Chapter 35: That cool spring rain

When the shop opened, the first customer was the owner who was qualified to collect rent. It didn't seem to be a good sign, and he heard such disturbing inside information, but Ning Que's mood didn't get too bad.

He believed that a man who could own a whole street of shops in Chang'an City must be rich or noble or have a big backer behind him. Since the boss had made a promise to him, it would be a bit unnecessary for him to worry about other things, and because Lao Bizhai is the only tenant on this street. Before leaving, the middle-aged man generously offered to waive three months' rent. This alone was enough to make the master and servant feel happy. .

What really bothered him was business, a business that was as bleak as a bird, cold water, and autumn like smoke.

The spring rain in Chang'an City lasted for four or five days at a time. It was continuous and continuous, and it seemed to have no end. The air was cold and the roads were slippery. Naturally, people were reluctant to go out. On this long street, only his shop was open now. All the shops had their doors closed tightly, unable to gather crowds, so they became increasingly deserted. Apart from a few pedestrians every day, there were only three or two sparrows hopping around on tiptoe, so there was no business anywhere.

On the first day of opening, the spring rain that Ning Que talked about was as precious as oil, but it had already become as cheap as urine. He sat on the long armchair and looked at the rain outside the store, sighing and sighing. If people's eyes are really If he is a great spiritual practitioner who has entered the realm of knowing destiny, his eyes full of resentment and resentment may be enough to overthrow that gray wall.

The middle-aged man said that his shop was on both sides of Alley 47, but it did not include the gray wall opposite the Lao Bizhai. Behind that gray wall was the Department of Civil Affairs Clearance and Transportation Treasury that needed to be expanded. One of the reasons why Ning Que was unhappy.

At noon, someone finally stepped into the deserted shop. It was a fat man who looked like a wealthy businessman with a big belly and two followers. Ning Que originally thought that the visitors were evil, maybe a black-faced lobbyist invited by the empire's demolition department, so he was inevitably a little wary. After hearing a few words, he realized that they were just two more hiding people. Idle people strolling around in the rain.

Since he was idle, Ning Que naturally didn't bother to get up to entertain him. He held a lukewarm inferior red clay teapot in his hands and looked at the rain curtain outside the store. His eyes were slightly opened as if he was about to fall asleep comfortably. In fact, his heart was eager to make money. It was already swollen from the rush.

The fat rich man put his hands behind his back and put his face to the wall to look at it carefully. I don't know why, but in the past few days, Liao Liao and several people who entered Laobi Studio have habitually put their hands behind their backs, as if they want to show that they have good eyesight. This rich man has lived in Chang'an for a long time, and after many years of being arty, he has developed some eyesight. After looking at it for a while, he said to his entourage: "Don't tell me, there are still some good words in such a shabby place."

This sentence should be regarded as a compliment, but it seems a bit frivolous and condescending. Of course, such a tone is difficult to arouse Ning Que's feelings as a close friend. He still sat in the armchair and seemed unconcerned. In fact, his ears were perked up and he listened carefully to this. What will the rich man say next, hoping to sell the first piece of text?

"Young man, who wrote these words in the store?" The fat rich man turned around and asked.

"I wrote it." Ning Que leaned forward slightly and responded politely.

The fat rich man didn't say anything more. After looking at it for a while, he shook his head and sighed with regret: "Tsk, tsk... What a pity, what a pity. Some of the calligraphy can be called beautiful. It's a pity that the calligrapher is still young but he has to pretend to be a big man. The calligrapher has gone through many changes. It doesn't matter, since you can see it from the rain today, you are lucky. San'er, take down this calligraphy, I want it."

Ning Que turned around and looked at the three of them and asked, "This guest, I wonder how much you want to pay."

"If you put this calligraphy on a stall outside Xiangfang, you can sell it for at most five hundred coins. Since you have the store fee, and I think you are young and promising, I will give you two taels of silver." The rich man said with a smile.

Ning Que picked up the teapot and drank tea, then put down the teapot and scolded his mother: "Get lost."

The rich man suddenly changed his expression and scolded angrily: "Young man, why are you so ignorant of appreciation?"

"Young people can be expected, not young people who can be bullied." Ning Que shook his head and replied: "Earlier when you said that I was still young and wanted to forcibly imitate the vicissitudes of the great calligraphers, I was already ready to tell you to go away, but I just wanted to see "What do you bid? If your bid is high enough, then it doesn't matter if I ask you to insult me, but it's a pity that the price you paid is not enough to insult me."

The livid-faced rich man walked away with his entourage. Sangsang, who was washing vegetables with his sleeves rolled up, rushed out of the back house. Looking at the backs of the three people who had long disappeared in the rain, his face was full of regret and unwillingness, and his small body shook. He stared at Ning Que who was sitting in the chair and said angrily: "Master, that's only two taels of silver!"

Two ink ingots and three knives of writing paper were sold. This was all the income of the old pen studio in the few days since it opened. Although the middle-aged man exempted their rent for three months, he thought about the horror of the academy in the future. Spending money, Sangsang couldn't sleep well every night, so it's no wonder she was so angry about the previous scene.

Anyway, there was no business. After lunch, Ning Que simply closed the shop. The euphemistic name was to appease the little maid's seriously hurt young heart. In fact, he probably just wanted to relax and took Sangsang through the streets to the legendary I walked around the Chan Kam Kee cosmetics store and then bought a few books at a place called Dan Bo Bookstore.

The effect of relaxing is very good. Sangsang is holding a book tied with a rope in one hand and a box of Chen Jinji's powder in the other. The joy on his dark face cannot be concealed. Ning Que is also in a good mood, holding a big black umbrella in his right hand. , his left hand stretched out outside the edge of the umbrella to catch the rainwater. The rainwater slapped on the umbrella surface and his palm, and the boots on his feet made a splashing sound in the puddles of rainwater. The master and the servant jumped back to Lin 47 Lane like two little sparrows.

Suddenly, the black umbrella shook slightly. Ning Que stood in the rain more than ten meters away from the shop, looking at the gray wall that was blackened by the rain, looking at the man sitting under the wall, looking at that man His dark face looked a little blue due to excessive blood loss, and his right hand holding the handle of the umbrella suddenly tightened.

The sound of snap is like the sound of war drums! He suddenly stepped into the puddle on the bluestone floor with his left foot, causing a splash of water. All the strength in his body was accumulated in his waist and abdomen, and he was ready to rush towards the gray and black wall.

However, at this moment, the black-faced man covered in blood under the wall looked at him and smiled with difficulty, then shook his head very firmly - there was an extremely miserable wound on his chest and abdomen, and the man in black clothes With blood flowing everywhere and bones cracked and internal organs appearing, even those legendary great practitioners who entered the realm of no order could not save him.

Ning Que saw this scene and understood his determination, and then heard the intensive footsteps and shouts coming from the alley, so he slowly and awkwardly retracted his left foot, and his right hand holding the umbrella handle moved for no apparent reason. Trembling violently.

"The military is looking for spies! Ignorant people are running away!"

Dozens of the Yulin Army of the Tang Dynasty, all dressed up in fine attire, rushed into the streets in the rain and surrounded Drow in the corner. Their expressions were solemn and vigilant. The general who led the team visibly relaxed when he saw Drow's injuries. tone.

The spring rain was getting heavier and heavier, washing the gray wall even darker. It flowed down the wall like a stream, quickly washing away the blood stained by Drow on the wall. .