After dinner, Wei Duan Gong had a satisfying meal of snake meat and snake soup. He paired it with a small wine infused with herbs by Chen Er Gou, and the meal was thoroughly enjoyable. With his belly full, he strolled lazily in the compound, puffing on a cigarette. Suddenly, his peripheral vision caught sight of a familiar figure - Wang Hu Sheng. Wei Duan Gong's mouth curled up slightly, and he smiled with amusement, deliberately ignoring the shorter man. As an antique collector, Wei Duan Gong knew that truly valuable items were rarely found in markets or auctions. Occasionally, one might stumble upon something remarkable at an auction, but the prices would be exorbitant. To acquire such treasures at a low price, one needed to have connections with someone like Wang Hu Sheng. Wei Duan Gong was certain that Wang Hu Sheng had access to national treasures through unconventional channels. If not for his insider knowledge, Wei Duan Gong would have misjudged Wang Hu Sheng as just an ordinary person. After finishing his first cigarette, Wei Duan Gong lit another one, and Wang Hu Sheng finally approached him. As Wei Duan Gong handed the second cigarette to Wang Hu Sheng, he also offered to light it for him. Wang Hu Sheng accepted without showing any signs of surprise or gratitude, likely because he was unaware of Wei Duan Gong's true background and didn't have any leverage over him. Only when Wei Duan Gong lit his own cigarette did Wang Hu Sheng speak up: "Wei Ye, I can tell you're not just a superficial enthusiast of feng shui and calligraphy. You've delved deep into the subject matter, and that's no easy feat in today's world."
"It's actually quite simple if you put it on me."
Wei Duan Gong exhaled a smoke ring and chuckled: "As for me, I'm from a poor place, but my luck wasn't bad. When I was young, I worked hard and made some money with my wits. I bought a house, a car, and a woman, and then the problem arose - I didn't know how to spend my hard-earned money, isn't that embarrassing? After experiencing some ups and downs, I decided to calm down and practice calligraphy, read books, drink tea, and play chess with a few old friends. After twenty or thirty years, I've finally shed my nouveau riche image. Anyone who's done this for twenty or thirty years will have the same level of refinement as me."
"He's too humble." Wang Huzi shook his head and smiled, revealing a mouthful of dark yellow teeth with one missing front tooth. This kind of person, even if dressed in a suit and tie sitting in a Western restaurant, would still be taken for a farmer who returns to the countryside after leaving the dinner table to carry a hoe on his shoulder, or at best, a migrant worker carrying cement on a construction site. There are many talented people in the world, but few can recognize them; the key is that Wang Huzi's horse never neighs, and even if a dog doesn't bark, it can still bite people - a skinny, bony horse like this one can only be used for the most menial labor.
"Hu Sheng, let me say something I shouldn't be saying. If you really have no grudge against money, why would you end up being a security guard at Shan Shui Hua Men? Of course, I'm not looking down on the job of a security guard. It's like saying it's okay for Zhuge Liang to be a private tutor, but it's a waste of his clever strategies and that brilliant mind.
Wei Duan Gong had been mixing with all sorts of people for decades, and his ability to speak to people in their own language was naturally not bad. When he came to Hu Sheng, perhaps the image of "young master" in his mind had already taken shape, so when he spoke, he didn't intentionally try to flatter him. After hesitating for a moment, Wei Duan Gong raised the hand that held his cigarette and said something quite lewd: 'These hands of mine can touch the breasts of A-list female stars, why would I want to go touch the chests of roadside brothel girls?'"
"Master Wei, I've always thought you were a cultured person. Usually listening to your tone, hearing this now, it's really not suitable." Wang Hu said, stroking his chin with an eerie gaze fixed on Master Wei.
"I've said it before, I'm a poor man from the countryside, and my bones are rough to the core. No wonder I've been met with scorn and ridicule all along the way. For over a decade or two, I've heard so much cold mockery that my ears have grown calluses. Can't be helped, it's something I was born with, and this lifetime won't change it. There's a saying that goes 'three generations to produce an aristocrat', but I had planned to have a son and slowly cultivate him. Instead, three wives have given me four daughters, no chance."
Wei Duan Gong sighed and said, "This is a story that I've never told anyone before. It's been over thirty years since I left the mountain, and now it's all just a distant memory. Maybe this is what they mean by 'bottom line.' After finishing another cigarette, he lit his third one for the day and handed it to Wang Hu, who seemed to be lost in thought. His eyes were gazing into the distance as memories from years ago began to resurface. He took a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he slowed down his pace on the slope. Looking up at the streetlights that had just turned on, he felt a sense of nostalgia. "The name Wei Duan Gong was given to me by an old monk when I was young. He said my original name wasn't good, so I changed it without much thought. It's funny how things work out. When I met that extraordinary person, it was also a coincidence. Back then, I had a tough time in Jiangxi and ended up wandering around until I stumbled upon a small mountain with an old Taoist temple at the top. There was only one old monk there, wearing tattered robes. At first, he looked quite unusual, but now that I think about it, his words weren't anything special either. I stayed there for over a week before leaving the mountain. After that, I've been on the road for over twenty years, and rarely have I had any major setbacks. Maybe it's because of the old monk's blessing? I've always wanted to go back and visit him but didn't dare disturb him since he told me not to. Now, if I went back, the temple would probably be gone, and I'd never see him again. That's my biggest regret, even bigger than not having a son to carry on my legacy. Hu, I'm telling you this because I know who you are, or at least I have a pretty good idea. I'm sure that by sharing this story, I won't be 'playing the lute to a cow' or disrespecting the old monk. To be honest, there aren't many people in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai who impress me, but you're the second person to hear this worthless story of mine."
"My life is worth even less."
Wang Hu hesitated for a moment, seemingly considering how to respond. He had not expected Wei Duan Gong to be so forthright and was caught off guard. He took a deep drag on his cigarette, gazing down at the Huanghe Lou cigarette in his hand, which was worth as much as an entire pack of ordinary cigarettes. "Life is something that I understand just like you do, more than the average person," he said. "But when it comes to ourselves, we're powerless. Thank you for looking out for me, Wei Laoye. If there's anything in the future that I can help with, don't hesitate to ask."
"If I weren't the current Wei Duan Gong, what would you guys be?!" Wei Duan Gong laughed and said. Chen Er Gou or Wang Hu Sheng, they can't be considered ordinary people, but if it's said that Wei Duan Gong's attitude over the past few weeks was to get something from them, that's a huge joke. At his current height, giving Wang Hu Sheng a cigarette is a small matter that would increase Wang's value if it got out. Moreover, Wei Duan Gong is also half a businessman and knows better than anyone that this era isn't the Spring and Autumn or Warring States periods, no one will sacrifice their life for a few words, and no one will really die for someone else. Wei Duan Gong has personal experience with this, when his former boss got into trouble, nearly 100 younger brothers didn't dare to take responsibility, and as a result, he was put in jail until now, and his beautiful wife was taken care of by those so-called "brothers". At that time, Wei Duan Gong didn't impulsively take the blame or undertake the responsibility of raising the man's wife and children. Although he has felt guilty for many years, he doesn't regret it.
Society is very practical, reality is cruel, brothers are unreliable, and women are very scheming. This is the world of Wei Duan Gong.
Wang Hu was smoking heavily, casting a sideways glance at Wei Duan Gong, realizing that he had underestimated this man by several points in the past.
Wei Duan Gong, a self-proclaimed cultural person who is actually a big rascal and a vagabond. He's about to turn 50 and has some knowledge of Feng Shui, so some politicians in Nanjing want him to take a look at the wind and water; he knows how to write and paint, especially good at landscape painting and northern stele, with a style that is quite elegant; he also knows many traditional Chinese medicine recipes and health tips, and at nearly 50 years old, he can still easily conquer two fierce women in one night. He wears three hats: Ph.D. in Archaeology, Master's degrees in Philosophy and Western Art, and yet this pseudo-intellectual who can talk his way into any circle has played golf, had tea, and eaten with two Central Committee members, and has a deep friendship with a Shanghai underground giant. After 30 years of ruthless and cunning tactics, he has finally earned the title: Wei Gong Gong.
He endured Zhang Sanqian's cold shoulder for over a week, drank and chatted with Chen Ergou, gave Wang Hu some cigarettes, and was amiable to his neighbors.
Wei Duan Gong casually threw away the cigarette butt and said, "I know what you mean, you want to give Er Gou a way out. Today, I'll make it clear that I do indeed take a liking to Er Gou, but I didn't plan on dragging you into my circle. I never form sworn brotherhoods because I don't trust others. Those who board my pirate ship either end up being crippled by my opponents or played to death by me, with very few having a good ending. It's not easy for me to find one or two people who can drink and chat with me, I don't want to lose them."
Wang Hu's words were left unspoken.
Wei Duan Gong sighed lightly and said, "A big tree is good for shade? When the tree falls, the monkeys scatter? One day, a big tree that provides good shade really fell down. Some monkeys wanted to escape but couldn't get away. Er Gou is still young, if he gets trapped, he can't get out, it's not worth it. Let him wait a bit longer, this boat of mine that's about to reach the shore isn't suitable for him."
"Let's not talk about this."
Wang Hu smiled and said, "Er Gou has a dog, it's a guardian dog from the Changbai Mountains in Northeast China, it's a female. I heard you have a male Shaanxi Xoloitzcuintli, also a pure breed from deep in the mountains. I think they're a match."
Wei Duan Gong nodded and pointed at Wang Hu, shrugging his shoulders, saying: "You, you, won't give up until you reach the Yellow River, so stubborn."
Wang Hu combed his middle-parted hair and said, "Without being clever, one can only rely on luck." (To find out what happens next, please log in. More chapters are available. Support the author and support the official version!)
