In the mountains and fields, Lin Liang didn't find Old Man Ding anymore, but the guy sent to the mountain to keep vigil did find it, on the other side of the fire, he looked like he was watching a play, but he was more powerless.

Lin Liang and his party walked around the sea of fire from afar, climbing the mountain and crossing the hurdles, unable to do anything, and occasionally being hit by sparks sent by the wind, complaining bitterly.

The spread of the mountain fire soon attracted the real owner of the tea mountain, Ma Bin, who was drunk and flushed, stumbled and climbed up the mountain, and his fingers were still stained with fresh mountain mud.

When he saw the fire clearly, Ma Bin panicked, and saw Lin Liang standing not far away, staggered over, grabbed Lin Liang's hand, and said, "Why don't you put out the fire, quickly send someone to put out the fire!" What am I raising you for? ”

"Boss, there's no way around it, I've done everything I can." Lin Liang said with a bitter face.

Ma Bin didn't give up, took two steps forward, looked at the mountain fire, beat his chest, and cried, "Are you blaming me for robbing your things, and finally coming to take back your tea mountain!" ”

In the end, water and fire are ruthless things, in Ma Bin's roar, the mountain fire did not weaken, but some rode the wind and went straight to the clouds, which attracted the people behind to hurriedly step forward and grab Ma Bin, and persuaded him, "Boss, mourn, don't break your body." ”

The tea mountain is originally a ravine, after burning those few pieces of tea mountain together, to the ravine, the living water that comes up from the mountain will stop, the old tea tree stump of decades has been burned dry and burned through, and the fire has gradually declined, getting lower and lower. It's a pity that the stump of a mountain of tea trees destroyed half of the mountain, and the rest was also discolored by the smoke.

When the mountain fire was like a seedling growing close to the ground, Lin Liang finally recruited his men to look for the sparks that were thrown out, either buried or extinguished by diverting water, and it was not finished until it was dark.

After the others dispersed, Lin Liang walked around the mountain a few more times, shouted a few times to Old Man Ding, and after no one answered, he boldly called Tong Chunsheng a few times, and only his own voice responded to him.

Under the light of the crescent moon, Lin Liang descended the winding mountain road. In the hut at the bottom of the tea mountain, a few guys were bored to pass the time, and when they saw Lin Liang coming, they stood up and asked, "Brother Liang, hasn't Old Man Ding been found?" We all persuaded him when he went out alone earlier, what should we do? ”

Lin Liang shook his head, went to the water tank to scoop a scoop of water to drink, and said in a hoarse voice, "You guys go back and rest, I'll go find someone to change shifts, and then search around the mountains." ”

When everyone heard this, they finally breathed a sigh of relief, and turned around to go to the house to get something to leave, and after they came out, someone plucked up the courage and asked, "Brother Liang, what happened to someone who saw Brother Chunsheng?" ”

Lin Liang stared at the man, gritted his teeth and said, "You just rot this matter in your stomach, and let the owner know that this mountain fire may have been set by someone, and you can't run away." ”

The man was afraid that he would lose his job, so he hurriedly said, "It's all up to Brother Liang, and our brothers will go back first." ”

···

But it was said that Ma Bin finally returned to the house with the support of everyone, lying on his back on the soft couch, looking at the beam of the house in distraction, and only after a long time did he open his mouth and say, "Go to the south of the city to invite Wang Siming." ”

When Siming came, the night in the north of the city was already dark, and the occasional lantern could be seen in the house, which was also a trace of the men coming and going.

The place where he hasn't been for a long time, Siming is a little nostalgic, the stone slab outside the study has caused homesickness, and the big water tank in the backyard has passed many boring times.

The old man in front of him seemed to be very afraid of light, and the lantern he was carrying with him also made him subconsciously block his eyes, making people take away this hoodoo.

In the afternoon, Siming also heard about the tea mountain in the corner of the street, and the mountain fire that ignited on Chinese New Year's Eve would destroy the Ma family's century-old foundation in one fell swoop. This sudden bad news made Siming's heart bloom, and his old club went bankrupt after kicking him out, which is really an unprecedented good thing.

It's just that Siming didn't expect that Ma Bin, who kicked himself out of the game early, would come to him again, this is a rush to the doctor, and he doesn't even want the last face.

The old man lying on the soft couch got up and straightened his clothes, beckoned Siming to sit down in the dim light, and went to the cabinet to get tea to make for the guests.

He hadn't done anything like this in a long time, wrinkled hands, unsteady teapots, hot water spilling on the table, everywhere. Siming didn't pick it up, moved the stool, and sat down on the side, still arranged by him.

"San'er, how are you doing lately?" Ma Bin, who arranged the tea properly, finally sat down,

The moonlight in winter was very white, sprinkled on the house, like icy lake water, and it was biting cold to the touch. Siming sat with his back to the moonlight, and in a pair of gray eyes, he couldn't see whether it was warm or ice.

"It's fine."

The oil and salt who came didn't enter, Ma Bin smiled a little embarrassedly, pushed the teacup forward again, and said, "Come, drink tea, it's been a long time since the two of us have drunk tea together." Today is Chinese New Year's Eve, my old friend Brother Gu doesn't know where he went, and he won't come back to celebrate the holiday with you at this time, and it should be a little lonely at home. ”

Obviously he could use himself, but he pretended to talk about old friendships, Siming moved his body out, and said with a smile, "Thank you Uncle Ma for remembering, it's really boring to be alone at home." ”

"Then you should really come to find more sales, you young people can always play together." Ma Bin said with a smile, and after a while, he seemed to remember, let the little guy take a box and put it on the table, and said, "I have been busy with other things a few days ago, but I forgot to congratulate you on doing the thing of the shopkeeper of the Long family, a little care, you can accept it." ”

On a good Chinese New Year's Eve, Siming really didn't know what he was looking forward to, so he left his family to be rewarded and ran to the north of the city, where he had already chilled his heart.

Siming pushed the box back, turned around and said, "Uncle Ma doesn't have to spend so much, I'm just going to respond to emergencies and solve problems for others, which is a serious shopkeeper." ”

Even if he didn't look at it, Siming knew the old man's disappointed expression, he used himself to let people come to him, the tea seedlings that were burned by the mountain fire always had to be bought by the Long family, and he was also a good matchmaker, just pleading for him and maneuvering.

But all of this makes Siming feel uncomfortable, you either act more realistically and mention the 'father-son relationship' in the past ten years, or put aside all the past and do a good business. But you're nothing, and you want to use this little favor to buy people!

The old man's compromised appearance made Siming feel no refreshment at all, obviously he was in trouble, and he also tasted the taste of his own family back then. It's just... It's just..., Siming sighed, feeling that it was not the time in the end, if this would make him understand, then all these years would not be like this, and it would be better to be entangled by the trapped beast for a while.

After making up his mind and not letting go, Siming was also much more relaxed, and after some polite words, he excused himself to go to find Pinyuan, and went out of the study door.

I don't know who came, there was a lot of light in the house that was still dark, and the rows of lamps were lit one after another, Siming blew out the lanterns in his hand and walked to the distant house.

There was no one in the house, only a usual acquaintance, Xiao Qiang, who was packing up some clothes and other items in the distant house, and when he saw Siming, he came over and said, "Wang Dongjia, the young master has gone to the hall, and it is his grandmother in the next room who is here." ”

What day is today, even the old lady came out, Siming didn't go to the hall, just sat down in the bedroom that was far away, and went to fetch some tea to drink.

Xiao Qiang saw that no one went to find Pinyuan, so he put down the clothes in his hand, went to the cabinet and took pastries for Siming to eat with tea, and then went to clean up the clothes in the cabinet, and there were words in his mouth, "This dress was made in East Street the year before last, and it cost ten taels of silver, and this one was made in the alley next door, it is not good-looking, and it cost fifteen taels of silver, and the young master is really willing, all the clothes must be taken away, and I don't know if I can pass this stubble." ”

It's this stubble everywhere, Si Ming knew early that this was a Hongmen banquet, and he wanted to match people regardless of his previous suspicions, but what was he worth. What's more, even if they are soft-hearted and ask for them, I don't know if the Long family has time to take care of the Ma family, if it is convenient, it is better to directly match the Zhou family to make up for it.

Siming didn't talk to him in the end, he just blindly thought about his own affairs, but when it was about his job, the master and servant of the Ma family had the same heart. Xiao Qiang took care of his clothes and said, "Wang Dongjia should be leaving in the spring of next year, after the Lantern Festival?" ”

"Hmm." Siming replied.

The things in Xiao Qiang's hand were also just packed, so he planned to rest for a while, sat down and asked quietly, "But go to Tong'an City to do things?" Will the people from the Long family help us? ”

Siming shook his head and asked, "Did your young master ask you to ask?" ”

"How is this possible?" Xiao Qiang hurriedly waved his hand and said, waited for a while, and sighed again, "After sending you away from someone last time, he didn't believe me, how could he say anything to me again, I am also doing it day by day now, to see when it is a head." ”

"Then why don't you go outside and find an errand to do, or set up a storefront and make something else by yourself, Shopkeeper Xiao has always saved some starting silver over the years. If you want to do it, I have a good place to recommend it to you, which will be counted as compensation for the last time you carried this matter for Mingxin. Siming said.

It's not that he wasn't impressed, Xiao Qiang took a sip of tea, and went back to rummage through the cabinets to find something valuable, and after a long time he turned around and said, "Thank you Wang Dongjia for your kindness, it's just not the time yet, but it's also soon, I must go to the owner to find a way out before the Lantern Festival." ”

Siming smiled and said, "You don't have to call it an owner, when did I become your owner, even the inn was sold, and when your business starts in the future, I will come to beg for food." ”

Just as the two of them opened the conversation, another little guy outside came to ask Siming to go to the hall for dinner, so he had to give up and make an appointment to talk about it another day.