The First Volume of Qinghe County

  "Brother, your pulse is steady and strong, your body is healthy, where did the old illness come from?" An Daoquan carefully took Ximen Qing's pulse, and couldn't help but feel a little surprised, withdrawing his two fingers.

  At this time, in the study, Shitou and Huatong were also ordered by Ximen Qing to go outside and keep watch. Ximen Qing smiled to himself: "Brother indeed has a bit of an illness, it can be said that it's an old disease that has penetrated to the marrow."

  "What's this, where did you learn to speak from?" An Daquan was stunned for a moment, could it be that he had made a mistake earlier and the two fingers hadn't brought out the pulse? Alright, An Daquan used three fingers to feel Ximen Qing's pulse again: "Let me take another careful look!"

  Ximen Qing smiled and said: "Brother's illness is nothing, I'm afraid it's also on brother's body."

  "What?" An Daquan exclaimed in surprise: "How is this possible?"

  "This illness every man has, it's just a matter of degree." Ximen Qing laughed and said: "This illness is called lust, also known as thinking about women."

  "Hey! Why didn't you say so earlier!" An Daoquan withdrew his finger, and a smile had already appeared on his face, the kind of smile that comes from meeting someone who understands him.

  Men, who doesn't have some flaws?

  "Brother, last time on Purple Stone Street, I was walking along when a rake fell from the sky. I looked up and... " Ximen Qing shamelessly began to recount his first encounter with Pan Jinlian: "Brother, if you don't pretend to be dizzy, how can you get close to a beauty?"

  "What Brother said is reasonable!" An Daoquan listened with relish and nodded repeatedly: "At this time, it should be done like this."

  "Poor brother is already over 40 this year, still single, although he has a house in Jiankang Prefecture, but there is no one who understands him."

  "Brother says where words come from, brother here is the same as your family." Ximen Qing patted his thigh: "No worries if there's no one who understands, let's go find some on the street!"

  "Don't talk nonsense, brother. This kind of thing can't be found just by going out and looking around." An Daquan thought Ximen Qing was joking with him and became somewhat displeased.

  "This knowing heart is not hard to find, but the happy one is readily available." Ximen Qing stood up: "This county has a Hundred Flowers Building, with twelve top-ranking courtesans inside. Brother, you must go!"

  "Exactly..." An Daoquan's eyes lit up: "Just what I wanted!"

  "When it's time to leave, let's go! When it's time to take action, let's take action!" Ximen Qing burst out laughing and left the study with An Daoquan. They called over a young servant and instructed him briefly before setting off on foot, unaccompanied by any attendants, towards the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

  "Isn't Old Master suffering from an old illness? How can he be so happy after staying with the Divine Doctor for a while, and even drag the Divine Doctor to play at the Hundred Flowers Building?" Book Boy couldn't believe what he was seeing.

  "Hey, brother, the old man is so bored at home, I'm going out to find a girl." Huatong'er smiled, and unexpectedly Xue'er came from behind to ask about Shenyi's old illness, and overheard it.

  "What's going on? What's going on?" Xue Er asked inexplicably: "You two guys, what are you muttering about for no reason!"

  Xue Er was originally a maid, famous for her good temper. She was promoted to concubine by Ximen Qing and replaced Zhuo Diao'er's position. To the maids and servants in the mansion, she still maintained a polite attitude and did not show any arrogance or disdain.

  So Book Boy and Paint Boy still regarded Snow Girl as an elder sister, and when Snow Girl asked them at this time, Paint Boy stuck out his tongue: "Brother is all nonsense, don't blame Sister!"

  "What about Master and the divine doctor? Why can't I see anyone in the study?" Xue'er didn't take Huatong's words to heart, went around the study once, came out and asked: "Didn't they say they were taking pulses and treating illnesses? Where did this person go?"

  "Sister, Old Master just smiled and went out with Doctor An. "Book Boy replied: "It seems that nothing is wrong, maybe he went to the pharmacy."

  "Oh, okay then." Xue Er wandered around in a circle, feeling bored, and went to the backyard to admire the flowers.

  "Isn't it Baifang Building? When did you say you were going to the pharmacy?" Huatong'er asked as soon as Xue'er left.

  "You don't understand!" Shu Tong'er and Hua Tong'er were actually about the same age, but at this moment, he put on a dignified and majestic appearance, lecturing Hua Tong'er: "Snow Sister and Master have just been together for a short time, and Master is going to go to that kind of place like Baihua Building. Snow Sister knows it, although she won't say anything, but in her heart, she definitely won't be happy. You're still young and don't understand the subtleties."

  "If I hadn't interrupted you just now, I'm afraid you would have said it all."

  "You're just a bit older than me!" The young painter pouted and turned his head to one side: "And you dare to lecture me!"

  "I wonder which top-ranked lady the old master will choose when he goes to the Hundred Flowers Pavilion?" The young book boy, though small in stature, also had a gleam in his eye, and suddenly shouted: "Ah no, I won't do, I have to go to the outhouse."

  Before Hua Tong'er came back to his senses, Shu Tong'er had already clamped his legs together and run towards the side house.

  "Hmph, I don't know what you're up to!" Hua Tong'er looked at him with disdain: "He said he's going to the outhouse, but actually he's just looking for a secluded spot to masturbate."

  "Sir, take a look at my pears, thin skin and juicy, sweet as can be."

  Ximen Qing and An Daquan had just stepped out of the gate when they were blocked by Yu Ge, who was squatting and waiting for them.

  "You're really troublesome, why do you come here every day!" Ximen Qing angrily grabbed a few copper coins and threw them into Yu Ge's raised basket: "I don't want your fruits, go sell them somewhere else."

  Yu Ge hastily bowed and stepped aside: "May the noble gentleman have a good journey!"

  Ximen Qing shook his head, with a look of helplessness: "Brother, you see, I'm a good person, but even a small fruit vendor dares to bully me, blocking the gate of my house. I am the county magistrate of Qinghe County, and it's not excessive to have someone break his legs in a minute."

  "The brothers are kind-hearted and close to the people, and the people of Manchu County are all delighted. An Daoquan smiled and said: "It's just a small matter, what's there to worry about?"

  "Brother said it, haha!" Ximen Qing and An Daquan walked side by side, completely ignoring Yu Ge, nor did they think that Yu Ge had taken the copper coins and was secretly carrying a basket far away.

  This is the road to Amethyst Street!

  Ximen Qing subconsciously led An Daoquan to take a shortcut from the Purple Stone Street to the Baifang Pavilion, which suddenly scared Gua Guo who was following behind.

  "Is Ximen Qing going to look for Pan Liu'niang?" Yu Ge trailed behind, thinking to himself: "Why is there another person accompanying him?"

  Although Yu Ge couldn't guess for a while whether Ximen Qing was going to find Pan Jinlian, he remembered Wu Dalang's reminder and saw that the front was just Zishi Street. Yu Ge gritted his teeth, picked up the basket and went to find Wu Dalang at the crossroads of Shizi Street in one breath.

  Wu Dalang had been staying at home for some time, not selling pancakes, but every day at home watching Pan Jinlian, he couldn't help thinking of the good things that the adulterous couple would do, and almost went crazy.

  Today, Wu Dalang specially let Pan Jinlian make a basket of steamed buns to sell on the street, which also relieved the faint pain in her chest.

  "What! Brother, say it again!" Lazy to shout, squatting on the street and sunbathing Wudalang looked at some panting Yu Ge, afraid of hearing wrong, stood up and asked again.

  "Ximen Qing has gone to Zishi Street!" Yu Ge took a deep breath and nodded affirmatively: "I followed them all the way to Zishi Street, watching as they passed by."

  Obviously, Brother Yuan forgot to mention that Ximen Qing still had an Andaoquan by his side, and Wu Dalang was burning with jealousy, also ignoring the two words "they".

  Wu Dalang jumped up half a foot high, pulled out his carrying pole and started hitting Yu Ge's legs: "Brother, let's catch the adulterers together! Today we're going to catch them!"

  "Hey, hey, hey! I'm telling you, Wu Da, are you still selling this pancake?" The vegetable vendor, Wang Auntie, shouted: "Don't be rash!"

  Wu Dalang didn't listen and pulled Yu Ge to run to the Zi Shi Street, Yu Ge shouted: "Wait a minute, what about this basket of snow pears?"

  "What's the point of caring about pears at this time!" Wu Dalang snatched the basket from Guo Ge and handed it directly to Aunt Wang, who was selling vegetables: "Auntie, take these pears back and make a pear soup with them!"

  Yu Ge was still worried, but Wu Dalang had already dragged him to run towards Zishi Street.

  "Who wants a basket of pears?" Aunt Wang muttered to herself, but still placed the basket of snow pears in front of her and shouted: "Pears for sale! Pears for sale! Every one is delicious and cheap!"

  They had just left for a while, and Yu Ge took the carrying pole, pulling Wu Dalang, who was panting, into the Zi Shi Street.

  At first, Wu Dalang was carrying a shoulder pole and running wildly in front, but later Yu Ge slowly caught up, while Wu Dalang covered his chest and panted heavily.

  "Brother, is your body okay?" Yu Ge asked with some concern.

  "It's nothing!" Wu Dalang clenched his fists and puffed out his chest: "This rare opportunity... cannot be let go of!"

  "Brother, you block the door for a moment, I'll go in and catch those adulterers myself!"

  "Good!" As long as he didn't have a direct conflict with Ximen Qing, Yuan'ge didn't care.

  Two men discussing approached the Wu Dalang's home, looking at the tightly closed door, Wu Dalang patted his chest to calm himself down, trying to push the door, but it was actually locked: "Brother, look, the door is closed, Ximen Qing must be inside! We'll go in through the back door!"

  Two men sneaked around to the back door and quietly entered the yard. Wu Dalang listened carefully: "Brother, do you hear any movement upstairs?"

  Yu Ge tilted his head and listened for a moment, then lowered his voice to reply, "Brother, it's... really quiet, could they not be here?"

  "Is it?" Wu Dalang walked into the house while listening again: "How come I heard some movement on the bed upstairs?"

  Two men came to the stairs, Wu Dalang asked Yuan Ge to hand over the carrying pole to himself, and let Yuan Ge watch the stairs, not letting anyone rush down, he quietly walked up the stairs step by step.

  "Is Ximen Qing and Pan Jinlian really doing good things upstairs?" Yu Ge stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching Wu Dalang sneakily walking up, and couldn't help but think: "If it were me upstairs with Sixth Lady now, being affectionate with each other, how great would that be..."

  Yu Ge suddenly had a sour feeling, thinking that all the good cabbage was being taken by pigs, and he didn't have any share at all.

  At this moment, a loud shout came from upstairs: "Adulterer and adulteress, where are you going to run?" Immediately afterwards, the sound of a stick hitting the bed board kept ringing out.

  "I'll beat you two to death! Beat you to death!"