When the lights are in hand, the main entrance of the fire hall, which has already closed the door on weekdays, is brightly lit. In the second half of the day, the thirty-two large lanterns sent from the lantern workshop were strung into four strings, and the large candles in them were running with flames more than three inches long, urging the small wind wheels in the lanterns to spin around, and the shadows of the eight fighting beasts of rats, cows, eagles, dogs, snakes, scorpions, chickens, and monkeys were vividly painted, and they could be seen clearly across half the street!

Changing into a new set of clothes, the nine monkeys led a group of sixteen children to swing at the door, one by one, raising their heads with their chests up, not squinting, and putting on a solemn appearance waiting for the arrival of distinguished guests.

And just past the threshold, the brass brazier was polished brightly, and the seven-step blanket with the newly found pine branches and wicker pads was also neat!

Walking inside, all the masters sitting in the main gate of the fire from the ninth master to the bottom also changed into new clothes that they had only worn once on the day of the opening of the main gate of the fire, and waited for the guests to come with their hands together, which was really grand and careful.

Even Xiangyou Leopard has changed into a new tufted long shirt. Perhaps because he was in a hurry to make this new guest clothes, the long gown worn by Xiang Youbao was obviously much larger. Looking at it from a distance, it looks like a leopard wrapped in a mosquito net, which makes people feel inappropriate when they look at it!

Looking up and down at Xiang Youbao, who was constantly tugging at the long shirt on his body, Na Jiuye swallowed his saliva vigorously, and said to Xiang Youbao in a muffled voice: "You unlucky boy, what kind of moth are you doing?" Make a good dress, you have to let someone do it for you according to your Uncle Xie's size? And those leftover rock candy from the children, why are you smashing them into foam? ”

Shaking the much larger robe, he replied without raising his leopard head: "You don't care about this!" You must remember, no matter what Mr. Shui says, you can only open your mouth, just push at me! If there is one more, no matter what I say, you can all calm down, but you must not show your cowardice! ”

Sighing helplessly, Na Jiuye hummed angrily: "It's all here, the serious thing is that Wang Ba climbed to the threshold, and he is a bone in and out, what else can I say?" It's just that"

Turning his head to look at the two desks arranged in the lobby, Na Jiu Ye frowned and said, "Why do you have to leave this gambling fight in the lobby?" I have to really lose the beast diagram in front of the ancestral master's tablet, I feel like this."

Looking at the bright electric lights in the lobby, Xiang Youbao still had a mysterious look: "Just look at it"

Before he finished speaking, the shrill voice of the nine monkeys had already come from the door: "A distinguished guest has arrived!" Welcome Mr. Tsinghua Yuanshui to the main entrance of the fire! ”

Accompanied by the shrill shouting of the nine monkeys, the sixteen children lined up by Yanling on the side also bent down in unison, shouting in a bright and immature voice: "Huo Zhengmen apprentices, etc., welcome Mr. Shui!" ”

Pulling the placket of Na Jiuye's clothes, Xiang Youbao pulled the hem of the long shirt that was obviously much longer, and greeted the door with a bright voice: "The apprentice of the main gate of Huo has a leopard, and the head of the main gate of the fire welcomes Mr. Shui!" ”

Wearing a green bamboo cloth robe, Shui Momei politely arched her hand towards Xiangyoubao who greeted the door: "Shui Mou came as promised, and where he was disturbed, please atone for your sins!" ”

Turning sideways, a leopard raised his hand and pointed to the water and fire brazier and the seven-step blanket behind the threshold: "Please also ask Mr. Shui to atone for your sins, the rules in the main gate of the fire, but whenever a distinguished guest comes to the door, you must step over the water and fire brazier and walk the seven-step blanket to show that the water and fire between the distinguished guest and the gate are mutually beneficial, and do not stick to a piece of dust!" ”

Looking at the appearance of the Taiji diagram separated by copper sheets, half of the basin is filled with clean water, and half of the basin is filled with charcoal, and then look at the stall made of pine and cypress branches, Mr. Shui smiled slightly, raised his legs and crossed the threshold, and stepped straight towards the water and fire brazier, and said with a shallow smile: "Ancient and elegant rites, but it can be regarded as complementing your family!" ”

Waiting for Mr. Shui to cross the water brazier, and then led Mr. Shui to step through the stall paved with pine and cypress branches, Xiang Youbao immediately turned around and shouted to the nine monkeys who were still standing at the door: "Closed door, thank you, today in the main gate of the fire, only Mr. Shui will be entertained as a distinguished guest!" ”

Changing from the lazy appearance of being neither big nor small with the leopard in the past, the nine monkeys respectfully agreed, and neatly closed the door with those welcoming children.

As the door closed, the light in the lobby suddenly dimmed, and even Na Jiuye and the others, who had walked a few steps to greet Shui Momei, couldn't see their eyebrows clearly.

Facing the ink plum, Na Jiuye and a few others were all greeted by a big gift to the ground. And when the ink plum also returned the courtesy, Na Jiu Ye and the others took the lead by half of the body, in order to show that they did not dare to accept the respect of the ink and plum etiquette.

After the two ministers finished saluting, before Shui Momei could speak, Na Jiu Ye had already pointed neatly towards the two desks that had already been placed in the center of the lobby: "Mr. Shui is a person who asks questions in the university, so he is naturally a frank and unrestrained gentleman. But I make a living from training things in the main gate of the fire, and I still have to make it clear before gambling on the training things! ”

Nodding slightly, Shui Momei responded in harmony towards Na Jiuye: "There are no rules, there is no circle, this is also the meaning of it!" It's just that I don't know how the boss is going to set the rules for tonight's gambling fight? ”

Pointing at Xiang Youbao, who was serving Shui Momei diligently, the apologetic look on Na Jiuye's face was obvious: "I'm clumsy, I'm older, and there are some things, I'm afraid I can't say it clearly." If Mr. Water nods, let the leopard speak to you? In this gambling fight tonight, there will be a game between Leopard and Mr. Water? ”

Turning his head to look at Xiang Youbao who was waiting beside him, Shui Momei first nodded to Xiang Youbao, and then said to Xiang Youbao in harmony: "Then there is Brother Lao!" ”

Arching his hand towards Shui Momei, Xiang Youbao pointed to the two desks and said, "The things on these two desks are all exactly the same!" Pen, ink, paper, inkstone, pen wash paperweight, are also just bought from outside! Then there are the tea bowls, teapots, and fresh fruit snacks, all of which are in duplicate. Originally, I wanted to find some books to put on them, but after searching all over the main gate of Huo, I found a few old yellow calendars."

Laughing very embarrassedly, Xiang Youbao twisted and continued to say to Shui Momei: "It's just because we really can't find a book, so tonight, we can only compare the price of paper and ink, dip ink and wash pens, and serve tea and fruit, do you think it's okay?" ”

Seeing that Shui Momei nodded silently, Xiang Youbao walked straight to the middle of the two desks and arched his hand towards Shui Momei: "Then please ask Mr. Shui to have a test of these household items we have prepared!" ”

With a slight wave of her hand, Shui Momei strode to one of the desks and nodded towards Xiang Youbao: "Shui Mou is trustworthy and in the main gate!" ”

Standing next to another table, Xiang Youbao bowed his hand to Shui Momei again: "Then according to the rules of gambling on weekdays, please ask Mr. Shui to show the two ink monkeys you are serving." ”

Reaching out from his sleeve, he took out a pen holder that was only the thickness of an ordinary person's arm, almost five inches long, and Shui Momei gently put the pen holder on the desk in front of her, and flicked her fingernails on the pen holder.

With the action of Shui Momei flicking the pen holder, from the not too big pen holder, two ink monkeys only the size of a fist suddenly drilled out. Perhaps because of the perennial training of ink and plum, the two ink monkeys did not walk around after drilling out of the pen holder, but honestly grabbed the pen holder with small claws, and a pair of bean-sized eyes rotated flexibly, no matter how you look at it, it makes people feel like it!

His eyes were fixed on the two ink monkeys trained by Shui Mo Mei, but Xiang Youbao was not in a hurry to take out the ink monkeys he had trained, but turned around seriously, took a handful of incense sticks from the incense burner enshrined in the ancestral tablet of the main gate of the fire and lit it, held it above his head with both hands, and said in his mouth: "The apprentices of the main gate of the fire have leopards, and today they are fighting under the seat of the ancestor and ask the ancestor to bless the disciples."

In the long and complicated prayers, not only were there leopards who were busy bowing endlessly, but even Na Jiuye and the others who were standing on the sidelines watching were all muttering prayers and bowing towards the tablet of the ancestor of the main gate of the fire!

Unconsciously, the smoke from the incense stick held in Xiang Youbao's hand had already made the lobby of the main gate of the fire smoky. I don't know what kind of material the incense stick is made of, smelling the smell of the incense, Shui Momei feels a slight dizziness in her brain!

As if seeing that Shui Mo Mei was dizzy by this fragrance, the nine monkeys holding a bowl of tea didn't know when they came to Shui Momei's side, and respectfully raised the bowl of Gai Plum above his head with both hands and handed it to Shui Mo Mei's eyes: "Mr. Shui, please use tea!" ”

Even in the midst of the cigarette smoke, Shui Momei still smelled a trace of refreshing tea, and suddenly felt refreshed! Stretched out her hand to take the tea sent by the nine monkeys, Shui Momei didn't care about it, and drank the bowl of tea in one go, and then she suddenly breathed a sigh of relief!

Taking the tea bowl handed back by Shui Momei, the nine monkeys seemed to be shocked by Shui Momei's graceful demeanor when she nodded in thanks, and she dodged Shui Momei's eyes very timidly, and hurriedly turned her head and ran towards the outside of the lobby. Before he could run out two steps, I don't know if the nine monkeys tripped over their legs and feet, a big horse fell to the ground, and the tea bowl in his hand was also smashed on the hard terrazzo bluestone ground!

Almost subconsciously, Shui Momei took a few steps closely, stretched out her hand towards the nine monkeys who fell to the ground, and whispered to herself: "The child didn't fall."

It's just this trance-like kung fu, Fang Youbao, who was still holding incense sticks to worship the ancestral master's tablet, turned around sharply after inserting the incense sticks into the incense burner, and took advantage of the moment when Shui Momei bent down to support the nine monkeys, neatly took out two soft lying cubs from the spacious robe, and put them next to the pen holder that Shui Momei put on the table, and grabbed the two ink monkeys brought by Shui Momei into his hands.

Squeezed his eyes at Na Jiuye and the others who were about to exclaim, and Xiang Youbao turned his hand and stuffed the two ink monkeys into his robe, but he knelt under the tablet of the ancestor of the Fire Gate, and kowtowed in style

A bone got up from the ground, and the nine monkeys didn't wait for Shui Momei to touch his body, and a lunge rushed to the side of Xiang Youbao, who was kneeling next to the ancestral tablet and kowtowing, and knelt down on both knees, and nagged with a crying voice: "The ancestor atonements, the disciples of the nine monkeys should not miss and break the family in front of the ancestral master's tablet, and ask the ancestor to atone for his sins."

Kowtowing is like pounding garlic, one big and one small, but they squeeze their eyebrows and show exactly the same evil smile

Before Shui Momei could come back to her senses, the electric lights in the lobby flickered violently a few times before suddenly going out. Accompanied by the shrill voice of the nine monkeys screaming and begging the ancestor to atone for his sins, Xiang Youbao shouted quite calmly: "What are you calling?!" This is the light bulb is not good, why don't you hurry up and light the light? ”

Rushing into the courtyard of Erjin with a crawling belt, it was just a pot of smoke, and the nine monkeys with a panicked look had already led the other two children back to the lobby with a few large candles, and timidly placed those candles on the coffee table around the lobby.

In the flickering candlelight, Xiang Youbao hugged his fist towards Shui Momei very humbly: "Huo Zhengmen is grassy, the guy is not even, let Mr. Shui laugh!" ”

Although she was a little upset by these messy things, Shui Momei's face did not show any unhappy look. nodded to Xiang Youbao, who kept clenching his fists and apologizing to him, but Shui Momei said softly: "It doesn't matter!" It's just that Shui still has homework tomorrow, can I?"

Nodding his head busily, Xiang Youbao hurriedly took out an obviously newly bought pen holder from his robe and put it on the table: "Then don't delay Mr. Shui's work, let's start now!" ”