The tea shed that the three men rushed into did not sell tea, but "Miancha".
This thing is a kind of noodle tea.
Grind "Gaoliang" or "Xiaomi" into fine powder, warm osmanthus sugar water to make a paste, then use boiling water in a large copper kettle to make a thick paste, finally sprinkle with red and white sugar, and eat slowly with a spatula.
It can be said to be sweet, delicious and rich in flavor.
The teapot for flushing water is also particular. It is a special large copper teapot with a dragon mouth, similar to the structure of a hot pot. The iron dragon whiskers are inlaid with big red thread balls, which tilt up from both sides of the dragon head.
There is also a copper whistle on the top of the pot, which whines when the water boils.
This thing is not expensive, and paired with steamed cakes or sesame cakes stuffed with bean paste, it can fill your stomach.
Of course, tea is also sold, but it is all inferior tea, with some color at most.
Therefore, there are many such stalls on the pier.
The tea shed is also very simple, with a few linoleum sheets supported on thick wooden poles, and a few lame wooden tables inside, which have long been stained black by the sweat of the dock coolies and the grease from eating.
As soon as the three men stumbled in, the shopkeeper's copper pot trembled in fright.
"Get the fuck out of here!"
The leading man with a scarred face kicked over the bench, lifted up his clothes, and revealed the green scale waistband on his waist.
The fine scales engraved on the waist tag are exactly the token of Jinghai Gang.
The few porters in the tea shed put down their bowls and ran away in a hurry.
The shopkeeper's legs were so frightened that he wanted to run away, but he couldn't let go of the big copper pot in his hand.
This thing was passed down to Three Dynasties, and the whole family relied on it to support themselves.
However, just this slight hesitation made the scar-faced leader impatient. He stepped forward and kicked her hard, "Fuck you, don't you have ears?"
There was only a bang sound, and the shopkeeper fell to the ground together with the copper pot. He screamed and screamed when he was burned by the boiling water. He crawled out and ran away, enduring the pain and standing by.
The most Jinghai Gang people can do is give him a beating.
But if it escapes, the copper pot can be stolen by those thieves.
After driving the people away, the leader pulled off the linoleum cloth with a hiss, blocked it slightly, took out the iron box and the big smoking pole from his arms, put some sticky black paste on it, and lit the fire.
Upon smelling the taste, the addicted man quickly pounced on it, snatched it away and took a few sips.
Accompanied by the stench of smoke, his tense muscles relaxed, making him look ecstatic.
"Hey! Give me a bite too!"
The other two men couldn't help themselves and took a few puffs from it.
Soon, the three of them took a bite from each other, with happy expressions on their faces.
The tattered linoleum was leaking air from everywhere, and coupled with the recent movement, it quickly attracted many people to watch.
The kind-hearted porters helped the boss up, comforting him and whispering to him.
But the old man selling cooking cakes next to him shook his head and said:
"This month, this is the third time I've suffered. Last time Minato Liu got addicted and bit off his own tongue."
Li Yan and others were among them, all with cold eyes.
They have all seen how terrifying this thing is, it can turn people into ghosts.
I originally thought I was just smoking it in private, but I didn't expect Jinmen to be so popular.
"Old man, what are they doing?"
Li Yan was moved in his heart and asked the old man selling cooking cakes.
"What do you want me to do?"
The old man looked disgusted, "It's not a good thing..."
Before he finished speaking, there was the sound of horse hooves in the distance.
But it was a group of guard soldiers wearing red armor who came from near the dock.
The leader Banner Officer turned over and dismounted, his waist Wild Goose Feather Blade was as bright as a mirror, he glanced around with a cold face, then looked at the tea shed and cursed angrily, "Catch all the pickled goods wherever they come from!"
After giving the order, the wolf-like soldiers rushed in and dragged the three men away.
Surprisingly, the three men were not afraid at all.
They were like a puddle of mud, winking at the soldiers at the guard station, but Banner Officer didn't seem to notice them, and just looked around coldly. When they saw Li Yan and his group, they narrowed their eyes slightly and turned around to leave.
There was no excitement anymore and the crowd dispersed quickly.
The old man selling sesame seed cakes didn't want to say much at first, but after being stuffed with some broken silver by Li Yan, he led everyone to a quiet place and muttered, "The name of that thing is Fushou Paste."
"I heard that it came from Nanyang. Jinghai Gang sells it in casino brothels. The price is not expensive, but once you smoke it, you can't stop. Thanks to this stuff, Jinghai Gang's business has become more and more prosperous in the past two years."
"But the gentleman at the medical clinic said that this substance is quite poisonous, and the old man has seen several people die from it."
"Oh?"
Li Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, "Who was Banner Officer just now?"
"That's the guard of the grain transport ship of Marines. No one on the San Cha River dares to mess with it..."
After the old man left, everyone looked at each other in shock.
"Tsk, tsk."
Sha LiFei mocked. "Looking at the appearance just now, I'm afraid people from Marines are also involved."
At the same time, Long Yan'er also stretched out her hand, and with a buzzing sound, a Gu worms picked up a fragment of "Fushou Paste" and landed on her palm.
Long Yan'er said thoughtfully, "It's a little different from what we saw before. The one used by Yang Lao Hai's master and disciple is more mellow and has added herbs. Even the monks can't bear it. These are ordinary goods."
Li Yan looked at the city gate in the distance and said solemnly, "Although they are different types, they must have the same origin."
"I'm afraid people from the Jianmu Organization are also in the city. It's better for us to be careful and find a place to stay first, and then look for the murderer of Brother Wu!"
After that, he led everyone to the city gate.
Jinmen people have a saying, "First there was Dazhigu, then there was Tianjin Wei."
Zhigu was originally the old name of Haihe River. During the Song and Jin Dynasties, the Jin people established Zhigu Village here and stationed troops there.
Jinmen There are many places with "Gu" as their names, such as Sanchagu, Donggu, Xikou and Dagu, so there are also sayings like "Nine Rivers Xiashao" and "Seventy-two Gu".
Because of water transportation and sea transportation, Jinmen has developed rapidly.
During the Former Dynasty Da Xing period, this place was occupied by Golden Horde Wolf Country, who "renamed Zhigu as Haijin" and established the Dazhigu Salt Transport Commissioner Department to manage salt transportation. When Great Xuan Dynasty was established, a health center was also established to protect the capital and build the city.
Because the city is long from east to west and short from north to south, and looks like an abacus, it is called "Abacus City" by the people.
The city wall is made of rammed earth and covered with bricks, and has four gates: Zhendong, Anxi, Dingnan and Gongbei.
Li Yan and others entered the city from Dingnan Gate.
From a distance, I saw the incense and the Tianhou Palace on the Zhuqiang Golden Summit.
Attendant inside the Tianhou Palace is the famous Mazu.
But everyone's attention was attracted by something else.
South Grand Canal is surrounded by shipyards and workshops.
On the 30-foot-long wooden slide, the supervisor brandished an iron ruler to scold the craftsmen who were slacking off in their work. The shirtless men were painting the keel of the canal with tung oil. The rows of Blacksmith Shop were emitting thick smoke and making clanging sounds one after another.
Further away, a salty smell wafted from the kitchen where sea salt was cooked. The salt workers stepped on the blackened salt grains with their bare feet. The skin on their ankles was ulcerated, but they still gritted their teeth and endured the pain.
There are also workshops for making porcelain, weaving and weaving bamboo baskets.
There are also a large number of shack areas near the workshop.
At a glance, it is almost impossible to see the end, and there is an inexplicable feeling of hustle and bustle.
"Good guy, there are so many!" Sha LiFei opened his mouth wide.
Others were also quite surprised when they saw it.
Only Li Yan just glanced at him with a calm expression.
Ever since he understood the current situation, he knew that this situation would happen sooner or later.
With the influx of more people, the population may become even larger in the future.
They stopped and watched for a while, then followed the flow of people into the city.
After entering the city, you will find Nanmen Street.
There are more people in the city. In front of the brick and wooden shops on both sides of the street, there are signs such as "Changlu Salt Yin", "Fujian and Guangdong Sugar Frost", "Chengdu Silk and Satin"... almost all the specialties from the north and the south are gathered here.
"New rhino horn cream from Siam!"
Outside the drug store, the waiters were banging copper bowls and shouting, and even ran to them to sell products.
Of course, there are countless restaurants and teahouses.
In the hustle and bustle of the crowd, Sha LiFei asked in a rough voice, "Brother, let me go find someone to ask."
After saying that, he turned around and went into a nearby teahouse.
After a while, a young man in a green shirt was brought over.
This is a local man. Seeing that Li Yan and others are so popular, he has become half shorter. When he heard that they were looking for an inn, his face burst into smiles, "Liang Biaozi, what do you think? You have found the right person. There is nothing I don't know about this Jinmen from the inside out. I can walk back and forth with my eyes closed. I have food, drink, and accommodation. No matter what you want, I can help you find it..."
"Stop!"
Seeing this man's face full of nonsense and talking non-stop, Li Yan quickly raised his hand, "Let's take our luggage and find a place to stay first. Where are the inns in the city?"
"That's a lot!"
Liang Biaozi bent down and cupped his hands and said, "There are many inns in the city. Near Sancha River Mouth and Bei Da Guan, there are more than thirty carriage and horse shops where boatmen and merchants rest. Although they are simple, the price is cheap."
"Around the government office and near Hu Bu Street in North Gate, there are many silver and gold shops, and the inns are of higher quality. Most of them are for wealthy merchants and officials. The nearby Goulanwantoshi is very lively at night. There are also many outside the Tianhou Palace and City God Temple, mostly scholars and pilgrims..."
"It seems that all of you are from Prosperity. The government office is more suitable."
Li Yan frowned slightly, "Is there a quieter place?"
It stands to reason that the high-end inns over the government office are better, but there are not many of them.
Their identity cannot be concealed, and it will inevitably cause some trouble.
At least until the murderer is found, he can't take care of other things.
"This..."
Liang Biaozi rolled his eyes, patted his chest and said with a smile, "As for the secluded and clean places, they are undoubtedly the guild halls in various places in the city, but it is not easy to live in them. If you can trust me, I will help you clear the way."
"Guild hall?"
Li Yan's heart moved, "No need, just take us to the Jin Prefecture Guild Hall."
He almost forgot that he still had the token given by the Jin Prefecture Merchant Guild.
As long as you show your belt, Jin Prefecture Guild Hall everywhere will do their best to entertain you.
Although I don't want to accept too many favors, it is undoubtedly the most suitable right now.
"Oh... good!"
Liang Biaozi was stunned for a moment, but didn't say much and led everyone to the north of the city.
Jin Prefecture Guild Hall, located three streets away from the government office.
It was still the same style they had seen before, with a high-walled courtyard and tall gates and narrow doors, like a fortress.
Compared to the one in Shuzhong, the guild hall here was relatively lively. Before I even got close, I saw four or five businessmen coming in and out with their servants, and their words were full of Jinzhou accents.
"Where are your guests coming from?"
Seeing them arriving, the boy guarding the door quickly stepped forward to greet them.
Although his face was full of politeness, the words of rejection were clearly in his mouth.
Li Yan is a group of people with a special temperament. They look like Jianghu people. Most of the time, the guild hall is used by local businessmen to rest and do business. They don't want to interact too much with people from Jianghu.
"Excuse me, take a look at this."
Li Yan didn't waste any time and took out the waist card directly.
"Oh?"
When the waiter saw it, his face immediately became serious, and he bowed his hands respectfully. "Go and tell the shopkeeper, distinguished guests, please wait a moment."
After that, he hurriedly entered the hall with the token.
A trace of surprise flashed in Yaren Liang Biaozi's eyes, and at the same time he clasped his fists in embarrassment and said, "You are indeed nobles. If I said something wrong before, please forgive me."
He just said that he would stay at Shutong Guild Hall, obviously he wanted to make a big deal.
But this was the first time he saw Jin Prefecture Guild Hall like this, and he was already a little frightened.
I was not prepared to ask for the reward, so I just wanted to say goodbye and leave.
"Wait a minute."
Li Yan's heart moved, and he took out ten taels of silver from his arms and waved it in front of the man's eyes, "Brother, I'm familiar with Jinmen. I'd like to ask you for help with something."
Looking at the white money, Liang Biaozi felt a little hot in his eyes, but he didn't dare to reach out to take it, "Young man's ability is limited, you might as well tell me what it is."
"Easy."
Li Yan put the silver into his hand and whispered, "Wander around the city and help me find a house with an old man over eighty years old, or a person who suddenly came back to life a day or two after death. See whose door has this pattern."
As he spoke, he drew a "swastika" pattern with lotus flowers on the ground with his feet.
This is the mark of Yellow Springs Organization.
Their "Living Underworld Messenger" inheritance is related to Buddhism and the Six Paths of Reincarnation, so they have this mark.
Unlike Li Yan, who tries to get lucky, these people will actively look for tasks in order to get Celestial Decree, but they can't afford to offend the powerful ones, so they can only look for ordinary people who are confused and still have good fortune.
Of course, the guardian must first confirm and engrave the mark, and finally pick it up in the middle of the night.
Yellow Springs Organization has collapsed, but this habit may not change.
"Introduction... it's easy to tell!"
Liang Biaozi gritted his teeth, clasped his fists and turned around to leave.
It's obviously not a good thing to listen to Li Yan's weird request, but he hasn't opened his shop for several days. He hangs out in the teahouse every day and doesn't even dare to order tea with his name on it. How could he miss this opportunity?
At worst, it will take a day or two and a pair of shoes to drive around Tianjin.
"Young Hero Li, you are neglecting!"
As soon as Liang Biaozi left, an old man walked out of the Jin Prefecture Guild Hall.
He was wearing a military uniform, a square turban on his head, and his white hair was combed meticulously. When he saw everyone, he repeatedly confessed, then raised his hand and said, "Everyone, follow me in quickly."
It's no surprise that Li Yan is so enthusiastic.
The tokens given by the Jin Prefecture Guild Hall all have names and surnames. You can know his identity by looking up the number.
Like the Jin Prefecture Guild Hall I had seen before, this one also had three entrances to the mansion. There was even a stage on which a plump woman was speaking Dagu Shu.
"I have prepared a secluded house for you."
The shopkeeper's face was full of enthusiasm and said, "There were not enough rooms in the Tianhou Palace temple fair a few days ago. There just happened to be a lot of vacancies these days. If you have any instructions, please feel free to ask."
"The shopkeeper is so polite..."
Li Yan smiled slightly, then stopped suddenly.
The Gouji, which had not moved for a long time, started to feel slightly warm at this moment...