The days pass quietly in such a boring life of traveling, and before you know it, summer has come to an end. However, it seems to want to express its last bit of majesty, so the weather has been extremely hot these days, and the air is so dry that it is almost on fire, making people thirsty.
Xu Huaigu faced the scorching sun and walked on the yellow sand road between the woods with a grimace. Sweat kept flowing down his cheeks, and then dripped from his chin to the ground. This was the only water in the weather.
He raised the kettle made of sheepskin, raised his head and poured out the last sip of water. He shook it vigorously a few times, and after confirming that there was no water left, he slowly closed the lid of the kettle.
Xu Huaigu was reluctant to swallow the water in one gulp. Instead, he held the water in his mouth to moisten his mouth before swallowing in small sips.
After more than two months of travel, Xu Huaigu was no longer the young child he was. His current appearance was probably unrecognizable even to Li Zi.
His skin has been tanned to a tan black color. He is wearing gray-black clothes and a bamboo hat, making it difficult to see his face. He carried a long sword with a bamboo scabbard on his back, an unsheathed dagger in his hand, and a dagger stuck in his sleeve. In addition, he is already tall, even though he is only nine years old, he looks like a short swordsman traveling in the world. In fact, he doesn't have any real skills. He dresses like this just to disguise himself and avoid unnecessary trouble.
Xu Huaigu wiped the sweat from his forehead and straightened the long sword behind him. For two months, he had been following Deng Zhiyuan's instructions, carrying the long sword Xiaoyu on his back day and night.
Under the training of this heavy sword, his physical fitness has also improved rapidly. It is far beyond the comparison of a nine-year-old child. Coupled with his training, he is probably comparable to an adult.
The road ahead is still endless, with no end in sight. Xu Huaigu smashed his dry lips, swallowed, and complained: "What the hell kind of weather is this? I was soaked to death in the rain in Hongfang, and I died of thirst on the road. It's really weird!"
As soon as he finished speaking, several birdsong sounded in the forest, seeming to echo his complaints.
Xu Huaigu smiled to himself and continued on his way. It seemed that good luck favored him. Not long after complaining, a small wooden house appeared in a hidden place in the woods by the roadside.
His eyes suddenly lit up.
Two months of walking around the world were not in vain. He now knew many rules and stories about the world.
Roadside cabins like this are places for passers-by to rest, and of course tea and simple meals are provided. For him who was running out of food and water, this was undoubtedly the best news.
Without hesitation, he immediately walked towards the cabin and pushed down the brim of his hat to better cover his face so that no one would see his immature face.
He walked to the door of the wooden house, knocked on the door harder and lowered his voice, and shouted outside the door: "Store, come out and open the door quickly! I'm almost dying from the heat outside!"
The sound of "tuk-tuk" footsteps was immediately heard inside, and a woman's voice complained: "It's coming, it's coming, don't be in a hurry!"
Xu Huaigu turned a deaf ear.
Just waiting for the woman to open the door, he ignored the woman standing at the door and stepped into the store without even looking at her. Then he put his dagger on the nearest table and said to the woman: "Staff, do you have a guest room here that I can stay in?"
The woman was very annoyed by his arrogant and rude behavior, but seeing that he still had two swords in his hand and his temperament was quite good, she kept silent and replied in a charming tone: "Yes. Yes, as long as the customer needs it, I have everything in this store."
She obviously regarded Xu Huaigu as a real Jianghu guest, and deliberately emphasized the word "what" when she said it. However, Xu Huaigu didn't understand her hint. He just thought it was the store owner who was boasting, so he replied: "Then give me a guest room. As long as you have tea and no wine, as for the food, whatever is best is the best."
The woman said softly "Eh" in her heart. This turned out to be a wealthy owner, but don’t all Jianghu people like to drink? Why is this man dressed as a swordsman drinking tea like a scholar?
She was confused, so she still didn't ask. Instead, she gently smoothed her hair and said with a smile: "Since the guest wants to stay, let's meet without looking up. You also allow me to introduce you. My name is Jiang Shan. This local from Fengtou Mountain has opened this small shop here for several years. On weekdays, it’s just me and this kid in the shop. The kid’s name is Sangou, which is not a good name. It’s just that his parents died young, so I help him at will. He took it, I hope the guest officer doesn’t mind.”
Xu Huaigu nodded to understand. He was a little puzzled that a weak woman and child could open a shop in this wilderness for several years. When did the world become so peaceful?
The woman named Jiang Shan saw that Xu Huaigu didn't even raise his head to look at her. She just felt bored, so she put away her charming charm and ordered to the other teenage boy in the store: "Three dogs, go and serve the customers." Bring some tea and make some good dishes."
Sangou went to prepare without saying a word. Jiang Shan saw that this Jianghu guest was a taciturn person, so she turned and left to prepare the room. Xu Huaigu took the opportunity to look up at the woman.
The woman's back looks quite beautiful. She has a slim figure and wears a double-breasted skirt made of gray ordinary fabric. Her hair is spread behind her shoulders with an ordinary wooden hairpin. Although she is dressed plainly, she has a good face and is of the right age. For some reason she is not married.
Xu Huaigu was too lazy to think so much. When the little boy named San Gou brought the tea, he was already extremely thirsty and drank three whole pots in one go. Then he filled up the sheepskin kettle before he looked at the little boy in front of him. .
Sangou is black and thin. He is about ten years old and about the same age as Xu Huaigu, but he is a full head shorter in height and his body is also very thin. At first glance, it seems that he is not living a good life.
Xu Huaigu sympathized with the child a little, so he took out a small ingot of silver from the bag he carried with him, threw it to him, and said casually: "I gave this ingot of silver to you, just as a reward for helping me pour tea. "
Sangou watched with wide eyes as Xu Huaigu threw a shiny silver object, and hurriedly reached out to catch it. It was really a piece of silver! He was panicked for a moment and was in a hurry, not knowing what to do.
He has seen the silver before. Every time Jiang Shan completes a business, she will always receive money. But he also knew that silver was a very valuable thing, and Jiang Shan never let him touch it. At that moment, he didn't know whether he should accept it or not. He just held the ingot of silver and looked at Jiang Shan at the counter for help.
Jiang Shan also looked at Xu Huaigu in surprise, feeling surprised in her heart. She didn't expect that this person would be so generous. Her shock didn't last long before she regained her composure.
She smiled with crooked eyebrows: "Sangou, since it's given to you, you should accept it. Hide it well and be your wife in the future. Don't forget to thank this God of Wealth."
Sangou grasped the ingot of silver carefully, put it into his pocket, and looked at Xu Huaigu again. As a result, he seemed a little shy and ran directly outside into the woods without saying a word.
Jiang Shan smiled and said, "Children are ignorant. This gentleman has a lot of trouble, so please don't take it to heart."
Xu Huaigu cursed in his heart and said angrily: "What's your name, Master? Am I that old? My surname is Xu and my name is Huaigu."
It was the first time Jiang Shan heard such a strange name, but she still smiled and said: "Okay, Mr. Xu, your guest room is ready. The food will be ready soon. Do you want to eat at the table or go back to the guest room?"
"Just on the table."
Jiang Shan heard the reply, but did not walk away. Instead, she stood at the table and looked at Xu Huaigu with a smile. Xu Huaigu knew what he meant and said casually: "Isn't it just money? Since I can give it to the children, I will naturally not miss out on your room and food. Tell me, how much does one night's room and these meals cost?" "
Jiang Shan replied: "Two taels of silver."
This is affordable.
Xu Huaigu did not hesitate and took out a brocade bag. After searching for a long time, he found the smallest ingot of silver worth twelve taels in the bag. This... having too much money seems to be quite troublesome.
The woman Jiang Shan was a little surprised when she saw his money bag. The drums are full of silver, at least several hundred taels. I know this person is rich, but being rich doesn’t mean being so rich, right?
If you are so rich, why not rent a carriage and walk in the scorching sun? It's really puzzling.
Of course she didn't know that Xu Huaigu still had 10,000 taels of silver notes in his bag...
Xu Huaigu scratched his head and said embarrassedly: "I don't have any small silver here, so I'll give you this piece, and treat the rest as a reward for you. Buy more delicious food for the three dogs. The child needs more to grow up." Eat meat.”
The woman was stunned for a moment, and her eyes became even weirder. She did not pick up the money, but frowned at the swordsman in front of her, whose face was covered by a bamboo hat. She didn't know what she was thinking.
Xu Huaigu was worried that her true age would be revealed by her. Just as he was about to speak to ease the deadlock, he heard someone outside shouting: "Shopkeeper, as usual, bring me a jar of good wine. Brothers are waiting to open the wine!"
