Wen Yi was immersed in thoughts, but she didn't know what she was thinking, she just felt messy, sweet for a while, shy for a while, frightened for a while, and uneasy for a while. His eyes kept staring at the small drawer with the magnolia hairpin locked, until the knock on the door sounded, Fang woke up, hurriedly adjusted his makeup in the mirror, took a few deep breaths, silently recited the Buddhist scriptures, and when his mood calmed down, he said lightly: "What's the matter?" ”

Outside, Xiuzhu said: "Miss, a word came in from the front, saying that the young master of the Nie family is here and is waiting in the front hall." ”

Wen Yi was stunned, hurriedly walked in the direction of the door, and halfway through, she suddenly remembered the brocade box, hurriedly folded back and broke up the sachet, piled up the bottom of the box as much as possible, and then covered the lid, walked out of the door, and saw the hollyhock coming towards her, so she instructed her: "You put away the brocade box, don't ask someone to use the things in it." Confusion flashed in Okly's eyes, but he quickly responded.

When Wen Yi arrived at the front hall, she saw Nie Heng sitting upright on the chair, holding the armrest of the circle chair with one hand, and the edge of the coffee table with the other, faintly, his nails were white. She was secretly frightened, hurriedly stepped forward to salute, and asked, "The eldest cousin is here, but what's the urgency?" ”

Nie Heng hurriedly saluted, then asked, "What did my cousin suggest in the letter, but what do you know?!" Could it be that the situation in Pingyin is really so critical?! ”

Wen Yi was stunned, and then she understood why Nie Heng came in a hurry, so she frowned and said, "I heard that the day of the government examination is just these days, did the eldest cousin rush over from the city just to ask me this?!" No matter how critical it is, it's not bad for a few days, if you delay your eldest cousin's scientific expedition because of this, how can you live?! ”

Nie Heng shook his head and said, "If you can't catch up with this subject, it's the same for the next subject." I had given up the idea of the imperial examination, but now my health is improving, but it is just to fulfill my long-cherished wish and to comfort my parents. But as soon as I received my cousin's letter, I couldn't sit still anymore. Although Pingyin is not an ancestral home, but my Nie family has settled here, it has been twenty or thirty years, I grew up in the city, every grass and tree, are very familiar, not to mention that the foundation of my Nie family's industry is here, if Pingyin suffers, not to mention my own family business, it is the old father in the city, and there are also worries about life. How do you tell me to settle down?! ”

Wen Yi sighed helplessly when she heard this. In her opinion, the extent and scope of being able to reduce the harm of civil unrest as much as possible is already her limit, and the only one that can be saved is the Nie family, at most one more Qin family, but everyone else is separated from her, but it is because of a compassionate heart that she reluctantly helps each other. But in Nie Heng's view, Pingyin is where his homeland is, from childhood to adulthood, I don't know how many friends and relatives are in the city, and his feelings for Pingyin naturally can't be the same as Wen Yi. If he didn't know, forget it, but as long as he sensed that Pingyin was in trouble, how could he leave the people of this city and leave alone with his family?

Thinking about this, Wen Yi couldn't help but have a headache, so she had to confess her difficulties: "Big cousin, actually...... It's not that I know what's going on, but I vaguely feel in my heart that the current situation in Pingyin has really reached a very critical time. In the early spring sowing season, there were already omens, and now at the turn of spring and summer, it is the time when the green and yellow are not harvested, and the signs are even more obvious! It's a pity that the rich people in Pingyin County haven't realized it yet, so they just blindly indulge their greed and seize people's land and real estate, and the government is even more resigned. Those people who have lost their land and homes are also good citizens, but it is difficult for them to even support their wives and children at the moment, if they are cornered, who can guarantee that they will not take risks?! If something really happens, I am afraid that few wealthy families in the county will be able to escape! ”

What she said was the facts she knew in her previous life, but Nie Heng had never experienced it, she was only stunned when she heard it, and she was still struggling: "In the past few months, I have tried my best to persuade my father and uncle, as well as a few wealthy families who have been friends with each other, to give soup and medicine to help the poor. Although they are having a hard time now, they can still survive. Besides, those people are good people, as long as they are not in a desperate situation, how can they rebel? Suddenly paused, and his face turned pale: "No...... In the Taiping Mountain, there are mountain bandits......" He looked up at Wen Yi, obviously having figured out the key. Wen Yi nodded solemnly.

Yes, if it is an ordinary poor person who has been driven into a desperate situation, at most he will fight with the enemy or creditor with the murder weapon, and he may not rise up. However, there were mountain bandits in the vicinity of Pingyin, and for several years, these bandits used to be ordinary people in their early years, and they were all towns and villages, even now, when the mountain bandits were eradicated by the officials and soldiers, they could still find out ten or eight people who had distant relatives with them around Taiping Mountain, and perhaps there were people who had mixed in the mountain bandit villages, but were good before the officials and soldiers took action. With such a background, no one knows if someone will learn from the mountain bandits to go up the mountain and fall into the grass! Or incite the poor to cause great trouble!

Nie Heng took a deep breath and stood up suddenly: "No! This matter must be reported to the government as soon as possible! Take precautions! Wen Yi hurriedly stopped him: "Big cousin! You just ran to the county government and said such things, is the county magistrate willing to listen?! Nie Heng gritted his teeth: "Then I want to do it and let him listen!" Wen Yi hurriedly said: "Big cousin, these are our speculations, no one knows if there will really be chaos, in case not, the government listened to your words and treated those poor people as chaos, wouldn't it hurt them?!" ”

Nie Heng was embarrassed for a while, sat down on the chair in frustration, and sighed: "Is ......it just like this?"

Wen Yi could only persuade slowly: "Big cousin, things haven't happened yet, and there are limits to what we can do." I still have my own property outside Pingyin City, how can I not be in a hurry? But he can't make a big splash, so he can only try to suppress the signs of chaos in secret. If you have the heart, go back to the city as soon as possible to finish the government and hospital examinations, and then go home and persuade your uncle and aunt to do as many good deeds as possible, whether it is to reduce the rent, or to give porridge and rice, so that there will be fewer people suffering. Then he said what he had done in the area of Xishan Village, "That's it, if a peasant has no money to repay the debt, let him pledge the land to you in exchange for money to pay off the debt, but after paying the debt, still let them cultivate their own fields, and the debt will be repaid in several years, as fast as one or two years, or as slow as five or six years, and when the debt is repaid, the land will still be theirs." We can still rent for a few years for nothing, and we have a good reputation, and we will not suffer. The eldest cousin can also tell your uncle that this is for your reputation in the future, and then tell your aunt that it is to do good deeds for you and accumulate virtue. Uncle and aunt are most concerned about the eldest cousin, and they will naturally do their best for you. Now that we can save one person, perhaps, because of this bit of good karma we have accumulated, those people can have a way to live, and they will not be forced to take risks? ”

Nie Heng smiled bitterly and said: "I have heard that you have done it in Zhuangzi, and the old lady of the Gu family is rumored to be kind in Pingyin County, and now even the farmers in the east of the county are admiring it." It's just that in this way, how can your family support it? ”

Wen Yi smiled and said, "I only sent five hundred taels of silver yesterday, which should be able to support two months." When I get through this year, I am afraid that all the income added by the family in the past two years will be lost. But when you think of this little good deed, you can live countless people, which is the supreme virtue, so what does it matter if you suffer a little loss? ”

Nie Heng stood up solemnly: "My cousin is right, but it is me who is in love." If the family wealth is less, it can be operated again, but human life is important. After thinking about it, he said, "Without further ado, I'll go back tomorrow to make arrangements." ”

Wen Yi was anxious: "What should I do if I try to do that?!" Nie Heng shook his head: "What is the purpose of studying for the scientific examination?" Isn't it just to be an official in the future, benefit the people, and add glory to the ancestors? Now that I see that a catastrophe is coming, I still remember my name, that is, I will be the champion in the exam in the future, and I will not have the face to gain a foothold in the officialdom! ”

Wen Yi was dumbfounded, and at this time, Mrs. Lu's voice came from the door: "The heart is still decent, but it's a pity, it's a mistake!" ”

Wen Yi and Nie Heng hurriedly saluted her, but Mrs. Lu ignored it, walked to the right seat and sat down with the support of Shi Nan, glanced at Nie Heng, and said angrily: "After listening to my words, are you not convinced?!" ”

Nie Heng hurriedly restrained his hands and bowed his head: "The juniors don't dare." He knew that Mrs. Lu had the most stubborn temper, and if she said it in accordance with her wishes, it would be fine, but once she violated her wishes, he didn't think she would have a good face.

Wen Yi had no choice but to defend him: "The eldest cousin is just a father who cares about Pingyin. ”

Old Madam Lu snorted coldly: "That's why I said he was confused!" He plans to save people according to your son, and he is kind of him, but he only treats the symptoms but not the root cause! Besides, with his own strength, how many people can he save?! I'm afraid that even if the family wealth is gone, it may not be able to calm down half of the turmoil! When the time comes, will you tell your father and sister to drink the northwest wind?! ”

Nie Heng looked ashamed, and his head hung even lower. Wen Yi whispered: "My granddaughter only has this son, so she ......"

Old Madam Lu glanced at her before she spoke: "My nine girls are daughters, and it is already the limit to be able to do this, but you are different!" You are a scholar, if you can test high school in the government examination institute, you will be a talent, and you will have your own future in the future, and the weight is not the same as now! At that time, if you go to the county order again, can he still be the same?! It's just that he doesn't do the same, won't you find another official?! Not to mention far away, the prefect of Pingyang can still manage the affairs of Pingyin County! ”

Wen Yi opened her mouth, but Nie Heng woke up like a dream: "Ah......"

"Ahh Old Madam Lu glared at him angrily, and said in a deep voice: "You go back and prepare for the exam with peace of mind, try your best to do well, if you can be the first to win the case, it will be the best!" After the list comes out, pull your uncles, uncles, uncles or something, and go around in front of the lords of the government, if you can win the appreciation of one or two of them, in front of the Pingyin County Order, you will naturally add another bargaining chip! Your current county honorable person, I heard that he is not a foolish person, but he can only be mediocre, but he still knows the priority of things. If there is a mess in Pingyin, even if his life is saved, his career will come to an end. If you confess the important things to you, will he still be stubborn and find death?! If he wants to find death, you go to Pingyang to think about his son! ”

Nie Heng didn't say anything, just knelt down solemnly and made a big salute to Old Madam Lu. Old Madam Lu was a little angry and waved her hand: "Go, don't think that you are smart since you were a child, you can read, and you have nothing to fear." There are countless people in the world, is it so easy for you to be the head of this case? If you don't do well in the exam, people won't take you as an ordinary showman! ”

Nie Heng just smiled and said, "Don't worry, the juniors know it." ”

Mrs. Lu nodded, ordered him to get up and watch the tea, and suddenly asked again: "Today's ninth girl's birthday, you have already sent a congratulatory gift before, why did your family send another one today?" ”

Nie Heng had never heard of it, so he was stunned: "Huh? ”

Wen Yi hurriedly interjected: "The gift given to me by my eldest cousin seems to be a little too expensive, and I rarely wear such gorgeous jewelry." ”

Nie Heng smiled: "You are going to be in time next year, and it can't be compared with when you were a child, so naturally you have to add a few decent jewelry hairpin rings." At the beginning of the month, I accompanied your sister Xiaoshu to the silver building to pick out new jewelry, and she picked a box full of them! Pieces are no worse than your pair of hairpins! I actually saw that the hairpin was not bad, if you went to someone else's house to eat and drink, there should be two things to fill the scene, so you bought it, it is actually not worth anything. ”

Old Madam Lu nodded and said, "That's right. Actually, I bought a few more for her, but she didn't like those things, and she didn't even use Zhuyu at home every day. I persuaded her a few times, but she responded at the time, and then turned around and forgot about it. Then he turned to Wen Yi: "Since it is your cousin's birthday gift to you, you just have to put it away and take it out when you go out." What's good? But it's just a meaning! You young girls, it's time to dress up! ”

Nie Heng smiled and said nothing, Wen Yiyuan didn't pay attention to these jewelry, Fang Cai was just trying to open the topic, he obediently responded when he heard the words, and then quickly turned the topic to Nie Heng's diet and living in Pingyang City, for fear that he would remember the question raised by Fang Cai's grandmother. After a while, Zi Ying came to greet Nie Heng, and she tried her best to limit the topic to Zi Ying's marriage.

Nie Heng sat for a while, still went back to the city, and before leaving, he also rewarded Ziying with two gold bills weighing one or two, added makeup to her, and promised to send a letter home to let her parents come to give her a wedding.

Wen Yi sent him out, seeing that his face had regained his composure, his heart was a little calm, and a smile appeared on his face: "Big cousin, and prepare for the exam with peace of mind, you should also pay more attention to your body." Don't be too anxious, in fact, if you don't do well in the exam, there are other children. "

Nie Heng turned his head and smiled slightly: "My cousin also underestimated me too much." In fact, to this day, those four books and five classics are in my belly, not missing a husband for a day or two. Half of my heart is gone, but I can still take the exam with peace of mind. ”

Wen Yi smiled: "Then I'll wait for your good news at home!" The eldest cousin also asked me to have a chance to show off to others, I have a talented brother who is the first in the case! ”

Nie Heng smiled, reached out and stroked her head, and said lightly, "It's hard for you." I always say that I will take care of you as a sister, but in fact, you have been taking care of me, but you have suffered a lot of grievances in secret. ”

Wen Yi was silent and smiled: "Big cousin, when you finish the exam, you will be engaged to the sister of the Qin family, right?" She's a good girl and deserves you. ”

Nie Heng nodded: "Don't worry." Then he saluted, got on his horse, and galloped away.

Wen Yi sighed secretly in her heart, and was about to turn around and walk back to the gate, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of someone looking at her at the intersection diagonally opposite, and turned her head to look, it turned out to be Liu Dongxing.