Ch 87: Jianghu Swindling

The autumn wind is like a blade, using the fields as a chopping board, regarding the common people as straw dogs.

Ten miles of cold frost, taking the blue sky as a furnace, refining all things into ice crystals.

The frost is about to melt, the wind has not stopped, a fishing boat comes from the east, the swaying oars cut through the cold waves on the water, but cannot cut through the desolation of the world.

On the boat, a weather-beaten fisherman, wrapped his tattered cloak tighter, his eyes melancholy, his face full of sorrow as he said to his equally worried companion: “Brother, the harsh winter is coming!”

“This year’s harsh winter, we are counting on the fish in this river, if it doesn’t work out…” He finished speaking, and let out a long, faint sigh.

The companion listened, pursed his lips, his eyes full of helplessness: “Alas! The grain harvest is dismal, not to mention nearly half of it has to be used to pay taxes.”

“Seeing that the harsh winter is coming, the weather changes as soon as it says it will.”

“We should hurry up and catch some fish, make them into dried fish, so we can survive the harsh winter.”

…………………………

Laifu Restaurant——

Today, there isn’t a single customer in the restaurant. The men of the families have all gone to the Wu River, whether they can swim or not, all wanting to catch some fish.

Lin Tian sat in the hall, the wind outside the door howled, carrying coolness.

Lin Tian tightened the gray cloak on his body, unconsciously pulling up his collar with both hands.

Tang Chun sat opposite Lin Tian, his expression a little unsightly: “How can the weather change as soon as it says it will? Yesterday it was still sunny and warm, today this north wind is blowing, it feels like winter has arrived.”

“Brother Lin, recently the price of grain in the county town has soared, quickly hoard some grain, this winter I’m afraid it will be difficult to get through.”

Lin Tian also “Mm”ed and said: “What’s really difficult to get through is the common people in the city.”

“This year’s grain harvest is not good, and the taxes are extremely harsh.”

“In the end, everything depends on the little bit of fish in the Wu River, I don’t know how many more people will starve to death.”

Tang Chun was also a little resentful. Now he has a wife, children, and a warm bed. Although neither of the two children are his own, they are better than his own.

“Our restaurant has just become popular, and it looks like it’s about to enter the off-season, what do you say this is.” Tang Chun spread out his hands, seemingly a little dissatisfied.

Lin Tian took a sip of hot tea, and said unhurriedly: “In the end, the restaurant lives by relying on Qingshui County.”

“If the people of Qingshui County don’t live well, naturally they won’t have spare money to eat, and our restaurant will naturally have no business.”

“Looking at it now, it would be good if the restaurant can protect itself, you hoard more grain, in case of emergency.”

Tang Chun responded: “It can only be like this, I don’t know when it will end.”

“Suddenly I miss the time when I was selling Tang Sect hidden weapons, at that time I didn’t lack anything, everyone was scrambling for them.”

At this time, the boss lady Yu Lian came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands with her apron, and said: “The weather is changing so fast.”

“I’ll go out and see if I can buy some fish to bring back, pickle them into salted fish, otherwise there will be no vegetables to eat in winter.”

Tang Chun said with a smile: “Okay! Then you go.”

After Yu Lian left, Tang Chun continued: “Brother Lin, your strength is so strong, why stay in this remote town of Qingshui. Just go outside and be a guest elder, the offerings are stronger than this.”

Lin Tian smiled: “Take things as they come, for me, the outside world is not that good.”

Tang Chun seemed to fall into memories: “Yes, not that good, but the paper drunk gold fan is really charming.”

“That Qinhuai Flower Quarter, wine green and red lights, a drunken life and a dream empty; Luoyang tavern, people come and go, happy grudges a few autumns.”

Tang Chun was immersed in the Great Liang City that never sleeps, and was suddenly pulled back to his senses by the shouts at the door.

“Shopkeeper!”

Only two adults and one child appeared at the door.

A farmer, his skin dark and rough, his eyes under thick eyebrows as sharp as an eagle, revealing a hint of ruthlessness.

A woman, half her face pockmarked, her appearance mediocre, wearing tattered coarse cloth clothes.

A child was being led by the woman, his whole body dark, like charcoal, his eyes also revealing strangeness.

Tang Chun quickly got up to greet them: “Esteemed Spectators, please come in, what would you like to eat?”

The farmer said in a rough voice: “Just bring some hot food.”

The woman also nodded, holding the child tightly.

The child shouted loudly: “I want to eat chicken legs, I want to eat roast chicken!”

The woman looked at the child making a fuss, and smiled apologetically: “Give the child a roast chicken.”

Tang Chun said with a smile: “Okay, it’s coming right away.”

Before long, the hot roast chicken was brought to the table, and the child began to eat heartily, eating half of it by himself.

He ate with oil all over his mouth, but shouted loudly: “Not delicious, not delicious, I want to eat pig trotters, eat pig trotters.”

The man glanced at the child impatiently, then shouted to Tang Chun: “Bring a pig trotter.”

Tang Chun saw this and was a little helpless: “Esteemed Spectators, you don’t know, recently the price of pork has soared, the price of pig trotters……”

The man interrupted: “Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and bring it.”

Tang Chun didn’t say much: “Okay, it’s coming right away.”

The child was relentless, and his shouts echoed throughout the hall.

He ran to Lin Tian’s table, and directly overturned the tea in front of him, tea flowed all over the floor. Lin Tian was stunned at this moment, are children so brave now?

Tang Chun saw the child’s behavior, and quickly spoke to dissuade him: “Quickly take care of your child, how can I do business if you do this?”

The woman heard this and looked unhappy, and said very displeased: “My child is young, doesn’t understand things, are you still going to argue with a child?”

At this time, Lin Tian got up from his seat, he waved his hand and said: “It doesn’t matter, let them eat and let them drink, just give money.”

Lin Tian just felt a little disappointed, but naturally he wouldn’t argue with a little beast.

Lin Tian walked towards the door, just out the door, Lin Tian saw Li Qiming and Sun Tieshan.

The two saw Lin Tian, and immediately shrank their necks, respectfully saluted, and shouted: “Lord.”

Lin Tian responded, didn’t say much, and left straight away.

The two had just stepped into the restaurant, when a cup of hot tea flew straight over and spilled directly on Sun Tieshan’s body.

Sun Tieshan immediately glared angrily and cursed: “Where did this little brat come from, so presumptuous.”

The child clapped his hands and cheered: “Two big stupid pigs, big stupid pigs.”

Then another teacup flew towards Li Qiming, Li Qiming caught it with both hands, the teacup was steady in his hand.

Li Qiming was also angry, and cursed: “Little beast, looking for a beating.” Saying that, he threw the teacup at the dark child.

Bang!

“Wah——ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah ah.”

The child was smashed with a bloody head, crying loudly.

The farmer stood up, but did not look at the child in the first time, as if the child’s life and death had nothing to do with him.

He snorted coldly: “You have to look at the owner when you beat a dog, you two are so ignorant of etiquette, attacking a child, it’s too much! If you don’t give an explanation today, no one can leave.”

Sun Tieshan saw the child’s miserable state, and was overjoyed in his heart: “Give you an explanation? Give you a fart explanation! Go out and ask around, within a radius of ten miles, who dares to ask our two brothers to give an explanation?”

The woman comforted the child while bandaging his wound with a cloth, her face full of grievance: “Is there any justice? Is there any law?”

“Report to the authorities, we must report to the authorities! If you don’t get justice for my son today, this matter is not over.”

Tang Chun had only gone to the kitchen, and when he came out, he saw this scene.

Seeing the child with a bloody head and Li Qiming and Sun Tieshan, he felt a headache.

He looked at the farmer and said: “How do you want to solve it, just say it.”

The farmer snorted coldly: “My son is smart and clever, composes poems at the age of three, composes essays at the age of five, knows astronomy and geography at the age of seven, and knows how to plan the country at the age of ten.”

“If he passes the imperial examination in the future, he will definitely be ennobled as a marquis and appointed as a minister, this smash of yours, I’m afraid you’ve smashed him into a fool.”

“Can you afford this loss, can you afford it?”

The corners of Tang Chun’s mouth twitched, who would believe this if he said it.

Li Qiming directly laughed loudly: “Since that’s the case, how about this, I think your wife has a bit of a model.”

“How about my two brothers put in some effort and give you another litter, how about it?”

“Fair enough, my brothers don’t know anything else, but we are very good at helping you give birth to babies.”

The farmer’s expression was a little unsightly, and he coldly “hmph”ed: “Since that’s the case, then let’s meet in the government office.”

Saying that, he was about to go out to report to the authorities, Tang Chun directly stopped the farmer: “Hey hey hey, say it, how much silver do you want, I’ve seen too many people like you.”

“Isn’t it just trying to get some silver, can’t afford to eat, it doesn’t hurt to give you a meal, but silver! Don’t you be too much.”

The farmer heard that there was still a sensible person, and immediately said: “How about this, you give some silver, we take the child to see a doctor, and from then on we will have nothing to do with you, whether the child is stupid or not has nothing to do with you. How about it?”

Li Qiming felt something was wrong, and turned to look at Sun Tieshan: “Second Brother, how does this scene feel familiar?”

Sun Tieshan also responded: “It does feel familiar, it seems like I’ve seen it somewhere.”

Li Qiming suddenly realized, his face showing anger: “I remember, do you still remember the family we met when we first came out of the Jianghu?”

“At that time, we had just entered the Jianghu, and felt pity, giving the old fellow some food, who knew that the old fellow actually died.”

“That family turned around and wanted us to pay money. We had just entered the Jianghu, and didn’t know the good and evil of human nature, and finally paid the money and it still wasn’t enough.”

“That family also wanted to report to the authorities. Later, we had murderous intentions, but we didn’t expect that the couple actually had martial arts skills.”

“Let them run away.”

Li Qiming sneered: “I searched everywhere and found nothing, but it came without any effort.”

“But Eldest Brother, it doesn’t look like them.”

“Who cares, so many years have passed, there must be some changes, today, they have to be them, if they are not, they have to be.”

Saying that, Li Qiming directly attacked, the curved saber in his hand flashed with cold light, and slashed fiercely at the farmer.

The farmer’s figure was agile, like a nimble monkey, quickly dodging away, where was there half a bit of a farmer’s appearance.

The woman saw this, and also drew out the curved saber from her package without hesitation, standing side by side with the farmer.

The two looked at each other, and said in unison: “Withdraw!” Saying that, they took a step and withdrew from the restaurant.

Li Qiming’s eyes narrowed, and he shouted angrily: “Damn it, there really is a problem.”

“If I don’t peel off your skin today, it will be difficult to relieve the hatred in my heart.” Li Qiming turned his head and shouted to Sun Tieshan, “Second Brother, get him!”

Tang Chun had already seen that these people were scammers, seeing them fleeing in a hurry, leaving a child crying there.

He quickly shouted: “You don’t want your prodigy anymore?” Then he shook his head and sighed: “It’s not easy to be a scammer these days, it’s quite hard on the children.”

Immediately afterwards, Tang Chun changed his mind, that’s not right, the scammers haven’t paid for their meal yet.

“Damn it, eating without paying, I’ll kill you two.” Saying that, he also rushed out in one step.