking at me with that kind of gaze? I may be elegant and refined, but..."

  "Stop, stop, Ah Qi? Why do I feel like you're calling a dog?" Before long, the two of them also gradually became familiar with each other. After they introduced themselves, that young master Zhu gave Qi an nickname. His explanation was that when he saw Qi take out silver to give to that Wang Baozi, his eyes looked just like their family's little dog in front of the gate.

  At first, the shopkeeper looked at them with a very strange gaze after seeing their attire, probably because he had never seen such a majestic beggar. Isn't this obviously going to eat a tyrant's meal? However, when Zhu Gongzi hinted that his follower Yan Xiao Yi put a heavy bag of things in the shopkeeper's hand, the shopkeeper immediately changed his face, believing that he naturally knew that he couldn't get past what was not getting past with money.

  "Less, young master... Can we finish this big table of dishes? How much money is this going to cost? If we were back in our hometown, this would be enough food for a whole family for several days. Say, young master, where did you get this money from? Why didn't you take it out when we were starving and almost eating tree roots the other day?" Yan Xiao Yi was counting on his fingers with a pained expression on his face, while Zhu Cheng Jun glared at him fiercely: "Cough, cough, isn't the silver always kept on your body? I didn't remember I had any on me until that fat guy reminded me just now. I'm telling you, don't go around saying you know me when we're walking on the road, you've already lost face for me. Besides, considering my performance earlier, shouldn't someone be showing some appreciation?"

  Qī xiāng heard the words and cautiously hid that share of money in her sleeve again, which was her and her father's expenses for the next few days. Originally, she thought that if she didn't touch her chopsticks, maybe she wouldn't have to pay, but plans are always changing quickly. Unexpectedly, this cold and distant young master unexpectedly picked up food for her and said that what he put in her bowl had been tainted by her saliva, firmly refusing to let her pick it back up again. Had her scheme been seen through once more?

  "Hey, Old Master Mo! I've reserved a seat for you upstairs." Looking around, isn't that the owner of Rujia Inn, dressed as a man again, with a colorful parrot perched on her left shoulder? Although she's not pleased with the waiter's excessive enthusiasm, she seems to be used to it. Her gaze sweeps across the hall, but instead of following the waiter upstairs, she says: "I have acquaintances here, you don't need to attend to me anymore."

  When Mo Boss walked towards the three beggars, Xiao Er was very puzzled, but after receiving Mo Boss's tip, he immediately slipped away. Strange things happen every year, and this year is especially frequent. Thinking of the bag that the beggars handed over to him and then took back like a treasure, Xiao Er patted his head and thought that being a beggar is so profitable, he might change his career tomorrow.

  "Your father said you're not allowed to stay in the room eating mantou, but here you are, having a great time. The boss's words made Qiuxi's face flush with embarrassment, and the two of them didn't understand what was going on. Qiuxi hung her head even lower, although she hadn't done anything wrong to her father, whether it was voluntary or not, the fact remained that they were having a good time outside."

  For a moment, the few people at the dinner table were speechless. Old Mo smiled slightly and instructed his partner to put the meal on her account, then got up to bid farewell. In the instant she saw Old Mo, Qiuxi's mind was filled with thoughts of all kinds, and she suddenly remembered the various things that had happened at Rujia Inn, no wonder she had felt a sense of familiarity when staying there - it was because of the flushing toilet at Rujia Inn.

  Although the Eastern Jin Dynasty is different from the one in history, at least it's not thousands of years away from modern times, but rather hundreds of years. How could a flush toilet have been invented during that dynasty? Unless... Could it be that Old Mo also traveled through time?

  Qī Xiāng was thrilled about her own discovery, if she could travel through time and space with a backpack, why couldn't others: "Boss Mo..." She had just opened her mouth when the words she had thought of were swallowed back. If she rashly told Boss Mo about the time-traveling matter, what if there were other hidden circumstances behind the toilet flushing water? Wouldn't that make her seem like a monster? Moreover, even in more backward eras, it was possible for geniuses to appear occasionally, so Qī Xiāng's mouth was wide open and she was frozen there.

  "Huh?"

  "Hey, no big deal, I was just wondering, how can you have so much money?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Qi Xian also knew that this question was a bit silly, and added, "I don't want to be a bandit or pretend to be pitiful, can you tell me some normal ways to make money?"

  "It's very simple, just a matter of business, but whether this material is suitable or not depends on one's luck."

  Why not start a business? Why didn't I think of this before? Well, back then I didn't have the capital to even consider it, but now it's different. Although I don't have as much money, it's still a possible path. With my versatile time-traveling abilities, I'm sure I can make something of myself in this unknown era. Who knows, maybe I'll become the Li Ka-shing of that time.

  Not long after Old Mo left, Master Zhu suddenly let out a cold laugh: "Hey, Ah Qi, you can't really be thinking of going into business, right? Among the four occupations of scholars, farmers, artisans and merchants, merchants have the lowest status. Most merchants are also deceitful. Looking at your silly appearance, you're definitely going to get cheated. Why not just follow me on a journey around the world instead?"

  Qī Xiào gave him a disdainful stare, looking at his appearance, it seemed that traveling the world wasn't easy either. After hearing Old Master Mo's words, Qī Xiào felt an itch in her heart, like being tickled by feathers. She thought that if all the shops on Phoenix West Street were hers, she could take whatever she wanted, how cool! However, this matter was important, and she still needed to ask Father for his opinion.

  "Zhu brother, since our paths are different and we both have important matters at hand, let's part ways here. We'll meet again if fate allows it."

  "Since you've made up your mind, I don't need to stop you from jumping into the fire pit either. Hopefully when we meet again, neither of us will be in this state anymore. Take care!"

  Two lines that seem to have no focus may still intersect at some point, this is perhaps the arrangement of fate, the so-called destiny arranges for them to meet and then hastily part ways, what will be the scene when they meet again next time...

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  PS: The character of Mo Laoban in the text, who is similar to Zhu Bajie, is borrowed from "The Investiture of the Gods" and is not a mainstream character but a guest star.~! Certain Fox also loves Little Mo very much, and here I also recommend Master's "The Investiture of the Gods"