Qiu Chongxi just got off the boat. When he stepped on the ground, he paused slightly without leaving any trace. The pedals on and off the boat were different, and the ups and downs were different. Sudden changes on the boat for a long time will have a wonderful adaptation process. Novices sometimes still Will stumble. Qiu Chongxi fell down two years ago.
Nowadays, it takes more than half a month or even a month each time to get on the ship. Qiu Chongxi has long been accustomed to the transition between walking on the ship and the real world, and is also used to the life on the river on the ship.
Just like making a living on the ground, this bowl of rice on the water is not delicious either. Not only must the water thieves and navy masters pay for their passage and survival, but they must also beware of water dangers on the river. At the same time, the limited ingredients and venues on the ship also tested Qiu Chongxi's skills as a cook.
seasick? This thing is just like practicing swimming, you just get used to it.
Especially in the past six months, Qiu Chongxi has been spending more and more time on the ship. It has been two months since I left home this time.
The world is not easy to live in! Qiu Chongxi understands this deeply. It also caused him to suffer more.
After getting off the boat, Qiu Chongxi took a carriage from the Wharf to the west, covering a distance of more than sixty miles. After getting off the carriage, he still had nearly twenty miles to walk. By the time we saw Zhuangzi in the mountains, the sky had turned from morning to evening. The curling smoke also gave Zhuangzi a layer of vitality.
"Lao Qiu! Are you back?"
"Well! I'm back! Lao Liu, come to my house for a drink tomorrow. This time I brought some bacon back. Let's have a drink together!"
"Okay! I'll bring wine to you tomorrow!"
As soon as he entered Zhuangzi, he saw the villagers greeting him, and Qiu Chongxi smiled back. The simplest kindness is to eat and drink together. This is also one of the reasons why Qiu Chongxi, an outsider, quickly settled in Zhuangzi in the past two years and was safely accepted. Another reason is that he often travels all over the country and always brings back some good things. He is divided into branches and the bankers remember his good deeds.
"By the way, Lao Qiu, there seems to be a visitor at your house. They say they are coming from your hometown and they have brought a lot of rice oil. The old lady seems to be making arrangements."
"People from my hometown?" Qiu Chongxi was stunned for a moment, then nodded, and took a few steps faster. The knuckles of the hands holding the big bundle on his shoulders turned white inadvertently.
"Go back quickly."
"Um!"
When the banker saw Qiu Chongxi leaving quickly, he thought to himself: Look at how anxious this old man is.
At this time, Qiu Chongxi was not only anxious, but also panicked. Because he doesn't have any old family to talk about, even when he brought his children to settle here, he meant to escape from trouble. Nowadays, it’s hard to tell whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing when “old family members” come to visit us.
When they arrived at the door of the house, a carriage was parked outside. There were no coat of arms or company flags on the carriage. In Qiu Chongxi's eyes, these details can almost confirm the origin of this carriage.
Taking a deep breath, Qiu Chongxi opened the courtyard door, raised a smile and walked in.
"Master, are you back?"
"Yeah! Are there guests at home?"
"Yes, I don't know where he came from. He is not a serious person."
A middle-aged woman who was choosing vegetables in the yard came up to her first, with a smile on her face, but still cautious in her eyebrows. Suppressing his voice, the arm holding Qiu Chongxi trembled slightly. It can be felt that the woman is not as calm as she looks on her face, but is very scared.
"Don't be afraid, it should be the business I mentioned to you last time. If you come here, you should check our bottom. It will be fine."
"But my boss, didn't you say you won't be involved in copycats anymore? I always feel very panicked."
"Now there is a war outside! What can we do with the little money we have? The two children in the family must not starve to death? The cottage is already in name only. Now that money is coming to our door, we will definitely be prepared to take some risks and get some protection! Okay! Now, are those people in the house?"
The woman took a deep breath. She is not an ordinary village woman, she has experienced ups and downs with her man. Know that now is not the time to be timid.
"Three people are here, and they are all waiting in the main room. They obviously know that you are going home today, and they must have been checking our details for a while. They brought a lot of rice oil and a lot of bacon. Look. You're being nice, but I don't know where I'm coming from, so you'll have to explain it yourself later."
"Yeah. Got it. You're in the yard. If anything happens, take the two kids and leave first."
"good."
The couple also has a tacit understanding. Nodding, Qiu Chongxi adjusted his mood and entered the main room. The first thing he saw was three burly men sitting in the room. They all looked over when he came in, with scrutiny in their eyes.
"Hello, you three! I'm having a great time at the lower hill. I wonder what's the matter with the three of you coming here?"
"Did you accept Xue Wu's money? Just tell me the number and I'll see if it's right." The leader of the three looked at Qiu Chongxi with a smile and asked another question instead of answering Qiu Chongxi's words.
Xue Wu? When Qiu Chongxi heard this, he secretly said that it was true.
"Xue Wu gave me fifteen silver pieces and said there was a gold piece at the back. I wonder if you three gave me the rest of the money?"
"It's not one piece, it's two pieces." The leader said as he took out two golden pieces from his arms and rubbed them between his fingers. Then he put them on the table and pushed them forward until they were in Qiu Chongxi's hand.
"Hey, you three, it's best to pay the agreed price for this kind of thing."
"Heh, aren't you happy with the extra money?"
"Sir, more money means more risks, and higher risks mean it's harder to survive. So I'd rather take some money for running errands for peace of mind."
"Yes, making money with peace of mind is the safest thing. But how can this person be satisfied with everything while he is alive? Running errands this time is not enough. You are also required to help as a supporter. After the work is completed, there will be another Add two gold pieces. As for the risks, it depends on how cooperative you are."
Qiu Chongxi's heart tightened and he secretly sighed that this business was really not that easy to do.
"Master, can I stop doing this?"
"Qiu Chongxi, what's your first day out? Why don't you just do it if you say you won't do it? You must have thought clearly."
Qiu Chongxi sighed and said: "Sir, you are probably also in the blood business, and you have to abide by the rules of the business, right? I won't argue with these guys, but let my wife and children take the money first. , is this okay?”
"Of course there is no problem. But in this world, orphans and widows, are you sure they can find a good place to go? So you'd better not be busy arranging any funeral arrangements for yourself first, and finish this errand first. Maybe you will have something else by then. Got an idea.”
Qiu Chongxi was a little confused by what the other party said. But I also felt that the other party didn't seem to be that kind of vicious person.
"I wonder what I call this gentleman?"
"Just call me Knife. Collect the money, and you can arrange the things that need to be arranged tonight. We also live here, and you can leave with us early tomorrow morning."
"So urgent?"
"It's such a long journey, so we should leave early and arrive early. And I have to stay on the road to tell you a lot of things."
(End of chapter)
