During the apocalypse of the Ming Dynasty, there was a basket craftsman in Xiazhuang Village, Xiuning County, Huizhou Prefecture, named Ma Erbao, who traveled in the surrounding counties and towns all the year round because of his superb basket weaving skills. One night, he stayed at a roadside inn, but he smelled a smell of mud in the corridor of the inn, and he hid under the bed, and escaped.
The westernmost part of Xiazhuang Village is Ma Erbao's home, because his parents died when he was a child, the old craftsman in the village saw his pity, so he took him with him and taught him the craft of basket weaving.
This Ma Erbao is also smart, in just a few years, he learned all the skills of the old craftsman, and innovated on this basis, and became a well-known basket weaving master for a while, and the limelight completely overshadowed the old craftsman.
Since Ma Erbao became famous, the work of basket weaving has also increased, so he needs to often travel to the surrounding counties and towns.
On this day, the Tang Yuan of Qimen County sent someone to invite, saying that the baskets used by the tenants at home were damaged for a long time, and they needed to be replaced with 100 new baskets.
Seeing this, Ma Erbao immediately agreed, and after packing up the tools needed to weave the basket, he set off with the people of the Tang Mansion and rushed to Qimen County.
At the intersection of Xiuning County and Qimen County, there is an inn called "Wangkelai", the boss is a middle-aged fat man, so it runs through the north and south, and it is the only way for merchants to come and go.
In the evening of the same day, Ma Erbao traveled here, and when he saw that it was getting late, he settled here, just to rest for one night, and continue to rush to Qimen County early tomorrow morning.
Seeing that a guest was coming, the innkeeper greeted him with a fat body. Because he often lives here, Ma Erbao and the boss have gradually become familiar with each other.
The Erbao brothers haven't seen each other for a long time, are you rushing to the ** basket? The boss quipped.
Ma Erbao smiled, and then pointed to the family of the Tang Mansion next to him and said, "Do you see this brother next to me?" It is this family member of the Tang family in Qimen County who invited me to go to the house to weave a hundred and ten baskets, and I will definitely make a small profit! After saying that, he asked the boss to open two rooms.
After putting the tools on his body, Ma Erbao came out of the guest room, asked the boss to cut a few catties of mutton, and sat down with the family to eat.
The boss saw that there was no one else in the store at this time, so he sat on Ma Erbao's table with a jar of good wine, and then beckoned Xiao Er to fry two side dishes, and then said slowly: "It's rare to have a quiet store today, how about I have a drink with the two of you?" ”
When Ma Erbao heard that there was still free wine to drink, he naturally did not refuse, and the three of them poured a bowl and drank it bitterly. After three rounds of drinking, the fat boss was the first to get drunk and fell on the table.
Ma Erbao saw the boss fall on the table, glanced at the housekeeper, then laughed, drank the wine in the bowl, and staggered back to the room.
After the two left, the boss, who was still lying on the wine table just now, slowly propped himself up, and then tilted his head to look in the direction where the two left, with an intriguing smile on the corner of his mouth.
Ma Erbao went upstairs with his family and went back to his room, because he drank a little too much, he fell asleep on the bed, and it was not until the next day that the rooster crowed, and Ma Erbao woke up.
He packed up the tools, got up and came to the room next door, pushed open the door, and saw that the room was empty, and the quilt on the bed was neatly folded.
When I went downstairs, the boss happened to be settling accounts in front of the counter, and Ma Erbao paid yesterday's room money and meal money, and then asked: "Boss, do you know that the family in the Tang Yuanwai Mansion with me yesterday went to **?" Why did you wake up this morning and see no one else? ”
The boss listened to Ma Erbao's question, and then his eyes flashed, and he said: "Oh, you said that brother, he left early this morning, he asked me to tell you that there was something at home, and he left early, and he was going to take you to Tang Yuanwai's mansion and then go home, but things at home are urgent, so I can only ask you to go by yourself." ”
When Ma Erbao heard this, he nodded slightly, and then said goodbye to the boss: "When I return after making the basket, I will have another drink with the boss!" With that, he turned around and walked out.
After Ma Erbao walked away, the boss continued to pick up a package from under the counter, and then found a few taels of silver from it, and muttered: "I didn't expect it to be a poor ghost!" With that, he casually threw the package aside.
Ma Erbao walked to the northwest for half a day after going out from the inn, and then arrived at the Tang Yuanwai Mansion, and after a simple communication with the Tang Yuanwai, he began the work of basket weaving, and he did not rest for more than ten days.
Finally, in Ma Erbao's overtime work day and night, more than 100 baskets were woven, and after being handed over to Tang Yuan for inspection, he settled his salary and prepared to go back. Before leaving, Ma Erbao arched his hand to Tang Yuanwai and said: "Thank you for your trust, the kid will say goodbye, and after the family who picked me up that day came back, he also bothered the staff to help me thank him." ”
Hearing Ma Erbao say this, Tang Yuanwai remembered, and then said: "I was about to ask you, I sent him to invite you that day, but I didn't see him come back, I don't know what happened on the way?" ”
The innkeeper said that he told me that he had something at home and had gone home, but didn't he know about it? Ma Erbao wondered.
Go home? His parents died when he was a child, and he was in my house at the age of seven. Didn't you run away with me? Tang Yuanwai said.
Hearing Tang Yuanwai say this, Ma Erbao looked up at him, and when he saw the anxious look on his face, he knew that the other party was not lying, I am afraid that this Ding Ding fled without permission.
Seeing that the other party was such a villain, Ma Erbao didn't have a good impression of him in his heart, so he immediately put on his back the tools, said goodbye to Tang Yuanwai again, and walked out of the door.
At this time, it is already late afternoon, and if I don't hurry up, I am afraid that I will have to sleep on the streets today. Simply, before dark, Ma Erbao successfully rushed to the "Wangkelai" inn, at this time the boss was not in front of the cabinet, Ma Erbao asked Xiao Er to open a room, and then put the tools in the room.
When he was about to go downstairs, he heard the sound of hoeing outside the window, Ma Erbao quietly came to the bed, opened the window a small slit, and saw through the gap that someone was digging something in the stable behind the inn? When you look closely, it's the innkeeper.
Boss, what are you digging up in the back so late? Ma Erbao shouted at the boss in the stable.
When the boss heard someone shouting to himself, he was immediately frightened, looked up, and found that it was Ma Erbao, so he said: "It turned out to be Brother Erbao, you scared me, why did you come back in less than a month?" ”
When Ma Erbao heard this, he said slightly apologetically: "I scared the boss, so I'm not here to accompany you!" Come, today I invite you to drink, and we will talk while drinking. With that, he walked downstairs.
When the boss saw Ma Erbao go down, he looked down at the dirt under his feet, and then pulled it a few times with a hoe, and then spread a layer of hay on it to cover it up.
After Ma Erbao went downstairs, he dropped three or five side dishes, and then asked for a jar of good wine, and as soon as he sat down, the boss walked out of the back stable.
The boss is so late, what is he pulling in the stable? Is there some invisible treasure hidden under the ground? Ma Erbao quipped.
Hearing this, the boss frowned, glanced at Ma Erbao, and then said with a smile: "What treasure can I have, but a few days ago, a big hole was washed out of the stable, and I will fill it up so as not to break other people's feet." ”
Brother Erbao should have earned a lot this time, right? The innkeeper glanced at Ma Erbao and said.
Haha......It's a little earned, compared to the boss, it's not a little bit worse! Come on, let's not talk about this, let's drink. After saying that, they poured a bowl of wine and drank it.
Halfway through the drink, an old man in tattered clothes came to the shop, covered in dirt and emitting a foul smell.
Seeing this, the innkeeper only regarded him as a beggar asking for food, so he asked Xiao Er to take two cold steamed buns with a disgusted face, and was about to send them out.
I saw that the old man said angrily: "It's better to look down on people!" Is the old man short of money? With that, he fumbled in his pocket for a long time, took out a copper plate and threw it on the table.
Seeing this, the boss no longer had a good temper, and shouted: "Give me a fork!" Immediately, two men stepped forward and dragged him out, one left and one right.
Wait, let him sit with me, I'll add another pair of dishes and chopsticks to him" Ma Erbao saw that the old man was really pitiful, so he hurriedly stopped him.
If Brother Erbao wants to sit with this person, then I will not accompany him," the innkeeper said with a straight face.
Ma Erbao saw the boss's face like this, but he didn't think so, and then replied: "Boss, please take care of yourself!" ”
When the boss heard this, he immediately stood up, snorted coldly, and after glancing at Ma Erbao and the bad old man, he left.
After the boss left, Ma Erbao immediately asked Xiao Er to add another pair of dishes and chopsticks, and then cut two catties of mutton, and let the old man sit down and eat.
When the old man saw Ma Erbao like this, he was not polite, he took a big sip of the wine jar, and then grabbed a few pieces of mutton and stuffed them into his mouth, until he burped, and then stopped.
Grandpa, are you full? When you're full, hurry back while the moonlight is shining, and I'm ready to go upstairs to rest. Ma Erbao said.
After hearing this, the old man picked his teeth with his hand, and then ejected a piece of minced meat, and then whispered in Ma Erbao's ear: "Little brother, I think you are a good person, I can't bear to be victimized, remember not to fall asleep when you go to bed tonight, there is something wrong with this inn!" ”
After hearing this, Ma Erbao looked puzzled, and then said: "I have stayed here many times, but I haven't found anything wrong, I don't know what Ah Gong said?" ”
When the old man heard this, he said, "If you believe me, do as I say, but if you don't believe me, I am afraid you will not see the sun of tomorrow!" After saying that, he laughed and walked out.
Seeing that he was so crazy, Ma Erbao didn't take his words to heart, and after going upstairs to wash up, he fell asleep directly.
At night, because he drank a little too much wine, his mouth was very thirsty, so he got up and prepared to pour some water to drink, but when he came to the table, he saw a black shadow flashing outside the door, Ma Erbao was shocked, and immediately opened the door, but there was no movement outside the door.
He rubbed his eyes, just as he was dazzled, just as he was about to close the door, a faint muddy smell wafted into his nostrils, Ma Erbao sniffed it carefully, it was indeed coming from the corridor, so that someone did walk through here just now.
Ma Erbao gently closed the door, remembering what the old man said, suddenly, he was shocked, and his body couldn't help but tremble, he immediately rushed to the bed, put the pillow in the middle of the bed, and then covered it with a quilt, pretending to sleep on the bed, while he held the carving knife in the toolkit in his hand, and then secretly hid under the bed.
After a while, there was movement outside the room, a sharp knife came in from the outside, and slowly opened the wooden bolt, and then the door was gently pushed open, and a man dressed in black walked in cautiously.
When he was only three steps away from the bed, the man in black suddenly burst out, rushed directly to the bed, and kept stabbing down with the sharp knife in his hand, and after stabbing more than a dozen times, he only heard the man in black scream: "Not good!" Fooled! "Then I have to run out.
Seeing this, Ma Erbao was willing to let him escape, and immediately crawled out from under the bed, and threw the other party to the ground, and then the two sides scuffled together! After a few rounds, the opponent's physical strength gradually ran out, Ma Erbao seized the opportunity, buckled it, and tied it up by tearing off the clothes on his body.
After confirming that the other party could not escape, Ma Erbao lit the candles in the house, then walked up to the man in black and said, "Boss, don't come unharmed!" With that, he ripped off the black cloth from his face.
Seeing that he had already been recognized, the boss looked at Ma Erbao with a panicked face and asked, "How do you know that it is mine?" ”
Hum! If you don't want people to know, you can't do it yourself! Ever since the last time you disappeared, to the day you dug at night, to what the dirty old man said to me at night, I doubt you! But at this time I am not sure, just now, I got up to drink water, but I saw a black shadow flashing, but when I opened the door and saw no one, I thought I was dazzled by the mistake, but when I closed the door, I smelled a smell of mud, and the only person who has ever touched the dirt is you! Presumably, the corpses should be buried in the stables! Ma Erbao said.
The boss saw that Ma Erbao had told everything about it, and he no longer defended, and then said to Ma Erbao: "If you think it's safe to catch me, then you're very wrong" After that, he yelled in his mouth, and waited for someone to rush in, but after waiting for a long time, no one came in.
Are you calling them? Outside the door, a voice suddenly sounded, and four people who were tied up by five flowers were thrown in, and they were followed by the bad old man who was drinking with Ma Erbao at night.
When the boss saw the four people who were thrown in, his face suddenly turned like ashes, and he lost his arrogant and confident attitude before.
Grandpa, how did you know that this boss was a murderer, and how did you know that he was going to kill me today? Ma Erbao asked suspiciously.
When the old man heard this, he said, "A few days ago, I slept outside this inn, and saw a few merchants living in this inn, but the next day I did not see them leave, until noon, but I saw that the shopkeeper secretly took out the horses of those merchants and sold them, and then I suspected that they had made money and killed them!" I watched secretly for a few more days, and as I expected, why he did you harm tonight, it wasn't just for the money in your pocket! ”
After hearing this, Ma Erbao was furious, grabbed the boss's head and slapped him in the face a few times, and then put all of them together, just waiting for dawn to send them to the government.
Early the next morning, Ma Erbao got up and rushed to the county office, and explained the situation here.
After the innkeeper and his group were detained, they let the officers and soldiers dig the stables, and after a while, a foul smell came out of the ground, and when they were opened, they were a corpse, and then one after another, and after all the courtyards were dug up, 39 corpses were dug up, and among them were the family members of the Tang Yuan's foreign house.
In the face of ironclad evidence, the innkeeper confessed to the crime, and the reason why he did this was to covet the money of the merchants. In the end, in the face of conclusive evidence, the innkeeper and the four shopkeepers were all beheaded for public display, and the "Wangkelai" inn, after being taken over by others, once again returned to its former prosperity ......
Written at the end: As the saying goes: "Right and wrong are only between one thought", human beings are between gods and beasts, sometimes inclined to one kind, sometimes inclined to another; Some are becoming more and more sacred, some are becoming beasts, and most remain modest.
Human nature is greedy, just more or less, many people in the face of interests, can not stand the **, and finally go to the abyss of all evil, and even for some interests, unscrupulous means, even their own family and friends do not hesitate to use.
And for all these behaviors that are not recognized by law and morality, then they will eventually be punished by the law.
Here, I would also like to warn those who vainly want to get benefits for nothing and take illegal means to stop illegal and criminal acts in a timely manner, and to be a thoughtful, responsible, and responsible person, and to set an example for others, parents, and wives and children.
No one is perfect, everyone has seven emotions and six desires, and everyone will make mistakes. But we must change our mistakes and be able to control our seven emotions and six desires, instead of blindly letting our desires swell, and eventually enter the ...... of no return