Xiji Town, Yuan Family School.

Gui Wu took a volume of Shiwen and came out of the Yuan Family Academy. His classmates are all teenage elementary school students, and he is not very old, and he is already in the age of the crown, which is inevitably abrupt, which attracts the attention of many people.

Gui Wu was calm and didn't take it to heart. has been a child son-in-law for more than ten years, and the Jiang family and his wife are kind to him, but he has endured all kinds of contempt in the eyes of outsiders.

If a narrow-minded person falls into the middle of the family, his circumstances have changed greatly, and he is despised by all kinds of contempt, he can't help but be cynical, and he can't say that he will complain about the family dragging him down, and even turn back to complain about the Jiang family.

Jiang Wu is open-minded and does not take these things to heart.

Since returning to Xiji Town, Gui Wu has started to study again, except for the teacher and a few friends, everyone else has taken it as a joke, including the three brothers-in-law of the Jiang family, and they have said ugly things. If Gui Wu keeps it in mind, then there will only be self-pity and self-pity, and there will be no need to study at all.

Mei Xiucai stood not far from the school hall, wandering left and right, already waiting impatiently, and when he saw Gui Wuyi coming out, he immediately greeted him.

Compared with a few days ago, Mei Xiucai's face was even more ugly, thin and sallow, with more wrinkles on his shirt, and his hair exuded a sour smell.

Gui Wu has been running a teahouse for more than ten years, and he has developed a good habit of loving cleanliness early, and his sense of smell is more sensitive than ordinary people.

"Old Five, you finally came out, I'm looking for you something!" Mei Xiucai stepped forward, almost hooking her shoulders and back, and there was no longer the shelf she was holding before, and her tone was warm.

Gui Wu turned sideways slightly and said, "Mei Xianggong wants to repay the money in advance?" ”

The repayment time mentioned on the previous IOU of the two was half a month, and there were still a few days before now.

Mei Xiucai swallowed a mouthful of spit and said, "Put that aside first, I want to move some more money." Rest assured, it's still the old rules, the title deed pledge! ”

Gui Wu frowned and looked at Mei Xiucai, and said, "What did Mei Xiucai do?" Two hundred taels of silver is not enough, and you have to scrape together another money? Even if you borrow it again, I don't dare to collect the title deed, how many acres of land are there in the Mei family, and what if there is a pledge? ”

Mei Xiucai immediately became anxious and said, "It's just a few days of misappropriation, where is the what?" Old five, help people to the end, you can't pick a child halfway! ”

This is the way to go up the pole and find death.

Gui Wu hesitated for a while, and said, "It's not impossible to help you, but this time you can't just talk about the pledge, you have to add one." When the time comes, if you regret it and refuse to pledge the land, you will be compensated twice; If you sell land, you will follow the current price. ”

Although there are people in the county government, with the title deed in their hands, it is not difficult to transfer the ownership, but it is also necessary to prevent the Mei family from biting back. For this, the interest agreed on the IOU is extremely low, which is why Mei Xiucai came to Gui Wu again, instead of continuing to borrow money from the casino owner, Bai Boss.

Mei Xiucai waited for the money, so naturally she relied on all conditions.

When she arrived at Gui's house, Mei Xiu immediately urged the pen and paper.

After Gui Wu took the pen and paper, Mei Xiucai immediately wrote an IOU.

Because it was a pledge of 30 acres of Zhongtian before, I borrowed 200 taels; This time, Mei Xiucai was afraid of delaying time, so she directly wrote one hundred and fifty taels and pledged it with a status of twenty-five acres.

Gui Wu saw that everything that should have been written on the IOU, so he took out the silver.

Mei Xiucai snatched it up, put it in her arms, and hurried away.

Gui Wu stood at the door of Gui's house, looked at Mei Xiucai's back, sneered, and turned around and entered the second courtyard.

The Jiang family helped the little maid out, and when Gui Wu saw this, he hurriedly greeted him, and said, "Didn't you send someone to tell you just now, let you eat first, what are you doing when you are hungry?" ”

"Where's the end of this effort?" Jiang said with a smile, and the husband and wife returned to the hall for dinner.

After lunch and the chopsticks were removed, Jiang said: "The fifth child is in a good mood, but what happy event has he encountered?" ”

"Mei Lao Er sent another land deed!" Du Wu said with a smile.

Last time, Gui Wu told his wife, so after saying it simply, Jiang also understood, shook his head and said: "So you can do anything, but you can't get a gambling word." ”

As for her husband's calculation of the Mei family's fields, the Jiang family hesitated and persuaded: "Since the Mei family has a seed for reading, is it okay to offend people like this?" Otherwise, forget it, and provoke the next enemy in the future. ”

Gui Wu said calmly: "If Mei Sheng holds a grudge, the Gui family is the enemy who kills his father and the sky, what is this normal land transaction." If he didn't hold grudges, he would be even better. ”

When Jiang saw that her husband had an idea, she stopped dwelling on it.

Gui Wu looked at the hourglass and looked out the window.

A quick knock on the door sounded, Gui Wu stood up and said to his wife, "This time it's time to do it!" ”

*

Mujia Village, Village School.

Looking at Du Qi's empty seat, Mei Tongsheng stood in front, snorted coldly, and began to talk about today's homework.

In the last row, Mei Xiaoba and Yang Wu were both a little distracted, and Gui Chongyang also looked at Du Qi's empty seat fixedly for a while before looking away.

Mei Xiaoba and Yang Wu are reluctant to Du Qi, the friendship of the young man comes quickly, everyone gets along well these days, even if they were angry with Du Qi before, they were only angry, and they didn't really mean to break off relations with him.

No, Du Qi won't come.

Gui Chongyang thought of another weight, Du Lizheng did not stop his son from interacting with him before, but this time he had the intention of isolation, it seems that he held back his big move, so he didn't let Du Qi follow him again.

When class ended, Mei Xiaoba and Yang Wu came over and waited for Gui Chongyang to come up with an idea.

"Brother Chongyang, is Du Qi angry?" Mei Xiaoba asked with regret.

Yang Wu said: "It should be that his father didn't let him come, what should I do?" Then he won't have any books to read in the future? ”

In Yang Wu's eyes, reading is not easy to come by, and he doesn't want Du Qi to really drop out of school.

Gui Chongyang thought for a while and said, "Du Qi was attached to the county school before, and most of them are going to study in the town again. ”

Yang Wu breathed a sigh of relief, and Mei Xiaoba couldn't help but be annoyed: "I shouldn't have said that about Du Qi, he didn't know anything, he was blinded by what I said." ”

It's just that there is no regret medicine in the world, and no one can tell the fate between people. Maybe the fate of Du Qi and their three classmates is just these days.

Gui Chongyang remained silent, but in his heart he was thinking about Gui Wu and Gui Qiu in the town.

The Mei family's land has not been obtained, and it is not easy to poke out Mei Xiucai's affairs; What everyone can do now is to collect the autumn tax.

Once a son of heaven and a courtier, this is true for a country, and it has not been true for a place.

The Son of Heaven moved the capital, Beijing became a direct li, and the shortage of Tongzhou became a popular shortage. Zhizhou replaced, Zhixian replaced, Tongzhou officials have changed from top to bottom in the past two years.

There are more than a dozen grain chiefs in a county, and the grain chiefs are the ones who are right.

In a village, most of them are responsible for large food households or people with high moral integrity, and they are not easily replaced; But the grain chief here, but it is not the same all the time, it mostly depends on the relationship with the county.

Because of this, the grain chief of Xiji Town has recently changed. It was because the old grain chief was promoted by the previous county magistrate, and he was dismissed as the grain chief because he was respectful and respectful to the new county.

The new grain chief came to power, and in order to be obedient to his subordinates, he had to "kill chickens and monkeys".

Those who are from big families with old surnames are not easy to touch and can't touch, and outsiders and single-family families like Du Lizheng are easy to start.

Du Li is familiar with the set of "killing chickens and monkeys", but he doesn't know how he will feel after he becomes a "chicken".

*

Du's house, east wing.

Li Shi looked at the food that did not move at all, and couldn't help but feel distressed, and said: "I ate two bites in the morning food, and I specially made your favorite Sixi balls at noon, why don't you move the chopsticks?" ”

Du Qi said weakly: "Mother, my son is not hungry and doesn't want to eat." ”

Li shook his head and said, "Where are you not hungry?" Are you tossing yourself, or are you tossing your parents? ”

Du Qi looked out the window and said pitifully: "But my son wants to go to school." Everyone else goes to school, but my son stays at home. ”

Li Shi hurriedly said: "Just take these two days, the master went to the town, just to find someone for you to go to school." The lord has always loved you, you can't hurt the lord's heart for outsiders. ”

Du Qi looked at Li, pulled her to sit down opposite him, and said, "Mother, this is not right, it is not right!" ”

"Huh? What's wrong? Li was confused.

Du Qi hesitated for a moment and said, "This is not right for the Gui family!" ”

Li's face immediately changed, he stood up with "Teng", gritted his teeth and said, "What kind of ecstasy did that kid from the Gui family pour into you, so that you pointed at your mother and said no?" ”

Du Qi hurriedly pulled Li Shi and pleaded: "Don't worry, mother, my son is uncomfortable, just listen to what my son says." ”

Li Shi hurt his son in the end, and he was annoyed in his heart, but he still suppressed his anger and said: "Okay, you say, I want to listen, what are you uncomfortable with?" ”

Du Qi cheered himself up in his heart and said, "Mother, do you know that the Gui family's room is on the list of 'tax arrears'?" ”

This matter was spread in the village, and Mrs. Li also made a special trip to Du's house, asking Li to blow the pillow wind to Du Lizheng, and to take the opportunity to clean up the Gui family. This is still remembering the last time I lost the tree, so I can't wait to see the Gui family's bad luck.

Li nodded impatiently and said, "So his kid is unreliable!" What's the use of looking a little clever, who can be blamed for being careless. ”

Du Qi frowned and said, "Mother, that's the Gui family, not someone else's!" It's for the sake of my father's reputation, and my mother should also persuade my father to stop targeting the Gui family, what do you say outside? There really is no such reason. Dad cares so much about his mother, he will definitely be able to listen to his mother's persuasion! ”

Li Shi lowered his face and said, "But who chewed your tongue in your ear?" ”

Du Qi shook his head and said: "Mother, justice is in the hearts of the people, don't say anything else, just rely on the origin of the Gui and Li families, my mother should not watch my father target the Gui family." ”

With the rise of Gui Wu's days, "Xigui" is not taboo in Mujia Village, and everyone talks about the past of the Gui family, which is much fairer, and Du Qi also listens to it.

The Li family's orphans and widows were able to survive back then, all thanks to the righteous care of the Gui family. Although the white-eyed wolf face of the Li family was too ugly and criticized later, in Du Qi's eyes, his mother was different from his grandmother and uncle.

Even if the Li family doesn't remember the care of the Gui family's elders for the Li family back then, they should also think of the deceased's affection, and they shouldn't watch their husbands target the Gui family.

Seeing his son's tense little face, Li only felt that his heart was blocked, and he was speechless for a while.

What Du Qi said was really from the heart, and he really felt that in terms of his attitude towards the Gui family, his father and mother were not normal. It's okay for the father, maybe the ex-husband of the taboo wife can't think of it, but the mother should be persuaded and appeased here.

Du Qi read the book of Confucius and Mencius for five years, and remembered in his heart that it was also a set of "benevolence, righteousness and morality".

Seeing that his father and mother didn't seem to be "benevolent and righteous", Du Qi couldn't help but speak.

However, exhortation is admonishment, Du Qi is still a good and filial child, seeing that Li is silent, he can't help but worry: "Mother, are you angry?" My son can't speak, don't be angry! ”

Li shook his head and said, "Mother is not angry, you can rest assured, Mother will not bring your reputation to you." ”

Du Qi hurriedly waved his hand and said: "My son doesn't mean this, and my son doesn't care what others say, he just doesn't want his father and mother to be talked about." ”

Li pulled the corners of his mouth, smiled lightly, did not persuade his son to eat again, and continued to eat.

The son has a pure temperament, but he is too pure, he doesn't know the pain at all, and if he doesn't want to eat, he won't eat, and he won't have the heart to be blind when he is hungry for two meals.

Du Qi didn't eat two meals, he was hungry in his stomach, stretched his neck and stared at his mother who took the dinner plate out, swallowed a mouthful of spit, and wanted to open his mouth to leave the food, but he was embarrassed for a while, so he could only make a bitter face, touch his stomach and sigh heavily.