Zhang's Mansion is a magnificent mansion, occupying almost half of the street, two people carrying burdens pretending to sell firewood, dangling at the door of the mansion, Shi Suogang shouted twice: "Sell firewood." But a soldier with a gun came out of the doorway, "Get out of the way, scream again, shoot." ”

"Boss, I sell firewood."

", sell somewhere else."

At this time, an old man with a basket came out of the door and said to Shi Suo: "Why are you selling firewood and shouting here, the kitchen stove is in the backyard, go to the back door." ”

"Thank you, uncle." Shi Suo and Duan Laosan picked up the burden, bypassed the street, and ran to the back door of the house, just around the corner, but they almost collided with a sloppy man wearing a broken felt hat and an apron.

"Lao Ding?" Duan Laosan and Shi Suo were both surprised.

Ding Changyou glanced at the two of them, looked around and no one noticed, and said with a smile: "I am now a fireman in the Zhang Mansion." ”

"Great, can you help us introduce us and get in too?" Duan Laosan said.

"I'll try." Ding Changyou turned around and led the two of them to the back door, the back door of the Zhang Mansion is also much wider and taller than the gate of ordinary people's homes, the blue brick gatehouse, the copper nails on the black lacquer door are as big as walnuts, and on the bluestone steps, a person in a black dress and white shirt is standing outside the half-person-high threshold, with a spear on his shoulder, and he looks like a doorman. Ding Changyou opened his mouth and smiled flatteringly at him, "Hehe, this is the firewood I bought on order." The doorman did not speak, but raised his chin and motioned for them to enter.

Walk into the back door, turn left into a side courtyard, see a busy inside, this yard is not big, under the front porch of the house is piled up with dry firewood, cases, vegetable baskets and the like, several high clay stoves, are smoking, it seems that it is specially used for cooking, Ding Changyou explained: "There are several stoves in the house, here is a big stove, mainly for the guards, the family and the people to cook, there are small stoves and special stoves inside, because there are many guests these days, so the stove is temporarily added." The person in charge here is an old family member named Hu Dapang. ”

The two followed Ding Changyou, passed through a small door, and came to a small house with a stone mill, a round fat old man was directing several families to move grain bags, and the family members in the courtyard were all dressed up, dressed in black and white, with a wide cloth belt tied around their waists. Ding Changyou said with a smile: "Master Hu, I met two firewood sellers, you look at this firewood, it's dry and hard, we don't have much firewood, do you want to stay?" ”

"Okay, stay."

"Hu Ye," Ding Changyou nodded after the fat man's ass and said: "Look, these two young men are really good at work, they are honest and capable, they begged me to introduce an errand and eat with a mouthful, didn't you say that people are tight?" I thought, we have to keep your old words in mind......"

Hu Dapang put his hands behind his back and looked at the two of them, both of them pretended to be honest, lowered their heads and did not speak. Hu Dapang nodded, "Okay, stay as a short-term worker, take care of the food, the salary, give two copper dollars first." ”

"Thank you, Master Hu."

Ding Changyou led two people to send two loads of firewood into the firewood shed, and Shi Suo whispered: "Old Ding, you are pretending to be true." ”

"Shhhhh

"Let's go, let's go," a family member outside the door beckoned, "Come with me to move things, you have to work when you come, you can't be lazy." ”

Shi Suo and Duan Laosan were led to search, register, sign and draw the charge first, and then were assigned to move things, load and unload trucks, and clean up, and they were very busy. Do you want a treat? ”

"Hmph, you don't know anything," the family said proudly: "The sixth wife gave birth to a big fat boy, and she is about to drink full moon wine, the lord holds a banquet, sings a big play, and there are many lively things, and when the time comes, the two of you can still watch the play, both earn wages and watch the big play, you two country boys, it's really cheap." ”

"Hey, yes, yes."

Shi Suo was a little disappointed when he heard it, and he made trouble for a long time, but it was Shang Huaiqing who celebrated the full moon for his son.

Carrying the goods for a long time, the activity area is only in the small corner of the backyard, Nuoda Zhang Mansion, most places can not be set foot in, come and go only in the big stove room to work, Duan Laosan is not satisfied, excused himself to go to the toilet, Chong Shi lock made a look, the two quietly passed through a moon gate, and walked to other courtyards.

The courtyards in the mansion are connected to the courtyards, and there are Qingtang tile houses everywhere, and the main rooms are side by side, and I can't count how many houses there are. The two of them turned a small door and faced a small courtyard, and the two of them were probing their brains to go inside, when suddenly there was a shout, "What are you doing?" ”

It was a small independent courtyard, with only three mobs, and there were a few laurel trees planted in the courtyard, which looked a little dark, and a soldier wearing a military uniform and carrying a spear was glaring at them. Duan Laosan hurriedly pretended to be honest, "Hehe, we are new short-term workers, and we can't find our way to the toilet." ”

"Get out."

The two walked out, and Shi Suo's mood became happy, "Old Duan, there are sentinels in this courtyard, I see, there is a doorway inside." ”

"Hmm." Duan Laosan is also very happy, where there are sentinels to guard, there must be important things, this small courtyard is remote and dark, it cannot be the master's bedroom, the biggest possibility is where the important person is held, and this important person, could it be He Yuan? Shi Suo and Duan Laosan's hearts both lit a flame of hope.

4

At night, Duan Laosan and Shi Suo both slept in the firewood shed of Zhang's mansion.

When I slept until midnight, the mansion was quiet, only the sound of beating in the distance, faintly came, two people probed their brains, out of the firewood shed, in the dark night, the courtyard was quiet, the lights outside were all extinguished, only the night wind, blowing up the grass clippings and dust on the ground.

Suddenly, Shi Suo pulled Duan Sanyi, and the two of them lay on the ground together. Ahead, a dark shadow, clinging to the base of the wall, moved forward. At this time, it is already midnight, is it a vigil in the house or a patrol in the nursing home? If you look closely, it doesn't look like it, because the black shadow tiptoes, clinging to the root of the wall, and occasionally looks around, if it was a guard in the mansion, it would definitely not be like this.

Could it be a thief? The two of them were puzzled, and when the black shadow turned through the Moon Gate, Duan Laosan and Shi Suo got up, followed the black shadow, and passed through the Moon Gate. The black shadow, whose movements were very brisk, walked without making a sound, and used the terrain such as the corner of the wall and the flower bed to conceal it, and quickly passed through several courtyards.

In front, there was a sound of footsteps, the black shadow was walking under a low wall, there was no concealment around, the footsteps were getting closer and closer, the stone lock and Duan Laosan behind him hid behind a withered flower, staring ahead, only to see the black shadow turn over, climb up the low wall, the wall is inlaid with glazed tiles, although beautiful, but it is easy to fall off, if the tile is crushed, it will make a sound, but the black shadow is as flexible as a raccoon cat, the body is on the wall, there is no sound, in the blink of an eye, it falls to the side of the wall. (To be continued.) )