There is a trick

Chapter 17 Beast Clothes

It was just getting dark when Uncle Yang called Shidanzi and helped Zhou Chang out of the main hall.

Under the dark sky, a square table was set up in the narrow courtyard.

Half a salted chicken and a sausage made up two cold dishes, a bowl of blood sausage and a pot of tofu pudding with meat scraps made up two hot dishes, and the four dishes were placed on the square table.

In Zhou Chang's opinion, this table of dishes was not actually very sumptuous, but in today's world, it could be said to be extremely sumptuous.

Although Shidanzi, who was supporting him, tried hard to maintain a calm expression, the slight sound of sips betrayed the young boy.

"Haha, sit down! Sit down!" Yang Rui stood in front of the table and rubbed his hands. He looked at the four dishes on the table with a smile and invited Zhou Chang and Shi Danzi to sit down.

When the old man's eyes passed over Shidanzi's face, Zhou Chang clearly noticed that Shidanzi's expression suddenly tensed up. Maintaining a calm expression on his face, he helped Zhou Chang sit down at the table.

What was he pretending in front of his master?
Zhou Chang's eyes twitched and he moved his gaze away from Shidanzi.

“There’s still some soup in the pot, I’ll go get it.

Your grandpa went to buy some wine, and he should be back by now." Yang Rui said a few words to Zhou Chang, then looked at Shi Danzi, "Disciple, go outside and pick up your uncle."

Shidanzi didn't say anything, just nodded, stood up and walked out.

Yang Ruize went to the woodshed.

In a blink of an eye, Zhou Chang was the only one left in the yard. He looked at the room where Bai Xiu'e lived - Bai Xiu'e had not come out yet.

At this time, Zhou Sanji, carrying a jar tied with straw ropes, walked in from the corridor of the courtyard one after another with Shi Danzi. Yang Rui also brought out a pot of pickled vegetable and tofu soup from the woodshed.

Several people sat down as host and guest, and Zhou Sanji stood up to pour wine for everyone.

"Everyone hasn't arrived yet." At this time, Zhou Chang cleared his throat and suddenly spoke.

Yang Rui, who was holding the wine cup, was startled when he heard the voice. He looked around at the people around the square table and asked, "Who else hasn't come yet?"

Zhou Sanji was also stunned for a moment, but he reacted immediately and glared at Zhou Chang fiercely: "You are attracted to her just because she is pretty? Be careful of the knife hanging over your head!"

Zhou Chang lowered his eyes and said nothing.

Of course, he was not obsessed with Bai Xiu'e. Only when Bai Xiu'e stayed by his side could the clothes in his mind be repaired.

"Is there really someone who didn't come?" Yang Rui interjected with a look of surprise.

"Yes, there is also a young lady from a wealthy family!
If she doesn't come, we can't start eating!" Zhou Sanji said sarcastically, turning his head towards the wing room, "I don't know what she's doing hiding in the house all day long!"

As the old man spoke, he put down the jar of wine and walked towards the side room.

Yang Rui looked at Zhou Chang, then turned to look at the door of the wing room.

There was a person living in his junior fellow student's house, and he had never met him before.

Moreover, according to what my junior fellow apprentice said, there is a woman living here - where did this woman come from?
Everyone's eyes turned to the door of the wing room.

Under the gaze of everyone, the door suddenly creaked and was slowly pushed open. Bai Xiu'e walked out from behind the door with her head lowered.

She was wearing Zhou Chang's old clothes, which were too big and made her look even thinner and frailer.

Bai Xiu'e timidly glanced at Zhou Sanji who was standing a few steps away, then bowed her head and saluted him: "Uncle Zhou."

Zhou Sanji looked at the thin and pretty Bai Xiu'e, and the sarcastic words that were on the tip of his tongue were suddenly held back in his throat. He sighed, waved his hand, turned around and walked back: "Let's eat."

Bai Xiu'e pursed her lips and followed Zhou Sanji in small steps.

For her, the square table, which was already occupied by several people, required great courage to approach.

Especially now that everyone's eyes were on her, she was even more at a loss. She approached the square table, not knowing where to sit. Her eyes were dazed and her mind was blank.

"Sit here."

At this time, Zhou Chang nodded towards the seat next to him, indicating Bai Xiu'e to sit next to him.

Bai Xiu'e glanced at him embarrassedly but did not move - there was already a young man sitting next to the young man from the Zhou family.

"Uncle Master." Zhou Chang called Shidanzi with a smile and signaled him with his eyes to move another seat.

Shidanzi looked at the beautiful woman who seemed to have walked out of a painting, and then looked at Zhou Chang. He opened his mouth slightly, and the pretended calmness on his face could no longer be maintained. He moved to the side with a confused look on his face.

Zhou Chang looked at Bai Xiu'e again. Bai Xiu'e lowered her head and sat obediently beside him.

She breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if she had overcome a difficult obstacle.

"Hey..." Zhou Sanji glared at Zhou Chang with some disdain, and no longer paid attention to Zhou Chang's actions. Instead, he picked up the wine jar and wanted to pour wine for Yang Rui, "Brother, come on, have a glass of Ergou Village wine.

I still want to thank you today..."

"Wait a moment." Yang Rui covered the cup with his hand and pointed at Bai Xiu'e, "Would you like to introduce this girl to me, your senior brother?"

"Hi! What can I introduce?

She will go back to her own home in a few days, and you won't see her anymore. Just treat her as a guest who has been hiding in my house for a few days!" Zhou Sanji obviously didn't want to say more to Bai Xiu'e. He forcibly snatched Yang Rui's wine glass and filled it for her. "Let's drink. Haven't you been clamoring for a drink for a long time?"

Seeing this, Yang Rui stopped asking questions, picked up the wine glass, drank the wine in it with a "gulp", and let out a long sigh.

"Does Shidanzi want to drink?"

"Wine is medicine. It can cure heart disease. Give him some."

"okay!"

"Achang, have a few drinks too!"

Zhou Sanji walked around the square table holding the jar of wine, stopped next to Zhou Chang, picked up Zhou Chang's wine cup, and poured him a glass of wine.

Now that the old man knew that alcohol could suppress delusions, he wanted his grandson to drink more. After all, in his opinion, this wine would do Zhou Chang a lot of good.

Zhou Chang looked at the white wine on the table. The wine in the glass was as clear as water, and the stimulating smell of alcohol was flowing all around.

Yang Rui said that alcohol is a good medicine that can cure heart disease. However, as a modern man, Zhou Chang is more aware of the harm of alcohol. Alcohol can certainly numb people temporarily, allowing them to escape reality and stay away from worries, but after sobering up, reality is still there. The difficulties in reality will not be solved just by drinking a few glasses of wine.

Drinking this regularly will do you a hundred harms and no benefits.

However, at this moment, Zhou Chang felt a little touched.

He lowered his head to look at his right wrist. A thin wisp of red gas was emanating from the red rope on his wrist and went into the wine glass in front of him. After a moment, the red gas retracted into his wrist, and the red rope on his wrist returned to its original state.

After the red string drank in the deathly aura of the mass grave for the first time, it brought Zhou Chang the "remembrance clothes" in the coffin, and has been silent since then.

But now, because of a glass of wine, it showed signs of revival. This time, it needed to absorb the "alcohol" to accumulate strength, and finally, like last time, it would pull out a "relic" from the coffin in front of Yin Sheng's mother's grave?
Zhou Chang had some guesses in his mind.

"Come on, open your mouth!" Zhou Sanji put down the wine jar, picked up the wine cup on the table, and put it to Zhou Chang's mouth.

The wine in the glass no longer had the smell of alcohol, only a very light mellow aroma remained.

Zhou Chang opened his mouth and let the wine flow into his mouth and slide down his throat - he could no longer smell the slightest bit of wine, even the mellow aroma that had previously flowed between his nostrils had now disappeared without a trace.

The cup of wine, which had absorbed the "smell of wine" through the red line on his wrist, turned into the same as water.

"Another drink?" Zhou Sanji said as he poured another glass of wine for Zhou Chang.

As soon as Zhou Changgang nodded, the glass of wine was brought to his lips. His mind was turning, and he suppressed the momentum of the red line that wanted to reach into the glass to absorb the wine, and he opened his mouth and drank the whole glass of wine.

The strong smell of alcohol fills the lips and teeth, with a faint mellow aroma.

This is a glass of wine!

The cup that just absorbed the smell of alcohol can only be called water!

This time, 'Red Line' needs to absorb the aroma of alcohol to accumulate strength!

Zhou Chang was determined. He watched Zhou Sanji bring another glass of wine and put it in front of him, saying, "This glass of wine is for you. Grandpa will get you some food later."

Afterwards, Zhou Sanji passed by Bai Xiu'e, who was lowering her head, holding a jar of wine.

The old man hesitated for a moment, then asked Bai Xiu'e, "Girl, do you want to have a drink?"

After saying this, he patted his forehead and said with a smile: "Oh, I am old and confused, please don't blame me - how can I persuade you little girls to drink, this is not good, you eat the food -"

Before he could finish his words, Bai Xiu'e timidly picked up the large bowl in front of her that she used to serve rice and handed it to him.

The thin and pale wrist trembled slightly in the air, but it remained firm and did not retract.

"Uncle Zhou..." Bai Xiu'e spoke in a low voice. Everyone present looked at her in surprise and almost no one could hear what she said next.

"Would you like to drink something?" Zhou Sanji looked at her and asked.

Bai Xiu'e nodded.

Zhou Sanji shook his head, picked up the wine jar, and poured a small amount of wine to Bai Xiu'e: "It's okay for a girl to drink a little, but don't drink too much!"

"Hmm..." Bai Xiu'e held the bowl and sniffed the wine at the bottom of the bowl. Then she drank the wine in small sips. She once again held the bowl in front of Zhou Sanji. This time her voice was a little louder. "Uncle Zhou, can I, can I stay at your house? Can I not leave?"

She mustered up all her courage and said all these words in one breath, then looked up at Zhou Sanji with a pleading look in her eyes.

"No!" Zhou Sanji refused flatly. He did not pour wine for Bai Xiu'e this time. He sealed the mouth of the wine jar with his hand, his face serious, "You haven't been home for so long, don't your family miss you?

What's more, my family is not well off, and we don't have any extra food to provide you..."

Bai Xiu'e lowered her head, put down her hands, and said, "I am willing to find a job outside. I will earn money for you. I only ask you to leave me a place to live."

"Hey..." Zhou Sanji looked at the expressions of the others at the table, and his eyes finally met Zhou Chang's. He suddenly hardened his heart, "You are a good-looking girl. When you and I were washing dishes at noon, I saw calluses on your hands and knuckles. You must be a diligent girl at home.

You helped me a lot before. If it weren't for you, Achang and I might have been killed there.

Based on these, I wish you could stay. If you stay, Achang and you can live under the same roof, and we can be close to each other. After a while, you might become my granddaughter-in-law - I am speaking frankly, and girl, please don't think I am offending you. Please don't be offended by my words.

But, oh! There's always a but... Things have happened to you that I can't tell you about, girl!

I dare not keep you!"

Bai Xiu'e's eyelashes trembled slightly and she remained silent.

At this moment, Zhou Chang clearly felt that the recovery of the 'thread of thought' between his eyebrows suddenly accelerated - when he was with Bai Xiu'e before, he could only get a strand of thought every half a minute, but now, after only a few breaths, the thread of thought increased by two or three strands!

Zhou Chang couldn't help but look at Bai Xiu'e. Although she didn't say anything at the moment, he could feel the emotions surging beneath her silence.

Could it be that her surging emotions were due to the growth of her own thoughts?
A thought flashed through Zhou Chang's mind.

He looked up at Zhou Sanji who was walking away. Just as he was about to speak, Bai Xiu'e raised her head first, looked at Zhou Sanji's back and said, "Uncle Zhou, I have a way to prevent it from coming out..."

Bai Xiu'e's voice was weak and naturally unconvincing.

Zhou Sanji didn't even look back, but went straight back to his seat. After pouring a glass of wine for Yang Rui, he smiled and said to Bai Xiu'e, "Don't think too much, girl.

I have asked someone to find out your family's land, and I will send it back to you when the time comes."

"What do you want me to stay?" Bai Xiu'e became anxious when she heard that, and there was even a cry in her voice.

Zhou Sanji stopped talking and raised his glass to drink with Yang Rui.

Yang Rui raised his glass, looked at Bai Xiu'e, and pursed his lips at Zhou Chang: "Your uncle Zhou's most precious thing is his grandson. If you can help Ah Chang, he will definitely want you to stay and provide you with good food and drink like he does to me!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhou Sanji agreed with a smile, thinking it was just Yang Rui's teasing, and said to Bai Xiu'e with a smile, "We Taoist priests have all heard of a magic tool called 'Hundred Beasts Clothes'.

Legend has it that wearing a beast's coat can ward off evil spirits.

If you can sew a beast coat for Achang so that those false thoughts will no longer come to him, then you can stay here as long as you want!
I won’t say anything!”

"Beast Clothes..."

There was a slight gleam in Bai Xiu'e's eyes, and it was obvious that she had taken Zhou Sanji's joke to heart.

Yang Rui knocked the table with his chopsticks, and said to Bai Xiu'e with a smile, "Let me tell you, girl - the birds flying in the sky, the fish swimming in the water, the beasts, insects and pigs can all be classified as 'beasts'. It's easy to get all the beasts, but the key is that the beasts are easy to get, but their skins are not so easy to get.

The skins of cats, rats, pigs, dogs and the like are easy to obtain and can be sewn with needle and thread. But how can the skins of flies, mosquitoes, ants and insects be sewn with ordinary needle and thread?

The difficulty of making a beast's coat lies in the needle and thread!

If you can't solve this key problem, you should give up the idea of sewing a beast suit as soon as possible."

Zhou Chang's heart was moved when he heard Yang Rui's words. He turned to look at Bai Xiu'e beside him and saw that the light in the thin woman's eyes was getting brighter and brighter.

"How much time can you give me to sew this beast coat, Uncle Zhou?" Bai Xiu'e raised her eyes and looked at Zhou Sanji.

Zhou Sanji looked at Bai Xiu'e in surprise when he heard the voice.

But seeing that Bai Xiu'e insisted and he had said so before, he thought for a moment and said, "Girl, we have to make it clear first - this animal coat you sew must be made of at least a hundred kinds of animal skins, otherwise it won't count!

If you agree to this condition, I will give you a month... half a month, how about that? "

"I promise."

(End of this chapter)