After the carriage traveled for half an hour, the originally clear and windless sky suddenly became cloudy, and the wind swept up the sand and gravel on the roadside so that people could not open their eyes.

The horse also stopped, standing in place and neighing, Xu Qingyan poked her head out, looked at the sky, and instructed Zelan: "The heavy rain is coming, let's find a place to shelter from the rain first, there is a village three miles past the right hand, where can we go to take shelter." ”

"Yes." Zeeland responded, and hurriedly turned the front of the car and headed southeast, and the carriage and horses immediately followed.

Sure enough, after walking less than three miles, I saw a village. The village is not large, there are only sixty or seventy households at a rough appearance, and most of the houses in the village are thatched huts, but there are a few blue brick houses in the middle.

Zeeland hurriedly drove forward, there were many people in their trip, so they naturally wanted to find a spacious house to shelter from the rain.

The heavy rain is coming, and at this time the villagers are busy packing up their things in the courtyard, and they enter the village in a mighty way, which naturally attracts the attention of many people.

At the beginning of the family, the gate of the courtyard was empty, and a middle-aged woman in the courtyard was hurriedly collecting her clothes, and when she saw the convoy coming, her brows were slightly furrowed.

Seeing that there was someone inside, Zelan hurriedly jumped out of the carriage and took a few steps forward, and bowed his knees: "This aunt is good, we will accompany the young lady to visit relatives in Fucheng, unfortunately the road is raining heavily, I wonder if the aunt can make it convenient for us to be admitted to the hospital for temporary shelter?" “

The woman was about to speak, but she saw a middle-aged man walking out of the room with a serious expression, and said coldly: "It's inconvenient to stay with each other, please go somewhere else." “

Zelan was a little stunned, obviously she didn't expect to be rejected, but they refused, and she didn't have much to say, so she had to turn around and go back to Xu Qingyan and go to the next person to ask.

Xu Qingyan opened the curtain curiously and looked out, only to see that the man in the courtyard had a serious face, and the hostess had already gone in with her clothes.

"Uncle, can you make it convenient for me to wait for me to be admitted to the hospital to shelter from the rain?" Zeeland's inquiring voice came from ahead.

The old man glanced at the carriage and saw that most of the women who came out of the carriage shook his head and said, "No, you better go elsewhere." With that, he sighed again, turned and went back to the house.

"Miss, I've asked a few families, but they don't agree with us going inside to take shelter from the rain, and the people in this village are too unkind." Zeeland pouted.

Xu Qingyan smiled: "It's a little strange, so you go to the old man's house again, and allow him two taels of silver for tea money to see if he can be accommodating?" “

"Two-two!" Zeeland exclaimed: "That's too much, just to avoid the rain!" "Even if you pay for tea, you don't need so much.

Xu Qingyan said angrily: "Listen to me, go quickly." “

Zeeland had no choice but to turn around and knock on the door again.

The old man had already returned to the house, but when he heard the knock on the door, he turned his head, and when he saw Zelan again, he shook his head again and again: "Why is it you again, I have said it, let you go elsewhere quickly, don't entangle here." ”

"Uncle, uncle, you see that the rain is coming down soon, we just want to change places and it's too late, I hope you can do it conveniently, my young lady is really frail and can't stand the cold, this is two taels of silver, just as a tea fee."

As soon as the two taels of silver came out, the lively villagers around were in an uproar! The old man also froze, and when he came back to his senses, he was full of hesitation.

Xu Qingyan was suspicious in her eyes, the people are simple nowadays, and most of the villagers are more enthusiastic about people passing by, if there are passers-by who need to ask for water to drink or shelter from the rain, most of them will agree, and they will be warmly received.

But this village is very weird, and they are not mountain bandits and robbers, most of them are weak women, so they shouldn't be so guarded against them.

"Ahem... "At the moment when the old man hesitated, there were several coughs in the room.

The old man's hesitant face finally settled down in these coughs, took the silver and sighed: "Come in, but don't stay longer, the rain stops, you go immediately." ”

Such an eager words to catch people away made Zelan feel very unhappy to hear it!

What does it mean to leave immediately, two taels of silver can cover their income for half a year, and it is not too much for them to stay here for one night.

Just as he was about to refute a few sentences, he heard Xu Qingyan's voice behind him: "Okay, let's leave when the rain stops, and the old man will open the courtyard door and boil some tea, I am really thirsty all the way." “

The old man nodded, opened the courtyard door, and then turned around and went to the kitchen.

At this time, the sky was dark, the wind was howling, Xu Qingyan hurriedly ordered Li Xing and others to bring the carriage in, fortunately, it was just in time, the carriage had just stopped, and the raindrops of beans fell.

"In the countryside, there is no good tea to entertain, only hot water to quench your thirst, and a few people will drink it." The old man came over with a copper teapot.

Xu Qingyan smiled: "This is enough, nothing boiled water works when you are thirsty." “

Seeing that her attitude was amiable, unlike the eldest lady who was messing around, the old man's face gradually softened, and he took the notched porcelain bowl and poured tea for them.

At this time, there were suddenly a few violent coughs from the west side room, and the old man's hand pouring the tea immediately stopped, put the teapot down, and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, a few of you pour it yourself." So saying, he hurried to the west room.

Xu Qingyan's eyes followed him in, and she saw an old woman lying sideways on the Xiwu kang, covering her chest at this time, coughing and her face turned red.

Seeing this, the old man hurriedly took a few steps over to help her up, patted her on the back and said at the same time: "Slow down, slow down." ”

The old woman grabbed his sleeve with her backhand and asked nervously, "Our family is... Cough...... Cough...... Coming to the guests? “

"Well, a few people passing by, it's raining heavily, they're here to hide from the rain, and they'll leave when the rain stops." The old man said in a low voice.

"Ahem..... Ahem, confused...... How can you ....... Can they .... Come in, in case Liu Laohu knows, let's Erniu and Cuiying .......! After saying this, the old woman's cough became more and more serious, and the cough was so rapid that she almost coughed to death.

"Don't worry, don't worry...... They left as soon as the rain stopped, Liu Laohu would not find out. Your illness can't be delayed any longer, they gave two taels of silver, and I will go to the county seat tomorrow to get you medicine. ”

"No.... Can't go. The old woman grabbed him and said eagerly, "The tiger is here..... The county seat, if he is allowed to send it, the consequences will ..... Consequences ..........."

"I'll be careful not to let them find out."

"That's not going to work.... You'd better return the money to the people and let them go. The old woman coughed a few times and said, "Listen to what you are talking about, it should be the girl's house that comes outside, so you can't stay, so as not to harm others." “

"It's raining heavily now, Liu Laohu's people shouldn't come, I'll let them go as soon as the rain stops, they can't be touched."

"Ahem.... cough...."The old woman wanted to say something, but was stopped by coughing.

The old man fed her some water and comforted: "Don't remember it, drink water and lie down, I have something to do outside." “