The main hall is spacious and the tea soup is fragrant.
Old Beggar Long Zaitian has always been proficient in tea ceremony, but his previous situation was shabby and he was unable to practice it.
At this time, he was sitting in front of the tea table left by Qin Mansion, heating water in the stove, roasting tea and grinding it into powder, sifting the tea and adding salt, pouring water and whisking the foam, warming the cup and dividing the tea... Everything was done with ease and he was very familiar with it.
Yang Zhaoxi had eaten a cup of tea soup with orange peel and mint. She felt her teeth and cheeks were full of fluids and her armpits were cold. It was really ironing. The corner of her mouth raised and she said: "Xiao Dao remembers that Gang Leader Long also recognized Wang Sou as a different surname.
Brother, you have taken great care of your food, clothing, and medical needs. How come you lost the bet to help the poor and the weak?"
After Long Zaitian had the tea soup, he seemed to feel a lot more relaxed. He sighed and said: "As the saying goes, 'The snake swallows the elephant when the human heart is not enough.' I, the old beggar, have been shrewd all my life, but I was confused about this matter of relieving the poor.
In the first few days, the old man Wang received food and clothing, and masons came to repair the walls and replace the rafters. Naturally, he was grateful and praised our beggar gang for their kindness and righteousness.
As soon as this good thing happened, jealous and envious neighbors naturally came to him and praised him for his good fortune. When he met a noble person, they clamored for him to hold a banquet to celebrate. Wang Sou was also a superficial person, and he couldn't stand the flattery of everyone, so he agreed wholeheartedly.
He came down and came back to me to ask for some money, saying, 'When a person attains enlightenment, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven', if he has given alms to his neighbors in the past, he can also feel happy."
"So, did Gang Leader Long give him any money?" Yang Zhaoxi couldn't help but ask. However, in his heart, he already had the answer.
Sure enough, Long Zaitian patted his knees and said helplessly: "I thought it was inappropriate at first, but I couldn't resist him, so I gave him two silver collars. Who would have thought that after giving out these silver collars, he would immediately be beaten into the street?"
The greed of the people was aroused.
I originally thought that these two taels of silver would be enough for him to buy a meal and entertain all the neighbors who had helped him. Unexpectedly, two days later, he came to me again to ask for money. He said that his nephew in the suburbs had heard that he was prosperous.
, so he came to seek refuge with him, asking him to find a job that was easy and profitable.
But in today's world, if you want to find a job that makes money easily, where can you do it without money? The old beggar persuaded and persuaded, and the old man became a little angry, saying that you can't forget your ancestors. If I don't want to help, then I will
He is accused of being unfilial and unjust..."
Yang Chaoxi couldn't help but feel worthless for him: "Why did you need to help such a person who is trying to push his limits in the first place?"
Long Zaitian suddenly put a hand on his forehead and rubbed his face vigorously before saying: "But when the old beggar saw him bursting into tears, his heart softened, so he gave him another five taels of silver collar. Later, he heard from the disciples in the gang
In return, the old man converted his silver into large sums of money, and begged for this and that, and then he gave his idle nephews jobs as busboys in wine shops and gambling houses.
It would be a good story if the old man Wang could be supported by his nephews after his hard work. But the old man Wang was encouraged by his nephews and became obsessed with Xu, a middle-aged man who sang in a wine shop.
Mother, I must marry him back home. The old lady seemed to be sure of him, and asked for ten taels of silver as a betrothal, so she went to the old beggar again to ask for money."
"This old man is alone, but that's human nature. It's just that his life has just passed, so he is eager to find ten taels of silver as a betrothal wife, but he is a little too ambitious!"
When Yang Zhaoxi heard this, he naturally saw some key points and commented casually.
Long Zaitian looked regretful at this time: "Little friend Yang, you have only seen this level, but you don't know that 'marry a wife and marry a virtuous man' is an ancient saying. The half-old lady who sings in this wine shop is an old beggar.
People checked the details and found out that she was a wanderer in the church. These women have spent their entire lives having fun and being welcomed and sent to and from. What kind of powerful people have not seen them? What kind of worldly knowledge are they not familiar with? Therefore, they are all people with higher eyesight.
I advised the old man on this basis. Even if he got his wish and got married, he might not be able to live a peaceful life with you. If he couldn't keep it together, he would become a troublemaker, and then he would be looking for trouble. The old man was just kowtowing like a fool.
Garland, I would not marry someone who was not her. Seeing that I remained unmoved, he became angry from shame, jumped up, and fell out with me, the old beggar. After that, he went around saying that my beggar gang was hypocritical and had betrayed his brother Jinlan...
"
Hearing this, Yang Zhaoxi suddenly stood up and said angrily: "This bitch! He really confuses right and wrong and is ungrateful! After a while, he went to Daodefang to look for him. He first knocked out his teeth and then scolded him!"
Long Zaitian was dejected, waving his hands and saying: "That's not necessary, the old man Wang has already fallen ill on the kang. If he were not a disciple of the Beggar Gang, one person would go there every day and feed him some soup, medicine, rice, and he would have died early.
La!"
After hearing this, Yang Chaoxi couldn't laugh or cry, but she was also curious: "Then what happened to Mr. Wang after he fell out with you? Did he end up like this?"
Long Zaitian was slightly absent-minded. He tapped the tea table with one finger several times before he raised his head and said, "The old beggar also listened to the reports from the disciples in the beggar gang. Then the old man Wang left the beggar gang and led some of his nephews to guide him.
Next, he went to Chonghua Temple in Jingshanfang. Using the deed of his dilapidated courtyard house as collateral, he borrowed 12 taels of "Xiangjichu" to marry the old lady.
The old lady got the money that day, so she stayed with Wang Sou for half the night. When the rooster crows and dawn breaks, she has disappeared. Wang Sou and several nephews went to look for her, but the old lady seemed to have vanished into thin air.
It was true that no one was alive and no body was seen. Wang Sou shouted that he had been deceived and fainted immediately. However, his nephews just threw him on the kang and went off to make their own living without asking anyone."
Yang Chaoxi could only sigh in despair: "Old Wang was driven by greed and encountered unkind people, and he finally suffered the consequences. But these things started when the leader of the Dragon Gang rescued him, so his good intentions turned into disasters.
It's a disaster."
Long Zaitian beat his chest and blamed himself: "If I hadn't been angry with the Holy Lady at that time, how could innocent people have been affected? It was just a mistake that almost ruined a life."
When Yang Chaoxi saw Long Zaitian sighing, he knew that it was not only because he had lost the bet, but also because he had doubts about his method of rescuing the poor. He immediately turned around and said:
"It's natural to accept defeat in a bet. But I don't know how the holy aunt helped the poor and the suffering, and finally won the bet?"
Long Zaitian briefly composed himself, and then said: "As for the Holy Aunt's method, the old beggar is now in a state of admiration and admiration! The poor household that the Holy Aunt helped was an old man who was over fifty years old and had no children.
The widow lived in Quanshanfang and was called Li Yu by her neighbors.
However, Saint Aunt was busy with many things and never went there in person. Instead, she taught Miss Xiaoman the method and let her do the work for her. Until the ten days came, Saint Aunt and Miss Xiaoman happened to be guests at the Beggar Gang.
, the old beggar finally understood their method.
But after the young girl entered the workshop, she noticed that Li Lao was enjoying the shade under an old locust tree, so she deliberately got hung up by a branch and immediately tore her jacket to pieces. This strange behavior was seen by several libertines, and they immediately
They gathered around with ill intentions, teasing and making noise. The little girl pretended to be panicked, covering her chest and just wiping away her tears.
Li Lao saw this and immediately picked up the broom and scolded the group of libertines away. Then she pulled Xiaoman into the hut and comforted her softly while finding needles and threads and other things to close the torn jacket tightly for her.
After they were sewn, Xiaoman saluted and thanked her. He saw that the roof of Li's thatched hut was leaking and the four corners were exposed to wind. There was only a couch, a table and two coarse porcelain bowls in the room. He immediately took out dozens of large coins and kept them as thanks.
instrument.
Li Yu declined several times at first, saying that it was just a small job and she couldn't bear the girl's money. However, the family was really in straits, and the rice jar was about to bottom out, but the longing look in his eyes revealed his thoughts.
Xiao Man immediately rolled his eyes and said that his aunt was really good at stitching and she didn't deserve to be in such poverty. There were some worn-out robes worn by servants at home. If aunt was willing to do it, these large sums of money could be treated as deposits.
When Li Lao heard about such a good thing, how could she refuse the door? She immediately agreed with joy. After returning to the Beggar Gang that day, Xiaoman ordered Lily Guard to collect more than 20 damaged lotus clothes and put them together.
I sent it to Li Lao's residence. I also sent an extra gourd of lamp oil, hoping that she could finish sewing as soon as possible.
Seeing that there was a profit to be made, Li Lao immediately became interested. She immediately called a few old sisters she had become friends with in the past and started mending them that night. The next morning, more than 20 lotus clothes were mended, and some were repaired.
If you don't look closely, you really can't see the stitching.
Xiao Man smiled when he saw how fast and good Li Lao's sewing skills were, so he paid Li Lao another two hundred and thirty cash at the price of ten cents a piece. Li Lao happily took the money and went back, but she stopped by
Nanshi bought a few more buckets of corn and a lot of colored threads and took them back.
Most of the corn was given to the old sisters who helped with the work, but the colored thread was a bit of her ambition: if she could befriend that little barbarian girl and start sewing needles as a career, why worry about wearing a dress and eating in her mouth? Maybe even the coffin.
You can also save money.
Strange to say, from that day on, Li Yu seemed to have a fortune. Xiaoman would send someone to send some worn-out robes and skirts every day. The second time, there were more than 30 pieces, and the third time, there were five.
There were more than ten cases, and in the fourth round, there were more than eighty cases... Each time, more women from the neighborhood had to be persuaded to help.
After arriving, Li Lao simply stopped sewing and mended it herself. Instead, she distributed these robes and skirts at the price of six cents each, took them back within a time limit, and hired a donkey cart to send them back to Xiaoman. There were many markets around.
Many wealthy merchants and merchants heard that there was an old woman who specialized in making needles and that she charged a fair price, so they all sent over all the worn-out clothes worn by the servants and maids in the mansion.
Seeing this, Li Lao became more and more active. She hired some masons and carpenters overnight to repair the dilapidated walls of the hut. She also sent people to buy back a lot of oil paper, wicker baskets and the like to store the items brought by others.
clothes to prevent them from being stained by dust and rain.
On the tenth day, Xiaoman came empty-handed. Looking at the brand-new courtyard hut, as well as the busy and orderly Li Lao and the women, he finally smiled with joy.
When Li saw that the visitor was actually Xiaoman, how could she not have guessed that the person who had been secretly helping her these past few days was a beautiful girl? She immediately stopped all the women and bowed respectfully to Xiaoman. Immediately,
They pulled her into the house with all their hands and feet, and gave her a real treat with tea, soup, and fruit cakes.
Before leaving, Xiaoman pulled Li Lao alone under the old locust tree where he first met. He smiled and told her that stitching needles was a trivial matter after all, and now she can still use the current momentum to starch clothes and weave straw shoes.
Also try to start spinning threads and other industries. Otherwise, when people in the city start to imitate you and start sewing needles as a profession, your profits will be greatly reduced. This is called "casting the net in all directions and making more flowers bloom".
Li Yu was enlightened and quickly agreed with gratitude. From that day on, although Xiaoman never went to Li Yu's place, he heard that Li Yu had gradually opened up the stall. Although the people in the city followed her example and specialized in sewing.
Acupuncturists, no matter the price, craftsmanship and reputation, are not as good as her. Nowadays, all the officials, businessmen and wealthy households in less than half of Luoyang City know the name of 'Li Huan Sha Xing'..."
After hearing this, Yang Zhaoxi was dumbfounded: "This holy lady's behavior is really unique and unbelievable! Leader Long, you didn't lose unjustly!"
Long Zaitian smiled bitterly when he heard this and said: "Not only is it unfair? I am really convinced! This is the principle of 'giving a man a fish, it is better to teach him to fish'. I have wasted my years of practicing Taoism, and I can't even do this."
forgotten!"
Yang Zhaoxi nodded repeatedly after hearing this: "If you are envious of fish by the river, it is better to go home and weave a net. It's just like what you said! But, since the leader of the Dragon Gang lost the bet, how did he win back the Tan Mansion?"
Long Zaitian was full of emotions: "This is the merit of the Holy Lady! After the bet was settled that day, the old beggar had already admitted his defeat. But at this moment, Mr. Qin Dashan happened to come back."
Yang Chaoxi raised her eyebrows, knowing the key point of his curiosity, and landed on Tan Xiangchu.