On Chinese New Year's Eve, families keep the New Year, red lights are everywhere, and even the streets are faintly reflected in warm red tones.

At the time of the fifth watch, the rooster crows together, every household began to light firecrackers, the lively and festive firecrackers sounded in pieces for a while, the rich and noble people have set off fireworks, and the dark night sky is gorgeous and colorful in a flash.

Yan family, Yan Qu just got the New Year's red envelope from his parents, brother and sister-in-law, and he pulled Sanleng to the yard to prepare for fireworks.

"Bang Bang Bang"

There was a loud knock on the gate of Yan's mansion, but the sound was muffled by the sound of fireworks and firecrackers, and the people inside did not hear it.

"Bang bang bang bang......" The rapid knock on the door indicates the anxiety of the outsider.

"This, huh? Why did you hear a knock on the door, and before dawn, there were guests who arrived? "A servant passed by the gate, who had just finished his vigil and was going back to make up for sleep.

Shaking his head, he was still going to see if there was anyone outside the door, but he didn't delay anything for a while.

With a squeak, the door opened more than a foot wide from the inside, and the servant stretched out his head to look out through the light of the fireworks in the sky, and there were really people, looking like a young man, with dirty clothes and black ash on his face.

On the eve of the New Year, the first person to knock on the door turned out to be a beggar, and the servant broke the sentence "Bad luck." Then close the door.

Jiang Yuan, who was outside the door, pulled the door with one hand, and said hurriedly, "Bad luck, let me in, I have something important to tell Master Yan, I really don't have time to change my clothes, otherwise you think I will be so bad." ”

"Stop glaring, open the door quickly." Jiang Yuan ran around all night, and he didn't have much strength for a long time, but this servant was very angry, but he didn't open the door.

"You wait first, I'll go and report to the master first." The servant didn't know him, so he was afraid that he had come to make trouble, and when the time came, he would go in and disturb the master, and their mood would not be good.

Jiang Yuan couldn't, so he had to shout when the door closed, "Hurry up, this matter can't be delayed." ”

Yan Laozi sat on the stone bench wrapped in silk cloth in the courtyard, and said to the servants who came, "What can happen, invite someone in, today is New Year's Day, how can anyone turn away guests, even if you want to make trouble, where can you make trouble alone." ”

"The little ones will go right away." The servant turned around and left, happy, but he didn't expect the old man to be in a good mood today, and gave him a red envelope that was not big or small, although the people in the house had it every year, but they were all issued after dawn.

Master Yan was a little troubled by the fireworks, so he entered the room, although he could still hear the sound, but it was always a little smaller.

Jiang Yuan hurriedly entered the courtyard, originally thinking about what he wanted to say to Old Man Yan, but was stopped by Yan Rui.

As soon as Yan Rui saw him, he recognized that this was Jiang Yuan, the person he arranged in the Nanxiangzhai branch in the north, who was in charge of collecting the account books of each store every month and then handing them over to the head office in Chun'an County.

As soon as he entered the room, Yan Rui asked, "What happened, why are you in such a hurry?" ”

"Young Master, Nan Xiangzhai has been burned." Jiang Yuan said without a beginning or an end.

"Let's be clear, how can it burn." Yan Rui was stunned and said, it should be that there is an accident in the branch, and the main store will not be close to home.

Jiang Yuan sorted out his thoughts and continued: "My family lives near the Qingquan County branch, and not long after eating Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, I saw a fire in the store, and the store was not only wood but the account book, and this fire could not be extinguished together." ”

"Later, people from several nearby shops came to me, and according to them, there was a fire, and most of the things in the store were burned, so I rushed to tell you and Master Yan overnight."

"Do you know how many shops have been burned?" The first person that Yan Rui thought of now was Yan Lin, and apart from him, he really couldn't think of anyone else who would do this.

"When I came, I had already received news that five shops had been burned, and I don't know how many."

"But someone is hurt?" Yan Rui asked.

"I haven't heard of it, but what now? The wood in the store and the finished products in the warehouse are seriously burned, but at the end of last year, a lot of orders were received, and some of them have reached the time for delivery. Jiang Yuan said that he was obviously worried.

"Don't wait for tomorrow, it's estimated that someone will come at dawn." Yan Rui said in a deep voice and glanced at the night outside.

"Jiang Yuan, I have to work hard for you, you wait to eat something, just go and count all the wood burned in the store, and find out how much wood is still useful, as well as the orders at the end of last year are all for me, send them to the main store as soon as possible, I will wait for you there."

"Big young master, Jiang Yuan will go right away."

"Wait a minute, the store is on fire, and no one from the county government has come to ask?" He stopped Jiang Yuan, who was walking to the door, and asked.

"That's not true, it's really strange, young master, are you going to report to the official now?" Jiang Yuan turned around and asked.

"No need, you can go quickly."

When the fire started, I didn't see the people of the county government asking, and it was useless to report to the official, I am afraid that someone had already greeted the counties where Nanxiangzhai was located, or bribed the county orders to let them ignore the matter.

If it was really Yan Lin, then where did he get so much money and connections?

Yan Rui was puzzled, and went out of the study, and when he arrived in the previous courtyard, the fireworks had already been set off at this time, and Li Tianyan was cleaning up with Yunqing a little.

"Why are you so worried, what's going on?" Seeing him coming, Li Tianyan put down the things in his hand and looked at him with a worried face.

"What about father and mother?" Yan Rui asked without answering.

"Before dawn, go back to the room to catch up on sleep."

Yan Rui took her in his arms and said, "I'm going to Nanxiangzhai now, something happened, it is estimated that the store will be very chaotic at that time, I am afraid that I will not be able to take care of you, you are at home this time, listen to me." ”

"You should also listen to me, I have experienced life and death and I am afraid that this little wind and waves will not happen, of course I am not afraid, isn't it very urgent, let's go now." He took his hand off his waist, decisively took his hand and turned around and walked towards the intersection of the house.

When he came into contact with her gaze, Yan Rui knew that he shouldn't have said that just now, she was angry.

When I arrived at Nanxiangzhai, the sky has appeared fish belly white, this street is full of shops, now this New Year's Day, it is early in the morning, there is no one at a glance.

Along the way, Li Tianyan already had an understanding of this matter, is Yan Lin really him, she really hates herself now for being useless, and she doesn't have any good ideas to help Yan Rui with these things.