My Sword Has a Way

Chapter 24: Yancheng (Part 2)

As soon as the two entered the house, a scent of flowers hit them in the face, making people feel peaceful and intoxicated.

Through the screen, he could faintly hear the sound of water splashing, as if someone was playing with the water, which was a bit pleasant. The fat boy approached the screen carefully, and through three or two layers of curtains, he could vaguely see a beautiful woman half lying in the water with her back to him.

The fat boy's eyes widened and he swallowed. The fair-skinned boy beside him turned a blind eye and kept muttering: "Don't look at what's indecent, don't listen to what's indecent, don't think what's indecent!..."

Liu Zhihu was speechless, and then he looked at the spring scene behind the curtain. Just as the fat boy swallowed his saliva, the figure in the bathtub frowned and shouted, "Who is it!"

Liu Zhihu and Feng Xiaonian were shocked and thought to themselves that something was wrong. They were about to run out of the room, but the door suddenly closed. They felt a chill in their necks and stood still, not daring to move an inch.

"Turn around!"

The cold female voice rang in the ears of the two men again. At this moment, they were full of regret. They had not expected that this woman was not an ordinary person. They were afraid that they would be treated as lechers and arrested and taken to the government office today.

The two of them slowly turned around, their mouths crooked, eyes slanted, faces twisted, and they shouted loudly: "Sister, spare us, we didn't see anything!"

The girl became even angrier, and looking at the two people whose true faces she couldn't tell, she said in a cold tone, "Did you really not see anything?"

The two of them nodded quickly. At this moment, two lines of blood flowed out of the fat boy's nostrils one after another. The fat boy immediately cursed in his heart: "It can't be such a coincidence? This is too unlucky!"

Seeing this, the girl said angrily: "If you don't behave yourself, I will kill you!"

The two men immediately returned to normal, looking at the pretty girl who had already put on her robes, they were stunned for a moment. Seeing this, the girl blushed and said angrily: "Does it look good?"

The two of them nodded quickly, then quickly shook their heads. When they noticed that the girl's face had turned cold, they nodded hurriedly again. Now they both wanted to die.

"You scoundrels! Who are you? Tell me!" The girl's voice was very pleasant to the ear. Even though she was very angry, it still gave people a soothing feeling as if they were hearing wonderful music.

The fair-skinned boy said timidly: "I...I said we are reading the Spring and Autumn Annals, do you believe me, girl?"

The fat boy beside him also nodded hurriedly and said, "Yes! We read the Spring and Autumn Annals, we are not lechers!"

The girl at the side said sarcastically, "You are reading the Spring and Autumn Annals? What kind of Spring and Autumn Annals are you reading? You actually read it in my bathroom. It seems that you are not going to tell the truth."

"Wait, girl, I'm telling you the truth, can you please not kill us?" Liu Zhihu pleaded.

The girl frowned: "Hurry up and tell me!"

The fat boy gritted his teeth and said seriously, "We are real men, we behave properly, we are from the Tianshi Academy in Wolong Mountain!"

After these words came out, the fair-skinned boy at the side was stunned for a moment, and then he looked at the fat boy with a hint of admiration in his eyes. He couldn't help but think in his heart: "I, Feng Xiaonian, can't say such shameless words."

At this time, the girl asked the fair-skinned boy beside her: "Are you really disciples of Wolong Mountain?"

The fair-skinned young man looked proud and said, "That's right! You can kill me or chop me up, it's all up to you!"

When the fat boy heard this, he cursed in his heart: "No Bilian!"

The girl's face was gloomy: "Who is your master?"

The fat boy said, "We haven't officially become disciples yet. We have just been accepted as disciples. We are disciples of Elder Shi from the Tianshi Academy!"

The girl's face changed and she said, "You haven't become my disciple yet? Then you haven't been to the sect yet, right?"

They both said in unison: "No!"

The girl asked again: "What are your qualifications? What is the quality of your spiritual roots?"

The fair-skinned young man lowered his head and said, "Low-grade spiritual roots."

The girl then asked the fat boy: "What about you?"

The fat boy said proudly: "Superior spiritual roots!"

The girl's anger turned into joy when she heard this, and she immediately knocked the two men unconscious.

"Young Master Xiaotian is here, and I just happen to have something to tell him."

At this time, the young peddler had already arrived at the door of a tavern. Before he entered, he heard the voice of a middle-aged uncle.

"Uncle Li, you are so polite. I have always been under your care. Feel free to say whatever you want to say." The young man said politely and humbly as he greeted the middle-aged man and walked into the tavern.

"My dear little Tian, ​​this... this... this food..."

The middle-aged man looked embarrassed, and before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by an old man sitting on a recliner next to him.

"You boy, what he wants to say is that in this era, everything costs money. This is not a charity. This time the price of the three items has increased from three cents to six cents!" said the old man with a mercenary look on his face.

"What! Six cents!"

The young man looked frightened and said, "Old Han, I only sell a pair of straw sandals for five cents, but you want six cents for this meal! How about I give you both pairs of straw sandals in my package and give me a pot of pear blossom wine?"

"Oh, old man, what do I need your broken straw sandals for? The lowest quality pot of wine here costs five cents, not to mention the pear blossom wine. In the whole Yishui City, my pear blossom wine is the most full-bodied and mellow, and it's full of fragrance." The old man showed off with a proud look on his face.

The old man called Han Laotou was the owner of the Guilai Tavern. He had white hair and gray eyes, as if someone owed him a hundred taels of silver. The middle-aged man was the accountant, cook, and waiter hired by Han Laotou.

"Three cents is not impossible, unless you are willing to come to my shop to be an apprentice. Otherwise, it will be six cents in the future!" The old man opened his eyes slightly and said again.

"You..." The young man finally shook his head helplessly and said:

"Okay, let's go with the old three, and I'll pay six cents as you said."

The young man vaguely remembered that three years ago, when he first started setting up a stall in the city, he was at the door of this tavern. The old man wanted to drive him away at that time, but after circling around him for some reason, he suddenly changed his mind and tempted him to be an apprentice in his shop, offering a monthly salary of three taels of silver and free food and accommodation.

The young man, who had just entered the world of martial arts, was wary of all strangers because of the sudden changes his mother had experienced since childhood, especially those who were nice to him for no reason. He would reject them out of caution at that time.

"My boy, are you so unwilling to learn how to make wine that you must sell straw sandals?" the old man said, sizing up the young man.

The young man shook his head and replied, "It's not that I don't want to learn how to make wine, but I have a sick mother to take care of at home, so I really can't spare the time. I hope Manager Han will forgive me."

The old man looked at the young man, stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Haha...boy, do you know what you missed?"

The young man asked in doubt: "Oh? Please explain clearly, Manager Han."

The old man smiled but did not answer, and began to narrow his eyes again. The young man was also very depressed, thinking, did I miss some good wine and food? This old man Han was really inexplicable.

After a while, the middle-aged man named Li Mu prepared a roast chicken, a bowl of lotus seed porridge, and four steamed buns and handed them to Ning Tianhe. After Ning Tianhe paid the money and thanked him, he picked up the package and walked out the door.

Just as I was about to go out, I heard Old Man Han behind me say again.

"Little boy, don't say that I don't take care of you. You don't make much money in a day. I am kind-hearted and I feel sorry for you. Come to my place as an apprentice and learn how to make wine. The monthly salary is ten taels of silver."

Ning Tianhe was obviously stunned when he heard the ten taels of silver. Finally, he turned around and bowed to the old man and said, "Can I tell my mother at home and then give an answer to Mr. Han? I am used to being wild and I am afraid I can't stand the rules and ruin the business of the store. Then it will be a sin..."

The old man immediately opened his eyes and said, "Sure, there are no rules in my shop. It's very comfortable. If you don't believe me, you can ask Amu."

When the middle-aged man heard this, he nodded helplessly and thought to himself: "That's just what you want!"

The young man bowed again and said, "Thank you very much, Manager Han. I will give you an answer tomorrow. I'll take my leave now." After saying that, he walked out of the tavern.

As soon as the young man left, the middle-aged man walked up to the old man and said respectfully, "Boss, why are you so concerned about this young man?"

The old man on the recliner was startled, then he opened his eyes slightly and said, "This young man is not simple!" He glanced at the middle-aged man and immediately scolded him, "Go sell your drinks quickly. Tell me, why are you so dumb? If you weren't honest and simple, I would have changed someone long ago!"

After the old man finished speaking, he looked at the boy's back as he walked away, muttering softly, "It's really interesting. With my cultivation, I can't see through the fate of this boy. Even if I use the Tianyan Jue to deduce, it's still ambiguous and I can't see the true meaning. It seems that this boy must be the one! How should I seize this opportunity? Haha... Never mind. Although the road is broad, it is difficult to cross the unpredestined people. Although the rain is heavy, it is difficult to moisten the grass without roots. Let everything be as fate dictates!"

Yishui City, located in the southwest of the ancient feudal state, Xiao County, is one of the thirty-six counties. Xiao County has five cities under its jurisdiction, namely Yancheng, Qingfengcheng, Huotiecheng, Yishuicheng and County City.

The county town was originally called Mocheng, but later it was set up as the county governor's residence and was mostly referred to as the county town.

Yishui City is divided into four areas. The East City is mostly inhabited by powerful families and cultivators. The Ning family is located in the East City. The South City is where the city lord resides and the military headquarters is stationed. The North City is a commercial place where all kinds of trading transactions are concentrated. The West City, backed by the Ancient Feng Mountains, has always been a barren land, mostly home to hunters and is one of the slums in the city.

About a quarter of an hour later, Ning Tianhe arrived at a small ditch at the foot of the mountain with food. There was a towering old mulberry tree beside the ditch. It was said that it had a history of nearly three thousand years. There were even rumors that there were demons and some mountain monsters living under the tree. However, the specific facts could not be verified due to the long time.

There is a small mountain village here. It is not big and its name is Shipan Village. The village winds along a small river for two or three miles. There are about twenty households. At the end of the river, there are three or two thatched houses, surrounded by a small courtyard surrounded by bamboo.

By this time, night had already risen, and wisps of smoke were swirling above the house, while at the entrance to the yard, two lanterns were emitting a soft, warm yellow light.

At this time, a sloppy old man was sitting on a rattan chair at the entrance. The old man was wearing a tattered robe, had long yellow hair, deep eye sockets, and a wine gourd less than a foot long hung around his waist.

The material of this gourd is very ordinary, and the workmanship is very rough. It does not look like the fine products sold in the market. Even the mouth of the gourd has cracks. It looks more like a semi-finished product that a child is practicing carving. At this time, the old man's hands are interweaving back and forth to weave a straw mat. His movements are skillful, and he is obviously a master.

Ning Tianhe walked closer with brisk steps, and asked tiredly: "Old Sun, you're back so soon, where's my mother?"

"Oh, the young master is back, and the young lady is in the room."

The old man called Old Sun hurriedly stopped what he was doing and walked over to Ning Tianhe. He took the package from Ning Tianhe and said eagerly, "Young Master, did you have a good day today?"

The boy handed over the package and replied: "It's going well. How about yours?"

Old Sun said with a sly smile: "Look at this..."

Ning Tianhe looked in the direction of Old Sun's hand, and saw a brocade cloth bag appear in Old Sun's hand. Ning Tianhe took the bag and opened it. There were more than ten taels of silver in it, which was enough for the living expenses of an ordinary family of four for nearly two years.

Ning Tianhe swept away his previous fatigue and whispered, "Old Sun, where did you get this? Did you steal other people's things instead of selling straw mats properly?"

Old Sun said seriously, "Hey, young master, am I that kind of person? I have lived an upright life! How could I do such a petty theft..."

"Hey... stop, tell me the truth. A few days ago, Aunt Zhang next door lost two chickens. Did you give them to her? She kept scolding me for two days and I couldn't sleep well. And the ducks from Uncle Liu's house were also lost by you, right?" The young man saw that Old Sun was about to talk nonsense again and interrupted him.

Hearing what the young man said, Old Sun hurriedly stepped forward to cover Ning Tianhe's mouth and said, "Oh... my little master, please keep your voice down, don't let others hear you. Besides, didn't you eat the duck from Liu Dazhuang's family, and you still complained that the duck meat was not enough and you were not satisfied."

"How would I know that it was Uncle Liu's? Anyway, you killed him and it has nothing to do with me. Tell me, where did the money come from?"

Old Sun took a sip of wine and said, "Today I met a middle-aged nobleman at the market. He was suffering from a serious illness, the same as an old friend of mine, so I told him the cure. He didn't believe it at first, but after a while of persuasion from me... no, after a thorough inspection, he believed it without a doubt. So to thank me, he used the money to buy all my straw mats."

"My dear young master, just accept it with confidence. This money is absolutely clean." Old Sun consoled.

After listening to Old Sun's words, Ning Tianhe still pushed the money back and said, "This money is too much. I can't take it. If I accept it, my mother will scold me to death."

When Old Sun heard this, he said in a scoundrelly manner: "If you don't want it, young master, I will go to the city to gamble tomorrow."

Ning Tianhe jokingly said, "Old Sun, you should clean up your shabby appearance and save some money. Maybe you can find a wife. Why do you think about things that don't work all day long?"

"How can I, an old man, not be doing my job properly? Besides, I am very satisfied as long as I have a family like the young master. As for family?... I, an old man, am already half buried in the ground, so please don't make fun of me, an old man." As Old Man Sun was speaking, he seemed to remember something and his expression became a little lonely.

Ning Tianhe patted Old Sun on the shoulder and consoled him, "Okay, Old Sun, I'll keep this money for you. When I have money in the future, I'll build a big yard for us, and hire some pretty maids to serve you. I'll take care of you in your old age."

When Old Sun heard this, his gloomy expression immediately disappeared and he returned to his original state and said, "Young Master, you must keep your word! I will choose by myself when the time comes. I like girls with big breasts and big butts, haha..."

Ning Tianhe laughed when he heard it: "Okay, then those with big butts and big breasts, haha..."

"By the way, don't let my mother know about this." Ning Tianhe reminded in a low voice.

Old Sun replied in a low voice: "Don't worry, young master. I know that this matter is known to you and me, and no third person will know it."

The young man smiled and shook the roast chicken in his hand and said, "That's good. Here, I bought a roast chicken. After my dad eats it, it will be yours. Let's go and prepare to eat."

"Okay, I'll hold it for you." Old Sun said as he reached out to take the roast chicken from Ning Tianhe's hand, and then the two of them walked towards the yard.