Su Yonglin walked forward step by step, and the memories of fifteen years ago hidden somewhere deep in his body came to his mind bit by bit.
A familiar and touching feeling made him deeply moved.
Slowly walking to a stall selling snail soup with clear juice, Su Yonglin stared at the stall for a while without saying anything.
Before, he had not thought that such a thing would happen. He only felt that this wish would never be realized in this life. But as the saying goes, there are no encounters in life. This encounter came too suddenly and beyond imagination.
The vendor selling snail soup with clear juice was a small middle-aged man. He was busy with his head down when he suddenly felt something was wrong. When he looked up, he saw a heroic man staring straight at him, which shocked him.
"Sir, are you... okay?"
Su Yonglin opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled.
"I'm here to buy snail soup with clear juice."
"Oh! Okay, how many bowls would you like, sir?"
"Three bowls."
"okay."
The little vendor skillfully operated the utensils in his hands and prepared three bowls of snail soup with clear juice. Su Yonglin looked at his skillful operation and felt inexplicably moved in his heart.
"How have you been these past few years?"
"ah?"
The little vendor raised his head and looked at Su Yonglin strangely, as if he didn't know why the customer in front of him said such a thing.
"Guest officer, do you know me?"
"You don't recognize me?"
Su Yonglin was a little surprised and pointed at himself: "In March fifteen years ago, I came to your place to eat snail soup with clear juice. I remember it very clearly. At that time, I ordered two bowls of snail soup with clear juice and gave you eight copper coins. do you remember?"
"Fifteen years ago?"
The little vendor's eyes widened in surprise, staring at Su Yonglin, looking left and right, but he didn't remember that he had ever known this person before.
However, the price of eight cents for two bowls is in line with his own style.
Although he can’t remember what happened fifteen years ago, he did sell snail soup here fifteen years ago, or he started it more than twenty years ago and has never moved his location.
This thing is probably true, but he really doesn't recognize the guest in front of him.
It's no wonder, after so many years and so many things, as long as we set up a stall, there will always be people coming to patronize the business every day. He does recognize some of the regular customers in Hangzhou, but after so many years, so many things have happened, and these regular customers are also coming one after another. of change.
It is really difficult for him to remember the appearance of all these guests.
So he felt a little regretful.
"Sir, I'm sorry. I'm doing business all day long, and I don't know how many guests I've seen. I really don't remember you..."
The little vendor smiled sheepishly and said: "It's been fifteen years, I'm sorry that you still remember me, then... then these three bowls of snail soup with clear juice today will be treated as my treat, and I won't charge you any money." It’s really a fluke, a fluke, that we can see each other again after five years.”
Hearing this, Su Yonglin felt a little regretful, but it was just a small regret.
"Yes, it's been fifteen years. Have you been in Hangzhou all these years?"
"Yes, I am Lin'an... from Hangzhou. I was born and raised here. I don't want to go anywhere."
The little street vendor smiled honestly: "A lot of things have happened in recent years. Some of my friends in the past ran away to death. In the end, I was the only one still doing business here. But fortunately, it was quite good during that time. Now that I’m here, life is getting better and I feel relieved.”
"Indeed, too many things have happened over the years."
Su Yonglin nodded and asked again: "Were you in Hangzhou city when the Ming Dynasty attacked Hangzhou several times?"
"No, they are all here."
The little vendor smiled bitterly and said: "I was really scared at the time. I thought about running away several times, but the woman at home said that the city is safe. If you can't survive in the city, you will die outside. Fortunately, there is always food stored at home. There is a cellar at home, and there were many times when there was chaos in the city, and the family hid in the cellar."
"and after?"
"Later, I got through it later."
The little vendor smiled and said: "Four years ago, the Ming Dynasty destroyed the Song Dynasty and occupied Lin'an. I thought we had no chance of survival, so we hid in the cellar for several days. Then we climbed out and took a look, hey, it seems like there is no way to survive in the city. Nothing happened.
The neighbors on the left and right were still there, and there were some acquaintances on the street. When I asked, I found out that the Ming Dynasty did not do anything to Lin'an. It posted notices to calm the people very early, and also distributed money and food to let the people in the city live. Later, the government let many people go back. I am originally from farming, and I heard that I have a house and land.
Our family was also envious and thought about whether to go, but after all, I felt that I could survive by staying in Lin'an City for most of my life. This is our family's Feng Shui treasure land, so I wouldn't leave, so I didn't leave. Stay here.
Later, the government offered some preferential interest-free loans for small traders like us, so we restarted our business. At first, no one came to eat, but more and more people came later. Here at Zhongan Bridge It looks like it was the same as before. "
Su Yonglin smiled as he listened.
"What difference can you feel between the rule of the Ming Dynasty and the rule of the Song Dynasty?"
"Of course there are differences."
The little vendor laughed, put down his work, and said: "The taxes are much less. In those days, when doing business, it was not just taxes, but also filial piety. The government never gave money to people who came to eat. Sometimes you have to take money. If you give one person, it’s not enough. You have to give the second one.
In those days, all the vendors on this street knew that if they offended the officials, they would not want to do business here. There were rules on the street in those days. The taxes paid to the officials and the filial piety paid to the officials had to be calculated separately. How much is given to the official family, how much is given to the officials.
Back then, big restaurants had different offers from ordinary stores and stalls like us. Some gave more and some gave less. When the government came, they basically came to eat and drink for free, so they had to entertain them. Otherwise, this business will not be able to continue, and the stall will be destroyed by you, which is not cost-effective.
After the Ming Dynasty came, taxes were reduced a lot, and there was really no interest charge for interest-free loans. The government also gave money to people when they came to eat, and they didn't ask us for extra money. If we really had something to ask them, they would take care of it. This was unthinkable in the past. "
When Su Yonglin was working in Lin'an, he occasionally heard rumors about this. At that time, everyone in the Song Dynasty government, from officials to clerks, was very good at making money.
At the emperor's feet, officials hold the big head, and clerks hold the small head.
Officials work hard at restaurants of a certain size, and officials work hard at street stalls and small stores. In short, no one is left behind, and they all have to pay. Officials and staff are affected by rain and dew, so it is just a matter of taking more for less.
It is indeed not easy to do business in a down-to-earth manner on the streets of Hangzhou.
"So now, your family's life is better than before?"
"It's a lot better. It was difficult to save money before. I sold snail soup in spring and summer and fish soup in autumn and winter. I worked hard all year round and couldn't save a few coins. But it's different now. There are less taxes and no need to be filial. At home, It’s free for my baby to go to school, and I have more and more money left.”
The little vendor smiled and touched his belly: "Look, my belly is getting bigger. I need to eat, hahahaha...yo! I forgot to make soup for you! Look at me...hey! You! Hold on!"
The little vendor suddenly realized that he was only talking and not making soup for Su Yonglin, so he quickly started preparing it for Su Yonglin.
But his hands moved quickly and his words were unambiguous.
"Where are you, guest sir? What have you done in the past fifteen years? Are you still in Lin'an... Hangzhou City?"
Su Yonglin smiled and shook his head.
"Didn't I tell you fifteen years ago? After eating your bowl of snail soup with clear juice, I went to the north to find a good job. If I'm lucky, I'll come to your place again to drink a bowl of snail soup with clear juice and be with you. We agreed not to raise the price, and you promised me."
The little vendor looked regretful.
"Oh, this... I really don't remember this. I've encountered too many things over the years. Please don't blame me, sir."
"I don't blame you. What's there to blame you for?"
Su Yonglin waved his hand and said: "The past fifteen years have been difficult for us, especially during the war. It was really hard to live with our heads up. We didn't know when we were going to die. It's so easy to survive until now. I also feel really lucky.
Over the years, I have basically been in the north. Occasionally I have been to the south a few times, and I have also been to Hangzhou once, but I have not seen you. By the way, seven or eight years ago I sent someone to Hangzhou to look for you. I told him that you I was selling snail soup with clear juice, but there was no news about you at that time. "
"ah?"
The little street vendor obviously never thought that such a thing would happen to him: "In which year? I have been doing business in Hangzhou these years, except when there is war."
"It's not the time of war, it should be...eight years ago, the winter eight years ago."
Su Yonglin recalled the time when he sent Xin Qiji to Hangzhou.
At that time, he also specifically asked Xin Qiji not to forget to go to Zhonganqiao Street to find a restaurant that sells snail soup with clear sauce. He remembered that there were only a few restaurants that served snail soup with clear sauce on this street. At that time, he felt that the range had shrunk to a very small area and it should be good. try to find.
But Xin Qiji was not found.
"winter?"
The little vendor blinked and said, "In winter, I don't sell snail soup with clear juice. I sell fish soup. It's hard to make snails in winter, so there are more people who make fish soup."
Su Yonglin was silent for a while.
Then laughed.
"That's it, that's it! I understand, I understand, hahahahaha! As long as you are still here, as long as you are still doing business, continue doing business, save some money, and expand the business."
The little vendor didn't know why Su Yonglin suddenly felt so happy, but who wouldn't want to hear such auspicious words?
So he laughed.
"According to your auspicious words, I have indeed saved some money over the years, and I also plan to open a store to do business and make this business bigger. Now that the business is good, I can't be lazy. I will earn a little for my children and grandchildren in the future. The family background is also good.”
In a short while, he prepared the three-cent clear snail soup that Su Yonglin asked for, and then helped Su Yonglin bring it to the small table for the three of them.
Su Yonglin took out his money bag to pay, but the little vendor shook his head.
"I have thanked you for remembering me all these years, and even asked someone to come look for me. These three bowls of soup should be regarded as a thank you gift. After fifteen years, we can be considered old friends. When old friends get together, we don't mention money. Alright."
Su Yonglin looked at him, smiled, and then put away the money bag.
"Then I will accept this gift of thanks. It is not easy to find old friends in the streets of Hangzhou in the blink of an eye after fifteen years. Keep working hard. I wish you can expand your business and become more and more prosperous." The bigger.”
The little vendor grinned.
"Hey, I appreciate your good words."
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