After the Fairy Disappeared

  Chapter 222 Fighting in the air

   "Sick?" Li Zhao stroked his white beard, "Sick at this time?"

  So many people are waiting for a new manager.

"It stands to reason that he should have entered the boundary of Xiazhou yesterday, and after such a delay, we don't know when he will be able to arrive at Dunyu." Shu Qian said, "Nian Zanli sent a small group of rebels to bypass the front line and go deep into Xiazhou to plunder nearly a hundred miles away. Several shops in my house and Zhan’s were robbed, and the loss was huge. I think the Zhan’s family has lost their business. Although you warned them, they are still secretly selling them these days.”

  Old Master Li sighed: "It's going to rain, and my mother is going to get married. Since they don't like Dunyu, let them go."

  Shu Qian secretly scolded the old fox in his heart. The Li family warned the Zhan family to no avail, so they set the purchase price very low, so low that it was about to break through the cellar. However, the Li family is Dunyu's most domineering local snake. No matter what price he offers, how can others dare to beat him?

  If the Zhan family really sold at that low price, it would be equivalent to gouging out their eyes. Seventy percent of their business savings over the years would be wiped out. Even if they could leave Dunyu, they would only be left with a **** skeleton.

Now the Zhan family must hate the Li family to the bone, especially the Zhan family has produced talents in the past few years. They have been promoted all the way in the royal court, and their backs have also stood up, and they have spoken loudly. Last year, they wanted to break their wrists with the Li family. .

  The Li family wanted to take this opportunity to clean it up and let him know that Grandpa Li is still Grandpa Li.

  Hey, this old guy surnamed Li is not just a fox? He is a vulture and a jackal.

   "Are you so optimistic about the new manager?" This is what the head of the Shu family wanted Shu Qian to ask, "Can he really join hands with General Zhao Pan Zhao to block the attack of Nian Zanli?"

  Dunyu City's people are fluctuating, and it is inevitable that the big family will also be unhappy. If you run late, the New Year's Ceremony Army will march southward, and everything it passes will be turned into rubble, and everyone's painstaking efforts for decades will be in vain.

"This Manager He is quite capable. He killed Sun Fuping and wiped out the bandit army. Recently, he seems to have saved Ke Jihai's life in Shihuan City. Otherwise, the western front would be in trouble. He was ordered to take over Xiazhou's defense at a critical moment. He should have two talents." Li Zhao After saying this in one breath, he took a breath, and the maid next to him immediately served tea, which was just right, neither hot nor cold.

   "Master Shangshu has explained that Dunyu is the foundation of the prosperity of the Li family, and he cannot leave easily."

  He only said that he couldn't easily, but he didn't say that he couldn't, and he didn't say that he would definitely not leave.

  Dunyu is very close to the southern state border, and it is relatively easy to flee south.

  Shu Qian hesitated: "Will Manager He also ask about the fire in the granary?"

   "The trial of the case is over, the criminals have been sent to the capital, and the most important thing is that all the food has been burned. What else can he pursue?"

  There is a birdcage hanging in the living room, and there are two lovesick birds with green heads, red beaks and yellow bellies standing in the cage. The snow is falling outside, but the house is warm like spring. These two little birds are also very active. Mrs. Li walked over, added food to the cage with his own hands, and said, "For Director He, the most important thing is to cooperate sincerely with the four major families."

  Otherwise, He Chunhua will be constrained in everything he does here, just like all other officials in the past and in existence.

  The four masters of iron, the officials of flowing water.

"He came to be an official and also to fight, so he has to ask us for money, food, or people." Shu Qian glanced at the acacia birds, and found that they were all tied with very small paper strips around their ankles, and they didn't know what to do. use.

   "It depends on how Director He behaves." Mrs. Li teased the lovesick bird, smiling quite confidently, "The cooperation between the government and the people must show sincerity."

   "Then, everything is business as usual?" It's still the same as when the former new official took office, "I'll go back and discuss with my brother, and give Manager He an extra gift."

  Shu Qian stood up.

  Grandpa Li smiled and said, "It should." Let's toast first.

  After Shu Qian left, the smile on Mrs. Li's face also disappeared.

   Dinner was still rich, but he only ate a few mouthfuls. The two sons were a little worried and kept asking.

  Old Master Li saw through their greetings at a glance, and his heart was even more blocked. As long as these sons can get two points of their true inheritance, and there is less internal fighting, the huge Li family doesn't have to be carried by themselves.

  He is seventy after all, old.

  The only consolation is that the sixth grandson is talented, and if he trains him well for another two years, he might be able to succeed him. The sixth grandson is a child of the second son's family. The elder brother has seen his father's mind and has been desperately suppressing his brother.

   Alas, the family is unlucky.

  In fact, Mrs. Li is not optimistic about Dunyu. Strictly speaking, he is not optimistic about Yuan Wangting.

  The old man of the same age as him may still be immersed in the prosperity and glory of Big Yuan in the past, but his eyes are not dazzled and his heart is not blind.

  The country is in decline.

  Old Master Li sneered secretly. The Li family is not as ostentatious as the Zhan family, and the sale of land and houses is well known throughout the city.

  The enemy is coming, can the land still be valuable?

  In the past two years, the Li family's money has been secretly transferred to the mainland. He and Li Shangshu have negotiated a blessed land. If the flames of war spread to the south, they would immediately relocate with their families.

  The fire in the room was warm, and he felt sleepy again. Seeing this, the maid next to her whispered, "Master, it's time to rest."

  Old Master Li nodded, and she went to the outside room to take down the birdcage and hung it in front of the bed curtain.

  Two thirteen-year-old girls have warmed the bed for him, and they will still curl up at his feet tonight.

  Grandpa Li looked at the bed curtain as usual before getting on the bed. Well, the two bronze medals tied on the lanyard are there. This is a sign to block evil, if any evil thing comes close, it will be confused by the sign, and it will not be able to see him or smell human.

  He pointed to the top of the bed, and the maid immediately took a red sachet from the tent.

  Li Zhao opened it with his own hands, and saw a yellow amulet hidden inside, and the spell was correct.

   "Put it back." Then you can sleep in peace.

   He has offended many people over the years, and he is used to being cautious.

  ￥￥￥￥￥￥

  The dusty steward Qian rushed to Ru County again and met He Chunhua.

   "Director He is sick?"

  The door is closed and there is no one else. He Chunhua stood up at once, took a towel and wiped it, and the sallowness on his face disappeared. "Where did the illness come from? I have been waiting for good news from Guanshi Qian."

  The housekeeper Lao Mo served warm tea, but Qian Guanshi was thirsty, so he poured several sips before laughing: "Fortunately, life is not shameful."

  He took out a heavily tied blue cloth bag and opened it.

   There are two layers of oil paper wrapped inside.

  Open the oiled paper again, and there are two layers of straw paper inside.

   In the middle of the straw paper, lay a porcelain vase the size of a small finger.

  With the volume of this bottle, it is suitable for giving medicine and poison to people.

"This is?"

  He Chunhua wanted to take it, but Qian Guanshi hurriedly reminded: "It's so smelly, the manager is careful."

  The manager hesitated: "I thought what you brought was hair, nails, etc."

  The charcoal basin in the house was warm, but when Guanshi Qian came in from the ice and snow, there was a little sweat on his forehead:

"I hope so too. But Mrs. Li is very suspicious. Last autumn, an expert made a divination for him, saying that he will have a catastrophe this year. If he passes the customs smoothly, he will live to be eighty-eight years old. Therefore, the Li family is very careful. , the nails cut off by the old man and the hair that fell off must be specially collected and burned, and it is said that he also wears amulets that he bought with a lot of money. If the enemy sticks a villain behind his back and lowers his head, it will never take effect!"

  He Chunhua laughed and said: "Sure enough, I have done too many immoral things, and I have a guilty conscience."

  If it's not a guilty conscience, why should we be so wary?

  There is only a thousand days to be a thief, how can there be a thousand days to guard against a thief?

"I wanted to use two bed warmers to get some of his hair." After all, old man Li is old, and his feet are cold when he sleeps in the middle of winter, and he thinks Mrs. Tang is too hot, so he bought two thirteen or fourteen-year-old girls to warm his bed. , "But the two girls have to change their clothes and check as soon as they leave the room. They are not allowed to take the owner's things out, not even a hair."

   "I have no other choice, I can only buy off the young man who pours Ye Xiang." Qian Guanshi spread his hands, "It's just that the people who do this job are not fixed, and it took some effort to find the right person."

He handed over another note: "This is Mrs. Li's birthday. Last year, his thirteenth grandson came to my store to order clothes for his first birthday. At that time, his mother was full of pride, saying that the child was born in the same month as Mrs. Li. I am proud that I was born on Sunday, only an hour and a half late. I have confirmed it again and again."

   Based on this calculation, it is not difficult.

  He Chunhua took it over and asked again: "There is still a gap between the Zhan family and the Li family?"

"Yes, there has always been. In the past few days, the Zhan family wanted to sell their property and leave Dunyu. The Li family found someone to lower the price, so that others would not dare to pay a high price. The Zhan family was so angry that he vomited blood. Before I left, Zhan, The Li family quarreled endlessly over this and even fought violently."

   "How is behavior different from that of a villager?" He Chunhua shook his head, "The children and grandchildren are all officials in Yuanting, so they don't feel ashamed?"

  He took out a gold bar with his own hands and pushed it over: "Old Zhu did not praise the wrong person, you are indeed his most capable subordinate."

   Manager Qian smiled and said, "I dare not be that!"

   "However, this matter is confidential..."

  "Don't worry, the villain keeps his mouth shut." Guanshi Qian didn't spare anything, and made a poisonous oath on his mother and the eighteen generations of his ancestors. If the secret was leaked, the ancestors of the Qian family would perish forever.

   "Okay, there are still many places to rely on you and the Zhu family in the future." He Chunhua smiled, "The future can be expected."

  After Steward Qian left, He Chunhua went back to his room and slept for an hour to refresh himself.

  In the past few days, he has been busy until late at night, sleeping in a separate room with Mrs. Ying.

  The time has come.

  The housekeeper Lao Mo closed the doors and windows, He Chunhua took out a blue candle and lit it, and placed it on the table.

  He moved the table beforehand so that it was in the very center of the room.

  In the airtight room, the candle flame was of course straight, almost motionless. He Chunhua took out an orange paperweight and stuffed it in Lao Mo's hand, then sat down, muttering something.

  This paperweight is carved out of Shoushan stone into a kite shape, but it is as clear as honey, much more stable than emerald, and contains radish silk lines, just like the stone is full of tiny blood vessels.

  This kite is yellow and orange, only two eyes are blood red, which adds two points of weirdness to the overall grace.

  The housekeeper Lao Mo stood behind the master to protect him.

  As He Chunhua read faster and faster, the smoke from the candle began to gather and linger, and it turned out to be blue.

  (end of this chapter)