This place is next to the Temple of Heaven. In Yan Bing's era, this place was within the second ring road where every inch of land was at a premium!
But in this era...this place...is a gathering place for poor people...
Since it is located in the southernmost part of the capital and is surrounded by wasteland and woods, whenever there is a flood along the Yellow River or there is a famine in the Central Plains, a large number of refugees will flow into this area from Yongding Gate not far away.
From begging, to begging for a living, and finally settling down.
It is said that it is settled, but in fact it means cutting some wood from the nearby woods and building a shack...
But the diligence and perseverance of the Chinese people have destined that no one is willing to be a beggar all his life. People either work part-time or do their specialty. Gradually, the wooden sheds turned into wooden houses, and the wooden houses had courtyard walls.
Eventually, countless refugees settled here and established countless alleys.
Shuidaozi Hutong is one of them.
Yan Bing walked on the road paved with fine stones, stumbling all the way because no one would come here to lay bluestone slabs. Even this gravel road was paved with scraps left over from when each household repaired the courtyard wall. This
It also fully illustrates the mentality of the people living in this area, poor but optimistic.
If no one cares about you, you can rely on your own hands to improve the surrounding environment. If you don’t have the support of your ancestors, you can survive on your own efforts.
So along the way, what she heard most was the laughter of children and the greetings and concerns from neighbors.
Yan Bing always had a smile on her face. She liked the atmosphere where neighbors felt like a family, except... the road was a bit rough...
"Auntie, please excuse me. Do you know where Zhao Er's family is? He is about eighteen or nineteen years old, dark and thin." Yan Bing casually grabbed a passing aunt and asked while saluting.
"Zhao Er?" The aunt was carrying a vegetable basket, looked Yan Bing up and down, and then said with a smile: "There must be more than a dozen young men named Zhao Er in our alley, if not hundreds. Girl... look at you.
With this outfit... I'm afraid you're in the wrong place?"
"That's right, it's this alley..." Yan Bing said while trying to remember, suddenly an idea flashed and he added: "He opened a grocery store!"
The aunt suddenly said: "Oh! The second son of Zhang Lan's family! I know, you have been walking south, and he is in the shop! He greeted me just now."
Yan Bing bowed with gratitude and walked towards the entrance of the alley.
From behind came the aunt's whisper: "This girl is good-looking and well-mannered... I don't know what kind of incense this boy Zhao Er burned. Why did my brat fall in love with such a girl... Sigh~"
"Click"
Yan Bing stumbled again... He didn't know whether it was because of his aunt's words or because he didn't see his feet clearly... He suddenly fell to his knees...
What people say is scary!!!
Quick victory!!!
Thinking of this, Yan Bing lifted up her skirt, performed Qing Kung Fu, and quickened her pace. When she was about to leave the alley, she saw the busy figure of Zhao Er far away.
She is darker and thinner, but her eyes are full of light, and she seems to be full of hope for the future.
Yan Bing smiled happily, then tiptoed over, and while he was bending down to lift the cargo box, he covered his eyes with his hands from behind, lowered his voice and said, "Guess who I am..."
Zhao Er was stunned for a moment, then shouted excitedly: "Brother!!!"
"It's eldest sister!!" Yan Bing let go of his hand and smashed it into a head.
"Yes! Yes! Sister! Hahahahahaha" Zhao Er rubbed his head and turned around and said.
"I suppressed my voice so much that you can hear it!? What kind of ears do you have, kid?" Yan Bing glanced at him, found a shelf and sat on it.
Zhao Er scratched his head and said with an embarrassed look on his face: "There are no other girls who would make such a joke with me, haha!"
"We're all doing business by ourselves, and we can't find a good match, so we still have the nerve to laugh!" Yan Bing also had a smile on his face. The last time they met was half a year ago. The disparity in status was even more huge, but
This does not affect the two people at all, just like old friends reunited after a long separation, and they are sincerely happy to see each other.
"How's it going? How's the business?" Yan Bing started chatting with Zhao Er jokingly.
When Zhao Er talked about doing business, it was as if he had completely opened up the chat box. He talked endlessly, from how much he spent to buy the shop to where he purchased the goods. From the difficult operation, he can now earn at least
Two taels of silver can be repaid in just one year, and his eyes are full of pride and pride.
Yan Bing was also happy for him from the bottom of her heart. Although she herself had reached the point where she didn't even bother to pick up two taels of silver if she dropped them, she was even more happy about Zhao Er's growth.
But seeing that this guy was still talking non-stop for almost half an hour, Yan Bing felt a little bit off guard...
I still have to save some time to buy the betrothal gift!!!
"Stop, stop," Yan Bing raised his hand to interrupt Zhao Er's ramblings, put down his hand, and said with a smile: "We'll talk about the rest later! Do me a favor today! It's done! You won't have to in the future.
I'm going to mess with your little shabby shop, and I've found a better way out for you."
After Yan Bing finished speaking, he jumped off the shelf, waved his hand and said: "Close the door and get on the shelf! Follow me!"
But Zhao Er stayed where he was...no movement...
It wasn't until a while later that he slowly said: "My sister wants me to help, so I am obligated! But...the way out...my brother thinks that I still have to rely on myself! I can't always rely on my sister to help me!"
Hearing this, Yan Bing smiled happily, stepped forward and patted his shoulder and said, "Okay, I'll put it another way, I'm not helping you! I'm recruiting you! I used to have too much time to take care of myself, but now, I
It's not what it used to be, and you've proven that you
The ability is two taels a month. Although it doesn’t count in my opinion, you can earn back your principal in a year just by yourself. I have such talents, whether it is for public or private reasons.
I have to poach you! So you can accept it, right?"
Zhao Er thought for a while, then turned to look at the shop that he had worked hard for half a year, and began to hesitate...
It's not that he couldn't bear to part with this small mud shop, he just couldn't let go of his inner reserve. He always thought that through his own efforts, one day he could make his sister proud of him. If he left now... for him, it would be like giving up halfway.
.
Thinking of this, Zhao Er plucked up the courage, looked at Yan Bing, and said in a deep voice: "Sister..."
"Sister, sister, sister!!!" Yan Bing was originally an impatient person. He jumped up and gave Zhao Er another headbutt. He didn't give Zhao Er a chance to speak, and directly said: "Either you go with me now, sister."
!!Or don’t recognize me as your sister from now on!! It’s your choice!!!”
Zhao Er covered his head in pain and squatted on the ground, tears streaming down his face, and he had no choice but to give in.
"Okay, okay! Listen to sister! Listen to sister! I will close the door now!"
The trace of reserve and pretentiousness I had just now disappeared in an instant under the suppression of my sister and my fists...
