Chapter 334: Tempering One's Temper

He Zuming took the cigarette.

「This won't do; one must calm oneself, let the mind be still like water, only then can one act freely. Jianqiang, when faced with matters you must stay composed. 」

Yesterday, when we were drinking, I wasn't saying that dynastic changes have a fixed number, right? People are also like that; what is yours will be yours,

What is not yours will never be yours.

The Da Heng Group has changed hands,

What is there to fear anyway? After all, we have nothing left.

You are sometimes too impatient. I don't have the habit of getting up early in Sijiucheng. First sit in the room and smoke,

I'll go back to sleep for a while.

He Zuming finished speaking and yawned,

and then ignored me completely.

He then crawled onto the bed beside him and really lay down to sleep.

Soon he started snoring.

I could only sit in the shop and smoke.

I smoked two cigarettes, but He Zuming was still sleeping soundly.

I watched the sun outside rise high, yet I hadn't asked a single word of what I wanted to say.

My anxiety rose again,

I couldn't help pacing around the room.

But He Zuming's snoring was very loud.

At that moment, a knocking sounded outside,

「Is Master He up? What time should we start the divination today? 」

Business has come knocking.

I hurried to call He Zuming,

「Master He, business has come; get up quickly. 」

I called several times,

He Zuming only then, half-awake, rubbed his eyes,

The person outside kept calling: 「Is Master He up? 」

Unexpectedly,

He Zuming shouted: 「What the hell, not today, we'll talk tomorrow. 」

The person outside could only say 「okay, okay」 and left.

I thought He Zuming would get up, but I didn't expect him to lie down and sleep again.

Sigh, back when I was in Zaocheng and paid He Zuming wages, how could he have such an attitude,

he would have proactively asked me earlier.

Now it's different, after all I came to find him.

I can only endure it.

Then about another hour or so passed,

He Zuming then rubbed his face with his hands,

got up from the bed,

after getting up, he first looked for a cigarette to smoke.

After he finished smoking, he looked at me,

He smiled and said: 「Jianqiang, you're getting worked up, aren't you? You need to temper your temper. From today on, don't mention anything about the Da Heng Group, nor anything about revenge. 」

「You are now a playmaster in Sijiucheng. 」

「What is a playmaster? 」 I hurriedly asked He Zuming.

「A playmaster is someone who plays all day, eats, drinks, and has fun, doesn't need to work, plays with flowers, birds, fish, and insects, enjoys music, chess, calligraphy, and painting; opening his mouth talks about world affairs, closing it talks about social relations. 」 He Zuming said.

「That's just a social loafer, isn't it? 」

「It's a bit higher than that. Sigh, Old Zhu, did you talk about Second Master Wen with him yesterday? 」 He Zuming asked.

「We did. I came over today wanting to ask you about this—how should we get to know him? 」 I said.

「You, you haven't become a player yet, how can you know him? You must become a player to know him. Jianqiang, didn't I just tell you not to be anxious? 」

「Take it slow, lower your temper. I was just deliberately tempering your temper. 」

「To accomplish great things, one must be as stable as Mount Tai. Even if heaven and earth collapse before one, one's countenance does not change. 」

「You should watch the news carefully, see how they act—never frivolous, never showing emotion. 」 He Zuming earnestly instructed me.

I could only listen.

He Zuming then picked up a sheet of paper on the table,

and wrote the four characters 「Wenwen er ya」 (refined and elegant).

I looked at it, not knowing what it meant,

He Zuming laughed and said,

「Second Master Wen is exactly that kind of person; the Wen family's power is now at its peak. 」

Why did He Zuming write that for me to see,

matters of the world can only be pondered by oneself.

Wen Han originally was a refined and elegant person.

He Zuming didn't explain further,

I asked, "Mr. He, what would you like to eat this morning? I'll go buy it for you."

"Jianqiang, back in Zaocheng you supported me; when I left Zaocheng then, I wanted to wander the world and see its famous rivers."

In the end I settled here in Sijiucheng.

This was the former capital, with countless fun and tasty things, so I couldn't leave.

You should know that Sijiucheng gathers all the world's delicacies in one place.

Compared to Zaocheng's spicy chicken, it's much better.

"Haha, let's go, we'll go outside and get two jianbing guozi to eat."

He Zuming put on a cotton coat at that moment, pushed the door and went outside.

We ordered two jianbing guozi at the street stall, each of us eating one.

I felt it was just okay,

not as good as the huoshao.

After eating the jianbing guozi,

He Zuming asked, "Jianqiang, what about Ding Li?"

I said, "I sent him back to Zaocheng. Zhu Sheng arranged it."

"What about Old Zhu?" He Zuming asked.

"Zhu Sheng said he had other matters to attend to, so he sent me to find you." I said.

"This Old Zhu, his temper is just as impatient as yours. Alas, the time isn't right yet; nothing will succeed,

for any undertaking to succeed, one needs favorable timing, location, and harmony among people,

we ourselves are not yet ripe for the right moment.

"Come on, let's take a taxi to a place. Follow me and explore Sijiucheng properly." He Zuming said.

I hurried to flag down a taxi.

I and He Zuming got into the car,

He Zuming then told the driver, "We're going to Yangquan Hutong."

The driver replied, "Sure thing," and headed toward Yangquan Hutong.

He Zuming then pointed outside and said to me, "Jianqiang, Sijiucheng used to be divided into an inner city and an outer city.

The inner city was inhabited by the imperial family.

The outer city housed ordinary commoners and merchants.

The real players lived in the inner city, that is, the former imperial vicinity; they were the lingering old-timers of the previous dynasty,

unmatched in eating, drinking, and entertainment.

Nowadays many rich second-generation heirs also follow their example,

keeping birds, raising flowers, watching fish, fighting crickets—pretty much the same across dynasties. We're going to Yangquan Hutong to find a cricket-raising aficionado."

"Sir, you two are going to Yangquan Hutong; no need to ask—you're looking for 'Hongguo Li' to buy crickets," the driver said.

"Master, one glance shows you're an expert; Hongguo Li's crickets are practically a famous player in Sijiucheng."

"Today I have time; let's go to Hongguo Li's home to see if there are any new treasures." He Zuming said.

"It's cold now; these things fear the cold. I'm afraid there aren't any good specimens at this time." The driver said.

"Haha, you just don't get it—play with insects in winter, birds in summer; the crickets that survive winter are the true generals." He Zuming said.

He Zuming chatted with the driver, and we soon entered the Second Ring Road and arrived at Yangquan Hutong.

Upon reaching the hutong entrance, I and He Zuming got out of the car.

He Zuming then said to me, "Jianqiang, no one here knows you, so you don't need to change your name; I'll call you Mr. Zhao. Do you speak the Sijiucheng dialect?"

I said, "I've studied Mandarin. Let me say a couple of sentences for you to hear."

I then spoke two sentences in Mandarin,

He Zuming nodded,

"Pretty good; if you stay here longer you'll pick it up. Today we'll come and have a look."

After He Zuming finished speaking, he led me into the hutong.

The whole hutong is filled with the flavor of time.

Gray bricks, stone strips, and courtyard houses are everywhere.

Today is New Year's Day 2024; I'm releasing an extra chapter, wishing everyone a happy New Year and good health.

2023 has been a tough year, just like Zhao Jianqiang's ups and downs.

We should be like Zhao Jianqiang, steadfastly facing the challenges of 2024. Bless us—2024 will be even better.

He Zuming and I walked through the hutong; it's so narrow that cars can't pass, with electric bikes parked along the walls.

From time to time, tourists led by guides pass through here.

Especially the old men pulling rickshaws, they shake their bells from afar shouting, "Make way, make way, we're making way!"

He Zuming and I quickly stepped aside to let them pass.

After walking about ten minutes or so in the hutong,

we finally arrived at the gate of a courtyard house.