Misty Rain of the Old Times

Chapter 164 Leisure Tour
The drizzle was as fine as silk, falling on the umbrella and dripping at my feet, wetting my clothes without me noticing.

The long street is picturesque, with pedestrians hurrying by. Looking up into the distance, there is mist and rain. Chen Xuan strolls along with an umbrella, as if he is walking in an ink painting.

In this era, apart from the colorful nature in the mountains and rivers, bright colors are rare in cities and towns. Because pigments are expensive, they often give people a sense of oldness. Occasionally, bright colors will appear, which will brighten the eyes. Therefore, many merchants and vendors will try their best to decorate their shops and stalls. Business will always be better with visually eye-catching effects.

That’s why those brothels and red houses are always so dazzling and eye-catching.

Chen Xuan had no clear purpose, he just walked around and looked around casually, occasionally stopping in front of a small stall. He looked around but didn't buy anything, but the vendors didn't get angry. They were good people and didn't want to disturb the passers-by.

"My dear, your clothes are wet, why don't you come over here to avoid the rain?"

As he passed by the entrance of a small alley, he heard someone calling out to him. Chen Xuan looked in the direction of the voice and saw a small stall set up at the entrance of the alley, with a large oilcloth umbrella covering an area of ​​about ten feet.

Under the umbrella was a simple old man with a steaming basket of food in front of him, smiling at him gently.

"Thank you, old man. I hope it won't delay your business." Chen Xuan stopped and said with a smile.

The other party smiled sincerely and said, "No, no, it's raining and there are fewer customers. You can rest your feet and avoid the rain. I have a stool here. If you don't mind, would you like to come and sit down?"

This was a way of soliciting customers, and Chen Xuan knew it, but it was very natural and made people feel good.

It happened that he had just left home early in the morning and hadn't eaten yet, so he walked over and said with a smile: "Sorry to bother you then."

"Don't disturb me, please sit down, young man," the old man greeted him warmly, brought him a small stool, and wiped it with the rag on his shoulder. He never mentioned taking care of business. No matter how you look at it, it was just a kind gesture of sincerely inviting passers-by to take shelter from the rain.

Putting his umbrella away and leaning against the side, Chen Xuan asked, "May I ask how old you are, sir?"

"I'm already in my sixties," the old man said with a smile as he returned to the back of the food stall, his hands tucked into his sleeves. He looked at the raindrops dripping from the big umbrella, as if reminiscing about his youth.

After studying for so many years, Chen Xuan also has some knowledge of physiognomy, but he is not proficient in it. He sees that this old man does not have a short life. His forehead is full and there is no mark in the middle palace. Although he is not rich or noble, he has a blessed appearance with children and grandchildren around him. So he said: "The morning breeze is a little cold, and the old man left home to open a stall. I think it must be hardship for him."

"Haha, fortunately, the burden is not heavy. I'm used to it. I can just eat free meals at home, and I can set up a stall here to earn some money to supplement the family income." The old man smiled with satisfaction, and there was no complaint about the hardships of life on his face.

Be content with what you have and you will not feel hardship once you get used to it.

Nodding, Chen Xuan asked casually, "Do you get exploited on a daily basis?"

"Young Master, be careful with your words," the old man reminded with some concern, then said in a low voice with helplessness and calmness, "Of course there are some. Occasionally, there are guards who come to eat some food without paying, and every month there are gangs who come to collect insurance premiums. It's not bad at all. I go out early and come back late every day, and there is still some surplus. A peaceful life is better than anything else. Now my life is relatively stable."

People at the bottom of society don’t have too high aspirations. A stable life is enough for them, and they don’t care even if they suffer some losses.

It's just the norm in the world.

There is no need to say more about this kind of thing, it will make people sigh. Seeing the hot load coming out of the basket, Chen Xuan asked: "What kind of food and drink are you selling, old man?"

"Noodles, freshly cooked, topped with secret sauce and tofu pudding. The fire is warming and the dishes are clean. Would you like some, young man?" The old man smiled immediately, as if he was waiting for these words.

Being kind to others, he almost always takes care of business. This is the experience he has accumulated over the years. Even if he doesn't take care of business, there will be no loss and he can still leave a good impression on people.

Of course, this also depends on the person. If he is a ferocious and evil person, he would not dare to greet him easily. It was also because Chen Xuan has a kind and gentle face.

Nodding, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "Then I'll have a bowl of noodles and a portion of tofu pudding."

"Okay, it will be ready soon. I've given you a large portion, I'm sure you'll be satisfied. I wonder if you would like your tofu pudding salty or sweet?" The old man said busily with a smile on his face.

There are actually two flavors of tofu pudding? Chen Xuan asked, "Is there a spicy one?"

"This... is also available. I'll add some spicy seasonings like onions and garlic, as well as soy sauce, vinegar, and some salt. I think it will be edible," the old man said hesitantly.

He didn't think that Chen Xuan was giving him a difficult problem. Instead, he thought about it seriously, as if the customer's will was the main thing.

"Okay, let's have one like this," Chen Xuan nodded and tried the taste.

He hasn't seen chili peppers in these years, so he probably won't be able to taste authentic spicy food in the near future.

The old man said to rub some salt, because the lower class people use coarse salt, which needs to be rubbed into powder with tools. Fine salt is something that only rich people can afford.

After a while, a big bowl of steaming noodles and a bowl of tofu pudding with seasoning were served. On the small table that was folded open on the stall, the old man also brought a bowl of noodle soup.

The noodles were quite generous in portion, with some vegetables added, and the toppings were quite fragrant, but apart from a little sesame oil for garnish, there was no oil at all.

After stirring it and taking a bite, it tasted pretty good. If someone could set up a stall to sell it, they must have some skills. He gave the old man a thumbs up and buried his head in the food. He didn't eat it fast, but his speed was not slow. Seeing that he was eating so happily, the old man also smiled happily.

After finishing a bowl of noodles quickly, Chen Xuan drank half a bowl of noodle soup before starting to eat the tofu pudding.

The old man saw that the young man knew how to eat, so he drank some soup to taste the food before eating the tofu pudding.

The tofu pudding was tender, smooth and sweet, and the seasoning made it even more flavorful. Although it didn't stimulate the taste buds as spicy, it was surprisingly good. Before he knew it, Chen Xuan had finished the whole bowl of tofu pudding.

After finishing the remaining half bowl of noodle soup, I felt a little unsatisfied, even though I was already full.

There was a drizzle and breeze outside the umbrella, and the hot food was in my stomach, it was really comfortable.

"Are you satisfied, young master?" Seeing that he had finished eating, the old man smiled even more.

Exhaling a breath of hot air, Chen Xuan said with satisfaction: "Satisfied, very satisfied, but I ate a little too fast, please don't laugh at me, old man."

"Haha, young man, you are enjoying your meal. You are so happy that you can't express it in words," the old man said happily.

Smiling, Chen Xuan asked, "How much is the food cost?"

"Noodles are three copper coins, tofu pudding is two copper coins, a total of five copper coins," the old man said a little awkwardly. After all, he just wanted to invite people to take shelter from the rain.

He took out five copper coins with some patina on them and presented them to Chen Xuan. Chen Xuan did not deliberately give him more. He was just setting up a stall normally and was not begging.

Perhaps because he had been eating comfortably before, some people were attracted to him. There was not much space under the umbrella, so Chen Xuan stood up, picked up the umbrella and said, "The rain will not stop for a while. I have something else to do, so I'll take my leave now."

"Young man, please take shelter from the rain for a while longer," the old man warmly urged him to stay.

Opening his umbrella, Chen Xuan said goodbye: "Thank you very much, I wish you a prosperous business."

After saying that, he left with an umbrella, thinking that the food tasted really good. If the old man still sets up a stall here in the future, he would come again when he has time. Not to mention, the drizzling rain and the warm food in his stomach made him feel really comfortable.

Seeing him leave leisurely, the old man felt a little envious. His own children and grandchildren did not have such elegance. He withdrew his gaze and began to greet the guests...

Walking forward, crossing the puddles, passing under the trees, and when passing by the Wenxiang Pavilion, Chen Xuan looked up. The young ladies who had been laughing and chatting all night should have gone to bed. Only the servants who were sweeping the floor in the morning did not see the red sleeves waving all over the building.

As we continued walking, we saw people beating their children in the rain, street vendors looking at the rainy sky with worried faces, and vendors selling straw raincoats, hats and umbrellas with happy smiles on their faces.

The city of Mo under the rain is not noisy, but full of a lively atmosphere. There is no highbrow elegance in the market, and the various ways of making money in the world are the most real.

Passing by a bookstore, Chen Xuan stepped inside, folded his umbrella at the door and shook off the rain. Amidst the shopkeeper's warm greeting, he surveyed the shelves filled with books, sniffing the thick aroma of honey and asking directly, "Excuse me, do you have the second volume of Lingyun Ji?"

I had finished reading this novel on the way here. Although it was a bit boring because of the tight plot and too many fighting and killing scenes, I had read one volume and Chen Xuan also wanted to know how the story would develop later. I was curious about what kind of martial arts stories the author named Tingfeng Jushi would imagine next.

The shopkeeper thought hard before replying, "Young Master, you want to buy the novel Lingyun Ji. Not many people read this book, and the second volume was published some time ago. It just so happens that our shop has purchased a few copies. I'll help you find it."

"Thank you," Chen Xuan nodded and said with a smile.

I guess there are really few people who read this novel, so the store didn’t buy much of it, and it took me a while to find it in the corner.

After flipping through two pages, he found that the story matched that of the first volume. After asking the price, Chen Xuan spent three taels of silver to buy it. He declined other books recommended by the store owner and left with the novel and an umbrella.

Books in this era are very expensive, ridiculously expensive, even if it is just an entertaining novel.

However, it is not only expensive when you buy it. If you don't need it anymore, you can sell it at a price, or even pawn it. Because many people can't afford or are reluctant to buy new books, they can only buy some old books. Some low-level storytellers like to buy some old books at a low price, and then make some money by reproducing them with their own words.

In short, books are hardly treated as waste paper in this era. Even banned books are more valuable.

Carrying a new copy of Lingyunji, Chen Xuan walked around for a while. When he had almost digested his food, he found a teahouse that looked a bit old, went up to the second floor and found a seat by the window. He ordered a pot of tea and a plate of salted beans. While listening to the sound of rain outside the window and drinking the slightly bitter tea, he slowly flipped through the new novel.

At the end of the previous volume, the protagonist rode a crane to the south, but was shot down and injured by a hunter while passing through the mountains. The story of the second volume continued, but the young hero riding the crane was accidentally injured by a young female hunter. The story unfolded from then on, and Chen Xuan had unknowingly been immersed in the content of the novel.

Regardless of how the young man was shot by an ordinary hunter, the logic of this novel is not clear in many places...

In Chen Xuan's opinion, the story is remarkable, but the logic is a bit immature. It seems that he really needs to find time to write a letter to Mr. Tingfeng to exchange ideas.

As for the content of the letter, the opening should attract people's attention. For example, at the beginning, you should say that you disagree with a certain point. Otherwise, people will not pay attention to you.

(End of this chapter)