In the lame hotel. There was only a young lad man at the counter, elbowed on the counter, reading a filthy newspaper. He stared gloomily at the store, staring at everything around him, as if the world owed him a hundred dollars.

At this time, the old camel who came out for activities at night walked into the counter, wanting to inquire about one of his apprentices.

"Shh Xiao Er said, "There are strangers in the next room. ”

"Stranger." The old man repeated it in a whisper.

"Ahh He's also a quirky fellow," Xiao Er added, "I'm going to fight in the countryside, but I can't get out of your hands, or I'm wrong." ”

The old camel seemed to be very interested in the news, and he climbed into a footstool, and carefully pressed his eyes to the glass, and from this secret post he could see that the fellow was eating cold beef from his plate, drinking wine from the jug, and giving some beef and beer to the women who accompanied him, while she sat quietly eating and drinking—

"Aha." The old camel turned his head towards Xiao Er and whispered. "I like the way that kid looks. He will be useful to us. He already knew how to train that girl.

Don't make so much noise like a mouse, let me hear what they're saying—let me hear. ”

The old camel once again put his eyes to the glass, and turned his ears to the siding, and listened intently, with a sly and eager look on his face, like an old ghost.

"So I'm going to be a city man," the man continued, kicking his legs, and the old camel was a step too late to hear the beginning. "Don't go to serve those precious coffins anymore, live the life of a city person, and, as long as you are happy, you can be a wife."

"I couldn't be happier," replied the woman, "but the cash drawer is not vacated every day, and others will find out later." ”

"Fuck the cash drawer." The man said, "There are things other than vacating the cash drawer. ”

"What do you mean?" Companion asked.

"Wallets, women's bags, houses, mail trucks." The man drank beer and said.

"But you can't do such things." The woman said.

"I'm going to find someone who can do the job," replied the man, "and they have a way of giving us one way or another." You're worth fifty yourself. As long as I let you out, I will never find someone as scheming as you. ”

"Oh my God, people are happy to hear you say that!" The woman cried out, and as she spoke, she burrowed into his arms.

"Alas, enough is enough, don't be too affectionate, lest I get angry with you," the man said, trying to break free. "I want to be the leader of a certain group of people, and make them all obedient to me, and follow them everywhere, without even knowing them. This is what I want, as long as the oil and water are big. We'll just have to make a few of these people, I say, and we'll be able to get it even if we spend the twenty taels of silver you get—and besides, we don't know how to make a move. ”

After this opinion was expressed, the man put on an unfathomable and profound look, observed the wine glass for a while, shook the wine in the jar vigorously, and nodded at the woman, which was considered to give her face, he took a sip of wine, and seemed to be much more energetic. He was contemplating another bite when he stopped, and the door suddenly opened, and a stranger walked in.

The stranger is the old camel. He stepped forward, looked very kind, bowed deeply, and sat down at the nearest table.

"It's winter, it's cold," said the old camel, rubbing his hands. "I can tell you're from the countryside, right?"

"How do you tell?" The man asked.

"There isn't that much dust in Conch City." The old camel pointed to the shoes of the man and his companion, and then to the two baggage.

"You're a man with great eyesight," said the man, "haha! You listen. ”

"Yes, it really takes a bit of eyesight to stay alone in Conch City," the old camel lowered his voice and whispered heartily. "That's not fake."

The old camel said this, tapped the wing of his nose with the index finger of his right hand, and toasted the other party.

"It's good wine." The man smacked his lips and said.

"Oh," said the old camel, "if a man wants to have this wine all day long, he must constantly turn the money in the money drawer, or the purse, or the woman's bag, or the house, or the mail cart. ”

As soon as the man heard the fragment from his own exaltation, he collapsed in his chair, and his face was as dead as ashes, and he looked at the old camel and then at the woman with great fear.

"Don't worry," said the old camel, moving his chair closer. "Haha. It's a blessing that I'm the only one who overhears you talking, but luckily I'm the only one. ”

"I didn't take it," the man stammered, no longer stretching his legs long like a confident city man, but retracting as far as he could under his chair. "She did it all. The money is with you, and you know the money is with you. ”

"It doesn't matter who the money is on, or who does it." The old camel replied, but his eyes swept over the girl and the two burdens like those of a falcon. "That's what I do, and I like you for that."

"Which line?" The man asked with a slight sense of composure.

"Serious business," replied the old camel, "and so are the men in the shop." You've found the right place, and this place couldn't be safer. There is no place in the whole city that is safer than the lame shop, that is, it depends on whether I am happy, I like you and this little lady very much, so I said that, you can rest assured. ”

With this reassurance, the man's heart may have let go, but his body always felt uncomfortable, and he writhed and turned into various vulgar and indecent postures, while looking at his new acquaintance with eyes intertwined with fear and suspicion.

"I can tell you more," said the old camel, nodding his head in a friendly manner, and muttering a few words of encouragement to reassure the woman. "I have a brother who may be able to fulfill your long-cherished wish and help you on the right path, and with him, you will be able to pick the department you think is most suitable for this profession at the beginning, and you can learn the rest."

"You seem to be serious." The man replied.

"What's in it for me if it's not right?" The old camel shrugged his shoulders and asked. "Come here! I'll go up with you and say a word outside. ”

"There's no need to move around, it's troublesome," the man said, slowly stretching his leg out again. "Let her take advantage of this to carry her luggage upstairs. Erniang, pay attention to those burdens. ”

This order was given with great majesty and carried out without objection. When the man saw the strong man open the door and wait for her to go out, he quickly picked up the package and walked away.

"She's training pretty well, isn't she?" He asked, and sat back down in his old place, like a breeder who had tamed some kind of beast.

"Wonderful," replied the old camel, patting him on the shoulder. "You're such a good hand."

"Needless to say, if I hadn't been a genius, I wouldn't be here," replied the man, "but I have to say, don't waste your time, she's going to be back." ”

"What do you think?" The old camel said, "If you like my brother, wouldn't it be better to partner with him?" ”

"Whether the business he does is good or not, the question is here." The man blinked at one of his two small eyes and responded.

"I've hired a lot of helpers, all of whom are the best masters in this industry."

"All city people?" The man asked.

"There wasn't a single countryman among them. If it weren't for the fact that he is quite short of manpower at the moment, even if I recommended it, I'm afraid he wouldn't want you. The old camel replied.

"When can I see him?" The man asked, full of suspicion.

"Tomorrow morning." The old camel replied.

"Where?"

"Right here."

"Hmm." Rohan said, "How do you calculate your wages?" ”

"Life is like that of a city man - free food, lodging, tobacco and alcohol - plus half of all your income, and half of what the little lady earns." The old camel replied.

It is doubtful that this man, on the basis of his naked greed, will even accept such tempting conditions. But it occurred to him that if he refused, the new acquaintance would immediately send him to the patrol room, and he gradually relented, saying that he thought it was appropriate.

"But you see," the man explained, "since she has so much to do in the future, I want to find something very easy." ”

"A little, funny thing?" The old camel offered.

"Ahh That's the kind of thing anyway," replied the man, "what do you think is right for me at the moment?" It doesn't take much effort, and it's not too dangerous, you know. That's one thing. ”

"I've heard you talk about keeping an eye on other people," said the old camel, "and my friend is in need of someone who is in need, very much." ”

"Yes, I did, and I don't sometimes disagree with that," the man replied slowly. "But there's no money to be made from that kind of thing, you know."

"That's true." The old camel pondered, or rather pretended to be pensive, and said. "yes, I can't make any money."

"And what do you mean?" The man asked, looking at him anxiously. "You can do something sneaky, as long as it's reliable, and it's not much more dangerous than staying at home."

"How about making up your mind with the old lady?" The old camel asked, "Take their handbags and small parcels, turn a corner, and run away, but there is a lot of money to be made." ”

"Sometimes, don't they have to shout and scratch with their hands?" The man shook his head and asked, "I'm afraid that kind of thing is not to my liking." Is there any other way? ”

"There it is." The old camel rested a hand on the man's knee and said. "Collect the doll tax."

"What is this?" The man didn't understand.

"Dolls, my dear," said the old camel, "are the children sent by their mothers to buy things, and they always come out with some copper coins. To collect taxes is to snatch their money—they have always held it in their hands—and then push them into the ditch, and then slowly walk away as if nothing had happened, isn't it just that a child has fallen into the ditch and hurts? Hahaha! ”

"Haha!" The man kicked his legs in ecstasy and laughed loudly. "Oh yo, that's it."

"It's decided," replied the old camel, "we can carve out some good land for you in the area around Deshengmen, and there are many children who send out to buy things, and you can push as many dolls into the ditch as you like at any time of the day." Hahaha! ”

With that, the old camel poked the man's ribs, and the two of them burst into a long-lasting laugh at the same time.

"Heh, everything is fine." The man said, he had stopped laughing, and the woman returned to the house. "We've decided, what time is tomorrow?"

"Ten o'clock?" The old camel asked, and when he saw the man nodding his head in approval, he added, "What shall I call my good friend when I introduce it?" ”

The "Arhat" man replied that he was prepared for such an emergency. "This is my wife's second mother."

The old camel bowed as he spoke, and was ridiculously polite and saluted such a countryman.

"Slut, this gentleman is talking, do you hear me?" The Rohan let out a thunderous roar.

"I hear you, Rohan." Erniang replied angrily.

"She calls me Rohan!" The man turned to the old camel and said. "Do you understand?"

"Oh, yes, I understand—I understand perfectly," replied the old camel, and only this time he was telling the truth. "I'll see you tomorrow. See you tomorrow. ”