Liu Daqiang suddenly looked behind Zheng Haizhu and called "Mom".

It was Liu Zhutou's wife, who came to the river to wash clothes, and her face was gloomy and sad.

Zheng Haizhu wanted to catch her and asked.

Liu's wife put down the wooden basin, hugged her little daughter, and said the reason.

Liu Zhutou has a little brother, the year before last, he was a jinshi, and he did a year in Beijing to 'watch politics', which was appreciated by the imperial court, and was sent to Shaanxi to be a pusher last year.

There is a special gang in Beijing that targets poor low-level officials and takes the initiative to borrow their travel expenses through the introduction of so-called colleagues.

After arriving at the place of employment, officials often find that they have been passive in the written documents, for example, the word "month" in the monthly interest is more like "day", and what they actually owe is usury. At this point, the people of the loan shark gang will make all kinds of arbitrary demands, so that the officials can use their power to pay the debts.

If they do not comply, they will be harassed and humiliated in various ways, and even framed false accusations. Liu Zhutou, the younger brother of the sesame official, has recently been caught in a false accusation.

Zheng Haizhu heard this, and asked in surprise: "Your little uncle, in terms of speaking, like Master Huang of this mansion, he is a serious eight-grade civil official, how dare the ruffians be so arrogant?" ”

Liu's wife said: "Miss Zheng, Master Huang is from a family, Mrs. Huang's protégés are all over the south of the Yangtze River, and there are many officials in Beijing, who dares to bully Master Huang?" But those like us who go out from poor families are like ants and mustards in the officialdom. Those who lend money, where are the ordinary ruffians floating waves, the lords behind them are very powerful, and they can all make friends with the vassal kings or county lords and county lords in the north, pinch the ants to death, step on the rotten grass mustard, and it is a trivial matter. ”

Zheng Haizhu was worried when she heard this, squatted down, took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tears on Liu Xiaomei's face, and said to Liu's wife: "Do you want to raise money to have a relationship, so take Xiaomei for some money?" ”

There was no question in her tone, but Liu's wife covered her mouth and sobbed: "Miss Zheng, which one is a mother who is willing to hand over such a young child?" But the eldest brother is like a father, Lao Liu is so anxious that he can't do it, and it is easy to get to Shaanxi, and Mao estimates that he has to prepare at least fifty taels. His own monthly silver has not been paid in years, and his family really can't make up the number. The people who come to see the little sister are willing to give thirty taels, and Yangzhou is also richer than our Songjiang, so it may not be hard to be a child daughter-in-law. ”

Liu's wife's last sentence sounded like a comfort to the angry eldest son and the frightened younger daughter, but in fact, it was even more to coax herself to teach herself to believe that her own flesh and blood would have a bright future.

Thirty taels of silver, Yangzhou...... Zheng Haizhu was stunned in his heart.

When she traveled long distances with her nephew, the most dangerous time was when she ran into a gang of people and was almost robbed, but fortunately, she was vigilant and lucky, and asked several dart masters for help and was rescued. Although the dart masters were simple and upright, they spoke very aggressively, telling her that at her age, she could only be sold to people as concubines who filled houses or gave birth to sons, and they could not be sold at a good price, about ten taels of silver, but if they were Peugeot girls, they could be sold to Yangzhou as thin horses, which could be doubled.

Nowadays, in the three counties of Songjiang, the dowry of a solid tenant farmer will not exceed twenty taels of silver.

Let the little sister be a child daughter-in-law, and she is willing to pay thirty taels of silver?

I'm afraid I'm not going to sell it to a brothel to raise skinny horses, right?

Zheng Haizhu quickly calculated the remaining money at hand.

Although Yan Siqi has a full 20,000 taels of dividends plus new capital to give her to do goods in Jiangnan, but this time she has an adventure, the rhythm of everything is disrupted, and the bill of exchange has not yet arrived at Nanhui Tang Bo.

Mao Wenlong's son also sent eight hundred taels, but Zheng Haizhu handed them over to Zheng Zhilong for emergency relief, exchanged them for supplies, sent them to Daishan, and handed them over to Yan Siqi's many subordinates and salt worker families.

On the school's account, there was the injection of funds from the Zhang brothers in Shaoxing, but Zheng Haizhu was reluctant to borrow money from the public account for this matter.

Damn, sure enough, cash flow is king, and as the saying goes, a penny can't die a hero, it's good.

Boasting, she is also a small accomplished heroine, but when it comes to the end, WeChat wallet, ah no, in the money box in the house, there are only a few taels of silver, or the monthly salary of the Han family.

Fortunately, there are a few other pieces of gold jewelry in the money box, which can be exchanged for twenty taels if you take them away. Ask my nephew Shoukuanyun for a few months or two months, and get it together.

Zheng Haizhu has made a decision, so he said solemnly and listened to Liu's wife: "I am going to invite the silkworm Niangniang now, to make a long story short, thirty taels of silver, I will come out, I will definitely send the money tomorrow, don't send my little sister to be a child daughter-in-law, otherwise, I will ask Master Huang to take away your old Liu." ”

When Liu's wife heard this, of course she recognized that Zheng Haizhu was not a threat but a great help, but she couldn't believe it for a while, she only opened her mouth and couldn't speak.

His son Liu Daqiang clapped his hands with joy, pulled his sister over, and wanted to kneel down and kowtow to Zheng Haizhu.

Zheng Haizhu stroked his head and said, "You are also a half-grown child, in the future, don't just know how to burn ants to get angry, and come to your teacher!" Take my sister to school quickly, I don't expect you to kowtow to the Buddha, I just want you to study hard. ”

With that, she turned and trotted and got into the sedan chair.

Seeing the sedan chair walking away one by one, Liu's wife woke up, looked at her son and said, "This Miss Zheng is really powerful, the long-term employee of a big family has become so rich." ”

The son gave his mother a slightly cold look.

"Mom, Miss Zheng is not rich, she is just, she is heroic."

After he finished speaking, he was about to take his sister and walk in the direction of the school, but he saw a man in a long shirt coming towards him.

It was Lu Xiangsheng.

After Lu Xiangsheng saw that it was the brother and sister of the Liu family, he arched his hand to Liu's wife, reported to his family, and said to his two students with a pleasant face: "Are you going to the school?" You don't have to go, the two gentlemen who teach articles and geometry are sick. Mr. Yao was already on leave today. I haven't done it yet, and I can't teach. ”

Liu's wife has long heard the two children talk about a young talent from Yixing in the school, surnamed Lu, not as old-fashioned and boring as the old pedant, at this moment when she saw Lu Gongzi's real person, she immediately enthusiastically suggested: "Mr. Lu, let Daqiang and Xiaomei accompany you to walk around the Moon River, there is still a float to welcome silkworm Niangniang to see today, and the last time we locals saw it, it was five or six years ago." ”

Nine-year-old Liu Xiaomei, knowing that Miss Zheng had helped her out of bad luck, her worries and fears dissipated, and she recovered her childlike nature, and looked forward to seeing Miss Zheng's different dress than usual, so she also raised her face and said earnestly to Lu Xiangsheng: "Sir, let's go with us?" Ms Cheng is the lead usher this year. ”

Lu Xiangsheng originally came out to visit the bookstore.

A man who loves firearms and blades is really not interested in bells and whistles, folk temple fairs where women's homes are gathered, and so on.

Unexpectedly, when he heard that Zheng Haizhu would actually become the protagonist, he couldn't help but change his mind.

It's all here, let's take a look.

……

An hour later, on the north bank of the Moon River.

Amid the sound of firecrackers that exploded from time to time, a team of dozens of people walked in a circle.

After beating the gongs and drums, there are groups of two dancing silkworm lanterns with bamboo sticks, there are five or six girls holding fresh mulberry leaves, dipping the well water in the bucket and swaying, there are obviously martial artists from the troupe turning somersaults to warm up the scene, and there are many female rolls of silkworm households, handing out candy and rice cakes to onlookers along the way.

In the center of the procession, there is an ox cart, and in the gaudy and cheesy fake flowers, a white horse made of gauze stands high, and the body part of the back of the horse's neck is hollowed out, and it seems that a wooden pier is raised inside, and a woman stands on it.

"Miss Zheng! Brother, Mr. Lu, you see, that is Miss Zheng. ”

Liu Xiaomei, who got to the front row, drilled back and excitedly reported to the teacher and brother.

Lu Xiangsheng was much taller than ordinary villagers, and he could easily cross the head of the people and see the horses and people on the float.

When the float approached, Lu Xiangsheng couldn't help but sympathize with her very much after seeing Zheng Haizhu's situation clearly.

Miss Zheng wore a thick cloak that was neither white nor yellow, and held a tray in her hand, and sometimes staggered because of the bumps in the ox cart.

Now at noon in the summer weather, wearing such a cloak under the blazing sun, Zheng Haizhu is so hot that her face is red, and her sideburns are stuck to her cheeks with sweat.

The cloak was like a cocoon, enveloping Zheng Haizhu.

And the white horse tied out of the gauze silk is more like a strange zombie silkworm, surrounded by a cocoon.

No matter how the villagers around him applauded, Lu Xiangsheng could only read the crying and laughing on Zheng Haizhu's face.

Miss Zheng, who is simple and unpretentious and capable and quick-witted, is dressed up like this funny today, which is really indescribable.

Lu Xiangsheng turned his head, and was about to ask others how long this float would be paraded, when he suddenly heard an exclamation erupt from the front row.

"Fire, fire! Hakuba is on fire! ”

In an instant, people changed from ducks with their heads and necks stretched out to rats running away with their heads in their hands, and even Wu Sheng, who was still heroically somersaulting a moment ago, was full of horror and stumbled away.

Finally, there were still a few fellows who still had conscience and brains at the critical moment, tore off the curtains of the roadside shops, oilcloths and other things, and tried to go up to put out the fire, while shouting "Girl, jump down".

Of course, Zheng Haizhu was about to jump out of the car immediately, but the flames flew high in a few breaths, and just as she pulled her robe high and covered her head, the cow pulling the cart was burned because of its tail, and instantly ran wildly, causing her to fall into the flames.

"Daqiang, drive the cow into the river with me!"

I saw Lu Xiangsheng shouting while picking up the silkworm lantern bamboo stick that had fallen on the ground, tapping the ground with the stick, and jumping in front of the bull a few times, blocking the way of the beast.

Over there, the young Liu Daqiang also reacted very quickly, picked up a wooden barrel, and waved it to intercept the retreat of the bull.

The bull was hit back and forth, and the fire on his buttocks burned again, and without hesitation, like a chariot of fire, he rushed down to the Moon River in a daze.