The dragon fish, seeing the man in ancient costume emerge, quickly dove into the water and fell silent.
Yu Daohen turned to look at the man in ancient costume. His handsome face was as expressionless as ever, as if he were a dead man: Lijiang, Yunnan.
The man in ancient costume nodded and grunted.
Without many words, Yu Daohen was used to it. No matter how big the matter, this guy would either grunt or say "good." It seemed there was nothing in the world he cared about.
"I'm leaving first," Yu Daohen said, walking towards the door.
"Be careful outside. Call me if anything happens," the man in ancient costume suddenly said.
Two years ago, Yu Daohen had bought him a flip phone, but he had never used it. The contact list only had Yu Daohen's number. Even though he didn't use it, he charged it every day. Apart from being in the well, the most Yu Daohen had seen him do was charge his phone.
Yu Daohen smiled, "Don't worry, causing trouble for you is what I'm best at."
The man in ancient costume didn't speak, but turned into a wisp of white smoke and floated towards the backyard.
Yu Daohen knew this guy didn't want to talk to anyone anymore.
Yu Daohen glanced at the jade pendant, then at the dragon fish in the fish tank: "I'm leaving."
Zhang Jingyi, inside the jade pendant, suddenly spoke: "Have a safe trip."
"Have a safe trip," the dragon fish in the fish tank poked its head out and said.
Yu Daohen smiled. It was actually quite good to keep the two of them around; at least it felt like home.
Pulling the wooden door shut and locking it, Yu Daohen looked up at the three large characters on the plaque above the door. This time, he would probably have to close shop for half a month.
He went to the bus station and took a bus to Yang州市. It was only a four-hour journey from Jiangdu to Yang州市.
By the time Yu Daohen arrived in Yang州市, it was already 11:30 AM. He found a small restaurant, ate, and then took the earliest train to Yunnan.
Yu Daohen bought a sleeper ticket and found his compartment. It was a lower bunk on the left side.
As soon as Yu Daohen placed his backpack and the Kang Long Jian on the bed, the man in his early thirties lying opposite him looked him over and said, "Little brother, your complexion doesn't look right."
Yu Daohen was taken aback. He looked at the man lying opposite him. His white shirt still had some dirt stains, and there was an indelible layer of mud on his trouser cuffs.
"Big brother, why do you say that?" Yu Daohen asked.
The man sat up and examined Yu Daohen's complexion closely: "Looking at your pale face, little brother, it seems you have a weak constitution and insufficient blood and qi."
Hearing the man say this, Yu Daohen could guess that the man was likely in the medical field: "Big brother, are you a physician?"
The man began to explain: "My surname is Zhou, and my given name is Ziqiang. I am older than you, so you can call me Big Brother Zhou. My family has been dealing in Chinese herbal medicine for three generations, so I suppose I'm an old Chinese physician."
Yu Daohen nodded: "My name is Yu Daohen. Big Brother Zhou can just call me Little Yu."
"My complexion has been like this since childhood," Yu Daohen continued.
Zhou Ziqiang raised an eyebrow: "That's not right. Your pale complexion is indeed due to a weak constitution and insufficient blood and qi."
Yu Daohen smiled. Apart from his irregular sleep schedule, his complexion had indeed been like this since he was born. It was normal for Zhou Ziqiang to misjudge.
"Big Brother Zhou, don't underestimate me. I can carry three hundred kilograms and walk without any problem," Yu Daohen said.
What Yu Daohen said was not an exaggeration. Let alone three hundred kilograms, he could carry four hundred kilograms and walk.
Zhou Ziqiang sized up Yu Daohen. Although his complexion was indeed pale, his physique looked like he could indeed carry three hundred kilograms.
With nothing else to do, the two began to chat.
"Judging by your accent, Big Brother Zhou, you're not from around here, are you?" Yu Daohen asked.
Zhou Ziqiang nodded: "I'm from Yiliang, Yunnan."
For the next three days, Yu Daohen spent his time chatting with Zhou Ziqiang and admiring the scenery outside the window, except for sleeping.
As the saying goes, to see the sea, go to Guanghe; to see mountains, go to Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.
The mountains of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan may not be the most famous, but they are certainly the most distinctive.
By the time they reached Kunming Railway Station, the two had packed their luggage and got off the train. Zhou Ziqiang said, "If you have time, come to Yiliang, and I'll treat you to roast duck, little brother."
Yu Daohen nodded: "Definitely, definitely."
After a few more casual remarks, Zhou Ziqiang left.
Today was a bit rushed. A small accident happened (I was invited to the office by my teacher for a chat). I'll make up for it tomorrow. I apologize to everyone, and I'll thank all my lovely friends for their gifts one by one tomorrow.