The day we left Guangdu City was a rainy day.
Continuous raindrops connect the sky and the earth, and the humid air is filled with the unique bitterness of rainy days. The big trees along the road are washed green, and the branches are scattered with small white flowers that are half in bloom, and they are a little fragrant.
I don’t know who stipulated that there must be a ten-mile pavilion outside every capital city, which was a place for literati and poets to bid farewell to friends. There was also one outside Guangdu City. Go out of the east gate and walk ten miles west along the official road. You can see the octagonal pavilion in the distance, with the stone tables and benches covered with moss at the feet.
The farewell banquet in Guangdu City does not need to be luxurious, but it must be exquisite. Eight dishes, four soups, and a pot of turbid wine. Two essential raw materials are fish and snake, which means "like a fish in water" and "a flying dragon in the sky".
Today, Governor Che was the host, and Ren Canjun and Zhao Zhengzhi were accompanying him. The snake meat was Qingzhou Bisnake. The meat was delicious and chewy. Everyone ate happily. Only Jin Ruo couldn't pass the psychological barrier and didn't finish one bite. move.
The eunuch Che held the wine glass and recited a poem first, "The journey to the south is long, and my heart is misty during the rainy season. I feel like saying goodbye to you, and my tears stain my scarf." He sighed twice, "Before, Che believed the rumors and thought that the Hua family Shiro is an ignorant and ignorant dandy, and he neglected the Huaxian Lieutenant. I hope the Huaxian Lieutenant will not take offense!"
Hua Yitang smiled and said, "It's not a rumor, Hua is indeed the most handsome man in Yangdu."
"Huaxian Lieutenant is generous!" Prefect Che said again, "Ms. Lin, Che was blind to Mount Tai before. Please forgive me, Mrs. Lin!"
After saying that, he pressed the red corners of his eyes with his sleeves.
Lin Sui'an smiled dryly and said, "Master Che's words are serious."
It's too exaggerated. Even if she is the secret censor, she doesn't have to act so reluctantly, right? Goosebumps are all over the floor! Hey!
Governor Che sniffed and raised his glass to the others, "The climate in Cheng County is hotter than in the wider area, making it easy for miasma to occur. You must take good care of your health during this trip."
Fang Ke and others had to deal with it bravely.
After drinking and patrolling, Commander Che felt that he had almost expressed his emotions and finally started talking about business.
"When you go to Cheng County, you must be very alert. Especially after entering Cheng County, you must be careful about the entrance."
Lin Sui'an perked up when he heard this, "Could there be bandits running rampant in Cheng County?"
Jin Ruo: "Does the bandit offer a reward?"
Zhao Zhengzhi: "Ms. Lin is joking. The bandits don't even bother to go to the remote mountains in Cheng County. It's just that there is a dragon god stationed in that area, which is quite evil."
Ren joined the army: "In less than a year, Cheng County has had four county captains, and they all said they died suddenly of a strange disease."
Lin Sui'an quickly glanced at Chief Che, who understood what he was doing and added in a low voice, "The last two county lieutenants were specially assigned by the officials. Unexpectedly, they never came back. It's really strange."
Oooh! The mortality rate of the county captain in Cheng County is a bit high. Lin Sui An said.
Hua Yitang blew the oil on the snake soup and raised his eyes, "The fourth county captain died in such an unknown manner. Didn't the Chengxian County Magistrate give the court an explanation?"
Governor Che: "The Huaxian Lieutenant doesn't know. Qiu Liang, the magistrate of Chengxian County, is a local. He is over sixty years old and is in frail health. He stays home sick all the time and does nothing."
"Who is responsible for the county affairs of Cheng County?" Lin Sui'an asked.
Ren joined the army: "Zhu Quanlin, the chief registrar of Cheng County, retired from office a few years ago and recommended his nephew to take over the position of chief registrar. It is probably the new chief registrar who is taking care of it."
Hua Yitang: "Is it possible that the new chief secretary is also from Cheng County?"
Zhao Zhengzhi: "There are two major surnames in Cheng County, one is Zhu and the other is Qiu."
Lin Sui'an: Good fellow, the county magistrate's surname is Qiu, and the chief clerk's surname is Zhu. The officials in Cheng County are all members of the same family. In other words, there is not just one local snake, but a nest of local snakes.
"Actually, it doesn't matter if the county magistrate doesn't take care of things. Cheng County has always been governed by rural sages." Governor Che gave Hua Yitang a meaningful look and said, "As long as Hua County Lieutenant has a good relationship with these squires, everything will be fine." worry."
Hua Yitang smiled, "What a coincidence, Hua is the best at establishing relationships with others."
Governor Che nodded, glanced at the sky, stood up and saluted, "If Mrs. Lin needs anything, please send someone to pass the news to me. Che will definitely help Mrs. Lin."
Lin Sui'an was really flattered this time, and he hurriedly cupped his fists and said, "Thank you!"
Ren Canjun and Zhao Zhengzhi stood up with their drinks at the same time, "I wish you all a safe journey!"
After passing Shiliting and walking another two hundred miles to the south, you will reach Cheng County. As we go south, the official road becomes more and more rugged. Coupled with the continuous rain, the road is muddy and the carriage speed becomes slower and slower. The carriages of this era did not have any shock-absorbing devices. Lin Sui'an was jolted so hard that his bones almost fell apart. He soon became Fang Ke's ally, sleeping in the carriage every day.
Occasionally, after a hard jolt, I woke up and saw Hua Yitang opposite me, closing her eyes and concentrating, her head swaying left and right with the clatter of the wheels, like a cute car doll.
This was not the first time Lin Sui'an saw him like this. Every time Hua Yitang looked like this, it meant that he was thinking of some bad idea.
After running for six days in muddy water and rain, we finally arrived at the border of Cheng County. The rain that had been lingering for many days stopped, revealing the long-lost blue sky.
With the hot afternoon sun on his forehead, Lin Sui'an opened his eyes, stretched out, and opened the car window. A flag of a "tea shop" was fluttering in the wind.
This is a wild tea shop next to the official road. The facilities are very simple, with a thatched shed, an earthen stove, a large iron pot, and a coarse porcelain tea bowl. There is a lush big locust tree next to the tea shop, and everyone is drinking tea and resting under the tree. They were farm men, a group of five or so, sitting on the ground with hoes in their hands, drinking tea and chatting loudly. It was very lively.
The owner of the tea shop was an old man with white hair. When he saw Lin Sui'an and others driving up, he knew they were noble people. He quickly cleaned the table and took out six straw futons from under the straw shed and sent them over.
The straw futon was originally placed next to the stove wall and was heated by the heat of the earthen stove. It was still dry. However, Lin Sui'an's body was damp. Sitting on it, he felt hot flashes in his buttocks and felt quite uncomfortable. He curled up one leg and Try to ventilate the crotch|lower area as much as possible.
Mu Xia was not very happy. The candied dried fruits she had just bought at the last inn turned out to be hairy. Jin Ruo and Ita were responsible for driving the truck. They were so tired that their backs ached. They lay on the table and did not want to move, so they immediately moved his big wooden sticks. Take the box out and place it next to it to bask in the sun.
The delicate and expensive Hua Yitang sat upright. He changed into a modified version of Hufu with narrow sleeves. According to Mu Xia, the previous big sleeves were too absorbent and were heavy and cumbersome. In order to match the clothes, the hairpin was also changed. It became an ordinary peach wood hairpin, and the fan was replaced by a plain white fan.
This sober outfit made Hua Yitang's facial features even more handsome and bright. To use a metaphor, it was like a white jade-carved cabbage growing out of a barren wasteland. It was so low-key and dazzling.
The little girl who served the tea was about the same age as Ita. She should be the granddaughter of the stall owner. She was slim and her skin was as tender as tofu. She couldn't help but stare at Hua Yitang. Jin Ruo couldn't help but laugh, and the little girl's face lit up. He suddenly turned red, dropped the bowl, tea leaves and teapot and ran away.
The tea was loose tea, and there were no tea cauldrons, stoves or other utensils for making tea. With a dark face, Ita went to the carriage to find tea sets. Lin Sui'an quickly grabbed a few handfuls of loose tea and threw it into the tea bowl. He poured it with boiling water and served it to everyone. “As the Romans do, there’s nothing wrong with trying this loose tea.”
Everyone was a little hesitant, wondering whether they should try it. Lin Sui'an was the first to take a sip, and everyone was moved.
Although it is not as fragrant as modern tea, and is a bit astringent and bitter, it is at least not salty, sour, spicy, or numb. It does not have chopped green onion, garlic, ginger, pepper, chestnut shells, and it looks like a normal tea.
Seeing Lin Sui'an's expression, Ita picked up the tea bowl, frowned and took a sip, blinked, relaxed his brows, took another sip, stared at the tea bowl and fell into deep thought.
Hua Yitang took a sip and said, "Although the tea tastes weak, it has an endless aftertaste. It's not bad."
"The customer must be from other places. This is our Chengxian's unique flower tea. It quenches thirst, removes dampness, and appetizers. Drink more." The stall owner laughed.
"Old man, good tea!" Lin Sui'an smiled in return.
The farmers also joined in the fun:
"My lady, please be happy. The Baihua tea we have here is indeed good tea, hahahaha."
"You guys have some insight!"
"Come on, come on, I'll give this young gentleman a bowl!"
Hua Yitang smiled and held up a bowl to serve tea from a distance. After the farmer drank the tea, he started laughing and chatting among himself again.
Hua Yitang was deeply pleased, "It seems that the people in this county are hospitable, kind-hearted, and have simple folk customs. Hua will have a great future here!"
Jin Ruo squinted his eyes and said, "It's already obvious what Governor Che hinted at. The ones in question are the county magistrate surnamed Qiu and the township magistrate."
Fang Ke: "The most problematic thing is probably the Dragon God Fruit."
Lin Sui'an added half a bowl of water to Hua Yitang, "What are your plans?"
Hua Yitang threw open the fan with a bang and found that there were actually mold spots on the fan. He closed it in embarrassment and whispered, "Hua thought that during this trip to Cheng County, he needed to conceal his identity and enter the county in disguise to investigate."
Jin Ruo: "Hey, Hua, are you afraid of death?"
Hua Yitang admitted very readily, "Hua is naturally afraid, but with Lin Sui'an here, Hua's life must be safe."
As he spoke, he raised his eyebrows at Lin Sui'an.
Lin Sui'an: "..."
No wonder this guy suddenly changed his gender and abandoned his trademark fancy clothes. This was the original intention.
"The most important thing is that we are new here and don't know the situation here. If we don't get to know the situation in advance, we may suffer a big loss." Hua Yitang said, "And some things can only be investigated from below," pointing with his finger He touched the table, "Only then can we find out clearly."
"What identity are you planning to disguise yourself as?" Lin Sui'an asked.
Hua Yitang thought for a while, "Cheng County is a lower county, and it is located in a remote and backwater area. I'm afraid it's not appropriate to do business. Otherwise-" His eyes glanced at everyone in turn, and finally landed on Fang Fang. Engraved on the body, "Open a medical clinic?"
Fang Ke buried his face in the big tea bowl, neither agreeing nor objecting.
Hua Yitang began to arrange roles for everyone with great interest, "Fang Ke is a famous doctor from Dongdu, Yita and Muchia are apprentices at the medical clinic, Jin Ruo and I are servants, and as for Lin Sui'an——"
"How about pretending to be the wife of a famous doctor?" Jin Ruo said with a wicked smile.
Fang immediately spit out a mouthful of tea.
"No, no, no, no, no, no!" Hua Yitang fired off a series of barbs, "That, this, that, that, that - sister, yes, it's appropriate to dress up as Dr. Fang's sister."
Fang Ke breathed a sigh of relief: "Yes. Sister, okay."
Lin Sui'an shrugged, "I can do it."
"Then it's settled." Hua Yitang agreed, "When Jin Ruo enters Cheng County, he will find a good location and rent a store with a courtyard. Mu Xia and Yita will be responsible for purchasing the necessary items, and Doctor Fang will ask about the opening of the store. I will accompany Lin Sui'an to go shopping for the required procedures at the medical clinic."
Everyone: "..."
Lin Sui'an looked at Hua Yitang dumbfounded.
Hua Yitang: "Ahem, I mean, Lin Sui'an and I went to investigate."
Everyone: I believe your evil!
The sound of horse hooves could be heard from the official road, and five tall horses came up with dust. The people coming were five black-faced men, with horizontal knives hanging on their waists, and their faces were full of flesh. At first glance, they were not good men.
The old stall owner presented a straw futon of the same style, and the young girl placed a tea bowl and teapot. Just when she was about to put the tea leaves in, one of the men became unhappy.
"Is this tea for humans?! This is clearly loose tea for dogs!"
With this voice, there was a sudden silence all around.
The little girl pouted, "This is the flower tea we have here."
"What bullshit flower tea!" The man smashed the tea bowl, "Give me the spring tea from Shangguangdu, uncle."
The little girl: "What kind of spring tea? I've never heard of it!"
"Xiaoyu, come here quickly." The stall owner pulled his granddaughter behind him and said with a smile to the men, "A few of the guests are foreigners. This hundred-flower tea is a specialty here. Let's try it first. If you really don't like it, , I will give the guests plain water, which will also quench their thirst."
"Old man, forget it." Another man said, "This is not Guangdu. What's the point of being poor?"
"What the hell is this place? There's no tea, no wine, not even a decent brothel. Could it be that we've been deceived? How can we make money in this poor place?" the old man muttered, glancing at Zao The little girl behind the stage smacked her mouth and said, "This whole journey is suffocating me to death."
The other four people also turned their eyes to the little girl, exchanged tacit glances, and showed lewd smiles.
Jin Ruo sighed, "I have a bad premonition."
Lin Sui'an held his cheek: "The plot is so bloody."
Fang Ke: "Who is going?"
Etta: "What?"
Mu Xia: "Be good, Ita. Don't ask questions, kid."
Hua Yitang: "What's the rush? The enemy can't move, and I can't move."
Jin Ruo rolled his eyes: "They moved."
The old man walked towards the stove with a smile, and said troubling lines, "This little lady is born so delicate and pretty. Selling tea in this poor place is really aggrieved. Why don't you follow me to the Eastern Capital to enjoy happiness?"
Jin Ruo stood up and said, "Hey, you——"
Soon enough, there was a crash, and the tofu-like little girl suddenly scooped up a ladle of boiling water and poured it on the old man's face. He screamed like a butchering pig, covered his face and fell to the ground. Then, the old man copied A piece of firewood as thick as an arm was smashed on the old man's back and face, beating him to a bloody pulp. The other four men were shocked and rushed forward with their horizontal knives drawn. The farmer men resting under the shade of the tree jumped up and copied He picked up the hoe and rushed over, fighting with the four big men.
The four men did have some martial arts skills, but they couldn't stand the overwhelming numbers of the peasants. They were defeated in just a few moves and were beaten to the ground. The worst of all was the old man, whose face was rotten, his legs were broken, and his head was injured. There was a bloody wound and he lay on the ground not knowing whether to live or die.
The old man yelled while beating him, "What kind of piece of shit did you dare to take advantage of my granddaughter? You're looking for death!"
The little girl kicked and screamed, "How dare you despise the tea that I worked so hard to pick?!"
Several farmers also shouted, "My mother's legs are broken! How dare you come to our Cheng County to run wild and beat them to death. Let them remember it! After a while, they will be carried to Xiande Village and let several village owners examine it carefully. It is definitely not the case." What a good thing!”
Lin Sui'an and others were stunned. Jin Ruo could fit a pear into his mouth, supported the table, and sat back slowly.
Finally, they had beaten enough. The farmer tied the five people to hoes like pigs and carried them away. The old man wiped his face, and the little girl straightened her collar and smiled.
"Guests, don't be afraid. In our Chengxian County, we don't offend others unless they offend us. As long as we keep to ourselves, we will naturally be able to live and work in peace and contentment."
Everyone was silent for a moment and all looked at Hua Yitang.
Jin Ruo: "The people are kind?"
Fang Ke: "Hospitality?"
Lin Sui'an: "The folk customs are simple?"
Mu Xia clenched her fist: "Silang Ding has great potential!"
Etta: "Mighty."
Hua Yitang twitched the corners of his mouth, smiling uglier than crying. :,,
