This time, Chen Tie felt a blow to the whole stomach area, and it seemed that Mrs. Cocknal was not indifferent, for she was about to speak: "If our cousin finds out that we have treated him badly, he will not come again, but, then again, he has lived too little in Paris, so he has too little time to visit us, and therefore we cannot ask him to give us almost all the time at his disposal before he leaves." ”

"Oh, my legs, my poor legs, where have you all gone?" murmured Koknar, smiling as hard as he could.

Just when Chen Tie's long-awaited meal was attacked, Mrs. Cocknall brought him these words to relieve the siege, and this rescue made the musketeers feel extremely 'excited' about him.

Dinner time is coming soon. Everyone walked into the dining room, which was a 'dark' room across from the kitchen.

The clerks seemed to have smelled the unusual scent of their home for a long time, and they were like punctual soldiers, each holding a small square stool in his hand, ready to sit down at any time. The first thing people see, their jaws twist horribly.

"Damn!" Chen Tie said to himself as he glanced at the three hungry ghosts, and it was conceivable that the little messenger was not allowed to enjoy the honor of this solemn meal. "Damn, if I were my cousin, I wouldn't have left any of these ghosts, like a starving ghost who fell into the sea without food for six weeks. ”

Mrs. Koknar walked in in a wheelchair, and Chen Tie stepped forward to help her push her husband all the way to the table.

As soon as Corknar entered the dining room, he squirmed his nose and chin like a little clerk.

"Ahh

"Hell, what special smell did they smell from the soup?" said Chen Tie at the sight of the faint, full, but very muddy hot soup, and a few slices of bread crust that were so rare that they could be counted floated on the soup noodles like several isolated islands in the archipelago.

Mrs. Cocknar smiled, then gestured, and everyone sat down hastily.

Mr. Cocknall was the first to receive the soup, followed by Chen Tie, then Mrs. Cocknar filled her plate, and finally she distributed the crust to the clerk who was impatient.

At this moment, the big 'door' of the restaurant creaked open, and through the gap between the two 'doors' that were half-opened and half-hidden, Chen Tie caught a glimpse of the little clerk who could not participate in the feast, munching on his bread with the double delicacy wafting from the kitchen and the dining room.

After the soup was finished, the maid brought a boiled old hen, and feasted luxuriously, so that the diners' swollen eyelids seemed to be ready to crack at any moment.

"It is evident that you love your kinsman, Mrs. Cocknell," said the attorney ad litem with a smile that bordered on sorrow, "and this is indeed a duty you dedicate to your cousin. ”

The poor old hen was emaciated, wrapped in a thick skin with fine 'hairy' stubble, and never pierced it, despite all the strength of the bone. It probably took a long time to find and 'touch' such a 'chicken', and finally found it hiding on the 'chicken' rack waiting for its death.

"Hell," Chen Tie pondered, "I'm a disappointment! I respect the elderly, and I don't pay attention to boiling or roasting old things." ”

So he looked around to see if he agreed, but, contrary to what he thought, all he saw was a pair of shining eyes, which were already devouring the noble but despised old hen.

Madame Cocknar drew the 'chicken' plate to herself, deftly removed the two large black claws, and placed them on her husband's plate, cut off the neck of the chicken and set it aside with the head of the chicken, tore off one of the wings and gave it to Bo' Toth, and then, handing almost all the rest to the 'maidess' who had just brought the chicken, before the musketeers had time to examine the frustration they felt according to their respective 'sex' and temper, and the changes brought to each face, the 'chicken' which had been almost completely removed disappeared without a trace.

The next dish is not a small tender 'chicken', but a plate of broad beans is served to the table. This is a large dinner plate, and in the plate, there are a few pretending to be sheep bones, and at first glance, people think that there are a few pieces of mutton 'meat'.

However, the clerks were not 'blinded' by this illusion, and their sad faces turned into helpless looks.

Mrs. Corknal, with the steadiness of a good family 'woman' and 'daughter', gave the dish to the young people.

When it was his turn to serve the wine, Corknar took the tiny stoneware vase, poured a third of the wine into each young man's glass, and poured about the same amount of wine into his own glass, and then handed the bottle to 'Bo' Toth and Mrs. Cochnall.

The young men poured water into the third of the wine, and then, halfway through it, filled their cups to the brim, and kept doing so, and at the end of the meal they drank the wine from a bright red 'color' like ruby to a pale yellow 'color' like yellow 'jade'.

Chen Tie timidly gnawed on his 'chicken' wings, and he trembled when he felt the knee of the attorney's wife under the table always touch his knee. He also drank half a glass of this cherished wine, which he tasted as unpleasant from 'Mont' Treuil. The well-trained palate is amazing.

Mr. Kochnar sighed as he poured the pure wine.

"Can you eat more of these broad beans, my cousin Chen Tie?" said Mrs. Cocknell, and the tone meant, "Believe me, don't eat that."

"To hell, I won't taste that thing!" Chen Tie snorted. Then he said in a loud voice:

"Thanks, my cousin, I'm not hungry anymore. ”

A moment of silence followed: Chen Tie was at a loss.

The attorney ad litem chattered, "Ah, Mrs. Cochnall, I congratulate you, this dinner of yours is a feast worthy of the name." Oh my God, have I ever eaten it?"

Mr. Cocknar had already finished his share of soup, a pair of jet-black 'chicken' feet, and a lamb's bone with only a little 'meat'.

Chen Tie thought that someone else was tricking him, so he began to blow his beard and frown, while Mrs. Cocknell's knees gently told him to be patient.

This silence, this interruption of the serving, was incomprehensible to Botos, but it meant a lot to the clerks: with a glance from the attorney ad litem, and a smile from the attorney's wife, they slowly stood up from the table, folded their napkins again, and bowed out of the dining room.

"Let's go, young man, and go and digest while you work. The agent ad litem said solemnly.

When the clerks were gone, Mrs. Cochnar stood up and took out a piece of 'milk' cheese, some papaya sauce, and a piece of cake she had made with almonds and honey from a cupboard.

Koknar's brow furrowed as he saw that there were too many dishes to be brought out, while Chen Tie tightened his lips because he saw that there was nothing to eat for dinner.

He looked at the plate of broad beans and saw if it was still there, and the plate of broad beans was long gone.

"It's obviously a feast," said Koknar in his chair as he stirred loudly, "a feast worthy of its name!"

Chen Tie looked at the wine bottle next to him, and he hoped that as long as there was wine, bread and 'milk' cheese, this dinner would be served. But the wine was gone, and the bottle was empty, and neither of the Koconalf 'women' seemed to be aware of it.

"Okay," Chen Tie thought to himself, "because of a prejudice against me. ”

He stuck out his tongue and 'licked' it on the spoon full of jam, his teeth stuck with the sticky treats made by Mrs. Cocknell.

"Now," he said to himself, "it's a dead deal." Alas, it would have been worse if he hadn't expected to go with Mrs. Cocknar to see what was hidden in her husband's great cabinet!"

After enjoying what he called a well-fed meal, Kochnar felt the need for an afternoon nap. Chen Tie wanted him to sleep in the dining room on the spot, but the damned agent ad litem didn't agree at all and insisted on taking him to his room, and he yelled that it would be safer not to put him in front of the cabinet, but to put his feet on the edge of the cabinet.

The attorney's wife led Bo' to the next room, and the parties began to put forward the basic terms of the settlement.

"You can come here for three meals a week. Mrs. Koknar said with a shallow sweet smile, looking at Chen Tie's somewhat lost chubby cheeks.

"Thank you," Chen Tie immediately showed a polite smile and replied, "I don't like to drag it out, besides, I still have to think about my equipment." ”

"Not bad," said the attorney's wife calmly, "is the unfortunate equipment." ”

"Alas, yes," Chen Tie frowned slightly and said, "That's it." ”

"But what exactly does your team's equipment consist of, Mr. Chen Tie?" asked the attorney's wife as she restrained the smile on her face.

"Oh, including a lot of things," Chen Tie rolled his eyes twice, thought for a moment and said, "You know, the musketeers are 'elite' soldiers, and they need a lot of items, and these items are useless to the Janissaries and the Swiss soldiers. ”

"Please be specific to me. The attorney's wife continued to ask.

"It may be ......" Chen Tie stopped, he would rather mention the total than the fraction.

The wife of the agent ad litem looked at Chen Tie's 'scary' and 'touch' look, and waited tremblingly.

"How much?" asked the attorney's wife, who had a clear look of concern on her face, "I hope it doesn't exceed ......," she paused as she said this, and the words were gone.

"Oh, no," said Chen Tie, "it won't be more than two thousand five hundred livres, and even I thought that if I saved some, five hundred silver coins, I would be out of trouble." ”

"God, five hundred silver coins!" cried the attorney's wife, almost as she cried, "that's a lot of money!"

'Bo' Toth grimaced meaningfully, and Mrs. Kochnar immediately understood.

"The reason why I ask to be more specific," said the attorney's wife in a 'very' serious tone, "is because I have many relatives and many conveniences in the business world, and I am almost certain that I will get 100 percent of the things and the price will be cheaper than if you had bought them yourself." ”

"Ahh

"Yes, dear Mr. Chen Tie, do you have to have a horse first?" asked the attorney's wife.

"yes, a horse. Chen Tie replied.

"Cheng, it just so happens that I have one on hand. The agent's wife's face, which had just been nervous, was now slightly relaxed.

"Ah!" said the jubilant Chen Tie, "and the question of the horse has been solved without any problems, and secondly, I need a complete set of saddle bridles, which the musketeers themselves can buy, and which will not exceed fifty silver coins." ”

"Fifty silver coins, then 'spend' fifty silver coins," said the attorney's wife with a sigh.

Chen Tie began to smile. It is remembered that he had just 'gotten' a saddle from Buckingham, that was to say, that the fifty silver coins had been neatly and securely tucked into his pocket.

"Besides," Chen Tie continued, "there's also a horse and my suitcase, and as for weapons, you don't need to worry about them, I have them." ”

"'Get' a horse for your henchman?" asked the attorney's wife hesitantly, "what a big guy, my dear." ”

"Whew!" Chen Tie said proudly, "Did I suddenly become a hillbilly?"

"No, I'm just telling you that a good mule is sometimes just as good as a horse, and I think it's ...... to 'get' a good mule for your Muskedon."

"Okay, just find a good mule," said Chen Tie, "and you have a point; I have seen some big guys, and all their retinues are riding mules. But in that case, you know, Madame Cocknell, the mule will have a feather ornament on its head and a bell around its neck. ”

"Rest assured," said the attorney's wife.

"The rest is the suitcase. Chen Tie continued.

"Oh, don't worry," said Mrs. Cochnall, "my husband has five or six suitcases, and you can pick the best one, and one of them is his favorite when he travels, and one is big enough to fit in the whole world." ”

"So your suitcase is empty?" asked Chen Tie with an innocent expression.

"It's definitely empty. The wife of the agent ad litem also replied innocently.

"Well, the suitcase I need is a full suitcase, my dear. Chen Tie frowned and said dissatisfied.

Mrs. Cocknell let out a few more numb sighs when she heard him.

In the end, the rest of the equipment was bargained for in the same way, and as a result, the attorney's wife lent her husband one hundred and fifty silver coins and provided one mule and one horse, and had the honor of honoring Chen Tie and his servants.

After these conditions had been determined, and the interest and repayment dates had been confirmed, Chen Tie took his farewell to Mrs. Cocknell. The latter frequently sent Qiu 'Bo' to the former, and was bent on leaving him behind, but Chen Tie excused himself by saying that he was on official business and the military situation was urgent, so the wife of the agent ad litem had no choice but to give in to the king.

Afterwards, Chen Tie returned to his residence with hunger and a very bad mood.