Wu Ren's eyebrows fluttered and said: "My brother's surname is Wang, and his name is Wang Shi. You heard some time ago. ”

"Brother Wu, come over and help me settle the score, I'm going to the back kitchen to stir-fry. Wu Ren had just finished speaking here when he was interrupted by Wang Shi.

Wu Ren said: "Didn't you see me talking to this brother?"

Wang Shi walked over from the counter and hugged Yang Lulu with a fist: "I'm sorry, the store is busy, you can talk when you're free in a while." After speaking, he reached out and took Wu Ren's hand and went to the kitchen. Wang Shi pulled Wu Ren to a secluded place in the kitchen and whispered, "Don't you see, that son is a woman?"

Wu Ren opened his mouth wide and was full of surprise: "Female!

"Be quiet, don't let her hear. ”

"How can you tell she's a woman?"

"Breasts! You don't see her breasts towering high. The face is so delicate. Wang Shi said as he gestured with his hands on his chest.

Wu Ren suddenly realized: "Oh! If you don't say it, I really didn't pay attention." Then why do you think she wants to dress as a man?"

"Think about it, what happened in Jinling City in the past two days!" Wang Shi was reminding Wu Ren of the Tsing Yi Hui Ma Guren.

Wu Ren thought for a while: "You mean Tsing Yi Club!"

"It's not stupid, you don't want to think about it, Tsing Yi will suffer such a big loss this time, and he will definitely send someone to find out the news, this woman dressed as a man, walks with a quick walk, and her eyes are heroic. Look at the horse she is riding, the head to tail is one zhang long, the hooves are eight feet high to the saddle, the whole body is as red as coals, there is no half of the hair, and it is called a fire dragon horse. Traveling thousands of miles in a day, traveling eight hundred at night, stepping on the mountain and crossing the water as if walking on the flat ground, riding this horse can go down to the sea to kill the dragon, go up the mountain to catch the tiger. ”

Wu Ren was dumbfounded when he heard this: "How did you know, I haven't heard that you can be a horse before." ”

"A few days ago, I met a good man in the north leg gate of Majiabao, Liangzhou, called Kicking Cloud Tiger, Cao Jianren, who is proficient in the art of horses. I also asked him a lot about horses. ”

Wu Ren asked suspiciously: "What do you say this woman is doing, is he a member of the Tsing Yi Society." ”

Wang Shidao: "There is only one woman in the Tsing Yi Club, and that is the second-ranked cold-blooded killer, Emei Woman, Yang Lulu." ”

Wu Ren was frightened into a cold sweat when he heard this: "Then what should we do, do you want to go to the yamen immediately and call someone to arrest her." ”

Wang Shi looked at Wu Renzhan and said with a smile: "You don't have to be nervous, as long as she doesn't know that it was you who went to the yamen to tell the secret, it's fine." When you meet her outside, be natural, pretend to be very busy, don't talk to her more, if she goes to the yamen to listen, you will separate her, and in the past few days, you will walk around the yamen. ”

Wu Ren agreed repeatedly. Wang Shi explained and asked Wu Ren to come out to guard the counter, and Yang Lulu had already gone out at this time. Wu Ren was playing a drum in his heart, and a middle-aged man walked in from outside the door, carrying a long sword, wearing a white Fanyang felt hat, wearing a green cloth gown, and a yellow silk ribbon, seven feet long, striding into the door, and putting the felt hat on the table with his hand. Shang Xiaoyi, the shopkeeper, hurriedly went over to greet him: "What do you want to eat?"

The man in Tsing Yi said with a calm face: "Come to a pot of good wine, half a catty of beef, and fry a few fresh vegetables and vegetables." If you don't live in the store, you can eat and leave. ”

Anyway, who is this Tsing Yi man, this person is the head of the Tianshan faction, Tianchi Shenjian, Zhong Boqi. At the age of fifty, Danfeng's eyes are lying on silkworm eyebrows, and his face is like a heavy jujube, because the plateau area has strong ultraviolet rays all year round, so both sides of his entire face are red. You look at the sword on his back, there is a phoenix engraved on the scabbard, this sword is called to do, Fengming Sword, this Fengming Sword was first cast into a sword body with the cold iron of the Tianshan Mountains, soaked in the ice for 72 days, and took out the auspicious day to be rebuilt by the sword casting master Ximen Xue. The blade of this sword is three feet three inches long, according to the number of thirty-three weeks, from the tip to the handle is divided into three sections, according to the three talents of heaven, earth and man. The blade of the sword has 361 bloodletting grooves, according to 361 degrees on Sunday, the front width is eight inches according to eight sections, the back width is four inches according to four hours, the thickness is two inches according to two instruments, the gold is the blade, and the jade is the ornament. The sword body is cast with twelve inscriptions, this twelve words are the twelve sword moves, the first word, the ring word trick, the internal strength to the sword body, the sword is one, and the phoenix is nine days. Whoever hears it dies. When Ximen Xue cast this sword, he also cast a dragon sword at the same time, the dragon sword is male, and the phoenix sword is female. Because Zhong Boqi and Ximen Xue are irreversible friends, Gu will give the female sword and phoenix to each other.

Wu Ren was in the counter to see Zhong Boqi's face red and good-looking, where to look at the funny, after a while Wang Shi finished the dish fried out, saw Zhong Boqi guessed that he was the head of the Tianshan faction, because I had heard Qin Wen before, Tianchi Divine Sword Zhong Boqi has a sword named Fengming Sword, the scabbard is safflower rosewood, and there is a phoenix carved on it to make a chirp, this safflower rosewood is known as the best gold in the wood. Wang Shi pretended to walk out of the door, passed by him and took a closer look, and sure enough, it was exactly the same as what Qin Wen said. I was suspicious in my heart, what are you doing in Jinling during this Tianchi Divine Sword Zhong Boqi. What an eventful time!

Zhong Boqi finished eating, calculated the money for the wine and dinner, took Bai Fanyang's felt hat, and strode out.

Yang Lulu didn't stay in the store for a few days and left.

After more than a month, it was the day of the moon, the goose feathers and snow were sprinkled outside, the store was deserted, there were no customers, Wang Shi felt bored, Wu Ren went to the yamen and did not come back. walked out of the store and walked towards Ganlu Temple, thinking that it was unknown if she could meet Zhu Chunfang, maybe she would go to the temple to offer incense. Walking alone on the street, watching the snow fall bigger and bigger, the whole head is covered with snowflakes, Wang Shi grew up in the south, rarely saw such a heavy snow, while looking at the snow scene, I couldn't help but get excited to compose a poem: petals flying snowflakes are delicate, jade ice muscles are cold and frosty.

Ice beauties descended from the nine heavens, and Yujie was envied by delicate people.

On both sides of the street, the doors were closed, and everywhere was closed, and there was no voice, and they all hid in the house to bake the fire to get cold. Compared with the usual noisy and noisy traffic, it has a unique charm. Wang Shi walked all the way to Ganlu Temple, but the temple door was closed, and he clasped it lightly with his hand a few times, and an old monk inside opened the door and poked his head out: "Is the donor incense?" ”

Wang Shi clasped his fists and saluted: "Exactly! Why didn't you open the door today?" ”

"There is such a heavy snow today, and no one is hiding at home to bake the fire to avoid the cold, and whoever comes to offer incense has closed the door. It's freezing on this day, and that one is as pious as the benefactor!"

Wang Shi secretly said in his heart: This old monk is really tricky to speak, and said with a smile: "The master said that he was laughing, he was usually busy with business and couldn't take a break, but it was rare that it was snowing heavily today, and there were no guests in the store, so he just came to the temple to offer incense." ”

The old monk opened the door and let Wang Shi in. Wang Shi began to worship from the Tianwang Palace, then turned around the Daxiong Treasure Hall, all the way back, entered the Guanyin Palace, the Jizo Palace, worshiped the Bodhisattva inside, came out to buy some incense wax paper candles, and burned them in the front altar. Came out of the main gate to bid farewell to the old monk, turned left all the way, and suddenly looked up, and had arrived at the door of Zhu Fu's house on the main street of Lotus Pond. I thought to myself: It's better to go in and drink two glasses of wine with Xu De to go to the cold. When he walked to the door, he pulled up the knocker with his hand and tapped it five or six times, and an old man's voice said impatiently: "Who!"

Wang Shi said: "Xiaosheng Wang Shi, please help me to say goodbye, I came to visit Xu De, the head of the guard." ”

The old man said, "There is nothing to be gained here. You're in the wrong place. ”

Wang Shi was a little anxious, and thought to himself, this must be because of the heavy snowfall, afraid of the cold, hiding in the fire, and refusing to communicate with me. also said angrily: "You old guy, you are so rude, if Lord Zhu knows that you are so lazy, he will definitely beat your ass." ”

I only heard the old man in the door say: "You are talking about Lord Zhu's subordinate Xu De, or a month ago, he moved away with Lord Zhu." ”

Wang Shi asked, "Where did you move?"

"I don't know, Lord Zhu was chased and killed by thieves, and he took his family and family members away without a trace overnight, leaving me here to guard the house. I don't know where they went. ”

Wang Shi was stunned when he heard this, looked at the house for a long time before leaving, just didn't go far, walked to the door of the shopkeeper of the paper laminating shop, the door of the shop was closed, and Wang Shi went up and lightly buckled a few times. I heard the king's shopkeeper ask inside, "Who, here, here." As he got up and opened the door, he muttered, "On this snowy day, someone has come to frame the painting." That's enough. ”

Shopkeeper Wang opened the door and looked at it and said with a smile: "It's Boss Wang, please come into the house and roast the fire." ”

Wang Shi entered the door and saluted with his fists, and said with a smile: "It's snowing outside today, the store is deserted, and there are no customers. ”

The shopkeeper of the king let Wang Shi sit on the edge of the brazier and roast the fire, and ordered his daughter-in-law to make a pot of hot wine and put a few vegetables on the table. The two drank five or seven glasses of wine and chatted for a long time. Wang Shi took his leave. Walking back, at this time the sky has not stopped snowing, it has been raining for half a day, the street has accumulated a thick layer of snow, walking on it puff puff straight sound, walking back to the store when the sky is already numb, just enter the store, with his hand to pat the snow off the body, Wu Ren from the counter greeted and complained: "Where have you been in the past half a day, it is snowing so hard outside, and you are going crazy, it is not a joke to suffer from the wind and cold." ”

Wang Shidao: "When you go outside, it's rare to see such a beautiful snow scene. ”

Wu Ren went to the kitchen to make a pot of hot wine, and instructed Geng Erniu to fry two side dishes and cut a plate of beef with sauce. Had a few drinks with Wang Shi. He also instructed Shang Xiaoyi to make a charcoal fire under the table. Wang Shi said: "Erniu, Xiaoyi, the two of you also come over to roast and drink together, and go to the cold." There were no customers in the store anyway. ”

The four of them drank deeper before going back to their rooms to sleep. It snowed heavily for a week, and none of the ghosts came to the door these days. Looking forward to the sunny weather and the business can be better, gradually to the twenty-eighth day of the lunar month, the weather is clear, or there are no guests to the door, foreign merchants have returned to their hometowns for the New Year. There are people walking around, the twenty-ninth day of the lunar month, get up early in the morning, the sound of firecrackers on the street is far or near, the family is busy with the Spring Festival, Wang Shi called Geng Erniu monk Xiaoyi to the counter: "This is your salary, these days of the Spring Festival, there is no business in the store, you take the money back for the New Year, out of the first month of the fifteenth Lantern Festival, and then come to the store to work." Geng Erniu and Shang Xiaoyi thanked him, smiled and went back to the room to pack his baggage and go out. Wang Shi listened to the sound of firecrackers outside alone, and walked to the door, looking at the left and right sides of the street, everyone was happy, all happy, children were running and playing on the street, setting off firecrackers, and lighting fireworks. I couldn't help but feel nostalgic, and whispered: Traveling alone with a sword, tears fell in my eyes.

Yin and Yang think about their parents separately, and they can only talk before their knees in their dreams.

was sentimental in front of the door, Wu Ren came back from the yamen: "On this cold day, I don't bake the fire in the house, but I stand at the door." Wu Ren pulled Wang Shi to the store: "Tomorrow is the Spring Festival, you and my brother have no relatives, why don't you two cook a table of wine and food and eat well for the New Year." ”

"What my brother said is, I'll go to the kitchen to stir-fry, and you can help me make the fire. The two of them were busy in the kitchen, made a table of wine and food, Wang Shi made a pot of charcoal fire under the table, the soup was hot, the two of them drank, persuaded seven or eight glasses of wine, Qin Wen walked in from outside: "Haha, I went to Yuelai Inn to find my brother, the boss said you left, I asked a lot of people to ask here." Today, my mother ordered me to invite Brother Wang to have a drink. ”

Wang Shi smiled: "You came just in time, I am having a reunion dinner with Brother Wu, come and sit down and have a few cups together." ”

Qin Wen smiled: "That's really a coincidence. And he sat down at the bottom. The three of them persuaded five or six glasses of wine, and Wang Shi said: "Some time ago, I saw a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a red complexion, wearing a green coat, and carrying a sword, the scabbard is made of red rosewood, and a phoenix is carved on it to make a chirp, that person is the Tianchi Divine Sword you are talking about?"

Qin Wen drank a glass of wine and said, "This person is the Tianchi Divine Sword, Zhong Boqi. ”

Wang Shi asked, "What is he doing in Jinling?"

Qin Wen sandwiched a chopstick of beef and said while eating: "It's not because his daughter-in-law's mother's house was destroyed by someone, when Zhong Boqi's daughter-in-law Dugufeng was at her mother's house." Also killed. Zhong Boqi's son, Qingfeng Sword, Zhong Ziyue heard that her daughter-in-law was killed, and she was furious, so she came to Jinling to inquire around, but she didn't find the enemy. The news came back to Tianshan, and the head, Tianchi Shenjian Zhong Boqi, because he was not worried about his son, then rushed to Jinling. Qin Wen stopped when he said this.

Wang Shi asked, "Then have they found the enemy?" ”

Qin Wen took a sip of wine and said: "The enemy family has long been hiding, where to find it, and later Zhong Boqi took his son Qingfeng Sword Zhong Ziyue back to Tianshan, and I heard that Dugufeng gave birth to a daughter for her." I'm five years old now. ”

Wu Ren said, "Why haven't I heard about this, where does the Dugu Feng family live?"

Qin Wendao: "Dugu Feng is the only daughter of Dugu Lei in Dishui Village, south of Jinling City. In his early years, this Dugu Lei used to crisscross the rivers and lakes with two iron hammers, and there were few opponents. Because of the injustice, he made a lot of enemies. ”

Wu Ren said: "I haven't heard that there are dead people in Dishui Village, why didn't anyone come to report to the official." ”

Qin Wendao: "The affairs of the rivers and lakes will not let the government interfere, and the rivers and lakes will deal with the rivers and lakes." ”

The three of them ate and drank until the evening, Qin Wen got up to say goodbye, Wang Shi thought that this place was not far away, so he personally sent Qin Wen to the door of the house, how could he bear to be dragged in by Qin Wen. Let Wang Shi go to the hall, Ouyang Xiu talked to his son in the hall, and Ouyang Jing sat next to him, Qin Wen shouted happily: "Brother Wang is here." "Ouyang Mo, Ouyang Xiu, Ouyang Jing, get up and clasp your fists and salute. Wang Shi hugged his fists in return, and the guest sat down, Ouyang Mo said: "Last time, the foolish brother offended the virtuous brother for a while, how often did you not come to the mansion to meet, and today the foolish brother is here to compensate you." Haha smiled and gave Wang Shi a fist. Wang Shi hurriedly replied: "It's serious, it's also that the younger brother had a little wine at that time, so he was a little childish." Several people laughed. Ouyang Xiu ordered to put on the wine and food, led to the back hall, pushed the cup and changed the lamp, drank deeper, and left Wang Shi to sleep in the guest room, the second day Wang Shi insisted on leaving, Ouyang Jing made Qin Wen personally send out the door, the two hugged their fists and said goodbye, Wang Shi came back all the way, Wu Ren went to the yamen, the door was closed, took out the key and opened the door, and made a pot of charcoal fire in the door, the roast was warm, and it was nearly noon, Wu Ren pushed the door in. The two had lunch together, and they talked about marksmanship and boxing when they were idle. Unconsciously half a month passed so suddenly, out of the fifteenth, I saw the lanterns. On the sixteenth day of the first month, Shang Xiaoyi came to work in the store, and Wang Shi sealed a red envelope of five coins of silver for the two of them.

In March, heavy rains fell for half a month, flooding the Yangtze River basin flooded large swaths of rural villages, causing houses to collapse and then causing the spread of plague. Ten rooms and nine emptiness. A large number of victims poured into the city, filling the streets and alleys for a while.

On this day, Wang Shi got up early in the morning and opened the door of the store, only to see that the door was full of victims, ragged clothes, and his face was yellow. Please. ”

Wang Shi saw that these victims couldn't bear it, although he sat at the door and blocked the shops, he still couldn't do anything to drive them away, so he turned around and beckoned Shang Xiaoyi and Geng Erniu and said, "You two go and set up a big pot to boil porridge and put more rice." ”

Then they let the victims into the store to sit, and after a while the porridge was ready, the pot was carried to the hall, and the victims were allowed to take their own bowls to scoop food, and soon a hundred and ten victims gathered in front of the store. Wang Shi stood by the pot and let them line up, scooping one by one and not allowing them to fight. These victims heard that the stone inn was making porridge, one spread ten, ten spread hundreds, less than a day's work, the door of the stone inn was crowded with victims, Geng Erniu monk Xiaoyi complained on the side: "If you give porridge like this, the store must be eaten up." ”

In the morning, these victims had eaten up five pots of porridge, and when Wang Shi saw that the porridge was finished, he instructed Geng Erniu: "The porridge is finished, you should hurry up and boil it." ”

Shang Xiaoyi said: "Boss, we all boiled five pots of porridge this morning, and there is no rice in the jar." ”

Wang Shi said: "There are still so many victims waiting to eat, you go to the grain store next door to buy rice." As he spoke, he took five taels of silver from the drawer at the counter and handed it to Shang Xiaoyi.

Wu Ren came back from the yamen and saw that the door was full of victims, shook his head, and squeezed in while separating the crowd, and saw a large iron pot in the middle of the hall, and Wang Shi stood by the pot with his hands behind his back. Wu Ren said: "You are giving porridge, so that there will be no guests coming to the door." The store is full of refugees. ”

Wang Shi smiled bitterly: "So many refugees can't die without help." Now that so many refugees are pouring into the city, won't the government open a porridge shack?"

Wu Ren said: "I haven't heard of this. ”

Wang Shi gave porridge every day, insisted on more than a month, the price of grain in the city rose, Wang Shi saw that some could not support it, fortunately the prefect Yamen, Shen played the imperial court, sent relief grain, and opened a porridge shed in the city. The whole city was flooded in.

Although Wang Shi doesn't have to be in the porridge, but the capital is also empty, in addition, the guests are scarce, and it will be August in a blink of an eye.

Wang Shi was sitting in the counter worried, looked up and saw the shopkeeper Wang coming in, so he walked to the hall to greet him, sat down twice, and the shopkeeper Wang said: "I have rented this shop to you for a year, but at that time, I said that I would give me dividends." As he spoke, he pulled out the deed from his pocket. Wang Shi looked at it and said with a smile: "Since I opened this store, I have invested a lot of money, but the business is not good, it is really cold, and the capital has not been earned, so there are bonus points." ”

The shopkeeper Wang's face was full of displeasure, and he said in a calm voice: "This can't be based on your mouth, take the account book and look at it." ”

Wang Shi got up and went to the counter to take the account book and put it in front of him, Wang Shopkeeper carefully looked at the account books of this year, and indeed did not see any profit, and wondered that Wang Shi had done something on the books. "Even if there was a written contract at that time, it would not be difficult for me to do it for you, but now if you plan to continue to open this shop, I will have to collect your rent." Otherwise, I'll take back the shop. ”

Wang Shi said: "How much rent do you want?" ”

"Not much, not much! Five hundred taels of silver a year."

Wang Shi frowned and said: "With the current business, not to mention earning five hundred taels of silver a year, it is difficult to earn one hundred taels of silver." I don't have that much money right now. See if you can make it less. ”

The shopkeeper Wang was silent for a while with a straight face before he stretched out his hand and raised a finger: "I'll give you a hundred taels of silver less, count me unlucky!"

Wang Shi thought to himself, even four hundred taels of silver a year is a lot, but the decoration of this store cost four or five hundred taels of silver in it, and he is reluctant to throw it away. Then he said: "Four hundred taels is four hundred taels, but I don't have that much money for the time being, can I give it to you by this time next year." ”

When the shopkeeper Wang heard this, he was even more unhappy: "The rent shop is paid first, and it is not said that the cash will be collected when the lease period is up, if it expires next year, you will leave quietly, and I will go there to find you." This will not work, and the money must be paid immediately. Or just leave. ”

Wang Shi was also a little annoyed: "We can also be regarded as friends, why can't we be accommodating." Or, you see, I will give you fifty taels of silver every month, and I will pay you a month. ”

Shopkeeper Wang didn't speak, his face was calm, and Wang Shi continued: "If you agree, I will pay this month's rent first." You see how. ”

When the shopkeeper heard that there was silver, his face was a little soothed: "I'm not a person who doesn't understand people, but my brothers settle accounts, and business belongs to business and friendship belongs to friendship." Since you can't turn around for a while, and I can't take advantage of the danger of others, then do as you say. ”

Wang Shi got up and went to the counter to take out fifty taels of silver and handed it to the shopkeeper Wang, and the two had a few gossips, and the shopkeeper Wang went out and went back.

A month has come in a blink of an eye, and the shopkeeper walked into the store early in the morning, and Wu Ren had just returned from ordering from the yamen and sat at the table in the hall for breakfast. Shopkeeper Wang walked to the counter: "Boss Wang, business is good." ”

Wang Shi was settling accounts, and when he looked up and saw that it was the shopkeeper Wang, he was shocked, and said secretly: This old boy has come to collect rent again. How to send him away! Reluctantly put down a smiling face: "Shopkeeper Wang, you are really early, where are you going this morning?" ”

Shopkeeper Wang said with a smile: "Where else can I go, isn't it a month coming, I'm here to collect the rent in September." ”

Wang Shi said: "This month is old, today is only 30, tomorrow is only August 31, and it is not yet the end of the month." ”

The shopkeeper Wang said: "Isn't it just a day away, one more day and one less day are so clear." ”

Wu Ren heard the two of them talking on the edge of the table, his heart was on fire, and he said angrily: "You old dog, there is a reason to come early in the morning to collect rent, if you don't get out, master, I will burst your teeth!"

Shopkeeper Wang was taken aback by Wu Ren, and when he saw that he was wearing a tolerant fast catcher clothes, he muttered: "You are still so fierce if you don't pay the rent, it's a big deal, I will take back the shop and not rent it to you." As he spoke, he was about to walk out the door.

While complaining about Wu Ren, Wang Shi stepped forward and grabbed the shopkeeper Wang, and said with a smile on his face: "My brother, he has a bad temper, you don't have the same knowledge as him, I will compensate you here." ”

The shopkeeper Wang still wanted to go back angrily, but he just shouted to close the shop. Wang Shi hurriedly said: "It's not right for us today, I'll go and get you silver." When the king's treasurer heard that he was going to take the money, he stopped. Wang Shi walked quickly to the counter, opened the drawer and searched left and right, looking around, only found thirty taels of broken silver and two copper plates. Then he said to Wu Ren: "Do you still have any silver on you?"

Wu Ren said: "I still have dozens of taels in my room. ”

"Good brother, go and get twenty taels to save me. Wu Ren had to get up and go to the room to get twenty taels of silver, and Wang Shi gave it to the king's shopkeeper.

Well, he sent the king's shopkeeper back. Wang Shi returned to the store and sat at the counter. Wu Ren said: "Now that there is a famine year, this business is even more difficult to do, so it is better to close the store." ”

Wang Shidao: "In support of January, it really can't be done, so I have to close the store, and I can't afford to pay the rent." Ay. ”

By the end of September, Wang Shi was settling accounts early in the morning, carefully calculating, deducting various expenses in September, rent money, there were still forty taels of silver left, considering that there were still two months of wax moon, thinking of the snowy situation last winter, there was no business to do, so he made up his mind not to pay the rent, in this way, there were ninety taels of silver, in the store table bench guy to sell everything, can always sell ten taels of silver, is here to calculate, Wang shopkeeper walked in from outside the door. Wang Shi didn't wait for him to speak, and said first: "Shopkeeper Wang, you came just in time, I was planning to go to your house." ”

Shopkeeper Wang smiled: "Are you going to send me rent?" ”’

"Shopkeeper Wang said with a smile, this shop has not made any money since I opened, I heard you say earlier that it was a coffin shop and did not plan to rent, you prefer me to rent, I have been delayed for more than a year, the money has not been earned at all, to fold hundreds of taels of silver decoration money, you still want rent every month as if urging life. I won't rent this shop, you can collect it tomorrow. ”

The shopkeeper Wang said suspiciously: "What about next month's rent.......

"I won't rent the shop anymore, and I won't do the business, so I'll rent it to you. ”

The shopkeeper Wang listened and left angrily, Wang Shi called Geng Erniu and monk Xiaoyi to him, and one of them gave one or two pieces of silver, "You two also saw it, the business in this store is too bad to make money, I decided to close the store, you take this bit of silver, don't look for a job." ”

The two took the money and thanked them, and went to their rooms to pack up their burdens and go out. After a while, Wu Ren ordered back, and Wang Shi said: "I decided to close this shop, and now there are still ninety taels of silver left in the account, see if there is any other business to do." ”

Wu Ren said: "In these years of famine, what good business can be done there, I can earn a dozen taels of silver a month in Yamen, our brother's life is not a problem, my brother just doesn't do things, I can support you." If the store doesn't open, it won't open. ”

"Brother, even if you say so, you can't be like rotten grass in the end, and you will grow old under the forest spring. ”

Wu Ren listened and asked: "Big brother, this means to be a leader, but now this court is blocked. Hey!"

Wang Shi took a pen and paper and wrote a revelation on red paper: The store is closed due to the bleak business, and the store should be handled at a cheap price, and there is a need. Buy now for one day!

After I wrote it, I put it on the door, and a few people came to ask, and after reading it, I didn't say the price and left, and I didn't sell a chair until the evening. The next day, the shopkeeper called a few men to seal the shop, and Wang Shi folded the clothes from the room to make a package and carried it back to Pearl Lane. Stayed at Wu Ren's place. After the Spring Festival, I only wandered around the city every day, and occasionally went to visit Qin Wen and listened to him talk about some things on the rivers and lakes. In a flash, it was early spring in March, the flowers were in full bloom, the spring was melting, thinking about going out to walk, it was not a long-term plan to stay here, one day I went to visit Qin Wen at his house for lunch, took a ferry with three points of wine and crossed the river to go back, just walked on the dock, and when I was about to reach the South Gate Street, I saw Cheng Guang with a big belly, swaying out, followed by Feng Laifu, the two were coming to the dock, and the two took a look.

Cheng Guang walked in front and saw Wang Shi clenching his fists and said with a smile: "Brother Wang Xian, I haven't seen you for a long time, we are looking for you, first I heard the owner of the Yuelai Inn say to Dahan, you opened a restaurant on the other side of the river, we looked for you and inquired about you, and closed the restaurant." I have nowhere to look for you, but I didn't expect to meet here, it's really nowhere to find the iron shoes, and it takes no effort to get there. ”

Wang Shi hugged his fists and smiled: "I don't know what the two virtuous Kunzhong are looking for me?"

Feng Laifu said: "I'm ashamed, but also I have shallow eyes for a while, I can't see everywhere, now there are many thieves on the river, all of them are rogues, often at the mouth of Dongting Lake, Jiujiang, Poyang Lake, looting past merchant ships, we were robbed by them on a shipload." The capital of five or six hundred taels of silver was discounted. So I want to find you to continue this road of trading. ”

Wang Shi said: "I don't want to do this now! Wang Shi thought to himself: You two crossed the river and demolished the bridge, and now you have suffered a loss and want to pull me into the gang, when I am a night pot, I will bring it over when I need it, and I don't need to throw it aside. Thinking of this, I rejected it in one bite.

Feng and Cheng saw that Wang Shi was still angry because of the previous incident, and while compensating for it, the two of them pulled into the Yuelai Inn with their hands left and right and called for a table of wine and meat, and persuaded them to drink five or seven glasses of wine, and Wang Shi saw that it was too late and said goodbye. Feng Laifu and Cheng Guang just persuaded hard, but Wang Shi refused. Walking back to Pearl Lane, Wu Ren came back from the yamen and pulled Wang Shi to the street tavern to drink deeper before coming back to rest, only drunk every day for the past few days.

Wang Shi saw that the day was warm and decided to go out for a walk, and he heard that the prosperous and wealthy mansion of Beijing also wanted to go and see, on this day, Wu Ren came back for breakfast, and Wang Shi was about to say goodbye and get up. Wu Ren said: "Since my brother insists on going, I can't keep it, so I'll send my brother off tonight." It's not too late to leave tomorrow. ”

Wang Shi had to follow, in the afternoon, Wu Ren came back from the yamen and the two went to the tavern early to order a table of wine and food, the two of them drank bitterly, drank deeper, Wang Shi said: "It's not early, you will get up early tomorrow, don't delay a little, I will get up early tomorrow and go to the dock to take a boat." Drink here today, and see you again in the future. ”

Seeing this, Wu Ren had to get up and settle the wine money, and Wang Shi helped each other back home, and slept until the fifth watch, Wuren got up and went to the Yamen to order Mao, and when the two came back, they had breakfast, and Wu Ren sent Wang Shi to the dock. Wang Shi took a cargo ship to the Daimyo's Mansion, Wu Ren sent Wang Shi on the ship, and the two said goodbye in tears.

The cargo ship went all the way down, to the evening, it arrived in Yangzhou, rested at the Yangzhou wharf for one night, the next day the ship sailed into the Beijing-Hangzhou Canal, all the way to live at night, and could not see the lakes and mountains on both sides. Everywhere on the peach willow road, the boat line in the canal stop and walk, in the road will be more than half a month. At the beginning of April, the ship arrived at the Daimyo Pier. Wang Shi got off the boat and saw that the wharf was full of people, which was really a lively place. Wandering towards the city. Walk to South Street and see that there is an inn nearby when it is getting late, with two red lanterns hanging in front of the door, and the wine is hanging high.

Wang Shi was hungry in his belly, strode into the store, put the burden on the table, and the shopkeeper came over to greet him: "The guest officer is a tip or a stay in the store." ”

Wang Shidao: "First cut half a catty of beef for me, a pot of wine, pad my stomach, and there can be a clean room in the store." ”

The shopkeeper said: "There is everything in the clean upper room." Then he turned around and shouted to the back kitchen on the counter: "Half a catty of beef and a pot of wine." One room in the upper room!"

A guy running the hall in the back brought out a plate of beef and a pot of wine from a tray and put it on the table in front of him: "Guest officer, you use it slowly!"

Wang Shi said: "Bring me a bowl of rice." ”

After a while, the rice was also served, Wang Shi ate, and the man led Wang Shi to a guest room upstairs to rest.

The room is not big, but it is still tidy, and the shopkeeper called to wash his feet at night, Wang Shi washed his feet, and lay down on the bed early. It wasn't until midnight that I got up and meditated before I went back to sleep. I didn't say anything all night, and on the second day, I had breakfast alone and watched around the city of the Daimyo's house. I played until noon and walked to Beixinqiao, a street, I was a little hungry, I looked around and saw a tavern in front of me, walked in quickly, picked a pair of heads, the shopkeeper came to say hello, Wang Shi asked for a few vegetables and a pot of wine, and ate it by himself. When he was half-eating, a seventeen or eighteen-year-old woman came in from outside the door, holding two sandalwood boards in her hands, followed by a middle-aged man, thin and sallow. The two walked up to Wang Shi, and the woman bowed and said a blessing. "My father and daughter were the only ones who fled from my house because of the flooding in their hometown. came to this famous mansion to join his uncle, but how did he know that his uncle had moved his family to Bianliang. I didn't have a penny on my body, I sang a song to my son, and I hoped that my son would give him a few pennies for food. ”

Wang Shi hurriedly put down his chopsticks and returned the salute with his fists: "Who doesn't have a difficulty." ”

Wang Shi looked at the woman carefully, and saw that she was wearing rags, but when she looked at her beautiful face, even though her ragged clothes could not hide the spring light, the woman asked, "Let me sing a little song to my son." ”

Wang Shi came back to his senses at this time, and saw that her father and daughter were pitiful, and took advantage of the two rewards in the tavern. He replied, "No, no." Then she took two copper plates from her sleeve and placed them in the bowl in her father's hand behind her. The woman thanked her, and went to ask the guests at the table next to her, and when she saw that no one downstairs wanted to listen to the song, she went upstairs. After a while, I heard the woman singing on the sandalwood board upstairs. Wang Shizheng listened to her sing while drinking: The willows on the green embankment on the riverside, why are there new worries every year.

Suddenly stopped, and I heard several men above giggling. A woman who heard the song sing: "Ah!," and then a man was heard pleading, "He's still a child, let her go." ”

One of the men said in a loud voice: "Uncle, I have taken a fancy to her, that is to lift you up, follow me, endless glory and wealth." Hahaha!" Then several men coaxed beside him: "Our Uncle Li, that is a well-known rich man in this famous mansion, and his family has a thousand tilts of fertile land." Uncle Li fell in love with your girl, it was your ancestral grave that was smoking, why don't you thank Uncle Li quickly, why are you crying and mourning. Let's go with Xiangfu, hahaha, "All the men are above you and I say a word, but I just listen to the girls just pleading. The girl's father knelt and kowtowed and begged for mercy, this Uncle Li took out five taels of silver from his sleeve and threw it in front of the girl's father. The bartender took the pen, ink and paper, and wrote down a pawn book, and several idle men stepped forward and held down the girl's father to drag his hand and force it into the ink, and then took it to the deed and made a hand mark.

This Uncle Li laughed and said: "Your daughter has been sold to me, and she will be happy with me in the future, so you don't have to sing around with you and suffer from that suffering." As he spoke, he reached out and touched the girl's face.

Wang Shi had already heard it downstairs, so he called the shopkeeper over and asked, "Who is this Uncle Li who is eating upstairs?"

The shopkeeper said: "This Uncle Li's full name is Li Defu, he lives in the Li family's mansion outside Beixinqiao, and there are two younger brothers at home. usually brings this gang of scoundrels to bully men and women. ”

Wang Shi asked angrily: "Isn't there anyone who goes to report to the official, and let him act so recklessly?"

The shopkeeper said: "It's useless to report to the official, his two younger brothers, one is called Li Defa, and the other is called Li Decai." He served as a general under the Daimyo's Mansion Liang Zhongshumen. Who dares to sue. ”