Lin Hongwen glanced down at He Mu, he had already sat up, his hands had been lowered, his eyebrow bones were broken, blood was flowing down his face, and his cheekbones were also blue, and he was gray.

"How much do I owe you?" Lin Hongwen asked with a frown.

"One...... A tael of silver," the man said hesitantly.

"I didn't borrow that much", He Mu suddenly looked up and shouted.

Lin Hongwen came out today with the intention of shutting up He Mu, and naturally he also brought some money in his pocket, and at first he was thinking about whether to bring more to him and send him away directly. Later, he was afraid that He Mu would blackmail himself when he saw Qianyan, so he simply brought out some broken silver and a few rubles.

At this moment, Lin Hongwen is glad that he didn't bring much money, otherwise he would be in trouble again if he exposed his wealth in front of everyone's eyes. Lin Hongwen took out one yuan ruble, and gave it to the man, and finally poured down his money bag, signaling that he had no money, "That's all I have, if you want it, take it, if you don't want it, I'll go, you will continue to beat him, which one do you think is appropriate?" ”

The man counted the money and said, "Yes, we are unlucky!" ”

A group of people dispersed, Lin Hongwen squatted down to look at He Mu's injuries, although the injuries on his face were a little terrifying, but they were not strict, Lin Hongwen thought that he was probably injured on his body.

was about to ask him, but He Mu stood up slowly, endured the pain and said, "I will find a way to pay you back the money", and limped forward after speaking.

"Shall I let you go?" Lin Hongwen then stood up and asked gloomily.

He Mu retracted his leg and stood in place. Lin Hongwen walked over and grabbed his right arm to support him, and helped him forward without saying a word. He Mu didn't ask where to go, he didn't say, the two of them just walked all the way to the inn.

Lin Hongwen asked the store for a room, and when people saw He Mu's miserable appearance, they were originally reluctant to let him live, but Lin Hongwen paid for the room in advance and gave some more, so that he could help He Mu in.

After entering the house, Lin Hongwen asked, "Where is the injury?" ”

He Mu sat on the edge of the bed and didn't speak, his eyes staring at the ground, and he didn't know what he was looking at. Lin Hongwen didn't talk nonsense with him, and walked over and stretched out his hand to undress him. He Mu separated his hand and said, perfunctorily, "It's not in the way." ”

"You live here for the next few days", Lin Hongwen withdrew his hand and said, "You go to the hospital with me in a while, and let Dr. Xu show you whether the injury hurts your muscles or bones." ”

"Don't get in the way, don't go and see," He Mu insisted.

"Okay then", Lin Hongwen saw that he was unwilling and no longer reluctant, "I'll go back to the medical hall in a while to get some medicinal wine to stop bleeding and activate tendons, and you can wipe it yourself." ”

He Mu didn't say anything, Lin Hongwen acquiesced, "By the way, why did you borrow money from them?" ”

He Mu was silent for a while and said, "There is a little brother who is sick, and originally wanted to lend him money to see a doctor, but he was so sick that he died before he could see it, and the money was all for him to do after his death." ”

"Why didn't you hear these things?" Lin Hongwen asked.

"You paid me to inquire about the news of the shops on Xinxing Street, and these things have nothing to do with you." He Mu replied, "I will find a way to repay you the money, and then I will leave the Fu family's store." ”

"Did I tell you to pay it back?" Lin Hongwen looked at the dried blood on his face and said unhappily, "Didn't you ask me to hire you before, I even paid the money just now, don't tell me that you want to regret it now?" ”

"You didn't say yes?"

"What?"

"I begged you to hire me, but you didn't agree," He Mu said, "not that I regretted it. ”

Lin Hongwen looked at He Mule, "I said categorically that 'I won't hire you'?" ”

"No, but ......"

"Read more books when you have time", Lin Hongwen said word by word, "Let's see what it means to be noncommittal." ”

After that, he took out some broken silver from the money bag and gave it to He Mu, He Mu didn't take it, Lin Hongwen forced it into his hand, "You take the money first, you may be able to use it in the next few days, don't go back to your previous residence, don't ask for things, I will find you another place, and then buy anything if you are missing." ”

"Didn't you just give all the money to people?" He Mu looked at his money bag and asked a little puzzled.

"You said this", Lin Hongwen showed He Mu the money bag, "Actually, there is still a little left, but I pinched them just now, and of course I can't fall down." You can live here in peace first, I have already paid for the room, I will go to the hospital to pick up the medicine, and I will be back in a while. ”

He Mu seemed to want to say something, but Lin Hongwen left without waiting for him to speak.

In the evening, Lin Hongwen came back again, he handed over the medicinal powder and medicinal wine to He Mu, told him how to apply it externally, how to apply it, and told him what to avoid eating, and said that he had a good place to live on Colliers Street.

Lin Hongwenping didn't talk much from Japan, and it seemed a little chatty when he said a few more words at this time. He Mu listened to him quietly before speaking, "When the injury on my face is better, I will go to the gambling house to find Song Chi, if he doesn't pay back the money, or he has already run away, I will go to collect the shop, if you have any plans, you can also prepare earlier." ”

Lin Hongwen looked at him and couldn't figure out his thoughts for a while. He Mu continued, "Since you asked me to follow you, then let me do this kind of thing in the future, and you don't touch your hands." If you save me once, as long as I am here, I will do my best to protect you. ”

"It's not a big deal," Lin said, "you don't have to take it that seriously." ”

"I know in my own heart," He Mu said, "I know you don't believe me now, it doesn't matter, I will see people's hearts in the future." ”

"Whatever you want," Lin Hongwen sighed.

Two days later, He Mu moved into Colliers Street, and two days later, he went to the gambling house. Song Chi was nowhere to be seen, He Mu inquired with the people in the gambling house, and sure enough, the guy had already lost a few days ago. He Mu took the deed to the old grandson's shop, the old man knelt on his knees, begging bitterly, He Mu looked down at him, and took out the five silver dollars that Lin Hongwen gave him, "Your son-in-law owes me twenty taels, and now I don't even see a shadow, I will definitely accept the shop, but you can take the goods, you take the money, find another way out." ”

"I'm this old, how can there be any other way out?"

"I can't help it," He Mu said, "it's only to blame you for marrying your daughter to such a person when you were blind." ”

The old grandson stared at him, his eyes seemed to pop out, but in the end, only a line of turbid tears flowed down, "You are right, the marriage was originally the words of the matchmaker of the parents, but I was blind and did not find a good husband for her, which harmed her for the rest of her life." I'll do a good job today, and you can come and collect the shop tomorrow. ”

The old grandson slowly stood up, took the five silver dollars from He Mu's hand, sorted out the cloth the same, and saw that He Mu was still standing there, so he turned around and said, "The deed is in your hand, what else do you have to worry about." ”

"Then I'll come back tomorrow", He Mu bowed slightly and left.

At the end of the month, He Mu took Lin Hongwen into the store, the store was empty, He Mu said, "Lao Sun Tou moved the goods, he didn't say where he was going." ”

"It doesn't matter to us where we go," Mr. Lin said.

"I think he's quite pathetic."

"There are too many poor people", Lin Hongwen reached out and rubbed the wood grain on the cabinet, "Aren't you pitiful when you are young and make a living by deceiving people?" Isn't it pitiful that those girls in Peach Blossom Lane are being sold around? Isn't it pitiful for those who want to 'help Qing and extinguish the foreign' to participate in the Boxer Rebellion and finally be beheaded at the entrance of the vegetable market? In these years, in this world, there are too many poor people, and sympathy cannot be sympathized, you just have to think, I want to live, I want to live well. ”

34.

On the first day of the new year, Lin Hongwen led Zhou Shiying to the shop, and Zhou Shimi took a turn inside and out, "The location is good, what did you sell before?" ”

"Cloth seller", Lin Hongwen said and threw the key to Zhou Shiying.

Zhou Shiying subconsciously caught it, looked down and smiled, "You can trust me so much?" ”

"I've made you wait for so many days, and you haven't run yet, which means that you also trust me", Lin Hongwen spread out his hand and put another key in his palm, "There are two in total." ”

Zhou Shiying brushed the ashes on the chair, "I have been walking around the city and outside the city for more than ten days, and I have talked to people." ”

"And then?"

"Because there have been many people in the past two years of building the railway, and there are many foreigners, it is estimated that there will be more in the next few years", Zhou Shiying stretched out his finger and pointed to the outside of the shop, "You look at this street, basically they are all doing business, and the business looks good, do you know why?" ”

"Why?"

"Because there are too few people to do business", Zhou Shiying said with a smile, "There are more and more people, but there are fewer people selling things, which is a good thing for us, because no matter what we sell, we can make money here." ”

"So what do you want to sell?" Lin Hongwen raised his chin slightly and looked at Zhou Shiying.

"It takes time for me to get familiar with others, but I grew up with cloth and satin", Zhou Shiying lifted the cuffs of Lin Hongwen's shirt, "Whether this thing is good or bad, I know it at a glance, and I know it when I touch it." You are Nantong homespun cloth, durable and washable, but not soft enough. ”

Zhou Shiying took out a square scarf from his arms and handed it to Lin Hongwen, "Look at this piece again." ”

Lin Hongwen stretched out the square scarf and shone it in the light, the cloth was light and thin, very soft, "This cloth is soft enough, but if it is used to make clothes, I am afraid it will not be long before it will be broken." ”

"You don't understand this", Zhou Shiying withdrew the cloth from Lin Hongwen's hand, "Take it to make clothes for you, you definitely don't like it, because it is not durable, but if you use it to make clothes for women, they like it very much." ”