In the old house of the Cheng family, an old man dressed in coarse cloth was turning over a vegetable garden in the yard that he had carved out with his own hands.

The green shoots are just beginning to emerge, and there is some morning dew hanging on them.

If you don't say it, I'm afraid that no one can think that this person is the richest person in Gong County today.

The old man's surname is Cheng Mingquan, and he is the old head of the Cheng family.

After the old man handed over the Cheng family to Cheng Dian, he was left with nothing to do, drinking tea and drinking all day long, and serving his own vegetable patch when he had nothing to do.

It's strange to say, when he was young, he looked down on those Qiantou who were buried in the fields. I feel that they are buried in the fields all day, and even if the harvest is good in a year, it is not as good as one-tenth of the time they go out to do a sale.

worked in vain, barely enough to eat.

At that time, he was young and had Lingyun ambition in his heart, so he naturally didn't look down on these promises.

It's just that now that he is old, he likes to take care of some flowers and vegetables by himself.

Watching those green shoots emerge from the soil, his mood seemed to be a little younger.

He leaned over to straighten the somewhat crooked green seedlings on the ground, and footsteps sounded behind him.

He turned around, looked at Li Ji who came suddenly, and said with a smile: "You actually have time to see me today?" Isn't it that Adian finally can't tolerate you? Do you want you to come here and retire with me? Lao Li, I don't want you to have this day. ”

Li Ji shook his head, "The head of the family laughed. ”

In Li Ji's heart, only Cheng Quan is the head of his family.

These Cheng Dian also knew it, so every time he heard Li Ji call him the young head of the family, he would be extremely disgusted.

The younger generations always want to be far ahead of their predecessors.

Li Ji talked about today's events in detail with Cheng Quan.

Cheng Quan smiled: "You are very optimistic about this person?"

Li Ji nodded, "When I see this person, I feel like I saw you many years ago." ”

"Like when I was a teenager? That seems to be a powerful person. Cheng Quan said with a smile, "I still have some savings, you can take them away and give them to this Liu Bei." ”

Li Ji was stunned, "You just listen to what I said and want to bet?" Don't you want to see this Liu Bei? ”

"You know people's skills, I believe it." Cheng Quan walked to his side, "After so many years of walking through wind and rain, how can I not know your ability." I'm relieved to have you by Dian'er's side. ”

Li Ji said softly: "In fact, the young owner also has his troubles."

"You don't have to hide it for him, I know Adian's thoughts best."

Cheng Quan smiled, "After all, I am his son, and I know my son Mo Ruo's father." He has been smart since he was a child, but he is smart, but he is clever, far less than his brother. It's fine if he is asked to do small things, but if he does big things, it is too easy to make mistakes with his temperament. ”

"It's also blamed on me for doting on him when he was a child, but the family has a few children, and his parents always love him. At that time, I thought that with Fu'er, I would naturally be able to stabilize the Cheng family's business, and Dian'er just had to live as she liked. Who would have thought that Fu'er would suddenly suffer bad luck. ”

Cheng Fu, the eldest son of Cheng Quan, died in an epidemic.

Li Ji said softly: "In my opinion, the head of the family is too strict with the young master. These young family owners have worked hard and done not badly. At the age of the young head of the family, the head of the family may not be better than the young master of today. Even if the eldest prince is alive, he may not be better than the young head of the family. ”

"Of the old guys who started with me back then, you have always been the best at talking." Cheng Quan smiled, "But now, even if I want to hear those old guys scold me, I can't hear it." ”

"These days, I always think of the old days when I was out with you. I still remember that there was a big family living across the street from us. There was a girl in the house who was about the same age as us. ”

"That girl is not pretty, but at that time, we were still young after all, and we were born poor, where have we seen such a girl, we are all thinking about other girls."

Li Ji grimaced and retorted: "I don't know if those old guys have ever thought about it, at least I haven't thought about it. ”

"Hey, it's been all these years, what if you even thought about it?" Cheng Quan glanced at him, "You and I are alone now, are you afraid that you will not be able to teach you a lesson by your wife when you go back?" ”

Li Ji coughed, "The old man is innocent, and in the end, you can't be innocent." ”

"Okay, well, you are a righteous gentleman who has never had a heart." Cheng Quan scolded with a smile.

"Do you remember the night before I decided to go out, we got drunk in a pub, and I ran out?"

Li Ji nodded, "Naturally remember, on the second day, you swore to go out." At that time, Wang Er also asked if you went to express your intentions to the young lady and was rejected, so you went crazy and wanted to go out. ”

Cheng Quan squatted beside the vegetable garden he had opened himself, like a cropper squatting on the ridge head of the field.

"Hey, I remember that my answer at the time was that I did go to show my heart to others, and the girl also agreed at that time, but I didn't agree, but promised her to come back and marry her when she got ahead in the future."

Li Ji smiled, with some smiles in his eyes, as if he remembered the heartbroken expressions of those brothers back then.

"Naturally, I remember that it made them sad enough at the time, and they were all drunk that night."

Cheng Quan twisted the dirt on the ground and said with a smile: "Actually, I said this at the time just to save some face. I wanted to go, but when I got to the door, I hesitated, and I didn't go in. It's just this kind of thing, I'm afraid that saying it will make you drink a few more jars of wine. ”

"As for that girl, she likes it. It's just that at that time, I felt that my family was poor and unworthy of such a good girl. ”

"I'm not afraid of your jokes now, but when I was standing outside the door, I didn't think about what would happen if she didn't accept me. But what if she really takes a fancy to me? It is said that Sima Xiangru and Zhuo Wenjun are drinking wine for the ages. But if it were me, I would never be willing to do such a thing with someone I liked. ”

Li Ji sighed with emotion, "I don't want you, an old guy, to have such a delicate mind, no wonder we went out later, and after several lives and deaths, you shouted that you would never return to your hometown if you didn't break into the famous hall." At that time, the brothers were touched by you, thinking that you were really ambitious, but I didn't expect that such a desperate effort was all for a girl. ”

Cheng Quan smiled: "Who said it wasn't." If I had come from a wealthy family and had been a promising young man, I wouldn't have been like that. ”

"It's a pity that I missed it in the end."

He sighed, "Only when I was a teenager would I be so righteous." If it were now, I wouldn't be able to do it again. Adult people, no matter how difficult it is to be pure, in one heart, there are only four words, weighing the pros and cons. ”

Li Ji said with a smile: "So the people in this world who can accompany you to the end are often those who were sincere when you were young." ”

Cheng Quan turned his head and glanced at him, "It's like you and me." ”

"Like you and me."

…………

In the old house of the Cheng family, Li Ji has already left.

Cheng Quan bent down and continued to play with the flowers and plants in the vegetable garden, the plants and trees were in a hurry, and they were all cute.

Some go first, others come later.

Today, his old mansion is a little more lively.

Cheng Quan turned around again and looked back, but the person who came was not his expectation, it was the second son who had not seen him for a long time.

Although they are blood relatives, he can't remember how long the two haven't seen each other.

"Today, the young master of the family is here, and I am really honored to be an old fellow. Could it be that the young head of the family suddenly remembered our father-son friendship today, and knew that your father's days were numbered in the future, so he rushed to meet the last one? Cheng Quan said with a smile.

Cheng Dian didn't care.

His father had always been like this, and since he was a child, he had never heard a word of praise in his mouth.

It seems that all his harsh words are placed on his second son, and all his praise and praise for his children are placed on his brother.

The father laughed, isn't it common for a son to come to visit his father? I didn't come a few days ago, but I was busy with business, and I really couldn't get out. ”

"After all, now that the Cheng family has a big business, it is no longer the time to support everyone in the Cheng family just by walking outside the horse. There were so many things going on all day, and it was late at night when they were done. I am a little envious of my father, who has nothing to do and is light, and spends all day doing a little bit of vegetable garden, serving flowers and plants, drinking tea and drinking, so unhappy. ”

Cheng Quan said with a smile: "I haven't seen you for some days, and I don't know how much I have grown in my ability, but this mouth is a lot smarter." But come to think of it, you have been able to speak better than your brother since you were a child, and when it comes to eloquence, you are the best in our family. ”

"But my father never thought I was inferior to my brother. This was the case then, and it is still the case now, if my brother had not had an accident, I think that my father would not let me do the position of the head of the family no matter what. ”

Cheng Dian couldn't help it after all, and said something that had been pressed in his heart for so many years. The reason why he didn't come to visit Cheng Quan these days was because he was afraid of hurting the father-son relationship that had been carefully maintained between father and son over the years.

It's just that the young master of the Cheng family, who is inextricably happy and angry even if he is wronged outside, can't help but suppress the grievances in his heart when he sees this father who has always looked down on him.

Cheng Quan turned his head and looked at his own vegetable garden.

"What you said is right, if your brother is still here, I really won't hand over the Cheng family to you to take care of. Your brother is gentle and moist, and his wisdom is hidden in the wood, even if he can't greatly prosper my Cheng family, he will not have the disaster of destroying the clan. ”

He finally turned his head and looked at Cheng Dian, "It's just that you are different from your brother, you are smart and exposed, and everyone in the county since you was a child praised you for your intelligence, and you also boasted of it." It's just that Huiji will be hurt, although your father has never done anything big in his life, he can go south and north, and he can be regarded as well-informed. I've seen too many people like you, who were smart when you were young, but when you grow up, you are self-willed and destroy your family. ”

"You always think that I have been harsh on you since I was a child, but Father just wants you to be on the right path. is also negligent in disciplining you because of your brother's presence. Our Cheng family can't be called rich, but we can still do it after all to ensure your food and clothing for a lifetime. Father doesn't expect you to accomplish anything great, but just wants you to live this life safely. ”

Cheng Quan had never spoken these words to Cheng Dian, and he also felt that he didn't have to talk to Cheng Dian about these words.

Most fathers and sons in the world are like this, obviously they are good for him in their hearts, but when the words come to their mouths, they often become reproaches and lessons.

Even if the son returns home thousands of miles away, there are thousands of thoughts in his heart, but when he meets his father, most of them only have one sentence and nothing to do all the way.

Every time their father and son saw each other before, they always spoke ill of each other and parted unhappily.

It's just that today Xu saw Li Ji first, reminded him of some past events in his heart, and his mood fluctuated, so many words blurted out.

Cheng Dian suddenly turned his head and was silent.

After a long time, he turned his head again, and rubbed his red eyes with the sleeves of his robe.

He said in a deep voice: "Others are like this, but children may not be like this. The child knew that his father asked Li Bo to find Liu Bei, who came to visit today. I guess you want to fund him? The child just didn't understand that his father had never even seen that Liu Bei, so why did he have to invest the family wealth he had accumulated so hard to this person? If you give that money to the child, the child will definitely be able to make the Cheng family go further. ”

Cheng Quan glanced at him, "You have been proud since you were a child, although you often mingle in the market, have you ever had a true brother and a half?" ”

"They are all fools, so why bother to make friends with them?" Cheng Dian disagreed, "It's not beneficial to associate with them with children, so why waste your efforts?" ”

Cheng Quan pointed to the vegetable garden, "When my father was young, he also looked down on those farmers who tended to the crops in the fields all day long, but now he admires them the most. You grew up in a wealthy family since you were a child, and you never left the chaos when you were young, so there are some things that you still don't understand. Father wants you to never understand. ”

Cheng Dian listened to what he said, and said in a deep voice: "In the end, Father just doesn't believe that the child can make the Cheng family go further, Father doesn't believe in the child, and the child wants to show the father." ”

He turned away, not looking back.

If he turned his head at this time and looked carefully, he would definitely see that this strict father, who was full of scolding him back then, had already turned his sideburns gray and bent over.

Cheng Quan was not annoyed by Cheng Dian's throw-away.

The corners of his mouth were smiling, looking at the back of Cheng Dian leaving, and he felt that this stinky boy's stubbornness was actually quite similar to his back then.

Probably the people of the predecessors always have to stand in place like this, watching the people of the younger generations silently walk away.

-------------------------------------

In the post house where Liu Bei and the others stayed in Gongxian County, Liu Bei was sitting opposite Li Ji, who suddenly came to visit.

Li Ji drank the wine on the table and exhaled heavily, "What is Liu Jun thinking about?" Do you want to accept my Cheng family's funding? ”

Liu Bei put his hands on his knees, Li Ji's visit today really surprised him a little, and what was even more strange was that the old head of the Cheng family, who had never met him, actually wanted to fund him to set up a wine house.

Funding opponents to fight with his own family, even if he is a human in two lives, he can't turn around for a while.

Liu Bei said with a smile: "What can you do, can you be valued by the old master Cheng?" ”

Li Ji looked at Liu Bei on the other side and groaned with a smile, "It's all because of strange goods." ”