Lin Hongwen walked to the door only to find that the cloth shop had been closed, thinking that it was because he came out late and delayed some time at Sister-in-law Tian's. Lin Hongwen turned around and walked back, the night was hazy, some shops in the market hung lanterns, some did not, flickering light and darkness, Lin Hongwen saw a person standing at the intersection, as if he was buying something, the side face of the person was a little familiar, and when he got closer, he only felt that his head was buzzing, and that person was Du Xinzhu in the road construction team!

Lin Hongwen held his breath and tried to calm himself down, if Du Xinzhu was still alive, then Lin Xingshen and Lin Hongming might also be alive. So he slowed down and slowly approached, but Du Xinzhu left quickly after shopping. Lin Hongwen followed behind without giving up, only to see Du Xinzhu go out of Xinxing Street and wear a few alleys, as if he noticed something, he walked faster and faster, Lin Hongwen chased him a few alleys, and when he turned again, people couldn't see it. Lin Hongwen ran from one end of the alley to the other, and finally to the main street, but Du Xinzhu disappeared as if out of thin air, and was no longer visible.

Lin Hongwen gasped for breath and slowly calmed down against the wall. The lights were dim, and there were few people in the market, and everything became unreal, as if what had just happened was just a dream.

39.

When Lin Hongwen was eating the closed-door soup, Zhou Shiying was standing in the hall of the Purple Building with a gift box, and Qin Hong leaned on the door and beckoned him in, "What are you holding in your hand?" ”

Zhou Shiying went in with the box in her hand and opened one for Qin Hong to see, "Sister Hong, take a look, do you still like it?" ”

Qin Hong stretched out her hand and took out the dress in the box, the royal blue dress swayed in the light, Qin Hong compared it on her body, and the dress actually fit very well.

"I didn't expect you to be a careful person", Qin Hong reached out and touched the material, "This is ...... Cloth? ”

"Sister Hong has good eyesight", Zhou Shiying said with a smile, "The materials that just arrived in my shop two days ago, I looked at the color lining you, so I asked the tailor to make a set and sent it." ”

Qin Hong glanced at him, "Say, how much will you sell this time?" ”

Zhou Shiying was stunned, and immediately reacted, thinking that she was kind enough to give things away, but she was somewhat aggrieved by being treated as a business, "This is for Sister Hong to wear, there is no other meaning." ”

Qin Hong turned her head to look at him in surprise, thought for a while and said, "Also, if we are all dressed, what else will you do for the business of a good woman." ”

Zhou Shiying remembered that she had said something similar to Lin Hongwen before, and she was speechless for a while. He really just looked at the good color of the cloth, so he asked someone to make a dress and send it to Qin Hong, and at this time, he didn't know whether to blame himself for being thoughtless, or to blame Qin Hong for thinking too much.

Zhou Shiying's round eyes were full of grievances at this time, and every time Qin Hong saw him like this, he would think of a puppy raised at home when he was a child. She and Qin Yu both liked it very much, and the puppy's eyes were also round and watery, which made people feel pity when they looked at it. Qin Hong stretched out her hand and gently pinched Zhou Shiying's face, "I know, I thought too much." ”

"I just thought you would look good in it," Zhou Shiying said aggrievedly.

"Okay", Qin Hong smiled charmingly, and said with her red lips on Zhou Shiying's ear, "Then I'll only wear it for you alone." ”

Zhou Shiying's ears were a little hot, Qin Hong reached out and rubbed his lips, slowly approached and said, "You can help me put it on, okay?" ”

40.

For a few days, Lin Hongwen went to the street when he had nothing to do, but he never saw Du Xinzhu again, and even he wondered if the light was not good that day, so he lost his eyes. But even if there was even the slightest possibility, he wanted to find him.

The weather is getting hotter and hotter, and the business of the cloth shop is getting hotter and hotter, and some new shops have been added on Zhengyang Street. Lin Hongwen was worried at first, but Zhou Shiying said that everyone must want to get involved in profitable things, and they don't want to be compared, so they can only have more tricks than others. So I contacted a few more suppliers, and even made a trip myself, to ensure that the types of cloth and foreign cloth and foreign yarn were the most complete on the two streets. However, this is not enough, Zhou Shiying said that the fertilizer water does not flow into the fields of outsiders, and directly hired a tailor surnamed Xu to tailor the guests. If you want to buy cloth and buy cloth, you can choose any homespun cloth and foreign yarn, you can buy clothes and buy clothes if you want to buy clothes, you can choose Chinese and Western styles at will, and you can toss them in different ways.

In the summer of that year, the Russians leased 93,000 square meters of land in Harbin for less than 4 rubles per square sand rope (1). After everyone knew, there were also those who scolded the street, and there were also those who sighed, Zhou Shiying said: "Who is this place where we are staying?" Isn't it from our Daqing? Why do you say that you will rent it, and you won't even discuss it? ”

He Mu smiled and said: "You asked, I don't know, I still think we are on Lao Maozi's territory!" ”

This is an inexplicable time, but this does not prevent the business of the cloth shop from getting better and better, Zhou Shiying and He Mu hired a few people who specialize in delivery, but there are many people in the shop, and their two mouths are still not enough. Zhou Shiying discussed with Lin Hongwen that he should recruit another seller, and Lin Hongwen, the shopkeeper, said, "You just have an idea." ”

A few days later, He Mu told Lin Hongwen that he had hired a new person and asked him to take a look, Lin Hongwen said that it was good, but by the time he really poured out his work, several days had passed.

It was already dark when Lin Hongwen arrived at the cloth shop that day, Zhou Shiying was lighting an oil lamp to sort out the accounts, and He Mu and the newly hired guy next to him were tally. Lin Hongwen looked at the back of the guy at the door, not like a young man. He Mu turned around and saw him, and hurriedly beckoned him in, "Hongwen, come in." ”

Lin Hongwen raised his legs and walked in, and the newly hired guy also happened to turn around, looking at each other, Lin Hongwen felt that the blood in his whole body was about to coagulate, and it was Du Xinzhu who he had been looking for for a long time standing in front of him!

However, Du Xinzhu didn't seem to be much better than him, Lin Hongwen felt that he looked at him with fear, as if he had seen a ghost, if he wasn't blocking the door at this time, Du Xinzhu might have run out.

Lin Hongwen quickly calmed down, and smiled and saluted Du Xinzhu, "Uncle Du." ”

"You know each other", He Mu said, "Uncle Du is a new guy, he is careful and a good hand at selling goods and tally." ”

"You don't know this, Uncle Du is a reader", Lin Hongwen said with a smile, "I know a lot." ”

"The eldest nephew praised it falsely", Du Xinzhu owed, "It's just that I've read a book for a few years, and I can't change half a copper plate in this world." ”

"Uncle Du, we haven't seen each other for a long time", Lin Hongwen pulled Du Xinzhu's sleeve and walked out, "I have to find a place to catch up on the old days", turned back to He Mu and said, "You two are busy first, Uncle Du and I will go first." ”

Zhou Shiying glanced at the two people who went out, "Hongwen is very familiar with him?" ”

He Mu shook his head, "I haven't heard him say it." ”

Lin Hongwen took Du Xinzhu to a tavern, asked for a few side dishes, and warmed a pot of wine. Lin Hongwen poured a full cup for Du Xinzhu and said slowly, "Uncle Du, you also know that some words can't be said in the shop, what do I want to ask, do you understand?" ”

Du Xinzhu nodded hesitantly, and Lin Hongwen pushed the wine glass to him, "Then I won't beat around the bush, my father, my eldest brother, and the rest of the road construction team, what's wrong?" ”

Du Xinzhu pinched the wine glass, but his hand was unsteady, the wine was already full, and he was unstable, and suddenly spilled some. Lin Hongwen glanced at the wine spilled on the ground, and then raised his eyes to look at Du Xinzhu.

Du Xinzhu tilted his neck and drank all the wine in the cup, "Don't be surprised, eldest nephew, I still have palpitations when I think about the events of that day." ”

"What the hell happened that day?"

"The Boxers helped the Qing Dynasty to extinguish the ocean, and the road construction team was all strong men, so everyone naturally wanted to join", Du Xinzhu wiped his mouth and said, "In the road construction team, there is a person named Ma Chuansheng, and there is a fellow villager in the Boxers, and they don't know how to get in touch, so everyone decided to come to the outside on the day when the Boxers attacked Tianjia to burn the pot." It was supposed to meet at the time of the child, but we went but didn't see the Boxers, and we were about to retreat, but we were discovered by Lao Maozi. Fortunately, it was night, and although Lao Maozi was carrying a lamp, it couldn't shine far, so we scattered and hid. At this time, the Boxers also arrived, and the two sides exchanged fire, but the Boxers were defeated, the brothers were killed, and some were wounded, some of them followed the Boxers back to the port area, and some were like me, they were scattered, and they couldn't find the Boxers, and they didn't dare to go back to Tianjia to burn the pot. I also recently heard that the rumors are not so tight, so I dared to come to Fu's shop to beg for a living. ”

Lin Hongwen stared at Du Xinzhu without blinking, "What about my father, my eldest brother, and Uncle Zhao?" ”

"I don't know," Du Xinzhu said, "At that time, the lights were blind, and I didn't know who was dead and who hurt whom." But then I heard that they retreated to Hulan, but then Hulan City was also breached, and I thought it was more than lucky. ”

"What about the others? Don't you know about the others? Lin Hongwen clenched Du Xinzhu's wrist and asked, "Don't know any of them?" ”

Du Xinzhu also shook his head sadly, "Big nephew, no matter what happens to your father and your eldest brother, you have to live well, you know?" ”

Lin Hongwen let go of his wrist in frustration, "Originally, I didn't determine their life and death one day, and I still had a glimmer of hope, but now it seems that they will never come back." ”

Du Xinzhu patted him on the shoulder, "Big nephew, the deceased is gone." ”

Lin Hongwen nodded, "I know, but I'm still sad when I think of them." ”

"If your father sees that you are doing so well now, he must be gratified", Du Xinzhu comforted him and said, "I see that you are very familiar with that little boss, but you are friends?" ”

"Yes", Lin Hongwen responded, "Don't hide it from Uncle Du, I also contributed a share of the money in this cloth shop, although it is not much, but the monthly profit is also shared." However, I am still working in the hospital, and I am afraid that I will be unhappy over there, so I have been hiding it from others, Uncle Du, just if you know, don't tell others. ”

"I understand, I understand", Du Xinzhu nodded knowingly, "It's not easy to make money these days, I understand, don't worry, I definitely won't say it." ”

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(1) Russian acres, 1 Russian mu is equal to about 1.09 hectares.