"Childe, there's a dock ahead!"

The old fish head set up the carriage, and sat on the wheel with his son Yu Chuer, the roof of the black shed, the curtain made of green cloth, in the carriage, Wang Zhong sat with a book, and there was a bag next to him, Wang Erxi carried a single knife, opened the vehicle, and looked at the lively and noisy street outside.

"Hmm!" Wang Zhong snorted, the blue book in his hand was still not put down, and his eyes were still on it.

"Childe, it's Brother Shi!" Wang Erxi, who had been looking out of the window, suddenly spoke, and the book in Wang Chong's hand was closed, and when he leaned over, he looked in the direction that Wang Erxi pointed, and sure enough, he saw Shi Heng, the helmsman of the Yangzhou branch of the Cao Gang, leading a few men with knives and sticks standing on the side of the road.

"Stop!"

"Phew!" Fortunately, the carriage only walked slowly, and the old man gently pulled the reins, and the carriage stopped.

"Stone Rudder Master!" Wang Chong took the lead in jumping out of the carriage and bowed to Shi Heng and the others: "I haven't seen you for a long time, and the demeanor of the stone rudder is still the same!"

"Let's meet Childe!" Shi Heng led a few people to bow to Wang Chong.

Shi Heng said: "I heard that Gongzi is going to Tokyo to participate in the next year's examination, so I and a few other brothers have come to see each other off."

"Thank you, Lord Stonerudder!" Wang Chong arched his hand and said, "In the future, the family business needs to be taken care of by the stone helm master!"

"Childe, please rest assured, although I, Shi Heng, have not read, but I also know what righteous anger is, in the past few years, Childe has taken such care of our brothers, and he thinks about us for any good things, our brothers all think of Childe's goodness, Childe is at ease in Tokyo to prepare for the exam, here in Yangzhou, there are my Shi Heng and Caobang's brothers, and no one dares to trouble Childe's family."

Shi Heng patted his chest and assured Wang Chong.

"That's going to be hard for the Stone Helm Master!" Wang Zhong arched his hand.

Shi Heng looks like a middle-aged man in his forties, but in fact, he is only thirty-five years old this year, just in the prime of life, but because he has been adrift on the water all the year round, he is naturally more old than those who are pampered.

"It's all my own family, so I don't need to say anything when I see it!" Shi Heng said with a smile on his face, and his words were quite bold, full of rivers and lakes.

However, Shi Heng's voice immediately changed and said, "It's not been too peaceful on the water recently, so Childe really doesn't need our escort?"

Wang Chongdao: "The kind-hearted little brother of the stone helm lord has received it, but the little brother is not alone when he goes north this time, but with our Sheng Tongju in Yangzhou, he is on an official boat, and the younger brother is white, it is not good to bring too many people, there is the second brother and the second junior high school follow, and it is enough, even if he really encounters a fish in the water, he also has his own official army to deal with it."

Shi Heng was stunned for a moment, and then reacted, "I see! We don't need to think about it!"

Since Wang Chong is taking someone else's boat, it is okay to only bring one or two people, if there are more people, who is to blame if there is a problem on the road? Wang Chong is not a human being inside and out.

"Then let's wish Gongzi this trip to Tokyo, have a smooth journey, the title of the gold list, and glorify the ancestors!" Although Shi Heng is a rough person, he has seen and heard a lot when he travels south and north, but he can also drag one or two idioms out.

"The auspicious words of the stone rudder!"

Bidding farewell to Shi Heng and the others, Wang Chong led people to the side of the big boat, and not long after, Sheng Hong, Changbai and Wang Ruofu's family came.

The luggage was sent to the ship in advance yesterday, and when he saw Sheng Hong coming, Wang Chong hurriedly greeted him, and greeted everyone in the Sheng family.

As Sheng Hong stood on the deck and waved goodbye to everyone on the dock, the big ship set sail and slowly sailed out of the dock, looking at the gradually disappearing dock, and the eyes of the two also moved away.

"This time you will try, can you be sure of Zihou?"

Sheng Hong stood on the bow of the boat with his hands in his hands, looking into the distance, I don't know whether he was looking at the river scenery on both sides of the river, or seeing the ships going south and north on the face, coming and going.

The big boat under his feet was riding the wind and waves, all the way upstream, feeling the breeze on his face, Wang Zhong replied: "But do your best, and listen to the destiny of heaven, whether you are in the middle or not, in the imperial examination, seven points depend on talent, and the remaining three points depend on luck!"

"What do you think of your luck?" flourishing

Hong asked again.

Wang Zhong said: "Although the fate is determined, the luck goes with the trend, the younger generation is confident and has a little eyesight, and now it is a fluke, I have to meet such a uncle as Bole, this time I will try, if there is no accident, it will be smooth sailing."

"Hahahaha!" Sheng Hong smiled and said, "Zihou has compared himself to that thousand-mile horse?"

Wang Chong smiled and said, "Since ancient times, those who have been talented must be proud, and they dare not be arrogant, but they are also a little arrogant!"

"Good!" Sheng Hong shook his sleeves and held his hands, and said loudly: "Youthful, it should be like this!"

"I have to bother my uncle to give me some advice!" Wang Chongdao.

"Zihou don't worry, although I am only a six-rank petty official, my Sheng family still has a little old in the court, and I also have a few good ones in the same year, and now I am serving in Beijing."

"Thank you, uncle!"

Although the two did not say it directly, they both knew what each other said, the way of the imperial examination, in addition to being talented and well-written, but also having the appetite of the examiner, after all, the examiner who scored the paper is also a person, and people have their own preferences.

"Zihou is seventeen years old this year, right?" Sheng Hong's voice changed, and he suddenly asked about Wang Chong's age.

The king said, "But he is seventeen!"

Sheng Hong turned his head to look at Wang Chong, and asked with a smile: "Now that Zi Houshang has no relatives, brothers and sisters in the afternoon, I don't know if you have considered your life's events?"

Wang Chong shook his head and said with some self-deprecation: "The student was born in a peasant family, and now although he has made a name for himself, he is still only a white body, without officials or positions, without relatives and elders to rely on, and without the support of the clan, which lady can look down on the student!"

"Zihou's words are a bit presumptuous!" Sheng Hong disagreed: "Zihou is my Huainan Road Xie Yuan, how can I be so light-hearted!"

"Uncle, forgive me!" Wang Chong hurriedly bowed down and apologized: "It's not that the students are arrogant, but they really know their own affairs."

Sheng Hong didn't argue with Wang Chong, but suddenly asked, "Does Zihou have a favorite girl?"

Wang Chong shook his head and said, "If the imperial examination is not successful, how dare the students be distracted!"

Sheng Hong nodded and said, "In that case, let's wait until after the spring festival to talk about this matter!"

Having said that, the evaluation of Wang Chong couldn't help but be a few points higher.

That night, the big ship stopped on the dock of a small town, and Wang Zhong sat in the cabin, remembering what happened with Wang Li a few days before leaving, and couldn't help but sigh.

After living under the same roof for nearly two years, Wang Li's thoughts Wang Zhong couldn't see it, but because of his face and limited to the kind of moral concepts engraved in his bones, Wang Li restrained himself and hid his feelings in his heart.

But when he knew that Wang Zheng had set off to go north to Bianliang, Tokyo, to participate in the spring festival of the coming year, Wang Li's heart began to waver.

If Wang Chong is in high school and is released as an official, it will not be so easy for Wang Li to see Wang Chong again.

And if Wang Chong is in high school, the eighteen-year-old Jinshi, the girl who wants to marry Wang Chong, will be like the carp that crossed the river.

Once Wang Chong became a relative and had a wife, Wang Li, as Wang Chong's sister-in-law, would no longer have any possibility with Wang Chong.

All kinds of sorrows came to his heart, and Wang Li could only use wine to eliminate his sorrows, and finally took that step through wine.

Wang Li also knew that there was no possibility between her and Wang Chong, so Wang Li would not hesitate to reject Wang Chong's first proposal and chose the second one without hesitation.

Although Wang Li's is a widow, but there is only one daughter like Wang Qian'er under her knees, after more than ten years, Wang Qian'er got married and had Ruyi Langjun, what about Wang Li's?

Wang Li was reluctant to leave the Wang family, reluctant to leave his daughter, and even more reluctant to save her from fire and water, and supported her and her daughter's little uncle Wang Chong.

So Wang Li desperately wants a son, a son who belongs to the old Wang family, to inherit the old Wang family, and to continue the incense for her husband who is a bad gambler.

It was precisely on this ground that Wang Li was persuaded and persuaded

Himself, through the wine, found Wang Chong.

Wang Chong could guess that with Wang Li's temperament, making such a decision was a kind of entanglement and even struggle in his heart.

So Wang Chong did not refuse, to be honest, although Wang Li's posture is not bad, it is only a middle-class posture, far from the point where Wang Chong throws away the bottom line.

It's just that night, looking at the poor woman and his sister-in-law, Wang Chong still relented in the end.

Send her to remarry? Or do you just take her niece Wang Qian'er to be widowed for the rest of her life?

It is better to follow her wishes, give her an heir, and fulfill her thoughts.

As for his own reputation, and even the opinions of others, as far as Wang Zhong is concerned, it is not important.

As long as it gives peace of mind to the poor woman!

As for the problems that may be faced in the future, it is up to the king to solve them.

Every day, I played chess with Sheng Hong on the boat, discussed articles, took the river scenery on both sides of the road as the left, and stroked the piano to make Xiao, so unhappy.

Sheng Hong really didn't expect that Wang Chong would be so proficient in musical instrument music theory.

It is a pity that after passing Huaiyin, along the way to the northwest along the Bianhe River, the scenery on both sides of the river is gradually no longer as vibrant as the south of Huaiyin, but has a bit of autumn decay and depression.

As time goes on, and as you move north, this becomes more pronounced.

When Wang Chong and Sheng Hong arrived in Bianliang, it was almost mid-October, and it took half a month to go up the canal and finally arrived in Bianliang, Tokyo.

"You can stay with me first, and when you find a suitable place, it's not too late to move there!" Sheng Hong pulled Wang Chongdao.

Wang Chong couldn't laugh or cry at Sheng Hong's enthusiasm, but it was indeed more convenient to live in Sheng Hong's house than to live in an inn: "If that's the case, then it will disturb my uncle!"

"That's how it should be!" Sheng Hong laughed and said, "Let's go! I've already ordered someone to take the lead and clean up the house!"

The Sheng family's house in Bianliang City, located in Jiying Lane in the west of the city, although close to the city gate, but the location is excellent, or Sheng Hong's grandfather, the ancestor of the Sheng family in the early years, and now in Tokyo, an ordinary house, it will be hundreds of runs, and the location environment is slightly better, it will be thousands, like the Sheng family's house in Jiying Lane, put it now, there is no tens of thousands, and it can't be bought at all.

And it's the kind that has no price.

Tokyo is big, it's not easy to live in!

After living in the Sheng family, Sheng Hong had to be busy going to the household department to report on his work, but also had to be busy walking around, up and down, Wang Chong stayed in the guest room of the Sheng family, reading and practicing martial arts every day, and in his spare time, he also played the piano and flute, and Liao comforted the loneliness.

However, borrowing to live in someone else's house is not a long-term solution after all, when Wang Chong first arrived in Tokyo, he was able to let Wang Erxi entrust the brothers of the Cao Gang to help the tooth finder find a suitable house.

Although Wang Chong is now worth a lot of money, it is not necessary to suddenly buy a big mansion, the family is thin, and he can't live in it at all, and it seems that the price of a clean place like Jiying Lane, where the Sheng family is located, is expensive, and the house prices are even higher next to the yamen of the various ministries in the inner city.

Wang Chong's gaze retreated again and again, until he retreated to the east and south of the city where the common people lived, and found a courtyard with two entrances in the east of the outer city and south city, although there were only two entrances, but the area was not small, especially the courtyard, the front yard and the middle courtyard were very spacious, and the price was reasonable.

The surrounding environment is quite quiet, there is a river next to it, there is a well in the courtyard, and it is a market to walk more than 100 steps after crossing the bridge, and it is quite convenient in daily life.

After looking at each other for five or six days in a row, there was still nothing more suitable than the courtyard, so Wang Chong settled the courtyard, bargained with the tooth people, and finally bought it for 1,200 yuan.

After the house was bought, Wang Chongdang said goodbye to Sheng Hong and moved into his own house in Sweet Water Lane in the south of the city.

Within two days, Sheng Hong led Wang Chong to meet a fellow of his fellow students surnamed Lu who served in the Sixth Branch, and then hurriedly packed his bags and went south to Yangzhou.

A few days after Sheng Hong left, just after noon one day, snowflakes suddenly rose in the sky.

"It's not winter yet, whatever

Is it snowing?" Yu Chuer is an authentic Yangzhou person, before this time, he lived in his twenties, and he has never even been out of Yangzhou, where has he ever seen such a scene.

Wang Zhong knelt on the futon under the pavilion in the courtyard, and in front of him was a long eucalyptus, on which was a small stove, the charcoal was burning, the water was boiling on the stove, and on the table next to him, there were jars and tea sets for tea leaves.

"The north is naturally different from our south!" Wang Chongdao.

"It's a little too cold this day!" Yu Chuer shuddered and rubbed some of the thin clothes on his body.

"Childe, why don't you and your second brother feel cold?" Yu Chuer looked at the same thin clothes on Wang Chong and Wang Erxi, and asked puzzledly.

"Your second brother and I are martial arts practitioners, with strong physiques and full of qi and blood, so we are naturally more cold-tolerant."

When Yu Chuer heard this, he couldn't help but turn his head to the short and sturdy man who was facing the wind and snow not far away, constantly waving his knife.

The second brother in Yu Chu's second mouth is Wang Erxi, since he followed Wang Chong, he was guided by Wang Chong, and Wang Erxi's knife skills can be said to have advanced by leaps and bounds.

"When it's cold, go back to the house and get clothes!"

"The little ones are going!" Yu Chuer rubbed his hands and ran back to the house.

Wang Chong drank tea while looking at the "Book of Changes" in his hand.

The winter in the north is much earlier than in the south, but the cold in the north is not the same as that in the south.

Time passed, and Wang's letter of safety was also sent to Yangzhou.

After Wang Li read the letter sent by Wang Chong, he rubbed his stomach, gritted his teeth, called Yu Chuyi, and told him a few words, asking Yu Chuyi to take Wang Chong's letter and go to the city to find people from the Cao Gang.

Cao helped Yangzhou to divide the rudder, Shi Heng took the letter handed over by Yu Chuyi, glanced at it a few times, and asked directly, "I don't know what happened to Mrs. Li asking Brother Yu to come to us?"

Yu Chuyi arched his hand and said, "The eldest lady wants to ask the stone rudder master to help escort the eldest lady and my girl north to Tokyo to find my third master!"

"This ······" Shi Heng was a little surprised.

Yu Chu hurriedly explained: "Please rest assured, my eldest lady is willing to pay a lot of money!"

Shi Heng explained: "Brother Yu misunderstood, not about money, but because it is winter in the north right now, and there are not many ships going north."

Yu Chuyi: "My eldest lady said, water and land routes are all fine, and it is all up to the helmsman's arrangement!"

Shi Heng pondered for a moment and said, "I don't know when Mrs. Li wants to leave?"

"The sooner the better!" Yu Chu Yi.

Shi Heng said: "Let's sit in Yangzhou, it's not good to leave without permission, in this way, how about we let our nephew Shi Keng and his wife Che Sanniang pick ten good men in the gang and escort Mrs. Li to Tokyo by land?"

"It's all up to the helmsman!"

Shi Heng said: "Brother Yu, go back and return to Mrs. Li, let Mrs. Li pack her bags, and tomorrow morning, I will let Keng'er and them go to Xiaozhuzhuang to pick up Mrs. Li."

"Thank you, Lord Stone!"

······

Seeing the entry into the wax moon, the north wind is becoming more and more intense, the weather is getting colder and colder, fortunately, so far, the snow is not too much, and it has not affected the traffic, and the Wuzhang River and Bianhe River have not yet frozen, but the water level has dropped a lot, in some shallow river sections, the riverbed is almost half of the first, and the boat can still move freely, but if it is a two-masted ship full of goods, it is difficult to navigate.

And maybe one day the river will be frozen, although even if the river surface in the south of the Yellow River is frozen, the ice will not be too thick, but at this time the boats are all wooden boats, and the drive is basically by manpower, wind, nature is greatly limited.

On the sixth day of the lunar month, Wang Chong led Wang Erxi and Yu Chuer to cut the pork bought back into long strips at home in Tianshui Lane, and after developing it with refined refined salt and the seasoning configured by Wang Chong, it was put into the tank, developed for five or six days, and then hung it up and smoked it with fireworks, which was bacon.

The three of them had just cleaned up when suddenly there was a knock on the door outside.

Yu Chuer hurriedly ran over to open the door, and was immediately surprised when he saw the person standing outside the door.

"Big... Big lady?"

"Uncle is at home?" Wang Li asked.

"Yes, yes! Childe is in the house!"

"Sister-in-law?" Wang Chong heard the sound and walked out, and was also surprised to see Wang Li, Shi Keng and others standing outside the door, as well as Sister Qian'er who was held in Che Sanniang's arms.

"Come in, come in!"

Wang hurriedly welcomed everyone in, and after some inquiry, he thanked Shi Keng and his family and the Cao Gang brothers again and again.

It was night, there was an oil lamp lit in the middle hall of the second courtyard, Wang Chong and Wang Li sat opposite each other, and there was no one around at the moment, and the two of them could calm down and talk well.

"Why did my sister-in-law come here suddenly, is there something going on at home?" Wang Chong did not accuse Wang Li of not listening to the arrangement, but asked the reason with concern.

Wang Li shook his head and said, "There's nothing wrong at home, it's me!" I might ...... Possibly ......"

Looking at Wang Li's tangled appearance of wanting to speak and stopping, Wang Chong frowned, grabbed Wang Li's hand and called the pulse, but after a moment, Wang Chong's eyes widened.

"It's been almost three months?"

Wang Li said: "More than a month ago, the concubine felt that something was not quite right, and then the reaction became stronger and stronger, and the concubine didn't know what to do, so she could only come to her uncle!"

"I'm sorry, but the concubine didn't listen to her uncle's orders, made her own opinion, and didn't drink the medicine prepared by her uncle."

"Sister-in-law doesn't have to be entangled, since she is here, she will stay first, raise the baby with peace of mind, and after a few days, I will send the second brother and the second junior high school back, and find a few maids and mothers-in-law for my sister-in-law to serve again."

"This ...... Will it work?" Wang Li said a little apprehensively.

Wang said solemnly: "The matter has come to this, and this can only be the case!"

"I'm sorry, I'...... I didn't mean to!" Wang Li even stumbled when he spoke, for fear of affecting Wang Chong.

"It's just that in the future, the title between you and me will have to be changed for the time being!"

"Uncle is in charge!" Wang Li's family is the six gods and has no master at the moment, and they have no idea.

Wang Chong looked at Wang Li and asked, "Actually, I have a question that has been pressed in my heart, but it is a little abrupt, and I am afraid that my sister-in-law will feel uncomfortable."

Wang Li's heart suddenly burst and said, "Uncle, just ask!"

Wang Chongdao: "I know that my sister-in-law has always been interested in me, but she has always adhered to the rules, and this time my sister-in-law suddenly took the initiative like this, and ······ behind it."

Wang Li's expression instantly panicked, just looking at Wang Li's reaction, Wang Zhong guessed the answer.

"In Xiaozhuzhuang, my sister-in-law's sister and sister-in-law often come to the door, isn't it related to them?"

Wang Li's eyes were round, his eyes were full of surprise, he didn't say a word, Wang Chong actually guessed the approximately.

At this time, Wang Li's mind was already in a mess, and his mind was blank, and he subconsciously explained: "They want me to marry my uncle, to be my uncle's wife, I am a widow, how can I match my uncle, I just want a child!"

As he spoke, Wang Li cried, and his eyes were full of tears.

"Wealth touches people's hearts, but I was negligent!" Wang Chong is either studying and practicing martial arts every day, or busy with the trivial affairs of various industries, or all kinds of research and development, and he is also very concerned about Wang Qian'er, but he ignores Wang Li's sister-in-law.

"Hey!" Wang Zhong sighed, and the truth of the matter was revealed, so he said, "Don't associate with your sister and sister-in-law in the future, they may really be thinking about you, but can you guarantee that they have no selfish intentions when they persuade you like this?"

"Huh? Do you want to draw a line with them?" Wang Li's face was surprised and entangled.

Wang Zhong looked at Wang Li and said, "The choice is yours, either give birth to this child and draw a line with your mother's family from now on, but what should take care of them is still the same as before, there will be no change, or ······ Wang Zhong raised his eyes and looked at Wang Li and said, "After giving birth to this child, you will go back to Yangzhou, as for the future of the child, it has nothing to do with you, the child will not know, he still has a mother like you, you are still my sister-in-law."

Whether you want to remarry or be a widow, it's all up to you!"

"Choose your own two paths!

！」

"I ······" Wang Li was so anxious and anxious that he fainted all of a sudden.

"Hey!" Wang Zhong sighed again, and sighed in his heart: Poor people, there must be something hateful! The ancients were sincere, don't deceive me!

Indecisive, unassertive, and easily deceived, this is Wang Li's family.

But you can't leave Wang Li alone.