Please call me Huanxian

Chapter 4: Charlatan or outsider?

"Taoist Master, Qingshi Town has arrived."

The driver's call came from ahead, waking Xu Yuanchang from his sleep.

Xu Yuanchang picked up the baggage and put it on his back. He opened the curtain and jumped out of the back door of the carriage. Seeing that it was already past noon, he thanked the coachman and asked him to turn around. He wanted to buy some sugar, pastries, meat, wine, and drinks in the town as an entrance ceremony.

It takes ten miles to walk around the mountain road from Qingshi Town to Shipan Village, and it takes up to five miles to go over the mountain pass in the southeast.

He would take a shortcut later and use his pace to arrive just in time for dinner.

In the memory of the original owner, this was a lean season, with only two meager meals a day.

The impression of starvation was engraved in my bones, making me feel gray and uncomfortable.

Looking at the unfamiliar trees and old shops on both sides of the street, Xu Yuanchang noticed that there were many people surrounding him, all craning their necks to watch the excitement.

Walking closer, through the gap in the crowd, I saw an old man with thick hair, wearing an old Taoist robe of washed white blue cloth and a Tai Chi bun. His face was rosy, and he had the air of a fairy with fair hair and a childlike face. He was working hard in front of a table. Perform tricks.

The old man held the top two corners of the two-foot-square gray-white hijab with both hands, and showed the top, bottom, reverse, and front to the onlookers.

Shaking a few more times, he clenched the middle part of the hijab with his right hand, turned it over, and transformed into a small coarse pottery bowl, placed it on the table, and then transformed into a brown wooden bead. His technique became faster and faster, and he transformed into a small bowl. Pile of odds and ends.

The spectators immediately cheered enthusiastically.

Some well-informed people even discussed the old man's methods with the people on the side.

The old man in the Taoist robe put down his hijab to cover the conjured objects on the table, clasped his fists and sang: "As the saying goes, you rely on your parents at home and your friends when you go out. When the Taoist first arrived in Guibao, he performed five tricks for the old and young men, just to have a good time. Let's collect some money..."

The spectators reacted quickly and dispersed like birds and animals, which was a great theater experience.

Some picky men also said that the tricks performed by the old man were not as interesting as the somersault performed by the busking girl last time.

It caused many people to respond with comments and comments.

The lively place that was bustling with people just now was suddenly empty.

The acting pharaoh was not worried. He had seen too many such scenes in the market. He saluted and bowed diligently to the few people who were left. His eyes passed over the four delinquents wearing trousers and soap boots with sabers hanging from their waists. He did not stop. Falling on Xu Yuanchang, who was wearing gray sermon clothes at the back, he smiled even more enthusiastically.

Xu Yuanchang took out three copper coins, stepped forward, and put the coins into a porcelain bowl on the table.

It’s not easy to travel around the world to eat.

No matter how good the trick is, there will never be any generous spectators in the remote countryside.

"Hey, old man, if you are really capable and swallow my sword, how about I reward you with a few big bucks?"

A long-faced delinquent with his arms folded across his chest, standing with his hips slanted, joked in a frivolous tone.

The other three people also cheered and encouraged.

"The old Taoist doesn't know how to swallow the knife, please forgive me. Don't blame me."

The old magician clasped his fists and bowed, smiling and dealing with the situation smoothly.

He would not bother to make money from bad guys and green-skinned street gangsters. They were all troublemakers and difficult to serve. He picked up the table cloth with both hands and shook it. The pile of items he had conjured earlier disappeared and he quickly packed it away. Things leave.

Xu Yuanchang turned around to leave, but was stared at and stopped by a bad person who had nothing to do.

"Your kid looks strange. Lu Yin brought it to check. Don't be a gangster pretending to be a Taoist priest."

"What are you talking about? Hurry up, you're wasting time by dilly-dallying."

Four bad guys gathered around.

Xu Yuanchang didn't say anything. He took out a receipt from his arms. It was a road guide issued by the Izumo Temple Outer Courtyard and was valid for one month.

He knew a few idle guys who wanted to extort a few copper coins to spend.

The bad guys in the town are responsible for patrolling, investigating, interrogating, detaining and other matters to maintain public order.

The bad-looking man with the long face took the guide, glanced at it, handed it back, and whispered to the other three people, "The person named Xu from Shipan Village has no luck."

Most of the people in Shipan Village have the surname Xu, not far from the town, and the villagers start extorting money because of the inconvenience.

The four people divided into two groups and walked away without making any further trouble.

The old juggler returned the borrowed old table to the street shop, carrying a bulging old cloth bag on his back, and caught up to chat with him with a smile: "It's rare to meet a comrade. Do you dare to ask me your surname?"

Xu Yuanchang stood still and replied: "If your surname is Xu, how do you call me an old practitioner?"

I have seen the true abilities of several Taoist priests of Izumo-kan. They can flick their fingers into flames, throw talismans to explode, and fly several feet out of thin air. When they go out, they are respectfully called "immortal chiefs", which is very majestic.

No matter how you look at the shabby old man in front of you, he is a gangster, a one-man gang, and he doesn't even have a female partner.

It was a bit miserable. The old man cupped his fists and made a Taoist salute: "My surname is Gu, my Taoist name is Yanshan, and I have met fellow Taoist Xu."

Xu Yuanchang returned the greeting and said, "I have met Taoist Master Yanshan." He was even thicker-skinned than him. He gave himself a loud Taoist nickname, and then he found an excuse to leave.

Taoist Master Yanshan has already warmly invited you: "We are destined to meet each other. I treat my Taoist friend to a bowl of plain noodles as a way to make a friend."

"We meet by chance, how can we let our fellow Taoist spend money? I have to travel on my way. Let's come back next time."

Xu Yuanchang shied away and said that he was not polite enough to ask for it himself.

An old man like this who runs around in the world can climb up with a hemp pole, so he is not willing to give up a few copper coins.

The lower limit for quacks is generally lower.

"How long will it take you to eat a bowl of noodles? Let's go. The old shop diagonally across the street uses honest ingredients and the noodles are strong. I've been traveling all over the world for decades. Even if I am alone, I have never treated this mouth badly."

The old man smiled boldly and said, without further explanation, he should first go to the shop on the opposite street.

If it weren't for the old baggage on his back that hindered his view, he would have had the air of a worldly master.

Xu Yuanchang thought for a moment, and a hint of self-mockery appeared in the corner of his mouth. An expert retreats from the world, so how can he meet him casually in a remote place?

This is just an ordinary old man in the world.

After walking through Qingshi Street, we walked into an old noodle shop with no customers for dinner.

"Brother, let's have a bowl of plain noodles and a bowl of haggis noodles. No onions or garlic. The ingredients should be sufficient."

"Okay, two Taoists, please wait a moment."

The young waiter smiled and wiped the table with a towel a few times. He had just seen the old man perform a cheap trick and had no money to reward him. So the waiter hurriedly ran around, brought a pot of hot tea and poured it for the two of them.

The old Taoist tapped the table with his finger to express his thanks, and chatted with Xu Yuanchang across from him. He heard anecdotes about the world and knew everything about the local customs and customs of hundreds of miles away in Qingping County.

Only don’t talk about Taoism, law and metaphysics.

Later in the conversation, the old Taoist revealed in a low voice that he wanted to find a successor to pass on what he had learned, and Xu Yuanchang, with his strange bones and tall head and horns, suited him very well. The price was affordable, and the apprenticeship fee was only ten taels of silver. .

I boast that I have a real skill, and from now on I have the world, and I have no worries about food and clothing.

Xu Yuanchang twisted his body slightly and felt that the money in his arms was still there. He silently complained that he was wandering around the world without food and clothing.

He resolutely refused to accept the other party's tattered mantle of kindness.

If the waiter hadn't placed the hot plain noodles in front of him, he almost got up and left.

The old Taoist wisely stopped mentioning it and focused on the fragrant haggis noodles. He huffed and puffed and ate up a large bowl of noodles and all the soup. He patted his belly with satisfaction and stood up.

"Brother, bring me an empty bowl and I'll show you a trick I'll do."

"Okay, here we come."

The waiter Pi Dian Dian brought a big bowl and wiped away the water stains with his sleeves while smiling. The shopkeeper and several people in the kitchen all ran over to watch the trick.

The old Taoist didn't take the bowl, but pointed to the empty table next to him, "You cover the bowl, and you can uncover it after I go out."

Carrying a heavy baggage, he walked straight out the door.

The sleeves of his robe were swung and he did not say hello to the ignorant Xu Yuanchang.

The waiter hurriedly opened the big bowl, and there was a pile of copper coins in it, no more, no less, exactly ten coins, enough for two bowls of noodles.

"Wow, this trick is amazing!"

"Yes, the old Taoist priest put the copper coins in without even touching the edge of the bowl. How did he do it?"

The clerk and helpers shouted at the monsters and carefully observed whether the copper coins were genuine or fake.

The shopkeeper hurriedly touched his sleeves and ran to the counter to count the coins in the cabinet. Don't be fooled by the charlatans. While the other party's accomplices are still there, if there is any gap, it's not too late to find out as soon as possible and then rip it off. .

Xu Yuanchang put down his chopsticks and touched his arms first. The money was not lost. Then he took the baggage and reached in to check. The two strings of copper coins were safe and sound. Finally, he counted the coins in his sleeve pocket and took a special look at the coin tied with a red rope on his left wrist. French money.

He didn't lose any money.

When I walked out of the door, at both ends of the street, the old man had already disappeared.

He was confused, maybe he had met an expert from outside the world?

……

(End of this chapter)