The inn is quite a few years old, and the wooden steps make a crunching sound when walking. On one side facing the street, while leaning against a few old trees that are more than a hundred years old, when the small window on the second floor is raised, there is a large area of richness. The shade of the trees fell overwhelmingly. Every morning, the clouds and mists had not yet given way to the dew.
The chubby shopkeeper pulled a rag, raised his hand and patted the yawning young man on the back, scolding: "Lazy bone, there's no life in your eyes, right? You're still dawdling here!"
While chatting, he cautiously glanced at the window on the second floor facing the street.
There sat a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl, dressed very plainly, but with a red silk on her hair. The girl has her own picturesque features, and she doesn't need to wear red or green, and she doesn't need to be jeweled. There is a little color. , is enough to add the finishing touch.
She has lived in the store for three days, and every day it is dimly lit, she is fixed to sit by the window, as if she is waiting for someone. During these years, most of the people who went out were disheartened, and it was rare to see such a spirited girl. The shopkeeper couldn't help but take a second look.
He reprimanded the young man to keep his voice down, but unexpectedly the girl still heard her with a very sharp ear, and turned her head to look at it. The shopkeeper's busy stepped forward and said with a smile on his face, "Miss Zhou is also early today, what would you like to eat earlier? I don't think you did much with that side dish yesterday. ?"
At the foot of Mount Heng, with a radius of dozens of miles, there is only such an inn where people can stay. Although the world is depressing, it is quite lively.
It is said that this place was also a lively place in the early years, and there were many large and small shops. Later, they all collapsed, leaving only this inn named "Sanchun" to stand out.
Passengers traveling between the north and the south have to stop and beat their feet here. Naturally, there are all kinds of people who come here. They are fierce, unreasonable, especially difficult to serve, and have a basket of eccentricities... The boss has all answered correctly. , to make the guests come and go safely, relying on the real kung fu of "seeing people and talking about people, and talking about ghosts".
It was Zhou Fei who was sitting by the window. Hengshan was the junction of the north and the south. When the fight broke out, both sides had to fight. Now it was too peaceful for the time being, and it became a place where both sides didn’t care. .
She and Xie Yun all the way from Huarong to the south, did not dare to stay in the territory of the Northern Dynasty, ran out of the jurisdiction of the Northern Dynasty in one breath, and waited for Duan Jiuniang in the place where they didn't care.
But now that the three-day deadline has passed, Duan Jiuniang has not heard from her at all.
Zhou Fei didn't have any appetite, but seeing people's enthusiasm and embarrassed drooping her face, she forced a smile and said, "It's nothing, I'm not used to it, just let it go."
The shopkeeper glanced at her expression and smiled kindly: "Girl, the sky is falling, but you have to be full, don't you? It's early in the morning, and the other guests are not up. You are welcome, little old man. I have a few more words. Mouth, you will know when you are my age as a villain. Anything you can't get through will have that day. If you miss home, sooner or later you can go home. If you miss someone, sooner or later you can see someone again. Don't worry. , as long as you live one more day, you may encounter some miracles, and there is hope every day, isn't it good?"
The shopkeeper has a white and fat face. When he smiles, he can't see his teeth. If he stretches the man and flattens it on the paper, it will be "Gong Xi Fa Cai" in block letters. Zhou Fei saw that he was really likable, so she couldn't help but smile along with him.
The shopkeeper said, "Isn't that enough? Wait, girl, the villain will ask the lazy hozen to bring you some hot food. You have food in your stomach, so don't panic-"
The fat man spoke confidently, his temples were white, but he still seemed very energetic. He threw the rag over his shoulder, hummed a little song, and went downstairs. Zhou Fei heard that he had just walked a few steps, and it sounded like a bell. He called out, "Yo, Young Master Xie, did you go out early in the morning? It's really early!"
Zhou Fei looked sideways, only to see Xie Yun running up three steps and two steps, and said to her, "Mr. Bai is escorting Miss Wu all the way, and she will probably take a detour. Miss Wu is impatient, and there may be more on the way. A few days off, it will definitely be slower than us, I probably calculate, I will probably have a letter in the next two days."
Zhou Fei finally regained some energy and asked, "Will there be a letter? How to send it?"
"Mr. Bai used to be from the 'walking gang', and he has some miscellaneous connections under his hands..." Xie Yun didn't finish a sentence, Xiao Er brought breakfast, Xie Yun jumped up, and ran over to take the crumbling kettle. "Slow down, I'll come. Do you still have the sauce prepared by the proprietress? Have you filled it for me today? I think I have to go with a jar before I leave, or else I won't be able to eat in the next six months."
Most of the people who are hurrying on the road are not in a good mood. The second shopkeeper rarely sees such a talkative customer.
Xie Yun sat back, first scalded his chopsticks with hot water, put the two bowls of noodles in place, took a small half bowl of noodles from Zhou Fei's bowl, and gave her a few pieces of meat from his bowl.
Zhou Fei hurriedly said: "Hey, no need..."
"Eat it for me," Xie Yun raised his head and smiled at her, revealing a dimple that couldn't be seen unless he looked carefully, and said solemnly, "This kind of good sauce tastes too good to be rubbed on the meat, otherwise it will be Ruining the sauce and ruining the meat is just as sinful as the tangy beauty."
Zhou Fei has been running for her life and then rushing on the road for the past few days. She probably understands this person's temper. Except for the legs, Xie Gongzi has only a stomach of absurdity and heresy, and he wants to argue with you, "The sun rises in the west. I can sit there and talk nonstop for a whole day, but I have to be able to speak to the hearts of the people, and I think from the bottom of my heart that the sun rises in the west.
Zhou Fei didn't bother with him, she just asked, "What is the Walking Foot Gang?"
Xie Yun mixed the yellow sauce made by the proprietress into the noodles and said, "Do you know the Beggar Gang?"
Zhou Fei nodded.
Xie Yun then said: "The Beggar Gang collects beggars all over the world. There are gang leaders and elders, and they each do their own thing. They are very moral, and the rules are strict inside. It is easy to see that there are several bags of elders and several bags of disciples, so they are regarded as 'Bai Dao'. It's almost the same as the gangsters, and they are also a bunch of down and out of the rivers and lakes, but there is a saying that 'the feet of the car and boat shop, innocent people should be killed', they are walking the 'underworld'."
Zhou Fei didn't quite understand and asked, "What... what teeth?"
"Eat quickly, don't get cold for a while, you won't take your mouth when you listen to people's words." Xie Yun tapped the table lightly with his fingers, and then continued calmly when he saw her bowing her head and taking a few mouthfuls, " 'Car and boat shop foot teeth' refers to five kinds of occupations, driving, punting, opening a shop, walking, and buying and selling. If the fat sheep bumps in and gets murdered, you will have to admit that you are unlucky."
Zhou Fei's heart skipped a beat, thinking that Wu Chuchu's eldest daughter was in the hands of someone who "killed people and sold goods", she couldn't swallow anything she had eaten.
Xie Yun continued: "These five kinds of people are collectively referred to as 'Xingjiao Gang'. Although they are not managed by one boss, they all know what's going on with each other. Brothers who have one line and one line do business called "one-handed black". If you know how to do things, you are your own person, and you have a cable in your hand, then you can rest assured. The rules of walking and foot help are more than the sky. Whether you are sending things, sending letters or inquiring about things, you can do it properly and reliably. This is called I won't say much about 'white business' and 'black business', you can imagine it—you don't have to worry about Mr. Bai, he is a cousin of mine, reliable, and has seven or eight helpers on hand. Line, follow him, as long as you don't turn around and meet the Northern Eagle Dog, someone will cook fish for you in the water bandit stockade."
Zhou Fei said "oh", she originally thought that she was born in the "underworld", but only after going down the mountain did she realize that the bandit flag in the forty-eight villages was completely to disgust the emperor of the Northern Dynasty. When she went out for a walk, everyone thought she was famous Xiaobaihua, who was born in a decent school, grew up in Xanadu.
Zhou Fei thought for a while, and then asked, "Then can I ask them to help find someone to deliver the letter?"
Xie Yun: "Huh?"
Zhou Fei counted them one by one: "I have to find Mrs. Wang first. I don't know what happened to her. First, my brother left without saying goodbye, but I can't find it anymore. She can't explain to my mother when she gets home. How to get angry, and I have to tell her about Senior Brother Chenfei... and the dark pile of mutiny over there, I don't know how many people were involved, and I also heard that the elders of the association..."
Xie Yun looked at her in surprise: "You don't have a big head, but you can really pretend."
Zhou Fei was interrupted by him, she rolled her eyes at him half-deadly, and wanted to go home more and more - when she was in the Forty-eight Village, she was too lazy to even compete with Li Sheng, and every day apart from practicing the exercises, she occasionally dealt with Li Yan, what was on her mind She didn't pretend to do anything, even when she first came down the mountain, she just wanted to be a dutiful attendant to Mrs. Wang, and didn't even pay attention to the dark spots in the village.
Who knows that things are impermanent, and in a blink of an eye, she is alone and helpless.
Xie Yun thought for a while, and suddenly took out a small paper bag from his arms and handed it to her: "This is for you."
Zhou Fei took it inexplicably, opened it, and found a packet of sugar cubes inside. I don't know where I bought it from. I'm afraid it was made by a farmer.
Zhou Fei looked at Xie Yun suspiciously: "I thought you were on business when you went out early in the morning, and you went to buy candy after a long fuss?"
Xie Yun shook his head and said, "Under the eyebrows, some people think that the grand plan is the right thing to do, but I think it's the right thing to make the little beauty happy. What's the difference? I think I'm more elegant."
Zhou Fei smiled softly and said, "Brother Xie, I think you still have to practice your Qinggong.
Just as he was talking, there was a heavy knock on the door from downstairs.
The inn opens its doors to welcome guests. As long as it is not closed, the door is open, but the visitor has to knock on the door to show that they are coming.
I saw that the man was thin, with a chin on the tip of his cheek, a mouth of Lei Gong, and he could go out to play monkeys with his hair on. He was also dressed in white clothes, followed by a large group of people in sackcloth and filial piety, as if he had just finished crying.
The thin monkey in the lead stepped on the threshold with one foot inside and one foot outside, looked up and down the small Sanchun Inn, smiled slightly, and cupped his fists at the shopkeeper and said: "Master, brothers 'lifting the coffin hair material', just now Four carried three long and two shorts into the yin house, howled all the way, sold a lot of strength, you ask for auspiciousness, and give us two cups of tea to eat with us."
Zhou Fei frowned and looked downstairs. The guests who were staying at the store had already got up one after another, and went out to eat breakfast in twos and threes. In the early morning, they encountered a group of people wearing burlap and filial piety blocking the door, and their faces were not very good-looking.
The shopkeeper is also a real person. When he saw this, he was able to squeeze out a smile. After a round of worship, he said calmly: "This is no problem, Xiaoluzi, bring some tea money and give it to 'Bai Kongfang'. 'Big bro to quench your thirst!"
The thin monkey on the threshold heard him revealing his origins, so he raised his eyes and stared at the shopkeeper for a moment, smiled like a zombie, and gave a thumbs up: "The shopkeeper is indeed a businessman, Zhao Ziliang. , has eyesight, and is sensible."
Zhou Fei asked in a low voice, "What is 'Bai Kongfang'?"
Xie Yundao: "It's just paper money - it turned out that there were big families going to funerals and funerals to talk about ostentation. I was afraid that the family would not have enough filial sons and grandsons, so I asked a group of people to follow the crying spirit. Now there is not so much business, I can start the business of eating and taking cards. It's okay, open a shop to welcome you. Guest, dealing with local rascals is a common thing."
When his voice fell, he saw the second shop assistant holding a small purse and handing it over to the mourners tremblingly.
The shopkeeper nodded and said, "It's not a respect for mere tea money. Brothers, come in and rest your feet and put a pad on your stomach, okay?"
Probably enough money, the thin monkey put the money bag in his hand, and his expression eased a lot, nodded and smiled: "No, it's getting late, don't delay your business, go—"
He gave an order, and a large group of "filial sons and worthy grandsons" picked up the suona gongs sent out for the funeral, and walked away one by one, singing, chanting, sitting, and beating, leaving a floor of paper money. Seeing them turn around, the shop assistant spat viciously and asked the shopkeeper to slap the back of his head, scolding: "What are you looking at, don't sweep the floor!"
After that, he quickly put on a smile, and apologized to the customers in the store one by one.
If there are those who are good to talk, it’s fine to complain, and there are those who are not good to talk, and the shopkeeper must bow again and again, and the auspicious words have been exhausted, and the mouth is worn out.
Looking from upstairs, Zhou Fei felt that his chubby back was very similar to the "kowtow tumbler" sold in the market.
She used to feel that the sky is high and the earth is vast after crossing the Ximo River, and nothing can stop her, but now she realizes that with her meager aptitude, she is probably enough to guard the hospital, not to mention the big cause, "Little one. business" is also a mess. Zhou Fei squeezed a piece of candy bought by Xie Yun and stuffed it into her mouth, her cheeks bulging up, and it took a long time to taste a bit of bitter sweetness, she thought to herself, "This time, I won't go back and practice for three or five years. , I won't come out casually to be embarrassed."
At this moment, there were a few screams outside the inn, the sound of suona and gong stopped abruptly.
Zhou Fei looked out from the wooden window on the second floor, and saw two fast horses running aggressively across the long street. The people on the horses were wearing bamboo hats and could not see their faces. With a long whip in his hand, he overturned a large group of filial sons and grandsons who were playing and singing, only to see that the whip had barbs, and it could tear off a layer of human skin when it was glued to flesh and blood.
The two rushed to the front of the Sanchun Inn in a blink of an eye. Seeing that the shop assistant was foolishly holding a broom, he didn't know how to dodge.
Seeing that the shop assistant's head was about to turn into a rotten watermelon, two wooden chopsticks suddenly fell from the second floor, one missed the tip of the whip, and the other was poking the whip holder's wrist.
The long whip of the rider immediately let go, and the sinister barb brushed past the hapless shop assistant. The shop assistant, who almost nodded, sat on the ground with a "pop", trembling like a leaf.
The man on horseback took off his hat and glared fiercely at the wooden window on the second floor—it was a young man in his early twenties.