Three days later, Chao Gai and others set off from Shanshiqi's house and rushed to Pudong, Shanxi. Pudong is not the Pudong of Shanghai, but a city in Shanxi. Dadao Guan Sheng was in Pudong at this time, which was equivalent to a light infantry such as the captain of the armed police, managing more than 400 people. Tang Bin is also a celebrity in Pudong, both civil and military, excellent archery, and even more rare appearance, and has some friendship with Guan Sheng. It's just that this Pudong city is really hard to find, and it is a bit remote. Fortunately, Xu Guanzhong led the way, otherwise he would have to take a lot of unjust roads.

On the hill, the six people stopped and looked at a small city under the mountain, Xu Guanzhong said: "This is Pudong City." ”

Chao Gai said: "Look at the scale, I'm afraid it's the size of a county, this place is not far from Liao and Western Xia, since Guan Sheng is brave, why not go to the Western Army to fight with Western Xia, wouldn't it be easier to make a contribution." ”

"I don't know about this, I think there are different factions in the troops, and it's not so easy to transfer to the Western Army." Xu Guanzhong sighed.

Li Kui urged: "Let's hurry into the city, my hungry stomach is growling." ”

A group of people entered the city, found an inn to live in first, rested for a night before visiting Tang Bin on the second day, because of the consideration of not being familiar with Tang Bin, too many people to visit but caused disgust, so only Chao Gai, Pang Wanchun, Xu Guanzhong three people go, the rest of the people stay in the inn and wait for news.

The three of them looked for the path, and walked along the zigzag alleys in the city for a long time before they found a house, the house is not large, that is, the scale of more than ten houses, Xu Guanzhong knocked on the courtyard door, and it took a long time for a young man's voice to ask inside: "Who are you looking for?" ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "I am Tang Bin's acquaintance, and I came here to find Tang Bin today." ”

The door creaked open, and it was a young man of sixteen or seventeen, with long teeth and white lips and red lips, but a little shy. The young man said, "My brother has gone on a study tour, and I don't know when he will come back." ”

Xu Guanzhong said: "What's your name?" ”

"My name is Tang Lin."

Chao Gai and Xu Guanzhong combined, since Tang Bin didn't go in at home, it didn't mean much, so he immediately handed Tang Lin the pastries, mutton and other gifts he brought, Xu Guanzhong said: "Since your brother is not at home, we won't bother, this is a gift, you can accept it first, and when your brother comes back another day, he will say that there is a person named Xu Guanzhong who has come to him." ”

The young man refused to accept it, Xu Guanzhong said: "You just accept it, my brother and I are good friends, if you don't accept him, you will blame you." ”

As he was talking, there was a person outside, with a thin waist and wide shoulders outside the length of one meter and eight feet, two sword eyebrows on his square face, although he was wearing a coarse cloth shirt, but he couldn't hide his heroic spirit at first glance.

This person is also looking at Chao Gai, Pang Wanchun, and Xu Guanzhong, and he is also very surprised, when did such a character come out of the small Pudong City, these three people seem to be great masters, and their waists are bulging, and they must have hidden blades. Immediately said: "Down here is Tang Bin's friend Hao Siwen, I don't know who you are and what you came to him for." ”

The person who came turned out to be Hao Siwen, Tang Bin's friend, and a figure who was both civil and military.

Chao Gai hugged his fists and said: "It turned out to be Hao Siwen of Pudong Sanjie, Brother Hao, in Chao Gai, Xiayun City, this Pang Wanchun, this is Xu Guanzhong, I am passing by Pudong, Xu Guanzhong and Tang Bin are friends, so I came to visit." ”

Hao Siwen said: "Oh, I see. I heard Brother Tang Bin talk about Brother Xu, since he is Tang Bin's friend, it is my friend, Tang Bin is not at home, there is only a young brother and elderly parents at home, it is inconvenient to entertain, why don't you go to my house as a guest? ”

Chao Gai said: "Why not. ”

Immediately, Xu Guanzhong gave the gift to Tang Lin, and followed Hao Siwen to Hao Siwen's house with Chao Gai and others, the two families are only 100 meters apart, and they seem to be good brothers who grew up together when they were young.

Chao Gai originally planned to let Pang Wanchun buy some more gifts, but Hao Siwen insisted on not letting him.

Hao Siwen's house looks even more shabby than Tang Bin's house, the furnishings are old, and it can only be regarded as a medium-sized family, but there are a lot of books on the shelves, and there is also a small martial arts training ground in the small courtyard, where a few wooden knives and guns are placed. There was also an arrow target standing there, but the widest part of the courtyard was only twenty meters, and it was obvious that the practice had no effect.

Chao Gai said: "Brother Hao seems to be also a person in the channel, and he has studied swords, guns, bows and arrows. ”

Hao Siwen said: "I am good at using guns, and I have also practiced some bows and arrows, but I am not proficient in them. As for the use of knives, there is a customs inspection here that is my eldest brother, and his knife skills are superb. ”

"This martial arts training ground is too narrow, it's just a matter of practicing guns and sticks, bows and arrows can't be practiced anyway, if you want to practice bows and arrows, it's better to practice in an open place outside the city, otherwise you won't be able to get results if you delay your kung fu." Pang Wanchun said.

Hao Siwen said: "What kind of weapon is Brother Pang good at?" ”

Pang Wanchun was not polite, and said: "Knives are used in foot warfare, spears are used in horse warfare, and they are familiar with eighteen kinds of weapons, and they are the most proficient in bows and arrows." ”

Hao Siwen listened to Pang Wanchun's arrogance, a little unhappy, and said: "My brother Tang Bin has no false strings, and he doesn't dare to say that he is proficient in bows and arrows. ”

Pang Wanchun said: "Why not, I originally planned to find Brother Tang Bin to have a bow and arrow." ”

Hao Siwen immediately took the bow and arrow, and Chao Gai and the other three went straight out of the north gate, outside the north gate is a wasteland, everywhere is barren grass, now it is late autumn and early winter weather, all kinds of beasts are very many, not long after the discovery of two hares, is not far away in the grass.

Pang Wanchun said: "I shoot the small one, how about you shoot the big one?" ”

Hao Siwen said: "Brother Pang is a guest from afar, I shoot the small one, and you shoot the big one." ”

"If you two don't shoot this rabbit again, you'll be gone." Xu Guanzhong reminded. It turned out that it was the sound of the two talking that alarmed the rabbit, Pang Wanchun and Hao Siwen fired arrows at the same time, swishing, and two feather arrows shot out at the same time. The big rabbit shot by Hao Siwen fell to the ground in response, was pierced by an arrow, and was already dead. Looking at the little rabbit shot by Pang Wanchun and still jumping around, it turned out that he only shot one ear. This was deliberately shot by Pang Wanchun, and Pang Wanchun won this game.

Hao Siwen was not convinced, and said: "Let's shoot the pheasant again, and the requirement is that we must shoot in the neck, and those who shoot elsewhere will lose." ”

"Okay." Pang Wanchun agreed.

The two went to find the pheasant, Chao Gai and Xu Guanzhong chatted in the back, Xu Guanzhong said: "Brother, this Hao Siwen is very interesting, I have to compete with Pang Wanchun." ”

Chao Gai smiled: "Pang Wanchun is a sharpshooter Hao Siwen doesn't know, after all, Pang Wanchun's reputation is just rising, just in Jingdong Road." ”

Sure enough, after the two of them tried it, Hao Siwen lost, and the losing was convinced, and Hao Siwen was far worse than Pang Wanchun in terms of arrows.

Xu Guanzhong said: "What should you do with the pheasants and hares that you two have beaten so much, and if you throw them away, why don't you take them back to make appetizers." ”

Hao Siwen said: "Just with me, I should have a good drink." I think I, Hao Siwen, have lived in Pudong for a long time, and I think I am proficient in eighteen kinds of martial arts, which is far from knowing that I know when I compete with the heroes of the world. ”

Chao Gai said: "Brother Hao, don't have this kind of thought, your martial arts skills are already very rare." It's just that Pang Wanchun's brother's archery skills have entered the realm, which is really very comparable. If you compete with him with a knife or a gun, he may not be able to win against you. ”

Hao Siwen said with a smile: "It's not comparable, it's not comparable, if you have friends from afar, you should get drunk and rest, go for a walk, and go back to the city to drink." ”

When the group of four returned to Pudong City, Hao Siwen said: "My uncle opened a small restaurant, and he made good dishes, and he just took the pheasant and hare to let him make wine for us." ”

Chao Gai smiled: "That's right, it's just that I still have three brothers at the inn, can I invite them to drink together." ”

"Where did the owner of Chao Zhuang come from, why don't you invite it quickly." Hao Siwen said.

Immediately, Chao Gai invited Wu Yong, Li Kui, and Jiao Ting to come, and a group of seven people came to the restaurant to eat.

This shop is a restaurant opened by Hao Siwen's own uncle, Hao Siwen gave the game to the cook and went to the table, Xiao Er served fragrant tea first, and everyone sat down to drink tea and chat.

Hao Siwen was secretly surprised, in addition to Wu Yong, the three newcomers are all masters, Li Kui and Jiao Ting are all masters, and they are fierce people who have been trained all year round, but it is a pity that they all have military positions, otherwise they are recommended to Guan Sheng.

Chao Gai and Wu Yong have already discussed, Tang Bin and Hao Siwen are both friends of Guan Sheng, and it is unlikely that they will recruit the past, so they will retreat and hand it over to their friends, and immediately Chao Gai and others will not mention this matter, just eat tea and chat.

Everyone was chatting happily, and four public people came in at the door, looking at the clothes were Yanding, that is, the people of the Salt Division, and the official staff of the Salt Division in the general town was about a dozen, and it was not enough at all to recruit a group of helpers, and these four people came in to be this kind of helper.

As soon as the four of them entered the door, they went straight to the back kitchen, Hao Siwen felt strange, but he didn't ask much.

Not long after entering, I heard a quarrel, Hao Siwen's uncle said: "A jar of salt, only five catties in weight, this is a serious 800 official salt bought when I went to Taiyuan to do business, and it is not private salt, why do you have to pay two yuan as soon as you open your mouth." ”

The head of the salt Ding said: "Why, according to the regulations of the government, the Salt Affairs Department has regulations, all businesses and restaurants must use official salt, and it must be local official salt, you are using foreign official salt, and you should be fined." Seeing that your attitude is not good, the fine will be doubled, the fine will be five, and the money will be paid quickly. ”

Hao Siwen went over and reasoned with these salters for a long time before the salters agreed to be fined four times, but they had to pay cash.

Xu Guanzhong, who was drinking tea, sighed: "The original intention of official salt is to let everyone eat cheap salt, who knew that such a good decision would change its taste when it arrived at the place, a pound of official salt costs 30 Wen, and private salt is only 15 Wen." The same quality is so much worse, and the salt department raises the price of salt just to make more money. ”

Chao Gai started out as a private salt seller, and he is naturally very proficient in this industry. Next to him, Li Kui couldn't help but get up and said, "It won't work for you to reason with people like them." ”