Chapter 170 Chapter 170 Update.
At the end of Lengxiang Street, Ji Xu was organizing everyone to clear the ditch according to the instructions of Master Yangcheng.
There are sewage ditches on both sides of Gaoshi Street, and domestic wastewater and rainwater flow into the Wei River along the ditches.
Ping An Restaurant is located in a remote area, close to a water outlet, and at a low altitude. If the rain is heavy and continuous, the restaurant will be flooded if the drainage is not in time.
This was the situation when it was first used as a warehouse. I remember the pawnshop owner who accompanied her to register the land deeds also said that the goods here had been flooded once in the past.
Fortunately, the person we invited was Mr. Yangcheng. When he demolished the building and built it, he took this into consideration, so he deepened the ditch near the shop.
As he said: As long as the ditch is cleared, even if it rains for ten consecutive days, it will not flood your land.
Therefore, Ji Xu did not make a fuss, nor did he light a lantern. He used the bright moonlight to call on the five blessings and six grains, field beans, and broad beans to dredge the ditch here.
Wufu Liugu was very strong. When his iron hoe hit the wall of the pottery ditch, a creaking sound was made in the night.
Tiandou was not afraid of getting dirty. He rolled up his trouser legs and waded into the dirty water in the ditch, shoveling everywhere with a shovel. If he encountered any weeds entangled in it, he would just pull them out.
The banks of the ditch were soon filled with filth, rotten leaves, and mud and sand that were often blown into the ditch by horses.
Ji Xu took some broad beans and put all the filth into an ash bucket, and then dumped it into the ash pit at dawn.
Soon, the deep ditch became smooth.
"Miss, why are you digging a ditch here in the dark? Look at the sky full of stars. It won't rain tomorrow."
Tian Dou asked as they packed up their things and returned to the restaurant.
She and Candou now live in the back rooms behind the restaurant.
This was what Jin told her last night. Manager Hu and his group were going to drain the slop in front of her door to make it stink.
Ji Huhai worked as a handyman in Manxianglou. Originally, he had to pour the kitchen slop into the ditch every day. But one day, the fat cook told him not to do so and just keep it in a big vat. Of course, he didn't tell Huhai what it was used for. Ji Huhai heard it by chance and learned it from Jin.
Tian Dou was trustworthy. Ji Xu had no intention of hiding the truth from her since she had entered the kitchen. He said:
"No matter how much swill they have, it can't withstand ten days of heavy rain. Once this is cleared, it will flow into the Wei River and won't rot and stink in front of our door."
Tian Dou was so angry that he gritted his teeth and said:
"What a nest of snakes and rats."
After returning to the room and blowing out the lights, Tiandou guessed that Candou had fallen asleep, so he quietly went out.
She used a sack to collect the gravel in the backyard, which was left over from the building construction and was now piled in a corner. She dug out about half of the bag and carried it out of the backyard.
When I returned, Broad Bean turned over on the kang and muttered in a half-asleep state:
"Where have you been so late at night?"
"pee."
Tian Dou lay down and said.
The next morning, in the downtown area of Kaohsiung, people passing by nearby covered their noses and complained about the stench, without stopping for a moment.
"Hey, why are you pouring slop in front of the door?"
"It's sour and smelly."
I saw flies crawling on the residue, buzzing and humming. Under the scorching sun, the stench was even more intense.
"Oh no! Oh no! All the slop from last night has fermented in front of the Manxiang Tower."
People all took a detour, let alone entering the store. The fat chef ordered the waiter to pour clean water to rinse, and then hurried to report to the storekeeper Hu.
"It should be renamed Manchoulou!"
A diner passing by downstairs pointed it out.
Shopkeeper Hu threw his feather fan in anger, "You fool! Why didn't you check if your ditch was blocked before pouring water?"
This泔水 is poured from the ditch in the backyard and flows out, but if the ditch near your house is blocked, then all the泔水 will ferment in front of your door.
Since five or six restaurants worked together to do this, their泔水 all had to pass through Manxianglou. As a result, the ditch was blocked, and all the dirty and smelly food overflowed from the ditch onto the ground.
"It's unfair! I clearly looked from a distance and saw that the ditch in front of my house was not blocked, so it collapsed. Someone must have been playing tricks and secretly blocked our ditch at night."
Shopkeeper Hu and the fat cook, along with five or six thugs, came to Ping'an Restaurant in a menacing manner.
The place was clean and tidy, without any strange smell. It was next to the Wei River and was still bustling with business.
Wufu Liugu stopped Manager Hu and his group.
"Everyone is welcome to come here and have a taste of the cooking made by Yijin Niangniang. Why can't I come here and have a taste of the cooking made by Yijin Niangniang?"
As he spoke, the thugs behind him pressed their way in front of Wufu Liugu, and neither of them gave in.
Diners passing by pointed and talked.
Ji Xu was cooking in the kitchen when he heard Tian Dou say happily:
"People say that the Manxiang Building has become the Manchou Building. This is retribution in this life. It's what we deserve!"
Suddenly, I heard Qiu Gu say:
"This is incredible! This is incredible! Shopkeeper Hu has brought his men here."
Tian Dou's face changed, and he dropped the vegetable leaves and was about to leave.
"Stop, you watch over here."
Ji Xu went out to see them. Since they were outnumbered, it would be a disadvantage to stop them by force, so he ordered Wufu Liugu to let them in and entertain them in the elegant seats downstairs. With the help of the onlookers, he could at least prevent her from causing trouble.
Shopkeeper Hu said, "You blocked my drain, and now my front door is stinking. Let's settle this account."
"I've also heard about what happened at Manxianglou. I'm afraid it was mud, sand, and rotten leaves that blocked the ditch, not human error. Shopkeeper Hu should have led his staff to properly clear the ditch. Why is he blaming me instead?"
"You don't need to teach me this. We just looked along the ditch when we came here, and there wasn't any rotten leaves or mud. It must be someone messing around at night."
"That's strange. The curfew is strict now, and businesses can't do business at night. All the shops are closed, but that person blocked your ditch at night. What did she want?"
Of course, it was to stop her from making the door stink, but Manager Hu couldn't say this.
If we say that she colluded with five or six restaurants to dump泔水 at night and plotted against Ping'an Restaurant, it would be as obvious as lice on a bald head.
She couldn't come openly and ruin the reputation of the No. 1 Restaurant in the World, so she smiled and said:
"Look at me, I misunderstood a girl named Yijin. I'll punish myself with a drink. It was all your instigation! You didn't even bring anyone to carefully investigate where the blockage is!"
After scolding the fat cook, the group left.
Ji Xu appeased the guests and went back to the kitchen to cook. He saw Tian Dou peeking out from the doorway. Unable to conceal his guilty conscience, he asked:
"Have they all left?"
"Let's go. I won't do this kind of presumptuous behavior again. Although it's over now, it should be a lesson. I'll fine you two months' salary."
Then he asked, "What did you do with that bag of gravel?"
The ditch was indeed blocked by the beans. Before daybreak, she took away the bag of sand. Because it was stained with slop and smelled terrible, she didn't dare to pour it back. She said honestly:
"Mixed in the mud from last night's ditch clearing, along with the wet sacks, it must have been dumped into the ash pit by the yak."
Ji Xu nodded. The sand in the backyard showed signs of being moved. Tian Dou saw that Hu had come to visit with such an expression, so she guessed it.
"You're so considerate! I punished you, but are you blaming me in your heart?"
Tian Dou shook her head. "I was the one who made the decision first. If it happens again, I will do the same thing. No one can plot against this place or you."
Ji Xu said with a cruel heart:
"If you continue to act on your own initiative like this, I can't keep you here!"
Tian Dou's eyes turned red. Before she could say anything, she heard a noise outside.
"Where are the people? Where are the people? Who has the guts to come here and cause trouble?"
It was Tian who came here, holding a big stick, and went to the kitchen.
"Why is mother here?"
Tian said, "I heard from a guest that a woman surnamed Hu came to marry with five or six men. I immediately hitched up an ox cart and came here. Is anyone injured?"
She pulled Ji Xu over and looked her up and down. She finally breathed a sigh of relief and found that everything was intact. She had been running all the way until her hooves were on fire.
"I'm fine. Mother, please hurry home. The gatehouse is ready. Mother, please ask Lai Yazi to come over early and buy two strong slaves to look after the house. I'm afraid that Shopkeeper Hu, who didn't get what he deserved, will do something bad."
Ever since I offended the Li family, I have been thinking about buying a slave to guard the house. However, there is only one yard at home, and it would be inconvenient to have a man living there.
Therefore, Mr. Yangcheng was invited to divide the yard into two parts with a wall, and a gatehouse was built near the gate for the strong slaves who guarded the house to live in.
They still live inside the wall. They have been breaking ground these days and it was completed yesterday and can be lived in.
After a short chat, Tian drove back. When she reached the alley entrance, she ran into Liu Laogu and said,
"You're out? Why are there roosters crowing at home? I thought they were killed... Oh no! Could it be a chicken thief?"
At this moment, Jindou is selling braised food in Jiaomen City, and Yindou is selling snacks and groceries in Huai City. There is no one at home.
Tian rushed to the door of her house, only to find that the copper lock on the door knocker was missing, and the gate opened when she pushed it.
Now that the inner wall has been built, the inner courtyard can no longer be seen at a glance, but the outer courtyard is connected to the two vegetable plots on the east side, and a ruined corner can be seen obliquely.
Aunt Liu came right after her and saw clearly that there were traces of wear and tear on the door knocker from picking the lock.
"I'm afraid the thief is still inside. I'll call the neighbors and we'll go in together to arrest him and send him to the authorities."
Tian didn't even wait for anyone to call, so she turned around, picked up the big stick from the car and rushed in.
"You damn bastard! You ruined such a delicious dish! You will be struck by lightning!"
Once inside, you can see the entire vegetable field. The cabbage, turnip, cucumber, eggplant, green onion, coriander, and shallot that were originally planted well are now all leaning to one side and there are many huge footprints in the mud.
The large cabbage was trampled to pieces, the eggplant seedlings that had just been planted were pulled out by the roots, the cucumber vines had grown, and even the bamboo frame was kicked away by her.
She was so angry that she rushed to the inner courtyard, only to see that the swing rope was broken, the pots and pans in the kitchen were overturned on the ground, and the ground was black, which was the old brine in the pot. There was not a single good egg in the basket.
While cursing the bastard, she left the kitchen to look for someone.
There was no trace of him in the east and west wing rooms, but everywhere was in the same mess. The clothes and cloths in the boxes were cut and trampled.
Unfortunately, she had just embroidered a skirt with creeping grass for Ji Xu, but it was torn.
The purse containing five hundred coins that she had placed at the bottom of the box was also stolen.
There were originally eight hens in the backyard, six of which had their necks twisted, and two were shivering and huddled in the chicken coop.
There used to be a mynah bird raised by the children hanging under the tree, but only a few bird feathers were left in the birdcage.
Fortunately, the family horse was ridden away by Ji Xu, and the yellow ox that had been with them for many years was harnessed to her cart and driven away. Yin Dou also had a newly bought black ox, which was also spared from harm because of her absence. She called to the cats in the house:
"Diaohu? Diaohu?"
I vaguely heard a bird calling from the firewood, so I walked closer and called it.
The eagle-beard came out covered in grass debris. It was always agile, so it was not injured, but just scared.
Tian searched everywhere but couldn't find the thief. She first bolted the door of the east wing, then went to the window and swept away all the silk threads and copper lamps that were originally placed there.
She didn't bother to pick it up. She just knocked on the wooden window frame and scratched along the wall. It was hollow inside.
This is a small, hollow wall, probably built by the original owner to hide things.
The room was originally rented by a couple selling melons and vegetables. They didn't have children to mess around and find things, so they didn't notice anything. If Wang'er had lived in this room instead, he might have started to mess around.
They discovered that one day Ji Feng took a chime hammer given to her by someone in elementary school and started to play with it by hitting it everywhere.
Ji Xu heard the unusual sound here, so he used a dagger to pry open the gap and discovered the double-layered wall.
There are three layers in total. The first layer is three locked money boxes, marked "household", "stall" and "restaurant" respectively, which contain all the family savings;
One layer was her shiny mink fur coat which she was reluctant to wear;
The first layer is the square-mesh gauze that was said to be kept for making summer clothes.
Seeing that everything was still there, Tian couldn't help but worship the gods.
"Auntie Tian, Auntie Tian, I asked you to wait, why did you come in by yourself? Is there a thief inside?"
Aunt Liu called the neighbors over. They were holding tools like brooms and door bolts, and they were calling Aunt Tian all the way in.
Jindou, who used to sell braised food in Jiaomen City, was also told by her daughter Xiaohua. She came with a knife for cutting braised food and called her "Madam".
Tian listened to the noise, restored the wall first, and went out to talk.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
