The person who gave the money was a scholar who was not very tall, because at that time, the society valued literature over business, looked down on businessmen, and people who did not have merit could not wear robes. Three of the five men wore robes, indicating that they had at least read a book and had some fame. The old one of the five smells of wine, and his eyes will light up when he talks about wine, and he is obviously an old drunkard. The one that gives money is the most ordinary, and there are no characteristics at all. The one who was about to scold just now was dark and strong, obviously a porter. There is also a person who is too delicate, not tall, and has the potential to be a little white-faced. The last one is the youngest, a clever little guy who keeps an eye on everyone's luggage from time to time.

The person who gave the money said, "We are tea merchants, and we sell tea here." I heard that there was a shortcut here, so I came to the neighborhood. We just realized that we were lost, but fortunately there is a small village here, otherwise we would have to spend the night in the middle of nowhere. Rest assured, we are all ordinary businessmen, not bad people. ”

"Cripple Li" actually saw that two of the five people were more powerful, and the other three estimated that they had problems with self-protection when they encountered robbers. He said more reassuringly: "This is Xiaoyue Village." I'm a wine shop, so there's enough wine. The rest of the place is very poor, except for an old hen, only a few greens. Said okay, I received the money but quit the meeting. At night you will stay in the Chase Bunk. With that, he turned to leave.

But just as he was about to leave, he suddenly said, "It's not peaceful here." Don't make a noise if you hear anything at night. It's not that I'm scaring you, it's a monster here at night. His words really frightened these five people, so frightened that not only did their faces turn pale, but they also had no words.

Soon "Lame Li" came out and took some vegetable porridge and a large jar of wine. The five of them silently ate a little tasteless vegetable porridge, and to their surprise the wine was absolutely good. The old drunkard drank three bowls in quick succession before he stopped and tasted slowly.

At this time, an old man walked into the wine shop, put down a fur for himself, picked up a pot of wine on the side and drank it. After only a few sips, I smelled the aroma of five merchants. She muttered, "Eccentric." Dead cripples who want money. Isn't it because we don't have any cash in the wine we drink? ”

The merchant who paid heard it and hurriedly invited the old man to come over and drink together. The old man was not polite, and sat down and drank a large bowl of good wine that was not mixed with water.

The merchant who paid the money said softly, "Old man, are you from here?" What is this place? ”

The old man was already a little drunk, so he said generously: "Our place is called Xiaoyue Village." I don't know where the name came from. The villagers who used to live here are long gone. My surname is Wang, and my grandfather found out about this place and moved the whole family here. Later, there were more and more villagers here, and there were a lot of good furs on the opposite mountain. It's a pity that a few years ago, we had a donkey demon here and killed several people. After that, the villagers moved away, and now even my big brother and the village chief's family are gone. There are no more families in the village, Xiaoyue Village is finished, we are finished. We have to wait here to die, either the donkey demon kills us or we starve to death. ”

The merchant who paid said, "Then you can't live, why don't you leave?" What about your elderly family? ”

The old man was already drunk, and his voice was getting louder and louder, as if he was venting something. "Lao Tzu, I have never left Xiaoyue Village in my life, except for going up the mountain, I don't know anyone else. My wife is from this village, and my son has grown up and married a woman from this village. More than two years ago, my own grandson saw the monster and was scared to death. The son and daughter-in-law went up the mountain to avenge their son, and once they went, they never returned. The old woman lost three relatives at once, fell ill and died, and I was the only one in the family. I'm not going anywhere, I'm just waiting for the donkey demon to come and catch me, and I want to see what the donkey demon looks like. ”

At this time, "Cripple Li" came, snatched the old man's wine, and said to him, "What to drink?" There is nothing left at home, what kind of wine do you come to drink? What's the use of you giving me fur, there's no one here to collect it, I can't eat my fur for food? If you are drunk, you will be ashamed and conspicuous here. Walk. ”

The merchant who paid couldn't stand it anymore, so he said to "Cripple Li": "Just let him drink a little, anyway, there is no one else here, and it won't affect anyone." The wine money is on our heads. ”

"Cripple Lee" glanced at the merchant and left. But when he was gone, the old drunkard said, "It's too much." He's starting to doubt us. Others did not understand that the merchant who paid the money had already regretted it, saying, "By the way, the merchant is a mercenary person." Especially for smugglers like us, with our head pinned to the waistband of our trousers, how can we help an irrelevant person like this? I was careless. ”

When he said this, everyone understood what he meant. The old drunkard said, "There is another way to save it." Xiaoxiao, you will talk about your young master in front of the boss. said that he couldn't change his habit of listening to ghost stories, and when he heard some monsters and ghosts, he wanted to listen to them again. Remember that he has grown up and is a businessman. ”

As soon as he finished speaking, the little white face began to scold, "How many times have I said it." For the first time, we came out alone to do business. Be low-key and careful. If you don't listen, as soon as you make a move, it will be five taels of silver. Is it because you have a lot of money and have nowhere to spend it? Also, you have loved to listen to ghost stories since you were a child, and you like to rush forward when you hear that there are haunted and monsters there, and everyone else is hiding backwards. You must know that you have already failed the list twice, otherwise the lord will not ask you to come out to do business. You're already an adult, or like a child. And thou sayest, Where did thy five taels of silver come from? I remember that the money bag was with me, and you stole it from me? ”

The merchant who paid hurriedly said, "No, it was given to me when my mother was about to go out." I didn't touch the public account."

Little White Face winked at each other, and said, "Then you hand over the rest, otherwise you will run out of money before you get home." It's hard for me to explain to my lord and wife. Take it out. ”

A few people on one side also cooperated with the acting and said: "Yes, the young master went out for the first time, and he couldn't take care of his own money." Hand it over, hand it over and manage it together. "The old drunkard still drinks by himself.

The merchant who paid the money looked melancholy and said, "My mother gave me five taels of silver before she went out, and I gave it to the boss." There is no money on him. If you don't believe me, you've searched for it. ”

Xiao Baiyan didn't believe it, and touched him all over before letting go and saying, "The money is really gone." But we definitely don't need five taels of silver for one night. And this is not an inn, and the food and accommodation are not good, so there is absolutely no need for such money. Later, I will settle accounts with the boss, and I have to get some of it back. One of us only eats one meal, and the porridge we eat at noon is not considered a meal, and a chicken at night is only half a tael of silver, and we only use less than two taels of silver at most for food and accommodation. I'm going to get back two taels of silver, no, I should get at least two and a half taels of silver. ”

The little white face vividly plays the mercenary and budget-conscious side of the businessman. Even the businessman who paid the money felt that the little white face had brought to life the appearance of a calculating and mean housekeeper.

"Cripple Li" had actually been eavesdropping on the side for a long time, and after hearing this, he couldn't help but come out and say: "I already said just now, this is a poor place. The most expensive thing here is my old hen. You live here. Eat and drink here, that's the price. I'm never going to ask you for any more money. If you want to live, you can live, and if you don't want to live, you can go. If you don't have money, you have to die. ”

Of course, the little white face will not just be counted like this, and he has to settle the accounts with this arrogant shopkeeper "Cripple Li". One is a bachelor who wants money and doesn't want to die, and the other is a miser who cares about everything. The two of them fought together like cocks, and neither of them would let a small step. The merchant who paid didn't dare to come out and say a word, for fear of being lectured by the two of them again. The two retinues all looked like they didn't care about themselves, and a cripple didn't have much lethality anyway, and they would never leave their hands when they wanted to do it. If they want to fight, they can't do anything, and they can't help much. The old one on one side is even more intoxicated with fine wine and can't extricate himself.

In the end, the two sides broke up unhappily, and "Cripple Li" resolutely refused to return a penny on the grounds that he had already drunk it and the hen had been killed. The little white face was also angry and speechless for the time being. Five merchants went upstairs and rested at the Chase shop upstairs. "Cripple Li" went to the back to help the old lady clean up the hens, anyway, the hens had been killed, and they couldn't raise eggs. Regardless of whether the group of merchants eat or not, the money will never be returned to them anyway. If they don't eat the old hen, this fat and big old hen will eat it by itself. Since the accident in Xiaoyue Village, business has been light every day, and "Cripple Li" himself has not eaten chicken for a long time. I should take the opportunity to comfort myself. This chicken that has been paid for is not eaten for nothing, this is the only meat dish in the family. Thinking about it makes him drool, I don't know if it should be braised well, or stewed, or drunk chicken?

The five people upstairs did not rest immediately. The dark and strong one was cleaning up his luggage at the door, actually winding the wind to see if anyone was eavesdropping outside. The little guy was not in the room, and it turned out that he had jumped out of the window and gone to the village to inquire about the news. The old drunkard still fell asleep on the bed, not caring at all about everything here. Only the merchant who paid was left to sit face to face with the fiercest little white face, staring at the little one with big eyes. It seems that the two of them are angry about something.