Misunderstanding melted away

  He rubbed his eyes, and indeed it was that Tofu Western Zhang, standing in front of him, looking at him.

  Since she last kissed him, she hasn't looked at him again, like a stranger.

  She actually came knocking on his door, which was a first in their history, leaving him somewhat surprised and honored, asking: "Is there something going on?"

  Zhang quickly glanced at the wound on his lips that she had bitten, and without saying a word, handed him the few pieces of tofu in her hand.

  Zhenming hurriedly took over, and Zhangshi silently turned around, leading the little donkey to her dwelling place.

  Zhen Ming was a bit dazed, looked down at the tofu pancake in his hand, it was several pieces of fermented tofu cake made from tofu residue, smelling somewhat like stinky tofu.

  Although this tofu pancake doesn't smell very good, it tastes extremely delicious and is a must-order snack for him every time he goes to drink soy milk.

  As he watched Zhang's receding back, he suddenly turned around and ran back into the house, took a small bamboo basket from the house, caught up with Zhang, and handed it over.

  Zhang looked at him with a puzzled expression, and he smiled and said: "This is a special pastry I made, originally wanted to give it to you to try, but you've been ignoring me, so I didn't dare disturb you."

  Zhang lowered his head and took a glance at the golden Portuguese egg tart in the bamboo basket, reached out to take it, and said softly: "Thank you."

  "No need to be polite, by the way, can I still come to your tofu stall to drink soy milk in the future?"

  Zhang nodded slightly and led the little donkey into her courtyard.

  Zhen Ming returned home with a bitter fate, closed the big gate of the courtyard, leaned against the gate, and looked at the tofu pancake in his hand that he liked to eat the most. He muttered to himself: "Why did you suddenly start talking to me again?"

  ……

  The deadline for refining the alloy is approaching day by day, but there is no sign of the alloy. Zhenming seems to be in no hurry at all, and most of the time he is tinkering with some drawings that others can't understand, making glassware.

  Fei Long delivers some mineral materials to the blacksmith's shop every day according to his requirements, such as refractory materials, catalysts, coke, and strong acid. Some things Fei Long has never even heard of, Zhen Mingxu is also tired of explaining to him. Every time Fei Long asks what these materials are used for, he just says it's for experimentation.

  Every day after finishing work at the blacksmith's shop, Zhen Ming would go to Zhang Shi's tofu stall and drink a bowl of soy milk. Then he would take a nap on the riverbank until Zhang Shi closed her stall, when he would quietly follow behind her all the way back home.

  Zhang's family no longer buys soybeans from that Wuguo Wang store. Every few days, someone secretly puts a bag of soybeans at the entrance of her courtyard.

  She would also put the money for buying soybeans at the door every other day. Sometimes, although there might be a little less, she would always make up for it afterwards, never delaying or defaulting.

  That night, Zhen Ming had just put a bag of soybeans at the entrance of Zhang's residence when a large figure came running from afar, panting and shouting: "Zhen Ge, Sun Langzhong is asking you to go over quickly!"

  Waiting for him to run up front, Zhen Ming Su asked: "What's wrong?"

  Fei Long was sweating profusely, panting like a cow, and said breathlessly: "I'm not quite sure either, it seems that something happened to Moon Sister, Sun Lang is in a hurry, let you go quickly to take a look!"

  It was already around eight o'clock in the evening, and it had already darkened from south to north of the city, with a distance of at least ten kilometers. The night road was difficult to travel, and the post stations on the street had already closed their doors. It was impossible to rent a horse carriage.

  Zhen Ming bitterly turned his head and glanced at the gate of Zhang's residence.

  He walked to the door and knocked gently.

  "Who is it?" came a pleasant voice from inside.

  "It's me."

  "Is there something?" Zhang asked from behind the door.

  "Excuse me, boss lady, can I borrow your donkey cart for a use? I have an urgent matter and need to go to the north of the city, and I need to bring some things over."

  The door opened and Zhang's face was filled with confusion as she looked at Zhen Mingshu, but when she saw a stout fat man standing beside him, her expression changed to one of panic.

  Zhen Ming hastily said: "Don't be afraid, this is my friend Fei Long. I will definitely return the car to you tomorrow morning. Here are a few silver coins, consider it as rent from me."

  He said, taking a few silver coins from his bosom and handing them over to her.

  Zhang hesitated for a moment, turned her head and glanced at the house behind her. At this time, Song Lao's room was still pitch black.

  Zhen Ming bitterly saw the situation, and again took out a few silver coins from his pocket, saying: "If your husband asks, you just say that you rented out the donkey cart and gave him the money, he won't blame you."

  Zhang's face turned red as if his secret had been exposed, and he lowered his head and said, "Don't want your money."

  As he spoke, he turned around and walked to the donkey cart in the yard, untied the reins, slowly pulled out the cart, handed the reins over to Zhen Mingshu, and whispered: "Tomorrow morning at dawn I will go open the file."

  "Don't worry, I'll send it back to you tonight... Fei Long, hurry up and go." Zhen Ming thanked her and was about to leave with the donkey cart when Fei Long touched him with his hand and asked, "Brother Zhen, do you know how to drive a donkey cart?"

  "What?!" Zhen Ming was taken aback, "Does driving a donkey cart also require skill?"

  Fei Long cried with a sad face: "You haven't driven a donkey cart before, this night road is difficult to walk, the donkey is stubborn, you don't know its temperament, even if it doesn't leave you halfway, I estimate that by the time we arrive at the north of the city, the sky will be bright."

  Zhen Ming's bitter fate once again turned around, and he looked towards Zhang Shi who was closing the big gate of the courtyard...

  ……

  The donkey cart sped northward at a speed of 10 kilometers per hour, which was already the fastest speed for the donkey cart.

  The cart was loaded with over a dozen glass products, inside which were transparent objects. Zhang sat on the cart driving it forward, while Zhen Ming sat at the back of the donkey cart.

  Fei Long was left in the city because his weight exceeded the limit and Little Donkey couldn't bear the load, so he reluctantly stayed behind.

  At night, Luoyang Street was deserted. After the curfew time, vehicles could no longer pass through, and they had to leave the city before midnight, otherwise they would not be able to get out again.

  On the way, they were often stopped by city patrol cavalry, who would ask them questions and see those strange glass products on the car, they had to stop and ask carefully, if not for Zhen Ming's silver coins to bribe them, the car would have been intercepted long ago.

  It was not easy to get out of the city, and the mountain road outside the north gate was rugged and difficult for donkey carts to pass. Zhang's family also got off the cart, with Zhang leading the small black donkey slowly in front, while Zhen Nian struggled to push from behind.

  More than an hour later, the donkey cart stopped outside the thatched cottage of Sun Langzhong.

  At this time, Zhen Ming was already drenched in sweat.

  Zhang turned around and glanced at Zhen Ming bitterly, saying: "You bring down the things, I'm going back."

  "Thank you, but I'm not quite at ease with you going back alone. Why don't you come in and have a cup of tea first? I'll put down my things and see what's going on. If nothing important happens, I'll go back with you later. How does that sound?"

  Zhang looked up at the sky, only to see dark clouds blocking out the moonlight. The road they had come on was pitch black, and the distant howling of wolves could still be heard in the valley.

  When she came, she knew that Zhen Mingshu was following her with a bitter fate, and Zhen Mingshu would occasionally chat with her in a few words, so that she wouldn't think of anything else. Now, letting her go back alone in the dark, she really didn't have the guts to do it.

  She hesitated for a moment, nodded: "Then you have to hurry up, after midnight you can't enter the city."

  At this time, Sun Langzhong opened the gate of the courtyard from inside after hearing the sound of a donkey cart outside. Behind him was Huan'er with red eyes, obviously having just cried a lot.

  Zhen Mingshu led the way, and Sun Langzhong made a brief introduction of Zhangshi to the three people. Sun Langzhong then thanked them before hastily leading everyone into the house.