Chapter 116: Ignorant Upstart
“Big Brother, why are you here?” Seeing that it was Fan Wu who took the money, Mohe asked in surprise.
“Good thing I came, otherwise how could I have seen our sister’s great benefactor.”
Fan Wu, with his half-long hair, stylishly flicked it, leaned forward with his body, tilted his head back, looked her up and down, and commented:
“Not bad, not bad, looks pretty upright and proper. No wonder this girl Mohe always talks about you.”
At these words, Mohe immediately blushed with shame, wanting to find a hole to crawl into, and said angrily: “Big Brother!! What are you talking about? When did I ever mention Big Brother Cao? I I only mentioned him twice to you that day when I got back.”
“Give me a break, you still say that.” Fifth Master Fan Wu secretly glared at her and said gruffly: “You girl like to talk in your sleep. When I go to the toilet at night, I always hear you shouting ‘Big Brother Cao, Big Brother Cao’ in your sleep. Only you yourself don’t know, but your brother knows all about it!”
“Big Brother!~ What are you talking about!” Mohe stomped her foot, too ashamed to lift her head, hurriedly went up to cover Fan Wu’s mouth, but her peripheral vision secretly glanced at Cao Weida.
“Who’s talking nonsense? I’m telling the truth, okay!” Seeing his sister’s shy appearance, Fifth Master Fan Wu laughed heartily, reached out and patted Cao Weida on the shoulder, and said very familiarly:
“Cao Weida, Cao Ye, you’ve helped my sister twice, and I don’t even know how to thank you properly.”
At this point, Fifth Master Fan Wu sighed, “If it were ten or twenty years ago, forget about anything else, we’d at least have a full Manchu-Han banquet to entertain you. Unfortunately, now my Fan family has fallen on hard times, and all I can do is invite you to a double-meat shop for a bowl of stewed offal to show my appreciation.”
“Man, if you don’t mind, would you condescend to take a bite?”
Cao Weida smiled and replied: “Hey, Fifth Master, you’re joking. What do you mean condescend? I’m Cao Weida, just a genuine rural rough man who digs for food from the soil. Don’t talk about stewed offal—even tree bark I’ve eaten when starving.”
“It’s just that times have changed. If it were ten or twenty years ago, if I saw you, I’d have to kneel and pay respects, let alone help your sister. I wouldn’t even have the qualification to step forward and help you.”
“Speaking of which, it’s quite a coincidence. Today I went out thinking of going to Old Sun’s place for a haircut, but I ran into something that delayed me. When I turned around and came to Tianqiao, I just happened to run into Mohe and you. This is fate.”
“No need to say you’ll treat me. Give me face, let me treat you. Let’s go grab a casual bite?”
“Yo, this really is quite fateful! Cao Ye, you’re a real man. Then I won’t stand on ceremony with you. Shall we go?”
“Mohe, you come along too.”
Mohe hurriedly waved her hands to refuse: “Big Brother Cao, you and my Fifth Brother go eat. I still need to go around; these cigarettes won’t keep.”
“Give me a break, what cigarettes won’t keep so quickly?” Cao Weida knew Mohe was just embarrassed to go, so he directly stepped forward and took the shoulder basket she used to carry the cigarettes,
“Come on, let’s go eat something. Look how skinny you are; you’re almost skin and bones.”
And luckily, she’s grown meat where she should have, otherwise her kids would suffer later?
“This…” Mohe hesitated and looked at her Fifth Brother. Fifth Master Fan Wu stuck out his neck and said: “What are you looking at me for? Cao Ye is giving face; we can’t refuse it. It’s just one meal, no big deal for Cao Ye!”
Cao Weida chimed in: “Exactly, just adding two pairs of chopsticks. Come along.”
“Then… alright, thank you Big Brother Cao.”
“Hey, no need to be polite. Let’s go.”
Since he said he’d treat them to a meal, he naturally had to do it generously and called two rickshaws.
“Oh my, Cao Ye, why call a car? There’s a stall right next to us!”
“Fifth Master, you get on. We’ll talk when we arrive.”
He and Fifth Master Fan Wu took one rickshaw, Mohe took one by herself, and they headed to Dongxing Tower.
Speaking of Fifth Master Fan Wu, he was also a pitiful and tragic figure of the era.
Fifth Master Fan Wu came from Manchu Qing nobility, a descendant of one of the Eight Great Iron Hats Princes. His ancestors had hereditary privileges without interruption, had entered the Imperial Palace and seen the Emperor, studied at the Tongwen Guan—that was a family that had generations of eating imperial grain.
But after the Qing Dynasty fell, the family fortunes declined, they lost their economic sources, gradually fell into downfall, and finally ended up relying on his sister selling cigarettes to maintain their livelihood.
Like most Manchu Qing nobles, he had the same common flaw: valuing face.
Despite his destitute life, he still retained the airs and living habits of nobility, dressing neatly when going out—even if his clothes were worn, he’d mend and iron them.
When attending gatherings, even facing crude conditions and simple fare, he still had to make a fuss about etiquette.
To change his circumstances, he’d use some small tricks, like using his sister as bait to make Tong Fengquan spread fake news, or urging employees to forge seals by stamping, etc.
But when it came to major principles, he had his own code.
Overall, Cao Weida didn’t dislike such a person. People are selfish; using some small cleverness to live a bit better is forgivable.
Without experiencing the fall from wealth to poverty and destitution, one absolutely can’t feel that sense of disparity.
Haven’t you seen in real life so many rich people who, after bankruptcy, couldn’t bear the disparity and jumped to their deaths?
Sitting in the rickshaw, Fifth Master Fan Wu looked at the endless stream of people, pointed at the rare sedans on the road, and began to show off:
“See that car? Dodge, 1905 model. Not to brag, but that’s nothing. Things like Buick, Curved Dash, Dodge, Chevrolet, Packard, Studebaker—I’d buy them home to play with when I had nothing to do. I’ve even driven three Dodges.”
“Speaking of these cars, let me tell you, I know all about it. These cars need the right oil. If you add wrong oil like that from Bangzi Cui, it’ll break down after a while. If you don’t know the principle, it’ll scare the piss out of you.”
“The good oil has to be from West Asia; Yan Nan Vehicle Shop’s oil isn’t bad either—gotta get the pencil-can kind.”
Seeing him there reminiscing about the past at length, Cao Weida very obligingly praised: “No wonder you have such knowledge. Even if you’re temporarily facing some difficulties now, your foundation is there. You’ll make a comeback one day!”
“Unlike me, just an ignorant upstart who can’t compare to you.”
Fifth Master Fan Wu was flattered into blooming with joy. “Hahaha, it’s not as exaggerated as you say. It’s just familiarity breeds skill. If you play with them a lot, you’ll get it too.”
“Not to brag, but in Beiping City, there are plenty of Bannerman descendants as down-and-out as me, but few who play with them more than I do.”
Cao Weida smiled and continued the flattery—good words are free anyway.
He wasn’t wrong about one thing: even though Fifth Master Fan Wu was down now, his foundation and connections were still there.
Antiques are tangible witnesses and vivid carriers of civilization, embodying the culture, technology, art, and social customs of specific historical periods.
They are treasures of Chinese civilization!
Yet these treasures, amid over a hundred years of historical upheavals, have been continuously stolen and burned—truly heartbreaking.
Cao Weida had plenty of money in hand, and there would be more in the future. Keeping it in the space was just a pile of cold metal. Why not, within his ability, contribute more to the heritage of Chinese civilization?
If he hadn’t met Fifth Master Fan Wu, he wouldn’t have cared, because he knew nothing about antiques, and the market was full of fakes.
Now that he’d met Fifth Master Fan Wu, he started having some ideas.
He didn’t understand, but Fifth Master Fan Wu did!
This down-and-out Fifth Master Fan Wu was precisely the best helper he could find.
When they arrived, Fifth Master Fan Wu looked up at the signboard and gave Cao Weida a hearty thumbs-up: “Cao Ye, you’re generous! No need to say more. When Fan Wu makes it big, I’ll definitely invite you back!”
As he spoke, he brushed his draped half-long hair, stuck out his belly, hands on hips, quite full of manliness.
Bannerman descendants like him valued face to the extreme—even begging, they’d do it with a straight back.
“Look what you’re saying, Fifth Master. Treating you to a meal—if the spectacle is too cheap, wouldn’t that slap my face?”
Mohe, who had caught up behind, looked at the signboard, jumped off the rickshaw, and pulled Cao Weida’s arm: “Big Brother Cao, let’s not eat here. It’s too expensive!”
She usually couldn’t even afford a full meal, so suddenly coming to a top food house made her heart ache to spend.
“It’s fine. I, Cao Weida, may not have other skills, but I don’t lack money for meals.” Cao Weida smiled, pulled Fifth Master Fan Wu’s arm, and walked inside: “Mohe, come along.”
“Big Brother Cao, why don’t you go eat with my brother? I’m not hungry.”
She wasn’t not hungry—she wanted to save money for Cao Weida!
Eating here, one more person wasn’t just one more pair of chopsticks—it was a huge expense!
Cao Weida felt both sorry for her and gratified. Who wouldn’t cherish such a good girl? “Mohe sister, don’t stand on ceremony with me. Besides, I’m treating you to a meal because I have something to ask for your help with. If I don’t host you well, how can I have the face to ask?”
“Alright, no more nonsense. Hurry and follow.”
Mohe looked to her Fifth Brother for help. Fifth Master Fan Wu glanced at Cao Weida from the corner of his eye and laughed: “Cao Ye has said so much; don’t refuse, or it’ll hurt his face.”
Seeing her brother say that, Mohe had no choice but to agree. She tugged at her clothes, mustered her courage, and followed.
She’d never been to such a high-end place, and with what she was wearing, she always felt a bit inferior.
As they approached, the attendant at the door hurriedly ran up. “How many masters?”
“Are you blind? Can’t you see two men and one woman—three? Your Dongxing Tower’s eyesight for hosting is getting worse.”
“Look at this mouth of mine, don’t know why it’s so dumb. You’re right, master. Three distinguished guests, please come inside.”
“Three distinguished guests, upstairs private room is ready. This way, please~~”
The attendant’s calls were loud and drawn out at the end—this was to let the shop employees prepare in advance, like seating and wiping tables, while also making guests feel the attentive service. It was the traditional Beiping restaurant etiquette for welcoming and seeing off.
