When the old man returned to the Old Brush Pen Shop on Lin 47th Street, Sangsang was still squatting in front of the stove, frowning at the burning firewood and thinking about the Divine Skills she had learned daily.
"Let's eat." The old man said.
Sangsang had been in a trance and did not notice that the old man had left for a while. She was startled when she heard this. She stood up and looked at the edge of the old man's wet clothes. She vaguely understood something, and her lips slowly curled up into a smile.
The old man also smiled and sat down at the table.
Sangsang didn't ask him what he had done when he left the Old Brush Pen Shop. She served him a bowl of rice and heated the yellow croaker. She picked up the fattest one and put it on the rice pile in his bowl. Then she poured a spoonful of delicious steaming soup.
"What did Aunt Wu cook for lunch?"
"Lettuce with chopped garlic."
Sangsang asked, "Is it delicious?"
The old man answered, "Not bad … but I don't understand why she didn't put salted fish in it."
Sangsang raised her head and asked in confusion, "Why did she put salted fish in it?"
The old man was puzzled and looked at her little face, "But you put it in when you made lettuce last time."
Sangsang lowered her head and said, "When young master made lettuce, he didn't even put chopped garlic in it."
The old man was startled and sighed with emotion, "Well, I remember that the vegetables we ate in the Taoist temple didn't even have oil. I don't know why. Now that I'm old, I'm coveting these extravagant pleasures."
"Young master said it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Everyone is the same. Teacher, you don't have to blame yourself."
Sangsang comforted him.
…
…
The next day at dawn, the old man got up and carefully folded the bedding on the table and put it back in the corner behind the shelf. Then he opened the door of the Old Brush Pen Shop and looked at the distant morning light, squinting his eyes.
Last night, Sangsang told him that "it's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality", which somehow touched him. He found that he was too coveting the life in the Old Brush Pen Shop and forgot to look for the shadow of the night.
They still had hot and sour noodle slice soup in the morning. When the old man was about to wash the dishes, Sangsang signaled her to let him rest. The old man smiled and said that he was going out for a walk today and might not come back for lunch.
"It's good to go out for a walk. It's not good to be cooped up at home all day."
After thinking for a while, Sangsang took out a piece of silver from her belt and handed it to him. She told him, "If you're tired and want to sit in a teahouse, just sit there. Don't be stingy with money. Just don't go too far. If you can't remember the way, don't be embarrassed to ask others. People in Chang 'an are very friendly. If you can't remember the way, just find a casino and tell them that you are Mr. Qi. Someone will take you back."
The old man was afraid of his female disciple's nagging, so he carefully took the silver fragments and put them in his pocket. After repeatedly saying yes, he left the room.
After leaving Lin 47th Street, he went all the way to the north, passing through the Imperial Palace in the Eastern City and exiting Chang 'an through the Xuanwu Gate. Finally, he came to a hill covered with winter snow in the north of the city. Looking afar from a high vantage point, one could naturally see into the distance. The old man looked towards the north in silence. The morning star was dim, as if it was about to be absorbed into Haotian's body of light.
…
…
The plum trees in the back garden of the Southern Gate Temple were covered with a thin layer of snow.
The Nation Master, Li Qingshan, leaned lazily on the windowsill, looking at the snow on the plum trees and the little buds that seemed to never bloom. Suddenly, he coughed violently. The sound of his coughing echoed in the quiet hall of the Taoist temple. It sounded extremely painful.
Releasing the handkerchief that covered his mouth, the bright red blood stains on the snow-white handkerchief looked like plum blossoms in full bloom. He angrily looked at the plum trees outside the window and scolded, "They should have bloomed in the winter, but they never did. You just had to let me bloom a few first."
The Taoist nuns and Taoist boys of the Southern Gate silently waited outside the hall. Their faces were full of worry, but no one dared to enter.
He Mingchi walked over with a bowl of medicine and signaled a Senior Sister to take the Yellow Paper Umbrella away from his armpit. He walked up to the dark, smooth paulownia floor and walked behind Li Qingshan. He said painfully, "Master, you can't do divination anymore."
Li Qingshan took the bowl of medicine and slowly drank it. He folded the blood-stained handkerchief and wiped away the medicine left on his beard. He looked at his favorite disciple and said expressionlessly, "Wei Guangming showed up last night. He is indeed still in Chang 'an. He is limited to the three workshops, but he seems to be leaving. We have to hurry up on this matter."
He Mingchi took the bowl of medicine and said, "The Military Ministry and the Imperial Center Administration have already begun their preparations. They are just worried that they will alarm that person, so they haven't entered the North Street of the Fragrance Workshop to search yet. Only Uncle Master is there now."
Thinking about how his senior brother was currently searching for that powerful, terrifying bastard in the eastern city all by himself, Li Qingshan nodded after a very long period of silence. He said nothing more. He waved his hand, dispersing the people outside the hall and dismissing the disciples.
…
…
A black horse carriage was traveling slowly on the streets of the Eastern City of Chang 'an. If one did not look closely or even touch it with their hands, it would be difficult to discover that the carriage was made of steel. There were even some complicated and indescribable patterns carved on it. The specially made wheels rumbled on the hard stone road, appearing extremely heavy.
Master Yan Se leaned on the beautiful soft seat in the carriage. His triangular eyes were greedily searching for the trace of the Great Divine Priest of Light through the curtain. There was no serious expression on his old and wretched face.
If they really met, they would fight. If they really couldn't beat each other, they would die. It was not a big deal even if they stamped their legs and breathed their last. As long as one was human, that day would come. What's more, I already have a successor.
The cornice of the Spring Breeze Pavilion, which was newly built a year ago, passed by the window. Master Yan Se suddenly thought of Chao Xiaoshu and then his disciple who had been missing since he left. That disciple was a student of the Second floor of the Academy. Master Yan Se naturally did not care about his safety. He just thought that he might not have a chance to meet him again, so he inevitably felt a little regretful.
At this moment, he remembered that before Ning Que left Chang 'an, he had carefully asked him to help look after the little handmaiden named Sangsang. But these days he was busy with that matter and actually forgot to see her. The old Taoist shook his head and thought that since he happened to be looking for that old guy in the Eastern City today, it would be good to have a look after him after finishing his business.
…
…
Today, the first person to come to the Old Brush Pen Shop was not Master Yan Se, nor was it the old man who looked at the north outside of Chang 'an City. Instead, it was a young fat man. When the fat man jumped off the carriage, the flagstones on the Lin 47th Street did not tremble like an earthquake, but the flesh on his round face really rippled for a long time.
The young fat man pushed open the closed door of the Old Brush Pen Shop and sat down on Ning Que's usual round chair. He felt that the flesh on his thigh was a little painful, so he spat out a few words angrily and then shouted, "Serve the tea."
He really did not regard himself as an outsider.
Sangsang was preparing pine branch smoked bacon in the backyard, which was a craft she had just learned from Aunt Wu. She was going to make dozens of kilograms of bacon to surprise Ning Que. Suddenly she heard the shout from the front and thought that the shop door had been closed recently. She could not help but feel a little surprised, so she took a towel and walked into the front shop while wiping her hands, and closed the shop door immediately.
The young fat man saw that the skinny and dark little handmaiden who came over ignored him and went to close the shop door first. He could not help but be slightly stunned, and then he frowned and said, "The shop door is closed in the daytime. How can we do business?"
Sangsang explained, "If the shop door is open, the threshold will be trampled by people who come to rob the calligraphy sections."
The young fat man was stunned for a while and thought that it was indeed reasonable. He actually forgot Ning Que's great reputation in Chang 'an. He looked at the little handmaiden and asked, "My name is Chen Pipi. Have you ever heard of me from Ning Que?"
Sangsang was not surprised when she heard the name. She slightly bowed and said, "Sangsang greets you, Childe Chen."
Chen Pipi rubbed his round and cute chin and looked up and down at the skinny little girl in front of him. He suddenly shook his head and said, "Ning Que really has a reason to ask me to take care of you. Although I was born with an extraordinary temperament and I can tell that I'm not an ordinary person, you are still too gullible. I'm afraid there will be problems."
Sangsang said, "I know you are Chen Pipi."
She had been to the Academy several times, but the two had never met each other. Chen Pipi believed that there was absolutely no problem with his arrogant memory, so he asked confusedly, "Why are you so sure that I am a genius?"
Sangsang looked at him and explained seriously, "Young Master often mentioned you. He said that people who are so fat but not ugly are not wretched and disgusting. He even said that there are not many good-looking people. So I know you are you."
Chen Pipi's right hand that was rubbing his chin slightly stiffened. He wondered how Ning Que had slandered him in front of the little handmaiden. He also felt that although the evaluation mentioned that he was fat, it seemed to be somewhat useful. He did not know how to answer.
"Let's not talk about this."
Chen Pipi coughed twice and pretended to be serious and mature. He looked at Sangsang and said, "Today I come here to see you at Ning Que's request. After all, as a Senior Brother, I have the responsibility and obligation."
He very much hoped that Sangsang could show a moved expression, but Sangsang obviously did not have such a reaction. She just looked at him expressionlessly and softly thanked him. Then she went to make a bowl of cheap jasmine tea for him.
Chen Pipi looked at her back and said, "Youngest Brother said that he would invite me here for a meal. He said that you are good at cooking."
Sangsang looked at his chubby face and frowned. No wonder he looked like this. But she did not intend to keep him. She put the teacup beside him and softly said, "When young master comes back, Sangsang will cook for Young Master Chen."
What she wanted to express was very obvious. Ning Que should wait for him to invite you for a meal. It was impossible for you to barge in and ask for food. Don't you need to add more food with more chopsticks? With your figure, you need at least two more dishes, right? If it has to be meat dishes, how much more will it cost?
Hearing this, Chen Pipi's self-esteem was hit. Looking at the jasmine petals in the bowl, the fat on his face slightly twitched. He had to decide to tell the truth, "Ning Que said that there is a person smarter than me in this shop. I always think it is impossible, so I want to confirm it."
Sangsang looked around the shop and did not find anyone hiding.
Chen Pipi covered his forehead and said helplessly, "He said that the smartest person in the world is you."
Sangsang was stunned. She thought that Ning Que always said that she was stupid. How could he say that she was smart?
Although she was very happy to be praised by young master as the smartest person in the world, she was still very confused about this statement. She frowned and thought for a long time. Suddenly she thought of something and said shyly, "I am not smart. I just have a good memory."
Chen Pipi looked at her with a scornful smile and said, "I don't believe that there is anyone in the world who is better than me in memory."
Sangsang looked down at the small toe of the cotton skirt and did not want to argue with him.
"Ning Que's cultivation is not good, and his knowledge is also extremely poor. My talent was once recognized by Haotian Taoism and the Back Mountain of the Academy. I don't know what he is thinking. How dare he say that you are better than me."
Seeing her like this, Chen Pipi became even more angry and said angrily, "Why are you looking at the shoe? Do you think I will make things difficult for you? "
Although she knew that Ning Que was close to this Young Master Chen, Sangsang, who was quiet and even a little dull, was a little angry when she heard him mock her young master. She looked up at Chen Pipi's eyes and said very seriously, "My memory is also recognized by the City of Wei."
This was the truth. During the years she lived in the City of Wei, she was always the most popular notary because she had the best memory and could not lie. However, the City of Wei and the Zhishou Abbey … The difference between the two places was too big. But Sangsang still looked so serious and did not feel embarrassed at all. It was as if she wanted to tell Chen Pipi that since the City of Wei recognized her good memory, then it was really good.
As long as it was recognized in the world, as long as there were two people, they would not recognize each other. This was probably the principle that there was no second place in martial arts, especially when facing Sangsang's temperament. Chen Pipi wanted to prove that he was smarter and had a better memory than her, but it was useless to rely on words. He had to show some real skills.
"Let's compete." Chen Pipi said.
Sangsang was not interested in competing with others in terms of intelligence or memory. She thought of the pine branches under the cured meat in the backyard and would not agree to his request. She walked back to the backyard and picked up the pine branches with a wooden stick to make the smoke bigger. Then she took out a new urn from the kitchen and squatted by the well to wash it carefully.
A few days ago, she made a pot of chicken soup. The old man drank it happily and dipped a lot of soup in his beard. She thought that the young master also liked to drink the chicken soup she made. If she used the old urn to make chicken soup when he came back, the amount might not be enough. So she went to a small shop in Anping Lane and bought a new urn. She thought that she could make two urns of chicken soup in the future, which should be enough.
Chen Pipi looked at the back of the little handmaiden who was busy and kept pestering her. "I don't care. You have to defeat me with something today. Otherwise, I won't let you go. Are there any books in the shop? Let's compete in reciting books. The one who loses will treat the other to dinner. If you think it's boring … let's bet money! "
Hearing the word "money", Sangsang suddenly stopped washing the urn. She looked back at Chen Pipi.
Then she stood up and wiped her little red hands on her apron. She turned around and walked into the bedroom. After a while, she came out with a little red face. She said shyly and regretfully, "Young master, I can't understand those talisman books, and I can't read other books."
…
…
"Have I not spoken for a long time? Well, I waved my hand: Hello everyone. " "To be continued." If you like this work, please come to Qidian.Com to vote for me. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
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