In the market town on the outskirts of Beijing, a small courtyard that has been renovated not long ago looks newer than the old houses next to it.

Chen Muzhi stood outside the courtyard gate, sure that this was Qin Yinian's home.

From time to time, memories of the ship would flood into my mind, and those years would become clearer and clearer. Chen Muzhi remembered that Qin Yinian once said that before he set out for the East China Sea, he used his savings from many years of war to buy a house in a market town on the outskirts of Beijing.

The renovation was for the purpose of redeeming Jiang Dai after the First World War in the East China Sea, and he planned to redeem his body for Jiang Dai, and from then on his husband and wife would follow.

"Tuk tuk", Chen Muzhi knocked on the courtyard door twice.

There was no movement.

"Tuk tuk tuk", this time it is three times, heavier.

Footsteps followed by the sound of the latch being opened.

The door opened, and an old man stuck out his head with a sleepy look, apparently awakened from his sleep.

Chen Muzhi was a little speechless, this point is not a place to sleep anyway, so, Qin Yinian doesn't care?

"What's the matter?" The old man asked in a loud voice.

"I'm looking for your master."

"Not at home."

"Where did you go?"

The old man looked at her: "Are you in the wrong place?" ”

This sentence made Chen Muzhi's heart tighten, and an ominous premonition rose.

"Is this Qin Yinian's eldest brother Qin's home?"

"Yes. But he went out to fight for a long time and never came back. The old man finally said something useful.

Chen Muzhi's feeling was even worse: "Is there anyone else in the family?" ”

"No, I was hired by him on an errand. Who knew that he would be heard from as soon as he left, and his salary would only be paid until the end of this month. If there is no news by the end of the month, I will go back to my hometown. ”

Chen Muzhi swept around the door, the yard was not small, but it was a mess, this old man received the salary, and he did not do the work well.

Fortunately, Tenghua has experience, and every time Chen Muzhi goes out in men's clothes, Fujihua will prepare enough silver and change for her.

Chen Muzhi turned around and walked to the pony's side and took out a bunch of money from the horse's coat.

The old man climbed the door, and when he saw the hanging money, his eyes straightened.

"That's enough to pay you a month's salary."

"Enough, enough!"

The old man didn't tell the truth, this hanging money was enough to pay him three months' salary.

"I'm Qin Yinian's friend, this is the return fee I gave you for him, let's leave now."

The old man's eyes rolled, and he immediately changed his hexagram: "This little brother, he wants to send me away as soon as he hangs the money, but it is not enough for me to return to my hometown." Before, General Qin could say that the return fee was five taels of silver. ”

Dream about you.

Chen Muzhi is generous, but she will never condone insatiable people.

Retracted his hand and put away the hanging money, Chen Muzhi smiled and said to the old man: "Then when I haven't come, old man, you don't want to go." ”

The old man was stunned, this child was gorgeously dressed, and he had fine skin and tender meat, and at first glance he was a rich kid who didn't know anything about the world, how could he be very shrewd?

He quickly figured it out.

Qin Yinian's house was just renovated before the expedition, and it was basically an empty shell, except for the yard and house, there were also some basic furniture that could not be moved. There's nothing to be gained by staying here. The old man originally planned to slap his ass and leave at the end of the month, but he didn't believe it.

But now with a penny, it's different. It's a lot of money.

Don't take it for nothing.

"Oh, forget it, I think this General Qin is also very thrifty, it's better to do a good job, and don't want his return fee."

The old man looked very conscientious, but his eyes were always fixed on the pony's coat.

"Give you half an hour, pack your things and leave."

Where does it take half an hour, the old man only thinks about the hanging copper coin, the sooner he gets it, the more relieved he is, for fear of flying away.

Besides, he really didn't have any luggage, so he rolled up two old clothes, carried a baggage, and appeared at the gate again in a blink of an eye.

Chen Muzhi really didn't want to look at him, so he handed over the copper money with one hand and the key with the other, and finally sent the old man away.

Qin Yinian's house was desolate.

From the yard to the house, Chen Muzhi turned around, and everything was born and destroyed.

She was disappointed that she didn't find Qin Yinian.

But seeing Qin Yinian's home become like this, she was even more sad.

Locking the courtyard door, Chen Muzhi led the pony and didn't ride, walking slowly, but he kept thinking in his heart, where did Qin Yinian go?

Maybe Uncle Zheng Mu will know?

No, no, no, you can't ask your uncle. The first is that he can't be involved, and the second is that no one can know that I'm looking for the truth about my father's disappearance.

Just as he was thinking about it, there was a knock on the door behind him.

"Anyone? Open the door! ”

It was the courtyard gate of Qin Yinian's house that was photographed.

Chen Muzhi hadn't gone far yet, and saw that it was a middle-aged man who was not good-looking, and he was still very aggressive, so he was a little worried.

But she didn't know what the middle-aged man was doing, in case she just had some entanglement with the old man, she didn't have to cause trouble. So he stopped and watched from afar.

"I came to pick up the object on the order of Young Master Qin, you open the door for the old thing!"

Young Master Qin? Could it be Qin Yinian?

Chen Muzhi quickly rummaged through his previous memories in his mind, but Chen Muxi's memory did not have Qin Yinian, because she never had contact with her father's subordinates; Chen Muzhi's memory is incomplete, and he can't remember Qin Yinian's specific life experience other than Jiang Dai.

only vaguely felt that he was not from a prestigious family.

Leading the horse over, Chen Muzhi asked, "This big brother, who are you looking for?" ”

The man didn't look at her, and said, "This is the other house of the young master of my family, I'll come and get some things." This old thing, where did he die? ”

"Don't knock, I just saw that he was gone."

Gone, it can be understood as leaving forever, or it can be understood as leaving temporarily. Anyway, whatever the man understands.

"Old thing, I haven't seen anything serious." The man muttered to leave.

How could Chen Muzhi let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and immediately stopped him: "Wait, where is your young master right now?" ”

The man looked at her: "The young master of my family is naturally at home." That is, the ancestral house of the Qin family. ”

"May I ask where is the ancestral house of the Qin family?"

"Dongshikou Wuying Street...... Hey, why should I tell you? The man waved his hand, "Cut, gone, inexplicable." ”

As he spoke, how did he come to be, but he also left. And the foot is extremely fast, and it really looks like he has been running for a long time, and he has some vague skills.

Chen Muzhi always felt that something was wrong, but he couldn't say it.

But no matter what, this is always good news, at least Chen Muzhi can now be sure that Qin Yinian is really alive.

And I also knew the address of the Qin family. It wasn't very detailed, but it was enough for her to inquire.

"Dongshikou Wuying Street ......," Chen Muzhi muttered and repeated.

This place sounds prosperous, but the people who live there do not have any famous families, and this Qin family is at most a merchant, which can roughly match Chen Muzhi's previous memory.