Chapter 184, Agui’s Story (Part 2)
On the second day after Agui returned to Weichuang with a cart full of Australian goods, the news finally spread from the shallow boudoir to the deep boudoir. Sister-in-law Zou was so proud that she got a cheap blue silk skirt, so she asked Mrs. Zhao to appreciate Yi's silk skirt. Mrs. Zhao told Mr. Zhao and really complimented her.
Next, Mr. Zhao discussed with his eldest son "Fake Young Master Kun" at the lunch table. Since "Fake Young Master Kun" returned to his hometown, he has long been troubled by the lack of various Australian products in his life. So we all agreed that we should see what good things Agui has to buy. So regardless of the fact that Agui had molested his maid Wu Ma and ordered him never to step into the Zhao mansion again, he asked Sister-in-law Zou to go find Agui immediately.
In the afternoon, Agui carried a basket and brought all the remaining Australian goods to Zhao's house. To Mrs. Zhao's dismay, the leather vest she wanted to buy was no longer available. What disappointed the "fake young master Kun" was that the illiterate salesman Agui didn't sell any "Australian books and newspapers" he wanted this time, not even cigarettes. I'm afraid he will still be confused for the next few days. I can only continue to smoke pot. But what makes the children of the Zhao family happy is that in Agui's basket there are some Australian fruit candies and Nanyang dried fruits, banana chips, dried coconuts, etc. They look colorful and smell a sweet aroma. , it really makes people drool. Although Mr. Zhao has always been diligent and frugal in running the house, in order to save a few pennies on gas, he even stipulated that he was not allowed to light the lamp at night, so he had an extra early dinner and went to bed as soon as he finished eating. But seeing the pitiful looks of the children, and thinking that these snacks could be used to entertain guests during festivals, Mr. Zhao finally nodded and bought all these rare snacks.
In addition, in Agui's basket, there is another good thing that is welcomed by the whole family. Those are a few large glass bottles called cans, sealed with latte caps. For the time being, the only variety of canned food is yellow peach, but no one in the Zhao family thought it was shabby: the bright yellow peach was cut into two pieces, soaked in transparent sugar water, and placed in a crystal clear glass bottle. It feels indescribably beautiful.
In the eyes of Mr. Zhao’s real late Ming dynasty, this glass can is full of attractions similar to science fiction. They were fascinated by it for a while, but they didn’t know how to eat it: the iron lid on the glass bottle It was really tight, and Mrs. Zhao tried her best not to unscrew it.
Only the "fake young master Kun" seemed to have seen many markets during his travels in Guangdong. He immediately happily took out a bottle of canned yellow peaches, then took out a strange-shaped metal tool from his waist, and quickly Pry open a gap between the mouth of the glass bottle and the lid to allow air to enter the can bottle, making the can The air pressure in the bottle returned to equilibrium with the normal outside pressure, and then he easily opened the lid of the can and handed it to Mr. Zhao like a treasure, "...Dad, this is an Australian canned fruit. It's so sweet! Mother Wu, Go get some chopsticks and serve me some peaches!”
So, everyone in the Zhao family, who usually had a simple diet, had a rare chance to open an "Australian meat restaurant" this time and shared a can of canned yellow peaches with sugar water. Everyone was full of praises, but when Mr. Zhao asked Agui the price, he frowned. He raised his eyebrows: Compared with other cheap and high-quality Australian products, the price of this thing is really not cheap. It is much more expensive than the Australian refined salt Wu Ma bought before.
However, the "fake young master Kun" who has been muttering about "a bird in his mouth" recently insisted on buying it, and Mrs. Zhao also helped by saying that although this thing is a bit expensive, it can be used when Mr. Zhao celebrates his 50th birthday in late autumn this year. , used to replace the kind of noodle-shaped Shoudao, which makes it more impressive and decent in front of relatives and friends. Thinking that his fiftieth birthday was the only time in his life, Mr. Zhao reluctantly agreed with a pained expression.
——Although the ancients paid attention to using longevity peaches for birthday celebrations, there were no off-season fruits in ancient times. The days when peaches were on the market were only one or two months. If the birthday of the "birthday boy" did not happen to fall within that period of the year, people could only use it. Make up some handicrafts such as flour, rice noodles, etc. to make up a longevity peach.
After Mr. Zhao's family bought Australian candy bars, Nanyang dried fruits and canned yellow peaches, Sister-in-law Zou bought the last remaining mirror and two embroidered handkerchiefs that Agui had in order to save for her daughter's dowry. Agui was so happy that he sold out all the goods, dropped the empty basket and left humming a song.
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The news that Agui had returned with a load of Australian goods dominated the conversation among Weichuang residents for two days. And Agui also enjoys the feeling of being a star and having people come up to say hello wherever he goes. But on the third day after Agui came back, he was left out in the cold again.
——Because the villagers have new and more exciting things to talk about, and the trivial matters of a small upstart like Agui are naturally ignored.
At dawn that morning, a loud bugle sound came from the countryside in the distance, and then a group of short-haired soldiers, wearing wet breeches and short coats, singing strange songs, arrived at Weichuang. When the villagers saw this, they were so frightened that they thought it was an army of bandits that was about to attack Weizhuang, so they locked their doors tightly and refused to come out. Qian Xiucai's wife and Zou Qishao's daughter even smeared pot ashes on their faces. Only Mr. Zhao, as the village chief, could not avoid such changes, so he had to bite the bullet and let his "fake young master Kun" go out to contact the military masters and find out their intentions.
But the subsequent development of the situation confused the villagers. Half an hour after the "fake young master Kun" left the village entrance, he ran back with a face full of joy, without even noticing that he lost a shoe on his feet. arrive. Immediately, Zhao's house in Weichuang was in a state of uproar. The central gate was opened, the streets were swept, and pigs and fish were slaughtered and fish were prepared for wine and vegetables to be prepared for the banquet. Several maids and women also put on their clothes. He picked up the new clothes that he usually couldn't bear to wear, and ran around with a mocking smile on his face, saying that a very important guest was coming to visit, or a distant relative of the Zhao family, and it was impossible to say that the Zhao family would become prosperous this time.
The idle people in Weichuang didn't sound like there was going to be trouble, so they also walked out of their homes and gathered around the Zhao Mansion curiously to watch the fun.
At noon, the Weichuang river became noisier than ever before. More than a dozen watercraft were pulled by an Australian self-propelled boat that was spewing black smoke and docked at the river pier of Zhao Mansion. According to people watching the excitement, the boats were filled with all kinds of furniture, boxes and cages, as well as many well-dressed maids and young men, as well as a few old men in silk and satin gowns. As soon as they landed, they were carried in sedans. After arriving at the Zhao Mansion, Mr. Zhao personally stood at the river pier to welcome guests.
Speculation about the identities of these distinguished guests from the Zhao Mansion continued for another afternoon. By night, all the chattering idlers in Weichuang knew that he was a distant relative of Mr. Zhao, from a scholarly family named Xu in Suzhou Prefecture.
The head of the Xu family in Suzhou had defected to the imperial court of the Song Dynasty and was very important. However, the Suzhou Prefecture in South Zhili has recently been experiencing banditry and famine, which has made life unbearable. Therefore, the old man of the Xu family led the The whole family moved away from their hometown and prepared to move to Weichuang, Shaoxing under the rule of the new dynasty. However, due to the rush, the new residence had not yet been arranged, so the family had to stay at the house of Mr. Zhao in Weizhuang for a while: Mr. Zhao was related to the Xu family, so after the Xu family moved south, they chose to stay in Weizhuang. Let's settle down so that we can take care of each other in the future.
According to the talkative women in the Zhao family, the distant relatives of the Zhao family, the Xu family of the Su family who had recently arrived in Weichuang, were an incredible family of officials. Their ancestors could be traced back to ancient times to the Han Dynasty, and were better than those in the city. The Juren master who once went to Zhao's house to store his belongings has become nobler many times. The old man of the Xu family of this generation was a literary star. Although he was not recognized for his talents under the rule of the Ming Dynasty, once he met the "Ming Lord" of the Song Dynasty and the New Dynasty, he immediately became a prosperous person. Now he has become a Hanlin bachelor (actually only a member of the Writers Association) Honorary member), it is unknown whether he will be granted a title of marquis or prime minister in the future.
The short-haired soldiers stationed in the suburbs were the engineering battalion sent by the Song Dynasty court to build an official residence for the Xu family in Weichuang. Construction would start as soon as the land was identified. In addition, it seems that a government office will be built in Weichuang, and it will be called a police station. (In fact, it is the other way around. The main task of the engineering battalion is to build the police station in Weichuang. In addition, according to the instructions of the Phoenix Villa headquarters, it will use its free time to help The foundation of Xu Xiake's mansion will be laid, and in the future, a contractor team from a private construction company will build the main building of the Xu family's new mansion).
In short, the vast majority of the residents of Weichuang were deeply grateful and honored for the arrival of Xu Xiake and his family, the "Australian and Song Dynasty Hanlin bachelor". The rumored prominent ancestors of the Xu family, the kinship between the Xu family and the Zhao family, Xu Xiake's works and his reputation in the "Australian Song Dynasty Court", and the new changes this "new dynasty nobleman" brought to Weichuang , have become excellent conversation topics for idle people in Weichuang.
In addition, the short-haired engineers who were carrying out construction work at the entrance of Weizhuang Village also became a lively attraction. Every day, people gathered around the construction site of the police station and pointed at the tower-shaped building that was gradually taking shape at the entrance of the village. (Since the Chinese League has no plans to actively attack the interior of Zhejiang for a long time, Shaoxing Prefecture and Hangzhou Prefecture are already considered the western edges of the occupied area, so rural police stations must function as border defense military strongholds.)
And these short-haired soldiers were fed with three meals of white rice a day, and had meaty and generous meals every day. This also made many poor young men in Weichuang drool with greed and clamored to join the army all day long. This made those who still firmly believe that "good food" "If iron is not nailed, a good man should not be a soldier" parents were so angry that they beat their chests.
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However, all of this has little to do with Agui who "returns to his hometown in glory".
After a brief period of glory, he became an invisible person who was not noticed by the residents of Weichuang. This made Agui feel very unhappy, but he had no way to vent his anger, so he had to run to the hotel and drank several bowls of yellow soup. Then he gathered a few interested drinkers and gambled money together in the store. They saw a group of people squatting on a bench around a table. Agui was sandwiched in the middle with sweat on his face, and his voice was loud. Count him the loudest:
"...Four Hundred Blue Dragons!"
"...cough...it's open...!" the dealer opened the lid of the box and sang with sweat on his face. "...The Tianmen is here...the corners are back...! The people and the empty hall are there...! Bring Agui's money...!"
"...one hundred in the hall...one hundred and fifty!"
Under such chanting, Agui's money gradually flowed into the waists of other characters. Seeing that his luck was getting worse and worse, Agui lost nearly ten taels of silver in one breath. He finally came to his senses. Although he was in an even worse mood, he did not dare to gamble again: if he continued to lose, he would not even have to go to the city shop to return the money. All the money needed to pay for the goods is gone! He had no choice but to leave the gambling table and squat at the door of the store with a pottery bowl, drinking wine.
But at this moment, the little nun from the meditation nunnery walked over from the opposite side. Agui looked at her for a few times and suddenly realized something vaguely.
"...I don't know why I'm so unlucky today. It turns out it's because of meeting you!" he thought.
So Agui "bravely" stepped forward and spat loudly at the little nun's side: "...cough, bah!"
The little nun ignored him completely, lowered her head and just walked away. Agui couldn't help but become more courageous, and actually approached her, suddenly stretched out his hand to rub the little nun's newly shaved scalp, smiled stupidly, and said: "...Bald guy! Go back quickly, there is a monk waiting for you. …”
"...Why are you moving your hands and feet..." the little nun said with a flushed face and hurried away.
People in the hotel laughed. Agui became even more happy when he saw that his deeds were appreciated:
"...The monk can move, but I can't move?" He breathed out the smell of alcohol, smiled dumbly, and squeezed harder before letting go.
"...You have no descendants!" The little nun cried and ran away.
"...Hahaha!" Agui smiled very proudly, as if he had taken revenge for all the "bad luck" today.
However, lying in the hut of Tugu Temple that night, Agui felt that his thumb and second finger were a little strange: they seemed to be smoother than usual. I don’t know if there was something greasy on the little nun’s face that stuck to his fingers, or if his fingers were rubbed greasy on the little nun’s face?
"...You are a noble who has no descendants!"
Agui's ears seemed to hear the little nun's cry again. He thought: Yes, he should find a woman. If he has no children and no grandchildren, no one will offer a bowl of rice to the grave... The sage said, "There are three unfilial piety, no offspring is the most serious." So his thoughts are actually completely consistent with the sages' classics. of.
"...Women, women!" he thought. Five or six months ago, he once twisted a woman's thigh in the crowd under the stage. Later he found out that it was Wu Ma, the maid of the Zhao family. Because of this incident, he was beaten and lost a lot of money. The women in Weichuang also stayed away from him for a time. However, after he came back this time, the women came to him in a hurry because of the new clothes he brought, as if they had forgotten everything before.
Oh, these women are so disgusting, they all have to pretend to be "prude".
The next day, Agui was sitting in a hotel in Weichuang, drinking wine and waiting for the manager of the Qian family. He wanted to discuss with the Qian family about buying rice to transport back to the city and repay the manager of the business. The next batch of groceries for the last batch of groceries on credit will be purchased and sold to Weichuang.
At this time, Wu Ma and Zou Qishao happened to walk past the door of the hotel, walking slowly while talking about the gossip of the Zhao family.
"...My wife hasn't eaten for two days because the master is determined to buy a small one..."
"...Women...Wu Ma...this little orphan widow..." Agui thought.
Agui was originally a serious person. Although I don't know what master he had been taught by, he had always been very strict about the "great defense between men and women." His theory is: any nun must have an affair with a monk; a woman walking outside must want to seduce a wild man.
"...Our young lady is giving birth to a baby in August..."
Agui put down the wine bowl, stood up, and walked quickly outside the hotel door.
"...Our young mistress..." Wu Ma, who didn't notice Agui, continued to chatter.
"...Wu Ma, I sleep with you, I sleep with you!" Agui suddenly rushed forward and knelt down to Yi.
Suddenly, there seemed to be silence at the entrance of the originally noisy hotel
"...Ah!" Mother Wu and Sister-in-law Zou were stunned for a moment, then suddenly trembled and ran back, shouting and shouting, and seemed to even cry later. Agui was stunned even when he was kneeling, so he slowly stood up again, looking at the strange eyes of everyone around him, and vaguely felt that something was going to be bad.