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The curtain falls on the grand performance.
Outside Yuelai Inn, Yang Ge and Wang Dali are busily greeting the constables and government officials from the county who have come to clean the place, offering them tea and a place to rest their feet.
Inside a civilian residence, a meticulous brush painting, with colors not yet dried, is presented before Shen Fa.
Upon seeing the vibrantly colored, neatly brushed painting, Shen Fa turns his head in surprise towards the painter beside him.
Feeling Shen Fa's gaze, the painter bows in greeting but does not offer any explanation.
Shen Fa can only turn his head back and refocus on the painting.
He knows that the subjects of the painter's work are all based on various pieces of information, behavior, and mannerisms of the target people, all intuitively felt and beyond the painter's conscious control.
The targets from the past...
Some are a bloody knife.
Others are an unsheathed sword.
And there are those who appear as chaotic ink blots resembling tigers, wolves, or malevolent spirits.
And no matter what the painting the artist produces, the results always prove that he's picked the right person.
Extraordinary individuals certainly cannot be judged by ordinary standards...
But a meticulous brushwork painting from the hands of this artist is something even Shen Fa has never seen before.
The painting is divided into two halves by a great river.
On one side is a vibrant, panoramic view of a village, complete with men and women, houses and fields, growing grass and fluttering orioles, as well as yellow dogs and civet cats chasing butterflies and hunting bees... The brushstrokes so delicate that even the big smile on the yellow dog's face appears vividly.
On the other side is a black and white overhead view of a walled city, with a graceful touch and extensive use of blank space, one can only dimly discern the contours of undulating rooftops and indistinct shadows of people... the style is somewhat otherworldly.
A middle-aged man with a weathered face stands in front of the monochrome cityscape, gazing across the river at the village on the opposite bank, his hands pulling his mouth into an upwards curve, laughing uproariously... yet his laughter seems uglier than crying.
The vivid colors fade from the side of the village towards the cityscape across the river until they turn into black and white upon the body of the middle-aged man...
Shen Fa ponders over the painting, Yang Ge's drained, barely alive visage intermittently flashing through his mind, making his thoughts increasingly complex.
He turns to the artist and asks earnestly, "Is this painting, perhaps, titled 'Homesickness'?"
The painter hesitates for a moment before replying, "My lord, I believe the name 'Looking Homeward' would be more apt."
"Looking Homeward, looking towards..."
Shen Fa mulls over these words for a long while before he finally nods slightly, "Indeed, 'Looking Homeward' is more apt!"
He carefully stores the painting beside him and then, without turning his head, calls out lightly, "Accountant, have the accounts not been tallied yet?"
A middle-aged scholar in a green robe comes forward, holding an account book, and bows, "Reporting to my lord, there have been no issues with the monetary transactions of our guest in Luting County... Please, have a look, my lord."
Shen Fa flips through the account book symbolically; it's just a record of trivial expenses, the amounts match exactly with what Liu Degui pays Yang Ge every month, and there's not a single expense that warrants special attention.
He sets down the account book and leans back in his Taishi Chair, "Village Chief."
"Reporting to my lord, after investigation, the guest has no other social ties in Luting County besides those involving silver coins with the shopkeeper... It seems as though the guest instinctively rejects all forms of social interaction, whether they are well-meant or have ulterior motives."
Shen Fa taps the armrest of his chair with his finger, contemplating for a moment before speaking again, "Master."
An elderly scholar, dressed like a literati with white whiskers, steps forward and bows, "Reporting to my lord, the cultural inclination of our guest undoubtedly belongs to our Huaxia lineage, and deep within, there is also a hint of the lofty Huaxia ideal of looking down upon all from a higher perspective."
Hearing this, Shen Fa lets out a light breath, stating indifferently, "Seal the guest's files, leave two elite guards stationed here to attempt contact with our guest... All of today's events are not to be disclosed, offenders will be dealt with by family law!"
All within the room bow in unison, acknowledging his orders.
...
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The crowd outside Yuelai Inn had completely dispersed.
The constables and government officials, quick to clean up, didn't even dare to accept the tea money Liu secretly slipped to them and left promptly.
Yang Ge stood inside the main gate, looking around, silently wondering why the person Shen Fa said would meet him had not yet arrived.
The rest were trivial matters; his main concern was where to claim his wages.
They couldn't possibly tag him with the label of a temporary worker and yet leave him unpaid, could they?
He wasn't naive enough to believe that if Shen Fa didn't pay his wages, he would escape Shen Fa's clutches.
"Young man, there's nothing more to do here. If you've got things to attend to, you can head back first!"
Having finished cleaning up, Shopkeeper Liu waved at Yang Ge.
Yang Ge glanced at the empty hall and asked with concern, "Shopkeeper, how have you arranged the inn's repairs? Is there anything I can help with?"
Shopkeeper Liu pulled up a stool, sat down, and laughed as he rubbed his stiff thighs, "In the future, I won't be managing the inn anymore…"
Yang Ge: "Ah?"
Shopkeeper Liu gestured with his hand to signal Yang Ge to sit as he said, "I've already sent word through someone to that unfilial son of mine to come back and take over the inn."
Yang Ge suddenly understood, pulled up a stool to sit across from Shopkeeper Liu, and said with a smile, "Why the change of heart all of a sudden? Didn't you always say you could hold out for a few more years?"
"I am indeed old now, and not up to the task anymore," sighed Shopkeeper Liu. "Besides, sooner or later, the inn will have to be handed over to him. If he comes back now, I can still keep an eye on things for him. If he still doesn't shape up and ruins it, then so be it…"
He spoke with resignation, but his aged face carried nothing but worry.
Yang Ge said with a comforting smile, "Don't overthink it. You know how our inn's business is during normal times, right? It's nothing more than a mere convenience in welcoming and sending off guests. Even if the young master is too proud to do it, aren't Wang and I still here? Our wages rely on this job! As for you, you should just live peacefully and comfortably from now on."
While his words were meant to reassure, they gave Shopkeeper Liu an idea, and he suddenly said, "Lad, why don't you take over my duties and become the shopkeeper of our inn?"
The shopkeeper is not the proprietor, but the manager.
However, many small business owners can't afford a shopkeeper or don't wish to hire someone to manage their livelihood and personally take charge, leading to the common conflation of shopkeeper with the owner.
Thus, Shopkeeper Liu's intention was not to offer Yang Ge ownership of Yuelai Inn, but a promotion from waiter to manager.
"No, no, no…"
Yang Ge waved his hands repeatedly, "Don't you know me, Shopkeeper? I don't desire fame or ancestral glory. I just hope for simplicity and ease in life. How could I be a shopkeeper?"
As Shopkeeper Liu watched Yang Ge's alarmed expression, he joked, "Of course I understand you. It's precisely because you don't seek fame or glory that I feel safe letting you be the shopkeeper. Those with ambitions higher than the heavens and lives thinner than paper—if they offered to pay us, I wouldn't even glance their way!"
Upon reflection, Yang Ge realized there might be some truth to it and joked back, "But you can't promote me to shopkeeper; the old saying goes 'With each new emperor comes his own courtiers.' If you appoint me as shopkeeper, wouldn't that be like challenging the young master? Don't use me as a pawn in your feud with your son. I still want to work for you for a few more years to repay your kindness!"
"You don't have to worry about that unfilial son of mine having opinions. He is the kind of person…"
Shopkeeper Liu began to explain to Yang Ge but stopped halfway, waving his hand, "Never mind, you'll find out in time."
Yang Ge nodded, "The imperial martial exams are still some time away. We don't have to rush this. We can talk about future matters later."
Shopkeeper Liu nodded, then, with a heavy sigh filled with earnestness, said, "Young man, you always advise me not to overthink and to be at ease. Why don't you ever persuade yourself?"
"I've never asked where you come from or what hardships you've faced, but I am a father myself. Every time I see you sitting motionless in the room, staring outside for hours, I can't help thinking if my progeny were to live in such torment, I'd hardly rest in peace even in death!"
The smile on Yang Ge's face faded gradually. He pressed his lips firmly, trying to stretch the muscles on his face to force a grotesque smile, "What I fear is that a hundred years from now, my parents won't be able to find me at all!"
Seeing him like this, Shopkeeper Liu's eyes reddened. He patted Yang Ge's shoulder and said, "Even if they can't find you, they would surely hope you live well and happily, not like this... Move forward, don't look back, and your days will improve!"
Yang Ge: "But where is forward?"
Shopkeeper Liu: "As long as you take a step, anywhere is forward!"