Nongmen Shenjue

It was dawn, and it was already bustling outside.

There are large and small boats docking by the river, and porters are carrying goods up and down, and the sound of chant is heard from time to time.The shops doing business by the ferry were also lit, and the smoke from the kitchen was billowing, and the humid and cool air was filled with the aroma of various foods.

Mu Qingyan got up late.

Every time I get up, I will habitually lean on the bed and be stunned for a while. From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of a piece of broken silver on the table in front of the window, and then I think of the mysterious visitor last night.After a meal, the man didn't say anything, as if he simply came to eat, leaving a tael of money for cooking, and then disappeared into the night.

Coming out of the room, Mu Wenmu Wu was moving out the tables and chairs in the room and setting them up.

"Second brother, why are there unwashed bowls and chopsticks in the pot? You were hungry last night?" Mu Wen got up early and prepared to boil hot water first. This is Mu Qingyan's habit, and Mu Wen and Mu Wu took over the work.

"En." Mu Qingyan was perfunctory.

Mu Wen didn't doubt it, and said again: "The noodles are all hot."

In the morning, Mu Qingyan didn't plan to sell anything complicated. In fact, he was psychologically prepared for the cold business, so the menu was not fixed, and he could get whatever was convenient.I made noodles last night, and I am going to steam steamed buns this morning, half grain noodles, half white noodles, and make a vegetarian soup for free. As for the pickles, there will be no more for the time being.

There used to be a jar of pickled radishes at home, but he didn't let Mu Wan move it, since making pickles by himself is quick anyway.

It was dawn, and the steamed buns were ready.

"Second Brother, Second Brother, a visitor is coming!" Mu Wu had been standing outside the shop looking around, and finally saw a few people in round-neck gowns coming, and happily reported to the house.

Mu Wen was about to call him to have breakfast, when he heard this, he didn't bother to eat, so he brought out a plate of bowls.The door of the kitchen room was open, watching a few people enter the shop, and then filled four bowls of freshly cooked vegetable soup, placed them on a one-foot-long wooden board, and lifted them out directly.

The four of them had just got off the boat and wanted to eat something warm, but they were not used to the noodle soup at the ferry. Because it was raining, the wonton seller hadn't arrived yet, so they walked to the newly opened shop of Mu's house.

The steamed buns just out of the pan are very fragrant, and you can smell it from a distance.

"The soup is free, and you can refill after drinking it." Mu Wen has practiced martial arts with Mu Lin since he was a child. Among other things, he has a steady foot and strong arms, and the four bowls of soup are served steadily.

"Hey, the boy has good hands." A guest exclaimed.

"Twenty steamed buns of white flour, do you have any food?" These people are all small stewards of the ship, and they are not short of a few pennies.

Mu Wen knew very well that there was no food in the store, but since the other party asked, he was the most taboo to say no.After all, Mu Wen is not Mu Wu straight-hearted, his brain turned quickly, and immediately smiled and said: "There is nothing else, only cold shepherd's purse, a plate of three Wen, mixed with sesame oil."

"Okay, let's have a plate!" Shepherd's purse is a wild thing, and it is not worth much, but since it is sold in the store, it must be handled properly.Besides, after a whole day on the boat, I had no taste in my mouth, so I wanted to eat something oily and salty.

If they couldn't leave, they would rather go to the city to have a meal.

While Mu Wen was talking, he had already winked at Mu Wu.

Mu Wu immediately understood and ran to dig shepherd's purse behind the house.

Mu Qingyan felt that Mu Wen was really good for business.

"This soup is really fresh!"

"Indeed, it looks nothing special, but the taste is rare."

The vegetable soup made by Mu Qingyan has been well received as always.

These four people ate up a plate of cold shepherd's purse, two bowls of green vegetable soup, and twenty steamed buns in total.

The white flour steamed buns are quite big, and they cost a penny each, plus the cold shepherd's purse, a total of 23 pennies.

Mu Wen showed the money to Mu Qingyan, and carefully put it in the pot.The copper coins in the clay pots were strung together with hemp rope and kept separately.Mu Wen is very caring and meticulous. He remembers his daily expenses and income, so that it is clear whether the shop is losing money or making money at the end of the month.

Mu Qingyan directly gave him the management of the shop's accounts, which were all trivial accounts, just for practice.

With the first wave of guests, there will be a second wave.

The later ones were coolie porters who were definitely reluctant to eat white flour steamed buns. They bought miscellaneous noodles steamed buns and drank a free bowl of vegetable soup.Zamian steamed buns cost two for a penny, and people generally eat two, but some people are reluctant to eat only one and drink three bowls of soup in a row.

The Zamian Steamed Buns are sold out, and the soup has already bottomed out, but there are about a dozen White Noodle Steamed Buns left.

After breakfast time, Mu Qingyan called Mu Wenmu Wu and asked them to go to the city to buy vegetables.There are enough rice noodles in the shop, but meat and vegetables need to be purchased daily, which is relatively fresh.

"By the way, let's go back to the village. The eldest sister said that I have saved vegetable seeds, so you can bring them here."

After receiving the money, Mu Wen took on the important task of purchasing for the first time, feeling nervous and excited.

"Okay, let's go, be careful." In Mu Qingyan's eyes, the money was not much, but to Mu Wenmu Wu, it was definitely a huge sum of money.

"Second brother, let's go." Before leaving, Mu Wen proposed to divide the money into two parts, each person should take one part, and hide it carefully and properly.

Mu Wu didn't think so much, he just felt that he was trusted and had money, so he couldn't help but touch it with his hands.Mu Wen was worried that he would reveal his secrets and attract thieves, so he reminded him several times before changing it.

There is no fixed point for the ferry boats to come and go, so people go ashore to eat one after another.

The last dozen or so steamed buns left were also sold out.

The rain began to fall again, thick and thin, as thin as a cow's hair.

"Second brother!"

Hearing a familiar voice, Mu Qingyan went out of the shop and saw that it was indeed Mu Lin.

Mu Lin didn't come alone, He Chuan, Chen Shiliu and other seven or eight people were by his side.Everyone in this group looked tired, their clothes were half wet, and their feet were covered with mud. It was obvious that they had been running around all morning.

"Brother, you are..." Mu Qingyan actually guessed a little bit.

Sure enough, Mu Lin said: "It's not that there are floating corpses on the river, the county magistrate ordered us to patrol here for a few days."

He Chuan said: "I think it was a false alarm. The river is calm, and I haven't heard anything from other boatmen. It's relatively peaceful here. After all, the garrison is not far away. Who dares to gather crowds here?"

Chen Shiliu lay down on the table, and shouted at Mu Qingyan with a sullen face, "Second brother of the Mu family, here's a bowl of tea, he's dying of thirst."

He Chuan took the conversation: "What tea do you drink? After running all morning, my stomach is empty. The second brother of the Mu family, what do you have to eat?"

"Noodles, glutinous rice noodles."

"Is there any meat?" He Chuan's eyes lit up.

"No, there are eggs." All the meat was used up at the banquet yesterday.

"Eggs are fine too, just add more spice." He Chuan and the others were indeed hungry.

"Second brother of the Mu family, put more oil, don't be reluctant." Another person answered.

"Go, go! My second brother's business is fair and fair, and he can still owe you." Mu Lin half-jokingly turned back, and went straight into the kitchen to help him.

Mu Lin is not very good at other things, but he is good at rolling noodles. He has strength in his hands, and the noodles he rolls out are very strong. The premise is that Mu Qingyan can make up the noodles in advance.If Mu Lin meets, it will be either too hard or too soft, which he can't handle well.

Mu Qingyan used eggs and green peppers to make half a pot of saozi, which was spicy and absolutely delicious.

After the noodles were cooked, each person had a big bowl, poured the simmered rice seeds, and started to eat with one's head buried in a snort.

Chen Shiliu was no exception.

"Wow, it's so spicy." He called it spicy, but felt delicious.

Mu Qingyan didn't eat, and sat on the sidelines listening to them, all of which were what he had seen and heard in the streets and alleys on weekdays.

"What happened to that floating corpse? Do you know the identity?" He asked Mu Lin.

Mu Lin shook his head: "He has nothing on his body except his clothes. There is a missing person notice posted outside the yamen. There is little hope. The person is probably a merchant from other places."

In ancient times, there was no computer network. If a stranger disappeared in another place, he might not be able to find out his identity for the rest of his life.

Chen Shiliu was sitting next to them, listening to their discussion, wiped off his sweat, and said, "That floating corpse is a bit strange, maybe there is some big case hidden behind it, I think we should investigate it carefully."

"What's so strange?" Mu Qingyan asked him intentionally.

Chen Shiliu suddenly regained his energy: "Yesterday I went to the morgue to look at the corpse. His injury was on the back of the head and he was hit by a heavy object, but the author said that the cause of death was drowning. It means that he was knocked unconscious He threw it into the river and drowned."

"Everyone knows this." Mu Lin was a little impatient. When he was patrolling the river in the morning, he could hear him talking non-stop, and his ears were almost callused.

"I'll tell the second brother of the Mu family!" Chen Shiliu was afraid that Mu Qingyan would be impatient, so he quickly got to the point: "Let me tell you, I went to the morgue to observe the corpse carefully, and I really discovered it." It's a bit strange. The man's hands and feet are thick and calloused. According to the distribution of the calluses, I asked the author, it should be a regular job. Looking at his skin is slightly dark, thin, the nails are not clean, it is probably crops Han, his family is not very well off, so he doesn't eat well, and he doesn't pay much attention to cleanliness. But he is such a person, but he wears a round-neck silk robe, which is brand new and fits him well."

Mu Qingyan couldn't help being surprised, there was indeed something strange.

Seeing his expression, Chen Shiliu smiled proudly, "How is it? Am I right?"

He Chuan laughed loudly, and joked: "Chen Shiliu, what you said is right, then tell me, where is he from? What happened? How can we investigate?"

After repeated questions, Chen Shiliu choked.

He couldn't answer any of them.