"No, no," Changsheng waved his hands repeatedly, "I just feel that my third senior brother is very nice, and so are you. The age difference is also..."
Before Chang Sheng could finish speaking, Ni Chenyi interrupted him, "Really?"
"Really not," Changsheng shook his head and said, "I won't even lie to you about losing my head, let alone this kind of thing."
Hearing what Changsheng said, Ni Chenyi calmed down a little. When he saw Changsheng again, his slightly immature face was full of fear, and his heart softened. He stretched out his hand to help him wipe away the rice grains stuck to the corner of his mouth, "Don't talk nonsense in the future. I only care about your third senior brother." I have respect and nothing else in mind.”
"Okay." Changsheng nodded.
"Okay, don't eat. I'll take you to the Yanbin Building to learn more." Ni Chenyi stood up.
"I'm full." Changsheng picked up the porridge bowl and drank the remaining porridge inside. "How about we go before the abbot and the others come."
Ni Chenyi frowned and hesitated, but did not answer immediately.
"Let's do this. You can take me around first, okay?" Changsheng discussed.
Ni Chenyi nodded in agreement. Seeing that she was about to take the purse, Chang Sheng quickly took out the copper coins and paid the bill first.
Ni Chenyi has not been back to Chang'an for a long time, but she grew up in Chang'an, and Chang'an has not changed much in the past few years. Ni Chenyi walked in front, giving guidance and introductions to the shirtless men unloading rice and grain from the carriage at the door. All the strong men are winery clerks, and the courtyard inside is the winery where wine is made.
The place where the banging sound came from was the oil mill, and the banging sound was the sound of a swinging hammer hitting the oil cake. At present, the only oil that can be pressed is sesame and beans. Sesame oil is the best oil, very expensive, and only Only officials and officials can afford it. Soybean oil is not cheap either. Only wealthy families can afford it. Most residents and farmers outside the city can only eat animal fat.
There is also a yard where cloths of different colors are hung to dry, which is a dyeing workshop. Dyed cloths are much more expensive than ordinary gray and white cloths.
Most of the wooden buildings located in the backyards of mansions were embroidered buildings for ladies. Daughters of wealthy families did not go out often on weekdays. They could overlook the surrounding scenery and passers-by from the embroidered buildings.
The monastery with the fragrant smell is the place where rouge and gouache are sold. Rouge and gouache is very expensive and is a good gift for women. In addition to rouge gouache, there are also spices for sale there. None of the four famous fragrances of agarwood, dragon and musk are produced in China. Agarwood is produced in Annan in the south. Sandalwood is of the best quality produced in Tianzhu. Ambergris is brought by merchants from the Western Regions. musk comes from Andong Duhufu in the northeast.
There are also those large courtyards of wealthy families with plaques hanging on their doors. Those whose official positions are written on them are the current imperial officials, and those who have Zhao Mansion, Qian Mansion, Sun Mansion, etc. written on the door plaques are outgoing officials or wealthy businessmen.
Ni Chenyi accompanied Changsheng from the West City to the East City. When they arrived in the East City, Changsheng stopped listening to what Ni Chenyi said because he found that this place was not very far from the abandoned house where Chen Liqiu temporarily stored Miss Zhao's body. He knew that Chen Liqiu He has returned to Shenzhou, but he is not sure whether Chen Liqiu successfully took away Miss Zhao's body that day.
Finding that Chang Sheng was distracted, Ni Chenyi casually asked about the reason. Chang Sheng didn't hide anything and simply told him.
After listening to Chang Sheng's speech, Ni Chenyi frowned slightly, pondered for a moment and said, "Go over and have a look, otherwise you will always be thinking about it."
"What if an official is ambushing nearby?" Chang Sheng was worried.
"Probably not," Ni Chenyi said, "Your third senior brother can only do it quietly if he wants to take away the woman's body. Once the officers and soldiers are alerted, he will not be able to escape with the body. He successfully escaped from Chang'an, which shows that No one knew he had escaped and returned."
Changsheng thought for a while and felt that what Ni Chenyi said made sense, but there were still several nursing homes following him from a distance.
Seeing Changsheng turning around, Ni Chenyi understood and ordered a few people to go back home first.
Several people were ordered to protect Ni Chenyi, but they dared to leave Ni Chenyi and return first. Ni Chenyi had no choice but to order them to go back to Baoqing Inn to wait.
They didn't dare to go back to their home, but they still dared to wait for them at Baoqing Inn first. After all, the people at home didn't know that they had left Ni Chenyi.
After sending away the nursing attendants, Changsheng and Ni Chenyi carefully found the broken house, but he did not go in. He only walked slowly behind the house. More than half a month had passed. If the body was still there, there would be decay. Bad smell.
He didn't want to go in, but he finally went in because he really smelled the smell. Since it was autumn and winter, the temperature was low, so the smell was not very strong.
The two of them went in together. When they saw the scene in the room, Chang Sheng secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Miss Zhao's body had been taken away. The rope that Chen Liqiu used to tie the body that day was also missing and was left in the room. There are seven heads that have turned black and rotten.
Ni Chenyi had never seen such a scene before. He covered his mouth and nose and turned around and ran out. Changsheng followed and closed the door.
Ni Chenyi did not vomit because of her embarrassment, but her face was very ugly, and she leaned against the wall and gasped for air.
Seeing no one around, the two left quickly.
When they reached a safe place, Ni Chenyi whispered, "Don't misunderstand me. I really admire your third senior brother. If I have the chance to meet him, I will definitely give him a toast."
"Okay." Changsheng nodded.
"You said before that there are five of you brothers. Who are the other three?" Ni Chenyi asked.
"The eldest brother is straight-tempered, the second brother is very calm, and the fourth brother is a woman." Changsheng said casually.
"Female?" Ni Chenyi frowned and asked, "What does she look like?"
"It's quite pretty," Chang Sheng said honestly, "but she doesn't talk much, and I haven't spoken to her a few words."
Ni Chenyi was dubious and tilted his head to look at Changsheng. It wasn't until Changsheng glanced at her impatiently that he relieved his doubts and felt relieved.
While the two were talking, they returned to the main road and saw a majestic seven-story building not far away. Changsheng suddenly thought that the legendary Taiping Inn also had seven floors. When he walked closer, he saw that it was really the Taiping Inn.
"How much do you know about this inn?" Changsheng asked in a low voice.
"Quite a few." Ni Chenyi smiled.
Chang Sheng was puzzled and turned to look at her.
Ni Chenyi smiled and said nothing.
"It's not opened by your family, right?" Changsheng was shocked.
Ni Chenyi nodded, "But outsiders don't know, not even the shopkeepers here."
"I heard that the big shopkeeper here is a mysterious woman." Changsheng said.
Ni Chenyi whispered, "That's my Qiniang."
"How many wives does your father have?" Chang Sheng was curious.
"Three wives and four concubines, but I only have one child," Ni Chenyi said. "I heard from my father that the reason why I was born was because he asked the Heavenly Master to pray for blessings and make a wedding ceremony for my mother to become pregnant."
"No wonder your father wants to send you to Longhu Mountain to become a Taoist priest." Changsheng suddenly realized.
Ni Chenyi shook his head and said, "It's not all because of this. In the past few years, the situation between the DPRK and China was unclear. My father sent me to Longhu Mountain to avoid disaster."
Changsheng nodded.
Ni Chenyi pointed to the southeast, "This place is not very far from my home. Why don't you go and meet my dad."
"No, no, no," Changsheng shook his head repeatedly, "Let's go, go back, go back."
Ni Chenyi did not force him to go to Changsheng, and followed him to the west, "I don't know what you are thinking. If you have any concerns, then there is no need. I will follow you wherever you go from now on. The child will also bear your surname..."
Ni Chenyi spoke so bluntly and boldly that Chang Sheng blushed and hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Don't say this, I don't even know my last name."
"No, I have to make it clear to you," Ni Chenyi said, "Don't listen to the wild speculations and slanders of the people in the market, saying that the adopted son-in-law is in a miserable situation and suffers discrimination and exclusion. This kind of thing will only happen in a market where people are in a hurry. Among them, it will never appear in a temple where poetry and books teach.”
"I know," Changsheng nodded and said, "Virtue is the foundation and wealth is the last. If you want wealth, you must first cultivate virtue. If your Ni family can be rich in the world, you must be a virtuous person. As the saying goes, if virtue is not matched, there will be disaster. , if you are immoral people, you will not be able to afford the wealth and honor that is the richest in the world."
Changsheng's words touched Ni Chenyi's heart, "When I meet my father the other day, I will say more similar words. This is not to flatter him, but everyone likes to hear those kind words that make people feel comfortable."
Changsheng glanced at Ni Chenyi and sighed helplessly.
"You may not like to hear some words," Ni Chenyi said, "The ancients knew etiquette well enough. There may not be all good people in the temple, but there are more bad people in the market."
Chang Sheng smiled bitterly and shook his head, "I don't know what it's like above the temple, but I feel like they won't want to kill me or eat my cow."
Ni Chenyi did not hide her joy, "Although you were born in poverty, you do not hate the rich. Although you are young, you are sober and fair. I like you more and more."
"Stop praising me," Changsheng Haosheng said helplessly, "I'm becoming more and more afraid of you."
"Why are you afraid of me?" Ni Chenyi asked with a smile.
"Stop forcing me, I don't even have the heart to practice martial arts now." Chang Sheng shook his head sadly.
"Okay," Ni Chenyi nodded and said, "I seem to have been a little too hasty. From now on, I will discuss everything with you and ask for your opinion, and I will never make any decisions."
Changsheng didn't know how to answer the question, so he could only nodded.
The two of them walked all the way west for nearly half an hour and finally returned to Baoqing Inn.
Ni Chenyi's entourage had been waiting in the lobby. When they saw the two returning, they hurriedly welcomed them out. The martial artist who had carried the young man back earlier stepped forward and said, "Miss, the injured young man insisted on leaving after he woke up. I can't keep him here. Send him away." He didn’t accept his gold, so I had no choice but to follow him to his residence. He lived in the Mawang Temple in the north with an old madman.”
Seeing Ni Chenyi frowning, the martial artist hurriedly said, "I asked him his name. His name is Yang Kai and he comes from Yongzhou."
After the martial artist finished speaking, Ni Chenyi turned to look at Changsheng, "How about we go see him."
Changsheng had this intention and nodded in agreement.
The two left the inn and headed north. When passing by a medicine shop, Changsheng went in and grabbed two sets of medicines. These two sets of medicines cost him a lot of money, because in addition to the healing medicines, they also included ginseng and deer antler, which are great for replenishing qi and blood. Because of Yang Kai, the young man didn't have enough to eat, and his energy and blood were depleted.
Mawang Temple is located in the northwest corner of the West City. It is a very small temple that has been abandoned for many years and is dilapidated. The small temple has no left and right wing rooms, only three main rooms. The east side has collapsed, and only the two rooms on the west side can still protect it from wind and rain.
When the two arrived, a disheveled old man was rummaging through the remaining bricks and rubble on the east side of the temple. The young man named Yang Kai was holding a bowl of wheat porridge in his left hand and a spoon in his right hand, and was trying to persuade the old man. Have a meal.
"Infinite Heavenly Lord, Brother Yang, you are polite." Changsheng stopped and bowed his head.
In fact, before Chang Sheng spoke, Yang Kai had already seen the two of them. When Chang Sheng bowed his head to greet him, Yang Kai nodded in return, "Are you Taoist Priest San Sheng?"
"It's me." Changsheng smiled and nodded. He was not surprised that Yang Kai could call out his Taoist name, because Ni Chenyi had previously told his followers to tell Yang Kai that he was the one who came to the rescue after he woke up.
"Thank you..." Before Yang Kai could finish his words, he was interrupted by the old man. A little mouse emerged from the rubble. The old man shouted excitedly and chased after him to catch it. He met Yang Kai, and Yang Kai I almost lost the porridge bowl in my hand.
"Brother Yang, I am proficient in medical skills and know that you are injured, so I specially sent you some herbs." Changsheng said.
"Thank you Taoist Priest. No reward will be given for no merit. I appreciate your kindness. I can't take the medicine." Yang Kai shook his head and said.
"Brother Yang is too worried," Changsheng shook his head and said, "I don't ask for anything. You are injured and you are careless, so don't refuse."
Yang Kai shook his head slowly, then turned to follow the disheveled old man with a bowl of porridge, "Master, be careful of being bitten by it."
"Master, what's going on?" Ni Chenyi asked.
Yang Kai sighed and did not answer.
Yang Kai didn't answer, but Chang Sheng saw some clues, "The limbs are shaking slightly, the eyes are red and the face is yellow, the body is hunched over, and the steps are shaky. This is not an ordinary mental disorder, it is caused by poisoning."
Hearing Chang Sheng's words, Yang Kai was shocked and turned around eagerly, "Taoist Master, do you know medical skills?"
"Rough communication." Changsheng nodded.
"Can you..." Yang Kai hesitated.
"Don't worry, I'll take your commander's pulse first," Changsheng said.
Yang Kai thanked him profusely, put down the porridge bowl, and coaxed and hugged the ancient man to Changsheng.
Because the crazy old man was struggling, Chang Sheng could not take his pulse calmly, so he had no choice but to reach out and touch his neck.
After a brief moment of attachment, Chang Sheng shrank his hands in shock.
Ni Chenyi noticed Chang Sheng's expression was abnormal and asked hurriedly, "What's wrong?"
Changsheng did not answer Ni Chenyi's question, but turned to look at Yang Kai, "Is your master a Taixuan cultivator?"
