But the bright moon shines on the ditch

In the early years, the meals for kiln workers were provided by the kiln owners, but the quality of the food was very poor. Almost every day they only had chili and black beans, pickles, salted radish, etc. The food was distributed equally by the handymen, and the quantity was very small.

This kind of dish is called kiln food, and there is a ballad that goes: "Bite both sides of a piece of black bean sauce, hold up the rice bowl and look at the smoke from the kiln - there is no food to eat." Later, a handyman master from Nanchang, in order to improve everyone's life, led Workers in the same industry went on strike.

The magistrate of Fuliang reported him to the county government, and the old master asked the kiln owner to change the kiln vegetable payment to the kiln dish money, three copper coins per person per day, half a catty of vegetable oil per month, one catty of salt, and four taels of pork every ten days.

The magistrate thought the workers' demands were reasonable and referred them to the kiln owners for discussion, but the bosses refused to agree to any of them.

The two sides faced off for a period of time. As workers were forced to make a living, they returned to their hometowns to farm and quit their jobs. This caused a serious crisis in the kiln industry. The disapproving kiln industry bosses hurriedly found the county magistrate to negotiate the resumption of work. The magistrate still asked them to agree to the workers. conditions of.

Unexpectedly, the kiln owners thought that if they rashly agreed to the workers' demands, the workers might push themselves further in the future and cause troubles again and again, so they adopted the strategy of "killing the present and doing the latter", that is, they agreed to change the kiln vegetables to the money and oil and salt;

You can ask for pork, but you must give one head, otherwise you won't be given one tael. In order to achieve this goal, they sent another five thousand taels of silver to the county magistrate.

When the news came down, the handymen sighed, and no one could think of a good solution. But the old master laughed loudly and said, "You've finished eating the pork!"

The next day, representatives from both parties came to the county government office.

The magistrate asked: "I want a head, do you have it?"

"Heads are brought!"

"What I brought is not good. I want a living person to come to court and answer questions."

"That's me!" the old master said loudly.

The magistrate took a breath: "You are so old, even if you have meat, you can't eat it."

The old master replied: "I can't eat well, but I have disciples and grandchildren, and they can always eat well!"

The magistrate was very moved and served a sumptuous table of beheaded wine. The old master died heroically under the Siwangmiao River. From then on, handymen in the kiln industry could eat meat every first, tenth and thirtieth day of the lunar month.

In order to commemorate the old master, the workers placed his spiritual tablet in the Wind and Fire Temple. During the holidays, everyone went to pay homage. With marches, uprisings, and strikes, the number of warriors who have stood up for injustice in the kiln and porcelain industries has increased over time. Tong Bin is not the only one who has a tablet enshrined in the Wind and Fire Temple.

Tong Bin only served as a representative of justice and set up an immortal banner for the Wind and Fire Temple.

Over the years, the people of Jingdezhen have formed a consensus that any movement in the Wind and Fire Temple will be taken seriously by the whole town. This time it was no different. As the parade gradually opened, there was a protest movement that almost ran through the entire kiln and porcelain industry.

At first, a worker in the wild rice shop was dissatisfied with his boss's change of white rice to brown rice, and he united with the whole town's wild rice shops to go on strike. The new county magistrate Zhou Qiguang dealt with the matter in a timely manner and ordered the ricegrass industry to resume the practice of white rice. Representatives of ricegrass workers from Raozhou, Nanchang, Fuzhou and Huizhou were sent to supervise the bosses' implementation and directly communicate with the pottery industry. The Supervisory Committee will make regular reports. If there is any violation, they will be fined for three days in the Ning Shao Guild Hall.

The workers were very happy and carried several plaques to the county government office, calling Zhou Qiguang Qingtian the Great Master.

However, as soon as Zhou Qiguang left Jingdezhen, the bosses unilaterally tore up the agreement. The workers were filled with indignation and more violent strikes and demonstrations broke out.

Because the wildflower workers no longer work, the porcelain cannot be shipped, and the ferry is full of ships. The owners of the porcelain shops and foreign merchants are like headless flies, and they can't find anyone to uphold justice.

Every day of delay is a waste of money. Who can hold back his temper? The bosses are becoming increasingly irritable, and the wildflower workers are unwilling to bow their heads and tolerate it, and conflicts between the two sides continue.

As Li Jiatou "accidentally" destroyed a batch of porcelain delivered to the owner of the porcelain store by Hutian Kiln, the owner of the porcelain store became completely angry. He united with the major porcelain stores and asked the Jingdezhen Ceramic Industry Supervisory Committee to come forward to rectify the chaos and impose serious sanctions. Industry norms.

Mr. Yang was pushed to the forefront.

The teams of various gangs, guilds, and bosses gathered at the entrance of the Ceramic Industry Supervisory Committee are getting larger and larger. New protest teams appear almost every day, driving the entire town to the climax of the struggle in the form of an overwhelming force.

When the old people looked at the situation in front of them, they knew that this movement could not go back and was bound to end in bloodshed. But this time, should it be the blood of the common people or the blood of the superiors?

No one knows.

Just when everyone was eagerly waiting for a person to take charge of the family and deliver justice to the people, a turning point appeared. On that day, Xu Zhong, the big owner of Hutian Kiln, tied up one of his stewards to go to the Ceramic Industry Supervision Committee.

Everyone is familiar with that steward. It can be said that everyone in the porcelain industry knows Hutian Kiln, and everyone knows Xu Zhiliu and Zhang Lei, the steward who has been working with Xu Zhiliu all year round.

On a hot summer day, the direct sunlight made people dizzy. The long-term gathering and stalemate made everyone look flushed, sweating profusely, and gradually showed signs of fainting due to heatstroke. They fought to get in the front row of the gold-painted gate of the Supervisory Committee, trying to get the fairest chance. They did not hesitate to spit and fight until a man who was tied up and thrown against the door appeared.

The man was naked and covered with bloodstains.

When he was dragged on the ground, the blood marks opened a passage that no one dared to approach.

The sultry, manic, angry and destructive elements of all the restless elements disappeared like bubbles at that moment.

The surroundings became strangely quiet.

Xu Zhong didn't need to say anything, anyone with eyes could see that he was a traitor. Xu Zhong kidnapped this person at the juncture of the town's large-scale demonstration. This shows that this person must have done something heinous, otherwise, it would not be enough to become an opportunity that would inevitably trigger a large-scale movement at this time.

After that, every word Zhang Lei said and every cry of cicadas under the scorching sun made people feel angry. However, everyone controlled it and forced themselves on the extremely narrow edge of collapse. Suppress your emotions and wait for the criminal to finish.

Chief Huang Jiazhou was among the crowd. He confirmed that Zhang Lei's words were true. Xu Zhiliu did not collaborate with Xu Daren in any unbearable or arrogant manner regarding the fight between Suhu Guild Hall and Huang Jiazhou. He even used the influence of the Suhu Guild Hall to help Huang Jiazhou gain maximum freedom of freight and improve the lives of the people in the island.

Lin's sister-in-law and the doctor who had treated the watchmaker also confirmed that the watchmaker was indeed suffering from an incurable disease beforehand and actively caused the kiln collapse accident, which caused the Anqing kiln to compete with the Hutian kiln on the same stage as the "progress rate" In order to win the trust of the eunuchs and successfully promote the New Deal reform.

The letters to Xia Ying were read aloud, proving Xu Zhiliu's innocence to everyone.

It turns out that talented scholar Xu is a good person! Turns out he was always a good guy!

"Remember when he wrote a love letter in the dragon vat to expose the eunuch's evil deeds?"

"Remember that his brother was slandered and forced to kneel to the eunuch?"

"Do you still remember the song "Fishing and Killing the Family" that was sung all over the streets on a snowy winter night that year?"

"Do you still remember Heizi who died in the river?"

"Remember Xia Ying who hastily closed the case?"

So...that's it.

How could such a good person kill himself because of his thoughts?

At this time, Zhang Lei said again: "The young master did not kill himself, but was killed by others."

"The person who harmed him was An Jiu."

"An Jiu threatened me with the lives of my family. On the night when I lost the spring and summer bowl competition with the young master at my young master's house, he put laxatives in the meals of the kiln workers, creating an opportunity for him to kill."

"I saw with my own eyes that An Jiu pushed the young master's family into the furnace and burned him alive."

"He also killed Master Xia and Master Zhou."

"All the bad consequences were caused by him."

The so-called loud sound and sound, the elephant is invisible, no sound is the loudest sound, no image is the most extensive image, because everything is based on consciousness and instinct.

In the brief silence when the wind stopped, and in the exchange of eyes with everyone rolling with tears, there was no longer any need for strong incitement. The wind, the sun, the chirping of cicadas, and the dazzling blood stains they felt were all. constitute the truth.

In other words, it constitutes cause and effect.

As a result, all evil naturally fell on Anjiu.

/

When a large number of people left the Ceramic Industry Supervisory Committee and turned towards Jingde Street to surround them, An Jiu's carriage had been parked on the side of the road for a long time. Liang Peiqiu did not expect that the news from Zhou Yuan a moment ago was that An Jiu took a carriage to an ordinary corner tower on Jingde Street.

She didn't know that many years ago, under that turret, An Jiu had been soothed by a touch of white from the loneliness of a long snowy night.

She didn’t know it then, she doesn’t know it now, and she will never know it in this life.

When the mighty men and horses wrapped the four-horse carriage, which was originally luxuriously decorated and magnificent, into dumplings, not even a fly could fly out, let alone An Jiu.

The anger of the people no longer needs any unnecessary exaggeration. Just the sound of demonstrations involving sticks and sticks spread throughout the east and west ends of Jingde Street.

An Jiu remained motionless, twirling orchids and singing a tune in the carriage, as if he was enjoying an ordinary afternoon.

Until Liang Peiqiu appeared surrounded by everyone.

People in the world have clear eyes and minds. When they hear "Butterfly Lovers", it is not difficult to guess that it is the story of her and Xu Zhiliu. The details are in line with everything today. Perhaps this is the most authentic version of the story, so she deserves it. Appearing here is for Xu Zhiliu, for Anqing Kiln and Hutian Kiln, for everyone, and for herself, making the final showdown with the eunuch.

An Jiu's voice slowly came from the carriage: "It seems that you are determined to kill me here today. So, can you allow me to have a few words with Little God Liang alone for the last time?"

"No!"

"Shut up, dog eunuch, today is the day you die!"

"Stop struggling pointlessly!"

Before Liang Peiqiu opened her mouth, the crowd shouted in unison.

An Jiu was scolded a lot, and he just smiled vaguely, smiling carelessly and not paying attention. He slowly opened the car curtain and looked at Liang Peiqiu from a distance.

"They don't allow it, so you and I can only talk like this." He seemed to feel the glare of the sun, and squinted his eyes slightly, "Liang Peiqiu, please come forward."

Liang Peiqiu was unmoved: "Whatever you want to say, just say it like this."

"What are you afraid of? Afraid that I won't do well before I die and will drag you with me to support me?" An Jiu's thin white hands pressed a red mark on the shaft of the car, "I do want to, but I can't let it go..."

Before he could say the next words, Liang Peiqiu strode forward and pressed down on the shaft of the car.

An Jiu smiled and lowered his voice naturally: "I knew you knew it, you guessed it, right? This is the place where I first met you... It's funny to say that I had supervised pottery in Jingdezhen for several years before that. How come I haven’t seen you before?”

Liang Peiqiu replied: "I don't care about the kiln affairs. I only stay in the kiln on weekdays, but occasionally I go to the teahouse to listen to books. In fact, you and I met in Mingquan Teahouse, but you were followed by a lot of people every time you came in and out. People are accustomed to looking higher than their heads, so how can they put civilians in their eyes?"

An Jiu seemed not to hear the sarcasm in her words, his pupils flashed brightly: "I see, I just said, how could I not see you in such a small place?"

It turned out that they had met before.

It turned out that she had noticed him a long time ago.

"Is it important?" Liang Peiqiu looked a little impatient, "What exactly do you want to say?"

An Jiu saw her beautiful brows frowning slightly, and thought that those brows were furrowed for him, and he felt a sense of pleasure.

"Let me tell you another piece of good news. My godfather, that old man An Gan, is dead..." He leaned on the driver's seat and smiled very easily and warmly. His whole body exuded a warmth that Liang Peiqiu had never seen before. Feeling proud, "He finally died, and he died before me. He didn't treat me well, and I was extremely happy to see him die, but... he was pretty good at judging people."

He said his life is thinner than paper.

At the moment, it seems that he was right. However, this matter was quite embarrassing. An Jiu didn't want to tell her, so she just wanted to know it herself.

"You said he was so immortal. He happened to die at this time. It seemed like he was urging me to die..." His hand slowly moved down, jumped over the car curtain, and reached towards her.

Liang Peiqiu didn't know what he wanted to do, so she subconsciously took a step back.

The crowd immediately erupted in shouts and curses.

Amid those extremely dirty curses, An Jiu withdrew his hand, with an imperceptible trace of sadness on his face.

"I know what you want to do, just agree to one request and I will fulfill it for you."

Liang Peiqiu's frown deepened: "If I don't agree, what can you do?" "I told you, I know what you want to do." He looked around the car curtain and looked out, "No, you gathered me Those people, I still don’t know what you want to do, but I know that my death cannot be in vain. Not only me, but those people cannot die in vain. If you want their death to be meaningful, you must ensure that my death is meaningful, so... …You don’t suffer.”

Liang Peiqiu looked at him in surprise. Across the car curtains that swayed in the wind, his face appeared and disappeared, sometimes soft and scary, sometimes warm.

She wasn't sure of his plans, just as she wasn't sure whether Zhou Yuan was really reliable.

After some time, she decided to take a step back.

"You said."

An Jiu was not surprised by her choice. She was completely brave and thoughtful, and she was absolutely determined to deal with him.

He could only console himself that he was the most special person in her life.

"Promise me not to die, not to risk your life for anyone."

W-what?

Liang Peiqiu didn't hear clearly and wanted to ask again, but she heard the crowd behind her making a noise.

Someone asked loudly: "What are you doing? Are you all trying to kill yourself? That person said that An Jiu killed Xu Zhiliu, and you believed it? Where is the evidence?"

At this time, he didn't care whether there was evidence or not, and his voice was instantly drowned out. Then, another voice rushed out, "You have all been used! Xu Zhiliu is not dead at all, he is Zhou Qiguang!"

"what?"

Now the crowd was in an uproar.

The best thing about a story is often the reversal. Such a reversal is enough to make everyone forget the current purpose.

"Not only that, Liang Peiqiu has also known for a long time that Zhou Qiguang is Xu Zhiliu. The two of them cooperated inside and outside, directed and acted on their own, just to fool you, and to use your hands to get rid of the eunuchs. The blame will be all on you afterwards... And they won the game and were relaxed , Jingdezhen is still the kiln entrance of their two families!”

"You're talking nonsense! Do you have any evidence?"

"Have you remembered the evidence at this time? If you go to the capital and inquire, you will know that the original Mr. Zhou was a sick man, half of his body was already in the coffin. Later, he miraculously recovered. Fortunately, he came to be an official here. You guys Say, can there be such a coincidence in the world?! If you still don’t believe it, just recall Mr. Zhou Zhou’s appearance. Are his eyes exactly the same as those of Xu Zhiliu?”

Nothing can withstand repeated thinking. If you think too much, it will become a yes. Some people who were so angry at Zhang Lei's betrayal gradually calmed down.

Looking back on the events before and after, I suddenly realized that what happened today was too sudden and developed too quickly. Originally, they were just protesting against the troubles caused by the many irregularities in the industry, but they never thought about killing the eunuchs!

Strikes and killings are very different in nature!

So they looked left and right, and in the swaying and dodging looks in each other's eyes, they began to think about retreating. At this time, whenever the eunuch came out and said, "Surrender and surrender, there will be no prosecution," or "Whoever kills the thief today will receive a reward of ten thousand taels." Many people rushed to get out of this official carriage bearing the mark of power. Or for that reward, become a brave man.

Human heart, what is human heart? The human heart is unified only for humiliation, trampling and slander.

The original target could be An Jiu.

The current target can be Liang Peiqiu.

An Jiu is in a high position, how can he not understand the evil in this? What's more, the people in Jingdezhen's fear of him was woven into their blood and engraved in their bones. As long as he says a word, things will be difficult to accomplish today.

However, he never said a word.

The short guards in the crowd who spoke out for An Jiu's sake looked at me and I looked at you. I wonder what the eunuch's intention was.

At this time, Liang Peiqiu's clear and resonant voice resounded in the sky: "Fellow villagers, please listen to me. I left home when I was young and have been in Jingdezhen for more than ten years. Thanks to your love, I have gained the reputation of a little god. I ask myself every question. The kiln and every fire are worthy of the heart.

The only thing he was ashamed of in his life was that out of selfish motives, he spoke ill of Xu Shaodong's family about the Spring and Summer Bowl Competition, which caused him to be in a trance and was killed by an eunuch. "

After saying this, An Jiu fell back into the carriage, closed his eyes, and smiled with a wet streak on his lips.

"As I mention it today, I hope you can abandon your selfishness and never lose integrity in your personal life and death and regret your great cause.

The influence of power has caused Jingdezhen's ceramic industry to stand under dangerous walls. The rancid glaze water has spread to almost every household, kiln, porcelain shop, and ship in the town. At least three-thirds of the profits from every porcelain bowl flow to the pockets of corrupt officials. In China, hard work cannot make the porcelain industry prosperous, and repeated regulations cannot cut off the exploitation and humiliation of evil spirits. Even now when gangsters are running around in the north and south, even a peaceful life is a luxury. Why? It's because there are always worse people who are provoking fights and encroachments.

Please think carefully, is the dragon vat fake? Are the Baicai reforms fake? Is the Ceramic Industry Supervision Commission fake? Was that kneeling on that rainy night a lie? Isn't "Fishermen and Killers" really shocking in your hearts? Isn't the vivid blood flow before your eyes enough to awaken your fighting spirit?

Even if it is for the sake that my children can sleep peacefully in the future, even if it is for the sake of my disciples and grandchildren no longer fighting for a meal of rice and three cents of silver, I can't look back after I made one move today.

Since some people suspect that I am the mastermind behind and directed today's episode, then...let me be the first person to take the lead! "

Soon after that, she shouted loudly and she climbed onto the carriage shaft with her remaining legs. In the flash of silver light, she threw herself into the carriage. Everyone held their breath and widened their eyes. They saw the curtain of the car swaying. Between the shadows of people, the silver light turned against Liang Peiqiu's chest, forcing her back. out.

She stepped back step by step until she reached the point of no return, and a mouthful of black blood spurted out. Above the thousand-year-old kiln entrance, a group of black crows suddenly appeared.

Rich black, hit this day in history.

Even if she was stabbed in the chest by a knife, she was fearless and said loudly: "A gentleman kills himself to become famous. This is the righteousness. Even if he dies, he has no regrets. Why is it wrong!"

I implore you to pick up the weapons in your hands, regardless of whether they are sharp or heavy. Please join me in shouting, "Quan Yi will die!" Long live the porcelain industry! "

"The eunuch must die, long live the porcelain industry!"

"The eunuch must die, long live the porcelain industry!"

What is the human heart? This is the human heart. The blood and tears of all the people are shaking up the sky and the earth, and they are living towards death. Who is afraid?

Listening to the piercing cry, An Jiu became more and more crazy, and laughed like crazy: "Okay, I didn't expect that I, An Jiu, would be here today! You are a bunch of ignorant untouchables, but you know that today you have all committed a capital crime that implicates the nine tribes! Don't do it! It’s because I’m so disrespectful of people’s lives in the land of fish and meat. It’s because you were reborn as a pariah. Who can guarantee that you won’t be greedy if you sit in my position?”

With a frenzied roar, the dagger fell in the opposite direction, and Liang Peiqiu was pulled over by him and held in front of him.

He stood on the shaft of the carriage, looking down at the dark crowd of heads below, with the indifference and numbness in his eyes that could only be seen by those in a superior position.

"Yes, I killed Xu Zhiliu, I also killed Xia Ying, Zhang Wensi, Zheng Jie, and even the officials in the province were killed by me. Not only did I kill them, I also colluded with the bandits to do this Jiangxi The king!"

His dagger drew a bright blood mark on Liang Peiqiu's neck. As the blood mark followed the cold silver light, it slid into his palm. He licked his palm like a bloodthirsty maniac and laughed wildly: "Who in the world doesn't want to be that person?" I am the only emperor? Do you think you can live a good life by killing me? Delusion! If I hadn’t supported it, Jingdezhen would have long been the prey of jackals dividing their spoils. Si, where can’t there be a second Anjiu?”

"Kill me and hundreds of Anjiu!"

He laughed loudly and looked up at the sky. Under the blue sky and the bright sun, the entire Qiongyu was covered in gray with no light.

The sky in Jiangxi is dark.

The common people felt a sense of hopelessness from the bottom of their hearts.

Was An Jiu wrong? There is nothing wrong. If local politics are dark, then the struggle for power between officials and the people will never be clear.

In an instant, Liang Peiqiu understood what An Jiu meant.

Although she couldn't see his expression at the moment, she knew that the warm feeling on his body before had disappeared. She closed her eyes tightly and spoke again: "But if you don't die, Jingdezhen will never see hope."

"Only if you die can we have a future."

"If you die, the truth will be known to the world, and then there will be good officials to clear our name and redress our injustice."

"When you die, those jackals like you will be afraid and will no longer dare to bully and trample us at will."

"Even if we are the most humble people in your eyes, we still have dignity and conscience, and we will rise up to resist the overwhelming evil."

"If you die, our feat today will not be in vain."

"Only your death can prove that our justice is correct."

Only if you die can all struggles and sacrifices be given meaning.

For this movement, if An Jiu is the cause, Liang Peiqiu is the result. The difference between her and Tong Bin is that Tong Bin represents thousands of workers who are oppressed by official power like him, while she represents not only the working class, but also the business class, not only the people, but also the official , what a great official! Such as Yang Chenggong under the dragon vat, Xia Ying under the Baicai New Deal, and Zhou Qiguang under the Ceramic Industry Supervision Committee.

Cause and effect do not need to be right or wrong.

Cause and effect is public opinion, controversy, communication, and public opinion.

In this case, why not give her a ride?

"I did it, and you have to promise me that you must live a long life..." As he said that, he raised the dagger. The next moment, in the posture of being attacked by Liang Peiqiu, he violently bumped into the car, and his arms subconsciously relaxed due to pain.

When Liang Peiqiu jumped off the carriage, he chased after her with a dagger raised. However, before he stabbed out the knife, the rebels who were mobilized and filled with enthusiasm had already taken action.

Along with the uniform murderous words, dozens of sharp weapons pierced the flesh.

An Jiu was like a straw dummy, nailed firmly to the shaft of the car. His braids were messy and his clothes were ragged. He looked around and saw that there was no one in the sky and the earth.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of him. It was a figure that was not clear and seemed to be the little palace maid who mended his clothes in the clothes bureau when he was a child. She also seemed to be the woman who wiped the blood from his soap boots with a clear and cold feeling.

There was joy on his face, and his arms stretched forward involuntarily, wanting to grab something. He had never grabbed anything in the past, but he didn't want to follow it with a puddle that penetrated deep into his heart and splashed on his face. blood on.

It hurts.

Little Nineteen really hurts.

At this time, Zhou Yuan, who was hidden in the crowd, suddenly shed a line of tears from the corner of his eyes.

He remembered the last words An Jiu said to him before leaving the house, "Don't you scholars have a very elegant saying? I've been dealing with me for a long time, and I'd rather be me."

It's a pity that he still hasn't read enough and doesn't know that that sentence doesn't apply to the wrong path, and he never has the chance to tell him.

That was the ending he chose for himself.

That night, he told him all her plans and advised him to assess the situation and leave Jingdezhen as soon as possible. But he refused to listen and stubbornly sang "Mu Guiying Takes Command" and sat in the hall until dawn.

After that, he happily said to him: Sir, I will not be able to recover my whole body. Please use the broken Guanyin porcelain under my pillow as a burial mound, and bury it with my remains on the mountain behind the kiln in Anqing.

I want to see her often.

/

After that, the scene fell into chaos for a while. When Liang Peiqiu was held hostage and knocked backward, even though she had expected it, she was still knocked into a trance.

If An Jiu hadn't pushed her off the carriage in time, she really didn't know what would have happened. By the time she reacted, she was already wrapped in a hug.

That was the familiar and warm embrace that she longed for!

The surprise was indescribable. She opened her arms and hugged him tightly. However, in the scene where people were tumbling on their backs, a gaze that was quenched with poison approached them with a chill.

She suddenly forgot to breathe, and her pupils dilated involuntarily.

She recognized that person. He was the short one among the tall and short guards who had been around An Jiu all the year round. She almost didn't think about it and twisted her body instinctively.

As the man's blade fell, a strong pain shot through his back.

A mist quickly rose in her eyes.

Either way, that's fine.

A tick for a tick.

This way she doesn't owe him anything. (End of chapter)