Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 706 The Vastness of Encounters

Xia Lin didn't really have anywhere to go; after all, he was just an ordinary person, essentially laid off. Since Tang Bao'er was overwhelmed with work, he naturally wanted to lend a hand.

It would be a lie to say that Tang Bao'er harbors no resentment towards him, after all, he travels by the year, and the two have spent little time together over the years.

"You're so lucky, you entered the game all alone and became famous all over the world, but I've become a hen that can't lay eggs. You have no idea how people are talking about me behind my back."

The eldest princess, who was standing nearby, chimed in, "Me too."

“I’m not young anymore. I’m even older than Guanyinbi. Her son is already ten years old.”

“That’s a problem,” the eldest princess chimed in, playing the straight man. “It’s not easy.”

"Fifteen years have passed in the blink of an eye. The little page in Luoyang back then has now become a powerful figure in the court, but I have lost my youth and am left with only a lifetime of toil, without the title of Lady of the Imperial Court."

Xia Lin sat there without saying a word. He was good at many things but not at this. However, when Tang Bao'er said those words, he did nothing but lower his head and eat. But the scene of the first time he saw Tang Bao'er appeared in front of his eyes. Her face was a little blurry, but he remembered that bright green dress.

Back then, she was a high-class young lady, while I was a page in a down-on-his-luck young master's household, someone no one dared to look up to.

But back then, Tang Bao'er was truly radiant, like a ray of light piercing through dark clouds.

"I don't care, the child's matter needs to be put on the agenda. You don't have anything to do these days, so don't go running around."

"Yes, yes, yes." The princess nodded repeatedly: "Don't run away."

Hearing this, Xia Lin felt his legs tremble, but he knew that Bing's fate was unavoidable.

Just then, a representative from a super-large business walked into Tang Bao'er's shop. Of course, Tang Bao'er should handle this level of cooperation herself, but in order to ease the tense atmosphere, Xia Lin volunteered and stood up: "I'll go."

He had originally planned to use all his negotiation skills to secure this cooperation, but when the other party's representative saw Xia Lin, he was taken aback at first, then looked at the table where they were eating and at Boss Tang, who looked resentful. The manager of this super-large trading company took a step back, then stepped forward and grabbed Xia Lin's hand: "Please, please cooperate with my company. I beg you. The terms are negotiable. We can reduce the price we discussed last time by another 20%."

"Huh? This..."

"I will go and prepare the contract now."

"Eh……"

Xia Lin called out, but all he got was the shopkeeper's retreating figure. He couldn't help but mutter, "What kind of cooperation are you two having..."

After he walked back, he pointed outside and asked, "What happened to that person? Wasn't he here to discuss business? Why did he go back to get the contract?"

Tang Bao'er turned her head and glanced at him: "It's the manager of Fu'an Company in Jiangnan Road. We're talking about cotton-padded clothes."

"Oh, the Fu'an, I remember it. It was a joint public-private enterprise, right?"

"Yes, why do you think he ran away? Does he dare to do business with you?" Tang Bao'er laughed. "You'd better go back first. Don't stay here, or you'll cause my business to go out of business. When he comes back, I'll have to give him back that two-tenths of the profit. Don't cause me any trouble. Go back and wait."

"Oh……"

Xia Lin didn't have much to say. His presence would indeed affect Tang Bao'er's business negotiations, because most of the larger trading companies had his face etched into their very bones. From their perspective, it would appear that Tang Bao'er's negotiations had reached a stalemate and that they had called for his help.

That's how business is. Getting people involved is her skill, but it's their choice not to cooperate with her in the future. Xia Lin wouldn't have bothered with that anyway, and she couldn't bring any benefits to these businesses. Nobody would do a losing business. She did close a big deal in the short term, but in the long run, Tang Bao'er's business would go bankrupt.

Helpless, Xia Lin could only wander back. When he passed a pharmacy, he hesitated at the door for a long time, looking around but still not daring to go in. There were also many people standing around him who were just as hesitant. When they saw each other, they didn't say anything, but just smiled and nodded in tacit understanding.

Just then, a man emerged from inside, carrying a packet of medicine with a mysterious air and an ambiguous expression. Xia Lin raised her hand slightly, but before she could speak, someone else preemptively spoke...

"Brother, this medicine..."

"Yes."

"Can……"

"Ah."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The conversation between the two was comparable to that of the Gotham Riddler, but strangely, everyone standing there understood the mesmerizing dialogue instantly. Those who were initially hesitant suddenly seemed to have mustered some courage and hurriedly stepped inside.

The doctor inside was an old traditional Chinese medicine practitioner. He was wearing a brand-new pair of glasses, which had only appeared at the exhibition yesterday and were now truly available to the general public. He was wearing them today and seemed to be enjoying them very much.

The old doctor glanced at Xia Lin, said nothing, but pointed to his left hand. Xia Lin placed his hand on it, touched it, grunted, and then began to write: "Rehmannia glutinosa, Cornus officinalis, Paeonia suffruticosa, Dioscorea opposita, Poria cocos, Alisma plantago-aquatica..." "Doctor, I haven't described the symptoms yet."

"No need. Your body tells me to take it easy, go back and rest for a while. You need to rest for a month if you want to have a child."

"Eh...you..."

"I've seen it all before." The old doctor waved his hand. "Next patient."

A dose of medicine cost less than one or two taels of silver and would last for more than two months. However, as Xia Lin carried the medicine, he was filled with mixed feelings and had the illusion that he was about to be locked up in a concentration camp.

Take one last look at the bustling streets; it might be the last time you see them...

No, wait a minute, the imperial examination is in a few days! No, no, let's discuss this when we get home tonight, and see if we can deal with it after the exam and when the results are released.

Just as he was feeling lost, a person suddenly flashed in front of him. This person was none other than Di San'er, with the young Di Renjie by his side.

The two men, carrying a stack of what looked like printed leaflets, walked back and forth through the crowded street, approaching any lone students they saw and striking up a conversation with them.

Xia Lin carried the medicine bag and slowly walked over, listening to the medicine from a spot not far away.

"This friend doesn't look like a local."

"I am from Yangzhou. Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

Di San'er took out his brochure: "Friends, take a look at this."

"This is?"

He picked up the paper and began to read it. There were no defamatory words on it; instead, it was filled with ideas about new concepts. It was something they printed themselves, similar to the Jinling Times. Most of it consisted of stories, as well as some debates on current affairs. It was actually quite interesting content. Xia Lin had seen it before. After several months of continuous support, this Di San'er had indeed managed to organize a number of like-minded people.

In Di San's words, they did not want to simply use swords and spears to awaken the people; they wanted to use another method to explore the path to the future.

Although Xia Lin felt that these people were bound to fail sooner or later, because the side that voluntarily laid down its weapons in a struggle would inevitably not have a good outcome, he believed that their spirit was commendable, so he never interfered with them.

I just didn't expect them to actually make it so successful.

They would hand out newspapers, then sit down and discuss their ideas with people, trying every possible way to make them understand their thoughts; they could be considered quite stubborn.

Xia Lin listened for a while and then left. He knew that these young men would eventually become a storm, but it didn't matter because this was the strongest voice responding to the times, a voice that could reach the heavens.

Of course, there will be sacrifices involved. Di San himself knew this, and Xia Lin had repeatedly warned them. But how to put it? The precious thing about young men is that they can disregard life and death and fight for their ideals.

Don't say Xia Lin's methods are despicable. He's not a righteous protagonist. In most people's eyes, he's just a villain, a maverick who tries to take away other people's comfortable lives. Some things are just the only way. Just like he told An Zi, if one day he needs to sacrifice himself, he will do so without hesitation, just like An Musi.

Along the way, Xia Lin had seen many rogue cultivators recruiting people everywhere. They were not a force to be reckoned with at the moment, but if they continued like this, they would probably become thorns in the side of some people soon. But only in this way could the final link of An Zi's revenge plan be connected.

Originally, Xia Lin was supposed to handle this matter, but Di San, who suddenly appeared, filled the gap perfectly.

This battle cannot be won by simply charging forward; he needs more strategic maneuvering.

That evening, Xia Lin pleaded with the two ladies, asking them to let him go into seclusion to cultivate after he finished the exam. Fortunately, the ladies were highly perceptive and readily agreed to Xia Lin's request. However, he could not run around for the next few days and could only stay here to study and prepare for the exam.

Xia Lin definitely agreed at the time, even though he had no intention of preparing for the exam at all. But since he could have a few days' grace, he might as well give him a few days' grace...

Nothing much has happened these past few days, except that the harvest festival was a great success. It demystified what needed to be demystified and faced what needed to be faced squarely.

Royal food wasn't as exclusive as it seemed. In the main area of ​​the Great Wei, the most popular restaurants were those labeled "Emperor's Daily Meal," which were actually run by the palace kitchen. People discovered that the emperor's meals were quite ordinary. Meat broth rice and fried pancakes soaked in soy milk were Emperor Jingtai's favorite dishes, along with braised chicken and tofu products.

There was no "dragon liver and phoenix marrow" as they had previously speculated, nor was there any speculation that a single meal cost tens of thousands of taels of silver. In fact, when the emperor himself went to eat there on the third day, he was discovered, confirming that that was his daily diet.

The Northern Han also used all its resources to show the world that the Northern Han was not a barbaric land. They had their own food and culture. They did not eat people or smell bad. They were not the bloodthirsty people that had been rumored for many years. They also had their own songs and dances and their own joys. They may not have been as refined as the Han people, but they had their own charm.

Of course, the same applies to the other exhibition areas, which try their best to show their best side and prove to the world that they are not the bad guys in the story.

Simply put, everyone is trying to prove that they are a good person, regardless of whether they are or not. At least they cannot and dare not say that they are a bad person.

This move was recorded by historians and praised as one of the greatest open schemes of all time.

(End of this chapter)