The Li family's house in Yibin was bought by Li Qili against public opinion back then. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 At that time, the Li family only had a few old salt wells opened by the former Yuan, and it was already very difficult to bear the urging of the salt department, and Li Qi was still thinking about opening new wells. Now the older old man still remembers that Li Qijing took the silver by himself, and took Li Sanzhong, who was still a young man at the time, to Yibin with him.

But it turned out that Li Qi's decision was correct. Soon, the Li family's new well was a great success, and the salt brine produced accounted for more than 60% of Fushun's output that year, and the Li family became the leader of Fushun's salt merchants. At that time, the Hu family, the largest salt merchant in Fushun, made friends with the Fuyi Salt Division Division and plotted to rob the Li family's salt well. At the critical moment, Li Qi seized the opportunity to use the silver up and down in the Yamen of Yibin Salt Road, and for a time the Li family house in Yibin sang songs every night, and finally turned the situation around and drove the Hu family out of Fushun, and the Fuyi Salt Division Division at that time was also imprisoned.

This house, which is only a quarter of an hour away from the Yandao Yamen, is a typical Sichuan dwelling. The roof is covered with small green tiles, which is ventilated and breathable; Entering from the door, bypassing the shadow wall, the foyer, the sedan hall, the hall on the central axis, the hall house, are not chaotic, there is a patio in each courtyard, the floor is paved with stone slabs, and there are drainage ditches on the four sides, which can drain rainwater without waterlogging; The spacious hall is separated by an ice crack partition sash before and after, and is called "Mandarin Duck Hall". Where the bucket arches, doors and windows, lattice fans, hanging down are engraved with all kinds of auspicious patterns, the courtyard is planted to repair bamboo and old plum, the fashion is elegant.

"Zhong Guan'er, the guards are all settled." He Tai saw that someone was talking to Li Yongzhong, looking strange, most of them were the subordinates of the Li family guarding the house in Yibin. Immediately put away the foot he was about to take, stood outside the hall and respectfully reported. He is a cautious character, and he will never show half of his friendship with Li Yongzhong in front of outsiders.

Hearing Ho Tai's voice, the two people who were speaking in the hall raised their heads. Li Yongzhong bowed slightly, signaling that he had heard; The other man didn't say much, his face was still deferential, and he stood aside with his hands down.

He Tai said in an orderly manner: "The guards have been placed in the wings, and because there are many people and few rooms, three or four people live together," he nodded to the people beside Li Yongzhong, and continued: "Thanks to the steward's orders, everything is ready. ”

After listening to He Tai's detailed report, Li Yongzhong's face was a little slack, and he said to him: "You are also a tired person, don't stand here to behave, go back and rest, there will be more things tomorrow." After He Tai bowed and retreated, he turned his face and said to the respectful middle-aged man in front of him: "Uncle Cheng, you have been taking care of the house all these years. ”

Li Cheng, that is, Uncle Cheng, did not change his expression, and even replied with a bit of calmness: "Where does the protagonist say, since the villain is responsible, he has to do things well." This is a matter of duty, and it should not be praised by the master. ”

"The ...... of the master" Li Yongzhong chewed these three words in his mouth, tasting something different from others, but it was rare to understand it in his eagerness. He simply didn't want to, picked up the saucer and the tea bowl, took a sip, raised his eyebrows, glanced at Li Cheng with some complicated looks, and explored: "Uncle Cheng's tea, it's nostalgic." ”

Li Cheng bowed and saluted, straightened his waist and replied with a glance: "When the old lady brought the protagonist to Yibin, the villain served tea to the two young masters, but the protagonist drank the tea cleanly, and I think I liked it very much." This time the protagonist came rarely, and it happened that there were some at home, so the villain dared to order the kitchen to make tea. ”

Putting the tea bowl back on the table, Li Yongzhong said leisurely: "At that time, I was just a concubine who was not liked by my father, and it was hard to remember that I was washed after so many years." ”

"Don't dare. It's just that villains are born with a good memory. Li Chengping said flatly, "If the owner has no other instructions, the small one will go down, the backyard house is locked on weekdays, and it was cleaned out a few days ago for the owner to come to Yibin, the time is too tight, it is inevitable to be negligent, and the villain wants to go and see it again." ”

Li Yongzhong smiled slightly, he didn't expect that the first meeting after many years would make this chief steward who had been stationed in the field for many years return to his heart. But he still likes Li Cheng's style, this is a down-to-earth and low-key person who can do things. No wonder Li Qi relieved him to be in charge of the big stall in Yibin alone.

"Uncle Cheng is so polite. You are an old man in the hands of your father, and if you talk about doing things, you should be my senior. I'm just a junior, and I still have a lot to learn. He said it modestly and humorously, even Li Cheng's flat expressionless face, and a smile flashed in his eyes.

After Li Cheng retreated, Li Yongzhong sat for a while, then got up and went to He Tai's house. He was completely unfamiliar with these people who stayed in Yibin, and he was embarrassed to deal with them.

Ho Tai is changing his coat and wants to walk around the house again. He didn't trust the Li family on Yibin's side. Like Li Yongzhong, he has no contact with these people at all. In the past, he traveled salt to Yibin, either did not stay, or lived in an inn with acquaintances, and almost never went to the Li family's base camp in Yibin.

"Atai."

Li Yongzhong pushed the door and walked in slowly, and saw He Tai changed into a clean rat gray straight jacket, with a variegated silk auspicious cloud knot at the waist, no hat, only a silk handkerchief wrapped in a bun, which was very different from the usual neat short coat caftan brown heroic dress, showing a bit of politeness, and couldn't help but smile, "It's rare to see you dressed like this." ”

He Tai looked down at himself, and said with a smile: "No wonder it's itchy all around." But he had no intention of changing his clothes again. After inviting Li Yongzhong to sit down and serve tea, He Tai shook his back, sat down opposite him, and said seriously: "Originally, I was going to look for Zhong Guan'er, but Zhong Guan'er came over first." ”

"Nothing to do left or right." Li Yongzhong only replied with four words.

But Li Yongzhong heard endless meanings from these four words. Tentatively asked, "This steward here is very different from the one at home." He Tai tried to find the right words to describe it: "Compared with him, Li Sanzhong is less calm. ”

"Haha." Li Yongzhong laughed twice, drank the tea in one gulp, and had the idea of talking about the past with his brother. He said slowly, "What do you know? Li Cheng is the youngest brother of Li Sanzhong's father and his uncle, and he is not far from his age. At the age of seven or eight, he ran errands for the old man, and when he bought this house, he was sent by the old man to work here as an errand. I thought it was the old man's eyes, but now that I think about it, I want to be left. ”

At this point he stopped talking and didn't go deeper. He Tai was obedient, didn't ask a word, changed the topic, and said a few more words such as how the house was and how the guards were placed, and then cut to the chase. The young leader of the guards calmed down and said after deliberation: "Next, how did Zhong Guan'er arrange it?" ”

Li Yongzhong groaned slightly, and said: "I think, go to the Yandao Yamen tomorrow, I remember that the current person surnamed Yang, the old man had a good relationship with him when he was alive, and the old man's white affair, he also sent someone to mourn, which is not bad." It's just that now after all, it's different from the past, and we really have to see how it is. ”

He Tai also felt the same way, he nodded and said, "Zhong Guan'er is very right. And said: "Then, Shunanwei, Zhong Guan'er plans to ......."

That's when it comes to what Li Yongzhong can't get accurate. The expression on his face flickered, but He Tai looked closely, and it was calm again. Li Yongzhong refilled a cup of tea for himself, rubbed it lightly on the corner of his forehead, and it seemed that he had been worried about this matter for some time. "It must be visited. It's just that I don't know anything about that character hobby, you and I just want to give gifts, and I'm afraid it's not easy to give. He sighed: "Besides, people are people who take tea and cool down." After all, the old man is gone, and sooner or later I will have a dispute with my eldest brother, and in the past few years, the Li family is afraid that it will not be peaceful. ”

Since dividing the family property in the ancestral hall into two, Li Yongbo suddenly became low-key. He took matters into his own hands again, beckoned the plasterer to reopen the door, sealed the passageway, closed the door and made a world of his own, and lived his own little life. On weekdays, when I meet people on Li Yongzhong's side, it doesn't matter whether they are subordinates or stewards, the account room is still a guard, although I can't help but look at people from the top of my head, but it is much better than the yin and yang weirdness of the past. But Li Yongzhong knows his good brother very well, and he will never believe that Li Yongbo will give up, not to mention that his good uncle behind Li Yongbo is difficult to fill, and if he doesn't knock the Li family out of the marrow, I'm afraid he won't be able to take it.

"In the past few days, Zhong Guan'er has to be busy with the affairs of the Yandao Yamen, so he will send a post to apologize to the government over there, which also makes sense. What's more, this time is different, and it is not appropriate to come to the door after all. He Tai made an idea, he suddenly had a flash of inspiration, and said tentatively: "I have a thought, but I don't know if it's appropriate." ”

Li Yongzhong glanced at him, and scolded angrily: "Now there are no outsiders, which one do you get?" Hurry up and say. ”

He Tai smiled, quite shy, he and Li Yongzhong have different feelings, although he is getting older now, his personality is becoming more stable and cautious, but it does not prevent him from laughing with Zhong Guan'er when there are no outsiders. However, He Tai has always been a measured person, and he received it when he clicked, and when he saw Li Yongzhong asking him, he replied with a straight face: "I want this idea, but I want Zhong Guan'er to take the claim himself-In this matter, this Li Guan of Beppu may be useful." ”

"Li Cheng?" Li Yongzhong pondered for a moment, knocked on the table with his fingers, his eyes flashed, thinking of the seemingly respectful but alienated steward, and a meaningful smile gradually appeared on his face.

"It's kind of funny when you think about it."