The sky is covered with dark clouds, as if the night is coming, thunder is rolling and heavy rain is coming at any time, and the people on the street are in a hurry. Only the two people from Wuzhong, one wearing a bamboo hat and the other holding an umbrella, are walking leisurely on the street. The two of them are aimless.
, I don’t climb mountains or swim, and I don’t have the spirit of Li Muxian to explore the ancient world. I just like to walk on the streets and watch the various scenes of the world and watch the fireworks in the world. I would go wherever the excitement is. If it weren’t for the daytime, I would have plunged into brothels and restaurants to learn foreign languages from girls.
went.
The two of them walked along the street and chatted casually. Before they knew it, it was noon and their stomachs began to growl. They wanted to go to the river outside the city to have something delicious, but then they turned around and thought about it. The west and south of the city are close to the river. The terrain is narrow except for the wharf.
There was no other place to go besides watching the river and it was too noisy, so we decided to go outside the east gate. I heard that the place next to the catfish nest is very lively and there are several good places for viewing.
But before they left the city, heavy rain poured down, which disrupted their plans, so they decided to find a place nearby to take shelter from the rain and have a meal.
Coincidentally, they are near the Changhu Lake. There are mountains, water, and homes. What surprised the two of them was the farmhouse. That is, the fishermen on the lakeside hang up their own flags at the door of their homes. There are not many delicacies from the mountains and seas, but farmhouse meals. Of course, it is indispensable.
Fish, shrimp, river freshness, etc.
As luck would have it, it suited the two of them.
In a hurry, I walked into a house with the front facing the street and the back facing the lake. A family of three were overjoyed to see guests coming to the house on a rainy day and greeted them warmly.
"Guest, what do you want to eat? I have fresh fish and shrimp at home..." The host's seven or eight-year-old girl looked at the two strong men in front of her expectantly, hoping that they would order more food.
With a snap, Chen Ruxin took out a piece of silver and said, "Do this." Then he raised his chin to Wuzhong and said, "Brother Angkor, I'm going to treat you today."
Wu Zhong let out a laugh and looked at the dark-skinned fisherman girl: "Maybe she was thinking of Lian Xin."
"They are all poor people, but Lianxin is lucky enough to meet the shopkeeper." Chen Ruxin looked at the lake not far away. The pouring rain created a layer of rain and mist on the lake, like a fairyland.
"Sir, there are so many, we..." The host's man looked at the silver and was both happy and at a loss, because such a piece of silver is enough to eat and drink at his house for a month.
"If you can, get some wine, and the rest will be considered as a reward." Chen Ruxin smiled faintly and finally felt generous. But having said that, as Chang Yu's personal attendant, his salary is indeed very high, which is higher than that of the soldiers of the Sixth Battalion of Dongchang Guard.
high.
The host was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly. The hostess took an oil umbrella from the room and went out: "I'm going to get you two drinks."
"It's okay if it's too far away. It's raining so hard." Wuzhong said casually, and the woman quickly said: "It's not far, not far. There's one in the building diagonally across from Zhang's house." She pointed toward the door.
, the two of them looked at it, and it turned out that there was a two-story wooden building diagonally opposite not far away, and they were doing the same business, but it obviously had more cards than here. If they came from there at the beginning, they would also choose it.
As for Zhangjialou, after all, it is quite enjoyable to drink wine on the second floor and look at the lake and water on this rainy day.
"Isn't alcohol prohibited in Wuchang City?" Chen Ruxin asked casually after the girl went out. The little girl nodded: "Alcohol is prohibited, but as long as there are people buying it, there will be people selling it. The price is just a little higher. Sir, don't you see that the imperial court prohibits private use?
Selling salt? But when did the salt traders die?"
Hey, he said these words at such a young age, which surprised the two of them. Wu Zhong sighed: "Children from poor families have long been in charge, and they have experienced a lot and know a lot." He stood up and went to the eaves of the backyard to look at the lake.
scene.
The male host and the little girl were busy killing fish and cooking together. They were sweating profusely but the joy on their faces did not fade away. After all, how could you not be happy when you met a rich customer.
After a while, the woman came back, carrying two wine bottles in her hands: "I'm sorry, guest. It's not that I don't want to buy more, but it's actually that the Zhang family doesn't want to sell more, so please just make do with it."
"It's okay." Chen Ruxin smiled lightly: "I'm here to help you, sister-in-law." The woman nodded sheepishly and went to help with the kitchen. Wu Zhong walked to the door and looked diagonally across the Zhang family building. He saw that there were quite a few guests above, and downstairs.
There are still a few people taking shelter from the rain under the eaves of the front porch.
"Why, Angkor still wants to go and buy it in person?" Chen Ruxin came over and patted Wuzhong on the shoulder: "You should have had a drink, maybe you really got me drunk."
Wu Zhong laughed and said, "Why do you think I'm a bully? You still have to force me to buy it. It's not impossible, but it will definitely bring trouble to this fisherman's family. It's unnecessary."
"Guests, please drink first. The hot dishes will be served shortly." The hostess moved a small table and placed it at the door. She placed wine, a plate of broad beans, a plate of cold cucumbers and cold preserved eggs.
Dishes that can be served at a banquet are indeed the best dishes to go with wine.
To briefly explain, cucumber cultivation has a long history in China, and preserved eggs have long been a common dish in the Ming Dynasty.
"If this is a plate of beef, it would be great!" Wu Zhong chuckled, put the preserved egg in his mouth with an intoxicated look on his face, then raised his glass and took a sip, with a look of wretchedness on his face, so cool!
"You are exaggerating." Chen Ruxin's face was full of contempt, but the little girl next to him couldn't stop laughing when he saw this.
"Good craftsmanship" Wu Zhong gave a thumbs up: "This preserved egg is the best I have ever tasted."
"As long as the guests like it," the male host was not good at words, so the woman said politely.
The dishes came one after another. Although the craftsmanship and presentation were not as good as those of the chefs in restaurants and inns, they just suited the two people's tastes. The food was authentic and pure.
Seeing the two of them devouring the delicious food, the host also looked happy. He set up a small table next to the family and started eating. Wu Zhong glanced at it and saw steamed buns and pickles. He couldn't bear it and asked the host to serve it.
eat together.
The host was not willing to give in and refused to serve at all, which made Wuzhong angry. He slapped the table and said, "But you look down on me!"
This trick worked as expected, and the host reluctantly served the table: "Guest, how about some refund..."
"Don't talk about money!" Wu Zhong shouted, but he almost scared the little girl to tears, and quickly said warmly: "We are also from poor backgrounds, and we are not high-ranking officials. How can we have so many rules and know each other?
It's fate, so there's no need to meet outsiders. We sit down and have a meal together, and we'll be friends from now on..."
Chen Ruxin was dumbfounded again. How could this guy be so eloquent? He talked a lot of nonsense. No wonder he could dominate the world.
Seeing the two guests being so enthusiastic, the host relaxed a lot, and the atmosphere gradually became harmonious. It was raining heavily outside, and the house was so cozy. If anyone passed by outside, they might think it was a family having a meal.
After the meal, the rain continued, and the host was busy picking up the leftovers and washing the dishes. Wu Zhong and Chen Ruxin were not in a hurry, so they moved a bench and sat at the door, picking their teeth and watching the rain. The little fisherman girl was fascinated by the red tassel sword on Wu Zhong's waist.
She was very curious and boldly touched it. Wu Zhong took it off and handed it to her with a smile to play with.
Chen Ruxin looked surprised. This red-tasseled sword in Wuzhong was given by the emperor. It was not a treasure at ordinary times. Even colleagues in the yamen wanted to observe it. It was not easy for outsiders to play with it, let alone play with it.
I can chop your hands off, and you'll be beaten if you look twice.
But now I just gave it to a little fisherman girl whom I met by chance to play with!
"You have changed." Chen Ruxin shook his head lightly.
Wuzhong turned his head and looked at the fisherman girl behind him who was slowly pulling out a knife to watch, and smiled slightly: "I come from a Jianghu background and have always been ruthless. Not to mention murdering people, but I am by no means a good person. I can say that I should keep away from strangers."
"But you now..." Chen Ruxin sighed: "Maybe you have a family and children. I heard my uncle say that the environment will change a person's personality."
"Maybe." Wuzhong nodded and looked at Yuwu in the distance: "But it is more influenced by the shopkeeper. The influence of people on people is sometimes greater than the influence of the environment on people."
"Has the shopkeeper influenced you?" Chen Ruxin was puzzled for a moment, and Wu Zhong smiled: "Apart from the emperor, who else in the dynasty was more powerful than the shopkeeper?"
"No more," Chen Ruxin said without hesitation.
"But if you see the shopkeeper, apart from occasionally showing off in front of officials, has he ever shown off in front of us or in front of the soldiers?"
"No." Chen Ruxin still said without thinking: "Many times I feel that the shopkeeper is like my neighbor's playmate, which makes people feel close to me."
"But he is still the most powerful eunuch in the Ming Dynasty." Wu Zhong smiled faintly: "This is his pattern, his charm, and also his power. He can make you fearful and make you scared."
I feel close to him, Niubi has a saying that is right, the shopkeeper is not a mortal thing, don’t look at him young, he has too many things for us to learn.”
"I have no fear of the shopkeeper, only closeness and respect." Chen Ruxin's face was solemn and his tone was firm. Wu Zhong smiled: "That's because he doesn't need to make you afraid, because you have no hostility towards him..." As he was talking,
Wu Zhong suddenly stood up and stared outside with his eyes narrowed.
Chen Ruxin, who had a perfect tacit understanding, immediately knew something was wrong. He stood up, grabbed the knife from the little girl's hand and threw it to Wuzhong: "Brother, what happened?"
Wu Zhong reached out and took the knife, his eyes still staring into the distance: "I seem to have met an acquaintance."
Familiar? Chen Ruxin walked to the door and looked in the direction of Wuzhong. It was the Zhang family building. It was raining heavily at this time. There were several people taking shelter at the door. After careful inspection, there seemed to be a monk among them, because he was wearing a full suit.
Dark red clothes are particularly eye-catching.
There is an old saying in the world, don't mess with monks, Taoist priests, nuns, women and children.
"But the wild bald donkey from the west?" Wuzhong suddenly shouted loudly. The sound was like a loud bell, which made Chen Ruxin's ears buzz. The three members of the host family also turned pale with fright because the sound was so loud.
Although it was windy and rainy outside, Wuzhong's shout still passed through the rain curtain and was heard by the Zhang family building. A person at the door slowly stood up and looked this way.
"Damn it, it really is him." Wu Zhong sneered and shouted at the man: "Does the wild donkey still know you, Mr. Wu?"
The man under the eaves of the Zhangjia Building hesitated for a moment and walked into the rain curtain and walked slowly towards this side. Chen Ruxin looked at it carefully and was suddenly startled: "Fan Monk?"
"That's right, the monks from Uzang, oh no, they are called Lamas, cough, they are all bald donkeys anyway." Wuzhong stared at the man walking slowly in the rain, with a sneer on his lips.
Lama Chen Ruxin looked puzzled: "Brother Wu, you have a lot of connections. You even have acquaintances in Wuszang."
"When I traveled all over the world, I had acquaintances everywhere, but among these acquaintances there were friends and enemies."
"Um, is this lama your friend or..." Before Chen Ruxin could finish his words, the monk who walked slowly in the heavy rain told him the answer: "Wu Thief, the monk has been looking for you for a long time. Today
Let’s end it!”
The monk's accent was stiff and harsh. After recognizing Wuzhong, his expression became very ferocious and vicious. As he spoke, he pulled out his sword from his waist and sneered: "Today, the monk has saved you."
Chen Ruxin is a discerning person. This monk has half of his shoulders exposed, his muscles are strong, and he is full of murderous intent. He is definitely a powerful character.
Nonsense, someone who can compete with Wuzhong and is not afraid to draw a sword when they meet, how can he be a weakling? Chen Ruxin became a little nervous. He reached for his waist and found that he didn't bring a weapon when he went out.
"I don't need your help. Although this wild ass can drag its hooves, it can't do anything to me." Wuzhong pulled out the red-tasseled sword, threw the scabbard to Chen Ruxin, and then walked into the rain to greet the monk: "Fuck your mother.
, I am looking for you everywhere!"
"A dog thief, I have stolen your monk's money and you still have the nerve to find your monk." The monk yelled, jumped up and slashed at Wuzhong with his sword. Wuzhong sneered and faced the sword, and shouted: "Broken!"
"
Hongying split the sword in two: "You set up a trap to cause me to be surrounded by thieves and almost died, but you also falsely accused me of stealing your money?"
The monk was cut off by Wu Zhong's move. His eyes were blank and he didn't pay attention to what he said. Instead, he stared at the red tassel in his hand, and then said with disdain: "With the sharpness of the sword, what kind of skill is it?
I have the guts to have a real fight with your monk."
"I'm afraid you won't succeed." Wu Zhong waved his hand back, only to hear a clang, and the red tassel flew into the wooden door next to Chen Ruxin, and the three-pointed knife handle trembled when it penetrated the wood.
Monk Fan looked at it and snorted coldly: "I haven't seen any improvement in my abilities in two years, but I still can't get into your eyes." As he spoke, he punched Wuzhong.
"Hey, look, I'll tear your wild donkey's mouth apart." Wu Zhong tore off his coat in one fell swoop, bare-chested and fought with the monk with his fists. He practiced Bajiquan, which was unrivaled in strength.
Even Chang Yu couldn't resist it. Although the rain was strong at this time, it did not affect the power at all. The force of the fist caused the raindrops to explode with an astonishing sound, which made Chen Ruxin choke and spit. Although he was a master of the younger generation, he was also one of the best in the yamen.
I would be a little complacent on a daily basis, but now I saw the actual combat in Wuzhong, and I realized how big the gap was. Sometimes a single step could make a world of difference.
Facing the unparalleled tyranny of Wuzhong, the monk was not afraid at all. He fought with fists, and the fists were fierce and powerful. The two of them fought shirtless in the violent storm, which attracted the surrounding neighbors to look at the excitement, and some even came out with umbrellas.
Watching the battle, there are even naughty children with their bare buttocks soaked in the rain while watching the excitement and jumping up and down with excitement, fighting, fighting, come and watch.