On the long street, when it was dark, almost every house had closed its doors and bolted them, leaving only the redwood gate, which was only a false one, whispering softly in the night breeze.

Although robbers and murderers are very rare in Pingshui County, which is only a hundred miles away from Yongdu, after all, it is not the true dragon prosperity of 'no road and no closed door at night', and some defenses are always right.

What's more, on this mahogany door, is written the famous 'Rainbow Carp Pavilion'.

A white shadow swept in front of the plaque with gold letters on a black background, and slowly stood still.

He let go of his hand, looked at the pink skirt in his arms, and said softly, "It's here." ”

She quietly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, sighed, and looked up at the boxy gold-lettered sign hanging above the gate, "I've heard of this." ”

"Oh?" Bai Xiucai said curiously, "The reputation of my restaurant has spread to Lanting?"

The girl hesitated and whispered, "No...... I heard about it in Yongdu. ”

"In Yonghua......" he blinked and smiled, "Let me guess if I heard it from the storyteller who often sets up stalls on the third street of the East Gate?"

She looked up, her eyes full of surprise, but she didn't ask why.

Since she didn't ask, he didn't explain why—there was nothing to explain, except that he knew it from the storyteller. Although the storyteller is not very articulate, there will always be a lot of big tongue sounds in his speech, but there are many books in others, from the ancient sages and true dragons three hundred years ago, to the prosperous dream of a hundred years ago, and then to the aunt of the Zhang family and the aunt of the Liu family yesterday, he seems to know everything, and dare to say anything. It's just that I don't know why, every time he finishes a paragraph, he doesn't say something shocked, saying 'and listen to the next time', but he just makes a simple compilation and leaves a sentence of 'please wait for a long time'.

Glancing at the bright moon in mid-air, it seemed that the rain had stopped and the clouds had dispersed. Bai Xiucai skillfully put away the white oil-paper umbrella, carefully shook off the raindrops on it, and then pushed the door and walked into the building.

But as soon as he stepped forward with his left foot, he felt the girl beside him gently tug on his sleeve.

He turned his face sideways and looked at the girl with reddened eyes.

She pursed her lips, her voice as thin as swallow's voice, "Thank you." ”

......

The restaurant is so quiet only in the middle of the night.

A little candle flame flickered slightly on the square table where the men usually sat around.

A figure, sitting in front of the candle flame and lying on the square table, its body slightly undulating with each breath, was much more slender than the little two with the back of the tiger.

Bai Xiucai's heart was first stunned, and then there was an indescribable complex mood.

"This little two, didn't you say something 'wrapped around me'...... Why did I end up waiting for the shopkeeper?'

He sighed softly, led the girl over the door, walked into the restaurant, and cautiously walked to the shopkeeper's side.

The shopkeeper with his head on his arm only showed half of his face, but this half of his face alone was even more stunning than the storyteller's description.

She slept so quietly that it was a little unbearable to wake her up.

Bai Xiucai bent down, gently patted her shoulder with the back of his hand, and whispered, "Shopkeeper?"

"Uh-huh......" she muttered, sleepy-eyed, "back?"

"It's back. ”

The shopkeeper got up slowly and looked up at him, "Then rest early, don't settle accounts tomorrow-"

Before the words fell, she froze in place, and her originally worried eyes were no longer sleepy at the moment.

If you want to talk about the reason, can there be anything other than the girl standing behind him with red-eyed eyes who is too shocked?

After a brief glance, the shopkeeper suddenly reached out, pinched Bai Xiucai's ear, and whispered to him, "You can just bring other people's daughters home! Why do you still make people cry?"

"Oops, hey, it hurts, shopkeeper's! tap, it's a misunderstanding, I don't ...... Hey, shopkeeper, misunderstanding, misunderstanding!"

Bai Xiucai, who was bent over, begged for mercy repeatedly, making people completely unable to imagine that this was the white-clothed knight in front of the half-pillar incense who could scare off the two Qimen people standing still.

Seeing this, the girl seemed to cover her mouth and chuckle.

The shopkeeper snorted lightly and gave Bai Xiucai a look angrily.

Bai Xiucai covered his ears, laughed a few times, and hurriedly introduced the two, "Shopkeeper, this is ......"

Now, it was his turn to froze.

Although it was indeed he who saved the girl from the hands of that Yin Gongzi before, he had estimated that it could be regarded as a life-saving grace - but he didn't even seem to know her name.

The storyteller on the third street of the east gate of Nayongdu said that when a young girl was saved by a hero, if the hero looked like Pan An, the girl would say, "The little woman has nothing to repay, she can only promise with her body"; But either way, at least the name, I think I'll be able to say it, right?

Besides, Bai Xiucai never felt that he looked stumbling.

"Swallow. The girl saw his embarrassment, and hurriedly whispered, "My name is Yan." ”

"Is it a name or a surname?" the shopkeeper blinked suspiciously, "If it's a name?"

The girl hesitated.

Bai Xiucai glanced at her, glanced around, and immediately whispered to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, Miss Yan is from Qimen, and it is inconvenient to reveal her family name to outsiders." ”

The shopkeeper was stunned for a moment, then nodded thoughtfully, stepped forward, and gently held the girl's cold hands, "Miss Yan, although I don't know what means this Bai Xiucai used to trick you here, but he is really just a bookkeeper in the restaurant, and he also lives in a small brick house, so it is really not worth it to let a beautiful and kind-hearted woman like the girl follow." ”

The girl didn't know how to answer for a while, so she had to bow her head with a red face, and whispered in her heart that the hands of the shopkeeper's sister were really warm.

Bai Xiucai hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Shopkeeper, what are you talking nonsense! Miss Yan just came to our restaurant for one night, and she will leave Pingshui tomorrow morning and leave for Lanting!"

As soon as the words fell, the two beautiful faces with their own styles cast a look of surprise and incomprehension at him.

The girl said softly, "Alas, are you leaving tomorrow morning?"

"yes, just for one night in a restaurant. Bai Xiucai sighed lightly and nodded, "How can I be embarrassed to let Miss Yan live in that kennel with me." ”

“...... Bai Xiucai, you made it clear, what is a 'kennel'?"

Bai Xiucai was excited, "Uh...... As the saying goes, 'the golden nest and the silver nest are not as good as their own kennels', the shopkeeper, I am boasting and praising our restaurant. ”

Despite his arguments, the shopkeeper glared at him fiercely.

Then, she turned around and smiled at the girl, "That Miss Yan, there happens to be a good wing room in the restaurant, you can go there to rest tonight." If I'm hungry and want something to eat, I'll get the kitchen up and make it. ”

"I'm not hungry, I'm not hungry. The girl hurriedly waved her hand and whispered, "Thank you shopkeeper, but I don't have any silver on me......"

"It's okay, let Bai Xiucai help you out with this little money. ”

Bai Xiucai shuddered, and held the shriveled wallet on his waist, "Shopkeeper, I ......"

Before he finished speaking, he was stunned by the sharp eyes.

The girl blinked slightly, and looked at Bai Xiucai with some sympathy, "Mr. Bai, is it okay?"

He nodded slowly, "But—"

"Don't ask him, Miss Yan, in this restaurant, just listen to me. ”

The shopkeeper smiled softly, took the girl's hand, and led her up the mahogany staircase leading to the wing room like an older sister with her sister.

The girl took a few steps, turned her face sideways, looked at Bai Xiucai with a sad face, and smiled at him.

Bai Xiucai instantly felt that the money was worth it.

......

When Bai Xiucai returned to the backyard of the restaurant, it was already time.

In the center of the backyard is an ancient well, and around the ancient well, there are four brick houses that are only one story high, two large and two small. The two big ones are the two rooms in the back kitchen and the running hall, and the two small ones are the rooms where he and Xiao Er are one room. The backyard is not big, the walls are not thick, and the snoring of the guys is clearly audible. Although it did make it a little difficult for Bai Xiucai to fall asleep at first, over time, it was a little reassuring.

The word 'kennel' blurted out in front of the shopkeeper was a bit rude.

He walked to the ancient well, picked up the wooden scoop, and scooped a spoonful of water from the bucket that was already filled with water.

Under the moonlight, looking at the white-clothed self in the spoonful of clear water, Bai Xiucai couldn't help but lose his mind a little.

Three years ago, when he first arrived in Pingshui County, he never imagined that he would become the bookkeeper of this 'Rainbow Carp Pavilion', living a simple and fulfilling ordinary life that he had never thought of in the past. If you want to talk about the opportunity, it should be that he didn't bring enough silver to eat at the Hongli Pavilion at that time, and was called as a handyman for a while, and by chance met her who was in Manyan Courtyard, so he made up his mind to accept the shopkeeper's proposal to stay in Pingshui County and be a mediocre bookkeeper.

The habit of wearing only white clothes and plain clothes has been cultivated since then.

He smiled faintly, brought the wooden scoop to his mouth, and drank it with his head up.

Although it was only cold fresh water, it was unexpectedly refreshing, making his lungs feel a little refreshed.

However, after a while, this comfort suddenly blocked in his heart, and then surged up his throat, making him quickly cover his mouth and cough several times.

With the faint moonlight, the bloodshot in the palm of his hand was clearly recognizable.

Bai Xiucai blinked and sighed lightly: It seems that today's Qimen is used too quickly.

It's not that his body is sick, it's just that there is no food in the world. For example, a majestic martial artist who practices every day can wield dozens of catties of the Glaive Knife vigorously, but if he is not practiced for three or five years, the knife may still be able to swing, and whether the arm is dislocated or not is another matter. The same is true of the practice of Qimen. The people in Qimen can strengthen their bodies and stabilize their minds every day, so that they can feel the movements of heaven, earth, people and gods and control the aura of heaven, earth, people and gods in a stable and peaceful manner. And like Bai Xiucai, who has not practiced Qimen for three years, he uses the superior Qimen exercises, and his mind is so stirred by him, and it is already light to spit out a few mouthfuls of turbid blood.

It's a few decades less than a few years old.

He smiled bitterly, wiped the blood from his hands with a handkerchief, and without further thought, pushed the door and walked back to his hut, untied his clothes, took off his shoes and went to bed, and fell asleep.