"Sir, your wine is here."
A pot of old wine, two pounds of soy sauce meat, and a plate of boiled peanuts.
Xia Zhichan was sitting at the table in the middle of the tavern. He drank by himself from a wine glass, and occasionally picked up a piece of sauced meat and ate it.
The wine here has an average taste, but the taste of the sauced meat is outstanding. Not only is the saltiness just right, but the sauce is also rich, but it does not cover up the taste of the meat itself.
"Brother, you heard... something big happened in our small place of Mulberry Town."
On a table not far away, two men dressed as businessmen were drinking with each other. One of them said to the other mysteriously.
When the person put his ear toward him with a curious look on his face, the speaker whispered:
"The second son of the local Bai family, and his pretty widowed sister-in-law..."
The man who heard the content shook his head with disdain, picked up the wine glass in his hand and drank it in one gulp, and then said unhurriedly:
"Brother, you are so secretive about this nonsense. Just go out and listen to it. People are talking about it in the streets. It can be said that it has become a waste of time and is not new at all."
"Then you say that the second young master of the Bai family is a scholar, how could he do such dirty things with his sister-in-law? I heard that sister-in-law Bai is pregnant now."
"Haha, scholar? You haven't heard of it. There is a saying that for every man who slaughters dogs for justice, he will be a scholar for his betrayal. Mr. Bai himself ran away, and now Sister-in-law Bai suffers alone."
The man took a sip of wine, and his companion also picked up the glass angrily.
"No, I have a friend who has a relative who is a servant of the Bai family's back house. I heard from his relative that Sister-in-law Bai cried and complained that she was forced to do so. Tsk, tsk, tsk... It's a big scandal for my uncle to molest my sister-in-law. "
The drunk man across from him opened his eyes wide after hearing this. The chopsticks in his hand were trembling, shaking the food he had picked up, so he had to put down the chopsticks and sighed:
"real?"
"Yes, tell me how old Mr. Bai has only been dead for a few years, and his younger brother actually did such a thing that is worse than a beast..."
Regarding this kind of dark scandal involving a high-ranking compound, let alone women gossiping, even men would gossip to each other. After all, this kind of thing has always been the best conversation material.
"Hey, brother. Tell me - could Mr. Bai die of illness?"
The man's face was red from drinking, and a flash of inspiration suddenly flashed in his dizzy head, so he lowered his voice and said.
"You mean... Bai Dalang's death was also caused by his younger brother, right?"
Although the man said no, he had a look of surprise on his face, as if he had discovered some huge secret, so he nodded tacitly to the man opposite him.
He picked up the wine glasses and clinked them.
The two drunkards were talking nonsense, but some people drinking next to them heard it, so they also whispered to their companions:
"Have you heard that the elder brother of the Bai family died at the hands of his younger brother? Bastard, this Erlang Bai is really a beast with a human face and a heart of a beast. He first killed his elder brother, and then forced his sister-in-law to get pregnant... tsk Tsk, tsk, what a bastard!”
The companions on the side also nodded vigorously and secretly cursed several curse words about Bai Erlang. Some of the grumpy ones couldn't help but slap the table.
There are a total of more than a dozen tables in a tavern, and most of the people are talking about the scandal about the Bai family. Some of them are making random guesses, some are even talking nonsense, and some guys have even started to talk vividly. Let’s talk about the scene where Bai Erlang killed his brother.
As the saying goes, it is better to defend the people's mouth than to defend the river.
People's words are terrible. You have to know how many people who were originally innocent were so hit by such rumors that they lost hope in life and finally committed suicide.
If Bai Erlang hadn't been rescued by Nan Er, he might have ended up like this.
"It's really three people who become a tiger..."
Xia Zhichan listened to six channels. He could hear everyone in the tavern. Some nonsense was ignored by him, but he heard most of the things about the Bai family clearly.
There is a new businessman on the second floor, having dinner with his local friends. His friend was telling the businessman about the Bai family with great interest, including the origin and current family relationship of the Bai family.
The Bai family in Mulberry Town was originally the same family as the Bai family in Luling. It's just that the Bai family in Luling is the main family, and the Bai family in Mulberry Town is a side branch, and they are one family in terms of blood.
The Bai family in Mulberry Town made their fortune from silk. When Mr. Bai came here, he was alone and empty-handed. It took him ten years to build the current foundation. Now the silk of the Bai family in Mulberry Town is unparalleled in the entire prefecture and county. Even sold as far as the capital.
Because the Bai family in Mulberry Town became prosperous, the Bai family in Luling specially sent people to reappear this branch of the Bai family in the family tree of the Bai family in Luling, so occasionally there would be some contact between Luling and the Bai family in Mulberry Town.
After the death of Mr. Bai from Mulberry Town, he had two sons. The eldest son inherited the family business and even sold the Bai family's silk to the nobles in the capital. It can be said that he built a tall building based on his father's foundation.
And the second son... There is a strange phenomenon in the Bai family of Mulberry Town. The eldest son is smart and capable, while the second son is mostly a bastard. This second son was also a bastard. When he was a child, it was said that he went out to explore the world. In the blink of an eye, he didn't know how many years had passed. He didn't come back until the old man Bai died. Up to now, many people can tell many true and false stories when talking about the second master of the Bai family who does not know whether he is alive or dead.
Uncle Bai also gave birth to two sons-Bai Dalang and Bai Erlang.
Bai Dalang is as smart as his father. At a young age, he can take care of the housework for his father and keep everything in order. It's a pity that Bai Dalang was in poor health and died of a sudden illness a few days after getting married. Uncle Bai has also become ill due to overwork. Now he is lying on the bed and can no longer manage.
Before such scandals broke out, Bai Erlang was also a gentle and gentle man. Although he did not have the business skills of his elder brother, he was quite talented in literature. The old master who taught in Mulberry Town praised him every time he mentioned it. It is said that Bai Erlang will be able to win the title of Toad Palace in the future and become the first elected official in Mulberry Town in thirty years.
Unfortunately, now that Bai Dalang is dead and Bai Erlang has caused such a big scandal, the people of Mulberry Town are waiting to see what will happen next for the Bai family, and they still have vague expectations in their hearts.
"It's almost time for them to arrive."
Xia Zhichan put down his wine glass. He drank most of the pot of old wine, but the wine tasted really bad. He was almost eating the sauced pork while listening to the guests on the second floor talking eloquently about the Bai family. .
He picked up the last piece of sauce meat, put it in his mouth and chewed:
"Waiter, check out."
"Sir, have you eaten? Our wine is the best in the area..."
Xia Zhichan was embarrassed to say that he had not even finished a bottle of wine. He took out the money from his sleeve and handed it to the errand boy who nodded and bowed:
"Bring me another two kilograms of sauced pork. I'll take it away after it's wrapped."
"Okay, please wait a moment."
The waiter looked at the money in his hand, and he estimated in his mind that after Xia Zhichan's wine money, whatever was left would be his own tips. When I thought of the tip, I felt very happy and my steps became brisk.
Holding the sauced meat wrapped in oil paper, Xia Zhichan walked slowly towards the entrance of Mulberry Town. He had just walked a few steps when he saw smoke and dust rising from the mountain road in the distance.
Then two horses came galloping.
Call——
Nan Eryi tightened the reins of the horse, and he even had time to stop the other horse beside him. Bai Erlang, who was sitting immediately, was jolted forward and back, his face turned a little pale, and he looked like he was about to vomit again.
"You are quite leisurely..."
Although Bai Erlang can ride a horse, his riding skills are average, and he is a bit rusty after not practicing for a long time. If it weren't for him holding back, Nan Er wouldn't have arrived at Mulberry Town at dusk.
When Nan Er turned over and dismounted, he didn't even need to tie the horse. The horse automatically stood on the spot. After all, it was a well-trained military horse.
He shook the riding whip in his hand without difficulty and pointed at Bai Erlang who was still lying on the horse.
"Why, are you annoyed now? You brought the trouble, so naturally you can deal with it."
Xia Zhichan shrugged his shoulders, and said to Nan Er with some gloating, but when the latter made an angry expression, he quickly handed over the sauced meat in his hand.
"I really regret it. If I had known I would have choked myself to death, I wouldn't have gone to the mountains and forests for convenience... Hmm! This soy sauce meat is so delicious. Where did you buy it?"
Nan Er pulled out a piece of sauced pork from the oil paper and stuffed it directly into his mouth to chew. He was still complaining about Bai Erlang, but then his attention was attracted by the sauced pork.
Plop.
Bai Erlang swayed on the horse for several times, and finally turned over and dismounted. But in the end, one of his feet did not come out of the stirrup, and the other foot slipped again, and he fell directly to the ground.
"Ouch, it hurts me to death."
As Bai Erlang said this, he shook his toes a few times before freeing himself from the stirrups.
He was sitting on the ground when he suddenly heard someone in the distance shouting:
"Isn't that Bai Erlang!"
He quickly retracted his hands and feet and hid on the side of the horse for fear of being recognized. Then he was directly tied into a twist and sent to the government.
"Oops - no, I admitted my mistake."
The man took a closer look and mistakenly recognized Xia Zhichan, who was standing with Nan Er, as Bai Erlang. This was mainly because the young master of the Bai family had been studying at home for many years, and most people had never seen him at all. This person also heard it from hearsay, so he deliberately shouted loudly to see Xia Zhichan's reaction.
Seeing that the other party was not moved at all, he quickly defended himself and said that he had admitted his mistake.
The people around him cast disdainful glances, and the man lowered his head and trotted away quickly.
"It seems that you have become a street rat here, and everyone wants to beat you."
While Nan Er was eating, he looked at Bai Erlang who was hiding under the horse's belly.
"This...this is all because I was framed."
Bai Erlang still wanted to quibble, but now that he had arrived at the gate of Mulberry Town, he realized that he did not dare to go in at all. He was afraid that as soon as he entered the town, he would be arrested and sent to the Bai family to deal with the family law, or sent to the government to be beheaded. .
"If we don't think of some way, I'm afraid it will be too late to redress his grievances, and he will be lynched by the people who don't know why."
Nan Er chewed the sauced meat and pointed towards the town.
"It doesn't matter, I've already thought about it..."
Xia Zhichan showed a familiar smile and even patted Nan Er on the shoulder. This made Nan Er stunned and almost choked on the sauce meat in his mouth.
"It's up to you."
