Chapter 218: “Business Trip”

Luo Jiaqing was stunned.

Master He looked at him, couldn’t really say he was disappointed in such a wet behind the ears youngster, merely because he was surnamed Luo it was hard not to produce a feeling of disgust, furrowing his brows slightly and opening his mouth saying:

“Your age is young, I will not bicker with you over past matters, since you came this time, you have not comprehended your family’s matters, then I might as well speak clearly to you all at once.”

“Grandpa He…”

“You don’t need to try and form ties of friendship with me, the things your father did back in the year, have you ever heard of them?”

“Yes, Father did wrong things back in the year, and all these years has also constantly been blaming himself—”

“Does he only need to blame himself? He harmed a human life, ruined the futures of how many people of Baohua Silver Building, I have thought about it for 20 years, and still cannot think clearly, why a person can be this evil.”

Master He shook his head, sighing saying:

“You go back, I have nothing to say to you, and will also not have any dealings with you Jinyuan Jewelry Store.”

Luo Jiaqing said nervously:

“But my grandfather, Grandfather truly has no other way, he is a person who genuinely loves gold objects, he said in this world only you can understand him!”

Master He said coldly:

“Back in the year perhaps it was so, but right now it already isn’t.”

“Grandfather said—”

“Then you go back and ask him, the thing he owed me back in the year, should it be returned to its rightful owner.”

Master He’s words ended here, not wanting to speak another sentence with Luo Jiaqing, having people chase him away, he himself grasping his walking stick and slowly walking back, rather showing some signs of fatigue.

Bai Zimu supported the old man and walked two steps, wanting to let go when at the doorway, but was very quickly held onto back-handedly by Master He, the old man shook his head and said to him:

“Zimu, you don’t go.”

Bai Zimu:

“Grandpa, I just want to go ask him, and speak a few words with him.”

Master He patted the back of his hand, saying to him:

“It has nothing to do with you, this kind of matter, Grandpa hopes you never encounter it in your entire life.”

Bai Zimu turned his head to take a look, seeing Zhou Yan and those two bodyguards already dragging Luo Jiaqing and the rest to chase them out, and so did not go over again, staying by the old man’s side and comforting him for a moment. [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] Although Master He’s body was robust, but he was after all an old man in his eighties, Bai Zimu found out the commonly prepared pills, feeding him to eat two pills, resting for a while before recovering.

Master He was unwilling to bring up the past matters from back in the year, but Bai Zimu in his heart still cared.

He took advantage of the old man sleeping and resting, and went to find Lu Ping, asking a bit about the matters of the Luo family back in the year.

Lu Ping hesitated for a moment, but still sighed a sound:

“Speaking of which, it’s entirely because of that golden Buddha statue, Master treated others as friends, but some people are worse than beasts.”

Bringing it up again it was already an old matter from nearly 30 years ago.

At that time Master He was around fifty years old, exactly at the prime of his life and strength, his hands had strength, his craftsmanship was also at its best time, the gold objects produced piece by piece were all masterpieces meant to be handed down through generations, having quite forged out a bit of fame. It was also at this time, the wealthy merchant surnamed Luo came knocking on the door, in the name of lending a hundred jin (50 kg) of grain to Baohua Silver Building during a famine year, requested Master He to make a move, to forge a golden Buddha statue for him.

Master He spent 2 years of time, closing the door and not going out, almost expending all his own energy to forge that golden Buddha statue.

When the golden Buddha statue came into the world, it did not cause a sensation, because right after the wealthy merchant surnamed Luo saw it he treasured it up, aside from a few of the most trusted apprentices by Master He’s side, no one else had ever seen it again.

Lu Ping said:

“Back in the year when the cultural movement was acting up, wanting to destroy the Four Olds, not to mention a golden Buddha statue, even some earrings and jewelry couldn’t be kept. The people of the Luo family in order to protect themselves, just handed the golden Buddha statue over, saying they would melt it into gold ingots to hand over, that era was too chaotic, who it was handed over to also couldn’t be said for sure, such a dazzling bright piece of gold there, whoever it was would all want to look at it a couple more times.”

Bai Zimu asked:

“Was that golden Buddha statue truly melted down?”

Lu Ping shook his head, saying in a hoarse voice:

“No, the Luo family hid the golden Buddha statue for several years, knowing its value, how could they bear to melt it down, on the night before they were to hand it over they suddenly changed their words, saying the golden Buddha statue was stolen, planting the stolen goods on Master. Master refused to admit it, but He Qiaosheng… no, Luo Qiaosheng that bastard, stood out to bear witness, harming Master into going to a farm for reform, almost dying there.”

“And then later, Cao Shanwu and another senior brother went to visit Master, wanting to write a letter to redress an injustice, but before the letter was handed up, a person was already lost.”

“Between Baohua Silver Building and the Luo family, for an entire lifetime it is impossible to have any cooperation again.”

……

Lu Ping said a lot, such an honest and simple person, rarely carried resentment and indignation when bringing up past matters.

Bai Zimu thought for a moment, saying:

“The golden Buddha statue is still in the Luo family.”

Lu Ping asked in a low voice:

“Zimu, did you hear some news?”

Bai Zimu shook his head, saying:

“There’s no news, but this matter is not hard to deduce.”

Back in the year the Luo family planted stolen goods on Master He, but Master He never bit back a single mouthful, then there is only one possibility, which is the golden Buddha statue is still in the hands of the Luo family people, and Master He also wanted to protect it.

At that kind of critical moment, to be able to value the golden Buddha statue more heavily than a human life could only be someone who understood it, Master He and the wealthy merchant surnamed Luo both wanted to protect this gold object, so it wouldn’t go as far as being melted and destroyed, it was far from being just a piece of gold. It was just that the wealthy merchant surnamed Luo perhaps did it out of greed, while Master He did it out of unbearableness; unable to bear his own heart’s blood being destroyed.

Lu Ping let out a sigh, saying in a low voice:

“We also guessed like this previously, it’s just we never saw the Luo family take it out again, and for a time also couldn’t find evidence.”

Bai Zimu said:

“Uncle Lu, what does that golden Buddha statue look like?”

Lu Ping reminisced for a moment, gesturing to him, and said seriously:

“About the size of an arm, a lotus base, hands forming the wisdom mudra… that golden Buddha statue is very different, if you were to see it, you would be able to understand.”

Lu Ping still remembered when he saw it for the first time, with just one glance, the heart would become tranquil, giving birth to a portion of compassion within the heart.

That is a kind of feeling very difficult to describe, only having seen it, will one understand.

Bai Zimu nodded, saying:

“No wonder I’ve never seen Grandpa forge a golden Buddha statue this large before.”

Lu Ping shook his head saying:

“It’s not because of this reason either, back in the year when Master’s condition was at its best, he forged this golden Buddha statue, later his craftsmanship became exquisite, but age waits for no one, never able to return to the time of his peak again, that golden Buddha statue is his old man’s lifetime of longing.”

Bai Zimu was thoughtful after hearing this.

Lu Ping took a glance at him, urging:

“Zimu, you absolutely must not go find the people of the Luo family, those people are not good things, you just focus on studying, no need to care about the rest, Master only has you as a single family member by his side, the golden Buddha statue is already a matter of the past, right now you are the most important, understand?”

Bai Zimu smiled and said:

“Uncle Lu, you don’t worry, I was just casually asking, besides even if I want to go find the people of the Luo family, my brother will definitely go together with me.”

Lu Ping only then nodded, feeling a bit more at ease.

Although Lei Dongchuan was young in age, but everyone in Baohua Silver Building found it hard not to treat him as a peer, this kid of the Lei family standing here, just made people feel steady in their hearts.

Bai Zimu left from the studio, having the driver drive the car to send himself to the mall.

He bought some things needed for going out, and also went to buy groceries, during which the driver kept following behind him, Bai Zimu also did not mind.

Lei Dongchuan was busy all the way until evening before returning home, as soon as he entered the door he saw the shoes at the entryway, his heart moved once, changing into slippers while shouting:

“Small Bowl?”

In a shadow on the living room sofa, the person wrapped by the blanket moved a bit and gave a “Mn” sound.

Lei Dongchuan walked over, sitting on the side and smiling saying:

“How come you’re sleeping here?”

Bai Zimu narrowed his eyes, recovering for a while and saying:

“Brother, I waited for you for a very long time.”

Lei Dongchuan rubbed his hair, saying:

“It’s a bit busy over at the eastern suburbs, came back late, I bought a box of pastries on the way, you eat two pieces first, I’ll go cook right now.”

Bai Zimu let out a yawn, getting up to go over together with him:

“No need, I already cut the vegetables, and also shelled the peas, want to eat fried rice in a bit, the kind adding a bit of diced ham.”

Lei Dongchuan said:

“Alright.”

He turned his head to take a look at Bai Zimu, taking off his own coat to drape over him,

“Just woke up don’t catch a cold.”

Lei Dongchuan rolled up his shirt sleeves, washing his hands to cook.

Bai Zimu just draped his jacket coat, standing behind and hugging him, half-awake and half-asleep standing there chatting with him.

Lei Dongchuan said:

“Go back and sleep for a while more, I’ll call you when the food is done.”

Bai Zimu shook his head, rubbing against his back a bit, softly saying no.

Lei Dongchuan coaxed him:

“If you’re like this I can’t cook well…”

Bai Zimu reached his hand to stroke upwards.

Lei Dongchuan almost couldn’t hold onto the knife in his hand, his face growing hot for a moment, his voice even getting a bit louder:

“Hey, don’t randomly stroke! [Read on RanaTranslations🌸] I don’t mean this, I mean the cooking fumes here are heavy, also afraid the stir-frying will burn you in a bit!”

Bai Zimu chuckled once, carrying a bit of a nasal sound from just waking up and softly humming:

“I’m not afraid, Brother, don’t chase me away, I just want to accompany you.”

Lei Dongchuan: “…”

Lei Dongchuan ate soft and not hard, completely having no way with him, and could only let the small tail follow behind himself.

Lei Dongchuan made three dishes and one soup, and also made that plate of pea and diced ham fried rice that Bai Zimu named to have, seeing Bai Zimu eat fragrantly, his own appetite was also much better. While picking up food for Bai Zimu, he asked:

“I just heard Zhou Yan say, you went to the mall to buy things? Going out again?”

Bai Zimu nodded, saying:

“Mn, going out with the professor and the rest to attend a seminar.”

“When are you going?”

“This Wednesday.”

“Going for how many days?”

Bai Zimu picked up a piece of meat, feeding it into Lei Dongchuan’s mouth, after Lei Dongchuan ate it, he was still asking:

“Going for how many days?”

Bai Zimu couldn’t stop laughing, raising his hand to stroke the solemn eyebrows of the person beside him, sighing with emotion:

“Brother, I must specially like you.”

“Mn?”

“If it wasn’t liking too much, how could I let you control me this much?”

Bai Zimu’s eyes curved up, giving him the answer he wanted,

“Going for about a week, at most ten days, I’ll come back once I finish busying.”