"Old lady, is that the fish in your fish basket?" Zhou Xu took the lead and asked with a smile.
The old woman nodded quickly: "Yes, sir, do you want it? There are two in the fish basket. They were just caught and they are fresh."
"Of course I want it. My wife likes to drink this fish soup, but it's a pity that I only caught one." Zhou Xu said, "How much silver is it?"
"My noble man, just give me two taels of silver," the old woman replied.
Lei Hu let the boat approach them, and then cut two taels of silver to them.
The old woman got two taels of silver and was very grateful to the noble man. Zhou Xu asked her if there was anything interesting nearby. After the old woman answered with all her heart, she left with her wife.
Zhou Xu changed his clothes and re-entered the cabin.
"Madam, do you want to have fish soup tonight?"
Xiao Luolan said: "Let's drink tomorrow. We'll keep these two fish first."
"Okay, where do you want to play later?" Zhou Xuxiao looked at his wife. He guessed what she was thinking when she refused to leave after lunch. He just wanted to see if the old man could still fish. When you find fish, if you can catch it, buy it. It’s for your own consumption anyway.
"I heard from the old lady that there will be an annual party in Zheliu Town in the evening. How about we go and have a look?" Xiao Luolan's mind wandered.
"Since Madam said so, of course it's okay." Zhou Xu said with a smile.
When his wife was free to make things, Zhou Xu walked out of the boat and asked Lei Hu to paddle to the ferry dock to stop the boat, preparing to go to Zheliu Town at night.
Lei Hu obeyed the instructions, but still couldn't help asking: "Sect Master, are you worried that if you use a curved hook to fish, the old man in the boat next to you will not be able to catch fish."
Zhou Xu was silent for a while.
"Sect Master, why don't you speak?" Lei Hu asked.
Zhou Xu took a deep breath and patted Lei Hu heavily on the shoulder: "Shut up, you are not allowed to speak without my permission in the future."
Lei Hu closed his mouth in grievance, then shook the oar, and found that the mistress was standing behind him. Lei Hu suddenly trembled. Could it be that what he just said was heard by the mistress.
Xiao Luolan returned to the house, and Zhou Xu followed Madam closely.
"That guy from Lei Hu has such a bad mouth." Zhou Xu lifted his robe and sat next to his wife.
Xiao Luolan looked at him, feeling a little ashamed. She didn't know where this shame came from. Compared with Zongzhu Zhou who had done something to cover up, she seemed to be more restless. She wanted to help the old couple, but after She seemed to have a psychological shadow about Zhou Xing's matter, and she was subconsciously afraid of causing greater trouble to others.
Sect Master Zhou went to great lengths to do this in a roundabout way, which suddenly extinguished the bubbles in Xiao Luolan's heart.
She felt that she was not much different from herself six months ago. Of course she could buy fish, but she also had to catch the fish.
Xiao Luolan thought a lot.
In the end, she found that whether she was saying sorry or thanking her, she seemed very polite. Just when she didn't know how to speak, the back of her hand suddenly felt warm. Sect Master Zhou put his hand on the back of her hand, and the warmth spread instantly.
Xiao Luolan raised her eyes and looked at Sect Leader Zhou.
Zhou Xu looked at Madam steadily and said with a smile: "I just hope Madam can be happy."
Xiao Luolan pursed her lips. In fact, she was not unhappy, she... just seemed a little touched...
It was still early in the evening, so Xiao Luolan slept for a while in the rickety boat.
When Zhou Xu walked out of the boat, Lei Hu saw the sect master covering his mouth with his hands to indicate that he would stop talking. Unexpectedly, the sect master patted him on the shoulder again, but this time the force was not strong, and said something inexplicable to him. .
"well done."
Zhou Xu smiled and said, if you do something good without letting your wife know about it, wouldn't it be like walking at night in brocade clothes? Then why is he doing good things?
And good things cannot be put on the surface in a big way. If they are too straightforward, they will fall into the cliché. They should be hidden, but someone must tell the wife from the side.
So sometimes, it is still useful for simple-minded people.
Chapter 132
It takes less than half an hour to walk from Zheliu Ferry to Zheliu Town.
Xiao Luolan knew this time from the old woman, so Xiao Luolan prepared to set off when the sun set over the west mountain. She, Sect Master Zhou, and Lei Hu came by boat this time. They did not ride horses and could only walk. .
Because Zheliu Town is close to Xizhu County, it has become a place where nearby villagers go to market.
Moreover, Zheliu Town does not have as many rules as Xizhu County. The city gates will be closed when the time comes. There will still be pedestrians in the town at night, especially tonight. A theater troupe came to the town two days ago. They set up a stage and said they were going to sing an opera in the town. As soon as the news came out, all the people in the nearby villages became happy. There were really few activities in the village in winter. Suddenly they heard that there was an opera to listen to. Everyone, regardless of gender, old or young, went together. People watch operas and listen to music in Zheliu Town, so the ferry side seems deserted and sparsely populated.
Before leaving, the old woman told Xiao Luolan that they had to go earlier, as if they were late, there would be no seats in the back. She also told Xiao Luolan which wonton restaurant in the town had the best food. It was all trivial information, but Xiao Luolan listened. I'm so excited.
When the time came, Xiao Luolan put on her curtain hat to keep out the wind and cold, put on her clothes, and put on a crane cloak with dark green and colorful fox fur. After everything was ready, she walked out of the boat.
The bow rocked.
Zhou Xu got to the ferry in advance and stretched out his hand to pull his wife up.
Xiao Luolan stood at the Xiaodu Ferry and walked forward along the path. The winter freeze kills everything, so there is no scenery on the roadside. Leihu walked in front of him like a tiger, and occasionally looked around, giving full play to his duties as a retinue. .
Zhou Xu walked leisurely, walking side by side with his wife, holding her hand naturally.
Xiao Luolan walked for a while and saw a house in the distance. The smoke from the kitchen smoke curled up into the gray sky. On the uneven dirt road, the three of them met a man driving a donkey cart.
Thick hay was spread on several long wooden boards to form a simple carriage frame. A young woman and two dolls were sitting on the carriage frame. There was also a basket next to it. The basket was covered with red cloth. Look. It was unclear what was inside, but the man was driving the donkey cart in front, shouting a few times and flicking his whip in the air. Most of the time, he was walking, leading the donkey, worrying about tiring the livestock at home.
The two children were the first to notice the trio following them, followed by the young woman.
The young woman took a look and saw three people coming from the ferry on the gray country road. The middle-aged man headed by them was tall and strong, wearing a fine black cloak. His face was calm and intimidating, and he The woman beside them was wearing a curtain hat. Although her appearance was unclear and her clothes were low-key, she had an indescribable aura of elegance. There was someone who was obviously a guard beside them.
The young woman quickly asked the man driving the carriage to move to the side.
The man looked back and drove the donkey cart to the side. The two children were sitting on the haystack. Although the clothes and fabrics on their bodies were old but washed very clean, they were lying next to their mother's legs and playing around, chirping and asking her questions. When we arrived at Grandma's house, we talked about eating candy in the town and buying wooden swords to play the game of General... Soon, they disappeared on the trail ahead.
Xiao Luolan was listening on the sidelines and suddenly felt her palm being pinched. She raised her head and looked at Sect Leader Zhou.
"Are you tired, madam?" Zhou Xu asked.
Xiao Luolan shook her head: "I'm not tired." She hadn't actually left for long.
"If you're tired, I'll carry Madam on my back." Zhou Xu lowered his head and smiled.
Xiao Luolan nodded and said, "I understand."
After walking for a while, Xiao Luolan sat in a grass pavilion on the roadside and rested for a while. She looked at the sky and saw that it was not dark yet, and there were not many people walking on this trail. She thought she would go to the theater early. They went out, and when they got there, they met the family driving the donkey cart.
While walking and walking like this, Xiao Luolan noticed the shadow of a donkey cart in front of them, and there were more and more people. They followed the family into Zheliu Town.
The market in Zheliu is not as big as Langge. There are no carved beams or painted red eaves in the surrounding buildings. It is just an ordinary street. There are all kinds of things on sale, including grains and groceries, rouge, gouache, and wood hairpin oil. , selling wild products from the mountains, selling snacks, the small site is very lively due to the large number of people, there are also acrobats, selling lanterns, the lanterns are hung together in festive colors,
Xiao Luolan walked around intently, with the noise of people in her ears. In the distance, she could still see a tall red stage. A troupe in costumes climbed up to the stage. The female singer's voice was melodious and elegant. There were already many people gathered around her. .
Zhou Xu stood beside his wife and watched her buy some pecans, chestnuts, and red dates, all of which were mountain products that could be roasted slowly on a small stove.
"Madam, did you buy me something to eat?" Zhou Xu smiled and took the things over.
Xiao Luolan walked around and felt that her trip was in vain if she didn't buy anything. She nodded and said, "I'll buy another lantern for when I go back."
Zhou Xu looked around, took his wife's hand and said, "I asked Lei Hu to book a seat on the second floor in the teahouse near the stage. We will go there to listen to the show later."
Xiao Luolan looked around and realized that Lei Hu was missing. She suddenly felt ashamed. She had been shopping too seriously and with Sect Master Zhou around, she had actually forgotten about this big living person.
After buying a lighting lantern from a lantern stall, Xiao Luolan looked at the small lanterns of different shapes and wanted to buy one each for her daughter and Shen Zhi, but then she thought about how exquisite the lanterns here were because they had everything in the house. I can’t even say it’s unique, but I was particularly moved by this scene. Multiple layers of thin strips were used to make the lantern frame. A thin layer of rice paper was pasted on the outside. The candlelight inside swayed slightly. In the flow of people in winter, It glowed warmly, blending in with the laughter and laughter around it.
Xiao Luolan picked up a small lantern in the shape of a lotus. The light pink color should be what her daughter likes, and then she chose a hexagonal lantern with green bamboo painted on it.
"For Qingxue and Shenzhi?" Zhou Xu was also watching.
"Do you think they will like it?" Xiao Luolan was a little unsure.
Zhou Xu picked up the two and looked at them carefully: "Shenzhi's one chose the landscape, and my daughter's lotus lantern, I think it's very good, so I chose this one."
Xiao Luolan changed the hexagonal lantern with green bamboo paintings into one with landscape paintings. She made up her mind and paid the money.
"Don't worry, both children like it." Zhou Xu held a lantern and talked to his wife: "There is the wonton stall in front of the old woman. Shall we go and eat?"
Xiao Luolan was happy and said with a smile, "Okay."
The wonton stall was already half full. The stall owner was a woman who was busy outside. When she saw two distinguished people sitting in her stall, she was obviously a little surprised. Her originally cheerful and aggressive temperament softened subconsciously when she got closer and asked What do they eat.
The man who was busy inside heard his mother-in-law's rare low-pitched whisper. He immediately wiped his hands and waved away the thick curtain and walked out. He walked with a limp on his left leg. When he saw that they were two distinguished guests, he found that there was no conflict and his face softened. slow.
Seeing her man standing there numbly, the woman stood in front of him and said with a smile: "I made a note of it, the clear soup wontons with some shrimps and vinegar, one small bowl, two big bowls, right?"
"Yes." Xiao Luolan sat on the bench and smiled at the landlady: "If it's not enough, I'll call you again."
"You two sit down first, we'll be here soon." The woman left with the man and asked in confusion: "Why did you come out of the house?"
"I heard that your tone of voice was wrong, and I thought if those gangsters from before were here again, so I came out to take a look." The man whispered with concern.
"No matter how careless you are, don't look at how many times your good brother and his colleagues have come to my stall. Those gangsters have been scared away long ago." The woman showed a smile and neatly placed the wontons: " I heard that your good brother came back from the war and was promoted. Oh, I’ll have to charge him less for meals when he comes to my place, he’s an official now.”
The man's face was stern: "That's not okay. That kid eats a lot. He eats three bowls at a time. He won't be happy if you take less. My brother is the most loyal person." After saying this, he thought What happened in the past was somewhat regretful: "Back then, when I saw him hungry and he was young, I took him along and gave him a few pieces of cake. With this kind of kindness, Dali still remembers it now."
The man felt a little guilty in his words. His good brother had helped him too much, and he couldn't give him anything in return.
When Xiao Luolan heard a familiar name, she opened the curtain and looked at the couple who were cooking wontons. They were edible and had a name named Dali. She thought of Hu Dali in the army. Just when she was wondering if it was him, someone on the street A strong man came to the door.
It was Hu Dali.
Hu Dali strode to the seat in the corner and sat down, shouting loudly: "Sister-in-law, give me two bowls of meat wontons quickly, I'm starving to death." Seeing that his brother was rarely coming out, he immediately stood up and walked to him. He frowned and stared: "Brother, why are you out here, but someone is causing trouble recently?"
The man waved his hand: "No, no, I just have to take a look."
"That's good." Hu Dali slapped the man on the shoulder: "I have free time today. After closing the stall, we two will have a good drink."
When Xiao Luolan saw familiar people, she put down her curtain hat, not wanting to disturb them. She turned around and found that Sect Leader Zhou was also looking at them.
The woman gave wontons to the guests.
Xiao Luolan took it and said, "Thank you." Zhou Xu scooped the shrimps in the bowl to Madam. He knew that Madam loved shrimps.
The woman was stunned for a moment, and then left uncomfortably.
Xiao Luolan took a bite. The light soup was dotted with chopped green onion and fragrant dried shrimps. The thin wonton wrapper wrapped the meat filling. It was really delicious.
Zhou Xu also started eating, and decided to ask the cook in the house to make more snacks from outside in the future.
Hu Dali slurped down his wontons while subconsciously observing the surroundings. This was already his habit. When he saw two people on a small table behind the stall, especially the middle-aged man wearing a big cloak, he smiled at him. , the spoonful of wonton soup that had just entered my mouth suddenly popped out, and then there was an unstoppable choking sound.
He stood up suddenly, his eyes widened, and he looked like he had seen a ghost. He couldn't speak clearly, and his mind was a little confused. What should he do if he met Master Jieduzhi and his wife while eating at a small stall?
Hu Dali walked over hand in hand.
Xiao Luolan said lightly to Sect Master Zhou: "Why are you trying to scare people when you have nothing to do?" Xiao Luolan found that Sect Master Zhou was really naughty sometimes, even though they could just turn around and get along well.
