Chapter 8, everything written in the book is a deception
Sighing, he returned all the items except for the cookie wrapper to their original places. He closed his backpack and checked himself over once more
As the saying goes, "When someone is overly attentive without reason, they are either deceitful or a thief." Therefore, the more enthusiastic Ren Cong and others appeared earlier, the more unsettled Zhang Qian felt in his heart
This lack of stability is closely related to his personal growth experiences. A portion of it also stems from his careful observations of individuals such as Ren Cong.
Zhang Qian does not believe that a wandering doctor from the Tang Dynasty could understand English from the twenty-first century His history teacher, no matter how early he died, would not tell him that as early as the Tang Dynasty, the Silk Road had already connected to England Moreover, the difference between Old English and Modern English is no less than that between Classical Chinese and Mandarin
The cover and back cover of "A Song of Ice and Fire" are completely ruined, and there are a dozen or so pages of book paper adjacent to the cover and back cover, which have also been worn to tatters by the stones. However, thanks to the thickness of the book, the Huawei phone sandwiched in the middle of the pages has only a thin crack in the lower left corner of the screen, which does not affect any normal functions other than those related to the network
Upon arriving in the Tang Dynasty, he found himself alone in a desolate wilderness. Reason told him that he could not place his safety in the moral standards of a group of strangers.
The thought that the items in the backpack might be ruined by the wolf's head made Zhang Qian's heart suddenly tighten. He looked around to see that no one was present, quickly stopped in his tracks, opened the backpack, and carefully inspected its contents in the fading light of the evening
That gaze was undoubtedly more than mere curiosity; it subtly revealed a desperate attempt to conceal greed. It was as if one wanted to strip him of his clothes at any moment, leaving him bare to walk in the evening light.
A profound joy emanated from his heart, bringing tears to his eyes. Gently sniffing, he continued to open another hidden compartment with hope, quickly extracting the contents within.
Nor is it because, after being violently stimulated, the mind becomes chaotic, leading to erratic behavior
Two minutes later, his feet finally stepped over the steps of the Shangxiangji Temple. With a loud "bang," the temple gate closed. Immediately after, a clear and melodious bell rang out within the temple, accompanied by curling blue smoke and the resonant sound of chanting, announcing to him that he should not disturb unless invited.
Damn it, where are the plentiful years that were promised to keep guests with enough chicken and pork? Where is the drinking and discussing the mulberry and hemp as promised? Where is the joy of having friends come from afar? It's all a lie, everything written in the books is deceitful!" Supporting himself with his hands on his knees, panting and cursing, Zhang Qian once again found himself in tears without any tears to shed.
The reason he chose to quickly part ways with the other party was due to his sense of caution towards a group of strangers in a completely unfamiliar environment
The Meridian Road leads directly to Chang'an City, and as the capital of the Tang Dynasty, the local populace, accustomed to visitors from all over the world, should not be averse to teaching him a few words of Tang language
Zhang Qian remembered that Ren Cong had mentioned that Xiangji Temple was nearby, directly facing the mountain gate, which was the Ziwudao.
Moreover, what virtue or capability does Zhang Qian possess that he is treated as an esteemed guest by a young nobleman of the Tang Dynasty upon their first meeting
Anger aside, he did not feel particularly disappointed. If the monks were hospitable, history would not have recorded the saying, "After the sermon, each goes their own way, ashamed of the bell after the meal." He vaguely remembered that the stingy monk mentioned in the verse was from the Tang Dynasty. However, the temple was not located near Chang'an.
"Apologies, apologies, you are the one who should apologize, your entire family should apologize!" Just as Ren Cong was racking his brains, pondering how to make a good impression on the esteemed Zhang Qian, the latter was carelessly kicking the dirt clods on both sides of the mountain path, muttering curses under his breath.
The solar panel surprisingly did not break! Only the plastic casing was dented, exposing the internal printed circuit board, but the printed circuit board itself remains intact
Clenching his teeth, he tore open the plastic packaging and poured all the crumbs of the biscuit into his mouth, then reluctantly reached for the next compartment in his backpack. The wallet was still there, containing not only a few red and green Renminbi notes but also two bank cards. The bank cards were still valid, with the school's regular hardship allowance deposited in them. The problem was, in the Tang Dynasty, where could he find an ATM? In the Tang Dynasty, no matter how many Renminbi he had, what difference would it make compared to waste paper?
When purchased initially, they were worth only a few dollars, but now, for him, each piece is invaluable
The first two remain intact, while the latter two, although completely flattened, do not affect their efficacy
No one responded to him, only the continuous barking of dogs echoed across the wilderness. "Woof woof, woof woof, woof woof woof woof woof woof..."
What kind of behavior is this? I did not come here to mooch off the meal!" With a vague sense of pain in his nose, Zhang Qian muttered curses under his breath and turned to leave
Although that group of strangers came in response to his cries for help, and kindly treated his wounds and offered him sweet rice wine, who can guarantee that their invitation did not harbor any ill intentions
Previously, Zhang Qian decisively rejected Ren Cong's invitation and chose to part ways with him, not because he had consumed a large amount of fermented rice after intense exercise, leading to a lack of rationality due to alcohol intoxication
Since he was certain that the untidy doctor could not understand English, Zhang Qian felt even less at ease traveling with this person Although there was nothing valuable in his backpack, and the items might have already been broken when he used the backpack to hit the wild wolf, each of those items was a testament to his existence in the twenty-first century
This caused Zhang Qian's tense nerves to immediately relax somewhat. He then quickly unzipped a zipper and, filled with hope, rummaged between two layers with a sponge interlayer to find the solar charger
"Don't bite, I'm not a bad person!" With no strength left to fight the dog again, Zhang Qian turned and ran. He ran for more than half a mile before finally shaking off the guard dog behind him
It has been proven that he was too one-sided in his affections
At least it serves as a reminder. Reluctant to throw away the renminbi and the savings card, he let out a soft sigh, put away his wallet, and reached for the next hidden pocket. A Swiss Army knife from Yiwu, no larger than a pinky finger, a small bottle of mosquito repellent oil used during evening study sessions. And, there was also a pack of the万能神药百服宁, also known as paracetamol. Two packs of cephalosporin that he had to plead with the school doctor for half an hour yesterday before they were prescribed! And, there was also a pack of the万能神药百服宁, also known as paracetamol. Two packs of cephalosporin that he had to plead with the school doctor for half an hour yesterday before they were prescribed!
He has discovered more than once that the scruffy doctor wearing a blue round hat has been secretly watching him. From head to toe, not a single piece of clothing, not even his backpack, belt, or shoelaces, has been overlooked
Oh heavens, if you had told me earlier, at least I would have brought along corn, chili peppers, and potato seeds! Having learned not to cry or shed tears since childhood, I muttered with a bitter smile, as Zhang Qian adjusted his backpack stained red with wolf's blood and set off once more.
Especially when he emptied his backpack, the scruffy doctor in the blue round hat almost wished he could bury his head inside the bag. At that moment, the only item visible to this person in his backpack was the English original version of "A Song of Ice and Fire," which was covered in fragments of stone and dirt on the surface
The first household hurriedly closed the wooden gate before he even reached the doorstep, their movements more agile than those of the monks at Xiangji Temple. At the second household, he knocked on the courtyard door for quite some time, but there was only silence within. The door of the third household was slightly ajar; however, just as he paused at the entrance, his fingers had not yet touched the door panel when a guard dog the size of a donkey sprang out from inside.
Secretly harboring disdain for the monks of the world, Zhang Qian set foot on the Ziwudao. After walking along the road for less than two miles, he came across several households.
These are all his possessions; from now on, he must rely on these items to establish himself in the Tang Dynasty and strive to live a meaningful life
a blended fabric shirt, a pure cotton vest, an artificial leather belt, a pair of underwear, a pair of jeans torn by a wolf, a pair of travel shoes, and, and, a high-quality imitation green Submariner Rolex produced in Yiwu
Luck seems to have come to an end here, the chocolate cookies meant to replenish energy during evening self-study have already crumbled into a bag of crumbs. The sunglasses used to protect the eyes have also shattered into a pile of plastic and glass.