As the autumn wind chills, Green Ant Wine becomes more and more popular. The willows at the fork of the two post roads outside the city are particularly strong. Under the shade of the tree, there is a clean wine shop. The wine seller is an old man in his fifties, and his business is getting better. It is appropriate for the daughter-in-law to do chores for this kind of work. After all, women can bargain with the guests with a low face. The old man is honest and honest. He has been in business for more than ten years, and he has always been thin-skinned. , Offended a group of military masters who were drinking and making trouble, the old man didn't dare to let her suffer this crime, and now I still have lingering fears when I think about it, if it wasn't because of someone passing by the wine shop that turmoil, I really can't understand the gang of dandies in bright armor My son, I will help you chivalrously, otherwise, not to mention ruining the money and eliminating disasters, I am afraid that the innocence of my daughter-in-law will be ruined. Thinking about it until now, the old man is still guilty and uneasy, and feels that he is worthless. Later, I heard that those young soldiers who rely on connections to join the army Lord, it may be the personal guard camp of the prince of Beiliang, so the old man will accept his fate, but it is a pity that the father and son of the general tiger, who drink too much in private, will also scold the world of the son of a bitch, thinking about the day when the general passes away Now, don't let that son become the king of Beiliang. They say that General Chen Zhibao is invincible on the battlefield, but he treats soldiers and common people with kindness. The old man and some old farmers in the neighborhood also think that General Chen has nothing to say about wars. The King of Beiliang is really not bad.
Today, the old man is in a good mood, so he took out the home-brewed green ant wine that he was reluctant to drink. Green ant wine is not expensive at all, the dignitaries can afford it, and the common people in the market are not bad for this wine, unless the lard is tricked. Only the black merchants will take advantage of the money, but the authentic green ant wine is also good or bad. Generally, it is sold in bulk and sold by the catty and the bowl. The main reason is that the rich old man sitting there holding a bowl of wine is his benefactor. If this old man hadn't stopped those lawless army masters that year, his daughter-in-law would have been dragged down by those gangsters for a thousand dollars. Went to the barracks. Today, this jar of green ants does not charge money!
In the eyes of the old man, Old Brother Xu who was drinking would not be a wealthy gentry and rich family. just comfortable.
The old man dealt with a table of drinkers, and finally had time, put a wet towel on his shoulders, sat on the next table, and said with a smile: "Brother Xu, why don't you call Nephew Yuan to have a drink? It's been two years I saw you guys, what’s the matter, are you afraid that I’m going to be poor from drinking?”
A tall and handsome man was standing at the edge of the tree shade. The old man clearly remembered that he was the one who taught those little bastards a lesson. Later, he learned that he was Brother Xu's adoptive son, surnamed Yuan. The old man who sells wine here has been selling wine for some years. He has seen many children from rich families, and none of them can compare to this Mr. Yuan. Brother Xu has such a character and appearance that he would give his thumbs up. Good man rewarded. But today, there are few reunions than in the past. Brother Xu also brought a pair of characters with him, a young scholar and a well-behaved little girl. It's strange. Mr. Yuan doesn't sit at the table to drink. Could it be that the scholar belongs to Brother Xu? My son and my granddaughter don't look like each other. But the old man is not a talkative woman, so she didn't mention it.
The rich man waved his hands and said with a smile: "He doesn't like to drink, and he's also very airy. Even if I try to persuade him to drink himself, he would say that it's wrong to drink too much. The truth is always more slick than mine. We can't talk to him, Brother Huang, let him go."
The old man Huang nodded with a smile, "It doesn't matter, it's better not to drink than to drink. Unlike Mr. Yuan, my kid is not made for big things. He always sneaks a few sips while I'm not paying attention. That is to say, I don’t bother to talk about him. We are also very old, and we want to open a lot.”
The old man surnamed Xu took a sip of the green ant wine, took a breath, snorted, and said with a calm face, "Your brother speaks very clearly."
The old man laughed and said, "It's nonsense whether it's bright or not. We don't understand the truth, we just live. My grandson went to a private school to learn to read, and I'm waiting for him to change his writing skills." There’s the word “wine” on it, it doesn’t matter if it’s written well or not, as long as you can read it.”
The old man thought for a while and said, "My son's handwriting is really good. Why don't you use it first, and then replace it when my brother's grandson can write Spring Festival couplets?"
The old man Huang was stunned for a moment, rubbed his hands together with embarrassment and said, "This relationship is good, but won't it bother you too much?"
The old man waved his hand and said with a comfortable smile: "It's okay, I'm here today to wait for my son to come home. Isn't it just a matter of letting him finish drinking? I just don't have pen and ink."
The old man Huang patted his thigh and said, "Go get it if you don't have one. The village is not far away, two miles away. I'll let my grandson run to get it. This kid is very agile."
There was a child who had only been in a private school for two years and had been happily squatting nearby, holding his chin and peeking at the little girl sitting on the table, thinking it was really pretty. Hearing his grandfather praised his legs and feet in front of everyone, he felt very face-saving, and even burst out laughing. He didn't need his grandfather to tell him, stood up, and disappeared without a trace.
The old man Huang generously took the bowl of wine handed over by Brother Xu, took a sip, and asked with a smile: "My son is a scholar who wants to get a job?"
The old man shook his head and said, "I don't study much, but I have been forcing me to run out for a long time in the past few years, and I have only a few days at home all year round. Sometimes I regret it."
The old man said with emotion: "Brother Xu, young people should go out and experience more, or else they won't be able to support a family. A family like you, brother, must not be small, unlike us who spend our entire lives facing that one-acre three-thirds of an acre. land, so Mr. Xu must endure more hardships, which is a good thing."
The scholar who didn't drink much at the side smiled and looked up at the end of the post road.
The old man Huang only drank half a bowl of wine, and then he went to greet the other tables of drinkers. It sounds like they are all pointing the country’s rhetoric, but the old man Huang can’t understand anyway. Most of the people walking around the rivers and lakes are in simple attire. Among them, there is also a relatively expensive one. Relatively generous, in addition to two jars of green ant wine, he also ordered several catties of cooked beef. A few tables of people do not interfere with the water of the river, and the scholars talk high-spirited, with no one in their eyes.
On the contrary, those gangsters took a few more glances at Mr. Yuan surnamed standing like a gun by the side of the post road, and their eyes were a little apprehensive. They knew that Jin Liang was a cross-river dragon who came to Beiliang to beg for a bowl of food. Open an escort agency near the state, or join a slightly larger gang. They have traveled a long way. The Liaodong side came from their hometown, and it was true that they were bitten by a mad dog with the same surname Yuan. The gang I belonged to led soldiers to strangle that kid. They must have some tricks. They are definitely not the so-called invincible fighters who fight from the village head to the village end and the village east to the west of the village. The money-swindling boxer chose Beiliang as his base because he knew that the king of Beiliang "Longxing" was in Liaodong. Small fish with a few small shrimps, and they don’t do anything that violates the laws of the country, so it shouldn’t be difficult to get some food and warmth. Unreasonable land snake. Mr. Yuan, whom they heard from the conversation between the old man in the wine shop and the rich man, made them very interested. The reason why he spoke loudly and deliberately said some heroic deeds in the rivers and lakes was to see if he could get in the way of the crippled rich man. For the blue eyes, it is best to get a nursing instructor who can keep the income from droughts and floods. Otherwise, they are too shy to spend a lot of money, so they won't ask for a few more catties of beef with swollen faces and fat people. A penny can't kill a hero, so how dare they rob money in that Rentu's jurisdiction
A scholar and scholar put down his wine bowl, tut-tsk said: "The Dragon Elephant Army went deep alone, showing the momentum of the Northern Liang Army, and the Daxue Dragon Knight even killed all the way to the Nanjing Mansion of the Northern Barbarians. It's true, but there are us here What is the matter with His Royal Highness? I heard that the eldest son is very confident, so he is planning a strategy thousands of miles away in the brothel in Liangzhou, it is amazing!"
Another classmate, a scholar who studied sage books hard, shook his head and smiled: "One thing is to kill immediately. Isn't it the same for His Royal Highness to fight on horseback on the body of a brothel woman? Yuanliang, what you said is just right Underestimate our hereditary prince, His Royal Highness!"
A scholar with a jade pendant hanging from his waist sneered, "I'm waiting for this son to ride the Empress of Beimang, that's the real skill. I'll be the first to serve him then."
The scholar who opened the head said in a strange way: "Is there a big difference in age?"
Xuanyu scholar asked back: "Hasn't His Royal Highness always been known for being free from all taboos?"
A table of scholars who worried about the country and the people burst into laughter.
Mr. Yuan, who was standing quietly in the distance, squinted his eyes.
Immediately, a strong murderous aura burst out.
The three young and old at the next table, the most grateful little girl looked aggrieved, with tears in her eyes. The elderly rich man took a sip of his wine and smiled, and the one whose surname was Chen Mingxiliang from Jiangnan scholar also smiled lightly.
At the other table, dressed in the most luxurious costumes, Jianghu Caomang placed the wine bowls heavily, without pointing at anyone, and said with a smile: "I heard that the son of Beiliang went to Wudi City, and even went to that city Later, on the banks of the Guangling River, I followed the old sword god all the way to the King of Guangling. I thought I would not be able to do it even if I had a hundred guts. I was so scared that I was shitting in my crotch. Don’t talk to me about being escorted by a master. At this level of grievances, no matter whether you are the son or the grandson, I don’t believe that a son who can only bully women can make Li Chungang such a sword How many thousands of miles would the immortal be willing to escort? Can the city director of Emperor Wudi, who is second in the world, go up to the top of the city and out of the city?"
The friend next to him tugged at his sleeve, shook his head slightly, and signaled his brother not to be impulsive.
The scholar Peiyu looked calm, and said slowly: "A reckless man is worthy of talking about world affairs? Does the toad open its mouth to the sky, swallowing the sun and the moon? The tone is really loud."
Bickering with others, how can the people of the rivers and lakes compete with scholars. The man in Jinyi Jianghu was probably a hot-tempered reckless man, when he heard this kind of sarcasm, he grabbed a knife on the table and immediately held it down for several people at the same table.
Chen Xiliang finally smiled and said: "A toad swallows the sky and eats the moon. That's ambition. Even if it sounds ugly, it's just that the eyes are higher than the top. But the frog at the bottom of the well looks at the sky, but it's stingy."
A scholar glanced at the shabby Confucian scholar in white clothes, and sneered, "What are you?"
Chen Xiliang said flatly: "Let's not talk about me first, even if you read a few sage books, you are nothing. If I were your father, I shouldn't have ridden your mother in the first place. What's the use of giving birth to you?"
The little girl covered her mouth and smiled, secretly giving Brother Chen a thumbs up.
Chen Xiliang patted the little girl's head, and ignored the group of scholars who were so angry that their chests almost exploded.
The rich man glanced at the group of out-of-town people, greeted the old man Huang, and said with a smile: "Come and add two jars of green ant wine and five catties of beef to these strong men, and I will charge it to you. By the way, brother Huang." , this money can’t be less.”
The people at that table were not hypocritical, and thanked each other with fists in their hands.
The post road was dusty.
The old man stood up and inserted his hands into his sleeves.
He looked lightly at the son who went all the way north and cut off the head of Xu Huainan and then the fifth raccoon.
Xu Fengnian turned over and got off the horse. The smile on the corner of Bai Xiong Yuan Zuozong's mouth flickered, and he stepped forward and took the reins of the horse actively.
Xu Fengnian thanked him with a smile, and said, "Drink a bowl of wine with Second Brother Yuan later."
Yuan Zuozong nodded.
The old man rubbed the head of his second son Huang Man'er, then walked to the wine table with his eldest son, and said softly, "It's getting darker again."
Xu Fengnian hummed.
After the father and son sat down, the little girl sensibly moved to Chen Xiliang's bench, said hello to the elder brother who had picked up the wishing money and gave him a big watermelon, and shyly called "Xu" Young master, the latter reached out and pinched her nose, and said with a smile: "Now you are much whiter than me. There must be a lot of handsome young masters lining up to admire you in the future."
At a table, the old man sat alone on one stool, Chen Xiliang and Xiao Nizi sat on one, Xu Fengnian and Xu Longxiang sat on the same bench, Xu Beizhi sat on the last bench, Yuan Zuozong stood and drank a bowl of wine, then stood back to his original place.
Xu Xiao asked with a smile: "By the way, Dad and Brother Huang, the shopkeeper of the restaurant, praised Haikou, saying that your handwriting is good. I don't want you to write a word about wine so that it can be hung on a pole to attract customers, okay?"
Xu Fengnian drank a bowl of wine, wiped the corners of his mouth, "What's the matter?"
The little boy hurriedly brought pen and ink and a small piece of satin that was carefully treasured at home. Xu Fengnian raised his arm and wrote in one stroke, but he wrote very slowly and neatly.
The old man Huang was naturally satisfied and thanked repeatedly. When Xu Fengnian returned the pen and ink, he stood up and said with a smile, no need, and joked that the old man must have come here to cheat and drink a lot.
After the silence, Xu Xiao hesitated to speak.
Xu Fengnian lowered his head to drink, touched the edge of the wine bowl with his lips, raised his head slightly and said, "I already know."
Xu Xiao nodded.
Xu Feng asked in a young voice: "Are the troops ready?"
Xu Xiao smiled.
Xu Fengnian pursed his lips tightly, "I won't go into the city for now, I'll go later."
Xu Xiao sighed inwardly.
Xu Fengnian drank another bowl and got up gently.
Xu Xiao raised his arm towards Yuan Zuozong.
Xu Beizhi bowed deeply to the old man before taking his seat.
While sitting down and drinking, Chen Xiliang and Chen Xiliang looked at each other almost at the same time, and exchanged glances, but quickly dismissed them.
After Xu Fengnian got on his horse, he galloped towards the northwest.
There are eight hundred white horses in Fengziying in front of them.
Intercept and kill the prince Zhao Kai!
Xu Xiao was sitting drinking, and the old man Huang approached and joked, "Mr. Xu is so handsome, he doesn't look like Brother Xu at all."
Xu Xiao called the old man Huang to sit down, laughed and said, "It's better not to be like me. If I look like me, it will be difficult to find a wife. He looks like his mother, good luck!"
The old man who sells alcohol has a serious expression on his face.
Xu Xiao got up to pay the bill, and handed it over to the old man after all the talk. Before leaving, he said: "The people who harmed here back then were not Fengziying. I have to tell you about this, brother."
The old man Huang said with a smile: "It doesn't matter, we ordinary people can't afford to offend anyone, we just want to be safe."
Xu Xiao said softly: "I don't know if there is a chance to drink with you again."
The old man said anxiously: "This is out of the question, my brother can always get a few jars of green ant wine."
Xu Xiao patted old man Huang on the shoulder, and left the restaurant.
Standing by the side of the wine shop, old man Huang suddenly came to his senses, turned his head and shouted to his son: "The word for wine, replace the old one and hang up the new one!"