When Lu Renjia returned, he was followed by someone.
Upon seeing this person, Ling Yi couldn't help but laugh; he knew a classic scene was about to unfold.
The newcomer was none other than Zhu Zhishan, another comedic character from the original storyline.
Upon seeing Zhu Zhishan, Tong Pak Fu's expression immediately fell.
Zhu Zhishan, however, rushed to Tong Pak Fu as if he had seen a savior, and said in a tearful, aggrieved voice, "Brother Tang, help me, Brother Tang!"
Tong Pak Fu rolled his eyes and said, "It seems Brother Zhu must have Liuliu everything at the casino again!"
Zhu Zhishan nodded frantically, saying, "My parents gave me life, but Brother Tang truly understands me!"
"Among the Four Great Scholars of Jiangnan, Brother Zhu is the most unrestrained, as everyone knows. As the saying goes, 'The wind blows away the eggshell, wealth disappears but people remain at peace.' Isn't this your motto, Brother Zhu?"
Tong Pak Fu's words were full of Taunt, but Zhu Zhishan either didn't hear it or pretended not to.
With a smug expression, he said, "You flatter me, but compared to Brother Tang's unrestrained and romantic nature, Xiao Di far behind and quite envious!"
Tong Pak Fu shrugged, knowing how thick-skinned this guy was, and directly stated his point.
"Brother Zhu, it's not that I don't want to help you, but you lose several hundred taels every few days, and then come crying for help when you've lost it all. This can't go on forever, can it?"
"Insightful! That's exactly what Xiao Di 've decided. This time, I've gone all in, losing everything I could possibly lose in my life—a full 300,000 taels. I desperately need Brother Tang to paint thirty paintings for me so I can pay off my debts and save my life!"
Zhu Zhishan cried out in a sob.
Hearing this, Ling Yi almost burst out laughing. When it comes to shamelessness, Zhu Zhishan in this world is second to none.
At this point, Tong Pak Fu was clearly a little angry. He rolled up his sleeves, looking like he was about to hit someone.
Tong Pak Fu pointed at Zhu Zhishan and cursed, "You bastard, do you think this is a charity? You want 300,000 taels? No way!"
Zhu Zhishan immediately knelt down, decisively and without hesitation, and pleaded while clinging to Tong Pak Fu's leg, "Brother Tang, it's all my fault, I'm so sorry, I'll kowtow and admit my mistake now."
"Brother Tang, if you don't appreciate the fact that I lent you my little sketchbook to enjoy, you should also remember how much money I've made for you selling your paintings over the years!"
"Those gangsters outside are saying that if I don't get thirty paintings by the time three incense sticks burn, they'll chop me into pieces. Brother Zhu, you have to save me!"
Tong Pak Fu retorted angrily, "Three sticks of incense? Hmph, don't say I didn't take care of you. I'll definitely write a funeral couplet for you at your funeral hall. One will say 'You deserved to die,' and the other will say 'You deserve to die.' You can choose!"
Zhu Zhishan held up three fingers. " Pak Fu, don't be so cruel, okay? I'll swear a solemn oath that if I gamble again, I'll..."
"Let the ugliest woman in the world have sex with me every night until she's completely bruised and swaying to her death. Is that enough?"
Tong Pak Fu looked astonished. "Ah, you can even swear such a tragic oath? Fine, I'll help you one more time. Someone, bring the writing materials!"
Ling Yi could tell that Tong Pak Fu couldn't possibly be helping him because of this guy's poisonous oath.
As for the reason, Ling Yi guessed that it was most likely because of Zhu Zhishan's statement, "I've helped you buy a lot of paintings over the years," which implied a vested interest, and that was Tong Pak Fu's real reason for helping him.
With Ling Yi and another servant busy at work, they quickly prepared the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone according to Tong Pak Fu's request.
What a memorable scene! Ling Yi's eyes were full of anticipation as Invisibility cameras surrounded the group, faithfully recording everything.
Seeing that Tong Pak Fu was really going to paint his portrait, Zhu Zhishan clasped his hands in Fist Dao, "Brother Tang, you are truly loyal and courageous, with a chivalrous heart!"
Tong Pak Fu sized him up and said, "Enough talk, take your clothes off!"
After witnessing Tong Pak Fu's entire process of painting a person, Ling Yi was filled with admiration.
This method is simply divine.
Watching a movie and seeing it with your own eyes are two completely different things.
Of course, without Tong Pak Fu's Internal Energy martial arts skills, he wouldn't have been able to complete such a difficult painting technique.
After being tossed and turned, Zhu Zhishan, retching, swayed and cried out in pain, "Cousin, do you want me dead?!"
However, when he finished looking at the painting, his eyes immediately lit up. After all, he was one of the Four Great Talents, and he had a certain level of appreciation. He knew that this painting was enough to pay off his debts.
"That's incredible skill! I'd be willing to die for it, what kind of trick is that?!"
"Isn't it magnificent? This is called 'An Eagle Spreading Its Wings, Tuntian.' This painting is enough to compensate you for your 300,000 taels. Please don't bother me again."
Tong Pak Fu's words contained many warnings, but whether they were effective or not remains to be seen.
"Definitely, definitely. But what I admire most about Brother Tang is that he can turn my two dots into flowers, my two palms into trees, my eight ravines into stones, my front feet into clouds, and my hind feet into mountains."
As he spoke, he pointed to the Old Eagle in the painting and asked, "Hey? Which part of my body did you use to draw that majestic Old Eagle?"
"It's your manhood that's being used."
Zhu Zhishan grinned, revealing a set of bright white teeth, and laughed heartily, "Just as I expected, powerful and passionate, it's absolutely lifelike!"
Tong Pak Fu rolled his eyes and said, "I was talking about the little worm in the eagle's beak. What's with the talk of magnificence and passion? Pshaw!"
Zhu Zhishan said dismissively, "Hmm, that's good too. Hey, it even has a hook!"
After resolving Zhu Zhishan's matter, Tong Pak Fu sat in front of the barbecue grill with a depressed look on his face, absentmindedly brushing on the sauce.
At this moment, Ling Yi spoke up, " Young Master, your method of roasting won't allow the flavors to penetrate deeply; the taste probably won't be very good!"
Tong Pak Fu glanced at him and said, "What, Ah Shui, you know about this?"
"I learned some cooking skills from someone before, would you mind letting me try them out, Young Master?"
Tong Pak Fu was indeed not in the mood for grilling meat at the moment, so he stood up and gave his seat to Ling Yi.
It's clear that Tong Pak Fu treated his servants very well.
It's important to understand that in ancient times, servants had a very low status. If Ling Yi had taken the initiative to point out someone's mistake, he would have been severely scolded, which would have been the least of his worries.
Soon, an extremely rich aroma filled the entire courtyard, and Tong Pak Fu's eyes lit up immediately.
This tastes so much better than what he baked.
But after watching for a long time, he still couldn't figure out what was different about Ling Yi's technique.
He couldn't wait to grab a nearly cooked chicken wing and take a bite.
Instantly, an extremely rich fragrance assaulted his senses, making him feel as if his soul was about to take flight.
" Ah Shui, is there some trick to it? Why is it that your technique isn't particularly special, yet the taste is completely different?"
Now that we possess the rank of the God of Cookery, a Earthly Dao the God of Cookery of Food, isn't it a piece of Magic Power to elevate food several levels with just a little bit of magic?
But to be honest, that's definitely not how it should be!
"I don't know either. My cooking teacher told me that cooking requires focus. I noticed that Young Master seemed distracted while cooking, so I took the liberty of trying. Please forgive me, Young Master."
"Does it require your attention? For someone to say something like that, it seems your teacher must be someone extraordinary."
"I don't understand. That master taught me for three days and then left. I've never seen him since. I was thinking of becoming his apprentice."
" Ah Shui, it's already Creation for you to receive guidance from such a master. With this skill, you'll be set for life."
After thinking for a moment, Tong Pak Fu said, "With your skills, it would be a waste for you to continue working as my servant. If you're willing, I can fund you to open a restaurant."
As he spoke, Tong Pak Fu picked up another skewer of chicken wings and said, "Putting everything else aside, your skill in grilling chicken wings alone is enough to make you a fortune."
How can this be? If I don't follow you, where will I get the shots? If I don't follow you, how can I participate in the plot?
" Young Master, let's forget it. That's too much trouble. Besides, my skill may seem simple, but it's actually very mentally taxing. I can only do it once or twice a day. You should stay by Young Master side!"
Just as Tong Pak Fu was about to say something, a chorus of sweet voices suddenly came from the front yard.
Immediately afterward, a group of women walked over.
It was none other than Tong Pak Fu's mother and his eight wives.
" Pak Fu, you've gone too far! You're secretly eating delicious food behind our backs."
"That's right, how could you do this? We're your wives, and you don't even think of us when there's good food?"
"Wow, these chicken wings are so delicious, I feel like I'm going to fly!"
"Really? I didn't even have lunch, this is what I'm eating today."
" Pak Fu, what are you still looking at? Hurry up and start grilling!"
Tong Pak Fu and Ling Yi exchanged bewildered glances as the chicken wings were snatched up in the blink of an eye.
Why does Ling Yi have this déjà vu feeling of being near the Silken Web Cave? Are these Tong Pak Fu's eight wives? Or eight female demons?
Smokers, drinkers, people with permed hair... cough cough, no one like that.
"Ladies, these chicken wings weren't grilled by me, they were..." Tong Pak Fu tried to explain.
But clearly, these women didn't believe it.
"If you didn't grill it, who did? Was it Ah Shui?" one of the women, who was smoking a pipe, said with dissatisfaction.
Tong Pak Fu nodded hurriedly, "Yes, it was Ah Shui who roasted it!"
"Stop trying to fool us. If you don't want to bake, just say so. It's obvious you don't love us anymore."
"Yes, Pak Fu, we are so heartbroken."
As they spoke, several women spat out the bones from their mouths, expertly pulled out silk handkerchiefs from somewhere, and hung them on the main beam of the gate, preparing to hang themselves.
"No, isn't that a far-fetched reason? Is he really going to commit suicide?" Ling Yi was dumbfounded, unable to comprehend it.
Or perhaps these women were using this method to manipulate Tong Pak Fu?
This is absolutely outrageous and eye-opening!
Tong Pak Fu offered some words of comfort before finally sending the women away.
At this point, only Ling Yi and Tong Pak Fu remained in the courtyard.
Tong Pak Fu gave a bitter smile and said, "Alas, I can't stay in this house for even a moment longer."
Ling Yi nodded in deep agreement. If he were Tong Pak Fu, he probably wouldn't be able to handle it either.
That's an exaggeration.
Just then, Lu Renjia, who had disappeared for a moment, ran over and called out from afar, " Young Master, Young Master, Madam asked me to call you to the living room; a guest has arrived."
"Guests? What guests?"
"It is said to be an envoy sent by the Prince Ning."
Tong Pak Fu frowned, his expression becoming more serious, and turned to walk towards the front yard.
However, Ling Yi did not follow; it was not appropriate for a servant like him to appear in such a situation.
Two days later, Tong Pak Fu left the Tang residence with Ling Yi.
Tong Pak Fu left to avoid the limelight, partly to avoid Prince Ning, since almost everyone in Jiangnan knew that Prince Ning wanted to rebel.
Tong Pak Fu fooled them once, but it's inevitable that Prince Ning will realize what's going on and come looking for trouble with him again.
On the other hand, it meant avoiding those eight wives.
As for why Ling Yi was brought along, it was Ling Yi's own request.
Tong Pak Fu agreed without hesitation.
These past two days, Ling Yi has had to cook for his women every day, and Tong Pak Fu has seen the pain on his face.
Leaving Ling Yi in the Tang residence without his care would likely only make things worse for Ling Yi, given the personalities of his wives.
Of course, there's another important point: Ling Yi's cooking is truly delicious. With Ling Yi by my side, I can enjoy the food all to myself without having to fight with those women anymore.