Outside a house in Niping Lane, there was a naughty child with a slug hanging from his nose, kicking the door fiercely, cursing and spitting, "Wang Gu'an! If you don't get out, I'll find someone to hack you to death and smash all the junk in your house! I know you are at home, what are you busy with, are you doing that with Ye Dan's wife, Shi Hui? In broad daylight, don't you know how to take care of Ye Dan's feelings? Okay, okay, you won't come out, right? I'm leaving, I'm really leaving? Once I leave, you will never want to see me again in this life. I wanted to leave all my treasures to you, Wang Gu'an! Come out quickly!"
For some reason, at the end of the cursing, the child actually cried a little and fiercely pulled the two slugs back to their nest.
Gu Can suddenly felt a sharp pain in his head and turned around to look. When he saw the familiar face, the child cursed: "Wang Gu'an! Your uncle..."
The straw sandal boy looked unhappy, and Gu Can quickly changed his tone and added, "Are you okay?"
It was smooth and seamless, with a smooth transition and no abruptness.
Accustomed to the heartlessness of this bastard, Wang Gu'an, who was holding a new pottery jar, said unhappily: "Good or bad, don't you know?"
Gu Can realized that he had something else to do, so he quickly pulled Wang Gu'an to the gate of the courtyard, and then stuffed two beautifully embroidered bags into Wang Gu'an's hands. The child lowered his voice and asked: "Do you remember the little loach I asked you for last year?"
Wang Gu'an was confused, holding the heavy bag, and the things were not unfamiliar. The brocade-clothed boy who forcibly bought the golden carp at that time specially gave him a bag of copper coins afterwards. Wang Gu'an looked around. There were no pedestrians at both ends of Niping Lane. He still opened the door quickly, brought Gu Can into the yard, put the pottery jar aside, and asked directly: "There are strangers who want to buy that loach from you, right?! Gu Can, I advise you not to sell it! Don't sell it even if you kill yourself. Aren't you thinking about letting your mother live a good life in the future? You must keep the loach, do you know?!"
Gu Can burst into tears, grabbed Wang Gu'an's sleeves with both hands, and choked up: "I wanted to return the loach to you, but my mother wouldn't let me, and slapped me. My mother has never beaten me since I was a child. And that storyteller, I don't know if he is a god or a ghost, it's very scary. First, he took me to the white bowl, and then the loach suddenly became very big, much thicker than my big water tank..."
Wang Gu'an covered the child's mouth with his hand, and said with a serious face and eyes: "The loach is given to you, it is yours! Gu Can, do you still want your mother to live a good life in the future? Eat meat every day, let your mother use rouge and powder, and buy those silk clothes that feel smooth to the touch?"
Gu Can sniffed and nodded vigorously.
Wang Gu'an let go of his hand, squatted down, and asked: "What's the matter with the two bags of money? Did you steal them?"
Gu Can's eyes rolled, and he was about to lie. Wang Gu'an was too familiar with him to know what shit the little bastard was doing. He directly rewarded Gu Can with a chestnut and said sternly: "Take it back!"
Gu Can's temper also came up, "No!"
Wang Gu'an was so angry that his face turned blue. He raised his hand to hit him with a real chestnut, but seeing the child's stubborn expression, Wang Gu'an softened his heart, slowed down his tone, thought for a while, and asked: "What's going on? Tell me."
Gu Can told Wang Gu'an everything in detail. He did not deny that this child usually made people hate him, but he was indeed very smart and precocious. From the old locust tree to the iron lock well, and then to the Niping Lane courtyard, he explained to Wang Gu'an the adventure of the storyteller who wanted to take him as a disciple. Wang Gu'an had a rough idea at this moment. Gu Can was probably one of the people in the town who got the locust leaves from his ancestors. Whether it was smoke coming out of his ancestral grave or it was a chance and blessing as Mr. Liu and Taoist Lu said, Gu Can should be taken away from the town by the storyteller. But when he thought of Liu Zhimao, the True Lord of Jiejiang, Wang Gu'an's heartstrings tightened. According to Mr. Liu, this person's character was really bad, and he wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. He even used the magical powers of the immortals to frame himself and Cai Jinjian. Gu Can recognized this person as his master. Is it really a good thing? But let's take a step back. This person is willing to accept Gu Can as his apprentice, instead of cheating or forcing him to buy and sell. Doesn't this mean that Gu Can will not be worried about his life for the time being?
The naughty child's eyes turned rapidly. While Wang Gu'an was thinking about the problem, he suddenly grabbed the two money bags in Wang Gu'an's hand, threw them into the house, and then turned and ran.
As a result, Wang Gu'an grabbed the back of his collar and pulled him back to the original place.
Gu Can held his head with both hands, looking pitiful.
Although Wang Gu'an forcibly pulled the child back, he was hesitant about how to deal with it. The matter involved was too big. Wang Gu'an was afraid of making a wrong choice and causing Gu Can and his mother to be implicated.
If it was just his own business, this helpless boy in straw sandals would probably be much more straightforward.
The girl in black had gotten out of bed at some point and stood behind the threshold. "My mother once said that everyone has their own fate. This child is the kind of person who will bring disaster to people for thousands of years and will never lack bad luck in the future."
Gu Can's eyes lit up, and she quickly wiped off her two noses. She grinned, revealing her missing teeth, and said flatteringly with a smile: "Sister, you are so beautiful, you look exactly like my second sister! This place is small, come to my house and sit down?"
Wang Gu'an said helplessly: "When did your mother remarry your father?"
After being exposed, the child immediately rolled his eyes, changed his face and tone, and said: "Wang Gu'an, you are so promising. When did you kidnap a woman and bring her home? Are you going to make trouble in the bridal chamber? It's a pity that I can't catch up, otherwise I will squat in the corner and listen to you fighting on the bed..."
Wang Gu'an slapped Gu Can on the head and apologized to the girl in black: "He is like this, don't be angry."
The girl glanced at the child, "What a bear!"
Gu Can was about to use her family's inherited skills, but she felt the palm on her head quietly increase the strength. She immediately said weakly and sickly: "Sister, you are so beautiful, everything you say is right."
The black-clothed girl ignored the child, turned her head to look at Wang Gu'an, and said meaningfully: "You'd better accept the two bags of copper coins, so as not to become enemies in the future. And if this child succeeds in cultivation in the future, if you don't make him feel less guilty today, it is very likely that his Taoism will be unstable, allowing the externalized demon to take advantage of the opportunity to enter."
Gu Can liked to hear this, and gave a thumbs up to the sister, "She has long hair and more knowledge. She is indeed more reliable than a certain girl next door!"
The black-clothed girl raised her eyebrows and accepted it happily.
In the distance of Niping Lane, there was an anxious roar, "Gu Can!"
The child's face turned pale, "I'm leaving, Wang Gu'an, I'm leaving!"
Although she said she was leaving, the child herself didn't realize it, and she was holding Wang Gu'an with more and more force.
Perhaps subconsciously, Gu Can had already regarded Wang Gu'an as her only relative besides her mother.
Wang Gu'an walked out of the yard with the child, squatted down, and whispered: "Gu Can, remember to be careful of your master. Also, take good care of your mother, man, your mother can only rely on you in the future, don't always let her worry."
Gu Can nodded.
Wang Gu'an added, "When you are outside, do more and talk less, control your mouth, and take some losses. Don't always think about getting back at them. People outside are not like us, they will hold grudges."
The child's eyes were red, and he sang the opposite tune: "People here also hold grudges, except you."
Wang Gu'an didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and was speechless for a while.
Wang Gu'an suddenly woke up and asked in a deep voice: "Gu Can, did you get a locust leaf?"
If not, Wang Gu'an didn't think Gu Can had a chance to be immortal, maybe the arrival of the storyteller was a death warrant.
The child got angry when he heard this, and he took out a handful of leaves from his pocket, cursing habitually: "I don't know which bastard secretly stuffed so many broken leaves into my pocket. I just found them when I sneaked out of the house and hid the two bags of money. It was either Zhao Xiaopang or that girl Liu Mei! If they saw it when washing clothes for my mother, they would scold me for being troublesome! Fortunately, I am leaving now, otherwise I will secretly throw stones into their pit..."
The child cursed vigorously, and Wang Gu'an was stunned at first, then relieved. Seeing that the guy was about to throw them on the ground, he quickly stopped the child's action and said solemnly: "Gu Can, keep them! You must keep them! If possible, it is best not to let your mother see these locust leaves. This is probably for her good."
The child was at a loss, but still nodded: "Okay."
Wang Gu'an let out a long breath and said to himself: "I am really relieved now."
Gu Can suddenly leaned forward and knocked Wang Gu'an's head hard with his forehead, sobbing, "I'm sorry!"
Wang Gu'an rubbed his little head and scolded with a smile, "Silly!"
Gu Can suddenly whispered in his ear.
Wang Gu'an was stunned on the spot.
The child turned and ran away, jogging while turning his head and waving, "I heard from the old man that he would take me and my mother to a place called Qingxia Island, Shujian Lake. If you can't afford to marry a wife in the future, come to me. I'm not bragging. I will give you 17 or 18 stinky women like Shi Hui next door!"
Wang Gu'an stood there and nodded.
He was also a little sad.
After all, Gu Can was like his younger brother, so Wang Gu'an was willing to give in to Gu Can in everything.
The boy in straw sandals looked at the child's gradually receding figure, stunned.
His life is always like this. It seems that the people he really cares about can't be retained no matter what.
The young man in Niping Lane grinned.
God is very stingy.
The gate of the next courtyard opened gently, and the maid Shi Hui walked out. She was graceful and elegant, like a lotus in a pond.
Wang Gu'an asked: "Did you hear what Gu Can said about you before?"
She blinked her long eyes and said: "Just pretend you didn't hear it. Anyway, I can't win an argument with them."
Wang Gu'an was a little embarrassed, so he had to say good things for that bastard Gu Can and smooth things over, saying: "Actually, he is not a bad person, but he just speaks harshly."
Shi Hui pulled the corner of her mouth expressionlessly, "I don't know whether Gu Can is good or bad, but her widow mother is not a good person, I am sure."
Wang Gu'an didn't know how to answer, so he had to learn and apply what she said, pretending that he didn't hear anything.
She suddenly asked a strange question, "Wang Gu'an, do you really not regret it?"
Wang Gu'an was stunned, "What?"
Shi Hui saw that he did not seem to be playing dumb, so she sighed, turned back to the yard, and closed the wooden door.
Wang Gu'an, who had excellent eyesight, had been standing in the alley, and finally saw the door of Gu Can's house in the distance open, and three people walked out, including a mother and a son, each carrying a large and small bag, slowly walking to the other end of Niping Lane.
Wang Gu'an even clearly saw that the storyteller turned his head and glanced at him, with a playful smile.
After the three figures disappeared at the end of the alley, Wang Gu'an returned to his yard and saw that the girl in black could actually sit on the doorstep by herself.
Is her body made of iron?
Wang Gu'an first put the jade hairpin given by Mr. Liu and the two bags of copper coins brought by Gu Can on the table, then started to boil water, pick up medicine, and decoct medicine. He was familiar with the process, not like a kiln worker, but like a clerk who had worked in the medicine shop for many years.
The black-clothed girl was a little confused, but she didn't ask. She got up and came to the table out of boredom. After thinking for a while, she took out the money bag hidden in a bottle by Wang Gu'an.
After she sat down, there were three bags of money and a jade hairpin on the table, and of course a spiritual long sword that was "hiding" in the corner.
Wang Gu'an didn't stop her from taking the money, but turned around and reminded her: "The jade hairpin was given to me by Mr. Liu, Miss Ning, you should be careful."
Perhaps because he was afraid that the girl would not take it seriously, Wang Gu'an blushed and reminded her: "Really be careful."
The girl rolled her eyes.
Three bags of gold copper coins, spring coins, offering coins, and lucky coins, just happened to be gathered.
The girl held her cheek with one hand, stretched out her fingers with the other hand, fiddled with three copper coins, and asked casually: "How is your matter? Can you tell me?"
Wang Gu'an squatted at the wall beside the window, carefully watching the fire, and occasionally looking at the three prescriptions. After hearing the question, "Is it appropriate to say?"
The girl frowned and said: "You have been mixed up in such a miserable field, and you are still worried that someone will kill me after hearing the secret? Wang Gu'an, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but it's really because you are such a good person. I advise you not to leave the town in this life, otherwise you will die without knowing how."
The girl was very sad for his misfortune and angry at his lack of struggle.
Even if this kind of old-fashioned boy is a powerful swordsman with both the golden body of an arhat and the Taoist magic of a heavenly monarch, if he is thrown to her hometown, he will definitely die within a year, and no trace of his body will be left.
The boy in straw sandals said happily: "Then let me tell you about it?"
The girl pressed three copper coins with three fingers and wiped them on the table, "You can tell me if you want to."
Wang Gu'an told the girl what happened before Mr. Liu appeared, and selectively told her some of the things that happened afterwards.
After hearing this, the girl said calmly, "Liu Zhimao, the Master of Jiejiang, is obviously the culprit, but Cai Jinjian and Fu Nanhua are not good people either. If it weren't for Mr. Liu's interference, you would not be able to escape the encirclement and hunting of the three forces even if you escape to the ends of the earth. To put it bluntly, it would be very easy to kill you. If you were not in a small town, not to mention Liu Zhimao, even the woman from Yunxia Mountain could crush you to death with just one finger."
Wang Gu'an nodded and said, "I know."
The girl said angrily, "You know shit!"
Wang Gu'an did not refute and continued to boil the medicine.
She asked, "You had this disaster because of that loach, why don't you tell the child the truth?"
Wang Gu'an did not remain silent this time, nor did he turn his head. He sat on the small stool, looked down at the blue-red flame, and said softly, "It's not right to do this."
The girl hesitated, and finally looked at the thin back, and sighed, "Then do you know that if your fist is not hard, no one will care whether you are right or wrong."
The boy shook his head and said, "Whether others listen or not, the truth is the truth."
He seemed a little uncertain, so he turned his head and asked with a smile, "Right?"
The girl glared at him, "You big-headed ghost!"
The boy turned his head again in dismay and continued to boil the medicine.
The black-clothed girl, a foreign girl named Ning He, picked up the jade hairpin, looked at it intently, and found a line of small characters engraved on it.
She glanced at the boy named Wang Gu'an.
There were eight characters on the hairpin, and even the girl who was only roughly literate felt that it was extremely moving.
When thinking of a gentleman, he is as gentle as jade.