The Devil's Tribulation

Pan Chengfeng ran all the way, his heart was so hot that he wanted to go to that place to find someone immediately. However, he still had to explain to Shuang'er, otherwise he didn't know how long it would take to go out this time. He bought some food on the way and returned to Gu's house. When he came to the study, he saw Shuang'er sitting obediently on the animal skin, with a small stool in front of her and a pen in her hand, and she didn't know what she was writing. Pan Chengfeng walked over directly and saw that Shuang'er seemed to be writing a letter, so he asked, "Writing a letter to your brother?" Shuang'er was startled and looked up, only to find that Pan Chengfeng was already beside her. She nodded and said, "Shuang'er doesn't know how my brother is now. I want to write a letter to my uncle's house to report my safety and ask about my brother's situation." After that, Shuang'er continued to write the letter, and Pan Chengfeng sat aside and waited patiently. It was not until Shuang'er put down the pen that he said, "Come over and eat something. I just bought some buns, and some dry food and fruits." After that, he waved his hand, and a large bag of dry food, four buns, a bag of apples, and a pot of water appeared in front of Shuang'er.

Shuang'er was not surprised, she picked up the buns and started eating them in big mouthfuls. After a while, she ate four buns, took a sip from the kettle, and asked, "Master, are you going on a long journey? Have you prepared several days of dry food for Shuang'er?" "What a smart girl." Pan Chengfeng thought to himself. In fact, there was no need to hide it. Pan Chengfeng said, "I may have to go out of town, and it should take two or three days to come back. You stay here first, and I will come back to find you after I finish my business." Shuang'er's eyes reddened, and she said, "Master, do you think Shuang'er is in the way?" Pan Chengfeng was stunned: "When did I dislike you?" Shuang'er said, "Otherwise, why didn't you take Shuang'er with you?" Pan Chengfeng said helplessly, "The place we are going to this time may be dangerous, and I am afraid I can't take care of you then." Shuang'er said, "Then you are not dislike Shuang'er being in the way?" Pan Chengfeng was speechless. But I really can't take her with me, Pan Chengfeng said patiently: "Be good, you promised to listen to me, why are you disobeying me now?" Shuang'er said aggrievedly: "Shuang'er is scared to stay here alone, otherwise I'd better pretend to be a little beggar and hide outside."

Pan Chengfeng thought about it and it was true. It was indeed not right to leave a little girl here for two or three days without being able to make a fire. After thinking for a while, Pan Chengfeng said, "Wait a minute, I'll go out for a while and be back soon." Pan Chengfeng turned and went out. Half an hour later, Pan Chengfeng came back with a big bag and a few pairs of shoes. He smiled and said to Shuang'er, "Why do you have to dress up as a beggar? Come, try it on." After a while, Shuang'er, dressed in men's clothes, appeared in front of Pan Chengfeng. Pan Chengfeng walked around Shuang'er and said, "It's okay, at least it will be fine for these few days. How about this, we will find an inn later, and you wait in the inn, is that okay?" Shuang'er also looked herself up and down, smiled sweetly and said, "Master is really smart." Pan Chengfeng waved his hand and said, "The truth will come out sooner or later. You are so beautiful that you will be seen as a girl sooner or later, but it should be fine for these few days. Try not to go out, just stay in the inn." Shuang'er blushed, "Master, how can you praise someone's beauty in person like this?"

Pan Chengfeng said indifferently: "Okay, let's go find an inn. The previous one can't be used anymore. Let's find a place close to the East City Gate." Shuang'er said happily: "I know where the nearest inn is to the East City Gate. It's only a few miles away from the city gate." As they said that, the two came to the gate of Gu's mansion. Shuang'er was a little shy, but also a little expectant, thinking: "Master is going to hug me again." Sure enough, when Shuang'er was still thinking, Pan Chengfeng had already picked Shuang'er up like a princess and said: "It's broad daylight now. I can't run on the street. I can only go to the roof. Shuang'er, hold on tight." Shuang'er buried her head in Pan Chengfeng's chest and said "hmm" softly. Pan Chengfeng thought a little strangely: "It's not the first time, what's there to be embarrassed about?" Without thinking too much, he jumped onto the roof directly, hopping left and right all the way to the East City Gate, looking at Shuang'er in his arms and asked: "Where is the inn?" Shuang'er then poked her little head out from Pan Chengfeng's chest, recognized the way and said: "It's over there, not far away, Master, put me down, let's go over there."

Pan Chengfeng found an empty alley, put Shuang'er down, and the two walked towards the inn. After walking for more than ten minutes, they came to the door of a five-story building and looked at the plaque on it, "Dongcheng Inn". Pan Chengfeng laughed and said, "This boss is interesting. He didn't even pay attention to the name." Pan Chengfeng, who laughed at others, didn't realize that he was the same as him. After the two entered the door, they came to the front desk. The shopkeeper shouted, "Waiter? Where have you been? You don't know how to greet the guests? Don't want to work anymore, right?" After shouting, a dark-skinned young man pulled his trousers and ran while shouting, "Here I come, here I come, I can't even take a shit!" The shopkeeper cursed, "You've been shitting and peeing all day! If you continue like this, get out! Our store can't afford you!" Pan Chengfeng and Shuang'er looked at the two curiously. The guests are standing here, you can greet them first, why does the waiter have to come?

The waiter hurriedly greeted them, "Are you two guests staying in the hotel or eating?" Pan Chengfeng said, "Stay in the hotel. Please give us one of your best rooms." The waiter turned to the shopkeeper and said, "Shopkeeper, you two guests are staying in the hotel. Please give us a good room." The shopkeeper nodded and said, "The good room is five taels of silver a day. Please pay first and then stay in the hotel." Pan Chengfeng's eyes bulged and he shouted, "You are running a black shop! You are not going to rip me off because I am an outsider?!" No wonder Pan Chengfeng reacted so strongly. Before, the best room in Yuelai Inn only cost three taels of silver a day. This shabby inn actually costs five taels? ! Pan Chengfeng is not short of money, but he doesn't want to be a sucker!

Seeing Pan Chengfeng's big reaction, the shopkeeper pointed to the sign behind him and said, "The prices are clearly marked, please don't talk nonsense." Pan Chengfeng then noticed that there was a small blackboard behind the shopkeeper, on which various consumption amounts were recorded. The upper room was five taels, the ordinary room was three taels, the large bunk bed was one tael, and a table of good food and wine, braised beef, Fancheng roasted chicken, Dongpo pork, and smashed cucumbers... eight taels. Seeing this, Pan Chengfeng was speechless. Smashed cucumbers were also counted as silver. He looked at the shopkeeper and complained, "Shopkeeper, I think you should not open an inn. Just write the word "robbery" on your face." The shopkeeper looked at the waiter with a strange look on his face and asked, "Is it very expensive?" Pan Chengfeng rolled his eyes. It turned out that this shopkeeper didn't even know how to set the prices.

The waiter said hurriedly, "Don't blame me, sir. We just bought this shop a few days ago. The shopkeeper is still not sure about the price. It's 300 coins a day for a room, and two pots of wine for one tael of silver per table for good food and wine!" The shopkeeper ran to the waiter and pointed at his nose and scolded, "You spendthrift, two pots of wine for only one tael of silver?! It turns out that the money you spent is not yours?" The waiter said helplessly, "Shopkeeper, the market outside is the same. If you set the price like this, all the customers will be scared away." The shopkeeper asked suspiciously, "Really?" The waiter ignored him and said to Pan Chengfeng and the others, "Sir, please go upstairs. I'll take you to see the room first."

Arriving at the fifth floor of the inn and opening the door, Pan Chengfeng was filled with a musty smell that made him want to curse: "Is this an inn run by the damned? How long has it been since it was cleaned?" Seeing Pan Chengfeng frown, the waiter quickly said: "Sir, I'm really sorry, we just bought the inn, and we are still recruiting these days, so we haven't had time to clean the rooms. Please take a look first. If you are satisfied, I will clean the room immediately and replace the bedding and tea sets for you." Pan Chengfeng turned around and wanted to leave, but Shuang'er grabbed Pan Chengfeng's sleeve and whispered: "Master, this is fine, just clean it up." Pan Chengfeng said helplessly: "Clean it right away! Bring us a table of wine and food first." The waiter said happily: "Okay, sir, please come downstairs, I'll ask the kitchen to prepare the wine and food, and I'll clean the guest room first."

Coming downstairs, he found a clean table to sit down. Pan Chengfeng looked at Shuang'er and said, "Please stay here for two days. I'll pick you up when I'm done." Shuang'er nodded and said, "Young Master, you should be careful when you go out to do things." Soon, the food and wine came up. Pan Chengfeng didn't have high expectations for the food and wine, but he didn't expect that the Dongpo pork tasted surprisingly good, especially the braised beef. The taste was really amazing. Pan Chengfeng finished a two-pound beef in a few seconds. Pan Chengfeng still felt unsatisfied and shouted, "Give me ten more plates of braised beef!" Shuang'er also ate with gusto. Pan Chengfeng smiled and said, "I didn't expect the food and wine here to be so delicious. Shuang'er has been blessed these days."

Shuang'er kept talking, but just nodded and continued to eat other dishes. The waiter brought a few plates of beef over and said with a chuckle, "Sir, this braised beef is the unique recipe of our shopkeeper. I can't eat it normally. If it weren't for the inn, the shopkeeper wouldn't be willing to take out the recipe." Pan Chengfeng was slightly stunned, and looked at the shopkeeper in front of him. He saw him holding a wine gourd and pouring wine into his mouth. There was also a plate of braised beef on the table.

After finishing the meal, Pan Chengfeng walked up to the shopkeeper and asked, "Shopkeeper, can you sell me the recipe for this braised beef? I like this dish very much." The shopkeeper looked up at Pan Chengfeng and said, "If you want to eat it, you can come to the store anytime. If you want to buy it, I'm afraid you can't afford it, and even if I sell it to you, you can't make it." Pan Chengfeng was slightly startled, but still asked calmly, "Please tell me clearly, shopkeeper." The shopkeeper shook his head and said, "I can't say it, I can't say it." Pan Chengfeng, who had hit a snag, bowed to the shopkeeper and took Shuang'er to the guest room. When he opened the door and went in, he was shocked. The guest room had completely changed. Not only was the musty smell gone, but there was also a faint fragrance of unknown flowers. The entire room, whether it was the floor, walls, ceiling or tables and chairs, had been polished to a shine. The waiter came over and asked, "Sir, are you satisfied?" Pan Chengfeng nodded, took out a five-liang silver ingot, put it in the waiter's hand and said, "I am very satisfied. I will trouble you to take care of my friend these days."