The four of them traveled light and at a fairly fast pace, after walking for more than an hour they came across a simple roadside restaurant.
This kind of restaurant serves the business of pedestrians and businessmen. However, the world is not good, and there are few customers all day long.
It was unknown whether the four of them had come by chance or something else, but there were several vehicles parked outside the restaurant, and more than a dozen diners in different attire were sitting inside. Shen Tang secretly paid attention to Qi Shan, whose face had turned pale for no apparent reason, and suggested, "I'm a little thirsty, shall we stop and rest?"
Chu Yao would naturally not refuse.
Although Shen Tang could turn wine into something elegant, he just couldn't stand drinking a drop of alcohol. The water bags they brought were empty, so it would be a good idea to stop and replenish their dry food after such a long journey.
"Boss, are there four more seats inside?"
Shen Tang jumped off the motorcycle and yelled at the restaurant. The shopkeeper looked out and the impatience on his face was scared away - there was no other reason. In order not to expose their whereabouts, the four people and the motorcycle were disguised again. She still looked fierce, and she was the image of a ruthless person who made passers-by want to hand over their wallets. If there was a murder case nearby, nine out of ten police officers would catch her.
Well, you can tell at first glance that he is not a good person.
The remaining three were transformed into a housekeeper, an accountant, and a guard.
The shopkeeper adhered to the principle of less trouble is worse than more trouble, and put on a flattering smile: "Yes, yes, yes, please come in."
After Shen Tang heard this, he was secretly delighted.
The shopkeeper's words made her want to add "bring me three pounds of beef and three pounds of wine", showing the heroic spirit of the swordsman. But when the words came to her lips, they became: "Bring four seats, three pots of tea, one pot of wine, and four servings of cakes, as soon as possible."
The shopkeeper's smile froze.
It seemed that he didn't expect Shen Tang to be so stingy.
However, due to the size of the group, he did not dare to speak out his complaints. He turned around and welcomed the four people into the restaurant, and ordered the servants to clean a low table. Not long after, the kitchen brought up what Shen Tang wanted, and the only pot of wine was for Gong Shuwu.
Gong Shuwu looked at the only pot of wine. Although he was surprised by Shen Tang's "different treatment", he did not ask. He was not a good drinker, but it was better to drink wine than tea. Qishan and the other two looked calm, as if no one noticed this small detail.
Shen Tang would not take the initiative to make it clear.
What to say
For a strong man like Gong Shuwu, drinking generously and eating meat with big mouthfuls is in line with his personal image
It's only right for two scholars to drink tea elegantly. Isn't that OOC
Emmm…
So, stereotypes are harmful.
Shen Tang didn't just come to eat. When the servant passed by, she asked, "Is your business so good?"
Just as the four of them started eating, another group of people came outside the restaurant.
There were three carriages and a large team, including the host's family of five, a total of ten people. Even though the hostess was wearing a veil, one could still see the hazy face behind the veil without makeup. The elderly gray-haired woman held the baby in her arms and whispered to comfort the hostess. The other two children with pigtails hunched their shoulders and lowered their heads, with fear between their brows.
At first Shen Tang thought they had encountered bandits on the way.
But after listening carefully, I found that it was not the case.
The other diners in the restaurant also had worried looks on their faces, obviously because something big had happened in the outside world. However, the words "No Trespassing" were written on the faces of the others. Shen Tang didn't want to go up to them and cause trouble, so he chose to start with the servants.
In order to pry open his mouth, he smiled and took out a small piece of silver. The servant seemed to have learned the skill of changing his face. He switched from impatience to enthusiasm in a second and told him everything he knew.
He said bluntly: "You don't know? Alas, the war has started again! If you want to survive, you can only run away. After passing our store, it will be difficult to replenish dry food and water bags on the road."
When Qishan and the other three heard this, their expressions suddenly changed.
At the same time, I thought of the smoke signals that appeared at midnight yesterday.
Shen Tang: “…”
Which step is fast forward
She was only isolated from the world for a few days, not a few years, right
Shen Tang asked again: "Fight? Who is fighting against whom?"
The servant asked, "How do we know this?"
Suddenly they started fighting.
He only learned about this news when many diners who had fled came to the restaurant. However, it didn't matter who was fighting with whom, because in the end, it was the ordinary people like them who suffered, and they were used to it.
The big guys can fight wars however they want, but the little guys like them also have to open shops and do business to support their families.
Shen Tang: "Then you should know where to hit, right?"
Qishan and the other two were also eager to get answers.
The servant replied, "I don't know, but most of the customers are from the provincial capital. There must be a war going on there, right?"
Shen Tang: "... the provincial capital?"
Isn't the capital of Sibao County...
Xiaocheng!
Shen Tang almost jumped up on the spot.
Qi Shan and Chu Yao stretched out their hands, pressed down her shoulders respectively, and signaled her to be patient: "Don't worry, go find out first..."
Chu Yao glanced at the new guests outside the restaurant, stood up, straightened his sleeves, and walked up to the male owner of the family and asked, "Sir, please stay. Have you ever run a private school in Xiaocheng?"
The male host looked at Chu Yao warily.
This man looked young, only thirty years old, but he was dressed like an old scholar in his forties or fifties, and had a long face, which made people think of the words "lifeless" and "old-fashioned".
He seemed to be accustomed to looking at people with the white eyes, and was unfriendly to Chu Yao's behavior of approaching him, but when his eyes caught sight of the Wenxin monogram on the latter's waist, his expression immediately changed 180 degrees.
"Who are you?"
"It is indeed you, sir. You may not remember it, but there was a young man in our clan who studied in your private school for two years. I went back to pick up my child and saw him from a distance."
Chu Yao spoke without thinking, mixed with truth and lies.
He had indeed met the male host a few times, but he was too disdainful to talk to the kitchen servants in the brothel. This was the first time.
The man's expression softened a bit.
"I see."
Chu Yao said in a natural tone: "Mr. Yaoguan is in a hurry, and he is taking his wife and children with him. Are you going on a long journey to visit relatives?"
The man sighed, "It's not that he's traveling to visit relatives, he's moving."
Chu Yao pretended to be surprised: "Moving? This... that teacher's private school and those students... I have also run some business over the years. If the teacher has any difficulties, Yao may be able to help."
The host was deeply moved after hearing this.
She wished she could immediately introduce Chu Yao as her lifelong confidant, her eyes twinkling with tears: "The private school has been closed, and all the students have dispersed."
Although Chu Yao was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by the information behind the male host's answer.
Is Xiaocheng so dangerous
You should know that there are few private schools in Xiaocheng, and even fewer with acceptable teaching quality. The private school owned by the male owner is one of them.
Therefore, many families were willing to send their children there, even if this person liked to make things difficult for others regarding tuition fees - if the student's family was well-off and charged less tuition fees, he would teach more, but if the student's family was poor, he would not only charge more tuition fees, but also scold him at any time and turn hostile at will.
This means that he has no competitive pressure to survive in Xiaocheng and lives a more decent and comfortable life than most people.
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