Chapter 3 Being Cynical
Next day, Cheng An City.
It"s already a quarter to two in the afternoon, the city gate was opened. Zhao XiaoBao sat at the back of a bull cart, looking depressed like there"s no reason to live for anymore. Behind him was a pile of vegetables to be sold in the city; he appeared dull -witted, with both eyes staring blankly ahead.
Next to him, Lee ChengFeng couldn"t stand it anymore: "Hey hey… How many times have I told you, don"t be afraid! He had swallowed that much of feces; he could have choked to death! I don"t think he could survive; if I were him, I rather kill myself by holding breath in the stool pool, it"s too embarra.s.sing, no, too stinky!"
Zhao XiaoBao turned his face and looked at Lee ChengFeng furiously, still spoke nothing.
Lee ChengFeng said with a hippie smile: "Oh come on, don"t be angry, I was just kidding! Plus, we don"t even know if he is really from Mount Sacred Clan! Otherwise, why is the charm he pasted wasn"t working?"
Zhao XiaoBao was p.i.s.sed: "Who says it"s not working! I couldn"t move at all!"
Lee ChengFeng was shocked: "Huh? Why so?"
Zhao XiaoBao"s eye sockets were red: "How do I know! Young master only knows how to bully me!"
Lee ChengFeng threw the previous doubt aside, now he"s having headache: "Hey, you can say, but don"t ever cry!"
Zhao XiaoBao"s tear ran down his cheeks: "You bullied me!"
Lee ChengFeng was getting a big head: "Ah… you really cried! You are a gentleman, behaving like a lady that always cries, aren"t you ashamed of that?"
Zhao XiaoBao was holding his tears in his eyes—he was so handsome that he was way prettier than those weeping beauties, he exclaimed: "Who"s the one that should be shameful!"
Lee ChengFeng hopped off the bull cart, hands down: "Fine, I lose, you go back home first!"
Zhao XiaoBao quickly wiped away his tears and hopped off the cart, tossed a few coins towards the driver and started to chase Lee ChengFeng: "Young master, where are you going, wait for me!"
Lee ChengFeng didn"t turn back, said: "You say?"
Zhao XiaoBao wasn"t happy: "Young master, you are going to ZhiXi Brothel again!"
Lee ChengFeng turned his head, he wasn"t happy neither: "It"s Lady ZhiXi!"
Zhao XiaoBao pouted, murmured: "She"s just a……"
Lee ChengFeng"s face darkened, his face is threatening without getting angry: "What did you say?"
In this world without: one, the computer and two, the mobile phones, as time goes by, Lee ChengFeng missed those dramatic television series about G.o.ds so much, but slowly, as time goes by, Lee ChengFeng could only remember how computers and mobile phones look like, those content in the drama slowly vanished in from his memory.
The urban people nowadays can"t imagine how is it like to work when the sun rises and rest when the sun sets, the fact that all activities end with the loss of lights is totally unacceptable to Lee ChengFeng, so he found out the best entertainment after the night falls in this world: visiting the brothel!
But visiting the brothel isn"t the same with rescuing a falling lady, Lee ChengFeng loved to visit those places with the most popular courtesan, it works the same with the current world"s celebrity, the performance in the place and compet.i.tion between the rich young men.
It was also here where Lee ChengFeng met Liu ZhiXi, a lady of stunning beauty, it was her that made Lee ChengFeng felt the world is so beautiful and adorable.
Zhao XiaoBao was afraid, he asked in fear: "Nothing, it"s just that young master was declined every time, who in this Cheng An city wouldn"t make fun of us?"
Lee ChengFeng sneered, his face glowed: "It"s my choice to like anyone, court anyone, what s.h.i.t the others got to do with it! Not happy, bring it on!"
Zhao XiaoBao m.u.f.fled: "But… you have been declined for so many times, what for?"
Lee ChengFeng looked up, as if he saw the beautiful figure of the pretty lady. Infatuated, he said: "The ones who really know me will feel me, the ones who don"t will query me! We only live once, who cares!"
Zhao XiaoBao watched his walking shadow, murmured and followed his footsteps exactly at the back.
The two continued walking, in a short while they pa.s.sed by Hu Tong Street, they could now see one of the ends of Xi Lian Bridge.
The peddlers at the row of stalls along Hu Tong Street called out loudly to sell their goods, as if the ripples and waves, never ceased.
"Hundred-year-old shop"s fried MaJier, the favorite of the dynasty"s prime minister!"
"Fried vegetarian chicken, Sun Kee"s fried vegetarian chicken, crispy on the outside and soft inside!"
"Jellied bean curd, jellied bean curd, fresh and soft jelly bean curd!"
Hu Tong Street were bustling with noise because of these callouts from the peddlers, even during the winter, the street feels warm with the noise.
The two walked a few steps further—somebody saw Lee ChengFeng and started yelling fervidly, showing his most pa.s.sionate and earnest feeling: "Young master from Lee Family is here! Run ladies, run!"
Lee ChengFeng didn"t take it seriously, he smiled and greeted everyone…… to be precise, he greet every pretty ladies or married women pa.s.sionately.
"Yo, sis-in-law from Xiong Family? Just a few days and you"ve grown prettier, your man had done a great job in taking care of you! Yo, who"s this pretty, hey, don"t go, don"t go yet, I don"t bite! Hey!"
"Yo, XiaoYu, come over here to young master, yo, what are these bulging things you hid under your clothes in front of the chest? Did you hid pao inside? Oh goodness, are they vegetable pao or meat pao? Young master is hungry, can you let me try them?"
"Oh dear, XiuZhen! This is GouWa? Wow, your brother grew up so quickly! So adorable, quick, GouWa, let me hug your sister!"
It"s similar as such down the road, the young ladies" faces changed and ran away when they heard him; those married women who were slightly elder or bolder would throw vegetables and fruits at Lee ChengFeng to show their anger.
Lee ChengFeng didn"t evade, he caught whatever they"ve thrown—not feeling the slightest shame but laughed in pride: "In the old days, Pan An"s carriage was full of fruits because of being too handsome, now Lee ChengFeng"s hand is full of vegetables for the same reason too!"
"Young master, who"s Pan An?"
"Not important, not important!"
Even though they grew up together, Zhao XiaoBao always felt shameful and couldn"t stand his young master"s behavior. He covered his face along the way, followed Lee ChengFeng shamefully through Hu Tong Street to Xi Lian (treasuring lotus) Bridge.
The bridge was call Xi Lian (wash face) bridge originally. When the first emperor of Mighty Qi traveled north to here, the name has changed after His Majesty rested and did washing by the river.
Since the emperor of Mighty Qin, Zhao YuCheng conquered the regions far to the north under the consistent help of the Great Prime Minister of Pacifism and set up county in the uncivilized northern region to educate them, the once desolate place "Cheng An" became a place of four hundred and seventy-eight years of history.
Although it"s a borderland, Cheng An is located nearby one of The Great Four Mountains—Mount Sacred, where the clan that ranked the third in the top ten largest clans in practicing realm, Mount Sacred clan based in. This place is full of outstanding and talented people; they are fierce and they love to gamble—every house has weapons; everywhere has casinos.
After the establishment of county, fifteen years since Mahayana surfaced, the scholar Liew ChengZhi was a.s.signed as the officer here. He thought the naming of the bridge as "Xi Lian" (wash face) was too vulgar, so he ordered the bridge to be renovated—planting lotus in the center hollow of the bridge, hence naming the bridge "Xi Lian (treasuring lotus) bridge".
The place is facing the lake and near the river, next to the western end is a long streak of spring willow; near the eastern end there"s a lotus lake with summer breeze blowing across. Xi Lian Court, Hai Yun Tower, Lai Xun Yard and many other places of interest were located in between—whitewashed walls and green tiles complement the bamboos; sky and clouds accentuate the scenic lake.
At this time the lake was full of boats from the brothels—it"s not even night yet, but the prost.i.tutes were already leaning on the rails, joking with the people on the bridge, or reciting poems with their family and friends on the lake.
Though Zhao XiaoBao is a servant, he has red lips, white teeth, porcelain skin and beautiful face features—even prettier than ladies; soon as he stepped onto the bridge, his dazzling look led to a wave of calling from the ladies.
"Lil" XiaoBao, come play on sister"s boat today!"
"Lil" XiaoBao, let sister teach you how to play flute under the bright moon tonight!"
"Bah! You coquette who talked dirty in the bright day! XiaoBao, ignore them, come to sister, let sister love you! Sister misses you every day that my b.r.e.a.s.t.s hurt!"
"My goodness, I bet you are in heat till the two white steamed buns on your chest swell in pain!"
"Hahahaha……"