Zheng Fan opened the package, took out a piece of cake, and chewed it carefully. Behind him stood an old man who looked like a servant, rubbing Zheng Fan's shoulders.

The two of them were under a large tree, and the sporadic sunlight shone on their bodies through the foliage.

Zheng Fan turned around and handed the old man a piece of cake, and said with a smile: "Uncle Guo doesn't have to be like this, I am no longer a young master, besides, you have watched me grow up, just like my relatives, take a break and rest, and continue to hurry for a while." ”

The old man took the cake, sat on the ground, and while eating, the old man burst into tears and sighed: "I think the old man is the foundation of the two Jinshi, the parents and officials of a county, clear as water, clear as a mirror, loved by the people, who wants to be framed, is it really a good person who does not live long?"

Zheng Fan also shook his head and smiled bitterly: "As the saying goes, if the Qing official is not at the end, there are no three generations of wealth and wealth." There are many clear people, there are more greedy people, and my father is alone, and he can't get them. ”

It turned out that Zheng Fan's father was a good official with clean sleeves, and last year, the imperial court inspection envoy came to the county, and his father was shy in his pocket, and he did not have much wine and meat to entertain, not to mention favors, and there was no trace of silver.

The inspector felt that he had been neglected, and when he returned to the imperial capital, he participated in Zheng's father's book, saying that he was corrupt and perverted the law, and the people were fished and fleshed, in short, it was all kinds of bad things.

Zheng's father is upright on weekdays, known as the title of an iron face, and has offended many powerful people, resulting in such an unjust case, and no one said a few good words for him.

Heaven decreed that the assassin should be filled with the army, and you should be the honor of a county, how could you endure such humiliation? He suffered from heart disease, was depressed all day long, and died of illness within a month.

When Zheng Fanfang took the Xiucai exam, he was planning to go to the state capital to participate in the township examination in three years, and he would study hard for ten years.

Unexpectedly, only a year later, my father was framed, the family was in the middle, and all the family wealth and mansions were taken away by the imperial court. When the old mother heard the news of her father's death, she was so sad that she committed suicide by hanging herself.

The vacancy in the county order was also filled, but it was his father's previous opponent, a big corrupt official. Zheng Fan knew that there was nowhere to go in Longping County, and he would definitely be squeezed by the new Zhixian County, and if he didn't get it right, he would lose his life, and he planned to go to Jiangzhou to join one of his uncles.

After this great disaster, the maidservants and maids of the family have already fled in all directions, and only one Guo Bo, who has served him since he was a child, is loyal and stays by his side.

But there was no entanglement in the hurry, and he went to Jiangzhou for 8,000 miles in the dust, penniless, and within a few days, he starved to death.

Fortunately, the name of Zheng's father was broadcast in the county, and the people who had received Zheng's father's favor knew that the little boy was going to go far away and had nothing to do, so they all came to give money. A total of ten taels of silver were obtained, which was equivalent to a strong laborer's income for a year without eating or drinking.

But as soon as the news of the people's gift of silver came out, there were those who had bad hearts and laid an ambush on the road ahead early, wanting to take the ten taels of silver.

When the master and servant left the county seat, they met five men. These five people deceived him, one old and one young, how can they have any ability? They didn't even bring a sword, but they didn't know that Uncle Guo had been practicing martial arts since he was a child, because he had received the favor of Zheng's father in his early years, and felt the grace of his acquaintance, and was willing to serve the dogs and horses for the rest of his life, so he stayed in Zheng's mansion as a housekeeper.

Over the years, martial arts have not fallen, with a good fist and kick, the five men who beat him turned to the ground.

Zheng Fan stepped forward and said: "A few big brothers, my family affairs have already spread all over Longyang County, I think you also know, we are old and young, to Jiangzhou, the journey is eight thousand miles, all relying on the old folks, scraped together these ten taels of silver, met the mountains and mountains, took a boat on the water, ate and dressed, and counted on this bit of silver."

If you and others rob us, we will starve to death. ”

As he spoke, he took out five taels of silver from the package and handed it to a man who looked like a leader in front of him: "Big brother, don't be too little, take it to see a few injured brothers, and the rest of the money is enough for the brothers to eat a few times of wine, so let us, the old and the young, go over." ”

The leading man frowned and glanced at Zheng Fan deeply, took the silver and said, "The son has a heart like a valley, and he will go to Dingpeng for thousands of miles." ”

After speaking, he picked up a few men and returned to Longyang County.

Guo Bo clapped his hands and exclaimed, "Young master, how can you give half of the silver to this thief for nothing? Ten taels is not enough for us to arrive in Jiangzhou, and now there are only five taels left, how is this good?"

Zheng Fan found a big tree to sit down and enjoy the shade, took out a piece of cake and chewed it carefully: "Uncle Guo, I'm not afraid of thieves stealing, I'm only afraid of thieves." Ten taels of silver, not a small number, unless you kill all five of them, otherwise, they will not die of this heart. But if we kill five people, won't we provoke an earth-shattering lawsuit? There is no place for us to be the great general in the world.

I'll share half with them, and they will get it in the face, and they won't come back to entanglement. You and I are old and young, even if you are skilled, where do you have the energy to defend day and night?"

Zheng Fan didn't let Uncle Guo continue to rub his shoulders, and handed him a piece of cake, so that Uncle Guo sighed earlier.

"I have learned a good hand of words since I was a child, when I have no money, I can sell words, and I can also make a living, plus these five taels of silver, although it is a little difficult, but I can also maintain Jiangzhou, my uncle and father are friends of life and death. His daughter is betrothed to me, and although the family is in a bad way, I believe that my uncle is not that ungrateful. ”

Uncle Guo took a sip of water, smoothed the cake and said: "One is expensive and one is cheap, friendship is to see." One death and one life is friendship. It's too early to tell, and when we arrive..."

It was August, the hottest time of the year, so the two of them took a short rest, cooled a little, and continued on their way.

A horse costs three taels of silver, and a donkey costs a tael of silver. I don't have that much spare money to buy, so I have to rely on my feet. An hour passed, and it took me ten miles to travel.

Guo Bo is a person who practices martial arts, although his physical strength is good, but he is old, sixty years old, his qi and blood are not as good as back then, and his forehead is also densely contained.

Zheng Fan's little son also felt that his legs and feet were a little sore, and he couldn't bear it on his shoulders or lift it in his hands. I often read books without sleeping or eating, and I can't sleep all night when I read them. The body is really bad.

Zheng Fan held his waist and gasped: "People often say that they are useless scholars, and today I know that this is true." ”

Guo Bofu laughed and said: "Why should the son be arrogant, the literati will put pen to peace in the world." If you don't give up everything and devote yourself to studying, where will you be full of money? The physical strength is so good, and when I go to Jiangzhou in the future, I will teach my son to practice some simple martial arts, and it will naturally be no problem to strengthen the body. ”

When Zheng Fan heard this, his heart felt a lot more comfortable, after all, young people, some people praised their literary talents, and they couldn't help but be happy.

An old man and a young man were walking, and suddenly heard the sound of whipping horses in front of them, and the dust and smoke were rising in the distance, and in a moment, a group of about 30 people rode high-headed horses, holding big knives and stopped in front of the two people.

The leader is a woman, her face is like a peach blossom, her lips are adorned with cherry blossoms, her eyebrows are heroic, and she is holding a cowhide whip in her hand, which is a little more evil.

The woman condescended, glanced at Zheng Fan, and then took out a small bronze box from her arms, opened the box, and took out a small blood-red mirror. Facing the mirror, his lips moved slightly, and he had words.

Zheng Fan looked at the group of people in front of him, and said in his heart: "Bitter, Fang went to the wolf, and came to the tiger and leopard, the barren mountains and mountains, this group of people think they are robbers, although Guo Bo's martial arts are high, how can he beat this group of strongmen with knives?"