After the Spring Festival, the winter vacation will soon end. I returned to the provincial capital to prepare for my last semester at the New South China Technical School. Approaching graduation, various professional courses are arranged less intensively, correspondingly some internship opportunities have been added, and occasionally a few job fairs will be held, and students who want to "sell themselves" early can go to test the water first, and sign a contract in advance when they meet a suitable unit. But for students like us who have not yet graduated from school, the treatment we can get is naturally not very good.

Before the start of school, I followed Master's instructions and went to Donald again with his letter. Whether I want to or not, the living expenses of the last semester can only be earned by going back to Xiling Ghost Market to work. But I was always a little apprehensive in my heart, I don't know if Donald is willing to give face again, after all, the last time I left, I had a very unpleasant quarrel with his apprentice Lin Dachopsticks.

As a result, Master's face was completely bigger than I expected. After reading the letter, Tang Laoguo was furious and immediately called Hou Da Pan and Lin Da Chopsticks to come over. His two apprentices didn't dare to slack off, and hurried to Donald Laoguo's house within half an hour.

Donald scolded the two of them in front of me. Hou Da Basin is okay, originally this matter didn't have much to do with him, Lin Da Chopsticks was miserable, standing there with his head shrunk and being trained, but he didn't dare to reply a word, he kept his face red, and even I felt aggrieved for him.

At the end, Tang Laoguo said to Hou Dapen: "You will arrange for Zisheng to go back to Xiling tomorrow to work, say hello to the big spoon, and let him run in the Yuanbao Building!" ”

Hou Dapen was taken aback at this time, and said, "Yuanbao Building? Master, he is an outsider, let him enter the Yuanbao Building to be a runner, this, this is not appropriate, right? ”

Donald was angry again, and scolded: "I have the final say on whether it is suitable or not!" Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? Alien? Are there still fewer outsiders in the Yuanbao Building? Hum! Tang Laoguo scolded while waving the crutches in his hand, almost poking Hou Dapan's face.

Hou Da Basin was like a child who had been exposed to a lie, his face turned red, and he didn't dare to talk back, so he had to mutter: "Oh, then I'll go and tell Senior Brother Big Spoon ......"

Donald dissipated his anger, and pointed at me and said to the two: "Do you know that he is Feng Daozhang's apprentice!" I owe him a great favor. Besides, don't look at him young, Yin Gong is not necessarily worse than the two of you! Over the years, the two of you have been thinking about making money every day, and you have wasted all your cultivation! What a stupid apprentice who doesn't grow! In the future, how can I rest assured that I will hand over the Yuanbao Gate to you to take care of? ”

Hou Dapen and Lin Dachopsticks were submissive, and only dared to nod their heads vigorously to admit their mistakes. I watched Donald Lao train his apprentices from the side, and I also felt weird and embarrassed, I don't know if he really gave my master face like this, or just wanted to take this opportunity to knock on these two apprentices who beat him to consolidate his position?

Anyway, I finally returned to Xiling Ghost City smoothly, and it can even be said that I am proud to return to Xiling Ghost Market!

The next night, I rode my little electric donkey to Xiling Cemetery again. Hou Dapen saw me and went to the office to get a new sign for me. I took it and looked, hey! It's still a blue wooden card, I've upgraded it!

Hou Dapen's face was not good or bad, and he didn't complain about me when he spoke to me. I know that he is actually very deep in the city, otherwise he would not be able to be the eldest disciple of Tang Laocauld, let alone represent the position of Yuanbaomen in the committee. However, since he didn't give me a look, there was no need for me to offend him again, so I politely called him: "Boss Hou!" ”

Hou Dapen took me straight into the central area of the ghost market, that is, the high-end shop area with a façade. I now have a blue card around my neck, so I can come and go here freely in the future.

The location of the ingots building is quite good, and the façade is just open in the middle of that row of shops, which belongs to the gold shop. The three big characters of "Yuanbao Building" are hung high with a signboard with bronzing words on a red background, and there is a shopkeeper who solicits customers at the door. The shopkeeper is a short and fat man in his early thirties, with a very good smile on his face, a sharp mouth, and a standard Beijing accent when he opens his mouth.

As soon as Hou Da Pan came, the shopkeeper smiled, and put it up for a meal, and the title of the three words "Boss Hou" came out of his mouth and what I just called, and it felt different in my ears. Hou Dapen was obviously also very useful, and casually chatted with him.

The shopkeeper's verbal skills are indeed good, don't say it's Hou Da Pen, even if I'm a newcomer and meet him for the first time, he can talk to you. Arrange such a person to stand at the door to solicit customers, as long as the old customers passing by are caught by him and say a few words, and then flatter, even if they are not hungry, they can't help but want to go into the store to sit. He claimed to be surnamed Wang and was second in line. I wanted to call him "Second Brother Wang", but he told me not to be too polite, so I called him "Wang Xiaoer".

When I entered the store, the decoration inside was not splendid, and it was a popular teahouse style. Square tables, benches, porcelain bowls, and a pot of tea are simple and close to the people. The shopkeepers in the hall wore uniform clothes: an old-style horse coat and short coat, a towel on his shoulder, and a small round hat on his head, but a braid was missing from the back of his head, otherwise he would be an extras in the Qing court drama.

Speaking of actors, there is really such a professional one in the store. A thin old man, holding a folding fan in his left hand and a startling wood in his right hand, was sitting behind a small square table, drinking tea and clearing his throat.

"Old Meng! Have you opened any new storytellings recently? ”

"Ouch, Boss Hou is here!" Lao Meng hurriedly got up from his seat and gave Hou Da a pen. Hou Dapen smiled and waved his hand, signaling that he was not polite, and the full leadership posture was completely two postures in front of his master.

"Boss Hou, recently, my "Three Kingdoms" is almost finished, and I am preparing to reopen it. Do you think I'm saying "Water Margin" is good, or "Romance of the Sui and Tang Dynasties"? Lao Meng flatteringly asked Hou Dapen for advice.

Hou Dapen shook his head and said, "Old Meng, you have said these books one hundred and eighty times, and you should also change to a new one!" ”

"Oh? Then please ask Boss Hou to give advice! ”

"Would you say "Golden Vase Plum"?"

"Golden ...... This, hehe, Boss Hou, forgive the old man for not being good at learning and not being able to speak......" Lao Meng was stunned, and then smiled bitterly.

"Then "The Legend of the West Chamber" will be a general meeting, right?"

"This ......" Lao Meng still looked embarrassed, and said: "If this "The Legend of the West Chamber" is changed to a drama to sing, it will be an excellent play, but this storytelling, I'm afraid it's not easy to say!" ”

"What's there to say?" Hou Dapen's eyes widened, and he said, "You just say it boldly!" Lao Meng, you can't be too rigid! I always talk about some books that fight and kill, and the old customers are annoyed when they listen to it too much! ”

"Yes! Be! Lao Meng didn't dare to refute, so he had to nod his head and say yes. But as soon as Hou Dapen left, I saw him shaking his head behind his back again, taking out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat violently, I am afraid that I am still worried that I will not be able to pull off his old face to say this kind of "**".

On the other side, there was a real big fat man lying behind the old-fashioned counter, and one person occupied almost the entire counter, which made me wonder if he could squeeze out of the counter after work. The big fat man didn't seem to care much about Hou Dapen's arrival, but just shouted perfunctorily: "Senior Brother Hou." ”

"Big bowl, big spoon is here?" Hou Dapen asked.

"Here we are, in the kitchen."

"What is the income of the Yuanbao Building in the previous city?"

"Okay."

"How much?"

The fat man, who was called the "big bowl", leaned back at this time, pressing the chair under him to "creak" violently, making people worry that it would collapse at any time. Dawan looked at Hou Da Basin expressionlessly, and said, "The tents are all at Master's place, Senior Brother wants to know the specific number, you can go to his old man's house to get it." ”

Hou Dapen was stunned for a moment, slightly embarrassed. But he still smiled: "Hey, I just asked casually!" Don't be so nervous, Senior Brother Xu! ”

Hou Dapen saw that the fat man ignored him and wanted to ease up, so he turned his head to me and said, "Xiao Zhai, this is my junior brother Xu Dawan, call someone!" ”

"Boss Xu!"

"I'm not the boss, don't scream!"

"That'...... Brother Xu? ”

"Hmm!" Xu Dawan may not know my origin very well, thinking that I also followed Hou Dapan, and he also didn't have a good face, so he didn't even look at me head-on, but only snorted from his nose, which was considered to be a promise.

"Let's go, I'll take you to find Senior Brother Big Spoon!" Hou Dapan begged for a soft nail here at Xu Dawan, so he had to take me away stupidly.

The kitchen of Yuanbaolou is not large, there are four stoves in a row on the left, and a long table with side dishes on the right, in which a total of five people stand, one in black and four in green clothes, all wearing aprons. The four Tsing Yi were all young people who were processing some ingredients, while the black Yi was instructing.

Hou Da Basin said to the black-clothed cook, "Big spoon, come here." ”

I've actually seen this chef in black, and I have a slight impression. As Ma Xiaostool introduced to me before, Yuanbaolou is currently under the care of Zhao Laodao, the younger brother of Tang Laoguo, and this Jin Dascoo is Zhao Laodao's apprentice, and he is now the chef of Yuanbaolou.

Hou Da Basin said to Jin Da Scoop: "Big spoon, this is Xiao Zhai, his big name is Zhai Zisheng, my master asked me to bring someone over and hand it over to you, and I will arrange for him to run the hall in the Yuanbao Building in the future." ”

Jin Dasco frowned when he heard this, and said, "There is no shortage of people running in Yuanbao Mansion now. ”

Hou Dapen ignored his reaction, and said: "This is the meaning of the master, you can do it yourself!" ”

From "my master" to "master", Hou Dapan changed his title in his mouth, and Jin Dasco seemed helpless. In the end, he could only nod his head in agreement.

After Hou Dapen finished explaining the matter, he turned around and left. I was left alone to face the golden spoon.

Jin Dascoo looked me up and down, and his face was naturally not good. As soon as Hou Dapen left, he asked straight to the point: "What kind of relative are you my Senior Brother Hou?" ”

I was stunned for a moment and said, "I don't have any relationship with Boss Hou. ”

"Huh, huh?" Jin Dasco sneered, then turned around and pointed to the four Tsing Yi maids in the kitchen and said, "They were all introduced by Senior Brother Hou, they are all about the sons of the seventh aunt, the grandson of the eighth aunt, and one is his only apprentice, what about you?" It's not his relatives and his next-door neighbors, right? ”

When the four Tsing Yi heard Jin Dasco mention them, they all looked up at me, but they didn't dare to speak, and continued to work with their heads down. I smiled bitterly and said, "I really wasn't introduced by Boss Hou, my master and Master Tang are old acquaintances!" ”

"Oh?" Jin Dasco was really a little surprised at this time, looked at me again, and then asked, "Who is your master?" Which sect? ”

"My master is Feng Daozhang, Guishan faction."

"Feng Daozhang has heard of it, but I haven't heard of the Guishan faction!"

I shrugged my shoulders, which I hear a lot. Originally, there were only two masters and apprentices, so why did they have to get a separate sect? My Master's own name is loud enough!

However, Jin Dasco's face finally softened, and he said to me again: "Since you are Feng Daozhang's apprentice, you should have practiced Yin Gong, right?" ”

"I've practiced."

"Stretch out your hand, use the yin power and I'll see."

I did. Jin Dasco grabbed my vein, tested my cultivation, then nodded, and said, "Well, not bad!" It doesn't look like you're here to mess around, do a good job! According to the arrangement of the master, you start with the running hall! ”

I hurriedly said yes. Jin Dasco called another runner from outside and asked him to take me to familiarize myself with the situation first.

This runaway is not young, his surname is Shi, and because he is indeed an old "real" person, everyone calls him Laoshi. When I was old, I was running in the Yuanbao Building for more than 20 years. However, just because he is too honest, he has not made any progress, and he is content with the status quo and has to get by.

Running hall was just a term in the old society, and now it is basically called "waiter". But considering that most of the old customers in the Xiling ghost market came from the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, such a business philosophy can be regarded as conforming to the needs of the market.

As the name suggests, he is a guy who has to run around and work all day long. When the old guests come, they have to come forward to say hello first, and then take a seat. If the guests are here to drink tea and listen to the commentary, they will arrange to sit in front of Lao Meng and make a pot of good tea. But this ingots are decorated like a teahouse, but in fact they are also restaurants, and the dishes in it are not small in the ghost market. If the regular customers are here to eat, then put the menu, order the dishes and send the list to the kitchen, the kitchen is ready, and then serve it. It's all long-winded, but it's all simple work, and when I told it when I was old, I understood.

At this time, a bell rang outside the Yuanbao Building, and the ghost market was open.

Regular customers flock to the market, and no matter where the ghost market is, it must be the busiest when the market first opens. The tables in the ingots building were quickly filled, and a few of us really had to run at this time, and after serving this table, we had to take care of the next table.