evening.
The orange-red sunset shines into Qinghe Tower.
Chu Peiran was still teaching Xiaotao and Doudou how to read, while Caixia stood on the stool and watched Guichen copy the scriptures.
Xiaotuanzi sat on the table with disheveled hair and wrote. She held the pen as if holding a sword. The words she wrote were twisted at first, but now she writes with a sharp edge.
"Boss, how is my writing?"
Xiaotuanzi raised his head proudly.
Qin Luo shook his head slightly, "I still need to practice more."
"Ouch."
"So tired!"
Xiaotuanzi fell asleep on the table.
Chu Peiran poured a cup of tea from the teapot and said, "It's getting late. I'll continue teaching you how to read tomorrow."
"Okay Mr. Chu!"
Xiaotao and Doudou saluted respectfully.
Qin Luo looked at Chu Peiran and said softly: "Brother Chu, when are you going to go to the north?"
Chu Peiran held the tea cup and thought for a while, "I have traveled all the way, had meals and slept in the open, and haven't had a good rest yet. I am going to rest in Qinghe Building for two days. I will first go to Yanbei City to visit the seniors of the academy, and then go to Longhu Temple to tell fortunes, and by the way, I will go to Taoist Brother I’m talking about Jinghu Academy, let’s see if I can help.”
Qin Luo smiled and nodded. He looked at Guichen who was copying scriptures and said, "Master Guichen, what are your plans?"
"The young monk has gained a lot from following Brother Taoist. After copying the scriptures, the young monk is going to find a quiet place to retreat." Guichen said with a respectful expression.
"Brother Dao, what are your plans?"
"I'm not in a hurry. I'm going to rest in Jiangling City for two days and then go to the capital of Daxia."
While Qin Luo and the others were chatting.
A middle-aged man holding a paper fan walked into Qinghe Building. He looked polite. Xiao Tao stepped forward and said enthusiastically: "Sir, would you like to have tea?"
"I saw it said outside that you can read here, so come in and take a look." The middle-aged man looked around and saw a bookshelf on the left with many books on it.
Xiaotao said with a sweet smile, "Yes, we have just opened and we provide free tea."
The middle-aged man came to the bookshelf and picked up a Confucian classic. He sat at the table and read it carefully. Doudou brought him a cup of hot tea.
Doudou's little face said respectfully: "Sir, this pot of tea is for you. Thank you for taking care of business."
"Thanks."
The middle-aged man is very polite.
Chu Peiran smiled and joked: "It seems that our Confucian classics are more popular."
Qin Luo smiled slightly.
After a while, an old man in plain clothes walked into Qinghe Building. He had many dark spots on his face.
"How much does tea cost here?"
Xiao Tao greeted with a smile, "Sir, our building now only has ordinary tea, which costs two cents a pot. We have just opened. The tea is free and the private rooms are open for free."
The old man looked around. It looked deserted here. "I thought there were people playing chess in Qinghe Building."
Chu Peiran came over and gestured, "Old sir, if you don't mind, I'll play chess with you."
"OK."
The old man stroked his beard and nodded.
Xiao Tao said awkwardly: "It seems there is no chessboard."
Chu Peiran smiled and said: "Don't worry, I have a chessboard in my bookcase, please wait a moment."
Qin Luo reached out and grabbed the little dumpling sleeping on the table, put her into his pocket, and then cleaned the table. There were just customers in Qinghe Building, so naturally he had to entertain them well.
Chu Peiran got the chessboard. He and the old man sat at the table and played chess. Qin Luo and Caixia were watching nearby.
Caixia looked at Qin Luo and whispered: "Qing Emperor played chess with an old Taoist priest for three whole years."
"Who's winning?"
"The old Taoist priest won."
"But Emperor Qing is very happy."
Qin Luoneng could tell that Caixia liked telling stories, and she might have been locked up in Qingdi's secret realm for too long.
Caixia probably knows more stories than any storyteller, and they are all true.
Chu Peiran is a disciple of the academy and has superb chess skills. The old man's strength is obviously much worse.
The people passing by saw them gathered together and wanted to know what they were doing. Soon more and more people came to Qinghe Building. Those who could understand how to play chess stood aside and pointed, and those who couldn't understand also did the same. Wander around the Qinghe Building and browse through the bookshelves to see if there are any books you like.
More and more people are reading books.
"Meditative breathing technique?"
There are young men picking up brand new books.
More and more people were sitting at the table reading, and Xiaotao and Doudou brought them free tea.
The deserted teahouse became lively.
"My hands are itchy just looking at it."
The old man in golden clothes wearing a yellow hat shook his head as he watched.
Qin Luo took out the chessboard he carried with him and placed it on the table next door. He smiled and invited: "Old sir, I would like to invite you to play a game."
"Come on, come on!"
The old man in brocade clothes rolled up his sleeves.
"Senior, please!"
"I'll be shameless and strike first."
The old man in brocade clothes was not polite to Qin Luo. As soon as he made his move, Qin Luo made his move to Tianyuan.
"interesting."
The old man in golden clothes chuckled.
He was going to teach this junior a lesson.
After just a few dozen moves, the old man in Jinyi felt a lot of pressure, and he kept drinking tea.
As soon as Chu Peiran reached the middle of the game, the old man in Jinyi who was playing against Qin Luo gave in and muttered, "It's boring to bully my eighty-year-old man."
"Hahaha."
The people watching were all amused.
"I'll try!"
The first middle-aged man who entered Qinghe Building for tea came to the opposite side of Qin Luo. He persisted longer than the old man in Jinyi, but in the middle of the game, the dragon was killed.
Night falls.
The colorful clouds light up the lamps in Qinghe Building.
She likes to light lamps.
The lamp likes her too.
"That's awesome!"
"It can't be lowered, it can't be lowered at all."
The people watching shook their heads. Qin Luo and Chu Peiran both won completely, but Qin Luo won more.
Qin Luo stood up, gave up his position, smiled and said, "Let's compare notes."
The surrounding customers saw how powerful Qin Luo was and didn't want to humiliate themselves. The old man in golden clothes sat in his seat and played chess with the middle-aged man holding a paper fan.
Guichen is still copying scriptures.
The people gathered around him, not mainly to read scriptures, but curious that he could still write scriptures while blindfolded.
Chu Peiran stood up and left the busy chess table. A customer took his place, "Brother Qin, let's play a game if you have time."
"sure!"
Qin Luo smiled and nodded.
Jiangling City is the busiest time at night. The streets are brightly lit. Qin Luo looked at Chu Peiran and suggested with a smile, "Brother Chu, let's go shopping on the street."
"OK."
Chu Peiran looked at Guichen who was copying scriptures in front of the lamp, "Master Guichen, do you want to go shopping?"
"The young monk wants to copy scriptures."
Guichen still has many scriptures to copy.
Chu Peiran was a little envious and said with emotion: "Master Guichen has a lot of things in his stomach."
Qin Luo nodded in agreement. He planned to read the scriptures copied by Guichen when he came back in the evening.
People are coming and going on the street.
Qin Luo and Chu Peiran looked left and right.
A girl in plain clothes came over with a basket and said with a sweet smile: "Master Tao, do you want to buy some purses? These are made by my grandma and they are very cheap."
Qin Luo looked at the purse in the basket, smiled slightly, and said softly: "How much does this purse cost?"
"Five pennies."
The girl in plain clothes raised the basket and let Qin Luo choose.
Qin Luo didn't want the purse, but he wanted to help her after seeing her yelling for a long time without opening. He picked up the red purse with the word "福" embroidered on it, "This is five cents."
"Thank you, Master Dao."
The girl in plain clothes happily put away the copper plate.
Qin Luo just couldn't walk far when the small dumpling in his pocket came out smelling the fragrance, "It smells so good!"
Xiaotuanzi sat on Qin Luo's shoulder, and she swallowed her saliva, "Boss, I want to eat meatballs."
There was a charcoal barbecue on the street. Qin Luo walked to the stall and chuckled: "Boss, how do you sell mutton skewers?"
"One skewer costs four cents, three skewers costs ten cents. They are all fresh goat meat. Master Tao, please give me some skewers." The middle-aged stall owner wiped the sweat from his face with a white cloth.
Qin Luo said softly: "Come on three strings."
"Okay!"
The middle-aged stall owner immediately started grilling.
Qin Luo took out ten coins and gave them to the old woman who was in charge of helping. She was the mother of a middle-aged vendor.
Xiaotuanzi sat on Qin Luo's shoulder and shook his head. He couldn't help but sigh, "It's so slow, I might as well do it."
The old woman said enthusiastically: "Sir, please sit here for a while. The mutton skewers will be grilled soon."
Qin Luo and the others were sitting on the street. There were two tables of people eating grilled fish around them. The food was delicious and delicious. Xiaotuanzi looked at the grilled fish and swallowed his saliva, "Boss, I also want to eat grilled fish."
"No money."
Qin Luo shook his head gently.
He didn't want to spoil Xiaotuanzi.
Chu Peiran looked at Xiaotuanzi, smiled and joked: "If you call me Brother Chu, I will treat you to grilled fish."
"Brother Pig!"
Xiaotuanzi simply blinked.
"It's Brother Chu."
"Brother Pig."
Xiaotuanzi tilted his head.
Chu Peiran shook his head helplessly, knowing that Xiao Tuanzi did it on purpose, but he was not angry and still shouted loudly: "Boss, bring a bigger grilled fish, and pay after eating."
"Okay."
The middle-aged vendor smiled and nodded.
"hey-hey."
Xiaotuanzi clasped his feet proudly.
Not long after, the old woman put the grilled mutton skewers on the table and said, "Sir, please use it slowly."
When Xiaotuanzi saw this, she jumped from Qin Luo's shoulder to the table, "Boss, this is yours."
Qin Luo took the mutton skewers, and Xiaotuanzi handed one to Chu Peiran, "Brother Pig, this is for you."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Xiaotuanzi picked up the mutton skewers. She ate the meat with big mouthfuls, and the stupid hair on her head shook.
Qin Luo took a bite of the roasted lamb, which was more delicious than the mutton in the mutton soup. When Xiaotuanzi finished the mutton skewers in his hand, Qin Luo handed her the mutton skewers that had only been eaten in one bite.
"Boss, don't you like eating?"
"I like it, but eat less."
Xiaotuanzi took the mutton skewers and she swallowed, "Bring these back to Caixia."
Chu Peiran said with a smile: "Just eat, I will buy them food later."
Xiaotuanzi's eyes lit up. She was chewing roast lamb and said, "Brother Pig, I didn't realize that you still have money!"
Chu Peiran raised his eyebrows and raised the corners of his mouth, "I think I was also a rich man back then. I haven't eaten any delicacies from the mountains and seas. I can tell you have never seen the world."
Xiaotuanzi's hair stood up, and he actually mocked me for not seeing the world, but when he thought of eating the grilled fish ordered by Chu Peiran, he could only write down this grudge first.
While waiting for the grilled fish, Qin Luo asked curiously: "Brother Chu, why do you want to travel on a poor trip?"
Chu Peiran shook his head and sighed, "It's not that I want to travel on a budget, it's Mr. Academy who allows me to travel on a budget. He allows me to be down-to-earth, step by step, read thousands of books, travel thousands of miles, increase my knowledge, cultivate my sentiments, and experience my state of mind. This is a test for me. "
Qin Luo nodded, "My master also told me that only by being down-to-earth can you go further."
Chu Peiran said with a smile: "I have indeed gained a lot along the way. I have seen monsters that are not in the book, I have seen stories that are not in the book, I have realized many truths that are not in the book, and I have made friends with such powerful Taoist brothers and Master Guichen. friend."
Xiaotuanzi held a wooden stick in his mouth and tilted his head, "Wu Shashen is a friend I met on the road. He is fearless and is much more powerful than you."
"I'm not great to begin with."
Chu Peiran laughed loudly, "I am a scholar, and we are reasonable."
The old woman came to the table with the grilled fish and said enthusiastically: "Sir, your grilled fish is ready. Please use it slowly."
Xiaotuanzi was sitting at the table eating grilled fish.
The middle-aged vendor brought them a jug of wine and two small wine glasses with a simple and honest smile, "Sir, thank you for taking care of the business. This jug of wine will be given to you for free."
"thank you boss."
Qin Luo and Chu Peiran raised their hands to signal.
This pot of wine is not much, but it still costs several pennies.
Chu Peiran picked up the jug and poured out two glasses of wine, "Brother Dao, you have helped me a lot, I want to toast you."
Qin Luo raised his wine glass and signaled.
They drank it all in one gulp.
After drinking a glass of wine, Chu Peiran said with emotion: "My father was an official in Beijing and walked on thin ice. He often warned me that it's not that if you have many friends, the road will be easier, but if you have a good road, you will naturally have more friends. Only now do I understand him. the meaning of."
"That makes sense."
After Qin Luo came down from the mountain, whether he was going to Yanbei City or the royal capital, he met many friends on the way, and they all left a deep impression on him.
"Where's the fish?"
Chu Peiran's eyes widened.
After drinking a glass of wine, there were only fish bones left on the plate. When Xiaotuanzi picked up the wine pot, Qin Luo grabbed the handle and said, "You can't drink."
"All right."
Xiaotuanzi let go obediently.
She didn’t want to eat Qin Luo’s chestnuts.
Qin Luo picked up the jug and poured out two glasses of wine, "Brother Chu, since there is no food, I will drink with you."
"Hahaha, okay!"
Chu Peiran picked up the wine glass again.
After drinking, Chu Peiran came to the stall. He took out a piece of broken silver and said, "Boss, you don't need to change. Change it to grilled fish and mutton skewers. We will come back to get it."
"Okay, guest!"
The middle-aged stall owner smiled from ear to ear.
Qin Luo and Chu Peiran continued shopping. They came to the flea market, where there were many old furniture and antiques for sale at low prices.
Chu Peiran bought a large amount of paper and ink, some of which he kept in Qinghe Building, and some of which he took with him.
Qin Luo bought a red rope with a penny.
"Tie your hair up."
"so annoying!"
Xiaotuanzi picked up the red rope and tied her hair into a high ponytail. The arrogant hair still remained unchanged and she no longer looked like a wild girl.
Qin Luo then handed the purse to Xiaotuanzi, "This purse is for you."
Xiaotuanzi hugged her purse happily. Although her pocket could hold more things, it was a gift from her boss, so she was particularly happy.
Xiaotuanzi put two golden lotus seeds in his purse, and then stuffed the big purse into the small pocket of the red dress, "Thank you, boss."
Qin Luo and the others had just left not far away.
A sharp-eyed middle-aged man in Tsing Yi came to the old woman selling red rope and said, "Aunt Wang, give me this copper plate, and I will give you a tael of silver."
"Xiao Wang, are you crazy?"
"Would you like to change?"
"Change."
Who wouldn't agree to such a good thing? The old woman took the silver, bit it, and then wiped it clean. "I really went far today to find such a bargain."
The middle-aged man in Qingyi is the owner of an antique shop. When he was young, he sought immortality and learned some skills of fortune-telling. He could see the faint light on the copper plate. When they come out, they are all priceless treasures.”
Chu Peiran also found some old chess boards, which he could use after washing them.
Xiaotuanzi sat on Qin Luo's shoulder, "Boss, I want to eat candied haws."
"Next time."
Qin Luo did not agree and said softly: "You have to learn to control your desires."
"Hey!"
Xiaotuanzi closed his eyes.
"Selling candied haws on a stick!"
“Sour and sweet candied haws!”
Xiaotuanzi drooled when she heard it. She could only cover her ears. Then when she smelled the aroma of pancakes, she could only hold her nose and couldn't do anything.
Qin Luo and Chu Peiran were amused by her.
They came to the previous barbecue restaurant, and Chu Peiran returned to Qinghe Building carrying the barbecue wrapped in lotus leaves.
At this time, all the guests in the building left.
Doudou and Caixia are cleaning the building, and Xiaotao is keeping accounts.
"Let's bring delicious food back!"
Xiaotuanzi grinned and said: "Caixia, hurry up and eat barbecue. It's delicious."
Chu Peiran put the lotus leaves on the table, spread them out, and filled the table with grilled mutton skewers and grilled fish.
"Thank you Mr. Chu!"
"Eat whatever you want, don't be polite to me."
Doudou brought the unfinished wine from Qinghelou. Chu Peiran, Xiaotao and the others sat around the table, eating grilled fish and drinking wine, not to mention how comfortable they were.
Qin Luo sat next to Master Guichen. He looked at the scriptures that Guichen had copied. Xiaotuanzi sat on Qin Luo's shoulder. She could only look at the food on the table and swallow her saliva.
"Sister Tuanzi, why don't you eat?"
"Hey, I've eaten."
Xiaotuanzi looked indifferent, but she didn't dare to eat it without Qin Luo's permission.
A pig's head popped out of the golden bowl, "Don't forget me, old pig."
Bang!
Return to dust and beat the pig's head.
The pig demon was knocked unconscious again.
Guichen whispered: "Amitabha."
"Mr. Chu, when we were cleaning just now, we found that a customer put copper plates on the table. More than one customer did this."
"It proves that they like Qinghe Building."
"Hahaha."
Cheers and laughter echoed in Qinghe Building.
