It was easy to wait for Hai Rui to eat enough, and the originally sallow face was covered with a layer of red light, and the steel needle-like eyes were also slightly soft and even confused. Yan Hong hurriedly arched his hand and said, "Brother Hai, my brother is on official business, but he hasn't prepared any gifts. There is a little thing here, but it is for the filial piety of the old aunt, and please accept it with a smile. ”

After that, hand over a gift slip and go. Hai Rui's face changed, but he didn't say anything, took the gift list and read it first. It reads: 20 quintals of high-quality white rice, 800 catties of bacon, 500 salted fish, 2,000 salted duck eggs, and 10 horses of coarse cloth.

Hai Rui finished reading the gift list, and was about to excuse himself, Yan Hong arched his hand again: "Brother Hai, I know that you are honest and honest, and you have never received gifts. These are really filial to the old aunt. The old man is old, how hard it is to raise children, and now it is coarse tea and light rice, and he should always eat enough and dip some oil and meat. I also hope that the eldest brother will give the younger brother a little thin noodles. ”

Hai Rui saw Yan Hong's sincerity, sighed and said, "So, thank you Brother Xian." This "virtuous brother" is the first time he has called Yan Hong like this. Yan Hong couldn't help but be happy. But he looked at Hai Rui and said: "Lunch is over, and there are still some official duties in my county." Yan Huhou, please take care of yourself. "It was an eviction order.

Yan Hong didn't care. Hai Rui called him a virtuous brother, which was enough to satisfy him. Immediately got up and arched his hand and said, "Brother is at his own convenience, and the younger brother has taken his leave." Beckoned Yan Feng and Yan Fu to come in, put the dishes and chopsticks into the basket, and took them out.

When I arrived in the courtyard of the yamen, I watched a group of officials and fast catchers, all lying on their backs to the sky, burping and farting. It turned out that when Yan Hong invited Hai Rui to dinner, he also rewarded these officials with a meal. It was a big bucket of braised pork, a big bucket of green vegetables and tofu sliced pork soup, and two large buckets of white rice. In addition, I wrapped some wine and meat, and went to invite Li Kunpeng, a strong man, to eat. Seeing Yan Hong come out, the originally crooked officials quickly jumped up and said in unison: "Thank you Yan Huhou for rewarding the meal!" ”

A brocade-clothed guard approached Yan Hong and said in a low voice: "Sir, these officials are fast to catch, and they are all hungry and ruthless." You didn't see that the food was brought up just now, and the one who grabbed it was called a murderer, and he didn't care about the heat, he devoured them one by one, and he couldn't wait to stick out his tongue to lick the vegetable soup that fell to the ground. His subordinates have been on errands for many years, and I don't know how many places I have walked in the north and south of the river, but it is the first time I have seen a poor servant like this. ”

Yan Hong sighed: "No wonder, I worked hard for them." Thinking that he would always say a few words on such an occasion, he stood on the steps and said in a loud voice: "Everyone, you have followed Hai Dayin, but it has been hard. Brother Hai is a clean official and strict with himself, which I admire very much. You have lived a hard life, and the official also knows the way, so I specially invite you to eat. Don't thank me, Xie Haigong is. In the future, we must continue to follow Haida Yin Saddle before and after, do errands with heart, and continue to benefit the people of Chun'an! ”

This was mixed with a large number of modern words, and after the nondescript speeches were published, most of the officials and catchers below did not know what to do. Yan Hong didn't talk to them, and ordered all the gifts prepared for Hai Rui to be carried into the yamen's treasury, and then led people to leave the yamen and return to the post station.

When I returned to the post station, I saw that Wang Cuiqiao got up early and drank medicine again, and now her body has improved a lot, and when she was about to urge her to go on the road, Yan Hong said: "Don't worry about this day or two, my sister should listen to Doctor Li's arrangement." So he told Wang Cuiqiao about the interesting situation of inviting Hai Rui to dinner at noon. But when he heard Wang Cuiqiao's eyes with tears, he sighed several times, saying that a good person like Hai Qingtian was poor in this county, and a thief like Li Wenzao was prosperous and rich, which was really unfair.

In the afternoon of the same day, Yan Hong rested in the post station. I got up early the next day, but I saw more than a dozen villagers on the road from the window, some old and some young, walking towards the county seat. An old lady still pouted and said: "This sea blue sky is really good to us, I heard that there is not only food today, but also fish and meat." ”

When Yan Hong heard this, an ominous premonition appeared in his mind, and he hurriedly went out, stopped these villagers, and arched his hand and said, "Fellow villagers, please." ”

When the villagers saw a boy in a fancy costume come out, they were first surprised. However, seeing that Yan Hong was polite, he also shouted: "I've seen the son." "I've seen big officials."

Yan Hong said with a smile: "I don't know what the fathers and elders are doing in the county this morning?" ”

The old lady said, "This son is from outside, I don't know anything." Since our Chun'an County has changed the sea blue sky and the sea master, from time to time to help us sufferers. Although the relief was only some grains, it saved a lot of emergencies. Yesterday afternoon, the county sent officials to the four townships, saying that all registered first- and second-class poor families could come to the county to receive relief again, and in addition to grain, there were also salted meat, salted fish, and salted duck eggs. Childe, you say, isn't this a blessing from heaven? So my old woman hurried to the yamen with the villagers, so that she would not be led away too late. ”

Yan Hong heard the smoke of the seven tricks, and thought to himself that a blessing from heaven was a ghost, that is what I gave to Mrs. Hai, right? He didn't bother to say anything, and shouted: "Yan Feng Yan Fu, prepare a horse for me!" Yan Feng Yan Fu heard that the tone of the eldest young master was wrong, and hurriedly brought the horses over, Yan Hongfei got on the horse, took the two of them, and galloped towards Chun'an County.

The deflated old lady was dumbfounded, and sighed: "You said that this young man, dressed in brocade clothes, and has such a good horse, he has no shortage of food and clothing, and he also goes to fight with us poor people for relief." Why is the heart of this rich man so dark? Look at his panicked look! ”

An old man with missing teeth next to him said with a leaky wind: "Second aunt, don't worry, our Hai Qingtian is not a fool, he is a rich man who wants to take the risk of receiving relief, Hai Qingtian will know at a glance." When the time comes, give him a board, and beat him to cry and call his mother! ”

Yan Hong quickly whipped up, and after a short time, he arrived at Chun'an County and went straight to the Yamen. Sure enough, a booth had been set up at the entrance of the ya, and more than a dozen officials were listlessly following it, preparing to distribute relief. The first and second class poor people who came to receive it were already lined up in hundreds of people. Look at the "relief" piled up in the stalls, isn't this a gift from Lao Tzu yesterday?

Yan Hong turned over and dismounted, saw Haiping also at the door, and shouted: "Haiping, you come!" The gift I gave was not for your lord! ”

This shout came out, and the people who were queuing up looked sideways. Haiping hurriedly greeted him: "Chief Yan, be soft!" ”

Yan Hong lowered his voice, but grabbed Haiping and asked unceremoniously: "What kind of reputation are you doing!" ”

Haiping sighed, showed an expression of taking medicine, and said, "I won't tell you, Chief Yan, don't say that you just know our master." Even the gifts sent by his old friends before were all used on the people of the county. My lord said that he was ordered by the court to govern the people on this side, and the court had already given him a fortune, so he didn't dare to use any other income himself, otherwise it would be a loss of integrity. ”

Yan Hong snorted: "He wants to eat bran by himself, and I don't care about it, but my gift is for Mrs. Hai to make up for her body, is there a son who does this?" Haiping, take me to him! No matter what kind of clean official he is, I'm going to scold him today! ”

As he spoke, the two of them had already entered the yamen. Yan Hong opened his throat and shouted, "Haigang Peak, you come out with me!" ”

But seeing Hai Rui appear at the door of the lobby like a trick, Yan Hong thought that this guy was a peerless master who was hidden deeply, and saw that his face was like a frost: "Where are the bandits, making noise here?" ”

Yan Hong looked at him with such a serious appearance, he was angry, and stepped forward and said sharply: "Hai Rui, the rice, fish, and meat I sent are for your mother's body." But how do you distribute them to the people? They all say that you are a parent and a ruler, and the people are your children, how can anyone say that they take food from the mouth of an old mother to feed their children! You only know that you sell your reputation and reputation, but you don't want to think about how the old mother lives a hard life? You are unfilial, how can you be worthy of the old aunt's nurturing grace! ”

Hai Rui snorted coldly: "The erection is not enough and conspiracy, forgive you for being such a hakama, how to understand the truth!" ”

These words really made Yan Hong tremble with anger, and pointed at Hai Rui and said, "You, you, you obviously ignore yourself, but you use this to prevaricate!" ”

But he heard a person: "Rui'er, Yan Xianggong, don't fight." But it was Mrs. Xie who came over through the side door with a crutch.

Yan Hongqiang held back his anger and stepped forward to salute: "I've seen the old aunt." Old aunt, nephew heard that some coarse grains and salted meat were sent yesterday, which were originally filial to the old aunt, but they were taken by Brother Hai and distributed to the people, and they couldn't help but be a little angry. ”

Old Madam Xie nodded and said, "Yan Xianggong, your kindness, the old body is very grateful. It's just that the old man has always taught my son that since he is shepherding one side for the Son of Heaven, he must be loyal to the king and love the people. Don't take your own blessings and misfortunes to heart. Although my mother and son were bitter in the Yamen, they always had porridge to drink, and the rice of the court would never be gone, and there was no need to pay taxes. But the people of the countryside worked in the fields all day long, and they had to pay taxes and serve as servants. In the event of a natural disaster or man-made disease, there is no way out. Therefore, it is the old man's idea to give the rice and grain you sent to the people. Yan Xianggong, you sent such things to make up for the old body, how can you make up for the body of hundreds of poor people? The former is just a goodwill between officials and gentry, but the latter is a real yin gong. At such an age, what does it matter if you eat more and eat less? Those miserable people outside have to rely on these things to survive. ”

Yan Hong saw that Old Madam Xie said this, so what else did she say? I had to sigh: "The old aunt's teachings, my nephew has received them." It's just that isn't it too hard for the old aunt herself? ”

Mrs. Xie said with a smile: "The old husband died early, and he raised the child alone, I hope he will be a clean official, honest and upright." In this way, the old body is sleeping in the open air, and he is also willing to eat. ”

Yan Hong said in his heart, I was wrong, if there is a mother, there must be a son. Your mother and son are of the same mind, but you want me to be a wicked person in the middle, what is the matter? He had no choice but to arch his hand and say, "In this way, it's the little nephew Meng Lang." Please forgive the old aunt. The little nephew still has some things to do at the post station, and he left first. ”

But I heard Hai Rui add another sentence: "Yan Huhou, what is your official business in the south of the Yangtze River, Hai is inconvenient to ask." However, if the official business in Chun'an County is early, please leave early, so as not to waste the supply of the official post station. ”