Chapter 004: Harmonize, Harmonize, Harmonize

I said, buddy, let's have a meal without bringing any money, isn't that interesting

Inviting guests without enough money, what do you mean by that

I chuckle, no need for that, I cannot defeat you

The old escort leader said, in navigating the rivers and lakes, one must neither be too soft, as being too soft invites bullying, nor too hard, as it easily creates enemies. Therefore, when our Central Plains escort agency operates, we mostly call ourselves the Righteous Escort. Now, everyone, join me in calling out the escort, "He... ... Wu... ..." with voices that are melodious and lingering.

The old escort continued, "You two, look here. What? You don't know how to read simple notation? Did you graduate from Wudang? Can you read staff notation?"

The old escort master speaks of escorting goods, which is akin to traversing the rivers and lakes. The rules of the rivers and lakes are not to be taken lightly; as the saying goes, without rules, there can be no order. Once you enter this circle, you must abide by these rules. In the Central Plains, when escorting goods, it is customary to call out the escort number frequently, as being courteous is never a fault.

Oh, what a pity, I have changed my clothes but did not bring my purse

Liu Qingfeng said, I know that at that time the head of the Central Plains Escort Agency was Zhao Yinghao, who could rank among the top thirty in the martial arts rankings of the Jianghu. It is no wonder that he dared to call out such an escort number. However, the old head, Zhao, is now nowhere to be found

The old escort master taught several times, but unfortunately, Liu Qingfeng and the Black Wind Stronghold were too slow-witted, constantly exclaiming that it was not good, and he told the two of them not to bring shame to the escort agency

I merely intended to express a slight sentiment, yet to my surprise, you all truly have the audacity.

Snap. Hey, Liu Ge, why are you crawling under the table? Hurry up and get up, the floor is cold. Liu Qingfeng's face turned pale, repeatedly signaling to the waiter. The waiter said, "Big brother, we don't have sea cucumbers, abalone, or lobster here. Why don't you take a look at the menu and order something else"

The shouting is incorrect, do it again. Why are you so foolish? The two characters '合吾' consist of four beats, with '合' requiring three and a half beats, while '吾' requires one and a half beats. Liu Qingfeng said this amounts to five beats. The old escort slapped him and said, count again. Liu Qingfeng replied, I was wrong, it is four beats, it is four beats.

One day, the Black Wind Stronghold said: "The weather is really nice today!" Liu Qingfeng replied, "Yes, it is quite good!" The Black Wind Stronghold remarked, "Look at that cloud, doesn't it resemble the one hundred wen I borrowed from you last month?" Liu Qingfeng responded, "Regarding perspectives, I thought that trick of the monkey stealing peaches from last time was quite good. Would you mind teaching me?"

The old escort master did not respond and continued speaking, thus, in our escort agency, we either deal with benevolent escorts or silent escorts. The former is about maintaining face, while the latter is about being low-key and discreet

The Persian Ming Sect said, "What now, let's have a little sparring?" Liu Qingfeng replied, "If we're going to spar, then let's do it. Oh, be gentle, we are all colleagues, let's keep it to a minimum, just a little bit." The Persian Ming Sect released their grip, "Alright, let's focus on the lesson." Liu Qingfeng, having suffered a hidden loss, became more obedient.

Instructor Yang sat in the center, and several people took their seats in order of importance. Liu Qingfeng handed a menu to Instructor Yang and then passed one to me, saying, "Come on, everyone, feel free to order." I didn't even look at the menu and said, "Five lobsters weighing two jin each, and a dozen each of sea cucumbers and abalone."

The old escort said, yes, this is the right rhythm, just change the character to "He Wu" and it will be correct

The old escort chief said, that was encountering a tough escort. Ah, thirty years ago, our Central Plains Escort Agency was renowned in the martial world, and the chief escort would often proclaim my martial prowess, which brought us a sense of pride.

You are truly lacking in sincerity

Liu Qingfeng said that when escorting a convoy, one should not shout about it, which is rather irritating. The Persian Mingjiao remarked that no one dislikes a long life, so it is best to remain silent and listen attentively.

I reached into my pocket, and look, there is really no money. Liu Qingfeng focused his thoughts on the Black Wind Stronghold. Upon hearing about borrowing money, the Black Wind Stronghold hurriedly asked, how much? One hundred and fifty wen, no way, that's too much. One hundred wen, fine, I will pay it back when the salary is issued next month. Even three months later, I still heard the Black Wind Stronghold nagging me that Liu Qingfeng still owed him one hundred wen that had not been repaid.

Spending over 200 wen on a meal left Liu Qingfeng feeling distressed, unable to sleep, tossing and turning in bed at night

Liu Qingfeng said, "You brat are not convinced, huh? I've long found you displeasing. The Persian Mingjiao is quite impressive, isn't it? When you came in, I didn't see your martial arts skills being particularly remarkable. You wouldn't have relied on your pretty face to worm your way into the escort agency, would you?"

I said this place is nice, and Liu Qingfeng replied not to be so particular. Let's go to the one next door, it's delicious and not expensive. Oh, the Regal Hotel, I said it might not be appropriate. Liu Qingfeng said since we are here, let's go in.

Liu Qingfeng said, how are you speaking? We are here to have a proper meal, not to engage in immoral activities. However, speaking of which, what is the price range?

I know about the Black Wind Stronghold. The year before last, I was with my uncle on a robbery escort mission, and we encountered the Longmen Escort Agency calling for an escort. It was truly impressive. After saying this, he seemed to realize that he might have said something wrong.

He... ... I... ...

Indeed, it is inappropriate to order without looking at the menu. Liu Qingfeng held the menu, flipping through it while checking the prices. After a glance around, he asked, "Miss, do you have chicken in your restaurant?" The young lady's face turned crimson, and she whispered, "Shh, lower your voice, I am the one."

Master Jia, I raise my thumb in admiration. Listening to your words is more rewarding than drinking for ten years. I would like to toast you with a cup. Everyone clinks their cups and drinks joyfully. Liu Qingfeng gave me a wink, and I followed him outside

The Persian Ming Sect said, can you be a bit more serious? After saying this, he took the menu and ordered seven or eight dishes. Yang Jiaoxi said, why don't you order some wine? Yang Jiaoxi replied, we are in the escort business, and it is essential to avoid drinking. In our line of work, there is a saying: "Three parts ensure safety." When going out on an escort, one must learn to carry three parts of a smile, say three parts of conversation, and drink three parts of wine. Since you have not officially entered the profession yet, having a bit of wine today is not considered breaking the rules.

The Persian Ming Sect said to the escort, you rest while I take care of this, saying that he would pull Liu Qingfeng and the Black Wind Stronghold to the next room to demolish the house. Liu Qingfeng said, what are you doing, pulling and tugging in broad daylight, I told you I am not into this, you are annoying, and Xiao Heizi is also here, ah... ah...

Well, you are somewhat perceptive

In a little while, three individuals emerged from the woodshed. I said to Bosiming, "Alright, buddy, I didn't expect you to be so fair and delicate-looking, and your martial arts skills are quite impressive." Bosiming replied, "Do you want to give it a try as well?"

Liu Qingfeng, lacking in tact, inquired about the outcome. The Black Wind Stronghold, blushing, replied, "My uncle still walks with a cane to this day"

How much should I borrow, just a little as a gesture

On the fourth day, the instructors imparted some experiences and precautions regarding escorting goods. The escort agency invited several experienced old escorts to share their experiences of traveling across the south and north. After listening, everyone felt somewhat disheartened

Five people were looking for a restaurant in Gejiazhuang. I said I knew a place, a friend's public restaurant called Qiao Jiangxi. Liu Qingfeng mentioned that he couldn't eat spicy food recently, while Bosimingjiao suggested going to Xiao Nanguo. Liu Qingfeng replied that southern cuisine is too sweet. I knew of a nice restaurant, so we decided to give it a try. We arrived at an inn, with a sign that read Lijing Grand Hotel.

Liu Qingfeng said, engaging in escorting goods is a task that requires one to be humble and cautious, is it not a display of great power and might? The Persian Mingjiao sneered, do you think you are the leader of the martial arts world, that everyone gives you face? With your temperament, if one were to escort goods with you, they would not even know how they would meet their end.

When calling for a convoy, one must also adhere to the rules. The so-called three categories refer to the Mighty Convoy, the Righteous Convoy, and the Silent Convoy. The Mighty Convoy is called out as "I am Wu Weiyang," to make friends through martial prowess. In this manner of calling for a convoy, there are only two types: one is invincible under heaven, and the other is simply tired of living.

Buddy, lend me some money; I didn't bring enough when I went out