I stood in the rain, looking at the boat quietly docked on the shore, and there was no movement—what was Uncle Ai doing?

"Miss, wait a minute, I'll go see grandpa."

Ai Susu on the side said, carefully handed over the umbrella to me, and got on the boat himself, I was still standing on the shore with the umbrella, and suddenly I heard Su Su's panicked voice from the cabin: "Grandpa!" Grandfather! ”

Her voice was full of panic and panic, as if she was about to cry, as soon as I heard that it was wrong, I immediately threw the oil-paper umbrella three steps and made two steps on the boat, the boat was rocking, I opened the curtain at the door of the cabin, and saw Su Su holding Uncle Ai shaking vigorously, and the little face that was still childish was full of panic that wanted to cry.

Uncle Ai, on the other hand, sat there with his eyes closed, motionless.

I could see at a glance that Uncle Ai was sitting cross-legged.

When I met and talked with him before, he was sitting on his knees, but in such a short time as I got out of the cabin and got off the boat, he became a cross-legged posture, his eyes were closed, and his dark face seemed to be frozen, without a trace of expression, no matter how Su Su shook him and shouted in his ear, he didn't react.

I suddenly became cold, and I bent over and stood in the cabin watching, and for a while, stretched out my slightly trembling hand and put it close to his nose.

Su Su looked at me blankly with tears in her eyes.

And my heart, the moment my fingers reached under his nose, sank.

There was not a trace of snort, and there was no more.

Su Su was still looking at me, although she could know the truth as soon as she stretched out her hand, but at this time she seemed to have completely forgotten about it, and pinned all her hopes on me, hoping that I would say that maybe her grandfather was just sick, just too tired, and just asleep.

However, when I spoke, my voice was fragmented: "Uncle Ai - your grandfather, he is seated." ”

As soon as my words fell, tears immediately fell from Su Su's eyes.

"Grandpa!"

Her cries of pain rang out from the small cabin.

I sat helplessly at the door of the cabin, and before the curtain could be lifted, and before it could fall, the cold wind and ice rain invaded, and soon drenched my whole body, bringing a biting chill; I looked at Uncle Ai's calm face, but I felt that the charcoal red on my chest was getting hotter and hotter.

Later, I thought that maybe Uncle Ai had already prepared for this a long time ago.

He didn't think about inviting me back from beginning to end, the reason why Yan Qingchen was able to invite him out of the mountain was because he finally got news from me, he wanted to see me, he wanted to hand over the things left by his mother to me, and he also wanted to know if I was doing well and whether I had suffered hardship.

And when he saw me and finished everything, he didn't have to worry about it anymore.

Perhaps, he also vaguely knew that if he returned empty-handed, the person who invited him out of the mountain would not give up like this.

So, he chose to leave like this.

Although he is a monk, I know that this person has never been quiet, even if he dies, he is also a big layman in the world, so I invited many monks to make a big water and land dojo for him in the largest temple in Qishan Village.

I don't care how tired he was of school, how much he loved power, and how much trouble he had for Fu Badai, but now, to me, he is an elder, a person who pours all his feelings into our mother and daughter.

Therefore, although I knew that if he was alive, he would definitely be angry, would firmly refuse, and might even shout "Folded life", I still knelt in front of his coffin with Li'er and kowtowed three times respectfully.

In the end, his remains were cremated.

Perhaps, we should choose a place with good feng shui for him and build him a large and flamboyant cemetery, but in the end he is still a monk, and Yangzhou is not his hometown, no matter what, he should also find an opportunity to send him back.

It's just that when I told Sù Susu about this idea, the little girl said very calmly: "Grandpa said before, if he leaves, let's cremate him and scatter his ashes from the Sanjiang Dam." ”

"Huh?"

I didn't expect Uncle Ai to be so--open-minded.

After death, people think about returning to their roots and pouring ashes into the Yangtze River, which is equivalent to the absence of bones, and it is not like what Uncle Ai would be willing to do. Su Su said softly: "When grandpa told me, I didn't agree, but he said that the Yangtze River is not water, but heroic blood." He is willing to blend in and watch the vicissitudes of heaven and earth. ”

“……”

I listened, but somehow smiled.

Uncle Ai, Uncle Ai......

I reached out and stroked the small urn and said, "If that's the case, it's fine, I don't have to find someone to send his ashes back to Xichuan." ”

Su Su listened, looked up at me suspiciously, and I said, "Su Su, don't go back." ”

She didn't seem surprised to hear this, but she wasn't too happy, she wasn't too unhappy, she just looked at me a little helplessly and a little indifferently.

I don't know how she feels about Nishikawa, or the deacon Nishikawa today, but I need to tell her about it. Uncle Ai would rather die than return to Xichuan, in addition to letting go of a qiē without worrying about the accident, that person's methods are also the reason for his success, Su Su is Uncle Ai's only granddaughter, in case she is angered, how can she bear such a weak girl?

I vaguely told her what I thought, and Su Su kept listening, but she didn't speak.

I waited for her response, waited for a long time, and said softly, "Susu? ”

Only then did she raise her head and look at me, in a trance: "Is it safe to stay here?" ”

"Anyway, at least it's better than you going back to Xichuan."

“…… Yes. ”

I looked at her and was still a little dazed, and said softly, "Don't you believe me?" ”

She looked at me and shook her head gently: "Actually, before coming to Yangzhou, my grandfather told me that if there is anything in the future, I must listen to the instructions of the eldest lady." The eldest lady asked me to go back to Xichuan, and I went back to Xichuan; The eldest lady asked me to stay, and I stayed. Moreover, grandpa also said that even if the son fights the world, he can't beat the eldest lady's place, so I don't have to worry, I will be safe and sound if I follow the eldest lady. ”

"Oh?" I was a little surprised. Uncle Ai protects me for a short time, I know it, but the short protection has reached this point, it is simply blind.

Compared to Xichuan, the soldiers are strong and strong, I am now just the owner of a small embroidery workshop, this is not even the difference between cloud and mud, if Xichuan's soldiers really come here, I am afraid that one breath will be enough to away, why is he so confident in me?

Seeing that I was still a little smiling, Su Su said: "When our ship was heading east, it stopped at Jiujiangkou for half a day, and grandpa talked to some people. ”

When I heard this, I was stunned for a moment.

"Jiujiangkou?"

Isn't that the place where Shen Xiaokun reformed Crouching Tiger Village, rescued Li'er from Pei Yuanfeng's hands, and later fought with Pei Yuanxiu?

Is it?

Su Su looked at me and said, "The mountain bandits in that place are no longer mountain bandits, if the imperial court gives them a name, they will all become a government office." ”

"Oh? How? ”

"Those people carved out their sphere of influence a few hundred miles away from Jiujiang. However, they did not rob the merchants who passed by, but collected their money as soon as those merchants passed Huaihua, and then gave a credential, and then set up checkpoints for the next thousands of miles of mountain roads, checking the credentials of those people, but also protecting their safety. If someone dares to rob the road halfway, they will clean up the people first without the caravan having to do it. ”

“……”

Su Su continued: "When those caravans leave Jiujiang, hand over the credentials to them and destroy them. The rest of the road is not up to them. ”

“……”

"If those caravans still want them to continue to protect, they will have to pay another money, and those people will send men and horses to follow the caravan along the way to protect their safety, but only Wuhu."

"......" I was stunned and speechless.

If you guessed correctly, it should be Shen Xiaokun's people.

I didn't expect it, I really didn't expect that a group of mountain bandits who did all kinds of evil, burning, killing and looting at the beginning became a fierce and orderly army in his hands, and now, it has become a disciplined and fierce armed organization!

Moreover, they actually used this method to make a living, firstly, they could make money to make a living, and secondly, they actually put that large area under their jurisdiction, and they became a kind of almost regular local army, which really killed two birds with one stone!

However, if you think about it carefully, Shen Xiaokun has a hand in governing the army, but he shouldn't be able to think of this method.

That, it should be Wei Ningyuan's handiwork.

Wei Ningyuan has been guarding Jiangnan for so many years, and he must have his own set, which seems to be more like his approach. It seems that they should have come together and fused, so that there will be such great achievements in the Jiujiang area now.

In the deepest part of my heart, I breathed a sigh of relief.

When I pointed out this path to Wei Ningyuan, I was indeed worried that he would be unwilling, and I was also worried that Shen Xiaokun's temper would not be able to tolerate him, but if the two of them merged, they would definitely be able to form a force that should not be underestimated, whether it was to protect themselves or to compete in the future, there would be a place for them. Now knowing the news of the two of them really made me feel a stone in my heart.

Su Su kept looking at me, and at this time said, "Grandpa said, that's the eldest lady's great deed." ”

"Me?" I came back to my senses, looked at her and smiled, "That's a man's business, it has nothing to do with me." I'm just threading a needle in the middle. ”

Su Su was noncommittal, and only said calmly: "But, grandpa said, that's the eldest lady's big strategy." ”

"Oh?"

Su Su said: "Grandpa said that there will be a battle between Jiangnan and the imperial court." If Xichuan takes advantage of the situation to send troops along Jiujiang, whether it is to help the imperial court suppress Jiangnan or help Jiangnan fight the imperial court, he can reap the benefits of the fishermen, and may even manipulate the future war situation. But now, the eldest lady is in Jiujiang, that is, between Jiangnan and Xichuan, and has pressed a nail. ”

"......" I didn't speak, and the cold sweat behind my back couldn't help but chill, and I felt like I was suddenly being seen through the internal organs, and I couldn't hide anything.

"With this force, Xichuan's troops will not be so easy to advance eastward, and if they really fight in the future, at least the battle situation will not be completely contained by Xichuan."