Da Suining

Chapter 87

Sure enough, Eunuch Chang drank his tea and replied: "My clothes are not expensive, but they are newly rewarded by the emperor. Don't we have to wear them."

"Is there anyone in Qingcheng who doesn't know that the emperor loves you." The shop waiter poured tea for Eunuch Chang unhurriedly.

"You are so sweet." Eunuch Chang gave the waiter a tael of silver: "The business of your teahouse is good, and the tea brewing is better than in previous years. It's just that there should be some programs, such as storytelling, singing ditties, let us When we drink tea, it’s good to have a pastime, you can also sell two more pots of tea, can’t you?”

"Eunuch Chang is worthy of serving the emperor. Your idea is really good. It's just that the teahouse is too narrow to arrange tables and stools. After two months, we will open up the back room and set up a high platform, so we can invite people to sing songs." My son's people are here, and Eunuch Chang must come to visit us."

While speaking, Eunuch Chang had already drank two cups of tea, and his slave gave him tea money. Seeing the shopkeeper shaking his head, the waiter handed the money to Eunuch Chang again: "Eunuch Chang came to drink tea with us, it is ours. It's an honor, I dare not accept tea money from my father-in-law."

"Although I serve the emperor, I shouldn't owe you this tea money." Eunuch Chang shoved his shirt.

The shop waiter had no choice but to hold the tea money.

After walking out of the window, Eunuch Chang glanced back at the teahouse, and happened to see Xiang Suining.

So the two went to the cold cake shop across the road to talk.

Eunuch Chang bought a cold cake for Xiang Suining.The cold cake is sprinkled with white sugar and embedded with red dates. When you bite into it, it is soft and waxy. It is really a good cold cake.

"Eunuch, don't you want to eat?"

"I never eat these things that stick to my teeth." Eunuch Chang stood there with a smile and watched Xiang Suining eat: "I am serving the emperor, and my mouth is covered with these things. I will be in trouble if I can't answer the emperor's questions." .”

I only heard that the palace distributes watermelons in summer, one per day, sweet watermelon per water.The palace maids were afraid that if they ate too much, they would go to the hut to delay the service, so they never dared to eat, and they just stood on the steps and threw it for fun.

I haven't heard of people who dare not eat cold cakes.

Eunuch Chang must be joking.

Xiang Suining really got his teeth sticky after eating cold cakes, and stuck his tongue against it, like a chipmunk, with a round mouth, and Eunuch Chang smiled: "This child, he is really a child."

As he spoke, Eunuch Chang's eye circles turned red.

His house slave hurriedly handed over the handkerchief, and Eunuch Chang pretended to be angry: "It's just that the wind has blinded his eyes, so why are you still handing over the handkerchief, like a woman."

His domestic slave retreated a few steps away and waited.

"Second girl, it's a pity." Eunuch Chang sighed: "I shouldn't talk about things in the palace. We are eunuchs, and we just serve people. We don't care about other things. But who made me like you?" , so I risked my life to tell you that Prince Guo Er is not a good man. In this life, if you find a child from an ordinary family, even if you are a little poorer, it is better than following him. You have to remember what your father-in-law said. "

Xiang Suining didn't answer, but just lowered his head and ate the cold cake.

The jelly cake is so cold, it is refreshing, and it is more enjoyable than the jelly that I ate that day.

"I also know that the emperor's will is the most difficult to change. Going against the holy will is a capital offense. Before the emperor makes an order, there is still room for maneuver, so I will say a few words in front of the emperor for you."

Eunuch Chang actually has more backbone than Prime Minister Daying.

Xiang Suining couldn't help but look at him again.

This half-aged little old man, who walks tremblingly, actually thinks about her like this.

Although he has served the emperor for a long time, the tiger's nose cannot be poked. Eunuch Chang lobbied the emperor, which is to risk his life.

Xiang Suining was very grateful for his righteous words: "Eunuch, I have made you worry about my affairs. Where is the emperor, Eunuch should pay attention to himself."

"Of course I won't tell the emperor that the second prince Guo is not good. Isn't that a taboo? I just say that our girls in Qingcheng are like flowers. The emperor might as well take a look, the second prince Guo Now that I'm older and have my own preferences, the emperor may ask the second prince what he likes, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds?"

"The father-in-law said so."

"Sure enough, the emperor asked the Second Prince Guo if he liked you. The Second Prince didn't say he liked you, and he didn't say he didn't like you. His expression was indifferent. I guess that meant he didn't like you, but he didn't dare to disobey the Emperor's wishes. Eunuch Chang calculated: "There are a lot of noble girls in Qingcheng who want to marry the prince. Yesterday, the wife of the deputy general led her daughter Zeng Guinv to the palace to talk. Naturally, I can do it conveniently. I hope the emperor can see her." "

"Thank you, father-in-law, for considering me so much."

"It's the same sentence, I am a childless eunuch, who will let you fall in love with you, you are a kind child, I can't bear to have you fall into the fire." Eunuch Chang sighed repeatedly, although he gave the emperor a wind, He still doesn't know what the emperor thinks.

"Eunuch, are these clothes newly rewarded by the emperor?" Xiang Suining sent him into the carriage.

"It's just that I told the emperor to delay the decree to observe more. The emperor rewarded it, and the master rewarded it for glory, which is also the master's intention. Naturally, you have to wear it." Eunuch Chang caressed the crane on the robe.

The red on the top of the crane's head is really vivid.

I have seen deep red, light red, carmine red, cardamom red, all kinds of red, but there has never been any red that can be compared with the red on the crane's head.

Eunuch Chang has been walking in the palace for many years, and has always been by the emperor's side. There is also a lot of silver and gold melon seeds. There are even mansions, but it is the first time that the emperor rewards clothes. Ministers, some get gold and silver rewards, some get cloth, some get supplements, and even some get women, but few get clothes.

After sending off Eunuch Chang, Xiang Suining and Tong Siyue talked along the long street in Qingcheng.

The streets are vertical and horizontal, row upon row.

Pedestrians crowded shoulder to shoulder, it was a lively time.

Looking across the Yong'an River, the perennial fog on the mountain behind seems to have dissipated. Standing on the stone arch bridge, you can see the shining stones on the top of the mountain and a temple made of red bricks.

The majestic mountains and rivers, the rushing Yong'an River, the houses extending in all directions on both sides of the river bank, and the crowded flow of people make Qingcheng more prosperous than before.

After passing the stone arch bridge, there is a stall selling oiled paper umbrellas. The oiled paper umbrellas are very well made, with strong skeletons, and the painted umbrellas are vivid. There are mountains and rivers, palaces, rivers and streams, grass, flowers, and ghost stories. There are even small animals, such as cats and foxes.

Tong Siyue picked out an umbrella with a fox painted on it. The fox was very vividly painted, and its feathers were red like a burning flame. The red color was very close to the red on Chang Eunuch's clothes.

Tong Siyue has a unique opinion: "The red of the crane is the juice squeezed out of a rare plant, also known as grass dye, which is extremely rare. The red on the umbrella surface is just ordinary hematite powder or dried flowers. Flowers and fruits, traditional Chinese medicine, tea, or cochineal, lac insects, etc. are dyed, and the colors are probably common, and the cost is much lower.”

There is a dyeing department in the palace, which specializes in the study of various colors such as five colors and intermediate colors. Apart from the cloth dyeing workshops among the people, even cloth shops like Liuyun know a little bit more. Compared with Suining, he is not very familiar with colors.

Tong Siyue simplified the complexity and explained to her: "The color on Chang Gonggong's body will fluoresce at night, but the red on the umbrella surface can't be seen at night."

Suining had seen fireflies before, but never seen glowing clothing.

It's rare that Tong Siyue has such insight, and it's naturally the result of what he's learned from childhood.

"Umbrellas are often scattered, so we in Qingcheng never give away umbrellas. Otherwise, I will give one to my sister for such a beautiful umbrella." Tong Siyue held up an umbrella for Xiang Suining to block the sun. The two walked around the stone arch bridge and headed west of the city. OK.

There are also many shops in the west of the city, not only high-quality jewelry shops, but also blacksmith stalls, feet-pinning businesses, and rice noodle shops.

Although the things in Liuyunfang are all of good quality, but since they are out, why not go to other shops and look at other people's craftsmanship.

Xiang Suining followed Tong Siyue into a shop and looked at several hairpins, forehead wipes, necklaces and bracelets.

It was half an hour before we left.

Walking on the stone arch bridge, I happened to see a white-haired old man performing swallowing an iron ball at the head of the stone arch bridge. The iron ball was as big as an adult's fist. Seeing that the old man held it heavily in his hand, it must be solid.

A skinny woman curled up in a quilt with exposed cotton wool, her eyes were red and her body was trembling uncontrollably.

Gradually, people gathered around.

The old man in rags lifted the iron ball. When the iron ball fell, it just hit an old porcelain basin under the old man's feet, and there was a crisp sound of "pop", the porcelain basin was smashed, and the debris splashed like rain. The iron ball fell to the ground without moving, and then rolled down the steps of the stone arch bridge.

This is a real iron ball.

The old man raised his head, swallowed the iron ball with difficulty, clenched his fists with his hands, stomped his foot fiercely, and spit out the iron ball from his mouth again.

Although the whole movement was tormented, it was smooth.

There were more and more people watching, everyone held their breath, and when the old man spit out the iron ball, the crowd burst into thunderous applause.

Immediately, someone began to throw copper coins into the copper basin on the ground, one penny, two pennies, five pennies. This time, the old man earned about one or two hundred pennies from the performance.

Xiang Suining and Tong Siyue each invested a dime in.

The people's livelihood is so difficult, and at a gray-haired age, he has to lead his family to perform as a performer for a living, and it is a deadly business, so he is obviously driven to a corner.

The old man bowed to everyone: "People say that Qingcheng is a blessed place, and there are many kind-hearted people. My wife and I came here with a cart. Thanks to everyone's care, I will perform for everyone again."

Just like before, the old man wiped the saliva on the iron ball, opened his mouth and swallowed the iron ball, swallowed twice, and the iron ball rolled into his stomach, as long as he spit out the iron ball again, The show is done.

Everyone's eyes widened. Seeing the old man clenched his fists and his face was flushed, no one dared to say a word.

"Hey, what kind of new trick is this? It's rare." The young man in a dark red embroidered chrysanthemum-embroidered wide-sleeved robe squeezed from the back row to the front row. Arm nodded straight: "This trick is okay, it is more ruthless than the group of people on the bridge. Those people can only tease snakes and train tigers. Unlike this person, it is fun to swallow iron balls alive."

It was Guo Cheng.

He ran out again.

Guo Cheng took off the folding fan and slapped it twice, and then touched the old man's stomach with the fan: "Did you swallow the iron ball? Where is it?" He touched the old man's stomach with his own hands again: "This belly It’s soft, I can’t touch the iron ball, didn’t you swallow it?” He pinched the old man’s mouth again, and then scratched his creaking hole: “Where is it, where is it, don’t hide the iron ball from us Bar?"

The old man couldn't spit out the iron ball, his face turned from red to purple, from purple to black, and after a while he rolled his eyes, presumably it was because he couldn't breathe smoothly, but it seemed that he couldn't do it anymore, after all, he was interrupted during the performance, so he raised his breath in one breath. If you don't come up, your body is not strong enough to force out the iron ball.

If this continues, the old man's life will be in danger.

Xiang Suining didn't want to have a confrontation with Guo Kai, and he couldn't watch him harm the entertainer.

So he got into the crowd and choked out: "It's not easy to be a performer, and you have to support your family. If you do this, young master, you will kill him."

"Yes, yes, if this continues, the old man will die." Gradually, someone in the crowd agreed.

The public still has compassion for the poor.

People like Guo Kai, who eat meat, naturally don't understand what it's like to not even be able to eat grass: "When he dies, I will buy him a coffin. If a performer can't show his real skills, he doesn't deserve to beg for money in Qingcheng. "

Xiang Suining knelt down, picked up a small stone and threw it at Guo Kai. He threw it upside down and hit his hair crown.

"Who threw me? Little bastard looking for death?"

Everyone can't understand Guo Cheng's style, you throw radishes, I throw cabbage, tomatoes and eggs, and attack from all directions. Guo Kai's entourage is simply not enough.

Guo Kai's hair was covered with egg liquid, his face was dripping with tomato juice, and there was a green radish standing on his neck, which made him very embarrassed.

While he was wiping his face, the old man took another breath and spat out the iron ball with difficulty. The bloody iron ball fell into the copper basin, and the copper coins in the jar jumped up, making a "wow". There was a sound, and when I looked again, the old man had already spat out a big mouthful of blood, staggered two steps, and stood still while holding on to the railing on the stone arch bridge.

"Young master almost took his life, and he has to pay for his medicine." Xiang Suining urged him in the crowd.

The crowd couldn't resist fanning the flames, so they gathered together and gradually formed a circle, which became tighter and tighter, enclosing Guo Kai in the middle, and his followers didn't know where to squeeze.

He was dizzy from being smashed just now, and the egg liquid flowed into his mouth along his hair. Guo Kai took a few mouthfuls and wanted to speak hard: "Master, I..."

"Whose master are you, what kind of master are you." A young man slapped him first.

"Qingcheng is a place with the laws of the king. You almost let people lose their lives. We will not obey unless you pay for the medicine." Another young man gave him a kick.

Someone started it, and the people behind were all gearing up. Anyway, the law does not blame the public, and if it is not for nothing, it will not be beaten.This boy who bullies the elderly is not pleasing to the eye.

Although Guo Kai's mouth was strong, it was no stronger than his fist.

He also had no choice but to throw five taels of silver into the copper basin, and then squeezed out of the crowd and fled, yelling and cursing: "Hey, don't let the master catch you, he will have to skin you."

Sure enough, he said the hardest words and received the hardest beatings.

(End of this chapter)