Su Zhen said with a smile: "If the displaced people rise, we and other small people will only have the share of being slaughtered, and at that time, we will have to rely on the Ya to say a few beautiful words to General Yu and Xue Mingfu, leaving a way back for the Su family." ”

Li Mao said: "Relying on the mountains and mountains, relying on the flow of water, relying on others as if relying on themselves, I just arrived in Chengwu County and heard that the old gentleman donated money in the township to help schools, repair bridges and roads, care for orphans and widows, preside over justice, and won a great reputation." On the way to Su Nu Township this time, I heard that a few days ago, the old gentleman took out 300 stones of grain to set up a porridge shed to help the victims. The younger generation is thinking, people's hearts are flesh and blood, after receiving such a favor from the old man, how can the people in the hometown endure the infringement, if the outcasts dare to be unfavorable to the old man, the neighbors will definitely rise up to protect them, why be afraid? ”

Su Zhen did set up a porridge shed in the city a few days ago to help the victims, but it was not 300 stone of grain, but 13 stones, and the purpose was not only to gain a good name, but mainly because there were too many victims in Su Nu Township, and he wanted to take the opportunity of giving porridge in the county town to blow these homeless people away. Hearing Li Mao say this, Su Zhen said repeatedly: "Ashamed, ashamed, in the year of the catastrophe, Su still has a few stones of surplus grain in his family, how dare he enjoy it alone, his meager strength is not enough to worry about it." Li Mao said: "Why should the old gentleman be too modest, I also heard the good name of the gentleman in Gushan Town, this time there is a shortage of food in the army, and the generals who presided over the construction are so anxious that the ants on the hot pot are like ants, and specially instructed me to come to visit the old gentleman when I come to Su Nu Township, and ask me to buy tens of thousands of stone grain to tide over the famine." ”

Su Zhen was stunned, and waved his hand again and again: "The Ya said that it was funny, Su couldn't get tens of thousands of stones of grain after all his family funds." However, if there is a shortage of food in the army, Su Zhen can't bear to sit idly by, so let's make it together with my brother and a few fellow villagers and friends, and take out a thousand stones of food to help the army. The price is based on the parity of grain. Li Mao muttered: "One thousand stones for one family, and five or six thousand stones for several families!" Although 5,000 stone grain is not much, it also shows sincerity. On behalf of the general and General Yin, I would like to thank the old gentleman for his kindness. In the future, when you can use Gushan Town, please do not hesitate to ask. ”

Li Mao deliberately pretended to be confused and misunderstood Su Zhen's words that his brothers, relatives and friends would give a thousand stones of grain together as a family with a thousand stones, and he gave a big gift, so that Su Zhen could not say anything in his mouth, and he was dumb and ate Coptis chinensis, and he said that he was suffering. However, Su Zhen is a battle-hardened old man, and his face instantly turned cloudy to sunny: Li Mao only bought grain, not asking for his own things for nothing, but also gave himself a promise. Sure enough, when the situation is out of control, I believe that Gushan Town can still reach out and pull itself.

After figuring out this section, Su Zhen gritted his teeth and swallowed this secretly.

Li Mao saw Su Zhen's expression, so he said comfortingly: "This time I came from the county, Xue Mingfu is worried about the increasing number of displaced people in the city, praising the old gentleman's righteous act of giving porridge in the city a few days ago, and is thinking about playing the court to ask for merit for the old man. Su Zhen's eyes lit up when he heard this, but he hurriedly said: "Meager strength, why worry about it." Li Mao said: "If you want to get, you want to get, in the year of the catastrophe, you will give 300 stones of porridge at a time, which is worth writing about." This time, he poured all his family wealth to help the army, and his merits were immeasurable. When he returned to the city, he asked the two generals Yu and Yin to ask for the old gentleman to be awarded a medal. ”

Su Zhen laughed and said: "It's just a pile of trading, public buying and selling, and both sides are profitable, if you ask for a seal again, Su Zhen will not become a deceitful and famous thief, and you can't do it." Although he lived in seclusion in his hometown, his eyes and ears were not closed, and he saw the delicate relationship between the Qing Navy and Yunzhou very thoroughly, selling grain to the Qing Navy was one thing, and it was another thing to be involved with the Qing Navy, and he didn't want to cause trouble, so he hurriedly cleared it up.

The major event was agreed, Su Zhen ordered people to prepare a banquet, and on the other hand, he sent the family boy to invite his brother Su Dong and several big families in his hometown. Su Dong was not away, and the eldest son Su Yue came over to agree, and several squires with heads and faces rushed to meet when they heard about it. At Su Zhen's suggestion, the families gathered together enough 5,000 stone of grain for Gushan Town.

Although the squires were in pain, they did not care about the protection of the garrison in the event of the catastrophe. Su Yue was young and vigorous, he couldn't swallow this breath, and proposed to sign a contract with Li Mao with the strength of the wine, Su Zhen scolded him, but secretly acquiesced. Li Mao smiled faintly, took out the blank contract that had been prepared long ago and stamped the seal of Gushan Town, and filled in the name, amount, and delivery time on the spot, in duplicate, with one copy for each party.

Su Yue asked Li Mao to sign and draw a pledge at the place where he signed the payment, Li Mao pointed to the official seal of Gushan Town and the private seal of the official clerk of the grain, and said: "Doesn't this two seals make the owner of Su Shaozhuang feel at ease?" Su Yue sneered and said: "The official has two mouths, who dares to argue with the government, if you are not afraid of 10,000, you are afraid of what if, if the official feels that there is nothing to do, what is it to draw a signature casually?" ”

The words were not rough, Li Mao didn't think much about it, signed the two contracts, pressed his fingerprints, washed his hands, and went to the table to drink.

After the banquet was over, a group of people sent Li Mao to the outside of the village, and the four guards accompanying Li Mao had already prepared horses and were waiting aside. These four people are uneven in height and ordinary in appearance, but they are all generations who have survived a hundred battles, and they are born with a fierce and murderous aura, which makes people look at it.

Under a jujube tree outside the village, a brown-shirted man is preparing a horse, he is about seventeen or eighteen years old, his life is white and pure, Si Swenwen, although thin, but not weak, the waist is straight, and the appearance is dignified. Because he saw the head of the house accompanying the guests out, he hurriedly dodged to the side, and stood with his eyebrows lowered and his hands down.

Li Mao said goodbye to everyone and was about to get on the horse, when he suddenly heard someone shouting at the courtyard gate: "Xiao Gu, is the horse ready?" The brown-shirted family hurriedly responded: "It's ready, three ladies." ”

Hearing the name of "Three Ladies", Li Mao opened his eyes. Su Zhen has two daughters and a son, the eldest daughter Su Rong is married to the state judicial Wang Xun as his wife, the only son Su Jing is in the court to supervise the imperial history, and there is a younger daughter, who is said to be in her early twenties and has not yet married.

What came out of the village was a thin, tall, white and clean young man, wearing a round-necked green shirt, dressed as a scholar, walking with a horsewhip in his hand.

Su Zhen coughed and said dissatisfiedly: "I haven't come to visit Li Zhiya yet." ”

The young man stepped forward generously and said to Li Mao, "Su Qing has seen Li Zhiya. ”

Li Mao raised his hand as a salute, took advantage of the situation to look at Su Qing, and smiled slightly in his heart: "What kind of person should I be, I can't get married in my twenties, and I am not a person with three heads and six arms, green face and fangs, except that I am a little taller and have a more spicy personality, I actually look quite good." "Round up with the crowd, and go away.

Everyone saw Li Mao go away, and they all said goodbye to Su Zhen, and they were gone for a while.

Su Qing asked her father: "Is this the gold catcher in the county?" The pomp and circumstance is not small, four guards. ”

Su Zhen said: "People are the Jinwu Sige of the eighth grade, what's wrong with the guards." ”

Su Qing smiled and said: "The family background is not bad, the one who climbs fast enough, is it Longxi Li or Zhaojun Li?" ”

Su Zhen snorted disappreciably: "What kind of famous and authentic family is he, it is said that he is a layman monk, and his origin is unknown." The villain got the ambition and came to calculate me, first intimidating, coaxing, praising and cheating, oops, I said earlier that this officialdom is a big sauce jar, and if you let an innocent person enter, you will be unrecognizable by the sauce. Su Qing said: "Then he is really blind, and he actually knocked on the head of 'Mr. Nothing'." Su Zhenxuan said: "Go, do you talk to your father like this?" I can't complain that you can't get married at the age of twenty. Su Qing said: "Don't pull it on me, what's the matter, let him get it?" Su Zhen said: "Everyone is here, you have to give people a little face, fortunately, the appetite is not big, 5,000 stones, and then ask for 300 stones to set up a shed for porridge." ”

Su Qing said: "Hey, I can't see that there are two hits." Even if we buy grain, we are not grain merchants, and we don't do the lack of virtue of hoarding. It's just that these 300 stone relief food, tsk, can be pulled out of your mouth, hum. ”

Su Zhen said: "What do you know, exchanging a mere 300 stone of grain for a good reputation of benevolence is very beneficial to your brother's career." Su Qing's face suddenly turned cold, snorted dissatisfiedly, and said, "I'll just say, Su Laocai suddenly became so generous, it turned out to be for his precious son." Since he was thinking about his brother's career, he simply took out 3,000 stones to set up a porridge shed, maybe the lord would be happy with Longyan and let him go at the beginning of the year. Su Zhen shouted: "Nonsense." ”

He glanced at his daughter and asked, "Where is this going?" ”

Su Qing snorted angrily: "Where can I go, the family is enjoying Qingfu, and if you lose your huge family business, go to the city to make a village." Su Zhen saw that his daughter was angry, and comforted: "Dad knows that you are happy, but what can you do, your brother has been in Chang'an for a long time, and your sister is married to a wife, and my father has boiled up this old bone and has not had a few taels of oil." Bear with me. Yes. ”

Su Qing's eyebrows were raised, and he said hatefully: "Forbearance, forbearance, forbearance, forbearance, you can only say this, let me ask you how old Su Yushi's sister is this year." ”

Su Zhen said with a smile: "But at the age of twenty-eight, what are you anxious about?" These two years are the time when your brother exerts his strength, and the advantage of being a royal history is that he will rise quickly, and if he doesn't seize this opportunity to go up, it will be too late to regret it in the future. Su Qing nodded and said, "Okay." He took the horse from Xiao Gu's hand, climbed on the back of the horse with the saddle, and sat down firmly before turning his head to Su Zhen and said: "Twenty-eight years old, that was the year before yesterday, and your daughter is eighteen this year!" The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and he smiled helplessly and bitterly.