"What is there to thank for?" Tang Ning earnestly said: "If it weren't for you saving me, I almost drowned in the river. I should be the one sincerely thanking you for saving my life."
When the matter of saving was brought up, Zhang Yun's gaze suddenly dodged, and he asked softly, "Do you speak up for me just because I saved you?"
"You could say that, but it's not entirely that," Tang Ning pondered with some distress before saying, "Because you saved me and took care of me, I had the chance to realize that you are a good person. The fact that you saved me was an opportunity. If you had done something else that let me understand you, I would also speak up for you."
Zhang Yun lowered his head, not saying anything.
Tang Ning was a bit at a loss, not knowing if he had said something wrong.
"By the way, Zhang Yun, I wanted to ask if you know anything about the wishing well?" Lin Yun asked from the side.
"The wishing well in our town?" Zhang Yun looked towards Lin Yun, "It had been neglected for a long time, and normally nobody goes there. It's just that after tourists started coming in, many of them like to go there for check-ins, take photos, and throw coins."
"Oh? Is it because making a wish there is very effective?" Lin Yun asked, remembering that besides ancient coins, there were many modern coins in the well, indicating that many tourists had thrown coins there.
Zhang Yun shook his head, "Before the old master made a wish there, it was a very ordinary well. Most tourists like going there mostly because they think the sculpture in the middle of the well is good."
"Is the sculpture related to the River God you worship?"
Zhang Yun said something somewhat unexpected, "Many of us haven't believed in the River God for a long time now."
"But didn't you just recently abolish a certain ceremony?"
Mentioning the ceremony made Zhang Yun's expression somewhat unnatural, as if a wound had been uncovered. Yet, after he glanced at Tang Ning who was also expecting an answer, Zhang Yun suppressed his emotions and explained softly, "That ceremony was to punish the evil incarnation of the River God. Many of the older generation, even though they no longer worship the River God, still believe in its existence."
"They think that the River God would be angry with us for not worshiping it anymore. Being angry, it would cause harm. So, in order to protect the peace of the town, the ceremony was held to suppress the evil incarnation of the River God."
"Why don't people in your town believe in the River God anymore?" Lin Yun asked.
Zhang Yun shook his head, "I'm not very clear either. Maybe the older generation would know. I once asked my grandfather, but he didn't want to tell me."
Again, it's the older generation.
There seems to be a significant difference between the views of the younger generation and the older generation in the ancient town.
"Shao Mingwei seems to know about this thing," Tang Ning typed: "Before the old master made a wish to the River God, he introduced me to some of the wishing procedures."
Even Zhang Yun, a local, wasn't very clear about the specific matters of the wishing well, so how could Shao Mingwei, also an outsider, know?
"Let's ask Shao Mingwei later," Lin Yun said.
Tang Ning nodded. He and Lin Yun went to the wishing well, and during this period, there wasn't much around the wishing well. Tang Ning stood by the edge of the well, looking at the layers upon layers of coins in the water, many of which were thrown by tourists. The ancient coins they really wanted were pressed at the very bottom.
Tang Ning stretched out his hand, his fingertips entering the water, stirring his reflection and causing ripples. The water also reflected a half fish sculpture. Tang Ning looked up nervously towards the stone statue in the center of the wishing well, not sure if he remembered wrong, but the statue seemed much cleaner than in the morning, as if the moss and dirt had been cleaned off, revealing the previously blurred outlines and specific features.
The part that was supposed to be the eyes was unclear, without pupils, yet it gave off a creepy feeling as if the eyes of the statue had turned.
Tang Ning quickly lowered his head, casually picked up an ancient coin, wrapped it in tissue, and put it in his bag. After doing all this, he couldn't help but look back at the statue.
No wonder many tourists like to come here for check-ins; the statue was indeed impressive. After the light blurred the details, it added a kind of indescribable sense of mystery. The curvature of the lips seemed to be curling up, as if smiling at someone, but upon closer inspection, it might just be an illusion.
"Did you get it?" Lin Yun urged: "Once you've got it, let's hurry up and leave."
Tang Ning followed Lin Yun's steps and walked away, feeling a strange sense of being watched from behind. Tang Ning carefully looked back and saw the sculpture standing alone in the well, its entire form in a poised to leap stance, with its slender fishtail folded together, as if it would launch out the next second, like the most ferocious predator pouncing on its prey!
Tang Ning couldn't help but get goosebumps all over his body. He quickly left the place with Lin Yun and shared his uneasy feelings with Lin Yun.
"On just the second day, even if He was reviving, it wouldn't happen so quickly," Lin Yun comforted.
Tang Ning felt even more anxious. On just the second day, what would it look like when true chaos ensued?
"You should ask Shao Mingwei later if he knows more about the River God, why the town no longer worships Him, and why the statue's hand is broken," Lin Yun instructed Tang Ning. Tang Ning noted down these questions and headed to Shao Mingwei's residence.
Shao Mingwei was cooking. He had set up a table in the center of the courtyard and brought out two dishes just out of the pan. First was garlic ribs, golden and crispy ribs filled a white porcelain plate, a fragrance of having been fried wafted to the nose, so aromatic that Tang Ning subconsciously secreted saliva.
Red braised pork, with its fat and lean parts, was also placed on the table. As the plate was set down, the plump and round caramel-colored pieces of meat slightly trembled. Shao Mingwei placed chopsticks and a bowl in front of Tang Ning, smiling, "I was afraid you wouldn't have an appetite for fish, so I didn't make any this meal."
"I came here because I have some questions to ask you."
"One question per dish, how about that?" Shao Mingwei picked up a piece of red braised pork, holding it to Tang Ning's mouth.
The increasingly rich aroma wafted to the nose.
After a day of eating instant noodles and dry buns, Tang Ning couldn't resist such an aroma. As soon as he opened his mouth, Shao Mingwei fed the dish into Tang Ning's mouth. It was fatty but not greasy, melting upon entry, with juices spilling from the corners of Tang Ning's mouth, which Shao Mingwei reached out to catch.
It seemed
Tang Ning's eyes widened. Although all red braised pork is called the same, each has a distinct taste. Some red braised pork is so bad Tang Ning doesn't even want to call it that, while some are so delicious that Tang Ning, after ordering several times in the real world, hasn't tasted anything like the memory.
It was as if every taste bud was trembling. Tang Ning forgot all the questions he had prepared in his mind, his only thought was that Mo Yunchu once made red braised pork, seemingly with the same taste.
"How can your cooking be so delicious?" Tang Ning blurted out.
Shao Mingwei, in a very good mood, smiled, "Do you like it?"
Tang Ning nodded vigorously, eagerly waiting for Shao Mingwei's answer.
"I taught myself." Shao Mingwei picked up another piece: "If you like it, have another piece."
Tang Ning was looking for a different answer, but he didn't know what he wanted. He felt his mind in turmoil, at one moment feeling Shao Mingwei's cooking resembled Mo Yunchu's, and at another, thinking Shao Mingwei's eyes resembled Gong Yun's.
"Do you know Mo Yunchu?" he asked quietly.
Shao Mingwei read the name with a puzzled expression: "Mo Yunchu? Who is he?"
A very unfamiliar look in his eyes, as if he truly didn't know him, Tang Ning disappointedly said, "My ex-boyfriend."
The hand holding the chopsticks tensed up, veins protruding, and the piece of red braised pork trembled before being split in two, dropping onto the plate with a splash of red sauce.
Shao Mingwei, unfazed, replaced the broken chopstick with a piece of rib, "The red braised pork was too tender just now."
Tang Ning quickly replied, "No, I thought it was just right, I really like the texture!"
As he spoke, he couldn't help but eye the red braised pork on the plate again, realizing Shao Mingwei had only provided one pair of chopsticks and he had none for himself.
"By the way, why did you suddenly ask if I knew your ex-boyfriend?" Shao Mingwei asked gently.
His demeanor was casual, as if chatting about everyday matters, and so Tang Ning responded in kind, "Because your red braised pork tastes just as good as his."
Perhaps Tang Ning himself didn't realize, but whenever he mentioned Mo Yunchu, even just with a simple "he," his expression softened a bit.
Crack.
This time it was the sound of the chopsticks breaking.
The rib that was on its way to Tang Ning's mouth fell to the ground along with the chopsticks. Tang Ning looked down blankly at the rib now dusted with a layer of dirt on the ground, expressing his dismay, "Ah, the meat fell."
Shao Mingwei slowly raised his hand, pushed up his glasses on the bridge of his nose, and said softly, "The quality of the chopsticks isn't very good. I'll go get another pair."
Indeed, the chopsticks looked quite old, with some of the lacquer peeling off.
Shao Mingwei stood up and went into the kitchen. Seizing the moment, Lin Yun, who was almost unable to breathe, hurriedly leaned into Tang Ning's ear, "Ancestor, what are you asking?!"
Tang Ning then realized he had gotten sidetracked. He quickly said, "I'm about to—"
"Lin Yun," Shao Mingwei stood at the door, with a smile, "I've brought you a pair of chopsticks and a bowl. Why don't you try some as well?"
Lin Yun froze, a chill running down his spine to the crown of his head, and he weakly sat down at the dining table.
Shao Mingwei enthusiastically arranged the bowl and chopsticks for Lin Yun, kindly saying, "The dishes will taste worse if they get cold. Eat more and talk less."
After finishing, he turned back to Tang Ning with enthusiasm, asking gently, "Does my red braised pork really taste like your ex-boyfriend's?"
Tang Ning nodded vigorously, "Exactly the same! Identical!"
"And this garlic rib?" Shao Mingwei asked softly.
"He never made that for me." Tang Ning picked up a piece for himself. The rib was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, delicious enough to make Tang Ning blissfully squint his eyes, "Mmm, so tasty!"
Shao Mingwei smiled and pushed his glasses up, even though they hadn't shifted at all. "It's quite a coincidence that there's someone else in this world with such similar cooking skills. I'd really like to meet this Mo Yunchu someday and have a good exchange with him—"
"Culinary skills."
Hearing this, Tang Ning felt a bit despondent because he knew it would be difficult for him to see Mo Yunchu again.
"Do you choose boyfriends based on their cooking skills?" Shao Mingwei asked.
"Not necessarily, although they all cook really well." After saying this, Tang Ning noticed that Shao Mingwei's smile had become even brighter.
"They."
"All?"