Butcher Zhang

Qi Tianxia chatted with Lin Ke for a while before leaving.

As he left, he told Lin Ke, "You brat, you're living in my courtyard, yet you won't even welcome me. Fine, I won't come again. Once your three months are up, I'll come pick you up."

As his words ended, Lin Ke felt a gentle breeze brush his face, and Qi Tianxia vanished from beside him.

Lin Ke stared blankly at the lone plum tree beside the courtyard, speechless for a long time.

Honestly, he didn't believe that for a second!

Late that night, he heard the wind moaning and got out of bed to check outside several times.

He was worried that Qi Tianxia hadn't planted the plum tree properly, worried whether the young tree could make it through the night with such wild winds raging.

Fortunately, Qi Tianxia seemed to have protected the plum tree by some means, and it stood secure.

Lin Ke got up before dawn as usual, and his first task was still to look at the plum tree. Only after confirming that it stood safe and sound in the middle of the courtyard could he let out a small sigh of relief.

Then he turned toward the chopping block, and soon the sounds of splitting wood rang through the courtyard.

Crack...

"Waiter, bring some milk!"

At dusk, Lin Ke had just arrived at the Tongfu Grand Restaurant and picked up a bucket in the rear courtyard when he heard a shout from the dining hall.

He paid it no mind. At this hour, the waiter was probably upstairs cleaning the private rooms, and the shopkeeper could attend to the customers himself. Lin Ke needed to fetch water.

"Please, have a seat. What would you gentlemen like to eat?" The shopkeeper's voice drifted over.

"You're the shopkeeper here? You don't recognize us?" the man asked coolly.

What a pretentious line!

Lin Ke happened to be walking out. Hearing those words, he couldn't help glancing at the speaker.

The three men had already taken their seats. In the middle sat a man whose build rivaled the shopkeeper's, dressed in fine black robes.

The two men flanking him were short and thin, and tall and broad, respectively. The short, thin man had spoken, while the tall man kept surveying their surroundings.

When Lin Ke appeared in the rear doorway, the tall man fixed his eyes on him!

None of the three dressed like ordinary commoners.

Lin Ke knew the usual customers here. They might not all wear coarse hemp clothing, but one glance told him that none were particularly wealthy.

After all, most people nearby belonged to the lowborn registry or the commoner registry. This was the outskirts of the capital.

Most of the restaurant's regulars had a little money to spare and came to satisfy their cravings, drink some tea or milk, and listen to the playful chatter of the songbirds and swallows next door before leaving content.

Others were simply passing travelers looking to fill their stomachs, eating a bowl of noodles alone or ordering one dish to go with eight or ten steamed buns.

He couldn't blame people for staying away. The place didn't even serve liquor.

Those with some money preferred to go a little farther, order two taels of beef and two taels of liquor, then boast with their friends. Those were proper places to eat and drink.

Besides, if someone wanted tea, there was a teahouse with a storyteller right next door!

Why did the Tongfu Grand Restaurant serve only tea and milk, with no liquor?

Lin Ke had asked the shopkeeper before. Smiling, the shopkeeper had replied, "Liquor costs so much to buy, and you can't sell it for much. We buy milk from farmers a little farther away. And once you've brewed tea, you can dry the leaves and brew them again, can't you?"

An explanation like that from the shopkeeper didn't surprise him in the slightest.

Over these past days, he had learned that the shopkeeper's surname was Tong, though he didn't know the rest of the name. The waiter was called Bai Zhantang.

Shopkeeper Tong was stingy, and Bai Zhantang was quick-witted.

Now, as the short, thin man questioned Shopkeeper Tong, the shopkeeper shook his head with a smile.

Only then did the short, thin customer ask:

"You don't even recognize our lord, yet you run a restaurant in this neighborhood?"

The short, thin man addressed Tong in a rather disdainful tone.

Hearing this, Lin Ke suddenly recalled a scene from a television drama he had acted in during his previous life.

Some local officials would announce their identities when visiting establishments, simply to intimidate the commoners into not daring to charge them.

He had been heading out to fetch water anyway. When he saw the customers, he had initially intended to help greet them, but after witnessing this, he shook his head and picked up his bucket to leave.

He doubted those three could squeeze even the slightest advantage out of the stingy shopkeeper.

At that moment, Shopkeeper Tong gave an ingratiating smile and said, "Lord Yang? Oh! This humble commoner pays his respects, my lord..."

Before the shopkeeper could finish, the tall man saw Lin Ke approaching with the bucket and sprang to his feet, watching him warily.

Warily?

Lin Ke and the shopkeeper were both bewildered. What was going on?

The other three people there followed the tall man's gaze, all six eyes turning toward Lin Ke.

For some reason, being stared at by those three men made Lin Ke want to laugh.

So wary-are you afraid people won't realize you're discussing some shameful secret?

He stopped, hesitating over whether to retreat.

Just then, Shopkeeper Tong spoke. "Come, come, Lin Ke. We have three distinguished gentlemen here. Since you're heading out, go fetch some meat from Butcher Zhang."

"Meat?" Lin Ke looked at Shopkeeper Tong as though he'd seen a ghost. He could hardly believe it.

In all this time, he had never seen meat in the restaurant!

Meanwhile, the two seated men motioned for the tall man to sit down, and only then did he return to his seat.

Facing Lin Ke with their back to the three men, Shopkeeper Tong said, "Go to Butcher Zhang's shop and get some meat cut for us."

Although puzzled, Lin Ke nodded.

"Go fetch it first. Tell him to put it on our tab!" Shopkeeper Tong said.

"On credit?" Lin Ke's mouth fell open.

That's Shopkeeper Tong for you...

He glanced at the three seated men, then nodded and turned toward the entrance.

Just as he was about to leave the restaurant, someone approached from the opposite direction-a young gentleman with thick black hair and fair skin.

Upon meeting Lin Ke, the young man merely smiled and walked past without stopping.

Lin Ke likewise smiled as they passed each other.

He quickened his pace. Butcher Zhang's shop wasn't far, but the walk was rather agonizing.

What was so agonizing?

In his previous life, he might not have been especially wealthy, but he had certainly never sunk to buying meat on credit.

Now that he was here, whatever else might be said, he was still the son of the Minister of Rites, yet he had actually fallen to buying meat on credit.

Although he was only acting on someone else's behalf, he was still the one who had to ask for credit!

Shopkeeper Tong certainly wouldn't have any such qualms, but Lin Ke had only been here for ten days or so. Would anyone extend him credit?

While he hesitated, he had already reached the butcher shop's entrance.

Looking toward the shop, he was surprised to discover a familiar figure sitting on the front steps, diligently picking at his toes.

He approached the man and called, "Huh? Big brother! What are you doing here?"

Indeed, this was the fellow who had watched Lin Ke dance outside the Song-Listening Entertainment House and been the first to cheer.

Later, on Lin Ke's first day learning to paint at Wang Lin's Immortal Realm Painting Studio, he had emerged from the little dark room and nodded to Lin Ke.

Butcher Zhang!

Butcher Zhang had been staring into space, lost in some unknown thought, until Lin Ke's sudden call brought him back to his senses.

Seeing Lin Ke, he gave a hearty laugh and boomed, "Haha, it's the handsome dancer! What brings you here?"

When Butcher Zhang raised his head, one phrase came to Lin Ke's mind: disheveled hair and a grimy face.

But he kept his expression unchanged and smiled. "Big brother, my name is Lin Ke, not 'handsome.' I just came to buy some meat."

The fellow paused, then burst out laughing and praised him, spittle flying everywhere. "Haha, Handsome Lin's dancing really is a sight to see! You've come to buy meat from me? I'll give you a discount!"

Lin Ke froze briefly. He hadn't expected this man to be Butcher Zhang. He certainly lived up to his name.

As the man stood, Lin Ke watched his tangled hair and the tuft of long hair on his chest flutter in the wind. His voice was booming, and spittle sprayed everywhere as he spoke...

Well, he's got the look of Zhang Fei and Li Kui!

"How much meat do you want, young fellow?"