Early the next morning, the sky was bright, Li Kui and the three of them got up and washed their faces, ate something, and then gave the money to live in the hotel to come out, left the inn, entered the south gate, came to the cross street, turned to the east, next to the county yamen, the three of them walked here, and saw a lot of people around the yamen, pointing and talking about it, like the county lord in the yamen to judge the case again, the three of them discussed it, and also went to see a lively scene.

As soon as the three of them arrived at the gate, they heard shouts inside: "Bold thief, the certified physical evidence is there, and he still refuses to confess, come, look left and right and wait for the stick!" ”

"Pick up Gao Guotai and ask again!" When Li Kui and the three of them heard outside, they were all shocked when they wanted to put on the stick, this stick was made of poplar wood, more than three feet long, more than five inches to the ground, and was run through an iron bar, the purpose was to let the thick wooden stick clamp the prisoner's legs, if it was used by people, there was no need to ask for it, which showed its viciousness.

"My lord, Xiaosheng is wronged, wronged, I hope the adults will investigate." At this moment, a shout came out of it, and the voice was crushed.

So, is this Gao Guotai really wronged? Why did Gao Guotai come here to suffer a lawsuit?

This Gao Guotai is a scholar, his home is in Jinling Jiankang Mansion, freedom is smart, and he can only remember it, but the ancient scholars were not engaged in agricultural labor, they didn't listen to things outside the window, and they only read sage books.

Finally, this year, Emperor Daojun opened a department, Gao Guotai wanted to enter Beijing to catch the exam, and he came back to be filial to his mother, Gao's mother naturally supported it, and took out the last 200 Wen money in the family, so that Gao Guotai used it as a travel fee, but Gao's mother died the next day after Gao Guotai left.

Along the way, Gao Guotai was frugal, and finally arrived in Bianliang, Tokyo, and passed the exam, but because he had no money to bribe Shangguan, and he was unwilling to commit himself to the door of those traitorous ministers, he had to be named Sun Shan, and returned home in despair.

In the end, with the help of the villagers, Gao Guotai scraped together 200 Wen everywhere, left his hometown, and prepared to go outside, suffering miserably along the way, eating the last bit of the baggage, and coming to Surabaya County, the 200 Wen was also used up, thinking: "At this time, when I go back to my homeland, I have nowhere to go." There are no relatives, no guests, and no place to borrow a few dollars. What if you go home when you are out thinking about going home, that is, when you go home? There are a few close relatives who can also share my worries and relieve boredom on my behalf; If you have a few confidants, you can also talk about your heartfelt words. It really responds to the two sentences of the ancients: there are steel hooks in the poor and downtown areas, and they can't hook the flesh and blood of their relatives; Rich in the deep mountains have wooden sticks, beating constantly unrighteous relatives and friends. ”

Gao Guotai thought about it for a long time, he was an ambitious person, and he disdained to beg relatives and friends, the more he thought about it, the more sad he became, and he had a will to die in his heart. came to the river outside the south gate, planning to jump into the river and die. Standing on the riverside, there were many boats coming and going, Gao Guotai gritted his teeth and thought: "Dead dead, once dead, everything is over." There is a time for life and a place for death, and this is the place where I die. ”

After thinking about it, he was about to jump down, and at this moment, he heard someone behind him: "This friend, don't jump into the river, I'm here." ”

Gao Guotai looked back and saw that the person was six feet tall, with a thin waist and back, wearing a green hat, wearing a green cloth pants, a green bag, covered with a green silk hero, the face was purple, the purple was red, the red was purple, the eyebrows were wide-eyed, the head was upright, the three mountains were matched, the five mountains were evenly matched, and the year was twenty years old, the man came to Gao Guotai's side, arched his hand towards Gao Guotai and said: "Look at Mr.'s dress temperament, presumably Mr. is a person who reads and understands, why do you look for this short view?" ”

Gao Guotai said that when he heard the man's question, he was sad in his heart, and sighed heavily at the moment, and said: "Brother Tai, you don't have to ask me, there is no place for me to stand in the three rooms of the Yang World, and I have to die." ”

The man laughed and said at the moment: "Sir, as the saying goes, it is better to die than to live, what are you embarrassed about?" Why don't you talk to me and see if I can help? ”

Gao Guotai saw that the man was honest, so he asked, "Brother Tai, do you have a big name?" ”

The man said, "My surname is Wang Mingcheng, and he lives in this place." I work as a squadman here along the river, (a bit like the current contractor foreman), and I find someone to unload all the passengers and goods that come. Why did the gentleman seek this short-sightedness? ”

Gao Guotai sighed, and then said: "In the next year, I am a person from Jinling Jiankang Mansion, surnamed Gao Guotai, the word Zimin, just because of the decline of my family background, I went to Beijing to take the exam, and I met the corrupt officials, because I had no money and no power, and finally my name fell to Sun Shan, and my mother died of illness, and a fire burned my home to the ground." I think that a man stands between heaven and earth, and he can't lead to Junze. The people, the people can't serve their old mothers, and they are born empty in the world, so I think it's better to die than to die. ”

After hearing this, Wang Cheng immediately laughed, and said to Gao Guotai: "Brother Zimin, you are smart or mistaken by cleverness, since the ancient Dao Heaven will descend to the Si people, you must first work hard to work your muscles and bones, why do you want to be so suicidal?" You come and join me in the tavern for some wine, and I'll give you another idea. ”

Gao Guotai nodded when he heard this, and followed Wang Cheng to a tavern by the river. The two of them asked for some wine and food, and they were full of wine and drunken food. Wang Cheng said to Gao Guotai: "Brother Zimin, I don't have a penny under my hand now, and I don't have a single payment, and I have to wait for half a day to get it, so why don't you go and pull the boat fiber first." ”

When Gao Guotai heard this, he immediately said with a bitter face: "I have no power to tie the chicken, where can I pull the fiber?" ”

Wang Cheng laughed and said, "Sir, don't say that, people get there and they are there." Do you remember that the ancients had two sayings: A gentleman's body can be big or small, and a husband's ambition can be bent and stretched before he can do it. Today, you go to pull the fiber first, and when my money arrives, I will give you some silver taels, and then, I will ask a friend to find you a school and teach to live, do you think it is okay? ”

When Gao Guotai heard Wang Cheng's words, he thought: "I meet you in Pingshui today, and I should not be too stubborn if I persuade me like this." After thinking about it, he said: "Brother, since I love my little brother so much, I have no choice but to do this, so I will go and pull the boat." ”

Wang Cheng slapped the table and said, "Okay." He stood up at the moment, led Gao Guotai to the riverside, and saw a general cargo ship, which had already been loaded, and set sail in a short time. Wang Cheng said to a man on the boat: "I have a friend who is in charge of the boat, and I ask him to pull the boat with you, and take care of the boat more, and when he unloads the cargo, he must still bring him back, but don't worry about him." ”

The man in charge of the boat looked at Gao Guotai and responded immediately: "It's easy to say, with Uncle Wang inside, we must not be wrong." ”

After the solution was completed, Gao Guotai waited here, the work was not big, and everyone picked up the fiberboard when the ship was opened. Everyone is an expert, and Gao Guotai doesn't understand it. Someone handed him the fiberboard. At that time, when the boat was sailing, others shouted the trumpet, and Gao Guotai didn't either, so he remembered to study at the moment, and kept muttering about the thirteenth chapter of the mean; "The gentleman walks in his position, does not want to care about the outside, the rich and the noble, the poor and the lowly, the poor and the poor, the Su Yidi and the Yidi, the tribulation and the peace of the tribulation, the gentleman is not satisfied without one."

He only read his book, and the people next to him saw that this scholar was also funny, so they burst into laughter. In one day, they arrived at Yinjiadu, which is not far from Surabaya, the cargo ship was unloaded, and Gao Guotai was tired and tired, so he fell asleep in the boat.

Early the next morning, the ship was loaded with other goods and was about to go back, but Gao Guotai pulled it up again. On this day, when he returned to Surabaya County, he arrived at the wharf, and when he saw Wang Cheng standing there, Gao Guotai rushed over to say hello.