Eternal madness

What exactly is the reason behind Chapter 46?

"Why are you back?"

"I'm still an apprentice here, and I haven't finished learning yet, so I definitely have to come back!"

Wang Tiaodeng stared at Zhang Laifu for a long time.

That's right, this is Zhang Laifu.

How is he still alive?

"Didn't I tell you to buy gray-eyed bamboo? Where's the bamboo?" Wang Tiaodeng tried his best to remain calm.

Zhang Laifu shook his head and said, "I couldn't find the old shipyard; I don't recognize that place."

"If you don't know me, then ask me!"

"I asked, but I still couldn't find it."

"So what did you do all afternoon?"

"My hand is injured, I'm going to get it treated." Zhang Laifu raised his right hand, which was covered in bandages.

Wang Tiaodeng didn't know what to say.

Lao Liang came out of the house: "Laifu, you're back?"

"I'm back. My master saw that my hand was injured and gave me two silver dollars to treat it."

"Nonsense!" Wang Tiaodeng roared. "I gave you money to buy gray-eyed bamboo, not to treat your injuries!"

Zhang Laifu looked aggrieved: "Then why won't you let me get treatment for my injuries?"

"I didn't say no, I meant I'd give you those two silver dollars..."

Old Liang laughed and said, "Old Wang, why are you doing this? It's just two silver dollars. I'll have someone send it to you later."

He smoothed things over, and that was the end of it.

Around nine o'clock in the evening, the men brought Deng Yuechuan back. Deng Yuechuan's cheeks were blue from the cold, his lips were white, his teeth were chattering, and he could barely speak.

Lao Liang walked up to Deng Yuechuan and asked, "What were you doing at the old shipyard?"

Deng Yuechuan lowered his head and remained silent. Yang Laoliang shouted, "I'm asking you a question, are you deaf?"

Not telling him was out of the question, so Deng Yuechuan glanced at Wang Tiaodeng and cautiously said, "I heard from my master that gray-eyed bamboo is a good thing for learning a craft, and it's sold at the old shipyard, so I went and bought some..."

"Bullshit!" Wang Tiaodeng glared at him. "When did I ever say such a thing to you? I said that to Laifu!"

Deng Yuechuan nodded: "Yes, Master told Laifu that. I heard it and I also wanted to learn the craft, so I went to the old shipyard."

A crowd gathered to watch the commotion, including Chen Xiaowang, who frowned, sensing that something was amiss.

Lao Liang walked up to Deng Yuechuan and asked with a smile, "You went to buy bamboo? Where is the bamboo?"

Deng Yuechuan lowered his head and said, "I didn't buy any. I waited for a long time, but the bamboo seller never came."

Lao Liang turned to Wang Tiaodeng and asked, "Master Wang, he said the bamboo seller didn't come, so why did you still send Laifu to buy bamboo?"

Wang Tiaodeng sighed, "There have always been bamboo vendors at the old shipyard, I don't know why he didn't come today."

"Is that so?" Lao Liang chuckled, turned around and patted Deng Yuechuan's face: "Kid, what you're doing is called stealing someone's skills, you know?"
Master Wang is teaching Laifu, not you. If this happens again, I won't let you off the hook. Get out of here and stay here.

Deng Yuechuan left, and the others returned to their rooms. Lao Liang called Chen Xiaowang over: "Xiaowang, did you have something to say just now?"

"I... I have nothing to say..."

Lao Liang held up a lantern and shone it on Xiao Wang's face: "Your brother Lai Fu has been good to you. He treats you like a brother and always speaks well of you in front of me. This whole thing is really strange. Don't you have anything to say?"

After hesitating for a long time, Chen Xiaowang finally told the truth: "Shopkeeper, when Master was talking to Brother Laifu about the gray-eyed bamboo, it seems that Brother Deng was not present."

Was he already out by then?

"I don't know. I haven't seen Brother Deng since breakfast today."

Lao Liang waved his hand, letting Xiao Wang go, and then asked his assistant Xiao Chu to call Zhang Laifu over.

"Laifu, Master Wang asked you to go to the old shipyard today. Do you know what he means by that?"

Zhang Laifu said, "He told me that he wanted to buy bamboo to learn a craft."

"Then why don't you go?" "My hand is injured, I can't learn the trade!"

Lao Liang frowned: "Brother, do you understand what I mean?"

Zhang Laifu said, "I understand. You said you wanted Lao Wang to teach me a skill, and now Lao Wang is willing to teach me. That's a good thing."

Lao Liang shook his head and said, "This is not a good thing. You'd better stay away from Lao Wang in the future. Don't listen to anything he asks you to do."

Zhang Laifu was even more confused: "Shopkeeper, you want me to learn a craft from Master Wang, but I'm ignoring him. How am I supposed to learn?"

Lao Liang sighed: "Brother, I've told you this, you probably don't understand how big the issues are here."

“It’s just a matter of two silver dollars!” Zhang Laifu said easily. “The shopkeeper has already agreed to compensate him, so Master Wang certainly won’t hold it against him.”

After Zhang Laifu left, Lao Liang put his hand on his bald head and rubbed it for a long time.

He called over his assistant, Xiao Chu, and asked, "In the old shipyard, did you only see Deng Yuechuan?"

Xiao Chu answered cautiously: "In Warehouse No. 2, I only saw Deng Yuechuan. He was shivering inside. I heard the noise. I didn't go into the other warehouses to check."

What's in that warehouse?

"There was some scrap iron, rusted beyond recognition, and some sugarcane residue."

Lao Liang was startled: "Look closely, is that really sugarcane pulp?"

Xiao Chu nodded and said, "A sweet one is definitely the best."

"Old Wang called Shao Tiangan? That shouldn't be the case. He and Zhang Laifu don't have such a deep grudge..." Sweat beaded on Old Liang's bald head, and he wiped it several times with a handkerchief.

"Business is about amicable partings, he shouldn't have gone this far... I just don't want to do business with him, but he shouldn't have done this. I have such a big shop, and I have a certain status in the guild... Xiao Chu, from now on, you just need to deliver meals to Zhang Laifu, and don't worry about anything else."

"Shopkeeper, will you still teach him the craft?"

"Teach what?" Old Yang glared at Xiao Chu. "Shao Tiangan is here. Old Wang is serious. Can't you see that?"

……

Zhang Laifu returned to his bedroom, about to study his craft, when he suddenly heard a knock at the door. It was Chen Xiaowang.

“Brother Laifu, I heard from the shopkeeper that you treat me like a brother and have said many good things about me. I don’t know how to repay you. If you need anything in the future, just tell me to do it. You’ve taken such good care of me, so I should do as much as I can to help you.”

Zhang Laifu shook his head and said, "Xiao Wang, you've been deceived. I haven't looked after you at all."

"Brother Laifu, you don't need to be so polite with me..."

“I’m not being polite. If I can take care of you, I have to take care of myself first. If someone can’t even take care of himself, and he says he can take care of you, then he’s lying to you.”

The words were simple enough for Chen Xiaowang to understand: "Brother Laifu, is it that Brother Deng wants to harm you?"

Zhang Laifu took out a paper bag from his cotton-padded coat, which contained a pound of steamed buns: "Take this back and eat it. After you've eaten your fill, go to sleep. When you wake up, study your craft diligently. Don't leave the lamp shop for the next two days."

Chen Xiaowang accepted the steamed bun and thanked him, but he was still worried about Zhang Laifu: "Brother Laifu, do you have some kind of grudge with Master? Master is a man with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. There is no grudge that cannot be resolved."

Zhang Laifu shook his head: "People with sharp tongues are often heartless. Why would someone with a soft heart wear a knife on their lips?"

……

Late at night, Zhang Laifu opened the window and invited Li Yunsheng in.

Li Yunsheng lit three incense sticks, and only after the smoke filled the room did he speak: "Brother Laifu, I've found out about the matter you asked me to investigate at the old shipyard. The person there is called Shao Tiangan, and he's a shady character. In other words, he's an assassin. He's quite famous, and his skills are probably comparable to Wang Tiaodeng's. This time, he's after your life."

“I knew Wang Tiaodeng was acting strangely. He pretended to be the shopkeeper and asked me to run errands. He even offered to teach me a skill.” Zhang Laifu was glad that he had taken precautions early. He didn’t go to the old shipyard. Instead, he went to find Li Yunsheng first. “If he wanted to take my life, why didn’t he just do it directly? He is the head chef on the second floor.”

"Old Liang's lantern shop is the largest paper lantern shop in Heishakou. If he were to kill someone in the shop, or if Yang Laoliang were to catch him in a compromising situation, he would probably have no way to explain himself to the gang."

"Wang Tiaodeng asked me to go to the old shipyard. If something happens to me there, he won't be able to clear his name, will he?"

"Given his status, as long as he can find a suitable scapegoat, he can get away with it."

"That's strange. Why does Old Wang have such a deep grudge against me? Is it just because he's worried I'll take his job?"

Li Yunsheng shook his head: "The head chef can find work anywhere. It would be reasonable for him to want to beat you up, but the reason he had Shao Tiangan kill you is definitely not that simple."

Zhang Laifu really couldn't understand: "I need to find an opportunity to ask him what the reason is."

P.S.: Which opportunity is more suitable?

(End of this chapter)