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墨書 Inktalez
For half a year, not a drop of rain has fallen, and many rivers are nearly dry. The crops barely reach the height of a palm; is this the rhythm of impending famine? It simply won't rain, and when it finally does, it doesn't stop! Ever since the sky turned dark the day before yesterday, this rain has hardly ceased. Just a moment ago, we thought we were facing a drought, and now we have to deal with flooding!
On the streets, groups of Soldiers march through the rain. Seeing the many grass-woven bags on their backs indicates that another section of the city wall has collapsed. With foreign powers surrounding the nation, it's astonishing that people are still engaging in such shoddy work right under the Sovereign's nose. If this continues, the country will be lost!
A Woodcutter wearing a Hat pays no mind to the shouting soldiers and looks up at the swaying tavern sign in the wind and rain, unable to resist smacking his lips. He wipes away the drool from the corner of his mouth and then tightly clenches the few Knife Coins left in his pocket. "With this kind of weather, I can't even sell my firewood!"
But one can't entirely blame the heavens; wet firewood produces a lot of smoke when burned. While rainy days may affect the Woodcutter's sales, they unexpectedly bring a bountiful harvest to many Farmers who rely on nature.
Perhaps this is what they call having gains and losses; closing one door opens another.
The Woodcutter arrives at the small Tavern's entrance, removes his Hat, and shakes off the rainwater above. He stomps his feet vigorously to shake off the mud from his shoes. Looking down at his relatively clean straw sandals, he figures they should be fine before lifting the door curtain and stepping inside. There aren't many patrons on a rainy day, so he finds a seat by the window. "Bring me two pounds of fine liquor and two pounds of beef!"
Fortunately, he is a regular customer; the Innkeeper greets him and quickly calls over a Waiter. With few drinkers around, the Innkeeper personally carries over a jar of liquor and fills up a bowl turned upside down on the table. "Looks like Meng Brother's business is doing well today!"
"Not at all! With this terrible weather continuing for several more days, I’ll surely starve!" The Woodcutter snatches up the bowl and tilts it back into his mouth, smacking his lips in enjoyment as he shakes his head. He sighs, "No need to put today's tab on credit; I'll pay back what I owe another time."
The Innkeeper doesn't argue; he picks up the jar again to refill it. Sitting down, he says, "Don't say that! If you starve to death, I'll have no choice but to jump into the river myself."
The little shop already has thin profits, and to retain regular customers, they allow some credit. This one owes a bit here and that one owes a bit there; it can be quite shocking when added up. Just sitting across from this Woodcutter alone, he owes several taels of silver.
Don’t underestimate those few taels; it's nearly half a year's income for the small shop. Fortunately, when he has money, he pays back part of it, which the Innkeeper tacitly accepts. Besides, it's not yet year-end; as long as they come in, that's good enough. Once the weather cools down, business for the Woodcutter will clearly pick up.
Before the beef arrives at the table, quite a bit of liquor has already been consumed. The Woodcutter wipes his mouth and suddenly says, "Innkeeper, let's speak frankly; you might not like what I say. When I have money, I'll pay you back ten taels without fail. If you think that's too little, I can even give you a Great Tavern!"
The boastful words immediately drew the sighs of those at the surrounding tables. A stout man from the next table stood up. "Old Meng! Only your tongue can spit out such grand claims. I remember you’ve said this more than once or twice, haven’t you?"
The crowd chimed in, "He always says this when he’s had too much to drink!"
Woodcutter was not angered by their mockery; he glanced over disdainfully and said, "In today's world where heroes stand tall, it is precisely the time for them to showcase their talents. Instead of going home to study and wait for the right moment, you waste precious time here like grass and wood rotting away!"
The chubby man across from him was not one to back down either. Seeing everyone looking at him, he naturally took the opportunity to respond. "You say you’re just a woodcutter, yet you dare to speak of national affairs? Heroes of the world? Are you out of your mind? You drink today and tomorrow; how can you afford to buy drinks with such a life? Come! Let me calculate for you! How much can a load of firewood fetch? But..."
If this continued, a fight would surely break out! These were all regular customers, and it would be bad if anyone got hurt. The Keeper quickly stood up to mediate, urging the stout man not to pay attention to the drunken fool. It was better to maintain peace.
While others could disregard each other’s feelings, the honest and kind Innkeeper's feelings could not be ignored. The stout man felt embarrassed and was about to confront the arrogant drunkard but decided against it when he saw the Innkeeper repeatedly persuading him.
Good things always need a counterpoint to shine; as the earlier commotion died down, everyone resumed drinking. A young man at the same table as the stout man looked out the window and saw a group of Soldiers trudging through the rain. He sighed, "The corner tower of West City Wall was just repaired in spring, and now a heavy rain has caused it to collapse again."
Hearing this, several people at the neighboring table chimed in, "The notice said this was an unprecedented torrential rain that occurs once in a century; it’s already fortunate that the city hasn’t flooded, so be content!"
Just as the stout man raised his bowl to drink, he slammed his hand on the table upon hearing this. "You haven’t seen those bricks; they crumble easily when wet! And they call this unexpected!? This is clearly a case of cutting corners!"
The Innkeeper hurried over to cover the stout man's mouth, pleading, "Gentlemen! Please show some restraint! That project was handled by someone from the Chancellor's family—whether it’s good or bad has its own say. As common folk, we should just eat and drink well; we must never discuss national affairs."
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent. Normally, talking among neighbors wouldn’t be an issue, but today there was an outsider present. The Keeper had already signaled everyone when he stopped the stout man from speaking. Casual chatter was fine, but if this outsider turned out to be related to the Chancellor's family, it could lead to trouble.
There has always been a saying that the poor should not contend with the rich and that lowly people should not compete with noble ones. Moreover, that Brother-in-law was just a local thug; common folk could hardly provoke him. If they angered an Official Family member, at least they would still have some dignity. But if they offended a street thug backed by someone powerful, they might go missing without explanation. Even if victims’ families reported it to the Government, they would likely never receive a clear response in return.
The outsider who had come recklessly actually knew the Prime Minister of Qi, but he did not recognize the so-called Brother-in-law. He had no intention of sharing this information with anyone, as it was completely unnecessary. This person sat alone in a small corner, casually sipping his drink at the Tavern. As for the food on the table, it could be understood as mere decoration. Not only did he not taste the delicacies, but he hadn't even touched the chopsticks.
The Woodcutter did not engage in conversation with anyone else since the food and drink were all set. He seriously finished his drink and consumed two pounds of beef. After letting out a satisfied burp, he comfortably rubbed his belly. He stood up, took out his only Knife Coin, and tossed it onto the table but did not leave immediately. Instead, he looked at the person hidden in the shadows across from him and said, "My friend over there! Have you been waiting for me all along?"
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