Autumn breeze.

The twilight haze was accompanied by curling smoke that filled the vast land.

In the golden autumn of October, the harvest season, in the twilight, people who have been tired all day walk on the field path in twos and threes, and walk slowly towards home.

In a courtyard at the west end of the village, the fire under the stove was crackling, and the house was filled with water vapor, when suddenly, a woman with a somewhat old voice shouted: "Sister, go to your Uncle Deshan's house to cut a piece of meat." ”

"Hey, mother, just go!" In front of the chicken rack, a little girl who was feeding the chickens stood up.

The little girl looks like she is fourteen or fifteen years old, with a delicate figure and a very beautiful figure.

Pouring the rest of the chicken food into the trough, the little girl took the two silver horns from her mother's hand, jumped up, and went happily.

If you want to eat meat, you have to go to Zhangdeng Town, which is eighteen miles away, where there is a market in Fengshuang.

Li Deshan is a butcher, a pig killer, and he will kill pigs and sell them to the people in the village during the New Year's Festival.

For the peasants, the autumn harvest is heavier than the New Year's Festival, but whenever it is possible, every family has to cut some meat to comfort them.

Li Deshan's house is in the east of the village, and his younger sister walks along the cross street, walking briskly and hurriedly.

Li Deshan is in his forties, with a strong body and a dark complexion. As soon as he saw his sister coming in, he smiled and said, "My sister is here." ”

My sister smiled sweetly: "Uncle Deshan, my mother asked me to cut a piece of meat." ”

"Keep it for you!" Li Deshan bent down, took out a piece of meat from under the board, and put it on the board.

The meat is flowerless, only two thin layers of lean meat in the middle and on the top, and the rest is all big fat.

Rural people buy meat, and this meat is the best.

The pork belly was shining with crystal oil, and the younger sister swallowed and foamed, and thanked: "Uncle Deshan, thank you for giving you money." ”

When Li Deshan took over the two silver horns, his mother-in-law Li Jiang came out of the house, saw his sister, and asked with a smile: "Sister, when will you get married?" ”

My sister's face turned red and said, "Auntie, I'm still young." ”

Li Jiang said: "It's not small, it's fifteen years old." ”

My sister's face was red, and at this time, Li Deshan said: "My sister, it's dark, go back quickly." ”

When the younger sister left, Li Deshan stabbed his mother-in-law and said, "Don't be greedy, our baby is not worthy of other people's younger sisters." ”

Li Jiang glared at the man and scolded: "The old king sells melons, and he still sells himself and boasts, look at you!" ”

Li Deshan ignored his mother-in-law and leaned over to pack his things. Li Jiang was bored, turned around and went into the house.

After packing up all his things, Li Deshan was about to enter the house, when he suddenly faintly heard someone arguing on the street in the distance, as if there was a fight.

The people here are fierce, and although fights in the village are not common, they are not surprising.

Standing in the courtyard, Li Deshan listened, but when he didn't hear anything, he was about to enter the house. Suddenly, there was a noise of footsteps outside the courtyard, and as soon as the door opened, the eldest son and the younger son rushed in together.

The three of them were all panicked, Li Deshan's face sank, and he asked, "Who is fighting?" ”

The eldest son Li Qinghai said: "It was the third elder of the Chen family who was teasing the younger sister, and the second elder brother happened to come back from the field and ran into it." ”

Li Deshan was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "How is it now?" ”

Li Qinghai said: "I don't know. ”

"Whitch!" Li Deshan's eyes widened, he scolded hatefully, and hurriedly ran out.

Li Qinghai blushed, he was about to follow, but his arm was grabbed by his daughter-in-law. Li Qinghai shook his arm suddenly, didn't look at his daughter-in-law, and ran out.

Subsequently, the eldest Li Qingjiang also ran out.

――――――

In the south of the village, there is a large courtyard that looks out of place with the whole village.

The houses in the village are almost all the same, all dilapidated, but this big yard is different.

This large courtyard, with a wall more than one zhang high, a magnificent gate building, five stone steps, and two large stone lions on the left and right, is no different from the yamen.

This large courtyard is the home of Chen Chaoguo.

Chen Chaoguo is the only rich man in the village and the mayor of the town.

Chen Chaoguo is less than fifty years old, forty**, white and pure, very rich. At this moment, Chen Chaoguo was walking in the courtyard with a faint smile on his face.

The autumn harvest is over soon, this year is good, and it is certain that you will get rich, but the question is how big? This year, as in previous years, not only will all the taxes be transferred to those poor ghosts, but also more taxes will be collected in a different way.

What are the names? Now there are miscellaneous things, and the positive and deputy taxes of various names are added together, and they are almost fifty, and they have almost exhausted all the names they can think of.

It's hard, it's hard, it's hard! However, no matter how hard it is, you have to come up with a rut.

Mayor Chen was suffocating and pondering vigorously, when suddenly, he heard a bang, and the door was knocked open.

Chen Chaoguo was startled, and saw that the third son ran in in a panic with two bodyguards.

Chen Chaoguo's brows furrowed.

of the three sons, the eldest son joined the army and served the national political axe, and his future was great; The second son runs the family's business in Baoding City, which is also good; It's this old son, who is not literate, martial arts, business, and business, and fools around all day long, which gives him a headache.

"What's wrong?" Chen Chaoguo asked impatiently.

"Dad, I quarreled with the second son of Widow Han's family, and it may have been a bit heavier." Taking a breath, Chen Yuegong's two little blinked their eyes and said.

Chen Chaoguo was anxious when he heard it.

This is about to collect rent and taxes, and it is the time when everyone's brain is full of sparks, but this little rabbit cub ......

What's more, the person who beat her was still the youngest son of Widow Han.

In the entire Ranzhuang, except for his Chen family, the one who can be counted has to be the Han family.

Don't look at the Han family's decline now, but it's not comparable to those poor ghosts with sorghum flowers.

Before the defeat of the Han family, I heard that it was a big dealer, and it was a big businessman who could be counted by Tianjin Wei, but then somehow, it suddenly fell down.

Ran Zhuang is the maiden family of the Han widow, and the Han widow is the daughter of the old Wei family. Lao Wei Tou is not simple, he is a talented person in the former Qing Dynasty, or his daughter can't marry so well.

The old couple is just this one daughter, and they have no relatives. After the death of the old Wei head, the old lady Wei was taken by her daughter to enjoy the blessings. The old man misses the old, and the old house is left unsold.

The Han family has a big business, how can they care about a few old houses in the countryside, they have long forgotten that there is such a thing. After the family business is lost, there may be nowhere to live, so I think of my mother's old house again. So, Widow Han took her youngest son and youngest daughter back to Ranzhuang.

The eldest son of the Han family went to school in Beiping and was a student at Yenching University.

If this is a good fight for others, the Han family will definitely not let it, although he is not afraid, can he not spend money?

"Fourth!" Chen Chaoguo shouted loudly.

The fourth child is the housekeeper of the Chen family, and he is also the shadow of Chen Chaoguo, as soon as Chen Chaoguo shouted, the fourth child immediately appeared.

"Master, are you looking for me?" The old man is in his forties and forties, a few years younger than Chen Chaoguo, lean, and his small round eyes are dripping around.

"You go out and have a look!" Chen Chaoguo commanded.

The fourth child didn't ask anything, Ran Zhuang fart is a big place, and he will know what is going on when he goes out.

The fourth child went out, Chen Chaoguo was walking around the courtyard, and the more he thought about it, the more unlucky he became.

The youngest son likes the bustle of the city, does not like the deserted countryside, and generally does not go home easily, and always stays in Baoding City. The second little character of the Han family went to school in Baoding City, and if it weren't for the farming, they wouldn't have gone home at this time.

But his grandmother's is so coincidental!

The more he thought about it, the worse Chen Chaoguo felt, and he always felt that something was going to happen.

Sure enough, after a while, the fourth ran back in a panic. When he arrived in front of Chen Chaoguo, the fourth child swallowed and spat, and said, "Master, it's not good, the second boy of the Han family is dead!" ”

When Chen Chaoguo heard this, his head flickered, and he almost didn't fall.

The difference between wounding someone and killing someone is huge. It's bad now, how much money do you have to pay to get out!

"Have you looked closely?" After relieving himself, Chen Chaoguo asked again.

"Sir, that's right!" Old four roads.

"This unassuming brute!" Chen Chaoguo stomped his foot fiercely.

"Master, what now? There were a lot of people gathered at the old Han family. The fourth asked.

Locally, the popularity of the old Wei family has always been very high.

Rural people respect scholars, and Lao Wei Tou is upright, anxious for justice and righteousness, and often stands out for others. Moreover, Lao Wei Tou took teaching as a profession and opened a private school. No matter who it is, whether it is money or not, as long as the child is sent, Lao Wei will accept it all.

After Widow Han came back, she treated her neighbors gently and politely, never caused trouble, and was very favored by the villagers. Coupled with the Wei family's earlier Deze, everyone took a look at Widow Han's family.

The Han family has five acres of thin fields, almost all of which are planted with the help of everyone.

"Alas!" Chen Chaoguo stomped his foot again, and said angrily: "You go to Baoding, and let the second young master prepare to fight County Magistrate Zhao." ”

Ranzhuang belongs to Qingyuan County, Qingyuan County is attached to Guo County, and the county yamen is in Baoding City.

"Master, I'll go now." The fourth child agreed, and then hurriedly went to the backyard to lead the horse.

The sound of hooves clicked, and Chen Chaoguo's eyes were full of Venus, and it hurt.;