Chapter 1: Seongnam (10)

Scholars have always been silent and confused, so after waking up from the big dream, Cheng Xiaojiu also threw away the absurd scene in the dream. I don't know if the ginseng and deer antler soup prescribed by Lang Zhong really works, or because the white rice content in the rice balls has increased significantly in recent days, since that evening, Cheng Zhu's spirit has really improved day by day. This situation made Cheng Xiaojiu overjoyed, and he became more and more desperate to work. But there were no big ships docked on the dock, and there were occasional miscellaneous odd jobs, which were often divided up by other batons before he could know the news.

couldn't find the opportunity to be a baton, and the way to do small business was blocked by the invisible threshold, and the two teenagers didn't feel a little angry. "If this continues, Lao Tzu will have no choice but to vote for King Zhang!" Another day of idleness, Wang Ermao shouted angrily.

Zhang Dawang is the giant Zhang Jin, who said that since the year before last, after pulling up the banner, he has traveled thousands of miles, stirring up the whole of Hebei. This person is extremely cruel in nature, every time he attacks the city and plunders the land, if the other party surrenders obediently, he will loot the treasury and immediately leave, and he will not kill too much. If the other party dares to organize a resistance of manpower, once the city is broken, he will set fire to it, and the entire city will be turned into a white place. For more than two years, none of the officers and soldiers of the Great Sui who fought with him and were captured by him survived. Beheading to show the public is already mercy, and the usual end is to be disemboweled, and the heart and liver are dug out for King Zhang to drink.

is such a devilish person, but he treats his brothers extremely righteously. Every time he grabbed money, he always gave it to his minions according to the size of the merit, leaving no penny for himself. If there were elderly and weak women and children in the family who needed to be taken care of, he would also send someone to take them to the mountains and provide them with rice and grain on a monthly basis. The cities and villages that he conquered were all corpses, like hell. The minion families who were moved up the mountain by him had plenty of food and clothing, and their small lives were very nourishing.

At the beginning of this year, His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Sui sent Ying Yanglang to lead 30,000 troops to Hebei to suppress bandits, and fought with Zhang Jincheng, Gao Kaidao and others in Julu. Gao Kaidao and others were defeated, and they were defeated and fled to the mainland to hide. Zhang Jin said that he was not afraid of danger, first slowly retreated, and then lined up on the bank of the Zhanghe River, copying the plan of Xiang Yu, the overlord of Chu, to fight to the death with the official army. The minions had no way to escape, and they used their lives one by one, and finally beat 30,000 officers and soldiers to the desert and fled, until they ran to Wu'an City, which was more than 100 miles away, to stop their footsteps. The hundreds of thousands of stone military rations and countless baggage that accompanied the army all fell into the hands of Zhang Jincheng.

After being abandoned by the government, Zhang Jin said that not all of them moved back to the old camp. Only half of the rice grain and all the swords, guns and armor were taken, and the remaining materials that could not be taken away were thrown on the banks of the Zhanghe River for others to pick up at will. The nearby farmers moved the rice to their homes for three days, and they still couldn't divide up the rest of the supplies! It wasn't until the fourth day that Gao Kaidao and others heard the news and came to fight the autumn breeze, so they reluctantly left.

As a result, the name of Zhang Thief became more and more famous in Hebei. Some people see him as a fierce god, while others see him as a powerful arhat in front of the Buddha's door, carrying a butcher's knife in his hand and full of compassion in his stomach.

Wang Ermao is young, and right and wrong, good and evil are not very clear in his heart. Seeing that every day is getting more and more difficult, I naturally envy the legendary green forest days where you can lick blood with a knife and eat fragrant and spicy food. Cheng Xiaojiu has been taught a strict tradition since he was a child, and he is very disdainful of the behavior of thieves. After listening to his good friend's daydreams, he couldn't help but sneer and pout, "Just you?" He pushed Wang Ermao's weak shoulder, "With your small body, can you use a knife?" Do you dare to kill? Do you dare to eat human flesh raw? Forget it! If your ancestors don't accumulate virtue, they won't raise a thief! ”

Wang Ermao didn't expect his good friend to answer his proposal like this, his eyes rolled when he was choked, and he gasped for a long time before he blushed and said, "Isn't this not that step yet?" If you really get to that point, you will eat human flesh! Don't you believe that you remember what I said today, and see if I will starve to death in the future, or will I eat meat in a big bowl and weigh the life of gold? ”

Cheng Xiaojiu shook his head and sneered, and couldn't find a common language with Wang Ermao, "You can just mumble to me, don't let the eldest aunt hear it, otherwise, she will have to beat your ass with a broomstick!" ”

When it came to the old lady in the family, Wang Ermao's arrogance immediately became half a cut shorter. His father went early, and it was all thanks to his mother who sewed and mended the laundry for others day and night, so that he could pull the brothers and sisters up. So Wang Ermao can go out of other things and make his wife angry, but he doesn't dare to do it.

You can't be a thief, you have to find someone who can eat, right? Otherwise, wouldn't you have to sit and eat? Drooping his head and groaning for a moment, Wang Ermao raised his head again and asked helplessly: "Then what do you say we should do, if you have arms and legs, you can't wait for death with wide eyes!" ”

"I don't know, I'm not going to be a thief in my life anyway!" Cheng Xiaojiu gritted his teeth and responded angrily. would rather starve to death than be a bandit, this is his bottom line as a man. Ping'en Lao Cheng's family has been innocent for generations, and his family reputation cannot be destroyed in his hands. If you don't want to be a bandit, what do you use to earn money to support your family? There are so many roads in the world, which one belongs to him Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao?

Thinking about it, the young man's eyes became more and more confused, as if he had walked into a cloud of cooking smoke that could not be dissolved, and there were roads in all directions, but none of them could see the end.

"Don't be a thief, don't disgrace your family." Cheng Xiaojiu muttered over and over again like a madman, thinking against Wang Ermao's train of thought, and suddenly, a bright light flashed in his confused eyes. "Let's go to the dental store tomorrow to see if there are any nursing homes or bodyguards. We are not thieves, we can prevent thieves for others, and we can also make bowls of rice to eat! ”

Wang Ermao was taken aback by his startled performance, hid to the side, and reminded with a wry smile, "I don't know martial arts, and others will definitely not recruit me like this." You'll be able to do it twice, but you've only been moving to Guantao for a few months? That old turtle in the alley won't be your guarantor! ”

"You don't know martial arts, I'll teach you a few sets of quick flower jobs, and I'm sure you can get past the layman!" Cheng Xiaojiu's confidence suddenly increased, and his eyes lit up like stars in the middle of the night, "As for the old turtle, he doesn't know me, doesn't he know the money in our hands?" ”

"Well, the old turtle admits money. But we finally have some savings...... Wang Ermao spat on the ground and said stupidly.

The old turtle in the mouth of the two is the Li Zheng in the area of Donkey Shit Alley. The surname is Wu, and the name is noble. He is greedy and timid, and when he encounters something, he shrinks his head and goes out for fear that a grass residue will fall from the eaves and hit his toes. Therefore, Pingsu was very looked down upon by the neighbors, and simply gave him the nickname of the shrunken turtle.

Although Li Zheng's position is not on the stage, he is at least a person who can talk to the government. So looking down on the neighbors, when they encounter something difficult to solve, they have to find the old turtle out in the end. The old turtle doesn't care how others despise him, he sharpens iron with a needle, grabs mud from his mouth, and refuses to fish less at all if he can catch any benefits.

gave away the money he had saved so hard to give away, and Cheng Xiaojiu was also very reluctant. But apart from being a bodyguard for others, he really couldn't find any other way to make a living. After discussing with Wang Ermao for half an hour, he finally decided to take out two hundred dollars each and try his luck at the old turtle's house at night.

Sure enough, as Cheng Xiaojiu expected, as soon as Li Zheng Wu Dagui saw the filial piety offered by the two, the smile on his face immediately bloomed brighter than the peony in summer. "You two little ones, what are you going to do with the money? The folks in this township, others don't know your character, can my old Wu not know? As he spoke, his sleeves were neatly brushed on the table, and he immediately brushed away the four hundred pieces of meat. Then he raised his eyebrows, shook Song Yu's wrist, lifted Meng Tian's brush, and waved Cheng and Wang's guaranteed documents on two pieces of paper made by Cai Hou himself.

After repeatedly appreciating the Mobao that he was able to kill Wang Xizhi in a hurry and kill Cangjie angrily, Wu Lizheng slowly folded it and handed it over to the two teenagers one by one, and solemnly admonished: "Actually, this is not in line with the rules, especially Xiao Jiu, who has only moved here for a few days, what he has done in the past, and who he has to do with it, no one can say clearly." But uncle, I believe that you are all good children, and I will take a little risk today to be your guarantor. If you mix up like people in the future, don't forget that it's my uncle, who knows heroes. Come back often, distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors! (Note 1)

"That's nature, that's nature. Uncle's care today, our two juniors are unforgettable! Cheng Xiaojiu pulled up Wang Ermao and thanked Wu Lizheng together. Then he carefully read the document again, folded it, and carefully carried it to his chest.

Seeing that the two teenagers took their handwriting so seriously, Wu Dagui was in a better mood. stood up, personally sent the two out of the house, came to the gate, shook his head again, and sighed: "Alas! Send you two young people to the head of the knife to roll, uncle, I don't know if it's right or wrong! This world is like this, doing good deeds will harm others, and not doing things will harm others, and the left and right are creating evil! ”

"Why did the uncle say that. If the two of us can find something to do, we won't have to come back to see you. You are accumulating virtue and doing good, and the Lord of the Stove will definitely make a note for you in the merit book! Cheng Xiaojiu heard that the other party seemed to have something to say, turned his head with a smile, and persuaded him very considerately. (Note 2)

Wu Dagui held the door frame with his hand and shook his head with a wry smile. After so many years, it was the first time he had heard someone evaluate himself so respectfully. Although the neighbors who came to ask for help in the past did not dare to give too thin gifts, they turned their heads away, but immediately counted all the eight generations of their ancestors. The three words "old turtle", others muttered in their stomachs, couldn't he hear it, and couldn't he see the contempt in the other party's eyes?

Thinking of this, he sighed again and said in a low voice, "That's it, that's it." Who told the old man that he has no other ability, so he has to be this righteous! The two of you have the bail papers, and you don't have to go to the dental store to find something to do. Tomorrow, let's go to the yamen early, I heard that the yamen will recruit villagers to maintain the place. You may not be able to make a lot of money over there, at least it's safer than being a bodyguard for someone! ”

"Thank you Uncle Wu for your advice!" When Cheng Xiaojiu heard this, he hurriedly bowed down and saluted. "Uncle Wu, can you be more detailed, and the two of us should make more preparations!"

"Thank you, it's an unpredictable deed!" Wu Dagui smiled and waved his hand, "I'll tell you the truth, the reason why the yamen recruited Xiang Yong was because the thunder of the sky had collapsed the southern wall of our pavilion pottery. The county didn't have time to rebuild the city for a while, so it had to recruit some villagers to spare first, in case thieves took the opportunity to snoop! ”

"Then, what conditions do you need to be recruited into the yamen on an errand?" Hearing that there was a beautiful difference waiting for him, Wang Ermao's impression of Wu Lizheng also improved, so he stepped forward and asked respectfully.

"It's not an errand! The townsfolk were recruited on a temporary basis and were disbanded later. It's not an errand boy! Wu Dagui smiled and told the truth. The news I got was that if you want to eat Xiangyong's dinner, the first thing you need to be of good character is that the neighbors are willing to give you a guarantee. Now that you two have taken my guarantee, this first article is satisfied. ”

"What else?" Hearing that it was not an errand soldier, Wang Ermao's enthusiasm immediately cooled, and he asked with a slumped head.

"Second, be young, and have a lot of strength. Straight! Wu Dagui looked the two teenagers up and down and replied with a smile. Third, be clever and obedient! You meet both of these items. If you have any other trouble, come back and tell me about it, and I'll find an acquaintance who might be able to help! ”

"Then the two of us have to thank you, old man!" Cheng Xiaojiu pulled Wang Ermao and saluted Wu Dagui again.

Seeing that Wang Ermao was already absent-minded, Wu Dagui shook his head and said with a smile: "No thanks!" Didn't I say that this is a blessing and a curse? Our museum pottery is close to the thief's nest, maybe it has been remembered. ”

After a pause, he continued: "But the salary is said to be okay. Usually manage two meals a day, one thin and one dry. At the end of the month, there are three buckets of rice. If the thieves really come to attack the pavilion, they will provide three meals a day, plus a large bounty! ”

The last one is life money! No one may be able to spend it! Cheng Xiaojiu knows this. Despite this, he still pulled Wang Ermao, who was happy again, and thanked Wu Dagui repeatedly. Then Shi Li said goodbye and went with Wang Ermao to prepare for tomorrow's recruitment.

Seeing the backs of the two young men going down in the sunset, Li Zheng Wu Dagui sighed again, turned around and entered the courtyard door. After isolating everything in the world outside the heavy pineapple door, he suddenly reached out and slapped himself with a big mouth.

There was a fire burning and the pain immediately poured into his heart, slowly diluting the guilt in his heart. Wu Dagui staggered back to the house, lit three pillars of incense, and muttered a prayer to the woodcarved statue of the stove king in front of the pot: "Lord Mingjian, I didn't mean it, I really did it out of kindness." I didn't mean to, I really ......"

The smoky statue of the king-making god sits precariously, as if he heard it or did not hear it. There was a hint of compassion in his eyes, a hint of pity. Maybe after so many years of contemplating the state of the world, he has already seen through the common people in the world, and seen through the light and darkness hidden in everyone's hearts.

Note 1: Wang Xizhi died in a hurry, and killed Cangjie in anger. Wang Xizhi is a grass saint, known for his wild grass. Cangjie is the saint of the word, creating the Chinese script. If the writing is both cursive and white, then the king and the two saints of Cang will also be ashamed.

Note 2: According to folklore, the Lord of the Stove is an immortal who is responsible for recording good and evil in the world. Report to Heavenly Court once a year.