In the evening of the next day, Qin Fen brought Jiang Chuan into Qinjiacang, where more than a dozen cars were parked, some carrying bags of corn grains, and some full of cloth. The two came to a corner with a pile of messes, Qin Fen squatted down and reached in, took out a bundle of knives for a while, pulled out a bundle of knives, and pulled out a handful and said proudly: "Huanshou Iron Knife, look at it." ”

Jiang Chuan carefully held it and looked at it carefully. The first iron handle of the ring was cast with a huge iron ring, the handle of the knife was sandwiched between two wooden strips, and then tightly wound with silk rope, and the scabbard was made of two solid wood trenches, tied with twine and smeared with vermilion lacquer. He held the hilt of the knife and gently pulled out the narrow and straight blade, the dark blade flashed with a ghostly light, and he couldn't help but tremble and hurriedly put it down.

Qin Fen said: "These twenty knives are hidden in five cars and marked with them. After that, he took four knives, beckoned Jiang Chuan to unload a cart of cloth, carefully wrapped the knives in the cloth, and then loaded the cart. Qin Fenwei checked the car, showed a satisfied smile, and said, "You mark this car, and you will keep an eye on this car all the way." Jiang Chuan nodded in agreement.

Qin Fen said: "The caravan will leave early tomorrow morning, you go back to rest first." Come early tomorrow morning, don't delay. ”

·

Summer has passed suddenly, and it has already entered autumn. Jiang Chuan has been walking with the Qin family's caravan for more than thirty days. Jiang Weng and Jiang Yuan estimated that he should also come back, looking at the official road every day. The family gossiped at night, and they also hoped that Jiangchuan would make money and come back, and the days would be prosperous.

On this day, Jiang Weng looked on the official road again, and saw a familiar figure running by on horseback, so he shouted loudly: "Qin Lang, Qin Fen." That person was really Qin Fen, and when he heard the shouting, he stopped. Jiang Weng greeted him.

Qin Fen turned over and dismounted, and arched his hand: "Jiang Weng, why are you here?" ”

Jiang Weng said: "I'm waiting for my son here, he should come back too." Suddenly, his heart sank, and he asked, "Have you come back from Guanshi?" Where are you going, my son? ”

Qin Fen hesitated for a moment and said, "I can't say a word or two about this. Now I have something urgent to rush to the county hall, and I'll talk about it when I come back in the evening. ”

Jiang Weng still wanted to ask, but Qin Fen had already gotten on the horse and left. He returned home and was restless, and before it was dark, he went to wait at the gate of the Qin family's manor, hoping to see Qin Fen, but in the middle of the night, there was still no one. The next morning he went to wait again, but he still didn't see him.

After a few days, Jiang Weng finally waited for Qin Fen, who looked tired, and asked eagerly, "When did you come back from Guanshi, where is my son?" ”

Qin Fen said: "Don't worry. "Take him into the gatehouse next to the manor.

After Jiang Weng sat down, he couldn't wait to ask again. Qin Fen said: "This time I didn't go to Guanshi with the caravan, someone else took him along." ”

Jiang Weng said: "They have been gone for so many days, and it is time to come back." ”

Qin Fen stared at him and asked, "Did Jiang Chuan say anything to you before leaving?" ”

Jiang Weng tilted his head and thought for a while, and said, "He was very excited before leaving, so he said that he would come back to buy land after making money." ”

Qin Fen's face was grim, as if he was considering something, and he was silent for a long time.

Seeing this, Jiang Weng didn't dare to urge, so he had to wait anxiously for him to speak. The room was suffocatingly quiet.

Qin Fen finally spoke, and said word by word: "Something big has happened." ”

When Jiang Weng heard Qin Fen say, "Something is wrong", his face turned pale, he covered his heart and shook it a few times, and immediately stretched out his hand to support the seat, barely stabilizing his body, his eyes were dull, and he stared at Qin Fen.

Qin Fen turned his face, avoided his gaze, and said, "Jiang Chuan smuggled with an iron knife and was seized by the pass. Now the man has been put in the county jail. ”

Jiang Weng couldn't believe that this was true, and said tremblingly: "My son is not a bold person, how could he do such a thing. ”

"That's what someone instigated. He also saw that the money was open, and he didn't know how important it was. After Qin Fen said this, his eyelids jumped a few times, and his heart was also worried.

Jiang Weng asked in a panic, "How is that good?" ”

Qin Fen made a sad look: "Our Qin family caravan has always been law-abiding, and there are talismans issued by the government to pass the customs, so there is usually no need to inspect the goods. There were lawbreakers who colluded with Jiangchuan and hid iron weapons in the goods, intending to smuggle them out of the country. Weapons and iron tools were strictly forbidden to be traded by the imperial court, and violators were punishable by death. This time it was found out, and it also ruined the reputation of the Qin family. He sighed and shook his head.

Jiang Weng was even more frightened, his lips trembling and he couldn't speak.

Qin Fen's expression changed suddenly, he looked around, and said in a low voice: "The people of Jiangchuan are afraid of getting the stolen goods, and they will be sentenced to abandon the city according to the law." I have been going to deal with this matter for the past few days, and the county guard has always had dealings with our Qin family, and promised that if the imperial court issues an amnesty at the end of the year, he will be exempted from the crime. ”

Jiang Weng heard the old tears and kept thanking him. Qin Fen was also ashamed in his heart and left in a hurry.

The Jiang family was cold all day long, and the rented field was about to be deserted, so Jiang Weng and Jiang Yuan barely planted some vegetables in the field. At the end of the year, Jiang Weng went to the Qin family manor to ask Qin Fen about something.

Qin Fen grabbed him and said, "I just want to look for you, go to your house and talk about it." When he arrived at Jiang's house, Jiang Weng Jiang Yuan didn't care about etiquette, and asked around, seeing Qin Fen's gloomy expression, Jiang Weng Jiang Yuan became more and more nervous, and he didn't dare to urge, his eyes were full of expectation and worry.

Qin Fen stared straight ahead, the fingers of his left hand kept bouncing on his legs, and he stopped talking a few times, and finally said slowly: "I also just heard about it." Originally, the joints had been opened, and it was said that Jiang Chuan would be exempted from crime if he met the imperial court for amnesty at the end of the year. But this year, there was no imperial court pardon, and there was someone from the court governor's mansion to supervise, and the county guard had no choice but to approve Jiang Chuan's conviction, and Jiang Chuan had been beheaded.

"My son is dead?" Jiang Weng's body swayed, Jiang Yuan couldn't catch it in one breath, and fainted. Dou stepped forward and hugged Jiang Yuan and cried bitterly.

In winter, the weather is cold and frozen, the fields cannot be cultivated, and the Jiang family is old and young, and the days are becoming more and more difficult. In the spring of the second year, Qin Fen moved around less, and some of the Jiang family's previous savings gradually dried up.

Jiang Weng discussed with Jiang Yu to go to Qin's house to borrow some money and food, but Jiang Weng wandered at the door of Qin's house and did not dare to go in. After waiting for a few days, he finally saw Qin Fen come out and stopped him. Qin Fen was surprised: "Jiang Weng, how did you find here?" ”

It was cold, and it was raining sparsely, so Qin Fen led him into the gatehouse.

Jiang Weng said in a low voice: "My family is about to run out of cooking, the owner of Qin Zhuang is kind-hearted, I want to borrow some money and food to live." ”

Qin Fen frowned and did not speak.

Jiang Weng panicked and said, "Don't want a lot, when there is a vegetable harvest in the warm spring field, you can come and return it." ”

Qin Fen just smiled and said, "Lord Qin Zhuang went to the county guard a few days ago, and he hasn't come back yet. ”

Jiang Weng's face was full of disappointment, and he didn't know what to do.

Qin Fen said slowly: "It's not a big deal to borrow some money and food, I can call the shots." ”

When Jiang Weng heard this, he turned his sadness into joy and hurriedly thanked him.

Qin Fen said again: "However, this is not a long-term solution. You think you'll be able to pay off your debts by collecting some vegetables. ”

Jiang Weng couldn't help but shed tears, and whimpered: "We are old, and we don't have much time to come, but orphans and widows are pitiful." ”

Qin Fen beckoned him to come closer and said, "I have an idea, I can solve your Jiang family's predicament once and for all." ”

Jiang Weng stretched his neck, his eyes were full of expectation: "You say, what can be done."