The majestic Chang'an City, prosperous in the West Market, here is the largest commercial area in the city, there are the largest mule and horse market in Datang, there is the largest cloth market in Datang, there is the largest chai and rice market in Datang, the long street of longitudinal horses, as far as the eye can see, a restaurant in five steps, a shop in ten steps, and high-rise buildings are lined up one after another. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

The West Market is the most noisy and prosperous place in the entire Tang Dynasty. Recently, however, it has become a bit depressed.

It's too hot, who's going to go shopping unless necessary? The reason why commerce is developed is because there are many people shopping, and if there is a lack of participation in the customer base, no matter how many merchants there are, it will be useless......

……

Liu Laohan walked along the street weakly with a load of corn cakes, the weather was hot and there were few people, he cherished every guest, and kept shouting and selling.

Unfortunately, the hot weather seemed to have made people's appetite worse, and after a whole morning, few cakes were sold.

It was nearly noon, the sun above his head was getting more and more poisonous, Liu Laohan felt tired and tired, he sighed, carried his burden and slowly walked to the door of a shop, ready to take a breath through the shade of the eaves.

There were no customers in this shop, and the shopkeeper and the guy in the store were disgusted that it was too hot in the room, so they also squatted under the eaves to enjoy the cool at this time.

Next to the shop is an herbal tea stall, the whole West Market is depressed, but his business is good, two tables with seven or eight stools, on which there are more than a dozen tea customers, it is estimated that they are tired and thirsty from visiting the market, come here to buy a bowl of tea to drink.

Liu Laohan was also very thirsty, he carried the burden all morning, coupled with the constant shouting of customers, his throat was already dry and about to smoke.

He glanced at the sign on the side of the tea stall, and saw that a teapot and a large bowl were painted in charcoal ash, and under the teapot and the tea bowl, three copper coins with round square holes were drawn.

This is a signboard, representing a pot of tea to pay three copper coins, most of the people who come to the West Market are pawn dealers or civilian households, everyone is basically illiterate, so the street vendor signs here are generally represented by intuitive and easy-to-understand paintings.

"A pot of three pennies, I have two cakes on top, this tea stall is black, the weather is so hot, and the tea is so expensive......" Liu Laohan smashed his mouth, touched the pocket containing the money, and finally muttered to himself, forcing himself not to think about thirst.

There's no way, there are still three babies to feed at home, so be thirsty if you're thirsty, and money can't be messed with.

He was more worried about not being able to sell the goods than being thirsty, and in such a hot day, nothing could last long, and once it was rancid, it would be a waste of money.

This load of corn cakes is the ration he saved after starving for more than half a month, and last night the mother-in-law at home worked hard for most of the night to steam it, originally thinking of changing some money, but he didn't expect that the business in the West Market was so bad.

"God, this is not going to live...... Liu Laohan sighed, feeling his throat getting more and more dry and itchy.

These words resonated, and I only heard the cool guy squatting under the eaves next to me say: "No, such a hot day, I haven't seen it in a few years, I washed my face five times in the morning, poured three scoops of cold water, my stomach burst, and now I still feel hot." ”

"Yes, yes, it's too hot, you see there aren't many people in the West Market, the shop hasn't opened for three days, what is the business going to do like this." The shopkeeper complained, and fanned his chest with a broken fan.

Liu Laohan heard that he hadn't opened for three days, and he became more and more depressed: "What can I do, I ...... a load of cakes."

"People are dying of heat, it's too late to hide at home and splash well water, who still goes to the west market to buy something to eat? This old brother, I'm afraid you're going to lose this deal! A guest from the tea stall next to him accosted a sentence, then picked up a bowl of tea and poured it down, spat hot air, and scolded the sky.

"What can I do, how can I do this......" Liu Laohan muttered to himself, a ravine-ravine old face full of sadness.

The tea guest was kind-hearted, and when he saw him like this, he couldn't help but take out a few big coins and said, "Brother, bring me a few cakes." The weather is hot, and the mother-in-law at home does not want to cook. ”

"Ah, yes, yes, I'll get you ......!" Liu Laohan hurriedly collected the money, took out ten cakes from the burden, wrapped them in paper, and handed them to the tea guest with a grateful face.

The common people are simple and know that they are helping themselves, and they have selected the best ten cakes.

The tea guest took something and put it on the table, then took a sip of the tea bowl and said: "Have you heard, the old grandson of the Sun family's noodle stall on the edge of the West Market suffered from heat stroke two days ago and almost died of heat. ”

"Really? The old grandson of the Sun family's noodle stall? He is strong, how can he suffer from heat stroke......"

"On such a day, it is not uncommon for anyone to suffer from heat stroke. Oops, what's wrong with this old man who sells cakes, why don't you faint when you say you're dizzy, it can't be heat stroke, right? A tea merchant was chatting with someone, when he suddenly heard a plop, he was startled, and looked back, only to find that it was the old man who sold the bread and fainted beside him.

Liu Laohan has endured not buying water because he is distressed about money, the scorching sun is raging, and the strong young man can't hold it, let alone him? .

The people who come to the West Market are all from the bottom of the society, the more such people are kinder, and everyone is not afraid of being relied upon, they helped Liu Laohan up, and a tea guest poured a bowl of herbal tea, pinched his mouth and poured it down.

"Hurry up and send it to the hospital, this old brother is not young, I'm afraid I can't relieve the heat just by irrigation."

"There is a fart for sending to the hospital, there is no prescription for relieving the heat in such a big medical hall as the hanging pot hall in the East City, our pharmacy in the West Market is even more vain, this old man is foaming at the mouth, I am afraid that he will not be able to hold it."

"Yes, yes!" One person said: "Even if you send it to the hospital, it is estimated that you will still die of heat!" ”

"What can I do? Whoever knows this old brother, hurry up and notify the family...... "The tea customer who bought the cake first was a little anxious.

The owner of the tea stall interjected: "I think it's better to report to Wuhou who patrols the streets first, if you really want to die of heat in front of our eyes, everyone will be dragged to the yamen for questioning, delaying my business." ”

The tea guest was furious: "Everyone has an accident, you are still worried about business, do you want a conscience?" Besides, on such a hot day, Wuhou has long since disappeared, where to find it? Or rush to the hospital. ”

The other tea customers were also angry, and they all glared at the tea stall owner, so frightened that his neck shrank, and everyone was angry, and he weakly retorted: "I can't, I can't die in front of my stall!" I'm also a small family doing some business, if I really want to get into trouble, my family will collapse......"

It is not easy for people living at the bottom of society, and the owner of this tea stall is not necessarily a bad person, but he just has words of suffering.

"Sorry for your mother!" The tea guest was indignant and scolded, this person was obviously a person who was anxious for justice and righteousness, seeing that Liu Laohan was foaming at the mouth, and he didn't care about vomiting and dirty, he bent down and picked up Liu Laohan, and said angrily: "You are afraid of taking responsibility, I am not afraid of Li Chong, get out of the way of Lao Tzu, and I will send him to the hospital." ”

"Well done! We're not afraid to take on the burden, let's go together. Several other tea guests opened their mouths to praise, and some of them were timid and did not speak, but they couldn't bear the condemnation of their conscience, took out a handful of silver coins from their pockets, and said, "We will make up the money for the medicine......

……

As the saying goes, people are flustered and cluttered, and they rush to the doctor. The tea guests are all small people, and many of them have never encountered any major events in their lives.

Fortunately, the tea guest Li Chong was still a little bold, shouted to follow me, hugged Liu Laohan and ran out. Next to the tea stall, some of the tea guests followed, some stopped, and from time to time they talked and shook their heads.

The scene was noisy and noisy, and it was here, when suddenly a shout sounded not far away, and he shouted eagerly: "You wait to send him to the hospital, I can treat this old man." ”

As soon as this voice came out, it was like beating the drum of cleaning the street, and the noise and noise stopped abruptly.

When everyone heard the sound, they saw a young man with a slick face shouting and walking quickly, holding a large bottle in his hand, and he didn't know what it contained.