In Wuyifang Kushui Lane, the Gu family's courtyard gate was finally reinstalled.

When Qin Xiao came to Gu's house, the Gu family's siblings happened to be having dinner. It was Qiuniang who opened the door. When she saw Qin Xiao coming, Qiuniang was very enthusiastic this time and said with a smile: "Qin Lingli, Bai Yi said that you have already

I congratulate you for becoming an official. You are still promising. It has only been a few days since you arrived in Kyoto, and you suddenly became a seventh-rank official. Our Bai Yi has been in Kyoto Prefecture for so many years, and now he is only an eighth-rank official.

Clerk, this person is really annoying compared to other people, but fortunately it is you, so we are all very happy."

Qin Xiao entered the yard, Qiuniang closed the door, twisted her waist and walked to the kitchen. As she walked, she said, "Bai Yi thought you would come today, so I bought some pork head meat and bought you some wine. It's dark.

You haven't come here yet, and I thought you weren't coming, so I kept them all and will get them for you now."

"The Kyoto Prefecture may not be very clever in handling cases, but it is very fast to get information." Gu Baiyi smiled faintly and said: "I heard that Captain Han was transferred to the south and followed General Pei?"

Qin Xiao nodded, and naturally his mood didn't get better when he mentioned this matter.

"Don't worry too much." Gu Baiyi said: "General Pei and General Heiyu are called the two wings of the empire. They run the army strictly and employ people based on their talents. Captain Han has real talent and knowledge, and he will not be bullied under his command.

Buried.”

She seemed to be in a good mood, swaying like a willow branch in the wind when she walked.

"I'd rather not see you." Qin Xiao just walked in, and Gu Baiyi, who was sitting at the small table, sighed: "Brother Qin, it's not a good thing for you to stay in Kyoto."

Qin Xiao knew that if Gu Baiyi didn't regard him as a brother, he wouldn't have said such words. He walked over and sat down and said, "Brother Gu already knows?"

"I haven't figured out Dou Butang's plan yet, but you just have to be careful." Gu Baiyi said, "What job did they assign to you?"

Before Qin Xiao could speak, Qiuniang had already come in with a bowl of hot pork head meat. She was holding a wine jar in her other hand, and the food and wine were placed on the table. When she saw the chopsticks Qin Xiao was holding, she was startled for a moment, and then said with some embarrassment:

"I...I'll get you a pair of chopsticks." Before Qin Xiao could say anything, he had already snatched the chopsticks from his hand.

Qin Xiao was stunned for a moment, but he understood instantly. He was not strict about trivial matters, and he picked up chopsticks to eat. However, the chopsticks he picked up were used by Qiuniang, and he had not washed them. From a certain point of view, the mouths of the two of them were

bumped into each other indirectly.

"I just hope everything goes well for him."

Gu Baiyi smiled and said: "Actually, Lieutenant Han's situation is better than yours. I have never understood why the Ministry of War kept you here? Logically speaking, it makes sense to send you and Captain Han to the south together."

Qin Xiao picked up the chopsticks and put a piece of tofu into his mouth without being polite. While eating, he said: "I was also preparing to leave with Captain Han, but Dou Wei gave me an order and insisted on letting me stay.

He is now the Minister of War, how can I disobey his orders?"

Sir, I earned 180 cash today, which is more than I earned in the previous two days."

Qin Xiao was really happy to see her and appreciated her simplicity, and said with a smile: "That's great. Sister Qiu Niang, I will give you an idea to make you earn more every day. Do you want to listen?"

Qiuniang took a pony stool, sat down next to Qin Xiao, and said happily: "What do you think you are thinking?"

He didn't feel embarrassed at this time, the only one who was embarrassed was Qiuniang.

Qiuniang brought a new pair of chopsticks to Qin Xiao. Qin Xiao felt embarrassed and asked: "Sister Qiuniang, how is the business today?"

Qiuniang was originally a little embarrassed because of her chopsticks. When she heard him ask this question, she immediately smiled brightly and said, "It's not all thanks to you. With that boat, my business is very good without the help of people from the Taiping Society. This

The boat is new and has a cabin. The price paid by the customer is much higher than other boats.

Qiuniang was startled and said doubtfully: "Shall I help you? You are already an official and you are so capable, how can I...how can I help you?"

"You also know that I was kept by the Ministry of War, and I will definitely not be able to leave for a year and a half." Qin Xiao sighed: "With my rank, the Yamen will definitely not be able to give me a house, and I can't live there forever.

An inn, right?”

Qiuniang became nervous and asked cautiously: "You...you don't want to move to our house, do you?"

"Most of the people on the boat are tourists from other places." Qin Xiao said: "These people come to Kyoto, and some of them will leave after only a few days. If it were me, I could prepare some small items on the boat that can only be bought in Kyoto.

All the food is available. When they come to Kyoto once, they always want something special to take back to reflect on. You can go to some shops in Kyoto to buy it at a low price, and then add a little to sell. If there are many customers, one

After a month, it shouldn’t be a problem to make more money.”

Qiuniang's eyes lit up and she praised: "Qin Xiao, you are really smart. I never thought of it before. Yes, this is a method. I will try it later."

"I gave you an idea, should you help me too?" Qin Xiao said with a smile.

"Brother Gu is also an official of Kyoto Prefecture, why don't you still live here?"

Qiuniang glanced at Gu Baiyi and said angrily: "He is just a clerk, and he is short of money. Where can he live if he doesn't live here? You are different from him. You are a seventh-grade official and you are not short of money. You can buy a big courtyard to live in.

It’s more comfortable.”

"It's not a hurry at the moment." Qin Xiao said with a smile: "I live here, and I can often come over to ask Brother Gu for advice. If I really don't want to cook, I can come over to have a meal. I just don't know that there are people in this alley.

No houses for sale?”

"If your house is big, I might really be shameless and move here." Qin Xiao said with a smile: "But if I move here, I can't live in the kitchen? So I want to buy a house in this Kushui Lane. It doesn't need to be too big.

, as long as there are people living there, that’s fine.”

"You want to buy a house in Kushui Lane?" Qiuniang said in surprise: "The houses here are very old and there are no big yards. You have already become an official, and you still want to live here? There are many good places in Kyoto.

.....!”

Gu Baiyi didn't say anything. He picked up the wine jar and poured wine with a faint smile on his face.

Qin Xiao chuckled and said, "How much do you estimate her house is worth?"

“Their yard is not big and very dilapidated, and the Kushui Lane is also

It's not a good place, even ten taels of silver is too much." Qiuniang said disdainfully.

Qiuniang shook her head and said: "There are only about twenty households in this alley, and I haven't heard that anyone wants to move out. How about I ask in other alleys of Wuyifang? Although they are farther away, they are still there.

In the same private village."

"Isn't your relationship with the fat woman across the door always bad?" Qin Xiao asked with a smile: "Why don't you go back and ask if their house is for sale? If they can move out, wouldn't you be much cleaner in the future?

?”

"Are you talking about the woman with a long tongue?" Qiuniang opened her beautiful eyes wide: "Why did she move away?"

After Qiuniang left the house, Gu Baiyi smiled and said: "Brother Qin, I made you spend a lot of money this time to buy a good boat for my sister. She has been so happy that she can't sleep at night."

"I thought I was leaving Kyoto and might not be able to see you for a long time." Qin Xiao sighed lightly: "I can't do anything else for you. I thought of leaving a cruise ship for Sister Qiu Niang. At least she won't do it again.

Cruise troubles.”

Gu Baiyi picked up the wine glass and said, "Have a drink."

Qin Xiao did not hesitate, took out a hundred taels of silver notes from his body and handed it to Qiuniang and said: "Then you offer twenty taels. If she doesn't agree, you can give me thirty taels. See if she wants to move it away. You can take this banknote first."

Take it, you can discuss the price with her. If you have one hundred taels of silver, I believe she will eventually agree."

Qiu Niang looked surprised, and Gu Baiyi finally said: "Sister, since Brother Qin has made up his mind to buy a yard here, you should go and discuss with him and live closer. It's not a bad thing."

Qiuniang hesitated for a while, then finally accepted the banknote and said, "Anyway, I can offer her twenty taels at most. If she asks for a lot of money, I won't agree." She carefully put away the banknote and smiled at Qin Xiao: "

Don't worry, sister will definitely take care of this for you, and I'll give you the remaining money later." He stood up and said, "You two drink first, I'll go to the kitchen to clean up."

"Of course not." Gu Baiyi's face was stern and he said sternly: "If you use such a sword to fight with the enemy, you will die and it will be a waste of human life." He frowned and looked at Qin Xiao and asked: "Is this really a sword?

The fragments of?"

Gu Baiyi put down the wine jar, Qin Xiao took out one thing from his body, wrapped it in a coarse cloth, put it on the table, opened it, Gu Baiyi picked up the oil lamp and came closer, Qin Xiao had already handed the thing to

Gu Baiyi reached out and took it, but it was a small piece of iron. He looked at it and frowned: "This seems to be a fragment that fell from the sword, but... it's not...

For example, a war knife cannot be so thin, and the tempering temperature is not high at all, the craftsmanship is extremely poor, and the lowest quality iron ore is used. Even ordinary people's kitchen knives cannot be this bad."

Qin Xiao looked serious and asked in a low voice: "Brother, if a sword made of such materials and forging techniques can be used to kill enemies in battle?"

Qin Xiao also picked up the wine glass, and both of them drank it down in one gulp. Gu Baiyi picked up the wine jar and was still pouring wine, but Qin Xiao had already said: "Brother Gu, don't be in a hurry to drink. I have something to show you."

"I went to the Jiazi warehouse today, where swords and spears are stored." Qin Xiao's voice was low and his face was solemn: "In the corner of the warehouse, there are a number of war knives piled up. The clerk on duty said that those are old ones.

Weapons, but his expression was very wrong. I became suspicious, opened the box, and took out two Mo knives. After hitting each other, one of them immediately broke into two pieces. This is a fragment I collected, from the imperial court.

Armory." He sneered and said: "I estimated that there are nearly three hundred boxes of so-called scrap weapons in the warehouse. One box is calculated as thirty battle knives. In the armory, there are at least nearly ten thousand. This is impossible.

A shoddy sword used to kill enemies."

Gu Baiyi has always been calm in situations, and nothing seems to disturb his mood. But at this moment, the clerk, who is calm and composed in everything, has a cold look in his eyes, staring at the fragment of the sword in his hand, and with the other hand
Chapter completed!