This night, Liu Ming tossed and turned, thinking wildly. I didn't know when I fell asleep, and after getting up the next day, he felt a headache, and his mouth was extremely thirsty, so he went directly to the lobby water tank and scooped a few scoops of cold water, so that people were more comfortable.

After breakfast, Liu Ming immediately asked people to prepare horses and rushed back to Fei County. The accounts of the state capital, Ping'an Hall, cannot be checked. It was another bumpy road, staying overnight, and after a few days, I returned to Fei County.

Back in the house, Liu Ming learned a news from the maid that after a period of conditioning, Mrs. Liu's body has basically recovered, and she already knows the reason why Liu Xianda was imprisoned.

Liu Ming immediately jumped to his feet in anger and scolded: "Who told the old lady about this?" I don't know if the old lady is not in good health and is still adding to the chaos? ”

The little maid was immediately frightened and didn't know what to do, her mouth was deflated, and tears rolled down her eyes.

"It's me...... Ming'er ......" Liu Yuanzhi walked over with a weak heart, looking like he had done something wrong, and said guiltily, "I just can't get used to seeing your grandfather being kept in the dark, so I can't help but say, I am willing to fight and punish ......."

As soon as Liu Yuanzhi's legs were weak, he was about to kneel.

"Dad, don't be kidding." Liu Ming couldn't cry or laugh, he immediately hugged his father and said, "You are the big shopkeeper of Liufu, how can you kneel for your son?" What is this system? ”

"Then you don't blame Dad?" Liu Yuanzhi said pitifully.

"Forget it, forget it. Dad, the old lady will know if he knows. Seeing his father's pitiful appearance, Liu Ming was relieved.

"What do I say......" Liu Yuanzhi immediately got up, changed his appearance and shouted excitedly in the courtyard, "Chang Si'er, Wu Liu'er, the alarm is lifted." Brothers, let's play pai gow! With that, he strode out of the courtyard.

Liu Ming looked at his father's back and shook his head helplessly. He looked at the little maid still standing next to him, and said, "Why are you still here?" I don't blame you, just get to work. ”

"Young master......" the maid said with a red face with her hands twisted, "The old lady invited you over, the old lady has been talking about you for the past few days when you are not at home." ”

"I'll go now." Liu Ming responded.

In the main room, several yellow orioles in cages cried pleasantly, and Mrs. Liu, dressed in a loose white silk dress, was sitting at the table and napping. Next to the screen, there is a "stone dare to be", since the old lady recovered from illness, he moved to the room to ward off evil spirits and avoid disasters.

"Ah Gong...... Ming'er is late......" Liu Ming saw the old lady and hurriedly knelt down and saluted.

"Ming'er? Stand up and let me see. Mrs. Liu's eyes widened slightly. He had just recovered from a serious illness and spoke in a very soft voice.

At this time, Liu Ming could feel that the old lady looked at him with deep love and appreciation.

"Have you eaten it?" Old lady Liu asked, "If you haven't eaten, eat with me here." ”

"Eat some, eat some."

The maid put some spring rolls, fried mutton chicken, four-color dim sum, and brought two bowls of black plum soup to quench your thirst from the heat.

"By the way, you stay outside, don't let people disturb our grandfather." The old lady instructed the servant.

The servant immediately said yes, went out of the house, and closed the door.

"Let's eat...... Don't be inhibited. Old lady Liu picked up a steamed bun and said.

Liu Ming nodded, took a sip of the black plum soup, and immediately felt the coolness that penetrated his heart, and he smiled: "It's delicious, Ah Gong." ”

"It's all home-brewed, made with that fresh black plum meat." Mrs. Liu pointed to the back, "It's planted in the back garden." ”

Liu Ming tasted the side dishes and drank the black plum soup, the sun shone in from outside the house, the silhouettes on the ground continued, and his ears were full of the sound of cicadas. He felt a little emotion in his heart, picked up the black plum soup, and said sincerely: "Grandpa, Ming'er wishes you a long life." ”

The old lady pursed her lips, her eyes full of love: "Silly boy, how can a person live a hundred years." I've just come out of the ghost gate, and I'm already very lucky. ”

He sighed: "Life in the world depends on the number of days, and luck and misfortune all depend on creation. ”

"Grandpa, uncle's business...... Don't take it too seriously. Liu Ming put down his chopsticks and wanted to comfort him, but he didn't know how to comfort him.

Mrs. Liu shook her head and said, "Actually...... Xianda ...... He can't be blamed for it......"

"Huh?" Liu Ming was very surprised.

Mrs. Liu sighed: "I, Liu, have lived a lifetime, and I think I am fair in doing things, and I have been in business for more than 30 years, although I am not a child who is not bullied, I can be regarded as having a clear conscience." Just one thing...... I've never talked about it to outsiders. Old Lady Liu's eyes showed a melancholy light, "Ming'er, it seems that you will become the second person to know about this besides Xianda." ”

"Xianda is so strong everywhere...... There's a reason for that. Old lady Liu flicked her sleeve robe and sighed lightly, "Originally, I wanted to bring this secret to the grave. But right now, Xianda is in prison, Ming'er, it's better to let you know. Xianda - He's not my biological son......"

What the?

Liu Ming couldn't believe that his most valued uncle turned out to be his adopted son.

"At the beginning, I thought that I couldn't give birth to any of my bones, so I adopted an heir, and this is your uncle." Mrs. Liu put her hands behind her back, and the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes bloomed like daisies, "At that time, I thought that Xianda was my only son, although he was adopted, he was also very loved. But later, the creation made people, and several old doctors from Bianjing treated me with a prescription, and I recuperated well, and later, I had your father and your uncle......"

Old lady Liu's white eyebrows moved slightly: "For raising offspring, I try to make a bowl of water as flat as possible." In the first few years, it was also safe and fine. Behold...... When I was growing up, Xianda accidentally found out about the adoption deed I had kept in the cabinet. I saw him sullen for days. ”

"Ming'er...... Your uncle is a very strong and sensitive person. Old lady Liu sighed and said, "Maybe in the days to come, I was negligent to him, which led to the distortion of his mentality." Anyway...... It's all a bad fate......"

Old lady Liu's breath gradually became heavier, he leaned on the armrest of the chair and sat down slowly: "People are old, they can't stand for a while." Ming'er ......" The old lady raised her withered hand full of green tendons, put a handkerchief to her mouth, coughed up the phlegm with great effort, and said, "You...... Let's go see Xianda. ”

"Put this again...... Show him......" Old lady Liu took out something from her arms and handed it to Liu Ming with some trembling.

……

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the yellow-brown rammed earth wall of the county office.

This blue-gray building complex located on the main street, with its high and low staggered heights, is the seat of the Fei County Government.

A carriage slowly stopped at the gate of the county ya, and a young man in a Confucian shirt walked straight to the gate of the county ya.

The officer wearing a soap gauze four-cornered hat at the entrance of the county office yawned and said, "What are you doing?" It's already at this point......"

"Poor master, I'm here to visit the prison." Liu Ming stuffed the usual money into the other party's hands.

When the officer received the money, he immediately became energetic, "The county prison, go straight from this side, and then turn right." ”

This county prison, this Liu Ming is still visiting for the first time. I saw a gloomy gate painted black, standing in the direction pointed by the officer. This county prison is located in an independent courtyard, and the walls are the thickest of the yamen buildings, and the walls are also planted with thorns and thorns.

Liu Ming knocked lightly on the door, and with a squeak, a hedgehog-eyed jailer came out and pouted,

"Who?"

"Coming to visit the prison."

"Prison visits?" The jailer frowned, "Go register first, and come back tomorrow." ”

Liu Ming smiled bitterly, people said that the yamen was open to the south, and there was no reason to come in. Hades is easy to see, but the little ghost is difficult.

And he took out the usual money, and gave it to the jailer.

Who knew that it had become a custom for the jailer to pack up the money money, and his appetite was great, so he took the money in his hand and muttered: "Oh, this money, buy a few roast chickens and it's gone......"

When Liu Ming saw that face, he knew that the other party still had to continue to ask for it. But Liu Ming didn't bother to indulge the other party anymore, he said solemnly: "I am quite familiar with your master of the canon...... history."

The jailer sneered: "Everyone who came here told me that they were familiar with Master Dianshi, and according to what you said, then Zhixian is still my maternal uncle." ”

"My name is Liu Ming, and I am from Liufu." Liu Ming stared at each other and said word by word.

"Huh?" The jailer's expression stiffened, he had long heard that this Dianshi was going to marry the daughter of the Liu family, so this Liu Ming would be the brother-in-law of the future Dianshi. If this offends the other party, won't you be killed by Master Dianshi?

"It turned out to be Liu Gongzi......" The jailer's face was full of smiles in an instant, and he kept slapping him in the face, "Look at my eyes...... It should be fought, it should be fought. He stuffed the money back into Liu Ming's hand and explained, "Young Master Liu, forgive the little dazzle, I've been in the cell for a long time, and my head is really a little wooden. ”

"Young Master Liu, please come here." The jailer led the way diligently.

"Young Master Liu, Master Chen, please come here." The jailer led the way.

The first time Liu Ming saw the county prison, it was really simple, and it looked like a cave in the middle of winter. However, the county government office of Fei County is just a short, convex and gray building, so it is expected that the prison chief will look like this.

"Hurry up...... a fat-faced jailer said to a woman who was visiting the prison, fiddling with the iron bars with his killing rod, "You can't visit the prison for too long, you know?" ”

"Official, I have contributed two of your money." The woman begged, "Let us talk more." ”

"Talk more?" The fat-faced jailer teased, "Do you want to make a pot of tea for the two of you, so that you can talk all night?" After speaking, he spat on the ground: "This is a prison, and it has its own prison rules!" ”

The fat-faced jailer turned around, looked at Liu Ming, and said with a crooked mouth, "Visiting the prison?" You too...... Hurry up, huh? Don't make it too difficult for me grandpa. ”

"Fart!" The hedgehog-eyed jailer who led the way earlier scolded, "Fat Husan, your eyes are on the floor? Why do you speak so much to your guests? ”

He stepped forward and whispered, "People are ...... from Liufu."

"Oh......" Although the three of them were fat, they reacted very quickly, "Lord Dianshi's in-laws are here, please sit down first." I'll pour you some water.

Yang Liwu's divorce has not yet spread, so the two jailers treat Liu Ming as their in-laws. Liu Ming thought to himself, this Yang Liwu's name is probably more useful than the emperor here. He sat in the reception room on the outside. The two jailers beckoned to the other jailers, and they were all busy pouring water for the tea.

"Master, it's very stuffy here, and it's not ventilated." The fat-faced jailer fanned his fan flatteringly, "Please forgive me for the inconsiderate hospitality." ”

Liu Ming said with a little annoyance, "I'm not here to drink tea and eat." ”

"Yes, yes......" The fat-faced jailer fanned hard.

"And where is Liu Xianda imprisoned?" Liu Ming asked.

"It's in the innermost cell, I'll take you there." The fat-faced jailer pointed inside.

"Take me in." Liu Ming commanded.

Following the jailer all the way forward, there was a damp smell of straw in the cell, and there were cabbage-faced prisoners on both sides.

"Liu Xianda!" The fat-faced jailer walked to a cell at the end, and he waved the stick in his hand, stabbed the iron railing, and started a thump sound, "Someone from your house has come to see you......

Liu Ming stood in front of the cell, which was only four or five square meters in size, and the ground was covered with wet straw. There was a small wooden table next to it, and a wooden barrel for the dereliction.

A thin figure, sitting cross-legged in a cell, dressed in white prison clothes and wearing a wooden flail.

"Hey, did you hear that?" The jailer shouted again.

The thin back figure slowly turned around, revealing a haggard face, which was his eldest uncle Liu Xianda.