Ji Yunfei felt that this year was boring, and Duan Jiqing had not had a good year at all.

At noon on the twenty-seventh day of the lunar month, Master Gu was about to go around the street after eating lunch, but he didn't expect to faint in front of him as soon as he stood up, and his family hurried to find Langzhong, but the person who went to find Langzhong ran out of the door and Gu lost his breath.

As soon as Duan Jiqing received the bad news, he rushed to Chaijia Lane, and saw that the Gu family was in a mess and could only stay to help handle the funeral, leaving early and returning late every day, and was busy until the eighteenth day of the first lunar month.

I haven't hugged my little grandson for a long time, but when I rushed to my daughter's house, I saw that the dog was asleep.

Duan Jiqing could only lean over and kiss the dog's little face, and returned to the hall to sit down and drink tea.

Qin'er asked curiously while doing needlework: "Dad, why did you come back so early today, is everything done on the Gu family's side?" ”

"How can it be done so quickly, this is only past the 'three sevens'." Duan Jiqing sighed lightly, put down the tea bowl and said, "But it's nothing to do these days, in fact, I didn't go to Chaijia Lane in the morning." ”

"I didn't go to Chai Jia Lane, so where did you go early in the morning, my mother said that you went out as soon as you finished your breakfast bowl."

"I went to the yamen, and I waited until noon to wait for the mansion."

"What are you doing in Futai?"

"I quit my errand and quit my errand at the yamen."

Qin'er was stunned, and then asked in surprise: "Dad, the yamen is doing a good job, why do you want to resign?" ”

"If you had put it aside, you wouldn't have been able to say anything about this errand, but now it's not as good as before. Last year, in order to help Zhixing renovate the guild hall to raise funds, I walked so close to Master Gu, and I often walked around with the gentry who didn't usually deal with each other. looks like a beautiful scenery, but in fact, I don't know how many people are jealous. When Old Man Gu was alive, he didn't have anything, even if he was in the house, he had to give his old man face. Now that Master Gu is gone, if I am still so public, I will not only be jealous, but I will also be plotted by villains. ”

"But what did you do when you quit your errand with the yamen?"

"Not only will there be nothing to do, but it may be busier than before." Resigned from the errand of the government and the soldiers' room, Duan Jiqing was carefully considered, and in order to have a good reputation, he didn't even sell the bottom, and looked at Qin'er with a smile and explained: "Aren't we co-selling side tea with others, we have to collect tea as soon as spring begins, anyway, we have to be busy." ”

Qin'er couldn't help laughing and said, "Dad, I don't mean anything else, it's just that you have been in the yamen for so many years, and it's a little unaccustomed to just talking." ”

"Actually, I'm a little unaccustomed to it, and as soon as I walk out of the yamen, I feel empty in my heart. But it's okay to resign, the Taiping bandits are in turmoil, the world is not peaceful, and the errands of the yamen are becoming more and more difficult to do. ”

"Dad, do you think the thieves will go to the dog's daddy?"

"Don't worry, no, you don't know how far Jiangsu is, I have seen the map of the two rivers, Zhixing is not only in Jiangsu, but also in the easternmost part of Jiangsu, and the place where he is an official is on the seaside. The ends of the earth, that's where he is. ”

"It's so far away, I said why haven't I written for so long."

"It's good to be far away, the emperor is far away, this official is interesting to do, and don't worry about Taiping bandits."

Qin'er thought about it and asked with a sad face: "But if he goes so far, when will he come back?" ”

"I'll come back when I earn the money," Duan Jiqing could understand his daughter's mood, thought about it and comforted: "He has been idle in the county government gang for so many years, he hasn't experienced anything, compared to those who raise people to be officials, and doing that inspection is a fat shortage, it's easy to make money, I estimate that he will be able to come back and reunite with you two in three years at most." ”

"It's been more than a year......"

"The time on the road can't be counted, and the time in the capital can't be counted, it can only be counted from the day I became a Shangguan." Duan Jiqing smiled and said, "Wait for another three years at most, if Zhixing can't come back after three years, I'll let your brother-in-law, Zhuzi, and sister send you to reunite with him." ”

"Really?"

"What are you lying to do, maybe I don't need someone to send it, Zhixing will let Datou and Yu Youfu come back to pick you up."

Qin'er has been thinking about it day and night for more than a year, and she can't sleep at night.

Han Xiufeng was thinking about her and the baby the same, sitting alone in the lobby and thinking about it for a long time, if it weren't for Wang Qianbu shouting to eat, he wouldn't know that it was already dark.

"Master Han, is this dish not to your taste?"

"No, it's delicious." Han Xiufeng relieved himself and subconsciously picked up a piece of fish meat.

Wang Qianbu brought the egg drop soup to the table, took a spoon, and was about to help put it into a small bowl, when there was a sudden sound of footsteps outside.

"Fourth brother, fourth brother, we're back!"

The sound of the big head!

Han Xiufeng thought he had heard it wrong, and when he looked up, he saw that the big head was really standing by the door and grinning at him.

Immediately afterwards, Pan Er squeezed in from the side, scratched his neck and said, "Fourth brother, if you want to blame me for this, don't blame the big head." ”

Han Xiufeng never thought that they would go and return, put down the dishes and chopsticks and said, "Qianbu, you go out first." ”

"Oh." Wang Qianbu answered, and hurriedly squeezed out of the flower hall.

"What's the matter, why are you back, where are Uncle Yu and Shiheng?"

"Fourth brother, we came out together, we have to go back together, we can't just leave you like this." Pan Er knew that Han Xiufeng was worried about the silver, so he pulled the big head into the flower hall, and brought it to the door to explain: "Although I haven't dealt with Ambassador Han's family for a long time, I can see that they don't have any bad intentions on the way to Yangzhou. I put the bill of exchange on Shi Heng, you know best what Shi Heng is like, and the bill of exchange is safest to put it there for him. Along the way, Uncle Yu and Ambassador Han's family members will take care of him, and he will be fine, and he will be fine if he has nothing to do with the bill of exchange. ”

"Yes, fourth brother, the bill of exchange will not be lost!" The big head couldn't help but laugh.

They all came back, what else could Han Xiufeng say, not only was it difficult to say anything, but he was very moved, and he was silent for a moment and asked in a low voice: "What about Shiheng's sister and brother-in-law?" ”

"Come to Hai'an with us, by the way, this is the letter that Su Jueming asked us to give you."

"What about the people of the Shiheng family?"

"Outside, do you want to call them in?"

"No need, you send them to the inner house to settle down first, let Wang Qianbu cook some food for them, and I'll read the letter first."

"It's okay, our luggage is out there too."

Seeing the truth in adversity, Han Xiufeng had mixed feelings, and was so moved that he burst into tears, and as soon as he sent the two away, he rubbed his sour eyes, took a few deep breaths in a row, and waited until his mood calmed down before he opened Su Jueming's letter.

There's a lot of news, but it's all gossip.

There are rumors that the Taiping bandits have arrived in Wuhu, and there are also rumors that the Taiping bandits are still in Jiujiang.

The only useful news is that the prefect of Yangzhou seems to know that Zhang Zhigao is too sick to be a director, and intends to let Zhang Zhigao report his illness. Although the Taiping bandits made a lot of noise and panicked, those officials who were waiting to fill the vacancies in Yangzhou were not afraid of death, and they were busy walking the door and making money, and they all wanted to act as the governor of Taizhou.

Han Xiufeng looked at the list of alternate officials on the letter, and was thinking about who was the most promising to act, Pan Er ran in again, and as soon as he entered the door, he asked eagerly: "Fourth brother, why did you let Chu Chenggui and them all leave, why are there only these few people left in the yamen?" ”

"There are a few people, and there can be no one around, but now it is not as good as before, especially in the employment of people, we must rather lack than abuse, unreliable, dishonest, disobedient one can not stay!"

"But ......"

"It's nothing, think about it, why do the Taiping bandits suppress more and more, where did all the bandits who followed the rebellion come from, and who are they? Although we have barely gained a foothold in Hai'an, we are not locals after all. If the bandits really kill them, the world knows whether they will be thieves, and God knows if they will be tied up to the bandits to ask for merit and reward. ”

Han Xiufeng looked behind him, and then said: "We can't die here, let alone die unexplained, if the Taiping bandits really kill them, they have to flee for their lives." And the fewer people who know about running for their lives, the better, and the unreliable, dishonest, and disobedient people can't be brought with them. ”

"I'm relieved, I thought ......"

"What do you think, that I plan to send them all away, and when the bandits arrive, they will hang themselves by hanging themselves?"

"No, no, fourth brother, where do you want to go." Pan Er grinned, sat down again and asked, "Fourth brother, what are you going to do next, even if you run for your life, you have to make some preparations." ”

Han Xiufeng beckoned him to eat vegetables, and said with a smile: "I told Ambassador Han that he is making preparations over there, and if he can't do it, he will go to sea for a while." But how prepared he is there, if he doesn't see it with his own eyes, his heart is not solid after all, and I can't leave Hai'an at this juncture. You came back just in time, help me go to Jiaoxian tomorrow to have a look, send Su Jueming's letter to Ambassador Han, and send Shiheng's sister and brother-in-law over by the way. ”