It was really nice weather, with clear skies and gentle wind.
Pan Duo was walking on the dirt road in the countryside. Even though his hair was unkempt and his body was covered with mud, he still held his head high and tried his best to maintain the elegance of a handsome young man.
At this moment, he turned his head dissatisfied and glanced at the intimate pair of young men and women walking side by side with him.
"Hey, let go of your hands! How can you pull and pull like this in public, how unbecoming it is!"
Qingxue looked shy and lowered her head silently.
"It's up to you. When you were living happily in a brothel and boat, I didn't see you being such a moral gentleman."
Xiao Yu replied contemptuously.
The hand holding Qingxue's hand became tighter now, and it kept shaking back and forth as she walked.
"Xiao, tell me clearly. When did you see me going to such a smoky place? I am the Prince Consort, please don't taint my honor."
Xiao Yu really didn't know. He was just talking casually for fun. Who knew whether this seemingly dashing young man had actually been there.
It's just that Xiao Yu saw that he couldn't stand teasing and his sulking look was particularly interesting, so he was willing to tease him more.
"Just say it, Prince Consort, if it's not true, why would you be so angry?"
"Hey, Xiao Dalang, you are deliberately slandering my reputation!"
Even though they were noisy and noisy all the way, the three of them didn't feel bored.
Along the way, except for Pan Duo, who expressed dissatisfaction with the intimate display of the couple, no one seemed to point fingers at them from the moral high ground.
In the simple daily life of ordinary people, this kind of intimacy between lovers seems to be common.
There was even a young couple who passed by them and started to get intimate with them, hugging their waists and shoulders.
It was inevitable that Pan Duo, a moral gentleman, would criticize him again: the world was declining and the morals were corrupt.
Xiao Yu smiled calmly, this hugging was nothing, I was used to seeing more exciting ones.
It's just that the Prince Consort was going crazy, and he couldn't even walk normally.
At this moment, a burst of women's laughter came from the fields beside the road.
Pan Duo turned around and glanced, only to see a good-looking young woman with fiery eyes, smiling at him.
Xiao Yu joked and laughed at him along the way, and he was already very angry.
But when I see someone making secret glances at me, my vanity rises.
He held the knife fan in his hand and pretended to be elegant in a pose that he thought was very elegant.
If he were so enchanting in Beijing, the Huaichun girl would definitely be filled with joy and would faint to the ground with a scream.
When he was feeling very proud, suddenly a half-year-old child stood up from the knee-high rice field, hugged the young woman's waist and asked curiously:
"Auntie, why are you laughing?"
"Aniang is looking at that man. With the way he is dressed and the way he looks, he must be sick!"
Pan Duo almost spit out a mouthful of old blood.
Xiao Yu laughed so hard.
"Captain Prince Consort, if you want to be charming and elegant, you have to change your place, and you have to change your clothes and find the right person. Your style is a bit out of place."
Pan Duo was ashamed and said sophistry: "What do you know? Do you know what is romantic in the Wei and Jin Dynasties? An Zhiyangchunbaixue from Lower Liba."
"Okay, we are all lowly people, but you are Yangchun Baixue." Xiao Yu smiled and looked at Qingxue again.
The girl had a happy face and her cheeks were rosy and translucent. He was no longer as reserved as he was last night, and he was much more relaxed towards the always aloof Prince Consort.
"Xiao Dalang! Don't forget that you still owe me two poems!"
"Does it bother you to mention this again? I'll ask the old man again when I go back to my dream."
"you……"
Pan Duo pointed at Xiao Yu's nose, but his stomach growled unsatisfactorily.
Xiao Yu raised his eyebrows with a half-smile and pointed at Pan Duo's belly.
"Consort Pan, Yangchun Baixue also wants to eat."
"That's right! I haven't eaten anything since I ate a cookie last night!" Qingxue also interjected.
Pan Duo saw that Xiao Yu was deliberately changing the topic. He thought that he must not have any good poems for a while. It would be fine to make things difficult to find a place, but that would be meaningless.
"I'll give you a break. Poems are owed first and will have to be paid back sooner or later."
"Okay, I owe it. I'll pay it back sooner or later. Let's find a place to eat first."
The three of them walked along the dirt road for about one more time before they saw a market in front of them.
The market is not big and you can see the whole thing at a glance.
In Jikou, there is a stall selling Hu cakes and mutton soup.
There were several strong men who looked like Liba squatting in front of the stall, holding bowls and struggling to pick up rice.
"Let's eat something there and rest for a while." Xiao Yu said.
"Can you still eat it?" Pan Duo frowned.
I saw a donkey cart passing by the stall at this time, and the warm donkey shit fell to the ground, emitting heat.
"Just turn your head and don't look."
Xiao Yu said as he walked towards the cake stall, Qingxue followed obediently.
Pan Duo had no choice but to follow him with a look of despair.
…
"Well, this cake is delicious, especially if you break it into pieces and soak it in the broth like Xiao Dalang did, it's even more delicious! One more bowl!" Pan Duo held the cracked porcelain bowl and drank five bowls at a time.
This shocked the elderly couple selling Hu cakes and mutton soup, and they didn't even know when the ladle fell into the pot.
The other Lipas who were eating all turned around, but this body like dry wood could eat so well. This man must have been reincarnated as a starving ghost!
Xiao Yu didn't want to sit at the same table with him and attract attention, so he moved the stool to find Qingxue at the next table.
The girl ate very slowly, chewing every mouthful of food carefully. Although she looked very embarrassed, she still couldn't hide her elegance. She didn't look like a serving girl, but like a wealthy lady.
Xiao Yu was full at this time, holding his chin while watching Qingxue eat. The girl's watery eyes blinked, and she smiled at Xiao Yu, with another blush floating on her face.
Looking back at Pan Duo, the polite etiquette that he had been talking about before had long been forgotten. His mouth was full, and he couldn't hear what he was saying.
After eating, it was time to think about the journey. Xiao Yu raised his head and asked the owner of the cake stall: "Old man, how far is it from here to Jiankang?"
"Haha, Sir, it's not far. Just go south along this road. Then turn west at the next fork and follow the Qinhuai River to see the Zhuque Bridge. It should be there in two hours. "
"Oh, thank you very much, husband."
After thanking the owner of the cake stall, Xiao Yu leaned towards Qingxue and asked, "How much money do you still have in your pocket?"
"There are only some pieces of silver left, and there are also a few copper coins." Qingxue blinked, "Young Master, why do you ask for money?"
Xiao Yu pointed at Qingxue's feet with his chin.
There seemed to be some kind of light red liquid oozing out from the upper of the embroidered shoes, which had dried.
Seeing this, Qingxue quickly put her feet back under her skirt. She lowered her head in embarrassment.
"Stop pretending, I can see it. You've walked so far and your feet are blistered, aren't you? I'll go to the carriage and horse shop over there to see if I can get a carriage over here."
…
Xiao Yu came to the carriage and horse shop, negotiated the price with the shopkeeper, and paid for the carriage.
At this moment, there was a noise outside the shop.
The matter had nothing to do with him, and Xiao Yu didn't want to pay too much attention to it. He was about to go to the backyard with the driver to hitch the car.
Suddenly, several big men in black attire came rushing in.
The owner of the carriage and horse shop saw that the visitor was unkind and did not dare to offend him, so he hurriedly came forward to greet him with a smile.
"Our carriage is broken down, we need to set up several carriages! Don't worry about the fare, it's a deposit." The leader yelled and slapped a silver ingot in front of the counter.
The owner of the carriage and horse shop was overjoyed. It turned out that he had met a big customer. He hurriedly called a few servants over.
"Who are you looking for! We'll harness the carriage ourselves! We've taken care of all the mules, horses and vehicles here!" the leader of the men yelled.
Xiao Yu shook his head. He had seen many such arrogant upstarts in his previous life.
He was about to go out with the coachman when suddenly there was a shout from behind him.
"return!"
Xiao Yu turned his head and looked at the strong man in confusion.
"What's the matter?"
"What are you going to do?"
"Go hitch a ride and drive on your way."
"Who asked you to set up a car?"
Xiao Yu frowned: "I paid."
"Shopkeeper, return the money to him, we want his car too!"
The shopkeeper of the carriage and horse shop looked at both sides. On one side were several powerful men with arrogant faces who were not easy to mess with at first glance, while on the other side was just a lonely young man who was covered in filth.
But you have to pay attention to integrity when doing business, right? Besides, that young man had not lost any of his rent, so how could he accept threats and just withdraw at the request of others?
"This gentleman, there are rules for doing business. I am a small businessman, how can I break the rules and destroy my own sign? Besides, I have several carriages in the carriage and horse shop, which are enough for the husbands to load their things. Used it." The owner of the carriage and horse shop said, winking at the coachman and asking him to take the young man to hitch the carriage quickly.
"Bang!" An iron fist as big as a bowl hit the table hard, causing the room to shake.
Although the shopkeeper of the carriage and horse shop was shocked, he couldn't hold back what he said. With such a arrogant person, it would be better not to do this frustrating business.
"Young gentleman, you can get your deposit back and look for carriages and horses elsewhere." The owner of the carriage and horse shop dropped these words and wanted to go behind the counter.
I saw the big man became angry with shame and raised his bear paw as big as a bowl.
"Old man, you really don't want to live anymore!"
The owner of the carriage and horse shop was so frightened that he shrank his neck. He raised an arm to cover his face and instinctively ducked back, expecting a violent beating waiting for him.
But after waiting for a long time, nothing seemed to happen.
But there was another burst of exclamations from the guys in the room!
He didn't know what happened, and his tightly closed eyes opened slightly.
He saw a muddy back just in front of him, and a hand tightly holding the fallen bear's paw.
The bear's paw was frozen in mid-air, unable to move at all.
Although the big man with a sinewy face still had fierce eyes, his cheeks were dripping with sweat. His lips twitched slightly and said:
"Let... let go quickly, or I'll beat you up too!"
Xiao Yu also used the strength of sucking milk on his hands, and sweat dripped from the tips of his hair, but he pretended not to care.
"You were the one who acted arrogantly, and you reached out to hit someone. Please apologize to the store!"
"Apologise? It's a joke. Believe it or not, I'll beat you too!"
"Then give it a try! See if I can accompany you to the end."
I saw the strong man's other bear paw slapped towards Xiao Yu's face. Xiao Yu suddenly grabbed his wrist and twisted it hard.
The strong man felt pain, and the two of them froze.
"Brother! Let's help you!" a companion shouted.
Being restrained by such a young man is a very embarrassing thing in itself. If he needs help from others, then how can he hang out with his brothers again!
"No, don't come over here. I just want to play with this young man." Although the strong man spoke harshly, he was sweating on the back of his head.
Now is the time for a battle of will and perseverance to see who gives in first.
Xiao Yu knew this very well.
In fact, it has been the same for thousands of years. The more arrogant and bluffing a guy is, the more he bullies the weak and fears the strong.
If you are tough and he can't defeat you, he will lie on the ground and call you grandpa.
If you give in, he will add all his previous grievances to you and bully you even more.
The really scary thing is those people who look careless and suddenly stab someone. I can’t say how bad those people are. Most of them seem to be honest people.
There is a saying that makes sense, that is, don’t bully honest people.
And Xiao Yu thought he was that kind of honest person, which really pissed him off. His knife was faster than anyone else's.
Back in front of me, the strong man was about to die, his head was covered with sweat, and his sinister eyes showed that he was strong on the outside but strong on the inside.
Sure enough, the two of them faced off for less than half a stick of incense, and the strong man's fierce look suddenly softened, and turned into a flattering smile in an instant.
"Brother...brother...if you have something to say, please say it. Brother, little brother...I know you are wrong. If you have something to say, please say it..."
Xiao Yu breathed a sigh of relief. The fight turned out as expected.
He was a little scared, but fortunately there was no real fight. If a fight did happen, it would be three against one. Just hold your head and wait to be beaten!
Just as Xiao Yu was thinking of this, another person suddenly walked in outside the door.
"I said Niu Wu, have the carriages and horses been rented? Is Mr. Lang still waiting?" It was a man who looked like a steward.
When he saw a mud-stained young man having sex with the strong man called Niu Wu, he couldn't help but be stunned.
"What are you doing? Mr. Lang is waiting anxiously outside, but you are here playing around with others. How can you behave like this?"
Niu Wu's originally submissive face suddenly became fierce again.
"Manager Cao, I met a tough boy here. He made things difficult for me in every possible way and prevented me from setting up my husband's carriage! Ouch... Ouch... Boy, do you know who my husband is? I'll scare you if I tell you. How brave!"
Just as he said this, another person came from outside the door, and the sound of scolding could be heard before the person arrived.
"Don't be presumptuous!"
The voice was not loud, but it was full of power and majesty. Suddenly, the aura in the entire lobby seemed to be concentrated on that voice.
Niu Wu fainted all of a sudden, and the bear's paw, which was originally strong, immediately became loose as if it had no bones.
Xiao Yu also let go of Niu Wu's wrist at this time and looked towards the door.
I saw five or six more people there.
Standing in the middle was a middle-aged man in his forties.
Wearing a Jinxian crown, wearing a wat head shoe, he is thin, has a handsome face, a mustache, and an obvious black mole on his chin.
He was dressed in a long black coat, with a graceful demeanor and an elegant appearance.
I just heard him continue to scold me sternly: "You and your slaves are causing trouble outside and ruining my reputation. You really deserve to be punished! Why don't you quickly make amends to the store owner and this young gentleman!"
The three huge, strong men changed their past arrogance and humility and bowed and apologized to everyone in the lobby.
The man scolded again: "Get out of here now, if you are discovered by me again, I will definitely punish you severely!"
The three strong men agreed and left the lobby in a mess.
Xiao Yu glanced at the man and saw him walking up to the shopkeeper of the carriage and horse shop with a humble face. He exchanged greetings with each other and then extended his hands to everyone in the lobby.
They agreed that they would only need three carriages, and gave the store two more silver coins as an apology.
This middle-aged man who did everything well quickly gained the favor of everyone in the lobby, and everyone was full of praise for him.
Xiao Yu's mind is not on this. Whether the other party is good or not has nothing to do with him. He is just a tenant.
Just when he was about to leave, someone suddenly called him from behind, with a kind and humble attitude:
"Young Master, stay here. My Alang wants to get acquainted with Mr. Young Master."
Wanting to get to know me, Xiao Yu's mouth twisted.
He has seen so many famous people in the past two days that he even feels that he is a bug in this world because he can meet famous people when he goes out.
Thinking about how many bowls Pan Duo had eaten at the biscuit stall, Qingxue did not miss the effort just sitting there and resting.
Out of politeness, just say hello to someone. In short, it's a chance encounter and we'll never see you again.
Xiao Yu turned around, but before he opened his mouth, he saw the "celebrity" coming all the way with small steps, his movements were so respectful that it was scary, and he bowed to Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu broke into a cold sweat on the back of his head. Is this the legendary trend? That's the etiquette of a minister towards the emperor, it's just flattering. This "celebrity" is too exaggerated!
"Don't dare, don't dare!" Xiao Yu quickly returned the favor.
I saw that the waist of the "celebrity" had been bent into a shrimp, his head could not be lowered any lower, and if he lowered his hands, he would touch his toes.
Before both parties could register their numbers, they heard Pan Duo's voice coming from outside the door.
"Xiao Dalang, are you okay? Your girl Qingxue is impatient to wait!"
