Old man Gu shook his head and said: "Little brother, it's okay to chat with you, but I won't be in contact with this line of work anymore, I have lost too much in order to do this business, and even my own dearest people have left me, I really don't want to think about the past anymore, I am now drunk today, I don't have to think about anything every day, and when I drink unconscious that day, I sleep over, and this life is over." Shanlin knew that there must be something unhappy about Old Man Gu leaving this line, so he was drinking like this every day and giving up on himself.

Old man Gu had two pots of wine, he was so drunk that he couldn't even speak clearly, Shanlin had to send him home first, Shanlin helped Old Man Gu to go home, Shanlin really gasped as soon as he entered the house, Old Man Gu's home was really poor, except for a broken table and a broken chair, there was really no decent furniture at home, and the house was not cleaned if it didn't know much, and the house was full of dust. The house was in tatters everywhere, and it felt like it was about to collapse, and Shanlin couldn't figure out how such a skilled person could live this kind of life? But he had to find a way to convince him to help him.

Shanlin came out of Old Man Gu's house, and when he saw the aunt next door, he walked over to ask her about Old Man Gu. The aunt said: "Old man Gu had a good life, his craftsmanship is very good, there were many people looking for him to make jewelry, he originally had a wife and son, and then he had money and often went out to eat and drink, rarely went home, and did not take care of the family, and then his son was suddenly ill in the middle of the night and could not find him anywhere, his wife did not have the money to take the child to see the doctor, and he came back the next day, but the child has left sequelae and often draws over, his wife left with the sick child in a fit of anger, and has not come back for more than ten years." That old man Gu later made jewelry for a rich man, and accidentally damaged the inlaid jade, as if he had lost a lot of money, and since then he has not done anything, only knows how to drink all day long, and slowly exhausted his savings for many years. ”

Shanlin knew that it should not be easy to persuade the old man Gu to go out of the mountain to help him, he was now tantamount to giving up on himself, and the best way to cheer him up was to help him find his wife and son back, but his wife had been gone for more than ten years, so he should go there to find them. Shanlin was very troubled as he walked, he passed by the tavern and left some money for the tavern owner, telling him that the money was for Old Man Gu to drink, and then went back.

When Shanlin returned home and Ling'er talked about Old Man Gu's matter, Ling'er sighed: "I haven't seen you for a few years, I didn't expect him to become like this now?" Shanlin, whether he wants to help us or not, I think we should find a way to cheer him up. Shanlin nodded and said, "I think so too, but where should we go to find Mr. Gu's family?" Ling'er thought for a while and said, "Why don't you go to the teahouses where I used to sing and ask around, he used to go there often, I think someone should know him or know something about his family." ”

Shanlin nodded and said, "Now I can only try my luck like this." "Shanlin went to the places that Ling'er said before to look for a few days and had no clues, it's been so many years, and many people don't even remember Old Man Gu's family there. Shanlin sat helplessly in the teahouse drinking tea, he saw an old woman cleaning up the table, Shanlin asked: "Old woman, are you still working here at such an old age?" The old woman smiled and said, "I'm used to it, I've been doing it here for decades." When Shanlin heard this, he hurriedly asked the old woman if she knew Gu Qing? The old woman thought for a while and asked Shanlin: "Young man, are you talking about Gu Qing who makes jewelry?" ”

Shanlin saw that the old woman knew that Gu Qing was very excited, and hurriedly asked, "Old woman, do you know him?" Do you know his family? The old woman sighed and said, that Gu Qing didn't know the sky was high when he was young, and he always felt that he was amazing, he used to come here often to drink tea and listen to music, sometimes his wife would bring the children here to find him, he was always impatient, sometimes give them a little money and send them back, that person really has no conscience, and later heard that his wife left with the child, that Gu Qing has never been here since, think about it for more than ten years."

Shanlin asked with some disappointment: "Then you definitely don't know his wife and don't know where they went, right?" The old woman smiled and said, "Young man, count you lucky, although I don't know his wife well, but I really met him a few years ago, but I don't know if she is still there?" Shanlin happily took the old woman's arm and said, "This time it really depends on you, the old woman, I really have nowhere to find the iron shoes, and it takes no effort to get here, mother-in-law, tell me where you have seen his wife." "The old woman thought about it and said, one morning a few years ago, I met a mother-in-law who poured night incense, with a cloak of hair, but I looked at her face familiarly, and then I remembered that she was Gu Qing's wife, what a sin, I looked at her and felt pitiful, much older than before."

Shanlin listened to the heart is also a little uncomfortable, busy asking the old woman Mrs. Gu where to pour night incense, the old woman told him that he is on the side of Wujia Lane, but I don't know if it has been there for the past two years, Shanlin hurriedly said goodbye to the old woman to go to Wujia Lane to find, Shanlin inquired all the way, someone told him that the night Xiangpo and her son lived in the second house on the east side of the alley, Shanlin hurriedly looked for it, he bridged the door at the door for a long time before he saw someone come to open the door.

Shanlin saw that the woman in front of him was about fifty years old, her face was full of vicissitudes, and several patches had been patched on her clothes, so it could be seen that they were having a hard time. The woman saw that Shanlin was a little dazed, and then asked Shanlin, "Who is Mr. looking for?" Shanlin hurriedly asked, "May I ask if you are Mrs. Gu?" The woman sneered and said, "Mrs. Gu, I haven't heard this title for many years, and now they all call me Ye Xiangpo." Shanlin asked a little embarrassed: "Can we go in and talk?" The woman nodded and let Zenlin into the house.

The room was dark, a young man sat at the table and tinkered with those copper wires and silver pieces or something, Shanlin went in and nodded with him, the young man smiled shyly, seeing that he usually didn't have much contact with people, Gu Sister-in-law asked Shanlin: "May I ask if you have anything to do with me?" Shanlin scratched his head and said, "Actually, I don't know what to say?" I originally wanted to ask Master Gu to go out of the mountain to help me open a jewelry workshop, but he refused, and he was drunk all day, and then I discussed with my inside-in-law to help him find his family to cheer him up, it doesn't matter if he helps me or not, but he seems to have completely given up on himself now, and I am afraid that something will happen to him if he goes on like this, so I took the liberty to come to you. ”

Sister-in-law Gu looked at Shanlin and said, "You are really a kind person, our mother and son have been away from him for more than ten years, since you can find here, then you should know more or less about our previous affairs?" Shanlin nodded. Sister-in-law Gu went on to say that when Gu Qing was young, he ran outside all day long, and he didn't care about our mother and son, and then the child was sick, and he didn't care, so I took the child and left him, and we haven't met for so many years. ”

Shanlin looked at the young man sitting next to him who had been lowering his head and fiddling with the things in his hand without speaking, Shanlin asked Gu's sister-in-law: "Then is the little brother's illness all cured now?" Sister-in-law Gu shook her head and said: "Sometimes I still faint for no reason, but it is much better than in previous years, and the number of times I faint is getting less and less, but our mother and son have poured your night incense here for more than ten years, and the child is inevitably a little introverted and inferior." ”

Shanlin looked at the young man and asked, "I don't know what the little brother's name is?" The young man lowered his head and said, "My name is Gu Yifeng." Shanlin asked again, "Then what are you doing now?" Is it making jewelry? Yifeng nodded and said, "I don't have any materials at home, so I'll play with these." ”

Sister-in-law Gu sighed and said, "Yifeng has liked to fiddle with these things since he was a child. Shanlin asked Sister-in-law Gu: "Then are you willing to go back with me to Mr. Gu and help me open that workshop?" Sister-in-law Gu shook her head and said, "I don't want to see that person again in my life, I'm sorry we really can't help you." Shanlin thought for a while and said: "Mrs. Gu, no matter what grievances you have with Mr. Gu, after all, you are a family, and he is living like this now, I know that you are not happy in your heart, even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about Yifeng, he is still so young, do you want to pour night incense here for the rest of your life?" I can see that Yifeng is as talented as his father, what do you say? ”

Sister-in-law Gu looked at Yifeng with tears in her eyes, and Shanlin continued: "If Mr. Gu is willing to help me, when the workshop opens, let Mr. Gu and Yifeng go there to help me together, what do you think?" Yifeng looked at Sister-in-law Gu with expectant eyes, Sister-in-law Gu nodded with tears in her eyes and said: "Okay, I promise you, Yifeng has suffered so much with me over the years, and I hope that he can live happily in the future, can do what he likes to do, and don't let people look down on him, then I will be very content." ”

Shanlin stood up and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Gu, don't worry, I will take care of Yifeng in the future, I can see that he will do better than his father in the future, don't worry!" Sister-in-law Gu nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go with you to find Yifeng's father early tomorrow morning." Shanlin happily thanked Sister-in-law Gu again and again, he didn't expect things to go so smoothly.

As soon as the next morning arrived, Shanlin went to find Gu Sister-in-law and Yifeng, Gu Sister-in-law and Yifeng were dressed very neatly, it is estimated that they have not dressed themselves so well in the past ten years. Shanlin looked at Yifeng and said to Sister-in-law Gu with a smile: "Sister-in-law, you see that Yifeng is really a handsome guy when he dresses up like this!" Sister-in-law Gu smiled and said, "Yes, I bought him this dress the year before last when I bought it for him." Shanlin nodded and said with emotion: "In the future, I will buy new clothes for your family of three every Chinese New Year." Sister-in-law Gu said with tears in her eyes: "Thank you, Brother Shanlin, let's go quickly!" ”

Walking on the road, Yifeng was a little uneasy, and Shanlin hurriedly asked him: "What's wrong with you, Yifeng?" Isn't it a little nervous that I haven't seen your dad for too long? Yifeng nodded and said, "I haven't seen my father for more than ten years, I don't know if he still recognizes me." Shanlin asked in a low voice: "Yifeng, do you hate your father?" Do you blame him? Yifeng lowered his head and said: "I don't know if I blame him or not, I always felt that he didn't care about me and my mother, and caused us to suffer so much, yesterday I heard Brother Shanlin say that he has become like this now, and I am a little worried about him." ”