Zheng Haizhu and Zhang Yanke completed the survey, returned to the inn, and waited until the sun was in the west before Zhang Dai stepped into the door with his servant Agui.

Zhang Dai told the third brother and Zheng Haizhu that Yang Amo, a servant of the Yang family, went to the Baishi shop first to order a coffin for his master, but he seemed to be quite sloppy and impatient, and he threw away the silver in a short time, and sure enough, he went to the riverside. He wandered around several docks, talked to many boatmen and fishermen, and finally found a small sand boat, and turned back to the county town to the west.

Zhang Dai's master and servant also hired a boat to follow Yang Amo, and finally found him ashore and entered the Huizhou Hall in Shanghai County. Ah Gui inquired about the people around him, and Xiao Er, a rice paper shop, said that there were many guest rooms in the hall, and it was full of people for a while, and one of them was Master Yang.

"We haven't waited for a long time and haven't seen that Yang Amo come out, so I'll come back to discuss with you first."

Zheng Haizhu nodded and said: "The late autumn and early winter are the peak seasons for cotton cloth harvesting, and the cotton cloth trading in Songjiang is all done by Hui merchants, so in these two months, there are many Hui merchants. ”

Suddenly, he shook his head again: "No, today we are in the county office, and we see the well-dressed people who come to hear the lawsuit, all of whom are students with local accents or masters, and they have not seen Hui merchants." My family Master Han said that the three counties under the rule of Songjiang Mansion have built Hui Chamber of Commerce Pavilions, which are extremely orderly, and even can gather businessmen to dispute with the government about the amount of taxes. It stands to reason that such a group of people working together has such a big tragedy in the same township, how can no one go to hear the eucalyptus? ”

Zhang Dai groaned: "I think the same as Miss Zheng, could it be that the relationship between Master Yang and everyone is not harmonious?" ”

Zhang Yanke's eyes rolled, and he suddenly slapped the table: "Ouch, that's not simple, the peers are enemies, and it must be other Hui businessmen who bought that Yang Amo, killed Master Yang, and blamed Sister He." ”

Then he found himself and Zheng Haizhu at the back door of the Nine Lotus Nunnery, and told Zhang Dai about the key points.

After hearing this, Zhang Dai said sincerely to Zheng Haizhu: "Miss Zheng acts in a disciplined manner, and she has benefited a lot. ”

Zheng Haizhu returned the salute, twisted a piece of dim sum brought in by Agui to satisfy his hunger a little, and discussed with the Zhang brothers: "But there is still a lot of human and physical evidence, just based on what we have seen and guessed at the moment, we have recklessly lost the county master, one is afraid that he will not think so, and the other is afraid of startling the snake." It's late, I'll go back to the house first, after all, I'm on an errand for the Han Mansion, the old lady is open-minded, I don't want to lose my sense of proportion and blindly delay outside. Besides, there are some strange things in the bloody soil I dug up, which I don't know enough to solve the puzzles, so I have to ask the experts and report back to the two sons. ”

Zhang Dai hurriedly ordered Ah Gui to hire a carriage to escort Zheng Haizhu to Hanfu.

When he turned around and returned to the courtyard, he saw Zhang Yanke looking at him with a smile, so he said coldly: "What's wrong?" ”

Zhang Yanke dusted off the mud on his sleeves and said happily: "Big brother, even with Miss Wang, you haven't been so careful. ”

The girl Wang he was talking about was Wang Yuesheng, a famous prostitute from Qinhuai River in Yingtianfu.

How could Zhang Dai not know the third brother's voice, and said: "You cunning, you will only think about sloppiness in everything." ”

Zhang Yanke wiped his smile and choked: "Big brother, what he said is so unreasonable. Loving beautiful people, from emperors and generals to ordinary people, the most high-grade human ethics since ancient times, how can it be a sloppy thing. ”

Zhang Dai was speechless, the sorrow on his face gradually emerged, and he was silent for a while, and finally sighed: "You are right, you are narrow-minded for your brother." However, when I met Miss Zheng Pingshui, there was really no ripple between men and women, but I felt that she acted decisively, calmly and benevolently, so I really loved to deal with her. Yuesheng and her are very different, don't compare them together, Yuesheng is the person in my heart, it's just that I will live up to Yuesheng after all. ”

Zhang Yanke became more and more disdainful: "Brother, you are still praising that Zheng girl's decisiveness in the previous sentence, and the latter sentence reveals your cowardly thoughts. Look at you, a gentleman, not even a girl. For example, I mean, for example, if I love Miss Zheng as much as you love Yuesheng, I don't care which family my father and mother marry me, I have to bring Miss Zheng back to Shanyin. ”

Zhang Dai smacked at him and said: "Miss Zheng is so good-looking, but she combs herself at such a young age, and swears not to obey others, so she is a person who wants to help the main family take charge of a big business, will it be rare to be your concubine, and be jealous of your big and small female rolls all day long?" ”

Zhang Yanke scratched his head and said with a smile: "You can't write two words in one stroke, how can you bury your own brothers?" Okay, okay, Miss Zheng did us a big favor, and this son made fun of her behind her back, which is really not authentic. Brother, didn't you say that the old man of the Han family mentioned that this aunt and nephew of the Zheng family was originally from a scholarly family, and Miss Zheng didn't want her nephew to be a servant all the time, and wanted to open a workshop for her nephew to teach people crafts, so that he could have an industry under his name? I have always been knowledgeable and optimistic about this Zheng girl, otherwise, our brothers will invest money in her aunt and nephew, and simply make it more decent. It's like getting a small Shaoxing hall in Songjiang, and the merchants who are good friends with our Zhang family, the Qi family, and the Wang family, if you come to Songjiang Mansion to travel, you can also have a place to contact. ”

This time, Zhang Dai firmly showed his impressed eyes for the third brother, and said sincerely: "Yanke, your thank you gift is really sincere." ”

……

Zheng Haizhu returned to the Han Mansion and saw his nephew Zheng Shoukuan and other servants gathered in one place to count the baggage of large and small cages.

"A distinguished guest from the house?" Zheng Haizhu stepped forward and asked her nephew.

Zheng Shoukuan said: "It's the uncle from the third grandmother's side who is here, Master Hu." The second master and the second grandmother were talking together, and dinner would start immediately. ”

Zheng Haizhu is clear.

Not long after she entered the Han Mansion, she figured out the approximate scale of the Han family's business and the main connections.

Master Han San, that is, Han Ximeng's little uncle, was originally responsible for the scientific examination, but he was inspired by God and followed the foreigners to preach, leaving behind the third grandmother Yang and the third lady Han Xiying, who was jealous of Han Ximeng. And the resentful woman Yang is looking for fault in the house all day long, but the second master and the second grandmother in charge of the family still let her and hold her, because her maiden family surnamed Hu is a big merchant in Huizhou, and buys most of the cotton cloth of the Han family every year.

Master Hu, who came today, is the eldest cousin of the Yang family and the head of the Hu family's business.

Zheng Haizhu thoughtfully tightened the burden of bloody soil in his hand.

Regarding some doubts about the blood mud, Zheng Haizhu originally wanted to consult Lao Peng, the housekeeper of the Han Mansion. Lao Peng has taken care of the Han family's cotton cloth industry for many years, proficient in printing and dyeing, and now that he is older, the second master asked Lao Peng to hand over the drudgery of staring at the dyeing workshop and loom to the apprentices, and entered the Han Mansion to do something to usher in and send and assign the work of the subordinates.

At this moment, Lao Peng commanded the maids and daughters-in-law to have a family banquet, and he was in a hurry, so Zheng Haizhu was ready to ask again tomorrow morning.

I don't want to, just after the next day, the prefect of Songjiang sent someone to Han's house, and asked Master Han to hurry up to his own weaving workshop to wait.

also specially advised that Zheng Haizhu should also be there, and his father-in-law had something to ask.