Chapter 85: Mannerism Shapes Character
Bai Wei went to a convenience store.
He came out to relax because constantly seeing the exclamation mark above his sister's head was causing some unease for his heart.
He still didn't know what Yagyū Simozi had envisioned, but speculated that it could be related to past memories.
In a state of complete ignorance, hastily engaging could instead bring about certain unsettling consequences, therefore…
Very well.
These are all excuses.
He just wants to act indifferent.
Having arrived at the convenience store, he purchased two pieces of fried chicken, and a sausage, requested a leaf of lettuce, and effortlessly picked up a baguette concealed within a hockey stick. He swiftly severed a portion, requesting the staff to slice it in half, added some sauce, and crafted it into a burger.
Amidst the astonished gaze of the store clerk, he took a resolute bite of the freshly baked, robust burger, stepping out of the convenience store. With each mouthful, it emitted a delightful and satisfying crunch.
"The flavor is satisfactory."
Then, the store clerk in the convenience store stared at the remnants on his desk, entering a contemplative state.
Perhaps, it truly isn't so rigid?
Ten seconds later, a crisp and resounding crunch reverberated within the convenience store, causing someone to forever lament the loss of his pristine front tooth.
Bai Wei, while biting into a homemade burger, strolled to the street corner, contemplating whether to visit the shrine in the afternoon and play with the cats there for a while.
Although the size of the orange cat was big, that tactile sensation is truly quite delightful.
Unconsciously, he instinctively squeezed his hands, but failed to regulate the strength properly. With a cracking sound, the half-meter-long baguette in his hand was unintentionally squashed into a flattened shape.
This scene happened to be witnessed by a passing young man, in quite an unfortunate coincidence.
"Gurgle…"
He heard the sound of the pedestrian's Adam's apple rolling.
Bai Wei immediately explained, "You may perceive it as a baguette on the surface, whereas in actuality, it could very well be a ripe persimmon, don't you think?"
The passerby ran away, running at a remarkable speed.
Bai Wei continued to stroll around, having skipped lunch, and with some pressing matter weighing on his mind, he indulged himself in eating and drinking along the way.
Unknowingly, he had arrived at a somewhat familiar place. An old house, aged with time, was bustling with vigorous renovations. Workers were coming and going. Adjacent to the old house, there were several chairs placed alongside the road, covered with red fabric. Within a transparent glass cabinet were beautifully colored Japanese confectioneries, with a wooden sign hanging above, bearing the words "Complimentary Tasting."
A few children were gathered around the cabinet, with Yamada wearing a hat, joyfully handing out the Japanese confectioneries to the children.
"Give me one too, these mochi and dumplings are quite good."
"That's right, these dumplings have the taste of old Yoshino family…" Yamada recognized the voice very well and exclaimed, "Mr. Bai!"
"You won't change your way of addressing me anymore? People might mistakenly think I am a venerable figure." Bai Wei shook his head and jokingly remarked, "Bring me a skewer of colorful dumplings, and pack two more for me to take home and let my younger sister have a taste."
"Alright then!" Yamada burst into laughter, the less reserved Bai Wei acted, the happier he felt. It brought a sense of peace and contentment to be able to offer some benefits to a person who had helped him.
Bai Wei took a bite of the dumpling, tasted it, and remarked, "The flavor is quite good."
"While I was cleaning the house, I found Yoshino family's old master's notebook. I followed the recipe written in it, and it took some time, but the result was decent," Yamada lamented, "I do hope this flavor doesn't disappear."
"Are you opening for business before the renovation is complete?"
"Not opening for business, but rather promoting. We'll officially open later. Currently, there are not many customers, so we can handle the temporary rush," Yamada handed over the bag with the dumplings neatly packed.
The two of them were chatting away, while nearby, the workers were bustling about. Suddenly, they heard a burst of commotion.
Yamada's face changed instantly, and he promptly took off his hat and walked towards the source of the commotion, where a group of unruly ruffians were causing a disturbance.
Bai Wei took a bite of the colorful dumpling and sat down on a nearby chair, observing the bustling scene.
This group of people is not the gangster themselves, but rather the reserve forces of the gangster, belonging to the type who have poor academic performance and lack intellectual capability.
Even the delinquents who reign as gang leaders, female gang leaders, within schools, they too will transform from dragons into insects when they enter society… They may talk about dominating the Kanto region or dominating the Kansai region, but all they do is gather a group of small-time hooligans from a few underperforming schools and engage in a minor brawl.
What is the purpose? None. Just winning to boast about it, and what about interests? Of course, those are also nonexistent.
This group of troublemakers who constantly engage in fights, brawls, and robberies among their classmates refuses to take their studies seriously. They face disapproval from various aspects of society, schools, and families. After graduation, it becomes difficult for them to find employment. Accustomed to violent outbursts, they cannot humbly seek a job at a factory. Ultimately, they end up in poverty and desperation, only able to find a way to survive by mixing with the criminal underworld, and joining organized crime as low-level enforcers. Their future is bleak and with no prospects in sight.
This street belongs to an older batch of commercial districts, and the development plans have been abandoned. Neither real estate companies nor the underworld would set their sights on this area. Hence, the delinquents who are enticed by small sums of money occasionally roam here, causing trouble and taking advantage of any opportunities.
But when the first person slapped Yamada across the face, causing him to spin in place like a mosquito coil, the nature of the situation changed.
This is not about taking advantage, but seeking revenge.
The workers who were moving nearby witnessed this scene, and a few of them felt the urge to intervene. However, with those teenagers holding water pipes and iron chains, they appeared quite intimidating. At their age, engaging in fights could easily turn fatal, and the workers were merely there to earn a living. Consequently, they hesitated.
Yamada has been exhausted in recent days, otherwise his body and bones wouldn't have been disoriented with just one slap.
After being slapped, he failed to get up several times in a row, immediately becoming the target of mockery by the delinquents.
"Sir, are you suffering from kidney deficiency?"
"How come you were so imposing a few days ago? Why are you looking so wilted now?"
"This is just a slap. I am going to settle the score with you properly for the grudge from a few days ago!"
While verbally expressing a resentful "hatred", in reality, it was nothing more than encountering Yamada on this street while extorting a wealthy young master. Furthermore, due to Yamada being accompanied by some workers, they were intimidated and retreated, feeling ashamed of themselves.
Bai Wei asked, "Do you need assistance?"
"No need, I will reason with him!" Yamada got up, dusted himself off, and walked towards him.
As a result, with a loud thud, he fell back down again, followed by a burst of laughter from the unruly fellows.
Bai Wei crossed his legs and said, "A certain Western sage once said, 'When someone strikes your left cheek, you should turn and present your right cheek.'"
Yamada gritted his teeth and covered his cheek, saying, "Mr. Bai, I don't possess the abilities of a saint."
Bai Wei continued, "A certain Eastern sage also said, 'Repay kindness with kindness, and meet resentment with integrity.'"
Yamada touched his face and said, "This statement makes a lot of sense."
"Do you know how others listen to him and understand his reasoning?"
"I don't know."
"Simplicity." Bai Wei rested his cheek on his hand. "When you wield a bronze spear, effortlessly control a bronze chariot powered by four horses, stand at a height of two meters, effortlessly carry heavy loads of several tens of kilograms, fearlessly charge into battle, open city gates with force, skillfully handle the chariot and brandish the spear, and roam freely and unharmed in a chaotic era of war, with the support of hundreds of equally formidable male students following behind… Even if others feel immense dissatisfaction, they must quietly kneel and listen to your reasoning. Their attitude resembles that of a disgruntled young bride, unwilling and suppressed."
Yamada opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and asked, "Which sage is this?"
Bai Wei smiled and responded, "It is Confucius."
The sage said: Repay kindness with kindness, and meet resentment with integrity.
The sage also said: When encountering sworn enemies on the road, engage in direct retribution without hesitation.
"So, do you understand?" Bai Wei patted Yamada's shoulder. "To reason with others, one must also have a strong fist. Unfortunately, most scholars in later generations have forgotten the scenes of this sage leading the charge with chariot and spear, only remembering the philosophical teachings. This is not perseverance, but rather an adherence to being antiquated… If Confucius saw you getting slapped twice, he would surely laugh heartily."
Yamada was stunned, his face turning red, even redder than if he had been slapped twice.
"Do you need any help?" Bai Wei asked again.
"Thank you very much." Yamada no longer insisted on reasoning, wishing he could just charge forward if he had a sword in hand.
"Hey, if you had said this earlier, everything would have been resolved, right?"
Bai Wei slowly rose to his feet and stretched lazily, facing the sun.
By this time, it was already afternoon, with both schools and offices closed for holiday. Some worn-out streets had already seen pedestrians venturing out for shopping. Many young boys and girls from the town would pass through here on their way to school. As Bai Wei got up, he effortlessly became the center of attention for everyone's gaze.
Having lived for so long, one no longer needs to feign world-weariness to acquire the weight of experience. Bai Wei adjusted his sleeve, an unremarkable commoner who instantly transformed into an elegant and refined young nobleman, his discourse and demeanor captivating. The Emperor recalled various courtly rituals, but in truth, he didn't care much for any of them, except for one particular exception.
Bai Wei stood up straight, gazing directly at the boorish ruffians with contorted facial muscles. He switched the baguette to his left hand, as if holding a walking stick, his entire body forming a prominent straight line. If he were in a suit, every contour would be perfectly pulled into alignment, radiating impeccable grace and elegance.
Simultaneously, he slowly and solemnly uttered the first word, "manners!"
He took a step forward and spoke the second word, "maketh!"
Halting in his tracks, he stood tall and pronounced the final word, "man!"
Bai Wei questioned the ruffians, saying, "Without knowledge of etiquette, one cannot establish oneself… Do you know the meaning behind these words?"
