Chapter 358 Broken Finger
At about the same time, Li E walked out of the Xuan Gesi government office.
He has had a leisurely few days since he escorted the Second Princess Shuofeng's delegation into the capital.
The rules for reporting for duty were not very strict. After a quick meeting with the chief officer, there was no further assignment.
Hearing that the eldest princess had been sent to the northern border to supervise the army, his slow intelligence on the Xuanwu Army was of no use at all.
There were no acquaintances in the yamen, so he sat there for a cup of tea and then left.
I guess no one would care even if he didn't come.
The yamen was far away from his home, and he was too lazy to hire a car, so he simply walked back slowly.
War clouds are gathering in the north, and the war may ignite at any moment.
Not all generals are eager to achieve great things immediately, and many of them hope to live a stable life.
Li E had a shallow foundation among the senior leaders of the Xuanwu Army. In order to get this "good job", he almost spent half of his fortune to make connections.
The implications of this move by the Shufeng Dynasty were difficult to fathom. If the two countries really went to war, he, the escort officer who had just dealt with the other side's delegation, might be implicated.
Because of the risk, the mission finally fell on his shoulders.
At this moment, I am strolling in the garden, and the hustle and bustle of the city is all around me.
After passing through the four blocks, we turned into an ordinary alley called Yuqian Lane.
Deep in the alley, a small tavern had already opened for business.
The storefront is narrow, with only a half-worn wooden sign that reads "Liu Ji" hanging on it.
Pushing aside the reed mat curtain, the inside was even more cramped.
There was only room for four paint-chipped elm square tables and a few benches.
The ground was compacted loess, with a few empty wine jars piled in the corner, and the air was filled with a faint smell of wine dregs.
This was the time when the harvest was not yet over. The diners who had their morning drinks had already left, and the bustle of noon had not yet arrived.
There were four tables, and only one had a guest sitting at the front, and Li E was the second one.
The busy man at the back came out upon hearing the sound, a warm smile on his face.
"Sir, what would you like to order?
Unfortunately, the stove had just been extinguished at this time, so there was no hot food.
But whatever you want to eat, your neighbors can prepare it for you, which is very convenient."
Li E looked at the vaguely familiar face with a dazed expression.
This kind of small shop takes a cost-effective approach and serves regular customers in the neighborhood, so it simply cannot afford to hire waiters.
Brewing wine, cooking, serving food and collecting money are all done by the boss alone.
But... the old shopkeeper who was always smiling is no longer here. The person in front of me should be his son, right?
Things have changed and people have changed. Li E suppressed the sigh in his heart and did not say anything.
He didn't ask where the old shopkeeper was going, nor did he pretend to be familiar with him.
"First, a pot of green ants, and two cold dishes."
"Okay! Please sit down for a moment, I'll be right there."
Li E sat down at the square table where he often sat in his memory.
My palms unconsciously stroked the table top. The rough wood grain recorded the traces of time and evoked countless fragments of the past.
Boom!
When the guest at the front table put down his wine bowl, the bottom of the bowl hit the table, making a dull sound.
Li E subconsciously raised his eyes and glanced at the man's left hand...
In an instant, his pupils suddenly shrank and the blood in his body seemed to solidify instantly!
I saw that the little finger of his left hand was clearly broken off at the root!
A hideous old scar, like a poisonous insect, lurked at the base of the finger, extremely glaring.
The reason why Li E came to this inconspicuous and dilapidated tavern in Fengjing City today was because this place carried his deepest memories.
Back then, they were just laborers working at the docks, with nothing but their strength.
They would take on the hard work of unloading goods at night, work through the night, and then deliver the goods to the city at dawn to complete the delivery. They would often come here in groups.
The old shopkeeper has a unique skill: a pot of boiling offal soup.
The snow-white soup base is made from big bones, and in it are thickly cut pork offal, scattered meat slices, and plenty of seasonal vegetables.
Large quantity, rich in oil and steaming hot.
Order a pot of this and pair it with a few bowls of newly brewed green ant wine that still has foam on it.
After eating the spicy food and taking a few sips of wine, all the fatigue in my body disappeared.
After getting drunk, the group of people staggered shoulder to shoulder to the big bunk bed rented by Brother Zhao and fell asleep.
It was a rare comfort and warmth in the days of struggling to survive.
Later, war broke out in the north and the imperial court began to recruit soldiers.
It was Brother Zhao who slammed the table and stood up, shouting, "A real man should seek fame and fortune right away. What's the point of sitting around at the dock carrying bags?"
He changed his name to Zhao Bolu and led this group of hot-blooded men who made a living at the dock to join the army.
They dared to fight and were willing to take on tough tasks, but because they had no roots, they were later incorporated into the vanguard camp.
In the final battle, Brother Zhao led the troops from the front and made great contributions, for which he was awarded the title of General Zhaoyi.
As he roared when he left Fengjing, this group of peasants really achieved fame and fortune.
However, among the group of brothers who left Beijing, seven or eight out of ten died.
In the end, only six people survived and followed Brother Zhao to settle down in the Zhaoyi Army.
Who could have expected that the brothers who had struggled to survive in the sea of blood and corpses would die one by one in the seemingly peaceful years.
After so many years, only Li E was left among the six people, wandering like a lonely ghost.
Just as he was immersed in bitter memories, the left hand of the man at the opposite table, which was exposed when he put down the bowl, and the little finger that was severed at the root, struck Li E's mind like thunder.
The location of the severed finger, the hideous old scar... were exactly the same as the hand of his brother in his memory!
Qu Heng, Qu Erlang!
Li E's whole body trembled violently and his fingers tightened suddenly.
A chill rushed from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, and my scalp felt numb.
At this moment when his mind was shocked, a subtle but extremely clear voice penetrated directly into his ears.
"Long time no see, Li Dahang."
Li E was struck by lightning!
Li Dahang... This was the nickname given to him by the brothers who worked together at Fengjing Wharf.
No one else knows except those brothers who live and die together!
A severed finger, coupled with this affectionate name unique to brothers...
Li E raised his head suddenly, his sharp eyes fixed on the man's face.
The Qu Erlang in my memory was a fair-skinned boy.
Although they all carry heavy bags at the dock, this guy just can't get tanned.
His face always has a smile, revealing the elegance of a scholar.
He was a rare cultured person among this group of rough men, and often helped everyone write letters home.
But the man in front of him... was as thin as a stick, with a dark and rough face like old tree bark.
The deep wrinkles were as if carved by a knife, and his eyes were full of vicissitudes and fatigue. Where was the shadow of the fair-skinned scholar in the past?
The face is completely different from the one in my memory, and there is no trace of familiarity.
"Don't look anymore," the voice sounded again, with a barely perceptible hint of bitterness, "I am Qu Er. I'm still alive."
He took out something from his pocket very naturally, pressed it lightly on the broken finger of his left hand, and moved his fingertips slightly to make some adjustments.
After he let go, he found that the color and texture of the thing matched his skin color and finger bones perfectly!
In the blink of an eye, an intact little finger appeared on his hand.
If Li E had not seen the broken piece with his own eyes, he would not have been able to see any flaws at this moment.
Just at this moment, the shopkeeper came over with a tray, "Sir, your wine is here!"
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