Zhao Liang's father was a woodcutter. More than ten years ago, he accidentally broke his leg on the way up the mountain to cut firewood. He has been unable to do heavy work since then, and all the work at home depends on his mother.

During the Song Dynasty , in a remote village in Yueqing Town, Ningzhou Prefecture, there lived a man named Zhao, named Zhao Liang, who was about sixteen or seventeen years old.

Zhao Liang's father is a woodcutter. More than ten years ago, he accidentally broke his leg on the way to chop wood in the mountains. He has been unable to do heavy work since then, and all the work at home depends on his mother.

Because life was very tight, in order to be able to support his family as soon as possible, he learned cooking from a master who knew how to cook when he was twelve years old.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Liang was very talented in cooking. He quickly learned how to make various dishes, and successfully came to work as a chef in a restaurant in Ningzhou Prefecture.

Zhao Liang's craftsmanship is good, and the restaurant business is booming, and he can get a salary of more than one or two silver dollars every month.

There were many wealthy people or wealthy people who wanted to hire him to live in their house and cook for them, and the salary was higher than that in a restaurant. However, Zhao Liang was unwilling to leave.

For Zhao Liang, cooking is not only a job, but also something he enjoys. When he has nothing to do, he likes to listen to the officials discussing recent events in the city in the restaurant.

Recently, one thing he often heard was that another home in the city was burglarized. The thief seemed to be a habitual criminal, and he often picked on women who lived alone at home.

However, he will occasionally steal from some wealthy people. It can be said that he will do anything for money.

Because the thieves were cautious, they had not been caught for more than a year. Therefore, during this period, people in the city were panicked and feared that their homes would also be robbed.

However, I heard that he was discovered recently when he was burglarizing Mr. Li's house and his right arm was stabbed with a sharp knife. This was a great opportunity to catch him.

However, I didn't expect that the thief had helpers, and he escaped in the end.

The person responsible for this matter was the famous horse catcher in the town. He knew that the thief had suffered a trauma and would definitely need to buy external wound medicine. Therefore, he notified major pharmacies to prohibit the sale of herbal medicine for treating trauma to strange men.

When the thief heard the news, he really didn't dare to go to the drug store, and he could only endure the injuries on his body. After almost half a month, the injuries on his arms had not healed.

The thief's name is Gu Zhong, who only came to the town a few years ago. After being injured this time, he has stayed in the city and has been quietly paying attention to the actions of the policeman Ma.

Seeing the number of police officers on the street gradually dwindling, Gu Zhong felt that Detective Ma should have given up this time. He had narrowly escaped death again, but there was no wound at all on his arm. See you soon.

This also made him feel very strange, because he had been injured in daily life, but there was no wound that was so difficult to heal.

"Could it be that the blade of Yuan Wai Li's sword is coated with poison?"

"If that's true, then Yuan Wai Li could have used a simpler way to deal with himself, why bother using such a troublesome method?"

Gu Zhong thought about it Thinking about it, he felt that he still thought too much. Maybe it was just because of the hot weather that the wound healed slowly. Therefore, he simply did not think about it, but walked into a restaurant, intending to fill his stomach here.

He often comes to this restaurant, so he skillfully found a seat to sit down, called the waiter, and ordered a few common dishes.

After the waiter took care of the guests, he hurriedly ran to the kitchen and came to Zhao Liang and said: "Brother Liang, the man you talked about came here again today. Is he really a big thief making a fuss in the city?

Zhao Liang put the stir-fried vegetables in the iron pot into a plate, looked at the waiter and asked: "How is his face today?

The waiter said: "He looks pale, and he does seem to be injured. But based on this alone, how can we be sure that he is the thief?" "

Zhao Liang said with a smile: "After you finish serving the food, go to the county government office to find the horse arrester and say that you have found traces of the thief. If he is not a thief, you will put the responsibility on me.

The waiter saw that he was confident, so he believed his words even more. After waiting for about a quarter of an hour, the food was finally ready. Zhao Liang called the waiter over and asked him to bring it over.

Before the waiter left, he took out a porcelain bottle from his arms and sprinkled some powder on the dishes. Then, he saw the waiter put the food on the table and the man started to eat.

The waiter quietly slipped out of the kitchen and ran to the gate of the county government office. He found Inspector Ma and said that he had discovered the traces of the thief.

When Captain Ma heard this, he didn't dare to be negligent. He quickly called five or six people together and followed the waiter to the restaurant.

"Boy, are you sure the thief is eating in your restaurant? If it is true at this time, I will definitely reward you heavily, but if this is false, you will definitely be held accountable!"

The waiter listened and felt in his heart There was a slight thump, but he still felt that Zhao Liang would not lie to him, so he said: "Captain Ma, if I am not sure, how dare I bother you to come over? If it is true or false, you will know it when you get to the restaurant."

In this way, Captain Ma quickly broke into the restaurant with his people and posted people to guard the door, blocking the only way out.

As soon as Gu Zhong saw the battle, he knew something was wrong. However, it was too late for him to escape at this time, so he could only pretend to be calm and drink and eat.

The waiter had already informed the thief of his clothing and characteristics on the road, so Captain Ma took a quick look and found Gu Zhong sitting aside, and then walked towards him.

"Open your cuffs. I want to see if there are any stab wounds on your arms!"

Detective Ma directly asked him to open his cuffs. Of course, Gu Zhong was unwilling and did not dare to raise his head. He looked to the west, trying to find a chance to escape, but before he could take action, Detective Ma suddenly took action, held him down, and asked someone to lift his sleeves.

Sure enough, I saw a stab wound on his right arm that had not healed yet.

Ma Captou said with certainty: "You are the big thief who has been causing trouble in the city recently. Unexpectedly, after escaping for half a month, you finally fell into my hands."

After Gu Zhong heard this, he deliberately shouted: "Ma Captou Come on, you got the wrong person. This wound was obviously scratched by a branch a few days ago. Look around the wound, there is no scar yet. How could it be left half a month ago?

Ma, please be careful. After looking at it, he found that the wound was indeed very new. It didn't look like it had been for half a month. Could it be that he had really recognized the wrong person?

He glanced at the waiter, who didn't know how to answer. I went to the kitchen to invite Zhao Liang over.

After Zhao Liang heard about the incident, he hurriedly said to Captain Ma: "Sir, the reason why his wound heals slowly is because I put some salt in the food he usually eats. Herbal medicine, called groundroot, has miraculous effects on ordinary people, but for people who have suffered trauma, it will slow down the speed of wound healing. "

" This person comes to our restaurant every few days. Therefore, I know all about his changes and there is no way I can admit his mistake. "

Gu Zhong raised his head and glanced at Zhao Liang. It turned out that this was the reason why his wound had not healed.

After hearing this, Captain Ma nodded and escorted Gu Zhong back to the Yamen without leaving any room. After interrogation, he Sure enough, he admitted that he was a thief, so he was thrown into jail.

Zhao Liang and Xiaoer were rewarded with twenty taels of silver each for their success in catching Gu Zhong. The policeman was also ordered to send a plaque to the restaurant. At this point, Zhao Liang The reputation in the town became even more popular.

Zhao Liang did not get carried away because of this. Instead, he cooked more carefully, and the people who came to eat were full of praise for his craftsmanship.

However, about a few months later, suddenly something happened in the town. News spread that the thief Gu Zhong had escaped from the yamen. For a while, people in the town became nervous again.

However, because his identity was exposed, Captain Ma had people put stickers on every corner of the town. He had Gu Zhong's portrait, so it seemed unlikely that he would appear in the city again, so this made people feel a little relieved.

However, this matter was different for Zhao Liang, because he let Gu Zhong be arrested. The main reason is that there is no guarantee that he will not be targeted by Gu Zhong in the future.

Therefore, everyone advised him to go out of the city to avoid the limelight.

Zhao Liang thought so at first, but when he thought about it, he had not been there for more than half a year. Go home, maybe take this opportunity to go home and have a look.

So, he asked the shopkeeper for half a month's leave and went home alone, but on the way, he encountered a trouble.

After Zhao Liang left the city, he kept walking on the main road and did not dare to take shortcuts. Because he had more than ten taels of silver that he had saved, he did not dare to go to places with few people. If he encountered an inn, he would stay there. live.

After walking for about two days, I finally arrived home, but at this moment, I heard a woman crying on the roadside.

Zhao Liang was worried that the woman would be in trouble, so he followed the sound and saw that the woman was a twenty-eight-year-old girl, so he approached her.

"Girl, what happened to you, why are you crying here?"

The woman raised her eyes, glanced at Zhao Liang, and said: "Sir, my daughter followed her father to the town to visit relatives. Unexpectedly, she encountered a group of mountain men. The thief was separated from his father when he escaped. Now he is penniless and has to sleep in the wilderness at night.

After the woman finished speaking, she started to cry again, so Zhao Liang took out a couple of silver coins from his arms and said that there were fifteen days ahead. There is an inn here. You can stay there for one night until your father comes to find you.

Zhao Liang handed the money to her, but the woman did not accept it. Instead, she said that she was alone and did not dare to be on the road alone. Wandering around.

When Zhao Liang heard this, he saw that it was getting dark. If he didn't hurry on, he might not be able to get home at night, so he had no choice but to say: "In that case, why don't you stay at my house for a night, and I'll see you off tomorrow morning?" leave. "

The woman stopped crying after hearing this. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Young Master doesn't look like a bad person. In that case, I'll trouble you to take care of him."

Zhao Liang took the woman on the road. On the way, he learned that the woman's name was Cai. He, who has just turned sixteen this year, and his father is a businessman.

Zhao Liang saw that Miss Caihe was well-dressed and well-spoken. He expected that she was not from a poor background, so he believed her words. When it was almost night, he finally arrived. Arrive at home.

"Mom, Dad, I'm back."

Zhao Liang shouted before he entered the yard, and a woman rushed out of the house after hearing the sound. When she saw him, her face changed. He smiled immediately.

When the woman saw a girl standing next to him, she was stunned for a moment, and then her smile became brighter. She took the two of them into the house, and then went to the kitchen to prepare. Zhao Liang was the chef, but she was tired from traveling today, so Zhao's mother started to prepare it herself. Zhao Liang went to visit Zhao's father, and Caihe went to the kitchen to help Zhao's mother cook.

After half an hour, the family sat around the table. Before, Zhao Liang introduced Caihe to his parents

"Mom and dad, this is Miss Caihe. She was originally visiting relatives in the town, but she got separated from her father, so she wanted to stay here for one night."

Father Zhao. After hearing this, she smiled and nodded in agreement, while Zhao's mother was startled for a moment, and then she agreed with a smile.

Zhao Liang heard his parents agree, and after dinner, he started to clean up the room for Miss Caihe, and then helped her. She brought two quilts and brought an oil lamp.

After finishing her work, it was getting late. Zhao Liang said good night to her and went back to the room to rest.

Caihe also turned around and closed the door. Nothing happened all night. The next day, Zhao Liang got up and found that the door of Miss Caihe's room was closed. He thought she had not gotten up, but when he came to the yard, he found that Miss Caihe had rushed back from outside.

Zhao Liang followed him. She said hello, and Caihe responded, and then the two walked to the courtyard together.

After breakfast, Zhao Liang originally wanted to send her away, but the sky suddenly became gloomy and uncertain, and it seemed that it was about to rain. Upon seeing this, He proposed that he would like to stay for a few more days, but Zhao Liang nodded and agreed without thinking too much. Zhao's mother naturally did not refuse.

At night, Cai He went back to his room to rest early, but Zhao's mother pulled Zhao Liang into the house, closed the doors and windows, and said to him: "Now it's time for you to get married and start a business. When you come back this time, why not ask a matchmaker to arrange your marriage?" After deciding, do you have a favorite candidate?

After hearing this, Zhao Liang quickly shook his head and said: "There is no candidate!" Now, I..."

When Zhao's mother heard this, she said anxiously before he could finish his words: "Why don't you have some snacks for such an important matter? There is a girl named Shen in a neighboring village. She is in pretty good condition. I will ask a matchmaker to go and have a look at her tomorrow. "

Seeing that his mother was about to leave, Zhao Liang quickly grabbed her sleeves and said, "Mom, it's still early. I won't delay for another two years. Right now, my son wants to buy you a house in the town and put you there. It will be easier to take care of you if I take him over to live here. "

Mother Zhao was immediately displeased and said, "Your father and I have already discussed it. We have more than fifty taels of silver at home. Let's use it to get you engaged first. We will consider the matter of the house later!" "

Zhao Liang could not convince his mother, so he could only agree with a helpless expression. At this time, he suddenly heard a noise outside the window, and then hurried out, only to find a trampled dead wood branch next to the window, but the person But there was no trace.

Zhao Liang was afraid that his mother would be worried, so he just said there was a cat outside and told her not to worry about it, and then turned around and went back to the room.

At night, Zhao Liang couldn't sleep, and thought of what happened during the day. Thinking of walking in the yard, he found that Miss Caihe's door was open a crack. He knocked on the door to remind her, but found that Caihe was not in the room at all.

"It's so late, where would she go?" Could something have happened? "

" No, this room is neatly furnished, and Miss Caihe left on her own. "

Zhao Liang thought for a while and hid behind a big stone in the courtyard. About half an hour later, he saw Caihe passing through the courtyard and returning to his room.

At this time, Zhao Liang finally determined that Caihe He had a problem, but he didn't dare to alert the snake, so he deliberately pretended not to notice and quietly returned to the room.

The next day, he asked his mother whether the money was still there. Mother Zhao said: "I have taken good care of the money. , don’t worry, there will be no problem. "

Zhao Liang felt more at ease now, and then he thought about how to drive Cai He away.

When eating at noon, Zhao Liang deliberately said: "Miss Cai He, you have been here for a few days, don't worry about your relationship with Cai He. Your father is separated. I have nothing to do today, why don't you let me take you back?

Caihe raised the corner of his eyes, glanced at Zhao Liang, and said, "I discussed it with my father when we parted. If he can't find me, he will go visit relatives by himself and go back after about seven days. Now it's just three days later." God, after a few days, I will wait for him outside the city gate. "

Zhao Liang was speechless when he said this and didn't know how to respond. Zhao's mother didn't have much to think about, so she said: "Girl, it's not easy for you to be alone outside, so don't worry about living here. "

After hearing this, Caihe took Zhao's mother's hand and said some words of gratitude, which made Zhao's mother very happy. Moreover, Zhao Liang could also see that her mother seemed to be very concerned about Miss Caihe.

If it's true. If this is the case, things will be troublesome, because now the mother will definitely not believe that Miss Caihe lives here just because she cares about the family's money, and if she tells it directly, she is afraid of alerting the enemy.

But Zhao Liang thought for a moment, and then Thinking of an idea, he went to a nearby town and bought a bunch of ingredients, saying that he would make a sumptuous meal for everyone.

Since Zhao Liang's cooking skills were already very good, he went to great lengths this time. In just half an hour, a sumptuous meal was ready. Just the smell of it made people salivate.

Mother Zhao and Father Zhao also moved their chopsticks, while Caihe hesitated for a while and then moved his chopsticks too. , Zhao Liang specially placed a dish in front of her for her to try, but after the meal, Caihe didn’t even move her chopsticks.

At this time, Zhao’s mother said, “Miss Caihe doesn’t like fishy dishes either? His father and I don't like to eat either. You are really destined to my family."

Caihe smiled softly and didn't say anything else. After eating, he helped Zhao's mother go back to the room to rest, while Zhao Liang picked up the fishy vegetables and poured them out. It seemed that something was moving in the dishes. She found out about the hands and feet.

Zhao Liang originally thought about confronting Caihe directly and using the excuse of revealing her true purpose to persuade him to leave as soon as possible, but he was afraid that she would do something suddenly, so , He has been hesitating.

However, the next day, Zhao's mother suddenly came to him and said that the girl named Shen from the neighboring village had just gotten engaged a while ago, and she was afraid that the marriage would not work out.

Zhao Liang just breathed a sigh of relief. Mother Zhao said with a smile: "I have inquired, Miss Caihe's family is in business, and she is not engaged. I see that you two get along well. How about I ask the matchmaker to propose marriage?" Anyway, she will be able to see her father in two days..."

"Mother, this must not be done. Miss Caihe..."

Mother Zhao asked: "Miss Caihe What's up with her? "

Zhao Liang had no choice but to tell his mother what he had observed in recent days. As a result, her mother replied dubiously: "Are you trying to lie to me again? "

Zhao Liang quickly denied it, saying that what he said was true. Then, he discussed a plan with Zhao's mother.

This time, Zhao Liang cooked another table of delicious dishes, while Caihe still followed the previous method. She only ate what Zhao's mother had eaten. What she didn't know was that Zhao's mother had taken the specially made detoxification pill before the meal. Therefore, not long after the meal, she felt severe pain in her abdomen and realized that she had been infected. Poisoned.

Caihe held her stomach and came to Zhao's mother's room. She wanted to ask Zhao's mother for the antidote, but she only saw Zhao Liang in the room. As soon as Zhao Liang opened her mouth, he asked her about her true identity. I didn't say anything at first, but then the abdominal pain became unbearable, and Zhao Liang kept saying that if the poison was not solved for an hour, there would be no cure.

After hearing this, Caihe finally admitted that she was Gu Zhong's daughter. , named Gu Caihe, came here to avenge his father's plot. Later, he heard that Zhao's mother had fifty taels of silver, so he planned to steal it, but Zhao Liang saw through the plan

. Seeing that she finally told the truth, Liang brought a bowl of water to her from the table. After she drank it, within a moment, her abdomen no longer swelled.

Zhao Liang was afraid that she would cause trouble if she stayed here, so he said goodbye. Her parents took her back to Ningzhou Mansion, and met Gu Zhong on the way.

Zhao Liang knew that he was no match, so he turned around and wanted to run away, but Gu Zhong caught up with her and held her in his hand. Thinking that she was about to be in trouble, Gu Caihe took action to stop her father. It turned out that she felt that Zhao Liang had the opportunity to attack her, but he still chose to let her go, which showed that he was a kind-hearted person.

And Gu Zhong heard this. After that, he let him go. Gu Caihe also promised not to cause trouble to him in the future, and said that he and his father had decided to leave here. At this point, the matter came to an end.

After Zhao Liang returned to the city, he did not mention the matter. He told others that a few years later, he found his wife in the city and took his parents to live in the city. Since then, he has never encountered any trouble.

Disclaimer: This story is a fictional folk story, mostly based on anecdotes and legends. , strange novels, operas, legends, etc. The author's original intention is to inherit ancient Chinese folk culture. Do not believe in authenticity or feudal superstition!

The pictures in the article are from the Internet. If there are any copyright issues, please contact the author to delete them! Story: A man was cooking, and when he saw a girl acting strangely without moving her chopsticks, he brought a bowl of water from the room

Folk story: A man was cooking, and when he saw a diner looking pale and strange, he quietly called for arrest