During the wax month, there have been two snowfalls in Chang'an, and the snow on the roofs and walls of the houses in the city has not yet melted, and the sun has climbed to the top of the city tower early today; In addition, today is another tententh holiday, and the public officials do not need to be on duty, it is indeed a good day.

The first edition of "Mathematics" printed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs has appeared in Chang'an City, and it may not be available in remote places now, but it has begun to be sold in various parts of Guanzhong. On vacation, Su Jin got up early in the morning and put on a cotton robe, with an old servant leading a horse, and the two of them leisurely went out of Anyi Fang to the south, and went to the place where ordinary people lived in the south of the city to see the situation. Looking at the sales of new books, we may be able to see the signs of whether the new imperial examination system is off to a good start, just like the half poem left by a hermit in Zhongnan Mountain, "The mountain monk does not understand the number of jiazi, and a leaf falls to know the autumn of the world".

Su Jin is middle-aged, he has experienced a lot of ups and downs, and he no longer has the romantic impression of red lips and white teeth in the past, he dresses ordinarily when he goes out for private visits, his legs and feet are not very convenient, and few people pay attention to him when he walks in the market, he looks like a down-and-out literati, and passers-by who know that he is a celebrity under today's son?

As soon as the master and servant reached the outside of a bookstore, they heard a quarrel at the door. Su Jin asked the groom to help him get off the horse and stood aside to watch the excitement. The loudest voice was a fat woman, patting a book and pointing at the nose of a young man in his twenties next to him and scolding: "People call you Wen Butcher, you are really energetic, you really think you are a literati and ink artist, and you took the money from the shop to buy this bird book!" ”

Su Jin looked at it quietly, and the book that the woman was beating was the first edition of "Mathematics", which was called "bird book" in her mouth, and Su Jin's brows couldn't help frowning.

The woman let go of the "bird book", spread her hands around her waist and continued to scold: "I don't care if you want to buy books, and I usually don't pay less wages, but you are lazy and gamble, why do you use the money in the shop to buy it?" Today, you have to return the book to me, you have to buy it yourself and find a way! ”

An old man in a long coat seemed to be the shopkeeper of the bookstore, and came forward and said: "Our store is fair and reasonable, and there is no deception, and we will not return the book on credit. If you want to theorize elsewhere, don't do business here in the way of decay. ”

The young man known as the "Wen Butcher" had hair like straw, and his sleeves were greasy, and he really didn't have the temperament of a scholar. He didn't argue with the woman, he only spoke softly there, and it seems that the woman's words "stole the money from the store" did not wronged him. Butcher Wen said kindly: "I happened to be short of money this time, and I was in a hurry to buy this book, so I made this decision." Why did my brother and sister-in-law make a big fuss in the street for a little money? ”

The woman said angrily: "One is two runs, and you still think you are a son, this is a small amount of money?" ”

Wen Butcher persuaded again: "Brother and sister-in-law, you have to look at it from a distance, when today's son sends an edict to seek merit, this time he is really from a poor family and can also be crowned a marquis and worship the prime minister, it is absolutely wrong." Isn't it just a matter of paying twice to buy a book, isn't it a trivial matter? Zhang San still owes me a few gambling dollars on the street, and I'll ask for it back another day, won't it be you? We don't talk to each other as a family, I'm just borrowing some urgently, see how you say stealing? ”

"Hmph...... the woman crossed her waist and sneered, "You don't treat yourself as an outsider, our family took you in because you think your family has suffered a natural disaster, you are borrowing someone to go under the fence, understand?" ”

The woman was really a little ugly when she said this, but the butcher was also thick-skinned, and he still said good things with a hippie smile. The woman did not hurt the butcher Wen, but stimulated Su Jin, who was watching from the sidelines.

Hearing people talk about "borrowing people under the fence", Su Jin remembered that he went to his father-in-law's house when he was down, and he inevitably encountered cold words and white eyes and ridicule during this period, and he still remembers it very clearly. The young man in front of him, known as "Wen Butcher", should also be staying at a relative's house, and that brother and sister-in-law should be the wife of a distant brother of the same clan, and he did not even beat around the bush when he spoke, Su Jin couldn't help but feel a trace of sympathy for him.

I saw Butcher Wen with a smile on his face and a very thick-skinned appearance. However, Su Jin pondered, this person must have a hard time, but it really doesn't matter...... Otherwise, why should he still pay attention to the imperial examination, isn't he still obsessed with being a man and throwing himself into the ground?

Seeing this, Su Jin limped up, took out two green coins from the cuff, and said lightly: "I will buy this book and give it to this little student." ”

The onlookers were already interested, but the woman was a little interesting, but there was no shortage of shrews in the market; At this time, a righteous cripple was killed in the middle of the road, which suddenly aroused everyone's interest again. If you have a burden to take a break, you can also put down the flat burden, and you have to read the right and wrong before leaving.

The woman and the butcher were taken aback, and looked back at Su Jin, a lame middle-aged literati. The expression on Su Jin's face was very indifferent, but it was different from the indifference of the kind of Buddhist Taoist who had no desires and no desires. Butcher Wen vaguely felt a kind of momentum, and hurriedly hugged his fists and said: "How can the junior be punished for nothing?" ”

Su Jin said: "You're welcome. There are ups and downs in life, and there are always times when I encounter embarrassment, and I don't need to worry about it. He was about to leave, and Butcher Wen hurriedly put his hands on his forehead and bowed deeply: "It's better to be so respectful than to obey your fate, please accept the worship of the juniors." Didn't ask the gentleman for his name? ”

In the blink of an eye, the two of them were polite and polite, but the woman could not interject, and stood there helplessly and quietly.

Su Jin calmly accepted his worship, as a cabinet minister, he was usually respected and flattered too much, and at this time, he didn't feel much to be worshiped by an unofficial and unemployed person in the market, so he waved his hand and said, "Pingshui meets, no need." As he approached the horse, suddenly the butcher came after him and said, "Sir, stay and wait for me a little." After that, he hurriedly ran to the crowd and pulled out a person, and said hurriedly: "Zhang San, it turns out that you are here, pay back the money!" ”

Zhang San, who looked obscene and was also dressed in the same sloppy clothes, suddenly smiled: "When the money is enough, can we still pay you back...... By the way, the Taoist priest just now calculated a hexagram for me, saying that I will have wealth within this year. ”

When Butcher Wen and Zhang San were talking, where was the tone of Wen Crepe just now? He scolded: "Do you also believe in the Taoist priests who go to the rivers and lakes? ”

Next to a veteran Dao with a hexagram was also here to watch the excitement, squeezed out of the crowd, looked up and down at the Wen butcher and said: "Xiaosheng has literary luck, and he will be able to enter the office in recent years. ”

As soon as the old Tao said this, the butcher of Wen was stunned, and others said an auspicious word, can he say that the priest is fake? People in the world are somewhat believing in gods and ghosts, how can they say that they will not be lucky? Lao Dao pointed to Su Jin, who had already mounted the horse on the side of the road, and said to Butcher Wen: "This prince is a nobleman, God has given you to meet a nobleman, do you want to miss it?" ”

Su Jin also heard the words of the Taoist priest, his face was slightly surprised, and the horseman said in a low voice: "This old Taoist actually has some vision. Su Jin turned his head and took a casual look, only to see that the Taoist priest was dressed in shabby, but he saw that his beard was flowing, his eyes were bright, and his face was very good. Looking at the temperament made Su Jin have a good impression, people with such temperament are indeed rare in the market, could it be really hidden in the market?

Butcher Wen was busy pulling Zhang San to speak: "I'm in a hurry today, I'll give you a cheap." I will ask the gentleman to drink two cups, and you will pay for the wine, and the few pieces of silver owed to me will be gone. ”

Su Jin looked indifferent about leaving, but listened to Butcher Wen's words in his ears, and said in his heart: This future life is honest. However, in the end, he was a small citizen in the market, and he didn't have much interest in making friends, but it was the down-and-out old way on the street that made Su Jin a little interested, after all, Xue Chongxun, the Son of Heaven, and Princess Taiping, the Queen Mother, were both known as cultivators. As soon as Su Jin thought of this, the old Taoist priest laughed and said to the butcher Wen: "If Xiaosheng invites the poor Dao as well, and then invites the gentleman over there, most of them will have a show." ”

Hearing this, Su Jin was slightly surprised in his heart, that old Taoist priest was really a person who could figure out people's thoughts.

"If you want to drink wine, you can say it clearly, why are you going so far?" Zhang San said angrily, because he paid the bill.

After hearing this, the butcher ran to the horse, hugged his fists and said: "Mr. is righteous, it is rare to get acquainted, if you don't dislike it, how about Mr. please go to the wine shop with the old Taoist over there to drink two glasses of thin wine?" ”

Su Jin glanced at the old man: "In that case, why don't I come to be the east, and you can enjoy your face and drink the wine I invited." ”

Wen Butcher didn't insist on anyone to invite after listening to it, anyway, seeing that this middle-aged scribe was generous, he was not the master of lack of money, and if he was not short of money, as he said, others could afford to drink his wine.

So after a quarrel at the door of the bookstore, it ended up being three people with different identities, old and young, who went to drink with laughter. The onlookers dispersed one after another with satisfaction. G