Chapter 5 chapter Five.Yanshi Fengyun
The salt market on the dam on the west bank of the river prospered amidst the torrent of suffering.
Between the Yanhe River and the Laohuai River, the earth-yellow river mound winds and stretches eastward, like a black dragon playing in the water. The bustling salt market was born along the mound.In the ancient oriental land, there are different absurd legends for the rise of each city and place, replacing the untraceable roots; the rise of Xiba Salt City is exactly like this.On the depression in the east of the dam, there is a lotus pond with a radius of several miles. See.) Guarded in the pond, the residents on the dam call it Yuanshen; since Yuanshen guarded here, the dam has been shrouded in a cloud of purple mist all year round, no matter in season, summer, autumn or winter, dark and windy, This group of purple mist has always been vaguely caged on the dam.
There is no need to trace the origin of the mythical legends, but the prosperity on the dam is a fact that we can see: from the mouth of the bridge in the east to Maosheng Street in the west, there are seven miles of houses in the Yanshi market; Eight salt stores, six shore merchants, and a small salt store gather here, making it the center of Lianghuai salt distribution; changed its name to an inn, but people still commonly call it a stall shop.) In, there are full of transport merchants, shore merchants, masters of the audit office, lakers who spend a lot of money, and buyers from all over the world. Every tea house and brothel along the river bank , all day and all night, the lights are like brocade, and the strings are constantly singing.
The Beiyang government set up a salt audit office in Yanshi, a sub-division of the official salt bureau, the Lianghuai anti-private headquarters, and a recruiting team adapted from gangsters; the blood-drinking merchants not only have to support these people , and have to raise all the food and salaries of a whole division of the Beiyang Army on a monthly basis.And these people are all the enemies of the poor who help the poor.
Guan Baye knows this better than anyone else. When he went from being a leader of the defeated smuggling gang to joining the army to being the captain of the anti-smuggling team, he saw the true face of the Beiyang warlords.If it were a drifter, today's Guan Ba would never drink wind and snow on the long distance, but he put aside those sensual dogs and horses, and walked into the dark prison from the bustling lights.
The heavy snow was still falling, and the crowd who came to Dadukou to pick up Guan Baye came back to the dam with Baye and his Xiangyan gang.In order to meet Baye Guan, Shaodong of Fuchang Zhan specially prepared a luxurious single-seater double carriage, but Baye was still willing to ride his white horse with a piece of jade. The boss of the boss specially pulled up a number one barge, and put sixteen Xiangyan trucks and Lei Yipao's gang on board; Guan Baye couldn't figure out why these stackers treated him so hospitablely.
At the end of the line, the salt market on the other side appeared. Guan Baye, who had been to the headquarters of the private sector for many times, stared at him as if he was seeing an old friend. Those houses, those docks, and the world of luxury and gold, he had experienced but also resolutely abandoned. Off, those who never belonged to his kind.Until now, he can still recite those warehouse numbers, from west to east, Yuxing, Laozhenxing, Hetai, Yuanheng, Xingtai, Changfa, Gongmao, Sansheng, Jingxing, Lihexing, Tongxin, Yonglongyuan, Fuchang, Qianfu, Xietai, Gongtai, Dexing, Xinyong and he even remembered the scene of mountains of salt accumulating in those vast warehouses, how much blood?How much fat?In this corner created a deformed prosperity.If there really was a turtle god in the legend, it would have sunk into the East Sea with this piece of sinful soil on its back!
Eighteen trekkers hugged Guan Baye for the transition and landed at the stone-built Yang Family Wharf. Only then did he realize that it was not only the shippers and some lake customers who were waiting to pick him up on the wharf, but even the director of the audit department. The director of the Salt Affairs Branch and the head of the private sector all greeted him respectfully in the snow.
Even though Baye Guan was puzzled, he didn't show any emotion on the surface.
The dinner for Guan Baye to wash the dust was held in the big flower hall of Fuchang innkeeper Wang Dashao. The flower hall was so spacious that fifty tables of banquets were set up without congestion, and there were hundreds of people accompanying the guests in the open room. And a place to rest.An opium couch was set up in the dark for the guests who smoked and smoked to enjoy it.
In the innermost exquisite small suite, a couch is specially prepared for Guan Baye. It is covered with brocade lion felt, and a layer of beautiful tiger fur is added in the middle; a pair of silver silk pillows are placed at one end of the couch, plus duck down pillows. Er, there are two golden lacquered footstools in front of the couch.
Sorry for the panic, Guan Baye said: Brother is really not good at this
It doesn't matter, Ba Ye, the director of the audit office hurriedly said: "Ba Ye, you really don't smoke, it's good to make the bed crooked and loosen your legs."However, it doesn’t hurt to make a play every time, and burn some bubbles to refresh yourself. Runshan, this is the best cloud and soil specially prepared for you.
Wang Shaodong kept a lot of vats of smoked soil, Xietai's owner said: There are not many such good smoked soils, and they are all specially prepared for distinguished guests; Ba Ye, you don't know how to plant poppies, to bloom and bear fruit, to extract pulp How much effort did it take to boil the ointment?Every poppy root is fertilized with pig liver and lung juice, so smoking this kind of opium is nourishing for people.While talking, he beckoned courteously and said, "Come here, bring the smoking set for Ba Ye!"
As soon as the words fell, the servant boy carrying the gold tray came up to greet him, and slowly lifted the red velvet of the tray; Eighth Master saw that there were seven sets of smoking sets in the tray; gold, sterling silver, and white jade chisels The ones made of oolong wood are inlaid with glass mouths, and the ones made of crystal and warm jade are each equipped with silver sticks and pinches for boiling bubbles.Guan Baye didn't intend to smoke, but he grabbed a white Hanyu bong and played with it in his hand.
First a servant boy greeted and retreated, and another servant boy with a sterling silver tray came up to greet him, and slowly lifted the green velvet on the tray. There were two extremely small and exquisite purple sand teapots on the tray. Smoke, eight-style Huaiyang fine point, an octagonal smoke lamp inlaid with gemstones; even the tray is placed in the middle of the smoke bed.
Ba Ye, please sit on the couch, and the director of the auditor said: Brother, I will prepare it myself, and burn it for two bubbles. Good soil requires a lot of effort, and the aroma is enough. Brother handles the salt business, and the others have not learned. This threshold My son learned a lot.
Guan Baye has figured out these yamen; in terms of power, the audit office is the largest, and it is divided into yamen, and everyone who arrests private parties has to listen to it.When he was leading the anti-smuggling team, the high-ranking director is now personally burning cigarettes for himself; there must be another article here? !I obviously don't smoke, but I have to make a show, and listen to which direction they are talking?Therefore, without being very polite, he took off his cloak, hung up his pistol, and tilted it down.
The suite is spacious enough. In front of the cigarette couch, there are more than a dozen sandalwood grand master chairs with jade inlaid backs on both sides. On the wall is a bamboo screen with ten scenes of the West Lake, and there are a variety of mountain calligraphy and paintings; Guan Baye is on the couch. After lying down, the merchants and salt officials took their seats one after another.
I said Ba Ye, do you want to find a waiter?Before Wang Shaodong could sit still, he stood up again, and said with a smile: "The girls in all the halls on the dam have been preparing in the outer compartments for a long time. It is inconvenient to let them in without your nodding."
To be honest, Brother Wang, Guan Baye said: My brother chose Weizi Xinger when he debuted (one of the code words of the salt owl, which also means transporting salt.). Brothers have never experienced all these prosperity, if you intend to open Guan Ba's horizons, brothers don't mind!
Hurry up!Hurry up!Ba Ye is such a happy person!The police chief said.
Guan Baye held the purple sand teapot and smiled wryly.
If I remember correctly, the camp seat.He said: The old Liuhe gang led by the boss of Shuangqiang Luo was planted in the hands of the anti-private cavalry team. Now the new Liuhe gang led by my brother is also called Ruanwo at the gate of your yamen. I took off the gun and hung it on the wall. Can the people on board obediently obey orders?I'm still counting on the big lake!
Guilty and sinful, the chief of the police department leaned forward and said in fear: "That case is so irrelevant to my brother, and I have nothing to do with it."Braid Shuai's anti-private affairs and Sun Shuai's anti-private affairs are not in the same team at all.At that time, the heads of those battalion officers had been lifted several times.Even if the team is still there, after all these years, the hard-working battalion and sailors have been wiped out in terms of scouring!
Once bitten by a snake, he was afraid of grass ropes for ten years. Guan Baye sipped his tea: Until now, I am still afraid of seeing red necks (in the early days of the Republic of China, all Beiyang policemen wore red hats, commonly known as red necks.)!
After Guan Baye said this, he was so embarrassed that the private owner hurriedly took off his red embroidered hat, handed it over to the horse, and took it out; then he turned to Guan Baye and said: "You don't want to see outside, Baye, brother knows it won't work." Material, I dare not expect to befriend you, but I have long admired your demeanor in my heart!Eating Gongmen meals is forced by the situation, and I have no choice but to hope that the eighth master will be more considerate
What was there to say about the arrest of the private owner, someone over there raised the curtain and reported: "Masters, the girls who are in charge of the situation are here!"
Before the girls entered the house, attendants from each hall took the hall lanterns and snow-stained cloaks, and those girls, all dressed up colorfully and dazzlingly, walked to the smoke couch one by one, twisting their handkerchiefs towards the gate. Lord saluted; Wang Shaodong of Fuchang Zhan, as a landlord, introduced them one by one as usual.
This is the famous sister flower of Sixitang, named Seven-year-old Hong and Eight-year-old Hong.
Seven-year-old Hong in a purple satin jacket and eight-year-old Hong in a blue satin jacket came up hand in hand, bowed their heads with a smile on their faces, and said in a soft southern dialect: Seven-year-old Hong, eight-year-old Hong, I have met Ba Ye.
Guan Baye supported his upper body on his elbows.Looking carefully at the two quiet and shy girls in front of them, who are only eighteen or nineteen years old, rubbing their half-red melon-seeded faces in white, they are almost cast out of the same pattern, and for a while, they can't tell who is the older sister and who is the elder sister. sister.Seven-year-old Hong, eight-year-old Hong, if they were not in this kind of situation, who would have thought that they have been reduced to prostitution for more than ten years?
Ten yuan per person, the owner of Dexing Inn is considered astute, seeing that Guan Baye is not a person of this way, he said: "Baye rewarded it!"
Seven-year-old Hong and eight-year-old Hong thanked him, followed by Hua Yubao, a red girl from Sanhetang, and Xiao Xiaotian, a pillar of Fengyuetang.Wang Shaodong from Fuchangzhan approached Guan Ba Ye and said: Ba Ye wandered here and there for half his life, and he is not used to the wind and the moon. He needs to be led by an old horse who knows the way. In addition to age, appearance, poetry, wine, and talent, the most important thing is to see how well she speaks and speaks?
Willing to listen to high opinion.Guan Baye said.
It's very simple to say, this is to be able to speak and sing well, to speak to the identity and interests of the guests, to be familiar with how to deal with advance and retreat, to be able to compose poems and lyrics, from ancient Yuefu to paiqu, from the south to the north , Singing from Beijing accent to minor tunes, the eloquence is the best.Wang Shaodong said: In terms of hands, at least one must be able to play the pipa and play the huqin. Only by playing and singing can you see kung fu!Among the girls in various halls nowadays, there are really few who are well-versed in speech and hand; Hua Yubao and Xiao Jiaotian are already considered good, but they can only be regarded as middle-of-the-road.
Forget it, Young Master, the tall and thin Hua Yubao Buyi, pulled Wang Shaodong's sleeves, and said coquettishly to Guan Ba Ye: "Ba Ye, don't listen to this heartless Young Master Wang talking nonsense, he got everything he got!" It's not good, and what you can't get is good, and you can't forget that little lotus!
Ba Ye, you still don't know how romantic he is?Xiao Jiaotian also followed suit and said: "He is like a wife who married one house after another, all of which were picked from our sisters' shopping malls, and not all of them have mouths and hands. Lamp!It was the little lotus that he was willing to spend 800 silver dollars to cross the night, but he put it on his mouth and praised it like a Buddha all day long.Don't be dissatisfied, young or old, if you have something to say, we sisters will marry you together!
Hehehe, the head of the auditor bared his teeth full of smoke oil and said with a smile: That's not going to work, let him have his own luck, it's too cheap for him!
It's true that I can't afford this kind of cheapness, Wang Shaodong said: My small salt store, which can only store ten thousand bags of salt, can't afford to raise this pair of canary birds.Hua Yubao's embroidered shoes don't get muddled, and if they get muddled, they need to be replaced with new ones, Xiao Jiaotian is even more delicate, and she needs to change a set of clothes every hour.I have to have mountains of gold and silver for them to crack
Don't say we are cute.Hua Yubao deliberately pursed her mouth and said: She is really delicate, and she is also spoiled by all the gentlemen on the dam.
Some of the merchants present all laughed with squinting eyes.
The director of the auditing department pinched the cigarette bubbles and put them on for Guan Baye, but Guan Baye's eyes fell on a young prostitute who was only fifteen or sixteen years old and had a bun; Against the background of the smiling face with heavy makeup and roving eyes, she looked more elegant and elegant; she walked forward in small steps, and from the slightly stiff hands holding the corners of her clothes, she could see the timidity hidden in her heart, even In the eyes of a layman, it can be seen at a glance that she is a young girl who has just debuted.
Guan Baye saw more than this. He judged from the girl's naturally elegant posture when she raised her hands and feet, the natural expression on the corners of her eyebrows and eyes, and her habit of wearing beautiful clothes without showing any shyness, that she was by no means ordinary. Someone's daughter, there must be some kind of privacy behind her.
She came forward, lowered her eyebrows and turned her face, said a blessing timidly, her face blushed indescribably, perhaps because of her panic, she dropped a pink Ropa on the ground.Her lips were also moving, as if she was announcing the hall name and her flower name, but the voice was so soft that only she could hear it.
Please sit down, girl.Guan Baye said gently in a sad tone.
Even Ba Ye has vision!Wang Shaodong clapped his hands and said: This young girl is a girl from the Northern Gang. She just fell into the hands of Mao Liu not long ago. In terms of experience, she has no experience, but in terms of aptitude, she is the top girl on the dam.She looks very much like the little lotus I mentioned, if she is trained well, she will definitely be popular all over Jianghuai!
Master Ba is really sure about this!The same is true of stupidity, and the head of the auditing office issued his comment: Generally speaking, it is said that there are many beauties in the southern country. If the beauty is a pattern, it looks gaudy and vulgar. Moreover, the climate in the south is warm, and beauties mature early and are easy to wither.It’s different in the north, as long as there are no beauties in the north, it’s enough to have a generation of stunning beauty, who will overwhelm the country, like the eight famous beauties in our history, how many of them are not from the north? !
Please sit down, girl.Guan Baye said again, his tone more gentle.The girl finally sat down on the side of the couch, clenched her fists, flustered and mechanically beat Guan Baye's legs lightly, neither smiling nor speaking.
In such a magnificent and elegant suite, every businessman and salt official who hugged the girl was talking about it.Heavy snow is flying and dancing outside the carved window lattices, the fire creates another kind of spring in the house, and the servants keep bringing hot towel handles to light the fire for several gentry smoking hookahs, and the smoke spreads in the space , the air was filled with the smell of smoke and powder, voices and laughter entangled and smashed away, Hua Yubao asked the attendant to take out the piano, sat on Wang Shaodong's lap with a bit of showmanship, and tuned the string, called Tianjia Smoking a cigarette, he coughed lightly before trying to sing.
The young child was still beating his legs lightly for Ba Ye, through the clothes, Guan Ba Ye could still feel the trembling coming from her heart, he looked at her face carefully by the light, the more he looked at her face, the more he felt that she was very nervous. Like Aigu, the daughter of the late old jailer Qin Zhen, the little lotus in the mouth of Shaodong Fuchang Zhan?Ai Gu and the girl in front of him made him suspicious. At least one thing is certain that she is not Ai Gu. Today's Ai Gu is not only fifteen or sixteen years old.
He didn't ask her anything, this is not the place to talk.And the page boy came to announce that the dinner party was about to begin
There is a Western bell on the wall of the flower hall. Just as Guan Baye appeared among hundreds of accompanying guests, a little golden man with protruding muscles jumped out of the glass frame of the bell, and swung a golden rod to strike the pendulum. On, clang clang seven times.
Guan Baye was arranged in the flower hall, covered with red velvet, and surrounded by a circle of grand master's chairs; eight seats were arranged on each side of the main seat in the shape of wild goose wings, and even a shot from thunder and a shot from the third child were all separated. Made chief.At Guan Baye's table, the rich and wealthy salt merchants did their best to show off their skills. The cups and cups were all carved from jade, and the chopsticks and spoons were all made of sterling silver, with delicate patterns carved out by skilled craftsmen.
Please don't laugh at Baye, Wang Shaodong of Fuchangzhan said: The life on the dam is just upside down like this.There is a popular saying: Don’t be afraid of going through a famine year, but be afraid of running out of salt; you have no food in the morning, but you have horses to ride in the evening!It is a portrayal of the life of the people who make salt.I am used to all the ostentation, and it is a cliché to force the ducks to be put on the shelves. It is impossible to lose face.
Young Master Wang was too polite, and the director of the audit department said: "Baye, our young man is so ostentatious that people stick out their tongues in fright. When he eats winter melon, he eats a winter melon button that costs $1.20 a catty. When he eats leeks, he eats one inch and two cents." inch leek sprouts.He eats fried sparrow eyes, braised crucian carp liver, hehe, that's how he behaves!
The charcoal fire was burning vigorously in the center of the hall, and sixteen Dapu lamps covered with white magnetic hats were twisted to raise the lamp cores, illuminating the whole hall brightly; on some important seats, behind each guest stood a The girl holding the jug and pouring wine, and some attendants are standing far away holding various kinds of music.The flower hall is so open and bright, surrounded by elegant flower fences on three sides, separated by glass bright fans in the middle, forming a wide corridor outside the glass partition, people in the hall can look around the snow scene outside the hall; A lot of potted plants moved from the greenhouse, old plums with winding branches and ancient flavors, old pine with canopy and vigorous branches, Tianzhu, cactus and evergreen, from the elegant flower pots to the bonsai itself, all show the richness of the people. The character of the salt merchant who spends money like water.How far is this from the world where you shed blood and sweat for a load of salt on the rivers and lakes?After looking around for a week, Guan Baye shook his head and sighed.
However, he was not allowed to have a chance to meditate, and the gold lacquer trays were continuously delivered. Wang Shaodong of Fuchang Zhan raised his glass to the top, stood up and said: Today, the salt market is shining brightly, because we have been admired for a long time. The Jianghu Haoshi Guandong Shanguan Baye passed by here, we are a government-business alliance, and here is a cup of thin wine for Baye, and I hope that Baye will take care of us in the future for the sake of our sincerity. Well, take care of us more
Guan Baye picked up his robe and fork, raised his glass in full view and stood up, saying: Young Master Wang is serious!I, Guan Bazhi, are just a straightforward person wandering the rivers and lakes, and I know a little about the suffering of being a small person.In the past few years, he offended the little braid Zhang Xun and fled to Kanto. This time, he came back to do his old job, leading some bitter brothers, and dawdling in sweat.Who doesn't know that smuggling salt violates national law? !If everyone could rely on the fields to live on, no one would take the risk of hanging their lives on the handlebars of the car!How can I take care of Yanshi?I'm looking forward to arresting private individuals, and the sub-division and yamen will take more care of my poor friends. Don't close the door and beat dogs, you have to leave a way for people to survive.This round-trip passes through the Dadukou, and we will take care of each other in the wrong way. I, Guan Ba, will make a cup first.
Although Guan Baye spoke slowly, his sentences were firm and his tone was passionate. In addition, his voice was so loud that it hit the whole hall like a thunderous bell.
After the words were lost, the director of audit who was sitting next to Guan Baye shook his duck head, clapped his hands first, and said with a smile: "Guan Baye has orders, and we have followed them. Sixteen carts of salt, not only are we exempt from tax, And don't take it with a grain of salt
For a moment, the whole hall burst into applause.
Lei Yipao and his fellows, although Monk Zhanger couldn't figure out why these salt officials and salt merchants on the dam praised Guan Baye like this, but since they sat on this kind of table and enjoyed the delicious food, they always It's more comfortable than pushing a salt cart through the wind and snow, so I'll hide my strength and sit in a human-like seat.Only Shorty Shier and Big Bear couldn't enjoy each other, and the fun would be out of the question.
The two are used to working together, once they were taken apart, Er Shier panicked, Er Shier had never sat in this kind of banquet in eight lifetimes, and he couldn't recognize any of the famous dishes served on the red lacquered tray. It doesn't matter if you have to or not, you can just eat what you eat, right?Hey, after three glasses of wine, his mouth would itch, and he mistook curry chicken feet for mixed cucumbers. He ate and praised: Damn, I have never seen cucumbers in the middle of winter and snowy days since I was born? !
The big bear at the other table was not as stupid as Shorty Shi Er, but he mistook quail eggs for glutinous rice balls, and specially told Uncle Huai, who was seated with him, to eat less, saying that eating sweet and salty food would cause skin rashes sore.
And Shorty Shi Er mistook chicken shreds for bamboo shoots, and complained while eating, "Grandma, these salt merchants have meat like this?"Let's have a seat, don't come here for big fish and meat, just serve some vegetables, aren't we monks who eat long fasts? !When the golden-toothed Lao Pan told him that what he ate was shredded chicken, he happened to mistake shark fin for vermicelli again: what the hell did he say? !Not even pork!
The golden-toothed Lao Pan laughed: "Brother, you won't see pork anymore when you eat this kind of famous banquet!"
Forget it, luckily the wine wasn't bad.Shorty Shi Er rubbed his hands and saw the waiter bring two bowls filled with white water on a red lacquered tray for washing the spoons in exchange for desserts. My mother just drink more ginseng soup to make up for it.But after drinking it, he licked his lips and said, "How does ginseng soup taste like this?" !His mother's three points are like white water!
As soon as the words came out, even the girl who was drinking with him behind him bent over with a smile.
After all, the big bear over there is smarter than Shorty Shi Er. It's not that he doesn't want to talk, because he really can't free his mouth; Even grabbing the pot and putting it on your mouth to drink, even if you are full of words, you can suppress the wine and vegetables.
And Baye Guan hardly had time to sit down at the banquet, and people kept coming to toast at each table, many of whom were well-known in the Jianghu; As I mentioned before, Mr. Dai, the Shenquan Taibao who is famous all over North Dao for his Shaolin martial arts, and his apprentices Zhang Erhuaxie, Tang Liupao, and Fang Sheng
The appearance of these martial arts characters on the dam was beyond Guan Baye's expectation. What surprised him even more was that these people did not have the heroic spirit of the so-called martial arts in the legends. look.
Grandpa Dai, the Taibao of Shenquan, is nearly eighty years old. His left half of his body seems to be suffering from wind paralysis, and his movements are numb and difficult. There were a few patches on his waist, a waistband made from a broken scarf was tied across his waist, and a black tobacco rod was fastened; his face was so thin that it was almost out of shape, with sunken eyes and nose and two His cheeks were sunken into black holes, and his burned goatee was curled at the roots, showing a more miserable old condition. Except for the eyes hidden in the folds of saggy flesh, he still retained the shrewd brilliance of a martial artist In addition, his legendary early deeds seem to have been buried by the ruthless years.
Holding the wine cup tremblingly, he slowly led the three apprentices over, and announced his name in a hoarse voice. Guan Baye immediately pushed the back of his chair and stepped over as if struck by lightning, ready to go. He landed on one knee and gave a big gift, but was stopped by Mr. Dai's right elbow.
Ba Ye, he said in a low voice: I can't move, Ba Ye, the previous Shenquan Taibao has died in my heart!Now I'm just a bitter old man, relying on a few apprentices to make money to support me.Zhang Erhuaxie worked as a foreman in the rope mat factory, and Tang Liupao relied on his strength to push the train on the Baxi Railway. Fang Sheng was better, and opened a small inn opposite the rope mat factory. a concierge.Because I had friendship with the older generation on the dam in the early years, it was only on occasions like this that I was allowed to step in.
What the old man said was true, and his apprentices were all middle-aged in their forties or fifties. There were many scattered reed flowers and grass thorns nailed to the shoulders and sleeves of Zhang Erhua's shoes. Salted, only Fang Sheng dressed decently, but compared with the luxuriously dressed salt merchants, he was quite miserable.
Ba Ye, please drink this glass of wine, let's talk about it later if you have something to say.After Mr. Dai finished speaking, he took his leave, and let the rest of the toasting guests crowded over noisily, gossiping around Baye Guan.
Guan Baye also knew that this was not the place to talk, but his heart was always in suspense and he couldn't settle down.Before the old Liuhe gang was annihilated, on the lonely long distance, the leader of Shuangqiang Luo often told some legends in the martial arts. Leaning against the corner of the earthen wall, hugging a quilt together, Boss Luo once told the story of Mr. Dai under the faint oil lamp in the wall cave.
The story is vivid, but it always has a bit of absurdity. I doubted it more than once. Are there really martial arts like Nie Yin and Hongxian in the world?Boss Luo once sighed: There are martial arts, Dongshan.But nowadays no matter how good martial arts are, they can't get away with a single shot; now that there are strong beams everywhere, martial arts are also forced to have nowhere to go!He neither wants to follow the trend and go to the commander's mansion to find a personal bodyguard, but also doesn't want to rely on martial arts to block the road and rob, life is also difficult.Unless those rumors are false, otherwise, Boss Luo is right!With the heart and skill of Mr. Dai as a master and apprentice, now he is living on the dam, living such a difficult life? !There is a doubt waiting to be solved!Why do these officials and businessmen in the salt market praise themselves so much, but ignore senior figures like Mr. Dai, and only arrange them in the corner seats by the hall?
After drinking for three rounds, under the urging of all the guests, Hua Yubao, a red girl in Sanhetang, took the huqin from the attendant, untied the red velvet from the sleeve, and with the bright qin in her hand, bowed to Baye Guan; Someone sent me a song book, and asked Guan Baye to sing.
Guan Baye is playing with the wine cup, and he is concentrating on thinking about the legendary stories left by Master Dai and his apprentices in the Jianghu. How can he have the heart to appreciate the string songs of prostitutes?Open the music book casually, what's on it, the firework girl sighed ten songs in December, playing plum blossoms and making noise at five o'clock, and other vulgar songs, among which there was a more unique song called Kuangfengsha, which aroused In his interest, he said to Hua Yubao: "I'll bother you to sing this song, Blast Wind and Sand!"
Xie Ba Ye, Hua Yubao said: "Huqin can't play this song, change to Sanxian, let me sing this passage well to serve you."
The attendant was busy changing the three strings for Hua Yubao, so Guan Baye took the opportunity to say to Wang Shaodong: "Young Master Wang, that old man Dai just now, how long has it been since he came to the dam?"
You mean that weird old man Dai Wangguan?Wang Shaodong was stunned and said: He brought his disciples to Yanshi five years ago. I heard that he was quite famous in the early years on the North Road, and he was very cheerful, but now he is old and sick. Old age is bad enough.
Official Dai Wang was not real, and the audit director said: Ren Quan said that he practiced martial arts all his life, and that several of his apprentices were all skilled.He planned to recruit Zhang Erhua Xie and Tang Liu to serve as followers, and asked his brothers to test them, but who knew that the private party had a martial arts coach, and they frightened them. No one dared to join hands with this coach. The coach was angry and slapped Zhang Erhua's shoes scratched both ears, and Tang Liu was beaten into a few somersaults. The job they could have done was ruined!I can't recommend this nest of straw bags to the teacher.
Guan Baye sighed deeply, but he couldn't express the sadness in his heart. According to his own guess, even if the old man could not possess the incomparable martial arts skills as the legend says, his apprentices would definitely not be inferior to one of the more How many martial arts coaches do nothing? !What is a division commander in the Beiyang Army?Actually planning to recruit famous figures in the martial arts as followers? !Boss Luo is right. It is really sad enough for people from the world to live in such troubled times.
Eighth Lord, listen to Hua Yubao, Young Master Wang said: Although her sanxian and voice are not as good as the little lotus in the early days, in today's salt market, she is not satisfactory enough!
Pour the wine for Ba Ye!The director of the audit office, Chao Guan, said to the girl from the Northern Gang who was standing behind Baye Guan: Don't be so shy, why don't you wait for Baye to turn around and serve you? !
It was all about nothing to do with personnel, so Young Master Wang took the girl's hand holding the pot and helped her pour the wine in front of Guan Baye, and said to Guan Baye: "Guan Baye, tonight I will leave you a cup of wine." She waits on you, don't look at her little face flushed with shame, once combed, she will be affectionate and submissive in the morning!
The three-stringed qin sound played by Hua Yubao over there replaced Guan Baye's answer. It is strange to say that in a huge flower hall, hundreds of drunken and noisy guests were all overwhelmed by the first sound of the qin. Overwhelmed, became silent.Hua Yubao is holding the qin in a fluffy bun, with her fragrant pink gauze tied on one end of the qin handle, twisting her slender waist like a weak willow in the wind, stepping on the finely divided flowers before the banquet. The steps made the pleated dress under her drag purple waves, and a pair of her little red shoes, like mandarin ducks, floated out of the waves from time to time; With one hand moving gracefully between the strings, the sanxian burst out a series of melodious ding-dongs with a hint of desolation.
The strong wind is whistling between the eaves of the hall, the snowflakes are dancing drunk like a madman, it seems that the endless heaven and earth are wrapping up the prosperity of this corner, the endless distant waves are hitting the wind and moon this night, Hua Yubao's fingertips are drawn The sound of the piano has revealed the coldness and sadness of the outside world.
Wear the stars and wear the moon, take the road as home
The sound of the piano stopped, and she sang in a strange sharp voice, as if tearing something:
One man and one horse, he traveled all over the world
The sky rises with yellow clouds and no rain, and the fields are full of wind and sand,
Sand smoke whips the horse, the wild road has no boundaries,
sunset
After singing this passage, the sound of the qin began to ding-dong again, Hua Yubao was about to continue singing, but asked Guan Baye to stop it with a gesture.
If you think you can't sing well, I'll change another song to serve Eighth Master.Hua Yubao said.
OK, great!Guan Baye stood up and said, "It's only my fault that I had a storm and drank too much wine, and I was a little sleepy."
Since the eighth master is tired, let's go to the table and drink tea.
When the banquet was over, many guests came to say goodbye, but they didn't see Mr. Dai, the master of Shenquan Taibao, who must have left. Guan Baye still regretted that he could not have a deep talk with Mr. Dai.A group of people were drinking, and helped the red and green Yingyan back to the suite, and then the director of auditing turned the topic to serious matters.
The situation on the dam is not very stable. Ba Ye, the head of the audit office said: In the county town, since the Thirteenth Association (Qing Dynasty military system.) bombed the camp (mutiny.) many years ago, it has been relatively calm, but there are many bandits in the four townships. Most of the bandits don’t rob smuggled salt, they only use official salt boats. You have led the anti-smuggling team, and you know the situation on the dam. It's over. This autumn, four salt boats were robbed. The merchants were so anxious that they screamed. The warehouse merchants had no goods to store, and the shore merchants had nothing to do. Unable to pay salaries, complaints are boiling in the private sector, and we are guarding against fleeing bravely every day. We have few guns and lonely power, and we cannot protect salt along the way. It is really embarrassing.
So seat, I don't quite understand what you mean? !Guan Baye said: Logically speaking, there are a lot of defense troops along the road, and they have the responsibility to protect the salt ship!
Hey, forget about those Defenders!The owner of the Sansheng Inn said: These defense forces in Beiyang are all vicious. If they have nothing to do, they will knock people unconscious first!If you want salary, we give salary, you want gun fees, we give gun fees, you need gun fees, we add gun fees, you need ship escort fees, we give boat escort fees, tens of thousands of silver dollars are paid, and left to Mr. Master is betting on his three thousand oceans and three fasts (the term for gambling on Pai Gow, specifically betting on seven, eight, and nine three ideas.)!Think about it, when they were stationed, they used to pay the people's tax to receive the people's food. After eating the people's food, they turned their heads to abuse the people and fight the bandits. How could the banditry not be rampant? !
I still don't understand, Guan Baye said: What do you mean by telling me this?
Let me tell you the truth, Ba Ye.The chief of the police department said in a bit of embarrassment: "The banditry has become like this. Let alone the other people, we can't deal with the group of people newly picked up by Judge Zhu Si alone."He didn't rob the salt boat, but now he is more powerful than the defense army. He wants to take the whole salt market and use it as his duozi kiln!He made a clear plan with the defense army, and the official and private salt will be owned by him for transportation, marketing and tax collection, and the benefits will be divided between each other!In this way, the shippers and the salt office in the salt market will be over.What we mean is that only you, Ba Ye, can hold down a villain like Judgment Zhu Si; in Beidi Wanjialou, you beat him back with just a dozen guns from the Liuhe gang. Money pays for guns, plus your eighth master's reputation, climb up and pull up a militia
Guan Baye smiled and said: The defense army doesn't protect officials, why should I?I can't even protect my private salt.Of course, during the Spring and Autumn Period, Guan Zhongxiangqi strongly advocated the benefits of fishing and salt, boiled the sea into salt, and the salt was owned by the state. Generals, who make the people miserable, are the salt lords all over the rivers and lakes; now I go alone in the rivers and lakes, only protecting private salt and not official salt.Maybe one day, I will take off the head of the fourth judge, but it will never be because of his occupation of the salt market.
Since the eighth master does not want to pull in the militia, of course it is inconvenient for us to strengthen each other. The owner of the humble inn said: "But, but, we are talking behind closed doors. Recently, I heard that the revolutionary army in the south is about to go north, and the militiamen are rising in the Great Lakes." , to occupy the Caohe River (that is, to transport the Salt River, which was called water transportation in the Qing Dynasty). At that time, Ba Ye, you have a deep relationship with that side, and I hope you can support me a lot
您弄岔了，關八爺愕然說：我替老民百姓挑擔子，那是我關某的私事，革命黨遠在天邊，我跟他們向無關係可是真的。革命黨早一天來行仁政，還用得著我替誰進言？
我說八爺，祗怕您還不知大湖澤裏的民軍是誰領的罷？福昌棧的王少東說：他就是您在黑松林開釋的彭老漢彭爺
ah!關八爺祗啊了一聲，緊鎖的眉頭就舒展開來了。彭老漢拉起民軍回應革命黨，這條路算他走對了。本來在北洋軍的暴政之下，橫的豎的都不是人過的日子，你組民團平匪患該對了，可你平不得殘民以逞的北洋兵！你為壩上賣命，祗便宜了這幫紙醉金迷的大腹賈！你單人匹馬去拯民水火，你就是鐵澆的漢子也熬不過官匪雙方的狼牙！彭老漢看得開，他對了。
鹽商們消息夠靈通的，你一言我一語談起大湖澤裏的彭老漢來，說他聚起多少人槍，使蘇皖兩省的防軍不敢靠近湖澤地，說他怎樣活動各地的招安隊炸營投奔他。關八爺這才弄清楚為什麼鹽市上的官商們這樣呵捧著自己，原來他們別有用心。
這樣罷，關八爺沉吟半晌說：你們若依我幾宗事，革命軍來後，我當求彭老漢設法保全你們。頭一宗，鹽務衙門從今要寬待私梟，跟他們合力鏟除朱四判官這股惡匪。二一宗，從今不再替北洋防軍供糧餉，以鹽養壩。這也是諸位自保之道，望諸位三思。鹽河壩有七千多戶定居的人口，加上壩東壩西蘆棚戶的災民，論槍，槍有千條，論人，人有上萬；北地萬家樓，巴掌大一座鎮市，多年來還敢抗北洋，禦匪寇，這兒比萬家樓又如何？等到革命軍來後，官鹽自有法制，老民得能安枕，誰還違法幹私梟？ !
這番言語，轟轟烈烈，堂堂正正，把在座的官商全說得動容了。
關八爺又說：諸位若真聽得進關某的腑肺之言，兄弟，可去一訪戴老爺子，請他老人家出面相助。據兄弟所知，戴老爺子決非像所座所說有名無實，他那幾位高徒的武技，不知比兄弟高過幾倍，祗是當初不肯為北洋所用罷了。
八爺您可甭生氣，稽核所長說：我實在信不過戴旺官那個病老頭兒跟他那伙窩囊徒弟真有什麼了不得的能為？明天住了雪，我陪八爺走走，今晚不耽誤您安歇，我想咱們都該告辭了。
眾人和各堂的姑娘們正待起身，關八爺忽然招呼那個北幫的姑娘說：你請暫留一步，我想跟你談談。待會兒我要親送你回去，我跟你們的老闆毛六是熟人了！
那姑娘沒說什麼，猛可地抖動肩膀哭泣起來，這使正待告辭的賓客又停住了。
看樣子你有了委屈了，王少東說：八爺在這兒，有委屈，你儘管說出來就是了，八爺他會替你作主的。別怕，你說好了！
八爺救我！那姑娘說，再想說什麼，卻被她哭得噎住了。經不得關八爺一再追問，她才斷斷續續的說出她姓柴，她是萬家樓北柴家堡柴二爺的侄女，被朱四判官擄帶出來，賣到毛六手裏的。
sharp!sharp!緝私營長吐舌說：沒想到鹽市上業已有人跟四判官互通聲氣了。轉臉吩咐馬弁說：趕急回去調警衛班，限他們馬上把毛六抓得來！
wait.關八爺說：這兒所有妓院的跟班和姑娘暫時委屈些兒，等歇再走，那邊也暫行緩一緩，不用打草驚蛇，我祗想煩一位路熟的帶帶路，我要親自去抓捕這個毛六我們之間，還有一筆私賬沒了！
我領著八爺去走一趟罷，帶攮子的老曹在門外說：我最熟悉毛六那堂子的前後門路。
儘管在寒冬大雪的夜晚，鹽市的長街上仍然是熱鬧得很。太平碼頭，楊家碼頭，三盛碼頭，公茂碼頭，張家碼頭，高高的鐵架上交射著巨大的孔明燈。封河季之前，新到的運鹽船在黃昏時靠泊，成千上百的運夫和扛手冒著風雪，趕夜駁鹽進棧，那些運夫們豁開短襖，高捲起褲管，頸上圍著白巾，肩上墊著麻袋，成群結隊，像螞蟻般的扛著鹽包，把一路的白雪踐踏出一條條的黑印；為了排除長時工作的寂寞，運夫們結隊抬鹽時，吭聲的叫著號子：
Ouch!吼唷，
哎裏！嗨喲！嗨呀呵！
各碼頭的號子聲有時綰結著，有時此起彼落的呼應著，那種勞動著的生命裏瀉出的粗宏嘹喨的聲音，搖撼著這座鎮市，音波一直蕩出街梢。
正街的酒坊，茶樓和懸燈籠的澡堂兒，也都是燈火輝煌，人群川流不息；楊家碼頭東的丁字路口，兩顆粗可合抱的大白果樹後，是鹽市上最熱鬧的大王廟，大王廟的夜市並沒因大雪紛飛而稍顯冷落。
那座寬大的廟宇兩邊的廊房，幾乎全被走江湖的民間藝人分佔著，形成了許多室內的場子；東廊北端，廊柱上貼著名滿各地的洋琴書家老喻父女長駐大王廟書場。南端卻是專說七俠五義的鐵嘴謝君堂。西廊房有一半是江淮膏店（即鴉片煙鋪兒。），另一半是薛二先生論詩韻的場子；正殿上有耍小把戲的，拉洋片的，設賭局的，沿著白果樹周圍的圓形茅棚裏，麇集著各式的小吃擔子，賣胡椒辣湯的，賣熏燒捆蹄的，賣元宵餛吞的，買野兔肉的，每個擔子的擔頭上全掛著六角的玻璃燈，照亮了方場上舞動的雪片。
這座湧動著人群的、雜耍、說書的場子，是鹽市上消閒的好去處，各鹽棧的師爺，門傍，做零碎買賣的駝客（以騾、驢運鹽的小規模轉運商。），岸商門裏的經手、消閒慣了鎮民，天一落黑就端著茶壺，套著手筒匯聚到這兒來消磨長夜；除了對詩韻，聽說書，躺煙榻之外，江淮膏店裏還設得有好些檯面，供人叉麻雀，鬥葉子，或者品茶聊天什麼的。
江淮膏店外邊的一處迴廊底下，本是一個耍黃雀戲的老頭兒的攤子，今夜卻換了個搖骰子帶押寶的，那人把長招靠在朱漆廊柱上，上面寫的是一付對子，上聯是：馬五瞎子設賭局下聯是：濟公和尚也輸錢！
嘿，好大的口氣！
一個不服氣的下了注，立刻就有幾個跟上來了！那個馬五瞎子年紀並不大，也不過卅來歲的樣子，剃著個平頭，亂髮根根直豎著，頂得那頂滿是破洞的缺邊銅盆帽兒歪到一邊耳朵上去了，精瘦的一張臉，髒得像一塊沒經搓洗的抹布，左眼看起來並不瞎，右眼上卻貼了塊紅布的膏藥。
搖骰子原是個簡單的玩意兒，三粒骰子放在搖碗裏，一張白紙兩邊寫著大小，押的人掏出一把銅子兒，捏幾文隨意放在大上或者小上，搖骰子的馬五瞎子伸手抓起搖碗，搖幾下掀開碗蓋，九點以上為大，以下為小；這種玩藝兒，平常大王廟也是有的，賭的人並不多，不過，馬五瞎子這付對聯可真激起不少人的好奇心，明明不賭，也湊過來扔兩個銅子下下注兒，瞧瞧這馬五瞎子究竟有啥能耐？竟敢誇這種海口？ !
誰知馬五瞎子硬是有些邪門兒，檯面押大的錢多，他就搖出小來，檯面上押小的錢多，他就搖出大來，正贏得不亦樂乎，忽然來了個穿黑長衫，歪戴禮帽的漢子，擠到馬五瞎子身後，輕輕扯了他一把，馬五瞎子回過頭，一面嚷著：押呀押呀，來來來！押大？還是押小？一面低聲說：啥事？六爺？
老相好的來了，那個說：我欠他幾文舊債，不好對面，得避上一避。你留著陪他玩兩招兒罷。九爺在橋船口。我走了！
舊債我替您還，六爺，馬五瞎子拍著胸脯說：您瞧，我發了利市了，點子順得很。單望一順到底！
穿黑長衫的那個拎著小藤箱兒朝外走，一個矮矮的粗漢喝醉了酒，走路兩腿打晃，從橫裏直撞到那人身上，那人倒沒說什麼，醉鬼卻咧嘴罵開來了：我操它祖奶奶，鹽市這些傢伙怎麼這等的欺負外碼頭？老是使肩膀抗我！
算了，石二，大狗熊拎著半壺酒說：他能抗你腦袋，你就抗他腰眼，誰也佔不著便宜，對吧？老老潘。
您兩位爺要我陪著逛逛不要緊，老潘吱出一口金牙說：可不能在壩上鬧事，弄出紕漏來，我跟八爺和老闆兩方面全不好交代。咱們聽洋琴去罷，你們聽聽老喻閨女那種七個彎八個轉的調兒。
你放一百廿個心，大狗熊捲著舌頭，甭說這點兒酒，再開兩罈子也醉不倒我祗是矮鬼道行淺，三壺灌的他頭朝上了，迷裏馬虎亂晃盪，你多留神照顧他一點倒是真的！
我說他媽的大狗熊，你他媽甭門縫看人好不好？ !石二矮子反嘲說：真要較較酒量，不知誰他媽先躺在那兒了呢？
大狗熊拍拍鼓凸凸的肚皮，笑說：矮鬼，你瞧瞧，我這肚皮能把你的人全揣在裏頭，你不自量力，還想跟我較酒量嗎？
走，咱們找地方再喝去！石二矮子原想扯住大狗熊，打一個踉蹌撲過來，誰知竟醉眼昏花的扯住一個叨著菸捲兒，衣著入時的女混混兒身上的衣角，拖得她驚惶失措，走，甭光硬在嘴頭兒上！聽什麼鳥洋琴，咱們較酒去！
去你的，醉鬼！砍千刀殺頭的，頂炮子兒害汗病生大頭瘟的！那個女混混兒嘴頭上也是個不饒人的，一推一搡，把石二矮子搡了個仰八叉，猶自指著他跺腳罵說：你存心在你姑奶奶身上佔便宜？你家祖宗八代的老墳沒葬對地方沒那種好風水！你也沒溺泡溺照照你那影子活脫武大郎再世！你灌多了黃湯，喝多了貓尿，你就施瘋作邪裝貓變狗想在你姑奶奶頭上動土？ !你這綠了眼迷了心昏了頭的短命鬼！你這混帳王八狗雜種
那個女混混兒一罵開頭，比王婆罵街更要粗鄙，簡直像唸一篇村野大全，她跺著腳理著手這麼一罵，把前殿的人群都引來了。
虧得老潘在鹽市上熟人多，看她罵得不像樣兒了，不得不上來拉彎兒說：得了，姑奶奶，你是個清醒人，甭跟醉漢一般見識，再說，他是壩上的賓客，並不是存心怎麼怎麼的，省一句也就算了！
老潘沒出面時，人堆裏原有幾個青皮二流子（即流氓。），存心想打落水狗，揎拳抹袖想幫著那個女混混兒，結結實實把石二矮子收拾一頓，一見老潘出面，就都不聲不響的散了。而石二矮子，卻當作沒事人，被罵得笑眯眯的說：我的兒！這一頓罵得過癮，真比他媽的唱唱還要好聽！罵得老子十萬八千根毛孔都開了！可真是呃呃真他媽的長了不少見識！
三個人搭著肩膀去聽洋琴，那屋裏煙霧沉沉的，業已擠滿了人，連找個位子泡盞茶的地方全沒有。三個歪靠在牆上，石二矮子的酒發作了，隔著煙霧望著那個打琴唱唱的梳辮子的大閨女，那個白俏俏的頭都變成雙的，一會兒蓬有笆斗大，一會兒又小成銅錢大了。而叮叮的擊琴聲像一塊浮雲似的把人托著朝上升、朝上升。
那閨女巧舌翻花急速的唱著一段快板：
轟隆隆隆隆，那紫金城外炮聲響！
通通通通！紫金城外迎官的大炮響九聲，
眾明公若問來了哪一位？
他可就是千歲三劉隆！
在前面，嘩啦啦啦跑開了八八六十四匹對子馬
馬背上一半穿綠半穿紅對對板子
對對棍，對對宮燈對對繩，
金爪月斧朝天鐙，半朝的鑾駕在後頭跟。
緊接著抬過來一輛八托的綠呢轎
轎裏邊坐著個官員好不威風
石二矮子暈暈脹脹的聽了一會兒，悶得透不過氣，解開襟前的鈕扣兒，吐了口氣說：外面站站去，這玩意酸不溜雞的沒啥好聽！說著就先自歪晃出來，正巧轉到馬五瞎子的賭局前面。
那馬五瞎子正贏得起勁，因為輸了錢的不肯走，賴著想撈本，誰知全都是癩蛤蟆掏井越撈越深。迴廊的賭局前擠了一大簇兒人，把馬五瞎子那個賭檯擠得亂搖亂晃。
這一次押注兒的人很多，多半是押大，馬五瞎子面前的銅子兒銀洋贏了一大堆，正蓋上搖碗蓋兒，準備搖出點子來，忽然看見來了三個漢子把人群撥開，伸進頭來，其中一個酒氣醺醺的說：操它的，這賭的是啥玩意兒？老子也押它一注兒試試運氣如何？
想輸你就來！旁邊有人快嘴說：這個馬五瞎子邪得很！你沒見著長招上那付聯子？他說是！馬五瞎子設賭局，濟公和尚也輸錢呢！
邪有邪運，他在運頭上，你拿他有什麼辦法？ !另一個吐了口痰說：我每回押五個子兒，兩吊錢全輸掉了，竟沒贏過一回。
咦，他奶奶個孫兒的，我石二矮子偏不信邪，沒這回事兒！石二矮子擠進來瞅著馬五瞎子說：你號稱馬五瞎子，我看你該叫馬五獨眼，你並不瞎嘛！
我是個以賭為生，沒喝過墨水的睜眼大瞎子！馬五瞎子笑說：怎樣？老哥，有興趣押一注兒嗎？話沒說完，對方已把一塊龍洋噹啷一聲摜在檯子上了。
押大？還是押小？
我他媽押個不大不小。Shorty Shi Er said.
您是說笑話？我這是在設賭局。馬五瞎子耐住性子說：您可甭拿我消遣，沒人押什麼不大不小的。咱們都是在世面上混的，何必呢？
別酸，石二矮子說：我的意思是五角大洋押大，五角大洋押小，一輩子你也贏不去這塊洋錢。你說我比濟公和尚如何？
您要是捨不得賭，就算了，還是留著您這塊洋錢壓口袋罷，馬五瞎子不甚樂意說：每回不輸不贏，有啥意思呢？
慢點！正當馬五瞎子要搖碗時，石二矮子一伸手，把馬五瞎子那隻手背給壓住了：讓我來瞧瞧你這骰子裏頭有鬼沒有鬼？你想裝鉛騙人可不成，當心我砸扁你的腦袋！
你這是存心消遣我！馬五瞎子怒勃勃的摜下臉來說：要是沒裝鉛，你待怎講？ !
沒裝鉛是應該的。石二矮子朝一圈兒下注的人擠眼說：裝鉛不裝鉛，我查看查看總不犯法呀！
good!馬五瞎子無可奈何的苦笑說：我今晚上算是遇上鬼了！說完話，掀開碗蓋來，把搖碗推到石二矮子面前，擺出恁他查看的樣子。
誰知石二矮子竟是這麼一種查看法兒把骰子塞在嘴裏，像狗啃骨頭似的，咯崩、咯崩，全咬成了兩半兒，咬完了一看說：有你的，馬五，我擔保你設賭局沒玩鬼，你們大夥兒全看著了，他是貨真價實沒裝鉛！
馬五瞎子原已叫石二矮子作弄得冒火的，一聽這番奉承，又變成哭笑不得了，攤開兩手說：矮爺，您這一查看不要緊，把我一付大骰子硬糟蹋掉了，我又沒準備另一付骰子，眼看賭不成了。
你不是搖骰子帶押寶嗎？石二矮說：咱們換換口味，改成押寶就是了！我恁情把褲子全輸給你，光著屁股進窯子省他媽的多費一番手續，還不成嗎？
您有多少錢輸？馬五瞎子說：押寶可不比搖骰兒，檯面要大些。
哪怕我就是這一塊壓口袋的錢呢，你也得先贏去了再說，石二矮子說：論賭寶，你邪？我比你更邪！說不定我就憑這一塊錢把你剝光呢！來，你裝寶罷！你寶裝出來我就押了！
好，裝寶就裝寶好，寶來了！馬五瞎子把寶盒兒裝出來壓在一塊黑絨布底下，開始唱各家下注的碼子：好，您單撐三文，您紅槓五角，您黑槓一文小意思，您攘么沖么全是么，您矮爺，你怎樣？
石二矮子把一塊銀洋壓在四上說：我他媽沖四加翻，沖著一塊你賠六塊，沖不著你拿我兩塊錢！
馬五瞎子一亮寶，可不正是個黑四坐在寶盒裏；馬五瞎子吃了旁的門上幾個銅子兒，卻淨賠了石二矮子六塊響鐺鐺的大洋，石二矮子收了錢，樂得見牙不見眼，拍手打掌說：怎樣？馬五，你那招牌甭亮了，牛皮也算吹炸了！輸錢的是假濟公，可不是真活佛，你遇著我這活佛的徒弟就招架不了啦。
嘿嘿嘿，馬五瞎子強笑說：我這是欲擒故縱，您也甭神氣，人沒離賭檯，贏了也不是你的，帶走了才算有本事呢！好，寶來，寶又來了！
這一回馬五瞎子亮出寶來時，原先那些老輸家都不搶著押了，一個個把錢捏在手裏等著石二矮子。石二矮子把贏來的六塊大洋加上原先那塊老本，一疊兒全押在三上，笑說：獨沖三，要不是三，我連腦袋全賠上。你以為我不知道你玩的是黑虎下山？ !
Have!咱們也跟著沖三！
靠靠這位矮爺的運氣
這一寶，石二矮子一押三，大夥兒全跟著沖三，估量三字門上的零碎碼兒，總也有好幾吊錢。馬五瞎子沉住氣掀開寶盒兒，盒裏赫然坐著個紅三。不用說，馬五瞎子統賠，把辛辛苦苦贏得的那一堆，全都賠光了；石二矮子摟了一衣兜還不知足，連問對方還想輸不想輸？
走罷，矮鬼，輸酒量你請客，大狗熊說：你當真還想讓這位瞎哥脫褲子？ !
噯，慢點兒走，馬五瞎子叫說：我這兒還有筆錢，要贏你一併兒拿去！
一大疊兒銀洋的光閃刺著石二矮子的眼，使他晃盪了幾步又拐將回來，吐了口口水搓著手。
慢走一步，大狗熊，他說：等我一併拿了他這一疊兒，我他媽請你上酒樓，扳著酒甕喝都成！
我算是豁著輸了，馬五瞎子掂著一塊銀洋敲打著那一疊兒銀洋說：看來你是個老賭寶的行家！
嘿，你奉承得受用！石二矮子搖頭晃腦，得意洋洋的說：走遍北道管打聽，六合幫的石二爺賭起寶來，誰他媽從我手裏扣走半個銅子兒去沒有？我是管贏不管輸！出了名兒的。
失敬失敬，我實在沒聽說過。馬五瞎子說：照您這一說，我這一疊兒錢該跟您單賭，也好討教兩招兒。說完話，轉朝眾人作了個揖說：對不住諸位爺們，我馬五瞎子真是瞎了眼，當著高手面前賣狂言，砸了攤子獻了醜了！這得重新拜師，跟這位矮爺討教，收攤子不賭了。
等眾人散後，馬五瞎子不慌不忙的裝上一寶，使黑絨布覆好，笑眯眯的說：矮爺，我這是末後一著兒回馬槍，賭你那衣兜裏所有的錢，你若真心賭，就押上來罷！
我怎麼不押來？矮子把衣兜一傾，一大堆銅子兒銀洋全堆在四這一門子上，歪著嘴說：我獨沖四；我知你開的是四！拿錢來罷。
馬五瞎子這回並不亮寶，卻把寶盒兒推至石二矮子面前，逕自摟錢到錢袋裏，把錢袋繫到腰眼的絛子上去了。石二矮子一急，忙著掀開寶盒蓋兒，這回寶盒裏卻坐著一個連神仙也猜不著的點字五。
你你你你你！你他媽寶開五算啥玩意兒？石二矮子說：世上我沒聽說寶開五的？
馬五瞎子也不理會，直管朝外走。
你喝多了，我的寶明明開的是么！
five!我他媽兩隻眼全看的是五？拿錢來！
你喝醉了，馬五瞎子說：你能說你沒醉？
你開的是五。石二矮子說：你能說不是五？
誰見著來？連你那站在廟門口的朋友也沒見著。就是打官司，你也找不著證人。
石二矮子猛的揮出去一拳，沒打著人，卻打在前殿邊的一支廊柱上，叫說：大狗熊，甭讓這瞎子走掉，他騙了我的錢！
我沒走，他祗聽見耳邊有聲音說：我馬五瞎子算倒楣，收攤子了，還得服侍你這醉鬼你們兩位幫一把，他輸了寶，卻栽賴我寶開五，你們說，在鹽市上，我要是寶開五，存心行騙，我還要腦袋不？
你甭跟他囉嗦，他媽的大狗熊竟也幫著馬五瞎子說起話來了：咱們這位矮鬼一喝多了就是這個樣兒。在萬家樓，咱們幫人打土匪，這小子好心沒好報，就因為喝迷糊了，拿腦袋啃人家錫酒壺，被人錯當是土匪，四馬攢蹄捆在樹上。
石二矮子光落個心裏明白卻毫無用處，老酒一發上來，那勁頭兒真足，手腳全逐漸打軟了，兩眼望著人頭，人頭是一串兒浮泡，嚕嚕的朝上翻升，兩眼望燈火，燈火是一串兒光塔，一層層的疊