Qiao Yan led the way in front, and she talked about the alley next to her as she walked. It is said to be the oldest, longest, and most famous in town.

Because the alley is so narrow, only one person can pass through, and if someone from the opposite side meets, both sides must walk sideways to pass. The tall ancient brick gables divide the buildings on both sides, which is the "one-person alley" that everyone has passed on.

She also said: The "one-man alley" of this ancient town is famous, not only because of its shape, but also because from this alley, a world celebrity - the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics.

Wuyang Town, located at the junction of three counties, is characterized by the ancient town of water town, which gathers rich cultural scenery and forms a unique "eight ancient" landscape, namely ancient rivers, ancient bridges, ancient polders, ancient streets, ancient residences, ancient teahouses and ancient battlefields.

Historically, the ancient town was not only a place where soldiers must fight, but also a place where merchants gathered.

"On both sides of the outer ring, there are three continents in the middle, and the three rivers run through them, communicating with bridges." The streets stretch along the banks of the river. The houses are mostly Ming and Qing Dynasty buildings, and the center of the street is paved with bluestone slabs, which is simple and elegant, and narrow.

Qiao Yan gave a detailed introduction to Xiao Yao and Xiaoling about her hometown like a tour guide, which also reflected her love and pride in her hometown.

This also made Xiao Yao deeply understand that when looking at the scenery of the ancient town, you can't just look at the surface, but also have people who know the roots and know the bottom line, and have an in-depth understanding of its heritage and connotation, so that you can truly understand the charm of the thousand-year-old town

Out of the "One Man Alley", without going far, Qiao Yan let Xiaoling and Xiao Yao into a house.

"Hahaha. Come on, please be seated, please be seated, I didn't pick you up, it was my sister who asked me to prepare tea for you at home. ”

Qiao Kai's appearance at this time was like a very simple and simple big boy, where is there still the ruffian of street gangsters? He did not sit down in the invitation, but looked at the furnishings of the living room with great interest.

Qiao Kai's family and Zhao Ping's family are in the same town, just across the river, but their styles are very different. Everything here is small and delicate. Whether it is rooms, doors and windows, or furniture, tables and chairs, they are all beautiful and space-saving.

Zhongtang drew a small bookcase, the two ends were upturned like ingots, and there was a delicate small cabinet at each end of the bookcase, from which Qiao Kai took out teacups, tea leaves and teapots. The overall bookcase is carved with flowers, birds and auspicious cloud patterns, which are very cleverly matched.

Under the bookcase, an equally delicate table of eight immortals with an inlaid milky white stone surface in the middle is accompanied by a pair of Taishi chairs that are also carved and inlaid with stones. To save space, a third of the table top is tucked underneath the bookcase.

On the left-hand side, in the middle of the same pair of Taishi chairs, there is a square, tall double-decker coffee table. The uniform and calm color makes people feel very heavy. All the doors, panes and inner doors are carved with pine cranes and flying phoenixes, all of which are lifelike, and Xiao Yao is breathtaking.

"Xiao Yao, do you like to look at ancient furniture so much? There are ancient beds in my room from the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, and my friend's house also has exquisite shelf beds and dragon and phoenix beds, which are beautiful. ”

Xiao Yao couldn't figure out if Qiao Yan was inviting him to her room to have a look, so he smiled noncommittally, and he walked to the guest seat and sat down to drink tea. According to the customs and etiquette at that time, girls would not easily let men who were not very close to them enter their boudoirs.

"Xiao Yao, Xiao Ling, hello. Qiao Yan, I won, ten cream popsicles, don't cheat. ”

As soon as Mei Li and Shanshan entered the door, they talked about the gambling contract with Qiao Yan in a hurry, Xiao Yao and they didn't know what they were betting on, so they had to stand by and watch.

"Why did you win? You said he would come, but I didn't say he wouldn't. I'm not decided, okay?"

"You don't make up your mind, you just doubt, I'm sure, what do we say?"

The two of them quarreled like this, and everyone understood. Xiao Yao looked at the two of them and said with a smile:

"You two bet on whether I come or not, does anyone testify?"

"No, just me and them. But talk about it. ”

Merry replied a little weakly.

It is often said that one person does not drink, and the other does not gamble. Your pact is not valid at all. Isn't it just about ten cream popsicles? Let me give you two a suggestion, would you like to make a new bet?"

"Well, if you propose, you will be a witness, and she will not be allowed to cheat. ”

Mei Li was disappointed by Qiao Yan, and she was angry that she didn't defend against Xiao Yao, who was not yet familiar, but Qiao Yan glared at her fiercely.

"It's not too late for you to tell us what you want us to bet on. ”

Xiao Yao saw that she was so careful, and she didn't go around the corner, he looked at Xiao Ling.

"You four girls compete together, ten popsicles each, and whoever eats it first wins. The three people who lose, each of them will give five yuan for winning, and I will also count it, and whoever wins, that one will get twenty yuan. ”

The bet put forward by Xiao Yao was not small at that time, it was a person's salary for more than a month. Except for Xiaoling, there were no other girls working at the scene. Even these five dollars are not a small amount.

"I ...... I didn't bring any money. ”

Shanshan, who helped Xiao Yao, was the first to speak out about her predicament. After listening to Xiao Yao's gambling contract, although she was also eager to try, it was not something she could win if she wanted to, in case she lost, and if she didn't bring money, she would be playing tricks.

"It's okay, I can put it on for you first. ”

Qiao Kai was also happy to watch the four girls win or lose their bets, and he generously took care of Shanshan's needs.

"Brother, what about me? I don't either. ”

As soon as Qiao Yan saw her brother's elbow turned out, she immediately looked for her.

"You don't have it, okay, I've got yours too. ”

Seeing that his sister's face was changing, Qiao Kai immediately turned his suspicion into an answer. Seeing that the two girls were borne by Qiao Kai, Xiao Yao was not far behind.

"Okay, Brother Kai will take care of the two of them, and I will take care of the two of you. You are competing, and the bet book has two of us, so you can rest assured that you can bet now, right?"

The bet that made sure that even Xiao Ling, who didn't want to participate, changed her original intention.

"Okay, yes, but if both of you lose, you have to take out fifteen yuan, and don't play tricks if you lose when the time comes. ”

Qiao Yan's request was not excessive, this was also what Xiao Yao had agreed to before, and Xiao Yao nodded affirmatively. But this invisibly pushed Xiaoling and Mei Li on the same front.

"Well, since my sister said it, for the sake of fairness. If both of my side lose, I'll also pay fifteen dollars. ”

Qiao Kai is definitely fighting for face for himself, and he is also cheering for Xiao Yao. He didn't care about his sister and rolled his eyes, thinking that everyone was okay anyway, just coaxing the little girl to play, so why not do it?

"There is another question, this cream popsicle, one for five, forty is two yuan, who will pay for it?"

"I brought it up, of course I came out. ”

Everyone worked out the details one by one, and the four girls held their breath and came to the street to look for popsicles.

"Banana popsicles, threes, threes, banana popsicles, banana popsicles, ....... ”

In the distance, the sound of popsicles being sold along the street can be heard, old and monotonous with a long tail rhyme. This was the sound that children liked to hear the most at that time, and the only thing that responded outside was the chirping of the treetops, and behind the scenes, how many children were begging and begging adults.

A few people hurriedly heard the sound and searched, and on the street a hundred meters away, they saw a white-haired grandmother, wearing a rotten straw hat under the scorching sun, holding a rope in her hand, dragging the popsicle box behind her, and selling while walking.

The wooden popsicle box, placed on a small car made with three bearings, is close to the ground, and under the traction of the old grandmother, it makes a "bang, bang, bang" sound, and follows the grandmother leisurely, moving forward with difficulty.

"Granny, do you have a cream popsicle?"

"Yes, that's a five-point one, how many do you want?"

The old lady said as she squatted down to open the popsicle box.

The top surface of the popsicle box, hinged from the middle, is only halfway open. In order to keep warm, the inside of the box was tightly surrounded by a quilt, and the quilt on top was lifted to reveal a box full of popsicles, which seemed to have not sold a few.

"We want forty. ”

"Huh?"

The old grandmother was flipping her hand on the popsicle, and it stopped.

"I only have twenty sticks of cream, or you eat them first, and I'll go back and get them for you." ”

Banana popsicles are cheap and easy to sell, but they only make five cents each. Cream popsicles are a bit pricey, and one can make you a pretty penny. But most people are reluctant to buy it for their children, and banana popsicles account for the vast majority of grandma's boxes.

Although the weather is hot, the sun is scorching, and there is still a way to go back and forth, it is not easy for the grandmother's age, but she can't bear to lose this big business.

"Forget it, grandma, we'll want twenty sticks of cream, and you can give us another twenty bananas. ”

Xiao Yao didn't want to bet on a few of his own people, and tricked an old man into running back and forth under the scorching sun, so he proposed a compromise solution. But when the old grandmother heard it, she was anxious.

"If you want cream, I'll give you cream, and before you're done, I'll be back. ”

Grandma is in a hurry, these twenty bananas, she has to make twice as much money, it is rare to meet someone who is willing to buy cream, how can she be willing to give up?

Xiao Yao also had to explain that eating bananas was the same, but Xiao Ling saw the grandmother's thoughts. She entered the society early and experienced the difficulties of the world. In the factory, she is also very aware of the hardships of doing a small business. She thought about betting that she would eat the same thing anyway, and not spend her own money.

"Grandma, don't run back and forth, we'll give you five of the twenty bananas, don't tire you down. ”

"That's not good, girl, you have a good heart, Guanyin Niangniang will bless you. Although I am old, how can I do this unruly thing? If you want twenty bananas, you will have one-third of them. ”

The old grandmother didn't plan to run back and forth now, she thought it would be better to sell them first. She is not the only one who sells popsicles on the street, and if someone else comes later, there will be a question mark over whether she can make it.

At the stall where the grandmother took out twenty cream popsicles and twenty banana popsicles respectively, Xiao Ling took the two-yuan ticket from Xiao Yao's hand, and when they walked back with the popsicles, Xiao Ling stuffed the two yuan to the grandmother, turned around and ran.

"Girl, looking for your money. ”

"Grandma, no need, go home and give your grandson two more sticks. ”

Xiao Ling, who ran away from afar, said a word without looking back, and disappeared into the depths of the alley.