Shijing Lane.
The oil lamp illuminated the room, and the paper windows swayed like shadow puppets. Li Daniu, who was starving in the room, was complaining about the food. Xu Xian ate absentmindedly. The two grown men suffered from gastrointestinal distress because Xu Jiaorong, the only one who could cook, came home too late.
"Madam~ Why are you standing at the gate?"
"You guys eat first, I'll stand at the door for a while~"
Li Daniu seemed to be mumbling that he couldn't eat the food he cooked. Xu Jiaorong didn't care about his man. Cows don't care whether they eat well or not, as long as they have grass to eat.
The weather is hot but I don’t dare to open the windows. I can’t stand the mosquitoes when I open the windows. The gauze can prevent insects, but it’s too expensive to buy.
The room was lit with mosquito coils, and Xu Xian occasionally choked and coughed once or twice.
The paper window sheds light yellow candlelight, illuminating the anxious Xu Jiaorong at the gate. She didn't dare to tell her family about the monster. Some things are okay if she doesn't expose them. Once they are exposed, there is no turning back. For the sake of her younger brother, She is willing to bear everything.
Not long after, a tower-like figure came from a distance.
"Master...have you subdued the banshee?"
"Sorry, I can't do it."
Xu Jiaorong was immediately confused. In her opinion, Jinshanyuan was an omnipotent god. How could this happen...
"What should I do..."
"Donor, don't worry. Although the woman is a monster, she still behaves appropriately and will not kill innocent people indiscriminately. Let's talk about the future... later."
"this……"
"Farewell."
The monk turned around and walked away, his steps a little frivolous and accompanied by a cough. Xu Jiaorong raised his hand but still couldn't speak. He watched the tired figure pass under the lanterns one after another, turning the corner of the street.
The yellow dog next door barks and the crickets chirp.
Xu Jiaorong closed the door and went home full of thoughts, without saying anything about the goblin.
…
Another cloudy and sunny day.
The waterway at the door reflects the blue sky and white clouds. Suzhou and Hangzhou are prosperous in a unique way. Streets are built along the river, streets and bridges are connected, houses are built along the river, people come and go in the alleys, merchants carrying burdens sell along the street, and small boats are loaded with fruits and vegetables. Pass slowly.
Bai Yu stopped an old lady who was selling black glutinous rice dumplings and bought several portions of black glutinous rice dumplings.
A very interesting snack, made of straw and made into a jar shape about the size of a rice bowl. It is filled with fragrant black glutinous rice cakes, which are black and very suitable for holding in your hand and sitting on the doorstep to taste.
Give some to the Zhuquan Temple group next door to try.
Grandma's accent doesn't sound like a local's, and she has a strong local accent that can't be changed after many years.
"Grandma, you must be a foreigner."
"Young girl has a good eye. The old woman came here to make ends meet after running away from famine more than ten years ago. During those years, there was a drought at home and the whole family fled. On the way, my wife couldn't hold on and left first. My son and daughter-in-law worked in the workshop to make money... "
Perhaps the old woman had not spoken to her for a long time and had not spoken much. Bai Yu sat on the doorstep while eating black glutinous rice cakes, listening, watching the sufferings of ordinary people in the world, and trying to remember that she seemed to have been a human being.
The old man talked a lot, but his hands, which were covered with calluses and withered, could not even tidy up the old white clothes.
My arms are only skin and bones, and I don’t know how to carry the load.
Most ordinary people are very thin. The so-called prosperous age only means that they can have enough food to eat. They have food and shelter. As for whether the people have meat and salt to eat, the rich and powerful do not take it into consideration. When you are full and have strength, it is easy to breed ideas. , I'm so hungry, I think about how to grow food in a safe and sound manner all day long.
The journey to escape from famine is difficult, and who would want to leave their hometown to beg for food in other places.
Ordinary people simply cannot withstand floods and droughts, not even bandits. It is useless even if the court arranges for the delivery of food. The profiteers, landlords and corrupt officials take the opportunity to raise prices as high as pearls, trying to wipe away the last layer of wealth from the poor. It's better to flee.
In the distance, Xu Jiaorong looked haggardly at the enchantress chatting with the old lady...
Not long after, the old woman selling black glutinous rice cakes carried a load and continued to sell. The load was much lighter. Moubai and his master and apprentice ate a lot of black glutinous rice cakes. The snake demon boy ran to catch frogs to eat, but the boy didn't like to eat rice.
Bai Yu was doing business such as thresholds. He didn't even notice that there was black rice cake on the corner of his mouth, and looked behind a certain willow tree.
I've seen that woman many times recently, and she seems to be in trouble.
After not waiting for too long, Xu Jiaorong walked towards the shop with an almost pale face. She didn't sleep well last night, her face was haggard and her eyes were dark. Although she was afraid, she still went to talk to the banshee. For an ordinary woman, this was considered generous. Go to death, no one wants to have any interaction with the legendary monster, especially face to face.
Moubai, who was holding a small grass basket and eating black glutinous rice cakes, felt that the light was a bit dim. He looked up and immediately knew that it was Xu Xian's family.
Don't ask why you know it. People who live in the same courtyard will inevitably smell each other. The smell is unmistakable. It seems to be the legendary Sister Xu Xian.
"..."
Facing the goblin for the first time, Xu Jiaorong opened her mouth and didn't know what to say.
"What's up?"
Xu Jiaorong nodded and saw the goblin with a few grains of rice on his lips relaxed for no reason, at least he wasn't that scared.
Bai Yu got up and went into the shop. Lilac's little tongue licked off the rice grains and ate them. After entering the house, he sat on his usual chair and pointed at the wooden chair opposite.
"Sit wherever you want. Sorry the room is a little messy."
Xu Jiaorong, who followed him into the house, began to think that he had entered a devil's cave. He imagined that the house was filled with blood, stumps and broken limbs, and even the legendary human flesh buns. Don't ask why you thought so. Whether it was storytellers or folklore, this was what they said. Yes, demons eat people and use human blood to make blood tofu...
What I didn't expect was that the shop was very fresh and well-lit, and there were paintings on the tables and walls.
Xu Jiaorong has never read a book and does not know how to appreciate paintings, but she thinks these paintings are really beautiful, even more beautiful than the ones Li Daniu picked up from the yamen.
He twisted his hands together, his knuckles turned white, gritted his teeth, and knelt down with a thud.
Bai Yu's eyebrows moved and he wanted to help her up. He really didn't like to kneel down every now and then. The territory had already forcibly abolished such degrading behavior.
Xu Jiaorong rejected the offer.
"Girl... please let me kneel down. Please promise me one thing... okay..."
"..."
She was speechless. She was a woman who looked weak but was actually fierce. Bai Yu felt that since she was willing to kneel down, then she should kneel down. The worst he could do was stay away from her. Besides, it was too late for a 20-year-old kid to kneel down and worship his 800-year-old existence. That makes sense, alas, I always think a lot as I get older.
"Tell me about it, and try your best if you can."
Bai Yu probably guessed the reason.
Xu Jiaorong, who was kneeling on the ground, may have been frightened but then let go and cried with tears.
"I know, girl, you are a good... person. My Hanwen is a stubborn person and knows things well. Ten cows can't pull him back. My parents left early and I have endured a lot of hardships over the years. I only hope that my brother can be safe and sound. Start a family, marry a wife and have children..."
"But……"
"You are really not suitable...Girl, please...please refuse my Chinese language..."
Hearing this, Bai Yu was speechless.
"I'm pretty good myself. I haven't thought about anything bad."
