mortal clerk

Chapter 63
The caravan enters the city from the west gate, and stays at the Shendu Chamber of Commerce on Zhuque Street, the central axis.

After the horses rested, Xiao Anzi invited Li Qingniu and Lao Shen to have a drink together, and because Lao Shen still had something important to do, Xiao Anzi and Li Qingniu were the only ones left to go together.

Seeing that Lao Shen was not there, Xiao Anzi said relaxedly: "Xiao Niu, the original plan was to invite you and Lao Shen to a restaurant, but Lao Shen is not here, so I will take you to a snack street. The taste is definitely not bad, and it's lively."

Li Qingniu didn't care, he also knew that the restaurants in this county might not be cheap.

"That's fine, I like it more lively. And the more lively the place, the more interesting it is, and I can get to know the city faster."

"That's right, a lively place is more comfortable."

The two of them left the chamber of commerce, walked east along Zhuque Street, and came to a riverside in the city. There were tall buildings along both sides of the river, but there were dozens of stalls, large and small, on the bank downstairs. Lanterns were hung on each stall, and there were stalls written on it. Numbers and names, buy more cheap food.

Li Qingniu asked curiously: "What do the numbers and names on the lantern mean?"

Xiao Anzi shook his head: "Yeah, I'm also quite surprised, I didn't have any before I left!"

Immediately, the two found a fairly clean booth and sat down. The booth was not big, with only a few small benches, two small wooden tables, a stove, and a chopping board.

The boss is a simple and honest man. When he saw someone coming, he quickly greeted him: "Guests, what do you want to eat?"

Xiao Anzi was familiar with it: "Here comes a plate of beef, a roast chicken, a plate of peanuts, two bowls of noodle soup, and a pot of shochu!"

"Okay, wait a minute!"

After a while, the food and wine came to the table, and Li Qingniu asked curiously: "Boss, your small stall is complete, with all the food and wine!"

The middle-aged man shook his head with worry on his face.

"Guest, to tell you the truth, we used to have our own shop on Zhuque Avenue. Although it is not big, it has everything. So we can cook all kinds of dishes, which is naturally richer than other stalls."

"Oh? Then why are you here?"

"Hey! You don't know the guest. The shop was originally rented. At the beginning of the year, the owner raised the rent and couldn't pay the rent, so he had to move here."

Xiao Anzi was puzzled and asked, "It's just a rent increase, why do you want to move?"

"The price has tripled, who can afford it?"

"How can it rise so much?"

"Cough! It's not that the Zhou family has taken a fancy to that row of houses, and we dare not fight against it. It's good to move out consciously. And at the beginning of the year, the City Lord's Mansion issued a decree that restaurant operators need to increase the city defense donation and business tax by [-]% each! Twenty percent! Who would dare to open a shop there? Now that I have found such a place, I only need to pay two hundred dollars a day. Although it is a bit more expensive, at least a few people can earn a living.”

Xiao Anzi also left for too long, so he didn't know clearly, so he asked: "The Zhou family? Is it the Dongcheng Zhou family?"

"It's not his family, who else!"

Li Qingniu wanted to ask what city defense donations and commercial donations are, but the boss went to greet another table of guests, so he had to give up.

When Li Qingniu picked up a piece of beef, he felt that it had a strong texture, moderate saltiness and sweetness, much better than the ones in Niuxi Town, not to mention the porridge with steamed buns and jerky from this way.

Can't help sighing: "Brother An, this wine and food really have a special taste!"

"That's right, although Guimen County is located on the border of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there are also many business travelers traveling from south to north, so there are some special dishes. By the way, Maverick, what are your plans for the future?"

Li Qingniu felt hot after drinking a glass of wine, not like the "Wei Louchun" from the gate of hell, which is mellow and mellow, but also lively and lively.Just about to speak, he was choked by alcohol and coughed.

Xiao Anzi said awkwardly: "It's my fault too, I didn't notice that you are still a child! Hahaha!"

Li Qingniu took a sip of tea and said with a smile: "I've drunk wine a few times, but I've never had such a spicy one."

"Hahaha, then feel free to taste some."

"Hmm, what did you ask me just now? Oh, plan, just now I asked Deacon Mu, and he asked me to find his recommendation letter tomorrow, so that I can go to Pingshan Academy to report for admission. What about you? Back to the restaurant Should Houtang continue to follow Deacon Mu to Shendu?"

"Hey, I would like to go to the Gods with me, but my sister is married now, and if I leave, my mother will have no one to take care of her. I plan to pay my wages tomorrow morning, and then go to the Casting Pavilion to try. See if you can take an apprenticeship or something."

It was the first time Li Qingniu heard the term Zhuqi Pavilion, and couldn't help being a little curious.

"What is the Casting Pavilion? Why haven't I heard of it before, and I haven't seen it in books."

"I don't know exactly how this Foundry Pavilion came about, but it's more like a larger and more advanced blacksmith's shop. It was just established suddenly a few years ago. I heard that it cooperated with the county, mainly for the county. The military produces weapons. Of course, it will also do some high-level work, such as making weapons for warriors and making some exquisite utensils."

"What about the apprenticeship exam?"

"I also just got the news. Recently, the Foundry Pavilion is going to expand its scale, and manpower is scarce. It specially recruits some young people who can blacksmith to be apprentices. The blacksmith master before me still taught me some blacksmithing skills. I hope I can take the exam tomorrow." superior."

"You will definitely pass the exam!"

……

The two discussed for a long time, mainly because Li Qingniu asked Xiao Anzi about the situation in Guimen County, and Xiao Anzi also knew everything.

While the two were chatting, a slightly familiar voice sounded behind Li Qingniu.

"Wild boy? Why are you here?"

Li Qingniu never thought that he would have acquaintances of his own in the county, so when he heard the voice, he thought it was someone calling and chatted on his own.

Suddenly the man came up behind Li Qingniu and patted Li Qingniu's head with his scabbard.

"You wild boy, why are you ignoring people?"

Li Qingniu turned around and saw that it was Guo Rui, the daughter of the deputy city lord of Guimen County that he met that day.

"It's you? Why are you here?"

Guo Rui said happily: "This is my question, okay! You should answer first."

He looked at Xiao Anzi at the side and asked, "Is this your friend?"

Xiao Anzi saw that this person was dressed luxuriously and had an extraordinary bearing, so he didn't dare to speak to him.Xin said, isn't this Li Qingniu from the small village of Niuxi? How could he know such a person.

Li Qingniu didn't pay attention to Xiao Anzi, he just thought in his heart, maybe he came to me to pay for her sword!Oops, now that I'm in someone else's territory, I'm afraid it won't be easy to escape.

"Well, Mr. Guo, what a coincidence! This is my friend Brother An. As for why I'm here, I'm obviously eating."

Guo Rui didn't care about Li Qingniu's small thoughts, and said happily: "Since we are eating, why not eat with us!"

Li Qingniu looked at Guo Rui alone.Puzzled: "You?"

"Cough, Xuan... Master Xuan is at the restaurant above. This man is really lazy. He wants to eat Wang Ji's sweet-scented osmanthus cake, but he doesn't want to move, so he has to beg Ben Da... Master to buy it! Let's go, let's go together." .”

Li Qingniu didn't want to go, he was afraid that the other party would ask for compensation, so he wanted to pretend that he was full.

"Thank you, Mr. Guo, for your kindness. I've almost eaten just now, so don't bother me."

Seeing his refusal, Guo Rui said angrily: "You wild boy, you haven't settled with you for destroying my sword! What's the matter, why don't you give me face by treating you to a meal?"

Seeing him like this, Li Qingniu had no choice but to touch the hilt of the sword wrapped in rags, bit the bullet, and looked at Xiao Anzi.

Xiao Anzi hurriedly said: "Since this young master invited you, then you can go. Remember to go back to the chamber of commerce tonight. I will sleep in the carriage tonight."

"Okay, Brother An, tell Old Shen that I'll be back later."

Guo Rui couldn't wait any longer, and urged: "Let's go, let's go, two big men, mother-in-law and mother."

Xiao Anzi saw that Li Qingniu was brought into the most expensive Dingsheng restaurant in Dongcheng by that noble son.Looking at the roadside stall I brought, I was immediately moved.

"It's really a sky and an underground!"

　Is there any difference between clouds and mud? My heart is the same color.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)