Vicissitudes know Jinhua

There is a Renji carriage and horse dealership on Luogu Street, the shopkeeper's brains are lively and humane, and he manages it well. There are twenty horses in the dealership, thirty or forty big mules, and the business is booming.

Every year in the winter, I would bring in preserved fruits, vegetables, potted flowers and other festive items from outside the city for the rich households in Beijing’s middle-of-the-road shops. Those who need to go out of the city and have no livestock at home and are too lazy to go, put half a car and a car, and earn a small amount of money for eating horse chews.

If you travel thirty or twenty miles out of the city, you can pay fifty copper coins for each driver. It was a time of great prosperity, and the imperial court insisted on hiding wealth from the people. Every time people go out of the city to worship God and visit relatives and friends, they will come to the gate of the carriage and horse shop early in the morning to wait.

Where there are people, there will naturally be business. The old man Hu specializes in breakfast for carriages and horses. In a big steamer, there are white noodles and big steamed buns. The marinade made from flowers, shredded pickles are piled up in a large pottery urn, and a few old tables and stools are set up in a shed on the street. There are always seventy or eighty guests in the morning.

The most important thing in running a small business is to be able to bear hardships. Old man Hu makes all the preparations at [-]:[-] a.m. every day, waiting for the early guests to have a warm meal.

As usual, the first business is the shopkeeper Ren of the car and horse dealership. The shopkeeper Ren has a big business but he is a hard worker. He never sleeps late, and he is very good at the tofu nao, so he comes to patronize Old Man Hu every day. , the two of them were packing up and eating while the other was eating, and they could chat for a while.

This day, the old man Hu cut the pickles as usual, wiped his hands with a rag, and waited for the shopkeeper.

At this moment, the sky was not yet bright, and there were two horn lanterns hanging from the corner of the shed. The flames were flickering. Hearing the strong wind, Old Man Hu was a little worried. Under the light, two children stood motionless.

If it wasn't for the long shadows reflected on the ground, Old Man Hu almost thought he had seen a ghost who returned to the Netherworld late, and immediately shouted: "You... what are you doing?"

The taller one raised his face: "Old man, is it possible to get a ride out of the city here?"

The child was very polite, and his voice was as clear and melodious as if the best porcelain bowl was broken, with trembling in fear of the cold, Old Man Hu hurriedly said: "Ah, yes..."

Rubbing his hands together, he said again: "It's too cold outside, you two go into the shed first to avoid the wind, and you have to wait half an hour for the car out of the city."

The child lowered his head and hesitated for a while, and said, "That's fine...Thank you, old man."

After finishing speaking, they tugged at the shorter one beside them, and the two of them walked in together with old man Hu.

As soon as the two of them sat down, Old Man Hu was busy adding water and charcoal, while stealthily looking at it, thinking about it like a wheel in his heart.

The older of these two children was no more than twelve or thirteen years old, and the younger was about ten years old. It was still dark in the twelfth lunar month, and there was no adult to follow. They just stood on the street looking for a car to go out of the city, and they looked weird.

Look at the two of them wearing ordinary thick cotton robes, but their appearance and demeanor have an indescribable nobility. I have been walking around the streets for decades, and I have never seen such a person. I guess they are not relatives. He is also an official son.But I don't know why I'm living outside?

Just as he was thinking wildly, he heard the older man call out: "Old man, can you serve us some hot food and drink?"

Old man Hu patted his forehead and said with a smile: "Oh, I'm so confused, I forgot to serve breakfast to the little guest officer!"

Busily filled two bowls of hot tofu nao, poured marinade on it, poured a few drops of balsamic vinegar on it, brought it over, and said: "You two young masters, try the tofu nao made by the little old man, the tofu is the most tender , the marinade is the freshest, and no one dares to call it the first if the whole street recognizes it as the second!"

This is true, because his family is the only one who makes tofu nao in the whole Luogu Street.

The older child nodded and forced a smile to express his approval, while the younger one didn't listen at all and only lowered his eyelids. Both of them looked worried.

The old man Hu was full of doubts, he wanted to ask, but he dared not ask, so he had to bring two steamed buns and a plate of pickled cabbage: "You two young masters, take it easy, the steamed buns sold by the little old man are made of high-quality white flour, and they are very soft. Eat it and add more!"

The two children ate silently, and the appearance of eating was pleasing to the eye. The younger one seemed to feel that the steamed bread skin was a bit hard, so he tore it off and put it aside quietly, while the older one raised his eyes to take a look, snorted, and said softly: "Pick it up and eat it." It's gone! Now it's not... We don't have much money in our parcels."

The little one was very obedient, so he picked it up again, soaked it in the tofu to soften it, and ate it bit by bit, then said in a low voice, "Zi Shi, when can we go back?"

The two children, one big and one small, were naturally Mu Zishi and Qi Shaochong who escaped from the palace overnight.

Mu Zishi listened to his stupid question like a dream, just sneered and didn't answer, but turned to old man Hu and said: "Old man, I still need ten steamed buns to wrap up and take away, how much money is the total?"

The old man Hu said with a smile: "Some crude things need money...a steamed bun costs two cents, young masters eat two and bring ten, two bowls of tofu nao ten cents, a total of 34 cents, shredded pickles Presented by children and elders.”

Mu Zishi then took out a small piece of broken silver from the parcel, and he could read the tax account of the treasury at his household department, but he didn't know how much the piece of silver was in his hand, and he weighed it and sent it to Old Man Hu In his hand, he hesitated: "Old man, is this money enough?"

This piece of silver is not heavy, old man Hu shook his head: "Young master, it seems that you are really used to being served, and you have never spent money yourself? This piece of silver must be more than four yuan. Buy it Two hundred steamed buns are enough."

Mu Zishi blinked his eyes, thought for a while, and said, "I can't take two hundred steamed buns, old man, do you still have dried meat or other dry food?"

Old man Hu shook his head: "It's a small business, and it's for breakfast, so I didn't prepare any meat, but don't worry, young master, the old man will just return your copper coins."

As he spoke, he opened the cash box and counted the money out one by one, counting at one end, but at the other end he asked: "Little old man is talkative, may I ask the names of the two young masters? What are you doing out of town so early in the morning? Can the family let you go?" rest assured?"

Mu Zishi lowered his head and thought for a while, then sighed and said, "Old man, to tell you the truth, our brothers... will probably die if we leave the city."

Hearing these words, Qi Shaochong was startled, thinking to himself that our identities are so important and secret, how can we casually say that people who have nothing to do with us know?

Hastily stepped forward to pull his sleeve, signaling not to say much, but Mu Zishi took his hand, scratched his palm lightly, and said: "The old man is kind-hearted and kind-eyed, and he is definitely not a villain. Besides, there is nothing you cannot say to others." , tell us about our brother, maybe he is a well-informed old man and can give us an idea?"

The old man Hu was very pleased with such a bounty, and he nodded like a chicken pecking rice: "Yes, what the young master said is very true. I, the old man Hu, have not worshiped gold or silver for most of my life. What I worship is my conscience. I won't make any crooked ideas about the two young masters!"

Just as he was talking, the door curtain was lifted, and a tall man in his 30s walked in: "Old Hu, what are you bragging about... Oh, there is an earlier one today!"

As soon as the old man Hu saw the people, he brought a large bowl of tofu nao with a busy smile, and said courteously: "Shopkeeper Ren, come here, eat and drink first, and then listen to me to tell you slowly... These two young The young master will take your car out of the city soon, sorry to see you, it’s so cold and my family doesn’t take care of me, the two children are standing at my door before dawn.”

After his chattering, Mu Zishi knew in his heart that he had to make up his life experience when he was living among the people. Otherwise, even if he kept his mouth shut, he couldn't stop others from being curious. If they couldn't satisfy their curiosity, they would have to be suspicious. It attracts people's attention, and once the spies at the copper net in the palace find out the clues, Qi Shaochong will die, and I am afraid that even if he wants to die, he will not get it.

I saw that the shopkeeper Ren was drinking tofu nao, while looking up and down at himself and Qi Shaochong. He was used to the world and his eyes were very poisonous. He pointed his finger and asked: "You two, what is the origin? Don't be anything Did the imperial court convicts run away after being ransacked? Don’t make it clear, but I dare not take you out of the city. During the holidays, the gates of the city are guarded very tightly. One thing is wrong. Could it be that I have to follow the carriages and horses to eat? hang down?"

How could someone dare to talk to the Seventh Prince's nose like this?Qi Shaochong immediately said angrily: "You are bold! How dare you be so rude..."

Mu Zishi hurriedly covered his mouth.

Shopkeeper Ren was stunned for a moment, and said with a smile: "Hey, you have a really bad temper... How about we go to the Bingmasi Yamen? See, young master, what kind of god is in trouble, what kind of phoenix is ​​shedding hair?" ?”

As he spoke, he rolled up his sleeves, as if about to make a move.

After all, Qi Shaochong was young, he panicked when he heard about the Bingmasi Yamen, and then saw that the shopkeeper's eyes were shining brightly, and he had a strong and strong body, his heart skipped a beat, and he felt that he was duckweed outside the palace gate. Without roots, step by step is like walking on thin ice, let alone what hidden reefs and raging waves are hundreds of feet deep under the ice layer?Involuntarily clutching Mu Zishi's fingers tightly, his heart was pounding, and he lost his mind.

Mu Zishi stood in front of Qi Shaochong, raised his face and looked at Shopkeeper Ren, his eyes were filled with tears: "Uncle, our brothers are not wicked, but if you arrest us and face the officials, we will die."

Shopkeeper Ren saw that his small face was snow-white, and his eyes were watery, and he couldn't help but feel a little soft, but he had to ask: "This is strange, since you are not a bad person, why are you afraid of seeing officials? After all, which family are you from?" , why do you have to leave the city so early in the morning?"

Mu Zishi hesitated for a moment just right, and with some grievances that had to be said, he said in a low voice: "My father is the right servant of the Ministry of Industry, his surname is Mu, and his name is Taboo Donglou. I am Mu Zishi, and this is my younger brother. , Mu Shaochong."

Qi Shaochong had his surname changed for no reason, so he naturally didn't feel happy, but luckily he wasn't stupid, so he kept his voice silent.

Old man Hu heard this verse, but asked Shopkeeper Ren in a low voice: "What kind of official is the right servant of the Ministry of Industry? Who is older and who is younger than the commander of the Military Division?"

Shopkeeper Ren frowned, glanced at Mu Zishi, and said in a low voice, "It's probably bigger, about the same as our Chenjing governor's?"

Mu Zishi listened to such ignorant words, but he didn't show any surprise, and praised him very sincerely: "What Uncle said is very true..."

So the shopkeeper Ren was very proud, and he had an even more favorable impression of this beautiful child invisibly.The old man Hu was in awe, he thought that all the sons from such a high family ate my tofu brain, it seems that I will be able to rush out of Luogu Street tomorrow and go to Zhuque Street to compete with the tofu brains!

Shopkeeper Ren thought about it and asked: "Since he is the son of the servant, why is he dressed like this, and there is no servant to follow?"

Mu Zishi paused for a while, and said: "To tell you the truth, our brother is from a foreign family... The wife of the Mu family has always been childless, so my father bought my mother and placed him in Tianshui Street..."

"Later, my mother gave birth to our brother, and she thought she was over the top, but the wife's family is powerful, and she has a cruel temper... Not only did my father dare not take us back to the house, he didn't even dare to mention it, for fear that the wife would be jealous. The sex is so big that it hurts us."

"A few days ago, my mother was seriously ill. My father came to visit secretly. Unexpectedly, the wife in the mansion found out, and led a group of nurses to break in at night. My mother and us were all gagged. I got a beating."

When he said this, he choked up and burst into tears. Qi Shaochong heard him cry, and the sadness came from his heart, so he couldn't stop sobbing.