Early in the morning of the second day, before the sky was bright, several roosters in the small mountain village had already begun to compete to report the dawn, and their voices were loud and loud.

Picking flowers and Shanzi didn't have the habit of sleeping lazy, so they got up early and quickly put on a torn jacket and went to the ground, but they couldn't find the shadow of their sister-in-law outside the house.

So the trace of fear buried deep in their hearts completely exploded, and Wow Wow cried and ran to find Chunni.

Chunni and his wife didn't sleep well this night, Chunni hated her in-laws for their dirty thoughts, and because there was no evidence to accuse, she could only hold back in her heart and say it to Liu Housheng. And Liu Housheng felt that his father and mother were too stingy, so that he couldn't raise his head in front of his father-in-law's family.

Both husband and wife were in a lot of thoughts, and they barely slept until it was almost dawn. As a result, as soon as I took a nap, I heard two children knocking on the door, crying that the grass was gone, and the two of them were also anxious.

Although they knew that Pu Cao was so smart that there must be a reason why she didn't return at night, the two were still afraid that she would encounter any danger, so they hurriedly put on their clothes and went out to help find her.

Liu Housheng limped to the door of the greenhouse, opened the door and saw Pucao sleeping there, so he hurriedly returned to his height and called Chunni and the two children.

Pu Cao was awakened, stretched, rubbed her sore back, and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Chunni just opened the door and came in, which was really angry and funny. stepped forward and stretched out his hand to fight, but finally turned to pull off the two straw sticks on her head, and said angrily, "Why did you run here and sleep, the two children got up early and couldn't find you, and they were frightened." ”

Pu Cao hurriedly went to look at the two children standing on the side, and sure enough, their big eyes were red. She hurriedly took their little bodies into her arms and complained, "You two little fools! How many times has my sister-in-law said that she will not leave you behind. My sister-in-law came to add firewood to the stove and accidentally fell asleep, so don't make such a fuss next time. ”

The two children were silent, and their little hands held her neck and they didn't let go. Pu Cao comforted them for a long time, and then took them out and went back to the front yard.

After such a toss, the sky that had been gloomy for a few days finally floated small snowflakes, the color was white and flawless, and the figure fell lightly.

At this moment, the beauty of the first snow infected everyone. The two children, who were still full of tears, also temporarily put aside the panic in their hearts, ran to the empty garden with cheers, and kept jumping up to pick the small snowflakes.

Pucao and Chunni also reached out to take a few pieces, and when they saw the snowflakes melting in their palms, they couldn't help but smile.

Winter is coming, will spring be far away? And before the real spring comes, they will use their hard work and wisdom to send a corner of the beautiful spring scenery to the world in advance, and also plant the happiness of the two families and the good days of the two families...

They all turned their heads and looked at the even ugly adobe house, full of hope...

On this day, it was sunny after the snow in Cuiluan City.

The faint sunlight shone down on the streets, on the rooftops and on the treetops, adding to the pale color of the snow, which was already an inch thick.

Ignoring the scolding of their parents, the naughty children ran out of the yard and gathered on the street, whistling, laughing, and playing.

Pedestrians are occasionally swept away by the loose snow balls, and they just laugh and curse twice, and don't really care.

Although half of the year is winter, which occasionally makes people feel lonely, the people of Cuiluan City, who grew up in this icy and snowy land, have a special attachment to snow in their bones. It seems that only when it snows, their hometown begins to show its true charm, and the joy of the children is also an important part of that charm.

Just after noon, a carriage turned into the entrance of Qingshi Lane in the east of the city. The creaking sound of the wheels rolling on the snow echoed in the quiet alley, and it was very clear.

The coachman sitting on the wheel in front of the carriage stretched out his hand to rub his face that was red from the cold wind, turned his head to look at the young man sitting on the other side of the carriage, and whispered, "Steward Chen, this is Qingshi Lane." ”

The little steward nodded, turned his head and said to the car, "Grandpa, we'll be there soon." ”

An old man's hoarse voice in the car responded, "I know, the young master's garden is called Nian En Garden, you look carefully." ”

"Yes, Grandpa." The little steward jumped out of the car directly, and first led the way to find the house, and finally found the yard at the end of the alley. He couldn't help but smile on his face, and shouted, "Found it." ”

The coachman quickly tightened the reins of the horse and stopped, and the little steward stepped forward to open the car door, helped out the grandfather with gray hair and a clear face, pointed to the black gate and said, "Grandpa, this is the young master's residence." ”

The old man also had a happy look on his face, squinted his eyes slightly to look at the plaque, and sighed after being silent for a long time, "The young master is a filial person, and I am afraid that I am still thinking about the second lady every day." ”

The little steward was afraid that his grandfather would be cold, so he took a few steps up the steps to knock on the bronze knocker. Soon a porter came running and opened the small door, and was a little surprised to see that they seemed to have come from afar, and asked, "Who are you, and is there something wrong?" ”

The little steward smiled, "This little brother, this is Fang Jie Fang's son's mansion, right?" ”

The porter nodded, "Exactly." ”

"That's great," the little steward's face was even more joyful, "Please let the little brother inform the young master, and he will say that the shopkeeper Chen in the capital has personally come to deliver the account book." ”

The porter looked at the old man standing at the foot of the steps, and heard the little steward call his master a young master, and immediately guessed that this was a person from the old mansion, where did he dare to be embarrassed, and hurriedly said, "This big brother quickly invite the shopkeeper to come in the gatehouse to rest, and I will go in and report immediately." ”

With that, he turned around and called out to another porter to greet him, and then trotted into the back house.

A small piece of plum forest is planted in the northeast corner of Nian'en Garden, although it is not yet the time for the flowers to bloom, but the early snow pressing the branches is also a beautiful scenery, Fang Jie made an appointment with three or five friends who are sitting in the pavilion to talk about wine, occasionally writing two poems, it is difficult to say the advantages and disadvantages but also quite comfortable.

One of them, a Xiucai named Feng Chong, has the best friendship with Fang Jie. Listening to his casual poems, the artistic conception is far-reaching and the rhetoric is gorgeous, and I can't help but feel sorry for him, "Brother Boya, it's a big pity that such a talented person doesn't take the merit and fame." ”

The rest of the people, whether they were sincere or fake, also nodded in agreement, "Exactly, exactly." ”

Fang Jie raised his head and drank the wine in his hand, hiding the bitterness that flashed in his eyes, but the smile on the corner of his mouth became more and more evil, "I only love that thing in my life, as for poetry and books, I can just read them in my spare time." If I hold on to it every day, I'm afraid I'm going to have boring gray hair. So it's better for all the brothers to study hard, don't worry about the little brother.

The younger brother prepared the world's fine wine and the beautiful scenery at four o'clock, and when the brothers were bored, they came to the younger brother to relax. In the future, when you really have high-ranking officials to sit on and horses to ride, don't pretend not to recognize the little brother. ”

Everyone laughed, "With such an outstanding friend as Boya Virtuous Brother, how can we be the ones who forget the rich and the rich?" ”

After laughing for a while, everyone refilled with wine and drank happily, and it was just when they talked about the excitement and other idle things in the city, that a small servant ran in and whispered that there was a visitor.

Fang Jie smiled and confessed and turned out of the door, and when he heard the waiting porter say that it was the shopkeeper of Jingli Chen who was there, his face was obviously happy, and he immediately rushed to the porter to greet him.

"Uncle Chen, why are you here? It's so cold and I'm still rushing to the garden, if there is something to ask Chen Zhong to come here. ”

Old Shopkeeper Chen was sitting in the foyer drinking tea, and when he saw his young master coming in, he hurriedly stood up and saluted, but was stopped by Fang Jie and helped him to walk to the backyard with his own hands.

All the way through the corridor to transfer, you can enter the flower hall to sit. Old Shopkeeper Chen looked Fang Jie up and down with a smile, and said with joy and emotion, "Young master, I haven't seen you for a year, but you have lost weight, are the people around you uncarable?" When the old slave returns to the capital, he will send Chen Zhong over to serve. ”

Fang Jie did not sit in the main seat, but accompanied the old shopkeeper to sit on the lower left hand, his heart was warm when he heard this, but he shook his head and said, "Uncle Chen, don't worry, I eat and sleep well on weekdays, but Uncle Chen is really thin."

Is it too painstaking to find those shops in Beijing? Uncle Chen will leave it all to Chen Zhong to take care of, you are in the old age, and it is time to enjoy the happiness of retirement. ”

The old shopkeeper Chen just smiled and didn't respond, but called his grandson forward and said, "Young master, this is Chen He, the eldest grandson of the old slave, who is now helping in the silk village." ”

Chen He hurriedly stepped forward to salute, Fang Jie nodded and helped him, asked a few words if the way was safe, and asked him to sit down and drink tea.

The old shopkeeper Chen heard the porter say that the house was setting up a wine banquet, so he said, "The young master greets the guests by himself, and the old slave will stay and serve the young master for a few days, and it will not be too late for the old slave to report to the young master later." ”

Fang Jie guessed that there must be something in the capital, and Uncle Chen, who had been cautious all his life, did not want to talk about it in front of outsiders, so he nodded and asked Dongzi to arrange a place for the old shopkeeper and grandson, and then returned to the garden.

When the sun was setting in the west, I finally sent off all the talented people who had fun, and the reception banquet was also placed in the flower hall. Fang Jie dismissed the maid who was waiting on the side, and in addition to the ancestor of the shopkeeper Chen, there was only the shopkeeper Luo of Baiyunju left in the house.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors, and a few more gossips, Fang Jie asked, "Uncle Chen, what happened in the capital, actually asked your old man to come in person?" ”

The old shopkeeper Chen didn't wait for an answer, he sighed first, "Young master, the old slave knows that several shops in the capital were run by the second lady back then, and you value it very much." However, now that the young master lives in Cuiluan City all the year round, he may not return to Beijing in the future, so it is better to... Why don't you just sell those shops? ”

Fang Jie put down the wine glass in his hand, and his two black eyebrows were already wrinkled, "Uncle Chen, did someone in the old mansion go to the shop to make trouble?" ”

Uncle Chen nodded, pondered for a moment before saying, "It's not a big deal, it's just... It was the old man who came forward to ask the old slave to withdraw the silver, and the old slave couldn't take out all the remaining 1,000 taels of silver on the account. After speaking, the old man got up and was about to kneel, "I didn't ask the young master about this matter in advance, it was the old slave who made the decision on his own, and asked the young master to forgive him." ”