Because he had already agreed with the Guan family that he was going to pay New Year's greetings to Mrs. Guan on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, when the sunlight had just spread from the mountain beam in the east into the Sichuan Road, Shang Cheng took Baokan out of the village. There is another reason why he left so early: he was afraid that someone would come to greet him later, and when the time came, he might not be able to go out for half the day.

Out of the village, Shang Cheng and the others did not rush away, but walked slowly along the official road down the village. Bao Kan played money with people last night until the second half of the night, and lost a mess, and was dragged up from the hot bed by Shang Cheng early in the morning, and was so dazy that he dozed off on horseback all the way. Shang Cheng picked up the topic and wanted to say a few words to him, but he didn't follow up as soon as he responded. Shang Cheng didn't bother him anymore.

Although it is still early to see the hour, you can already see people on the road, and you can always see the villagers who are rushing to go to relatives in a few big years. These farmers were dressed in new clothes, which were rarely worn once in a week, and had bulging blankets on their shoulders, and some of them could not fit more things into their blankets, so they carried their things in their hands, mostly snacks wrapped in brown paper, or a piece or two of smoked meat. There are also women and daughters-in-law who go back to their parents' homes with men, no matter what the family situation is, they dress as decently and brightly as possible, even if the clothes are patched and patched, they are rinsed cleanly; In addition to rotten silver hairpins, some pretty new daughters-in-law also have one or two wildflowers picked by the roadside in their buns. For several days in a row, the sun was red, and the fields were already sparsely green, and the treetops on the side of the road were quietly spitting out young shoots unconsciously.

Occasionally, you can see one or two carriages on the road, all neatly cleaned and magnificent, with red tassels and blue bells hanging on both sides of the door curtains, some with a few small bells, and a string of crisp brass bells can be heard from a distance. The coachman, also dressed in new clothes, sat proudly on the wheels, with a long whip in his hand, and every now and then a whistle from his mouth, and the whip was whipped in the air, and the horse skilfully skirted the stumbling ditches on the road with the shouts of men.

When I walked through Baijiaji, it happened that a carriage also came out of the market town, and when I crossed the stone bridge on the West River, I was parallel to Shang Cheng and them. As soon as the curtain of the carriage was pulled, a chubby round face poked out, glanced at the two of them and retracted it. In an instant, the blue curtain was torn open by a white fat palm; There were a few crackling sounds of the cloth tearing, and the curtain immediately collapsed in half.

The small eyes on the white fat face were almost out of the sockets at the moment, and the lips squirmed for a long time before the man asked in surprise and joy: "Shang ...... Lord Shang? Shang Daren is not? ”

Shang Cheng stared at the man twice, and didn't remember who it was for a long time, but when others were asking, he arched his hand on the horse and said, "Congratulations." Happy New Year! The Year of the Ox is auspicious. ”

The man pulled the half-collapsed curtain with one hand, propped up the other hand on the floor of the carriage, leaned out half of his body and looked at Shang Cheng straightly, Shang Cheng suddenly gave him a New Year's greeting, and hurriedly returned the salute, but completely forgot that he was still in the carriage, and suddenly straightened up and hit his head on the roof wood with a loud bang, if it wasn't for the fast wave of his hands, he almost fell on the carriage. The man didn't have time to straighten his half-fallen gauze hat, and when he was half-kneeling, he hurriedly bowed his hand to Shang Cheng: "Happy New Year, Lord Shang!" The Year of the Ox is prosperous! ”

Shang Cheng arched his hand again and nodded, turning his eyes away from the embarrassed appearance of the man. Bao Kan was summoned back to his soul by the sound, stared at the man with straight eyes for a long time, and suddenly grinned: "Old Liao! Happy New Year! Where is this going? ”

Lao Liao didn't change his posture, turned his face and said congratulations to Bao Kan for the New Year, and then climbed the edge of the carriage and moved to the side of the car to sit down, and said with a smile: "Go and go to a relative." One by one, it is no wonder that the magpie called in front of my house early in the morning, it turned out that he was going to meet a noble person on the road, and he didn't expect to be able to go the same way with Lord Shang Bao. ”

Bao Kan suddenly came to his senses, quietly clamped his legs on the horse's back, rushed to the first two steps and the carriage in parallel, and said with a smile: "Take the mother-in-law and daughter to visit the New Year's house at the father-in-law's house?" There are so many good things in the big box and small cage in the back, are you going to move? As he spoke, he leaned over slightly, and as soon as he pulled the reins in his hand, the horse slowed down and looked into the carriage for a moment.

It seems that Lao Liao and Bao Kan are acquaintances, and they talk casually, and when they saw Bao Kan's small movements, the smile on his fat face did not change, and he still said happily: "I went to the old father-in-law to worship the New Year the day before yesterday." Today, the family of the eldest daughter and son-in-law came to pay my New Year's greetings, and my mother-in-law was waiting for them at home. I'm going to her uncle's house with the second girl to visit relatives at the old temple. ”

Bao Kan whispered to Shang Cheng: "Liao Da, who used to be the head of the Bai family, I heard that because his hands and feet were not clean, he was sent on an errand by the official the year before last. His two daughters are both Peugeot people, and they are all famous in Chuandao. Shang Cheng listened silently, lifted his eyelids and glared at him, it's okay, what are you doing with other people's daughters?

Bao Kan had already pushed up and continued to talk to Liao Da: "Your second girl's uncle? Isn't it in Zhongzhai? How do you go towards the old temple? Does your mother-in-law have a brother? ”

Liao Da smiled and said, "It's a distant relative in the next room." Speaking of which, the two adults also know that it is the Xuntian Guan family. ”

Bao Kan spat and said: "Mother, we went to the same place!" He didn't hide it anymore and glanced into the carriage again, the corners of his mouth twitched to mean that he was referring to Shang Cheng, who was slightly two steps behind, and raised his eyebrows and aimed his eyes directly at Liao Dayi for him?

Liao Da smiled and blinked his eyes, meaning to admit it. He glanced at the girl in the carriage, glanced over at Shang Cheng from Bao Kan's shoulder, lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Bao, look, is there any hope for this?" The sound was as thin as a gossamer, almost inaudible.

Bao Kan smiled slightly. Shang Cheng was so busy that he kicked his ass with his heels every day, and he didn't even care about the reason why Guan Xiang didn't come to visit in the New Year, but let his brother invite him. He is an understanding person, and he knows that although the Guan family has the name of a Xun family, in fact, he has no prestige in West Malaysia, and now he finally found an opportunity to climb the high branches, and he must be hollowing out his mind to get closer to Shang Cheng. Shang Cheng doesn't love money, so it's not easy for the Guan family to find a way; What's more, the Guan family's family background is not solid enough, and they can't come up with exciting money and gifts, so they can only find a way from the side. But what else can be done besides money? Of course, she is a good daughter of the Guan family. But there is no suitable branch near the Guan family, so I have no choice but to find it among relatives. Liao Da's two girls are both good girls, not to mention handsome, but with good character, the Guan family must have already thought of talking about matchmaking as a marriage; Liao Daduo probably has the same idea, and the two sides naturally hit it off......

But how could this be possible?

He smiled secretly in his heart, Guan Xuan was short-sighted. It's pitiful, Guan Qian is also a character, and he can't even see what kind of person Shang Cheng is, if he wants to please Shang Cheng one by one, it is the easiest in business, as long as the two brothers of the Guan family are sincerely helping Shang Cheng to do a good job in West Malaysia, it is ten times better than sending money to a woman or something!

Liao Da saw that he was smiling and not speaking, he was already a little anxious, he took out a delicate purse with his hand in his arms twice, glanced at Shang Cheng and turned his head to look at several families on the other side of the West River, then stuffed the purse into Bao Kan's hand, and whispered: "Lord Bao, this is a little bit of the villain's heart, 'auspicious Ruyi' little gold ingot, how to say a good lip gloss?" ”

Bao Kan didn't take the purse, and with a horse whip, he blocked Liao Da's hand with a hand, and said with a tense lips: "Don't dare to accept it." When I turned around, the adults knew that whipping was a trivial matter, and I was afraid that they would drive me back to the guards. Saying a smile, he shook his head in the carriage out of the corner of his eye, "You can't do anything with Lao Guan." It's better not to even mention it, otherwise you won't be able to get off the stage when the time comes. You don't know about the things of adults, at most he will be scolded a few words by sending gold and silver, and then he will be sincere in his work, and he will be rewarded when he should be promoted, and he will not eat and fall. If you should make up your mind on this," he pursed his lips and smiled lightly, "I'll just say so much, when you get to the Guan family, you should hurry up and talk to Guan Xuan, otherwise don't blame me for not reminding you if something happens." ”

Liao Da looked disappointed and melancholy, stared at Shang Cheng several times, retracted his gaze and said with a sad face: "Lao Bao, we are also acquaintances, tell me the truth, what do you like in your family?" I don't like those I don't love, and we can't help if we want to be promoted...... Why don't you give him some money and let him run away? ”

Bao Kan was stunned by his words, and in a blink of an eye, there was already a smile on his face, and he lowered his voice and smiled: "Don't do this." If you pool money with him, he will spend it all in no time. To give you a thorough explanation, the adults are planning to dig new wells for the villages of this Sichuan Road, and also to build wells and ponds for the upper village, and the copper coins to be used are not decimal ones, you give him money now, and you can only fill the bottomless pit. He pursed his lips and thought for a moment, his eyes suddenly burst into light, and he suddenly said, "It's okay to make money." The adults are anxious about the money for repairing the well, if you and Guan Miao can say that the big families in this Manchuan will pay for it, even if it is a part of the money, it will be a great help to the adults. He is nostalgic for the old, as long as you can do this, he will definitely remember you well for the rest of your life! ”

Liao Da opened his mouth and stammered, and only after a long time did he tremble and ask: "Workover?" Dig new wells for all 19 villages? Oh my God, how much does this cost! He suddenly grabbed Bao Kan's sleeve across the wheel, and asked anxiously, "Are you sure that the adults want to dig a new well for us?" Didn't you use this to fool me?! ”

"Tap, my new clothes haven't been worn yet!" Bao Kan snatched his sleeve, carefully smoothed out a few wrinkles with his hands, and said, "What am I coaxing you for?" The adults handed an official document to Duanzhou Mansion a few years ago, asking people to invite the master who drilled the well to come over, and he would explore the earth to find water sources in the spring; The stonemasons of Sixiang will report to the command post after the New Year, and they will start construction when they speak. ”

"Money? Where is the money? Command all the money for this? This is not a matter of the Yamen! ”

Bao Kan sneered and said, "That's why you all slapped the horse's ass on the horse's hooves." He whispered, "The lord has already taken out his salary, and with the surplus money in the yamen, he is ready to dig out the well in Shangzhai first, and then start to beat a few Zhuangzi who are severely short of water, and then slowly look for money, and slowly dig it through one village after another." Bao Kan glanced at Liao Da and then at the shadowy figure in the carriage. Don't say my lord, even I have paid eight dollars. Don't tell anyone that if you spread the word that the adults will whip me up, I'm going to go to your house and kick the door!" ”

Liao Da looked at Shang Cheng who was looking around on horseback, shook his lips and pouted his tongue for a long time, and suddenly let out a long breath, and said fiercely: "Mother! I'm going to pay too! ”