Chapter 197: Stranger

Luting County is becoming more and more prosperous.

On the one hand, the imperial court exempted most of the taxes in Luting County and abolished the government of Luting County. The location advantage of Luting County close to the capital began to expand, and merchants from all over the world came to hear the news.

On the one hand, in order to win over Yang Ge, the "Central God" who was sitting more and more firmly on the throne of the world, various sects in the rivers and lakes secretly sent disciples to Luting County to open martial arts halls to support Yang Ge.

On the other hand, it was widely rumored that "Xiansheng Zhenjun" Yang Erlang personally sat in Luting County. The people in Luting County were simple and honest, and no one picked up things on the road, and no official family took bribes... It attracted countless wealthy families to come to Luting County to buy property and settle down.

With the joint efforts of many parties, the economic development in Luting County can be said to be changing with each passing day.

Every day outside the city gate, wealthy families who favored Yang Ge gave out porridge, and every day on the street, newly opened lion dance teams paraded in the streets.

Countless old and dilapidated houses were demolished, and magnificent buildings rose from the ground. For the first time, the phrase "every inch of land is worth a lot of money" appeared in the streets and alleys of Luting...

In early August, sixteen big merchants jointly submitted an application for city expansion to the Shangyousuo Yamen of Xiuyiwei, which was in charge of Luting's military and political security, saying that they could bear all the expenses of city expansion and only asked the government to allocate them a piece of land for property.

Fang Ke came to ask Yang Ge's opinion. After careful consideration for a long time, Yang Ge agreed to the city expansion application of the merchants, but also put forward two conditions:

First, the manpower for the city expansion project should be recruited from the people of Luting first.

Second, how many jobs should these merchants provide for the people of Luting after they land in Luting.

After Fang Ke conveyed the conditions offered by Yang Ge to the sixteen big merchants, the sixteen big merchants were... ecstatic!

Are these two conditions harsh?

In a sense...harsh!

But compared with the officials in other places who wanted to pick up a knife and put them into their own plates...

They had never seen such a kind, kind... even weak local government!

So, the city expansion project was launched silently.

There were no exciting speeches, no vigorous cutting, and even no decent groundbreaking ceremony.

On an ordinary morning, the people entering and leaving the East Gate found that there were countless workers hammering on the city wall.

On an ordinary afternoon, the people of Luting suddenly found countless recruitment notices on the streets and alleys, and the conditions were so generous that it seemed like a scam!

By the Mid-Autumn Festival, Fang Ke finally broke through the checkpoints and lifted the curfew that Yang Ge had been talking about for a long time...

Luting took off directly on the spot!

All kinds of night markets appeared on the streets and alleys, and the night market gathering points marked on the right were as lively as temple fairs every night.

Various colorful activities and delicious food attracted countless tourists to linger there...

Public security?

The famous bandits all knew to avoid Luting County.

And how could ordinary petty thieves be a match for the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

In today's Luting County.

No matter what time or where, as long as someone shouts for help, someone will arrive within thirty breaths!

If the people who go there are the Luting constables headed by Hu Qiang, that's the fate of the stupid thief who committed the crime. It's hard to say how to punish him, but he won't lose his life.

If the people who go there are the Embroidered Uniform Warriors wearing embroidered clothes and hanging oxtail knives on their waists, the stupid thief who committed the crime will be in trouble. At the very least, he will be exiled to Lingnan.

By the beginning of September, the wind from Luting blew back into the capital.

In the past, only the rich people in Luting went to the capital to play during the New Year and festivals.

After that, it became the rich people in the capital who came to Luting to play during the New Year and festivals.

…

Early September, Cold Dew Festival.

After the inn closed, Yang Ge led the shameless little tail Zhao Zhu to visit the Nancheng Night Market.

Before entering the night market, a complex aroma of food hit her face...

Zhao Zhu exclaimed "Wow", left Yang Ge and rushed into the night market, looking around and smelling.

After a while, her hands were full of various snacks, and she took a bite on the left and right, her cheeks bulging like a squirrel eating hazelnuts.

"This is delicious, second brother, you try it."

"This is also delicious, second brother, you try it too."

She kept stuffing various snacks into Yang Ge's hands. This Zhu was usually as stingy as her stingy father, but she was always generous in sharing food.

Yang Ge followed behind her, holding the various snacks she stuffed in his hands, and his eyes swept across the strings of bright and colorful lanterns. In a trance, it seemed as if he had walked into a gorgeous neon again.

Suddenly, he stopped and sniffed the familiar smell in the air.

"Gudong."

He swallowed his saliva, turned around, and followed the direction of the familiar smell.

Zhao Zhu, who was nibbling a bag of spring rolls in front of him, saw this and hurriedly followed him: "Second brother, where are you going?"

Yang Ge waved his hand without looking back: "Stop it..."

He quickly scanned the stalls one by one, and finally stopped in front of a stall selling rice noodles, staring at the small bowl of black and red coarse grains on the seasoning table.

The owners of the stall are a middle-aged couple. The husband cooks rice noodles, and the wife welcomes guests and clears the tables and chairs. Seeing Yang Ge stop in front of their stall, the wife enthusiastically said in Mandarin with a strong southwest accent: "Brother, come here. Does a bowl of rice noodles cost? Authentic Yunnan rice noodles, a small bowl of plain rice noodles costs 2 cents for a large bowl, and a small bowl of non-vegetarian rice noodles costs 4 cents for a large bowl.”

Yang Ge came to the stall, swallowed hard, and said, "Here are two bowls of rice noodles, one big bowl and one small bowl!"

"Okay!"

The proprietress enthusiastically invited them to sit in the stall and shouted to the rice noodle cook: "Two bowls of savory rice noodles, one big bowl and one small bowl."

Zhao Yun followed Yang Ge and sat down: "Second brother, didn't you have enough to eat tonight?"

Yang Ge stared at the noodle cook on the other side and said perfunctorily without looking back: "Didn't you eat so many snacks just now?"

Zhao Yuan: "Can this be the same?"

Yang Ge: "What's the difference?"

Zhao Yun angrily grabbed his snack and continued to stuff it into his mouth in small sips.

Soon, the boss will pick out two bowls of rice noodles and bring them to Yang Ge.

Yang Ge quickly said: "Store, add some chili peppers for me...the black and red ones."

He didn't realize it himself, but he had switched to Sichuan Sound.

The boss and his wife looked back at him in surprise, and then the boss smiled and picked up the small spoon in the chili bowl: "How much to add?"

Yang Ge: "Feel free to add more, I can eat spicy food!"

The boss immediately generously scooped three spoons into the big bowl and added one spoon into the small bowl... To be precise, it should be called spicy shell chili noodles. It is not the kind that is dried and ground with a stone, but sun-dried. After drying, put it directly in the fire pond to dry, and then use a stone mortar to grind it into large particles of chili powder.

The landlady came over with two bowls of rice noodles and put them in front of Yang Ge and Zhao Yun. She smiled and greeted them in Southwest Mandarin: "Where are you, little brother?"

Yang Ge stirred the rice noodles with chopsticks and replied with a smile: "Bashu people."

The landlady suddenly raised her eyebrows, and finally nodded and said: "We are all fellow villagers. We and I just came to Luting. If you want to do this in the future, just come over..."

When she was talking, Yang Ge couldn't wait to pick up a mouthful of rice noodles and put it into his mouth.

When the familiar spicy taste stung his mouth, which had not eaten spicy food for a long time, an uncontrollable sour taste spread on his cheeks, so sour that he shed tears.

"Is it so delicious?"

Zhao Yuan looked at him with confusion. He doubtfully picked up a mouthful of rice noodles and put it into his mouth. He chewed it. His face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye. Then he stuck out his tongue with a sound of "ah" and tried to breathe: "Shassha... so spicy, so spicy, so spicy!"

When the boss and his wife saw this, they laughed kindly. The wife of the boss even brought her a cup of tea very considerately: "Can you eat it? If not, add some soup, it won't be so spicy."

Zhao Yu glanced at Yang Ge, who was eating faster and faster, picking up the bowl, and waved his hands in disbelief: "No, he can eat it, and so can I!"

After saying that, she mustered up the courage to pick up a chopstick of rice noodles and put it into her mouth.

"Siha, Siha..."

"So spicy, so spicy..."

"It's delicious, it's delicious..."

The more Zhao Yuan ate, the more he ate. His nose and tears were all mushy and he couldn't bear to put down his chopsticks.

"Clang."

Yang Ge put down the large porcelain bowl, took a long breath, and relaxed.

It's like a wanderer who has been away from his hometown for a long time. When he returns to his hometown and eats a bowl of hometown delicacies that he has longed for for a long time, he feels settled down.

He counted nine copper coins from his money bag and put it on the table, and asked: "Boss, do you still have peppers in stock? Can you sell me some? No matter how much you want! There are also seeds. Can you get me some?" ? No matter how much it is!”

The boss who was idle in that compartment heard his words and replied with some hesitation: "Is the Qinjiao that the little brother is talking about? I still have a little here, but not much. This thing is only found in the mountains of Yunnan. I have heard of people growing this thing, but I have never seen it. I also bought the dry goods from the Miao people, and I have never seen the seeds.”

"In the mountains of Yunnan?"

Yang Gemo rubbed his chin, nodded and said: "Okay, then I'll go back and figure it out on my own... Can you sell me some of the inventory in your hand? No matter how much it is!"

The boss and his mother-in-law looked at each other. After hesitating for a moment, they waved their hands grandly and said: "We are all fellow villagers. It is not easy for anyone to go out. It doesn't matter whether they can sell or not. I don't have much left in my hands. Xianjun If you have some, I'll ask my brothers from the caravan to go back to my hometown and see if there are any more. If so, I'll bring you some more."

Yang Ge breathed a sigh of relief and returned the greeting with a cupped hand: "Thank you, brother, you have been of great help... My name is Yang Ge. I run an inn here in Luting. The Yuelai Inn over in Dongcheng belongs to our family. I am here." I have been here for a long time, and the place is familiar. If you and your sister-in-law have any difficulties in Luting in the future, just go to the inn to find me."

The couple looked at the young man in front of them with some surprise, not very well-dressed, as if they didn't believe that this young and handsome boy could own an inn in Luting County, where land is so valuable!

However, the enthusiastic and generous boss still took out a dried lotus leaf from under the counter, gave Yang Geyun a pack of chili noodles, sent them both out of the stall with a smile, and asked them to come back when they were free.

After the two left, the boss and his wife didn't say much and continued busy with their business. No one took this matter too seriously.

As a result, not long after, the couple saw the steward of the night market, nodding and bowing, leading a powerful military official with a muscular figure and an oxtail knife hanging from his waist to their stall.

The couple's hearts "thumped" and they quickly greeted him with smiles.

The boss, who was experienced in the world, also secretly hid two pieces of silver in his sleeve, ready to be delivered to the two uncles as soon as they found fault.

"Brother Zhang, come here quickly. This is our Hu Catcher in Luting County. All the big and small things on the streets of Luting are at the hands of our Hu Catcher!"

As soon as the night market steward entered the stall, he pointed at the official family and introduced the couple.

The couple hurriedly stepped forward and clasped their hands: "Old man, pay homage to Mr. Hu..."

The official family had quick eyesight and quick hands. He supported one person with one hand and stopped them from bowing down: "Don't be nervous. We don't have so many bad rules in the road pavilion. I'll come over and let my brother recognize the person. From now on, in this three-acre road pavilion, If you have any trouble in the land, please come to me. By the way, the stall fee for our stall will be waived from now on... Do you have time? Cook me a bowl of rice noodles and put some more aside. That kind of condiment.”

The officials pointed to the bowl of black and reddish coarse grains on the condiment table and said with a smile.

The confused couple was stunned for a moment, then suddenly came to their senses: "That little brother Yang just now..."

The officials waved their hands: "You don't need to worry about who he is. Anyway, once you get to know him, even if you two are involved, you can do your business in Luting with peace of mind. As long as you two don't deceive others, there will be no consequences." People can bully you!"

"this……"

The couple was surprised and happy, and felt a sense of panic as if they were going out to meet a noble person. They whispered in their hearts: 'Are you kissy or not? We are from my hometown! ’

"Brother Zhang, why are you still standing there? Go and cook the rice noodles quickly? Give me a bowl too!"

The manager of the night market came up with something and gave the boss a gentle push.

The boss woke up from a dream and wiped his hands on his apron: "Please take a seat inside, Hun, hurry up and pour tea for Mr. Hu and Brother Liu..."

"Why!"

The proprietress happily responded and welcomed the two of them into the stall with a smile on their faces to sit down.

The couple poured the tea and boiled the powder quickly, and the initial feeling of weakness in their hearts suddenly disappeared, and they suddenly no longer felt so confused about the days to come.

If you can live comfortably in your hometown, who would want to leave your hometown?

Everyone who wanders in a foreign land has a reason why he cannot return to his hometown.

the difference is.

Some people don't want to go back.

And some people can't go back.