If dead ashes have a chance to reignite, you are just a single drop of urine and a bubble of shit, but you still have to hurry up and extinguish it.

  Zhao Kunpeng's old man had spent his whole life fighting in the officialdom, framing people and being framed by others. After sixty or seventy years of twists and turns, he had finally managed to climb up to the second-in-command position in Shanghai. The words that came out of his mouth were rough and even a bit vulgar, but they made Zhao Kunpeng's ears perk up. Having heard them many times, it was inevitable that he would develop this way of thinking when dealing with people. When Zhao Kunpeng saw Chen Erdou finally choose to kneel down, he didn't feel the slightest sense of triumph in his heart; instead, a wave of discomfort and chilliness surged up inside him.

  Looking at the man kneeling down, Zhao Kunkun felt that it was hard to get off the tiger's back. He wasn't afraid of those who were only good at playing deep and losing, nor did he look straight at the sky and not be afraid of being ruthless. He was wary of Fang Yiming's type, although few young people in Shanghai didn't fear Fang Yiming, but Zhao Kunkun wasn't afraid of his family background, which was full of honor and glory. What he dreaded was the kind of person who could hide a knife in their smile, be flexible and yielding, just like a Tai Chi master, with hidden killing intent. His grandfather had long said that Fang Yiming would go far in politics because he had mastered the art of "dragging characters" and "pushing hands", which the older generation had learned from their experiences. Zhao Kunkun didn't like Fang Yiming's kind, who didn't have a bit of military spirit on him. Chen Ergou also made Zhao Kunkun feel uneasy, this Northeasterner who came to Shanghai to make a living was more thorny than expected. Zhao Kunkun sneered in his heart, could they really let bygones be bygones?

  He's not that kind of open-minded person, and Chen Ergou is definitely not the kind of guy who knows how to take a step back and let things go. So although Zhao Kunpeng withdrew from the Arrow Pavilion, he didn't plan on letting Chen Ergou off scot-free. If you ask him why, he might say that he's disgusted by the wolf-like gaze in a dog's eyes - this reason may seem absurd, but it directly points to the human heart.

  "Is that it, Xiongzi?" A friend behind Zhao Kui Peng said with a smile, still feeling a bit resentful. Today's show was exciting to watch, but he had rushed over in a hurry, not even getting close enough to touch the kid's clothes, leaving him with a sense of regret. He and his buddy Xiongzi had joined the army at the same time, but instead of going to the Nanjing Military Region where they could have taken care of each other, he had gone all the way to the Shenyang Military Region, where he spent four or five years dealing with all sorts of Northeasterners. His temper was more developed than his skills, and he never bothered to consider things from a smaller person's perspective. He didn't waste his thoughts on that. Chen Er Gou's kowtowing was just entertainment for him, and besides, in his opinion, even if the kid did kowtow, he would still have to keep beating him until he was satisfied. If he ended up crippling the kid, so what? He could just pay some compensation money and be done with it.

  "I've made it clear with him, and this is a promise."

  Xiong Zi smiled slyly and said: "However, isn't Wu Huang's account still pending and not settled? That needs to be calculated bit by bit, this matter is not over yet."

  "Xiongzi, isn't that a bit too much?" said Guo Yimian, one of Zhao Kunkun's six assistants, furrowing his brow. He was very fat, but not flabby, with an unusually large head, yet not robust. However, he had extremely strong resistance to beatings. In a one-on-one fight, even Xiongzi would be intimidated by this seemingly indestructible fatty. Guo Yimian had always been known for being steady and reliable since his youth. Even Wu Huang, who was generally honest and obedient, would occasionally cause some trouble for the older generation. This guy, however, had always maintained a carefree and smiling demeanor, never causing any problems for his parents. If there was one thing that could be considered out of line, it was when he had once considered becoming a monk in college, which had worried his family to no end. In the end, he didn't become a monk, but in recent years, he had traveled extensively to famous Buddhist mountains.

  Guo Yibian's words were echoed by the other two, one of whom sighed and said: "I think that Chen Ergou guy is quite something. He's already done the kneeling thing, and nowadays ordinary people who don't have any background or connections are all talking about human rights and equality, especially those born in the 80s. I'm afraid they'll never have the chance to do anything like kneeling their whole lives. It's really humiliating for others to see. That guy says he doesn't know that a man's knees are made of gold, but I think it's just self-consolation. He came all the way from Northeast China to make a living, it's not easy at all. Xiongzi and Huangge have also said that we should spare people when we can, so let's just forget about it. That guy isn't someone who can be easily bullied, if things really get out of hand in the future, you'll find it hard to wrap things up, and after all, it won't look good on your record. Do you really not want to have a bright future? It's not worth it."

  Those who held dissenting opinions immediately jumped out to refute: "It's not like we're going to kill the whole family, what a big deal. Think about it, if you beat Fang Yiming until he lies in bed for several months, will that guy let you off with just one apology? That guy would even make your wife and mother-in-law suffer, Shanghai is okay with him being narrow-minded, but we're not allowed to be bad guys?"

  Two groups of people quarreled with each other, full of gunpowder smell, just short of internal strife, it's really the emperor is not anxious but the eunuch is.

  Zhao Kun, who was unmoved in his heart, couldn't be bothered to intervene in the argument of this group of dead friends, and got on the bus alone, leaving them behind.

  ————————

  Xiao Mei stood in the corner, at a loss for what to do. Chen Er Gou, who she thought she had figured out, was once again unclear. That one kneel had overturned Xiao Mei's worldview to a large extent. She wouldn't believe that Chen Er Gou could kneel with a clear conscience even if you killed her. Everyone knows about Han Xin's humiliation under the horse's belly, but when faced with it herself, not many people would really dare to crawl through their opponent's crotch. After all, China is so big, there must be many men who have crawled through crotches, but only one Han Xin has emerged. Moreover, even if Chen Er Gou were to become a great hero in the future, it would probably take ten or twenty years. Before that, he would still have to behave like a cowardly dog. Xiao Mei was certain that if this got out, Chen Er Gou's reputation and prestige, which he had built up over the past few days at SD bar, would be completely ruined.

  Chen Ergou got up and returned the money to the owner of the archery hall, including the cost of repairing the floor damaged by the arrow. He walked out in silence, and it was only then that Xiaomei noticed that his back was slightly hunched when he walked.

  Is it because there are too many and too heavy things on your shoulders?

  Xiao Mei didn't catch up, he was afraid that Chen Er Gou would think he was just watching the excitement. Xiao Mei regretted not standing up to Xiong Zi earlier and retreating to the side. If he hadn't been so shallow-minded at the time, maybe he could have really entered that young man's circle by now. Life doesn't have many assumptions, and Xiao Mei didn't want to spend too much time on regrets either. He took a deep breath, ordered ten dozen arrows, drew his bow, and shot them fiercely, venting his emotions.

  Recently, Chen Ergou didn't need to eavesdrop or work at the Ami restaurant, so he had some free time. He happened to pick up a Buddhist scripture without a cover from the waste paper collection station and read it with great difficulty. It's hard to say whether it was a moment of enlightenment, but a phrase suddenly popped into his mind: "All disasters, fears, and living beings in the world are caused by my own attachments; what is the point of holding onto them?" Chen Ergou's literary skills were still not up to par even after cramming, but he roughly understood that the phrase was advising people to "let go of their ego." Letting go requires a broad-minded wisdom, while attachment is a lifelong shackle. Chen Ergou thought the phrase was good and made sense, but it was a bit too profound and didn't quite fit into the framework of everyday life. Indeed, telling someone like him, who grew up in the environment of Zhangjiashan, to "let go of their ego" was...

  Let go.

  Simple two words, only eleven strokes.

  Chen Ergou thought about it and felt heartache, but also wanted to laugh, and didn't know whether to laugh at himself or others, so he came to Amei Restaurant and ordered a stir-fried rice cake. Wang Huizhang had just taken time off and was busy serving his master who had caught an eagle on Chongming Island. The boss had to go to the market to buy ingredients himself, and today the boss's wife accompanied him because of rumors that he was flirting with a middle-aged tofu vendor at the market. Li Wei had no worries after finishing her exams and spent all her time playing with her classmates, so Amei Restaurant only had the kitchen chef, Chen Ergou, and Li Sheng sitting on the stairs, who looked like he had been beaten up.

  After finishing a plate of stir-fried rice cakes, Chen Erdou ordered another plate of stir-fried noodles. After eating the noodles, he ordered another plate of scrambled eggs with rice.

  Gobbling down like a wolf and swallowing like a tiger, without putting anything down, it seems that quite a few things have been swallowed.

  Li Sheng ran over and squatted on the chair, watching Chen Erdou lower his head and eat fiercely. He supported his cheeks with his hands and didn't disturb him. When Chen Erdou finished paying and was about to get up and leave, he said: "Erdou, if I'm bullied by someone, I can find you. If you're bullied by someone, who do you go find? Are you still looking for that immortal sister with the surname Cao?"

  Chen Ergou shook his head and for the first time spoke to Li Sheng in a serious tone: "Let's not look for her anymore, once is enough. If we keep looking, she'll really start to despise us. We can be treated like dogs by anyone, but we can't let her look down on us." He came to the wutong tree and sat down on a small stool, took out a cigarette, but hesitated and didn't light it up, putting it back instead. Li Sheng followed him silently, squatting beside Chen Ergou on the side of the road, staring blankly into space. Li Sheng liked to daydream and often got lost in thought, even during class. As the gardeners would say, he never listened to what he was supposed to listen to, but instead heard everything he wasn't supposed to hear. This little kid also liked to make shocking remarks, saying outrageous and eccentric things that often startled traditional teachers like Guan Shiying. She knew Li Sheng was smart, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't guide him onto the right path, so she could only give up on him. As for a kid who dared to point at the school principal's nose and call him an idiot, Guan Shiying didn't have the ability to tame him.

  "Two dogs, I don't want to read books." Li Sheng said in a low voice.

  "What if you don't want to read books?" Chen Ergou calmly retorted.

  "Just like you." Li Sheng said with a curl of his lip, as if he had found the best antithesis to his own rebellious life.

  "Li Sheng, I actually never treated you like a child. This is also the reason why you liked to be in contact with me. Many things seem like one thing but are not that simple. The world can't be settled with just one fist. A rogue will always be a rogue, serving as a dog for those in power and a gun for those with money. Can you live at ease?"

  "It's better than reading books."

  Chen Ergou didn't continue to explain, his own tomorrow was still pitch black, he wasn't qualified to interpret others' lives, he just said lightly: "A man with a knife at his waist, try not to do things that will make our children resent us for the rest of their lives."

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