Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

"Xiao Yi! Xiao Yi! Is that you? Don't run!" The woman who was shouting and chasing was a woman wearing a curtain hat. She rushed into the narrow alley along the route Wu Xiaoyi escaped, only to find that there was a long and narrow alley. It was empty and there was no one, except for a wild cat that was disturbed and jumped up on the wall three times, staring at the intruder with its dark green eyes vigilantly.The woman couldn't help but sigh in disappointment: "Did I see it wrong? It's obviously Brother Xiao Yi? Could it be that he hid on purpose and didn't want to see me?"

"Who are you? What can you do with me?"

A deep voice came from behind. The woman turned around and saw the face that she had seen so many times in her dreams. She still had that heroic look in her brows, but she had more sideburns on her cheeks. The thick beard and broader shoulders add to the charm of a mature man.The woman's eyes felt blurred for a while, and tears had already burst into her eyes: "It's really you, I knew it, I knew I would see you again in this life!" After saying that, she lifted up the drooping veil of her hat, revealing a slightly veiled face. Her pretty face looked a little haggard: "Do you still recognize me?"

"Su Su? Is it you?" Wu Xiaoyi's face changed drastically. He quickly released the handle of the knife in his sleeve and said anxiously: "I really didn't expect to see you again? Where is Zuju? Is she okay?"

"You can still remember the move, and it's not in vain that little girl's heart for you!" Wang Susu sighed: "Two years ago, there was an epidemic in Chang'an, and she was also infected, but she couldn't survive it. I’m still chanting your name before I die!”

"Hey!" Zheng Juju was a famous prostitute in Chang'an at that time. She and Wu Xiaoyi had grown up together since childhood. They were very close friends. The corners of his eyes couldn't help but get wet. After a while, he sighed: "It's true that beauties are so unlucky. Liu Tainiang, Xu Qiuniang, Where are Yang Guier and the others?" He asked about all the famous prostitutes in Chang'an at that time, whom he knew well in the three songs.

"What else can we do?" Wang Susu sighed: "The beauty has grown old in a blink of an eye, and she has been young and beautiful in an instant. What else will happen to our daughter's family in Sanqu? Tai Niang also died in that epidemic; Yang Guier died three years ago She married a merchant from Bingzhou and moved to Taiyuan. I don’t know what’s going on now; as for Qiuniang—” At this point, she paused for a moment.Wu Xiaoyi quickly asked: "What happened to Qiuniang? Why didn't you tell her?"

"She's fine!" Wang Susu smiled: "It's just that she's old and couldn't go upstairs two or three years ago. But she plays the pipa very well, and she spends her days teaching the children how to play the pipa!"

"That's okay!" Wu Xiaoyi couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he heard that his old acquaintance was safe and sound, and said with a smile: "What does it mean to be old? I remember she is one year younger than me, and she is only 25-[-] years old this year. This is also called old. ?”

"Hey!" Wang Susu sighed: "Xiao Yi, have you forgotten where we are? The daughters in the Jiaofang debuted at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and not even three of the ten survived until twenty. 25 Six is ​​not old yet?”

Wu Xiaoyi was silent for a long time after hearing this. Just as Wang Susu said, at that time, the daughter's family in Chang'an Jiaofang usually debuted at the age of thirteen or fourteen, and most of them were eliminated before they were twenty, like It can be said that Xu Qiuniang is the only one who can still be on the front line at 23.

"What about you? How are you doing now?" Wu Xiaoyi asked.

"Finally I asked Su Su! You have a conscience!" Wang Susu rolled her eyes at Wu Xiaoyi and said with a smile: "I'm not as strong as Qiuniang. I married a tea merchant at the age of twenty."

"That's fine!" Although Wu Xiaoyi felt a little sad in his heart, he also knew that this was the fate of the girls' families in the Jiaofang. Being able to marry well was already a good outcome: "How have you been doing these years?"

"How should I put it?" Wang Susu smiled and sighed: "Compared with hanging out with the Wuling boys, the days of A Thousand Feet of Red Ribbon are naturally inferior, but one cannot always be proud in this life. My Although my husband is busy with his business all day long, he stays away from home for seven or eight months of the year. On the contrary, I ended up in peace, which seems to be okay now!"

“It’s good to be pure, it’s good to be pure!”

"What about you? Xiao Yi?" Wang Susu asked: "It has been seven or eight years since you left Chang'an. Where have you been in these years? Longyou? Or Anxi?"

"No, I went to Haidong!" Wu Xiaoyi sighed: "I have experienced a lot in these years, done a lot of things, and killed a lot of people! I am no longer the Wu Xiaoyi I was before!"

"No!" Wang Susu shook her head: "In my eyes, you are still the little Brother B from Pingkangfang!"

"Really?" Wu Xiaoyi looked touched: "Where is Juju's cemetery? I want to see it!"

"I'll take you there!" Wang Susu said with a smile: "The cemetery is not far from Qiuniang's residence. You paid homage to Jiuju and happened to pay a visit to Qiuniang. She must be very happy!"

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Pingkangli.

"Qiu Niang lives here?" Wu Xiaoyi looked at the dilapidated bungalow in front of him and asked in a low voice.

"Well! It's very close to the place where she teaches pipa. It only takes half a cup of tea to walk!" Wang Susu replied, while stepping forward and knocking hard on the door: "Qiu Niang, Qiu Niang, open the door quickly. Look who I will bring. I count on you!"

A soft female voice came from inside the door: "Susu, please don't knock. If you knock again, you'll break it!" With a soft sound, the door opened, revealing a woman in green clothes, her right hand wrapped in a piece of cloth. He glanced at Wang Susu coldly: "I don't care who you bring here, you have to say ugly things first. My finger was injured a few days ago and it hasn't healed yet. I won't play the pipa tonight!"

"Really?" Wang Susu smiled and pointed behind her: "Look who is here? Besides, it can't be played!"

Qiuniang looked in the direction of Wang Susu's finger, and her pupils suddenly dilated. She covered her mouth with her right hand and said in a trembling voice: "Xiao Yi, is it really you? Didn't you go to Longyou? I didn't expect to see you alive. Coming to you!" The room is not big, and the light from the oil lamp looks a little hazy. Wu Xiaoyi is sitting next to the counter, holding a stoneware wine glass in his hand, already a little tipsy. Wang Susu and Qiuniang are sitting opposite the counter, Listening to his gossip, his face was full of intoxication.

"So you didn't go to Longyou and Anxi, but to Haidong!" Qiuniang sighed: "I heard that those Chang'an boys who were sent to Longyou and Anxi were all sent to the dangerous places of Fengsui and Tuntian. Earth, there may not be even one of the three who can survive. The sisters in Pingkangli all prayed for you, and the Bodhisattva blessed you and sent you to the east!"

"Yes!" Wu Xiaoyi sighed: "It is indeed the blessing of Bodhisattva. If I had gone to the west, I would probably be dead!"

"Really?" Wang Susu asked: "But I heard that the fighting in the east was also fierce, and it was no less dangerous than the west!"

"That's different!" Wu Xiaoyi shook his head: "Those people who went to the west were used as livestock messengers. I went to the east to follow General Wang. Although it was dangerous, General Wang was able to outrun others and save the day. I He also made some achievements under his hands!”

"Is that General Wang?" Wang Susu asked.

"Who else!" Wu Xiaoyi said with a smile: "My teacher is also under his command and is already the leader of his guard!"

"No wonder! It turns out that General Cao is here too!" Wang Susu said with a smile. She glanced at Qiuniang: "Qiuniang, I just heard you say that my finger was injured. Even if the king of heaven comes, I will not play the pipa. Got it!"

"Nonsense!" Qiuniang was already half drunk, her eyes were looking at Wu Xiaoyi for a moment, and she couldn't bear to leave for a moment. She pulled off the green cloth wrapped in her right hand, took off the pipa hanging on the wall, and turned the pegs to plectrum. After playing the strings twice, several sounds of music could be heard in the room. Xiao Yi instinctively held his breath, waiting for Qiuniang's performance.

Qiuniang tuned the pipa strings, smoothed her hair from her forehead, then picked up the pipa, put her right cheek close to the neck of the pipa, played with it and picked it up. At the beginning, the sound of the pipa was like running water, crisp and clear, seeming to express the infinity in her heart. story; then the sound of the music became more urgent, with large and small strings intertwining, so dense that it was almost impossible to hear the gaps. It was like a pearl falling to the ground, the birds singing among the flowers, and the spring water under the ice. People couldn't help but listen; suddenly, The sound of the piano suddenly turned deep and gentle, and stopped for a moment from time to time, just like a palace maid sobbing, and she was secretly sad. When Wu Xiaoyi heard about her life experience, she couldn't help but sigh, and put her hand on her forehead, tears streaming down her face. .

"Qiu Niang's skills have improved again!" Wang Susu sighed: "No wonder He Shancai in the studio always said that his skills are far inferior to Qiu Niang, even the few worshipers in the palace are far inferior! By the way, this song Why have I never heard it before? What song is it?"

"It's because Xiao Yi came today that I got something. If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have been able to play it so well!" Qiuniang put the Pipa aside and said with a smile, "What do you think of Xiao Yi? Did I play it wrong? ?”

"I have been in the army all these years, dancing swords and drawing bows, how can I tell which music is good or bad!" Wu Xiaoyi said with a wry smile: "You just played so well that it was like fairy music to my ears!"

"As long as you like it!" Qiuniang's originally haggard face was already full of joy, adding a bit of charm: "Are you going to live in Chang'an forever? Come here often? I'll play the pipa for you!"

Seeing Qiuniang's expectant smile, Wu Xiaoyi couldn't help but be speechless. He hesitated: "I have some things to do when I come back this time. I'm afraid it will be inconvenient to come here often!"

"Inconvenient?" The smile on Qiuniang's face disappeared, and soon she seemed to understand something, and nodded stiffly: "You are right, you are no longer the evil boy from Chang'an, and it is indeed inappropriate to come to a place like this. It’s so convenient, I made a mistake!”

"No, I didn't mean that!" Wu Xiaoyi wanted to explain, but remembering the great revenge he had yet to avenge, he swallowed the words of explanation as they reached his lips.Bitterness filled his mouth, yes!How else can one explain such an ominous person like himself?They are already unfortunate enough, do you want to bring more misfortune to them?

At some point, the atmosphere in the room became awkward. Wang Susu looked at Wu Xiaoyi and then at Qiuniang, wanting to say something, but not knowing how.After a while, Qiuniang suddenly stood up: "It's getting late, the Wanfang gate will be closed, and there will be a curfew on the street, so I won't leave you two alone! Please!"

Wu Xiaoyi awkwardly walked out of the door and heard the sound of the door closing behind him. He sighed helplessly. Wang Susu on the side glanced at him: "Xiao Yi, Qiuniang is actually very pitiful. What she wants is actually very simple. , you just need to come and accompany her from time to time, and she won’t do anything to you!”

"Su Su!" Wu Xiaoyi lowered his head: "You don't understand. In fact, I also want to come and listen to Qiuniang's pipa, but I also have my own secrets. If I come here often, I'm afraid I will harm her! You are the same, I am an unlucky person, it is best not to see each other again in the future!" After saying that, he quickened his pace and ran towards the way he came, as if he was running away from something.

Wu Xiaoyi didn't know how long he ran. When he stopped, it was already dark.According to the rules at that time, at dusk every day, drums were beaten to close the gates of each square, and street envoys led cavalry patrols. Ordinary people were not allowed to go out outside the squares until the second quarter of the next day, when drums were beaten again in the palace, and the gates of each square were closed. It was reopened and pedestrians were allowed to leave the workshop.He knew that Wuhou's patrol would appear soon, and he would definitely be in trouble if he was caught, so he first identified his location, and then walked carefully along the dark part of the road.

Wu Xiaoyi has studied martial arts in Liaodong, Korea, Japan and other places over the years and practiced hard. The thing that he worked hard on the most was not the art of weapons, bows and crossbows, because he knew that his enemy was in the ninth level. Even if he practiced martial arts At the highest level, it is impossible for a person to break through the protection of the guards and avenge his family.Therefore, what he has spent the most on over the years has actually been secret assassination techniques such as concealment, concealment, ambush, climbing, and poisoning. Although these techniques are worthless if taken apart, they can often produce miraculous effects if used suddenly.I saw him walking on the street at night, silently, leaving only half a shadow, like a ghost.

Wu Xiaoyi sneaked for a while, and was only one block away from his residence. He was thinking about where to climb over the wall to get in, when he suddenly heard a sound of people coming from in front. He thought it was the night watchman Wu Hou who had arrived, so he hurriedly wrapped his head in a cloak. He hid behind the old locust tree on the roadside, preparing to wait for the night watchman to pass before passing by.But as the sound of people approached, Wu Xiaoyi saw a servant holding a lantern in front of the road, a sedan in the middle, and guards on horseback on both sides. It was some kind of night guard Wuhou, it should be a nobleman who came back late from an outing and violated the night ban.

Wu Xiaoyi breathed a sigh of relief. The men and women's laughter came from the sedan not far away. It was obvious that there were both men and women in the sedan.He was too lazy to meddle in such noisy matters, and was just about to close his eyes and rest his mind for a while, when he suddenly found the word "武" on the lantern in the hand of the servant who opened the way.

I have a meeting before get off work, so the update is late, please forgive me!
By the way, I am shamelessly asking for votes and subscriptions!It’s not easy for middle-aged people to work part-time as codewords!