Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 161 Prepare for a rainy day
"This……"

In an instant, the attack and defense positions changed. Zhang Ao was at a loss for a moment and muttered speechlessly. He was only a boy of fifteen or sixteen years old. He was smart, but lacked experience and his ability to respond was a little poor.

The others around him saw it and were anxious. Not to mention that they couldn't think of how to respond for the time being, it was not their turn to interrupt the two young masters at this time. Otherwise, it would break the rules and they would be laughed at for having no family rules.

Gao Jingming was no fool. Having gained the upper hand from the counterattack, he naturally wanted to press on. So he pretended to be distressed and asked, "Brother Zhang, our friendship as classmates is before us. Are you still reluctant to give up?"

Gao Jingming emphasized the word "classmate friendship" a bit, but this is the key point. The rest is irrelevant, and everyone knows it.

Zhang Ao's fists were clenched hard under his sleeves, and his back teeth were almost broken. Why was Gao Jingming so difficult to deal with? The situation was obviously good, so why did it go against him?

But he still had to maintain his composure on the surface. Suddenly, an idea flashed in his mind and he sighed, "Brother Jingming, I was planning to discuss exchanging residences with you. It would be convenient for both of us. If you don't want to, forget it. Why force it?"

Tsk, you still know how to force people to do things. Taking things without permission is robbery. How dare you say that?

As a scholar, he has to maintain his outward demeanor, but everyone has some dirty words in his heart, and Gao Jingming is no exception.

The situation was already broken. Gao Jingming was no fool. He knew clearly that Zhang Ao's words were a desperate struggle, so he shook his head and said, "Brother Zhang, you are wrong. How can I force you to do something? I am clearly trying to help you. You see, our accommodation is registered with the college. It is not something that can be changed at will. The procedures are very complicated. Instead of this, why not give me the two maids? I can live here, and you can live there too. It's the best of all worlds and it saves trouble for everyone. Don't you think so? There is no need to be so formal between you and me. Two more people means two more pairs of chopsticks. I can still afford this loss."

The focus is still on the word "classmates". Gao Jingming insisted on it. He still understood the principle that the more he talked, the more mistakes he made. If he talked about other things, the other party would probably find a way to resolve the issue.

It is clearly a matter of taking advantage, but Gao Jingming said it was a loss. But no matter how you look at it, it seems reasonable and people should thank us.

Zhang Ao was no longer able to resist.

As expected, he bowed and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Jingming. I apologize for being rude. I can still find room over there if we squeeze in. I'll take my leave now."

Having said that, he must have been cursing in his heart.

Everyone should stop while they are ahead, otherwise things will really get out of hand, which will be bad for no one.

Zhang Ao admitted defeat directly and did not dare to bully Gao Jingming with words anymore. Otherwise, if he continued to insist on not getting out of the situation, he would lose both the wife and the army.

Gao Jingming also knew when to stop. A cornered dog will jump over the wall. He did not bring up the previous matter anymore. He just said with regret: "Brother Zhang, don't you think about it again? I am really thinking about you."

"Don't bother me, Brother Jingming. Thank you very much. Goodbye," he laughed awkwardly, then signaled with his eyes to others to pack up and leave quickly.

Why are you still staying here? Is it embarrassing?

Then they ran away in shame after a while, and Gao Jingming was kind enough to see them off to the road.

The whole process seems harmonious, but if you think about it carefully, the danger involved is really frightening. This is not a trivial matter of residence. If it is not handled properly, it will affect reputation. If a scholar's reputation is ruined, it will be a fatal matter.

Many people watched this scene intentionally or unintentionally. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Zhang Ao had lost all his face and dignity. There were probably many people laughing at him behind his back. It would be difficult for him to live in the academy in the future.

On the other hand, Gao Jingming is truly impressive. He prioritizes friendship and maintains the demeanor of a scholar. His response, while somewhat immature, is particularly impressive. It's hard to think of anything better in the short term. And the key is, how old is he? It's truly inspiring.

Not only did I save my place to live and my face, but I also made the other party look bad and left a good impression. It was a big win.

This matter is considered over, but the parties involved, Chen Xuan and Gao Jingming, all know in their hearts that many things have just begun, and they have to be careful in their words and actions in the future, otherwise they will be ambushed if they are not careful.

Especially the methods used by scholars, they kill people without leaving any blood!

After they each went back into their rooms, Gao Jingming didn't feel the joy of victory, but instead felt a bit scared. He said to Chen Xuan sincerely, "Xuan, thanks for reminding me just now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to keep my place, but I would have been embarrassed. If there had been a conflict, I wouldn't have even been able to save my reputation!"

"It's my job, young master. There's no need to do this. We all prosper together. In fact, even if I don't remind you, you can easily resolve it with your intelligence," Chen Xuan said with a smile.

Nodding and shaking his head, Gao Jingming said: "A Xuan, you think too highly of me. I racked my brains just now but couldn't cope with it. Thanks to you..."

"Okay, let's not talk about this, young master. After this incident, we can see that Zhang Ao is just a vicious dog released by someone else. Although he didn't bite anyone, he is disgusting. Someone is targeting you behind the scenes. You must be more careful in the future," Chen Xuan pondered.

At this point, he was stunned. Zhang Ao? Vicious dog? Tibetan Mastiff? Then Chen Xuan himself laughed.

Gao Jingming immediately said seriously: "I have also felt it, but we have not offended anyone since we arrived. But no matter what, there is no such thing as a thief who can steal for a thousand days. Instead of responding passively, the best way is to take the initiative, and then find a way to find out who is targeting me." Although Xiao Gao is not very old, his mind is relatively mature, so it is not surprising that he can think of these things.

Chen Xuan had already memorized the faces of those people. He only needed to confirm their identities to roughly guess why they were targeting Gao Jingming.

But Chen Xuan couldn't stay with Gao Jingming forever. He also needed to grow up. He didn't tell Gao Jingming directly that he had a target. Instead, he reminded him: "Master, if you want to know who is targeting you, you can start from three aspects: the master, the eldest lady, and Mr. Yushan."

Gao Jingming's eyes lit up, and he immediately had an idea. He said, "A Xuan is right. I will write to each of them later to ask if they have any hostile relations. After receiving a reply, I can use daily communication with my classmates to understand some of the people in the academy who have the ability to target me. By comparing them, those who are related to hostile relations are probably the ones targeting me."

He has clear thinking, solid reasoning, and independent thinking. He also knows what to do next on his own. He doesn't panic and rely on others when encountering such things. If Xiao Gao can continue like this, he will not find it difficult to achieve something in the future.

A college is a place for reading, but it is by no means a pure ivory tower. It is a small society where various rules hang over your head and it is relatively safe. Only by training and growing in such a place for a period of time can you face life better in the future.

"As expected of a young master, you have an idea so quickly," Chen Xuan praised. Well, he is used to coaxing children.

Gao Jingming laughed and said, "Ah Xuan, you're at it again. Although I have an idea, I'm bound to trouble you guys next time."

"It's my duty, young master. Let's not talk about this for now. Let's settle down first and see if there's anything missing and try to get it ready today," Chen Xuan said, changing the subject.

Gao Jingming also knew that things couldn't be rushed, so he put it aside for the time being and nodded, "Well, let's take a look at the room first and decide what to buy. But it's best to invite a general back first..."

The lock has been destroyed by Zhang Ao and his men and must be replaced. In fact, this thing can only protect against gentlemen but not villains. Ordinary locks can be easily destroyed by anyone with a certain level of internal strength. Even if you use black iron and divine gold to make it, if others can't do anything to the lock, how can they do anything to the doors and windows?
Then Gao Jingming's words also have to be careful. Iron General is another name for lock. When saying Iron General, you should use "please" instead of "buy". It doesn't matter when saying lock. After all, the word "general" means the commander-in-chief of the three armies is a general, and the young general of one side is also a general. You still have to be careful with your words, and it's not just scholars who have to distinguish themselves from the rough people when speaking.

What if a general tells you in person that you want to buy an iron general, what will he think?
The few of them looked around upstairs and downstairs. There were quite a lot of things they needed to buy, including furniture, bedding, daily necessities, etc. Finally, they decided to replace everything with new ones. If they didn't pay much attention to the materials, it wouldn't cost too much money. If it weren't for the lack of time, Gao Jingming even wanted to redecorate the small building inside and out.

After the discussion, Chen Xuan and Geng Hong went to the small market outside the academy to purchase goods, while Gao Jingming and the others stayed behind to clean. Well, Gao Jingming was responsible for sanitation, and Xiao Cai and the others were responsible for cleaning.

Almost all the businesses in the small market are for students from academies, especially during the start of the school year. They have a wide range of products and offer door-to-door delivery and installation. They will even buy unwanted items at a low price, refurbish them, and then sell them to those in need.

This era is different from Chen Xuan's hometown. No matter how old something is, people still want it. Even broken bowls have specialized craftsmen to repair them...

They were busy here, while Zhang Ao came somewhere covered in dust.

Facing the three young masters he couldn't afford to offend, he lowered his head and dared not look directly at them. He said nervously: "Young Master Wei, Young Master Wu, Young Master Jiang, I'm sorry, I messed up."

"You still have the nerve to come back, you useless thing. Look at what you have done to such a good situation. You have wasted all our efforts," Wei Shao said coldly.

Wu Shao also frowned and said: "Although it was just a casual move, it's really disappointing that you made it like this."

Zhang Ao didn't dare to argue, nor did he dare to blame Gao Jingming's clever response for the mess. Instead, he said in panic, "Please give me another chance. I promise I won't let you down next time."

"Okay, Brother Wei and Brother Wu, calm down. We have seen the whole process. Don't blame Xiao Zhang. Gao Jingming is indeed capable. We underestimated him before," said Jiang Shao to smooth things over.

This was indeed the case. Wei and Wu were just looking for an outlet to vent their anger, so they waved their hands and said, "After this incident, Gao Jingming will definitely notice it. It's not advisable to take any further action before the right opportunity. Go ahead and be more careful in the future."

Zhang Ao is still somewhat useful and obedient, so we can't blame him for this. We can't abandon him just because of one mistake.

"Don't worry, young masters. I will pay more attention to Gao Jingming's every move in the future and report to you at any time. I won't disturb you anymore," Zhang Ao immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

Wu Shao said: "Don't be too deliberate, otherwise he will be wary. Just be normal, go ahead."

After Zhang Ao left, Wei Shao said calmly, "What do you two think?"

"What else can I see? I'm just testing Gao Jingming's ability. I haven't taken it seriously yet. Judging from his performance today, I'm interested in playing some tricks on him next time," Wu Shao chuckled.

Wei Shao nodded and said, "Yeah, let's wait and see."

"You guys, please be careful and don't go overboard. The academy is not a place for you to mess around," Jiang Shao shook his head and warned.

……

(End of this chapter)