The honest businessman and his little wife

There is a town at the foot of Jiuyi Mountain. Although it is a town, it is very lively because it is located on the main north-south traffic road, and merchants come and go.

There is a strange man in the town, everyone likes to set up shop in the place where there are many people on the market, but this strange man opened a tea shop at the foot of the mountain with the least traffic far away from the market.

The tea shop is backed by the majestic Jiuyi Mountain, facing the Jiuyi River that crosses the town, and there are several apricot trees on the left and right.In spring, the apricot blossoms and the spring breeze comes, giving me a sense of purity and independence.

It's funny to say that people in the town set up shops to sell some clothing, food and clothing, and they like to hang a flag under the eaves with the name of the shop written on it, but this weirdo who runs a tea shop wants to hang a big red lantern under the eaves.As soon as night fell, he lit the candles and lit the lanterns, and his shop in all the towns and villages shone with a strange red light in the lonely night.

Father Hu at the east end of the town ran several times for his lanterns, hinting time and time again that hanging red lanterns on the eaves is unlucky and will attract goblins and tree monsters.But this weird man promised, but he never took off the lantern.

Every time Papa Hu came, he made tea, sat down, and listened leisurely to Papa Hu.The gray-bearded old man took a sip of tea, twirling his beard with a smile, only feeling the clear and sweet fragrance in his mouth, the previous preaching atmosphere was not even half, wandering around forgot what he was going to say.

This happened a few times, and the cannibal's mouth was soft, so Father Hu didn't dare to say any more.

This strange person usually wears a blue cloth dress, with low eyebrows, holding a scroll, and he doesn't like to talk but loves to laugh.I don't see any outstanding features, but the gentle and delicate appearance makes people close, but usually he is still dull and ignorant of world affairs.But it was this ignorant person who would tell stories in the tea shop on the eighth day of every month, and started to make a living as a storyteller.

Set up a table, make a pot of tea, hold a folding fan with landscapes, sit obliquely in front of the table, raise your head, your eyebrows fly into the temples, your eyes are misty, and you seem to be looking at the nine people outside the window. Yi mountain.

The women of the town would gather in this tea shop far away from the market on this day, whether they came to hear stories or come to see this strange man.Men will also gather at teahouses on this day, and they don't know whether they are here to find their sweetheart or to listen to stories.

Of course, Zhang Fugui must know whether he came to see people or listen to stories.

Zhang Fugui's father is Tofu Zhang who sells tofu in the west of the town, and his ancestors have lived in a small tofu shop for generations.When Zhang Fugui was 14 years old, his parents died one after another, so he guarded the tofu shop alone, barely able to support himself.

But it is said that Zhang Fugui met a merchant who came to the north that year. The merchant saw that he was thick and honest, and he could read accounts a little, so he took him away on the business route.After the trip, he earned some money and got acquainted with the trade routes, so he started to work on his own.

After a few years, after accumulating money, he hired someone to take care of the ancestral tofu shop, and opened a rouge gouache shop on the street. Not long after, he opened the only money shop in the town to exchange silver bills for merchants.

Of course, this is all for later, let's talk about how this rough and honest businessman met that weird scholar.

At night, Jiuyi Mountain was pitch black, and the whirring wind blew the tall and lush trees on the mountain, making a rustling sound, which was frighteningly tight in the silent night.

Zhang Fugui had just returned from shipping goods in the north, and was away from home for a month. He was anxious to see the tofu shop, so he asked the boy to live in the city with the goods, and rushed back by himself.Only then did I walk to Jiuyi Mountain, and when I looked at the town in the distance, it was completely dark.

He walked west along the Jiuyi River, and the moon shone with white jade light, so pale it illuminated the road ahead.

As he walked, he seemed to have walked into a cloud of mist, the moonlight became foggy and unreal, and there was an inexplicable sweet fragrance in the air. There lives a great fairy who loves pink and white plum blossoms very much, and it is he who will bless the people in the town to be safe and happy.

Zhang Fugui lingered in the fog for a long time and couldn't get out. The sweet smell in the air became stronger and stronger, and the moon didn't know when it disappeared.No matter how courageous he is, at this time he also felt a little uneasy and afraid, and he only cried out in his heart: Didn't he say that the Nine Yi Mountain Lord will protect the people in the town, why can't he go out tonight.

He rubbed his head, breaking out in a cold sweat.When I was at my wits end, I suddenly saw a red lantern not far away, emitting a warm light in this eerie night, like a lighthouse, standing there silently, guiding the way home.

Although he had never been to that weird man's tea shop to drink tea, he had heard about the strange man hanging lanterns on the eaves.Only at this moment, blessed to the soul, it seemed that he suddenly understood why the strange man hung a lantern on the eaves.

Zhang Fugui raised his feet and walked towards the lantern. As he walked, he saw the white jade moon reflected in the Jiuyi River.His heart finally came out, and there was no more annoying sweet smell or mist.

My heart was warmed by the light of the red lantern, and the closer I got to the lantern, the more my heart started beating for no reason.I heard that the weird man's tea shop only has one kind of tea all year round.It is said that……

He had heard too much about that strange man, and when he was about to see the strange man, he felt inexplicably afraid. The strange man attracted his curiosity while making him want to run away in fear.

This feeling is very strange, so strange that this honest businessman can't understand this complicated thought.

Not long after, he came to the strange man's tea shop. Candles were lit in the tea shop, emitting a soft and warm light, and the chai door was wide open.

He walked towards the door uncontrollably.

After entering Chaimen, walked across the courtyard, and stepped into the carved red lacquered gate.I saw a table on the left side of the main room, a pot of tea was steaming on the table, a man in green cloth sat beside the table, holding a book in his hand, turning the pages with fingers like white jade.

Zhang Fugui stood by the door, staring blankly at the people at the table, his mind was blank, he heard the louder and louder pounding in his heart, and smelled the fragrance of green tea filling the room in his nostrils.

The strange sense of familiarity made him just want to get close to the man in the green cloth, and his feet slowly moved towards that man.

The person sitting at the table finally raised his head, his eyes were shining, and when he saw Zhang Fugui walking towards him, the light in his eyes dimmed instantly.

Zhang Fugui was originally a rough and honest man who didn't understand the world, but at that moment he understood the disappointment in Qingbu Yishang's eyes.

He rubbed his hands, and continued to approach the man step by step, softly opening his mouth: "Little brother, are you waiting for someone?"

His tone fluttered lightly, as if he was extremely afraid of breaking the peace and tranquility, and also as if he was extremely afraid of the man's answer.How had he ever had such a complicated and delicate mind?

Hearing this, the man raised his head and looked at him. He didn't answer for a long time, but just looked at him with those round eyes, which flickered on and off.

Zhang Fugui looked at his round eyes, very much like the magpie eyes he had seen on the Nine Yi Mountains, they were cunning, making people like them very much.His heart was numb, and he didn't know how to place his hands and feet. He sat across from the man nervously, just looking for an opportunity to spend more time with this man, so he said: "My little brother, is this tea business still going on now?" . . . I've driven a lot . . . I'm thirsty."

Hearing his hoarse voice, the man lowered his eyes, frowned, and murmured in a low voice: "I was delusional, why would he come..."

Later, he raised his head and smiled at Zhang Fugui, and said gently: "Young master, if you don't dislike it, you can drink the pot of tea on the table... It's just been brewed for a while... It was originally for him... Now I'll give it to you, it's considered... ...is my treat for you to drink."

Zhang Fugui just smirked, poured tea for the man, poured another cup for himself, said over and over again that he didn't dislike it, and was as happy as a flower blooming in his heart.

After drinking a pot of tea for a long time, the wick of the oil lamp on the table was turned three times, and the book in the man's hand turned twenty pages before the tea was finished.

It was very late at night, and Zhang Fugui had to leave.

After thanking the man again and again, he walked out of the carved red lacquered door, stepped out of the wood door, and walked back hurriedly. who?"

The weird man in green cloth was clearing away the teapot on the table. Hearing this, he turned to look at him, smiled and said softly, "Chen Shi'en."

Zhang Fugui touched his head, and smiled embarrassedly: "My little brother is good-looking, and his name is also nice...My name is Zhang Fugui, I live in the west of the town, I...I..."

He "me" for a long time and didn't know what he wanted to say, he just smiled silly.Seeing his clumsy appearance, Chen Shi'en felt annoyed, wiped the table with a rag in his hand, but still gently advised him to go home quickly.

This was the first encounter between the rough honest merchant and the gentle eccentric.

Since then, Zhang Fugui never went out to shop again. He opened a rouge shop and a bank, plus the tofu shop that he had been looking after all the time, and became the shopkeeper with peace of mind.Because there are many merchants, the business is good, and he can be regarded as a well-known honest merchant in this town.It's just that he started to run to Chen Shi'en's tea shop every day, rain or snow. When he was busy, he would go there at night, and when he was not busy, he wished he could stay in the quiet tea shop all day long.

Chen Shien's tea shop has a strange name, "Xi Niao Tea Shop", because it is far away from the market and only provides one kind of tea, there are very few customers.On ordinary days, only Zhang Fugui came to drink tea every day.

Often it was Zhang Fugui who brought him some food trinkets from the market, and he invited him to drink tea in return.Zhang Fugui could drink a pot of tea all afternoon, so he took the book in one hand and ate the candied haws brought by Zhang Fugui in the other.

Zhang Fugui wanted to talk to him, but he was afraid of disturbing him and annoying him.So he just sat down and drank tea, staring at the hem of Chen Shien's green cloth clothes for a moment, and glanced at him from time to time, feeling very peaceful and happy in his heart. Taste.

It was the eighth day of the lunar new year, and Chen Shien set up tables in the tea shop again, preparing to tell stories.Not long after lunch, many men and women began to gather in the tea shop. They sat down, ordered a pot of tea, and just waited for Chen Shien to be free to tell the unfinished story.

"What story is shopkeeper Chen going to tell today?"

"Of course it's the one from last time, the jade trapped under the willow tree waiting to repay the favor."

"Oh, yes, I didn't finish last time."

The little girls put the melon seed cakes they brought on the table and started chatting.

"Shopkeeper Chen will definitely not tell the story of repaying his kindness again. You don't know, he never tells endless stories."

"Oh, I like that story he told last time."

"Xiao Tao, I thought you came here just to see shopkeeper Chen."

A group of girls were laughing and making noise, their ignorant voices revealing innocence.After all, they are different from the girls in other towns, because they have seen a lot of businessmen and businessmen, and most of them are literate, not because they are rough and ignorant.

"Shopkeeper Chen's story is much more interesting than the drama my wife read."

"Yeah, yeah, I think it's better than the storyteller Mr. Xu from East Township."

The men gathered together, drinking tea and chatting in rough voices.

"What's so good about this man? He's so weak. What's a man doing for nothing? He doesn't know how to do farm work. He doesn't necessarily earn much money. How can he still attract women so much?"

"Xiao Ma, you are not jealous of shopkeeper Chen, are you, ahaha."

The men were giggling and laughing, they were busy with their livelihoods, and it was rare for them to have such a leisurely moment. They stopped, gathered together, drank tea, chatted, listened to stories, and watched plays.

Two years ago, a man and a woman met each other in his tea shop and became an enviable couple. Then there was also the unmarried man and woman who came to his tea shop to find love in the name of listening to the story that day. That sweetheart.

Although Zhang Fugui had heard that Chen Shi'en would tell stories on the eighth day of every month, he did not expect to gather so many people.

When he used to go to the tea shop, he was the only one alone, but today, that person crowded the room, making it as noisy as a busy city.Holding the sweet-scented osmanthus cake he bought for Chen Shien, he was secretly anxious, thinking that Chen Shien loves to be clean, so how could he bear such noise.

While thinking, he tightly protected the sweet-scented osmanthus cake and squeezed into the crowd.

Suddenly the noisy crowd fell silent, only Chen Shien's clear and gentle voice could be heard, inexplicably soothing the restless hearts.He said: "Today we still talk about the unfinished story from last time."