Chapter 2 Out of the Plug (Part 2)

Zhang Songling rolled on the verge of death several times, and was honed to be far more vigilant than ordinary people. Sensing that something was wrong with the sounds around him, he immediately hid his face behind the newspaper, and at the same time touched the box cannon pinned to his waist with one hand.

The surrounding environment was incompatible with his movements, and almost all the shops that had not yet been declared closed suddenly opened their doors. The shopkeeper, the big guys, and the apprentices scrambled to the end of the street, and even the shoes with dead buckles flew away. At the other end of the street, a large procession walked proudly. Each of the old riders on the back of the cattle was greeted by seven or eight men, and even the hawkers who were pushing chicken carts were surrounded by four or five smiling faces.

It's actually a caravan! Zhang Songling, who was left out in the cold on the side of the road, was stunned, and then a smile flooded his face. He's not laughing at the shopkeeper and the guys for turning their faces like flipbooks, as the son of a businessman, if he sees that there is a big business to do, he won't waste his energy on a guy who obviously doesn't spend money. He was sincerely happy to see his own people, before he put pen to paper, almost every summer vacation, there were his father's old friends passing by his door, leaving some rare goods, and taking away some local specialties of Lucheng along the way.

According to the newspaper, Xuzhou fell into the hands of the Japanese on the 19th of last month. That also means that the little devils in most areas of southern Shandong and northern Jiangsu have not yet had time to implement their good citizen certificates. With such a large caravan coming from the south, perhaps some of them did not carry a certificate of good citizenship. Since the businessmen have a way to get out of the plug without a good citizen certificate, he Zhang Songling can draw a scoop according to the gourd.

Thinking of this, the smile on Zhang Songling's face became even stronger. Without looking at the rest of the newspaper, he stood up, took a piece of newspaper to cover his eyes, and slowly approached the caravan. He wanted to see if there were any old customers from Lucheng and Jinan in this caravan, or to see if there were any familiar faces who had done business with the Zhangjia Warehouse. If he can find it, he can use his identity as a fellow countryman to find a position as a man or a coachman, and mix in the caravan to get out of the caravan together. Or find a way to get a good citizen certificate for yourself to fool the devils and traitors at the checkpoint.

It's a pity that most of these vendors speak with a northern Henan accent, which is far from his expectations. Zhang Songling found the end of the team from the front of the team with ardent hope, and searched to the front of the team from the end of the team, but he didn't see a familiar face.

He didn't give up, so he approached an old passenger who owned two mule carts, and asked with a smile: "Uncle, can I ask you about something!" Uncle, please help! Uncle, you ......."

"What's the matter?! Don't you see I'm busy? The owners of the two mule carts were surrounded by the proprietors of several local shops, and they did not respond angrily.

"It's like, you kid, why don't you have any eyesight?" The shopkeepers and guys who were eager to pull the business also pricked up their eyes and accused loudly.

Zhang Songling was bored and stepped aside. Turning his head sideways, he found a small trader pushing a chicken cart and not surrounded by locals, and asked cautiously, "........ this big brother?"

Before he could finish his question, the little trader had already shaken his head like a rattle, "Don't stop, don't stop, how many times have I said it, I have old acquaintances here, and I won't take care of your business!" ”

"I'm not pulling you to stay!" Zhang Songling took two steps back and emphasized with a smiling face.

"Ahh Only then did the peddler see his dress clearly, and his face suddenly swelled up with a little embarrassment, "You're not a buddy, look at my eyes." Then you look for me......"

"I want to ask you, are there any old customers from Shandong in the team?" Zhang Songling hurriedly arched his hand and asked in a low voice.

The "Shandong ......." small trader was full of suspicion, and his vigilant eyes repeatedly scanned Zhang Songling's body, "What are you looking for an old customer from Shandong?" ”

"I am also from Shandong, and I just came out with the adults in my family this year to learn to do business. My brother had a batch of goods in Zhengding that had not been completed, so he asked me to wait for him in Zhangjiakou in advance. As a result, he waited for several days, but he himself did not come. Zhang Songling hurriedly changed his accent to an authentic Shandong accent and solemnly introduced himself.

"Oh!" The peddler will be suspicious, but with years of experience accumulated from traveling north and south, he can judge that the next generation in front of him is not a bad person. "No, at least I haven't. In our team, we are all from Anyang, Henan. There are no Shandong people. ”

"Henan, isn't that a flood?" Zhang Songling suddenly remembered the news he had just seen in the newspaper, and blurted out the words of inquiry.

"Bodhisattva bless, this time it was flooded in the south, and it didn't affect our hometown!" The vendor touched his forehead and replied with a hint of glee.

"Bodhisattva bless!" Zhang Songling accompanied the other party and touched his forehead. He also wanted to inquire whether the Yellow River embankment was blown up by the Japanese devils and planted to the National Revolutionary Army, or whether it was really destroyed by the National Revolutionary Army itself, as the newspapers in the enemy-occupied areas said, but when he saw the vigilant appearance of the other party, he swallowed the words that had already reached his mouth back into his stomach.

The small trader was kind-hearted, and when he saw that Zhang Songling wanted to speak and stopped, he thought he was worried about his brother's safety. After thinking about it, he reminded in a low voice: "Did your brother make an appointment with you to meet somewhere?" Although Zhangjiakou is not a big place, there are four or five hundred hotels and shops in the city. If you live in a bad place, where will your brother find you?! ”

"That's right!" Zhang Songling was woken up by a word and patted the back of his head in response.

Seeing that Zhang Songling and his son could be taught, the kind-hearted little trader continued to give advice, "Listen to me, you go to the old Xu's house in the north of the city to look for it." Seeing how strong you look, your family's business is estimated to be small. In previous years, I knew several old guests from Shandong, dressed like you, all of whom lived in the north of the city. It's either Hongfa Hotel or Xu's old shop. You don't have to go to the chicken feather shop for a few pennies a day, no matter how frugal your brother is, when he goes out, the scene of buying and selling people has to be propped up! ”

"yes, I didn't think of that! Thank you, thank you! Zhang Songling hurled at the other party again and again, turned around, and ran towards the north of the city.

"This afterlife ....." The little trader looked at Zhang Songling's back and shook his head repeatedly. Probably remembering the first time I went out to practice when I was a teenager, and a happy light slowly surged up on my wrinkled face.

The scale of Zhangjiakou city is not large, go down the main street, turn left for dozens of meters, and you will arrive at the area of the old store of the Xu family introduced by the small traders. The style of the buildings on both sides of the street changed dramatically, from the doors to the windows, and even the lanterns hanging at the door to solicit business, all of which had a strong Ludi flavor.

Zhang Songling stepped on the fragrance of pancakes and green onions and walked into the old store of the Xu family. This time, he didn't dare to lie anymore and said that he was waiting for his brother, but he was entangled and wanted to beat people for a few months to earn the money for the trip home. But this improvised excuse is too lame for the old rivers and lakes who have traveled from south to north. Although everyone was unwilling to expose it in person, they didn't have the courage to hire a "fellow" of unknown origin to go to the bandits, and after a few perfunctory words, they sent him out of the door.

After visiting four or five foot merchants with Shandong accents, Zhang Songling did not find an employer who was willing to take him in. I couldn't help but feel a little depressed. With his head down, he was walking out in a gray manner, and suddenly heard a very familiar voice coming from the upper room on the second floor of the backyard, "You two go to bed early tonight, and tomorrow morning, let's go to bed together." From here, the road became more and more unpleasant. Both of you have your ears pricked up for me, ready to listen to me. Remember?! ”

"Yes, Sixth Brother, we all listen to you!" Two slightly immature voices responded respectfully.

"...... the sixth son?" Zhang Songling was overjoyed, and ran to the upper room. If you don't hear it wrong, the guy who is lecturing in the upper room at the moment should be Zhao Renyi, the young man of the Zhangji Warehouse, Zhao Liuzi, a junior apprentice who has been busy behind his eldest brother since he was a child.

"Who's calling me?!" Since he was promoted to the big guy last autumn and began to take charge of himself, he has never heard such an impolite address from anyone outside the owner, Zhao Renyi suddenly had a cold face and shouted loudly downstairs.

"Sixth son, sixth brother, it's me, you don't know me anymore!" When he met his old acquaintance in another country, Zhang Songling was so happy that he forgot where he was, trotted down the wooden stairs, and came to the second floor in a blink of an eye, and pushed open the door of the upper room.

The layout of the Chinese inn, the balcony on the second floor is open to the south, and at the same time serves as a passageway. The June sun shone into the house with the door opened, instantly pulling Zhang Songling's shadow long. The three young people in the room were stunned, looking at Zhang Songling with fear on their faces. Especially Zhao Renyi, the big guy who was still dissatisfied just now, his legs instantly became weak, and cold sweat flowed down his forehead.

"Sixth brother, you don't know me anymore?!" Zhang Songling noticed that the other party's expression was wrong, reached out and patted Zhao Renyi on the shoulder, "I'm Chunsheng, we played together when we were young......

"Third Young Master spare your life!" Zhao Renyi "poofed", knelt down on his knees, and rushed at Zhang Songling's head like pounding garlic, "The third young master spares his life, spares his life!" For the sake of me riding a horse with you since I was a child, don't come to me, I still have a sister waiting to get married....."

"Third Young Master, we know that you died unjustly. We'll send you a plate later, you have a lot of adults, don't trouble us! The other two boys also knelt down, crying and begging for mercy.

"Dead, who's dead?! Sixth son, which immoral guy told you that I died?! Zhang Songling was so crying that the second monk was confused, stood in the middle of the room, and asked loudly.

Zhao Renyi refused to listen to him at all, pouted his buttocks, and continued to beg for mercy loudly, "Third Young Master, I know, I know that I shouldn't waste my old club's money, and I shouldn't live in a house." But the price of this room is the same price as the ordinary room in previous years! You're a big man, so let me go this time. I pay for the house, but can't I pay for the house myself? ”

"We stayed in a wing, a wing! Wing room Chase shop! The two guys also quickly emphasized that they did not waste a penny of the owner's money.

"Shut up!" Listening to the more the three of them talked, the more unbelievable they became, Zhang Songling broke off his voice, "Don't cry, whoever cries again, I will catch it first, and I will catch whoever goes first!" ”

When the words fell, Zhao Renyi and the other two guys immediately seemed to be gagged, and they didn't dare to make any sound. But there were big tears in his eyes, and they kept falling. Seeing that the three of them were scared like this, Zhang Songling couldn't bear it, slowed down his tone, and said softly: "I'm not a ghost, did you hear it?" I'm really not a ghost! Have any of you ever heard of ghosts coming out in broad daylight? I'm not afraid of being sunburned?! Look closely, shadow, I have a shadow! ”

The last sentence is more valid than all previous explanations. Zhao Renyi and the other two guys looked up at the bright sun outside the room, then lowered their heads and counted the shadows on the ground, and muttered in response, "Three, third young master, you, you are really not a ghost!" ”

"It's a ghost, I'll eat you Zhao Liuzi first!" Zhang Songling bared his teeth and frightened Zhao Renyi so much that he went straight under the table, "How many bad things have you done, just hoping that the ghost will catch you?!" ”

"Oh, my third young master!" Zhao Renyi immediately cried loudly, climbed a few steps forward, and reached out to grab the corner of Zhang Songling's pants, "I, I thought I would never see you again in this life, but I didn't expect you, I didn't expect you to be alive." Live, live so strongly! ”

Zhang Songling's heart was also sour, he reached out to grab Zhao Renyi, and forcibly pulled the other party up, "You're dead!" You scoundrel, Lord Yama is too lazy to accept it! ”

"I, I'm a good egg!" Zhao Renyi was so excited that he didn't know what he was talking about, "Lord Yan won't accept me, I'll go to you, and squat in your stove pit every day." Let you be together at night and see my eyes! ”

"You're a urinal!" Zhang Songling wiped away her tears and laughed. "Why are you in charge of running out of the plug this time, my eldest brother?!"

"I'm not, I'm not!" Zhao Renyi smiled and wiped his tears, and as soon as he finished wiping a wave, his face was full of another wave, "Young Master, Young Master is at home with the owner to relax." You two, what are you doing in a daze? I also went to arrange lunch for the third young master! ”

The last sentence was addressed to the two young men. The latter agreed, and happily ran downstairs to find the shopkeeper. Seeing the other party's back disappear, Zhao Renyi wiped his face again, and said in a low voice: "Third Young Master, where have you been these days?" The family thought you had been martyred, and they bought a grave last fall! On the day of the burial with your photo, the county magistrate was there in person! ”

"Martyrdom? Who did you hear that I was dead? I'm buried, what's the matter with the county magistrate?! What happened to my dad? Is he sick? Zhang Songling frowned and asked a series of questions.

"Alas! Third Young Master, I'm afraid you're really a little troublesome! Zhao Renyi looked out and answered the question.

"What's the trouble? Answer me well, don't go around in circles! Zhang Songling was worried about his father's body, frowning and urging.

"Haven't you heard that our place is occupied by the Japanese?" Zhao Renyi's answer is still off topic. But Zhang Songling's heart instantly turned cold, and his face instantly turned blue.