for evil

The weather was perfect today, Chen Ye, Mu Qing, Yuan She were waiting in front of a wooden table.

Curls of cooking smoke steam up, bringing a burst of aroma.

Chen Ye wiped his chopsticks, put his chin on the table, and complained: "It's really picky. He said he wanted to invite us to dinner. I thought it was some delicacies, but I didn't expect it to be such a wonton stall."

Yuan She crossed his arms, glanced at Chen Ye and said, "Then you don't have to eat it."

Chen Ye excused himself, took a sip of water dryly, and looked up at the busy figure beside him.

The owner of Chaos stall is a skinny old man, wearing a torn apron, squinting a pair of cloudy eyes, going back and forth between the pot and the table, he is both a cook and a waiter, and in the slightly cold weather, his forehead is already busy. A layer of sweat, Yuan She said he was over 70 years old.

There are not many customers sitting in front of the stall, but they are not too few. It seems that the business is OK.

Yuan She said: "This store is said to have been around for 80 or [-] years, and the craftsmanship has been passed down from generation to generation. You are satisfied with the storage!"

After waiting for a while, the boss tremblingly served three bowls of wonton one after another, grinning with his mouth missing his front teeth, and said with a smile: "Master Yuan, come to eat wonton again?"

Yuan She responded with a smile: "Yes, old man Wu's business is good today."

Old Uncle Wu wiped the sweat off his neck with his apron: "Yes, yes, don't take it for keeping you waiting for so long." As he spoke, his eyes flicked between Mu Qing and Chen Ye.

Yuan She said: "The city lord didn't come today."

Uncle Wu said: "I heard that the city lord has caught a cold recently, is he okay?"

Yuan She said: "...not bad."

Old Uncle Wu sighed, and just about to say something, he caught a glimpse of the boiling pot over there, and hurriedly said to Yuan She: "There are so many people today, I'll look at the pot first."

Yuan She nodded: "Leave us alone, you will do your work first."

Uncle Wu responded, hurriedly left the table, and got busy.

Chen Ye scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, put it in his mouth, and praised him, "Well, it's not bad."

Mu Qing asked Yuan She: "Does Fang Ya always come here?"

Yuan She nodded: "It's because he often brings me here to eat, that's why I know about it."

Mu Qing lowered her eyes and thought about something, but didn't speak.

Chen Ye took a sip of the soup: "The taste is really worthy of the century-old name you mentioned."

Yuan She said: "Of course."

Chen Ye looked around: "Why did you see him alone? Didn't you mention hiring a helper?"

Yuan She said: "I also persuaded him before, he said that he is used to doing things by himself, and he doesn't like others to help."

Chen Ye said: "Then there is no such thing as a son taking over and passing on the craftsmanship?"

Yuan She sighed, and said softly, "Uncle Wu's son was a soldier who died in the war 40 years ago."

Chen Ye and Mu Qing were stunned for a moment, and fell silent for a while.

Chen Ye said: "It's a pity."

After eating the wonton, Yuan She greeted Old Uncle Wu, and the three of them left.

Yuan She hired a carriage, patted his chest and assured Chen Ye and the others: "Play with me today, I will keep you satisfied."

Sitting in the carriage, Chen Ye asked Yuan She: "Don't tell me that the place we are going now was also taken by Fang Ya before."

Yuan She blinked his clear eyes: "You are really right, aren't you?"

Chen Ye said: "You have only been here for more than two months, and Fang Ya has told you everything."

Yuan She grinned and said: "Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never end in a hundred battles. After all, I am here to investigate the affairs of Pengcheng. It will always be convenient to investigate if I break into the interior."

Chen Ye said: "Really? How can I watch you indulge in sensuality every day, eating, drinking and having fun?"

Yuan She said: "That's you!" Yuan She narrowed his eyes and said quietly: "Actually, Fang Ya looks as gentle as jade on the surface, and the identity of the city lord makes him seem a little mysterious, but in fact he is still Quite emotional. I used to drink and chat with him, and he talked a lot when he was drunk. He was weak and sick at every turn, unable to go too far out of the city, and stayed in one place all year round; and the lifeblood of Pengcheng was held in his hands, It's not easy to be in your twenties..."

Mu Qing said: "So you plan to help a little now?"

Yuan She looked a little embarrassed, and scratched his cheek with a finger: "It can't be said to be helpful, I just want to build a good relationship with Fang Ya first, so it will be easier to do things in the future..."

The carriage drove all the way, Chen Ye felt sleepy, and fell asleep all the way with his head tilted on Mu Qing's shoulder.

When Chen Ye was woken up by Yuan She, the carriage had already stopped by a shimmering lake.

Chen Ye rubbed his eyes and stretched his waist, stepped out of the car, looked at the scenery in front of him, and it became more and more familiar.After a while, he patted his head and asked Yuan She: "Isn't this a dustpan?"

Yuan She said: "That's right! Didn't expect you to have heard of it?"

Chen Ye said with a sullen face, "Mu Qing and I just came here yesterday."

Yuan She shrugged: "That can't be helped, who made your legs fast."

Mu Qing looked at Chen Ye and laughed: "I don't know if you will get another stick for no reason this time."

Chen Ye was helpless: "I have enmity with this place."

Yuan She frowned and turned to ask, "What charades are you playing?"

Chen Ye said: "...it's nothing."

Yuan She led the two of them slowly along the path by the lake, and then came to a small courtyard.

A woman squatted in the yard with her head down, a wooden basin in front of her, holding a grass carp in her left hand, and scraping the fish scales with her right hand.

"Wanniang!" Yuan She shouted at the man.

Wanniang raised her head, looked at the person, and said in harmony, "Young Master Yuan, are you here?"

Yuan She said: "Come and see Mrs. Han."

Wanniang got up: "Then you have a good meal today. I just went to the market this morning and bought a few fish, intending to replenish Aunt Han's body. Originally, the fish seller insisted on giving me one more, but I still wanted to eat it." I can’t finish it, but he said it was cheap and I bought it, and you came here before I thought about it.”

Yuan She smiled: "No coincidence makes a book."

From the moment the woman raised her head, Chen Ye felt an ominous premonition envelope her whole body.

Mu Qing saw Chen Ye's stiff back, then looked at the woman opposite, understood a little, and patted Chen Ye's shoulder meaningfully.

The two followed Yuan She forward.

Wanniang held the fish and looked at Chen Ye and Mu Qing.

Yuan She introduced: "These two are called Chen Ye and Mu Qing. They are my friends."

Wanniang smiled: "I already met yesterday."

Yuan She didn't know, so: "What?"

Mu Qing said: "Yes, I didn't say hello yesterday, I'm next Mu Qing."

Chen Ye lowered his head: "Chen Ye."

Wanniang giggled: "I scared the two little brothers yesterday, don't take offense."

Yuan She understood, and asked Wanniang, "Aunt Han?"

Wan Niang nodded.

Yuan She smiled and said, "It's also fate."

Wan Niang said: "Since we all know each other, don't be restrained, go in and sit down. I'll cook for you."

Yuan She said: "Thank you Wanniang."

As soon as he entered the room, an old woman with gray hair rushed straight to the person.

Chen Ye closed his eyes, ready to welcome the old woman's fiery hug.But after waiting for a long time, nothing came. He opened his eyes and saw Yuan She in front of him being hugged tightly by the old woman.

The old woman said: "Kai'er, you are here!"

Yuan She frowned: "That...mother...you hug me too tightly."

The old woman loosened her arms tremblingly, raised her right hand, and wiped Yuan She's face with her wrinkled hands tremblingly: "Kai'er, you've lost weight, mother will cook for you."

Yuan She hurriedly stopped her: "Just now Wanniang saw me coming and said that today she is coming to cook and let me accompany my mother well."

The old woman seemed to have finally noticed the two people behind Yuan She, frowned, and protected Yuan She behind her, showing hostility: "Who are you? Are you going to take away?"

Mu Qing waved her hands: "Mother, we are not..."

Yuan She gently put his shoulders on the old woman's shoulders: "Mother, they are my comrades in the same battalion."

Chen Ye said: "Yes, yes, comrades in arms!"

The old woman said: "Not even comrades in arms, no one can take Kai'er away."

Mu Qing said: "Mother, we are not going to take Han Kai away, he has been talking about you in the barracks before, so we will accompany him to see you."

The old woman's muddy eyes were half puzzled and half shrewd. She stared at the two of them, then turned to look at Yuan She, who looked into her eyes and nodded.Only then did the old woman feel relieved, and she was no longer on guard.

Yuan She pulled the old woman to sit down: "How is your body during my absence?"

The old woman said: "Eat well, sleep well, you don't have to worry about me, you look thin, is it because the food in the military camp is not good?"

Then the two talked to each other, chatting about the daily life, really like a loving mother and son who haven't seen each other for many years.

During the period, Yuan She asked Chen Ye and Mu Qing to go out for a walk, but Chen Ye couldn't move his legs because of the old woman's scrutinizing gaze.I had no choice but to laugh dryly with the two of them.

After sitting for about an hour, Wanniang began to serve sumptuous dishes one after another.

Five dishes and one soup, although they are all home-cooked, but the dishes look really good, and the aroma that wafts makes Chen Ye's stomach growl three times.

Wanniang wiped her hands and called out to everyone: "Come and eat."

Mu Qing gave a salute: "Thanks for your hard work, Wanniang."

Wanniang said: "Young Master Mu, you're welcome, they are all simple and light food, as long as you don't dislike them."

Mu Qing said: "Where?"

Yuan She helped Mrs. Han walk over, took their seats, picked up the chopsticks, Chen Ye tasted it, found it delicious, and praised: "Wanniang is good at craftsmanship."

Yuan She said: "Of course, Wanniang's craftsmanship is unique in Pengcheng!"

Wanniang's face was a little red: "I'm a little embarrassed for what I said."

Aunt Han pouted her lips, and it took a long time before she was very unwilling to say: "Hmph! I didn't do as well as when I was young."

Everyone froze for a moment, then laughed together.

Wanniang said: "Yes yes yes! Aunt Han's handicraft is the best, next time you must do it."

Aunt Han said: "I said I would do it today, but you insisted on grabbing it."

Yuan She narrowed his eyes and said, "Yes, yes, it is Wanniang who took the credit."

After dinner, it was getting late, and Mrs. Han was already a little sleepy, so she dozed off on the chair.

Wanniang helped arrange the bedding, Yuan She watched Aunt Han fall asleep, and the two quietly left the room.

Yuan She said to Wan Niang: "It's been a busy day, you should go back to your room and have a rest."

Wan Niang said: "Alright, you guys should go back early, the road is inconvenient, I'm here!"

Yuan She said: "Thanks for your hard work."

Wanniang said: "Where is it, I have always regarded Aunt Han as my mother. The husband in my family passed away early, and Aunt Han's son also... Aunt Han treated me well before, and the two of them just happened to be a companion, which is actually quite good." .”

Yuan She said: "There are too many unsatisfactory things in this world."

Wan Niang sighed: "Yes, but there is no other way. We still have to live a good life. We are able to be like this now. It is all the hard work of those who sacrificed for it in the past. How can we let them down?" Wan Niang smiled. : "Hey, I'm talking too much, you guys go back quickly, and say hello to the city lord by the way."

Yuan She said: "Okay."

Wan Niang watched the three of them get into the carriage, and Chen Ye and Mu Qing bid farewell to each other.

Mu Qing said: "Wanniang worked hard today."

Chen Ye said: "I will miss Wanniang's craftsmanship in the future."

Wanniang pursed her lips and smiled: "Next time you two want to eat, just come here, don't follow Mr. Yuan, tell me what you want to eat."

Chen Ye said: "Okay!"

Mu Qing said: "Thank you!"

The horse neighed and pulled the carriage away.