In February of the 11th year of Chongzhen, it was raining lightly in the capital city of Yangzhou. There were still many pedestrians on Nanmen Street in Jiangdu County, each wearing rain gear and walking on the green stone road.
There were two or three tables of customers in a tea shop near the intersection of Xinqiao Road. An old man with gray hair was sitting at a square table against the wall, facing the door. He had a bowl of rice soup in front of him and was waiting for his meal.
.A middle-aged man stopped in front of the door. He was wearing a Taoist robe with wide sleeves. After looking at the old man, he walked into the shop. The owner of the tea shop was cooking. No one was greeting him in the hall. The middle-aged man was at the door.
He stopped again and looked at it carefully.
The guests at his table. The old man showed a disdainful smile on his face, and disappeared in an instant. After the middle-aged man looked around, he came to the old man's table, pulled the stool back, and sat down slowly. The old man did not look.
He picked up the bowl and took a sip of rice
Soup.
The middle-aged man stared at the old man and said, "Master De, the cabinet asked me to ask you why the captured Anqing Cao Gang man was robbed last night?"
"If you can't beat it, you will be robbed."
"The people from this Cao Gang are the most important to several docks in Yangzhou. Now that they are missing, Mr. De thinks how to take care of them."
The old man said calmly, "He is not from the Caogang, he is an officer and soldier from the Anqing garrison." The middle-aged man sat still, "That's why I sent him to the prefect's Yamen to sue the deputy general of Anqing and kill him at Yangzhou dock.
Tragic, it was this person who was behind it. Now that he is missing, the deputy general soldier cannot be sued, and the Yangzhou dock cannot be saved, so the big cabinet will be taken.
Not enough money.”
"Even if he was sent to Yangzhou Prefecture, he wouldn't be able to sue. We have been killing people at the dock for two months, and people are killed every day. Where is the Yamen?"
The middle-aged man rolled his eyes and said, "I heard that during the civil riots in Tongcheng, Mr. De killed the most powerful bandit leader alone. This deputy general of Anqing also got his career through the civil riots in Tongcheng. Does he have anything to do with Mr. De?
even?"
The old man said coldly, "Then what do you think is wrong with this?"
"I just feel that Mr. De, a skilled man who has been working for thirty years, has always done things smoothly, how could something go wrong?" "This camp leader in Anqing killed tens of thousands of thieves last year, and no less than three of them came last night.
Ten people, half in chainmail and half in leather armor, their weapons are military weapons and their hands are military skills. I am so virtuous and capable that I can win with thirteen commoners.
Thirty armored servants."
The middle-aged man shook his head, "It turns out that there are people whom Mr. De can't defeat, and there are also things that he can't accomplish. Mr. De is getting old after all."
The old man finally looked at him, "Of course there are people I can't defeat, but it's definitely not you." The middle-aged man smiled, "The most useless thing is to argue with each other. I heard that Mr. De also suffered some minor injuries. The big cabinet let me
I took the opportunity to take Master De's life, but I always remember the kindness of teaching him the art. Master De has been working as a prostitute all his life, and I think he saved a lot of money.
, as long as you inform me of the bank's hiding place, I may be able to save your life."
The old man thought for a moment and then picked up the soup bowl, "The gauze hat south of the new pontoon bridge in Shangyuan County..." Suddenly the old man's hand shook, and the rice soup and the soup bowl were thrown at the other side's door. The middle-aged man was listening carefully, and the rice soup and the bowl were instantly
When he was in front of him, he quickly turned his head, and the pottery bowl passed across his cheek, but the rice soup was still splashed on his face.
Suddenly, the soup splashed, and his eyes were confused. The middle-aged man stood up and backed away in fear. He had already drawn out the short knife with one hand, and was about to wipe away the soup in front of him with the other hand. At this time, the old man had already stood up, and as if he expected the other party's reaction, he moved with agility far beyond his age.
Move to the side of middle-aged people,
The middle-aged man had just wiped away the soup in front of his eyes. Before he could observe clearly, the old man quickly slapped the other person's throat with his right hand, and then stepped back. There was a crisp sound, and the pottery bowl shattered on the floor two tables behind him.
, the middle-aged man's eyes widened, and the short knife in his right hand fell to the ground with a clang. He covered his throat with both hands, and the tail of a steel nail as thick as a little finger could be seen between his fingers, and there was blood.
Water overflowed from his fingers, and then he fell to the ground, his mouth wide open, and his body twisted weirdly.
There were screams in the restaurant, and other customers rolled and crawled to escape towards the door.
"I have taught you that nails with barbs will die faster if you pull them out." The old man said to the middle-aged man, took a few breaths, and then limped to another table.
The fisherman was stunned. The old man took the bamboo hat and coir raincoat he had placed on the bench, put them on his body with some difficulty, and put his head at the window.
I looked around for a while before going out, hunched over and lost myself in the crowd of people in the rainy street.
Half an hour later, the old man arrived outside the Dajiang Boat Shop at the canal pier. Nearby were the Anqing Cao Gang armed with swords and guns. Before he could reach the door, people came over to ask.
"I know that you are the Anqing camp's secret sentry division, and you have come here to seek refuge. I asked your supervisor to speak to you."
A young man came from behind, dark and capable. He looked at the old man warily and said, "Can you tell me anything?"
"I know where the docks you are looking for are located, as well as where the gangsters hide and gather."
The young man looked at the old man doubtfully, "Then what do you want?"
In the light rain, the old man took off his bamboo hat and said calmly, "Keep this life alive."
…
Not far from the Taiping Bridge in the old city of Yangzhou, in an exquisite pavilion facing the river, raindrops hung down from the eaves, splashing small water splashes on the stone slabs in the patio.
"Jinling has old traces of old berry moss, and tourists from the north and south come and go. What I most recall is the spring breeze at Shichengwu, where every family's peach and apricot flowers bloom across the wall."
A beautiful woman turned her head happily and said, "Sister Jiang Shou, tell me what a romantic place Jinling City is across the river. I just want to marry a handsome husband from Jinling in the future." Another woman in the room said with a smile.
, "Yangzhou is nowhere worse than Jinling. Mom is not in a hurry, but you are in a hurry to get married. The handsome husband in Jinling City naturally has many wives and concubines. You will be angry when you go there. I tell you, it's okay."
It would be better to live in a merchant or official family where the eldest wife is dead, so as to avoid such noise."
"Originally, I also liked Yangzhou. Recently, many people were killed at the dock. I was so afraid that I had nightmares every night, so I didn't like Yangzhou anymore."
"There was a big killing two days ago. I heard that the Cao Gang from Anqing won. I won't kill anymore."
The woman pursed her lips and said, "Jinling is the best, and good looks are also important. Those merchants and officials are getting older and ugly. They have learned the art of being concubines for a long time, and the ladies can serve them well. It is better to be good-looking."
Jiang Shou tapped the woman's forehead with his finger, "Look, even the fireworks woman has to look pretty, so be careful not to be deceived."
"You are the fireworks woman." The woman smiled and touched Jiang Shou's waist. The two of them quarreled together for a while before they stopped in front of the window. Both of them were so tired that they held their waists up.
"Sister Qiyun, you are so beautiful. It's probably because you got married first, and then we lived separately. My sister can't see you when she misses you. How can you find such a happy situation again."
The woman grabbed Jiang Shou's hand and said, "Then I will ask that handsome young man to marry you together, and we can see you all the time in the future." "Silly sisters always say stupid things, but there are very few people who fall in love with two people at once.
Young Master, when will such good things come to us? My sister really tells you that beauty cannot be eaten as food, you still have to live a stable life." Jiang Shou looked at this little girl lovingly.
Sister, I stretched out my hand to help her trim the hair on her temples. She was about to speak again when there was a sound on the door.
A fake mother in red clothes rushed in and said, "Here comes a young master from Jinling. Please dress up quickly and come out to meet your husband."
The woman quickly asked, "Is the young master handsome?"
"You're so pretty, so dress up quickly. You won't be pretty until you leave."
After saying a few words, the fake mother twisted her waist and walked out of the door, setting up refreshments outside.
The fake mother outside kept urging, and the two women hurriedly dressed up and checked each other before going out. When they arrived at the outer door, the fake mother and the toothpaste were already waiting.
The fake mother pointed at the woman and said, "Well, here we are, the first three are not interested, Mo Qiyun, you go first." Yapo hurried over to help the woman, "This young man comes from a wealthy family, and he has seven or eight retinues.
You have to be more careful. When you walk, be sure to take out your toes first, and remember to stretch your right hand. There are two moles on your left hand. Some of them are
If people don't like it, be sure to remember it and don't do it like last time."
"Hey, I remember."
Then Ya Po stretched out her hand to open the door curtain and helped the woman cross the threshold. Mo Qiyun remembered to move his feet first to avoid the hem of his skirt ringing first. Some guests could judge the size of their feet through this detail, so he took a sneak peek into the hall.
A young man was sitting in the front seat. He was wearing a green Qingjin, and there was no jade on his belt. He was less aristocratic, but he was quite dignified as he sat there, and looked at people very calmly.
Ya Po smiled brightly and said in a happier tone than during the Chinese New Year, "Girl, I'm here!"
Mo Qiyun was secretly sizing up the young master, and forgot to pay his respects for a moment. Yapo nudged him in the back with his knee, and shouted again, "My dear, my dear."
Mo Qiyun staggered and then quickly saluted.
"Girl, turn around."
Mo Qiyun turned to the side facing the window so that the young master could see his face clearly. At this moment, Mo Qiyun felt a little nervous. This young master from Jinling could meet all her expectations. She wondered if he could be chosen by him.
"Girl, lend me your hand to take a look."
Mo Qiyun habitually used his right hand to pull up his sleeves, and Yapo nudged him with his knee. Mo Qiyun quickly switched to his left hand and opened the sleeve of his right hand, revealing his white lotus arm. I wonder if the young man is serious.
Look, Mo Qiyun is a little shy and nervous, and his heart is beating hard. The first few steps are to look at feet, face and body respectively. The interview process is over halfway, at least the young man hasn’t said that he will quit, but
I didn't even take out the golden hairpin.
Yapo asked again, "How old is the girl?"
"Seventeen."
The listening step has also been passed.
"Girl, let's go for a walk again." Mo Qiyun's face suddenly turned red. She pulled up the hem of her skirt to expose her feet. Because she was a little older when she bound her feet, her feet were what she was most worried about. Sometimes guests just walked in and
You can already tell from walking that her feet are big, but you can’t even look at her face before you look at them
Without it, the advantage of her beautiful face could no longer be used, so Grandma Ya repeatedly told her to pay attention to her walking posture.
At this time, Mo Qiyun glanced at the young master again, but the young master was not looking at him, nor was he eating tea. He seemed to be thinking about something.
"This husband..."
The lady next to her was stunned. It was a standard procedure to choose a thin horse. It was time to leave the show at this point. She had never seen any woman want to strike up a conversation. The young man was also a little surprised and raised his head to look at Mo Qiyun.
"This, this, if the young master likes the slave family, can you also choose my sister Jiang Shou? She would be great."
After hearing this, the young man laughed and said, "I don't like you, and I don't know who your sister Jiang Shou is, but I like your courage very much. After seeing these families, you are the only one who dares to speak in the hall. Please allow me to speak again."
Think about it." Mo Qiyun's face turned red with embarrassment, and he was a little disappointed. After all, the young master didn't like him, so he returned to his room with a nervous mood. After a while, Jiang Shou also came back, and the two of them were nervous.
holding each other's hands, facing each other
I don’t have high expectations for the test results.
Finally, there was a sound on the door, and the fake mother dressed in red rushed in again. She stopped and stared at the two of them. The two women were very worried, especially Mo Qiyun who was still talking nonsense in the hall. If they were not chosen, they would be killed by the fake mother.
A meal of complaint.
"Both daughters...are chosen!" the fake mother shouted loudly, stretching out her hands from behind, each holding a gold hairpin. Mo Qiyun and Jiang Shou cheered together with joy, and the fake mother came over to touch them.
He put gold hairpins on the temples of the two of them, "The red sheets are sent with the money and gifts. They are from other families. It's rare for a mother and daughter to have a good time together."
Damn it, mommy will cook some good dishes tonight, and we will be happy."
Mo Qiyun asked excitedly and a little uneasily, "Thank you mom, but I still don't know the name of my husband-in-law."
"It seems that the surname is Jiang. Yes, Mr. Jiang. He comes from a wealthy family in Jinling. You will be waiting to enjoy the blessings in the future."
Mo Qi hummed and nodded heavily with a smile in his tears.
…
"I heard that there is a kind of fairy porridge in the south of the Yangtze River. Just hearing the name makes people want to try it. Now that I have arrived in Yangzhou, it should be available. You can see if you can buy it when you go there."
In an inn on the river bank to the north of Taiping Bridge, a woman held her chin up and looked at the scenery outside the window and said quietly.
Standing in the room was a man in his twenties. He was quite tall. He deliberately bowed to the woman and said, "Miss, please wait a moment. I will go right away." "When dad was alive, there were many servants.
Everyone is asking for your favor. Ever since the bandits destroyed their home and saw that their money was gone, they have abandoned their master and ran away. They are all heartless white-eyed wolves." The woman turned to look at him and sighed, "
Only
With your dedicated escort all the way, no one would have thought that my second uncle's family in Yangzhou had moved somewhere, and we had nowhere to take refuge, but we didn't know what to do. We were living in inns all day long, and we were running out of money."
"Don't worry, Miss. Even if I go to the dock to work as a waterman, I still want to make sure that Miss has enough food and clothing."
The woman's eyes flashed, "Cui Yongjing, Lu Yao knows that Ma Li has been able to see people's hearts for a long time. When I find my second uncle's house in the future, I will definitely not treat you badly."
Cui Yongjing said respectfully, "That's the duty of a villain. Please rest first, Miss. The food will be here soon. There is a mixed crowd in the inn, so please lock the door tightly."
After Cui Yongjing finished speaking, he walked backwards to the door. After opening the door, he went out first. After waiting for a while, he carefully closed the door. He turned around after hearing the latch inside.
There were two men in the corridor. When Cui Yongjing opened the door, they looked at the woman in the room, and then walked a little further away with Cui Yongjing.
Cui Yongjing tilted his head towards the other side of the room and said to the older man, "This is my young lady. If you bring me the money, she will be yours."
The man thought for a moment, took out a silver bag from his arms, put it into Cui Yongjing's hand, then nodded to the younger companion next to him, and asked him to take the woman. "Don't be too busy taking people, the portion is probably enough.
I haven't seen the quality yet." Cui Yongjing stretched out his hand to stop it, then opened the silver bag and inspected each piece. After a while, he spread out the three pieces in his hand, "These three ingots are all mixed with lead and tin, and they are also mixed with lead and tin.
It’s a good complement.”
The older man looked at Cui Yongjing intently and said, "My boss owns two brothels and never cares about money..."
"There is a knife on the lower part of the body. If you cut it open, it will look unseemly for everyone. It is convenient to replace it with another ingot."
The young man next to him turned his eyes and moved his position slightly. Cui Yongjing looked calm and just stared at the older man.
The man laughed twice and said, "What did Brother Cui do for a living before? He is so proficient in silver."
"I help the owner collect rent and pay bills. Although it is not my own, I have seen a lot of money, and I have seen a lot of people who have lost their lives for the money." After Cui Yongjing said this, he glanced at the young man next to him.
The elderly man hesitated for a moment and then took out another ingot. After Cui Yongjing inspected it, he handed back the counterfeit silver, "It's yours."
"Brother Cui sold the head of the family. Where do you plan to go in the future? If you don't decide where to go, my family also lacks someone to collect debts." "Although my head of the family is not a good person, I am the one who sold the head of the family after all. Naturally.
You can't go to people who know the truth." Cui Yongjing put away the money bag easily, "I have lived for more than 20 years, and it was not easy to lose the head of the family. Now,
I just want to live a happy life."
"This little money won't last long. If you are looser, it will only last for a year or two. It's better to make plans early."
"Why take a year or two and use it up in one month? Cui has already thought about where to go, so there's no need to worry about it." Cui Yongjing bowed his hands to the two of them and went out. When he came to the street, he walked quickly for a while, then turned around two times.
After turning around, he stopped and observed for a while, then entered another inn across the street. After entering the room on the second floor, he drank some water and rested.
After a while, he took out a piece of paper from his arms. It had the four characters "Jiangnan Times" written on it. The front page said that Yangzhou's Dajiang Bank was opening. Cui Yongjing turned the newspaper over. On the back, there was a headline: "Anqing Qibingying sincerely recruits people from all over the world."
"A good man" listed the groom, the gangster, the doctor,
There are more than ten kinds of industries such as gunpowder makers, coppersmiths, locksmiths, deliverymen, etc. He read the page carefully again, and it listed the achievements of the Anqing Qibing Camp, including the Susong Victory, which he had heard many times, and the specific wages and salaries.
It did not write in detail, but only wrote about real soldiers, real pay and generous remuneration. Another page wrote:
A man named Tang Ershuan, who turned from a porter on the dock to a hero who killed the thieves and swept away the king, currently received a monthly salary of four taels. The last sentence read "when men make contributions today". Cui Yongjing looked at it carefully and stood up after a long time.
He stood up and came to the window, looking at Yangzhou in the drizzle outside the window. "It is easy to die when you are a hero. You will not lose if you enjoy the blessings first."