While Yue'er was discussing where the new Rendan workshop should be set up, Shang Cheng was talking to the guests. Coincidentally, the topic they talked about was also Rendan.

“…… The weather was just too big that day. Before the hour had passed, the yard was not covered by the large rocks exposed to the sun, and it was a little hot to the touch. I was afraid that the sun would burn people, so I told Lao Sa again and again, and asked him to pay attention to remind those who went down to the ground, that they must be careful not to get heat stroke, and if anyone feels that his chest is tight, dizzy, or nauseous, he must hurry to a shady place to rest for a while. I also asked him to bring Bao Rendan just in case. At noon, the sun was even more poisonous, and the courtyard was full of white light that pierced the eyes, so that people could hardly open their eyes. The eldest daughter-in-law is going to the field to bring food to her man; I was worried that something would happen in the field, so I took two packs of Ren Dan and followed. As soon as he came out of Zhuangzi, a long-term worker in the family came to report that the boss had fainted from heat stroke! I was so anxious that I ran into the ground with all my might, and I didn't know that I didn't know that one of my shoes had run away. When I arrived at the place, the boss hadn't woken up yet. I asked someone to find a wooden stick to pry his mouth open, and first poured half a bag of Ren Dan and water. Don't say it, this gray little pill is really immediate, and it doesn't take long for the boss to open his eyes in a daze. I hurriedly asked him to swallow another half packet of Rendan, and taught him to take a few more in his mouth, and just like that, he stretched out and half leaned and half leaned against the shade of the tree. It wasn't until the sun was about to set and the sky wasn't so hot that I had someone walk back slowly with him in my arms. ”

Shang Cheng refilled the tea soup in the guest's tea cup and asked with concern, "What about the eldest brother?" He's fine, right? ”

"What can he do?" Ran Linde took two sips of water and said, "When I got home, I climbed on the kang and lay down for a night, and the next day I was jumping around." ”

Shang Cheng grinned. He said, "He's too careless! Patronizing and reminding others, why don't you know to worry about yourself? And he said, "Didn't he take Bao Rendan with him?" I have signs of heat stroke, why don't I take it out quickly? ”

With Shang Cheng's words, for a moment, the smile on Ran Linde's face seemed to be frozen. He took another sip of water, smiled, and said, "It's okay if you don't talk about it, I'm just angry when I talk about it!" He actually told me that he was reluctant. Alas, my eldest is a careful man, and has developed the habit of careful planning since childhood, and of the three sons, I am the most at ease with him, so I leave all the affairs of the family to him early. But it's a good thing to be careful, and it's not right to be careful. I've told him a lot of times that it's not good not to be too detailed about everything. But he wouldn't listen. ”

Shang Cheng had a smile on his face, but he was a little sad in his heart. He had seen the boss of the Ran family, although he was not impressed, but he was by no means the kind of stingy person that Ran Linde said. He also knew that Ran Linde's situation in the past two years was very ordinary, but he never thought that the Ran family would be so down. A pack of Ren Dan is only a few pennies, but it is a pack of Ren Dan for these few pennies, and the boss of the Ran family is reluctant to use it casually...... He followed Ran Linde's words and said: "Meticulousness should be. To run a family, of course, you have to be shrewd and meticulous! If everything is careless, no matter how big the family business is, it can't withstand the toss. But no matter what, you still have to watch your body! After all, the body is, it is the ...... Well, it's the body that matters. ”

Ran Linde understood that Shang Cheng had already seen his current embarrassing situation, and at the same time implicitly reminded himself not to be discouraged. But it was impossible for him not to be discouraged. He won't mention the ups and downs of the past few years, only the experiences of the last few years. In the 19th year of the Eastern Era, his Left Route Army was the first to be defeated by the Tuqi people, which finally led to the defeat of the entire battle. After the incident, the imperial court pursued responsibility, and Li Wei, the former governor of Yanshan and the commander of the Left Route Army, was naturally guilty of the crime, and he took the title and went to the official position and traveled thousands of miles; There are also a large number of other generals who are also implicated, and there are not a few who ask for guilt and who are demoted, and there are not a few who have been stripped of their military posts. Although he was only a senator of the Left Route Army during the Northern Expedition, except for browsing a few documents with heavy food and grass, he couldn't manage other big things, but he couldn't run away. Fortunately, after the defeat of the Left Route Army Alegu, he escorted the princess of Changsha all the way to Mogan, which was a bit of a small credit, and was opened by the imperial court, so he retained the title of guerrilla general. But the good times were short-lived; At the end of the previous year, several officers of the Left Route Army who had been captured during the defeat fled to Dingjin, and some old things at that time were revealed. Just because two or three of them said that it seemed that "at that time, there was a general surnamed Ran who nodded and agreed to move the army to the camp and divide the troops", so Ran Linde fell into bad luck. Regardless of whether it is a real position or a fictitious position, anyway, the position in the army is not to think about it, and then he was "invited" into Xiyue Temple by the Ministry of War; Waiting for half a year to come out of the Xiyue Temple is already a complete white ding. Compared with those who did not have a chance to come out after entering the Xiyue Temple, he was undoubtedly lucky; But he was also unlucky. Two big falls in a row in ten years not only polished his edges and corners, but also polished his ambition! Since then, he no longer wants to increase the mountains and seal the wolf Juxu, nor does he think about wearing a golden-winged helmet to hang the general's sword, he just wants to live the rest of his life plainly. So he didn't run around like others at all in order to get back on his feet, just guarding that little family business to live. Of course, he doesn't have the money to run now. He was imprisoned twice, and he was able to live twice, how can he say clearly that "he is innocent and innocent, and the court is also discerning"? However, this slang sentence "The yamen is open to the south, and there is no money to come in"; In order to rescue him, the family sold almost everything that could be sold, and begged grandpa to sue grandma to entrust someone to take care of him. When he returned home after he was released from prison, he found that his family had almost no valuable items except for dozens of acres of dry land that could not be sold at a price. With all that, how could he not be discouraged?

He sighed and said to Shang Cheng, "I'll tell you the truth, I'm almost at the end of my rope now. When I came to see you today, I actually wanted to ask you for something. ”

Shang Cheng drooped his eyelids and said in a somewhat reproachful tone: "Between you and me, do you still need to say such things? If it weren't for you and Chen Zhuguo that time, I would have died on the grassland a long time ago. Now I'm afraid even the bones have turned to dirt! ”

The words of his comrades-in-arms let a warm current flow in Ran Linde's chest. He glanced at Shang Cheng with some emotion, and said with a sigh of relief, "Didn't you save me too?" Speaking of which, if it weren't for you, I really wouldn't even have a chance to return to my roots! ”

Shang Cheng shook his hand and said, "Don't mention any of this." Chen sesame rotten grain is going around in circles, and there is no end to pulling it. Let's get down to business. After the business is done, let's talk about idle things one by oneAnyway, we are both idle and itchy people, and there is time! However, I'll start with the unpleasant words. If you want to get revenge, I can't give you an answer right away. The nineteen-year Northern Expedition suffered a defeat, and the reason for it cannot be explained in one or two sentences, and the responsibility cannot be thoroughly investigated. At this point, he stopped talking and raised his head to stare deeply at Ran Linde. The reasons for the failure of the Northern Expedition in the nineteenth year are too complicated, and the implication is also very wide, if you seriously investigate it, I don't know how many people will suffer, at least half of the Shangzhu State in Beijing is inextricably linked, Yang Du in Beijing, Tang Xing, who is about to resign and return to Lili, and Xiao Jian, who is fighting with the Nanzhao people in Jiazhou, and even including the Dongyuan Emperor, they are all responsible for relying on these people, who dares to investigate thoroughly, and how to investigate thoroughly?

After a pause, he continued: "Now that the imperial court does not want to review the nineteen-year Northern Expedition, all the documents and archives have been sealed and stored, and if you want to take you out of it, you have to give me some time." I, the Shangzhu country, is actually just a decoration, and if I really want to do something, I have to ask someone else to ......"

Shang Cheng's words were very sincere, and his difficulties were also clearly placed, which was the real attitude to help; Ran Linde is a person who has been tortured by ups and downs, so he naturally sees it very clearly. He slurred and said, "What, I, I don't really care about the ...... that can't be recovered."

It's better to do it than to recover! Shang Cheng immediately said: "What do you want to do, but you don't have enough money at hand?" How much money you need, just say it, and I'll prepare it for you right away! ”

Ran Linde was so moved that his eyes were a little red. He originally planned to borrow the money from his in-laws, but from his daughter, he heard that his in-laws were also worried because he wanted to buy land but had no money, so he hit Shang Cheng with the idea. In order to borrow money in front of Shang Cheng, he began to beat the draft in his stomach several days ago, repeatedly thinking about how to speak so as not to teach Shang Cheng to refuse. Who knew that he was turning around in circles without even opening his mouth, and Shang Chengcheng helped him say what he wanted to say the most and was the most difficult to say......

"You're going to buy land, right?" Shang Cheng said. He lowered his head and didn't look at Ran Linde, so as not to embarrass Ran Linde, and dipped his finger in the tea soup and sketched on several cases. "Now the price of land is cheap, and it is cost-effective to buy it. About 60 acres of land, how much are you going to buy? In this way, you can take 20,000 yuan first, and I will help you prepare it if it is not enough. ”

"Not so much! Seven thousand is enough! Ran Linde hurriedly said. He just wants to buy back the land that his family sold earlier to save him, where can he use 20,000 yuan? These were the things that his grandparents had left him, and he didn't want them to be thrown away in his own hands; As long as he can buy his own land back, so that when he lies down in the tomb, he can explain to his ancestors, right?

"Then ten thousand, let's round it up one by one."

"Too much, too much!" Ran Linde rubbed his hands and said, "Zida, you know the current situation outside, the grain can't be sold at all, and there is no money to be found in the field. I borrowed the money, and I don't know when it will be repaid. In case there's a ...... on your side that doesn't make a hand."

"I'm not short of money to spend, so you don't have to worry about that. You can take the money with peace of mind; If you have money, you will pay it back, and if you don't have money, you will owe it first. ”

"I may not be able to pay this money for a while......"

"Don't mention that." Shang Cheng waved his hand, changed the subject and said, "It's rare for you to come back, but you can't go back right away." I'll let you send the money home first, and your people will have to stay. He raised his face and thought about it, and then said, "Even if my Zhuangzi is too small, it is not interesting!" So, let's go to the Yellow Lantern Temple together? 'Yellow Lantern Moon Appreciation' is one of the eight scenic spots in Beijing, and the day after tomorrow is mid-autumn, and it is the right time to enjoy the moon. ”

Ran Linde had a heart, and suddenly felt relaxed, listening to Shang Cheng talk about admiring the moon in mid-autumn, he also had a long-term travel thought, and thought about it: "There is a platform on the top of Pingshan in Xuzhou, and it is best to go there to admire ......the moon."

Shang Cheng said in frustration: "I also know Pingshan. But I am Shangjuguo, and if I want to leave Gyeonggi, I must inform the Prime Minister's Office three days in advance, and I must also make a report to the Ministry of War. Where is the time now? ”

Ran Linde raised his head and smiled, and said jokingly: "I also want to report to the Ministry of War to inform the Prime Minister of Everything, but I don't have a chance." ”

Shang Cheng was about to say something, but suddenly a guard told him that the military department had sent someone to look for him in the village.

Ran Linde immediately stood up and said that he was a little tired and wanted to go and rest for a while.

"Okay, I won't accompany you. When I'm done with what I'm doing, I'll go back and drink with you at noon. Shang Cheng didn't say much, "The matter of going to the Yellow Lantern Temple is decided, and we will leave tomorrow." ”

"Okay, it's decided."

The people from the military department told Shang Cheng that the Jiazhou camp had just passed back an urgent military situation, saying that Tubo had increased tens of thousands of troops to eastern Tibet, and now it was approaching Qiongyali and other places; The Ministry of War asked Shang Cheng to immediately return to the city to attend the meeting to discuss this new change in the situation.

Shang Cheng immediately asked people to prepare horses; At the same time, he asked people to inform Ran Linde that the matter of admiring the moon in mid-autumn could only be reluctantly stopped.

Half an hour later, when he rushed all the way to the gate of the imperial city, another official from the military department came to tell him that the meeting had been canceled. Just as he was riding a horse, the military department received another military intelligence report from the Jiazhou camp: The news of the tens of thousands of troops in Tibet has been confirmed to be a false alarm, and the so-called increase in troops is actually just the normal movement and change of guard of the Tubo people.

This news made Shang Cheng spit hatefully!

Camp your mother's Jiazhou!

Then he had no choice but to ride back again......