The road was filled with dust and dust, and it was very hard for the old man. It was not easy for him to travel here and there at such an old age. Although he had saved dozens of taels of private money in these ten years, how could he have imagined that in just ten years , the prices in the outside world will rise so much. Two buns cost one penny each, but now they cost five cents each, and they don’t even contain meat. I spent more than half of the money I saved by frugally just buying the train ticket. Even the old man who misses the chicken is not willing to take a bite. The old man is also very frugal on the road, and he will not let go of the steamed buns with vegetarian fillings. Basically, he eats two white flour steamed buns and begs from the common people when he is thirsty. A few sips of water.
Originally, I still wanted to carry forward the glorious tradition of walking hundreds of miles a day when I was in the army, walk to the destination by foot, and use the money from the ticket to eat chicken. Who would have thought that after walking for a long time, I would be so tired, my body would not be the same as before, and the road now is not the same as before. There are many twists and turns, and I have taken the wrong route several times. For this reason, I am reluctant to take the car. .
Taking a car was much faster, and it took less than two days to reach the destination - Yingtian Mansion.
Due to the influence of modernization trends, high-rise buildings have appeared in many cities, and houses made of rammed earth and wood have also been torn down. The roads are also paved with cement. However, Yingtian Mansion may not have undergone large-scale demolition and reconstruction because it is the capital of the country, but it has not changed much. It is still an old house with blue tiles and blue bricks, and the roads are also paved with bluestone streets. There are no high-rise buildings, and there are no tall chimneys emitting wisps of black smoke. Everything looks simple and old.
Seeing the familiar streets, houses, and gray sky, with the smell of earth in my nose, a sense of familiarity came to my heart. I felt very comfortable and happy. The peach blossoms were still there, but the buildings were empty, and things were still people. Fei, in the past ten years, not only time has passed away, but also the passing comrade Pao Ze, and the feelings of living and dying together. Looking at these, the old man who has never known what troubles is also fell into deep thought, and a feeling Sadness crept up between his brows. Who knows whether the road ahead will be the Avenue of Stars or full of thorns.
After being away for more than ten years, how many people will remember me? Is it right or wrong for me to go out this time? But for the sake of my children, I have to do this. When I am old, for those who are buried up to their necks in loess, the world has long been right. It doesn't matter to me, but Wang Bu is still young. Could it be that he is just like me, wasting his life alone in a remote mountain, and then turned into a pile of loess. The world is huge, but it must always leave a trace of its own legend. As long as a person lives, he must always leave a name.
Thinking of this, the old man strengthened his faith and continued walking through the busy streets. He bought two buns, well, they were stuffed with meat. He hadn't eaten meat for a few days, and his mouth felt like a bird.
If you don't succeed, you will succeed. There is no need for me to be frugal anymore. Thinking of this, I bought another chicken leg. Well, I tasted it carefully. It tasted good. It still tasted more than ten years ago. It's a century-old shop and the people haven't changed. .
After eating and drinking, Lao Immortal walked towards his destination.
The gatekeepers are still two people with white hair and black dogs, and they are still wearing the same clothes. Because they represent the image of the Duke of Min, the requirements are also very strict. The clothes are required to be washed every day. In order not to ruin the last one of the Ming Empire The eunuch's calligraphy was washed off and he paid someone to have it dry cleaned. The clothes came out clean and smelled good. And it won’t damage the signature on the clothes.
The night before yesterday, the two of them wore these clothes and went to the Baihualou bathhouse. Well, you guessed it right, there are places with special services. Because of the interference of the world human rights organization, they believe that women engaging in special services is contempt for women, blasphemy, unfair treatment, and gender discrimination. In order to maintain the image of a great country, Ming Dynasty The empire has very strict management of brothels and does not allow women to enter the brothel casually. If you want to enter this industry, you need to go through various checks by the government. Those whose parents have died and have no relatives, those whose families are really in difficulty, or those who are very voluntary and would rather die than go to the brothel. I agree. Only those with these conditions can work with certificates. Except for government-run brothels, all others are banned. This business is also a profitable business, with extremely huge profits. The income of the staff is also very considerable, because it is government-run and is a monopoly, and every day A staff member is inspected regularly, and those who are sick are treated, and those who cannot be cured are forced to be laid off. Of course, safety measures must be taken during the service process. Therefore, the prices are relatively high, which also provides a breeding ground for private brothels. Driven by interests, some non-official brothels have emerged. Of course, these are also represented by some big shots from the court. After all, they have no power or power. I want to open a brothel, but ordinary merchants will be hard-pressed to deal with just those ruffians and bully chicken eaters. However, this is illegal after all, so calling it a brothel is naturally not acceptable. However, people came up with the method, so the massage bath house came into being. Of course, it still has the original formula and the original taste.
It has to be said that the bathhouse provides a hotbed of happiness for those struggling singles, allowing them to experience the feeling of home and the opportunity to be a real man. Of course, the bathhouse is to maintain social harmony and neighborhood relations. And the social atmosphere has played a very good regulating role. Because of the massage bathhouse, not only the number of similar criminal cases has been reduced a lot, but also some criminal cases. After all, if you are in a bad mood, you can go to the massage bathhouse to vent your feelings. After you come out, you will feel better. The air is refreshing, there is no need to be unhappy, and there are naturally fewer fights.
White-haired Black Dog's family is still very poor. They have been poor in their previous lives, including their ancestors' eighteen lifetimes. Of course, if nothing happens, their descendants will continue to be poor, but only if they can find a living source for them. No matter how poor their ancestors were, they still managed to find a wife. But as for these two, they look human-like, but they are still single in their thirties. As the janitors of the Duke of Min's Mansion, In such a glorious and promising career, it really shouldn't be possible for the two of you to be single.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the two of them often run to the bathhouse. After all, everyone has needs.
And as colleagues, the nature and content of their work, including their salaries, are the same. Not only that, they both have the same taste. They like the same girl, and they can get a 20% discount if they go together. .
Xiao Taohong has a very tacky name, but she is the favorite of white cats and black dogs. Normally, Xiao Taohong dislikes white cats and black dogs. Any girl would like a man who has to bargain with girls, but because the two of them are Together, and time is fast, in line with the concept of small profits but quick turnover, Xiao Taohong is willing to accept customers. For this reason, White Cat and Black Dog also applied for a card, becoming a VIP user and enjoying 20% off treatment.
I bought Black Dog for nothing, but I didn’t expect that wearing signed clothes would cause a sensation in the Baihualou bathhouse. Everyone wanted to see the calligraphy of the last eunuch of the Ming Dynasty. Xiao Taohong also liked it very much, and even fought for them both. 50% off, and the service attitude was much better. The two of them also experienced a lot of services that they had never experienced before. They were very happy, so they cherished this outfit even more, so they wore this outfit again today. After they came out, they planned to go to a clothing store to order a few more clothes after their wages were paid, and embroider their signatures on them. They would put away this handwritten one, frame it when they went home, and pass it on as a family heirloom.
The white cat and black dog who were chatting soon noticed something unusual in front of the door. When they looked up, they saw an old man standing there, motionless for a long time. You must know that this road is basically a private section of the Min Guogong Mansion. , few people dare to pass by here.
Someone actually showed up today, and both of them were very curious. The white cat looked at the old man and asked, "Hey, where is this beggar? Go away quickly. The front door of Min Guogong's mansion is not a place for you to stay for a long time."
Damn, I'm blind. I am an immortal, so how did I become an old beggar? Everyone guessed it right. The old beggar is naturally immortal. The old man wanted to go up and let this blind slave take a good look. Have you ever seen such a handsome, fairy-like beggar?
He just lowered his head and looked at his clothes. Well, okay, the original blue gown was already stained with dust, and the beard that hadn't been taken care of for a few days was also a bit messy. Including his hair, he really looked like a beggar. Retracting his anger, Lao Immortal put on a smile and took a few steps forward: "Please let me know, please tell me that I am an old friend and want to see you."
"Who are you? Just report it as you say. It's such a hot day, what should I do if I have a heat stroke?" the white cat said, looking at the old immortal with some contempt. Although it is said that every family will have a poor relative, but Min Guogong Mansion No, Min Guogong's family sacrificed a lot for the Ming Empire. The only few who survived were also powerful people in southern Fujian. How could he become an old beggar?
However, if you report it yourself, it is not your business whether you meet or not. Of course, there are conditions for reporting.
"Don't be afraid. I have some medical skills. I can still treat syphilis, athlete's foot, and heatstroke." The old immortal replied calmly. After all, he was well-read and believed in Taoism, so he could deal with some minor illnesses and disasters.
The black dog looked at the old immortal, then looked at the white cat and said: "Brother, is this old man pretending to be stupid and teasing us two?"
"No, no, how dare the old man". Hearing this, Lao Immortal hurriedly explained.
Bai Mao is also very strange. According to his own experience as a servant, people with high status will not be familiar with a servant. For example, the fourth prince always calls in directly, and those with low status dare not tease him because they are old and immortal. From the way he was dressed, it was obvious that the old man belonged to a low-status group and should not dare to tease him.
He looked at the old immortal and said, "Old man, you don't understand the rules here?"
"Rules, what rules?" Lao Bu Shi was from a well-known family, and later went to the battlefield. Naturally, he had never had such a promising career as a janitor, and he didn't know the rules.
Seeing the sincerity on the old man's face, which did not look like he was teasing him, Bai Mao also patiently explained that he was the one who gave him money after all, and this was what he should do, "Old man, do you understand the running fee?"
The old man shook his head, he really didn't understand.
"Well, well, it's terrible to be uneducated. People who have gone to school can understand it literally." Bai Mao continued to explain, "Look, our professional job is just to watch the door, right?"
The old man nodded. The duty of the doorkeeper was naturally to guard the door.
"And the wages our employer pays us are just janitor wages. Going to report for you is extra work and overtime, right?"
The old man seemed to make sense, so he nodded again.
Seeing the old man being so cooperative, the white cat was very happy, and then said: "Look, the boss pays us wages, provides us with work clothes, and also takes care of our three meals a day. We are also very grateful, so naturally we don't I'm embarrassed to mention overtime, but for the hard work we put in, we must reap corresponding rewards. By the way, old man, have you read the "Labor Security Law of the Ming Empire"?
"I have read the Women and Children Protection Law," Lao Bu Si replied,
"Just fine if you haven't seen it. Let me explain to you. The "Labor Security Law of the Ming Empire" stipulates that after workers have put in their labor, the employer must pay corresponding remuneration. If there is overtime, the employer must pay twice to three times. If someone breaks the law, you can report it to the government office, and someone will make the decision for you, and the government office will severely punish you."
After the white cat finished speaking, he looked at Lao Immortal, waiting for Lao Immortal to express his position.
Black Dog envied people like White Cat who knew the law and could always find favorable legal basis for themselves. Black Dog also looked at the old man and said, "Old man, did you hear that clearly?"
"I heard you clearly, you mean I need to pay for this errand," Lao Immortal asked.
"Yes, yes," the two of them answered in unison. They were very happy to see that the old man had such a strong understanding.
"Okay then." Although I don't know what the "Labor Security Law of the Ming Empire" is, you will get something if you pay. I still have a few taels of private money. In order to enter the Duke's palace, I just broke everything. Just give it to these two. Thinking of this, I took off one of my shoes and took out a banknote.
No circumstances could hide the fact that it was a banknote. Even if the prince was born in the toilet, he was still a prince. The white cat did not dislike it and hurriedly snatched the banknote with a pungent smell from the old immortal's hand. Black Dog was also very excited. After all, it was so secretive that the face value of the bank note would certainly not be low.
The two excitedly opened the banknote and said, "Nima, one or two."
