Dingxi Territory, Dingzhou, Northwest Border, Jiying Town.

In the northwest, the beginning of spring is always lagging behind. The Central Plains has long since sprouted new leaves, but it has not yet budded here.

It was only after March 3 that the river thawed slightly.

The mist was steaming, enveloping the town.

Viewed from the high ground, this scene looks like a fairyland in a painting. The fog obscured all the barrenness, the misery, the blood, and all the other sordid and cruel deeds.

Boundaries, dangers and opportunities alternate between three or seven open.

Years of rebellion. As long as the grassland royal court still wants to enter the main pass, there will be no peace here. In such a world, even hoarding rags can make a fortune, let alone these caravans coming and going inside and outside the world.

Not a single grass grows on the land. A grain of rat droppings is as rare and rare as a bowl of rice porridge.

What is surprising is that there is a Xiangteng restaurant in such a place. At this point, Jiying Town can even be on an equal footing with all state capitals in the world. And at the door of it stands a jet-black and glowing Zhuma Stone, which will not be forgotten by anyone who has been here.

Because its color is so special.

Black purple red, black pan gold.

Before the opening of Xiangteng Restaurant, it was originally a small restaurant. However, there is no plaque, only an apricot-colored wine sign is hung on the stone pillar at the door.

It was also this year that the Grassland King began to commit offences. The old and weak women and children in the town who could not escape were all cut to death under this stone pillar.

Soon after the king of Dingxi sent troops to fight, a new treasurer took over the place. After the signboard was hung up, everyone knew that this was the world-famous Xiangteng Restaurant.

The shopkeeper asked Mr. Feng Shui to measure the direction, and completely redecorated it inside and out, saying that it was a bad fortune. But only the stone pillar, Mr. Feng Shui asked the shopkeeper to be removed, but he refused.

"Just stand there, and be a resident of the guest officers who come and go. ”

Next to the Xiangteng Inn, there is a stall for writing letters.

The letterheads spread out on the table were pressed with reddish-brown paperweights, and three pens of different lengths and thicknesses were neatly placed on the mountain-shaped Beacon Mountain, like three sharp swords, with sharp and round keys. Behind the case sat an old scholar surnamed Zhang.

It's different from other rotten people.

This man is usually full of swearing.

Wearing a ragged cotton robe. The front cuffs had been tasseled, and they were stained with oil and ink. There is no sense of harmony between a pair of broad hands and the delicate pen and paper on the table.

Every evening, he didn't bother to put away the stall, so he went to the Xiangteng restaurant on the side to order a pot of wine, order a few side dishes, and then learn to babble and sing on the stage.

Although there are no sages, they live freely. Especially the line of grass that has poured a lot of effort into it, even the governor of the Dingzhou Mansion and even the state governor have sent people to ask for words with their names.

Whenever someone saw his words, they all asked him why he didn't want to fight for fame but live here.

The old scholars were silent.

Over time, the townspeople called him "pedant".

"Little Er!"

Today, just after noon.

Zhang Xuexue strode into the restaurant.

The big slap of the pu fan slammed on the table, and the shaking dishes and chopsticks trembled a few times.

"Yo! Pedants are here early!"

The shopkeeper, who was busy behind the account desk, immediately rushed out when he heard the sound.

A snow-white towel was placed on his shoulder, his back hunched, and he quickly dusted off the dust on the chair with his sleeve.

This little two came with the new treasurer.

The white and pure face was not affected by the wind and sand in the northwest, and the small height ran around the hall like a small whirlwind every day. A pair of eyes swirled and ears pricked forward. Although I don't see the fortune, I have never missed an order.

"The sun is so poisonous! It's better to have a pot of wine. ”

"Okay! Set the table for Zhang Xuexue! A pot of sake, with three side dishes!"

Xiao Er shouted at the room behind the counter. The tone is subdued and abrupt, and it doesn't feel harsh at all.

"I don't know if the pedant will pay cash today or continue to ......"

"How much do I owe you this time?"

"You drink tea and sweat first, and I'll do the math for you. ”

The crackling sound of the abacus made the tea in the teacup ripple slightly.

"Pedant, plus this time, a total of sixteen taels and seven dollars. Today is the fifth day of the first month of March, even if you are fifteen or two, the rest of the right should be filial to you. ”

Xiao Er turned over the ledger loudly as he spoke, and Zhang Xuezhu squinted his eyes to take a closer look, but he had already closed the ledger.

"Ahem, do you have pen and paper?"

"I'll go to the stall and get it for you!" Xiao Er was excited when he heard this.

"This old man's words are more than a dozen taels, and he went back to tell the shopkeeper to take a leave and go to Dingzhou Mansion to sell it. There is still a lot of money left over to fill his credit, enough for me to be chic for a few days. It also saves me from being terrified every night. ”

Just as Xiao Er was thinking about how to sell this word at a good price, Zhang Xuejiu didn't start writing for a long time.

Without paying attention, a drop of ink has fallen from the tip of the pen.

The peach blossoms on the paper were dyed into black plums.

I want to slowly blur around again, devouring pure white.

Xiao Er looked up differently. I saw this pedant staring at the paper on the table, his beard spitting, his eyes red, and his eyes cracked.

It seems that this paper has a hatred for killing his wife and taking his son.

The nib of the pen is still shaking.

The second drop of ink is about to fall again.

Writing is the same as practicing a sword, and the hands must not be shaken.

In the duel of masters, the swordsman died on the spot with a slight deviation of the sword, and the writer was ruined with a slight tremble.

Xiao Er had never seen Zhang Xuezhi look like this. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't make a sound with my mouth open.

between the electric light and flint.

Zhang Xuexue's wrist flicked outward slightly, and his palm was tense like an eagle's claw. The green tendons on the back of the hand bulged, but disappeared in an instant. It's like going back to basics, becoming one.

This hand, at this time, has been perfectly matched with the pen.

Before the second drop of ink is about to fade off the paper, the tip of the pen has already written it vertically.

"Last night, the autumn wind entered the Han Pass, and the moon was full of the West Mountain by the clouds. Even more urging the flight will chase the arrogant, and don't send the battlefield back. ”

Xiao Er looked at the words on the paper, without any previous feeling of joy.

I only felt that the words on the paper hurt his eyes.

"Pedant, if you are willing to write a pair of such words to the little one every day, this wine fat chicken will be ready for you at all times, and you will not be charged a penny. ”

Xiao Er blinked his somewhat sour eyes vigorously, tried to pull the corners of his mouth, and pretended to laugh lightly. His voice was a little hoarse.

"Fuck off Lao Tzu, I don't have a lot of spare time! Don't ramble here, and go and change wine!"

The pedant removed the paperweight and raised his hand.

Instantly, it was the demeanor of entering the door again.

After a while, it was getting late.

Zhang Xuezhi was already a little fluttering.

At this time, he was chewing peanuts and singing in his throat.

The people around him sweated for him, for fear that he would suck a broken peanut into his throat and suffocate the old man.

This is the first thing I saw when I walked into the Iwako of the restaurant.

As soon as he crossed the threshold, the sound of horses' hooves sounded outside the door.

Nervous and excited, sonorous and positive.

But it was soon drowned out by the cheers that followed.

Except for Zhang Xuexue, no one paid attention.

"Look, Miss Li Yun is downstairs!"

The people who were originally in the play suddenly became agitated.

Even Zhang Xuexue put away the eunuch's voice and glanced towards the corner of the stairs.

A girl in a navy blue gauze skirt in her twenties.

There was a faint smile on his face.

Stop in the middle of the stairs.

Her gaze swept over every corner of the room, over everyone's face. The greedy, flattering faces came into mind, turning into a gray undercurrent blocking the chest.

The wings of her nose opened slightly, and she took a deep breath.

Let this dark surge in the chest expel along with the turbid breath exhaled. The rest is scattered in the internal organs.

"It's really neat to come today. ”

"Little second brother, give a pot of wine to all the guest officers present at each table. Hang on my account. ”

Li Yun said, walking the remaining half of the stairs.

Everyone in the hall was cautious, pretending to be respectful and hoping that she would "appreciate her face" and have a drink with her. Wait for tomorrow. Not to mention Jiying Town, even Dingzhou Mansion estimates that half of the people know that Miss Li Yun drank a glass of wine with her.

But Li Yun didn't mean to sit down.

Like a butterfly picking a flower to stop at, she lukewarmly accepted everyone's compliments as she went back and forth between the tables.

Suddenly, her eyes were fixed on the doorway.

A young man dressed as a ranger, with his feet just crossed the threshold, was staring blankly at the cheerful crowd in the hall.

"What a handsome young man, his eyes were as clean as satin washed in the moonlight. Li Yun was shocked.

The southeast corner of the hall

"Uncle, I don't know if I can share a table with you!"

The young man who had just appeared at the door clasped his fists and smiled. deliberately raised his voice very high, as rough as the old rivers and lakes.

Without waiting for Zhang Xuexue to respond, he sat down on his own. I picked up the wine on the table and poured it up.

"Why do you want to drink Lao Tzu's wine?"

Zhang Xuezhi asked sharply.

Even the nearby tables stretched out their inquiring eyes.

“......”

The young man secretly said that it was not good in his heart, and subconsciously touched the burden. There is a thin booklet inside, which is full of records of the strange things in the rivers and lakes, many rules, doorways, and incisions of speech. The first article reads: Jianghu people must not be gentle and frugal. There is a saying that all the lakes and the four seas are brothers, and the meeting in Pingshui is fate, and casual and free is the most important. The more arrogant and complacent, the more heroic he is. The more it looks like an old man who has traveled south and north and seen the world and the big battles.

"Did you misunderstand, or did you go too far?"

The boy was at a loss for a while.

"Zhang Xuexuan, Miss Li Yun sends wine!" Xiao Er shouted and put two pots of wine on the table.

"The kid was just reckless, and I salute the old man here. There is a way that Pingshui is a brother, and meeting in this great world is fate!"

The boy paused.

"Where did you come from? I don't look at how many pounds and taels of hair I have on my mouth, so I call Zhang Xueji a brother here. Hey, if this old man is more serious, see how he ends. ”

The chatter at the adjacent table entered the young man's ears, and the wine in the glass was only halfway in his mouth. It is not for him to swallow, and it is not for Han. The spicy taste spread from the tip of the tongue to the throat and then into the nose, and finally mixed with tears spurted out.

"Don't be so anxious about this little brother, why do you have to grab a drink after a long night?"

Li Yun walked softly to the young man's side.

She held her face in her hands and propped her elbows on the table. The whole body went forward. Under the thin gauze skirt, the lines of the back and hips are exposed. Extremely seductive and at the same time playful. Suddenly, a stream of fat powder mixed with the woman's body fragrance overshadowed the smell of wine and drilled into the young man's nose, and unscrupulously bubbled up on his head. The young man wiped the corners of his mouth with his sleeve, and unconsciously moved his body to the side. Li Yun saw that the bench next to the young man showed a vacancy, so he sat down.

"This little white face is really a good life!"

"Yes, last time I gave Miss Li Yun a string of beads from the East China Sea, she just said thank you lightly. Didn't invite me in to sit and have a cup of tea. ”

"Where is the little brother from?"

Li Yun asked casually. also poured himself a glass of wine and helped Zhang Xueyu fill it up. Her afterglow never left the boy.

"I'm from the east. ”

"One of the taboos: never divulge your true information. The more vague and probable it is, the more it can confuse others and make them seem mysterious. The boy said, and this item from the pamphlet came to mind. I was very proud.

"Dongbian, then you are from the territory of King Anton?"

Li Yun broke the casserole and asked to the end.

"Haha, sort of. ”

"Isn't it? Isn't it possible, can you still be a person from the altar court? Judging by your appearance, you won't be a subordinate of the mountain master. ”

"Hmm...... The east side is not necessarily the people of King Anton's territory. ”

"Wow, it turns out that the little brother is from the middle capital. Disrespectful and disrespectful, I don't know why the little brother doesn't enjoy the blessings in the middle capital, but he wants to come to this poor and remote place of war."

The young man was secretly frightened, she didn't say anything, how did she guess that she was from the middle capital.

"You think, you said that you came from the east, then compared to the territory of the King of Dingxi here, isn't the easternmost East China Sea? There is only Yuntai above the East China Sea, but the people of Yuntai will never come inland. Further inside are the territories of King Anton and the altar court. There are also three mountains: Mt. Bing, Mt. Doosan, and Mt. Jisan. The little brother looks so handsome, he will definitely not be a strange beast in the three mountains. As for the altar...... The people who came out of that strange place are all weird, and you're naturally not, little brother. However, you went on to say that the east side is not necessarily the territory of King Anton, and if you exclude this, there will only be Taishang River and Zhongdu City along the east line, so you must be the territory of King Qingzhong, the center of the world, and the capital city in the center of the world. ”

Li Yun seemed to see the doubts in his heart. In fact, when the young man's brows furrowed slightly, she knew that she had guessed correctly.

"Why can't I be a person from Taishanghe?"

"The people of Taishang River live in water boats all year round, and they all have a slight musty smell on their bodies. And the walking posture is also different from that of ordinary people. What's more, you came on horseback, and anyone with a little knowledge knows that people who are too far on the river never ride horses and can't ride horses. Zhang Xuezhu said with a wine glass.

"This old gentleman must have been well-informed. ”

The young man looked at Zhang Xuezhi and said with some envy.

"Speak slowly and methodically, be calm and objective. This is the old rivers and lakes in the big people. ”

"Every person everywhere has its own qualities, and this quality is imprinted in your blood and bones, and no matter how hard you try, you can't change it. Maybe you can cover it up for the most part, but it will still be revealed inadvertently over time. ”

"May I ask you, sir, what are the characteristics of different regions?"

The boy asked. Li Yun also tilted his head to listen. The spirit of the neighboring tables was also focused on Zhang Xuexue.

"The king of the five kings is the strongest of the five kings, so he can sit in the middle capital. Therefore, the people who came out of Zhongdu City have a kind of simplicity that does not understand the world and is arrogant. Your kid's arrogance is well concealed, but the simplicity of not knowing the world but pretending to be sophisticated is exposed. As for the people in the territory of King Anton, because they are located on the coast, they all have a smell of saltiness of the sea. Moreover, the coastal trade is developed, and there are nine merchants in ten people. Therefore, the people over there still have a strong smell of money. The brain is also calculating, and he is careful in his work. It's impossible to sit and drink with strangers just after arriving in an unfamiliar place. When Zhang Xuezhu said this, he added a few peanuts to his mouth. These words were not very exciting, but they had a special charm after they came out of his muffled voice and mouth almost covered by white whiskers.

"Hahaha, it seems that you are not a little brother. It's a little brother!"

Hearing this, Li Yun smiled mischievously.

"Zhang Xuejiu, what about the people in the territory of the King of Dingxi?"

When others saw Li Yun interrupting, they were afraid that Zhang Xuexue would stop, so they hurriedly asked.

"What's there to say about this, if you want to know, just look in the mirror for yourself! I see, the biggest difference is that your peach blossom luck is too bad!"

Zhang Xuexue's words caused laughter, and even Li Yun was a little embarrassed. At the same time, it also causes the jealous person to be even more jealous.

"Little brother, tell me about the middle capital!"

Li Yun quickly changed the topic and said coquettishly.

"Middle Capital City...... It is...... It's ordinary. It's just that the house is bigger, the road is wider, and there are more people. It's just a little more lively than here. ”

"Okay, okay, since you don't want to talk about Zhongdu, let's talk about yourself. ”

"Myself?"

"Yes, yourself. ”

"I don't have much to say myself......"

The young man was very embarrassed by Li Yun's continuous question.

"What's your name, what do you do, how many people are in the family, why are you here, what hobbies do you have? ”

"My biggest hobby is listening to stories, especially secrets I don't know. ”

The young man said, his eyes turned to Zhang Xueju.

Zhang Xueji smiled faintly and motioned for the young man to come over.

Whispered to him, "I have a lot of secrets, but I have all the fucking forgotten." ”