Denghuaxiao

Chapter 73 A secret night

The cold wind at night was like a woman wailing, but in the Liu family's house, laughter could be heard faintly in the yard.

Tomorrow in autumn, Liu Zide, the youngest son of the Liu family, will also die early in the morning. Wang Chunzhi, the Liu family's aunt, specially cooked a delicious meal to celebrate her son's upcoming exam.

The table is filled with chicken, duck and beef, and there is a bird's nest in the middle. Wang Chunzhi picked up the small cup of bird's nest and handed it to her youngest son. She smiled very happily and said, "My son, after eating this cup, it will be hard for a few days to go to the dormitory tomorrow."

There are three visits in each autumn, each lasting three days and nights. They have to stay in the dormitory for nine days and seven nights. They have to eat, drink and sleep without being able to get out. Not to mention the bird's nest, even the dry food is very choked.

Liu Zide, dressed in a brand new satin suit, drank the bird's nest in front of him in one gulp, his brows slightly raised, hiding a bit of uncontrollable pride.

Naturally, he was proud of it. The money to be the examiner of the Ministry of Etiquette has been sent to him. As soon as the autumn is over, he will become a civil servant like his elder brother. If he waits a little longer, he will become an official, and he will no longer be a salesman in the future. When everyone sees the son of the family, they are respectfully called "Master".

 Thinking of the name "Master", Liu Zide smiled even more.

His brother Liu Zixian’s eyebrows were a little gloomy, and he whispered: “The people in the Ministry of Rites have become more and more hungry, and they actually sat on the ground and raised the price...”

 A few days ago, the person in charge of the etiquette department replied and said that the money sent was too much, so he added another 800 taels. Eight hundred taels and eight hundred taels, a total of one thousand six hundred taels of silver. That is a huge amount of money that many ordinary people cannot make in a lifetime!

For these 1,600 taels of silver, the family scraped together everything and emptied their savings. Liu Zixian also lost all the salary he had saved over the past year and a half. Although they are brothers, they still feel uncomfortable in their hearts.

Wang Chunzhi noticed his displeasure, rolled his eyes, and said with a smile: "The more it is, the better. Fortunately, our noodle shop's business is also good. When Zide wins the ranking, he will also be appointed to the official position. You two brothers We have already become officials, but we are still worried that money will not flow to our family? In the long run, we will have many good days ahead!"

These words were auspicious, and Mr. Liu Liu Kun couldn't help but nodded: "Yes, the officialdom is not afraid of spending money, but it is afraid that the money will not be spent. If you have good connections, it will be much easier in the future." After saying this, he sighed sadly, "Let's Back then, the Liu family had to be secretive when setting up a stall in the capital, but now they are getting ahead."

As soon as these words came out, several people at the table were a little sad.

At first, the Liu family had a stall selling noodles in Shengjing Hutong, and they were often bullied by local merchants. However, in just a few years, they opened a local shop in the busiest Queer Street. The eldest son was elected as an official, and the younger one became an official. My son also has a bright future. The neighbors who looked down on them in the past no longer dare to talk to their faces, and everyone comes to flatter them. Looking forward, those days of groveling and begging for mercy seem like disappearing waves, long gone forever.

　　It’s really not easy.

Liu Zide put a shrimp ball into his mouth, grinned, and said in a somewhat impetuous tone: "Of course, our family has two great achievements, which is a rare honor in the capital. This is comparable to that boy from the Lu family in Changwu County. Much more powerful…”

At this point, it was like mentioning a well-known taboo. Liu Zide immediately stopped speaking, and the surrounding area fell silent.

 Liu Zixian frowned, and Liu Kun looked even worse. After a while, Wang Chunzhi smiled again and said: "After all, if we stay up for a few days after tomorrow, we won't have to endure this hard life at all!" The words did not mention the name just now, as if they had passed through some mutual understanding. An undisclosed secret.

Liu Zide hurriedly responded: "Yes, yes, everything is taken care of. Mom is waiting at home for the good news!"

During the dinner, they ate and drank. Liu Zide didn't dare to waste time because he was busy tomorrow. After eating some, he went to the back room to rest. Liu Zixian also went to sleep. Wang Chunzhi packed up the tableware and went back to the room. Liu Kun was sitting at the table picking out wicks. .

The wick of the lamp was cut off, making it brighter than before. In the solid light, Liu Kun sat stiffly, like a diseased tree that was about to wither.

There was wind blowing in outside the window, and the shadows on the wall swayed. Wang Chunzhi closed the window, took off his shoes and got on the bed. Perhaps it was the autumn day that suddenly became colder. She tightened her clothes, shrank her body, and leaned against the wall. The candlelight reflected her wrist, which looked a little empty without the heavy gold bracelet.

 The gold bracelet was given to her by Liu Zixian after he took office. It was rich in gold, and her son's filial piety made her happy for half a year.

 However, a few days ago, the bracelet was exchanged for silver and sent to the Ministry of Rites.

She looked down at her empty wrist for a while and suddenly said: "Master, I dreamed about that boy from the Lu family last night."

As soon as she finished speaking, the strong wind outside suddenly blew open the window that had been ajar for a while, making a "bang" sound. She was startled and hurriedly looked around.

Liu Kun, who was sitting next to the couch, was also startled, but calmed down in an instant and scolded: "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"It's true!" As if his fear had a channel to vent, Wang Chunzhi couldn't help but shrink back into the wall. "I dreamed that he came to our house and stood at the door without saying a word. "Say." She shuddered and lowered her voice a little, "Master, my eyelids have been twitching lately and I feel uneasy. Is something going to happen?"

Liu Kun's black-and-yellow face shrugged and scolded: "All the money has been given away, what can happen? A woman is just too preoccupied. What kind of random thoughts can she have?"

Wang Chunzhi fell silent when he heard the words. He lay down against the wall and leaned against Liu Kun with his back and muttered: "If you don't want to say it, don't say it."

Wang Chunzhi fell asleep, and Liu Kun was still sitting cross-legged on the edge of the couch. His shadow cast a strange shadow on the ground, like a Kunpeng spreading its wings.

His father, who died early, gave him the name "Kun", hoping that he could spread his wings for thousands of miles and fly high and far like a Kunpeng. Liu Kun also believes that he will be able to stand out one day. However, his heart is as high as the sky and his life is as thin as paper. He has no family background and no talent. After working for most of his life, he can only earn hard money in the village of Changwu County.

His cousin Lu Qilin is a completely different person from him. He is good-looking and knowledgeable. Even if he has a son, he can read better than the two boys in his family. Liu Kun always had some subtle jealousy towards this cousin, but fortunately, Lu Qilin was probably a scholar's arrogance. He was talented and ambitious but did not understand the world, so in the end he could only be an ordinary teacher in Changwu County. . So the subtle jealousy was washed away.

Liu Kun stayed in Changwu County until he was thirty-five years old, and finally couldn't stand such a hopeless life. So he borrowed money and took his family to the capital, vowing to live a famous life.

  Shengjing is a beautiful city, with picturesque splendid scenery, golden towers, and wealth and splendor all over the place.

　　It’s just that they don’t have a share in this glory.

 Liu Kun's family came with fierce ambitions, but they encountered obstacles one after another in this charming wealth. There is no place for them in the splendid scene. No matter how big the Kunpeng's wings are, it can't fly past anyone with a ladder.

He had no knowledge or connections, so he could only set up a stall in the alley of Shengjing, selling the most common eel noodles in Changwu County. He thought that money in Shengjing was easier to earn than money in Changwu County. Little by little, you can always make some progress.

 Since ancient times, happy times have been easy to pass, but hard times have been difficult to endure. Liu Kun didn't know how long he had endured. He calculated that with the money he had saved over the years, he might be able to buy a small shop on Queer Street. He had visited that street, and there was a huge flow of customers. If he wanted to buy a shop here, , there is also a lot of profit in January.

Unexpectedly, at the end of the day, the landlord suddenly got a one hundred taels of silver. All the savings in his family have been sold, and all the neighbors who can borrow money have been borrowed. The money is like dead wood that has been severely ground, and there is no longer any leakage.

The shop was in ruins, and he returned home dejected. It was then that he met Lu Qian, who was tired of life.

Lu Qian…

 The night outside the door was miserable, and Liu Kun's eyes flickered.

Lu Qian is Lu Qilin’s son and his nephew.

This nephew's temperament is not as rigid and serious as his father's, but like the warm spring sun in March in Changwu County, bright and unrestrained. He can read, is good-looking, and has a pure and kind heart, making it difficult for people to dislike him.

 Liu Kun also liked him very much.

The two sons he gave birth to were useless and he was too lazy to take care of them, but Lu Qian liked to follow him. Probably because Lu Qilin is too old-fashioned, while Liu Kun seems much kinder. Lu Qian likes to fish with him, catch loaches, and catch crabs at the head of the stream in the evening. The neighbors next door said that compared to Lu Qilin, he looked more like Lu Qian's father.

 It was only after he came to Beijing that he had no contact with the Lu family except for a few letters for a year and a half.

Years passed by, and the bright and dashing young man looked much calmer. Liu Kun was surprised and happy, but Lu Qian's smile was very forced.

 Lu Qian came here for Lu Rou's funeral.

 Lu Rou is dead.

Liu Kun had known this news for a long time, and felt very sorry for it. When Lu Rou first got married and came to Shengjing, she even visited the Liu family once. It's just that she married into a wealthy businessman, and her family had strict rules, especially her mother-in-law, who was particularly mean. Liu Kun was not shameless enough to visit her many times, and gradually they stopped interacting with her.

Liu Kun thought Lu Qian was here for the funeral, but Lu Qian told him that there was another hidden reason for Lu Rou's death.

 Lu Rou was harmed.

The secret in Lu Qian's mouth was so shocking that Liu Kun was shocked out of his mind. The young man was as young as his youth, and he gritted his teeth and swore that he would seek justice for his eldest sister who died in vain.

"Brother Qian, this is no joke. Do you know how big an official the Grand Master is... He stomps his feet and makes the whole Shengjing tremble! You rush out and accuse him rashly, let alone reverse the case. Even your parents will be implicated, so listen to my cousin and go back, otherwise you won’t even be able to save your life!"

 At that time, this is what he advised Lu Qian.

 But Lu Qian didn't listen at all. Although the young man's temperament is very different from his father's, the stubbornness in his bones is exactly the same. He looked at Liu Kun: "Cousin, my sister is dead. I know the truth but I have to hold back and bear it. Those people who do evil and have bad intentions can still be aloof. There is no such reason in the world."

 “In the bright world, at the feet of the Emperor, there are grievances but no complaints, and there are injustices but no justice. Don’t you think it’s ridiculous?”

“Even if I die, I will seek justice for my sister.”

 He is too young and does not yet know the power in this world. He can easily break the backbone of a family.

Liu Kun could not persuade Lu Qian, so he could only watch Lu Qian make a desperate move to the court of punishment, like a moth swooping into a tight net that had been woven long ago.

Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Lu Qian’s wanted order to appear on the streets of Shengjing. Insulting others, stealing property, all these messy charges were piled on the portrait man. He looked at the small print offering a reward of one hundred taels of silver and thought to himself that the people in the trial court were really generous.

He dragged his tired and numb body back home. Wang Chunzhi was crying at home, saying that the shop at the other end of Queer Street could not be rented, but the deposit would not be refunded. They had to save the fifty taels of silver deposit for a long time. Zide and Zixian went to confront the shopkeeper, but were beaten and thrown out.

The house was in a mess, and the son's curses mixed with the woman's crying gave him a headache. He suddenly felt sad and sad, not as happy as the life in Changwu County. He fell asleep unknowingly amidst the noise. When he woke up, it was already late at night, and someone called him in his ear: "Cousin, cousin!"

 Liu Kun raised his head.

Lu Qian was standing in front of him. He came at night, his eyes were wolfish and a little anxious.

"Brother Qian?" Liu Kun sat up straight and didn't know what to say.

Lu Qian said: "Cousin, Fan Zhenglian, the detailed judge of the court, and the Imperial Palace have secretly colluded to slander me and want to imprison me." He walked a few steps to a jar of dried fruits in the house, and pulled out of the jar. He took out something wrapped in a piece of paper.

 Liu Kun was surprised: "What is this?"

Lu Qian smiled. At this time, he could actually laugh. His eyes seemed to be a bit cunning: "Evidence."

"evidence?"

“After thinking about the evidence that my sister left for me, I realized that your concerns, cousin, were right. So when I went to find Fan Zhenglian, I hid this thing at your house. I came to pick it up today.”

He walked up to Liu Kun again, was silent for a moment, and then said solemnly: "Cousin, the arrest notice has been issued. I am a sinner and cannot stay here to harm you."

Liu Kun asked: "Then what will you do in the future?"

"Of course I will continue to think of ways to seek justice for my sister. Cousin," he lowered his eyes slightly, "if I die, don't worry about my body. I'd rather you write a letter back to Changwu County to deceive my parents. If you can, How long is how long. But," he laughed again, with a hint of indifference typical of young people, "I think I won't fall into his hands so easily."

 He waved his hand: "I'm leaving."

The young man was about to disappear at the door, as if he was about to disappear completely into the boundless night of Shengjing.

 Liu Kun said: "Wait!"

Lu Qian turned around: "What's wrong?"

This was the time to say goodbye, and he should have carefully warned the younger generation who had watched them grow up. However, at that moment, for some reason, Liu Kun inexplicably remembered that one hundred taels of arrest notices he saw on the street during the day. The reward is two taels of silver.

　　One hundred taels, which together was just enough for him to buy the shop he dreamed of on Queer Street, and also enough to solve the current chaotic situation at home.

 Lu Qian asked: "Cousin?"

Liu Kun trembled and blurted out: "Brother Qian, please stay here tonight. There are official officials everywhere outside."

"Then I can't stay, cousin. If I stay here and are discovered, you will also be implicated."

As he was about to leave again, Liu Kun grabbed him.

Lu Qian was confused, and Liu Kun swallowed his saliva: "You have been hiding outside for the past few days. I don't think you have had a good meal, and you don't know when you will stop. Just wait, I will ask your cousin to give me some food." You make a bowl of eel noodles. Eat the noodles and then leave."

Unable to defeat Liu Kun, Lu Qian had no choice but to agree to stay a moment longer. Wang Chunzhi was hurriedly asked to cook noodles by Liu Kun. She felt particularly unhappy and cursed: "He is a wanted criminal! You still have to make noodles for him. You are not afraid of being implicated, but I am!"

Liu Kun's eyes flashed: "Yes, he is a wanted criminal."

 It is also a sum of money that can help them tide over the difficulties now.

After a while, Liu Kun put the fragrant noodles in front of Lu Qian. Lu Qian picked up his chopsticks and ate happily. While eating, he smiled at him: "After all these years, my aunt's cooking is still the same as before."

Liu Kun also laughed, smiling. When he raised his head again, Lu Qian's head was already hanging in his arms. He put enough drug in the bowl to drink even an elephant.

 Under the weak light, half of Liu Kun's face was invaded by light and shadow, and he looked at the young man's sleeping face expressionlessly. He thought that Lu Qian had offended the people in the Taishi Mansion and would die sooner or later. Rather than die in the hands of outsiders inexplicably, it is better to look at your own hands and make some contribution to their family.

With one life and one hundred taels of silver, one can rent a noodle shop on Queer Street.

There is also the "evidence", maybe more can be obtained.

Wang Chunzhi, who had gone to report to the official, came back and whispered something behind the door, so he stood up and walked over...

"Snapped-"

The door was not closed tightly, and the wind outside rolled one door open. It shook and rattled in the night, interrupting Liu Kun's thoughts.

So he stood up and walked over, just like that night -

 With a "click", the door was locked.

 …

The long wind blew through the curtains in the homes of lonely Confucian scholars, and also blew through the lanterns in the homes of rich and high-ranking officials. Some people laughed and some cried this night.

 In the room, Lu Yan was burning incense in front of the small Buddha cabinet.

Yin Zheng walked in from outside the door and said with a smile: "Tomorrow in the autumn, the boy next to Master Dong has just come to buy the medicinal tea of ​​Zhe Guiling. I said a few auspicious words in the name of the girl to make Master Dong happy. .”

Lu Zhen smiled faintly.

 In the autumn of this year, Dong Lin will also come to an end. His lung disease is much better now, and staying in the dormitory for a few days will not have any impact. Mrs. Dong didn't think about letting Dong Lin go to high school, she just wanted to let Dong Lin watch the show, or let the ladies in Shengjing see that her son was in good health and was by no means a sick man as rumored.

Dong Lin's good impression of Lu Zhu was almost undisguised. Yin Zheng felt that the reason why Dong Lin ended up this year was because he wanted Lu Zhu to see it. Men, in front of their sweetheart, always try their best to behave like a peacock, even though this behavior may be stupid in the eyes of the other person.

Yin Zheng thought for a moment: "Then Wu Xiucai will die tomorrow, won't you pray to the Bodhisattva for him?"

Lu Yan stretched out his hand, took the incense on one side and lit it on the candle.

 In the small Buddha cabinet, the Bodhisattva stared at her with compassionate eyes, cold and compassionate.

 She bowed three times, put the incense in the niche cage, and spoke softly.

“Then I wish him to be on the gold list, take the top spot, be famous all over the world, and win the laurels in the Toad Palace.”

 (End of this chapter)