Ming Dynasty There was a man named Ning Gui. His ancestors were all cloth merchants for three generations and his family was very rich. Ning Gui has a son named Ning Huitang. He has been smart since he was a child. He started studying in a private school at the age of six. The teacher praised him very much.
However, although Ning Huitang likes to study, he never takes the scientific examination. After all, his family is rich, and Ning Gui didn't expect his son to be an official, so he let him go.
That's it. Ning Huitang likes to travel around every day, in addition to studying. When he reached the age of marriage, Ning Gui arranged someone to tell him about his marriage, but he ignored it.
Unlike other rich young men, Ning Huitang is still very good. However, he was dressed as a scholar, but he liked to hold a fan all day long and wander around with the book boy, looking like a wanderer. Ning Gui was helpless in this regard.
On this day, Ning Huitang received a letter from his former classmate Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng moved to a neighboring county with his family. The letter said that there was a lonely mountain a hundred miles away, with excellent scenery. He invited Ning Huitang to go with him, and the two met there.
It has entered spring at this time, the climate is warming up, and it is a good time to go out. Moreover, if you want to go to Ninghuitang, you can take a boat and enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way.
Ning Huitang thought about it, happily took the letter to find his father, and expressed his thoughts of going with Xu Sheng.
Because of the long journey, Ning Gui disagreed at first, but he couldn't stand Ning Huitang's soft and hard work, so he had to take out a few hundred taels of silver and let Shutong Ningwu go out with his son.
Although Ning Wu is only fifteen years old, he is tall and burly. When Ning Gui chose him as his son's book boy, he also hoped that he could protect his son when he went out. Therefore, whenever Ning Huitang wants to go out and wander, he always takes Ning Wu with him.
The next morning, at the advice of Ning Gui and his wife, Ning Huitang took Ning Wu to set off.
Ning Huitang still waved a fan in his hand and walked leisurely. Ning Wu behind him carried a lot of burden. In addition to money, clothes, and some dry food were also brought in the bag.
Ning Huitang is a young master born with a golden spoon in his mouth and has never suffered any hardships. If you arrive in a village, you will naturally have to find a restaurant and have a meal, bringing dry food just in case.
is nearly 200 miles away from the destination, and most of the distance is waterways. Ning Huitang visited the pier and was excitedly waiting for the boat.
The dock is very lively, with several large ships parked, and the boatmen are busy driving the boat. There are many people setting up stalls on the shore, and they have everything they need to eat and use for the boat to prepare. There are fishing boats nearby and there are stalls selling fresh fish and shrimps directly.
After Ning Huitang and Ning Wu had eaten, they wandered around the dock. Suddenly, Ning Huitang heard a noise.
He heard the sound and saw a man in servant dress, holding an old man's collar with his left hand and clenching his fist with his right hand, as if he was about to swing towards the old man.
The old man showed a timid expression. Although he was afraid, he still said stubbornly: "This fish can't be sold for one or two taels of silver."
"Stop talking nonsense, my master can fall in love with your fish, so you are lucky. Don't be ungrateful." The servant scolded sternly.
Behind the servant, there was a arrogant middle-aged man standing. He didn't say a word and stared at the old man like this.
When the old man saw that he couldn't understand with the servant, he broke free and went to pick up the middle-aged man and said, "Uncle, if this is the fish I caught myself, it would be for free to give it to you. But this is the fish from the boss. If the boss knew that I sold the fish for one tael of silver, I wouldn't eat it."
At this time, the middle-aged man sneered and said, "That's your business, I can't control it. I just want this fish." After that, he shook his big hand, and the old man staggered and couldn't stand firmly, and fell directly into the river behind him.
At this time, the waves in the river are quite large, and whenever they hit the shore, they make loud noises. Even if the old man is familiar with water, he is too old to save himself in this wave of water, so he can only struggle desperately.
Seeing this, the servant began to hesitate, but the master behind him looked cold and had no intention of saving people, so he did not dare to move.
Ning Huitang witnessed everything, and he hurriedly shouted, "Ning Wu!" As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Wu plunged into the water and lifted the old man up slightly.
After all, she is an adult man. Even though Ning Wu is strong and proficient in water, she has spent a lot of effort to save the old man ashore. Fortunately, both of them were safe and sound, Ning Huitang let out a long sigh.
Then, Ning Huitang questioned the middle-aged man: "This master, is he going to harm human life?"
Although the middle-aged man knew the truth, he still refused to give in and asked, "This young man, should I medd more?" After that, the man did not wait for Ning Huitang to respond and winked at the servant.
The servant came to the old man again and threw a tael of silver on the ground. While reaching out to catch fish from the basin, he said, "Don't say I forced myself to buy and sell it. This is a tael of silver. I took this fish."
Seeing a big golden fish about to be fished out, the old man was anxious and wanted to get up to stop him. Unfortunately, he had just experienced falling into the water and was still in shock.
At this moment, Ning Huitang took a step forward, blocked directly in front of the servant, and asked, "Old man, how do you plan to sell this fish?"
When the old man heard this, hesitated for a moment and said, "Young Master saved my life. Logically speaking, this fish should not be charged your money, but this fish belongs to the owner. The owner said that this fish must not be less than ten taels of silver."
Ning Huitang is also an experienced person. Judging from the fish's appearance, it is not too much for ten taels of silver. Besides, ten taels of silver were a drop in the bucket for him.
So, he said to Ning Wu beside him, "Pay, I bought this fish."
As soon as this said, everyone present was stunned. The servant shouted, "Do you understand the rules? You have to come first and then come to buy things. This fish is obviously what my master wants to buy first."
"Rules?" Ning Huitang sneered and continued, "Rules are to take one tael of silver and force others to buy ten taels of silver? In my opinion, this is not a rule, it is clearly a robbery."
"Otherwise, if you bid higher than me, this fish will naturally be yours."
The middle-aged man heard this and glanced at Ning Huitang, and Ning Wu beside him had already carried the bag back on his body.
The man narrowed his eyes slightly and then said, "Since the young master likes it, I'll give it to you." After that, he called the servant to leave together.
Ning Huitang was a little surprised. He didn't expect that the two people who were so arrogant at the beginning would leave like this.
Ning Wu paid the old man ten taels of silver, and Ning Huitang immediately took the fish and threw it straight into the water. The onlookers were talking, and the middle-aged man did not go far away. Hearing the movement, he looked back at Ning Huitang, then snorted coldly and continued to move forward.
It took a long time before the boatman greeted everyone on board. Ning Huitang took Ning Wu on the boat shortly after, he saw that the old man who had just sold fish also got on the boat.
The old man looked anxious and came straight to Ning Huitang. He looked around and whispered cautiously, "Young Master, when I was sending money to my boss just now, I accidentally heard their master and servant discussing behind their backs to murder you at the next wharf."
"Since that's the case, you must not get off the boat in the next three days."
Ning Huitang couldn't help but worry after hearing this. It would take one day to get to the next wharf. If you don't get off the boat in three days, you have to wait for the third wharf.
At this time, the boatman urged the old man to get off the boat. Ning Huitang immediately bowed and thanked the old man for his reminder. After the old man got off the boat, the boat Ning Huitang took set off.
At this time, Ning Huitang no longer cared about the beautiful scenery along the way, and Ning Wu was also worried.
When passing a dock the next day, Ning Huitang and the other two did not get off the boat. They looked secretly at the shore and found a group of people gathered at the pier, as if looking for someone.
Ning Huitang discovered that the middle-aged man was the leader. Fortunately, the old man reminded them that they did not get off the boat and rest. Otherwise, what kind of disaster will be waiting for them will be.
This group of people dare not go directly to the ship to search. After all, the owners who can sail on the canal cannot be underestimated, and ordinary people dare not offend them at all.
For safety reasons, Ning Huitang did not disembark until the fourth dock and escaped from the place of right and wrong. On the way back, Ning Huitang and Ning Wu mixed into a convoy and finally returned home without any danger.
is adapted from "Folk Stories". Follow @Xinyan Xiaoyu Listen to the stories and understand life!
