In the wax moon, the first snow fell in the capital, the streets were covered in silver, the ice and snow on the ground did not melt, even so, it is difficult to offset people's enthusiasm for the New Year, and every household has begun to purchase New Year's goods in the snow at this time, preparing for the hot New Year.

Gu Cheng's family has a small population, and the total number of masters and servants is only four, but they have their own division of labor. Hanxiang had already arranged all kinds of window flowers, while waiting for Gu Cheng to write a couplet, so that it could be pasted on the door and window; Zhu Ma focused on taking care of the stove, especially all kinds of food ingredients, and couldn't wait to see the sky to urge Gu Cheng to prepare early; Mrs. Xu's family didn't worry about everything, because she was not in good health and had a cough, no one dared to teach her to spend a little more time in her spare time - recuperation and recuperation became Mrs. Xu's most important livelihood.

Although Gu Cheng is the master, he is the only male in the family, and the work of contributing can only fall on him. After a few days of busyness, the New Year's goods were all purchased, and this day I took the time to take a leave from the same peak, and then I wrote a couplet in the room, and I heard a shout at the door, "Is Gu Ye at home?" ”

As soon as he heard that it was a majestic male voice, Zhu Ma rushed Hanxiang into the back room, Gu Chengzi went to open the door, and saw that the person who came was his colleague in Fusi in Beizhen, surnamed Qian and a single name. Although his official rank is not high, he is bold and senior, and he often mentions the undercurrents of the hidden rules in many of his offices, and he is considered to be a good friend of him.

Gu Cheng hurriedly called Brother Qian, turned sideways to let someone in, and saw that the other party was still wearing official clothes, so he asked with a smile, "It's just worth it, why did you come to me, Brother Qian has something to do?" ”

Qian Zhi turned around and pushed into a wheelbarrow, on top of the car was a whole beach sheep, he smiled, "Sneak out." Seeing that the New Year is over, there is nothing good to honor Gu Ye. This Bund sheep is the most delicious, not angry at all, and it was my brother who carried it from Zhangjiakou. ”

As he spoke, he asked Gu Cheng where his back kitchen was, Gu Cheng hurriedly took the car, and said with a smile, "Brother Qian, your brother has worked hard all the way, and I will come to the door another day to thank him in person." ”

Qian Zhi quietly snatched the car, and smiled as he walked, "Where can Gu Ye do such rough work, and besides, what are you polite to me, you take care of me with food and money on weekdays, I know that you are kind, looking at the large population in my family, the four small ones are waiting to be fed." But you always use your own examples to supplement me, and that's not a word. I don't have much interest, I can't give you something good in return, and this idea is true, don't dislike it. ”

Gu Cheng waved his hand and smiled, "Brother Qian is too polite, I only have a shame to say that." The two of them pushed the cart to the kitchen, and seeing that Qian Zhi was going to move it himself, Gu Cheng lifted a leg of mutton, dragged and dragged the dozens of pounds of beach sheep off, and put it in the corner.

Qian Zhi was a little surprised, clapped his hands on the floating soil, and praised, "I can't see that Gu Ye is polite, it turns out that he also has the strength to do it." Did you learn martial arts earlier? ”

Gu Cheng sighed, "I practiced for a few days when I was a child, it's not worth mentioning." As he spoke, he picked up the towel on the copper basin and wiped his hands, then took off the purse from his waist, weighed it slightly, and simply stuffed it all into Qian Zhi's arms, "I don't have any trouble with you, this is a little bit of heart for the children to celebrate the New Year." As you can see, I don't have any good things at home, and I don't have suitable food for children, and I don't know what children like. ”

The purse was resting in Qian Zhi's arms, the weight was not light, about a dozen taels, Qian Zhi pushed back, "This is not good, I am sincerely filial to Gu Ye, where can I receive your gift, then who have I become?" ”

Gu Cheng didn't entangle with him, and took two steps back, "When it comes to courtesy, it is a courtesy, and Brother Qian should not break the rules, otherwise I will not be able to be a person in the future." ”

Qian Zhi couldn't resist it, so he laughed, put his purse into his arms, looked around, and said with a smashing mouth, "Gu Ye is twenty years old this year?" It's time to start a family, men are fighting outside, and there is no woman in the family who can't tie their hearts. You are so good-looking, shouldn't you be missing to say goodbye? It's not for me to say, don't be too picky, women will be in charge of their lives, and it is important to know that they feel sorry for men. ”

Gu Cheng smiled and didn't say much. Qian Zhi looked at him and asked, "The elders in the family have never married you before?" ”

Gu Cheng lowered his eyes and sighed softly, "There was one." When I was ten years old, my brother went, and before I was hired at the age of seventeen, my father died again, and the girl's family thought that my life was hard and my relatives were thin. The two parties dissolved the marriage contract and never had anything to do with it. ”

Qian Zhi snorted, "How can this be true!" This family is really not particular, they missed such a good talent as Gu Ye, and they couldn't find it when they went back to teach her to light a lantern. With sympathy, he patted Gu Cheng's shoulder, "As the saying goes, a good meal is not afraid of being late, and your future marriage must not be wrong." ”

Gu Cheng nodded, "Thank you for your good words." Diverted the topic again, "It's almost noon, Brother Qian has had lunch with his face." ”

Qian Zhi glanced out the window, shook his head and said, "No, I still have to rush back to the division, so I took an hour's leave." ”

Gu Chengdao, "When it's time to eat, Li Qianhu also has to let people eat, Brother Qian, is this polite to me again?" ”

Qian Zhi laughed, "It's really not, I have an errand today, and it's ugly." Speaking of which, this job is not bad, Gu Ye should go over together, why don't you pack up and come with me? ”

The so-called good work must be which big man to take and raid the house by the way. Gu Cheng is a person in charge of grain, and he rarely mixes with this kind of thing on weekdays, and he feels that this matter is damaging to the yin, so he shook his head and said, "I am resting today, Lord Zhao knows." ”

Qian Zhi smiled, "Cough, what's the matter, how many people have heard about the good work, not to mention Xiu Mu, Ding Wei can't wait to rush over." But don't go, it's a mess, you are a Sven person may not be able to grab the slot, I see good things when I look back, and I will bring it back to you. ”

This is talking about taking the sheep by the hand, for example, when the Fusi of Beizhen raids the house, the people under him always have to take some small objects while copying and inspecting, which is not uncommon, and even the court turns a blind eye.

In Gu Cheng's opinion, this is not only a loss of yin, but also a breach of his bottom line. However, he also understood that it was not easy for a helpless low-level official like Qian Zhi to make a living, so he only smiled and said, "Thank you Brother Qian for thinking, I won't trouble you this time." It's just that you have a way to make money, and you are more careful under your hands, and you need to know that the people on both sides are also bright-eyed. ”

Qian Zhi patted him on the shoulder again, "Don't worry, Gu Ye, I can save it." The two of them walked out, Gu Cheng escorted him to the door, and said with a smile, "Then I won't delay your business, Brother Qian will do a good job." Qian Zhi nodded, smiled and strode away.

It wasn't until Gu Cheng closed the door and turned around and walked in that he remembered that he forgot to ask Qian Zhi who he was going to lock this time. But no matter who it is, it is impossible to escape the fate of the whole family. He looked up at the remnant sun that broke through the clouds, lowered his head for a while, and slowly walked back to the room with his hands behind his back.

I don't want to think that two days later, Gu Cheng was reading the account book around the fireplace in the back hall of Fusi in Beizhen, Qian Zhi pushed the door in, and shouted coldly. While rubbing his hands to bake the fire, he looked at Gu Cheng with a smile, "Gu Ye is busy?" Brother has sent you something small. Let's say okay first, I gave you this thing at first, but I don't want to return it to me, and there is another one, you can see it, it's useless for me to keep it, I don't understand. ”

Gu Cheng laughed and nodded helplessly, "Thank you, Brother Qian, for thinking about it, I said I didn't need to, but I really wasn't polite to you." ”

He was a little taboo, but he pressed it down again and didn't say it.

Qian Zhi grinned and took out two things from his arms, a scroll and a jade. Gu Cheng took the scroll first, opened it and looked at it, but he was startled, and looked at it again, his face full of surprise, "Emperor Daojun listens to the qin diagram?" ”

His voice trembled a little, obviously because of excitement, Qian Zhi couldn't help but look proud, "How is it?" Sure enough, it's a good thing, isn't it? But I don't know what Daojun and Shangjun's, this thing was originally hung in the embroidery room of the lady in the house, I estimate that it is a good painting, and it is still a real painting, otherwise a girl who is so precious in his family, how can he put some Xibei goods at will to fill the number! ”

After Gu Cheng was dumbfounded, his eyes were difficult to take away from the peerless painting for a while, he looked at it greedily for a long time, pressed the ecstasy in his heart, and said, "The color technique, the artistic conception and bearing, together with the penmanship of Cai Jing's inscription poem above, and the thin gold book and painting of Emperor Daojun below, are not like fakes." Even if it is, it is a rare and wonderful facsimile in the world. ”

Qian Zhi smiled more and more heartily, and pushed the jade in front of Gu Cheng again, "Gu Ye looks at this again, I don't know what a good thing it is, and explain it to me, a rough man." ”

One side is exquisitely carved white jade flying into the sky, the characters are beautiful, the clothes are fluttering, and the jade is simple and warm. Gu Cheng played with it for a moment, and told the truth, "The workmanship is not like the current one, and it is also like the carving method of flowers, birds and jade in the Northern Song Dynasty, maybe it was made by the Tang people." I'm not an expert, so I don't see it very well. ”

He turned the flying sky, and suddenly a line of small characters engraved at the bottom was revealed, and the inscription Yang Fugong of Jianzhou in the first year of the Dragon Era was hidden in the secret mansion. Long Ji is the name of Tang Zhaozong, and Yang Fugong is the eunuch of the day. Although I don't know the authenticity, at least it can be determined that this flying sky is indeed made according to the style of jade making in the Tang Dynasty.

Gu Cheng couldn't help but take a deep breath, "This thing is too valuable......

Qian Zhi glared, "I can say it in advance, Gu Ye doesn't want it, please dispose of it yourself, I won't take it back." After thinking about it, he laughed again, "It's just a small object, you didn't go that day, I don't know how many valuable things there are in that house, these two are just a drop in the bucket." ”

Gu Cheng hurriedly asked, "Whose house is it copying?" ”

Qian Zhi was stunned for a moment, and then patted his thigh, "It turns out that Gu Ye still doesn't know, it's the new secretary of the military department, Shen Huijia." This master is also unlucky, he is doing a good job of Denglai General Soldier and Liaodong General Soldier, only as soon as he returned to Beijing, and in less than half a year's effort, he was dismounted and deducted from the hat of embezzling military salaries. But just looking at his furniture, I'm afraid that this crime is not false. ”

Gu Cheng's heart jumped, and then he looked at the listening qin diagram, and his eyebrows jumped even more, "Lord Shen is now locked up in the Imperial Prison?" What about his family? ”

Qian Zhi sighed, "The case is being tried, and the two nights have passed, and the whereabouts of the military pay have not yet been explained." The three sons of their family also went to prison, and eighty percent of them were either beheaded or exiled. The female dependents were not involved, but the family was destroyed, and Mrs. Shen sent a white silk to herself on the road last night. ”

Gu Cheng's throat tightened, and he asked in a dumb voice, "What about Miss Shen?" ”

Qian Zhi's eyes lit up, "Hey, speaking of this Miss Shen, Gu Ye hasn't seen it, that's really a beauty, she's still young, and she already looks like Chang'e in the month, and it's a pity that she can pay it back when she grows up...... That's it. ”

Gu Cheng's heart was about to jump out of his mouth, and he asked urgently, "She...... She died too? ”

Qian Zhi glanced at him and shook his head, "That's not true, but ...... That's the case, after raiding the house, then Miss Shen was picked up by her uncle's house......"

Gu Cheng frowned, "Uncle? ”

"No, it's uncle, my uncle." Qian Zhi's tone was sarcastic, "The in-laws' family has been convicted, but her uncle can still soar, and the Changlu Salt Road transfer envoy hand-picked a few days ago is really lacking." When I heard that the little girl was picked up, I was also relieved. I didn't think that her uncle thought the same way--I only heard that her uncle didn't know if he was crazy or something, and sold her to Wenfang Hutong and Liuxian Pavilion last night. ”

Wenfang Hutong is a well-known and charming place in Beijing, and it is not an official prostitute, but a private prostitute. Gu Cheng has lived for twenty years, but he has only heard of it and never been there, but at this moment, his heart suddenly trembled, as if he had missed a beat, as if someone had taken a trace of his soul.