Urban Night Returner

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..." Shen Gu sang very awkwardly, don't get me wrong, it's not that he doesn't want to sing for Zhong Lecen, it's because—well, singing is something he's not good at, to be sure To put it bluntly, he is tone deaf.

Zhong Lecen listened with a smile on his face, his eyes were slightly rippling, but the corners of his mouth could not stop turning up sweetly.Shen Gu's outrageous singing voice seemed to him to be listening to the sounds of nature.

After Shen Gu finished singing awkwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Make a wish and blow out the candles." In fact, he never believed in this trick, but Xiaoxi said that it is called romance.

Sure enough, Zhong Lecen closed his eyes, said something with his lips wriggling slightly, and then blew out the candle in one breath.Don't think that he has such a large lung capacity that he can blow out thirty candles in one breath. Shen Gu bought the kind of number candles, a 3 and a 0.

"Okay, okay." Feeling that the task was completed, Shen Gu heaved a sigh of relief: "Cut the cake and eat."

The dishes were made by Shen Gu who came back from get off work early, in terms of taste and appearance, of course it can't compare with Zhong Lecen's craftsmanship, but it's justified.What's more, at this time, what to eat is secondary.

After drinking half a glass of beer, Zhong Lecen's face turned red.Shen Gu felt itchy when he saw it, and took out a box: "Birthday present."

"What good thing?" Zhong Lecen carefully opened the box, "Safety charm?"

Shen Gu was a little embarrassed: "It's not jade, it's soft clay."

The so-called peace talisman is a bottle. "Bottle" and "ping" are homophonic, so they have the meaning of peace.What Shen Gu made was a pair of bottles, the size of a thumb, with the word Zhong and the word Shen engraved on the bottom of the bottle, and fine patterns were carved on the body of the bottle.The quality of Hai Changsheng's soft pottery is really good, and the bottle that is fired is as green as jade, with a lustrous luster, and it is really beautiful.A gold cap was placed over the mouth of the bottle, and a white gold chain was attached to it.Shen Gu was a little bit self-deprecating at the time, making a polymer pendant, and using gold to cover a platinum chain, isn't this forcing people to buy a set and return the beads?

"This is mine, and this is yours?"

"No." Shen Gu exchanged the two bottles, "The one engraved with Shen is yours, and the one engraved with Zhong is mine. Come, put it on for me."

Zhong Lecen smiled so that dimples appeared on his cheeks, and solemnly put the pendant engraved with the word bell on Shen Gu, and then held the pendant to look carefully: "It really looks like jade, but why add a cover? Actually This is an amphora, just put the chain in the ears. The lid is 24K gold, right? What a waste..."

Shen Gu patted his buttocks: "It's a sight!" In fact, the reason why he added a lid was because the bottle was hollow, and he hid a little green mud inside.Although Hai Changsheng couldn't tell what the green mud was, since it was all there in Hai's eyes, it must not be an ordinary thing. At least he kept it on his body first, and we'll talk about whether it's useful or not. What if it's useful someday?

Zhong Lecen smiled embarrassingly: "I just want to say, the pendant is very beautiful, I like it very much, thank you."

Only then was Shen Gu satisfied: "It's not too bad, come on, I'll put it on for you."

After the chain links were fastened, the small green bottle was hanging down on his chest, Zhong Lecen looked down and said, "It's very beautiful."

The weather was already quite hot, so he wore a shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, exposing a bit of his collarbone.The small green bottle lay on the fair skin, and seemed to be very satisfied with the position.Shen Gu licked his lips and moved closer: "Actually, this is not pretty."

Zhong Lecen misunderstood: "I think what you did is the best."

Shen Gu smiled: "I mean, it looks better in a different way."

Zhong Lecen was a little puzzled: "What do you think?"

Shen Gu put his arm around his waist, and unbuttoned his shirt with the other: "Look at it this way."

The dog ghost directly pressed the head of the glutinous rice balls into its two front paws, and turned its head away, practicing the practice of seeing no evil.Shen Gu was very satisfied, and directly hugged Zhong Le Cenheng.Anyway, he has already eaten and drank enough, so feeding him should not be too much to ask, right?

It was only seven o'clock, and Shen Gu felt that the time was not a problem at all, so he started slowly, stripped the people clean little by little, and then ate them inch by inch.It's a pity that he had only eaten half of it, when suddenly there was a loud bang on the door, and I don't know how many people were pounding on the door with their fists, and there were faint yelling and cursing.

"What's the matter?" Zhong Lecen opened his eyes in surprise, looking at Shen Gu with shortness of breath.

Shen Gu's face was so dark that a layer of frost could be scraped off.Who doesn't have long eyes, what do you want to do?

The sound of slamming the door was louder, and someone was shouting: "Open the door, open the door quickly!"

Shen Gu turned over with a gloomy face, buttoned his shirt casually, strode out, and opened the door with a bang: "What are you doing!"

There were three or four men outside the door, all smelling of alcohol, the leader squinted at Shen Gu with half-drunk eyes: "Are you Zhang Guoping? When will you pay back the money you borrowed? How long has it been?"

Shen Gu frowned: "What money!"

The man screamed strangely: "Why, do you want to renege on the debt? Let me tell you, our boss Ma is not an ordinary person. You have written IOUs in black and white, and you want to renege on the debt? Be careful that our buddies will let go of your hand! It looks like your house is not like that. It looks like you can’t pay back the money! The housing price here is more than 100 square meters, right? It’s more than [-] square meters, so it’s just right to take out the house to pay for the IOU!”

Shen Gu understood half of what he had heard, and he dared to say that this group of people were collecting debts, but they just went to the wrong place.He guessed that these people were looking for men in 402, and they probably got drunk and walked one more floor, so they came to 502.But judging from the appearance of these people, they don't look like good people, most of them are loan sharks.

"Usury is not protected by law." Zhong Lecen also put on his clothes and came out. He had the same idea as Shen Gu, and he interjected while standing behind Shen Gu.

The man's eyes were as big as a bull's-eye: "You want to renege on your debt? Don't even ask, who is our boss Ma!"

Shen Gu raised his hand and pointed: "I don't care who he is, now, get out immediately, don't provoke me!" His waist was interrupted, and he was on fire.

The few men didn't expect that the debtors would dare to be so tyrannical, and they were all foaming and excited, and the leader rolled up his sleeves and moved forward: "You fucking owe--" The last beating word changed in his throat There was a howl, and Shen Gu caught his fist with one hand, and with a slight twist, the man could only cry out the pain in his throat.Shen Gu shoved him: "Get lost!"

The man sat down on the ground, clasped his hands and shouted hysterically: "Brothers, come on!" The two men behind pulled out their switchblades and rushed forward.

Shen Gu gently pushed Zhong Lecen back: "Go back to the house!" He greeted him with one step.Now Zhong Lecen would never worry about this kind of thing anymore, he took a step back and leaned on the door frame to watch the excitement.Ya Zi has already dealt with it, these people-cut, which dish is it?

Sure enough, it didn't even work for a minute, and there were three people lying on the ground.Shen Gu weighed the switchblade he took away: "Le Cen, call the police."

The one who stood at the end and didn't have time to come up to make a move just now turned around and wanted to run, Shen Gu raised his hand, a knife brushed past his ear, and pierced into the opposite wall: "Move again and see!"

The man felt that the cold blade was past his ear, and his legs were so frightened that his legs went limp, so he dared not move again.Shen Gu snorted, feeling that the evil fire in his belly hadn't been sent out yet.The leader was already sober and saw that something was wrong, so he hummed and said, "Brother, we are also holding people's jobs and obeying orders. Why do you want to borrow money from Boss Ma? Otherwise, we will slow you down a little longer." My God, if this matter becomes serious, Boss Ma will not let you go, and will find someone to come again. If you are stabbed with a black knife, it will be difficult for you, right?"

Shen Gu was not moved at all.Stab a black knife?What a joke!If he was stabbed with a black knife by such a person, he wouldn't have to mess around.

A police car came with its siren and took the four men away.Shen Gu made a note, and when the door could finally be closed, it was already nine o'clock.He looked at his watch and couldn't help cursing: "Starting tomorrow, I'll take Yakumo with me to work. If anyone comes to make trouble, bite him!"

The dog ghost was very excited, and shook his tail vigorously to show that he liked this task very much.Zhong Lecen was a little worried: "I think they got the wrong person, what if they look for trouble with that debtor later?"

Shen Gu pondered for a moment: "You are right. Go, go to 402 and talk to someone."

The man in 402 looked haggard and depressed. When Shen Gu said that someone came to ask for a debt, his expression changed drastically: "I, I can't help it either. I couldn't make up a sum of money a while ago. If there is a delay, the business will go away." .The bank loan procedures are troublesome, and there is no time at all, so I had to find them. Now the shipment is stuck in the customs, and I am really worried."

Shen Gu looked around the room.The woman has probably gone back to her mother's house and is not there.The house was messy and dusty, and it hadn't been cleaned for days.There is a bowl on the table, and there are some leftovers in the bowl, which are almost hairy.Shen Gu shook his head slightly, and when he turned his head, he found that Zhong Lecen was looking at something in the corner of the room with a thoughtful expression.Shen Gu withdrew his gaze, turned his head and said to the man: "Those people will probably come again. If you really have no choice, find a place to hide." After speaking, he pulled Zhong Lecen, "Go back."

Zhong Lecen followed him back to 502, still in a daze.Shen Gu closed the door and patted him: "What are you thinking about?"

Zhong Lecen suddenly came back to his senses: "Have you seen the things in his room?"

"See, isn't it the God of Wealth?" It's just that the fruit offerings in front of the God of Wealth are about to rot, and the face of the God of Wealth is covered with ashes, obviously no one has cared for it for a long time.

"It just occurred to me that the only way to get rid of poor ghosts is to invite the God of Wealth!"

Shen Gu frowned: "Isn't there a God of Wealth in his family?"

"Cut!" Zhong Lecen disdainfully said, "Clay sculptures and wood carvings, where are the gods? What's more, what these people call offerings is just to put something. They don't know why, and they are incapable of listening to the heavens. There is a use for it!"

Shen Gu rubbed his chin: "Why, what special action should be taken to worship the God of Wealth? Isn't it enough to burn incense?"

Zhong Lecen burst out laughing: "Incense? Didn't you realize that many worshiping the God of Wealth now have that kind of electric light, how can there be real incense?"

Shen Gu thought it was really the case.At least all he saw were small candle-shaped lamps, flickering and flickering like flames, and he hadn't seen many using real incense.

"And these people only know the God of Wealth, do they know who is the God of Wealth? Most of them are Guan Gong. My God, Master Guan is not born to love money, he will take care of your money and trivial matters? What is the God of Wealth, what a joke Second Master Guan puts more emphasis on righteousness than profit, if you only want to get rich, you might as well give less. If you do something bad for the sake of getting rich, not only will Master Guan not bless you, he might even convict you!"

Shen Gu scratched his head: "Who should the God of Wealth offer? I heard it was Zhao Gongming?"

"That's true, but do you know what Zhao Gongming's holy name is?"

"...I don't know." Who knows what his title is.

"I can't even recite the holy name of the God of Wealth, and I still want to ask the God of Wealth to bless me. It's really... whimsical."

"Hey, I don't offer money to the God of Wealth."

"I'm not talking about you. Now most of the offerings to the God of Wealth are Guan Gong. Even if there are offerings to Marshal Zhao, there are not many who can read the holy name thoroughly. In addition, there is no need for real incense. It is strange to be able to invite the God of Wealth." gone."

"What is the holy name of the God of Wealth?"

"Shangqing Zhengyi Profound Altar Flying Tiger Golden Wheel enforces the law Marshal Zhao."

"...a long string..."

Zhong Lecen laughed: "It's a little longer, the holy name. You didn't read the posthumous titles of the former emperors and empresses, they are infinitely longer."

"However, can you invite the God of Wealth with a holy name?"

Zhong Lecen's face fell down: "It's not that easy. The God of Wealth only walks down from the altar on July 22, and the rest of the time..."

"Okay, don't scratch the back of the sofa. The poor ghost is still in someone else's house, so don't scratch the things in our own house. Since we can think of asking the God of Wealth, let's go down this road and find a way It's almost ten o'clock, don't think about it anymore, let's go to bed, oh--" Thinking of the one that was interrupted by the middle waist, I couldn't help feeling angry.

Zhong Lecen chuckled, and put his arms around his neck: "Or else, let's find a hotel to check in someday?"

"Hey, don't you feel bad about money?"

The water in Zhong Lecen's eyes was rippling: "Once in a while, lest someone always disturb you."

Seeing him watching, Shen Gu felt itchy again, picked him up and walked to the bedroom: "There's no need to wait to go to the hotel. If anyone dares to interrupt this time, I will break his leg!"

Thanks to this vicious oath, at last no one disturbed the good things, so this birthday finally came to a perfect end.The next morning, Zhong Lecen lived up to everyone's expectations and stayed in bed. Shen Gu bought it early and came over to lift his quilt: "Get up, get up. It's broad daylight, lazy pig get up."

Zhong Lecen pulled the quilt over his head: "The pig never got up so early."

Shen Gu laughed loudly, and reached into the quilt to touch him: "Get up, get up."

Zhong Lecen wailed: "My back is sore!"

Shen Gu picked him up including the quilt: "You lack exercise."

Zhong Lecen pulled down the quilt and glared at him: "Just make sarcastic remarks, or you can try it out there?"

"Yo--" Shen Gu squinted at him, "Do you really want to turn the world upside down?"

In fact, Zhong Lecen just said it casually, blushed, and pulled the quilt over his head again.Shen Gu pulled down the quilt again: "Get up, I bought breakfast, the soy milk is not good if it's cold. If you don't get up again, I'll bite you!"

"You are a dog." Zhong Lecen rolled his eyes, stretched out his arms lazily and let Shen Gu get him a shirt.

Shen Gu snorted: "I am a tiger."

"Blow it, just pretend that I don't know you are a horse?" Zhong Lecen stopped suddenly in the middle of speaking, "Huh? Tiger?"

"What did you think of again?" Shen Gu felt his temper very much now, knowing that his sudden daze probably had some inspiration, "What's wrong with the tiger?"

Zhong Lecen didn't care about putting on clothes, and grabbed Shen Gu: "You know, God of Wealth's mount is a black tiger."

"So what?" Shen Gu didn't understand what he meant, "What's the matter with the tiger?"

"Why don't you understand." Zhong Lecen rolled his eyes at him again, "The so-called strong general has no weak soldiers, even if the mount of the God of Wealth has no supernatural power, it should be no problem to drive a poor ghost."

"Oh--" Shen Gu understood now, "You mean, if the God of Wealth can't invite you, you can invite his mount?"

"Well. The God of Wealth has rules, but there may not be any rules for mounts."

"It's a tiger, how do you invite it?" Shen Gu said as he couldn't help thinking of his former minion, "Isn't it the stinky tiger bone you left behind?"

"Nonsense! That tiger bone has stopped smelling a long time ago! Besides, I don't use that. There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. If you use that, it will only anger the black tiger, so please ask me."

"Then how do you want to ask?"

Zhong Lecen pursed his lips and thought for a while: "It's more like seduction than invitation. Have you ever caught a live tiger before?"

Shen Gu couldn't laugh or cry: "I am a soldier, not a hunter, how could I catch a tiger?"

"Actually, it's nothing more than temptation. I remember hearing somewhere that the God of Wealth likes to eat beef."

"Is there still such a saying? Where did you hear the gossip? Can you be sure?"

"It doesn't matter whether it's right or not. Even if the God of Wealth doesn't like beef, the tiger should like it, right?"

"Oh!" Shen Gu patted his leg, "Are you using beef to lure the tiger? Well, it makes sense. But how do you lure it?"

Zhong Lecen rubbed his hands: "Actually, I'm also trying, I don't know if it will work. You should buy more beef, the quality is better. By the way, you have to let the people in 402 come back to live. The poor ghost followed him, he came back, Poor ghosts can follow back."

Shen Gu scratched his head: "Okay, I will prepare these, when will I do it?"

"The sooner the better, just tonight. Alas, beef seems to be very expensive these two days."

Shen Gu: "..."

To invite gods and ghosts, of course, it must be late at night.In fact, Shen Gu thought it was very strange, ghosts, it’s fine if you dare not come out during the day, why do you have to invite God at night?Could it be that God dare not come to see man?

"Don't talk nonsense! The sage said, respect God as if God exists, you have to respect, you know?"

Shen Gu shrugged: "It's not the God of Wealth you are inviting today, but a tiger, okay? How can I respect you?"

Zhong Lecen was so angry with him that he had no choice but to kick him while arranging things: "Did you say hello to 402?"

"As I said, let him sleep with his head covered no matter what happens. Of course, whether he can sleep or not is none of my business."

"Okay, as long as he doesn't make a sound." Zhong Lecen arranged the things, looked around, and took a breath: "Prepare the beef slices, bring the incense, and turn off the lights."

Shen Gu turned off the lights, lit candles in the four corners of the room, Zhong Lecen held on to a bunch of incense, lit it in front of the statue of the God of Wealth, murmured praises to the God of Wealth, then inserted the incense into the soup bowl that was temporarily used as a censer, and finally held a bunch of incense Big bowl of braised beef comes.

The beef has been stewed all afternoon, and when it comes up at one end, the rich meaty aroma goes straight into people's noses.Shen Gu sighed softly, it was a pity that such good meat had to be fed to tigers.He suddenly thought of something again, and lightly poked Zhong Lecen: "I said, do tigers like cooked meat?"

"Ah?" Zhong Lecen spent the whole afternoon stewing meat with all his heart, and he really didn't think that the tiger would like cooked meat. "It's broken, what if the tiger doesn't like it?"

"It's okay, don't you still have raw meat? I'll bring some more."

Shen Gu bought forty catties of beef this time, stewed half of it, and left half, he cut off a piece and brought it over. Zhong Lecen took the bloodshot piece of meat, and didn't know what to do for a while, thinking about it , Hold it up with chopsticks, put it on the incense burner and smoke it.Shen Gu looked strange and asked, "What is this for?"

"Shhh--" Zhong Lecen didn't let him speak loudly, and lowered his voice himself, "In ancient times, the sacrifices were made by burning the offerings with wood, and they believed that only the smoke would make them reach heaven."

"Then you have to burn it."

"It's burned, isn't it such a pity. If the black tiger doesn't come, we can still eat."

"You--" Shen Gu was speechless again. He shook his head and was about to speak when he suddenly smelled a stench, the stench of a beast, in the slightly charred aroma of burning beef. Pulling back, "Here we come."