Chentan's Memories

No.18 Returning to the treacherous shopkeeper and throwing away the crime

There is a Juxianlou near Dongshi, Chentan Town, which is an old restaurant that has been open for many years.

Just after noon, after dismissing the last table of guests, the waiter was dozing off on the table, and a person walked in suddenly.The clerk recognized this person, so he was stunned for a moment, and then forced a smile: "Yo, shopkeeper Lin, are you here for something to eat?"

Lin Lang's expression was leisurely, and he didn't seem to have the slightest anxiety that should be caused by being caught in the "poisoning case" storm; he just smiled without opening his mouth, and after a long while, he said quietly: "Come eat people."

The guy felt guilty, and was so frightened by Lin Lang's weird behavior that he couldn't figure out his emotions, that he broke out in a cold sweat quickly.

When he realized that his step back was too obvious, he hurriedly cleaned up his smiling face, pretended to be relaxed, picked up a rag and wiped the table, and responded, "I know—— shopkeeper Lin loves you!" Just kidding. Come—sit, would you like tea or wine?"

"Not in a hurry." Lin Lang sat down obliquely at a nearby table: "Go and call down shopkeeper Sun from the expensive restaurant."

The guy couldn't put it on any longer. Beads of sweat fell from his forehead, and he asked knowingly, "Why are you looking for Shopkeeper Sun..."

"Eh?" Lin Lang wrinkled his eyelids frivolously, and his red phoenix eyes looked extraordinarily piercing: "The secret of the chat between the shopkeeper and the shopkeeper...can a servant inquire in such an unruly manner?"

The guy's face changed drastically, and now he couldn't laugh anymore.

But Lin Lang's eyes were bent again, and he smiled like a child who had no scheming: "You know, shopkeeper Lin likes to joke."

Let's say that the guy had to bite the bullet and ran upstairs, and after discussing with shopkeeper Sun for about a quarter of an hour, he came downstairs.The two were stunned when they rounded the corner of the stairs—the restaurant was empty just now, but now it was full of people, and everyone was silent, with expressions floating on their faces, as if they were waiting for something. It's like a good show.

An hour ago, Lin Lang, who found out the real culprit, pushed aside the crowd of onlookers, and pasted the new notice on the old one.

The strokes were full of anger, showing teeth and claws—"The shopkeeper Lin paid for the banquet in Juxianlou at the end of the day, and will personally explain the red lip poisoning incident to everyone."

The words didn't say much clearly, but people probably guessed a little bit.

One has a free meal, and the other has a free play, and the more than a hundred places are all filled in a short time.

Seeing that the downstairs was full of customers, Shopkeeper Sun shifted his gaze to the clerk, who gave him a look of "I don't know anything", and the two looked at each other for a while; but they felt that it was too much to exchange glances under the eyes of everyone. Feeling guilty, Shopkeeper Sun had no choice but to bite the bullet and scold the waiter, "What are you looking at me for? Go and greet the guests!"

The guy took his order and had to run downstairs to laugh with him in embarrassment: "What to eat and drink, everyone thinks slowly... I'll go to the back and wake up the cook..." After finishing speaking, he slipped into the backyard.

Shopkeeper Sun didn't know what to do, but he had no choice but to go downstairs with a smile.

The person who went straight to the table in the middle bowed first: "Master Lin, Manager Tang, Uncle Wang, Ah... Ah Ci... This is..." While speaking, he gestured around.

"I'll host a banquet for the guests." Lin Lang said, "Shopkeeper Sun won't be unwelcome, right?"

"Why don't you welcome me?" Shopkeeper Sun apologized: "Of course you are welcome! Ever since Dianjiang Lip opened, I always thought about going over to say hello! It's just that the business is too busy, so I haven't had time to visit... You guys should go first coming."

Lin Lang also imitated Shopkeeper Sun and dealt with him in a slick manner: "He gave us a big gift before we had time to visit. Shopkeeper Sun is so kind."

Lin Lang's hints inside and outside the words made shopkeeper Sun realize that the poisoning had been exposed, and the purpose of coming this time was to explain.No matter how hard he tried, his back was already soaked in cold sweat. No matter how old and cunning he was, he couldn't think of the best countermeasure in an instant, so he could only look at Lin Lang speechlessly.

And Lin Lang was not shy of Shopkeeper Sun's gaze, and stayed silent with him, with a meaningful smile on his face.

After looking at shopkeeper Sun for a long time, he quietly said, "Let's serve the food first."

Shopkeeper Sun has a clear heart, and he already knew the purpose of the group of people with red lips coming this time.

However, in the current situation of the enemy, this group of "enemies" are there to exchange cups with everyone.So amidst the noise and laughter, shopkeeper Sun felt like walking on eggshells every moment, which was extremely difficult.

Standing alone by the counter, looking out of place in the crowded dining room, unable to conceive any countermeasures in his anxious mind, for a moment there was a sense of fear that the building was about to collapse, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Shopkeeper Sun." A sudden greeting froze and smashed all the chaos in his mind.

Shopkeeper Sun looked up: "Huh?"

A Ci held a glass of wine: "This glass is toast to you."

So the eyes of the whole hall were all settled on him.

Shopkeeper Sun had no choice but to forcibly move his stiff legs and feet, poured himself a cup, held it to his chest but didn't know what to say.

"A Ci grew up eating hundreds of meals in Chentan. All the villagers have witnessed the ups and downs at home along the way... These years, A Ci has sold wine for a living. Fortunately, the shopkeeper Sun took care of the business so that he can have enough food and clothing. This cup, Ah Ci respects you." Ah Ci drank the wine in the glass, turned around and poured another glass: "I'm sorry shopkeeper Lin——and Brother Yushu."

"It was my negligence to point out the poisoning in the Jiangchun restaurant."

When Ah Ci said these words, Shopkeeper Sun felt an untimely ease.

I just heard her continue: "Yesterday, someone was poisoned at Dian Jiang Lip restaurant. At first, everyone thought that the food in Dian Jiang Lip restaurant was not clean, but later found out that it was not Dian Jiang Lip restaurant that was the problem. It's wine—"

"How is it possible?" Shopkeeper Sun subconsciously denied, but after the words came out, he found that he was too confused.

"Four members of Brother Wang's family were poisoned, except for the child. They ate food from the same pot, but the child was safe because the child did not drink."

After Ah Ci finished speaking, the crowd chattered for a long time, until the store was quiet again, she continued to say leisurely: "The business of Juxianlou is booming, and there are usually fifty jars of wine every day, which is only a lot over the years. But yesterday Claiming that they couldn’t sell it, they returned the three jars of wine. I didn’t take it seriously at first, but I didn’t expect that the three jars had already been sold and drugged.”

"In the past, I was taken care of by everyone, and I also owed the trust of Shopkeeper Lin and Brother Yushu; but because of his own negligence, Ah Ci sent the drugged wine to Dianjiang Lip Restaurant, which forced the restaurant to close..." As Ah Ci said, he picked up the wine jar on the table and poured himself another glass, because the action was too reckless, he even spilled it all over the floor.However, the woman didn't care. After taking a sip, she turned around, clasped her fists and said to shopkeeper Sun, "I know you well, so I don't dare to question the crime. But just now, I will treat this drink as a breakup drink, and we will not see each other again in the future."

After speaking, the cup in his hand fell to the ground.Ah Ci turned and walked out the door.

After the truth was revealed, the restaurant was already in chaos, and everyone was making noise.

And Lin Lang was sitting among the noisy crowd, looking at shopkeeper Sun expressionlessly.That look was neither hatred nor sadness, but it seemed that after falling into a trap, he counterattacked and won the victory, full of pride and disdain.

Taking a deep breath, Boss Sun realized that his trembling hands had finally calmed down.He raised the eyelids that were surrounded by gullies, and gave Lin Lang a look.

That look was so complicated that Lin Lang, who had just won the battle and was still frivolous, suddenly lost some strength and was startled.

Shopkeeper Sun raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet, and then bowed calmly: "I don't know anything about this matter, let me investigate for a while before I reply." After saying that, he walked around to the backyard.

Lin Lang was a little flustered.With just one glance, he knew that shopkeeper Sun already had a plan to deal with it, but——he had already pushed him into a dead end, how could the other party have a countermeasure?

A quarter of an hour later, shopkeeper Sun walked into the hall with the guy just now, and shouted at the huddled child: "Say—explain to all the old folks in Chen Tan, how did you do such an obscene thing?" of."

It turned out that the scapegoat was thrown away.

Lin Lang frowned.

Things are dangerous in the world, and villains with a high level of chess are even more rampant in the world.

Young Master Lin Gui suddenly had a thought and wanted to go home.

After being roared by Shopkeeper Sun, the boy immediately burst into two tears.

Sobbing, he uttered a line, probably because he has liked Ah Ci for a long time, and Ah Ci has never been moved; but seeing that Ah Ci has been in close contact with the shopkeeper Tang recently, he was confused and ate vinegar for a while, so he thought of such a trick , wanting to drive away Shopkeeper Tang...

And Shopkeeper Sun clamored again, "Now the truth is revealed", saying that he would send this kid out of Chentan for a few taels of silver and never come back again...

And so on.

Lin Lang couldn't listen at all.I just feel like I just struggled out of the swallowing bath and was pushed into the next mud pit.I couldn't put anything in my mind, stood up, and rushed out of Juxian Tower as if I was about to escape.

It turns out that the real world is not at all the same as those in the legendary storybooks babbling on the high platform.

Bullies may not always be defeated in the end, and it is always difficult for a good person to live a peaceful life.

"It's not good at all." Qingzhuan Daiwa was dizzy and quickly left behind. "It's really... not good at all."

Jinling City is better.

There are endless squandering silver, beautiful brocade clothes and white clothes, floating lanterns on the Qinhuai River, and silver cups of marigold and jade dew wine.

I can't remember why I had to throw away all that and slip away to such a far place, so that at this moment, the journey to run back firmly is so long that it makes people feel powerless.

Lin Lang didn't know how long he ran, nor where he went.When the last bit of strength was exhausted, Lin Lang, who had lost all strength in his legs, fell to his knees under a big willow tree.Like a stray dog, he collapsed in embarrassment on the grass, panting heavily.

The wilderness in the afternoon was eerily quiet.

Lin Lang suddenly thought of Shun'er, the guy who had been around him since childhood; it seemed that in his world, there was no one but the young master.

Lin Lang likes that feeling, or Lin Lang wants that feeling too much.

Thinking of this, Lin Lang laughed again.It was a burst of ridicule at himself after realizing his selfish face.

Shun'er is a servant bought since childhood, and his life belongs to the Lin family.But once the master-servant contract is withdrawn, there is no money to pay for it, but will there be anyone willing to follow you in front of you and behind you to protect you from the wind and rain?

Lin Lang rubbed his sore legs and stood up unsteadily.

The skylight in the distance pulled out circles of halos, which made Lin Lang unable to open his eyes.

While lowering his head and rubbing his eyes, he heard a familiar yet unfamiliar voice.

——"Lin Lang!"

It was obviously that thick tone, but because of shouting, it was pulled out by emotions to a three-point unfamiliar immature tone.The owner of this tone has always been calm and peaceful on weekdays, and has never revealed such panic.

Lin Lang raised his head, and the shaky figure in the distance was outlined by a fluffy golden edge against the backlight.

He supported the stick, but because he was too anxious, his injured leg tapped frequently, and he rushed towards Lin Lang's direction.

"Idiot!" Lin Lang yelled, "Stop - wait for me to pass."

After getting the order, the figure stopped obediently, but caught up with Lin Lang a few steps forward when Lin Lang rushed over.A smiling face greeted Lin Lang's scolding: "Don't you want your legs?!"

After the training, Tang Yushu lowered his head slightly, but looked at Lin Lang with bright eyes and a smile: "I'm fine...I'm not in a hurry."

"Did you chase all the way here?"

"Yes." Tang Yushu nodded, "What's wrong with you?"

"I'm...all right." Lin Lang helped Tang Yushu back and walked back: "I'll see the doctor later, the leg injury is still not healed, so you dare to run." Lin Lang suddenly felt a little sour.

"Are you afraid that I will leave you and run away?"

"... 咹."

Asking a question that he couldn't handle, Lin Lang regretted it very much, and only forced to curse a few more words: "If your legs are crippled, the restaurant will not support you. Throw you out and climb back to Jincheng by yourself."

During the limping journey, Tang Yushu raised his face and said in embarrassment: "Let's not talk about it—I was stabbed in the stomach back then, and I ran five miles behind my back!"

"Behind someone?" Lin Lang was suddenly very concerned: "Who?"

Trivial chat, and do not repeat.

Besides, two hundred miles away from Jinling City, there is Yangzhou City.

Today there was an old beggar in the city, sitting on the ground in ragged clothes.Two feet away, a little beggar was gnawing on a hard piece of steamed bun.

"Hey——" the old beggar licked his chapped lips, "You..." It took a long time before he managed to speak: "Do you have any food left?"

The little beggar's eyes were bright, he stared at the old beggar for a long time, broke off half of the steamed bun on his mouth, and handed it to the old beggar: "I... I only have this half. Your old man... is so hungry, I'm so hungry. I can't bear it either."

Thankfully, he took the steamed buns from the little beggar, and the two ate a few mouthfuls in silence. The little beggar suddenly babbled a few times, and sang faintly:

——"The cold moon in the clear autumn, the dead leaves and chrysanthemums, all paid for the cold river east... 呵~"