Wuyifang Kushui Lane, the courtyard gate of the Gu family was finally reinstalled.

When Qin Xiao came to the Gu family, the Gu family sisters and brothers happened to be eating, and it was Qiu Niang who opened the door, and when she saw Qin Xiao coming, Qiu Niang was very enthusiastic this time, and said with a smile: "Qin Ling, the white clothes have all said, you have become an official, I congratulate you." Or do you have a chance, just arrived in Kyoto for a few days, and suddenly became a seven-grade order, our family has been in Kyoto for so many years, and now it is only an eight-grade clerk, this person is really angry than people, but fortunately it is you, we are very happy. ”

Qin Xiao entered the courtyard, Qiu Niang closed the door, twisted her waist and walked towards the kitchen, and said as she walked: "Bai Yi estimated that you would come today, let me buy some pig's head meat, and sold wine for you." You didn't come here when it was dark, and I thought you weren't coming, so I took it all, and I'll take it for you now. ”

"Kyoto Prefecture may not be very clever in handling cases, but it is very quick to inquire about the news." Gu Baiyi smiled faintly and said, "I heard that Captain Han was transferred to the south and followed General Pei?" ”

Qin Xiao nodded, and when he mentioned this matter, he was naturally in a bad mood.

"Don't worry too much." Gu Baiyi said: "General Pei and General Hei Yu are known as the wings of the empire, they govern the army strictly, and employ people only by talent, Han Duwei has real talent and real learning, and under his command, he will not be buried." ”

She seemed to be in a good mood, and when she walked, she was like a willow branch in the wind, swaying.

"I'd rather not see you." As soon as Qin Xiao entered the door, Gu Baiyi, who was sitting at the small table, sighed: "Brother Qin, it's not a good thing for you to stay in Kyoto. ”

Qin Xiao knew that if Gu Baiyi didn't regard himself as a brother, he wouldn't say such a thing, so he walked over and sat down and said, "Brother Gu knows everything?" ”

"What Dou Butang's plan is, I haven't figured it out yet, but you should be careful everywhere." Gu Baiyi said, "What kind of work did they send you?" ”

Qin Xiao hadn't spoken yet, Qiu Niang had already come in with a bowl of hot pig's head meat, and the other hand was holding the wine jar, and the wine and food were placed on the table, and when she saw Qin Xiao's chopsticks, she was stunned for a moment, and then said with some embarrassment: "I'm ..... I'll get you a pair of chopsticks. Without waiting for Qin Xiao to speak, he had already snatched the chopsticks from his hand.

Qin Xiao was stunned for a moment, but instantly understood, he was informal, he picked up the chopsticks and ate them, but the chopsticks he picked up were used by Qiu Niang, and he had not washed them, from a certain point of view, the mouths of the two indirectly touched together.

"I just wish him the best."

Gu Baiyi said with a smile: "Actually, Han Duwei's situation is better than yours. I've never wondered why the Ministry of War would keep you? It stands to reason that it is reasonable to send you and Han Duwei to the south together. ”

Qin Xiao picked up the chopsticks, and he was not polite, he put a piece of tofu in his mouth, and said while eating: "I am also ready to go with Han Duwei, but Dou Wei gave an order to let me stay, he is now the secretary of the military department, how can I disobey his order?" ”

Less, today in one day, I earned one hundred and eighty yuan, which is more than the previous two days. ”

Qin Xiao was really happy to see her, admired her simplicity, and said with a smile: "That's great." Sister Qiu Niang, I'll give you an idea to make you earn more every day, do you want to listen? ”

Qiu Niang took a small stool, sat down against Qin Xiao, and said happily: "You say, what is the idea?" ”

At this time, he didn't feel embarrassed, the embarrassed person could only be Qiu Niang.

Qiu Niang took a new pair of chopsticks for Qin Xiao, Qin Xiao was embarrassed, and asked, "Sister Qiu Niang, how is today's business?" ”

Qiu Niang was still a little embarrassed because of the chopsticks, but when she heard him ask, she immediately showed a bright smile and said, "It's not thanks to you, with that boat, without the help of the people of the Taiping Society, my business is also very good." The boat was new, and there was a tent, and the guests paid more than the others

Qiu Niang was stunned and wondered: "I'll help you?" You're all an official, and you're so capable, I'm ..... Where can I help you? ”

"You also know that I was left behind by the Ministry of War, and I will definitely not be able to leave for a year and a half." Qin Xiao sighed: "With my grade, I definitely can't give me a house in the yamen, and I can't always live in the inn, right?" ”

Qiu Niang became nervous and asked cautiously, "..... you You don't want to move to our house, do you? ”

"Most of the people who take the boat are tourists from other places." Qin Xiao said: "These people come to Kyoto, some of them will leave after a few days, if it is me, you can prepare some small things that can only be bought in Kyoto on the boat, and the food is all done, they come to Kyoto once, and always think of something special to bring back to do thoughts, you can go to some shops in Kyoto to buy it at a low price, and then add a little to sell, if there are many customers, a month, it should not be a problem to earn more money." ”

Qiu Niang's eyes lit up, and she praised: "Qin Xiao, you are really smart, I didn't expect it before." Yes, that's a method, I'll try it later. ”

"I gave you an idea, should you help me too?" Qin Xiao said with a smile.

"Brother Gu is also an official of Kyoto Prefecture, doesn't he live here?"

Qiu Niang glanced at Gu Baiyi, and said angrily: "He's just a clerk, he's shy in his pocket, where do you live if you don't live here?" You are different from him, you are a seventh-grade official, and you are not short of silver, so it is more comfortable to buy a large courtyard to live in. ”

"There's no rush yet." Qin Xiao said with a smile: "I live here, I can often come over to ask Brother Gu for advice, if I really don't like to cook, I can come over to eat." I just don't know if there are any houses for sale in this alley? ”

"If your house was big, I might really be cheeky enough to move here." Qin Xiao smiled: "But I moved here, can't I go to live in the kitchen?" So I want to buy a house in this bitter water lane, not too big, as long as it can live in people. ”

"You're going to buy a house in Bitter Water Lane?" Qiu Niang was surprised: "The houses here are very old, there is no big yard, you are already an official, and you still want to live here?" There are many good places in Kyoto to ......! ”

Gu Baiyi didn't speak, picked up the wine jar and poured wine, with a faint smile on his face.

Qin Xiao smiled and said, "How much silver do you estimate her house is worth?" ”

"Their yard is not big, and it is very dilapidated, and this bitter water alley is also

It's not a good place, ten taels of silver is too much. Qiu Niang said disdainfully.

Qiu Niang shook her head and said, "There are only about 20 families in this alley, and I haven't heard of anyone moving out." Why don't I ask in the other alleys of Wuyifang? Although it is far away, it is also in the same people's square. ”

"Isn't your relationship with the fat woman diagonally on the other side of the door always bad?" Qin Xiao asked with a smile: "Why don't you go back and ask if their house is for sale, if they can move out, won't you be much cleaner in the future?" ”

"You mean the long-tongued woman?" Qiu Niang's eyes widened and beautiful: "How could she move away?" ”

When Qiu Niang went out, Gu Baiyi smiled and said, "Brother Qin, this time you broke the bill and bought a good boat for my sister, she has been happy until now, and she can't sleep at night." ”

"I thought I was going to leave Kyoto, and I might not see you for a long time." Qin Xiao sighed lightly: "I can't do anything else for you, thinking about leaving a cruise ship for Sister Qiu Niang, at least she won't worry about the cruise ship anymore." ”

Gu Baiyi picked up the wine glass and said, "Have a drink." ”

Qin Xiao was not verbose, took out a hundred taels of silver tickets from his body and handed them to Qiu Niang and said, "Then you bid twenty taels, and if she doesn't agree, you will be thirty taels, see if she wants to move out." You take this silver ticket first, and you discuss the price with her, and there are one hundred taels of silver, and I believe that she will agree after all. ”

Qiu Niang looked surprised, and Gu Baiyi finally said: "Sister, since Brother Qin has made up his mind to buy a yard here, you can go and discuss with him over there, and live closer, it's not a bad thing." ”

Qiu Niang hesitated for a moment, and finally accepted the silver ticket, and said: "Anyway, I will bid her at most twenty taels, and if she asks for a price, I will not agree." Carefully put away the silver ticket, and smiled at Qin Xiao: "Don't worry, my sister will handle this matter for you, and I will give you the rest of the silver when I go back." He got up and said, "You two drink first, and I'll go to the kitchen to clean up." ”

"Of course not." Gu Baiyi's face was awe-inspiring, and he said with a straight face: "If you use such a sword to fight the enemy, it will be sent to death, and it will be a matter of careless human life." His brows tightened, he looked at Qin Xiao and asked, "Could it really be a fragment of a war knife?" ”

Gu Baiyi put down the wine jar, Qin Xiao took out a thing from his body, wrapped it in a coarse cloth, put it on the table, opened it, Gu Baiyi picked up the oil lamp and approached it, Qin Xiao had already handed the thing to Gu Baiyi, Gu Baiyi reached out and took it, but it was a small piece of iron, he looked at it while waiting, and frowned: "This seems to be a fragment that fell from the war knife, but ...... But it's not like it, the war knife can't be so thin, and the quenching heat doesn't reach home at all, the craftsmanship is extremely poor, and the use of the lowest iron ore is also the worst, even ordinary people's kitchen knives will not be so unbearable. ”

Qin Xiao's expression was serious, and he asked in a low voice: "Big brother, if it is a war knife forged by such a material and forging process, can it be used to kill the enemy in battle?" ”

Qin Xiao also picked up the wine glass, both of them drank it all, Gu Baiyi picked up the wine jar and wanted to pour the wine, but Qin Xiao had already said: "Brother Gu, don't be in a hurry to drink, I have something for you to see." ”

"I went to the armor library today, where the swords and spears are stored." Qin Xiao's voice was very low, and his face was solemn: "In the corner of the warehouse, there is a batch of war knives, and the scribe on duty said that those are discarded weapons, but his expression is very wrong, I became suspicious, opened the box, took two Mo knives, and after hitting each other, one of them was immediately broken into two, this is a fragment that I put away, from the imperial armory." He sneered and said: "I have estimated that there are about three hundred boxes of so-called waste weapons in the warehouse, and one box is calculated according to thirty war knives, and in the armor warehouse, there are at least nearly ten thousand inferior war knives that cannot be used to kill the enemy at all." ”

Gu Baiyi has always been calm in the face of things, and nothing seems to disturb his emotions, but at this moment, this clerk who is calm and calm about everything, has a cold look in his eyes, staring at the fragment of the war knife in his hand, and the other hand is clenched into a fist, and his voice is cold and piercing: "They are so despicable, they are really mad!" ”