Chapter 22 [Mountain Village Night Talk]
The porter was familiar with the journey, and brought a few people to Linxi Village, where villagers he knew could look for them.
He knocked on a door.
After a while, the male owner of the house came out, saw that he was an acquaintance, and said with a smile: "So it's Lao Xie, and he went to the east again?"
The porter surnamed Xie said to the villagers: "Second brother Lin, these people happened to be traveling with me, and they have nowhere to stay today. I would like to borrow your small courtyard for a night's rest."
"Well, guests please follow me."
The villager, who is called Brother Lin, led everyone to an old courtyard, unlatched the door, invited everyone to enter, and then brought firewood: "There is firewood in the courtyard, and guests can light a fire to roast. It can dispel the cold air in the mountains, and you can sleep well at night.”
Everyone handed over two copper coins per person, and asked the villagers to help clean up the dinner.
The villager took the coin and was very happy. He arched his hands and said:
"Guests, wait a moment. I'll let my mother-in-law cook together. However, the conditions in the mountain village are limited, so I hope you don't dislike rough food."
After speaking, leave here and go to prepare food for several people.
This is a deserted courtyard, and the family inside, that is, the family of the villager just now, has moved to another place to build a new house.
There are no door frames and window lattices here. Fortunately, the house and courtyard are often cleaned, which can be regarded as clean.
It is not cold today, there is no need to enter the house to block the wind, and it is just right to see the starlight. Everyone uses the firewood in the yard, builds a bonfire, and sits around chatting.
Several people informed each other of their names.
When we first walked on the road, we just took a company together. Now that we spend the night together, of course we need to be more familiar with each other.
Hearing this proposal, the porter first said: "Xie Guang'an, a person from Huaifeng Mansion, specially travels between Huaifeng Mansion and Long'an Mansion, accepting entrustment to carry goods back and forth, and this business has been done for generations in the family, if you have any needs in the future , please also inquire about 'Huaifeng Laoxie who is the foot-carrying'."
Putting the bookcase aside, the young scholar who warmed up with the book boy introduced himself: "In the Qing Dynasty next week, I came from Guangping Mansion, and this time I went to Long'an Mansion, and went out of the state to Yangzhou to visit friends and study. This is my book boy Zhou Quan, and it is my honor to be on the same journey with you this time."
Everyone spoke politely, and then an elderly man who was a little older, and a man who looked like a family member, also briefly introduced who they were, where they came from, and where they were going.
After getting to know each other, Da began to get acquainted and talk more freely.
"All the way, I saw that the seedlings in Huaifeng Mansion and Nanyun Mansion are growing very well. This year must be a good harvest." While chatting with the bonfire, the scholar Zhou Qing sighed. Regardless.
The old man next to him nodded:
"The same is true for Long'an Mansion. It seems to be another good New Year's Eve."
Xie Guangan, the porter, sighed: "Unfortunately, for the farmers, the benefits are not too much. After all, a few more buckets and a few stones will not be able to offset the drop in grain prices. Daily groceries will only consume more harvest. Fortunately, everyone can eat by themselves. If you feed the livestock, you will be able to have a good year."
"Well, a good harvest is always good."
Several people are familiar with the world, so they are not surprised.
At this time, the villager who had just left came with a young young man, carrying pots and chopsticks, and greeted: "Everyone come to eat, the dishes and chopsticks have been washed."
A few people looked at it, and it was steaming hot in the clay pot. It was just steamed corn rice mixed with vegetables, and there was a little diced bacon in it.
There is egg drop soup in the jar, with some oily flowers floating on it.
In the small plate next to it, there are neatly cut pickles, with a little aroma of sesame oil.
Dinner was illuminated by the bonfire, which made several travelers who had traveled for a long time move their index fingers. After taking the rice bowl, they began to fill themselves vigorously. Only the scholar was a little gentle.
After the villagers served everyone a meal, they simply had nothing to do at night, and simply stayed by the side to watch everyone eat. After everyone finished their meal and thanked the villagers, the villagers were not in a hurry to clean up the tableware, but sat aside and listened to everyone's conversation.
The mountain village is closed and there are few new things. It is also a rare life adjustment to be able to listen to these people who have traveled far and wide.
The scholar suddenly turned his head and asked the villagers: "Do people often come to stay at the master's house?"
The villagers laughed and said:
"Most people on the official road will choose to rest in Huqiao Town. Every three or five days, there will always be people coming here, and I don't know if it is considered 'frequent'."
"However, I still come to this old yard to clean it every day, and I also prepare food, oil, and vegetables at home, and entertain people when they come. The family also has a small income."
The scholar Zhou Qing who asked the question suggested: "Why doesn't the master consider opening an inn here? It can also be regarded as a business."
The villagers laughed: "My guest, what do you think the inn is for?"
"Of course it is a place to accept visitors from afar for a fee, provide meals and lodging, and give people a place to rest." Hearing the villagers' questions, scholar Zhou Qingqing said naturally.
"What does the guest think they are doing here?" The villager knocked on the ground and asked the scholar with a smile.
"The only thing that is lacking here is a signboard, but when the signboard is not visible on the official road, is the signboard still important? Besides, the space here is limited, and I can't afford the capital, and I can't provide food and lodging for a few people. good."
Understanding the meaning of the second elder brother Lin, the scholar was speechless for a while, so he had to praise the other party a few words.
Surrounded by the bonfire, they talked about the new things in the surrounding provinces. It was nothing more than which big official put out the water mat, where the new powerful beast was caught, and where the terrible case happened.
After chatting for a while, the villagers nearby listened with great interest, and a few of them also began to lament that the bigger the place, the more lively it is, but it often makes people feel at a loss.
The porter Xie Guangan knew the villagers well, so he teased him: "Like Linxi Village, there shouldn't be any changes. Every time I come here, it feels the same as last time, and there is no change. This is the real clean and good place."
Unexpectedly, the second brother Lin, a villager, shook his head: "Old Xie, you don't know, there is really something going on in the village this time."
"oh?"
Several people chatting on Xingtou saw that there was a new Huatou, and they all turned their attention to see what the villagers had to say.
The villager said: "Guests, you don't know something. This Linxi Village almost disappeared." After a while, seeing that the people around him were listening to him carefully, he continued to tell the story of the past few days:
"The terrain here is quite high, and it is impossible to drill a well. Our daily water is taken from a small stream outside the village. But a few days ago, that small stream suddenly became smelly, and then suddenly stopped flowing..."
He described the situation in detail. When it was said that the woodcutter in the village came into the mountain to find the immortal, and then Fang Xianchang subdued the pangolin demon, and then invited the mountain **** to dredge the water vein again, everyone exclaimed again and again.
First update~
(end of this chapter)