The three of them discussed the news they had inquired about and ate, and then saw Ma Ming's figure.

Ma Ming was still in full military uniform, and Wang Qilin felt hot when he looked at it, but he didn't seem to be aware of it, and he was turning around the street under the scorching sun.

Xu Da beckoned him in and handed him a bowl of iced sour plum soup.

Ma Ming poured it down in one go, and drank more violently than Xie Toad.

After drinking one bowl, come up with another bowl.

After drinking three bowls in a row, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Comfortable! Thank you for the hospitality of the three adults!"

Wang Qilin asked him for bread and mutton, Ma Ming waved his hand and said, "No need, little second brother, bring me a bowl of cold water and five cakes." ”

"Let's eat the mutton with the bread. Wang Qilin helped him get the idea.

Ma Ming was a little embarrassed, and clenched his fists again and again: "Thank you, Lord Wang, thank you." ”

Wang Qilin smiled: "No thanks, we are our own people." ”

Ma Ming didn't understand the meaning of his smile, but when he was warm, his eyes were red with emotion.

When the bread and mutton were served, he swallowed it and said with a smile: "It's fragrant, it's really fragrant!"

Xu Da said dissatisfiedly: "Your brother's family didn't entertain you for a meal?"

Ma Ming's face darkened, and he said in a low voice: "My brother's daughter-in-law ran away with a mountain goods seller two years ago, leaving two babies to follow the old man, and there is a blind brother at home, they can't eat a full meal a day, and they say that they want to kill chickens for me, how dare I eat?"

Wang Qilin understood.

In these years, those who are willing to go to the frontier to serve as soldiers are all extremely difficult at home, and they want to rely on military merits to give themselves and their families a chance to change their lives.

However, the frontier is really dangerous, and most people go to the frontier and ultimately fail to change their lives, but lose their lives.

Ma Ming told them while eating that he came out at noon to see if there were any cattle sellers in the township: "The weather is comfortable in the morning and afternoon, and the business people are patient, and it is not easy to bargain, and everyone at noon is uncomfortable, so it is better to bargain." ”

Speaking of this, he was a little embarrassed, tightened the jacket on his chest and said, "There is not much money on his body, just enough to bargain for a calf." ”

Wang Qilin said: "Brother Ma, it is better to buy a mule for your brother's family to buy a cow, the price of the mule is low, you can walk the mountain road, your brother's family is either an old man or a child or a blind person, even if there is a cow to farm, it is difficult to work, it is better to buy a big green mule, let them do some small business of trafficking mountain goods and carrying people in and out." ”

Ma Ming was stunned and slapped his head: "Why am I so stupid? Why am I so stupid? I used to be too stupid to kill my brother, and now I am so stupid that I can't help my brother's family." ”

Xu Da hurriedly grabbed him: "Ma Ye, what are these words? You are just not as smart as my seventh master, but you are not ashamed to be as good as my seventh master. ”

"Xu Ye is a famous talent. Xie Toad added.

Ma Ming's mouth opened wide in surprise.

That's it?

Scholar?

Is there still Wu Xiucai now?

After eating, the four of them went to find cattle together, cattle are more expensive than mules, but big green mules are not cheap, not only Wang Qilin saw this business opportunity.

There are big green mules sold in the township market, and they cost eighty silver baht at one end.

Ma Ming only had seventy-five silver baht left on him, and Xu Da wanted to make it up for him, but he didn't want to die: "The three adults have already taken good care of me, and I can't be insatiable." It's okay, uncle, isn't it just five silver baht? I have the strength, I stay in the township for a few months, and I can always earn five silver baht. ”

Wang Qilin thought for a while and said, "Follow me." ”

He found Dou's business name and took out Dou Yulai's edict to show the shopkeeper.

Knowing that the three of them came to find Dou Dachun, the shopkeeper's answer was similar to Yu Yiwang.

Wang Qilin deliberately slapped the table in disappointment, full of authority, and then he said: "Shopkeeper, we need a mule now, do you have a good big green mule here?" ”

The shopkeeper said: "Lord Wang's words are out, why do you need to buy and sell? Since you need it, then I will pick the best one and give it to you." ”

Wang Qilin said solemnly: "This official never takes a stitch from the people, let alone a big animal? Besides, this official is not short of money, so why should he violate his conscience and the laws and regulations of the court to accept bribes? Just buy one, how much is it?"

The shopkeeper's admiration bowed his hand: "Lord Wang is honest, since this is the case, it is good to make a gold baht." ”

Wang Qilin plucked his ears and said, "A golden baht? The big green mule is so expensive? Otherwise, I don't want the best one, you can get me a one worth about seventy silver baht." ”

The shopkeeper suddenly pulled out a large heavy mule in the best condition and sold it to them for sixty-nine silver baht.

The quality of this mule was much better than what they had seen in the market, it was like a horse, with shiny fur and bright eyes, and the price of a gold baht was already cheap.

Ma Ming snorted: "Lord Wang, this is bullying the people, we can't do this kind of thing." ”

Wang Qilin said: "You think so, these businessmen usually bully the people, and now we are just asking for interest from them for the people." ”

Ma Ming shook his head, and finally he thought of a compromise method, asked for a piece of paper and made an IOU, and wrote his name crookedly with his left hand, and signed it.

Wang Qilin looked at it and nodded: This is very self-styled.

The four of them led the big mule out of Yiwang Township, and the location of his colleague Yao Wuxie's house was called Liangzi in the middle of the mountain, and it could be judged from the name that this place was on a mountainside.

They drove the mules for half an hour, and dozens of thatched and stone houses appeared on one of the mountainsides.

Ma Ming wiped his sweat and said embarrassedly: "It's almost there, I'm still tired of being accompanied by four adults, I'm ......."

"Needless to say, let's go find two sips of water to drink. "Xu sweated like rain.

Wang Qilin said with a smile: "Yes, needless to say, we don't have anything to do in the afternoon, just come out to take a look, this green mountains and green waters also have a unique style." ”

Yao Wuxie's house was easy to find, and they hung a white lantern at the door.

In the courtyard surrounded by branches, there were only some dried firewood and a dilapidated stone mill, two boys, one older and one young, sitting under the eaves eating the dates they had picked, and an old woman with a sad face.

Seeing the four people leading the big green mule into the door, the old woman didn't react for a while, and the older boy shook her shoulders and called her up.

The old woman wiped her face and hurriedly took out a wooden bowl to pour cold water for them: "Ma's benefactor, have you had lunch? Alas, my old man has gone to the tomb of innocence, or he should take you to the village for a good meal. ”

Ma Ming said: "I'm full, Grandma Hugh is going to be busy, I came this time to send an animal to your family." ”

Looking at the tied mule, the old woman was stunned, she trembled and pointed to the mule and said, "Send me an animal?"

Ma Ming nodded and told the old woman what Wang Qilin said.

The old woman asked three times repeatedly, and only after all of them were confirmed did she come back to her senses as if she had just woken up from a dream, and then knelt down for Ma Ming: "The benefactor of the Ma family, the benefactor of the Ma family, my innocent family has accumulated virtue in the previous life, and I can listen to orders with you in this life." The benefactor of the Ma family, the old woman kowtows to you, she must kowtow to you......"

Ma Ming helped her up and said: "This is what I should do, we brothers made an agreement when we were eating rice in a pot, I just fulfilled the agreement, I don't deserve to be thanked, and I can't stand your old kneeling." ”

The two dolls were very sensible, and they were overjoyed when they knew that the big green mule was their own, and hurriedly ran out with baskets to beat grass.

The four of them sat down under the shade of the tree to rest and had nothing to do, and Wang Qilin and the three of them discussed Dou Dachun's affairs again.

They said casually, and then a scrawny young man suddenly came out holding on to the door and asked, "Benefactors, but a friend is missing from our hometown?"

Hearing this, Wang Qilin was overjoyed, wouldn't it be such a coincidence, Yao Wuxie's family could have something to do with Dou Dachun?

He hurriedly took out Dou Dachun's portrait, and the young man shook his head: "I was born blind and couldn't see anything, I definitely haven't seen your missing friend, but you just said that he finally said in the letter that he went to listen to Xiaoqu?"

"Yes. ”

The young man was silent for a moment, and said in a low voice: "I know where he is, but I can't say it now, I can't tell you until my two nephews come back." ”