Copper Coins

Another year in Lanqiu, July is full of fire, and the wind in the evening brings a little bit of coolness from the river tide, which dispels the hot and dry air left by the previous two months, which is refreshing.

In Hugua Lane in the east of Wolong County, there is a family decorated with lanterns and festoons, laughing and talking, making it very lively.

This house is different from other houses. There are years-old stones piled up on both sides of the narrow door. And something chic.

Two newly hung red lanterns hung above the narrow gate. The lanterns were dripping with ink, and each was written with a big character: Zhang.

The person living in this house is none other than Shitou Zhang, a well-known craftsman in Wolong County.And today, it's his sixtieth birthday.In his life, he has traveled around a lot in the south, east and north, and has seen many dignitaries and dignitaries, so his life is not bad.

Sometimes there is a happy event in the street, and they are very particular about ostentation.But Shitou Zhang Guoshou did not make a big deal. His two sons and daughters were not very old, but they did things steadily.

The real banquet only gathers relatives of the family, not many people, and the scene is not big, but they are all close to people, so it is naturally lively.

However, the scene is not big, which does not mean that the banquet is prepared casually.Shitou Zhang specially spent a lot of money, and invited the chef from Tianxiangju, Wolong County, to cook the dishes. He prepared carefully for the whole afternoon, and the dishes he picked were all living signs of Tianxiangju.

Shitou Zhang has prepared three tables in the hall. The relatives of the family and the two apprentices who have learned the craft from him for more than ten years can just fill two tables. There are four chairs.

In the evening, Shitou Zhang asked someone to give him a hand, and a screen was set up between the other two tables and this one, which seemed quite mysterious.

What's even more curious is that when serving cold dishes and refreshments for summer heat, Shitou Zhang specifically told people to put aside the vegetarian dishes and put the meat dishes aside, so that they don't get mixed up.

After all, they are all from their own family, so they didn't mind this move, but asked Shitou Zhang very curiously.

Shitou Zhang waved his hand and explained briefly: "Vipulative guest."

When the almost perfect full moon was reflected in the sky, there was a knock on the door of the house.Shitou Zhang greeted him quickly, and when he saw the person standing outside, he smiled, and said familiarly: "Twenty-seven is here, hiss—why do I feel that you have grown taller?"

The person standing outside the door was Lu Nianqi. Over the past ten years, he was no longer the thin and thin person he was at the beginning. Except for the faint shadow of his past in his eyebrows and eyes, the bloody mole on his forehead was still there. Everything else is very different from before, tall and thin, but somewhat like Jiang Shining in the past, with a hint of bookish anger.

"It's because you shrank a little more." Lu Nianqi replied, "The last time I met you at the door of Li's shop, you haven't arched your back yet."

He still spoke in a cold voice, which was a little choking at first, but Shizhang, who was used to hearing it, didn't mind it.

"I'm old enough to do this kind of handicraft. One day I don't bow my head down. I'm still late to bow my back. How can I compare with you." Shitou Zhang waved his hand and tugged at Lu Nianqi nonchalantly. Walking into the house, "Where's the row of dolls you picked up?"

"Tired from playing in the afternoon and had a rest early, they won't be able to stay here. It will be a few more years." Lu Nianqi replied.

Perhaps it was because Nineteenth was picked up from the mountain by Lu's father. After Lu Nianqi was a little older, he would occasionally meet abandoned children under the Daobian bridge, and would bring them back and teach them how to read. Because Fushi is well-known far and wide, it is not worrying about raising a few more children.

Originally, Shitou Zhang asked Lu Nianqi to wear the three radish heads when he went to invite him, but Nianqi declined, because those children's temperaments in the early years have not yet been tempered, they are very defensive, and they are also very afraid of strangers.

So Shitou Zhang didn't force it. He has a messy personality and likes to meddle in other things.At first, when he saw Nianqi's reply, he was a little worried that these children would not be familiar with them, but after thinking about it, he felt relieved...

Because of Lu Nianqi.

Shitou Zhang occasionally met Lu Nianqi in these years, and he was full of emotion.He almost watched with his own eyes a slightly gloomy and defensive young man, growing into his current appearance little by little.

It can be seen that kindness and tenderness can sometimes be passed down from generation to generation.

"They haven't come yet?" Lu Nianqi looked up while following him into the house.

His eyes have always been like this all these years, neither completely blind nor better.But as he became more and more proficient in the technique of holding up spirits, these eyes could no longer hinder his daily life and work.

Shitou Zhang also looked up after him, shook his head and said, "Maybe it will take a while."

The other members of the Zhang family in the courtyard also looked up with inexplicable faces.Both Shitou and Zhang's sons and daughters came late, the son was older, past the age of weak crown, only two or three years younger than Lu Nianqi, but the daughter was still in her twenties and eight years, and she was very pretty, fortunately, she was born more like a mother.

She looked up several times, and finally couldn't help but arched the stone sheet, and asked, "Father, why are you always looking at the sky?"

Shi Shi Zhang loved his daughter so much, if other people asked, he would be vague, but when the little girl asked, he didn't hold back, and whispered: "Wait for those two distinguished guests."

The little girl: "...Dad, are you eating bad food again?"

Shitou Zhang didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Nonsense."

Lu Nianqi shot a sneer from the side at the right time: "Your little daughter is a lucky one."

Shitou Zhang: "..." Should I thank you or not?

While talking, suddenly there was a faint thunder rolling in the sky.

Everyone in the courtyard was taken aback for a moment, and someone muttered, "It's really unreasonable for this thunder to come, why is it so sudden."

"Regardless of whether it suddenly ignites or not, it is a sign of rain, so let's go into the house." Someone greeted.

Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi raised their heads at the same time.

"Here we come..." Shitou Zhang whispered happily.

He saved his life by the Black Rock Beach back then. After waking up, he took Lu Nianqi and Xue Xian to say goodbye and returned to Wolong County. Before leaving, Xue Xian gave each of them three paper talismans so that if they encountered any emergency, It can be written on a paper amulet and burned, and he can help when he sees it.

After Lu Nianqi went back, he put away the three paper talismans without any intention of using them.

And Shitou Zhang has never used those paper talismans in these years, and this is the first time he used them.But it's not to ask Xue Xian and Xuan Min for help, it's just that they haven't seen each other for 12 years, and they're just invited to a birthday banquet.

There is a saying in the market that starting from the age of 60, birthdays must be carefully arranged. After all, it is hard to say whether there are birthday parties for the [-]th or [-]th birthdays.Live a year less than a year, some old people never see each other again, it is time to say goodbye forever.

But Shitou Zhang was not so discouraged. The reason why he chose this year to invite was because his two apprentices had graduated from the teacher since this year.From then on, he stopped doing the handicraft of carving. If he was placed in the green forest, it would be called a golden basin to wash his hands.

The last thing he carved with all his energy was a piece of auspicious jade, which was just completed a few days ago, and he wanted to take this opportunity to give it to his deceased.

Menlei rolls all the way from the sky, and finally hides at the end of Hugua Lane.Everyone in the court trembled and hurried back to the house. Shitou Zhang turned his head and greeted, and the hot dishes began to be served on the table one by one.

The timing was just right.

Duk duk duk, there was a knock on the door. Shitou Zhang rubbed his hands as usual and looked up. He saw two figures, one black and one white, standing by the open door. The expression was very idle, "I haven't seen you for many years, why are you getting shorter and shorter."

Shitou Zhang: "..." Well, I haven't seen him for many years, and this ancestor is still so good at talking.

The people who came were Xue Xian and Xuan Min.

As soon as they entered the room, Shitou Zhang's little daughter looked straight at her.

The door was not too wide, Xue Xian and Xuan Min walked one after the other.The little girl looked at Xue Xian's face in a daze, and after a long time, she grabbed her father's clothes, turned her head and whispered: "Father, didn't you say that I should choose carefully when I get married? Can you help me?" Do you want to pick such a good-looking one?"

Shitou Zhang immediately softened his feet, "Girl, can you save your father's life?"

What is Xue Xian's hearing ability? Although it was whispered, he could hear clearly.It is naturally comfortable to be praised by others, so he smirked at the little girl: "This little girl is your girl? She looks like a begonia."

The little girl was dazed by the smile on his lips.

As soon as Xue Xian approached, she saw Xuan Min's face behind her again, and before she could recover, she was stunned again.After a while, she couldn't help but tugged Shitou Zhang's sleeve again, "Father, such—"

Shitou Zhangsheng was afraid that she would say something like "you can marry like this", so he quickly cut off her voice and said angrily: "Nonsense, don't offend the distinguished guests. Go, go, go in and find your mother."

The little girl secretly glanced at the two honored guests again, and walked into the room step by step.

At the table separated by the screen, Xue Xian, Xuan Min, Lu Nianqi, Shitou Zhang, and four chairs will be ready.

As soon as Xue Xian sat down, he was taken aback when he saw the table full of dishes, and rarely said something human to Shitou Zhang: "I have a heart."

These dishes are not only arranged according to meat and vegetables, every vegetarian dish and every meat dish in it suits the tastes of everyone present. Every authentic dish that Xue Xian mentioned on the way together is here. not fall.

"And this wine... I have a friend who is best at brewing wine. I specially ordered this pot from him. There will be no more left after a while, and it has been snatched up." Shitou shook himself. With the jug in his hand, he patted the wine jar next to him and said, "There are too many, enough."

And so on, he didn't forget Xuan Min who didn't drink, so he served a pot of good tea.

Xue Xian poured a glass, smelled it, and found that the aroma of the wine was mellow. Just smelling it made people feel a little drunk, "What's the name of this wine? If it tastes good, I'll have to ask for some later."

Shi Shizhang subconsciously replied: "This wine is called the Dragon King's drunk."

Xue Xian: "..."

Shitou Zhang: "..." Bah, let your mouth be quick!

He sneered, and quickly explained: "The name my friend called casually, it can't be real, it can't be real."

Xue Xian has never been drunk so far, and immediately laughed when he heard the name of the wine: "It's worth trying."

After this attempt, it was out of control...

People call this name, really no joke.

When he came out of Shitou Zhang's house, Xue Xian still looked plump and handsome, with straight shoulders, pale complexion, no blush at all, and looked extremely calm.

He even said goodbye to Shitou Zhang and Lu Nianqi so clearly that even Xuan Min didn't notice the problem immediately.It wasn't until he walked to the end of the long alleyway of Hugua Lane, taking advantage of the darkness of the night, that he was about to transform back into a black dragon and take Xuan Min with him to ride the wind, did he finally show an unusual reaction.

Seeing him surrounded by white mist, he turned into a long shadow and flew straight into the sky, turned somersaults aggressively among the clouds, and before he could go straight, he rushed back to the ground in the same way in despair—was overwhelmed, careless Leave Xuan Min where he is.

"...Are you really not drunk?" Xuan Min looked at Xue Xian's bright black eyes with some doubts.

"How can it be?" Xue Xian seriously shook his head three times, and said to Xuan Min, "Do you think I look like a drunk?" After speaking, he suddenly squinted his eyes and laughed, leaned his head and licked it. Xuan Min's lips.

After licking it carefully for a while, he stood up straight again silently, and asked strangely, "Why do I feel a little hot all of a sudden?"

Xuan Min: "..." If you are not drunk, you will be a ghost.