Fenghe County, Yunzhou Xiaoyi.

Although the city is small, there are many wealthy families in the city.

Especially in Dongyu Lane, the street is wide, the Zhu building is lined up, and on the bluestone street, the stone lion is drawn to ward off evil spirits and eliminate disasters, and welcome auspiciousness.

In such a wealthy place, there is naturally no shortage of merchants and shops around.

It is the street vendors who do not enter the stream, and they also smell the popularity and gather together.

In the leeward of the mouth of this Dongyu Lane, there is a soup cake stall, billowing steam, in this cold and cold wind, it looks particularly attractive.

No, a Taoist in Tsing Yi walked here, and after a little plate, he came straight and ordered a bowl.

The stall owner, a swarthy man with a turban, smelled the arrival of customers, took out the dough that had already been kneaded from the wooden basin, kneaded it like a chopstick, broke it one foot at a time, soaked it in cold water, and threw it into a boiling kettle.

Remove from the pan, sprinkle with a layer of chopped coriander, and a bowl of soup cakes is freshly baked.

It looks like a bit of a knife face.

"Here comes the soup cake!"

The soup cake was on the table, Mo Chuan picked up the chopsticks and took a closer look, there was a soup with finely chopped coriander floating under the water, calmly chunks of soup cakes, and a few pieces of lard flowers dotted with clear soup and little water, which looked really good.

However, he was also accustomed to the barrenness of the world.

After taking a sip, it was very smooth and beautiful, and he was surprised: "Master, is there an ingredient in this noodle?" ”

The stall owner was surprised when he heard this: "Yo, Dao Ye has a good tongue, and he can see it in one bite." Don't hide it, let's have this soup cake, but the fine silk sieve noodles are mixed with secret gravy, which can be called a must in Fenghe, and it is the old man of Dongyu Lane, and he is also a frequent visitor. ”

Before the stall owner finished speaking, there was a teasing voice from the diner next to him: "What delicacies from the mountains and seas can't be eaten, and you still come to eat your belly soup cakes?" Why haven't I seen it? ”

The stall owner was anxious: "Go and go, you know a fart, the old man can't fall down, so naturally he won't come, but people won't send domestic servants to come?" ”

The diner laughed, "Really? Tell me who they are? ”

The stall owner said, "Let's eat the bread, can I say this?" ”

It can be seen that the jokers should be old customers, and their words are presumptuous.

Mo Chuan heard the words and hit the snake with the stick: "Poor Dao looks at this street and alley quite magnificently, whose mansion is this?" ”

When the stall owner heard this, his face suddenly turned red: "Listen to the accent, Dao Ye is not a local, right?" ”

Mo Chuan said: "No, it's from Jizhou." ”

Stallholder: "No wonder! Speaking of this Dongyu Lane, it has a lot of origins......"

In the stall owner's eloquent conversation, Mo Chuan finally had a basic understanding of Dongyu Lane.

Especially the suspect who killed the woman in red - Master Zhaofu.

It is said that the lord of the Zhao Mansion was not a local gentry, but an official who moved from the left, and was subordinate to the Qing Officials Division, Ren Jin Cao, who was responsible for paying taxes on Fenghe agriculture and mulberry and salt and iron.

His position can be called fat, and he is very rich.

It is said that after only one year in Fenghe County, thousands of acres of fertile land were placed to teach people to speak.

These things that made the villagers envious and jealous, Mo Chuan was not interested.

However, the case of Yingying, the queen in red, which he was most concerned about, happened more than ten years ago, and the stall owner didn't even know about it.

I don't know if it's because the ugliness of the family can't be publicized, and the news was blocked by the Zhao Mansion?

Or did the woman in red kill all the murderers, but blocked the spread of news?

Mo Chuan inquired so far, and he had the intention to enter the mansion to catch an old man for inquiry, but he was afraid of startling the snake, so he could only give up for the time being.

After thinking about it, he simply went out of the city, summoned the monk of the lamp grass, stretched out his hand, and the size of the Ruyi blew up, making it as big as a child, and his cultivation increased dramatically.

"Zhao Mansion in the east of this city, there was a murder case about ten years ago, you and look for the nearby demons to inquire, remember, don't startle the snake, if there is news, hand offering incense to call me."

Mo Chuan commanded.

There are gods in the head.

The Zhao family can seal the parties, but they can't seal the local demons.

"Yes, Daoye."

The monk of Dengcao hurriedly surrendered and turned to leave.

Mo Chuan glanced at the sun, and after identifying the direction, he immediately adjusted his height with the technique of size and ruyi, and changed his appearance with the technique of spraying, and then walked away.

- He plans to take in the suspected murderer of the Zhao Mansion and take a look at the temple that the woman in red fears and hates!

This temple is located in Fenghe City to the west about seven miles, the name of Huitong Temple, it is rumored to be a thousand-year-old temple.

Halfway through, it happened that an old man was carrying vegetables and going west, Mo Chuan approached and asked: "Old man stays, dare to ask how to go to Huitong Temple?" ”

The old man was dressed in a robe, carrying a bamboo basket on his shoulder, and his movement was quite inconvenient.

Hearing this, the whole person turned around, and when he saw Mo Chuan, he smiled and said, "Coincidentally, the old man is about to deliver food to Huitong Temple!" ”

Mo Chuan was overjoyed: "Oh, it's really a coincidence, just a companion." ”

The old man smiled: "Medium! ”

Mo Chuan glanced at the bamboo basket and asked, "What kind of dish did the old man send in this cold winter?" ”

"Coriander, the master in the temple loves to eat."

Coriander, the Chinese herb of the Hu people.

Coriander too!

"Yo, the temple is rich, and you can still eat fresh vegetables in the cold winter?"

"Not really!"

The old man didn't hear the sarcasm in Mo Chuan's words, and said proudly:

"Dao Ye doesn't know, the field in Zichoupo is all planted with coriander, not to mention that the monks in the temple love to eat, we also love to eat. This coriander is a good thing, hardy, not picky, chopped and mixed with crushed peanuts, sprinkled with some condiments, tsk, fragrant. ”

Mo Chuan said: "It sounds like there are a lot of blessings in the temple? ”

The old man said with a smile: "Yes, yes, from Zichou Slope in the north to the foot of Shoushan Mountain in the south, it is estimated that there can be 10,000 acres of fertile land, all of which are from Huitong Temple." ”

Mo Chuan was shocked in his heart: "These 10,000 acres of fertile land have all been returned to Huitong Temple, so what are the nearby farmers doing?" ”

"Sharecroppers, of course?"

The old man looked natural, and sighed: "Bodhisattva bless, those lands used to belong to the lord of the city, but now they are well, and they have returned to Huitong Temple and become a blessed field." Every year, I paid the rent grain, and the rest was not only enough for the old snacks at home, but also a lot of miles left! ”

Mo Chuan took a slight breath when he heard this, and faintly guessed a little truth.

"By the way, what is the Taoist doing in Huitong Temple?"

"Find someone."

“……”

In the midst of the small talk, the old man gestured forward.

"Huitong Temple has arrived."

Mo Chuan looked up and saw a red-walled and yellow-tiled building, located at the foot of the mountain, shining in the sun.

When he got here, the old man parted ways with Mo Chuan.

——It is not only to deliver food, but also to have its own back door to answer.

Mo Chuan stepped on the mountain road alone, and when he got closer, he subconsciously stopped, looked up at the couplets next to the door, and subconsciously chanted.

"When he opened his mouth, he smiled, the ancient smiled, and now everything is laughed; The big belly can tolerate everything in the world. ”

"It's a good mood!"

In front of the temple, tourists come in twos and threes.

looked at Mo Chuan, who was dressed in green clothes, and cast strange eyes.

Even the little novice in front of the door approached in surprise, and read the Buddha's name with his palms together: "Amitabha, dare to ask if you are a visitor or a general counselor?" ”

Mo Chuan arched his hand and said: "The poor road is a Taoist priest who travels to the treasure land, and I heard that the believers in Futian of your temple are quite yearning, so I came to worship." ”

When the little novice heard this, he smiled: "It turns out that the Buddha is here, please go inside!" ”

Mo Chuan bowed his head and stepped in.

Huitong Temple covers an area of quite large, the buildings are like clouds, and there are many dazzling colors.

Under the leadership of Xiao Shami, Mo Chuan entered the Buddhist temple and visited it at will.

Not long after, an old monk came to replace the little novice, during which he inevitably made various side knocks.

Mo Chuan answered all the answers.

After a visit, Mo Chuan praised it, and then said goodbye and left.

Re-entering Fenghe County, Mo Chuan suddenly found that this small town was so dilapidated.

The walls are mottled, the masonry is crumbling, and the roads in the city are muddy.

Compared with the splendid Huitong Temple, I don't know who is the county seat and who is the Green Lantern Buddha Temple in a trance?

"Dao Chief...... The Taoist ......"

Timid cries came from behind him.

When I looked back, I saw an old beggar with unkempt hair and no distinction between men and women, leading a thin child, with a smile on his face.

Seeing this, Mo Chuan hurriedly reached into his sleeve, took out a small string of copper coins and handed it over.

I don't want to, this old beggar waved his hand again and again, and his old face turned red: "Dao Chief, I don't want money, can I, I ask you something?" ”

Mo Chuan said: "But it doesn't hurt to say it. ”

The old beggar looked embarrassed and said, "Can the Taoist still accept apprentices?" No, no, no, it's okay to take a little novice, I just look at the Taoist chief alone, it's hard work! This is my son, willing to endure hardships, with great strength, let him follow the Taoist, serve tea and pour water, everything, really. ”

The old beggar smiled all over his face, spoke incoherently, and pushed the child in front of Mo Chuan.

The child lowered his head and looked at the open-mouthed cotton shoes, not daring to look at Mo Chuan, he was very cramped.

Mo Chuan waved his hand and refused: "Poor roads are all over the world, and one person is used to being alone, and he doesn't accept apprentices!" ”

The old beggar was anxious: "The long way, my son can really endure hardships, you see this cold winter wax moon, there are many envoys around him......"

Mo Chuan stretched out his hand to stop the old beggar's sales: "Don't say more, the poor Dao heard that the Futian of Huitong Temple is good, you might as well be a tenant farmer, take this money, save a province, and stay up until the summer rent, it shouldn't be a problem." ”

The old beggar looked at the hanging of money handed over by Mo Chuan, and suddenly burst into tears, stretched out his hand to take it, looked down at the baby, and froze in mid-air.

"Dao, Taoist, I am a local, I know Huitong Temple Futian, but they don't want tenant farmers, I, I really have no way, I starve to death and don't worry, I can't let my incense be broken!"

Mo Chuan frowned when he heard this: "No, Huitong Temple Futian Wanqing, how can there be a shortage of people?" ”

The old beggar became more and more sad when he heard this, wiped the corners of his eyes and said: "I didn't lie to the Taoist, the Futian of Huitong Temple is true, but there are many tenant farmers!" They were able to harvest a small amount of land rent, and the tenant farmers were willing to plough more, and those who received ten acres were considered less, and those who received more received twenty acres. ”

Mo Chuan understood.

This is the scourge of involution.

Two people did the work of five people and received three people's money.

"Dao Chief, take the dog's eggs, don't look at him as thin as he looks, he really has a lot of strength."

After the old beggar finished speaking, he worked hard to sell the doll.

The boy still kept his head down and didn't squeak, and the wood was like a log.

Mo Chuan looked at it and sighed.

"There are so many rich families in Dongyu Lane, why should the laymen only look at the poor road?"

"No matter how rich the rich man is, he has to pay taxes, how can he be as free as the Taoist chief? Dao Chief, Dao Chief, my doll has been washed, no worse than that female Jiao'e......"

The old man said, spitting into the palm of his hand, and was about to rub the doll's face.

Mo Chuan felt a chill in his heart, threw down a drop of money, turned around and left.

"Dao Chief...... The Taoist ......"

The old man was in a hurry, and when he lowered his head to pick up the money, Mo Chuan had already disappeared.

Turning a street corner, Mo Chuan breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart became heavier and heavier.

Just then, a flame of incense came and interrupted his gloomy melancholy.

Looking at the incense, it was the monk of the lamp grass sent to inquire about the news.

He then walked to the dark alley, looked left and right, and saw that no one was passing by, and his figure flashed, and he escaped into the sacrificial furnace.

In the temple of the god of cultivation, the monk of the lamp grass, who was involved in a wisp of incense, was curiously looking around, and when he saw Mo Chuan suddenly appear, he was shocked, and hurriedly bowed.

"Master Dao, the news you want the little monk to inquire about, the little monk has found out clearly."

"Oh, let's hear it."

"Yes!"

The monk of Dengcao hurriedly heard the news and said it in 1510.

"Back to Daoye, about fourteen years ago, there was indeed a case in Zhao Mansion in Fenghe County, no, it was a series of murders."

"This is caused by the red-clothed ghost, so the local demon memory is quite new."

"It is said that the red-clothed ghost only kills one person every night, quite regularly. No matter where the victim flees, he will be killed and brought back to the Zhao Mansion......"

The lamp grass monk painted the sound and color to describe it.

"Can you find out where that red-clothed ghost came from?"

"Got it figured out."

As soon as the monk was happy in his heart, he knew that it was definitely not an ordinary thing for Dao Ye to ask him to investigate things.

Sure enough, when he heard the red-clothed ghost, he realized that the root cause must be in the red-clothed ghost, and naturally explored the red-clothed ghost and his feet clearly.

"It is said that the red-clothed ghost was originally Fenghe Zhao Jincao's personal maidservant, and by mistake, he moved Hongluan. No, that Mrs. Zhao Jincao is a jealous person, after knowing this, in front of Zhao Jincao, she rewarded the maid to the housekeeper......"

When the monk of the lamp grass said the back, he already stammered.

After following the master for a long time, he naturally found out how much of the master's temperament, what he can say and what he can't say, he has a spectrum in his heart.

"Has the news ever been true?"

Sure enough, before he finished speaking, Mo Chuan asked expressionlessly.

"What the Taoist master ordered, the little monk didn't dare to slack off, and asked a lot of monsters on the side, basically eight or nine are not far from ten."

Mo Chuan bowed his head, took a deep breath, bent his fingers and popped out a wisp of incense, and left the Cultivation Temple.

"Thank you for your gift!"

The monk of the lamp grass hurriedly bowed solemnly to the empty desk, and then slowly withdrew from the temple of the cultivation god.

It's just that the eyes are not honest and look around, and they have no heart.

……

……

Coming to Huitong Temple again, Mo Chuan looked at the red walls and yellow tiles of Huitong Temple, and felt that it was very eye-catching.

"Dao Chief, why did you go and come back?"

Seeing Mo Chuan, the little novice guarding the door, hurriedly stepped forward and asked.

- Mo Chuan's previous praise made him remember it vividly, and he naturally recognized it at a glance.

"Poor Dao heard about an old incident in the city, and he was a little puzzled, so he wanted to ask the abbot to solve his doubts, and asked the master to report it."

Mo Chuan said gently.

"This ......"

The little novice looked hesitant.

At this time, it is almost dusk, the pilgrims are gone, and the temple is ready to close its doors.

At this time, it is not ...... Coming to the fasting meal?

If this is reported, I am afraid that I will be scolded by the masters and will not refuse.

Mo Chuan saw that Xiao Shami showed hesitation, and with a wave of his hand, he summoned a gust of wind, which blew the sand and rocks in front of the temple.

Seeing this, Xiao Shami was stunned, retreated again and again, and said in a panic: "Wait a minute, the little monk will report to Yamato." ”

(End of chapter)