However, it is said that the land falls into the southeast on that day, and there is a place called Jinling in the southeast corner, which is the most victorious: Zhongshan Tiger Stands, the Great River Longpan, and the natural protection of Qinhuai area, so there is a city established more than 2,000 years ago, and there are several generations of dynasties in history to set the capital here, which is the first prosperous and rich place in the red dust. And this Qinhuai River is the peak of Jinling City's prosperity and wealth. It is not said that there are many generations of prominent families living on both sides of the river, but it is only said that there is a north-south street and alley next to the Qinhuai River, which is called Dayoufang Lane. There is also a small oil mill alley running east and west, the road width is about half of the big oil mill alley, and it crosses with it -- listening to the name of this alley, you can know that people in this area deal in sesame oil candle wax and so on. At the intersection of these two alleys, there is a family with his back against the Qinhuai River, the head of the family is surnamed Huo, the name is learned, and the words are spoken. His wife, Xu, has a gentle temperament and is virtuous and courteous. The husband and wife run a sesame oil shop, because of the integrity and fairness, the oil is good, not only in the large and small oil mill lanes around the well-known, even many families by the Qinhuai River also love to use his sesame oil. And although this Huo Yandao is from a poor background, but very studious, when he was a child, he was attached to the village school, quite able to read and break words, treat people with rules and regulations, and do not lose the generosity of impatience, justice and righteousness, so he is very popular, and he is the head of this lamp oil household. This Huo Yandao has a prosperous business, a husband and wife love and respect, and the neighbors are harmonious, and the two sons under his knees are also studying in the township school, and they welcome people with a smile every day, regardless of whether they buy or sell, and how high or low they are, they all treat each other with courtesy. However, on the ninth day of the first lunar month, the shop pù on the big and small oil mill lanes had already opened, and everyone worked together to prepare for the Lantern Festival on the 15th, but the door of the Huojia oil shop was closed. Seeing this scene, the guest who had made a special trip to his house to buy oil couldn't help but be puzzled, so he turned to the shop next to him to inquire about the situation. The shopkeeper over there recognized that the person who came was the steward of the Xie family, the prime minister of Wuyi Lane by the Qinhuai River, whose surname was Yin and Lu, and he hurriedly smiled and said: "Daddy Yin came unfortunately." This shopkeeper Huo seems to have had an accident at home, and he has been very unhappy recently. Although the business was opened on the fifth day of the first month, the door was bolted again in the middle of the day. I haven't been doing business seriously these days. Early in the morning, I saw him go to Xiaofeng Lou alone. If Daddy has something to do with the shopkeeper, you might as well go over there. ”

Yin Lu heard him understand it, and he didn't entangle, so he casually bought candy with him two coppers, and went to Xiaofeng Building to find someone. This Xiaofeng Building is a tea restaurant at the head of Youfang Lane, which also sells tea and wine and food. However, it was too early at the moment, and there were no guests in the building, and when Yin Lu entered the door, he saw Huo Yandao pouring himself a drink on a table in the corner. Yin Lu hurriedly walked over and said with a smile: "Under the New Year's Festival, why do you eat and drink alone? Could it be that you quarrel with the head of the family, and your sister-in-law is so angry that she goes back to her father-in-law's house?"

Huo Yandao was originally full of sadness, but when he suddenly heard this, he raised his head and saw that it was him, but he laughed: "Even if you chew blindly, you are not afraid of tongue stumbling." It's very strange for me to eat and drink alone, but you are in charge of the affairs, and you are busy at the end of the New Year, how can you have time to find here? But since you are free, you should take advantage of this, and sit down, and eat me for an hour. As he spoke, he beckoned the shopkeeper to warm the wine and add food.

Yin Lu didn't shirk and sat on the side. Eat warm wine for a while, and then smile: "You said that I am free, where is the matter." Born to run errands with people. Today, there is still something to look for you, but unexpectedly, you will be shut up, and if it weren't for the fact that I can't trust others, I wouldn't be happy to walk two or three hundred steps with this drop of water!"

Huo Yandao couldn't help but be curious, and hurriedly asked, "What's the matter?" Brother Yin, please say." Seeing that the shopkeeper had brought wine and food, he stopped first and asked, "I don't know if things are in a hurry...... Or, these should be sent to Brother Yin's house first?"

Yin Lu laughed for a while: "You old Huo, you are in your forties, and you are still panicking." Where is the time for this meal? Saying that, he beckoned the man to put the wine and food on the table, and called for two more pots of hot wine, and then said to Huo Yandao: "The matter is not urgent, but it is a few points that matter--it is the Buddhist matter of my old lady, and the wives made a wish in Dinglin Temple before, to provide ever-bright lamps in the thirty-six temples and temples in Nanjing where the old lady came and went." The third lady sent me the matter of sesame oil, and specifically mentioned your brother, only saying that you are doing business and oil is good. No, I'm coming to you. Who would have thought that you only opened the market on the fifth day of the first month, and today the door is closed again. I want to change the family, but in the end, there is a love for all these years. ”

When Huo Yandao heard this, he hurriedly got up and saluted Yin Lu: "Brother Yin, thank you very much." Little brother is polite here. ”

Yin Lu said: "You are not busy saluting. I'm also taking advantage of it. You should say first, you still can't do this business? Regardless of the side, the first batch of 240 catties of sesame oil will be delivered during the Lantern Festival, is it possible?"

Huo Yandao said with a smile: "Don't say two hundred and forty catties, there are four hundred and eighty catties." As long as your brother is accurate, I will deliver it to the house on time in five days. ”

Yin Lu said: "That's right. I will reply to the words of the third lady. You Ming'er first sent a kid to send two ou and twenty catties of oil, one is to let the lady see the goods with peace of mind, and the other is to use this at home. Huo Yan responded one by one.

The two drank another round of wine, picked up two chopsticks and ate them, Yin Lu stopped the wine chopsticks and asked, "Brother Huo, this time the matter of lamp oil is quite important, and you can't make a mistake." It's not that I can't believe you, but I just want to ask, why did you close your doors and soak in this building early in the morning to eat and drink? If I can do it, I can help. ”

Huo Yandao smiled bitterly, poured another cup of drink, and then said slowly: "Brother is kind, I can't hide it." has no intention of doing business, but it is really for the sake of being entangled in a lawsuit. ”

Yin Lu was shocked: "What is this?" Seeing that Huo Yandao's description was no joke or fake, he was slightly worried in his heart, and then said: "Brother Huo has the best reputation, and he acts with others, is there someone in the business industry who is not long-sighted and wants to blackmail you? Whoever it is, say it, I'll figure it out with you. You can't let the kind-hearted let the black-hearted go. ”

Huo Yandao said with a smile: "Sure enough, your brother is the most righteous." Although I guessed left, I must respect you first for this cup!" Saying that, he poured wine with Yin Lu, and the two of them drank, Huo Yandao said: "This lawsuit is ashamed, it is not an outsider entanglement, it is actually my own family's nest that bites me, and my parents and uncles insist on refusing to let go, and they are going to go to court." ”

Yin Lu was slightly stunned, and hurriedly asked, "It's your parents and uncle's family who want to fight a lawsuit with you?"

"Brother, you also know that I am from the end of the world. There were many brothers and sisters in the family, and because they couldn't afford to support them, they were sent to their uncle's house to live. My uncle's family was not well-off, so although I was asked to work in the village school, I came out to earn a living within two years. Fortunately, the old shopkeeper of my shop, Grandpa Liu, was generous, taught me how to make oil and wax, and taught me to calculate accounts and do business, and later allowed my only granddaughter to be my wife's room. Therefore, in terms of truth, I feel that I have received the great favor of Grandpa Liu, and it is difficult to repay it in this life. However, the parents and uncles are related to each other in the end. As my days grew up, it was right for me to take care of my parents' house. Over the years, my parents' daily festivals, brothers and sisters' marriages, have been meticulous, and my uncle's side has also been useful and has done everything I can. It's just that the two families have a large population, and there are many things, and the nephews and nephews are getting bigger day by day, so they are troubled. ”

Yin Lu said: "The family has a lot of mouths, and it is common sense that there are more big and small things. But why do your nephews and nephews have to worry about your brother and your parents and elders to fight lawsuits?"

Huo Yandao sighed: "In the final analysis, it is a matter of wealth. My brothers did not stand out, although the family tried their best to support the eldest brother to study, and so far they have not passed the hospital examination. The others have no livelihood skills, they can't endure hardship, and all Zhang Luo's business is barely enough to make a living. The eldest brother blindly asked his nephews to follow the study, and his actions would be regarded as the master, which made the family's livelihood more and more difficult. I also don't want my parents to suffer from the old, only to help from time to time, but just last year, my parents specially called me back to eat wine, and asked me about the oil shop between the wine and food, and asked about the daily operation. When I was a child, my father suddenly told me that I had half of the capital of the oil shop from Grandpa Liu, but now my eldest brother and nephew need to study and need to use it, so I only asked me to discount half of the money of the shop with him. But where did this come from? I had saved most of the money for the oil shop in the past ten years, and although my daughter-in-law did not marry me at that time, she secretly gave it to me as a gold pearl. There is also an uncle, who hid it from his aunt and sent it with fourteen taels or six dollars of broken silver - I didn't take it in the end, and it wasn't too little, but at that time the eldest cousin went out, although this little money was not much, it was also glorious to play two good hairpins to accompany him. I pieced it together a little more, and that's how the oil shop was dished. Not only did I not see my parents, but when my eldest brother heard that I had a shop, he came over with his third brother on the same day and carried two cylinders of oil to the oil house that had been booked a long time ago. If it weren't for the old shopkeeper who still had some affection, I was afraid that the new shop would have to close as soon as it opened! Now my father wants to share half of the oil shop with them, and I really refuse to listen. ”

Hearing this, Yin Lu nodded and said, "Exactly." I've also heard that your brothers are idle, especially the younger two, and often hang out in the wine shop and gambling hall all day. It's just that your parents are partial, and it's really too much to take away your shop. ”

Huo Yandao sighed: "How not." However, since I am a blood relative, I only told my parents that I can be responsible for the nephews and nieces getting married, but the business of the oil shop is really not something that the brothers can take over. He also promised that since the family was in difficulty, he would send twice as much silver and two pieces of cloth and several brothers and twice as much paper and ink money to his nephews during the New Year's Festival than in previous years. The result is not enough, and it will be unhappy in the end. ”

Yin Lu also sighed when he heard this, and asked again: "What about the lawsuit?"

Huo Yandao was silent for a long time, ate a glass of wine, and then continued: "On the twenty-seventh day, I was outside to settle accounts with the men and stewards in the shop, eat wine, and suddenly sent someone from home, saying that Li Zhengluo Fu sent someone over and told him to go to his parents' house immediately. When I rushed over, I saw that my father, my brother, Rory, and the two old people in the neighborhood were there. My father then took out a note, which said, fifteen years ago, I was short of 104 taels of silver for the shop of 'Oily Head Liu', so I borrowed silver from my father. My father didn't have enough money, so he borrowed fifteen taels from the neighbors Cao and Sun, and made up one hundred and four taels with me. There are all the paintings of everyone at that time, and there are the names and seals of Qiu Mingduan, the teacher of Baoshan, and Li Zheng at that time. Below are the signatures of the two lines of eldest brother to pay off the two silver pairs of Cao and Sun. Father Luo told me that this is very clear, and even if he has the heart to help me, he can't do anything. ”

Yin Lu asked, "But according to you, you haven't borrowed silver taels." Whether this word is false or not, it must be forged. ”

Huo Yandao smiled bitterly: "I also said this to Father Luo. However, Father Luo said that the paper was also old, and the ink color and seal were old, so I really couldn't see the fake. What's more important is that the Cao, Sun, and Qiu families all insisted that it was my father and brother who begged me that day, and they were all witnesses. So what else do I have to say, and who will believe me if I say it?"

Yin Lu frowned and said, "The Cao and Sun families are your old neighbors, and it is unknown if they are colluded. But the Qiu family should be a family of scholars, how can they get mixed together?"

Huo Yandao shook his head: "Mr. Qiu disappeared five years ago. Now it is his son-in-law Wang Xiucai who is speaking. I haven't dealt much with this person. But I heard from my nephews and nephews and the children in the neighborhood that what was taught in the school was not bad. ”

Yin Lu said: "In this way, it is even more confusing. It's just that according to you, can't you really give the Banyi shop to your brother?"

Huo Yandao sighed and said, "How willing I am." It's just that now I won't even be able to drag it out. The county government of the third year of junior high school opened, and my eldest brother handed the paper to the county early in the morning. Fortunately, the county magistrate Zhang and the secretary Li have moved around on weekdays, and under the pretext that the New Year is not over, they have temporarily suppressed it; but once the fifteenth year passes, it can no longer be delayed, and the judgment must be made. And these two adults listened to my story, and asked someone to check the situation of each family, and the news they handed over was the same as that of Father Lizhengluo-although the father and brother were unbearable, but the notes could not be seen to be false. Brother Yin, I have been diligent and diligent in the past 20 years, and although what I have earned is not a great career, it is also a real piece of furniture. My daughter-in-law is a thrifty and virtuous person, and my two boys have not yet started a family, so they are so confused and have been taken away by others, I am really unwilling!"

Huo Yandao said, and at the same time, he put two glasses of wine in his stomach in a row. Because he was in a hurry, he choked on the wind in his throat, coughed for a while, and lay on the table for a long time before he recovered. Seeing this, Yin Lu persuaded: "Don't worry. This thing is really strange, and there must be a reason for all kinds of words. The adults are wise, maybe they will see the beginning and the end in a few days!"

Huo Yandao smiled bitterly and said, "May it be like Brother Yin's auspicious words." Today's gaffe, forcing my brother to eat and drink and talk, no matter what the day after tomorrow, there will be a heart. As for the matter of sesame oil in the house, please rest assured that you will not delay the business. ”

Yin Lu smiled: "You and I have a friendship, why bother talking." But when it comes to the use of oil, it is still the shopkeeper who bothered. ”

After the two finished talking, they each ate wine and food, and then they gave up their hands and left.

Here, Yin Lu left Xiaofeng Building, but he was not busy returning home, and hired a car at random on the street to go in the direction of Cheng'en Temple. Thinking about the Huo family along the way, the more I thought about it, the more suspicious I became. It wasn't until the car arrived at Cheng'en Temple and went around to a garden courtyard in the southeast of the temple that Yin Lu packed up his thoughts and got out of the car and stepped forward. A young man in Tsing Yi caught a glimpse of him coming from the porter, hurriedly greeted him, and handed him the stove: "It's good to be in charge of Yin! But you are here to find Xiao Xie Xianggong? You just go all the way in!"

Yin Lu laughed, glanced at the hand stove, waved his hand, and stomped a few times under the porch, shaking off the snow foam on the top of his boots, and then walked quickly into the courtyard.

If you ask who Yin Lu is looking for, where is Huo Yandao's lawsuit, and see the next breakdown.