"Salt!" Song Erlang said softly: "Otherwise, how can I eat the noodles if they are so bland?"
I suddenly felt that my two-coin kimchi was not worth it: "Can this be the case?"
Song Erlang's face was full of disdain: "No one said you can't bring salt and add it in? I don't have any noodles left, so I even gave him the soup to drink."
So that's the case, no wonder he comes every day.
Auntie looked at him kindly: "Erlang, who else is there in your family?"
Song Erlang swallowed hard and said, "Just a father who is sick in bed."
I felt that my mother-in-law also showed a look of pity: "So what kind of work do you usually do to support your family?"
Song Erlang wiped the noodle soup from his mouth: "It's not fixed. I'll do odd jobs wherever I can. The key is to be able to be more free. You have to run home at any time."
"Hey, that's not easy either."
"Where can the Jianghu brothers find their jobs?"
"He's not here yet. I don't want him to be too tired. It's best to find something more stable, such as going to the Yamen to get some work." Aniang replied, leaning forward: "I wonder if Erlang is there?"
What way?"
"Oh, you didn't tell me earlier!" Song Erlang slapped his thigh: "At the beginning of the new year, Inspector Lei and Meng Sima recruited a group of elite agents, but you didn't ask the Jianghu brothers to sign up? Well... I wonder if the Jianghu brothers know Kung Fu?
I heard that the people there are good at fisting."
"I... I also heard that at the time, I don't know martial arts, and my mother-in-law didn't think it would be good to be a catcher, so she didn't sign up." I poured a cup of herbal tea: "I'm afraid I would have failed if I signed up. I don't know what's going on now.
Will the request..."
"No, it's even stricter." Song Erlang waved his hands repeatedly: "I heard that Meng Sima named this team 'Tianyan'. Since the imperial envoy came, he handed over the Tianyan team to the imperial envoy to manage it himself. Who knew that the imperial envoy
But a Tibetan spy was discovered from inside. Haha, now, the imperial envoy ordered this team not only to practice every day, but also to patrol in three shifts. I don't know how tiring it is."
"Oh, I've heard all this. They all say that this imperial envoy is powerful, and they all say that this imperial envoy is just the magistrate of Yiling County in neighboring Xiazhou. I wonder if it's true or not?" asked Aniang.
I was also confused: "That's right. I just can't figure it out. How could a county magistrate be appointed as an imperial envoy? Is there any story behind this?"
Song Erlang looked around and lowered his voice: "I heard that our imperial envoy won the favor of King An when he was taking the exam in Chang'an, and he even became a good friend with King An."
"Prince An?" I thought for a while: "I heard that he was the most favored prince of the Supreme Emperor back then. But didn't it mean that when the rebels from An Lushan invaded Chang'an, he unfortunately died on the way to the west with the Supreme Emperor?"
"I heard rumors that it was the prince back then, oh, that is, the saint today. In order to win favor, he...well, haha, I just heard what others said. Don't take it to heart." Song Erlang looked around cautiously.
After looking at it to make sure that no one was paying attention to us, he continued: "Now that the saint has made an exception and hired an old friend of King An, he may be thinking about his old relationship or feeling guilty."
"Hey, hey, well, Erlang, these words are not what we ordinary people should say, and we are not allowed to discuss them any more." Auntie was afraid that trouble would come from her mouth, so she quickly stopped her.
"Okay, Second Brother Song, we have to leave. Let's talk next time we meet." I saw my mother wink, put down five coins, and said goodbye.
"Tofu, freshly made tofu! There are also bean curds, welcome to try!" I shouted a few words, suddenly feeling very awkward.
My grandma is not here today, she said it was a backache. I saw that she was still instructing me to make bean juice and press it into molds early in the morning. I don’t know if she is really tired, or she is deliberately making excuses to make me sell tofu independently.
"Little lady, do you want to buy tofu?" I asked with a smile.
"Look, he's quite handsome, but it's a pity that he's just a tofu seller."
"You can't eat your face, so let's go."
Two beautifully dressed women walked together and stopped in front of my stall. I thought they wanted to buy tofu, but unexpectedly they laughed and taunted me and walked away.
Seeing that Uncle Qin and Aunt Chen on both sides have closed several deals, I haven't opened the business yet, which really shocked me. Could it be that if Auntie is not here today, I still...
"Douhua, give me... a bowl of douhua."
Just when I was worried, a cane hit the barrel. I saw an old woman, hunched over, with various patches woven on her dirty cloth, and her pale hair tied back in a messy way.
Her hair hung down on her face like dry tree bark, covering her eyebrows and eyes. Only her pale lips could be seen trembling, as if she wanted to say something, but there was nothing else besides the sound of gasping.
"Okay. Sit down." I moved the small stool towards her, made a bowl of tofu pudding and brought it to the table. The old man eagerly took it in front of me and started eating.
After I sold a few more pieces of tofu, she finally finished eating, took out a pure white silk handkerchief from her arms, and wiped her mouth elegantly.
I could only smell the faint fragrance of gardenia wafting over the handkerchief. I don't know where she picked up this ladylike item, but it was so awkward for her to use it.
Finally, she stood up tremblingly, and I quickly took two steps forward and said with a smile: "Two copper coins."
"Oh, it's delicious." The old woman praised, but she didn't seem to hear my request for money, and turned around to leave.
"Hey, grandma, you haven't given me the money yet?" I took two big steps and grabbed her arm.
"You want to give me money?" The old woman waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, it's not easy for you to make money."
I was stunned and said louder: "Grandma, you ate my tofu pudding and didn't pay me."
"Ah?" The old woman wiped away the messy hair from her face and looked at me with squinted eyes. She didn't allow me to explain again, but she held her stomach and fell directly against me.
"Hey, grandma, wake up!" I was frightened and shouted quickly.
"What's going on?" Aunt Chen stretched her head and glanced: "Oh, Jianghu, put her down quickly."
"Yeah, put it down quickly and go report to the official." Uncle Qin also said.
I glanced at the sun-bleached bluestone pavement, and then at the unresponsive old man in my arms: "Uncle Qin, where is the medical center here? Is she afraid of heat stroke?"
"Oh, Jianghu, you still want to send her to see a doctor?" Uncle Qin said anxiously: "Look at her dress, I'm afraid she is a mistress without anyone to care about her. Aren't you going to get yourself into trouble?"
Aunt Chen pointed to the ground: "Just put it down, listen to your third uncle, and report it to the officials. People in the government like to keep things in check, so don't have anything to do with us."
It takes at least a quarter of an hour to run from here to the county government office. If she suffers from heat stroke, wouldn't it be more serious if she basks in such a hot ground for another quarter of an hour? What if those government officials don't care?
Thinking of this, I suddenly thought: "I can't care about that much anymore. Where is the nearest medical center?"
Someone onlookers replied: "It's not far, just turn right after passing the street in front." This chapter has been completed!