Denghuaxiao

Chapter 9 Mr. Hu

In spring in Shengjing, there are gradually more and more stalls selling snacks on the streets.

At that time, people were going on an outing, and female travelers went up to the mountains to burn incense. When they were bored on the road, they inevitably bought some sesame candies and orange cakes. Feng Sanpo's cloud cake is the best-selling, as thin as snow flakes, fragrant and sweet.

 In "Renxin Medical Center", in front of the long cabinet, Du Changqing was looking at the opposite side of the street in a daze with half a piece of cloud cake in his mouth.

The Du family in Nanwangfang, Shengjing, originally started as a medicine shop. Later, the medicine shop opened bigger and bigger, and a medical clinic was built. The reputation of the medical clinic is growing day by day, and Mr. Du's mansion is also expanding.

Mr. Du was busy building and maintaining the family business when he was young. It was not until he was approaching middle age that he married a wife.

 The wife was twenty-nine years old and as beautiful as a flower. One year later, she became pregnant. Lao Lai gets a son, this Coke spoiled Mr. Du. I wish I could pamper my wife to heaven.

　　Unfortunately, Mrs. Du was really unlucky and passed away a year after giving birth to her son. Mr. Du felt sorry for the child who lost his mother when he was young. In addition, the child was indeed smart and cute, so he became even more pampered. So he pampered and pampered him, and raised his son to be a useless person who couldn't lift his hands or carry his shoulders, and could only listen to music and eat wine all day long.

Du Changqing is this waste.

While Mr. Du was still alive, the family had a rich fortune. After Mr. Du left, the Du family had no one to support them.

Du Changqing was pampered and grew up, and his knowledge was average. He just walked around and played with dogs all day long, and he didn't look serious. He is also generous and generous, and a group of friends only treat him as a scapegoat. Today, Zhang San's old mother is seriously ill and will lend him three hundred taels. Tomorrow, Li Si will leave Beijing to do business and ask him to turn around 500 taels. Three, three, two, and so on. , all the real estate and shops were wiped out, and in the end, only this dilapidated small medical clinic on West Street was left.

This small medical clinic was the one where Mr. Du first made his fortune when he was still alive. Du Changqing did not dare to sell it, so he asked a calligrapher on the street to write a plaque and hang it up, and he became the owner of Renxin Medical Clinic.

The original doctor in the medical clinic has been hired away by Xinglintang at a high price, and it is impossible to find a suitable doctor for a while. Besides, this medical clinic cannot make ends meet, and it makes no difference whether there is a doctor or not. On weekdays, people from the surrounding area occasionally come to this shop to grab a few prescriptions to make ends meet. I think it won't be long before this medical clinic will have to be sold.

 A carriage drove up from the street, its wheels rolling over the ground, carrying light catkins with them.

 Someone got off the carriage.

Du Changqing's eyes lit up, he swallowed the cloud cake in his mouth in three or two mouthfuls, wiped away his listless look, and hurried forward to greet him, calling loudly and affectionately: "Uncle!"

The person who came was a man wearing a kerchief, about fifty years old, wearing an agarwood-colored silk gown, and holding a paper fan in his hand. He held a square handkerchief in his other hand and put it between his nose and lips, coughing as he walked.

Du Changqing welcomed him into the hospital and sat down. He called to the boy who was cleaning the table inside: "Acheng, don't you see my uncle is here? Go make tea!" He then pretended to scold the person in front of him: "You have no expression. Bastard, uncle, don’t argue with him!”

Hu Yuanwai put down the handkerchief in his hand, waved his hand, took out a prescription from his pocket, and said: "Chang Qing..."

“This month’s medicinal materials, right?” Du Changqing grabbed the prescription and walked to the cabinet, “My nephew, I’ll get it for you right now!”

Acheng placed the brewed tea in front of Hu Yuanwai and looked at him with some sympathy. There are many people who are taken advantage of in the world, but Hu Yuanwai is the only one he has seen who thinks he has taken advantage of someone who was taken advantage of.

 Hu Yuanwai is a good friend of Mr. Du. The two have similar family backgrounds and have known each other since childhood. On the surface, they are harmonious, but secretly they are secretly competing with each other. From the appearance of the wife to the schoolwork of the children, from the length and waist to the clothes and hats, there is always a comparison.

After the death of Mr. Du, Mr. Hu had no one to compete with. He was a little bored for a while, so he turned his attention to Mr. Du's son Du Changqing. I come here every two months to get medicine, and by the way, as the uncle of the world, I teach the younger generation a lesson and find some spiritual comfort.

Du Changqing always put on a well-behaved and attentive look, which made Hu Yuanwai very satisfied. Anyway, he has to buy some nourishing medicines every month. This amount of money is not worth mentioning to Hu Yuanwai, but to the down-and-out Master Du, it can help Renxin Medical Center survive for a few more months.

It can be said that after Mr. Du died, Hu Yuanwai became Du Changqing's parents.

 Always have a more humble attitude towards your parents who provide food and clothing.

After Du Changqing took the medicine, he sat next to Hu Yuanwai again. Sure enough, Hu Yuanwai took a few sips of tea and began to lecture Du Changqing again.

“My lord, my father was seriously ill and asked me to take more care of you after his death. I have known you for many years, so I regard you as half my son. Today I will have a heart-to-heart talk with you.”

"Other people at your age have already married and started a business. When your father was still alive, his family had a lot of money, so it didn't matter if a medical clinic didn't make a lot of money. But it's different now. You rely on the medical clinic to make a living. Although the medical clinic is in a good location, it doesn't matter. The shop is too small, and there are not many people coming to get medicine. If things go on like this, it will definitely not be able to open. Even if we sell the medical shop and exchange it for money, it is not an option." "I think you are smart and have some talent. Why don't you get a good name and get an official position? You see, the two unfilial sons in my family are not as smart as you, but they have been taught to read since they were young, and now they have a small career. Do you know that my little son is not as smart as you? Son, my salary was raised a few days ago..."

Du Changqing listened attentively for a long time, and then asked Hu Yuanwai to drink half the pot of tea. He didn't stop until his mouth was dry. When Mr. Hu was about to leave, Du Changqing wrapped up the remaining half box of cloud cakes in the room, and glanced at the remaining packet of medicinal tea on the table - this was a gift from the girl selling puhuang charcoal last time. . Acheng was reluctant to throw it away, so he kept it after drinking it for two days without any problems.

Du Changqing wrapped the packet of herbal tea and the leftover cloud cake in red paper, stuffed it into the hands of Hu Yuanwai, who was getting on the carriage, and said with a smile: "Uncle is very busy, so my nephew will not go far to send it. Spring has just passed, so I specially prepared a spring gift for you. The medicinal tea in it can relieve nasal congestion. You must take care of yourself."

Hu Yuanwai laughed loudly and said, "Your Majesty, you are interested." He ordered the carriage and drove away.

As soon as the carriage left, the smile on Du Changqing's face fell. As he walked into the house, he said angrily: "This old stern scholar has finally been sent away."

Acheng said: "Actually, what Hu Yuanwai said is right. Boss, you can take the exam for meritorious service..."

Du Changqing glared at him: "It's easy to say. I don't want to take the merit examination because I don't want to?" He cursed again and said, "I have never taught me such a lesson!"

“As the saying goes, dogs will wag their tails when they look at their masters. Nowadays, the income of the medical clinic depends on others,” Acheng laughed. “My boss should be more considerate.”

Du Changqing kicked him in the butt: "Who is the dog? Who do you think is the dog?"

Acheng rubbed his **** and smiled: "I am."

 …

 When Mr. Hu returned to Hu's house, his wife was in the house looking at the account book sent by the housekeeper.

Seeing the oil paper bag in Hu Yuanwai's hand, Mrs. Hu snorted: "Go to Renxin Medical Center again?"

 “How can I refuse Brother Du’s instructions before his death?”

Mrs. Hu said with a smile: "You are rushing to give people money, and they take you as a culprit. He himself is not making progress, how can you worry about it?"

"You woman, I don't understand!" Mr. Hu waved his hand, not wanting to say more to her, "Besides, I always give you a tea gift, why are you taking advantage of me and speaking so unpleasantly!"

Mrs. Hu glanced at him and said sarcastically: "It's just a few leftover cakes and some tea leaves. It's not a spring gift, so you must be sincere."

"I can't tell you, I'm too lazy to talk to you." Hu Yuanwai opened the oil paper bag. In the past, it was just some worthless refreshments, and it was the same today.

 He took out the Yun Pian Cake and his eyes fell on the wrapped tea leaves.

This paper bag is tied with thick red thread, and there are writings on the white oil paper. Hu Yuanwai had bad eyesight, so he looked closer and found that it was a two-line poem: "Yang Hua also laughs at people who are shallow, so they touch their clothes and touch their faces."

 The handwriting is in the regular script of a woman's hairpin, one stroke at a time, beautiful and moving.

Hu Yuanwai’s eyes lit up, he loved these elegant things the most. The tea leaves wrapped in oil paper with poems written on them, even the dregs of the tea leaves, look a little more sentimental.

 He ordered his servants: "Boil this herbal tea. I will drink this in the next two days."

Mrs. Hu looked at him, a little strange: "Didn't all the tea delivered in the past go to the servants? Why did you remember to drink it today?" She looked at the tea bag again and said, "Don't drink the good tea in the house. I drink this, what’s wrong with me?”

"How can money measure elegance?" Mr. Hu stretched out his sleeves and was about to open his mouth to argue. He caught a glimpse of his old wife's expression and coughed lightly, "Chang Qing said that this tea can cure nasal congestion and nasal congestion..."

 He whispered: "Let's drink it for a few days and see."

 (End of this chapter)