EBE Chapter 141: A Thousand Miles
Chapter 141: A Thousand Miles
Although they were all low-level minions, they all knew that the young girl in front of them was not someone to be trifled with.
One of the portly men swallowed nervously and muttered, "How about we go in and inform them first? Let the boss deal with her?" A tall, thin man next to him glared at him fiercely and said in a low voice, "Why are you so anxious? Let's go out and greet them first. Don't be impolite."
Several people straightened their clothes and walked towards Cheng Yuntao with all their might. The big man in the lead forced a smile that was uglier than crying and stammered, "Ms. Cheng... Miss Cheng, why did you come here in person? If you have any instructions, please tell us and we will do it."
The other big men also nodded, their waists bent like shrimps.
Cheng Yuntao felt a little amused when she saw them like this, but she kept a calm expression on her face and said, "I'm looking for Qi Zhonghu, you go and inform him."
The fat man quickly responded, "Okay, okay, please wait a moment, young lady, I'll be there right away." After that, he turned around and rushed into the theater like a gust of wind.
The tall and thin man and the remaining big men stood in front of Cheng Yuntao, not daring to breathe. The tall and thin man glanced at Cheng Yuntao from time to time, trying to guess her mood from her expression, and silently prayed in his heart that Qi Zhonghu would come out quickly.
Not long after, the fat man ran out panting, followed by Qi Zhonghu.
Qi Zhonghu, with a smile on his face, trotted over to Cheng Yuntao, stretched out his hands attentively, and took the food box from Cheng Yuntao's hand, looking very familiar with the process.
"Don't worry, Miss Cheng, just give the food box to me. I will deliver the food to Ji's house and hand it over to Boss Ji as quickly as possible." Qi Zhonghu patted his chest loudly and promised solemnly.
Cheng Yuntao smiled, her tone gentle and sincere: "Brother Qi, you've been running back and forth, it's really hard for you."
Qi Zhonghu felt a warm welcome at the polite greeting, and his originally reserved body relaxed a bit. He had seen too many people who relied on their connections to act arrogantly, and he had expected Cheng Yuntao to be the same. But seeing that she not only didn't make fun of him but was also so easy to talk to, his resentment immediately dissipated.
"Of course not. It's my honor to run errands for Boss Ji. Miss Cheng, you're too polite."
After finishing her business, Cheng Yuntao returned to her stall, only to find that during the time she had been away, Jiang Yu had already sold all the cakes and collected a whole bag of silver.
After checking the sky and finding it was still early, Cheng Yuntao enthusiastically suggested, "Jiang Yu, it's rare that everything goes well today. How about we go to the theater together to see a play?" Jiang Yu's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he agreed without hesitation, "Of course I'll go for such a good entertainment!"
Cheng Yuntao greeted the people in the theater, gave them some money, and asked them to help watch the stall. She also specifically instructed them that if there were any little beggars wandering around the stall, they should not drive them away violently, but come in and pass on the message, and she would come out to deal with it.
After the guard agreed, Cheng Yuntao and Jiang Yu ran to the theater to watch a show.
The two had just found their seats and sat down when the curtain slowly opened. The Qinhuai scenery on the stage came into view, with pleasure boats swaying, lanterns hanging high, and light and shadows rippling on the water.
Li Xiangjun was dressed in gorgeous silk, her face was as rosy as a peach, her eyes were full of affection, she walked lightly with lotus steps, and her every frown and smile showed her gentle grace; Hou Fangyu was elegant, waving a folding fan, drinking with Li Xiangjun, and they were full of affection.
As the plot progresses, the atmosphere changes dramatically. Li Xiangjun's eyes are determined, and blood splatters on the poem fan. Yang Youlong appears, holding a paintbrush dipped in blood as ink, and lightly touches the fan. In an instant, peach blossoms bloom.
……
In that dark era, Li Xiangjun was not alone in suffering.
Around her, countless other women were similarly mired in tragic fates, oppressed by the powerful or toyed with by fate. Their righteousness was like the sunset glow before darkness sets in, brilliant but fleeting. Sadly, their stories were silently swallowed by the darkness, leaving no trace.
Li Xiangjun was fortunate. Kong Shangren wrote her story into "Peach Blossom Fan." From then on, her love, hatred, and steadfast loyalty were remembered by the world. While countless beauties have fallen in history, Li Xiangjun's peach blossoms, through the passage of time, have only grown more vibrant and everlasting.
The love story between Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun, at its core, is no different from the emotions of ordinary men and women. Their encounter, acquaintance, separation, and reunion, seemingly full of ups and downs, is, in fact, just an ordinary chapter in the realm of human love. If their story is unique, it is largely due to the turbulent and bizarre backdrop of the chaotic world.
In this epic masterpiece "Peach Blossom Fan", what touches people's hearts most deeply is the profound insight and analysis of the separations and reunions in the world and the rise and fall of nations.
At the end of the piece, Taoist Zhang utters a deafening question: "Bah! You two fools! Look where your country is, where your home is, where your king is, where your father is, yet you can't sever your attachment to this mere flower-moon love?"
Then, a heartfelt exhortation unfolds: It's a shame your children are so spoiled, regardless of the vicissitudes of life. Their erotic words are too garbled, and they're declaring their splendid future before the gods, clutching their clothes and holding their hands. Who knew the book of fate had long since been erased? The mandarin ducks, dazed and frightened, awaken from their dream of love, their reunion shattered, their precious mirror unsteady. They shyly make a fool of themselves, earning the laughter of others. I urge you to flee from the open road!
This voice, though aged, exuded a tranquility, like the ringing of a temple bell in the morning or the drumbeat of a Taoist temple in the evening, transcending time and space to reach the heart. In an instant, the veil of the dark world that had obscured everyone's vision was suddenly lifted, and the world became a bright, snow-white light; and the once blazing spring light, in this instant, turned to a bone-chilling cold.
When Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun heard this, it was as if they had been enlightened. They suddenly realized the truth and resolutely threw away all worldly ties and became monks.
This ending has long been controversial.
Many people believe that the two had gone through untold hardships to be reunited, and the long-lasting pain of missing each other had not yet dissipated. How could they easily let go of everything just because of a few words from a Taoist priest?
But will those stories that seem to have a happy ending really continue to be happy?
Orioles sing at dawn in the Jade Palace of Jinling, flowers bloom early in the Qinhuai Waterside Pavilions. Who knew the ice would melt so easily? I watched him build his red mansion, I watched him entertain guests, and I watched his mansion collapse. Here on this pile of mossy, blue tiles, I once slept in a dreamy sleep, witnessing the rise and fall of fifty years. No one in Wuyi Lane is surnamed Wang. Ghosts cry at Mochou Lake at night, and owls crow in the Phoenix Tower. Dreams of the ruined mountains are the most real, the old land hard to lose. I don't believe this map is being rewritten. I'll compose a "lament for Jiangnan" and let my sorrow flow until I grow old.
Cheng Yuntao just said: The world is like a dream, and life has gone through many vicissitudes.