Chapter 32 Chapter Six

In the afternoon, Tao Gan left the street, walked across the gleaming snow, crossed the old school grounds, and walked all the way to the Temple of the General in the face of the piercing new wind. When he arrived in front of the General Temple, Tao Gan saw that there was indeed a small brush and ink shop at the corner in front of him. There was a signboard of "Ye Ji" hanging on the door, the four treasures of the study were displayed on the counter, and several calligraphy and paintings of famous people hung on the wall, which was very elegant. Tao Gan walked slowly to the counter of a butcher shop opposite Ye Ji Bi Mo Zhuang, and handed over some loose silver.The shopkeeper of the butcher shop put on a smile and asked, "Do you want pork or mutton, sir?"

Tao Gan smiled, and said softly: "I just want to ask for a letter from the shopkeeper, and I don't want to buy meat. I have the right to accept the money." The shopkeeper was overjoyed, rubbed his greasy hands, took the money, and thanked him endlessly.Asked: "I don't know what the guest officer is asking? But it doesn't matter." Tao Gan said: "It's nothing serious. Does the shopkeeper Ye from Bimo Village opposite often come here to buy meat?" The shopkeeper laughed and said: "The guest officer asked me a long time ago. Don't look at his shopkeeper Ye, who has a good business, but he has already run out of pockets and owes a lot of debts to outsiders. How can he have money to buy meat? - A person is good Bet you can have a good life?"

Tao Gan asked in surprise, "Ye Bin likes to gamble?" "Ah! No, no, I'm talking about his brother Ye Tai. Ye Tai is a vagrant kid who doesn't do business properly. He is unattended and wanders around wantonly. He likes to gamble, but he is unlucky. If he gambles, he will lose. If he loses, he will come to the shop to ask for money. Alas, shopkeeper Ye has been tricked by his brother for a lot of money. Today, shopkeeper Ye himself is like a bodhisattva crossing the river, and he can't keep it. Ye Tai couldn't help it, so he cheekily asked his sister for money. Well, now that his sister has been killed, it seems that Ye Tai has no capital to gamble from now on."

Tao Gan nodded frequently, and asked again: "Does the shopkeeper know which casino Ye Tai often goes to?" The shopkeeper of the butcher shop pointed at him, "The upstairs of the silk shop is the place he likes to go the most." Tao Gan understood what he heard, thanked him, and bid farewell to the shopkeeper of the butcher shop, and walked towards the silk shop. Tao Gan went up the stairs of the Silk House and took a look, and saw that although it was a gambling cave, it was very neatly arranged.Bar screens, calligraphy and paintings set off the white walls.In the room, tables were lined up for gambling games, and the gamblers yelled loudly while shaking their treasures.

A chubby black-faced man was holding a hookah bottle, staring at Tao Gan, walked up slowly, and said with a smile on his face: "Your Excellency, I have never recognized the wind. Please come in, please come in." , Let's play a round!" Knowing the rules of the casino, Tao Gan hurriedly grabbed a handful of change from his sleeve and handed it over.The fat shopkeeper narrowed his eyes with a smile, and was about to give up his seat. Tao Gan cupped his hands and said, "I came here today. There is a saying. Does the shopkeeper know Ye Tai's naughty fellow?" "I know, I know. Why did your gentleman ask him?"

"Because Ye Tai owed me a lot of money and was about to pursue it. He said to death that he lost everything here a few days ago and couldn't repay it. I couldn't believe it, so I came here to ask the shopkeeper about it, and then make a plan. .” "Your Excellency, please listen to Ye Tai's lies. He has lost but he has lost before. But when I came here to bet last night, I saw that he was holding a lot of white silver." Tao Gan yelled: "This bastard is covering up the truth! He told me that his brother is a miser, and he has a big eye for copper coins. In the past, his sister gave him some money, but now his sister has also been killed... ..."

The fat shopkeeper nodded and said: "This is also the truth, but Mr. Your Majesty still doesn't know that he has squeezed a lot of money from a bully recently." Tao Gan hurriedly asked: "Does the shopkeeper know who is taking advantage of that?" The fat shopkeeper shook his head. Tao Ji said: "Is the shopkeeper interested in betting this with me? —— He took out the jigsaw puzzle from his sleeve." The fat shopkeeper was taken aback: "Jigsaw puzzle?" "Yes, jigsaw puzzle, fifty copper coins win or lose. You name something, and I use it to spell that thing out."

"It's a deal." The fat shopkeeper looked at the jigsaw puzzle curiously, and said, "You just spell out a round copper coin for me. The copper coin is my favorite in my life." Tao Gan struggled for a long time but couldn't make it out, so he had to admit defeat.I thought that if it was Lan Dakui, he would be able to spell out a penny very quickly. Tao Gan bid farewell to the shopkeeper of the casino, went downstairs and went to Liao Wenfu's house.Liao Wenfu's home was not far from the Confucian Temple, and when Tao Gan arrived, he saw that the black lacquered gate was tightly closed.He raised his hand and was about to knock on the door, but he saw a small restaurant opposite Liao Wenfu's house. After a second thought, he lifted up his robe and walked up to the restaurant.He picked an empty seat by the window and sat down, ordered two dishes and a dime of wine, and poured it all by himself, while carefully looking down at the movement of Liao Wenfu's house opposite.

Not long after, Tao Gan saw a man who looked like a shopkeeper coming out of the rice shop next to Liao Wenfu's house, and came to the restaurant.This person entered the restaurant and happened to sit at the same table as Tao Gan.He ordered a few delicious dishes and ate them hungrily. Tao Gan took the opportunity to lean over and chat with him.After a few sips of wine, both of them blushed and talked too much.Talking about Liao Wenfu who talked about the price of the rice market and the house opposite.It turned out that this Liao Wenfu was also in the business of rice, wheat and grains, and he was a big director of the rice company in Zhoucheng, so he was very familiar with the shopkeeper.

Tao Pian asked: "Shopkeeper, the matter of Liao Wenfu's daughter is also very strange, why did she disappear in a flash?" The shopkeeper of the rice shop giggled and said, "I don't know, Miss Liao already has someone in her heart, and she deliberately avoids people in her actions, and now she is flying away somewhere to have a good time." "Does the shopkeeper know their whereabouts?" Tao Gan asked hastily. "How do I know their whereabouts? It's just that once I saw them swinging out of the Chunfeng Restaurant with their arms hooked. They were thin after that. The Chunfeng Restaurant is a place where dirt and dirt are hidden, no different from a private brothel."

Tao Gan nodded frequently, suddenly realizing something.