To The Land of Nevernight

After a while, there was a table of food in the kitchen.Pan-fried shad, simmered fire meat with bamboo shoots, and winter mustard soup are all Jiangnan dishes that Tang Shen is familiar with.

Tang Shen didn't want to stay for dinner, but Wang Qin had already asked, so he couldn't refuse.

Holding the chopsticks, Tang Shen looked at the simple but delicious dishes on the table, losing his appetite.Holding the bowl in one hand, he had a lot of thoughts in his heart, but he couldn't express it at all.After only a few seconds of all the emotions, Tang Shen picked up a piece of smoked meat as if nothing had happened, put it in a bowl, and then ate it tastelessly.

After eating like this for a while, a clear voice suddenly sounded: "Junior brother, I have never seen you talking during meals."

Tang Shen was taken aback, then looked up at Wang Qin: "Brother Zifeng?"

Wang Qin didn't take a few bites of the rice in the bowl or the dishes on the plate. He put down his chopsticks, and without waiting for Tang Shen's answer, he said to himself: "You are not like this at Mr.'s place, you often use chopsticks Talk to sir over dinner."

Tang Shen was silent, and said: "I thought senior brother felt that a gentleman should not talk when eating or sleeping."

Wang Qin smiled: "Look, you have misunderstood me. How did I ever say that I am like this? By the way, I heard that you have recently been promoted to a householder."

"Yes, that was last month."

"Did you meet anything interesting?"

The two gradually chatted.

In November, the weather is getting colder.It was already dark when Tang Shen came to visit Wang Qin, and when Wang Qin came back, the two of them had dinner again, and it was Xu time.After the two finished their meal, Tang Shen refused to stay any longer.Wang Qin wanted to keep him overnight: "It's getting late, junior brother, why don't you rest in Shangshu's mansion."

Tang Shen said seriously: "Thank you for your kindness, brother, but it's my turn to be on duty tomorrow. Tanhua Mansion is very close to here, so it's convenient for me to go back."

Wang Qin didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "It turns out that being close is also a reason."

Tang Shen didn't hear clearly: "What did senior brother say?"

"It's nothing."

Wang Qin personally sent Tang Shen to the door, Tang Shen said: "Brother, please stop, I will go first."

But Wang Qin said: "Little Junior Brother hasn't answered me yet, what exactly are you angry about today?"

Tang Shen's head hurt.

How do you still remember this!

In the dark night, only a crescent moon faintly reflects the sky.The butler was standing far away with a lantern in his hand, Tang Shen and Wang Qin stood facing each other, but the night was too dark, even if Tang Shen was close at hand, he couldn't see Wang Qin's face clearly, he could only see his smiling eyes. s eyes.

Wang Zifeng, even if he asks such difficult questions, on the surface it is still impossible to say him.

How could Tang Shen answer.

He thought about it, and decided to choose a childish answer based on his only sixteen.Tang Shendao: "I'm angry that senior brother played tricks on me. I ran here with good intentions to give senior brother specialties from Gusu, and waited for senior brother at the Shangshu Mansion for a long time. Unexpectedly, when senior brother came back, he would just forget to call me when he saw me asleep, and even teased me." .”

Wang Qin: "So that's how it is."

"That's it."

"Little brother, what kind of person do you think I am?"

Tang Shen was taken aback for a moment, looking at Wang Qin's smiling face, unable to answer for a moment.

Wang Qin told the steward to go back first, he took the lantern from the steward's hand, pointed to the lantern and said to Tang Shen, "Do you think I look like this lantern?"

Tang Shen was stunned.How does this have anything to do with lanterns?

Tang Shen didn't understand Wang Qin's intentions, but his senior brother's mind could never be viewed as a normal person.

It seemed that Wang Qin was questioning him, but Tang Shen didn't dare to answer casually, but he was very good at everything, and he didn't flatter him.He said: "Senior brother is like this lantern, noble and bright. I have been in Shengjing for two years, and I have been taken care of by my senior. At first I was just a little talent, but looking back now, it really has changed. Senior brother illuminated my path. "Speaking of later, Tang Shen really added a little sincerity.Indeed, Wang Qin was the one who took care of him the most after he came to Shengjing, and Wang Qin treated him really well.

But Wang Qin shook his head: "So that's how my junior brother misses me."

Tang Shen: "...Then why is senior brother holding this lantern?"

Wang Qin shook the lantern and said with a smile: "Don't you think that I am a good man who can't be found even with the lantern?"

Tang Shen: "..."

Wang Zifeng, when will you still tell cold jokes!

Wang Qin didn't care, he held the lantern beside his face: "The lantern illuminates my face, but it can't illuminate my feet. It illuminates my feet, but it can't illuminate my face. Junior brother, you came to see me with such a small lantern, how could you find me?"

Tang Shen sensed that there was something in Wang Qin's words, but he didn't realize it all at once.At this time, Wang Qin had already stuffed the lantern into Tang Shen's hand, and said with a smile, "But whether you see my face or my feet, little brother, this person is always me. And I, it's you." Brother. Let’s go, I won’t send it off.”

Tang Shen looked at Wang Qin blankly.

Back home, Tang Shen put the lantern Wang Qin gave him on the desk and looked at it quietly.

After a long time, the candles in the study made a slight popping sound, and Tang Shen instantly woke up.

"He said that I don't know the real him at all, and I don't know what the real him is like, but how many people in this world know the real Wang Zifeng. He didn't even give me this opportunity..."

The study was silent for a while.

"...Are you my senior brother?"

Tang Shen's eyes lit up, but immediately dimmed again.

"What should I do to you, Wang Zifeng!"

Wang Qin said that he was Tang Shen's senior brother, and the implication was that Tang Shen would not have to be so wary of him, so trembling.But Tang Shen sensed what he meant, but couldn't do it.At least for now, he still dare not fully trust Wang Qin, and dare not treat him casually.

Tang Shen looked at the lantern and sighed, "You, let alone the lantern, you can't find it with the flashlight..."

He didn't look for Wang Qin again, and three days later, it was Tang Shen's turn to rest.In the morning, he changed into a simple commoner clothes, pretended to be a servant, and got into the carriage with Yao San and Shopkeeper Lu.When the day was completely bright, the carriage quietly drove out of Shengjing and headed north.

All the way north, one day later, the three came to Luohe Town.

Luohe Town is the junction of the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom.

Tang Shen has always felt that in this world, the relationship between Song and Liao is very strange.On the one hand, the two countries once went to war, fighting to the death and life and death, and in the end both sides were hurt, and no one could do anything to win the other.On the other hand, after the signing of the peace treaty, the two countries have maintained a superficial peace, but dark waves are surging in private.

Occasionally, grass bandits ransacked villages on the northwest border. Tang Shen, as a householder, had heard reports from officials.At that time, the official sneered and said: "Your Majesty knows the lesson. Grass bandit? Where did the grass bandit come from! Could it be that Liao soldier in disguise!"

Da Song is naturally not to be outdone.

Today you pretend to be a grass bandit, and tomorrow I will pretend to be a horse thief, fighting each other.

But the Song Dynasty lacked horses and sheep, and the Liao people lacked silk and food.There must be trade between the two countries, so they coincidentally placed the battlefield in the northwest, and an area north of Shengjing was opened for businessmen from the two countries to trade.

Luohe Town is located between the two countries and is the largest trading town in Beizhili.

When he arrived at Luohe Town, Tang Shen no longer sat in the carriage. He sat at the front with the coachman and observed Luohe Town at the same time.

Luohe Town is no different from the nearby towns. It belongs to the Great Song Dynasty, and the architectural style here is also more inclined to the Song Dynasty.But half of the pedestrians walking on the street are Song people and half are Liao people.These Liao people have all kinds of hair. Some of them have many small braids hanging on their heads, which are a bit like the dreadlocks of later generations; The hair is shaved, leaving only a circle around it.

Tang Shen's head felt cold, and he couldn't help touching his hair.

I've only heard about hair transplants, but I've never seen someone who voluntarily becomes bald...

The Liao people in Luohe Town are very recognizable, no matter how they dress or these weird hairstyles, they are completely different from the Song people.

Yao San was very familiar with Luohe Town, and the three of them found an inn in the town to stay.In the afternoon, the three of them came to a fabric shop.

Just entering the store, the shopkeeper who was standing behind the cabinet to settle the accounts saw Yao San, and immediately walked up: "Hey, isn't this shopkeeper Yao, who came back from Shengjing?"

Shopkeeper Lu was taken aback, and looked at Yao San strangely: Are you still the shopkeeper?

Yao San winked at him: You understand.

Shopkeeper Lu: ...I don't understand.

Tang Shen stood behind the two of them as a servant.Yao San snorted, and said: "Don't talk too much, I have already returned to Shengjing and discussed with our boss about what I said earlier. What about your boss, this is our boss!" Shopkeeper Lu.

Shopkeeper Lu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled slightly.

... You didn't mention this show when you came here!

The author has something to say: Old Wang next door: Junior brother, where is your lantern?

Xiao Tang Lang [with no expression on his face]: I changed the flashlight for you.