29 Chapter 029
◎Arrival in Anlu (Part 1)◎
Intimidated by Yao Sanniang's 30-year-old strength, Master Fan dared not speak out even though he was angry.
He glared fiercely at Xie Mingzhuo and the other six, then angrily returned to the dilapidated temple and lay down.
The next morning, Yao Sanniang invited the six people to dinner again and ignored Master Fan.
Young Master Fan's face was pale, and without saying a word, he drove away from the dilapidated temple with his entourage.
Li Jiuyue's eyes showed a hint of worry.
"Nine-year-old Jiuniang is worried that he will cause trouble for you in Anlu?" Yao Sanniang asked with a smile.
Li Jiuyue sighed, "I originally wanted to return to my hometown and live a peaceful life, but I didn't expect to get into such trouble halfway."
"I have some connections in Anlu County," Yao Sanniang said, handing over an iron token. "If he causes you any trouble when we get to Anlu, take this to the manager of the Datong Coach and Horse Company. He's on good terms with County Magistrate He."
Although the county magistrate is not as high-ranking as the county magistrate, he has been in Anlu County for many years. The county magistrate has just taken office and has to rely on these assistant officials.
If the county magistrate comes forward to plead for mercy, I believe the county magistrate will also give him some face.
The front of the talisman is engraved with the word "Datong", and the back is engraved with the word "Jia".
Li Jiuyue said gratefully, "This is too valuable. I can't accept it."
What is valuable is not an iron plate, but a great favor.
For merchants, being able to connect with officials in the government office is like having another way to get ahead.
Yao Sanniang stuffed it directly into her hand and said without giving her any room for refusal, "Just take it if I tell you to. Stop pushing and pulling. If my trucks weren't moving slowly and I wasn't afraid of delaying your journey, I would definitely accompany you."
"Thank you." Li Jiuyue's eyes were moved. "Sanniang, you are so kind-hearted."
Yao Sanniang smiled and said, "It's just a small favor. If you consider me a friend, just accept it with confidence."
Li Jiuyue no longer refused and carefully took the iron plate.
After breakfast, both sides said goodbye to each other.
Before leaving, Yao Sanniang instructed, "When you get to Anlu, you'll need to find a place to stay first, right? If you want to rent a place, go find Ji Yalang from Ping'an Dental Clinic, the one with the mole on his left cheek. I know him well, so just tell me my name."
Li Jiuyue smiled widely: "That's great."
"If you want to buy furniture, go to Lao Zheng's carpentry shop. He uses genuine materials and the prices are not too high."
"good."
"And..." Yao Sanniang paused, then laughed, "Forget it, that's all I have to say for now. If I continue, I'll become a matchmaker."
Li Jiuyue bowed and said solemnly, "Sanniang's kindness will be remembered in our hearts."
The two sides parted ways.
Yao Sanniang watched them go away before ordering the escort to set off.
"Why does Miss San treat them so..." The escort thought for a moment, but couldn't think of an appropriate word, so he borrowed Li Jiuyue's original words, "So warm-hearted?"
Yao Sanniang said calmly, "It's just that we like each other."
Subordinate: “…”
On the other side, Li Jiuyue was also thoughtful.
"Second Mother, what do you think of that Third Mother Yao?"
Xie Mingzhuo, holding a book in his hand and reciting his lessons with his eyes closed, said, "He's a warm-hearted person."
"She does have good intentions, but I have a feeling she's not as simple as she appears." Li Jiuyue is experienced in business and is used to overthinking things. "Her claim of being afraid of delaying our trip was just an excuse. She probably just doesn't want to go with us."
"Yeah." Xie Mingzhuo guessed Yao Sanniang's identity and understood why she didn't want to travel with others.
The things in that box are probably not ordinary things.
She didn't plan to tell Li Jiuyue and the others about Yao Sanniang's identity for the time being.
First, there is no point in talking about it now, and second, it is more natural to get along when the identities are unknown.
Yao Sanniang seems to be overbearing, but in fact she is delicate and sensitive. She can catch any discomfort in Jiuniang, Ayu and Aqing.
We must first gain a firm foothold in Anlu County.
Two days later, the six people arrived safely in Anlu County.
They first settled in an inn. The inn they chose was not high-end, but there were many business travelers coming and going, and it was a mixed crowd.
While it was still light, Li Jiuyue took Luo Qi to Ping'an Dental Clinic to find Ji Yalang.
Xie Mingzhuo and his three companions went to buy daily necessities and familiarize themselves with the layout of the city.
Anlu County is built by the water, and the main trunk of the Fuhe River flows through the county. The Fuhe River was called the Yushui River in ancient times, so the main street in the city was named "Yushui Street".
At 1 p.m., Yushui Street was bustling with activity.
The four of them strolled along the street, and when they came across a suitable store, they would go in and buy a few items, such as snacks, embroidery cloth, needles and thread, and other small items, which would not feel heavy in their bamboo baskets.
The "coachman" Yang Da was responsible for carrying the basket.
He was still unkempt, with messy hair and beard, just like any other rough man.
The crowds on the street grew larger and larger, all moving in one direction.
Feng Caiyu asked the tea stall owner in Anlu dialect: "What's going on up ahead?"
"Miss, are you from here? You look unfamiliar." The tea stall owner looked her up and down and replied, "A restaurant opened on Xin Street and they invited a lion dance troupe. We all went to join in the fun."
"Thank you." She took out two copper coins, placed them on the table, and drank it as if it were a bowl of tea.
The boss smiled happily and said: "Young lady, if you want to go and see the fun, you have to go as soon as possible, otherwise you will miss it."
Feng Caiyu nodded and returned to Xie Mingzhuo.
"Then let's go and take a look." Xie Mingzhuo had only seen lion dance performances in videos and had never watched one live.
As time went by, the original old street could no longer meet the people's living needs, so the government specially opened a new street next to the old street.
The two streets are only a few hundred steps apart.
After turning the corner, I could vaguely see a high platform not far away through the increasingly dense crowd. The golden and red lion fur was particularly eye-catching.
The drums beat vigorously, the cymbals banged loudly, and accompanied by the rhythmic music, the lion climbed onto the high stool again.
Yang Yunkai used his ingenuity to clear the way, leading Xie Mingzhuo and the other two deep into the inner circle of the spectators to face the agile and tumbling lion.
In the open space in front of the new restaurant, there are plum blossom poles, several benches and several square tables.
Two lions, one big and one small, were running and jumping on the tall wooden stakes, which made people feel nervous.
The big one is majestic and powerful, and is called Taishi, while the small one is cute and naive, and is called Shaoshi. When the two lions raise their heads, they tilt their heads and wink at the audience, making them laugh.
Another sound of gongs and drums sounded, and the lion-leader in front of the lion made a beautiful leap over the lion's back and threw the lion-leading ball in his hand high into the air. As his feet landed steadily on the plum blossom pile, the ball returned to his palm.
The crowd cheered and applauded loudly.
The lion dancer is the key to the lion dance. He not only needs to show amazing heroism, but also master superb martial arts skills. In addition, he must develop enough tacit understanding with the lion to convince the lion.
The lion-tamer's body movements were truly extraordinary. Whether he was doing a front flip over a lion, a back flip onto a high table, or a flip down a plum blossom pile in the clouds, he performed it with ease.
Everyone watched it with excitement and admiration.
Even Jiang Qing and Yang Yunkai nodded in agreement.
Xie Mingzhuo also applauded with the crowd. No wonder lion dancing has become an international intangible cultural heritage.
The sound of gongs and drums gradually changed from passionate to soothing, indicating that the lion dance performance was about to end.
Yinshilang, holding a hydrangea in his hand, flipped down from the high table, landed on the plum blossom pile, did several backflips in a row, and finally stood steadily on the bench with a smile on his face.
There was continuous applause, and everyone shouted in unison: "Do it again!"
Yinshilang jumped off the bench, clasped his hands together, and kept bowing to express his gratitude in all directions.
Turning to the north, he first clasped his fists and bowed. When he straightened his back and raised his eyes, he met Xie Mingzhuo's eyes.
Like the first willow catkins of early spring quietly falling onto the surface of a lake, creating dense ripples, the surrounding bustle seemed to suddenly become distant, and the remaining onlookers became blurry shadows, excluded from sight.
He did not interact with the audience as he did just now. He was stunned for a moment, then looked away and turned around to reunite with the men in the lion dance troupe. They clapped each other on the shoulders and laughed, sharing the joy of the successful performance.
After the lion dance ended, Xie Mingzhuo and his three companions followed the crowd and continued to stroll around Xin Street, returning to the inn before dark.
They asked the waiter to bring some food, and the six of them gathered in the house, eating and exchanging information.
Li Jiuyue said, "Ji Yalang happened to return to the village. He said he would be back tomorrow at noon. I will go look for him tomorrow."
"Okay." Xie Mingzhuo nodded. "Old Zheng's Carpentry Shop is indeed good."
After a long journey, the six of them went back to their rooms to rest after dinner.
The three upper rooms are connected together, Xie Mingzhuo and Jiang Qing live in the middle, Li Jiuyue and Feng Caiyu live in the inner part, and Yang Yunkai and Luo Qi live near the stairs.
The inn has poor sound insulation, and at night you can always hear snoring, quarreling, and the noise of guests walking outside.
We still have to find a house as soon as possible.
The next afternoon, Li Jiuyue took Luo Qi to the brokerage firm and found Ji Yalang. He mentioned Yao Sanniang's name to him. Ji Yalang immediately said that Yao Sanniang's friends were his friends, and he would definitely introduce the most suitable house to her.
Throughout the afternoon, they ran through more than a dozen alleys and looked at seven houses. Li Jiuyue wrote down the pros and cons of each one and returned to the inn to discuss it with Xie Mingzhuo.
After hearing this, Xie Mingzhuo decisively said, "We don't want places that are too remote or too noisy, with dirty alleys, or with complicated populations."
"That leaves only three."
One of them was closer to Yushui Street, and in the future they would open a grocery store on the street, making it convenient for commuting. There were six bedrooms in the courtyard.
One house was farther from the main street, and also had six rooms. However, it was old and built facing away from the sun, which was a breeding ground for insects and ants.
The last one is quite special. It is close to the county school and has a strong literary atmosphere. Most of the people who come and go are scholars and their families. The rent is relatively high, and the owner of the house also has requirements for the tenants. Negotiations can only be made after meeting the tenants.
The house also has one entrance and six rooms. It is also an old house, but it is built facing the sun. The house was renovated not long ago and the yard is kept clean and tidy.
It is close to the county school and public security is guaranteed.
Everyone favored the third company.
Finally, Xie Mingzhuo made the final decision: "Tomorrow, Jiuniang will have to make another arduous trip to the government office with the owner of the house to sign the contract."
When private individuals rent a house, they must register it with the government. Three copies of the deed are kept by the homeowner, the tenant, and the government office respectively. If there are any disputes in the future, they can be used as evidence.
They are merchants from other places and they need to apply for residence permits from the government, which will be processed together at that time.
Li Jiuyue agreed with a smile.
The next morning, Ji Yalang came to inform him that the owner of the house would meet him in the afternoon.
When Li Jiuyue had some free time in the morning, she told Ji Yalang that she wanted to rent a shop. After looking at the shops, she would go to meet the owner.
In order to do more business, Ji Yalang readily agreed and took her and Luo Qi to see the shop.
Xie Mingzhuo and his three companions took the agreed-upon list and went to Lao Zheng's carpenter shop to order furniture.
Near noon, the four returned to the inn.
Just as she reached the door, a person rushed out like a loach and almost bumped into Xie Mingzhuo. She dodged him without leaving a trace.
Yang Yunkai and Jiang Qing immediately stepped forward to block the way of "Loach". "Loach" was impatient and shouted "Get away from me".
A hand reached out from the door and grabbed the back of his collar.
He was a yamen runner in blue clothes and black boots.
"Hit someone again?" The yamen runner had a powerful grip. He twisted Loach's arms behind his back, restrained him, and knocked him on the head, saying angrily, "Why don't you apologize now?"
"Be gentle, be gentle," Loach frowned, "Master Lin, please understand. I just missed and didn't hit anyone."
The yamen runner poked his head a few more times, handed the man over to his colleagues who arrived later, and then looked directly at the person outside the door.
Both sides were stunned.
Xie Mingzhuo stepped aside to make way and spoke first: "It's true that I didn't bump into him."
"Oh, that's good." The yamen runner came back to his senses, smiled apologetically, turned around and called to his colleagues, "Take him back."
After the people left and the four of them returned to the room, Jiang Qing asked in confusion, "The lion-leader from yesterday looked exactly like the yamen runner just now."
"It's the same person." Yang Yunkai said confidently.
The Jinyiwei commander's vision is convincing.
"Why would a yamen runner go to dance like a lion?" Jiang Qing shook her head and murmured, but since it was none of her business, she was puzzled for only a moment and then put it out of her mind.
On the way to the county government office, two yamen runners escorted the thief and followed behind the young man in the lead.
"Boss, just now at the inn, someone almost fell down the stairs. Did you twist your arm when you tried to save him?" Yamen runner Xiao Ba said, kicking the thief in anger. "Look at what you did!"
The thief felt the pain and said bitterly, "The police were arresting me, but I only knew how to run away. How could I care about others?"
"Look at you, you've stolen so many times. Haven't you had enough of the jail?" Yamen runner Ren Dali patted his head.
Xiao Ba: "Why isn't the boss talking?"
"I don't know, is it because of the pain that you can't speak?"
"The boss isn't someone who's afraid of pain."
The thief snorted and laughed: "I think he is bewitched by the young lady."
"What little lady?"
"The one I almost bumped into at the entrance of the inn was quite smart-looking."
Xiao Ba: "Really? Why didn't I see it?"
"We were all blocked by the boss." Ren Dali sighed regretfully.
The two looked at each other and then glanced at the back in front of them.
The Lintou people are very tall. When they stand on the street, they stand out like a crane among chickens.
It's just a bit unpleasant. I often block their view when I'm on duty. This time I was even more unlucky. I couldn't even see the young lady.
Xiao Ba came closer curiously, "Boss, are you really interested in the young lady at the door of the inn?"
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Lin Tou'er slapped him with his palm. "Hurry up."
Xiao Ba took a step back and winked at Ren Dali.
Back at the county government office, the three men took the thief for interrogation. One of them hurried over and blocked their way with his hand.
"Is there anything wrong with Zhang Dianli?" Xiao Ba asked.
Zhang Dianli looked at Lin Tou'er and said, "Team Leader Lin, can I ask you a favor?"
"Brother Zhang, you're too polite." Lin, the squad leader, waved his hand. "Just give me your orders."
Zhang Dianli breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Then I won't be so distant with Brother Fan. Ji Yalang came to me yesterday and said someone wanted to rent our old house in Zhuangyuan Lane. He looked like a respectable man, so I thought I'd go meet him."
Lin Fan nodded, waiting for his next words.
"We originally arranged to meet them in the afternoon, but the clerk suddenly sent me on official business, so I really can't get away. Could you please run that trip for me? I trust your judgment of people. If you think they're suitable, bring them to the government office to sign the contract. If not, just refuse them, so you don't have to go to the household office again."
Lin Fan said cheerfully, "It's a small matter. I'll go right away."
【Author’s words】
Turn back, there is another chapter~
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