It's still very cold in the spring. God seems to understand people's mood, the sky is a little hazy, it is drizzling, outside the gate of Jingzhou City, Mother Li took Liu Ruyan and Su Jinxi to bid farewell to Li Shan and others.

"Xianggong, you have to come back early. The little baby in your belly is waiting for you. Su Jinxi was most reluctant to let Li Shan go, she would give birth in three or four months, she didn't want Li Shan to be by her side at that time. Li Shan gently combed Su Jinxi's windswept hair, and said with a smile: "Don't worry, I'll go this time, and I'll be back in a month, I promise you, I will be by your side when the baby is born, okay?" ”

Su Jinxi was still not at ease, and stretched out her green little finger and hooked: "Pull the hook." Li stupidly scratched her little nose, hooked her little finger and shook it: "Pull the hook, it's a puppy that doesn't count, okay." ”

Li Shan took Ruyan's hand and said, "When I'm not at home, the affairs of the family will fall on you, you have to take care of it more." Just pay attention to your body, if you don't want to take care of business matters, just give them to Yan Zhao. Wait for me to come back with peace of mind. Liu Ruyan tightened the cloak on Li Shan's body and said: "Don't worry about things at home, I am measured, and I can't go wrong." It's you, you don't have anyone to take care of when you go out, but you have to be careful, how can you get sick and injured. You are impulsive and upright, so remember to think twice. ”

"Big brother, it's almost time. It's time to go. "The person who came is Zhang Hong, the current master of the Qinglong Hall of the Heaven and Earth Society, this time he followed Li Shan to Sichuan and Shu, one is to protect his safety, and the other is to start the private salt business. This time, Li Shanxing took Dongyang Dao Chang, Zhang Hong and his twenty brothers with him. As for Hikoaki and Zhuocheng, there are other arrangements.

Li Shan nodded and said, "Okay, it's windy and cold, so you all should go back." I'm leaving. After saying that, he turned over and got on his horse without looking back, and led the team to set off. Su Jinxi looked at Li Shan's back, her eyes gradually turned red, and she fell into Liu Ruyan's arms, and her voice was a little choked: "Sister." Liu Ruyan's eyes were also red, and she hugged Su Jinxi.

"Zhang Hong, where is that group of salt merchants now?" Li Shan had been riding his tall horse for a long time and asked. "Don't worry, you can't get out of the palm of our hands, I've already sent my brothers to follow. But, big brother, what are we doing with those salt merchants? ”

"I want to know where their private salt comes from, and their salt is of good quality and low price. And seeing that they do things secretly, there must be something strange. Listen to me, follow them. Li Shan is confident, he doesn't know what those salt merchants are bored with, but for Li Shan, as long as it is an unsightly thing, it must be a good thing.

Out of Jingzhou, to the direction of Sichuan and Shu, the road is more and more difficult. is the so-called Shu Dao difficult, but there are Li Bai's poems as evidence. In some places, people have to get off their horses.

"Big brother, those salt merchants are resting in front, should we avoid them?" Zhang Hong came over to report. Li Shan patted the dirt on his feet and said, "What to avoid, this place is difficult to travel, and there is only one way to go back and forth." It is possible to avoid their suspicions instead of them. Remember, from now on we are the tea merchants who ship goods into Shu. Let's go and say hello to fellow travelers. ”

After going forward for another 300 meters, when he arrived at a small tea shed on the side of the road, Li Shan saw a group of seven or eight people drinking tea and eating in the tea shed. Li Shan spotted the person with the highest status in this group, walked over and said, "Oh, the road is muddy on a rainy day, and it's very difficult to walk!" How many brothers also went to Shu to do business? So saying, he sat down across from the man.

Although that person was only wearing coarse cloth clothes, Li Shan could obviously feel the respect of other people for him, and wherever Li Shan sat down, the eyes of the people around him were focused on Li Shan, and it seemed that one or two people reached out to the package. Li Shan didn't care, pretending not to see anything and said, "Shopkeeper, give me something to eat, my brothers and I are hungry." What kind of business do you have? ”

The man's face was as usual, he coughed lightly, and only then did the people around him put away his vigilance, and the man arched his hand at Li Shanyi: "We are tea merchants from Jiangnan, in Xia Shen Teng, I don't know what this benevolent brother is called?" ”

Li Shan let out an "oh" in surprise: "Peer, we are also in the tea business." Little brother Li Muchan, a person from Jingzhou, you know, the tea in this Shu is good, the price is more than twice as high as the local tea, but some people buy it, and the supply is still in short supply. Little brother, I looked at the red eyes, gritted my teeth, and said in my heart, let's go to the west to sell some tea. is a fledgling, and I ask Brother Shen for more advice. ”

That Shen Teng looked like he was almost forty years old, and he was almost the same as Li Shan's uncle, but Li Shan called out to the eldest brother. Shen Teng was very easy-going, and said with a smile: "Little brother is so bold, with such a few people, you dare to break into Sichuan and Shu that you will not be familiar with, don't you know, this Shu land is not as good as the north, there are more Miao people here." The people are fierce, and if they are provoked, they will have your good fruit to eat. ”

Li Shan brought twenty of his subordinates, but those people all followed Li Shan, and a group of fifteen had already gone to the front, and Li Shan was surrounded by seven people, including Dongyang Daoist and Zhang Hongcai.

"Little brother, there is no way to do this, there are so many people around him. But it seems that Brother Shen is quite familiar with this side! You have to help the younger brother, and when the time comes, the younger brother will definitely not treat the eldest brother badly. I don't know where my eldest brother is going? Li Shan looked like a silly boy and humbly asked for advice.

Shen Teng squinted his eyes and took two sips of tea, and said with a smile: "This year's market is not very good, let's see while walking." I'm also worried about the supply of goods? What advice do you have for the little brother? ”

Sure enough, it's an old fox, and he doesn't leak a drop of water. Li Shan scratched his head and said, "Brother Shen, aren't you making fun of me?" I don't know anything, this Jingzhou people love to drink Shudi Xiangyu tea, I want to get some good Xiangyu tea back this time. Shen Teng nodded.

"Hey, the guest officer has the wine and food you wanted." Xiao Er served the meal, and the two talked a few more nonsense, and after eating, they went on the road together. "Big brother, I don't want this to be an ordinary salt merchant. These people have their own martial arts, and they don't seem to be thugs or the like. Zhang Hong whispered in Li Shan's ear.

"It's okay, people can't find a few more bodyguards when they're out and about. This mountain is high and the road is far away, and if you encounter a mountain bandit or something, you can protect yourself. Li Shan said half-jokingly.

At this time, Shen Teng's team was also muttering quietly. "My lord, what is the origin of this guy surnamed Li? Do you want to go down and investigate? Shen Teng shook his head and said, "Don't worry about him, this guy seems to be quite interested in us." But it shouldn't be someone over there, maybe it's just a coincidence. You just need to be optimistic about the people under you, let's focus on the task and don't make trouble. ”

"Tell the brothers, don't have too much contact with the people on Shen Teng's side, and don't want to get any information. I'll do everything, and you also told the brothers who were exploring the path in front of you, try not to attract Shen Teng's attention. If anyone startles the snake, I will be the first to cut him. Li Shan told this Zhang Hongdao.

Zhang Hong nodded and said, "I understand, I will tell my brothers." ”

The two teams of people, each with their own thoughts, do not interfere with each other, and the only intersection is Li Shan and Shen Teng. Li Shan still looks like an apprentice, asking all kinds of questions, and Shen Teng is also always answering. After a two-day journey, it looked like it was about to enter the boundary of Kuizhou.