Walking to the city gate, Li Zhongxian regretted bringing his two sons to the city: everyone who entered the city had to teach a "door tax" of 2 yuan. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info but had already walked to the gate of the city, Li Zhongxian gritted his teeth, handed over 6 copper coins to the soldiers guarding the city, and entered the city.

Inside the city gate are several winding streets, crisscrossing the entire county. The street near the gate is full of shops on both sides, and it is very busy.

Li Zhongxian was in a hurry to find the blacksmith shop, but Li Long and Li Hu seemed to have forgotten the purpose of their visit and looked around.

There are several shops next to the city gate, and there are three or four people in front of the door, and the business is not bad.

However, the two Li Long brothers noticed that there was a shop a few dozen steps away from the city gate, but they were afraid that there would be more than 30 people, standing in two rows outside the shop door in an orderly manner.

Curious, Li Long grabbed a passer-by and asked what these people were doing. Passerby: "It's a newly opened hardware store, mainly selling all kinds of ironware and the like, the price is fair, and the quality is good, so many people are waiting in line to pick up the goods." ”

Li Long had been to village school for a few years, knew a few words, and when he looked up, sure enough, there was a plaque hanging in front of the store, "Nanji Hardware Store (Beiding Three Stores)".

Li Long thought about it, could it be that there is more than this Nanji hardware store, otherwise, there is no need to write the words "Beiding Sandian" in the strange mark at the back.

But what do these five words really mean? Mubei, Li Long naturally understood what it meant, but Ding Sandian didn't understand.

His curiosity was aroused, so he said to his father Li Zhongxian: "Dad, Xiaohu and I will go to the 'Nanji Hardware Store' in front to see the excitement, you can buy a hoe and come there to find us." ”

Li Zhongxian was in a hurry to buy an iron hoe, and when he saw that his two sons were staring at the very lively shop, and his son rarely entered the city once, he agreed to come down. He told him not to walk around, and to take care of his younger brother, so he walked alone to a blacksmith shop not far in front.

In Li Zhongxian's impression, there was originally a blacksmith shop in this place. But today is also strange, Li Zhongxian searched for two back and forth, but he didn't find the blacksmith shop.

Maybe it's because there is no signboard. He guessed in his heart, according to the location of the blacksmith shop in his impression, he walked into the door of a store that also had no signboard, only to find that it was a sushi shop.

What a bad luck!

Li Zhongxian spat and hurriedly ran out. In desperation, he had to ask a vendor on the street: "Little brother, I remember that there used to be a blacksmith shop here, why is it gone?" ”

The vendor rolled his eyes: "Blacksmith shop? There is no business, and it closed more than a month ago. Well, iron is not sold, wood is sold instead. As he spoke, he stretched out his hand and pointed to the coffin shop where Li Zhongxian had just entered.

"This blacksmith shop has no business? Closed and changed? Li Zhongxian thanked the vendor and pondered the vendor's words as he continued to walk towards the center of the city.

How so? The business of the blacksmith shop has always been very good, just selling iron pots, shovels, kitchen knives, sickles, etc. every year, and his daily utensils such as hoes, wood knives, axes, iron plows, and tongs made by him are also very popular.

Li Zhongxian couldn't figure it out!

Still, it's important to get down to business. The few acres of dry land at home are still waiting for me to buy a hoe and go to loosen the soil.

Li Zhongxian shook his head and walked towards the two blacksmith shops in the middle of the city.

He remembered that there were two blacksmith shops, one large and one small, in the center of the city, and the two hoes that he dropped this time were the last time he went into the city half a year ago to buy.

Li Zhongxian clearly remembers that it was a morning market, and the two blacksmith shops were doing very well. Even in the small blacksmith shop, which is a little more expensive, there are many people crowded together, and the big blacksmith shop, which is slightly cheaper, can't be squeezed in at all.

The county seat is small.

Soon, Li Zhongxian came to the location of the blacksmith shop in the center of the city. He was surprised to find that only a small blacksmith shop remained, and the big blacksmith shop was gone!

But he felt a little different from half a year ago, and after a closer look, he found that the shop of the small blacksmith shop where he had bought a hoe had been changed into a cloth shop, and the original big blacksmith shop was cut in half, and half of it was turned into a pawn shop.

Although Li Zhongxian was illiterate, he saw that there was a stove outside the shop, and there were iron chains and a row of various iron products hanging at the door of the shop, so he knew that this was indeed a blacksmith shop, but the shop was more than half smaller.

Approaching the blacksmith shop, he found that there was no one but a napping shopkeeper.

What's going on today? The blacksmith shop, which used to be overcrowded and had excellent business, has no customers today?

Li Zhongxian couldn't help muttering a little in his heart.

The shopkeeper of the blacksmith shop greeted him warmly: "Guest officer, buy ironware?" The ironware in our shop is made by my own hands, strong and durable, with a complete variety, what do you want? ”

"I want two iron hoes, don't you have them in your shop?" Li Zhongxian craned his neck in search.

"Hoes? Well, there is! Now that there are few people who buy hoes, I put them in the backyard and didn't put them out, so I'll get them for you! The shopkeeper hurriedly went back to the backyard to pick a hoe.

Li Zhongxian was very surprised when he heard this: When did there be very few people who bought hoes? Hoes, iron pots, and sickles are the most commonly used by the people in the township, and every household has to buy them, and there are many people who should buy them.

When he looked up again, he saw that the iron pots hanging with ropes on the beams of the shop were full of rust, and dozens of tongs were even more rusty, which seemed to have been left for too long and had not been sold for a long time.

At this time, the shopkeeper came back from the backyard with four iron hoes of different lengths and widths, and handed them to Li Zhongxian: "Guest officer, but these four sizes, which do you want?" ”

"That's it! Store, how does this sell? Li Zhongxian chose a light weight and the least amount of iron, which would be relatively cheaper, and then asked about the price he was most concerned about.

"This one, this one is the cheapest, 600 Wen." Before the shopkeeper finished speaking, he saw Li Zhongxian's stunned expression with his mouth wide open, and he immediately knew that his price was too expensive, so he immediately changed his words and said: "However, the customer officer is the first customer in the store, so he will give a discount, only 580 Wen!" ”

Li Zhongxian's face turned pale, he never thought that the price of this iron hoe would be so expensive, and it had risen so much in just half a year! Before he went out, he only brought a total of 568 Wen, and the three of them used 6 Wen to go into the city, and now there are 562 Wen left. I originally wanted to buy two iron hoes to hoe the ground, but now I don't even have enough money to buy one iron hoe!

Li Zhongxian no longer begged the shopkeeper to lower the price, because even if it was reduced by 100 wen, it would not be enough for him to buy two iron hoes.

Don't buy it first, go home and discuss it with Li Liu's family, it's really not good, borrow the neighbor's hoe first, it's a big deal, it's a good rent to twenty copper coins.

Li Zhongxian, who had made up his mind, ignored the shopkeeper's repeated calls and turned his head out of the door of the shop.

Behind him, the shopkeeper chased after him: "Guest officer, don't go, the price is negotiable!" ”

"Hey, don't go, really go?" Then a louder voice came: "Old boy, I can tell you that there is only one blacksmith shop in Qizhou City." ”

Li Zhongxian paused when he heard this, but remembered that an iron hoe would cost 600 Wen, so he couldn't swallow this breath, so he walked straight to the direction of the city gate.

There were still two or three hundred steps away from the city gate, and Li Zhongxian was stopped by his sons Li Long and Li Hu.

"Daddy, we're just going to look for you! You didn't buy a hoe, did you? Thirteen-year-old Li Hu asked hurriedly.

Li Long also looked forward to it, he was sixteen years old, and he was already more sensible and knew his own situation.

"Don't mention it, the iron hoe is too expensive, and our family can't afford it. Don't buy it! When it came to the iron hoe, Li Zhongxian was angry.

"Great!" The two brothers shouted in unison and joyfully. Li Hu even jumped up happily.

"Two little rabbit cubs, their skin is itchy and looking for a fight, right?" Li Zhong was furious.

"Dad, that's not the case. That's it. Li Hu was in a hurry, and he became more and more unclear.

Fortunately, there was Li Long, and while pulling Li Zhongxian to the front, he said excitedly: "Dad, didn't Xiaohu and I watch the excitement at the 'Nanji Hardware Store' in front, many people lined up in front of that shop, guess what they do?" ”

"I don't care what they're doing! Hmph, let's go, go home with my father. Li Zhongxian was not interested in what Nanji and Beiji were, he was angry, and he just wanted to go home early and borrow a hoe to go to the field.

Li Long didn't expect his excitement, his father ignored it completely, so he had to get straight to the point and hurriedly explain the matter: "Dad, that 'Nanji hardware store' is also selling iron hoes, and there are all kinds of styles, there are more than ten kinds of styles. Moreover, I heard from the people inside that it is not only of good quality and durable, but also very cheap. Xiaohu and I also deliberately queued up to enter the store and asked the price of the shopkeeper, the most expensive iron hoe is only 400 Wen, and the cheap one is only 250 Wen. ”

"What!? So cheap! Are you telling the truth? Li Zhongxian couldn't believe it. He grabbed Li Long and asked, because he used too much force, he actually held Li Long's wrist painfully.

When Li Long saw Li Zhongxian's gaffe, his heart was refreshed, and he didn't care about the pain of his wrist being pinched, and said excitedly: "It's true! Dad, let's go to that store and buy hoes. ”

Li Hu next to him also jumped up and down: "Just a little ahead, Dad, brother, I'll lead the way in front!" (To be continued.) )