Chapter 702 Laiqu Inn Closes

The New Year atmosphere is strong. After the fireworks are gone overnight, the people wear new clothes the next day, walk around the streets, play with each other, and wish each other good luck in the coming year. They say auspicious words such as "get rich", "live long", "happy and peaceful". The atmosphere is very harmonious, but when wishing, they can't help but add a little sadness in their hearts. Whether they can really be "happy and peaceful" is not up to them. It depends on whether God will bring disasters and whether the officials are good. Therefore, when wishing each other, they always feel a little insecure. The adults can't help sighing in their hearts when they wish each other verbally.

There is a famous rich man in the town. He is a great philanthropist. The fireworks in the city last night were funded by him. He has a good reputation in the neighborhood. He has a New Year's goods shop, which is full of rice, sugar beans, glutinous rice cakes... etc. It can't be said that there is everything, but the sweet snacks that children like can always be bought in this shop.

At dawn that day, many people brought their children to the shop to buy food, and the business was booming. First, the shop had a good reputation. Everyone saw the gorgeous fireworks last night. If you have extra money, you should help out. Second, the New Year is a good time. When you go out, you should "come back with a full load" and "have fun". In the town, there is not much entertainment except watching operas and music. Passing by this kind of rice and miscellaneous food shop, you should buy one or two things to feel like the New Year.

A child was generous and ran to the shop and asked for a lot of food. He packed it tightly in a cloth bag and held it in his arms, drooling at the sight. In fact, he often passed by this place, and he couldn't help but take a look. He was curious about what those cakes and pastries tasted like. He had been craving for half a year, and only today could he taste them.

"Oh, the kid from the Zhang family is generous." The owner of the shop laughed and said, with a happy face, and he would congratulate everyone he met and talk a few words. Seeing that the boy bought a lot of food, he said it casually.

The boy from the Zhang family said, "That's right, I got a big New Year's gift." After that, he ran out of the shop and joined his playmates in the same street and alley. Several young boys, once they meet, they are fearless, they are righteous, and they make people laugh and cry. They can't be hated, but they are really annoying.

Several people ran to steal ice melons and ice fruits, but they didn't know why they started and why they dared. The first few times they won a great victory, stealing ice oranges, peaches... and other fruits, holding them in their mouths, the sweet and cool feeling, as if evenly soaking the whole body, never so refreshing.

But later, they became more and more courageous, and they always saw the shopkeeper sleeping in the lobby. There was really nothing to be afraid of, so they became more greedy. Seeing that the watermelon was huge, they wanted to take it, and they picked the big and sweet fruits to steal. But this time, the lesson was really painful. The young men who claimed to be flexible were caught by the shopkeeper like little chickens, effortlessly, and spanked in public. The eldest brother's dignity was lost.

At this time of the New Year, several people thought about it and felt sorry for the previous things. They also remembered that the shopkeeper looked poor, but the New Year's money was quite generous, so they wanted to go see him.

They left as soon as they said they would, and soon arrived at the inn along the mountain road. But they saw that the inn was empty and no one had left.

They were still young and had never experienced the pain of separation, but seeing the locked door, they couldn't help feeling melancholy and a little bit of other feelings. Several people stayed in front of the door for an hour or two, and saw that no one returned, no one went back, and it seemed that it had closed down, so they stopped waiting.

They were lively by nature and soon forgot about it. I am afraid that in a few years, the matter of the inn will be completely forgotten from their minds.

Even the appearance of the shopkeeper may be hard to remember.

…

After the two or three children left. Another merchant passed by the inn. Although it was the New Year, there were always merchants from far away who were still traveling around to make a living or were far away from their hometown and could not get back.

He came to the inn skillfully and wanted to check in, but saw that the door was closed. He was startled, then shook his head and laughed, and left along the mountain road.

For many years, this inn was deserted and bustling, but there were always people running it. The merchant had been doing business since his grandfather's generation, and he often walked the route. He remembered the name, price, specifications, and age of the inn clearly.

This inn has been in business for hundreds of years, but it will eventually close completely one day. The merchant looked back every three steps, especially remembering that at this time last year, he knocked on the door of the inn. The shopkeeper who came to open the door was a man in white clothes, with a faint smile on his lips and a faint smell of alcohol on his body.

At that time, he had thought: "The shopkeeper has changed again."

...

Li Changxiao picked a plum blossom and walked north. He didn't know where Mei Sanniang was, nor did he know what Mei Sanniang's bet was. But he only needed to follow the path and go north all the way, and he would definitely find her.

Li Changxiao wrapped himself in a cotton coat, with his hands behind his head, holding a plum blossom in his mouth, and walked lightly with his steps. The long sword at his waist swayed, which was very eye-catching.

As he walked, he was thinking, whether he had left too early. Now it was deep winter, and the plum blossoms in the back mountain were blooming. Maybe he could brew a few jars of fine wine, and then drink while on the road. That would be wonderful and fun.

But he had walked all night and was too lazy to look back, so he walked on his own. Suddenly, he saw obvious footprints on the ground, including horse hoof prints, wheel prints, and foot prints. It seemed that this path was not peaceful. Even during the New Year, there was snow again, and there were quite a few pedestrians on the road.

Li Changxiao couldn't help thinking about it again. In a certain year, Mei Sanniang, who was alone, also set foot on this path. As time passed, Li Changxiao was also alone, setting foot on this path.

The snow was falling harder and harder. Li Changxiao's long black hair was blown away by the cold wind. He inserted the plum blossom into the scabbard of his sword, smiled suddenly, and strode forward, braving the wind and snow in the sky, to find someone. meet someone.

The plum blossom inserted into the scabbard swayed gently. Although it had been taken off the branch overnight, it did not wither or wither.

Walked for a long time. Suddenly I saw an old man squatting under a big tree. Therefore, the wind and snow were getting stronger and stronger, so I forced myself to drive on. My whole body was numb and painful, and it was difficult to walk back. The progress was not fast.

When the old man saw Li Changxiao, he waved from a distance, and Li Changxiao waved back to express friendship. But the old man spat, ran towards Li Changxiao, and grabbed his arm with one hand.

It turned out that the old man went up the mountain to cut firewood and returned. Seeing the heavy wind and snow, he did not dare to walk around, so he found a place to rest under a big tree. He saw Li Changxiao walking through the wind and snow again. Seeing that he was young in appearance and tall and tall, and certainly not as experienced as himself, he waved his hand to remind Li Changxiao that it was best to hide under the trees in such heavy snow weather. It’s not too late to go on the road again after the snowstorm passes.

Li Changxiao misunderstood the meaning, thought he was saying hello, waved, and continued on his way. The old man took a look and realized that he was willing to let him leave like this. If he died on the way, it wouldn't have much impact on him, but every time he passed by this place, he would always feel unlucky, wouldn't he? So he stepped forward and grabbed him.

The two of them pushed and pushed each other in the snow, but neither of them gave in. The old man acted like I saved you.

Li Changxiao felt helpless. After much thought, he decided to do the opposite. He took out a few silver coins from his pocket and handed them all to the old man. He also told the old man that this was the money for collecting the body. He would wait for the snow next year. If you see his body on the road, ask the old man to collect it for him.

The old man was stunned, his eyes widened, and his hands loosened. When he came to his senses, Li Changxiao had turned a corner and disappeared.

The old man murmured to himself: "It's strange, many years ago, a woman also said this to me." In his memory, many years ago, just after the Chinese New Year, there was a heavy wind and snow, and he hid under a tree to block the wind and snow. Suddenly I saw a woman coming towards me. He also tried to persuade him with kind words and took action to stop it. The scene was exactly the same as today.

How could there be such a coincidence in this world... The old man scratched his head.