Chapter 23: Scooping Fish Roe
Facts proved that Ying Kongtu understood his family’s spotted golden cat very well.
Ying Kongtu was chased and scolded by the spotted golden cat. The moment he tried to soothe it, the spotted golden cat hissed at him.
But if he did nothing, the spotted golden cat stayed by his feet and kept yelling “aowu, aowu” at him.
In short, this matter was not going to pass for the time being.
Ying Kongtu went numb.
Taking advantage of the spotted golden cat finally tiring itself out from shouting and going to drink water, Ying Kongtu beckoned, signaling Wen Zhongshan to come over.
The two leaned their heads together and whispered.
“Hurry and help me think of a way,” Ying Kongtu said.
“How did you coax Tiaozhu before?” Wen Zhongshan asked.
“I didn’t need to coax it. It used to be especially independent and capable, and it didn’t really pay attention to me.” Ying Kongtu said with a bitter expression.
It seemed the long years of slumber had changed both Ying Kongtu and the spotted golden cat, making them warmer and more mindful of each other.
Therefore, the spotted golden cat now bore grudges even more.
Wen Zhongshan had no solution either.
Ying Kongtu thought for a moment. “How do you coax Dart when it’s angry?”
“This fellow doesn’t really get angry. When it truly doesn’t want to pay attention to people, opening a can of cat food for it will make it come rub against your legs.”
Ying Kongtu glanced at Tiaozhu, who had finished drinking water and was lying on the ground to rest.
Tiaozhu seemed to be lying down, but both its eyes were fixed on this side. Its pointed ears were upright, full of vigilance.
It really did not look like it could be coaxed with canned food.
“Canned cat food probably won’t work. Tiaozhu likes eating solid raw animal meat.”
“Is there anything in the mountains it likes to eat? Get some for it?”
“There is, but it’s illegal.”
The two looked at each other, both very helpless.
The wild Tiaozhu was completely unlike Dart, who was so easy to fool. Several days passed, and it was still very angry.
Angry or not, it still followed Ying Kongtu, stared at him, and patrolled the mountain forest with him.
With an angry Tiaozhu around, Dart also became obedient.
It did not dare wander around the county freely, afraid that if it was alone, Tiaozhu would give it a severe beating.
Wen Zhongshan also could not let Dart be alone.
Ying Kongtu said Tiaozhu was vengeful and would one hundred percent beat it up.
Therefore, Wen Zhongshan took Dart with him every day.
However, the anger in Tiaozhu’s heart had not yet been vented. With Dart still following Wen Zhongshan every day and dangling in front of it, it became even angrier.
Ying Kongtu saw several times that its paws were itching to move.
That day, after Ying Kongtu finished patrolling the mountain and came down, Wen Zhongshan came to find him.
Tiaozhu proudly followed beside Ying Kongtu, head raised and chest out, dragging behind it a fluffy, soft, large tail half as long as its body.
After entering the courtyard, it skillfully walked to the cushion Ying Kongtu had specially prepared for it and lay down smoothly.
“Where did you go today? It looks like you walked very far.”
“The property certificates for Bibai Mountain and Gongshen Mountain came down. After I went to get them this morning, I took Tiaozhu to patrol Bibai Mountain and Gongshen Mountain.”
If one rented mountains, one could only sign a lease agreement. Since Ying Kongtu had contracted two mountain forests, he could obtain property certificates.
This process was somewhat like buying a second-hand house. After the transfer was settled clearly, the property certificates could be issued.
Wen Zhongshan had not expected the property certificates to come down so quickly. “That was fast.”
“Pei Lejiu helped urge things along. That’s why it was relatively quick.” Ying Kongtu leaned back on the reclining chair and sighed. “When we went to patrol the mountain today, the construction team Jiang Hanhai hired was there too. Several sections of slope-protection retaining walls are almost finished. In a few days, I’ll be able to start renovating.”
“I’ll come help then.”
“Good. I’ll need you. By the way, can you help me feed the saker falcon family tomorrow? Tomorrow I still need to go to Bibai Mountain and Gongshen Mountain to make plans in advance.”
The young saker falcons on Baogu Mountain had not yet left the nest and could not hunt alone. Ying Kongtu still had to support them a little.
Wen Zhongshan had gone with him to feed the falcons before and knew the process. “All right. Give me the loudspeaker, and I’ll go feed them tomorrow morning.”
Ying Kongtu breathed a sigh of relief. “Wonderful. If not for you, I really would be a little too busy.”
“Should I feed the pigs along the way?”
“Not for now. They can find things to eat in the mountains themselves. Haven’t there been many acorns lately? They’re mainly eating those now.”
After the two divided their work, the next day, each went about their own tasks.
When Ying Kongtu returned in the evening, however, his face was full of excitement.
Wen Zhongshan’s first reaction was, “Did you find something good on Bibai Mountain and Gongshen Mountain?”
“No. The fish in Aiyuan have finally laid roe!” Ying Kongtu said excitedly.
“Fish that laid roe?”
“Do you remember the kind of fish I told you about, the ones that taste especially good? Those fish have laid roe.”
“So we can go catch fish?”
“It’s not the season to catch fish yet. We can just scoop up some roe.”
Ying Kongtu leaned toward Wen Zhongshan and said quietly, “Tiaozhu used to especially like eating that kind of fish, and it also loved eating the roe. We can scoop some up to coax it.”
Wen Zhongshan looked at Tiaozhu lying to the side, still not really paying attention to Ying Kongtu, and somewhat understood why Ying Kongtu was so excited.
As a wild animal, Tiaozhu really could hold a grudge.
No wonder Ying Kongtu liked holding the ingratiating Dart and rubbing it. Dart, who remembered food and not beatings, was far easier to coax.
Wen Zhongshan found it funny. “When are we going to scoop it?”
“Tomorrow!” Ying Kongtu said. “I’ll make a bamboo colander specially for scooping fish roe later.”
Ying Kongtu was very good at weaving all kinds of tools.
Wen Zhongshan had seen the bird nests, baskets, bamboo strainers, and other things he had woven before. They were all extremely exquisite.
After dinner, Ying Kongtu casually took two freshly cut bamboo stalks and split them into bamboo strips.
The green bamboo strips danced between his long, jade-white fingers. After only a short while, the bamboo colander had begun to take shape.
This bamboo colander was larger than ordinary bamboo colanders and also deeper. It was even fitted with a bamboo handle three meters long.
Ying Kongtu held the handle and tried it out on the spot, feeling the grip. After a while, he nodded in satisfaction.
“It’s ready. We’ll go up the mountain tomorrow morning.”
“Still seven in the morning?”
“Earlier is fine too. Tomorrow I’ll have Tiaozhu patrol the mountain, so we can go up earlier.”
With Ying Kongtu’s words, Wen Zhongshan came over at six the next day.
Ying Kongtu had indeed already gotten up, washed up, and changed into clothes for going up the mountain.
“You got up very early.”
“Not that early. Once you taste the fish roe today, you’ll know why I was looking forward to it so much.” Ying Kongtu glanced behind Wen Zhongshan and asked in a lowered voice, “Where’s Dart? It didn’t come with you?”
“It isn’t convenient to bring it climbing, so I left it at home. Where’s Tiaozhu?”
“It’s still resting in the shrine. Once it’s slept enough, it will come out to patrol the mountain.”
The two tidied up a little, then began climbing the mountain.
Today, Ying Kongtu had tied up his half-long hair. The hair ribbon hung down over his shoulder, setting off his slightly excited expression and making him seem especially vivid.
Wen Zhongshan kept looking at him, then quickly shifted his gaze away.
Ying Kongtu did not notice at all.
After climbing in one breath to the summit of Wuchuan Mountain, Ying Kongtu pointed ahead. “Once we climb Fei Mountain, we’ll be there. Let’s not rest today and climb there in one go?”
Wen Zhongshan had climbed this mountain several times before, yet this was the first time he knew that the mountain above Wuchuan Mountain was called Fei Mountain, and the mountain above Fei Mountain was called Aiyuan, also called Aiyuan Mountain. It was the mountain where they had gathered nostoc.
Wen Zhongshan nodded. “Let’s climb. I’m not tired.”
“Good! Let’s keep going.” Ying Kongtu gripped the long bamboo colander and led the way in front, climbing very quickly.
As usual, they emerged from the spruce forest halfway up the mountain and saw the snow mountain and lake.
This time, the two did not stop anywhere else and went directly to the edge of Snow Mountain Lake.
Snow Mountain Lake was still blue and clear, cold and transparent. From the outside, there was no sign that there were fish inside at all.
“We’re here. Wait a moment. I’ll drag the boat out.”
Wen Zhongshan’s gaze followed Ying Kongtu’s figure, and he soon saw him reach into the lake water.
He gripped a piece of wood beneath the water.
No, not wood.
Wen Zhongshan recognized it. It was the side of a boat.
Ying Kongtu gripped the gunwale, used a little force, and directly dragged a small wooden boat over two meters long out from under the little stones at the bottom of the lake.
“Tok, tok.” Ying Kongtu tapped the dark boat side with his knuckles, rinsed the boat in the lake water, then placed it on the lake surface.
Seeing it float normally on the lake, Ying Kongtu turned his head and smiled at Wen Zhongshan. “As expected, it isn’t broken. We can get on.”
“I didn’t expect you to store the boat at the bottom of the lake.”
“‘Dry for a thousand years, wet for ten thousand years, neither dry nor wet for half a year,’ after all. Storing it at the bottom of the lake is very useful.”
Wen Zhongshan looked at Ying Kongtu.
Today’s mountain god had returned to a familiar domain, and it was as though his entire person were glowing. Every movement carried exceptional elegance.
Wen Zhongshan quickly withdrew his gaze from Ying Kongtu and stepped onto the little boat.
This kind of small boat was relatively difficult to balance. Someone unfamiliar with it could easily capsize it.
Wen Zhongshan, however, had no such problem at all.
Not only did he stand steadily himself, he also stabilized the little boat. Even if Ying Kongtu moved a little more vigorously, it did not sway at all.
“You know how to row?” Ying Kongtu immediately saw it. He pulled a paddle of the same material from the mud and handed it to Wen Zhongshan, saying with a smile, “Can you row?”
Wen Zhongshan nodded. “Which way?”
“That way.” Ying Kongtu pointed out the direction for him. “We’ll row to the opposite side at an angle.”
Wen Zhongshan dipped the paddle into the water and lightly rowed. The boat drifted a stretch across the lake surface.
He lifted the paddle, then rowed on the other side to control the direction.
Ying Kongtu stood in the cabin, eyes bright as he stared at the lake surface, searching for fish roe.
Very soon, he discovered a small floating clump of translucent fish roe in the lake. “There!”
Ying Kongtu pointed out the direction to Wen Zhongshan. “Row a little that way.”
Wen Zhongshan rowed on one side, controlling the boat as it turned.
Ying Kongtu stretched out the long bamboo colander toward the fish roe.
Soon, he scooped up the roe.
Once the bamboo colander emerged from the water, the water quickly leaked out through the gaps between the bamboo strips, leaving only a small cluster of fish roe.
“Look!” Ying Kongtu stretched the bamboo colander under Wen Zhongshan’s eyes. “This is the fish roe I told you about.”
Wen Zhongshan reached out and touched the bamboo colander, touching the lake water left on it.
The icy sensation came through, and he was startled. “The lake water is this cold?”
“It’s melted ice and snow, so it’s especially cold. Ordinary animals would freeze stiff after going in for a while. So unless they have no choice, wild animals generally don’t come here to drink water.”
“Can it still count as an ordinary lake?”
Ying Kongtu thought for a moment. “It doesn’t seem that ordinary either.”
“No wonder it produced the fish you talked about. I previously thought they were some kind of rare fish and was a little worried about legal issues.”
“No. They belong to an unnamed wild fish species. They may be developing a little toward the direction of spirits, but they still can’t be counted as spirits. I told Xing Chang about them before, and he said they’ve already been registered.”
“That’s good. Then it shouldn’t involve protected-animal issues.”
“I know what I’m doing. This kind of fish needs external fertilization, but this season isn’t when the male fish reach sexual maturity, so the roe has no possibility of developing into fertilized eggs. Leaving it in the water would just be a waste.”
“So that’s how it is.”
“Right? Before, I saw quite a few wild pheasant eggs in the mountains and told Xing Chang they were all unfertilized eggs and could be eaten. Xing Chang was startled and said taking them was illegal. He repeatedly reminded me that times have changed and I can’t take them—”
Ying Kongtu blinked at Wen Zhongshan. “So I won’t tell him about this fish roe. We’ll just scoop some ourselves. Don’t tell on me.”
Wen Zhongshan laughed. “Who would I tell?”
Ying Kongtu snapped his fingers. “Then let’s keep scooping.”
Ying Kongtu carefully placed the scooped fish roe into a bamboo basket and directed Wen Zhongshan to keep rowing forward.
The lake was large and deep. Scooping up fish roe from inside was not easy.
Ying Kongtu stared at the lake surface. Whenever he saw fish roe, he stretched out the bamboo colander and skillfully scooped it up.
The two worked busily for the entire day. Only when the sun was about to sink between the mountains did Ying Kongtu say, “We’ve scooped about enough. Let’s go back.”
Wen Zhongshan leaned over to look. “How much did we scoop?”
“About two jin?” Ying Kongtu showed Wen Zhongshan the bamboo basket. Inside, the fish roe was like translucent pearls, carrying a faint glossy sheen.
“It looks really beautiful.”
“If there are fertilized eggs next year, the little fish that hatch will also be beautiful. They’re half-transparent, and their tail fins are especially graceful. I’ll bring you to see them next year.”
Ying Kongtu was in a very good mood. When he spoke, his eyes were very bright.
Wen Zhongshan listened to this mountain god’s promise, but his attention was more on Ying Kongtu’s face and the tone of his voice.
Even after Ying Kongtu finished speaking, Wen Zhongshan still had not fully come back to himself.
Ying Kongtu did not mind. After putting the boat and paddle back into the mud, he held the bamboo colander in one hand and carried the bamboo basket in the other, humming as he led the way in front.
When they descended the mountain and returned home, the sky had not yet fully darkened.
The spotted golden cat was waiting for Ying Kongtu in front of the courtyard gate. Seeing Ying Kongtu’s figure, it still did not pay attention to him. It merely leapt lightly and, without needing anyone to open the gate, jumped into the courtyard by itself.
Seeing its figure disappear beyond the courtyard wall, Ying Kongtu leaned backward, his shoulder close to Wen Zhongshan’s chest, and whispered beside his ear, “You can bring Dart over.”
“Bring Dart?”
“Yes.” Although he knew Tiaozhu could not understand human speech, Ying Kongtu lowered his voice again. “Later, I’m going to treat them differently and let Tiaozhu see that I value it most, not Dart. It should calm down then.”
“Understood.” Wen Zhongshan chuckled softly. “I’ll bring it over right away.”
Dart did not understand why Wen Zhongshan suddenly brought it over.
When it was carried over, it still had a bewildered expression. But once it saw Tiaozhu, its fur immediately exploded. It desperately buried its round head into Wen Zhongshan’s arms. “Meow.”
Wen Zhongshan patted the cowardly cat’s bottom and held it steady.
Compared with Dart’s fear, Tiaozhu merely glanced up and did not even change its posture.
It looked extremely cool.
“You’re here?” Ying Kongtu poked his head out of the kitchen and glanced at them, giving Wen Zhongshan a look. “Dinner is ready.”
Wen Zhongshan said, “All right.”
Wen Zhongshan placed Dart on the reclining chair.
Dart immediately turned its bottom toward Wen Zhongshan and burrowed deeper into the chair. It forcibly squeezed its enormous body behind a pillow, leaving only a few whiskers exposed.
No one paid any attention to it.
Ying Kongtu took out a new set of cat bowls and placed them in a corner of the courtyard, calling Tiaozhu. “Tiaozhu, time to eat.”
This new set of cat bowls had a beautiful solid-wood stand. The water bowl was filled with sweet well water, while the food bowl was filled with beautiful fish roe.
The fish roe released a fresh fragrance, every grain crystal clear and translucent.
Tiaozhu’s nose twitched. It originally did not want to pay attention to Ying Kongtu, but in the end, it still could not resist the temptation and walked over on its paws.
It lowered its head, sniffed, and began licking.
Very soon, Tiaozhu’s eating became bold and unrestrained. It tilted its head, eating from the left and then the right, and purring sounds came from its throat.
Ying Kongtu breathed a sigh of relief. It was good that Tiaozhu still liked fish roe.
Tiaozhu bit through the roe, and a faint, fresh, fishy scent drifted through the air.
At some point, Dart had squeezed itself out. It looked as though a cat head had grown out from inside the pillow.
The pillow was still pressing down on its ears, pulling its facial features backward.
It did not care at all. Its eyes were bright as it stared at the bowl beneath Tiaozhu’s mouth.
“Dart!” Ying Kongtu called. “Your drool is coming out!”
Transparent drool flowed from both corners of Dart’s mouth, all the way onto the reclining chair.
Wen Zhongshan walked over and picked Dart up by supporting its bottom.
“Mi.” Dart drooled and raised its head, calling softly at Wen Zhongshan.
Wen Zhongshan placed it on the ground. “You can eat later.”
Dart’s nose twitched. It was no longer able to care about being afraid. It was so greedy that it jumped down to the ground and circled around Tiaozhu, mewing softly all the while.
Of course, it still did not dare get too close to Tiaozhu, afraid of being beaten.
Tiaozhu, who was eating fish roe, turned its head to look at Dart, then looked at Ying Kongtu and Wen Zhongshan standing not far away.
After confirming that they were not feeding the fat orange tabby, it was satisfied, and its eating speed slowed down.
When only a little remained at the bottom of the bowl, Tiaozhu called to Dart. “Meow.”
Hearing the summons, Dart’s eyes lit up, and it immediately ran over happily, squeezing into the spot Tiaozhu had yielded and eating with loud purrs.
Dart swept through the remaining food like a storm. In just a few moments, it had licked the bottom of the cat bowl until it shone.
Still unwilling to give up, it kept licking, trying to taste even more of the fish roe flavor.
Tiaozhu was full and did not care about this fellow. It elegantly crouched to the side and groomed itself, then found a spot on top of the wall and lay down.
Ying Kongtu went over and tentatively stretched out his arm to stroke its back. “Tiaozhu.”
Tiaozhu was still too lazy to pay attention to Ying Kongtu, but it no longer objected to his touch.
Looking at Tiaozhu, who had finally calmed down, Ying Kongtu let out a huge breath of relief.
Finally coaxed.
That had truly not been easy.
Over there, Dart was still licking the bottom of the bowl.
When it truly could not taste the fish roe anymore, it came over to Ying Kongtu and Wen Zhongshan’s feet, circling back and forth and softly going “mi, mi, mi.”
Ying Kongtu hesitated over whether to give it a little more.
Wen Zhongshan crouched down and stroked Dart’s back. “Dart’s stomach isn’t that strong. Don’t give it too much fish roe for now. I’ll open a can for it.”
Ying Kongtu said, “Open one for Tiaozhu first. See if Tiaozhu eats it?”
Wen Zhongshan nodded. “All right.”
Wen Zhongshan took out two cans and opened one for Tiaozhu first.
As expected, Tiaozhu was not interested in canned cat food.
Dart still wanted fish roe and kept mewing sweetly for a long time. Seeing that acting spoiled was useless, it could only reluctantly go eat the canned food.
After finishing its portion, it saw that Tiaozhu was not eating and tentatively went to eat Tiaozhu’s can too.
After eating two cans in a row, Dart was stuffed and went to a corner to groom itself as well.
Ying Kongtu divided the fish roe they had harvested today into two portions.
One portion was for Tiaozhu and the others to eat. Now Tiaozhu had only eaten a small bowl, leaving a small basin.
He spread this fish roe out and placed it in the dehydrator to dry.
Once it was dried, it could be ground into powder and added to other meat to make cat snacks. Tiaozhu and Dart should both like them.
The other portion was the main dish for the two of them tonight.
The fish roe they had just scooped up had very thin membranes. Ying Kongtu only gently rinsed it three times with sweet well water.
Then he placed the fish roe in the bamboo colander to drain.
Even after the water drained dry, the fish roe remained crystal clear and translucent, each grain distinct.
With Wen Zhongshan’s sense of smell, he could detect a faint milky fragrance beneath the freshness and fish scent. It seemed to be the special flavor of this fish roe.
“You tend the fire?” Ying Kongtu called to Wen Zhongshan. “Make it a bit strong.”
And so, Wen Zhongshan picked the driest, hardest wood, placed it in the stove chamber, and began pulling the bellows.
The flames flared up at once, and a string of sparks floated up inside the stove chamber.
Once the large iron wok was hot, Ying Kongtu poured in half a basin of the pork fat he had rendered earlier.
Immediately afterward, he poured the fish roe from the bamboo colander into it.
“Sizzle—”
The fresh aroma rose instantly. The oil in the wok bubbled heavily, and the semi-transparent fish roe rapidly turned golden in the oil.
“So fragrant.” Wen Zhongshan stood up and looked at the fish roe in the wok.
“Of course.” Ying Kongtu was somewhat proud. “Otherwise, Tiaozhu and I wouldn’t have remembered it for so many years.”
The fish roe, fried golden, soon floated upward.
Ying Kongtu scooped it out with the bamboo colander and placed it to the side to drain oil.
When the oil temperature in the wok rose again, he poured the fish roe back in for a second fry.
This time, the fish roe in the wok changed from golden to a clear yellow, like ripe grain in autumn.
Its fragrance also became richer, spreading through the entire kitchen like clouds and mist.
Ying Kongtu ladled out the oil, leaving only a little at the bottom of the wok. Then he added garlic cloves and fried them until fragrant, followed by chopped green chilies and red chilies.
These were chilies grown by the mountain god himself.
Autumn chilies seemed to have accumulated a whole year’s worth of spiciness. Fresh and spicy, they stung the nose. Once stir-fried in hot oil, they immediately turned fragrant, spicy, and enticing.
Ying Kongtu poured the fried fish roe back in and quickly stir-fried it with the spatula, adding salt and soy sauce at the same time.
The instant the soy sauce fragrance was drawn out, he tossed in a small handful of green minced bits.
This was not cilantro, nor was it scallion, but tender minced chives.
The moment the minced chives entered the wok, stimulated by the high heat, they became even greener and fresher, dotted among the yellow fish roe and looking extremely beautiful.
The two carried the dish outside to eat.
The rice cooked today was still the highland rice Wen Zhongshan had brought over last time.
The slightly green-tinted rice was glossy, clean, and sweet, most suited to being paired with dishes that went well with rice.
Ying Kongtu covered his rice with the fish roe, mixed it slightly, and used a spoon to scoop a large mouthful into his mouth.
In an instant, the ultimate freshness and fragrance burst open in his mouth.
The fish roe had a special aroma unique to protein. As he chewed, he could feel a slight graininess. The more he chewed, the richer the fresh fragrance became.
The fish roe was too fresh and too fragrant, as though no matter what side ingredients were added, they would be covered by that freshness.
Yet Ying Kongtu had brilliantly added a handful of tender chives he had grown himself.
That tender texture and fresh taste added another layer of complex freshness to the fish roe, and also allowed the chopped chilies and garlic cloves to merge perfectly into the dish.
It was too fragrant.
Ying Kongtu ate large mouthfuls of rice, smiling so hard his eyes curved.
Even Wen Zhongshan found it difficult to offer more commentary at this moment and simply focused on eating.
The two finished all the rice in the pot, washed their hands again, and brewed tea before coming out.
Outside, the starry sky was brilliant.
They each lay on cleaned reclining chairs, covered with blankets, looking at the starry sky.
The two cats were also in the courtyard.
Ying Kongtu beckoned to Tiaozhu and called it. “Tiaozhu, come.”
The early autumn night was somewhat cold. Tiaozhu walked over, leapt lightly into Ying Kongtu’s arms, and lay down.
Ying Kongtu, who had only just been forgiven, did not dare rub its belly. He only stroked its back.
All golden cats had a large, long tail, and Tiaozhu was no exception.
The underside of the last third of its tail was white and very eye-catching. Ying Kongtu had wanted to touch it for a long time. This time, he finally found an opportunity and gently touched it once. Before it could turn on him, he quickly withdrew his hand, yet a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Dart also jumped into Wen Zhongshan’s arms.
Usually, it somewhat disdained Wen Zhongshan and always liked clinging to Ying Kongtu, but at this moment, it stayed there obediently, letting Wen Zhongshan’s large hand stroke its head every now and then.
“So nice.” Ying Kongtu lazily looked at the sky. “I’m getting a little sleepy.”
“Sleep. I’m not sleepy. I’ll watch over you,” Wen Zhongshan said.
When Wen Zhongshan said this, he was not thinking of anything else.
Staying like this was too comfortable. He simply wanted to spend a little more time with Ying Kongtu.
Ying Kongtu turned his head to look at him, then turned back again, the corners of his lips carrying a smile.
With their current relationship, leaving the place for Wen Zhongshan to clean up was no problem.
And so, he allowed drowsiness to rise.
