When Wang Gu'an came to Tiesuojing with a bucket of water, he passed by several breakfast shops in Xinghua Lane. He felt hungry without even noticing. However, he was short of money, so he could only bite the bullet and queue up to fetch water. There were three families in front of him. When it was his turn, Shi Hui suddenly intervened with a small bucket, and the people behind him were immediately unhappy.
Although they didn't curse, they still said bad things. There was a hunchbacked old woman, called Granny Ma. Her two sons were very successful and each owned a dragon kiln. Although it was very small and ranked last among the more than 30 dragon kilns, it was naturally considered a wealthy family in Xinghua Lane. But for some reason, the old woman didn't get along well with her two daughters-in-law. Her sons and daughters-in-law had already moved to Taoye Lane, and the old woman had been living alone in the ancestral home in Xinghua Lane. In the eyes of Wang Gu'an and Liu Yangxian's generation, Granny Ma had always been a terrible elder. She cursed people very harshly and was especially stingy. In the winter, she wanted to take the snow outside the courtyard gate to her home. If a child used the snow in front of her house to play snowballs, or pulled out the icicles under her eaves, she would chase him with a broom and scold him for several streets without getting tired.
In the past, in these alleys on the west side of the town, only Gu Can's mother could suppress Granny Ma's arrogance. Now, it is said that Widow Gu followed the distant relatives of her dead husband and went to her husband's hometown. Granny Ma, who had been a little kinder in recent years, immediately returned to the world of martial arts and looked down on everyone. When Ye Dan's maid did this, Granny Ma immediately started to speak in a yin and yang tone, with a low voice and a fake smile. She deliberately chatted with the women around her, saying that some girls can finally open their faces and make faces, because they can't even put their legs together when walking. This is a big happy event. Finally, they don't have to be a lady and a maid, and can be called Madam openly.
Wang Gu'an's scalp tingled when he heard it, but he couldn't drive away Shi Hui who was wrong first, after all, they have been neighbors for so many years. After filling two buckets of water for Ji Chenru, he quickly brought her a bucket of water, thinking of leaving this group of women who were talking all the time. Granny Ma was even more annoyed when she saw that the little maid of the Ye family pretended not to hear.
This is how masters fight. The most fearful thing is that the opponent will not take the attack at all. Having good martial arts skills is useless.
In the past, the old woman quarreled with the slutty fox Gu Gu. Although she lost, she always felt that her skills had improved and she would definitely get back on track next time they quarreled. Unlike this little slut in Niping Lane, she kept silent every time. But every time the girl left, her eyes revealed a meaning that made the old woman extremely uncomfortable. It really made the old woman hate her so much that she wanted to go up and scratch her face, so as to save the teenagers and strong men in the nearby alleys from hanging their souls on the waist of that shameless maid.
Especially his grandson, although he has always been a fool in the eyes of outsiders, but recently even his grandmother feels that this child is really crazy, talking nonsense all day long, always saying that he will marry this maid in Niping Lane as his wife, and then punch a hole in the sky.
Seeing that the extremely hateful girl did not respond, Granny Ma set her sights on the poor boy, and said: "You useless bastard, you have the face to live in the world after killing your parents. You know that you are destined to have no ability to marry a wife, so you lick your face and hook up with other people's maids. You are really a pair of dogs and bitches made in heaven. Just get together. Anyway, Niping Lane is a place where rubbish and low-class people live. Who knows if the child born in the future can really be the king of Niping Lane."
Wang Gu'an thought about it, bent down and was about to put down the burden on his shoulders.
The maid Shi Hui had already put down the bucket and strode towards the fearless old woman. The girl slapped her without saying a word, causing Granny Ma to spin around in a circle. She was dizzy and had to be supported by the women next to her to avoid falling. Shi Hui did not wait for the old woman to come to her senses, and took another step forward and slapped her on the face. The girl cursed, "You old thing, I have tolerated you for a long time!"
The old woman shook her head, furious, and was about to fight back. I don't know if it was an illusion, but the two women around her supported her too hard, so she couldn't break free for a while, and ended up being humiliated for the third time. The maid attacked for the third time, bent her fingers and knocked the old woman's forehead to death, "If you dare to curse again, I will pull out your tongue, a long-tongued woman. If you curse a word, I will prick you with a needle once!"
The old woman was so scared that she forgot to talk back, let alone fight back.
The girl turned around and walked away quickly. She found that the neighbor boy had helped her carry the bucket. She smiled and returned to Niping Lane with him.
Before Wang Gu'an could speak, the girl said, "Don't thank me. My scolding has nothing to do with you."
Wang Gu'an was speechless.
The girl, with empty hands, muttered to herself over there. Anyway, she didn't think of taking the bucket back from the boy in straw sandals.
Next to the iron-locked well wheelbarrow, the old woman sat on the ground and howled, "You little bitch, you will be punished by God... My life is so miserable. God has no eyes. Why doesn't he strike down with thunder to kill this little bitch..."
The girl walked briskly and raised her hands to the sky again and again, with a very strange gesture.
Fortunately, Wang Gu'an had been her neighbor for so many years and didn't find it strange.
When the two passed by the breakfast shop, Wang Gu'an saw a familiar figure. She was not tall, wearing green clothes, and was buying freshly baked meat buns, which were steaming hot and fragrant all over the street.
Wang Gu'an
This morning, the clouds were hanging low without knowing when, and they were particularly thick, like a big quilt of a rich family, spread over there to bask in the sun.
Rumble, thunder roared over the town.
Granny Ma at the Tiesuojing stood up quickly and ran home in a hurry. The small bucket was shaking and spilled well water all the way. It was estimated that there would be no half bucket of water left when she got home.
Perhaps the old woman knew that if God really opened his eyes, the first thunder would most likely fall on her head.
After hearing the thunder, Wang Gu'an looked up and was a little confused. It didn't look like a sign of rain.
The girl smiled and said, "My young master said he had read it in a book. It is said that every early spring, there will be a god in heaven wearing golden armor, beating drums in the sky, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new, shocking all evil, and reporting the new year."
Wang Gu'an nodded and said, "Your young master really reads a lot."
The girl sighed, "My young master is good in everything, but he is a little lazy, and he likes to curse God. I think this is not good."
Wang Gu'an did not have the habit of talking about people behind their backs, so he did not say anything about it. Ye Dan next door has a strange temper that has persisted for many years, that is, cursing God, just like Ma Po Po, cursing thieves for being blind and so on. However, scholars also have their own rules. On windy and snowy nights, thunderstorms, and when the sky is full of colorful clouds, this is Ye Dan's three no-cursing. He said that he wanted to take advantage of God's nap to curse him. God can't hear it, so he won't be angry, and he Ye Dan can also relieve his anger and feel comfortable, killing two birds with one stone.
Seeing that Wang Gu'an didn't respond, Shi Hui looked casual and said, "You didn't go home last night. Did you go to Ji Chenru's place?"
Wang Gu'an nodded and said, "There are guests at home, so it's inconvenient."
She suddenly asked, "By the way, did Mr. Liu meet you and what did he say?"
Wang Gu'an asked back, "Why do you ask that?"
She smiled innocently and said, "Just asking, because when I went out to get water today, I happened to meet Mr. Liu and said he was taking a morning walk. He also asked me if you were home, so I answered truthfully."
Wang Gu'an smiled and said, "I accidentally met Mr. Liu before, and he said a few words of family talk to me. The general meaning was that I should have gone to the school with Ji Chenru to study. I can only say that my family is poor and there is nothing I can do. Otherwise, I would also like to study."
Shi Hui asked in confusion, "Is that so?"
Wang Gu'an looked into her eyes and asked with a smile, "What do you think?"
She smiled it off.
The two separated at the corner of the street. Shi Hui took the bucket and went to Niping Lane, while Wang Gu'an returned to Ji Chenru's house. After that, they had to go to the east gate of the city to get family letters and stationery. Each letter cost one penny. If he had this business earlier, Wang Gu'an would have saved enough money for his wife, considering his running around the mountains for hundreds of miles.
At the entrance of Niping Lane, Shi Hui saw her young master standing there, yawning.
She walked quickly and asked curiously, "Sir, why did you come out?"
Ye Dan stretched his body slowly and said lazily, "It's boring to stay here."
She whispered, "Sir, when will the new supervisor return to the town? Can we go to the capital after that?"
Ye Dan thought for a while, "It will be within ten days."
Shi Hui hesitated, and the small bucket in her hand swayed.
Ye Dan asked with a smile: "What's wrong? Are you worried?"
She said timidly: "Sir, can you lend me that local county annals? Just for one or two nights, so that I can learn to read, so that I don't have to go to the capital and be looked down upon by others, and then make you a laughing stock."
Ye Dan laughed dumbly, and after a little thought, "There's nothing to be embarrassed about, but remember to wash your hands before turning the pages, don't get dirt on the pages, and be careful of candle oil dripping on them. There's nothing else to pay attention to, it's just a broken book that says 'so far'."
Shi Hui smiled brightly: "Thank you, sir!"
Ye Dan was happy, and laughed heartily: "Come on, sir, let me fetch you some water."
Shi Hui dodged for a moment, and said seriously: "Sir! Didn't we agree that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen? How can you get involved in these trivial matters? If it gets out, I will be criticized by the neighbors!"
Ye Dan laughed angrily, "Rules, principles, etiquette, these things can fool and scare others, but I, the young master..."
At this point, the seed of learning who grew up in the alley stopped talking.
She asked curiously, "What is a young master?"
Ye Dan resumed his cynical smile and pointed at himself, "I, the young master, am actually just a farmer. I divide a piece of land into ridges and rows, and then have people sow seeds and irrigate water. I just wait for the harvest, year after year, that's it!"
She was confused.
Ye Dan laughed.
The young man suddenly stopped laughing and said seriously, "Shi Hui, did Wang help you carry the bucket all the way?"
The maid nodded with an innocent look in her eyes.
The young man said earnestly, "A saint once said that it is wrong to treat the kindness of strangers as a rare treasure, but to take the efforts of those close to you for granted and turn a blind eye to them."
The maid was even more confused and puzzled, "Ah?"
The young man rubbed his chin and said to himself, "You didn't understand what I meant. How should I respond? Should I change to a smarter, more considerate and beautiful maid when I arrive in the capital?"
The maid couldn't help laughing. She didn't take her young master's threat seriously at all. She revealed the truth and said, "Young master actually wants me to ask who this saint with great knowledge is? Young master, I know, it's you!"
Ye Dan laughed heartily, "The one who knows me is Shi Hui!"
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In the school library, a middle-aged scholar sat upright, and all the black and white chess pieces on the chessboard in front of him turned into powder in the sound of spring thunder.
There is a way for the young children in the town to catch slate fish in the stream, which is to hit the stones in the stream with a hammer, and the fish hiding at the bottom of the stone will be stunned and float to the surface.
It is similar to the so-called knocking on the mountain to scare the tiger in the book.
But if you want to warn a saint not to act against the will of heaven and against the principle of the way.
Then the only heavy weapon that matches his status in the world is probably the mighty thunder.