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墨書 Inktalez
Have you heard of Ghost Shaving?
At this time, it was past midnight, and a chilling wind blew through the air. Hu Da wandered in an alley. It was dark, the ground was slippery, and with the effects of alcohol, he felt dizzy and could barely see anything clearly.
Hu Da had been wandering in this alley for most of the night, and it made him restless; everything he saw through his drunken haze irritated him.
"Isn't that Master Hu? What are you doing lingering in this alley at such a late hour?"
Hearing the voice, Hu Da turned around and saw an old man standing less than half a meter away from him. The thought that this old man had almost been right behind him sent a shiver down Hu Da's spine, and in his drunken stupor, he swung a fist.
"Old man, do you know who Master is? Are you hiding behind Master to plot against him for his wealth or to take his life?"
"Master Hu is joking; I'm just a guide."
The old man lightly dodged Hu Da's punch and stood at an angle, squinting and chuckling at him.
"A guide? Perfect! I'm lost in this ghostly alley. If you can lead me out, I'll reward you with delicacies, fine silks, gold, silver, and jewels. You can choose whatever you want," Hu Da said unsteadily, swaying as he spoke. "Who am I? I'm Hu Ye. Although I may be a rogue, I keep my word. Hehe, what do you want?"
"The old man only wants one hair from Master Hu!"
"What? What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly."
"Hair! The old man only wants one hair from you, Hu Ye!"
Hu Da was taken aback for a moment before bursting into laughter. He walked over to the old man and patted him on the shoulder. "You’re quite perceptive; you didn’t dare ask for a reward from me. Just one hair, is it?"
"Yes, just one hair!"
"Alright! I'm generous, I'll give you two, or three if you prefer. Here, the hair is right here, you can pull it yourself." Hu Da tilted his head and pointed to his hair for the Old Man to see. "Here, or here, choose any place you like. But I must remind you, if it hurts, mind your head."
"Don't worry, Master Hu, it won't hurt." The Old Man said as he reached out and picked up a fallen hair from Hu Da's shoulder, waving it in front of Hu Da. "This hair from Master Hu will do just fine!"
"This one will do?"
"This one will do!" The Old Man said, pointing to a wall straight ahead. "Master Hu, please look, there’s a door up there. If you go through this door and walk straight ahead, you'll be back at your big house."
"A door? Where's the door? Old man, don't try to fool me just because I'm drunk."
Hu Da swayed as he walked up to the wall, mumbling and glancing back at the Old Man while casually slapping the wall a couple of times. Suddenly, he slipped and fell toward the wall. With a cry of despair, he opened his bleary eyes and indeed saw a door on the wall.
"Master Hu, as long as you follow this path straight ahead, you'll get home. But please remember, once you go through this door, keep looking forward and absolutely do not look back!"
"Can't look back! Why can't I look back?" Hu Da grumbled as he stood up unsteadily and took a few steps forward before stopping. "Why can't I turn around? Are you trying to trick me? The more you tell me not to look back, the more I want to turn around and see what you're up to!"
With that, Hu Da turned around and felt darkness envelop him before dim light began to appear again. He rubbed his eyes and turned back to continue walking forward.
"If I’m not allowed to look back but I did anyway, what’s the big deal? I didn’t see anything at all! Trying to scare me? I’ve grown up being scared!"
Hu Da burped and then twisted his neck a bit.
A mass of hair followed Hu Da at a leisurely pace. When Hu Da stepped into the shadows, the hair quietly pressed against his scalp, accompanied by a strange laughter.
“Giggling—giggling—”
The peculiar hair stuck to Hu Da's scalp as he entered the Hu Family residence. Hu Da was fond of drinking, and the household staff had long grown accustomed to it, especially during times of mourning when he would often get drunk like this. After helping Hu Da to bed, the staff closed the doors and windows before leaving.
At dawn, Hu Da woke up. Initially, he felt his head was heavy, as if two heads were weighing him down. When he got up to check, he found nothing unusual and had the staff bring him a hangover remedy. Gradually, he regained his senses.
“Sir, are you awake? There’s something to report!”
Standing outside the door was Hu Da's personal attendant. This attendant had originally been a beggar on the streets, but after Hu Da saw him fiercely competing for food with others, he brought him back to the Hu Family and made him his aide. He later learned the customs of noble households and named him Hu Fu.
“What is it?” Hu Da asked.
Rubbing his temples, he glanced outside and noticed that today’s sunlight seemed particularly different—somewhat pale and glaring, causing a slight dizziness.
Hu Fu cautiously pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Hu Da rubbing his temples, he quickly moved behind him to help massage: “News has come from Yun Zhai that Old Master Yun has passed away! Also, at the Bai Family dumpling restaurant, there has suddenly been a change in ownership. Lady Bai is ill and has left word for her distant niece to take over. I went there early this morning and confirmed that indeed someone new is in charge and is making grand preparations for the business.”
“Sudden takeover! Is there something suspicious about this?”
“I knew you would ask that, so I looked into it. The result is that Lady Bai had intended to hand over the dumpling restaurant to her distant niece for management six months ago. The relevant property deeds have already been changed accordingly and are on file. As for this new owner’s identity, I also inquired; she comes from Divine Capital Luoyang and has her sights set on our area to open a rouge shop.”
“A rouge shop?” Hu Da paused: “Why would a perfectly good dumpling restaurant turn into a rouge shop? Could it be…”
"Master, you worry too much! The Rouge shop is likely because this new owner excels in this area. You must have heard of her name. Her surname is Xing, and her given name is Fox Demon. She is renowned in Divine Capital Luoyang, on par with the esteemed Liu Zhangting, known as 'the Second Hua Tuo.' She has emerged as a divine healer in the past year and has gained quite a reputation in Divine Capital. In Luoyang, she also runs a Rouge shop called Ruyi Rouge."
"Is this the one you mentioned to me before?"
"Yes, Master!" Hu Fu leaned closer to Hu Da. "I’ve also inquired about her. This Manager Xing has a way of doing things that is quite peculiar, much like Lady Bai. So I have my doubts about whether Manager Xing has taken over our business affairs. After all, the old master of the Yun family is no longer around, and Lady Bai left without any further instructions. We need clarity on whether we should halt our profitable dealings or continue; you must give me a clear answer."
"You know this is a profitable business. Are we supposed to stop making money just because that old man died and Lady Bai is gone?" Hu Da said, his eyes revealing a hint of malice. "As far as I'm concerned, it's better that those two are gone; from now on, this business will be solely ours."
"Have you checked on the situation at the well?"
"Yes, Master, I just went to check before coming here. Everything is as it was; there hasn't been any change." Hu Fu's gaze flickered slightly. "It's just—"
"Just what? Speak plainly; it seems I've wasted my time supporting you all these years."
"Please don't be angry, Master! I was just wondering if you still intend to take a new wife?"
"Do I need to remind you about these matters? I am one of the top figures in the Yun family; if I don't have several young and beautiful concubines in my household, wouldn't that be a laughingstock for others?"
"You are right, Master. However, there are many rumors circulating outside about our Hu Family; they are all over the place." Hu Fu glanced at Hu Da's expression and whispered, "Some even absurdly claim that you bring misfortune to your wives!"
"Bring misfortune to my wives?" Hu Da snorted coldly. "If anyone can bring misfortune to me, that would be their blessing!"
"I think so too, but those common folks outside may not see it that way. The matchmaker has also mentioned that suitable girls are hard to find."
"If they can't be found here, does that mean they can't be found elsewhere? I don't believe it; with plenty of silver to spend and a spacious courtyard to live in, who wouldn't want to come enjoy a comfortable life? Go find more matchmakers and tell them that as long as they bring someone who meets my standards, I'll reward them double." Hu Da said as he turned his neck. "How are things progressing with the second master? If it goes well, our Hu Family's business will only run smoother."
"Second Master has been staying in the well these past few days. When I went earlier, I noticed a hint of joy between his brows, so it seems there must be good news coming." Hu Fu said as he helped Hu Da up and quickly went to fetch new clothes for him to change into. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a fallen strand of hair on Hu Da's shoulder, paused for a moment, and then, while Hu Da wasn't paying attention, he grabbed the strand and hid it away.
When Hu Da got up, he felt a bit dizzy and a heavy sensation at the back of his head.
"Have the butler come over later. I feel like this house is a bit chilly. Have him check carefully if it's damp because of the rain from a while ago. If it's cold, tell him not to skimp on the charcoal; he should prepare a few more basins for me."
"Don't worry, I've noted it down," Hu Fu replied, busy finding a thick outer garment to put on Hu Da. "What does Master want to do today? Are we going to see Second Master or just go out for a stroll?"
"With everything happening at home, my mood is naturally gloomy. Go reserve a table for me at Crimson Pavilion; I heard they have a new girl there who is particularly good at singing. I want to listen to something soothing!"
"I'll arrange that right away for you!"
"Wait a moment!" Hu Da called out to Hu Fu. "That Dumpling Shop run by Lady Bai has always puzzled me. Before we go to Crimson Pavilion, let's take a look at that Dumpling Shop... oh, I mean that Xing."
"Yes, Master!" Hu Fu said as he stepped back out and closed the door behind him.
Once the door was securely shut, he let out a sigh and took out the hair he had hidden in his sleeve.
"Every day it's nothing but eating and drinking, indulging in beauty, and doing things that harm reason; no wonder hair falls out like this." Hu Fu said with some disgust as he tossed the hair into the bushes and carefully shook out his sleeves before quickly heading outside.
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