After the man got drunk, the shopkeeper smiled weirdly, but his wife and sister didn't let the man sleep in bed late at night
In the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty, the Meiling Post Road ran through the north and south, the merchants were like weaving, the goods were like rain, and the land was not cold in winter. Twenty miles to the north, there is a small village called Linxi Village, which is not large, with only thirteen families in total.
Most of the villagers are farmers in the loess land, and their lives are not rich.
Han Pingchang, the head of the village, took a fancy to Min Zhongcheng's character, so he married his daughter to him. After Han Pingchang's death, he recommended his son-in-law Min Zhong to succeed him as the village chief of Linxi Village.
Min Zhong is honest and honest, and understands that his prestige is limited. After serving as the village chief, he has always been diligent, whenever someone in the village is in trouble, he always lends a helping hand and does his best to help others, whether it is money or effort.
The farmers did not deceive each other, and gradually, Min Zhong's prestige in the village increased, and the people who had once been jealous of him gradually became convinced.
The years pass in a hurry, and time flies. Min Zhong also entered the age of half a hundred, and the first half of his life was smooth, but he began to feel troubled in his later years.
The culprit who made him feel "annoyed" was his son Min Zhongquan.
Min Zhongquan inherited his mother's handsome appearance and his father's burly figure, and was born with great strength. He had a simple personality and was a warm-hearted young man.
Boys were always naughty when they were young, and Min Zhongquan was no exception, and he was once reprimanded a lot. As he grew older, his personality became more steady.
Theoretically, parents should be happy to have such a child in the family.
However, the problem was that Min Zhong hoped that his son would "inherit his father's business" and take over as the village chief of Linxi Village, but Min Zhongquan refused. One night, Min Zhongquan secretly left the house and has not been heard from since.
Village elders are in charge of household registration, management of farmland, supervision of laws and regulations, and supervision of the fulfillment of obligations. "The family of a person who is the head of the village is exempt from servitude. Although he is only a low-level official, it is a coveted position in the barren Linxi Village.
However, in Min Zhongquan's view, this fragrant bait in the eyes of others is a poison that he can't avoid.
The reason is that Min Zhongquan is unwilling to be like his father, who is confined to a small mountain village all his life and lives the life of a frog at the bottom of a well. He longed to get out of the village and get outside.
Linxi Village is about 20 miles away from Meiling Post Road, which takes three hours to walk. The post road is a trade route, and theoretically, the villagers of Linxi Village can bring the agricultural products they grow to the trade route to exchange some money, so that life will not be barren.
However, the problem is that there is a large rushing river ten miles from Meiling Post Road in Linxi Village, which blocks the villagers' access to the outside world.
It's an enclave, low-lying, and bridges are always destroyed when floods hit. At present, there are only a few piers left on the river, and a few wooden planks are randomly placed on them, and the villagers can only risk wading through the water, so it is impossible to transport large quantities of grain from the village to sell, and life is becoming more and more barren day by day.
And Min Zhongquan secretly left to look for a job on the post road, because he had no recommender and his identity was unknown, the merchants did not dare to hire him, and life became more difficult.
After not eating for several days, hunger and exhaustion caused Min Zhongquan to finally pass out in front of Qin Kee's carpenter's shop.
The owner of this carpenter shop, surnamed Qin, is a skilled carpenter. He has a loyal temperament, and when he saw Min Zhongquan fainting, he immediately asked his apprentice to carry him into the house and invited Lang Zhong to be his **.
Carpenter Qin had already noticed Min Zhongquan. In these days, he saw Min Zhongquan sleeping on the streets, looking haggard, in shabby clothes, and would rather endure hunger than beggar, which made Qin Carpenter look up to him.
After Min Zhongquan woke up, he was full of gratitude to Carpenter Qin and said, "You saved my life, and I will definitely repay you in the future." ”
Carpenter Qin asked curiously, "Oh, are you planning to leave here?"”
Min Zhongquan sighed, "Actually, I left home secretly and haven't been back for a long time. I'm worried about my parents' health, so I want to go back and have a look. ”
Carpenter Qin was very moved after hearing this, and thought to himself: "This young man is so filial, he must be a kind person." ”
So, he decided to accept Min Zhongquan as an apprentice and let him stay in the shop to work. Min Zhongquan was overjoyed and immediately kowtowed to his teacher.
After waiting for Min Zhongquan**, he asked Qin Carpenter for leave and went home to visit his parents.
Min Zhong was very happy to see his son come back, and he was distressed to see his son become dark and thin. When he learned what happened to his son these days, he said, "Why do you have to suffer so much?"”
* Tell me that you have to endure hardships in order to become a master, and that you should work hard when you are young so that you can not leave regrets when you are old. ”
Min Zhong was very surprised when he saw his son say this, and secretly sighed in his heart: "The child has grown up and has his own ideas. ”
Therefore, Min Zhong did not object to his son's decision, but only told him to pay attention to safety outside.
A few years have passed, and Min Zhongquan has been apprenticed to Qin Kee Carpenter Shop for three years. During this time, he learned various crafts from Qin carpenters, and worked hard every day. In his spare time, he is not greedy for pleasure, but concentrates on the study of carpentry.
Diligence can make up for clumsiness, and Min Zhongquan's carpentry skills are becoming more and more mature, winning the praise of Qin carpenters.
After Min Zhongquan left the school, he chose to stay and work in the Qin Kee carpenter shop. On the one hand, it was to repay Carpenter Qin for saving his life, and on the other hand, because Carpenter Qin was old, Min Zhongquan wanted to stay and take care of him.
It was rumored that Carpenter Qin was not a local. In the early years, when he and his wife and children passed through Meiling Post Road, they chose a cheap inn in order to save money. However, fate turned against them, and overnight, a fire broke out in the inn, and his wife and children were unfortunately killed.
The place where his wife and children are located is the hometown of Qin carpenter. In order to start his life again, Carpenter Qin bought the inn and converted it into a carpenter's shop. Since then, he has lived alone and never married again.
There is a good saying: "When a husband and wife get along for a long time, their faces will be similar." In the past few years, Min Zhongquan has been by Carpenter Qin's side, and the appearance and temperament of the two have gradually become similar. When walking outside, it is common for people to mistake them for paternity.
Whenever someone made such a mistake, a sour feeling welled up in Carpenter Qin's heart. If his own son was still alive, he would be Min Zhongquan's age now.
Although Qin Carpenter had advised Min Zhongquan to leave Meiling to pursue a broader future with his superb skills. However, Min Zhongquan resolutely refused: "My parents are still not far away, I am a teacher for one day and a father for life, I don't want to leave such a teacher." Min Zhongquan said.
Although Carpenter Qin laughed and scolded for a while, his eyes were full of doting. He has long regarded Min Zhongquan as his own son.
After a summer solstice, the weather becomes unusually hot. In order to prevent the Qin carpenter from going out to work in the heat stroke, Min Zhongquan personally went out to work alone.
One day, the soldiers of Meiguan approached Min Zhongquan and asked him to build four deer barbs in Meiguan. So, Min Zhongquan followed the soldiers with tools and walked more than ten miles to Meiguan.
Deer, also known as rejecting horses, were usually placed at city gates or roads** to stop the enemy's advance and were used for defensive purposes.
By the end of the evening, the four deer bars were finished, and the soldiers were very satisfied with the inspection, so they paid the wages on the spot. After some greetings, the soldier saw that it was getting late, so he asked Min Zhongquan to take a lantern to use on the road.
After thanking him, Min Zhongquan walked home on the mountain trail under the bright moonlight. After walking for a while, he heard a woman's cry in front of him, which really startled him in the barren mountains and mountains.
Under the candlelight, he looked closely and found a woman in a green shirt crouching on the side of the road with her knees crossed and crying bitterly. Min Zhongquan, who has always been enthusiastic about helping others, strode forward, stopped ten steps away from the woman, and asked in a loud voice, "Girl, who are you?"Why are you crying in these barren mountains?The woman was still focused on crying, unaware of anyone approaching, until Min Zhongquan's voice rang out, and she looked up in horror.
This woman is about ten years old, with fair skin, beautiful appearance, and a pair of big eyes that are very charming. She was alone at this time, and in the face of this strange black-faced man, her cry was even more mournful.
Throughout the summer, Min Zhongquan worked outdoors, and the originally fair-skinned ** gradually tanned in the hot sun, and it looked even deeper under the reflection of the candle flame.
Miss, don't be afraid, I'm a guy from Qin Kee's carpenter's shop, and I can help if I have any difficulties. Min Zhongquan said softly.
The woman looked at him suspiciously, Min Zhongquan understood, put down the tools in his hand, and took out an ink fountain from his bag, and the woman believed in his identity.
The woman wiped away her tears and said gently: "Disturbing the purity of the eldest brother, my surname is Zhang, and my name is Xiuniang." He and his uncle passed by Meiling Post Road and stayed at Yuelai Inn. Seeing the beautiful scenery nearby, I sneaked out to enjoy it, but got lost. Can you send me back?”
After the woman finished speaking, there was a hint of timidity in her eyes, Min Zhongquan smiled, but she didn't expect the woman in front of her to run away from home like him.
Yuan Niang saw him laughing in a daze, and asked with some confusion: "Big brother, what are you laughing at?"”
Oh, sorry, haven't introduced yourself yet. My name is Min Zhongquan, and I just heard Mrs. Zhang say that she sneaked out in order to go green, and suddenly remembered that I had a similar experience three years ago. So, Min Zhongquan confessed his experience of leaving home.
The two talked about it, so that Yuan Niang gradually eliminated the hostility towards him. Min Zhongquan said: "I am also about to return to the post road. ”
In this way, the two young people walked on the mountain path, and through chatting, Min Zhongquan learned that Xiuniang's life experience was quite unfortunate.
Xiuniang told him that her father was a Xiucai, and he studied hard and eventually ran out of life. Shortly after my sister was born, my father died. The grandfather felt that the Wang mother and daughter were ominous, so he sent them back to their parents' home.
After the death of his grandfather, his uncle took over the housework, and he was generous, considering that the eldest brother's wife and daughter were still wandering, he personally went to pick up their mother and daughter and returned to Nankang.
Because the Wang family has not returned to Nankang for more than ten years, it is inconvenient to go back suddenly, so she asked her eldest daughter Xiuniang to go first, help buy the daily necessities of the old house, and then take her youngest daughter back to Nankang after everything is settled.
Along the way, the two communicated a lot, and unconsciously became closer. Xiuniang looked at the tall and eloquent man beside her, and a good feeling gradually rose in her heart.
Two hours passed, and they came to the Yuelai Inn. At this time, it was late at night, because of Yuan Niang's mysterious disappearance, the inn was still lit, and Uncle Zhang was anxiously sitting in the lobby waiting for his niece.
Uncle Zhang was overjoyed to see his niece return safely, but then he straightened his face and said, "Do you still know that she is back?"Xiuniang knew that although her uncle spoke harshly, he was kind-hearted.
Uncle, I know that I was wrong, and I will never make such a mistake again next time. "Xiuniang choked up and said.
Uncle Zhang thought of his late eldest brother, couldn't bear to look at his niece in tears, and said softly: "Okay, if you know your mistakes, you can change them." ”
Xiuniang introduced Uncle Zhang to Min Zhongquan, who had rescued her, "If I hadn't met Brother Min on the mountain road, I might have become the prey of jackals." ”
After hearing this, Uncle Zhang expressed his gratitude to Min Zhongquan, and then took out ten taels of silver as a thank you gift, but Min Zhongquan politely refused.
Master Zhang, I saved Mrs. Zhang just by raising my hands, I really can't accept this thank you gift. If it's getting late today, you might as well rest early. With that, he clenched his fists and turned to leave.
At this moment, Xiuniang stopped Min Zhongquan, she blushed and handed him a handkerchief, and then ran into the inn quickly.
After returning home, Min Zhongquan couldn't sleep for a long time with a handkerchief. The next day, when he went to the inn again, the shopkeeper told him that his uncle and niece had left early in the morning.
After hearing these words, Min Zhongquan felt a sense of loss in his heart, and he returned to the carpenter shop in despair, and Carpenter Qin noticed the abnormality of his apprentice, so he asked him what happened.
Min Zhongquan only said that he was not feeling well, and he would just go back to his room to rest. When it was time for dinner, everyone couldn't find him, so the little brother went to the room and called him to eat.
As a result, it was found that Min Zhongquan was unconscious in bed, and Qin Carpenter hurriedly found Lang Zhong, and after Lang Zhong diagnosed, he suddenly said: "Has he ever been to Yuelai Inn?" ”
It turned out that one of the guests at the Yuelai Inn had malaria, and all the guests who stayed at the hotel showed symptoms of coma.
Lang Zhong took timely measures, and only two or three guests died. Afterwards, Min Zhongquan began to worry about Zhang Xiuniang's safety, "I don't know if she also has malaria!."”
After this incident, Min Zhongquan and the shopkeeper of the Yuelai Inn, Chen, got acquainted, the shopkeeper Chen's surname was Chen, and he opened an inn here a year ago, and the business was quite prosperous.
Shopkeeper Chen hit Min Zhongquan at first sight, and often asked him to repair the doors and windows of the inn.
One day, the shopkeeper Chen came to the carpenter shop with a smile on his face and asked Min Zhongquan to repair the stable, and the two agreed on the wage, and the construction began the next day.
There used to be a stable in the backyard of the inn, but due to disrepair, it was dripping from the outside rain and dripping inside, so it was not safe for the guests' horses to be placed here. Therefore, the shopkeeper Chen asked Min Zhongquan to repair the stable.
Shopkeeper Chen usually went to the backyard to chat with him when he had nothing to do. When it came to the meal, the shopkeeper Chen warmly welcomed him and asked the back kitchen to prepare sumptuous wine and dishes, which made Min Zhongquan feel a little flattered.
A few days passed, and the donkey shed was finally repaired. Shopkeeper Chen closed early, called the guy and Min Zhongquan, and the three of them had dinner together in the guest room.
During the banquet, the three of them pushed the cup and changed the lamp, and chatted very happily. Min Zhongquan was a little drunk, he said: "Shopkeeper Chen, thank you for your hospitality, let's stop here today, I'm already a little drunk, I have to go back to rest." ”
Oh, Brother Min, we're chatting happily, how can we leave all of a sudden?We're all drunk, so let's sleep here. Shopkeeper Chen said with a smile.
The guy also chimed in: "Yes, the stable has just been built today, so it should be a small holiday." ”
Min Zhongquan thought to himself: "They have a point, the horse shed that has just been completed really should have a good rest." ”
So, he dismissed the idea of going home and continued to drink with his two friends, and after a while, Min Zhongquan suddenly felt that everything had become dim, and finally collapsed on the table.
Before losing consciousness, Min Zhongquan saw Shopkeeper Chen show a strange smile, and thought to himself: "This Shopkeeper Chen must be laughing at my lack of alcohol." ”
I don't know how long it took, Min Zhongquan was awakened by the voice of a female voice, which was both familiar and unfamiliar.
Brother Min, wake up!”
Min Zhongquan opened his eyes with great difficulty, and was immediately surprised, it turned out that he was on a mountain path.
Am I dreaming?Min Zhongquan said suspiciously.
At this moment, a woman in green clothes suddenly appeared behind him.
Brother Min, hurry up, you can't sleep on the bed in this place. ”
Min Zhongquan turned around and was surprised to find that the woman who spoke was actually Zhang Xiuniang.
He hurriedly walked over, but the strange thing was that with every step, Zhang Xiuniang took a step back.
Mrs. Zhang, what the hell happened?Min Zhongquan shouted, only to see Xiuniang with tears in her eyes and shook her head gently.
Suddenly, there was a deafening thunder in the sky, which instantly smashed Xiuniang into powder.
Nope!Min Zhongquan woke up in shock and found that he was still in a dream.
When Min Zhongquan woke up, he found himself lying on the bed, and the shopkeeper Chen and his companions were no longer in the house. He rubbed his face, the dream was so real that his drunken spirit was swept away.
Why did Mrs. Zhang appear in my dream?She said that this bed can't sleep, so what's the point?Min Zhongquan was suspicious, stood up, carefully examined the appearance of the bed, and immediately noticed some clues.
Oops, this turned out to be a fire kang!The bed in this room is not the usual wooden bed in the south, but more like the fire kang in the north, but the height is not so high.
He lifted the futon and found a bed board on the kang with knife marks and brown stains left in the cracks of the bed.
He touched it with his finger, put it to his nose and sniffed it, and immediately smelled a fishy smell.
At this time, he recalled Yuan Niang's reminder in his dream, and couldn't help but feel uneasy. He thought to himself, "Is this Yuelai Inn a black shop?"They replaced wooden beds with ondols, probably for easier cleaning.
Min Zhongquan wanted to jump out of the window and escape, but he was worried that he had misunderstood the shopkeeper Chen. After some thought, he decided to open the cabinet and hide inside.
In the middle of the night, the door creaked open, and two dark shadows quietly walked in.
One of them whispered, "Hurry up, don't leave a mark like last time." ”
The companion smiled slightly: "Don't worry, I have been prepared." He took a sharp weapon from his bosom, walked straight to the bed, and stabbed him several times in the futon.
Strange, what's going on?The man noticed the clue and hurriedly lifted the bedding, only to find that the bed was empty.
Another person also came over to check: "We have been guarding the door, there is no way he can escape!".The two searched around and found a cabinet in the room that could hold one person.
The two looked at each other and slowly walked towards the cabinet. At the critical moment, the door of the cabinet suddenly pushed open, and Min Zhongquan took the opportunity to hit one of the men in black.
During his studies, Carpenter Qin once taught Min Zhongquan some boxing techniques, and he usually practiced so that he did not lose in the face of two or three people.
In the black-lit room, one person was hit by Min Zhongquan's fist, but these two black-clothed men were seasoned Jianghu people, and they tacitly cooperated to respond quickly. As time went on, the three of them fell into a stalemate, but two punches were hard to beat four hands, and Min Zhongquan had some wounds cut out of his body by sharp weapons.
Min Zhongquan knew that it would not be wise to fight any further. He waited for the opportunity, took the opportunity to break through the window, and landed nimbly, while the man in black leaned on the window and watched.
Under the illumination of the moonlight, Min Zhongquan clearly saw the appearance of the black shadow, which surprised him, it turned out that these two black shadows turned out to be the shopkeeper Chen and his buddy!
In order to hunt down Min Zhongquan, the two chased them out of the inn one after another. Seeing this, Min Zhongquan fled in a hurry, desperate.
At this moment, a bright light suddenly came from in the distance. Min Zhongquan immediately ran in the direction of the light, only to see a team of street patrol officers armed with sticks patrolling.
During this time, many caravans reported the mysterious disappearance of their companions. Therefore, the prefectural order arranged for night patrols.
Min Zhongquan described in detail what had happened at the Yuelai Inn to the officials. After hearing this, the official immediately reported to the county government and rushed to the Yuelai Inn with Min Zhongquan.
It's a pity that they came too late, and Shopkeeper Chen had already seen the arrival of Min Zhongquan and the officials from a distance, and knew that the matter had been exposed. He could only flee in a hurry with his men, and he didn't even have time to get the treasure back to the inn.
Soon, the county magistrate rushed to the Yuelai Inn in a sedan chair, and Min Zhongquan stated the matter to the county magistrate in detail.
At this moment, the official walked to the county magistrate with a mother and daughter.
When checking whether there were any accomplices of Chen's shopkeeper in the inn, the official found the mother and daughter who were roped ** in the firewood room. After a detailed inquiry, the county magistrate learned that the mother and daughter were guests staying at the Yuelai Inn a few days ago.
The mother's name is Wang, and the daughter's name is Zhang Cuiniang. It turned out that in order to plot Cui Niang's beauty, the shopkeeper Chen did tricks and feet in their meals, and when they woke up, they were trapped in the firewood room.
Seeing Cui Niang crying sadly, Min Zhongquan felt pity and took out a handkerchief from his arms and handed it to her to wipe away her tears. After the woman thanked her, she suddenly saw the handkerchief and exclaimed, "How can you have my sister's handkerchief?"”
So, Min Zhongquan told her about meeting Zhang Xiuniang on the mountain trail.
Is Mrs. Zhang okay?Min Zhongquan asked with concern.
Wang sighed and said with tears streaming down his face: "Xiuniang passed away half a year ago, and we are going to Nankang to deal with her funeral." ”
Hearing the news, Min Zhongquan staggered a few steps and almost lost his footing.
It turned out that Xiuniang contracted malaria when she left Meiling Post Road. On the way, without the help of a doctor, he unfortunately died not long after returning to Ganxian County.
The news was blocked, and half a year later, Wang finally learned what happened in Nankang. She decided to take her young daughter Cui Niang with her, but accidentally fell into a black shop on the way.
When the county magistrate learned of the situation of Wang's mother and daughter, he advised them to stay here temporarily and wait for the case to be resolved before leaving. In order to ensure their safety, Min Zhongquan decided to place Wang's mother and daughter in the Qin Kee carpenter's shop.
Two days later, a servant told Min Zhongquan that the shopkeeper Chen had **. The interrogation revealed that the merchants who disappeared during this period were all committed by the shopkeeper Chen.
In order to cover up the truth of the matter, Shopkeeper Chen wanted to find a scapegoat, so he set his sights on Min Zhongquan.
He consulted a plan with his men. He got drunk and attacked Min Zhongquan, then disguised himself as he tried to plot the merchant's property and then committed suicide in fear of crime, and finally went to the county government to denounce it in order to cover up the truth about the merchant's disappearance.
However, the matter was revealed by Min Zhongquan. After everyone learned the truth, they were amazed by Min Zhongquan's vigilance. If he hadn't exposed it, Chen's conspiracy might have succeeded, and I don't know how many more people would have suffered.
Afterwards, Wang found Min Zhongquan and said to him: "Zhongquan, I have been observing you and found that you are a trustworthy person. I'm willing to marry Cui Niang to you, are you willing?”
Min Zhongquan was a little embarrassed and said, "I'm a simple person, how can I be worthy of Cui Niang?"”
Wang smiled and said: "You are helpful, responsible, and skilled in carpentry, I can rest assured that Cui Niang will marry you." ”
But will Cui Niang agree?Min Zhongquan asked.
You have great wealth in you, which is your character. I'm sure Cui Niang will understand. ”
Marriage has always been the fate of parents, and Cui Niang is also satisfied with Min Zhongquan.
So, she readily agreed to the marriage. Carpenter Qin immediately sent someone to pick up Min Zhongquan's family, and the two families agreed on the date of marriage.
A few days later, Min Zhongquan accompanied Wang's mother and daughter to Nankang to deal with Xiuniang's funeral. On the way, Cui Niang asked curiously, "Brother Min, how did you find out that Shopkeeper Chen had a problem?"”
Min Zhongquan casually looked behind him and casually said that he had a dream. As for the content of the dream, he said it vaguely and did not elaborate.
A few months later, Min Zhongquan and Cui Niang tied the knot and welcomed a baby daughter.
Cui Niang hugged the baby and said with teary eyes: "Husband, this child looks too much like my sister." ”
Min Zhongquan comforted his wife for a few words, and then proposed: "We can be together, thanks to the help of the eldest sister, let's name this child Min Siyuan." ”
Since then, the family of three has started a happy life, and about the dream of the inn, he decided to bury it deep in his heart and never mentioned it to Cui Niang. That handkerchief, he has always treasured by his side.
There is an unspeakable secret hidden in everyone's heart. ”
Xiaoshu said: "Min Zhongquan exposed the hacker stack and finally got a happy family, isn't everyone a little envious?"”
However, in fact, people only see the surface!Min Zhongquan sensed that something was wrong, and although he had a chance to escape, he chose to stay and look for evidence. On the one hand, it is to avoid misunderstanding the shopkeeper Chen, and on the other hand, it is to ensure that this is really a black shop. On closer inspection, his courage and resourcefulness can be described as impressive.
As a mother, how could Wang easily marry Cui Niang to Min Zhongquan?This defies common sense.
At least in my eyes, Min Zhongquan has too many qualities to praise.
In order to repay Carpenter Qin for saving his life, he gave up a better future and chose to stay in the carpenter's shop. This act of reciprocating kindness reflects his noble character.
After saving Xiuniang in the middle of the night, Uncle Zhang wanted to give a thank you gift, but he humbly said that he was ashamed of it, showing his generosity without wanting to reciprocate.
Min Zhongquan is a skilled carpenter with a craft. This has enabled him to succeed in his career and made his wife and children feel safe.
I believe that good deeds will be rewarded, which is why Min Zhongquan was able to marry Cui Niang as his wife.
Someone asked, is Xiuniang's dream real?Actually, the answer doesn't matter. It is important for us to understand that at all times, a person's character is the most valuable asset.