Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Three

The clothing store's business was really good. Tian Qing and Dou Hua settled their accounts that day and made a profit.The young couple lay on the kang and thought, if things go on like this, their prospects will not be worse than opening a cobbler's shop, and it will only take two years to redeem the Tian family compound. energy. The business of the cobbler's shop is not as good as before. Every time the accountant handed over the account to Liang Mantun, Liang Mantun thought he had made a mistake, and this month's profit dropped by 10% compared to last month.He complained to Qiu Qiaoqiao, saying that since he beat Yuan Datou and became Emperor Hongxian, the situation has not been stable for a day.Is the business doing well?

"You, don't just blame Yuan Shikai. Didn't Tian Qing turn from a camel puller to a clothing appraiser?" Qiu Qiaoqiao became even more resentful, "I want to remind you, there is still less than a year left. He can start the cobbler's business. If you don't think of a way, it's better to go down in the water day by day, and Tian Qing will become popular day by day. By this time next year, he still hasn't left my father behind. Is this shop in the past?" "He? He bought my shop? I'd rather light a fire and burn it down!" Man Tun is now afraid that others will mention Tian Qing.

"How dare you! Who do you think you are? This shop's surname is Qiu, not Liang!" "Okay, okay, the surname is Qiu, it's fine, the surname is Qiu!" Liang Mandun was also anxious, he didn't want to lose to Tian Qing, but he couldn't think of a better way, so he came up with Master Niu's idea.He wants to increase production, but Master Niu, who is in his fifties, has been in poor health recently, coughing intermittently. "Master Niu, I am the apprentice you taught me. From tomorrow onwards, you won't have to work. I'm going to find the best doctor in Baotou, and I'll show you a good look."

"Boss Liang, thank you so much." "Oh, you are my master! You are not allowed to say such polite words in the future." "What about the output?" Master Niu looked at Mandun. "Look at you, didn't I tell you that your main thing now is to cure diseases, and you don't need to worry about the workshop, I will take care of it myself! You are Qiu Ji's old man now, and I am your apprentice, which is equivalent to It's your son, as long as I'm still in charge here and Qiu Ji doesn't close down, I'll support you!" Master Niu looked at Liang Mandun not knowing why, and thought to himself when did this kid open it?

Liang Mantun rubbed his chin, "How about this? Your house has a bad orientation. It's too hot in summer and too cold in winter. You'll move to the accountant in a while. Live with Mr. Accountant." As he spoke, he put it on the shelf in the yard. The two men who nailed the leather said, "Lao Zhao, go to the city and invite the best doctor to come and show Master Niu's pulse. Old Yu, move Master Niu's luggage to the account room now. By the way, Don't forget Master Niu's chamber pot." The buddy, Old Yu, carried Master Niu's luggage to the accountant's office.When Lao Yu put down his luggage and wanted to open it, Master Niu called out, "Don't move!"

The accountant smiled, and said to Old Yu: "Don't you understand the rules, kid? There are four big beauties in the world, so you can't move around." "What four beauties?" "A carpenter's axe, a cobbler's knife, a bachelor's luggage, a girl's waist." Master Niu smiled, "I'm really sorry, Boss Liang insisted on letting me move here..." "Okay, okay, it just so happens that we old brothers will be your companions. It seems that Boss Liang really treats you with affection and righteousness!" Master Niu smiled wryly, "Really? Do you think he respects me so much because I taught him the craft?"

"Master Niu, what do you mean..." "Hmph, I know in my heart what he's after." He coughed again after speaking.Coughing and coughing, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. "Ah? You're coughing up blood!" The accountant was taken aback. Master Niu looked at the blood in his hand, and called Lao Yu back who had just left the house. "Take my luggage back." The accountant stopped him, "Hey? Master Niu, what are you doing?" Master Niu covered his mouth and said, "I'm in my fifties, why don't I understand? I have tuberculosis. Don't give it to you. I'm a bachelor, and when I die, it's just a stinky piece of land. You can't do it. You have seniors and subordinates. Little one, it's all up to you to support the family!"

Master Niu refused to live or die, and eventually moved back to his original residence.He only told Liang Mantun that he had trouble sleeping, and that he moved to a new place, neither sitting nor standing, so he would definitely not be able to sleep at night.There's no place like home. Liang Mantun had no choice but to give up. The thin monkey who was fired by him on this day came to Liang Mandun asking for a job.Liang Mantun had no intention of asking him to come back right now.He looked around, pulled the thin monkey out of the gate mysteriously, and said in a low voice: "Dude, you only know one thing and don't know the other-although the old thing stretched his legs and stared, but the keys to the precious places of the whole family are all locked." On Qiaoqiao's belt, to be honest, it's a 'eating labor gold'! I can't make the decision!"

"real?" "Which one of us is with whom? Am I worthy of lying to you?" He dug out his pockets, and gave the thin monkey a silver dollar and a few copper coins that he took out. "These are the pocket money that Qiaoqiao sent me. I gave them all to you." "This... this, you can't die if you get dizzy! I have to starve after spending all my money." "I can show you a clear way. You can go to Tian Qing. He and his wife Dou Hua opened a clothing estimation shop. The business is booming. You might as well find a job in his cabinet." Man Tun pointed out. .

"I'm not familiar with Tian Qing!" "You really can't find him. His heart is harder than a rock. You have to find Dou Hua. You, when Tian Qing is not around, go and beg her. The more sincere and pitiful the better. That woman has a soft heart." The thin monkey came to his senses, "I will! I will play Shen Baoxu's "Crying for Qin Ting" for him!" "Yes! Then stop dawdling here and start the show!" The thin monkey left happily. Liang Mantun spat at his back.Mr. Accountant saw this scene rightly. Thin monkey walked into the clothes estimation shop in ragged clothes, claiming to be Boss Tian's friend.

"Friend? Our boss has a friend like you?" The man didn't believe it. "I'm asking this question, Zhu Hongwu has become the emperor, don't you still have friends who have been begging with him? Oh, Douhua?" He saw Douhua, "Bah! Look at my stinky mouth! I should call you Boss lady!" "Skinny monkey? How did you get into such a mess?" "I...I..." He squatted down on the ground, "To tell you the truth, the proprietress, I'm starving!" After saying that, he began to cry. "Hey, Skinny Monkey, Skinny Monkey! Don't cry! How can a big man cry like a woman!" The thin monkey knelt down towards Dou Hua: "Madam Boss! Please have pity on me!" "Oh! What are you doing? Get up!" "If you don't promise to save me, I won't get up! I want you to reward me with a bowl of rice and take me in as your clerk. I don't want a penny of wages. Is it okay to eat and work for nothing like an apprentice? " "Ah, I can't make up my mind about this. You can tell me, just change your lazy body, you are quite a big man, why are you so messed up that you stretch out your hands to beg for food?" Tian Qing was talking. Outside came in to call for Douhua to be unloaded, and the thin monkey head ran out one by one, carrying a big package with difficulty, and walked to the shop. "Who is this?" "I don't know you? Skinny Monkey!" Douhua said with a smile. Thin Monkey hugged the package and smiled at Tian Qing, "Boss Tian! You are such a noble person, how forgetful you are!" "Why did you accept him?" Tian Qing asked in surprise, pulling Dou Hua to the back room. "Where did I accept him? He insists on staying here as a buddy. If I don't agree, he won't be able to kneel down. I also know that he is not very honest, but I think he is very pitiful." "That's true." "Why don't we just keep him, he said, no wages. Even if we can't do much work, we will support him for nothing, that is, we have one more person to eat." Douhua is also a soft-hearted person. "He said that, we can't order him around for nothing! Let him get paid like other guys." Tian Qing thought for a while and said. The thin monkey finally got his wish.How could Tian Qing know what Man Tun was thinking? Liang Mantun's parents live in a rented house, and life is not going well at all.Although there are kitchen masters from the cobbler's shop who come to deliver meals every day, that is, steamed sweet potatoes in oxtail soup, all three meals a day are the same, and you can't even see any green dishes. Soaked.The master told them that the cobbler's business is not doing well, so they have to save a little from everyone's food, which is what your son ordered. "Master, has Man Tun of our family gone away?" The Liang family hadn't seen their son for several days. "No! These days, Master Niu, who is in charge of the table in the workshop, is sick, and he watches the workers work in the workshop every day." "I don't have time to come here after watching the workers work? Workers also work at night? You go back and tell Liang Mandun that I told you that we are his parents, not two pigs locked in a pigsty! Ah, it's meal time, just give us a trough of pig food and we're done, we're alive!" Father Liang said angrily. "Mantun's father, don't get angry, isn't Mantun busy!" "Don't make excuses for him. From the workshop to here, it's just a pissing time. If he still has a little bit of filial piety, he hasn't shown his face in a month? Who is he? Isn't he the owner of the cobbler shop? Busier than Yuan Shikai? I said he married a wife and forgot his parents!" He said to the master, "You can just say that to Man Tun when you go back!" Father Liang said angrily. "Okay, I will bring you the message." The master left in a hurry. "Let's eat. When I first came here, I ate this oxtail soup for the first time. It was really Chinese New Year! I have never had such a good soup and eaten so much meat in the first half of my life. Who would have thought that after more than two years, It's all this stuff, I feel like vomiting when I look at it. Tell me, his father, why can't I enjoy this blessing?" "Is this called enjoyment? I went to the workshop to see it once, and it was all scraped off from the cowhide. The cowhide that was just peeled off is fine; if the cowhide that has been peeled off for several days is covered with mud, it will not wash well." It can't be cleaned cleanly, it smells bad, and the flies are buzzing! It was originally thrown away, but it was used to make soup for the workers to drink. Do you not lose your conscience?" The more Liang's father said, the more angry he was, he simply refused to eat. Don't eat. Naturally, Liang Mantun didn't eat these. On the table he and Qiu Qiaoqiao had a few fried side dishes specially prepared by the master chef.Before we finished eating, the master chef brought back his father's words. Qiu Qiaoqiao turned her mouth when she heard this, "Hey! What do they eat when they are in their hometown? Delicacies from mountains and seas? A full feast of Man and Han? There is food and drink, and I open my mouth when I come to eat, and stretch out my hands when I come to clothes. Isn't that enough? I'm so busy at home, why? Do I have to pay them a visit every day? Are they the Empress Dowager, or the Supreme Emperor?" "Miss Boss, it's not that I'm too busy, it's the boss's old lady who insisted that I pass the message to the boss." The master said and left hurriedly, went outside and shook his head. Qiu Qiaoqiao slammed the chopsticks on the table, "I was eating, and they came to make trouble. You said that your parents, who are in their sixties and seventies, are still so ignorant? Ah? Why do you call people like that?" Don't worry? Huh?" "Don't be angry! You can't be angry if you are too angry, especially when you are eating. Okay, okay, you have the right to pretend that you didn't hear anything, and they didn't say anything, so it's over!" Man Tun persuaded helplessly road. "But I heard it, and they said it too! Let me tell you, Liang Mandun, you are the son-in-law of our Qiu family. Logically speaking, I can ignore them. I let them come here because of your face. Baotou. I give them food and drinks for free, what’s the matter? Are they picking their noses and eyes? If you’re so disrespectful, let them go! Isn’t the oxtail soup delicious? Let them go back to their hometown in Qi County to eat Yam eggs and Guanyin earth! No one is stopping them!" How could Liang Mantun have anything to say back? When Tian Qing and Dou Hua heard about the current situation of the Liang family, they felt very uncomfortable. After discussing it, they bought something and went to visit them.In any case, they are also folks who have made friends. That evening, Dou Hua brought a fruit box and a piece of pork, and Tian Qing went to see the Liang family with a bottle of wine and a basket of fruits and vegetables. "This ceremony is not too light, is it?" Douhua has a good heart, always afraid of treating others slowly. Tian Qing looked at the things in his hands, "What? Have you eaten Jingba pieces? Are you willing to eat fruit?" "Look at what you said, I can't bear it. Isn't this a gift!" "Okay, that's enough. Let's go." After Tian Qing and Dou Hua found out the location, they knocked on the door of the Liang family. Liang's mother's eyes lit up, thinking that her son and daughter-in-law had come, she asked the old man to open the door while arranging her clothes.Father Liang ran over to open the door, and was immediately stunned. Douhua called sweetly: "Uncle, aunt! How are you!" Mother Liang came back to her senses, "It's Tian Qing and Dou Hua? You are distinguished guests! Come in!" The two entered the door. Tian Qing and Dou Hua looked around, there was no other furniture in the room except a Kang table on top of the Kang, so they put four gifts on the Kang table. "Uncle and aunt, this is me and Tian Qing honoring your two elders." "Oh, it's a great honor for you to come and see our two old coffins, why are you spending money on things?" Father Liang was so moved that he didn't know what to say. "Actually, there is nothing rare. It is easy to get angry, so I bought some fruits and vegetables for you. This is a Beijing eight pieces brought back by a friend of ours who drove a camel to Beijing. There are cakes, mung bean cakes, and Saqima. .This is a piece of pork. You eat too much ox tail, it’s annoying, change the taste. This is also Zhuyeqing given by a friend—hometown wine, give uncle a taste.” Tian Qing smiled and pointed to the things he brought. Liang's mother wiped away her tears: "Douhua! You... tell me what to say!" "What's the matter, ma'am, this is really like a fellow countryman meeting a fellow countryman, with tears in his eyes!" Father Liang sighed, "You two are really righteous! Logically speaking, we are not relatives anymore, and it is our Liang family who is sorry for your Tian family, and you still want to come and see our two old bones! It's not easy! " Tian Qing said: "Uncle, what you said is wrong. My sister came to your house when she was nine years old and grew up under the care of your two elders. This kindness is enough for me, Tian Qing, to repay for a lifetime! " "Stop it, the more you say that, the more sorry I feel!" Dou Hua wanted to help with the cooking, but this family didn't even have pots and pans. "Ah, it's not bad for Liang Mantun to deliver meals to you on time every day, so you two don't have to worry about it." Dou Hua said. "Yes, I don't need to bother. Damn, we can't catch up with the sheep. We are two sheep, can we choose the grass we like to eat on the hillside? We can only be regarded as pigs raised in the pen. They We have to eat whatever the couple feed us!" Father Liang became angry again without realizing it. Douhua opened the lid of the fruit box, squeezed out a piece of Saqima, handed it to Liang's mother, and took a piece of cake to Liang's father.Liang's mother took the Saqima and ate it. Thinking about her sadness, she couldn't help crying. "I can't count on the son I raised, you girl, you haven't even drank a sip of cold water from my house, and you are so kind to us..." "Look at what you said. During this year, Tian Qing and I were busy pulling camels, here today and tomorrow there, so we didn't have the time to come and see you. Now we live in Baotou, and we will visit you often in the future Yes." Dou Hua spoke from his heart. When they left, the Liang family felt much better. Carpenter Xu has been with Prince Nuoyan, the fourth son Wang Qi, for the past two years, and the two get along as harmoniously as they did when they were children.When they are free, they often discuss marksmanship together, and Carpenter Xu is naturally better than Prince Nuoyan.He told Prince Nuoyan that shooting a gun is not to compete with anyone on the shooting range for getting more rings, but to win when they really meet the enemy, so it depends on who shoots faster. "If you aim at three points and one line for a long time, the target will not return fire. Otherwise, before you can aim, the enemy's guns will fly over." "Makes sense." "It's a troubled time now, and there are as many soldiers and bandits as a cow's hair. If I rely on my fists and feet alone, can I protect you well? Prince Nuoyan, have you heard that Liu Yidao, who was eliminated by you before, is now pulling up the pole again?" , you have to be careful. It's nothing important, so it's best not to go out again." Carpenter Xu reminded. "I'm not afraid of Liu Yidao and Liu Erdao. With you and the guards protecting me, why am I afraid of his gang of little thieves?" "Be careful and make no big mistakes!" Carpenter Xu's worries were not without reason. Now Liu Yidao, the second master and the mountain leopard have formed a team again, and there are more than two hundred people.Although the weapons are messy, made in Hanyang, there are old sleeves, and there are big knives and spears, but the arrogance is very arrogant.They haven't forgotten the previous hatred, and they have been thinking about avenging the fourth son Wang Qi. "I heard that Prince Nuoyan of the Siziwang Banner has been prepared for a long time. He has a royal guard of 50 people, all of which are made in Hanyang, and have a lot of bullets. Merlin and the team leader of the guard are also equipped with mirror boxes. We are more than There are many of them, but they are all a gang of mobs. If there is a fight, it may not necessarily take advantage." The leopard in the mountain reminded Liu Yidao, "I think it is not easy for us to pull the pole again. It is not worth hitting the wall for revenge. Right." "You are right. However, I must avenge this arrow. We will not smash his kiln. The little prince has drunk Russian ink, and he is not a prince, so he insists on joining the Revolutionary Party; I don’t support Yuan Shikai, Emperor Hongxian, and I don’t support Sun Dapao. I heard that he often comes out to do business and provides military pay to Sun Dapao in Guangzhou. Let’s put out more eyes and ears, and when he comes out, we will also lay an ambush on him.” Liu Yidao hated hate to say. "That's a good idea!" "In order to avenge this arrow, the two of you will lead the brothers separately to the grassland, mainly to grab horses! Let our brothers have horses to ride. Otherwise, Prince Nuoyan from the Siziwang Banner will enter our ambush , we can't keep up with him! The day we have enough horses is the time when Prince Nuoyan's head will be moved!" Liu Yidao said fiercely. So, Liu Yidao and his gang fled to the Shahukou area again. One day, the mountain leopard, who was inquiring about news in the city, saw the notice to arrest Li Yi at the city gate.The notice stated that Li Yi had killed two guards of the Horqin Palace and wounded five. The purpose was not to rob the palace but to oppose Prince Darkhan's escape from the famine. The mountain leopard told Liu Yidao and the second head of the family the news. Liu Yidao was overjoyed, "That will save us trouble." Tian Qing also saw the notice on the city gate of Baotou, and his heart suddenly lifted, worrying about Li Yi's life and death.When I came back and told Douhua, both of them didn't know what to do, because they didn't even know where Li Yi was now. In fact, Li Yi was on Baotou Street right now. When he entered the city, he saw the notice on the wall.He lowered his head, lowered his broken top hat, and hurried past the door of Tian Ji's clothing shop.But after walking a few steps, he turned back and turned his eyes to the coffin shop.He saw Tian Yaozu sitting and drinking tea inside.Unexpectedly, Tian Yaozu raised his eyes at this moment, and the two looked at each other.Li Yi immediately turned his head and left.Tian Yaozu chased him out, looked at Li Yi's back, ran to the gate of the city to look at the wanted notice on the wall, and understood in his heart. Liu Yidao finally met Prince Nuoyan. Carpenter Xu and Prince Nuoyan led a dozen guards to discuss business.That day, Carpenter Xu felt that his right eyelid was always twitching, his left eyelid was twitching for money, and his right eyelid was twitching for disaster. He thought it was a bad omen, so he persuaded Prince Nuoyan to go back.Prince Nuoyan said that the business has already been agreed with others, don't you Shanxi people pay attention to integrity?what do i say?Said my Merlin said that his right eyelid twitched and the business was closed? Carpenter Xu had no choice but to tell everyone to protect the prince. The group speeded up. Suddenly Battelle was taken aback, jumped off his horse, and put his ear to the ground to listen.Everyone took the horse and looked at him nervously. "How is it, Battelle?" Carpenter Xu asked nervously. "At least a hundred horses are coming towards us!" The horses of the guards also seemed to have a premonition, and they were restlessly restless. "Don't mess around, surround His Royal Highness the prince!" Carpenter Xu first turned his horse across, and led everyone into a circle, enclosing Prince Nuoyan's horse in the middle. Liu Yidao's men and horses appeared on the horizon. At first, they were scattered small black spots, and gradually the black spots became bigger and bigger, and the formation became denser and denser.Liu Yidao fired a shot into the sky, and the troops stopped.It just happened to circle the royal guards in the center of the circle. Carpenter Xu said to everyone, "Don't pay attention to them, don't stop!" The guards continued to walk slowly around the prince. Liu Yidao waved to the leopard in the mountain, and the leopard in the mountain lifted the rein and ran towards the prince alone. "Protect Your Highness, Your Highness." Carpenter Xu walked forward to meet the leopard in the mountain.The two horses approached, and a few steps away, both men stopped. "Can you understand the words of the Han people?" the mountain leopard asked. "I am a Han Chinese. I am Merlin of the royal guard." "Ah. I see, you must have been a gangster too!" "I don't understand what you're talking about." Carpenter Xu stared at the other party. "Ah, then you're out of luck. Well, let me introduce myself." "No need, you are the leopard in the mountains, the big boss under Liu Yidao, we met before." Leopard in the mountains looked at Carpenter Xu carefully, "Ah, you are that carpenter!" "good." "Since you are a carpenter and a Han Chinese, it's easy to say. Our head of the family has made a relationship with your Prince Nuoyan." "I know. Six years ago, the princess of Lord Horqin wanted to marry Prince Nuoyan. Liu Yidao wanted to rob their bride price, but he didn't want to be ambushed by Prince Nuoyan. Hundreds of you died and scattered until Only recently pulled the pole again. Right?" "Yes, so, we are here this time to want the head of your Prince Nuoyan. You get out of the way and give the prince to me to take back." "What if I don't agree?" Carpenter Xu went forward. The leopard in the mountain quickly drew his gun, "The grievance has the leader, and the debt has the owner. Our masters don't want to fight with your guards, lest everyone hurt their peace." "I also want you to tell Liu Yidao that if he wants revenge, he will come to me. His fourth son, Prince Wang Qi, is married to the princess of Horqin. If you want to rob money and kill yourself, it is completely reasonable for the prince to resist." "But so many of our brothers cannot die in vain." "So, it is right for Liu Yidao to settle accounts with me. I am from the same town as your eyeliner Sai Banxian. I was the one who saw his secret and reported it to the government and Prince Nuoyan." Carpenter Xu dared to act Make things clear. "It's you?" "That's right. Even Sai Banxian doesn't know about it." "Okay! You are a man! But, you voted for the wrong mountain gate!" The leopard in the mountain turned his horse's head and walked towards Liu Yidao. Xu Carpenter stood still and watched the leopard in the mountain walk up to Liu Yidao and make gestures and say something.Seeing Liu Yidao wave his hand, he led five people and followed the mountain leopard to force towards Xu Carpenter. Carpenter Xu drew his gun very quickly, and fired six shots in a row, knocking away the hats of six people including Liu Yidao and the mountain leopard.When Liu Yidao drew out his gun, Carpenter Xu had already turned his horse's head and walked back calmly. The second master said to Liu Yidao: "Shoot him to death!" "It's unjust to shoot him in the back, isn't it?" said the mountain leopard. Liu Yidao said with great admiration: "Yes, he spared six of our lives. According to the rules of the world, we were blown away with his 'Liangzi'!" He fired two shots into the sky, and retreated with his troops . "Baoyin! You are really an eagle on the grassland!" Prince Nuoyan said excitedly to Carpenter Xu who came back.