Having seemingly achieved his goal with these words, he stopped talking about this matter and changed the subject again. "A-Yao, the city lord is holding a banquet tonight, inviting the hall masters and talented young masters of the city to attend the feast to welcome you and celebrate your return... Later, he will send someone to pick you up."
As he spoke, Zhao Xiang signaled his attendant to come forward. "I figured you just returned and probably don't have many clothes, so I picked one for you. You can wear it to the banquet tonight. See if you like it."
The attendant presented a piece of clothing. Wang Jin glanced at it, it looked very flashy. Not a style he liked...
But this person meant well...
Wang Jin smiled and accepted it. "Thank you, Zhao Xiang."
"Why are you being so polite with me?" Zhao Xiang said intimately, as if the two were truly close brothers who told each other everything.
He turned his head to look at the two kneeling and said, "I presume you now know you were wrong. Hurry up and go heat water for the young master so he can bathe. Remember to make some pastries, the young master will be hungry. Also, take these herbs and boil them to nourish the young master..."
He gave a long list of instructions, handed the wooden box on the table to Xiao Xiao and Xiao He, and the two took the box and left.
Seeing them leave, Zhao Xiang said to Wang Jin, "A-Yao, you don't have any fruit here. I'll have someone send some over later. Seeing you are safe and sound puts my mind at ease. You should take a good bath and get some sleep later. I'll take my leave now. We'll see each other at the banquet tonight."
With that, he stood up, patted the back of Wang Jin's hand, and turned to leave with his attendants.
Wang Jin watched him leave, returned to the pavilion, looked at the clothes on the table, and reached out to touch them... His brows suddenly furrowed. The clothes looked magnificent, but the fabric was extremely poor... It felt rough to the touch, let alone wearing it...
Wang Jin held the clothes and walked to the place where he had parted ways with Uncle Shan earlier. Uncle Shan had just come out of a small house. Seeing Wang Jin, his eyes lit up with joy, and he waved to Wang Jin. "Young master, come quickly. I heated water for you. I got your clothes ready too. You can bathe now."
Wang Jin walked over and looked inside the house. The house was a low, small stone building, very dark inside, completely different from the pavilions and towers in the front.
From this, one could see Uncle Shan's situation in this pavilion... It was very difficult, just like the original owner's.
At the moment, a large tub was placed in the stone house. The water inside was steaming, looking very warm.
And Uncle Shan, trembling, moved aside to let Wang Jin in to wash...
Uncle Shan stood unsteadily, his movements very slow and inconvenient. It was unclear how he managed to heat this tub of water. He looked somewhat disheveled... The hem of his clothes was wet, but he didn't notice...
Wang Jin saw this, thought for a moment, and then said, "Uncle Shan, your clothes are wet. Why don't you bathe instead... Zhao Xiang just told Xiao Xiao and Xiao He to heat water for me. I'll have water to bathe with later."
Uncle Shan was stunned hearing this and shook his head. "Those two are not so easygoing as to heat water for you, young master!"
"...They don't listen to me, but I noticed they seem to obey that Zhao Xiang quite a bit. Zhao Xiang gave the order just now, so they should heat it."
"It's not like that, young master! Don't be fooled by Zhao Xiang's appearance again." Uncle Shan shook his head repeatedly, sighing deeply. His deeply wrinkled face showed some anger. "I know saying this will make you unhappy again, young master, but I still want to say it. Don't get too close to that Zhao Xiang. That person has ill intentions."
Wang Jin was puzzled. He thought for a moment and asked tentatively, "Uncle Shan, you said earlier that Xiao Xiao and Xiao He have someone behind them. Is that person... Zhao Xiang?"
Uncle Shan was startled, seeming to scrutinize Wang Jin for a long moment as if pondering something, then he made up his mind and nodded solemnly.
This young master came back from losing his memory acting quite different from before. Perhaps what he said now, the young master could listen to...
Thinking this, Uncle Shan spoke earnestly, "I know you are close with that Zhao Xiang, young master, and can't bear to hear others speak ill of him, but... young master, that person is truly not trustworthy. He has been lying all along, deceiving you, young master!"
"Deceiving?" Wang Jin was confused.
Uncle Shan said, "Isn't it deception? Did he just act again as if he knew nothing about the pavilion? Then, like a good friend coming to visit you, young master, he inquired about your well-being, sent you this and that, or perhaps scolded Xiao Xiao and Xiao He a few meaningless times, agreeing with you on a few points?"
Wang Jin thought back—it was exactly like that... How did Uncle Shan know?
Perhaps seeing Wang Jin's confusion, Uncle Shan said, "This isn't the first time he's done this in front of you, young master..."
So he had done this in front of the original owner too... Wang Jin understood, but still felt some confusion...
He hesitated, then nodded and asked, "Even if he really did this, what's wrong with it?"
That Zhao Xiang was originally someone unrelated to the pavilion and had no connection to Xiao Xiao and Xiao He.
"Young master! How is any of this right?" Uncle Shan said through gritted teeth. "This pavilion is managed by Zhao Xiang!"
"!?" Wang Jin was astonished. Zhao Xiang managed the original owner's pavilion?
No way...
Earlier, when he was lecturing Xiao Xiao, Zhao Xiang acted like it had nothing to do with him. Afterwards, he even acted like a third party, distinguishing right from wrong there... If he was managing it, this matter would somehow be his responsibility... How could he possibly play dumb and remove himself from the situation...
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