You rascal, stop right there!

Chapter 322: Friends from afar

Ling Shumo stared at him, smiling helplessly and dotingly:

"No guess..."

He turned sideways out of habit and faced a pile of documents that needed to be carefully reviewed.

"Forget it~"

Bai Wan raised her head and glanced at him, then began to look at the things sent by the Dingbei Painting Society in a low voice.

Ling Shumo averted his gaze, stole a glance, and then turned away.

Chuckling, saying nothing.

When two people are together, they actually spend more time talking about calligraphy and painting, and calligraphy and painting associations, and most other things can be discussed and understood.

If there is nothing important, there is no need to contact each other at all.

For example, it was Bai Wan's idea to publish the illustrated "Tiao Bao", but most of the articles were reviewed by people sent by Ling Shumo.

Occasionally, Bai Wan would circle something in the official newspaper. At this time, the other party would quietly watch him finish his comments on the painting, and then analyze the pros and cons and make a new choice.

After all, Ling Shumo has a better understanding of the officialdom and the court, and is more adept at coordinating the people under the Dingbei Painting Society.

They know what the other is good at...

The two of them living in seclusion does not mean that they don't care about the ups and downs of the world.

"Brother Qi Tu hasn't been heard from since. Otherwise, we wouldn't be the only two helping to keep the business going."

Bai Wan sighed and put down his pen.

The Dingbei Painting Society was originally founded by Luo Wenqi, and the two later joined.

Among the three saints of Daying Painting Academy, Luo Wenqi is the best at business, but he disappeared due to personal reasons and had to entrust Dingbei Painting Club to his good friend for a long time.

Several months have passed since then.

Bai Wan had been in a coma for so long that the last letter she sent was four months ago. They could only help Luo Wenqi maintain and look after the painting club.

"Abai, we've searched all the detectives in Daqing." Ling Shumo held a document in his hand. "This can only mean that he's in Xuanli or Lingyu."

Bai Wan took the item from his hand and looked it over. "If he and Chen Er have reconciled, and he's in Lingyu, then that's fine."

He suddenly looked up: "It would be bad if it was Xuanli."

When Ling Shumo was sent on a diplomatic mission, he refused to surrender and was detained. He survived several life-and-death experiences before returning home alive.

Luo Wenqi's refusal to paint was due to his strong moral integrity, and he would never be treated with courtesy.

The Northern Expedition is imminent, and I am afraid that innocent people will be affected.

Ling Shumo said firmly and solemnly, "I used to be in charge of the Ministry of Rites. I know horsemen and merchants, as well as some officials, in both Xuanli and Lingyu. We must find them."

"Well, I also wrote to Lingyu's company."

Missing out on their literary gatherings like the Fanjing Yaji is not like Luo Wenqi at all.

Among the three saints of Daying Painting Academy, not one can be missing.

……

Xuanli’s capital was Xingling.

In the alley, a drunk was lying on the ground, leaning against the wall.

The people around him just thought that this dirty man was a drunkard beggar. In fact, there were always such beggars in the whole capital, so they threw copper coins to him out of sympathy.

He simply took the copper coin thrown to him and closed his eyes tightly.

After a while, someone said to him seriously: "You are such a grown-up, why don't you go to work and be a lazy beggar?"

Even though his clothes were ragged, you could tell his limbs were in good shape.

Everyone called him a "drunkard".

Whenever he got the money, he would buy wine instead of food. He was so quiet that the owner of the nearby wine shop didn't even know who he was.

A little beggar nearby saw that he was drunk and reached out to steal the copper coins, but he was held down.

The other person swallowed hard, unable to exert any strength at all, feeling that his arm was about to be broken by this man.

At this time, the little beggar began to carefully check the drunk's physical condition, whispering:

"Brother, I don't dare anymore!"

"Xingyi...ah..."

Luo Wenqi's voice trembled slightly. He wanted to speak, but his stomach was empty and he was weak.

The little beggar said helplessly: "Let me go?"

“Well, can…”

He took a deep breath, shook his hands, and walked with difficulty. He staggered and fell down after just a few steps.

It was just a few meters, but I couldn't walk.

The little beggar thought the man was dead, so he went forward in shock to sniff his breath and felt that the man was about to die.

He was too weak to lift or carry the child, so he could only pull the child forward by the collar.

Hit it on the left, then hit it on the right.

When the people reached the thatched pile, they had already collapsed on the ground.

As a result, when the man saw the wine barrel at the foot of the wall, he rushed over and poured it into his mouth.

puff--

Spit it all out.

Luo Wenqi then noticed that the bucket did not contain wine, but slop that had been left there for who knows how many days, and his face turned very ugly.

"You drunkard, you can't drink this!" The little beggar didn't know what to say when he saw the man's abnormal look.

It’s a pity that swill can at least make people sober.

Luo Wenqi's eyesight improved a little, but he still looked decadent and powerless as if he had experienced a disaster.

The little beggar brought some clean water from the side, patted his shoulder and fed it to him, then asked:

"You're from Daying... oh no... you're from Daqing, right?"

Even though he mumbled and said only a few words, he could tell that the accent was not that of a local.

Luo Wenqi's eyes suddenly turned red and he wanted to cry.

At this moment, his expression was like that of when he was just pulled out of the eunuch's cleansing room many years ago.

He took two quick sips of water and hesitated, "He... is dead..."

died!

Who?

The little beggar hadn't reacted yet and felt as if he had misheard.

Luo Wenqi's dim eyes make people feel deep sadness and paleness!

"Na..."

When people are extremely hungry, they don't want to talk at all.

In particular, he was already emaciated and his consciousness was extremely blurred.

"What's going on?" The little beggar went forward and saw that the man seemed to have fainted again.

He wanted to steal the money again, but for some reason he gave up when he saw the man's half-dead appearance.

After all, I have seen many refugees like this, and I can probably guess that this person is heartbroken now.

Many Daqing people were abducted to Xuanli at the border, with the men used as laborers and the women as prostitutes.

Many people were humiliated, killed, abandoned, and drowned.

Few survive being thrown into mass graves...

This person was probably also abducted.

Bai Wan and Ling Shumo never imagined that their former friend was so decadent in a place thousands of miles away.

Looking at it, it seems like a puppet that has lost its soul...