Before dawn the next day, the clerk of the government office came to invite him in person, and Huo Yuncheng went to the government office with his own bodyguard.
Banxia was injured, so she was not allowed to accompany him anymore.
After Bai Zeqing finished her fist fight, Banxia sent someone to call her to the second master's yard, saying that she wanted a share of yesterday's black market victory.
Banxia threw a big bag of things she bought over and asked her to choose first.
Bai Zeqing was stunned. There were so many things, what should she choose?
Bai Zeqing hesitated for a moment, but chose a fire coral hairpin with gold pearls. Firstly, it was unique and beautiful, and secondly, this kind of hairpin was not available on the market.
She thanked her sincerely. Banxia waved her hand and handed her two waist buttons, asking her to give them to Zhou Qian.
Then she picked up a jade safety button with a very beautiful water color and asked her to give it to her daughter.
Bai Zeqing didn't shirk it and thanked her on behalf of the two of them.
At this time, Banxia happily handed the remaining big bag to Banqing and said: "I am injured, please help me share it with my sisters. Thank you."
Banqing took it without politeness and went out.
Then, the two people, who were happily preparing to have breakfast, were attracted by the open birdcage hanging on the branch outside the window.
Who opened the birdcage this early in the morning?
Speaking of this birdcage——
Neither of them expected that the burnt-tailed red bird did not fly away after breaking the birdcage last night, but followed her back to Yuanzhou City twice.
It wasn't until the two of them got on Mr. Huo's boat that the little broken bird flew in from the window and squatted on Bai Zeqing's shoulder. Everyone was startled.
Huo Yuncheng heard that the two of them bought a bird on the black market. He frowned and told them to close it in a cage when they went back, but said nothing more.
When I returned home yesterday, Banxia asked a servant to make a birdcage.
At this time, the cage is open!
This little broken bird was playing happily in the yard. It flew from the top of the tree to the ground, as if it was not familiar with flying yet.
Unsteady. After taking a few steps, it fluttered onto Banxia's arm.
Banxia jumped up in shock and the bird fell. She quickly reached out to catch it before letting go. She pointed at the bird walking in the yard and asked Bai Zeqing: "What's going on? This little thing can open the cage! Doctor
How about you take the little lady back and keep her? You can’t follow me. What if I disturb the second master?”
"I can't raise it." Bai Zeqing thought to himself: Are you kidding? I can't protect myself now, so I bring a bird with me? Is the goal not obvious enough?
So she smiled sweetly at Banxia and said: "Sister Banxia, the money you paid is not suitable for me to raise, so you should raise her."
Yes, back to square one.
Finally, Banxia stood up suddenly and said to Bai Zeqing: "I have a way, let's go!"
He picked up the birdcage and said to the bird: "Come on, come in, I will take you to a good place."
The bird seemed to understand what they were saying and entered the birdcage obediently.
The two of them changed boats and carriages, and soon entered Xiangzhangfang in Yuanzhou City.
…
Xiangzhangfang is located in the core and richest area of Yuanzhou City.
Xiangzhangfang is only a few miles away from the black market to the east. It is jointly protected by all forces in Yuanzhou City. It is prosperous alone and has a population of tens of thousands.
Going east from Xiangzhangfang, there is a dancing pavilion and singing platform, with golden lights like daylight. The carriages of the rich family who spent a lot of money last night and were drunk and sleeping in the willows and flowers are returning home, rolling slowly through the long street in the early morning.
Going south, the gambling houses and money houses are noisy, and you can see people beating their chests and stamping their feet after losing all their money in one night and being thrown out of the gambling house.
Bai Zeqing and the other two hurriedly headed north.
Fangbei is an old street.
People who live here go to bed early and get up early. At this time, the dogs are barking, the cats are screaming, the children are crying, and some people are already making breakfast with smoke curling from their cooking stoves.
In the street restaurants and noodle shops, and the Silk House and Rouge Shop, there are already waiters rubbing their sleepy eyes one by one, holding up the door panels in preparation for opening, and a few old wine flags are fluttering in the wind.
The old alleys are narrow and long, like spider webs. New arrivals from outside the country will inevitably hit a dead end without a local to guide them. It will take a month of exploration before they can barely avoid getting lost.
But Banxia's steps were determined and without hesitation. She didn't take a wrong step or make a wrong turn.
The morning breeze was cool, and the stone slabs had been polished smooth by wind and rain, reflecting the long slanting shadows of the two people and the bird in the morning light.
The old street is quiet, there is a shop with lights on, and a dilapidated flag with a big word "dang" on it.
Banxia stopped in front of the store with a hint of nostalgia in her eyes.
Bai Zeqing looked at the paint peeling off the four-character door plaque, and the word "pawnshop" was vaguely distinguishable. He looked back at Banxia stiffly: "Pawnshop???"
Banxia was a little proud: "Yes, a pawn shop! Am I very smart!"
"No, you're not short of money, why are you so familiar with the pawn shop?" Bai Zeqing was shocked. With such familiarity, people who didn't know it thought the pawn shop was run by her family.
Banxia glanced at Bai Zeqing with disgust and said, "I wasn't born into the Huo family!"
That's right! Her surname is not Huo. I was confused by her generous dealings in the black market.
However, aren’t all the big pawnshops in Xiangzhangfang open next to the casino?
Besides, why do you come to the pawn shop?
Bai Zeqing looked at Banxia, then at the birds, and then at the pawn shop, his expression gradually becoming strange.
This pawn shop is too small, too old, and even a little shabby.
In the morning light, the shopkeeper was working on the abacus, the clerk was swatting flies, and the old cat was dozing off.
Walking into the hall, there is an unwritten couplet written on the white wall directly opposite.
First couplet: Who doesn’t have some difficulties in life?
Second line: Money is all external possessions!
Hengpi: Get rich instantly.
The two of them were standing in the hall, no one even greeted them.
"Come on!" Banxia greeted the waiter first, "It's a pawn."
"What do you think?" The old shopkeeper raised his eyelids and squinted slightly to look at them.
"This." Banxia slapped the birdcage on the long table, and there was a loud snap. The old cat that was napping under the window "shooed" and ran up to the long table, meowing around the birdcage.
The shopkeeper looked at the birdcage and then at the two of them.
The Jiao-tailed Bird looked at the shopkeeper and then at Bai Zeqing.
Bai Zeqing put his hand on his forehead and whispered: "I'm sorry." He picked up the birdcage with some embarrassment and walked out.
"Two taels of silver, no bargaining." The shopkeeper suddenly spoke.
Bai Zeqing was stunned: Do you really want to accept it?
"What? Only two taels? Let's buy it for ninety-eight taels, the shopkeeper!" Banxia learned and used it flexibly, and began to use her rarely learned bargaining skills.
The shopkeeper gave a wink, and the waiter went into the backstage, took out two taels of silver, and put it on the long table with a look of love on his face.
"Forget it, just give it two taels, it's better than shocking the second master and being beaten to death." Ban Xia said and reached for the broken silver. She was not short of money either. She was just afraid of trouble.
At this moment, the burnt-tailed bird screamed, like a baby crying or like a young phoenix mourning.
The old cat was so frightened that its fur stood on end, and it jumped to the rafter with lightning speed. The cat's tail knocked over the oil lamp that was still on the counter.
At the same time, the birdcage and long table were instantly ignited by the fire. The fire spread when the wind blew and reached the roof in an instant.
"Oh, it's leaked!" The boy woke up instantly, grabbed the teacup at hand and threw it out, but it was only a drop in the bucket and the fire became more intense.
"Ah, if you're going to be beaten, run away!" Bai Zeqing was dumbfounded for a moment, grabbed Banxia and ran away. She didn't want to be taken into the Yamen again by officers and soldiers, and the ashes at the bottom of the pot were not readily available.
"Hey," Banxia didn't get the money, so he picked up the birdcage and ran away. When he ran out of the alley, he threw the hot birdcage aside and smashed it into pieces. The bird flapped its wings and flew there with all its strength.
Bai Zeqing's shoulders.
Bai Zeqing looked up to the sky and sighed: It's all fate.
