At dawn the next day, Xu Taishi of Shanzitang took two men and led Xu Yongzhi's horse to the inn.

Xu Yongzhi entrusted Duan Meimei and Duan Zishou to Uncle Taishi.

"Meimei, this girl is very smart, although she is young, she can give this inn to her. Zi Shou, this kid is simple-minded, he taught him three tricks yesterday, and he can't learn it if he has more, Uncle Taishi, you have to worry about it. ”

"Young master, don't worry, I will treat them as my own children."

Xu Yongzhi got on the horse and walked more than a dozen steps, Duan Meimei suddenly seemed to remember something.

"Childe!" She exclaimed.

Xu Yongzhi turned the horse back, got off the horse and asked her.

"What's wrong?"

"This is the key to the courtyard door of the store...... You take it. ”

"You'll be there when I'm back, right?"

"Yes."

"Then you can hold it for me."

"You'd better take it. I'm not going to give you any sachets and handkerchiefs, I'm not a woman like that. You give me a shop, and I'll make it bigger and bigger, and wait for you to come back. ”

"Okay", Xu Yongzhi laughed, under the autumn sun, his smile was particularly gentle, "I'll take it." ”

"And ...... Go to Tanzhou 12 stations, is there a section of Meimei at each station? ”

Duan Meimei asked again.

Xu Yongzhi couldn't help but smile bitterly, and thought to herself, "Silly girl, what do you want?" Want me to feel guilty? Do I care about you? ”

Xu Yongzhi dodged this question perfectly.

"Each shop has its own story, but I've only met one bride who ran away."

Xu Yongzhi touched Duan Meimei's head, touched Duan Zishou's head again, carefully put the key into the purse of his clothes, got on the horse again, did not look back, and went straight to the road.

Under the blue sky and white clouds, he swept past the green gauze tent on the side of the road, and rode a white horse straight to the south.

Duan Meimei and Uncle Taishi still have to be busy.

First found a craftsman to design the drawings, the inn decoration stopped, and the old shop in the arrogant, lazy guys quit, Taishi from the mountain hall picked two diligent guys, asked someone to recruit a cook, Duan Meimei invited a distant uncle in the hometown to help in the front hall, she was meticulous, clean, good wine and food, the inn flourished again.

Duan Meimei refused to let this store be renamed "Duanjiadian", so she chose a word from "Shanzitang" and called the name of the inn "Mountain House".

During this period, Chef Fan also went to the yamen to complain and wanted to return to the mountain residence, but Xu Taishi had already dealt with the relationship between the county and the government, and the procedures of Fan's shop were complete.

Seeing that Wen's martial arts were not opponents, Fan Chef hurriedly fled back to the countryside to live with Old Man Fan and continued to gnaw at the old man.

After Xu Yongzhi left, there were letters to Xu Taishi every month, and he had a letter to Duan Meimei, Meimei had read books for three years when she was a child, she recognized the words, and received the letters.

"Beautiful girl, recently went to Xingqing Mansion, went to Dunhuang along the way, and offered Buddha statues for my mother, the Buddha statues of the Sui and Tang Dynasties are very interesting, some Bodhisattvas, and beards, unlike our common Bodhisattvas are women, I painted a Bodhisattva statue for you here, don't lie to you, it's really exactly the same."

Behind is a strange-looking statue of a Bodhisattva, blowing his beard and glaring, taking a Duan Zi to look at, making this stupid boy laugh, and Duan Meimei can't help but laugh.

On the way, I accepted a scholar Xiaogui, who was about the same age as Zi Shou, and I thought they would like each other. I took him with me, this is a clever child, he learns swords very quickly, and I don't know how Azusa Mamoru's stick skills are entering. ”

Duan Meimei sighed, learning martial arts is really Duan Zishou's dead end.

Xu Taishi taught and taught, and Duan Zishou's martial arts were always the three tricks that Xu Yongzhi taught him before:

"Bang Brain!"

"Poke your lips!"

"Blind eyes!"

Xu Taishi wanted to teach more tricks in vain, and then after thinking about it, he asked Duan Zishou to go to the Big Buddha Temple of Zhending Mansion to worship Elder Xuankong and learn Arhat sticks.

The stupid boy studied for three months, and he didn't learn a set of eighteen tricks of arhat sticks, but he realized half a trick - he could grab it and drop a "back pocket" behind the "chaotic eyes", and he fell a lot of people in the temple by relying on this trick.

Fortunately, these three moves are the most porcelain, Duan Zishou can't wait to practice 3,000 sticks every day, plus stone lock sandbags, all kinds of strength is constantly boiling, coming and going, practicing a divine power stupidly.

Duan Meimei had no choice but to reply to the letter: "His martial arts are still like that, only three and a half moves. ”

More than three years have passed, and it has reached the early summer of the fourth year of Da Zhou Xiande.

It was a somewhat hot afternoon, and the meal at the Mountain House Inn had already passed.

Dust flew up the street outside the door, and a team of a dozen horses crossed the street and came straight to the inn.

This is a dusty, but beautiful and delicate horse team, many naughty boys and women, looking at this team inside and out of the window.

The two horses at the head, one white and one black.

Sitting on the white horse, he looked like a son, about twenty years old, wearing a bamboo hat to shield himself from the sun, dressed in white, and carrying a long sword on his back. The sword was three inches longer than an ordinary sword, the hilt was two inches longer, and the sword was equipped with only copper and white wood, but it was clearly a blade.

With such a murderous sword, you would never have imagined that his master had such a beautiful face.

When you see the women of the horse team on the road, you can't help but take a few more glances at this son-in-law - especially those sisters-in-law and aunts who have married women.

Whether it's a crying child, or sewing clothes or drying sauce, as long as you see your son, you can't help but frown, forget the trouble in front of you, and want to take a few more looks.

The girls who weren't out of the cabinet were much shy, always glancing at them, then blushing and lowering their heads, and then slowly raising their eyes to observe secretly.

Childe's eyebrows and forehead are beautiful, and the upper half of his face gives him a heart, courage, and measure.

His eyes were dark, not particularly large, but deep and gentle, as if he could see into a person's arms.

If he frowns and thinks, you can't help but want to accompany him to think about things, and if he wants to grin and smile, many women will feel that they are afraid that they are going to melt.

The black horse is a little smaller than the white horse, it should be a mare, and it is also with shiny fur. This is a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy who looks like a scholar or a personal companion of the child, but he does not dress as a subordinate, and wears a dark blue gown.

This child is another good-looking, a white, thin young man in Tsing Yi.

He's so white that you'll see a faint blue on his wrists or neck, not knowing the color of the veins, but his own undertone.

Many people hesitate for a moment to figure out whether he is a boy or a girl.

This kid is so delicate and beautiful, he carries the hat behind his back, he can't tan at all, and when it's hottest, it's just a little red.

The beauty of the boy is a little cold, but it will not turn people away.

On the contrary, because of that little cold, you can't help but feel a kind of pity or lust for him.

The boy had a simple bun on his head like a little Taoist boy, and put it in with a hairpin, his eyebrows were black but thin, his eyes were large, his neck was slender and dazzlingly white, and he carried two short swords at his waist, one foot eight in his right hand and one foot five in his left hand.

There is a saying in the rivers and lakes, called "an inch is short, an inch is dangerous." ”

If you want to fight against a long weapon, you need to be very light and agile to be possible.

Behind them were ten chestnut horses, and on their backs were ten young men in gray uniforms and black lacquered cuirasses, with bows and arrows in their saddles and sabers at their waists.

Their faces were flushed, and they were still vigilant and sturdy, but one could tell that their horses were tired.

"Young master, it's here." The boy whispered to Childe.

Two horseback attendants bowed their heads to the two of them, overtook them, and hurried a few steps to the shop.

They threw the reins to the guy who greeted the door, and began to remove the threshold of the old shop.

The two men were quick on their hands and feet, and watched as the threshold was lifted and the horses rumbled into the compound.

Outside, the children and women who watched the bustle dispersed.

The boy began to look at the yard and shop of the shop.

"Very well renovated." Childe opened his mouth and praised it.

"Especially this watchtower," said the young man to his son, "if there are thieves, I am afraid that it will be stronger than the county government." ”

The two dismounted, and an old man in his forties stepped forward to greet them.

"I'm dying of thirst! Give us water! ”

The escorts also tied their horses one after another, and a young man with strong muscles and a square head and a square head suddenly shouted to his fellow Lao Duan.

Childe frowned, and the young man whispered to him: "Childe, the tip comes out for the first time, and you don't know the rules yet." ”

Lao Duan hurriedly smiled: "Little brother, please come into the house, the hot mung bean soup and pancakes that have been boiled are also stewed." ”

"What hot soup to drink? Give me cold water! Tip looked at the well over there, "That's what I want!" ”

The reckless boy was sweating profusely, ran over and threw the bucket down the well, and fetched a bucket of water, and the old man tried to stop him, but he was thrown away by his arm, and one stumbled, and almost fell to the ground.

In the midst of this uproar, a girl scurried down from the second floor, holding a scoop in her hand, and with a loud noise, poured a scoop of bran into the bucket.

This is good intentions, if you just dry half a bucket like this, you will have an unbearable stomach ache after a meal, rolling all over the ground, the well water is too cold, and you can't stand the warm-up.

"Oops!" The tip was about to have a seizure, and suddenly saw a beautiful girl opposite, and suddenly blushed.

"If you want to drink, this is it, or go in and drink hot."

The girl is tall and plump, her skin has a healthy brown color, and her face is very beautiful, which is the shopkeeper of the mountain house, Duan Meimei.

The tip blew the bran away, scooped the water with a scoop and drank it, blew it open, blew it open, drank a few sips, and found that it didn't seem to be so thirsty.

The young man in Tsing Yi asked the old man: "Uncle, are you okay?" ”

He shoved a string of copper into the old man's hand.

"It's a little funny, don't blame me, I'll punish this kid for feeding the horses in a while."

Duan Meimei snatched it in two steps, took the copper in her hand, and rushed directly to Gongzi.

The son who haunts his dreams, but only saw the second side this time.

"Money is not spent like this, the store is yours, the people are yours, and you reward your own subordinates, how can there be this reason?"

Xu Yongzhi looked at her with a smile.

"Meimei, are you okay?"

"Childe," Duan Meimei said deeply and blessedly, but then, I don't know where the courage came from, she got up and pounced on Childe and hugged him tightly.

She saw Xu Yongzhi with the key to the store hanging from his waist! He remembers!

Childe smiled, stretched out his hands, and patted her on the back, but didn't hug her.

Fei Datou was stunned with a water scoop, and several older entourages all smiled mysteriously.

The young man in Tsing Yi looked anxious: "Let's all go to drink tea, spend a lot of money, put down the cold water!" After eating and resting in the afternoon, I have to go back tomorrow! ”

"Leaving tomorrow?" Duan Meimei let go of Xu Yongzhi and asked in surprise.

"Yes, there is a plague in Chudi. The medicinal herbs that can prevent and control the epidemic are empty, and they have to be bought here, in addition to a large number of oilcloth and kapok yarn, which must also be sent from here, we don't have a car, you hurry up and ask someone to send a letter to Uncle Taishi, hire a car, and all the goods on this list. Xu Yongzhi said.

Duan Meimei took a closer look at the man she thought about every day, he had grown two inches taller, and his muscles had become plump and firm, but he obviously hadn't rested well, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"It took us two days and two nights to rush from Tanzhou to Anguo, and everyone was tired."

"I've already ordered the meal, and I'll let them boil the bath water again."

Xu Yongzhi shouted to the brothers:

"You can drink some wine, but don't get drunk, and get a good night's sleep, this is our own store and our own home!"

A crowd cheered.

Duan Meimei's face was full of joy, she liked the phrase "her own home", but everywhere she looked, she saw the cold eyes of the young man in Tsing Yi.

It was a somewhat hostile look.

Xu Yongzhi, the boy and Duan Meimei sat down in the upper room, and the young man was busy bringing the delicate side dishes to the table.

"Xiaogui, this sister is Duan Meimei, the shopkeeper of the Mountain Inn." Xu Yongzhi said to the young man.

"Sister Meimei, Xiaogui is polite." Xiaogui stood up and bowed.

Meimei hurriedly got up and returned the salute.

"Yongzhi Gongzi mentioned you Xiaogui in his letter, saying that you are his right and left hand, accompanying him to walk the rivers and lakes, it is really hard."

This is a compliment, but Xiaogui seems to sound particularly piercing.

It's like "my husband has been taken care of by you".

Xiaogui had a feeling in his brain: How can this be true, my son and I are one, why did you suddenly snatch him away.

"Sister Meimei is the youngest shopkeeper of my Shanzitang, and when the son first saw you, he entrusted you with the responsibility of this store, which is really admirable." Xiaogui is also sharp-witted.

"Why don't we change, you come to the mountain residence to be the shopkeeper, and I will accompany my son to Xixia, to Daliao, to Dali, to the Southern Tang Dynasty, ......"

When Duan Meimei said this, her eyes were fixed on Xu Yongzhi, watching his reaction.

"Okay, Meimei, you are reluctant to live in the mountains, it is your hard work, this house has been renovated very well, you have a heart."

This sentence warmed up Duan Meimei all of a sudden!

"I have a heart!"

Duan Meimei looked at Gongzi's eyes unscrupulously, and didn't care about the thorn in Xiaogui's words at all.

Childe's eyes are very gentle, as if a small hand is caressing the girl's heart.

It seems to mean, "Don't make a fuss, be obedient, I'm here, I'm here." ”

At this time, someone knocked lightly on the door outside the door, and Xu Taishi, the shopkeeper of the Anguo branch of Shanzitang, flashed in.

Taishi has been a little lucky in the past few years, and he really looks like a rich businessman, wearing a brown cocoon silk gown, and hurriedly came in with a fan.

"Young master, why didn't you send a letter first?" Duan Meimei hurriedly asked Xu Taishi to sit down, and Xu Taishi asked as soon as she opened her mouth.

"It's too late, Uncle Taishi, there is a plague in Chudi."

"Oh?"

"Pulmonary plague, started in Ezhou this spring, arrived in Tanzhou last month, the medicinal materials near E, Qi and Tan were basically bought out, my father received six or seven hundred patients in these three months, and more than one percent of the dead died.

"Is there any cure?"

"Honeysuckle, skullcap, and forsythia seem to be of a little use, but they are only maintained, and this disease is the most dangerous for the elderly and children, so we came to Anguo overnight to buy medicine, in addition, we need a lot of oilcloth and kapok yarn, these two things let Langzhong and the mourners wear them, cover their mouths and noses, and cut off the pulmonary disease."

"I read the list, I have arranged someone to do it, our car also has a surplus, I will prepare the horses here for the brothers, and leave the tired and fat horses, but there is only one thing, five catties of bezoar, why do you want so much?"

"How many bezoars are in the semicolon?"

"Two or two more? This kind of medicine is expensive, and it is rarely used daily, so I have never prepared too much. ”

"Give me as much as possible, no matter how little it is, it can't be less than four catties, my father specially instructed that the bezoar is used to hang his life when he is seriously ill with pulmonary disease, and sometimes he is in this breath. Although the value is high, most of the victims can't afford it, but if we don't make this medicine, no one will have the ability. ”

"It's difficult...... "It's too real to look embarrassed.

"Uncle Taishi, our Shanzitang Anguo branch is a big store, and the five-pound bezoar is a matter for others, so it shouldn't be a problem for our Shanzitang. I've never seen you feel so upset. ”

Xu Taishi only had to be careful and say someone at this time.

"I'm ashamed, young master, this person doesn't nod, these five catties of bezoar will be in hand, I'm afraid it will be difficult to climb to the sky!"

"Is it an official or a businessman?"

"It's a woman!"