coobybook Chapter 261 Meeting old friends in a foreign land
Chapter 261 Meeting old friends in a foreign land
Su Li stood in front of the carriage and barely stopped.
Turning around, I saw a scholar, seemingly in his early twenties. His hair was tied up on top of his head, with a half-worn green headband. He was wearing a coarse green gown of the same color, half-new and half-worn, washed to a pale hue. He had a delicate face and an upright figure, looking more like a scholar than a storyteller.
The outfit of the person in front of her immediately reminded Su Li of the look she had designed for someone. She smiled knowingly and said:
"What's the matter?"
The scholar bowed deeply to Su Li and said:
"Madam, you have given too much."
After saying that, he took out a piece of silver from his purse and put it into his palm, then handed it back to Su Li with the rest of his hands.
Su Li didn't answer.
"Sir, you tell an excellent story. Here's your reward."
The scholar laughed and stuffed the purse into Song Tao's hand.
"Excuse me, Madam. I only tell you this story. In the past, I could barely make a living, but recently..."
Recently, as Pei Heng's reputation has become worse and worse, fewer and fewer people listen to his stories, and sometimes he even has to endure insults from some guests.
"To be honest, ma'am, today is the last time I'll be talking to you. I'll have to find a new job tomorrow."
The storyteller bowed again, turned around, rolled up his sleeves, threw the silver in his hand, and said:
"Hey, I haven't had a good meal in a long time, so today is a good time to have a snack!"
Looking at the scholar's free and easy back, Su Li smiled.
When the city gate is on fire, the fish in the pond are affected. Unexpectedly, she and Pei Heng did not hesitate to tarnish their own reputation in order to cover up their tracks, but ended up causing the scholar to lose his job.
It was a wonderful fate.
"Ma'am, he's not greedy. He didn't even take so much silver."
Song Tao curled her lips, and together with Song Zhi, she helped Su Li carefully get into the carriage.
Aunt Lu was reluctant to get on the carriage, and stood below and said:
"Madam, it's a rare trip to the city. I want to go shopping. Please allow me."
Through the curtain, Su Li smiled.
"Go ahead, buy yourself something if you see something you like. If you're late, just call a car and come back."
"Yes!"
Aunt Lu took Xiao Cui and left in the car that Su Li had been sent off in, and turned around and blended into the bustling and lively street market.
The carriage turned a corner, Su Li gave Song Zhi a look, Song Zhi lifted the curtain and gave an order, and a guard had quietly followed Aunt Lu from a distance.
"mother."
As I walked into the bookstore, I saw Huan Ge'er poking his head out from a pile of books.
"Brother Huan, have you found what you want?"
Su Li flipped through the book as she walked.
"All right."
Huan Ge'er pointed to the thick stack of books on the counter, raised the book he was reading, and said to the shopkeeper:
"Plus this one."
"okay!"
The shopkeeper responded happily, quickly settled the bill, and personally carried the book to the carriage.
"Mom, this set is picked out for you."
Huan Ge'er took out a small stack of books from the pile and handed them over, including the one he was reading just now.
Su Li was very surprised. What kind of books could she bother her son to buy for her?
As soon as I saw the cover, a long-lost sense of familiarity came over me:
The Guide to Self-Rescue for a First-Law Daughter: The Disappearing Concubine
"This this……"
Su Li's lips trembled as she was so excited holding this set of books... Before she could speak, she heard Huan Ge'er muttering to himself:
"Although the name is a bit vulgar, and the plot and tactics are a bit crude, it's still a good reference. Mom, you have a lot of free time anyway, so you can expand your thinking."
Without bothering to read the content, Su Li first looked for the author's name.
“A rotten cucumber?!”
The screen was full of familiarity, and Su Li quickly opened the curtain and shouted:
"Go back, go back!"
The carriage turned around and headed back towards the bookstore.
In the bookstore, just as Su Li and the others left, a scholar in a green robe stepped in. When the shopkeeper saw him, he smiled and came out from behind the counter and said:
"Brother Huang, you've arrived just in time. Your entire set of books was bought by a distinguished person today. I never thought someone would actually read such vulgar books."
The scholar in green was the storyteller in the teahouse. He was also very surprised when he heard this. He walked to the corner of the bookstore in disbelief, only to see that the set of "The Self-Help Guide for Legitimate Daughters: The Disappearing Concubine" that had been thrown there and covered in dust was indeed gone, with a clear mark left on the ground.
"Hey, there are really people who know what they are talking about."
Huang Yiwen touched his forehead in self-mockery, and his beautiful, slender fingers traced down along the green hairband.
"Your set of books has been lying here for three years. If it weren't for your late mother, I would have burned them for firewood. Well, this is the money I made from selling the books. I won't take advantage of you. After deducting the consignment fee, I'll give it all to you."
The shopkeeper took out a few ingots of silver from the box and stuffed them into Huang Yiwen's pockets.
Huang Yiwen was a little excited. After taking the silver, he took out an ingot and returned it to the shopkeeper, saying:
"Boss, I'm grateful for your care over the years. I'm currently writing another book and it's almost a full volume. How about I give it to you and continue selling it?"
The shopkeeper took the money and said with a wry smile:
"Fine, write if you want. But, Brother Huang, I heard that your writing career is over. If you don't find a job, you'll starve to death."
"I know, I know."
Huang Yiwen was very excited after receiving his first payment for his work and couldn't wait to go back and continue writing his second book.
The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head.
"Scholars, I really don't understand! You can barely afford to eat, yet you're still writing books. And no one reads them!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the noble lady who had just been generous with her money came back with a group of people.
"Shopkeeper, do you know who this 'rotten cucumber' is?"
"Why?"
The shopkeeper looked nervous and subconsciously covered the cash box.
Could it be that he just bought the book and then regretted it and wanted to return it?
That won’t work!
He gave all the money to Huang Yiwen.
Seeing his alert face, Su Li hurriedly said:
"Don't be afraid, shopkeeper. I simply admire his literary talent and want to meet him. Please help me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Songzhi handed over an ingot of silver.
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up when he saw such a big ingot of silver.
"Sure, sure. A rotten cucumber. Oh, Huang Yiwen. He lives in the alley four down. Go out, turn left, walk to the end, turn left, then right. The shabbiest, oldest house you see is his."
"Thank you!"
Su Li asked for the address and left without stopping.
The shopkeeper took a bite of the big silver ingot and smiled so hard that his teeth were exposed.
"Hey, is Mr. Huang really going to be rich? He must have been noticed by a noble person!"
Su Li and his group turned left and right, and sure enough, they saw the most dilapidated and oldest house in the alley.
Through the leaky wooden door and the dilapidated low wall half a person's height, you can see a tall scholar sitting in the yard, holding a brush and writing furiously.
He looked exactly like the scholar in blue robes who had just separated from him in the teahouse.