The fox minister in the late Tang Dynasty

Chapter 22

There was a rain in Niujiaji, and the eaves of the fallen leaves still hung with raindrops precariously falling on people's shoulders. Geng Qing took the stones and walked up the steps paved with bluestone slabs. When they came down, the blacksmiths were hanging hammers, and their eyes were fierce. Seeing that the four of them were dressed as if they were here to patronize business, but when they came to the door, he didn't want to make things difficult. He grabbed a towel and wiped his sweat, showing a little smile .

"Bring it here."

"I picked it up on the road. Excuse me. I still don't know the name of the master?" Geng Qing smiled, bowed his hands politely, and passed the stone to the other party. The three of them seemed to be afraid of him, so they stood on the side of the street and dared not go up.

"My name is Wong."

The blacksmith was about 40 years old. He held the stones and rummaged through them for a while, walked to the anvil supported by wooden piles, hammered down, smashed the stones, swept them into his hands and blew hard. Blowing away the fine residue, he twisted the black particles of different sizes back and forth with his fingers, and pondered for a moment, "It's iron ore, but unfortunately it's not pure. It's too different from the one sold at the yamen. It's worth your money." Not a few dollars."

"I see, the master is the kind of skilled craftsman, and what he said is convincing." Geng Qing smiled and thanked him. As for the ore, it doesn't matter whether it is pure or not. Anyway, he does not sell it. The fate of salt is somewhat clearer.

There was a pause in the words, and while he was speaking, Geng Qing vaguely caught sight of someone from the corner of his eye, turned his face slightly, his eyes slanted to the corners of his eyes, and on the street outside the store, several figures stood on the edge of the street.

Under the blue sky, those people were wearing coir raincoats. They were not tall, and their clothes were ordinary, no different from ordinary people. They squatted or stood chatting with their companions, but they glanced at the blacksmith's shop from time to time.

'These people are dressed up, they should be outside before the rain stops. '

Geng Qing's heart skipped a beat, and he was still talking to the blacksmith opposite with a smile on his face, and then asked, "I wonder if there are any finished rivets for sale in the shop?"

The blacksmith was also a bold man, he put down the hammer, turned his head and asked the woman in the back hall to come out with a small sack, and then went to the anvil, he grabbed a handful and weighed it in his hand.

"Fifty coins per handful, about thirty coins, more or less."

"It's okay, just do as you said." Geng Qing didn't hesitate, and asked the blacksmith's wife to find a linen bag to carry, then turned around and called Dachun and the other three who were still on the street, and asked the three of them to come in and pick up the things. Keep it.

Seeing that the deal was completed, the blacksmith smiled and went to get the hammer again, "You are satisfied with the things, shouldn't you?"

"Not in a hurry, I'll look at the others."

Geng Qing coughed twice, telling Dachun and the others not to go out, he put his hands behind his back and walked over the blacksmith's shop. Amid the tinkling and knocking sounds, the blacksmith thought he needed to pick something, smiled and nodded, pointing Farm tools that have not yet been used are hung on the wall, "Then you can look at it casually, and talk to me after you see something."

Except for a wrought-iron stove and anvil in the shop, it was what the blacksmith pointed out on the wall. Geng Qing looked at it once, glanced outside, then stopped looking, found a stool in the shop, patted the dust on it and sat down. Come down, going out now is like a sheep entering the tiger's mouth, so I simply pulled up the blacksmith and chatted about homework.

"Master, how many years have you opened this blacksmith shop in Niujiaji?"

"More than ten years." Over there, Blacksmith Wang paused after hitting the hoe, and as he spoke, he clamped the rudimentary hoe with long tongs and sent it to the stove. The farm tools are all made by myself.”

Speaking of this, the blacksmith was also a little proud, turned around, looked at Dachun and the others, then turned his gaze to Geng Qing, and stroked the thick beard around his mouth.

"This is my family's ancestral handicraft. I can't lose it. In the future, I will pass it on to my children and grandchildren. No matter what time I meet, I won't starve to death!"

"That is, that is, the master is very thoughtful."

Geng Qing complimented him a few more words, and continued talking without mentioning paying the money to leave. The blacksmith over there couldn't drive people away, so he had to be patient and talk to him.

After a spring rain stopped, there were more and more pedestrians on the cold and wet streets. All four eyes were staring at the blacksmith's shop that was buzzing over there, and some doubtful voices sounded.

"It's almost noon, why don't you come out?"

"Damn. My legs are numb."

"Didn't it slip through the back door?"

"Go and have a look."

"Just go there and end the matter with a knife."

"Fart, when the time comes, the four of us can only turn into bandits. We'll just keep an eye on it, and we'll do it when there's no one there!"

The wind blew the eaves, and in the crumbling water stains, four figures in coir raincoats walked towards the blacksmith shop. At this time, the blacksmith in the shop looked at the smiling young man, and already had the urge to chase him away.

"time to eat."

In the back hall, the woman opened the door and called him, only to realize that it was already noon, the blacksmith held back his anger, and issued an order to evict the guest while eating.

"Hehe. Talking to the little brother, I almost forgot until noon, why don't you stay and eat."

If ordinary people hear this kind of politeness, they will naturally pay the bill and leave. However, Geng Qing dare not go out now. Following the other party's words, he nodded, stood up, and politely clasped his fists. After lunch, we'll chat!"

Saying that, he greeted the three of Dachun, who were about to leave, to go to the back hall to have dinner together. Seeing them as proficient as they were at home, Blacksmith Wang, who was standing alone by the stove, was twitching at the corners of his mouth, and almost couldn't help but reach for the iron on the anvil. hammer.

When he took off the handle of the hammer, several footsteps stepped into the eaves, and the bearded blacksmith stared and turned around, seeing four big men in coir raincoats, he suppressed his anger and asked in a low voice: "What do you want? "

Over there, the tall and thin man headed by Yin Yin raised his face, shaking the mustache on his lips, and looked inside.

"Where are the four people in your shop just now?"

The blacksmith froze for a moment, probably thinking it was a young elder, suppressed his anger, and pointed inside: "The four of them are eating, do you want to eat together?"

hiss~~
The eyes of the four outside fell. They had been in the town for several years, so they naturally knew each other, but they didn't expect that the blacksmith and Geng Qing were acquaintances and relatives. Otherwise, how could they still eat at his house?

He looked up and down at the king blacksmith in front of him. He was muscular and strong. If he swung the hammer, the four of them might not be able to handle it.

"Oh, it's you."

At the moment of stalemate, Geng Qing's voice suddenly sounded at the door of the back hall, the four of them glanced over, the blacksmith followed suit, and saw Geng Qing and the other three coming out with bowls.

Now the blacksmith believed that the guest knew the four people outside, so he didn't say much and gave them the space. He went back to the back hall for dinner, and was reprimanded by the wife as soon as he sat down.

One call, "I only made a few money in fifty renminbi, and before I got it, I gave someone a meal for nothing." "You still have the face to come in, go out and watch" "If you take our rivets, no money What should I do if I run away?!" In the babbling words, the blacksmith hurriedly planed a couple of bites, and went out sullenly.

At this moment, the three of Dachun held the bowl and looked at Geng Qing at a loss. The latter was also a little scared in his heart, but he couldn't show it on his face. With a smile on his face, he gently put the bowl on the anvil with trembling hands. Walking to the door through the people of the town passing by outside, he breathed a sigh of relief and stabilized his voice.

"Liu Mang's people? Killed me?"

Seeing that the four people were silent and just staring at him like that, Geng Qing didn't hesitate, stepped out of the threshold, stood opposite the four people, and suddenly raised his hand, so startled that the four big men on the opposite side also touched his arms subconsciously. .

Geng Qing was bold, patted one of them by the collar, and said in a low voice: "In front of so many people, do you think it's worth it? I'm on good terms with An Sibing, and I've had a face-to-face meeting with the county magistrate. If I die at the hands of four of you, those four of you will not only leave your hometown, but also live in anonymity for the rest of your life, living in fear. Of course, if you insist on killing me for loyalty, that would be my bad luck, but the money he gave you is enough for you The four of them enjoy a lifetime in peace?"

Withdrawing his hand, Geng Qing took two steps back with a smile on his face, took the bowl back into his hand, and took a bite out of his mouth, "The four of you might as well just think about it here, I'll go back to the back hall for dinner, and when we're done, let's draw the line directly Come."

After finishing speaking, holding the bowl and chopsticks, he clasped his fists in a chivalrous manner, turned around and called the three of Dachun who were still watching to go back. When they met the blacksmith who was coming out, he took the trouble to take care of the four outside.

"you!"

The blacksmith didn't dare to vent his anger, so he walked out angrily with his fists clenched. Seeing four big men standing in a row over there, he didn't give him a good look, so he picked up a hammer and hit a piece of iron bar vigorously. .

In the ping-pong-pong movement, Geng Qing, who had sat down again in the back hall, quickly finished the rice grains in the bowl, and stuffed another mouthful of vegetables into his mouth. The other two only said: "Run!"

The two of you look at me, I look at you, put down the bowls and chopsticks and rushed to the back door. The woman who was still sitting at the table dropped her chopsticks to the ground with a "clack" sound, and then reacted after looking at the shaking door leaf Come here, scream at the top of your voice, rush to the door shaking the two lumps of meat on your chest, and point to the back door anxiously towards your husband in the shop.

"The head of the house! Those four people ran away!"

When the four big men outside heard this, they turned around and wanted to chase them. They were familiar with the streets and alleys of the town, so it was easy to catch each other. But before they left, one of them suddenly felt a pain in his shoulder and threw himself on the ground.

When the remaining three turned their heads, they saw a burly blacksmith rushing out with a hammer in hand. The suppressed anger finally broke out and shouted.

"I'll kill you—"

The blacksmith's wife also followed, rushed to the door with a wooden stick, and shouted to the neighbors and passers-by: "Come on, these four people ordered their accomplices to steal the rivets from my house!! Come on, and report to Li Zheng!" Officer, arrest them!!"

The eyelids of the three over there watched the figures pouring out of the surrounding houses, pulled up the companion who had been punched on the shoulder, and gave up the bamboo hat and coir raincoat, pushed away the rushing blacksmith, and ran away.

The sound of chaos spread, and the direction behind the fleeing four people, the slim figure walking on the potholed and water-logged street watched this scene with interest.

The corner of his mouth curled up into a smile, he took out a short blade from his pocket and put it in his sleeve, worn out old cloth shoes, and followed in the mud.

　It's late, this chapter has been stuck for a long time.Maybe just one chapter tonight

　　
　
(End of this chapter)