Eternal madness

Chapter 17 Big Tree
The next day at dawn, Zhang Laifu was awakened by a shout.

"Get up! Who told you to sleep here?"

When Zhang Laifu opened his eyes, he saw two men in uniforms scolding the beggar across from him.

The beggar grinned and said, "Gentlemen, I'm begging for food. Is it illegal for me to just find a place to sleep?"

These two men in uniform were police officers whom Zhang Laifu had never seen before.

A policeman shouted at the beggars, "The commander-in-chief is coming to Heishakou these days. He has been ordered to maintain the appearance of the streets. You all get out of here right now!"

Another policeman shouted at Zhang Laifu, "Who are you?"

Zhang Laifu was very nervous. He was from out of state, and he might reveal his insecurity if he opened his mouth.

Before he could speak, the beggar said, "He came with me, we're all beggars, what else could he be?"

The police officer didn't bother asking any more questions: "Get out of here!"

After leaving the bridge arch, Zhang Laifu quickly thanked the beggar.

The beggar ignored Zhang Laifu, wiped the wounds on his face, and turned to leave.

Judging from his limping gait, he must be seriously injured.

Did He Yunxi hit him?

Should we beat the steamed bun seller first, then the beggar?

Is he really that bad-tempered?

Where did He Yunxi go?
Now that Zhang Laifu has seven large coins, he's a bit more assertive.

He spent a large sum of money to buy a bowl of tofu pudding to fill his stomach, and then spent another large sum of money to buy a map to figure out the structure of Heishakou.

Heishakou is a city, through which the Heisha River flows and merges into the Canghan River in the south of the city.

Because of the confluence of the two rivers, Heishakou has become one of the river transport hubs in Wansheng Prefecture.

The city of Heishakou is quite large, and it is extremely difficult to walk out of Heishakou. The more reasonable option is to take a boat.

The map marked all the docks in the city. Zhang Laifu asked several passersby and finally chose Yujin Dock.

The dock was rather remote, mostly occupied by small boats, and the tickets were relatively cheap. Zhang Laifu walked towards the dock, and as he entered a hutong (alleyway), he suddenly saw the incantation healer Li Yunsheng standing in the middle of the alley.

"What a small world!" Li Yunsheng said with his hands behind his back and a smile on his face, looking at Zhang Laifu.

“The road isn’t narrow, it’s quite wide.” Zhang Laifu stared blankly at Li Yunsheng.

He just stared at me like that, which was quite creepy.

“If you run into me, your path will be narrowed. I hold grudges.” Li Yunsheng had no intention of letting Zhang Laifu pass.

Zhang Laifu shook his head and said, "I don't hold grudges, let's just let this matter go."

"You don't hold grudges?" Li Yunsheng was stunned for a moment. "Why should you hold grudges? What grudge do you have against me?"

Zhang Laifu thought about it carefully and said, "Yeah, I have no grudge against you, so why did we end up on such a narrow road?"

“His problem is…” Li Yunsheng pursed his lips. “Don’t make things up. Let’s clarify what happened yesterday.”

“I’m not being unreasonable, I’m being very sincere, I’ll pay.” Zhang Laifu took out three copper coins and handed them to Li Yunsheng.

He only had five copper coins left, and he still needed to travel and eat. The fact that he could take out three of them showed considerable sincerity.

Li Yunsheng took the three coins, frowned, and said, "I'm a craftsman, you know? I can earn several silver dollars a day, you know? You're trying to fob me off with this, that's an insult, you know?"

Zhang Laifu patted his pockets: "But I don't have any more money."

Li Yunsheng looked at Zhang Laifu, who was covered in mud and water. He held three copper coins in his hand and shook them. "How about this," he said, "I believe in luck. I'll throw these three coins. If they all land heads up, we'll call it a day. But if even one lands tails up, we'll have to talk about it."

As he spoke, Li Yunsheng tossed three copper coins into the air, caught them with his hand, and opened them to find that all three coins were face up.

Li Yunsheng looked up at Zhang Laifu, surprised by the man's luck.

He was about to throw it again when he suddenly saw Zhang Laifu reach out and hand Li Yunsheng the remaining two copper coins and a handful of copper coins: "This is all I have left. Let's just leave it at that."

Li Yunsheng frowned and said, "This isn't about the money; what you did yesterday was really dishonest!"

All three copper coins landed head up, indicating the matter was over. Li Yunsheng refused to accept Zhang Laifu's money and instead gave Zhang Laifu all three copper coins, including the previous ones.

But Zhang Laifu insisted on giving it to him, and with the two of them pushing each other, the money fell to the ground.

This was somewhat humiliating for Zhang Laifu, and Li Yunsheng was also a little embarrassed.

Zhang Laifu was not afraid of humiliation. He lowered his head to pick up the money, but Li Yunsheng stopped him.

He stared at the copper coins and copper coins on the ground for a long time.

The five copper coins are arranged in a row, resembling a tree trunk.

A dozen or so copper coins were scattered at the top of the tree trunk, resembling a lush canopy. Most strangely, all the coins were facing forward. Li Yunsheng squatted on the ground, observing for a long time, then looked up at Zhang Laifu and uttered two words: "Big tree."

Zhang Laifu shook his head and said, "My name is Big Tree."

Li Yunsheng picked up the copper coins and handed them to Zhang Laifu, saying, "It's good to have a big tree to lean on! My friend, come over to my place for a cup of tea."

Li Yunsheng lived in this alley, and he invited Zhang Laifu to his home.

"The place is rudimentary and the hospitality is inadequate."

"Simple" is just a polite way of saying it. Li Yunsheng's house was a detached house with a bedroom, a kitchen, and a storage room. For Zhang Laifu, who had just been confined to a bridge, such living conditions were a luxury.

Li Yunsheng boiled water, brewed tea, and prepared refreshments: "My real name is Li Yunsheng. You've seen it on the signboard. I still don't know how to address you, brother?"

Zhang Laifu frankly admitted: "My name is Zhang Laifu, which means 'enjoy happiness'."

"Brother Laifu, you argued with me on Zhuzi Street yesterday, wasn't it actually to avoid a Pingtan performer?"

"You found out?" Zhang Laifu was surprised. Old Zheng had hidden himself very well yesterday, and Zhang Laifu didn't even know where he was.

“Brother Zhang, don’t underestimate me. I’m a craftsman too. That person was singing Pingtan with his lips pursed to lead you astray. You came here to provoke me for no reason, also to find a chance to escape.” Li Yunsheng scraped the lid of his bowl, seemingly casual, but every word he spoke was so precise.

Zhang Laifu's previously lifeless eyes now held a look of admiration, and he couldn't help but exclaim, "The craftsman is truly amazing."

"Brother Laifu, will those Pingtan performers still look for you?"

“He will definitely come looking for me. He’s a bandit from Hunlong Village, and those people are very difficult to deal with.”

Li Yunsheng put down his teacup, picked up his fan, and analyzed the situation for Zhang Laifu: "Among the bandits around Heishakou, Hunlongzhai is the most powerful. This Pingtan singer is relatively conservative in his actions, but there are some arrogant bandits in Hunlongzhai who even dare to commit violence in the street. Brother Laifu, you have offended them, and I'm afraid you'll be in some trouble."

Zhang Laifu thought the same thing: "So I want to leave Heishakou and find a way to make a living elsewhere."

Have you decided where you want to go?

"not yet."

After thinking for a long time, Li Yunsheng pointed out a way for Zhang Laifu: "If you don't want to go far, you can go south to Miedao Forest, take a fast boat, and you'll get there in a day."

"Miedao Forest isn't a big place, and the cost of food and lodging isn't high, but it's quite close to Heisha Pass, so it's hard to say whether the people from Hunlong Village will come looking for it."

Zhang Laifu thought for a moment and then asked, "Are there any other places we can go?"

Li Yunsheng pondered for a while longer: "If you want to choose a safe place, I suggest going to Lingluo City, Yuxiulang, or Baijiao Port. These are all big cities with much better security. The bandits definitely won't be able to catch up. However, big cities are also expensive. Brother Zhang, you'll have to find a good business to run."

When it came to making a living, Zhang Laifu was troubled. He didn't know what he could do in this place.

"I know architecture, so I should be able to find a job, right?"

"That depends on what trade Brother Zhang studied. Is it carpentry?"

"That's not..."

"Is he a stonemason?"

"Not at all."

"Is he a bricklayer?"

"nor……"

Li Yunsheng looked Zhang Laifu over carefully and asked, "Brother Zhang, have you ever built a house?"

Zhang Laifu puffed out his chest and said, "I'm very professional, I've really studied it!"

"What you're describing sounds very professional. Are you referring to civil engineering from out of state?"

Zhang Laifu remained silent for a moment, then answered with pride, "Yes!"

Li Yunsheng nodded repeatedly: "No wonder Brother Zhang's tone of voice is different; it turns out he received higher education in another state."

Zhang Laifu smiled modestly and said, "Brother Li, you flatter me."

Li Yunsheng waved his fan and said, "Brother Zhang, you don't need to be so polite. In Wansheng Prefecture, there is not much need for civil engineering professionals at the moment."

Does Wansheng Prefecture not need civil engineering professionals?
Zhang Laifu retorted, "Don't people in Wansheng Prefecture need to build houses?"

Li Yunsheng explained, “Houses need to be built, but those who do this job are all craftsmen. The carpenters, stonemasons, and bricklayers I mentioned before all do this. If Brother Zhang isn’t a craftsman, at most he can just follow someone around as a lackey.”

Moreover, this apprenticeship isn't something you can just get by on a whim; you have to train for at least three years, and a civil engineering degree from another state doesn't count.

Wanshengzhou is so special. Whether they are good at fighting or making money, they are all skilled craftsmen who can make a living from all over the country.

"Brother Li, I also want to become a craftsman. Who should I find to apprentice under?" It's not impossible to learn a craft for three years, but Zhang Laifu doesn't want to be a lackey.

Li Yunsheng shook his head repeatedly: "Craftsmanship isn't something you learn, it's something you cultivate. It depends on whether you have a bowl or not."

P.S.: I have a bowl! I'm a person with a bowl!

(End of this chapter)