The group was talking, and after a while, they arrived downstairs of the "Qinggui Building".

Therefore, the building is also Zhou Cijing's business, and the shopkeeper of the restaurant went out to greet him as usual.

Qiu Yizhi saw that the shopkeeper was only in his thirties, with a beard of two or three inches, but there were already a few traces of white color, and the corners of his mouth were drooping downward, showing a little sadness.

The group was divided into two groups as usual - Zhou Cijing, He Jiugong, Qiu Yizhi and Zhao Chengxiao followed the shopkeeper, climbed all the way, went straight to the top of the restaurant, and sat down in the private room; The rest of the people randomly found two tables on the ground floor to eat.

Climb to the top floor and there is no longer an obstruction in the view. Qiu Yizhi looked at the railing from afar, and saw a Yellow River lying on the earth like a giant dragon with golden scales, separating the Central Plains into two halves, north and south, carrying countless muddy water and sand stones, flowing from the northern sky to the southern sky. "You don't see the water of the Yellow River coming up from the sky, rushing to the sea and not returning", Qiu Yizhi saw such a spectacular scenery of the Yellow River with his own eyes today, and finally realized the artistic conception in the poetry and immortal verses. If you look closer, you will see the noisy town of Anhe. Looking down from the heights, whether it is the shouting merchants, the patrolling soldiers, the farmers who cultivate, or the peddlers who transport, they are nothing more than ants of different colors squirming the yellow earth.

Zhou Cijing in the house did not have the interest of Qiu Yizhi, but he was in a good mood, shook the folding fan in his hand, and said to the shopkeeper: "This Qinggui Building is doing well!" I've looked up and down, it's clean inside and out, and business is good. Well, I'm very satisfied. ”

The shopkeeper was still crying: "Don't say that, the owner." I can't support this restaurant anymore. Just take advantage of this opportunity to ask the owner to change the villain in person, don't pick anywhere, as long as it's not in this Anhe Town......"

When Zhou Cijing heard this, his face was suddenly covered with a layer of haze: "You Sun Shouqian and I have not been for a year or two, you know what my Zhou is like." What kind of people and what kind of things to do, I know very well in my heart. At the moment, it seems that you are the one who runs the business of Qinggui Building! ”

He Jiugong on the side also interjected and said, "Shouqian, I'm not afraid that you will be surprised when you hear it." In this Qinggui Building in Anhe Town, I don't know how many people inside and outside the Zhou family are staring. Just last month, someone stuffed me with silver, asking me to say a few kind words in front of the owner, so that I could rob you of your golden job! ”

That Sun Shouqian sighed, shook his head, and said, "The owner, there is also the good intentions of the Nine Princes. It's just that...... Wait a moment, and I'll come when I go. Without waiting for Zhou Cijing to agree, he turned around and went downstairs.

But after a while, Sun Shouqian held a thick account book, and respectfully placed it in front of Zhou Cijing and said: "This is the account book of last month's Qingguilou operation, and please take a look at it!" ”

Zhou Cijing casually flipped through a few pages, nodded and said, "Isn't it good?" Last month's income was 3,750 taels of silver, and his expenditure was 2,440 taels, resulting in a net profit of 1,310 taels. You have a small restaurant on the edge of the Yellow River, and you can have more than 1,000 taels of income every month, and I think it's just a few green buildings by the Qinhuai River, right? ”

"It's just on the surface. There are a lot of expenses that can't be accounted for! Sun Shouqian explained.

Zhou Cijing said with a smile: "I know this, it's nothing more than filial piety to the government." Didn't I say this earlier, don't write it down in the account book on weekdays, just copy another copy for me when you summarize the accounts every year. ”

"It would be better if you just sent the government away!" Sun Shouqian sighed, and subconsciously lowered his voice and said, "Since last month, a group of high-rollers have come out of nowhere. It was okay at first, but it was just a few free meals and drinks here. Later, he reached out and asked for money, and the more he asked for it, the more often he asked for it. The villain begged them for mercy, but when they didn't agree with each other, they started to beat people, and the shot was heavy, breaking the hands and feet of several of my guys who ran the hall, and now they are still lying down and unable to move. ”

"Huh? And such things? Zhou Cijing put away the fan abruptly and asked, "Have you informed the government of this?" ”

"If this happens, can you not report it to the official? But the yamen didn't care about it, so they just sent a few officials to come over to take a look, it didn't make a difference whether they came or not, Zhang Tou and Li Tou in the town came just now, drank a bowl of tea and left. But the tax and the usual practice are not less, and if you don't pay it one day, maybe according to your crime of fornication and thieves, you won't be able to eat and walk away. Sun Shouqian swallowed his saliva, and then said, "Don't look at the small one, there were more than 1,000 taels of profits last month, but half of them had to send this group of turtle kings." Only a few days had passed this month, and four hundred taels of silver had been lost again. ”

Zhou Cijing listened, got up, and just wanted to speak, but sat down again, and said discouragedly: "It's okay, I already know the things here, you can do it here with peace of mind." I'll have to write a letter to the state herdsman here and ask him to take care of it. Silence ensued.

Seeing that everyone didn't speak, He Jiugong hurriedly smiled and said, "Shouqian, since the owner said so, what are you worried about?" Do a good job! ”

Sun Shouqian was a little happier at this time, but he saw Qiu Yizhi and Zhao Chengxiao following Zhou Cijing all the way, but they didn't speak, so he felt curious, so he asked, "What are these two Taifu called?" It's the first time you've come to this Qinggui Building, right? ”

Qiu Yizhi listened, hurriedly turned around and bowed down and replied, "Don't dare." Below is Uncle Zhou's distant nephew. The name of the shopkeeper Sun has been admired for a long time. As he spoke, he pointed to Zhao Chengxiao and said, "This is Brother Zhao, although he and I are masters and servants, we have grown up together since childhood, and we are already brothers." ”

How did Sun Shouqian know that Qiu Yizhi was the nephew of Zhou Cijing who was pretending to be - the two had different surnames, so naturally they couldn't announce their names in public - and when he didn't know etiquette like the other children of the Zhou family, but he couldn't say what he thought in his mouth, he said deeply: "It turned out to be the young master, and the little one is polite." ”

Qiu Yizhi hurriedly stretched out his hand to help him, and said: "Don't dare to be, I'm just a poor and sour person, how dare I call the word 'young master'?" ”

He Jiugong also answered on the side: "We are also all called 'son'. ”

Sun Shouqian also knows a little bit about the details of the Zhou family, and knows that the Zhou family is looking forward to having a son and nephew, who can be admitted to an official and a half-position, and the lintel of the light gate - presumably it is the distant junior relative in front of him who he has never seen, maybe he can inherit the Zhou family's industry in the future. Thinking of this, Sun Shouqian finally realized that there would be no harm in settling this person, so he hurriedly made a deeper bow than just now, and said more respectfully: "Childe, the villain is so polite!" ”

Qiu Yizhi didn't know that in this short moment, Sun Shouqian actually made such a small calculation in his mind, and said "politely": "Looking down, the customs and customs of Anhe Town are different from Youyan, I don't know if I can disturb you here for one night?" ”

Zhou Ci, who was sitting on the side, nodded and said: "I have been floating on the Yellow River for a long time, and I feel dizzy. It's better to rest here for one night, Shouqian, you can arrange it. ”

Sun Shouqian hurriedly nodded and said: "Qingguilou has a few rooms with the name of 'Tian' in the podium today that have not been rented out, and the small ones have been sealed and asked the people below to clean up!" ”

In fact, Qiu Yizhi wants to stay here, and it is not Anhe Town that he likes, let alone this Qinggui Building. He is curious and bold by nature, I don't know how many times he has been scolded by his father-in-law Youyan Wang Zheng Rong and his master Zhongli Kuang, and he has not changed.

So Qiu Yizhi didn't go to the street to wander around all afternoon, only ordered a pot of tea, and sat in the lobby of the restaurant, waiting for the high-rollers to visit, and he was also very lively. Unexpectedly, after waiting for a whole day, until dinner and bed, I didn't wait for half a knight, so I had to close my eyes and sleep depressedly.

Just after the end of the next day, He Jiugong knocked on the door one by one and said softly: "After the Yellow River, the weather is hotter, get up early, take advantage of the cool morning, walk a few more steps, and rest a lot at noon." ”

Qiu Yizhi slept early and woke up early, and when he heard He Jiugong screaming, he got up slowly. Before he could get dressed properly, he found that the Western Regions Treasure Knife that he had clearly placed on the table last night was gone. He immediately panicked and rummaged through the entire guest room, but he couldn't find this knife that sharpened iron like clay.

This is a priceless sword, no, it is a treasure knife that money can't buy!

Qiu Yizhi was already depressed, rushed out of the door, and asked when he saw someone: "Have you ever seen the knife I am wearing?" Have you ever seen the knife I'm wearing? ”

When he was at a loss, Sun Shouqian, the shopkeeper of the restaurant, ran forward, took out a knife, and asked, "Is this the treasure knife that the son wears every day?" ”

Qiu Yizhi looked at it, the decoration of the handle of the knife was simple and unpretentious, and he gently pulled it out, but he saw that the layers of patterns on the knife body were like clouds and mist, and like a river rushing—it was indeed the Western Regions Treasure Knife he obtained from the Tianzun Sect's Yuhuang Peak General Altar.

Qiu Yizhi was overjoyed, snatched the treasure knife, looked at it in his hand, fortunately it was not half damaged, and this was a little relieved. He suddenly found that his behavior just now was a bit rude, and he hurriedly said to the shopkeeper Sun: "This treasure knife is under the beloved thing, and it is rude under it, and I hope the shopkeeper will bear one or two." ”

Sun Shouqian dared to care, and said busily: "Childe is polite, Childe is polite." ”

"But dare to ask the shopkeeper, where did he find this knife?" Qiu Yi asked as he tied the sword around his waist.

"Oh, it's hanging on the door beam of the gate of Qinggui Tower. I went to open the door myself this morning, and it struck me down. ”

Qiu Yizhi hurriedly ran to the door of the restaurant, and saw that the restaurant was built high, and the main gate was also very large, and the door beam was one zhang high to the ground. To hang the sword on the doorbeam, either stand on horseback, ride on another person's neck, or put a table under your feet. But if you look at the ground in front of the door, you can't say that it is the traces of horses' hooves and table legs, and even the footprints of ordinary people are not a single one.

Qiu Yizhi was in a daze, but saw Zhao Chengxiao running in a hurry, and whispered in his ear: "Your Highness, did you ride a horse last night?" ”

Qiu Yizhi asked in surprise: "What?" Is my horse gone? ”

"Not really. It's just that I remember clearly, last night I clearly tied His Highness's green horse to the left side of my red horse, and now when I go to lead it, it falls off. Could it be that I misremembered? Zhao Chengxiao replied.

"No, I think there's something strange in it......"

Before he finished speaking, he heard footsteps not far away. After a while, a group of people came and blocked the gate of Qinggui Building in a semicircle.

Qiu Yi saw that among the eight people: there were monks, Taoist priests, scholars dressed as scholars, businessmen, steel forks, hammers, and two women - isn't this the high-roller who has been waiting for a day?