Tomorrow I will go to Zhongyang Temple to seek talisman water. This is a major event related to Cao Peng's life, so Zhang naturally takes it very seriously.
Since you are going to ask for talisman water, you can't go empty-handed. There is no free lunch in the world, and the talisman water in Zhongyang Temple is quite famous. If you don't make an offering, it's impossible to get it. What to offer? Of course it won't be the three animal sacrifices.
Zhongyang Temple does not lack these. They give away talisman water to seek wealth. If they don’t have money or silk to offer, how can they get efficacious talisman water? Everyone knows this.
Since the Taiping Dao Yellow Turban Rebellion, the imperial court's monitoring of foreign warriors and sorcerers has become stricter.
In the first year of Zhongping, brothers Zhang Jiao attracted a large number of believers by donating talisman water, which caused immeasurable harm to the Han Dynasty.
Therefore, once an alchemist is found giving talisman water, he will be arrested and tortured immediately.
As a result, the alchemists began to blatantly take advantage of the opportunity to make money. It was okay to give away talisman water, but they had to come up with money and silk to worship and exchange. The government was not afraid of the alchemists taking this opportunity to make money. What they were afraid of was that they took the opportunity to give away talisman water.
Recruiting believers and gathering people to cause trouble.
In this way, the trading of Fu Shui becomes fair and aboveboard.
No matter how much money you spend in worship, you will get the same level of talisman water, alchemists and officials, and then you will live in peace.
The Cao family is not a wealthy family. Cao Ji is a third-rate blacksmith who makes a living by repairing iron tools. After thinking about it, Zhang felt that if she didn't show enough sincerity, she might not be able to get good talisman water, so she
So he secretly took out the ancestral jade pendant, hoping to exchange it for more money and silk, so that he could get talisman water for Cao Peng and keep him safe throughout his life.
Zhang’s father’s father’s father also had a good time.
Later, the family was ruined, and Zhang's generation became common people. When she married Cao Ji, there was no valuable dowry, only the jade pendant passed down from her ancestors.
Early in the morning, Mrs. Zhang came to the market with her jade pendant.
In fact, she also knew that in a small place like Zhongyang Town, this ancestral jade pendant was not worth a big price.
But knowing it, Zhang still holds some hope and wants to sell it as high as possible... Ordinary small shops will naturally not pay too high a price, and if you give this jade pendant to them, they may not understand its value.
. Without understanding the value, of course it is impossible to give a price that satisfies Zhang. So after thinking about it, Zhang finally chose Chengji Trading Company.
Just like those big cities, there is also a gap between rich and poor in small towns.
Chengji Trading Company is the largest trading house in Zhongyang Town, specializing in purchasing mountain goods. They eat almost all the mountain goods in Zhongyang Town... At the same time, Chengji Trading Company also runs a pawn business. The shopkeeper of Chengji is named
Cheng Ji is said to have a good background in the government.
Zhang felt that with a business as big as Chengji, he might be able to recognize the goods.
"What a jade!"
Chengji's pawnbroker was a man who knew the goods and saw the value of this jade pendant at a glance, "Brother and sister, where did your square jade pendant come from?"
We all live in the same town, but the pawnbroker knows Mr. Zhang.
Mrs. Zhang said: "This is a treasure passed down from my family. If my child had not been in poor health and I would have gone to Zhongyang Temple to get talisman water for him, I would not have exchanged it for money."
The pawnbroker has heard a bit about Cao Peng.
He nodded sympathetically, and then said: "This jade pendant is quite old, and the carving is fine. It is not like ordinary people... If you, my brother and sister, decide to die, I would like to give you twenty jade pendants. Can you think of it?"
?”
The best talisman water requires about ten offerings!
With the remaining ten guan, I can also buy some medicinal materials to replenish Cao Peng's health.
Mrs. Zhang was overjoyed and prepared to agree.
But at this moment, someone behind the counter said: "What is worth twenty guan?"
As he spoke, a short, fat, dark man wearing a gorgeous brocade robe walked out of the back hall, walked to the counter, picked up the jade pendant, and played with it in his hand.
"Shopkeeper, this is the daughter-in-law of the Cao family in the town. She has a beautiful jade in pawn."
This short and fat man was none other than Cheng Ji, the shopkeeper of Chengji Trading Company. He glanced at Mrs. Zhang and suddenly sneered: "What is the best and most beautiful jade? It's just old and broken jade, as usual!"
As he spoke, he pointed at the pawnbroker and cursed: "You bastard, do you think this is a charity hall?
Next time, let me see it more clearly..."
After that, he took the jade pendant and left.
Seeing twenty strings suddenly shrinking to just one string, how could Mrs. Zhang agree?
"This jade... I won't sell it anymore, please give it back to me!"
Doesn’t Cheng Ji know his stuff?
of course not……
He could see the value of this jade pendant at a glance, and it was obviously impossible for him to pay twenty guan for it. As the legend said, Cheng Ji was a businessman with a background. He was the brother of the magistrate of Wuyin County, and at the same time he
The daughter of Zhang Xiu is also the concubine of Zhang Xiu’s nephew Zhang Xin!
Nanyang County is under the rule of Jingzhou.
Since Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han Dynasty Liu Xiu made his fortune in Nanyang, after the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wancheng was designated as the accompanying capital, also known as the Southern Capital.
There are a total of 37 counties under the jurisdiction of Nanyang County, which are owned by Liu Biao.
But in fact, after Zhang Ji and Zhang Xiu's uncle and nephew invaded Nanyang, Nanyang County was divided into two.
Taking Jiyang as the junction, north of Jiyang was Zhang Xiu's territory, and south of Jiyang, seventeen counties including Jiyang were ruled by Liu Biao.
If he were in Wancheng, Cheng Ji would not be considered a big figure.
But this is Wuyin. With Cheng Ji's identity and his elder brother as his backer, he can definitely be called the rich man in Zhongyang Town.
"Why are you such a troublesome mother-in-law?
Sometimes I sell it, sometimes I don’t. Where do you think this place is?"
Mrs. Zhang could see that Cheng Ji was deliberately trying to steal the jade pendant from her... so she couldn't help but feel a little panicked, and hurriedly waved her hand: "I won't sell it, I won't sell it!"
Seeing this situation, Cheng Ji suddenly felt worried.
I want him to be a dignified master. He has always been a master who walks sideways in Wuyin County.
How could he easily let go of something he was interested in? Furthermore, Zhang's attitude was firm, and because of his panic, his words were inevitably disrespectful.
This also made Cheng Ji even more unhappy...
As soon as he rolled his eyes, he suddenly had an idea.
A smile appeared on that plump face, and he said with a smile: "Brothers and sisters of the Cao family, if you are not willing to sell, then forget it!"
With that said, he returned the jade pendant to Mrs. Zhang and turned around and ignored it.
Mrs. Zhang didn't think too much. After taking the jade pendant, she turned around and wanted to leave. Cheng Ji was so overbearing that she felt vaguely uneasy.
However, when she just walked to the door, she heard Cheng Ji shouting behind her: "Where is my Qilin Jade Pendant?"
Zhang was startled and subconsciously quickened her pace.
But just when she was stunned, Cheng Ji shouted loudly: "Catch that village woman, she stole my jade pendant..."
Two strong servants stood at the door of the trading house. Without saying a word, they rushed up and pushed Ms. Zhang to the ground. The jade pendant in Ms. Zhang's hand also fell to the ground. She was so frightened that she shouted loudly: "I don't have it."
Take your jade pendant and don’t accuse good people unfairly..."
"You're a thief, you've got both stolen goods, how dare you make excuses?"
Cheng Ji sneered and stepped forward, picked up the jade pendant on the ground, blew the dust off it, and put it into his arms.
"This thief woman stole my jade pendant, did you all see clearly?"
He turned back to look at the guys at the counter, his small triangular eyes gleaming fiercely.
Even if those guys knew it well, when they saw Cheng Ji looking like this, they all couldn't help but remain silent and said in unison: "I saw it!"
Ms. Zhang burst into tears immediately!
"Invite the three elders to come..."
Cheng Ji shouted sternly: "If I don't teach you a thief today, you don't know how high the sky is."
The three elders are the township officials.
Although Zhongyang Town is not big, it still has nearly a thousand people. Wuyin County is quite far from Zhongyang Town, so there must be someone in charge.
All the three elders must be over fifty years old, be virtuous, and be able to lead people to do good deeds.
But in such a time of war and chaos, where do so many virtuous people come from who can lead people to do good? So the three elders of Zhongyang Town are actually the positions granted by the private minister. They are responsible for investigating and mediating civil disputes, and are also responsible for
The security of this territory.————
Although Cao Peng did not see what happened before, he believed that Zhang would never do anything sneaky.
Seeing Mrs. Zhang being stepped on by the short fat man, Cao Peng was immediately angry!
In the more than ten days after his rebirth, he was very touched by Mrs. Zhang's care for him. Although he was still a little uncomfortable in his heart, he actually regarded Mrs. Zhang as his own mother. Cao Peng's eyes turned red...
...without saying a word, he rushed over and fought tooth and nail.
A big hand suddenly grabbed his arm, and when he looked up, it was Wang Meng.
"Afu, don't be impulsive!"
"Uncle, let me go, I'm going to kill that fat thief."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Wang Meng grabbed Cao Peng tightly and lowered his voice: "If you rush over like this, it will only make things more and more troublesome... Cheng Ji has always been domineering, and with the magistrate of Wuyin County as his backer, how can you fight?
Can you beat him? Just stay here and don't move, and leave this matter to me."
At this time, the three elders and others hurried over.
"Master Cheng, what happened?"
"This thief woman stole my jade pendant, and all the clerks in my shop can testify for me.
You lock up this thief immediately and report it to Wuyin County as soon as possible... I want these untouchables to understand who is the boss of Wuyin County."
"Uncle Zhang, I didn't steal anything from him... that's my ancestral jade pendant!"
"How dare a bitch talk about something passed down from our ancestors? Lao Zhang, this thief woman is stubborn and stubborn. In my opinion, she needs to be taught a lesson."
The people in Zhongyang Town were whispering.
The third elder smiled flatteringly, "Master Cheng said yes, he should be taught a lesson!"
As he spoke, he waved his hand for his entourage to come forward, "Open your mouth hard and tell her to be honest."
"stop!"
Before the follower could take action, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted.
The sound was like a huge thunder, making people's eardrums buzz. Wang Meng opened a path and walked out of the crowd. He was seen wearing a short black t-shirt with a slanted collar and a large belt tied around his waist.
There was a bright hunting knife stuck in the belt, and an iron fork was carried on the shoulder.
Fighting in front of others is like a black diamond.
A pair of thick eyebrows are twisted into the word "one", the eyes are wide open, and the steel whiskers under the jaw stand out, making people feel fear...
"Master Cheng, you can kill people with no more than a nod, so why bother embarrassing my younger brother and sister?"
Then he looked at the three elders and shouted sternly: "Old Zhang, you are still the third elder of Zhongyang... Don't you know what kind of people the Cao family's brothers and sisters are? In a big hometown, folks, we should keep a front line in everything.
It would be nice to meet each other. You’re right, right?”
That terrifying momentum rushed towards him.
Cheng Ji couldn't help but feel his heart skip a beat, and his expression suddenly changed.
As for the third elder, he even had an embarrassed smile on his face, "Tiger, you don't know what's going on..."
"Shit, I don't know anything else, but I know exactly who the Cao brothers and sisters are!"
After saying that, Wang Meng strode forward and grabbed the attendant by the collar, "If you still want to fucking live, get out of here right now!"
The followers were frightened by Wang Meng and retreated continuously.
Wang Meng took advantage of the situation and helped Mrs. Zhang up, "Brother and sister, are you okay?"
"Uncle, I really didn't steal..."
Zhang cried miserably, but was stopped by Wang Meng.
He supported Mrs. Zhang with one hand and slapped the iron fork on the ground, "Master Cheng, what do you say!"
Cheng Ji was so frightened by Wang Meng's terrifying momentum that he took a few steps back and almost sat down on the ground. This Wang Meng's momentum was really too strong!
Although Cheng Ji had never killed anyone, he could feel the murderous aura in Wang Meng's body.
"Haha, since you opened your mouth, Tiger, I'll give you some face. I won't pursue this matter anymore... Just take her away."
Wang Meng's eyes were serious and he turned to look at the three elders.
"Since Mr. Cheng doesn't want to pursue the case anymore, I think we can just let it go."
Wang Meng sneered and said in a low voice: "Brothers and sisters, if anything happens, let's talk about it when we get back."
"But……"
Mrs. Zhang was a little unwilling because the jade pendant was still in Cheng Ji's arms.
Wang Meng whispered: "Brothers and sisters, let's go back and discuss with Lao Cao before making any plans."
He raised his head and shouted loudly: "Afu, why don't you come over and help your mother go back?"
Cao Peng, who was outside the crowd, quickly agreed, and Wang Mai hurried over, one on each side, supporting Zhang's arm...
"Peng'er, mother didn't steal anything."
Cao Peng turned his head and glanced at Cheng Ji, gritted his teeth and said, "Mom, I believe you, this is a trick played by some fat guy."
As a mother, you always want to maintain a perfect image in front of your children.
Hearing what Cao Peng said, Mrs. Zhang felt somewhat comforted. With the support of Cao Peng and Wang Mai, she suppressed her crying and walked home.
Wang Meng raised his hands towards Cheng Ji and San Laoyi, and then followed.
"It's all gone, it's all gone!"
The three elders shouted loudly and dispersed the crowd.
"Master Cheng, look at this..."
"This king tiger dares to ruin my good deeds by relying on his brute strength!"
Cheng Ji looked at the backs of Wang Meng and his group, gritted his teeth and said, "If I can't get rid of this tiger, what dignity will I, Cheng Ji, have to gain a foothold in Zhongyang Town?"
The third elder hesitated for a moment, "Mr. Cheng, tell me the truth, I have tolerated this guy for a long time!
But this guy does have some abilities, and ordinary people are no match for him... In my opinion, I have to ask the big boss to come forward in this matter."
The eldest master is Cheng Ji's brother, the magistrate of Wuyin County.
Cheng Ji said: "You can persuade my brother to come forward, but there must be a reason."
The third elder chuckled and said: "As for the excuse, it's not that there is no reason... This Wang Laohu is not from Zhongyang Town. I heard that he made a yellow scarf before... Why not use this excuse and ask the eldest master to come forward. Haha, just
They say this guy is related to the thieves in the mountains."
In Zhongyang Mountain, in addition to Taoist temples, there are also bandits.
However, rabbits don't eat grass near their nests, and the bandits in Zhongyang Mountain have never caused any harm to Zhongyang Town.
But bandits are bandits after all, and they are enemies of the government!
When Cheng Ji heard this, a bright smile suddenly appeared on his chubby face.
"That's it... I'll send someone back to Wuyin immediately.
Let this king tiger be arrogant for two more days, and then I will see if he can continue to be arrogant like a dead tiger with no head..."
