The large-scale spread of typhoid fever in Qingzhou gradually subsided after half a month. Yan Chai Tong received almost half of the typhoid fever patients. It just so happens that the dirt roads leading to the prefecture have been repaired and the traffic is also convenient.

Wu County, where the streets were originally empty, has been full of people on the streets in the past half a month, and cars and horses from various counties have come one after another. The hostels, restaurants, and restaurants in the county are all full. It's full of life.

This crowded scene almost made Changzhi County think that he had arrived at the state capital. He patrolled the streets, and his mood suddenly surged, thinking that he could usher in such a magnificent landscape in this poor county. Changzhi County knows that in this typhoid wave, the "Renjitang" in its own county has become a "pillar industry". He specially sent two teams of officers to help maintain order at the gate of Renjitang.

Under the care of the Wu County officials, Liu Ming's money was made very smoothly.

On the summer night in Wu County, the bright moon hangs high and the breeze blows.

Liu Ming shook the pu fan, sat at the stone table in the courtyard, and sat with his family to admire the moon.

"Everybody...... these days It's all hard work. Liu Ming opened his mouth and said, "Yuanbao, you work hardest...... In the past few days, my hands have cramped. ”

"What's this...... Li Yuanbao took a sip of wine, "I, Li Yuanbao, love this money and silver thing the most." This time, we definitely made a lot of money. Liu Gongzi, let me calculate slightly, the silver taels you have earned in the past half a month can already be worth the sum of all the properties of the other pharmacies of the Liu family. What a windfall......"

Liu Yong also said happily: "Ming'er, either you don't make a move, as soon as you make a move, our pharmacy will defeat the four or five pharmacy shops of the eldest brother." There is potential to be a black-hearted giant businessman in the future......"

Liu Ming thought to himself, his uncle's speech would always be so bad. He glanced at his father and asked, "Dad, tomorrow is the clan assembly...... Are you ready? ”

Liu Yuanzhi's body stiffened, and he said with a little worry on his face: "Ming'er, do we have to come with your uncle?" ”

"Dad, it's not that we want to come with them, it's that the other party wants to exclude us from the house." Liu Ming said sadly with a sad look in his eyes.

"Yes......" Liu Yong was also indignant, "Xing'er is such a good girl, but she wants to marry that Wang Badian Shi." If Ming'er hadn't stopped me, why didn't the man take Wu Hook! I immediately ......" and drew my sword again.

"Alright, alright." Liu Yuanzhi picked up the wine jar, poured it down with a tilt of his neck, stood up, staggered into the wing, and said to himself: "This is from the same root...... Why is he too anxious to fry each other......"

The night breeze swept through the emaciated figure of the middle-aged man.

"Second brother, I'll help you go......" Liu Yong also got up, ran to Liu Yuanzhi's side, and helped him into the house.

The courtyard suddenly seemed a little deserted.

Li Yuanbao sighed and said, "Your father is still an honest man, and he misses the old love." ”

Liu Ming bowed slightly.

"Yuanbao, do we have any other way to go?" Liu Ming said softly.

"Nope." Li Yuanbao touched the black turban on his head, "If you can't compete for the position of the big shopkeeper, you, your father, and your uncle will have to leave Liufu." ”

"Yuanbao ......" Liu Ming picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, felt a little bitter, he looked up at the Milky Way hanging in the sky, "I always feel ...... Tomorrow doesn't seem to be going so well. ”

……

The ancestral hall of the Liu family covers an area of more than 20 acres, and the roof of the ancestral hall is made of glazed cylinder tiles, which looks solemn and solemn, and the momentum is extraordinary. The pavilions and pavilions in the ancestral hall, the small bridge and flowing water, appear very quiet.

The Liu family is a large household in the county, and this temple ancestral hall is also built magnificently. The Liu family sacrifice is also a major event that can affect the lives of the residents of Fei County.

On the day of the family sacrifice, when the rooster crowed, the people outside the ancestral hall of the Liu family were crowded. The memorial hall has been renovated, and a stage has been erected outside the ancestral hall for opera performances.

Several senior elders of the Liu family, with the support of the maids, chatted warmly with the gentlemen. Liu Xianda walked in it with a spring breeze on his face, chatting and laughing with the celebrities in the county.

At the entrance of the ancestral hall, the whole pig and the whole sheep and other five animal sacrifices, candy boxes, rice soup, tea and wine and other sacrifices are neatly placed on the offering table.

Liu Ming, as a junior, stood in the back row, looked at Liu Xianda, and thought to himself, it won't be long before the order of the Liu family will undergo earth-shattering changes.

Let him flutter a few more times.

He pulled his father aside and whispered, "Daddy...... What taught you last night, will you do it? ”

"I'm a little nervous." Liu Yuanzhi's voice trembled.

"Don't be nervous, repeat what I taught you last night." Liu Ming can only follow the temptation.

Liu Yuanzhi cleared his throat and said, "Clan elders, I'm not nervous...... No...... Ming'er, you give me another chance. ”

Liu Ming was a little apprehensive in his heart, he grabbed his father's hand, and said pitifully: "Dad, the happiness of me and Xing'er is in your hands." If I can't win the big shopkeeper this time, I can only take Apricot and fly away. ”

"Ming'er, you can still slaughter Yang Dianshi." Yoo Young interjected.

Liu Yuanzhi couldn't see his children suffering the most, and he nodded solemnly: "Ming'er, my father is incompetent, but for you, I want you to do anything." Daddy is just a son like you. ”

At this time, the chief master of ceremonies sang the salute and announced the beginning of the ceremony. Drumming, firecrackers, music. At this time, the drum music is noisy, the suona is played, and the firecrackers are roaring in unison, shaking the sky and the earth.

Several clan elders offered tea and ingots to the shrine in the ancestral hall respectively, and then the juniors of the Liu family kowtowed one after another.

When it was Liu Ming's turn, he looked at the ancestors and ancestors on the god card, and he had a complicated feeling in his heart, with a heavy sense of mission.

His father was so pitiful, and his uncle was stunned, Liu Ming secretly decided that he must support the backbone of the family.

After the lengthy sacrificial ceremony, the Liu family breathed a sigh of relief up and down. The maids who were kneeling outside the ancestral hall struggled to stand up and beat their sore knees.

The family banquet was held in the outer hall of the ancestral hall. Those cooks and men set up a slip of the line early in the morning, rolling noodles, carrying water, picking vegetables, skillful and uniform.

By the time the family feast began, the stove room was already full of fragrance.

Several white-bearded clan elders made a remark one after another. Among them, the eldest old man Liu, as the old patriarch, already has gray hair, and the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes are like deep ravines.

He clicked on his crutches, looked at Liu Xianda and said, "How is your father's health?" ”

Liu Xianda showed sadness: "My father has been bedridden for a long time, and I have been visiting famous doctors, but I have not been cured. ”

The old patriarch sighed: "Your father, that is, my third brother, a few years ago, his bones were quite tough, but I didn't expect this year to be full of bad luck." Ay...... Life is up and down, depending on the number of days, luck and misfortune, and also depends on creation. ”

He stroked his white beard, raised his voice, and said, "Everyone, now our family is gathered together, one is to worship our ancestors, and the other is to elect the head of my third brother's family. A country cannot be without a king for a day, and a family cannot be without a long life. Now, my third brother's health is declining, and a new head of the family should be elected. He looked around at the clan members and said in a straight voice: "Xianda is a mature and stable person, and has experienced countless experiences in the business world, as the eldest son in the family, I formally propose that Xianda be the new head of the family." ”

These other clan elders all have dealings with Liu Xianda on weekdays, and this time they also received his care in advance, so they naturally tacitly expressed their support.

Seeing that the elders of the clan had no objections, the old patriarch bowed slightly, looked at Liu Xianda, narrowed his eyes, and said with a pleasant face: "Xianda, what do you think?" ”

Liu Xianda stood up rubbly, bowed his head and said, "The elders of the clan are very kind, and Xianda is flattered. But how can he take on this great responsibility? ”

"Xianda, don't be humble. Our Liu family is a family of merchants, and your business talent is obvious to all. You are the one who is the treasurer. The old patriarch was on crutches in both hands, "Your old lady is sick, and this is in danger of survival." You must take this responsibility. ”

Liu Xianda breathed a long sigh of relief, hugged his fist at everyone and said: "If my father's body is healed, how dare Xianda have the idea of coveting this big treasurer position?" At this time, Xianda will take a step forward for the time being and take up the position of the great treasurer, if you have no objection......"

"Naturally, there are objections!" There was a shout from the crowd.

This voice, as if shouting with all his might, was like a broken gong, which was very inconsistent with the atmosphere of the scene.

Everyone looked back, only to see Liu Yuanzhi roll up his sleeves with a look of indignation.

"Yuanzhi, do you have any objections?" The old patriarch looked surprised, he had been in the world for a long time, his tone seemed to be calm, and he squinted his eyes and said, "Then who do you think is worthy of this position?" ”

Liu Yuanzhi dragged the corners of his clothes with both hands and said loudly: "I am not talented, and I am willing to fight for the position of the big shopkeeper." ”

As soon as these words came out, the elders of all ethnic groups in the clan laughed softly. This Liu Yuanzhi is in the clan, but he is also famous. When he was young, he was lazy and tired, eating, drinking, prostituting and gambling, and it was often a negative teaching material for the children of various families in the clan.

Two years ago, the members of the clan experienced first-hand how he was evicted from his home. For such a negative typical character, everyone has no illusions.

When Liu Xianda heard this, his face showed a ridiculous look, and he reprimanded: "Second brother, didn't you drink alcohol? This sacrificial ancestral hall is a solemn place, and you should not be allowed to be presumptuous here. ”

Liu Yuanzhi straightened his waist and said, "Big brother...... I just wanted to fight for the position of the big treasurer, and I didn't do anything else to transgress the rules. In this ancestral family training, it is not said that the big shopkeeper must be passed on to the eldest son. What do you say? ”

"Ambition...... In our ancestral teachings, there is indeed no clear provision for passing on to the eldest son. The old patriarch said, "However, our Liu family is a family of merchants, and anyone who inherits the position of the chief treasurer needs to have extraordinary business talents." Do you understand? ”

The old patriarch has a peaceful and charitable personality, he is unwilling to hurt Liu Yuanzhi, a junior, and his words have already reached the point.

"yes...... Yuanzhi, don't say anything else, can you pay off your gambling debts? A clan elder laughed.

"Xianda, you have become the great treasurer, and when the time comes, you can save your brother, and you can't let him sink like this anymore. And your son, don't let him get into your bad habits. Another clan elder said.

Liu Yuanzhi's fists clenched tightly, and for the first time he felt a kind of humiliating anger. Because someone mentioned his son. Others can insult him and make fun of him, but no one can insult his son.

Not the slightest!

Liu Yuanzhi bit his lip, controlled his temper, and looked at the clan elder who humiliated him: "Third uncle, Yuanzhi has long been reborn and re-behaved, why do you look at people with old eyes?" ”

"Reborn?" The third uncle of the Liu family smiled disdainfully: "If you can be reborn, I will call you the third uncle in public......

In the eyes of the third uncle of the Liu family, Liu Yuanzhi is not much better than the criminal who has eaten the lawsuit.

"Good!" Liu Yuanzhi's forehead was bruised, and he shouted: "Li Yuanbao, take our account books!" ”