I Am Xianfan

　　 The Su River is like a mirror, reflecting the green mountains and beautiful waters on both sides of the bank. The blue waves rippled, rippling with yellow reeds.

　　 A small raft is heading along the river to the direction of Gusu County. On the way, I occasionally see a quiet rural village. In the twelfth month of winter, the fields of Qianli are freezing and bleak.

　　 Su Chen felt hungry and ate the remaining half of the coarse grains, barely cushioning his stomach. When you are thirsty, use your little hands to scoop two handfuls of piercing cold water in the river, warm it up in your mouth, and then swallow it into your abdomen to quench your thirst.

　　 It doesn’t matter if the bamboo pole is tired, so take a rest and continue on the road. Just don't let the raft float ashore or hit another boat. This waterway, Su Chen used to walk often, very familiar.

　　 After a few hours, it gradually became prosperous along the way. At about noon, Su Chen took a small bamboo raft to the Ximen Pier in Gusu County.

　　 Ximen Wharf at noon, with large and small cargo ships and fishing boats moored everywhere, it is extremely bustling and lively.

Su Chen didn’t know much about Gusu County. He just listened to the fishermen and adults chatting after eating and fishing. He knew that Gusu County was the largest among the 13 counties in Wu County. It has a vast area of ​​thousands of miles and lives in the city. With 100,000 households, it is second to none in Wu County.

　　 Because of the extremely developed waterways and canals, Gusu County is the river transportation hub of the 13 counties in Wu County. Many fishing boats from neighboring counties and rural towns, and even large merchant ships from the north to the south and from the southern counties to the north, often berth at the wharf outside Gusu County for cargo shipment.

　　 Even in the twelfth lunar month of winter and the cold weather, Gusu County is still very busy. Many people from the county and foreign counties arrive at the Xichengmen Wharf by merchant ships.

　　There are hurried businessmen with a baggage look, gangsters with arrogance at the waist and a knife, and various opera juggling craftsmen.

　　Other fishermen who sell fish, farmers who sell melons, fruits and vegetables, woodcutter who sell firewood, hunters who sell rare and wild game, and shopkeepers who carry goods and go through the streets, there is a constant exchange.

　　 There is a stone maple bridge outside the west city gate, and there are many vendors at the pier beside the west city gate, forming a market outside the west city gate.

　　From the pier next to the stone bridge, you can see a thousand-year-old temple not far away, the famous Hanshan Taoist temple in Gusu County.

　　 Numerous coolie porters with poles stood at the berth beside the stone bridge before dawn, bowed their waists, waiting for the cargo ship to dock and unload, so that they could do heavy work.

　　 The bearers and porters not far away stared at the passenger ships eagerly, waiting for the rich families to take the sedan chair.

　　 Su Chen paddled the small bamboo raft for a long time. His hands and feet were already weak. He was overjoyed when he saw the slate-maple bridge in front of him.

　　 "Savory steamed buns, steaming steamed buns~! A penny and a cage are full!"

　　 "Come and taste it, good fresh fruits, just picked from the ground!"

　　 "The best dry firewood, five cents and a load!"

　　 At the Ximen Market, there are breakfast stalls selling steamed buns, hot soy milk, sweet-scented osmanthus cakes, fishermen who sell fish, farmers who have picked up vegetables and fruits, and woodcutters who sell firewood, all shouting and chanting here.

　　 Su Chen walked on the dock, looking around, his childish face was filled with hesitation.

　　 He finally made up his mind to run away from home, planning to find a job in the county to support himself. But when he arrived outside the bustling West Gate, he was flustered and didn't know where to find work.

　　 He has no relatives in Gusu County to go to, and he only recognizes A Chou, a good brother in Tianying Inn. But A Chou, who is also the miscellaneous boy in the inn, had a very difficult life, not much better than him.

　　 He didn't want to hurt Ah Chou, he just thought about finding a job in the county seat, and relying on his own strength to support himself.

　　 Su Chen walked for a while, passing by a vendor at the pier, saw a steaming basket of coarse grain steamed buns steaming on the steamer, and couldn't help but "grunt" and swallowed a few drools.

　　 He licked his lips and touched his hungry belly, really wanting to buy a few big white steamed buns to eat.

　　 Coarse grain steamed buns cost a penny and a cage, which is not particularly expensive.

　　 But when I touched my waist, I remembered that I had left my little money bag in the old fishing boat. I didn't have a penny on my body and couldn't afford it.

　　 The half of the cold and hard Wowotou I brought from home had already been eaten on the way.

　　 Su Chen felt a little worried about his deflated belly.

　　 I grew up in the Huhe of Zhouzhuang Water Town, and only knows how to fish for shrimp in the river. Leaving the water and coming to this prosperous Gusu county, I don't know how to make money to fill my stomach.

　　 "You have to find chores here as soon as possible and earn money in order to settle down in the county seat."

　　 Su Chen thought anxiously, walking around the Ximen market, ran to the liquor store, butcher pork shop, tea shop and other vendors along the street looking for work everywhere, but there was nowhere to ask him.

　　 The vendors either think he is too young, or they think he is weak and difficult to use.

　　 Su Chen touched his gray nose and looked frustrated.

　　 Unexpectedly, it would be so difficult to find a helper in this lively Ximen market. He hadn't eaten for most of the day, and his hungry body became weak, and he would starve to death on the street in less than two or three days.

　　 "A big ship is coming~ I'm alive!"

　　 The porters on the shore of Ximen Wharf suddenly became lively.

　　 Su Chen was walking around in sorrow, and when he heard the noise, he looked up in amazement.

　　 At this time, I saw a large rice-carrying ship approaching the shore slowly, stopping at a berth near the stone bridge.

　　 Su Chen was surprised.

　　 For such a big rice boat, there must be a lot of rice to be transported, so it needs a lot of manpower!

　　 He saw a black-faced porter leader, and many porter men eagerly waiting for the big cargo ship to dock at the pier.

　　 "I! Brother porter, I can also move goods, count as one!"

　　 Su Chen hurriedly ran over, picking the boss from the black face, and begging for a job. If you want to work at the dock, you must follow the foreman to have a bowl of food.

　　 On the dock, the porters suddenly laughed, "I haven't seen so many mouths, are you all waiting!"

　　 "Go, where's the little furry boy to make trouble!"

　　 The black-faced boss watched the thin and fragile Su Chen desperately digging into the people, the first hand lifted him out of the crowd, and waved his hand in disgust to make Su Chen hurried away.

　　 Any porter under his staff can carry at least one or two hundred catties. This kid has thin arms and legs, and can't carry dozens of catties.

　　Furthermore, there are many people living in the cold winter, and there is no shortage of manpower at Ximen Wharf.

　　Any move can recruit dozens of men hungry and waiting for work. There are a few families behind them to support, how can they recruit children to do this kind of heavy work.

　　 Su Chen couldn't help sweating profusely. If he couldn't make money and couldn't buy steamed buns, he would starve to death in the county seat.

　　 At this time, a middle-aged wealthy businessman wearing a leather jacket walked out of the cabin of the large cargo ship, followed by a rather expensive woman, holding a delicate young lady in hand, and disembarked from the wooden pedal.

　　 The three of them are dressed in rich and luxurious clothes, which are completely different from the many civilian walkers on the dock, and they are full of richness and exquisiteness.

　　 Immediately behind the middle-aged rich businessman, there were more than a dozen housekeepers and servants holding sticks, and several old women with bags.

　　 This is obviously a wealthy elder family in the county seat, with groups of servants and servants.

The rich lady was about eleven or twelve years old, but she was already the child of a little beauty. She was wrapped in a thick and gorgeous fur coat, with red lips and white teeth, and her pretty face blew in the cold wind, red and pitiful. .

　　 Su Chen was taken aback, and quickly stepped aside, not daring to stand in the way of the rich businessman, his wife, and the others.

　　Miss Fu Jiajiao got off the boat, and happened to see Su Chen's sweaty head jumping up and down, panicking like a little monkey, and she couldn't help but "pouch" and smiled like a flower.

　　 But soon, she realized the disparity in status, raised her face and snorted coldly, showing a dismissive contempt towards Su Chen on her small face.

　　 Su Chen was scorned by the young lady's eyes, a little ashamed, and stepped back a bit, his head down like a fire, and he didn't dare to look more.

　　 The black-faced porter waiting on the shore of the wharf recognized this as a rich businessman from the Li family who had several rice shops in Gusu County. He should have returned from the township of the county.

　　 "Oh, Master Li, your old rice vendor is back, business is prosperous, and everything goes smoothly on the road?!"

　　 The black-faced porter hurried forward and bowed his hands to flatter and please the rich merchant in the rice shop, hoping to get a job to move rice.

　　 "Well, these years have been difficult, and the county is full of bandits who have fallen in the grass. The old man went to the town to transport a ship of rice, and he also took a dozen family guards to protect the boat. It is also very scary to walk this way!"

　　 The rich businessman of the Li family shook his head and walked off the boat, familiar with the black-faced porter.

　　 "It's good for Master Li to come back safely. When he arrives at the county seat, he will be safe. There are officials guarding him, and the water bandits and gangsters dare not approach the county seat. After this cold winter, the thieves starve to death, and it is estimated that they will disappear.

"Guanchai? Alas! It's better not to meet them. No more, don't talk about it. Old black head, you take some people to transport rice to the city's Li's rice warehouse. My master will also go to Hanshan Taoist temple to see a few plants. Xiang, do something!"

　　 The rich businessman of the Li family carried his hands on his back, and ordered a few words to let the black-faced porter lead someone to move a ship of rice back to the warehouse in the city.

　　 "Okay, thank you, Master Li!"

　　 The black-faced porter was overjoyed, nodded and bowed, and hurriedly turned around and shouted at the porters to work, "Brothers, Mr. Li, enjoy the food and eat, and the big guys work faster."

　　All the porters immediately rushed forward with joy, picking rice, picking rice, and moving goods. You can earn a few days' worth of food this time.

　　...

　　 Although the rich businessman of the Li family escorted a ship of meters and returned safely to Gusu County, his expression was still worried.

　　 He goes out to buy rice all the year round and walks around the rivers and lakes. Naturally, he knows that the outside of Gusu County is getting more and more uneven.

　　 In the past two decades, there have been many disasters in Wu Jun. There have also been more refugees and thieves who have fallen into the grass. They have formed gangs and robbed houses.

　　Only the five big gangs in Wu Jun, armed with force, dare to ignore these refugees.

　　 The powerful squires of the thirteen counties of Wujun have attached themselves to the five gangs in order to protect themselves. The forces of these arena gangs are also becoming stronger and stronger, helping the disciples in thousands and tens of thousands of people, rampaging all counties and rural areas.

　　So that the prefect of Wu County and the county magistrates often rely on these gangs to come forward to solve many difficult things in the county.

　　 However, these are not things that Li's wealthy businessmen need to worry about.

　　 There is another sorrow in Li's rich businessman's heart.

　　 Over the years, he has been painstakingly operating several large rice shops in the county town. Taking advantage of the disasters and famines in Wu County, he has been hoarding, buying low and selling food at high prices, earning a lot of money and accumulating a rich family business.

　　 But after more than ten years of marrying a wife and taking a concubine, he has never had any heirs, and even a few concubines have been married.

　　 Finally the third concubine gave birth to a baby girl like Li Jiao for him. It happened that his daughter was spoiled, weak in physique, often caught cold and sick, and never got better after taking medicine, which made him feel anxious.

　　 He wondered whether to send her to the Jianghu gang to apprentice and learn art. Martial arts can strengthen the body and break the root of the disease.

　　 Besides, in recent years, the gangs in the rivers and lakes have become bigger and bigger, and they are more promising than their own rice shops.

Don’t look at him. Li’s family has several rice shops in Gusu County. They have accumulated a wealth of wealth through decades of business. The family also has more than a dozen householders, servants and old women, but they are better than ordinary people. In Gusu The status of the county is not high.

　　A few officials can dominate in front of him.

　　He usually carries rice and grain by cargo ships. If he encounters extortion by people in the gang, he is even more frightened and often vomits blood to show respect.

　　 If my daughter can join the big gang of Jianghu, there will be a better way out in the future, and it will definitely be better than running a few rice shops. In the future, the daughter developed, and few people in Gusu County dared to bully him as a rice merchant.

"Madam, how about sending Jiao'er to the Jianghu gang to experience it? I have been thinking about it for a long time these days. The Yaowang Gang, one of the four major gangs in Wu Jun, is not wrong, with great wealth, and good reputation in curing diseases. Good. The Yaowang Gang recruits a small number of inner disciples and a group of outer disciples every year in the twelfth lunar month. It is exactly these few days."

　　 The rich businessman of the Li family pondered, and said to the lady.

The lady's face changed slightly, and she didn't want her daughter to take risks on the rivers and lakes: "Master, our family is also a wealthy family in the county. There are several rice shops, so I don’t have to worry about the cost of food and clothing. Let’s just be the only daughter, the rivers and lakes. Kill and kill, in case there is a mistake...!"

"You women and women, patronize the past few years and live a good life. Now the outside world is chaotic, and the yamen's words are no use. If there is no backing, our family's life in ten years will be difficult. I will be the master of this matter. Jiao'er , Dad will find someone to give gifts to Tuomenlu, and send you to the Yaowang Gang to be an inner disciple!"

　　 The rich businessman of the Li family is determined, and is ready to take out a wealth of possessions he has accumulated over the years to accomplish this.

　　 Jianghu gangs are divided into inner disciples and outer disciples.

　　Inner disciples have a higher starting point than outer disciples, and they are more hopeful to become middle and high-level gangs in the future.

　　 He wants to use the money he has earned over the years to pave the way for his daughter and become an inner disciple of the big gang. He also has a good future.

　　 "But sir, our family has never socialized with people from the rivers and lakes, where's the way?"

"The Hanshan real person of the Hanshan Taoist Temple is the first layman in the thirteen counties of Wujun. He is kind and generous and has a high reputation. He is admired by the government, the people and the people of the world. UU reading www.uukanshu.com if he can beg him It must be no problem to come forward. But real people often travel around, and the dragons see the beginning and the end.

　　 Fortunately, the real man’s first apprentice Qinghe Daochang is in Taoist temple on weekdays, and he has a wide network in Gusu County, knows the top gangs, and he is enthusiastic. I prepared a generous gift, and begged him, let him match the bridge, this thing can be done. "

　　 The rich businessman of the Li family tightened his thick leather jacket, took the girl who was infected with the wind and cold, recruited a big sedan chair carried by four people, and got into the sedan chair with the lady.

　　 Surrounded by many servants and old mothers, several sedan chairmen carried the big sedan chair and swayed towards the west gate of Gusu County.

　　 Not far from the west gate of the county seat is the Hanshan Taoist Temple.

　　 The rich merchant of Li family left two relatives staring at Yunmi, and took the ladies, girls, and a group of servants and servants into the Hanshan Taoist Temple, asking to see the long path of Qinghe.

　　...

　　 Su Chen has been at the dock, burning his eyebrows anxiously, seeing a group of porters have work to do, but he is hungry and can't pick up work.

　　 He overheard the words of the rich businessman and lady of the Li family when they left.

　　 He didn't take those words to heart, so he noticed one sentence, "The Medicine King Gang recruits a group of new disciples every year in the twelfth lunar month!"

　　 This made Su Chen's heart bang.

　　 The Medicine King Gang wants to recruit apprentices?

　　 I don’t know what the conditions are for this trick. Can a fisherman like him be a gang disciple?

　　 But these are just thoughts that flashed through Su Chen's mind.

　　 The far water does not quench the near thirst, and the meal tonight has not yet settled.

　　 Su Chen was looking for a job at Ximen Pier for half a day, and he was already grumbled with hunger. Seeing that the sun was westward, it was already in the afternoon, so he could only go to Gusu County to try his luck and try his best to fill his stomach.