Bab 68: Help
"Hey, I must ask, why are you still drinking?"
Upon returning to Man Jun's courtyard, Fang Yi discovered that the drinking party he had left earlier was still in full swing. To his surprise, two more people, the plump man and San Pao, had joined the gathering. Judging by the flush on their faces, it was evident that they had indulged quite a bit as well.
"Ah, Fang Yi, you... you're back?" Man Jun, swaying slightly, stood up and pulled Fang Yi over, exclaiming, "Come, today your Brother Man is in high spirits. Drink this cup with me, and let's not stop until we're thoroughly intoxicated…"
"Indeed, we must finish it!" Sun Chao chimed in, incessantly tapping the table with his chopsticks, his eyes nearly closing from drowsiness.
"Alright, if you insist, I shall drink."
Seeing that Man Jun was about to raise the cup to his lips, Fang Yi reluctantly accepted it and took a sip. After placing the cup down, he said, "Brother Man, Brother Chao, it's getting late; you must be tired. It's time to rest…"
"Rest… sleep?" Sun Chao lifted his head to glance at Fang Yi. For some reason, his already hazy mind began to spin, and he promptly collapsed onto the table.
"Brother Man, you can also sleep now…" Supporting the still-standing Man Jun, Fang Yi gently pressed the Anmian acupoint at the nape of his neck with his thumb, causing Man Jun to immediately soften and succumb to slumber.
"I say, what are you two gawking at? Help them to their beds…" After ensuring the two intoxicated individuals were settled, Fang Yi turned to the plump man and San Pao with an exasperated tone.
"Fang Yi, I've suffered a blow today…" The plump man lamented as he tossed Man Jun onto the bed and returned to the table to pour himself another drink.
"What blow have you suffered?" Fang Yi asked, having assisted Sun Chao into the room. He then halted the plump man's hand and turned his gaze to San Pao, inquiring, "San Pao, what's going on with him? Wasn't he in high spirits this afternoon?"
"Brother Yi, I've experienced heartbreak…" The plump man's face was etched with despair as he reached for the bottle again.
"Fang Yi, don't listen to his nonsense; he's not heartbroken at all—he just wants to drink more Maotai…"
San Pao bluntly exposed the plump man's true intentions. After encountering that female police officer earlier, the usually loquacious plump man had barely uttered a word during dinner, and it was clear he wasn't heartbroken.
"Ha ha, San Pao, you really understand me…"
The plump man, who had initially worn a sullen expression, immediately brightened at San Pao's words and said to Fang Yi, "Ah, it's such a pity you didn't join us today. I must tell you, this is the first time in my life I've dined at a five-star hotel, and the first time I've seen such a beautiful woman. Don't believe me? Just ask San Pao; even he was smitten…"
As he spoke of the female police officer they had dined with, the plump man wore a foolish grin. Despite his usual bravado, he was disappointed with his own performance, having failed to utter a single coherent sentence in front of her.
In contrast, San Pao had engaged in pleasant conversation with the young woman, which filled the plump man with envy and jealousy. On the way back, he kept insisting he would tell San Pao's girlfriend about it.
"This girl has a lovely personality; she's neither arrogant nor pretentious…"
San Pao also held the girl in high regard. From their dinner at the five-star hotel, it was clear that her background was respectable; otherwise, her salary as a police officer wouldn't suffice to cover the expenses for all three of them.
Despite her impressive background, she spoke to them without an air of superiority and even took the initiative to recommend various delectable dishes, making the plump man and San Pao, who were initially nervous about being in a five-star setting, feel quite at ease. They both accepted her as a friend in their hearts.
According to her, her name was Bai Chuxia, a native of the capital and a second-year student at the Police University, currently interning in Jinling. She would be leaving in six months and had few friends in the city, which made her delighted to meet the plump man and San Pao. She even mentioned inviting Fang Yi to join them for dinner next time.
When she said this, neither the plump man nor San Pao dared to interject, as the cost of the meal was exorbitant. They had heard that each person would be charged five hundred eighty-eight yuan, excluding drinks.
"By the way, Fang Yi, Bai Chuxia has another favor to ask of us…" After recounting their dinner, San Pao began, "She wants to buy a nice piece of cultural relics as a gift for her elder but is afraid of purchasing a counterfeit. She hopes we can help her find one…"
"Help her find one? What connections do we have?" Fang Yi shook his head upon hearing San Pao's words and replied, "Let's wait until Brother Man sobers up tomorrow and ask him. He's been in this circle for a long time and surely has some contacts…"
"Actually, we don't even need to consult Brother Man…"
San Pao looked at Fang Yi, hesitatingly suggesting, "Brother Yi, don't you have something suitable? You could sell something you've crafted yourself. After all these years, you must have made several pieces, right?"
As the saying goes, accepting favors makes one feel indebted, especially when a stunning beauty is involved. San Pao, unable to resist, sought to assist Officer Bai.
"The items I've crafted are of poor quality and inferior material…"
Fang Yi shook his head vigorously. The beads he had made during his time of reciting scriptures were crafted from very ordinary wood, and during that period, he had also been busy with chores, leaving his hands far from clean. The beads he produced were simply unpresentable.
"Why not give her a string from what the old Daoist left behind?" San Pao suggested, stealing a glance at Fang Yi's expression. "Officer Bai said money isn't a problem; as long as the item is good, you can name your price…"
"San Pao, you know very well that my master's belongings cannot be sold…"
Without a second thought, Fang Yi rejected the idea outright. What a ridiculous notion! The items left by his master were not merely cultural relics but also Daoist artifacts, imbued with Fang Yi's memories of his master. Even if he were to face dire poverty, he would never part with them.
"San Pao, see? I told you Fang Yi wouldn't agree." The plump man said, somewhat dejected. "Had I known, I wouldn't have promised her. If we can't find a suitable item, we'll truly have no face to meet her this Sunday…"
"What did you promise?" Fang Yi was momentarily taken aback, asking, "Did you agree to help her find an old item?"
"It's all this fat guy's fault; he blurted out that we would help her find something over twenty years old. Do you think finding a cultural relic over twenty years old is as easy as picking vegetables?"
Initially, San Pao and the plump man hadn't considered the matter significant. They thought that as long as they had money, acquiring an old cultural relic would be a piece of cake. However, upon returning home and discussing it with Sun Chao, they realized they had underestimated the situation.
It is important to note that during the Qing Dynasty, cultural relics were the exclusive playthings of the Eight Banners' elite. Common folk could not afford them, and after the Qing Dynasty fell, cultural relics enjoyed a brief resurgence during the Republic of China but largely faded into obscurity post-establishment of the People's Republic.
It wasn't until the mid-1990s that cultural relics re-emerged as decorative items, and it has only been six or seven years since they regained public attention.
Thus, according to Sun Chao, aside from those pre-1949 that could be classified as antiques, there were almost no items that had been cultivated for over twenty years among the general populace. Consequently, after boasting about such a find, the plump man had no choice but to turn to Fang Yi for assistance.
"I do have a string of Bodhi beads that I've been cultivating myself; I can show it to her this Sunday…"
Fang Yi's mind sparked with the thought of the string of Bodhi beads he had polished earlier that afternoon. Although there were some black stains in the crevices, and the overall quality wasn't perfect, the luster and color of the beads were still quite appealing.
"Oh, Fang Yi, you've saved both me and San Pao…"
The plump man seized Fang Yi's arm eagerly, saying, "Let's go upstairs and take a look at your beads. I'm telling you, Brother Yi, this time I've really made a bold claim. You must present something worthwhile!"
"I'll show you tomorrow; for now, you two should clean up this mess…"
Fang Yi gestured toward the chaotic dining area. It was unclear how much Sun Chao and Man Jun had consumed, but aside from two empty Maotai bottles, there were at least seven or eight beer bottles scattered about.
"Alright, you can rest easy; we'll take care of it…"
Once his request was met, the plump man sprang into action, pulling San Pao along to help. Fang Yi shook his head, thinking that with the plump man's tendency to lose his composure around women, he would inevitably find himself in a predicament sooner or later.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone