Today's Wangnan private school is closed, which happens to be the day when the Fengjia dyeing workshop in Xiaowangzhuang buys plain cloth from weavers. Plain cloth is a cloth woven from cotton or hemp in the primary color, and after being sold to a dyeing house, it will be dyed into a variety of different colors and then sold.

Hua Rong and her sister carried all the horses of plain cloth woven by A-Niang into the carriage, turned around and asked, "Sister, which way are we going today?" ”

Hua Rong is obedient to this sister who is two years older than herself, just because she has never won against her sister in Feishi. Well, I haven't won more than my sister in terms of endorsement.

There are two roads to Xiaowangzhuang, the official road is flat, but it has been walking around the side of the mountain, and the road is much farther. There is also a smooth mountain road, which can also walk a narrow carriage like his house, but the road is not easy to walk, and the driving skills are good.

Hua Qiao and Hua Rong both followed Daddy to drive the carriage across the mountain road.

"There are goods in the car, when we go, take the official road more smoothly, and when we go back, we will take the mountain road, so we can go home early for dinner." Hua Tuan said cheerfully.

"......Gaunt" Hua Rong was naughty, learning from the groom of the horse gang, and sang with a whip in the air. The sister and brother set off with a smile.

Hua Rong drove the carriage out of the county before he heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him, and when he looked back, it was Xu Sange who was riding a horse to catch up, he pulled the reins and slowed down and asked: "Hua Qiao, Hua Rong, are you going out of the city?" ”

Xu Zhijin is nineteen years old this year, he has already shed the childishness of the year, he looks dignified, and he is a talent, even if his family is the lowest businessman, he can be regarded as a well-known golden beetle son-in-law in the entire Baoying County.

The year before last, Xu Zhijin won the first place in the hospital examination in the county and became the most beautiful child in Quanbaoying, and he has been preparing his homework at home since then.

In a few months, Xu Zhijin will participate in the August Autumn Festival in Yangzhou, if he wins the lift, in February next year, he will go to Shuntian Mansion to participate in the Spring Festival, if he can win the Gongsheng again, then he will stay in Shuntian Mansion until April, and the next palace test will let the emperor point the champion.

"Yes, Third Brother Xu, we are going to Xiaowangzhuang to make cloth. What about you? Where are you going? Hua buckwheat happily replied.

Hua Qiao only studied in Wangnan Private School for two years, because Mrs. Xu, the mother of the three brothers of the Xu family, objected to Hua Qiao's stay in the private school on the grounds that "men and women do not sit at the same age at the seventh age", and even threatened to stop the academy worship. Hua Youcai didn't want to embarrass Mr. Wu, so he led Hua Buckwheat home and became Mr. Hua Buckwheat himself.

Xu Sange always felt that his mother had caused Hua Qiao to miss school, and he was very upset, so he tried his best to make up for his mother. Every once in a while, he copied an extra copy of the notes copied in the private school and secretly sent it to Hua Qiao, and if she asked, she would explain it for her.

This persisted until Hua Qiao was twelve years old, and Xu Zhijin was already sixteen years old, and the two were no longer convenient to communicate alone, so they stopped.

For this matter, almost all of Xu Zhijin's pocket money was spent on buying food for his second brother.

When Xu Zhijin heard the location, he smiled brightly: "Such a coincidence? I went to Xiaowangzhuang to collect rent for my eldest brother, and I happened to be on the same road as you. ”

Today, Xu Zhijin was bored with reading books and wanted to go out for a walk, so he soaked for a long time before he begged for an errand from his eldest brother. I'm so lucky!

Now Hua Rong is happy, he has just learned to ride a horse at this age, where is he impatient to sit in the carriage in all directions? Since they were on the same road, Hua Rong strongly asked to change with Xu Sange.

Xu Zhijin was secretly happy in his heart, and he didn't shirk it, he happily gave the horse to Hua Rong, sat in the carriage himself, and drove for Hua Qiao.

Soon, they finished the affairs of Xiaowangzhuang, the buckwheat was sold for five taels of silver, and Xu Zhijin also received ten taels of silver for rent.

The three of them turned around and went up the mountain road.

"If I'm not here, you're going to drive the carriage down the mountain road? It's too dangerous for the carriage to walk the mountain road, Hua Rong is still young, and you are a girl......" Xu Zhijin said with some worry.

Hua Qiao looked at the slope on the right side of the carriage, pursed her lips and smiled: "Why don't you dare?" I've walked this road with Daddy several times. ”

She pointed forward with her hand and said, "Look, the turn ahead is the hardest, you hold on to the left reins and don't let the horse go crooked." Our axles are narrow, and as long as we go through the bend in front, the road behind is easy. ”

Hua Rong, who was only heard riding in front, shouted loudly before the turn: "Oh hey! There's a car coming, there's a car coming! "This is what Daddy taught them, the road is narrow, and there is no one on the other side, so call a few times to remind others to pay attention, it is not easy to collide.

"In a few days, I'm going to Yangzhou, and my father found a academy in Yangzhou for me,......" Xu Zhijin was saying, but was stopped by Hua Qiao patting his arm.

He followed Hua Qiao's gaze and looked down, only to find that Hua Qiao was completely attracted by the black thing under the hillside, and he didn't hear what he just said.

Waiting for the carriage to turn smoothly around the sharp corner, Hua Qiao pushed Xu Zhijin and said anxiously: "Third Brother Xu, stop quickly, what do you see the black thing under the ravine?" How do I feel like I'm wrapped in someone? ”

When Xu Zhijin heard this, he was also taken aback, and hurriedly found a spacious section of the road to park the carriage. Hua Rong, who was riding a horse in front, saw them stop, so he turned back and asked strangely, "Sister, what's wrong?" Why don't you leave? ”

Hua Qiao had already jumped out of the car and was about to go down the hillside, she turned around and whispered to Hua Rong, "I'll go down and see, there seems to be something in the ditch." You look at the carriage from above, and the silver is hidden under the bench. I'll call you for something. ”

Xu Zhijin walked in front of her, looked back and smiled, and said, "Danger is for women, so what do you want us men to do?" I'll go down too, and you'll follow me, and it's raining, so be careful of slippery slopes. With that, he walked down the grassy slope slowly, half-slippery, half-slippery.

The two of them slowly approached the black thing one after the other, and before they could get to the front, Hua Qiao whispered, "That's right, I'm sure it's a corpse inside." ”

Xu Zhijin is not surprised, he has known Hua Buckwheat for ten years, and he has not taught Hua Buckwheat's nose once or twice. Knowing that it was a corpse, the two were more cautious. Xu Zhijin found a branch and picked up the black cloth wrapped on the outside, revealing a dead face inside.

It was a young man.

Hua Qiao bent over and looked at it carefully, and found that there were already one or two fly eggs on the nostrils of the corpse, so she said:

"The time of death is a maximum of three days, and the deceased is not more than twenty-three years old. Although I can't see the cause of death, it will definitely not be a natural death if I throw the body like this, Brother Xu, let's stay here and let Hua Rong hurry back to the county government to report the case! ”

Xu Zhijin nodded, looked left and right, there were thick rotten leaves in the ravine under the slope, and there was no place to sit, so he said: "The county seat is not so fast, let's go back to the carriage and wait." ”

But it's easy to go downhill, it's hard to go uphill, and it's slippery to go up, and it's not easy. The buckwheat walked two steps and slid three times.

Xu Zhijin hesitated, stretched out his hand, pulled Hua Qiao's wrist, and the two cautiously went uphill.