Third watch, wheres the red ticket?

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  "Lin... Lin Fu!"

  Lin Xie and Zhou Pu stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the dock, marveling at the prosperity and bustle of Shanglin Villages ferry terminal. A large hand covered with calluses patted his shoulder, and a surprised shout rang out: "Ah, Xiaocai! Its really you! I saw you from afar and my eyes almost popped out, I knew you were tough, but I didnt expect it to be you who came back!"

  Zhou Pu turned around to see a dark-skinned, robust young man with his arms open wide, grasping Lin Xies shoulders with both hands, excited and eager. There was also a slightly shorter young man standing on the side, looking at Lin Xie who had suddenly returned, muttering to himself: "Zhao Neng that dog said you were killed by bandits in Baisha County, your body fell into the water and wasnt found. He said you died in Baisha County, but he still had the nerve to come back and say some unpleasant things. Hu Zi Ge was so angry that he punched Zhao Nengs teeth out, two of them fell out... Qi Gu Niang trusted him so much, letting him accompany you to Jiangning for the exam. For fighting, Hu Zi Ge was dragged to the ancestral temple and whipped twenty times, kicked out of the village militia, cant be a small leader anymore..."

  "Whats the point of bringing this up, what can be better than Scholar Lin coming back alive! No, Lin is no longer a scholar, we should call him Master Juren from now on," said the dark-skinned young man, putting his arm around Lins shoulder and shouting loudly to the pedestrians on the street, "Scholar Lin has come back alive, our Master Juren has come back alive!" The news of Lin passing the imperial examination and being killed by bandits in Baisha County had long spread throughout the countryside. The dark-skinned young mans shout brought people from the streets and shops rushing over. Some knew Lin, some only knew his name and what had happened to him. Those who knew Lin came forward to greet him, while those who didnt surrounded them, discussing and speculating.

  "Ah, its Lin Xian after all..." "Yes, thats him. He was a child prodigy from a young age and passed the imperial examination to become a jinshi at a very young age. Later on, he became a high-ranking official..." "If he could get an official position in the county, that would be even more impressive. The Lin family is really producing talented people..." "Which branch of the Lin family does he belong to? Theyve already been exiled for five generations. When Lin Jia died, they couldnt even afford a coffin from the Lin family and had to bury him wrapped in a straw mat... But this kid has brought honor back to the family after passing the imperial examination..." "Isnt it said that he got into trouble with an actress and was killed by a water bandit in Baisha County? How can he be alive and well?" "He used to be white and chubby, but now hes dark and thin. He seems more spirited than before, probably because he suffered a lot after being captured by the water bandits..." "How do you know he didnt escape?"

  Lin Xie was no longer the Lin Xie of old, and he had an unshakeable sense of estrangement from this era. Before landing, he still felt a little nervous, not knowing how to play the role of Lin Xie. However, under the enthusiastic support of his childhood friends and neighbors, Lin Xies emotions were also involuntarily infected. He put his arms around the shoulders of two young men, one with dark skin and the other slightly shorter, and said: "You all say Im lucky, where would I die so easily? But Ive also suffered a lot..." These two people were Lin Xies good friends from the same village. The dark-skinned one was called Zhao Hu, strong and sturdy, rough and skilled in boxing, who joined the village militia after coming of age and became a small leader; the slightly shorter young man was thinner and more handsome, his name was Lin Jingzhong. He was also a collateral descendant of the Lin family, with four older sisters and only one younger brother. Lin Xie and Zhao Hu were used to calling him "Little Five". He had studied together with Lin Xie at the Lin familys private school, but failed to pass the imperial examination several times, and his family was poor, so he gave up and went to work as an accountant in a local warehouse.

  Lin tied up Zhao Hus broad shoulders and asked: "You beat Zhao Neng, you cant be a country brave, what do you do for a living now?"

  "My two arms are still strong, whats the worry about not having enough food to eat?" In early winter, Zhao Hu was still wearing a single layer of clothing, using a grass rope as a belt around his waist, and didnt feel any chill. He intentionally flexed his arms, letting Lin Xuan feel the bulging muscles on his shoulders, so that Lin Xuan wouldnt worry about his livelihood.

  "Beating up Zhao Neng is no big deal, the key thing is that Tiger Brother couldnt hold back when he was asking Zhao Neng questions at home, and even Seventh Madame couldnt beg for mercy," Lin Jingzhong said. "Hes temporarily helping out in the warehouse, waiting for when the master of the house cools down, says a few soft words, maybe he can go back..."

  "Ask me to go back? Im not interested!" Zhao Hu said with a nonchalant tone, "Relying on my own strength to make a living, no need to look at others faces, isnt that great?"

  Lin Xian smiled, the "Benjia" in Lin Jingzhongs mouth referred to the master of the house, Lin Tingxun. Not to mention in Shanglin Village, even in Shiliang County and Dongyang Prefecture, few people dared to disobey him in person. Zhao Hu took a beating from Zhao Neng in front of Lin Tingxun, and naturally couldnt escape punishment.

  Zhao Hu was a small leader in the village militia, and apart from receiving two taels of silver as a stipend every month, he was also exempt from corvée labor. He had two meat dishes to eat every day, two sets of clothes for spring and autumn, and warm clothing for winter. During festivals, he would receive some gifts. If bandits came to attack, he would be rewarded with extra silver for his bravery in battle. In this era, it was already considered a pretty good job, at least Lin Jingzhong envied him greatly.

  Lin Jingzhong worked as an accountant in the warehouse and only got one meal per day at noon. He could barely make ends meet with one tael of silver per month, and he would be grateful for that. Unfortunately, although he envied Zhao Hu, he didnt have Zhaos strong physique.

  Lin Jingzhong said to Lin Fu: "Lin Fu, dont mind Tiger Brothers careless words. Since youre back, help him say a few more words in front of Seventh Lady..."

  Lin Xian was previously timid by nature, and Zhao Hu had a somewhat rough temperament. Among the three good friends, it was usually Lin Jingzhong, who was the youngest, who made the decisions. Lin Xian nodded in agreement: "Of course..."

  "Whats the point of saying that?" Zhao Hu irritably said, pushing Lin Jingzhongs thin shoulders, "You go and inform the shopkeeper, well send Lin Fu back first to get the house back... At noon, well prepare some wine and meat, have a good meal, and then go dig up that fake grave to dispel the bad luck."

  Lin Tie didnt know that not only had they helped him build a grave, but also someone else had taken over the house he used to live in. He wanted to ask about the situation, but before he could open his mouth, Zhao Hu dragged him out of the crowd.

  Zhou Pu and Chen Enze had not spoken up until now, carrying their bundles and following behind Lin Fu as they walked towards the village. Zhao Hu and Lin Jingzhong initially didnt notice that Zhou Pu and Chen Enze were returning with Lin Fu, but after walking out of the crowd and seeing them still following behind, they asked Lin Fu: "Who are those two?"

  "This time I was able to narrowly escape, all thanks to Big Brother Zhou..." Lin Xuan was about to say the lie he had prepared beforehand, when suddenly a sorrel horse galloped over from in front, stopping only three to five steps away. The rider, Seventh Madame Gus face was filled with anger as she looked at Lin Xuan, who hadnt even had time to greet her before she whipped him fiercely.

  The whip swept across his cheek and struck his shoulder, Lin Xuan was wearing a padded jacket, but his shoulder still felt scorching pain. Everyone was stunned by this sudden turn of events: Lin Xuan had returned alive and well, so why did the Seventh Lady rush over on horseback and strike him with a whip? Only then did Gu Ying get off her horse, whip in hand, beating and kicking Lin Xuan while cursing: "Youre still alive, why didnt you come back even when you were dying? Youve been bewitched by that vixen spirit, Ill give you a good whipping to wake you up! If you had really died, how could I have faced your mother?"

  Lin Xuan was suddenly attacked, and although the other party was a beautiful woman, Zhou Pu still quickly rolled up his sleeves to help her take down the whip in her hand. However, when he heard Gu Yingxue crying and scolding, saying this, he stood aside with a smile, watching the commotion, and couldnt figure out what relationship this beautiful woman, who looked several years older than Lin Xuan, had with him.

  Lin Xie stood there as Qi Furen beat and kicked him. Although he was no longer the same Lin Xie, he could still genuinely feel Qi Furens concern for him.

  Gu Xing wiped away her tears and noticed the two outsiders standing behind Lin Xie. She also realized that her previous actions were too unbecoming, so she tidied up her disheveled hair by pushing it back behind her ears. "Speak," she asked Lin Xie, "youre alive and well, why did you only come back now?"

  She had been getting ready in her room that morning when she heard the news of Lin Xies return. Overcome with emotion, she hadnt thought twice about anything else and hastily rode a fast horse to hurry over to the dock. Only now did she realize that she might have caused a bit of a scene, even though everyone in the Lin family knew that she and Lin Xie were as close as siblings. Still, who knows whether there would be people gossiping behind their backs?

  "In Baisha County, I encountered robbers and fell into the water, hugging a wooden log. In the water, I didnt last long before losing consciousness. Brother Zhou and his crew happened to be passing by in their boat at the mouth of the White Water River, and after being rescued onto the ship, I remained unconscious for three days. By then, we were already on the waterway from Hailing to Tinghu." Lin Tie slowly spoke out the fabricated lie he had prepared earlier, introducing Zhou Pu to Madame Qi Guanyu, Zhao Hu, and Lin Jingzhong beside him. "Brother Zhou was just a sailor on that grain boat, and letting me stay on the ship to take care of me was already the greatest extent. I was unconscious for three days on the ship, and when I woke up, I was very weak, with no money by my side. I could only follow the ship to Tinghu. After the grain boat unloaded its cargo in Tinghu, it returned to Jiangning, which delayed me for over a month. Just two days ago, I met a friend in Jiangning and borrowed some money to hire a boat back..."

  "Didnt you think of sending someone to send a message back and report safety? Didnt you know that the Lin family also has a warehouse in Hailing? Cant borrow money from the Lin familys warehouse after arriving in Jiangning?" Gu Yingxu asked.

  Lin Xuan thought to himself, even if the previous Lin Xuan was a useless person, Gu Yingxue didnt reduce her care for him. Facing Gu Yingxues questioning, he stood there awkwardly without making a sound. His lies had some flaws, but in Gu Yingxues eyes, Lin Xuan was inexperienced and previously only knew how to read books, so it was normal for him to be flustered when faced with great difficulties.

  Gu Yingru saw Lin Xies self-imposed imprisonment and said with a sigh, "Youre always causing people to worry," then turned to Zhou Pu and bowed, "This Lin Xie, Ive considered as a brother since childhood, his mother was my wet nurse——Yingru is thanking Master Zhou on behalf of her deceased wet nurse."

  Zhou Pu was a bit awkward in front of the beautiful ladies, Gu Ying curtsied and said: "I still need to trouble Lin brother, no need to thank..."