During the twelfth lunar month, there had been two snowfalls in Chang'an. The snow on the walls on the roofs of the city's houses had not melted yet. Today, the sun climbed to the top of the city tower early. In addition, it was another ten-day holiday, so the public officials did not need to pay the price, which was indeed a good day.

The first edition of "Mathematics" printed by the Provincial Escorts came out to find a workshop and was already in Chang'an. It may not be available in remote places, but it has been sold in various parts of Guanzhong. It was on vacation. Su Jin got up early and wore a cotton robe and an old servant leading a horse. The two of them leisurely came out from Anyifang to the south of the city to see the situation. Looking at the sales of new books, you may be able to see whether the new imperial examination system will start smoothly, just like a half poem left by a hermit in Zhongnan Mountain, "The mountain monk did not understand how to count Jiazi, and a leaf fell to know the autumn of the world."

When Su Jin was middle-aged, after experiencing great ups and downs, he no longer had the impression of being red in his lips and white teeth in the past. When he went out for private visits, he was wearing ordinary clothes and his legs were not very convenient. Few people paid attention to him when walking in the market. He looked like a down-and-out literati. Who would passers-by know that he was a celebrity under his disciple today?

As soon as the master and servant walked to an outside a bookstore, they heard a quarrel at the door. Su Jin asked the groom to help him off the horse and stood by watching the excitement. The loudest voice was a fat woman, who patted a book and pointed at the nose of a young man in his twenties next to him and cursed: "I call you a butcher Wen, you are really excited. I really think that I am a literati and poet. I took the money from the shop to buy this bird book!"

Su Jin looked calmly and saw that the book that the woman slapped was the first edition of "Mathematics", which was called "Bird Book" in her mouth. Su Jin couldn't help but frowned.

The woman let go of the "bird book", spread her hands and continued to curse, "I can't control you if you want to buy a book. I usually give you a lot of wages. You are lazy and gambled, why should you buy it with the money from the shop? Today you have to return the book to me, and you have to buy it yourself and find a way!"

An old man in long clothes seemed to be the shopkeeper of a bookstore and said, "This store has a fair and reasonable business, and is not a good person to return the goods on credit. The book has been bought and you have greasy on the surface. How can you return it? You should make a statement to the point of not dealing with it, and don't block the old man from doing business here."

The young man, who was called "Wen Butcher", had a greasy hair on his sleeves, and he really had no scholarly temperament. He did not argue with the woman, but only spoke softly. It seemed that the woman said that "stolen money from the store" did not wrong him. Butcher Wen said kindly: "I happened to be in a tight hand now and I was anxious to buy this book, so I made such a bad decision. Why did my brother and sister-in-law make a big fuss in the street for a little money?"

The woman said angrily: "You can get two stagnants. Do you still think that you are a young master? Is this a little money?"

Butcher Wen advised again: "Brother and sister-in-law, you have to look far away. When today I issued an edict to seek imperial examinations and recruit talents, this time I can be named a marquis and ministers from a poor family. Isn't it a mistake? Isn't it just to pay two cents of money to buy a book? Isn't this a trivial matter? Zhang San still owes me a few cents of gambling money on the street. Isn't it a matter of asking for it another day? I won't say two families, I'm just borrowing some urgent things. How do you say it?"

"Hmph..." The woman sneered with her waist, "You don't treat yourself as an outsider. We take in our family because you feel that your family has suffered from natural disasters. You are borrowing someone from the roof, do you understand?"

The woman said this really a bit ugly. Unexpectedly, Butcher Wen was also thick-skinned and still said nice things with a smile. The woman did not hurt Butcher Wen, but instead stimulated Su Jin who was watching on the side.

When people heard people talk about "borrowing others", Su Jin remembered that he went to his father-in-law's house when he was in a downturn. During this period, he was inevitably ridiculed by cold words and ridicule. I still remember it very clearly. The young man who was called "Wen Butcher" in front of him should also be living in a relative's house. The brother and sister-in-law should be the wife of a distant brother of the same clan. He could not help but feel a little sympathy for him.

I saw Butcher Wen had a smile on his face and looked very thick-skinned. However, Su Jin thought, this person must have a hard time, so it doesn't matter if it really doesn't matter... Otherwise, why should he pay attention to the imperial examinations? Aren't he still persistent in spreading his talents?

Seeing this, Su Jin limped up, took out two pieces of green money from his cuff, and said lightly: "I will buy this book and give it to this young student."

The onlookers had already felt uninterested, but the woman was just a little bit interested, but there was no shortage of shrews in the market. At this time, a righteous lame man came out from the road, which suddenly aroused everyone's interest. Those who carried the load and took a rest for a while, put down the shoulder pole and had to finish watching the right and wrong before leaving.

The woman and Butcher Wen were both surprised and looked back at the unpretentious Su Jin, a lame middle-aged literati. The expression on Su Jin's face was very indifferent, but it was different from the indifference of the Buddhist and Taoist people who had no desires and no desires. Butcher Wen vaguely felt a kind of momentum, and hurriedly clasped his fists and said, "How can I receive the reward for being useless?"

Su Jin said, "Don't be polite. Life has ups and downs, and there are always times when you encounter embarrassment. I am just a little bit of work and there is no need to worry about it." After he said that, he was about to leave. Butcher Wen hurriedly hugged his hands and bowed deeply on his forehead: "It's better to obey your orders than to be so respectful. Please accept a bow from my younger generation. Didn't you ask the name of the gentleman?"

In the blink of an eye, the two of them were both polite and polite, but the woman couldn't speak out and stood there at a loss and became much quieter.

Su Jin accepted his bow calmly. As a cabinet minister, he was often respectful and flattered. At this time, he didn't feel anything to be worshipped by a person without an official or a post in the market. He waved his hand and said, "It's not necessary to meet by chance." When he walked to the horse, suddenly Butcher Wen chased after him again and said, "Sir, stay and wait for me for a moment." After that, he hurried to the crowd and pulled out a person, and said, "Zhang San, it turns out that you are here, come and pay back the money!"

Zhang San, who was wearing a vulgar face and was also sloppy clothes, immediately smiled and said, "When the money is enough, we can still repay you... By the way, the Taoist priest just now told me that I will have wealth within this year."

When Butcher Wen talked to Zhang San, where did he have the tone of Wen just now? He cursed: "You believe the Taoist priest who is traveling around the world?"

An old Taoist holding a hexagram next to him was also watching the fun here. He squeezed out of the crowd and looked up and down at the butcher of the literary world and said, "Young students have good fortune in their literary world and will definitely be able to enter the officialdom in recent years. The old Taoist first talks first, and then everyone will see if they are talking nonsense today."

The old Taoist said this, butcher Wen was interrupted with a word. Others said auspicious words, but can he say that the Taoist priests are fake? People in the world believe in gods and ghosts, but how could they say that they would not be lucky? The old Taoist pointed to Su Jin, who had already gotten on the roadside and said to the butcher Wen: "This man is a noble man. God gave you a noble man. Could you miss it?"

Su Jin also heard the Taoist priest's words, and his face was slightly surprised. The groom whispered, "This old Taoist actually has some vision." Su Jin turned his head and took a casual look. He saw that the Taoist priest was dressed in worn-out clothes, but his hair was flowing, his eyes were bright, and his face looked very good. He felt a little free and complacent in his every move. Observing the temperament gave Su Jin a little favor. People with such temperament were indeed rare in the market. Could it be that they were really a big hidden hidden among the market?

Butcher Wen was busy holding Zhang San and talking: "Today I'm embarrassed, I'll give you a cheaper price. I want to invite that gentleman to have a drink. As long as you pay for the wine, the few coins of money you owed me will be gone."

Su Jin seemed to be indifferent to leaving, but he heard Butcher Wen's words in his ears and thought to himself: This young man is honest. However, he is a civilian in the city and he has little interest in making friends. Instead, the down-and-out old Taoist on the street made Su Jin a little interested. After all, the emperor Xue Chongxun and the empress dowager Taiping are both known as Taoist practitioners. As soon as Su Jin thought of this, the old Taoist priest laughed and said to Butcher Wen: "If you invite me together, you will probably have a chance."

Hearing this, Su Jin was slightly surprised again. The old Taoist priest was really a person who could figure out people's thoughts.

"If you want to drink, just say it clearly, why are you going so far?" Zhang San said angrily because he was paying the bill.

After hearing this, Butcher Wen ran to the horse, clasped his fists and said, "Sir, it is rare to be a good person. If you don't dislike me, how about asking Mr. and the old Taoist there to go to the restaurant to have two glasses of wine?"

Su Jin glanced at the old man and said, "Since that's the case, why don't I come and serve you, please drink the wine I invited."

After hearing this, the Butcher Wen was not obsessed with anyone asking for it. Anyway, seeing this middle-aged scholar being generous is not a lack of money. If he doesn't lack money, just as he said, it would be worthy of others who can drink his wine.

So after a quarrel at the entrance of the bookstore, three people with different identities, including old and young, went to drink with laughter and laugh. The onlookers dispersed one after another with satisfaction.


Chapter completed!