Chapter 1: Seongnam (9)

According to the recalculation of the "price of medicine four months ago", the three pairs of ginseng and deer antler tonic soup are only more than 270 yuan, although the price is still ridiculously expensive, but it is already within the current affordable range of Cheng Xiaojiu. "This settlement should have been made a long time ago, you are happy until you have alarmed the owner!" Wang Ermao still didn't give up, and while whispering to the bookkeeper for begging for hardship, he took the two of them to settle the bill. Cheng Xiaojiu was not in a hurry to take the medicine, first thanked the maid Xiaochun, and then solemnly clasped his fists and solemnly saluted the curtain of the medicine hall, "Thank you for taking care of the eldest lady, you will have a place for Cheng in the future, just open your mouth." If you can, you won't dare to quit! ”

"You're smart!" The girl Xiaochun glanced at Cheng Xiaojiu fiercely and said in surprise. The curtain of the pharmacy is a special 'one-sided see-through' made by Jiangnan, and the people inside can see the situation in the front hall, but the customers who buy medicine cannot see the people in the back hall. However, this kid surnamed Cheng only guessed that the eldest lady of the Zhou Mansion who came to inspect was hidden behind the curtain based on a few words of conversation between himself and Mr. Ledger.

There were a few more rings in the curtain, and a gentle and peaceful voice floated out of the inner hall, and it was as comfortable as eating ice chips with honey in everyone's ears. "Cheng Gongzi doesn't have to be polite, hanging the pot to help the world is the duty of a doctor. It's just that if Lingtang is just weak and lacks blood, it is better to supplement it with dietary therapy. You don't have to have big fish and meat every day, bitter vegetables, yellow flowers, wild fungus, and dried radish are all the best choices. ”

If these words came out of the mouth of the bookkeeper, Cheng Xiaojiu would definitely think that he was making a mockery of his poverty, so that he couldn't afford to eat meat, and always used worthless pickles and wild vegetables to deal with life. But when it came out of the mouth of the woman behind the curtain, the words were frank, and there was no hint of ridicule. Cheng Xiaojiu didn't understand medicine, but he believed that the other party would not coax him, so he arched his hand again, and responded with a straight face, "Thank you for your advice, after Cheng goes home, I will try my best." If the diet therapy is really spiritual, and you don't dare to come to the door to thank you, you will burn incense and pray, asking the gods to bless the eldest lady with many blessings and longevity! ”

Although he has a peaceful personality, he is extremely unruly in his bones, and he feels that he has received the benefits of others, so he must find ways to pay it back, and he will never default on favors. Therefore, these words are consciously and clearly spoken, and they are not pretentious. In the eyes of others, it is extremely awkward, as far-fetched as the incision of the performers in the bazaar. Without waiting for someone to respond in the curtain, the little girl Chun'er was amused first, gently covered her mouth, and whispered: "Why are you so verbose." How old is my young lady, and she still uses you to pray for his life? Besides, the gods are not your relatives, so you will answer him as soon as you ask him?! ”

"Hahaha!" The room full of people let out a good-natured laugh, and even Wang Ermao refused to "share the same hatred" with Cheng Xiaojiu this time, and laughed unscrupulously with everyone.

Cheng Xiaojiu was laughed at and red-faced, took half a step back, and said in a low voice: "What Miss Xiaochun taught me is that Cheng is too self-conscious. I think your young lady is so kind-hearted, she must be blessed by God and Buddha in this life, and she doesn't need anyone to help pray for blessings! ”

"Cheng Gongzi is serious!" The curtain separating the inner and outer halls trembled, slowly standing still. Presumably, the people inside the curtain were also snickering, but because of the other party's face, they tried not to laugh loudly. After a few pauses, the person in the curtain whispered again: "I am a biological sister with Zhu Xinghua, and I have heard her talk about you many times." You don't have to thank me, just treat her well in the future! ”

When he was told to come here, the people in the curtain felt that he was too lenient and shy in his heart. Nodding at the outside of the curtain, he quietly walked away. Only Cheng Xiaojiu, Wang Ermao and others were left behind, reminiscing about the sound of Huanpei in front of the counter, and there were countless reveries.

Cheng Xiaojiu's family education is strict, no matter what he thinks in his heart, he tries to hide it as much as possible, so that no one can see the clues from his face. Wang Ermao was a casual habitual, carrying the medicine bag and walking out of two or three miles, looking back frequently, muttering in his mouth, "This week's family is really popular, and even a girl who serves people is as tender as shallots." The eldest lady listened to the voice and made people's hearts itch, the real person might look as beautiful as the flying goddess on the temple wall! ”

"Don't talk nonsense, the flying heavens on the mural are all unscrupulous bearded girls! It was used by the Buddha to test the world! Cheng Xiaojiu glanced at his good partner and scolded in a low voice. There are many Hu temples left over from the Northern Wei Dynasty in Guantao, Ping'en and other places. The decoration inside is full of bells and whistles, which is very different from the style of Middle-earth. Among them, the most outrageous is the Flying Goddess, although they are dancing one by one, and the gods are full of light. The eyes and gestures burned people's stomachs hotly and uncomfortably. Children in serious families are forbidden to see those murals by adults from an early age, so as not to shake their aspirations. But the more forbidden things are for adults, the more attractive they tend to be to children. Not only did Cheng Xiaojiu and Wang Ermao go to see it secretly, but the entire donkey alley, from five to eighteen years old, a young man who had never peeked at Feitian could count a slap!

"You haven't seen her again, how do you know that she was born differently from Feitian?" Wang Ermao glanced at Cheng Xiaojiu strangely and retorted in a low voice. Ever since he heard the voice of the eldest lady of the Zhou family, Cheng Xiaojiu's performance has always made him feel weird. It's like a sudden change of person, not Cheng Xiaojiu from the donkey alley he is familiar with, but those scholars in the county school, all of whom are sour, arrogant and annoying.

"Be careful that the people of the Zhou family hear and beat you!" Cheng Xiaojiu couldn't convince Wang Ermao, so he had to change his way in order to hope that the other party would shut up.

"They can't hear it! Unless you go snitching! Wang Ermao looked around and responded disdainfully. Your wife Zhu Xinger knows her, haha! Suddenly, his mind jumped to another place, causing Cheng Xiaojiu to be unable to catch up at all, "Sister-in-law Xing'er is good friends with him, just like the two of us." One day, you talk to your sister-in-law Xing'er and let her trick the eldest lady of the Zhou family out, and the two of us will secretly see if it looks good. I always think she must be more beautiful than Xiao Chun'er's girl, how about it, or not? Let's try this tomorrow? ”

"You're so bold now!" Cheng Xiaojiu was annoyed and helpless, and said stupidly. He just owed the eldest lady of the Zhou family a favor, so he naturally refused to trap the other party. Besides, his fiancée Xiao Xinghua's side, he definitely didn't want to come to the door again unless he had to.

Wang Ermao didn't get the expected response, so he was so angry that he patted the other party on the shoulder, "You guy, you are not righteous at all." I'm just sneaking a look, and I won't provoke right and wrong! ”

Cheng Xiaojiu lightly sank his shoulders, and then flashed Wang Ermao's big slap, and while speeding up his pace, he whispered, "You didn't mess with enough trouble today." You kid, you usually cringe, why are you so bold today?! I actually want one person to four, I think my life is long! ”

"Isn't that with you? I can't deal with the four of them, haven't you practiced martial arts? Wang Ermao scratched his head and responded curtly. Since he had those dozen buckets of rice at home, his courage suddenly increased. In the past, you could avoid the provocations of the past by putting up with it, but now you always want to fight back immediately. This may be the reason why people are full, if he changes to the usual state of empty stomach, he will definitely not shake his majesty at the bookkeepers of the pharmacy.

"If you can endure it in the future, you should try to endure it as much as possible. If we had recruited the helpers who patrolled the streets just now, we would definitely not have reaped any benefits. There is a way that there are two mouths of official words, and they all rely on their mouths. Those helpers are all dogs raised by rich families, and no matter whether we are reasonable or not, they will not help us out! Cheng Xiaojiu sighed and solemnly admonished again.

Wang Ermao thought about his "arrogant" appearance just now, and he also felt a little scared in his heart. Put away the tiredness on his face, bow his head and say "um", which is regarded as a promise. But thinking that he was no longer nothing, his courage immediately grew again, patted his chest, and said viciously: "I'm afraid of a ball, I have rice and money at home now." Even if I am not there, my mother and sister will not go hungry for two years. Whoever dares to bully Lao Tzu again, Lao Tzu will play with them to the end. If they have the ability, they will kill Lao Tzu immediately, otherwise, if Lao Tzu's egg touches a stone, he can also touch his egg yolk protein! ”

After that, there were really two fierce lights in his eyes that he had never seen before, and his teeth were clucking. Cheng Xiaojiu, who was walking beside him, was taken aback, quickly grabbed him, and said with a smile, "Okay, okay, who wants your Lao Tzu Niang's life, can you be so fierce." If others don't mess with us, we won't mess with others! If it's really forced to the last resort, it's too late to work hard! ”

"Grandma's, look down on Lao Tzu. Lao Tzu will definitely live a life in the future, and let them regret it when they see me! Wang Ermao stomped his feet again, as if the person who offended him was at his feet, and swore viciously. Cheng Xiaojiu didn't know the reason for his curse and oath, so he smiled and bowed his head silently.

"Lao Tzu can't bear it in the future anyway!" Wang Ermao dropped another sentence, opened his legs, and strode towards home.

Cheng Xiaojiu pulled his legs to chase after him, how could he keep up for a while? Looking at Wang Ermao's menacing back, he suddenly realized that his good friend had changed his temperament, and he was no longer the timid, cowardly, and cowardly Wang Ermao he was familiar with, and he hid behind his back when he was in trouble. When this change began, he has no way of verifying. But this change is really going on, so that both people feel strange to each other.

Perhaps, that's what growing up is. Looking at the shadow under his feet that was constantly stretched and shortened by the sunset, Cheng Xiaojiu thought silently. I felt that Wang Ermao was changing, and in the eyes of the other party, I didn't think that I was also changing. After the change, will he and Ermao still take care of each other like brothers? Little did he know that the secret behind it was beyond what he could have predicted at his age, and that he would never find the answer in books.

When she got home, A-Niang still fell asleep. Cheng Xiaojiu built a stove out of adobe in the yard, washed a jar of pickles, and set it up on the fire to make a casserole for boiling medicine. This medicine is really expensive, he didn't dare to wait slowly, from the moment the smoke came out, his two eyes have been staring at the medicine jar, lest he accidentally splash a little bit of it.

The charcoal fire kept licking the bottom of the jar, burning the medicinal soup in the jar like a mackerel spitting beads. After a while, a strong medicinal fragrance began to permeate the courtyard, accompanied by twilight and cooking smoke, decorating the small courtyard of the cold door with extra tranquility.

"After taking these medicines, A-Niang's body will get better!" Looking at a wisp of cooking smoke drifting in front of him, Cheng Xiaojiu prayed silently. Thinking of the effect of the medicinal soup, he couldn't help but think of the dietary therapy method he heard about today, "You don't have to have big fish and meat every day, bitter herbs, yellow flowers, wild fungus, and dried radish are all the best choices." ”

The voice of the person behind the curtain is like Xiao Ming's flute rhyme, and he has been singing in a low salary next to his ear. Thinking of this voice, a hazy pattern appeared in front of his eyes. There is a woman with a light veil and a fluttering dress walking on the blue waves with clouds and mist, unlike the flying sky in the temple, the appearance of the flying sky in the temple is too light and vulgar! That woman should come from the clouds, such as the goddess of Luoshui, Ling Bo Weibu, and Luo Socks Jiaojie. Turning the eyes and flowing essence, smooth and jade...... (Note 1)

She will not eat the fireworks of the world, nor will she pretend to be vulgar. With a kind heart and a phoenix-like voice, she is like a blooming red lotus, resisting the wind and water, not stained with dust, her skirt is fluttering, and her hair is fluttering.

"Offspring, what are you looking at, your eyes are straight!" Suddenly, someone slammed the chai door and forcibly interrupted Cheng Xiaojiu's spring dream.

"Ahh No, no! Didn't think about anything! Cheng Xiaojiu's face immediately felt like it had been burned by fire, red and hot. He looked up in astonishment and saw an old man in a golden robe and a red cane standing in front of him, his eyes as deep as a well, and the expression on his face seemed to be a smile rather than a smile.

In the other party's deep and clear gaze, Cheng Xiaojiu immediately felt like a live shrimp that had been shelled, and everything in his stomach was exposed. He didn't dare to look at the old man anymore, he stood up in a panic and bowed his hand, "Old man, who are you looking for?" ”

"Of course I'm looking for you, cub!" The old man looked at him a few times with a smile, picked up a piece of adobe with a cane, and Shi Shiran sat down. It didn't matter how much of a contrast there was between the bright silk robe and the burying adobe under his buttocks.

"You're looking for me?" Cheng Xiaojiu's eyes widened, unable to believe the other party's answer. The clothes on the visitor's body, the cane in his hand, and the bearing revealed between his speech and demeanor are simply not what this donkey alley can accept. In the memory of the young man, it is impossible for such a majestic and calm character to exist in the entire Guantao City. Only when he was very young, one or two guests at home could be found comparable to the old man opposite, but as long as those people traveled, they would inevitably hug each other, and they would not walk into the ordinary courtyard alone like the old man in front of him.

The old man smiled with interest, and then nodded lightly, "Of course I'm looking for you, Cheng Xiaojiu, and the big Cheng Mingzhen." Ping'en people, who have nothing to do at the moment, are carrying bags on the dock to live! Yesterday, I braved the thunder to help the owner and earned ten buckets of rice and two dollars. Today I went to get medicine for my mother, and I met a kind woman, and when I came back, I began to be in a daze, always thinking about ......"

"Alright, alright, what are you looking for me!" Cheng Xiaojiu was so frightened that he waved his hand again and again, and couldn't wait to interrupt the old man's statement. "I don't seem to know your old man, why did you inquire me in such detail!"

"If I don't know, can't I inquire about you?" The old man asked in a low voice.

"Then you have to have a reason, right? Or what is the purpose? Cheng Xiaojiu slowly took half a step back, his palms were weak, and his legs were quietly accumulating. The legendary charlatans will also pretend to be a big man. But they are all for money. There is still more than 1,700 yuan left over to buy medicine, if the old guy on the other side dares to mention a word for money, Cheng Xiaojiu is ready to knock it over first, no matter how old the other party is!

"Cubs, I'm not malicious!" The old man saw the nervousness in his heart and explained with a smile. With a slight pick of the cane in his hand, another huge adobe placed at the base of the wall flew up by itself and landed steadily in front of Cheng Xiaojiu's eyes. "You sit down too, and the two of us talk slowly. I'm actually here today to thank you. You don't have to be afraid. I am alone, I may not be able to beat you, and I may not be able to outrun you! ”

"But I've never seen your old man, and I've never helped you!" Cheng Xiaojiu was punctured and knew that the other party's martial arts were unfathomable. I had no choice but to put away my fists and sit down as the old man asked.

The old man smiled mysteriously, revealing a mouth full of neat white teeth. The shiny teeth made Cheng Xiaojiu shudder, and he always felt that he had become the meat on the table, and the other party could eat himself alive as long as he opened his mouth lightly.

Fortunately, the old man didn't seem to have the appetite to eat at the moment, and after Cheng Xiaojiu sat down, he smiled and nodded on the ground with a cane, and said in a low voice: "You really haven't seen me, but you did help me." Yesterday my little grandson secretly ran out to play, but I didn't expect to meet my two enemies. As a result, he was chased and killed by the enemy from Jibei to Guantao. originally thought that he was going to be buried in the kettle, but he was saved by Gongzi's righteousness. Our Huangshui Laolong family only has this single seedling, so this continuation of the grace of incense cannot be repaid! ”

"Yesterday, save ——?" The more Cheng Xiaojiu listened, the bigger his head became, patting his head to recall. Yesterday, he kept carrying a big bag and covering it with a rain cloth, and then he went to Lao Zhu's house to get angry. How many people have you saved?! Besides, with the three-legged cat kung fu in his hands, he can deal with the scoundrels on the streets and alleys, how can he beat the real gangsters, and snatch a child from the hands of two thugs?!

"Yes, didn't Childe forget what happened yesterday?" The old man looked at Cheng Xiaojiu's eyes and asked with a smile.

"Ahh Cheng Xiaojiu was so frightened that he ducked back, and the hairs on his body stood up. Yesterday, I did be heroic in the lightning and thunder, but it was not people at all who I saved, but dozens of fish that fell from the sky. One of them has golden scales and a red belly, and the appearance color is exactly the same as the clothes of the old man in front of him!

"Childe remembered!" The old man smiled and waved his crutches, rolled up a wisp of wind, and slowly straightened Cheng Xiaojiu's body. "Don't be afraid, the old man is here to repay the favor, and he won't harm you!"

"I, no, I don't need you, your old repayment!" Cheng Xiaojiu heard the sound of his teeth colliding up and down, and he was ashamed. He wanted to calm himself, but he couldn't do anything about it. "Unintentional, wrong, no, yes, there is no punishment. Heartless, heartless grace, kindness, no reward! ”

"You kid! Tidney, too! The old man smiled and stretched out his hand and gently patted Cheng Xiaojiu's shoulder a few times. A warm current immediately drilled into Cheng Xiaojiu's chest from the place where he landed his palm, and as the blood slowly flowed all over his body, all fear and fatigue were dissipated. Leaving only a faint peace and gentle tranquility.

Cheng Xiaojiu finally controlled his body and sat upright with a smile. "The younger generation is indeed an unintentional move, so I don't need you to repay him in any way!"

The old man looked at Cheng Xiaojiu in surprise for a while, and then nodded lightly, "Well, I don't ask for retribution." There is a gentleman's style. There aren't many children like you in the world. ”

"Yes, there are ......" Cheng Xiaojiu wanted to say that the eldest lady of the pharmacy owner was also a good person who gave kindness without asking for anything in return, but immediately realized that he had never even seen the other party's face, and it was too reckless to draw conclusions in a hurry. Quickly lowered his head and swallowed the second half of the sentence back into his stomach.

The old man seemed to see through what he was thinking, and nodded with a smile again, "What my Yellow River Old Dragon said, I will never take it back." If you save my grandson, you will continue the incense of my family. This favor, the old man must pay it back! Say, I can fulfill your wish, as long as you say it, I can definitely help you make it happen! ”

"Thank you, senior!" Cheng Xiaojiu knew that he couldn't refuse, so he gave a salute. But what do you want most? He suddenly realized that he had never thought about similar problems, and in an instant, he was so confused that he couldn't pick out a suitable wish from it.

The old man in yellow waited for a while, and seeing that Cheng Xiaojiu was still hesitating, he smiled and reminded in a low voice, "Everyone in the world loves money, I will give you a mountain of gold, so that you can't spend it for the rest of your life, okay?" ”

"Uh-huh, uh-huh, junior...... Junior......" Cheng Xiaojiu nodded first, and then quickly shook his head. The world is chaotic, there is really a mountain of gold at home, and I can't avoid the fate of being snatched away. What do you want of this kind of fleeting wealth?

"Isn't it good?" The old man in yellow was stunned for a moment, and then said with a smile, "Could it be that you don't love money?" Also, young people are righteous and light on money, and only when they are too old to have great ambitions do they like to live with gold and silver treasures! How about I give you a great fortune? The emperor looked up and asked right, the lupine scarf, pointing out the country, the heroes of the world are all envious! ”

Cheng Xiaojiu's eyes darkened when he heard this, and his whole body was immediately filled with great happiness. "This, this ......" he blushed and scratched his scalp. A-Niang has been looking forward to him reviving the lintel of the Cheng family, so as to wash away the injustice of his father. But Yang Guang's temperament is the coolest, Gao Ying, He Ruobi and other heroes were unceremoniously slaughtered by him, and his wealth is probably also a big dream! (Literature Network buys out works, please do not reprint without authorization)

The old man in yellow couldn't hear the affirmative answer, his face was stunned again, he smiled helplessly, and said, "It turns out that you are a little guy who doesn't love the country and loves beauty." In this way, the goddess of Luoshui is known as a beautiful woman, and the old man keeps you to marry her. People in the world say that they are accompanied by beautiful wives and concubines, and they don't do it if they are immortals! The old man asked you to be this living immortal, and added a dragon palace clam girl to warm your bed, what do you think? ”

"Thank you, uncle, Xiao Jiu, Xiao Jiu has already been married!" This time, Cheng Xiaojiu did not hesitate at all, and immediately declined. A dowry for Zhu Xing'er is enough for her own headache. Luoshui Goddess, Dragon Palace Mussel Girl, beauty is beautiful, marry home, what do you take to support yourself? The poor couples in this donkey alley quarrel all day long over trivial matters. is a poor boy, and the treatment of a beautiful wife and concubine may not be enjoyed, and the "happiness" of listening to the sound of banging on the pot and smashing the bowl every day can't be enjoyed anyway.

"Don't do this, don't want that, what the hell do you want?" The old man in yellow proposed three times to no avail, and finally became angry, flicked his sleeves, and stood up angrily.

"Junior, junior......" Cheng Xiaojiu saw that the other party was angry, and quickly stood up to apologize, "Junior, I really don't know what I want most?" Not deliberately difficult for your old man! ”

"Then just say one, my old man doesn't have time to delay!" Huang Yi's eyebrows were upside down, and he shouted angrily.

Cheng Xiaojiu took a few more steps back and stood firm. Worried that his mother would be frightened, he looked back at the dilapidated thatched house he had rented. There was no movement in the room, only the dilapidated window lattices trembling in the starlight. Suddenly, he knew what he needed most, so he quickly turned his head and begged the old dragon of the Yellow River with a smiling face, "If you are old and spiritual, bless the younger generation and the younger generation's mothers and relatives to have food, drink and a place to live every day, and be safe and secure for the rest of your life!" If you can let the grandfather of the younger generation also clear his name, he will ........ us safely! ”

"You're smart!" The old man in yellow interrupted Cheng Xiaojiu's words with a sneer, "There is food, drink, and a place to live, these are already three wishes, plus a lifetime of peace and security, all four wishes!" You still want to mention the fifth one, the old man is short of time, and he doesn't have the time to talk nonsense with you, go, go! ”

With that, his body shook, and he floated on the ground, slowly rising into the air.

"Senior, senior hasn't granted me any wishes!" Cheng Xiaojiu was in a hurry, and hurriedly reached out to pull the corner of the other party's robe. There was a sudden tingling pain from the tips of his fingers, and his eyes widened in surprise, where was there an old dragon of the Yellow River in front of him, the medicinal juice in the jar had just been boiled, and he didn't know when he stretched his fingers into the medicinal soup in a daze, and the whole finger was boiled like a cooked crab.

"Ah——!h He let out a low wail. Holding his fingers, jumping and jumping in the yard. The sun had set, the courtyard had darkened, and in the silence, the dilapidated window lattices trembled slightly in the starlight.

What happened just now was a dream? Really? Cheng Xiaojiu, who was holding his fingers, still had the heart to get to the bottom of it!

Note 1: See Cao Zhi's "Luo Shen Fu". Because Cheng Xiaojiu has read books for a few days, he always has some unrealistic fantasies about women. Hee-hee, did you have similar fantasies when you were young?

Drinker's Note: Flower, Flower, Flower,.....。