Hearing what the coachman said, Zhao Lin almost laughed, thinking that this routine would never change for thousands of years.
As the saying goes, "car and boat shops are worth killing even if they are not guilty." People who work in these businesses have a low social status, but they are extremely difficult to deal with. They are both pitiful and hateful.
But then he thought about it. He was transporting goods at the dock a while ago, and it seemed that he could be classified as a porter. This sentence seemed to be scolding him.
The young man in blue finally understood. His eyes glanced at the faces of Zhao Lin and others, and he realized that others had already seen it. He said calmly: "How much?"
"It should be three to five hundred yuan anyway."
The coachman was confident and looked like a dead pig that was not afraid of boiling water. It was almost obvious that he was extorting money.
The young man in blue said angrily: "You caused the car to get into the pit yourself, why do you want us to pay? It's so shameless!"
The coachman was not angry either. He smiled softly and said: "We have rules in the carriage business. The money earned from a trip must be handed over in full. I don't dare to make my own decisions."
"If the guest officers are not in a hurry, they can wait a moment. Maybe there will be more people on the road soon and they can find someone to help."
After saying that, he took out a dry cigarette from his arms, leaned on the shaft of the car and smoked it one after another without any sign of being anxious.
The young man in blue's face turned blue and white, and he was so angry that he couldn't speak.
"No need to find anyone, we will carry it."
After understanding the coachman's intention, Zhao Lin was no longer worried and spoke to the coachman.
"How many of you are there?"
The coachman looked at Zhao Lin and Liang Song, chuckled and said, "I'm afraid my efforts will be in vain."
"It's none of your business, hurry up!"
Zhao Lin walked to the back of the carriage and said in an unquestionable tone, and Liang Song followed suit.
The driver was reluctant to put down his cigarette, so he stood beside the car and waved his whip a few times symbolically.
"rise!"
Zhao Lin used his arms hard, and the rear half of the carriage lifted off the ground. He pushed forward, and under the pull of the two horses, the carriage began to run slowly.
"Alas, I haven't gotten in the car yet!"
The coachman shouted and chased after him, and it took a lot of effort to stop the carriage.
"Can we leave now?" Zhao Lin said coldly.
The driver trembled, nodded and said, "Yes, let's go now."
"Watch the road carefully and don't fall into a pit again." Zhao Lin reminded him deliberately.
"You must pay attention." The coachman said angrily.
…
After getting on the bus, the young man in blue hugged Zhao Lin and said very politely: "Thank you very much, brother, for lending a helping hand. My surname is Xu. May I ask what your surname is?"
The attitude has completely changed from before.
"My surname is Zhao."
When they met by chance, they asked about their surname but not their first name. Zhao Lin only gave his surname.
The young man surnamed Xu then asked: "I wonder where Brother Zhao practices martial arts?"
"I have never learned martial arts." Zhao Lin answered truthfully.
The young man surnamed Xu raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Brother, you have never practiced martial arts before and you are so strong. You are really born with divine power."
He paused for a moment and said, "Why don't you learn martial arts with such a good talent? The instructor at the martial arts school I used to learn martial arts from was not as strong as you."
"Oh, Brother Xu is also a martial arts practitioner?" Zhao Lin became excited upon hearing this.
The young man surnamed Xu blushed and said: "I am not very talented and cannot bear hardships. I only studied for half a year and learned a little bit..."
"But my brother is the master of Kaishan Boxing Gym, and he understands the essence of Kaishan Boxing."
Zhao Lin and Liang Song looked at each other, and then said to the young man named Xu: "To tell you the truth, I also have plans to learn martial arts."
"But firstly, my family is not rich, and I am worried that the tuition fee will be too expensive. Secondly, there are many martial arts schools in the county, and I don't know how to choose. Brother Xu, can you help me clarify my doubts?"
The young man surnamed Xu smiled when he heard this and said in a very knowledgeable tone: "Then you have asked the right person. My brother is the backbone of the martial arts school."
"I've been exposed to it for so many years. I don't know everything about it, but I know a little bit about it."
Zhao Lin felt funny when he heard the other party's three words about his brother, but his face remained calm as he asked: "There is a question that I have never understood. What is the difference between a martial arts school and a sect? Aren't they both places for martial arts training?"
The young man surnamed Xu seemed to think that the question was too basic. He was stunned for a moment and then said: "It seems that Brother Zhao really doesn't understand, so I will talk to you about it."
"The sect pays attention to inheritance and emphasizes the identity of master and apprentice. The boxing techniques, weapons, and internal skills in the sect are all the same."
"For example, in the Bagua Sect, the boxing and kicking skills include Bagua Quan and Kanli Zhang, the weapons are Bagua Dao and Bagua Sword, and the internal strength is Hunyuan Gong. It can be said that they are in the same line."
"Martial arts schools are not that particular. They are often run by several gym owners, and some even hire masters from outside. There are various schools of martial arts."
"Of course, it's just like that. Some sects' skills are as comprehensive as those in martial arts schools."
"What's the difference between the two in selecting disciples?" Zhao Lin continued to ask.
The young man surnamed Xu smiled and said: "I got the point, it's really different."
"The sect is strict about accepting disciples. If you want to defect to another school, most of them will not accept them. They only accept young people with a blank sheet of paper. Unless they are extremely talented and have no relationship with their original disciples, they may make an exception."
"Martial arts schools are much more relaxed. Regardless of whether you have a family tradition of martial arts or have been in a gang, as long as you have decent talent, you can pay the tuition fee."
"But there's one thing. After completing your studies at the martial arts school, you have to help out, which can take anywhere from three to five years."
"That's it." Zhao Lin suddenly said.
Liang Song on the side interjected: "So, the tuition at the martial arts school is cheaper?"
The young man surnamed Xu glanced at him and said with a smile: "Exactly. A martial arts studio needs to make a profit, and it won't make much money just by charging apprenticeship fees. After the disciples leave the training, they will pay commissions for escorting and guarding the shop."
Zhao Lin thought for a while and then asked: "I know that there is a Liuhe Sect in Qinghe County and a Lingshan Sect. What is the difference between those sects and the Lingshan Sect?"
The young man surnamed Xu smiled slightly, "A hundred people are a sect, a thousand people are a sect, and ten thousand people are a sect."
"Most of the places where the clan is called have only a few dozen people, or even a few people, but the ones where the clan is called are at least several hundred people."
"Furthermore, sects have relatively more martial arts techniques. For example, the famous Songyuan sect in the state capital claims to have forty-nine types of internal skills."
Zhao Lin nodded while listening, and after he finished speaking, asked: "So the sect is better than the sect?"
The young man surnamed Xu shook his head and said: "That's not necessarily the case. If you send a lot of people, there will naturally be a lot of intrigues. You can't concentrate on practicing martial arts like a sect."
"The Lingshan Sect you just mentioned is headquartered in Lingshan City. Qinghe County is just a branch. It only teaches elementary martial arts. If you want to further your studies in the future, you will have to go to Lingshan City."
Zhao Lin felt that the ride was worth it, and he thanked him seriously: "My dear friend, your words helped me clear the clouds and see the sun, and I suddenly became enlightened."
The young man surnamed Xu waved his hands repeatedly, saying you're welcome.
…
At sunset, the carriage entered the territory of Lushan County.
There are checkpoints on the road, guarded by two teams of soldiers, to check passing vehicles and pedestrians.
The soldiers asked everyone to get out of the car, asked them about their origins, and then asked them to open the package and check it.
Zhao Lin and Liang Song only brought some food and daily necessities. The soldiers found nothing to sell, so they waved to let them go.
Before getting into the car, the soldier leader touched Zhao Lin's "fur coat" curiously and said: "Your coat is nice, it feels warm at first sight."
