Tomb Raiding: My Family's Last Clan Chief is Little Brother

Chapter 319 White Wood Carvings
When Hei Xiazi saw that the person who threw things at him was Zhang Wuxun, he immediately laughed. He pushed up his sunglasses, rolled up the money in his hand, stuffed it into the inner pocket of his leather jacket, got up, tossed the garlic clove in his hand, walked over, pulled out a stool, and sat down.

"Why did you suddenly come here, Little Fish Master? Did you come to see me?" Black Bear had a roguish smile on his lips.

Zhang Wuxun nodded and told the truth, "I came here specifically to see you."

"What? You have a job?" Upon hearing that someone had come specifically to see him, Hei Xiazi immediately became interested and called out to the wonton shop owner, "Uncle Xia, give me a bowl of wontons too, put it on my friend's tab."

Zhang Wuxun was used to this. He calmly blew on the slightly hot wonton, took a bite, and said, "The wontons here taste pretty good."

“Right?” Black Bear agreed wholeheartedly. “This shop has been open at this street corner for over twenty years. It’s a well-established brand. You’ve come at just the right time. If it were mealtime, you’d have to wait in a long line to get a bite.”

Soon, Hei Xiazi's wontons were ready.

As Zhang Wuxun ate and chatted with him, she asked, "Did you rent or buy that massage parlor next door?"

“It’s rented.” Black Bear eats very quickly, and in the blink of an eye, he’s finished most of the wontons in his bowl. “I’m an old neighbor of Uncle Xia. I rented the shop from him. I only come here occasionally to open for business for a day or two. In Panjiayuan, every inch of land is precious, so renting is cheaper than buying.”

“When I saw your business card last time, I thought you just set up a small stall on the street to fool people. I didn’t expect you to be so formal,” Zhang Wuxun said with a smile.

“You were right.” Black Bear wiped his mouth and pushed the bowl aside. “He’s out and about every few days. When he’s not busy, he just sets up a small stall in a corner and tells fortunes, reads palms, and gives massages to make a living.”

"Hey, what kind of job does Master Yu want to recommend to me? Lama-catching? Or something else?" Black Bear asked.

“It’s not about being a lama.” Zhang Wuxun shook his head.

Hei Xiazi asked in confusion, "Not joining the lamas? Then what are you doing?"

Zhang Wuxun got up, paid the bill, and gestured with his chin to Hei Xiazi, saying, "Let's talk at your shop."

The two entered the massage parlor. Hei Xiazi lowered the half-curtain hanging on the door frame, hung up a sign that said it was temporarily closed, then dragged a stool for Zhang Wu to sit on, and turned around to pour two cups of water from the thermos.

"Tell me in detail," Black Bear asked curiously.

“I would like to ask you to be a bodyguard for someone,” Zhang Wuxun said, staring intently at him.

Hei Xiazi raised an eyebrow slightly. "A bodyguard? For whom?"

"Wu Xie".

“But not now.” Zhang Wuxun took out a card from his pocket. “This is the deposit; the balance will be paid later.”

Upon hearing the name, Hei Xiazi's eyelids twitched. He thought to himself, "Damn it, why are all these people coming to him because of this kid named Wu Xie?"

Then, without changing his expression, he asked, "Isn't that kid accompanied by you and Dumb Zhang? What kind of trouble is it that the two of you combined can't handle it?"

Zhang Wuxun shook his head. "It's not clear yet. It's very likely that both Xiao Ge and I will be too busy to handle everything. The reason I approached you is mainly because of Wu Sansheng."

The smile on Hei Xiazi's face vanished. "Little Fish Master, what do you mean by that?"

Zhang Wuxun's expression also turned serious. "Although I don't know what Third Master said to you when he left the Snake Swamp underground waterway, or what you did afterward, I can roughly guess some of it."

Black Bear narrowed his eyes slightly but did not reply.

Zhang Wuxun smiled and said, "You don't need to be so wary. My ultimate goal is the same as Third Master's. I will not hurt Wu Xie."

"Actually, I wasn't planning to ask you. After all, no matter who I use, I'm more at ease with myself."

Zhang Wuxun sighed softly, "But things have changed recently, and I'm not sure if I can get through this. If I can't, then after you hear the news of my accident, go to Xingcheng to find Wu Xie and become his master. Teach him whatever he wants to learn, and at the same time, ensure his personal safety."

Zhang Wuxun placed the card on the table and pushed it towards Hei Xiazi with two fingers. "In our line of work, integrity is paramount. This is one million, and the balance will be ten times that amount. Wu Xie will pay you back then."

Hei Xiazi stared straight at Zhang Wuxun, then suddenly smiled, picked up the card on the table, examined it for a few seconds, and said, "Such a big deal, I have no reason not to take it. It's a pleasure to cooperate. Is there anything else you need, Boss Xiaoyu?"

Zhang Wuxun smiled and shook his head, then stood up and said, "Time is of the essence, so I won't stay here any longer."

Hei Xiazi got up to see him out, a smirk playing on his lips. "Although it might not be of much use, I just looked at your face and still think I should give you a piece of advice."

"Wish me luck?" Zhang Wuxun turned around and raised an eyebrow.

Black Bear picked out a wooden shrimp hanging from a row of red ropes on the wooden frame and said leisurely.

"Good fortune never comes in pairs, and misfortune never comes alone. All things have their own causes and conditions, and one can turn misfortune into good fortune."

"Here, this is for you." Hei Xiazi handed the red string to Zhang Wuxun. "Shrimp, curved and smooth."

"Thank you for your kind words!" Zhang Wuxun smiled calmly, took the red rope and put it away, then turned his back and waved, "See you later."

Hei Xiazi watched his figure disappear into the crowd, the smile on his lips gradually fading.

He turned around, put away the deck chair and parasol by the door, walked back inside the shop, took out a black backpack from the cabinet, opened it and stuffed in a few packs of compressed biscuits, two boxes of green pepper and shredded pork fried rice, and some essential travel tools such as a short knife. He then changed into a pair of boots more suitable for long-distance walking.

Then he turned off the water and electricity in the house, turned around, went out, and locked the door.

Seeing this, the owner of the wonton shop next door casually asked, "Going on another long trip?"

Black Bear's face lit up with that familiar smile again. "Oh right, a big customer has asked me to treat a family member. I'd like to trouble Uncle Xia to keep the key safe."

"Hey, no problem." Uncle Xia put down the rag he was using to wipe the table, wiped the water off his hands on his apron, and took the keys from him. "Go ahead and relax, I'll keep watch over the door for you."

﹉﹉﹉

After leaving Panjiayuan, Zhang Wuxun left Beijing as quickly as possible and arrived in Changsha in the evening.

Standing outside the airport, I took out my phone and dialed a number.

About half an hour later, a black SUV stopped in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing Pan Zi's weathered and slightly aged face.

Zhang Wuxun was a little surprised, "Didn't I tell you to just send someone to pick me up? Why did you come in person?" Pan Zi laughed heartily, "What do you mean by personally? When Third Master's gang had trouble, you and Little Brother helped a lot. You were so busy back then that you didn't even have time to have a meal together. Tonight, I'm treating. You like spicy food, so let's go to Brother Lu's Restaurant. Their signature Sichuan dishes are the best in Changsha."

"Then I won't be polite."

Zhang Wuxun smiled and agreed, then got into the passenger seat.

As soon as he sat down, he realized something was wrong.

After looking left and right, I finally figured out what was wrong.

Zhang Wuxun pointed to a small porcelain deer figurine lying on a bluestone on the dashboard and laughed, "I knew something was off. This little thing was given to you by my sister Lu, wasn't it?"

Pan Zi was a little embarrassed and touched his nose. "Well, your sister Lu said this ornament has a good meaning, so I just put it in the car."

Zhang Wuxun smiled meaningfully, "Good things are coming soon, Brother Pan. When are you going to invite us brothers to the wedding banquet?"

Pan Zi was a little embarrassed, but his expression revealed his seriousness. "According to your sister Lu, she can get married whenever she wants. She told me before that she was an orphan and had no relatives, so I plan to take her back to meet my father during the Spring Festival this year, to let my parents know that I have found a good wife who is smart, beautiful and a very cultured person."

“In my early years, I followed Third Master all over the country, and I actually had quite a few hidden injuries. I would inevitably feel unwell on cloudy or rainy days. After she found out, she specially asked her master at a big hospital to examine me and get me a lot of gentle medicine. She divided it into small packets and told me to brew it into tea and drink it every morning and evening…”

Pan Zi recounted his experiences with Jiang Lu in a long, drawn-out manner. Zhang Wuxun could tell that Pan Zi was very happy when he was with Jiang Lu; after all, the happiness radiating from his face couldn't lie.

"I remember all the kindness she showed me."

“I’m a rough guy with no great skills, but as long as she doesn’t mind my rough appearance and is willing to marry me, I will cherish her for the rest of my life.”

Pan Zi's loyalty to Third Master is commendable, and Zhang Wuxun greatly admires it. However, he also doesn't want Pan Zi to fixate all his obsessions on Third Master. Fortunately, after Third Master went into hiding, he found someone to accompany him, understand him, and spend the rest of his life with.

"Oh dear, it seems I'll have to prepare two gifts in advance. Fatty has found a partner too, this is double happiness for us!" Zhang Wuxun joked with a smile.

"Fatty's getting married too?" Panzi was a little surprised. "Which family's daughter is she from?"

“You’ve met her before, Yun Cai, the second daughter of A Gui’s family in Yao Village, when you went to Banna with Master Wu last time,” Zhang Wuxun said.

Panzi thought carefully for a moment, "Oh, it's A-Gui's little daughter, I remember now."

"Wait a minute, I remember that little girl was only a tiny bit old." Pan Zi frowned suddenly and cursed, "That fat bastard, he's a real piece of work."

"You and Third Master have to keep an eye on Fatty. Don't let that scoundrel bully that girl too much, or she'll run back to her parents' house and refuse to live with him again," Pan Zi sighed and gave him his instructions.

“No way.” Zhang Wuxun waved his hand and laughed, “That little girl is very capable. She’s got Fatty all under her thumb, and he’s completely focused on her.”

As they were talking, the car drove into a street.

By this time, the streetlights were already on, and the shops along the street were brightly lit.

Pan Zi led Zhang Wuxun to a restaurant with a simple signboard, saying, "This is the place. Don't be fooled by its small size; the food is absolutely amazing."

Once inside, it was indeed as Panzi had said: the restaurant was small, but packed with customers. Waiters carrying dishes moved back and forth in the aisle, and the sizzling sound of stir-frying and the owner's cheerful shouts filled the air.

Noisy yet warm, filled with the aroma of cooking and everyday life.

The waitress who was announcing the menu had sharp ears. When she heard the wind chimes at the door ring, she busied herself writing and drawing while calling out to the guests, "How many guests are there? The front tables are full. Would you like to go to the back?"

"Let's go to the backyard, it's cool there." Panzi, already familiar with the place, led Zhang Wuxun to the backyard. "Bring out all your signature dishes. Do you have any fresh crayfish? Five pounds of spicy ones, two bottles of Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), and two bowls of rice."

"Alright!" The waitress quickly wrote it down. "We have crayfish. They just arrived tonight, so they're fresh and big. Mr. Pan, please wait a moment, this will be ready soon."

The backyard is quite large, and it seems to have been connected to the neighbor's yard. There is an archway in the middle, and many flowers are planted around it, blooming in a riot of colors. Because no one takes care of them, they have grown naturally over a long period of time, and although they are messy and mixed, they have a kind of pure and vibrant feeling.

Zhang Wuxun and his companion passed through the archway to the other courtyard, where there were fewer people and it was easier to talk.

There was a cup of chrysanthemum tea that had been brewed earlier on the table, and Panzi poured one for each of them.

"Didn't you go to the capital a while ago? You've already finished your business, so why didn't Third Master come back with you?"

Zhang Wuxun explained, "The business in the capital is finished, but I took on another job in the middle, cooperating with the Xie and Huo families to go to a place in the Banai Mountains."

Pan Zi frowned, somewhat worried. "Cooperating with the Xie family and the Huo family? A fight that can get these two families involved must be extraordinary. Can you tell me about it?"

“Hmm.” Zhang Wuxun nodded. “The situation is indeed a bit complicated. Tianzhen and Xie Yuchen are in one team and went to another place. Xiao Ge, Fatty, and I went to Banna with Huo Xiangu. The location of the battle has been basically determined, but it will take some effort to get in.”

"Is it because you're short-handed or what? Do you need my help?" Panzi became even more worried when he heard that he was having trouble and that the young master wasn't coming with them this time.

“No need. The Huo family has dispatched many skilled tomb raiders this time. With Xie Yuchen overseeing things on Tianzhen's side, as long as we are careful, there shouldn't be any major problems,” Zhang Wuxun said.

Pan Zi became increasingly puzzled. "If the problem wasn't with the tomb raiding, then what is it?"

"I've come to give you something." Zhang Wuxun took out a white wooden box with intricate carvings from his backpack. It was about the size of an urn and its shape was strangely similar.

Pan Zi's heart skipped a beat when he saw this. "Whose brother's is this?"

Zhang Wuxun was both amused and exasperated. "It doesn't contain ashes. I can't tell you exactly what it is right now, but after Tianzhen returns from Mount Siguniang, you can give this box to him at a suitable time."

Pan Zi keenly sensed something was wrong. "Don't you and Third Master spend a lot of time together? Why didn't you give it to him yourself?"

Zhang Wuxun said calmly, "I might have to go to Motuo in southern Tibet at that time. Time is very tight. He will be back from Mount Siguniang later and will miss him, so I have no choice but to ask you for help."

Thank you to the generous donors [Dali Chen], [Menyouping's Dog], and [Bu Nian] for their generous donations.

Wishing all my children a prosperous Year of the Rabbit and all your wishes come true.

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(End of this chapter)