After a night of autumn rain, there was cold water vapor in the morning wind, the bluestone house walls turned a dripping ink color, and even the smoke from other people's chimneys in the morning became moist and heavy.
East Street Lao Zhang wore a broken hat, rolled up his trousers, and ran through the narrow alley with his straw sandals on the water.
What he was looking for was Butcher Wang, who had made an appointment two days ago. Although it rained at night, it did not prevent him from killing the pigs. However, Butcher Wang did not arrive after the appointed time, which was surprising.
Although Lao Wang has a problem with alcoholism, he is an expert in the pig-killing business. No matter how ferocious or big a domestic pig is, they will be like a mouse to a cat when they see him. They will obediently be knocked to the ground by him and bleed with a knife.
It is said that this is because Butcher Wang killed too many pigs, and he had an evil aura that made the pigs afraid. It is like the knife that has killed too many people has a spiritual power.
Old Man Zhang came to Butcher Wang's house and raised his hand to knock on the door. He was also a little afraid of Butcher Wang and did not dare to disturb him too much. He lowered his hand very lightly and shouted: "Brother Wang, are you still asleep?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the door leaf under his hand shook slightly, made a "squeaking" sound, and actually tilted inward to open a crack.
The door was obviously not closed from the inside. Old man Zhang was a little surprised, thinking that Butcher Wang had already left the door? Or maybe his wife got up early and opened the door?
After a moment of hesitation, he looked inside through the crack in the door and called out again tentatively: "Brother Wang? Are you up?"
At this moment, Old Man Zhang had already seen an overturned wooden barrel in the yard, with a lot of pig food scattered on the ground next to the barrel.
Old Man Zhang recognized this bucket. Butcher Wang also raised two fat pigs at home. He was good at wine on weekdays. He would sit around in various taverns and would often bring him some leftovers and put them in the bucket. He feeds pigs, so the two pigs in his home are much fatter than others.
At this time, a sharp and shrill howl came from the courtyard, which startled old man Zhang. He soon realized that they were the two pigs raised by the Wang family.
There was silence in the courtyard of Wang's house, and the pig's braying seemed particularly loud and ominous.
Old man Zhang calmed down and raised his hand to push the door open: "Brother Wang? Sister-in-law? It's me..."
As he spoke, he entered the door. His eyes first glanced at the food bucket on the ground. There was still some unwashed pig food soaked in the water in the ditch from the yard to the wall, and there were also remnants in the bucket.
In the pigsty on the right side, the shadows of two pigs were shaking. Old man Zhang didn't look carefully and just stared at the open door in front of him.
"Wang..." Before the cry came out, Old Man Zhang had already seen a person lying on the ground in the back room.
The woman was soaked to the skin, her clothes were disheveled, and her swollen belly could not be covered under her skirt. She was probably seven or eight months old. This was Ms. Zhao, the wife of Butcher Wang.
Mrs. Zhao's eyes were closed tightly, her face was bloodless. Old Man Wang rushed to her side, but he didn't know what to do. His first reaction was that something had happened to Mrs. Wang and he had to tell Butcher Wang quickly, but he was nowhere to be found inside and outside the house. Old man Wang hurriedly ran out of the main room. When he saw that he was about to walk around the fallen pig food bucket, old man Wang turned his eyes and seemed to see something unusual in the pig pen.
The two fat pigs lowered their heads and were eating.
Old Man Wang was stunned, his steps instinctively slowed down, and his eyes were fixed on the floor of the pig pen.
At first he thought he had seen it wrong, but when he looked closer, he recognized that it was indeed a person. Although it was stained by the mud in the pig pen, he could still tell that it was Butcher Wang.
"Brother Wang!" Old Man Wang swallowed, half-shocked and half-laughing: "How can you sleep here no matter how drunk you are? Get up quickly, Sister-in-law Wang..."
As he spoke, he ran towards the pig pen, trying to help Butcher Wang up. The sound of footsteps disturbed two pigs that were eating. One of them suddenly raised its head, holding something in its dark mouth.
Old Man Wang's eyes straightened, and his gaze turned from Butcher Wang to the object.
Bloody, soft and long... He actually didn't recognize what it was. When the pig saw that he wasn't moving, it pulled the thing up and down with force, and it became clearer and clearer.
The thick intestines dangled in front of Old Man Wang. He stumbled, lowered his head involuntarily, and finally saw clearly the bloody butcher Wang who had been disemboweled on the ground!
It was nearly noon and the sky cleared up.
The ground was full of potholes and low places filled with water.
One foot stepped in hard, mud and water splashed everywhere, and the boots became dirtier.
The owner of the boots was wearing a loose black monk's robe, a palace ribbon of the same color tied around his waist, and a pale blue scribe's scarf, with some fine and messy hair peeking out from the temples and the back of the neck.
Wei Yu lowered his head to look at the soap boots that were stained beyond recognition by water stains and mud. He slightly shrank his neck, but a smile appeared on his face.
In front of Wei Yu is a two-story restaurant. The dilapidated restaurant cover is fluttering in the autumn wind, and there are noisy voices in the restaurant.
Wei Yu narrowed his eyes slightly and heard Uchima say: "This world is really messed up. People eat pork, and now pigs eat human flesh."
Someone else shouted: "Butcher Wang is used to killing pigs. Those pigs were so frightened when they saw him. Who would have thought that they would end up like this? Things have really changed."
"Wait a minute, everything is fine, how could a person be eaten by a pig? Is there something fishy about it?"
"What's weird? I heard that he drank too much yesterday. He must have passed out drunk in a pig pen when he wanted to feed the pigs. The pigs didn't eat and were very hungry, so they ate him regardless."
"No, no, no, I don't know how painful a pig's bite is. No matter how drunk he is, he is still a living person. Could it be that he stood up straight and was bitten by a pig without any reaction?"
"For a layman, he was drunk and passed out. How could he know the pain? Besides, if the pig had bitten his neck first, even a god would be hard-pressed to save him."
Everyone was chatting lively, and a slender woman in a red dress leaned against the counter. A bright autumn muddy chrysanthemum was stuck on her head, making her look even more delicate.
"Shopkeeper, how do you think Butcher Wang died?" A young boy next to him listened intently and leaned over to ask.
Shopkeeper Ming Liming yawned lazily and said, "No matter how he died or what he had to do with me, he doesn't owe me any money."
The boy whispered: "It is said that Wu Dutou in the county government office is in charge of investigating this case, and you don't care about the shopkeeper?"
Ming Li rolled her eyes at him and spat: "I would like to take care of it, but it's a pity that stupid goose doesn't know my heart."
The boy said: "There is a saying that men chase women, there is a mountain between them, and women chase men, there is a veil between them. I also heard that Master Sun often said that where there is a will, things come true... I think God will definitely live up to the shopkeeper. A lot of hard work."
Mingli hummed: "What pains, my heart is so sweet that it's so sweet..." After she said a word, her eyes suddenly changed.
The boy followed Ming Li's sudden change in eyes and looked forward, only to find that someone was walking in from the door of the restaurant.
This man was holding an umbrella in his hand, and his brows and eyes were still a bit misty like autumn rain, but it was not as cold as autumn rain. Instead, it gave people a gentle feeling that made me want to get close to him.
Although he seemed to be dressed in simple clothes and looked like he was dusty, he just appeared and made people feel as if his eyes were brightened.
Although the young man Wanglai was not very old, he had seen many people here, but he had never seen such an outstanding person. He couldn't help but blurt out: "What a handsome young man."
Mingli was in a daze, and when she heard this, she shouted: "You blind thing, why don't you go and say hello."
Wang Lai rushed over to greet the guests. At this time, the cook, Sun, came out from behind, holding a celadon bowl in his hand, and said with a smile: "Shopkeeper, the Shunqi soup is ready."
Ming Li came back to her senses. In the celadon bowl, the white soup floated with a fresh emerald color. It was pleasing to the eye before it even entered the mouth. Coupled with the special aroma, shopkeeper Ming instantly smiled.
Lao Sun carefully placed the porcelain bowl on the table. Mingli wiped her hands and sat down at the table: "Where is Xiao Feilian?"
"He was in the back and refused to come to the front."
Ming Li clicked her tongue: "This kid is good at everything, but he is very weird and has a good heart like Xiao Jiu Yao. It's true that like an older brother, like a younger brother."
Lao Sun hunched over and smiled and said: "No matter how weird his temper is, his cooking skills are unparalleled. The same bowl of soup tastes very different when he makes it."
Mingli was about to lower her head to drink the soup. When she heard this, she frowned and tilted her head and said, "It's useless. You've seen Fei Lian make this soup dozens of times. It has very simple ingredients. How come it doesn't taste like him at all?" Can’t learn? I’ve peeled hundreds or even thousands of radishes for my mother, but I haven’t made any progress at all. Now I have to ask my mother to spend an extra two taels of silver each time to let the kid do it.”
Lao Sun lowered his head in shame, and he couldn't explain why.
Mingli murmured, "It's a pity that Jiu Yao is unwilling to make it for me with his own hands. If he is willing, let alone two taels, I will also be willing to pay for ten taels."
The cook was dumbfounded when he heard this. The shopkeeper loved money as much as his life, but now he said such unreasonable words just for a bite to eat. He was simply unworthy of a human being. But everyone has their own preferences for radishes and greens, so he had better not stand out here, so Lao Sun sneaked away unprepared.
Shopkeeper Ming was about to continue drinking soup, but someone next to him said: "This soup is..."
Ming Li turned around and saw that the person standing next to her was the person who had just walked in. She didn't know when she came over.
The young boy Wang Lai didn't know why. When he saw the shopkeeper and the new customer staring at each other, he said at the right moment: "This is Shunqi soup. Would you like a bowl, sir?"
Wei Yu's throat moved: "Yes... yes!" For some reason, there was a slight tremor in his voice.
Mingli raised her eyebrows, turned around and saw Lao Sun standing there, and winked.
She loved this bite so much that she couldn't forget it after she accidentally took a bite. It was just that the owner of the dish refused to cook it for others.
So I settled for the next best thing and asked the man's little brother to come to the store to cook it. Although Lao Sun could clearly see every step and every ingredient used, he still couldn't make it taste the way Ming Li wanted. It was really Evil door.
Every time Xiao Feilian came to cook, Lao Sun followed suit. At this moment, there was a bowl of Shunqi soup ready in the kitchen, which he brought to sell for money.
Wang Lai brought Shunqi soup and placed it in front of Wei Yu.
Mingli looked sideways at the guest's behavior and slowly scooped the soup in the bowl.
I saw Wei Yu staring intently at the bowl of soup in front of him, with a face full of surprise and joy, as if what he was looking at was not the soup, but some "old friend" reunited after a long absence.
But after sniffing for a moment, Wei Yu gradually had doubts on his face, and finally took a taste and frowned.
Wang Lai asked: "What's wrong, guest officer?"
Wei Yu stared at Ming Li: "That bowl and this bowl were made by the same person?"
Ming Li was about to drink when her hands shook when she heard this and looked at Wei Yu in disbelief.
Wang Lai was also very surprised: "Sir, you..."
Wei Yu shook his head: "I don't think so... I, I want to ask the master who made that bowl to help me make it..." After thinking about it, he suddenly said: "No, I want to meet the person who made this soup." people."
It seemed abrupt, but it was a very simple sentence, but it was said with great care, as if a great deal of determination had been made.
Mingli felt weird and forgot to drink the soup. She laughed and said jokingly: "What's the matter? Now you have to pay attention to the cook when eating? I'm very sorry. The cooks here are not prostitutes."
Wei Yu met her eyes and smiled slightly: "Why did the shopkeeper say this? I just..." He stopped talking and said warmly: "Can the shopkeeper give me that bowl of soup?"
Ming Li was even more stunned, and Lao Sun and Wang Lai were also in a daze. Shopkeeper Ming hummed and said, "I'll give it to you. I spent five taels of silver on this soup. Are you saying it's too light?"
Lao Sun and Wang Lai both glared at Ming Li, but gave the shopkeeper a blank look and neither dared to say anything.
Ming Li's eyes swept over Wei Yu for a while. She was a powerful woman who was used to the world. With just one glance, she could see that Wei Yu was not a rich person. At least she wouldn't have anything valuable on her at this moment. Otherwise, she would Instead of being in such a state of being sluggish and muddy, this person is so down and out, yet he is so particular, daring to compete with himself for food. Such a loud tone, it would kill this person's arrogance.
Wei Yu was silent for a moment, then stood up and walked to Ming Li. When everyone was wondering what to do, Wei Yu held up the umbrella in his hand and said, "What do you think of this umbrella, shopkeeper?"
This sentence, which seemed unreasonable to others, made the well-informed shopkeeper Ming's eyes tremble slightly.
Although umbrellas are not a rare thing, for ordinary people, few people can afford them.
The coir raincoat and bamboo hat are the most commonly used by the common people.
Umbrellas that seem to be ordinary are actually very particular, ranging from color to materials and production. They are divided into different categories. For example, the royal family mostly uses purple umbrellas with purple exterior and vermilion interior, while other royal family members and those above the third rank use green umbrellas with vermilion interior. The workmanship is also very different.
At this moment, the color of the umbrella in Wei Yu's hand has faded, but if you look closely, you can see the noble lavender color, not to mention the ingenious production, especially the umbrella handle, which has faint marks. A layman wouldn't understand, but Ming Li could tell at a glance that it was Xiangfei bamboo, "an inch of Xiangfei bamboo is four taels of gold." Xiangfei bamboo was mostly used for fans, but now it is used on umbrellas. It is so unique and even more expensive.
Mingli's heart suddenly beat very fast. She couldn't figure out the origin of the person in front of her, but she was sure to be someone with status. But how could such a person appear in their small, remote, remote, war-prone and bandit-ridden place? Wild Wolf Slope?
The most terrible thing is, how could such a person be willing to exchange such an expensive oil-paper umbrella for a seemingly ordinary bowl of Shunqi soup?
Although the name of this Shunqi soup is good, it is actually made with shredded radish. As the saying goes, "fire on fish makes phlegm, and radish and shredded seeds will relieve your heart." This is where the name of Shunqi soup comes from. This umbrella Since it is so valuable, how many baskets of radishes can I buy? Is this person simply arrogant and willful?
Just when Ming Li and Wei Yu were looking at each other, another group of people came to the door of the restaurant.
Wanglai's eyes widened and he shouted: "Wu Dutou!"
Among the crowd of people at the door, there was a man with a strong back and a strong back, standing out from the crowd. His bright eyes looked around, and immediately landed on Wei Yu accurately.
Impartially and without squinting, he walked straight to Wei Yu.
Shopkeeper Ming coughed, gathered the flowers on his temples, and smiled charmingly: "What are you doing? Are you here to grab food from me after such a big battle?"
Wu Dutou's eyes didn't even move, and he still stared at Wei Yu closely: "Did you stay at the house of Butcher King on West Street last night?"
Wei Yu raised his eyebrows, but Wu Dutou said directly without waiting to speak: "Can you please come with us?"
Mingli was startled and asked quickly: "What's wrong?"
The young catcher next to him said in a low voice: "Shopkeeper, please don't interfere. I suspect that this pretty boy conspired with the Zhao family to kill Butcher Wang."
