Old Jin City on the Wall

Chapter 27 Don't Reach Out

The entrance was partially dark.

It's not that the weather has changed.

It was that black umbrella lying across the threshold that cut off half of the light in the alley.

The tip of the umbrella, covered in copper, touched the bluestone slab.

笃.

The old customer at the chess table was about to make a move when he stopped.

笃.

The waiter held the long-spouted kettle, the spout hovering in mid-air, not daring to let the hot water fall.

The third sound didn't come.

Because the person carrying the umbrella raised the tip of the umbrella.

The person who came didn't ask if there were any seats available.

I didn't even ask how much the tea cost.

He looked at the counter first.

Xiao Cui pulled her hand back from the edge of the sunflower.

Boss Zhao held the teacup, the lid touching the rim.

despair.

The visitor smiled.

"Manager Wu?"

Wu Ling tucked the gavel into his palm.

"Sit down if you're having tea, or if you're looking for someone to sit with."

"He'll just stand there, say a couple of words, and then leave."

Old Zhou put the covered bowl down.

"Standing down, it's the entrance to the government office."

The person who came turned to look at him.

Old Zhou was scraping the tea foam.

"Wu Ji is a teahouse."

The black umbrella outside the door shifted inward by half an inch.

The burly man who followed took half a step forward, his shoulder blocking half of the door.

The person didn't turn around, but simply tapped the edge of the table lightly with a jade thumb ring.

The burly man stopped.

The waiter quickly pulled out a chair.

"Please have a seat, sir."

The man sat down.

A black umbrella guards the gate.

A burly man stands at the counter.

Before the tea was even served, one of the paths in the teahouse had already disappeared.

The waiter brought over some three-flower tea, but the tea tray tilted slightly when it was placed on the table, causing the tea to spill out in a half-circle.

The man didn't touch the tea.

"Liu residence, Steward Cheng."

The chess piece by the window has not yet been placed.

The old player, playing black, glanced at the umbrella by the door and put the chess piece back in the chess box.

The person on the other end whispered, "It's not finished yet."

"The Liu family has arrived, what's the point of playing music?"

He took out two coins from his sleeve and placed them under the tea boat.

When they got up, they didn't dare drag the chairs around, and the two of them walked out close to the wall.

As I reached the door, the man with the black umbrella didn't let me through.

The person carrying the umbrella only moved the tip of the umbrella away by half an inch.

The two squeezed out sideways without even saying "take care".

The lid of Boss Zhao's bowl made another sound.

Only then did Manager Cheng look at him.

"Manager Zhao is here, perfect timing. Saves me from having to go to Zhao's for a cup of tea."

Boss Zhao kept his head down.

Manager Cheng turned the teacup lid, his voice low.

"My young master had a high fever the day before yesterday. Zhao's family delivered medicine, and the fever subsided. The Liu family is grateful for this favor."

Wu Ling said, "If you want to acknowledge someone's kindness, go to Zhao's place."

Manager Cheng smiled.

"Of course I agree."

He looked at Boss Zhao.

"Manager Zhao, please speak."

Boss Zhao's throat moved.

"The medicine... doesn't belong to my family."

Xiao Cui's flower basket gently bumped against the counter.

Manager Cheng smiled.

"Manager Zhao said that the medicine was delivered by the flower girl."

Xiao Cui didn't back away.

She straightened the wooden sign.

Gardenia Trio.

Sunflower, ten coins.

Wu Ling said, "She only sells flowers."

Manager Cheng raised his hand.

The burly man placed the cloth bag on the table.

The cloth bag was opened, and silver coins were laid out one by one.

Manager Cheng said, "Here are twenty silver dollars."

Wu Ling looked at the silver dollars.

"We don't need more than twenty flowers."

"The medicine is worth it."

There is no medicine.

"Manager Wu dismissed the Liu residence without saying a word?"

"That's Zhao's business."

Boss Zhao suddenly looked up, then immediately looked down again.

"Manager Zhao clearly stated that the medicine wasn't his. The flower girl clearly stated that the goods came from Wu's shop. Now Manager Wu is saying he didn't have it. Whom should I listen to?"

Wu Ling said, "Of course, we should listen to the patient. A fever reduction is not necessarily due to the effectiveness of the medication."

Manager Cheng turned the tea lid over, and a drop of water rolled to the edge inside.

"Then ask slowly. Someone must have seen which street the girl sells flowers on each day, what time she leaves, and what time she returns."

Xiao Cui's face paled a little.

Manager Cheng then said to Boss Zhao, "If someone comes to ask you every day, 'Do you still have any life-saving medicine?', please don't find it annoying, Boss Zhao."

Boss Zhao gripped the teacup, his knuckles turning white.

Wu Ling placed the gavel on the table.

thump.

The sound wasn't loud.

Wu Ling said, "If you want tea, two coins. If you want flowers, go to the counter. If you want medicine, go outside!"

Manager Cheng stared at him.

"Manager Wu, do you know what kind of gate the Liu residence has?"

Old Zhou added a comment.

"No matter how big the door is, you have to close your umbrella before entering the teahouse."

The person carrying the umbrella at the door didn't move.

Old Zhou raised his head and looked up.

"Don't poke the threshold with the tip of your umbrella. If you do it too often, the threshold will hold a grudge."

The person carrying the umbrella looked at Manager Cheng.

Manager Cheng remained silent.

The tip of the umbrella left the bluestone slab, and the burly man next to him took a step diagonally toward the counter.

Xiao Cui picked up the sunflower and walked to the table first.

"Ten coins."

"I didn't say I wanted to buy flowers."

"You saw my flowers as soon as you came in."

"I'm looking at you."

Xiao Cui handed the flowers forward.

"I won't sell if you just look at the person. I'll give you ten coins if you just look at the flower."

The burly man chuckled.

"You're asking for it."

He reached out and pushed Xiao Cui's shoulder.

Wu Ling stood up, intending to stop him.

He was a little slow.

Suddenly, a wisp of steam rose from the bowl of untouched Three Flower Tea in front of Steward Cheng.

The steam rose around the rim of the bowl and wrapped around the burly man's wrist.

The burly man's hand stopped in mid-air, just centimeters away from Xiao Cui, and remained motionless.

Old Zhou said, "Don't reach out in the teahouse."

The burly man refused to accept this, gritted his teeth, and slammed his other hand on the table.

The sunflower was shaken and fell off the table.

The twenty silver dollars on the table jingled simultaneously.

Ding.

Ding ding ding.

One silver dollar after another stood upright, lying between the flower and the burly man.

The melon seeds in the hands of the tea drinkers at the next table rolled to the ground.

Nobody picked it up.

Sweat slid down the burly man's forehead.

"You did this?" Manager Cheng asked Wu Ling.

Wu Ling did not answer.

He was also looking at the row of silver dollars.

Manager Cheng looked at Old Zhou again.

"Tea ceremony?"

Old Zhou blew on his tea.

Have you ever seen a tea ceremony?

Manager Cheng's Adam's apple bobbed.

"I've seen Taoist priests from Qingcheng Mountain, street shamans, and vendors selling talisman water at temple fairs. I've also heard of people claiming their divine fist is invulnerable to swords and spears."

The burly man choked out, "Boss, this is definitely not a punch."

The person carrying the umbrella at the door whispered, "It's like... being possessed."

Manager Cheng turned around and glared at him.

The person carrying the umbrella kept silent, but gripped the handle even tighter.

Manager Cheng then looked at Wu Ling.

"Manager Wu, which route do you know?"

Wu Ling finally looked up.

"All I know how to do is make tea."

Old Zhou was even slower in answering.

"Wu Ji doesn't practice boxing."

As the heat dissipated, the burly man's wrist was finally loosened.

He took a half step back, and only the faint mist on the back of his hand told the story of what had just happened.

The silver dollar that had been standing there gradually fell back onto the table.

Xiao Cui picked up the sunflower and returned it to the counter, her eyes still fixed on the teacup.

Manager Cheng took a deep breath.

He picked up the row of silver dollars one by one from the table.

With each press, his fingertips paused briefly, and an indelible chill emanated from the silver coins.

"Manager Wu, you've got some impressive skills."

"The rules of the teahouse must be followed by everyone."

Wu Ling knew this was a good time to establish his authority.

"I don't believe this rule can protect the table, let alone protect those outside the door!"

Manager Cheng tilted his head slightly towards the person carrying the umbrella.

Go and take a look at the back.

The person carrying the umbrella did not move immediately.

He saw what just happened.

He tightened his grip on the umbrella handle.

Manager Cheng lowered his voice.

"go."

The person carrying the umbrella then walked around the table and towards the half-length blue cloth curtain behind the counter.

Wu Ling walked over and stood in front of the blue cloth curtain.

The person carrying the umbrella stopped in front of him.

"Get out of the way."

"The area behind is not a place guests can go."

"I am not a guest."

"Then we definitely can't go."

The person carrying the umbrella touched the tip of the umbrella to the ground.

The tip of the copper umbrella struck the blue brick.

笃.

After the sound rang out, the blue cloth curtain drooped down an inch by itself.

The old stitches on the curtain were tightened one by one, and the fabric became smooth from loose to flat.

The person carrying the umbrella frowned and reached out with the handle to try and pick it up.

As soon as the umbrella handle touched the curtain, a little brown seeped onto the curtain surface.

a little.

Two points.

They quickly formed a vertical line.

Do not enter.

The two characters are crooked, yet clear.

Someone in the teahouse gasped.

A customer at the counter muttered under his breath, "Goodness."

The person next to him quickly nudged him with his elbow, signaling him not to talk nonsense.

The person carrying the umbrella turned pale.

He took a step back, but was stopped by Steward Cheng, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and step forward.

This time he didn't use the umbrella handle to lift the curtain.

He reached out and lifted it directly.

Wu Ling instinctively tried to stop him.

Before their hands could even touch, a very soft clatter of a tea lid came from behind the curtain.

despair.

The person carrying the umbrella slipped.

It wasn't a fall.

He felt as if he had stepped into an invisible puddle of tea, his shoes sliding back along the ground.

It's retreating slowly, but it can't stop.

He retreated all the way back to Manager Cheng's desk, his knees hitting the chair, and sat down.

His face was completely drained of color.

Only the umbrella remained in his hand, its tip trembling.

This time, Master Liu couldn't help but ask Old Zhou in a low voice, "Uncle Zhou, was this... always like this?"

Old Zhou glanced at the words "Do Not Enter" on the blue cloth curtain.

"No, I've never written anything before."

Upon hearing this, Wu Ling felt a chill run down his spine.

Xiao Cui pursed her lips tightly.

Manager Cheng heard it.

The forced composure on his face finally cracked.

"before?"

"It's normal for strange things to happen at Wu's Teahouse, which is an old establishment."

Manager Cheng stared at the curtain.

For the first time, his eyes held not calculation, but fear.

"What's enshrined in this house?"

No one answered.

He then asked, "Which deity?"

Still no one answered.

The burly man muttered under his breath, "Could it be... Wutong?"

Manager Cheng said sternly, "Shut up."

His gaze involuntarily swept towards the beam.

The beams are covered only with years of tea smoke and ash.

There were no memorial tablets, no talismans, and no offering lamps.

The less there is, the less it seems like something that can be explained.

Wu Ling suddenly realized that he had downplayed the "rules of the teahouse".

These rules weren't just for show, nor were they intended to intimidate the Liu family.

It existed many years ago, but it just hadn't reached the point where it needed to be written on the curtain.

Manager Cheng picked up the teacup and took a real sip for the first time.

As he took a sip of tea, his brow twitched slightly.

I don't know if it's from the heat or from the fear.

"Manager Wu."

"Um."

"The Liu family needs medicine to save lives."

"Saving lives should not lead to arrests."

"People are dying in the city every day."

"so what?"

"If there's a cure, and you keep it hidden, isn't that tantamount to murder?"

For a moment, Boss Zhao's expression became somewhat complicated.

Everyone in the teahouse looked at Wu Ling.

Wu Ling said slowly, "The medicine is not a magic potion."

"This box originally had instructions, dosage, and contraindications. It listed what age to take, how much to take, the fever level to take, how long to take it before seeing a doctor, and who shouldn't take it. But in your hands, all that's left are a few white pills."

Boss Zhao's lips moved slightly.

Wu Ling looked at him.

"Manager Zhao, would you dare feed this to ten more children?"

Manager Cheng followed and looked over.

Boss Zhao said in a low voice, "I wouldn't dare."

Wu Ling said, "If the fever goes down, it's luck; if it doesn't, who's responsible? If someone ate the wrong thing, who's responsible? Today we save a young master, tomorrow the Liu family takes it and distributes it to ten people, and one of them dies—who will we hold responsible then?"

Manager Cheng's face darkened.

Wu Ling continued, "What you want isn't medicine. What you want is some kind of 'miracle cure' that comes from who-knows-where. Miracle cures are the easiest thing to do to harm people."

Manager Cheng slowly placed the covered bowl back into the tea boat.

"Manager Wu, you speak like a doctor."

"I am not."

"Then what makes you think you can refuse?"

"Because I'm not."

After those words, Boss Zhao lowered his head even further.

Xiao Cui understood.

It's not that the shopkeeper is stingy.

You really can't just give these things away randomly.

Manager Cheng remained silent for a long time.

He glanced at Boss Zhao, then at the blue cloth curtain.

Finally, he tied the cloth bag back on.

After receiving the money, he took out ten coins, stood up, and walked to the counter.

Xiao Cui subconsciously took a step back, then forced herself to stand still.

Manager Cheng put ten coins into the counter.

"Buy flowers."

Which one?

Manager Cheng pointed to the sunflower that had just fallen to the ground.

"Just this one."

Xiao Cui handed him the flowers.

Manager Cheng took the flower and gently rubbed the stem with his fingertips.

"This flower—"

The character for "tea" on the blue cloth curtain bleed down by half an inch.

Manager Cheng immediately stopped talking, looked at the tea stain, and turned to walk towards the door.

The burly man followed behind, his hands tucked into his sleeves.

The person carrying the umbrella reached the threshold, but dared not let the tip of the umbrella touch the ground again, and stepped out with the umbrella in hand.

"Manager Wu, if these flowers are still available tomorrow, I'll come back to buy a second one."

Outside the door, Manager Cheng's words could be heard from afar.

The oil pan at the alley entrance was still sizzling, and the aroma of candied fruit wafted in.

Boss Zhao stood up and bowed to Xiao Cui.

"Miss Xiao Cui, I'm so sorry, the Liu family is very powerful, and I'm just a small fry who can't fight them. Manager Wu, I'll bring a generous gift to the teahouse to apologize another day."

"Manager Zhao."

Wu Ling called out to Boss Zhao, who was about to leave.

"I hope you remember this: if you can't keep your mouth shut, you'll eventually have to leave your door unguarded."

Boss Zhao bowed his head again.

"Manager Wu is right, I'll remember that."

After Boss Zhao walked out the door, Wu Ling realized that his palms were covered in sweat.

Teahouses can hold hands, write words, and even make silver coins stand upright.

But Manager Cheng used only one flower to nail Tomorrow to the counter.

Wu Ling asked, "Will they still be waiting for Xiao Cui outside?"

Old Zhou said, "Yes, the Liu family mansion won't be given up so easily."

Xiao Cui held the flower basket without saying a word.

Wu Ling then asked, "Does the teahouse have jurisdiction over the area outside its doors?"

Old Zhou shook his head.

"The teahouse only manages what's inside. Outside, you have to follow the rules."

Wu Ling was taken aback.

"Are there any rules to be afraid of at the Liu residence?"

Old Zhou put the covered bowl back into the tea boat.

"There isn't a single door in Chengdu that's ever been afraid of people."

As soon as he finished speaking, Master Liu paused in his copper gong.

"Mr. Zhou, are you going to the Manchu Alley in Shaocheng?"

Old Zhou got up.

"It's not that I want to go."

He looked at Wu Ling.

"It's the shopkeeper who's going."

Wu Ling asked, "Who are you looking for?"

"Third Master Kui".

Master Liu's expression changed drastically.

Wu Ling put the gavel into his pocket.

"Would he be willing to step in on our behalf?"

"Whether they're willing to show up or not, we'll only know when we get there."

Old Zhou paused for a moment.

"But the eldest master of the Liu family, when he saw the threshold of his house, at least knew to lift his foot."