Shanglin Night Snow

It was already dusk, the rain clouds had not yet opened, and the buildings near and far were shrouded in a hazy rain curtain, and there was an endless pattering sound in my ears.

Going out of the alley, there is a row of backyards of residential houses along the street. There are a dozen or so houses next to each other, neatly arranged in a line.For beginners, the back doors of each house look similar, and it is really difficult to distinguish them.Lifting the umbrella up, Xun Miao slowed down, secretly counted the number of doors on the side of the road, stopped before the fifth door, took out the key to unlock, and walked in quickly.

The small courtyard is not too spacious, but it is clean and tidy.There are two huts facing each other from east to west, the kitchen to the west, and the larger one to the east is Xun Miao's daily living quarters.The house is a little messy, because it's only been a few days since we moved in, so we haven't had time to tidy it up, but we will have a rest tomorrow, so we can take advantage of the time to tidy it up.

After entering the room and changing clothes, Xun Miao's mood was dark: It has been raining for three days in a row, and I don't know if it will stop tomorrow. The books in the box are already damp, and if they don't dry them, they may get moldy... I was thinking about it, and suddenly heard The dog outside barked, with an unknown fire in his chest, he poked his head out of the window and cursed: "I haven't eaten yet, what are you in a hurry for?"

The barking stopped abruptly, and the black dog under the eaves drooped its ears, and lay down dejectedly under the window to lick its fur.

Holding an umbrella and walking towards the kitchen, hearing the sound of the black dog following behind, Xun Miao finally couldn't bear it: Xifu followed him, it was really a grievance, being locked up in this palm-sized courtyard all day long In the middle of the meal, although they were not hungry, after all, the meal was nothing more than leftovers, which was not the same as the situation at Guo's house that day.

When it comes to the Guo family... the stomach full of sourness and bitterness boils like poured swill!

Guo Kai was in the dynasty of Qin Muchu, once he gave birth to his heart, he abandoned himself like a broom, and when he heard that he was going to move out, he didn't dissuade him at all (not to mention happiness). But a ruthless disciple!

"Dong dong", the courtyard door was knocked twice, and a voice shouted "A Miao!" from outside.

It's Guo Jian.Xun Miao turned to open the door, but felt ashamed in her heart: In the past few days after moving here, it was really thanks to the help of Guo Jian and his wife to settle down. Uneasy.Thinking about it, there are also two contradictions: one lives alone and is lonely, and the days are hard to pass, so I hope he will come often, have a drink and talk together, so as to relieve some melancholy; It is embarrassing to bring either wine or food.

Today is no exception: when I opened the door, I saw someone holding an umbrella in one hand and a bag in the other.

"It's been raining a lot these past two days. Jin Fu was afraid that you wouldn't have enough clothes to change, so she asked Mrs. Feng to make your three summer clothes. I took them back and sent them here." Guo Jian explained as he entered the door.

After receiving the burden, Xun Miao's nose felt sore, Xun Miao couldn't say anything for a while, she just silently led the way with her head depressed, and barely covered the water in her eyes when she entered the room, and thanked him.

Guo Jian didn't care about himself: "What's the point of thanking you for a little effort? Besides, my elder brother has repeatedly told me to help you more..."

"Huiqing?" Although Xun Miao was busy with his hands, he immediately raised his head when he heard the word: "He ordered you to take care of me?"

Guo Jian hurriedly covered his mouth, changed his mind, and said: "It is my mother who has repeatedly told me to take good care of you, and my eldest brother will pass the message on your behalf."

Mrs. He... Xun Miao's heart was touched again - sharing the same bed for half a year is not as good as playing three or five times at the poker table!If I knew it was like this, why not cut off her husk that day?In the end, everyone is happy, and it can be regarded as repaying the kindness that the eldest lady has always cared about!It's better than being sincere, sincere, fearful, and self-deprecating, just to treat one person wholeheartedly, who would have expected that in the end, you would only have to "pass the word" and look for "help", but would you not be chilled?

He lowered his head and continued with the matter at hand, his heart agitated several times, and he inevitably underestimated himself once again: But that person still has a conscience, but he will allow himself to move away?Not to mention, Mo Yan hasn't even shown his face in the past few days, which shows how ruthless he is!Because it's the end, it's just my own wishful thinking, making people despise me!

The wetness in the corners of his eyes went away, his throat became choked again, and he was silent for a moment, only listening to Guo Jian talking everywhere.

After sitting for a while, when it got dark, Guo Jian got up to say goodbye.Xun Miao was worrying about the lack of hospitality, so he stopped him: "It's getting late, if the second brother is free, you might as well go out with me for a drink or two."

Guo Jian politely declined: "You are new here, you should take care of the housework first, and you can drink at any time. Besides, the cost of restaurants is too high. Next time I buy wine and food myself, and it will be the same for you and me at home."

This is because I don't want to bother him to spend money!Xun Miao knew that, and smiled meaninglessly: "Second brother, you don't need to worry about me. I have little savings now, which is enough for my expenses. Besides, in life, even if you have a little money, it's not advisable to indulge in extravagance, but it's not too much to have fun once in a while." Otherwise, even if a mediocre person like me spends his whole life accumulating ten thousand family wealth, what good will it be?"

It made sense to hear this at first glance, and seeing the sincerity of the other person, Guo Jian did not refuse any more.

In this way, Xun Miao asked Guo Jian to sit first, went to the kitchen to take out the leftovers of yesterday's cold meal, fed Xifu, and then went out with the guests.The two went all the way to the Jinliang Bridge.

Guo Jian gave pointers along the way, but he only recommended a few little-known shops, which seemed to be nothing special.Xun Miao was noncommittal, just walked and watched, and suddenly pointed to the three-storey restaurant with a tall and wide courtyard on the side of the road: "Just here!"

"Jinglou?" Guo Jian's complexion changed: "This is one of the most expensive restaurants around. If you step in, you won't be able to get out without three or five hundred words!"

Three to five hundred Wen, spent overnight? !Xun Miao was startled when he heard this at first, hesitated a little, then thought about it, Guo Kai underestimated him, probably because he was poor and stingy!Let's say that money is something outside the body after all. The so-called rich money hires laughs. If you come to have fun, why should you be stingy with money?Once the thought was clear, he smiled: "Don't worry, second brother, I have brought enough money, and I will make you return home tonight!" After saying that, he dragged him in, "Second brother, don't worry too much. When I first arrived, I had nothing to spare. Money, you have to be frugal, now that times have changed, even if you have little savings, you should enjoy yourself in time!"

"That's true! Seeing that you are young, you know how to live in the world!" The voice of the people laughed, and it was obvious that they had heard his words just now.

Looking back, Xun Miao saw a blue-covered carriage parked a few steps away, and an old man with gray beard was lifting the curtain and looking out.It looks familiar at first glance, but I can't remember where I've seen it.

The old man got out of the car with the help of his servant, stared at the two for a moment, but was also surprised: "Why does this old man think that you two look familiar?" Turning to Guo Jian: "Especially this..."

Guo Jian bowed down: "Song Xianggong has a good memory! Guo once sent fighting frogs and fighting insects to Xianggong's mansion last night, and he has a close relationship with Xianggong."

The old man was actually Song Yan!

After this mention, Song Xianggong also clapped his hands: "It's Guo's son-in-law! I'm an old man with poor eyesight, and I hope to forgive my sin." He also asked that Xun Miao was a court official, so he laughed: "Listen to what you two said, are you looking for a place to have fun? Since this is the case, how about letting the old man be the host today, and go into this Jinglou to have a drink or two together?"

He said that it is better for the two of them to obey their orders than to respect themselves.

They went inside and chose an elegant room to sit down. Xun Miao and Guo Jian didn't dare to ask themselves, so Song Yan agreed to do it for him.After a while of food and drink, there are three pots of the famous "Biguang" brewing in the store, as well as dozens of dishes of hot and cold meat, fruits and vegetables.Song Yan also ordered the kabuki to sing to add to the fun, and he listened to the music and talked and laughed with them.While pushing cups and changing cups, Guo and Xun gradually lost their restraint, and the atmosphere became warmer.

After drinking for three rounds, Song Yan repeated the old saying: "Just now I heard the two of you talking about carpending. You are not stingy with money, and the old man has a little experience in this. In fact, there are countless pleasures in this world, and they are not limited to restaurants and brothels. between."

It was because the wine was intoxicating, and the two of them were busy asking for advice.

The corner of the old man's mouth showed a hint of mystery: "Have you ever gambled?"

bet?Guo Jian was at a loss, but still nodded, and raised his fingers: "Fighting insects, fighting birds, fighting colorful clothes, fighting makeup..."

Xun Miao then said: "The game of cards..."

The old man shook his head: "These are all common and nothing new. Fighting insects and birds depends on picking good seeds with a keen eye, and then training to promote fighting spirit and skills. In the field, one move can distinguish the strength from the other; Card games rely on skills, and the situation is clear after one game, and there is no suspense at all. The fun of the game is between two possibilities, and it is fate. From this, the winner is pleasantly surprised, and the loser is regretful. The word "accident" is the essence of "gambling fun"! As for all the things you said, they all lack this interest."

I don't want to be mere gambling, but there are still so many exquisite things!

Guo Jian asked: "Then according to Xianggong, how can you bet without losing your interest?"

This shows that the old man is in his arms, watching him twitch his beard and chuckle: "The so-called accident is to take it randomly and win it on the spot! For example..." The old man turned his eyes and stretched out his finger to the kabuki who was holding the lute gently and slowly: "Easy, just bet on how old this girl is?"

Xun Miao looked sideways at the woman for a moment: "I think it's only seventeen or eighteen."

The old man was dissatisfied: "Is it seventeen or eighteen?"

"This..." Xun Miao did not dare to assert.

The old man twitched his beard: "The old man bet nineteen!"

Ask now, sure enough!Guo and Xun were very applauded, and when they became interested, they asked the old man to continue guessing.

Sitting with his sleeves folded, the old man said leisurely, "I never gamble with others in vain. I made an exception just now. If I continue, I have to place a bet."

Guo Jian nodded hurriedly: "Under Mrs. Xiang's opinion, how to place a bet?"

The old man pondered: "Seeing that you two are trying your hand for the first time, let's play smaller, twenty coins and one note, how about it?"

The two of them had no reluctance, so they each took money and asked gambling questions.

The old man had already had a draft: "To tell you the truth, this old man often gambles with others to guess his age, and he has some experience in it. Usually, he is very sure about his age, so he just made a bet. It's not very fair to the two of you, and it doesn't matter! New To start this game, let's take a question that you and I are unfamiliar with. I heard that there are maikos from the Western Regions performing arts in the nearby tile market, so how about we place a bet around the maikos?" Those who saw the news had no objection, so they ordered People go to invite dancers.

At the end of another song, a maiko from the Western Regions also arrived, a slim woman with brown hair and fair skin, a nose job and deep eyes.Xun Miao was secretly marveling, when he heard the old man ask a question: "For this game, I bet on how many layers of clothes this girl is wearing today!"

Although Xun Miao felt that the question was too simple, he still looked at the bearded girl carefully, and he could see that she was covered with a thin light-colored gauze dress, with a red skirt inside, and the rest was not visible.Thinking that it was already June, and it was said that dancers were easy to perform because of their light attire, so they resolutely reported: "Three floors!" After saying that, look at Guo Jian.

After a little hesitation, the man gritted his teeth: "Two floors!"

The old man took a sip of tea, still leisurely: "Fifth floor."

After all three guessed, the old man ordered the accompanying woman to bring Hu Nu into the inner room for inspection.Shaoqing, the woman came out, the way is five layers, Song Yan replied again!

Wearing five layers in such a hot day is unreasonable no matter how you think about it!Xun Miao glanced back at Guo Jian, seeing him also in a daze.

The old man didn't argue too much, and ordered Orchid to perform.

As the pipa sounded, Hu Ji turned several times and went into the room.It is said that the subtlety of Hu Wu lies in the word "Xuan", and it seems to be true at the moment: But see, Huixue Piao and Peng Wu.Turning left and turning right is tireless, and there is no end to thousands of turns!And what was unexpected was that after spinning around, she even started to take off her clothes!

See no evil!Even if she is having fun, Xun Miao still has a bit of modesty that a gentleman should have, and she wants to avoid it, but seeing that the rest of the crowd are calm, she turns to think that she is not really wanton in a large audience, so she finally taught curiosity to prevail , I just want to see it with my own eyes, so I will wait and see.

The woman had already taken off the gauze over the outer cover, and then took off the red skirt. Only then did Xun Miao see that there was a white gauze hidden inside the gauze. Inside the gauze was a white skirt, which reached to her knees, and inside was only a white dress. Tube top, the upper shoulder is no different from the ordinary tube top, but the bottom is long to the ankle, and it is gradually loosened from the waist, so it is still light even when dancing.

It's like this: you have to take off your clothes when dancing, so you wear five thin skirts, so you can untie yourself slowly, otherwise you will see the bottom after three turns and two turns, isn't it a disappointment?Suddenly, Xun Miao saw the old man stroking his beard happily, so he knew that he had lost in knowledge this time.So the twenty Wen coins were handed over by the two of them.

Fang got the wit from this, and the two of them were still unsatisfied, and urged the old man to play the third round.

Song Yan never refused: "At the moment of gambling, guesses are all about human affairs, so how about betting on God's will?" Seeing that they both agreed, he asked him to choose the topic by himself.

Xun Miao got up and went to the window, seeing that the rain was still falling, and it was heavier than when it came, his eyes lit up: "Look, sir, let's bet on when the rain will stop?"

The old man twitched his beard: "This question is too big to answer. According to the old man, it's better to bet on whether the rain will stop tonight! Let's guess first."

Xun Miao thought for a while: "Xun is betting that the rain won't stop tonight!"

Looking outside for a while, Guo Jian seemed to hesitate a bit, and finally made up his mind: "I can't stop betting!"

Song Yan smiled: "The old man wants to bet that he stops!"

Place your bets immediately.The old man also ordered the two of them: "Since the outcome of this bet will be decided tomorrow, the two of you will come to my residence at noon tomorrow, and you will pay for the winner at that time!"

After the words were settled and they drank for a while, Xun and Guo bid farewell to the old man and went back to each other.When I got home, I saw that the rain was coming again, and Xun Miao felt relieved.Besides, the feeling of drunkenness is not light, and the night is dark, so I rest immediately and have no dreams all night.

When you wake up, dawn light enters the house.On a ten-day holiday, there is no need to get up early, and I turned over and fell asleep again. Suddenly, a thought flashed in my mind, and I hurriedly got up and opened the window.

The morning light is faint, and although the dawn wind is still moist, there is no trace of rain.

God's will is unpredictable, willing to gamble and admit defeat!At this moment, Xun Miao was in awe of the word "gambling".

A promise of gold.I got up early and took care of the house, and went to the powder shop to meet Guo Jian before noon, and the two went to Song Mansion together.

Xun Miao has been compiling tabloids for a long time, but he knows a thing or two about Song Yan's life anecdotes: he is not only fond of gambling, but also often criticized by outsiders for his excessive drinking.In Xun Miao's heart, he thought that he was old and faint, and he was no longer as heroic as before, but after a while last night, he changed his thinking: he is a good gambler, and it is true to drink and have fun. Some have passed.But judging a person's life lightly based on what he saw in one or two hours, it's a bit hasty, if he goes today, he can explore it more.

It was just after noon when we arrived at Song Mansion, and Song Yan was having a banquet with guests, but he did not forget the bet last night, so that future visitors would be brought in.The two offered their gambling money in court, and the old man accepted it with a smile, so he let him eat wine.Now I will introduce everyone here one by one. Although they are all unfamiliar, they are all familiar with the name and surname Xun Miao. Among the three, one is a well-known literati, one is a merchant, and the last is a "poet monk." "Master Qingjue!

I have heard that this old man of the Song Dynasty is heroic by nature and has a wide range of friends, from officials and businessmen to civilians, there is no one he can't make friends with, only seeing him today, I believe it!Sighing in his heart, Xun Miao's admiration for this old gentleman has naturally increased to a higher level.

After drinking for three rounds, I suddenly heard that a servant came to report that Shao Chenye, the deputy envoy of the Taoist Privy Council, came to visit!Song Yanwen didn't seem to be surprised, but he was a bit displeased when someone suddenly ruined his drinking, and he thought for a while before ordering him to be introduced.

After a while, Shao Chenye entered, looking sullen, and turned a blind eye to the crowd present. He only waved his hands to the old man who was sitting, but he didn't even bother to exchange greetings. "Qiong Fang" is a well-known prostitute, and another woman surnamed Qiao is a geisha.The old man politely refused, but Shao Chenye didn't give up. The two started arguing with each other in a few words.Everyone here listened carefully for a while before they knew the clue.

According to Shao Chenye's words, he was the first to urge Qiongfang to take it into his side, but for some reason, he taught Song Yan to take it into the house first. It is expected that shortly thereafter, the old man repeats the old trick and recruits a geisha surnamed Qiao who he has already hired as a concubine into the mansion. How can Shao Chenye bear it?Several times I found a middleman to lobby to no avail, so I went to the door to ask for it in person.

Seeing that the two were at loggerheads, one insisted on begging and the other vowed not to return it, it was really difficult.

It was Guo Jian who had an idea: "Since you two are determined and will not waver, why not ask God's will to rule! Immediately play a game, the winner will get what he wants, and the loser will be appointed, so we will not disturb each other from now on. What do you two agree? "

Song Yan patted the table: "Okay, according to your words!"

Shao Chenye hesitated a bit, but he had no other choice, and with the persuasion of everyone, he had no choice but to reluctantly obey.

In the afternoon, the sun was shining brightly, and the sound of insects outside was endless, everyone discussed and decided to bet on insects.To be fair, Song Yan could not use the crickets kept in the house, but ordered the servants to catch them on the spot in the court.After working for half a day, I got six worms, put them into the bowl one by one, and the two of them chose at will, three worms each.When gambling, one worm will be produced in each round, and two out of three rounds will win, no one cheats!

When the next game started, it took a quarter of an hour of hard work to see the outcome, and Song Yan lost.Following the second round, the two worms were clearly strong and weak this time. After a while, Shao Chenye's yellow-shelled worm was bitten off and was dying.In the third round, everyone gathered together with bated breath, waiting and watching.

Song Yan's green-backed cricket has a slight advantage in size, but Shao Chenye's red-headed worm is more flexible. Taking advantage of the situation, he succeeded in a few sneak attacks. Qing Bei was bitten off half of his leg, and retreated to a corner to resist stubbornly.

Seeing that the victory or defeat was within seconds, Shao Chen already showed a smug smile. Unexpectedly, Song Yan let go of his hand at this time, and the wine glass he was holding fell in response to the sound, and hit the red head. He counterattacked and bit the red head who was temporarily stunned due to unknown injuries.In the blink of an eye, the situation was turned upside down, and the outcome was decided.

Stroking his beard and laughing, Song Yan said loudly: "Two victories in three rounds, this old man is lucky enough to be blessed by God, so I will accept it!" Ignoring Shao Chenye's ashen complexion, "Since Mr. Shao is here, you might as well stay for a drink or two, old man Calling out Qiongfang to dance to the next song is not a loss of hospitality."

Add fuel to the fire!Shao Chenye couldn't bear the humiliation, and immediately broke his mouth: "I am in the eyes of everyone, I have no faith! I respect you for the elders of the two dynasties and the teacher of the emperor, so I let you three points. Who would have thought that you would make progress and go back on your promises? It is tolerable to be old and immoral. , What can't be tolerated? Today the public is in the audience, and Shao's words come out here, even if they are robbed by force, they must bring Cui and Qiao back, otherwise they will not give up!"

Since he is rude, how can Song Yan bear it?He also scolded back: "A mere bandit slave, dare to speak wild words like an old man?" Turning around and entering, he took a sword and came out. While cursing "the traitor will die!", he chopped at Shao Chenye and was stopped by everyone. Unwilling to be reconciled, he threw his sword at the person retreating in front of the door. Fortunately, Shao Chenye was still alert, dodged it, and the sword fell to the ground. Without even thinking about it, he picked it up and charged at the old man instead!

Even though he was overwhelmed by anger, Song Yan still knew how to spare his life, turned around and fled inward.Shao Chenye followed closely, and the two entered the inner room one after the other.A group of people came to their senses and rushed over, and saw the two of them circling the table, Song Yan found a gap, turned around and took a few steps to get another sword hanging on the wall, but just as the sword was pulled out, there was a "hiss" It turned out that the back of the robe had been sliced ​​open by Shao Chenye's sword!

The crowd rushed up to separate the two, Xun Miao and Guo Jian pulled Shao Chenye back out the door, unexpectedly he looked clear, but his strength was not weak, he struggled so hard that he didn't throw the murder weapon in his hand until he died, the two of them It took a lot of effort to pull him to the door. At this moment, some servants came to help out, and together they pulled Shao Chenye back.Xun Miaokong was about to catch his breath when he struck, but he saw the shadow of the sword flashing in the blink of an eye, and immediately his ribs felt cold, followed by a burst of severe pain!

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, Xun Miao gritted his teeth and looked down, only to see a blush under his ribs had already stained his clothes.

The eyes are sometimes clear and sometimes blurred, Guo Jian's voice in his ears is calling for a doctor, and there are other people's voices, saying something like "someone is wielding a sword and committing murder, report it to Kaiping Mansion immediately".

Chickens fly and dogs jump, people fall on their backs.

Xun Miao had a thought in his trance: If he died in such an accident today, would Guo Kai regret and cry for his previous actions?