Perhaps it was because the courtyard was so quiet, but Huang Banxian always felt that the two young ladies who brought him to the courtyard were strange. However, their actions were quite normal. They just asked him to sit for a while, while one of them poured tea and the other locked the door.
Even though he thought so, this "Huang Banxian" had been a fraud for many years and still had some good eyesight and sixth sense. He decided to take the money and leave quickly, so he started to urge the man.
"Mr. Huang, don't be anxious. I have other things to ask you." Su Qingluan said and nodded to Liu Yunniang. Liu Yunniang understood what she meant and stood behind Su Qingluan.
Su Qingluan sat down naturally in front of Liu Yunniang and opposite Huang Banxianer, took a sip of tea, and then made a gesture of invitation to Huang Banxianer: "Mr. Huang, please have some tea too."
Huang Banxianer then realized that the person who was dressed simply, or even a little shabby, compared to the relatively gorgeously dressed one was the dominant one between the two!
No wonder he felt that the interaction between the two was weird from the beginning. Although the materials of their clothes were very different, they could still chat like ordinary friends.
Although he was extremely suspicious, Huang Banxian still believed that as a grown man, he should be able to handle two little girls. So he suppressed his panic and drank his tea calmly. Then, he smiled with that immortal look and said, "I wonder what this kind believer wants me to do here?"
"I don't deserve your kindness," Su Qingluan said, taking out a paper bag from her arms and pushing it forward to Huang Banxianer.
Huang Banxian glanced at the paper bag, initially with some casual doubt, then quickly put down the teacup in his hand, picked it up and examined it carefully, and finally looked at Su Qingluan in surprise and doubt: "Believer... ahem, how did this lady get this thing?"
Su Qingluan didn't answer, but instead asked with a half-smile, "You've escaped all the way from Liangzhou to this 'poor, mountainous, and water-scarce' place. Should I say Mr. Huang is really unlucky, or is your escape technique just too good?"
Huang Banxianer, no, the man whose real name is Huang Ergou, had beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead upon hearing this, soaking the corners of his Taoist robe that was originally floating in the air.
It turned out that the reason why Su Qingluan chose Huang Banxianer as her "grasshopper on the same rope" was not only because of his "good image and temperament", but more importantly, Su Qingluan happened to have some leverage over this person during this period of time.
It turned out that Huang Ergou had originally been a fraudster in Liangzhou. Although Liangzhou was located on the border and had a harsh climate, it was a major city in the north and quite prosperous. Otherwise, Su Qingluan would not have opened one of her branches there.
However, relatively speaking, precisely because the natural conditions are very harsh and there are many natural disasters, there are more people who believe in various "religions", "ghosts and gods", and "spirits" - after all, in an era where people can only resign themselves to fate and have no ability to change or even improve the environment, things that cannot be changed by themselves can only be prayed to gods and Buddhas.
Originally, people like Huang Ergou also had quite a few followers. One important reason for this was his lean and sturdy appearance, with flowing white hair and beard that made him look like an immortal. Add to that his Taoist robes and banners, and he would look like an "enlightened immortal" wherever he went.
Of course, Huang Ergou is not a serious Taoist priest. He once practiced as a lay Buddhist for a period of time, but it was not for self-cultivation. Instead, he could not bear the hardship of farming, and did not want to be a soldier and suffer and die, so he simply fled to the mountains to live in peace and quiet.
If he went to the temple, he would have to shave his head. Huang Ergou didn't have that determination, so he compromised and went to a Taoist temple.
Not long after he had quieted down, he could no longer bear the hardship in the mountains. He started drinking and eating, and always yearned for the colorful world outside. Naturally, he was driven down the mountain.
Moreover, Huang Ergou ran to the mountains because he was lazy, and he was driven out this time. How could he have the mind to find a job honestly?
So at first, he begged on the street, relying on his strong body, and was very proud among the beggars for a while.
However, as food became scarcer, he became thinner and thinner due to hunger, and this physical advantage gradually disappeared. Being beaten and starved became a common occurrence for him.
Later, Huang Ergou discovered that those who pretended to be "half-immortals" and cheated people on the street made more money than he did by begging on the street, and it was much easier. He didn't know who would be the sucker he would meet, and he could live a life of luxury for ten days or half a month.
Although Huang Ergou has no serious intentions, he is very active in the idea of making extra money by being lazy. So he came up with a plan and started his journey of fraud.
Because of long-term hunger and no extra money to get a haircut and shave, Huang Ergou became very thin, and his hair and beard grew very long.
The most interesting thing is that because he had been sleeping on the streets for a long time, although he was only over 30 years old, his hair and beard had turned white and he looked like he was in his 50s or 60s.
With these "appearance advantages", Huang Ergou bought a tattered Taoist robe with the little copper coins he saved from begging and started his journey of fraud.
At first, his skills were not up to par and he could only do small things, but later on, his "immortal-like" appearance made him more and more proficient in the skills, and he became more and more adept at cheating.
Of course, if you walk too much at night, you'll always encounter ghosts. This is exactly why Huang Ergou traveled all the way from the prosperous area of Liangzhou to the relatively "poor and remote" place of Lefeng County.
Previously, Huang Ergou gave a "child-giving talisman" to a wealthy family who was eager to have a child, and stuffed a lot of miscellaneous things inside it.
Of course, this thing is useless. The bad thing is that the hostess of this family was indeed pregnant, but had a miscarriage. What's more coincidental is that a lot of messy medicinal residues were found in this "fertility talisman". After inspection, it was found that there were many blood-activating herbs such as safflower and musk. Not to mention eating them, even smelling them could easily cause miscarriage.
This talisman was placed under the pillow of the woman who was praying for a child.
In fact, Su Qingluan didn't think the so-called "miscarriage medicine" was so magical. In her previous life, she remembered that someone had conducted experiments on animals. The rumors that musk sachets could cause miscarriage and that drinking safflower water would cause heavy bleeding were exaggerated. So the hostess's miscarriage was likely due to other reasons.
However, in this era, it was impossible for these people to explain these reasons to him, so the family insisted that it was Huang Banxian who was instructed by someone else to harm their family.
In addition, although the wealthy family was not a wealthy family in Liangzhou City, they had some local connections, so the "reward order" was posted all over Liangzhou City.
Inside Su Qingluan's paper bag is one of the wanted posters.
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