Shannchyuan introduced Tsaehorng to Chioujen. Chioujen had never met Tsaehorng. When Shannchyuan and the others first met Tsaehorng, Chioujen had already left for another city to work there. After that, Shannchyuan and his friends did tell Chioujen on the phone about the things that had happened in their lives. The acquaintance with Tsaehorng was one of the many things Shannchyuan recounted.
After making small talk with Tsaehorng, Chioujen walked to his bedroom with his backpack. Only about five minutes he was in the bedroom. He came out again with firm steps.
Jenqyih laughed at Chioujen. "Is that a new outfit?"
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Chioujen, who had already changed into more casual clothes, shook his head. "It's been quite a while. But you've never actually seen one."
"Have you had dinner?" Yihshyong patted Chioujen's shoulder.
"Not yet," replied Chioujen curtly.
Iren asked Chioujen to sit in the dining room. There was still food on the table. When they finished eating, they had no time to clear the table.
"We just had our second dinner," Iren said with a laugh.
Chioujen chuckled. "Second dinner? Did you two celebrate something recently?"
"We didn't celebrate anything," said Iren. "But indeed, something has happened in our lives."
Chioujen raised his eyebrows. "Besides the high probability that we'll soon be homeless, is there anything else spectacular I should know?"
Iren laughed. "You eat first. After that, we have important things to tell you."
Without waiting to be asked twice, Chioujen sat down on one chair in the dining room. He began to fill his bowls and plates with food without further ado. While shoving rice into his mouth, he looked at the faces of his friends.
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"You just eat calmly first. Don't think about anything," said Jenqyih.
Chioujen smiled. He ate in a relaxed manner. Although relaxed, he seemed to be trying to eat as fast as possible. Even though his friends told him to eat without rushing, Chioujen seemed to realize that his friends were waiting for him.
It turned out that Shannchyuan's guess was not at all wrong. Chioujen was ready to listen to their stories.
"I'm done eating!" Chioujen gently hit the table's surface not long after he started eating.
"So fast!" Shannchyuan shook his head.
After that, everyone present, including Tsaehorng, took turns telling the series of events that had occurred over the past few days. Chioujen listened to their story with a very serious expression.
"I don't know what to say," Chioujen said as soon as they all finished. His countenance wasn't too different from the time before he heard their story.
"That's fine. At least we've added one more thing that will make our memoirs thicker," Yihshyong smiled.
They all had promised that one day they would write a memoir containing the unforgettable moments that had happened in their lives. For Shannchyuan, the experiences he had gained over the past two years were far more varied than what had happened during the decades of living in his hometown. The memoirs he was about to write would likely not be a disappointment.
"What about our landlord? Does he already know? If this matter can't be resolved quickly, we still have to stay here a little longer," said Chioujen.
"He doesn't know yet. But I think we better let the police tell him," said Shannchyuan.
"Did the police know that our rental period had expired?" asked Chioujen.
Everyone presented there looked at each other.
"I didn't tell the police about it," Yihshyong said. "They didn't ask about it at all."
"Okay! Tomorrow morning I will tell this to the police," said Shannchyuan.
"According to Beaushu, will our landlord let us stay here any longer?" asked Chioujen.
"It's an emergency. I think he'll understand. Besides, as far as I know, no one else has rented this house for immediate occupancy."
"I hope Beaushu is right," Chioujen said.
Shannchyuan nodded gently. At the time, he wasn't too sure. But he must not discourage his friends.
"So the kidnappers asked Beaushu to meet them at eight at night?" asked Chioujen.
"They didn't ask me to see them. But they asked me to hand over the things that Songfei left us tomorrow night at eight o'clock. I don't know the details yet. They said they will call us again," Shannchyuan said.
"Why did they decide that the ransom handover had to be at eight o'clock in the evening?" asked Chioujen.
"I don't know," replied Shannchyuan. "Maybe it's because they think eight o'clock must be dark so they can escape more easily if something goes wrong."
"Or they have some other reason we don't know yet," Yihshyong added Shannchyuan's words.
Yihshyong's words made sense. But right now, they had no way of confirming that. Shannchyuan pondered for a while. He still had doubts about the motivation behind Shinnshiow's abduction. Was it simply because he wanted to get the things that Songfei had left, or was there something else, as Yihshyong had just stated?
Suddenly, a high-pitched sound was heard again. It turned out that Tsaehorng's pager beeped again. After seeing the contents of the news received, Tsaehorng said, "It's getting late, Uncle! I think I have to say goodbye first."
"You don't intend to stay here?" Iren's voice sounded surprised.
Tsaehorng smiled. "No, Uncle! I'm going back to the exhibition hall. I'm going to rest there. Early in the morning, I'll give instructions to my assistants there. After that, I'll be right here."
"Are the other painters also sleeping in the exhibition hall?" Jenqyih asked.
"There are some who sleep in the exhibition building. Especially painters who come from other cities. Usually, this is because of the limited funds they have," replied Tsaehorng.
"Which part of the building do they sleep in?" Yihshyong asked.
"It's an extensive building. Upstairs there are lots of empty spaces," replied Tsaehorng.
"Are there many painters sleeping there with all their assistants?" Iren asked.
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Tsaehorng laughed. "Of course not, Uncle. Apart from me, only two other painters brought their assistants with them. Each of them only had one assistant. I have several assistants. But the person I asked to stay there at night is only one person. Then there is another assistant I asked to come over early in the morning. There are also several people who don't need to come early in the morning. I only asked them to be present during exhibition opening hours."
"Is your assistant who has to stay the night always the same person?" Yihshyong asked.
"They take turns, Uncle. So my assistant who stays there tonight is not the same as the one who stayed there last night," replied Tsaehorng.
They all nodded at Tsaehorng's explanation.
Tsaehorng rose from his chair. "Do you want me to bring you something tomorrow morning?"
"No need. We can't bother you any further," Shannchyuan said.
"It's okay, Uncle! I'm delighted if I can be of use to others."
They all laughed at Tsaehorng's words. Although it sounded naïve, it seemed the young man said it sincerely.
"Thank you very much, Tsaehorng. See you tomorrow morning," Shannchyuan said.