Old Helmsman (Monthly Votes, Please)

Splash~ Splash~

Creak, creak, creak~

A metallic scraping sound rapidly drew closer.

It was too late for Zhang Laifu to run.

It was too late to hide the hat, too.

Through the crack in the door, he could vaguely make out a figure outside.

An old man with white hair and a white beard arrived at the Ancestral Hall.

He looked to be in his seventies. Deep wrinkles lined his expressionless face, and his eyes were solid black, with no whites at all. Only the tiny pupils were red.

His skin was bloodless, yet every vein stood out clearly, like worms contracting and pulsing beneath it.

He pushed open the door, entered the Ancestral Hall, walked up behind Zhang Laifu, and let out a low breath.

"Hah!"

The old man expected Zhang Laifu to turn around, but Zhang Laifu stood still.

With his back to the old man, he said admiringly, "What a fine thing!"

"Hah!" The old man breathed again.

"Don't you think it's a fine thing?" Zhang Laifu turned around and held up the hat for the old man to see.

Caught off guard by the question, the old man looked awkward. After a moment's silence, he asked, "What fine thing?"

Zhang Laifu handed him the Top Hat. "This is a fine thing."

The old man took it and felt it over for quite a while, apparently finding nothing special about it.

Zhang Laifu had a Clay Knife hidden in his right sleeve. He had meant to stab the old man while he examined the hat.

But the old man's gaze remained fixed on Zhang Laifu, giving him no chance to strike.

His hands kept feeling over the hat, yet he never gave it so much as another glance.

Could he be blind?

If he's blind, this will be even easier.

Zhang Laifu was about to take the gamble when the old man raised the hat to his ear, patted it twice, and listened.

Puff! Puff!

"Mm! It is a fine thing! A fine thing you rarely see. This is a fine Bowl!" The old man's eyes lit up, making Zhang Laifu doubt he was blind after all.

Perhaps realizing he had let something show, the old man held the hat in front of his face. After a little while, he slowly lowered it again.

Color had returned to his skin. The throbbing blue veins had vanished, and his black eyeballs now had white sclera and black pupils.

Watching the old man's face change, Zhang Laifu felt sweat welling in his palms.

The old man asked with a kindly smile, "Young fellow, what are you doing here?"

Zhang Laifu answered truthfully, "I'm watching the Lin Family's house."

"This run-down house still needs watching? Is there anything left here worth stealing?" The old man spoke to Zhang Laifu and kept his eyes on him, but his ear stayed pressed tight against the hat.

Zhang Laifu said, "I'm just trying to make a living. They pay me ten Silver Dollars a month to watch the house."

"Silly boy!" The old man laughed. "With a Bowl as fine as this, what do you need ten Silver Dollars for?"

Zhang Laifu laughed along. "Senior, what should I call you?"

The old man smiled. "They call me Old Helmsman. I used to steer boats for the Lin Family, and the master of the family was my sworn brother.

"When Old Lin first bought this house, we two old brothers often drank and gambled here. I had a guest room here year-round, and Old Lin even assigned several maids and older servants to look after me.

"The years passed in a blink. Such a fine house has fallen into disuse, and I don't know where Old Lin has gone. Now there's only me, a lonely old man who still comes back for a look when he has nothing else to do."

It was a sad story, and Zhang Laifu sighed along with him.

Old Helmsman waved a hand. "Enough of these old stories. Young fellow, what's your name?"

Before Zhang Laifu could answer, Old Helmsman added a warning. "Young fellow, there's nothing I hate more than being lied to. Everyone who's lied to me has ended up feeding the fish in the Vast Han River.

"My ears are exceptionally sharp. I can hear it the moment you lie, so tell me the truth."

Zhang Laifu did tell the truth. "My name is Zhang Laifu. The fu means good fortune!"

"Say it again?"

"Zhang Laifu. The fu means good fortune!"

Old Helmsman listened for a moment. The voice rang solid and weighty; it really was the truth. "A fine name. You're an honest child, and a fortunate one.

"Tell me, where did this Bowl come from?"

Zhang Laifu answered truthfully. "I dug it out of a willow tree."

Old Helmsman found that strange. "How could you dig a hat out of a willow tree?"

Zhang Laifu said, "There was a hollow in the tree, covered by a piece of bark. I peeled off the bark and found this hat."

At those words, Old Helmsman's smile suddenly vanished. "Laifu, stop going in circles. Did you steal this Bowl or take it by force?"

Zhang Laifu shook his head. "I didn't steal it or take it by force!"

Old Helmsman asked, "If you didn't steal it or take it by force, did you just find it? You didn't know this Bowl was inside the willow tree?"

"I honestly didn't," Zhang Laifu answered without hesitation.

Every word reached Old Helmsman's ears. The tone rang true, without a trace of falsehood.

Old Helmsman nodded slightly. "Laifu, your good fortune has arrived. Do you know how to use this Bowl?"

"No," Zhang Laifu said truthfully.

"A fine Bowl needs fine soil. Let me work out what kind of soil it needs. Can you trust me?" Old Helmsman asked, holding the Top Hat.

He gripped the Top Hat tightly in his hand.

"Of course. If you're willing to help me, Senior, that's my good fortune. It's getting late. I'll go to sleep now." Zhang Laifu left the Ancestral Hall.

"Go to sleep." Old Helmsman still held the hat to his ear as he stood silently in the Ancestral Hall.

Zhang Laifu left the main courtyard and went around to the west side courtyard, intending to leave the house that way. But when he reached its gate and pushed it open, Old Helmsman was standing right outside.

"Laifu, it's getting late. Go to sleep."

How did this old man get here?

How did he know I was heading out?

"I'm going out to take a piss. I'll come back and sleep afterward."

That was not the truth. Zhang Laifu didn't need to piss. He tightened his grip on the knife in his sleeve.

"Laifu, go to sleep. Hurry up and sleep." Old Helmsman seemed unable to tell whether that last sentence had been true.

"I'm just going out to piss..."

"Hurry up and sleep. It's getting late."

Old Helmsman repeated that one sentence over and over. With no other choice, Zhang Laifu shut the gate, returned to the side courtyard, found a room, and lay down.

What do I do?

I can't get out.

I can only hope He Shengjun comes tomorrow. I'll figure something out then.

At daybreak, Zhang Laifu opened his eyes and saw Old Helmsman standing beside the bed.

"Senior, you're up early?" Zhang Laifu greeted him. "I haven't washed my face yet. Why don't I come find you in a little while..."

Old Helmsman cut him off. "Laifu, you're awake."

Zhang Laifu was already up. It seemed the old man really couldn't see.

"Laifu, you really are fortunate."

"Am I?" Zhang Laifu shuddered, thinking the old bastard was about to make his move.

Old Helmsman brought out the Top Hat. "I thought about it all night. At last I know what soil this Bowl needs."

Zhang Laifu nodded repeatedly. "That's wonderful. Put the soil in right away. Whatever you want to plant, go ahead and plant..."

Old Helmsman interrupted him again. "Laifu, go into town and buy some top-quality tobacco leaves. Have them cut and blended, then bring them back to me."

"You're letting me go into town?" Zhang Laifu froze.

Could things really be going this well?

Old Helmsman took two Silver Dollars from inside his coat and handed them to Zhang Laifu. "It must be good tobacco. Don't try to fool me, and don't pocket my money. This is your Bowl. I'm helping you."

Zhang Laifu held out his hand, and the two Silver Dollars dropped from Old Helmsman's hand into it.

With the money in hand, Zhang Laifu started to leave, but Old Helmsman called after him. "Laifu, go early and come back early. You must listen to me. Everything I'm doing is for your own good.

"If you're not back before dark, something terrible will happen, and you'll suffer for it."

P.S. Dear readers, please spare me your November monthly votes!

While the night is quiet, I'll add another chapter. That makes two extra chapters today—a token of my sincerity for all of you, dear readers.