Chapter 24: Providential Fortune

Zhao Mu stepped into the courtyard and finally heard clearly what Wen Zhi’s wife was railing about.

"Black-hearted tavern! A single meal costs so much silver!"
"Do you really take me for a fool, trying to swindle me for no reason?"

In the courtyard, Wen Zhi, Wang Wu, and the others looked rather uncomfortable. Although Wen Zhi’s wife was cursing the tavern, they all knew she was "pointing at the locust tree to scold the mulberry"—nominally attacking the tavern, but in reality, accusing them of spending far too much silver on one meal.

Zhao Mu felt there was little he could do about this. As a refugee without even a household registration or a tally, his words carried no weight.

Wang Wu felt too embarrassed to linger. Seeing Zhao Mu emerge, he hurried over. "Brother Mu, shall we go out for a stroll?" He leaned in and whispered, "Wen Zhi’s situation is difficult right now. We already owe him for getting us into the city; we shouldn't make things harder for him."

Zhao Mu pondered for a moment and nodded immediately. The two conferred briefly, gathered Wang Hu, and stepped out of the small Wen courtyard.

No sooner had they left than Wen Zhi chased after them. "Brother Wang Wu, Master Zhao, wait for me!" He caught up, panting, and said, "Let me take you to breakfast first, then we can go handle other matters."

Wang Wu looked at Zhao Mu with concern, and Zhao Mu immediately understood his predicament. Bringing Zhao Mu to rely on Wen Zhi was like bringing uninvited guests to someone else’s dinner party. As the saying goes, "a guest should not bring another guest"; Wang Wu felt he had overstepped. But Zhao Mu was his savior, and he would have felt ashamed to leave him behind. He had assumed that since Wen Zhi was a gatekeeper, supporting them for a few days would be no trouble. He hadn't expected Wen Zhi to be in such a difficult spot himself.

If Wen Zhi were alone, Wang Wu might have had the thick skin to stay a day or two longer, but now that Wen Zhi had a family, he couldn't impose. Yet, he couldn't make decisions for Zhao Mu without consulting him. Fortunately, Zhao Mu was not the type to leverage his kindness for gain. Though he had overstepped a few times, he always maintained a perfect sense of propriety. After several days of traveling together, Wang Wu had begun to rely on Zhao Mu as his backbone, seeking his guidance whenever he was uncertain.

Zhao Mu thought for a moment and said, "Let's skip breakfast. Since it is still early, let's focus on finding a way to make a living first."

Wen Zhi tried to persuade them otherwise, but Wang Wu quickly chimed in, "He’s right, if we go too late, there might not be any work left."

Wen Zhi finally gave up. In truth, he had insisted on breakfast both to fulfill his duties as a host and to make up for the loss of face his wife had caused.

They spent the day inquiring at various places, but no one needed help. Wen Zhi tried to leverage his old connections, but he was no longer a gatekeeper and had offended his superiors; those former acquaintances treated him with cold indifference, not only refusing to hire Wang Wu and Zhao Mu but also mocking Wen Zhi with biting sarcasm.

Wen Zhi was so furious he wanted to fight, but Wang Wu and Wang Hu held him back. After leaving the last place, Wen Zhi fumed, "Brother Wang Wu, Brother Mu, don't worry. I will find you work, if only to show these snobs a thing or two!"

Wang Wu patted his shoulder without a word. A fallen phoenix is worth less than a chicken; everyone understood this. Wen Zhi’s situation was even worse than that of a fallen phoenix—at least a phoenix remains a phoenix, whereas Wen Zhi had only ever been a minor gatekeeper, and he hadn't just fallen into water; he had plummeted off a cliff. Without a benefactor, he would likely never rise from the mud in this lifetime. For an ordinary person, the chance of meeting such a benefactor is slim.

As noon approached and their stomachs began to rumble, Wen Zhi clenched his fists. "Forget it. Since it’s already noon, let’s go to the tavern to eat, and we can look for work again this afternoon." He pulled Wang Wu and Zhao Mu toward a tavern. Wang Hu hesitated but followed.

Reaching the tavern entrance, Wang Wu finally managed to pull away. "Brother Wen Zhi, your own situation is precarious; there's no need for a tavern. We just need a bite to eat so we don't starve." Wang Wu had come a thousand miles to find Wen Zhi just to survive; if they lived extravagantly, they would soon drag Wen Zhi down with them. He couldn't bear the thought, regardless of how Wen Zhi’s wife might feel.

"How can that be?" Wen Zhi insisted. "We haven't seen each other in years! Since you came to find me, I must see you settled!"

Wang Wu looked instinctively at Zhao Mu. He didn't want to leverage his past kindness, nor did he want to cause a rift between Wen Zhi and his wife.

Zhao Mu narrowed his eyes and said, "How about this? Let me handle the meal this afternoon."

The others were stunned. Zhao Mu had traveled a thousand miles; surely his silver was long gone. How could he handle it? Before they could ask, Zhao Mu turned to Wen Zhi. "Brother Wen, where is the best tavern in Taiping County?"

Wen Zhi blinked and instinctively pointed to the tavern beside them.

"Tianxiang Tower?" Zhao Mu looked at the signboard, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I wonder if this Tianxiang Tower truly lives up to its name."

The others looked on in confusion as Zhao Mu stepped into the tavern. Wen Zhi, suddenly remembering something, hurried after him.

As Zhao Mu entered, a waiter immediately barked, "Where did this beggar come from? Get out!" He covered his nose, trying to shoo them away.

Just then, Wen Zhi and Wang Wu arrived. Wen Zhi grabbed the waiter’s wrist, stopping him. "Ouch, ouch, ouch!" the waiter yelped, "Manager! Someone’s causing trouble!"

A portly, well-dressed man looked over from behind the counter. Seeing Wen Zhi, his brow furrowed. Running a tavern required knowing all types, and though Wen Zhi was only a minor gatekeeper, the manager recognized him.

"Oh, it's Brother Wen. What brings you here today?" the man asked, bowing slightly, careful not to give offense.

Wen Zhi said nothing, looking instead at Zhao Mu.

Zhao Mu smoothed his clothes and bowed to the manager. "Manager, I have come today to offer you a grand opportunity."