In a blink of an eye, the end of winter is coming to an end, and it is almost the New Year. According to the custom, during the New Year, the officials and servants of the department have a holiday, and the time is still very long. During the holidays, a few people in important positions take turns on duty, and the rest will go home to reunite with their families. Because he is on an errand in the official office, he can only live in the office on weekdays, and there are no special circumstances, and he generally does not go home until he is off and holidays. Therefore, people only hate that the holiday time is short, and no one wants to keep watch in the official office.

The day before the holiday, Shu Yan received an order from Prime Minister Qiu Guo: ask all the officials in the department, when someone is on duty and which day is off, count them, and hand over the rotation list to me. Requirements: Adjust the rotating staff, if someone has something to do and must ask for leave, and to change with colleagues, you must ensure that there are a certain number of people on duty in the department.

When Shu Yan received the order, he immediately walked around each of Cao Peng's subordinates one by one, and quickly drew up a list and handed it to Qiu Guoxiang.

Qiu Guoxiang took it in his hand and looked at it, and most of Shu Yan's name appeared on the holiday rotation list for dozens of days, and he couldn't help but shake his head and smile: "Shu Wenxue, what's wrong?" For such a long vacation, you have been on duty in the department for more than half of the time, what kind of vacation are you on! ”

Shu Yan also shook his head and smiled bitterly: "No way, everyone says that they have something to do, they want to accompany their parents, they want to accompany their wives, and those whose families are inconvenient to be on duty in other places, they should find me to replace them on the day they are on duty." ”

Qiu Guoxiang touched his beard and asked with a smile: "This New Year's Day and New Year, it is so lively outside, you are young, you can endure loneliness and are willing to give up your vacation?" ”

Shu Yan sighed: "Hey, then what's the solution?" Everyone is a person with a father and a mother, a wife and a child, and I am alone with nothing. ”

Qiu Guoxiang nodded, Shu Yan had just retreated to the door, and Qiu Guoxiang stopped him again, "Shu Wenxue, you can take this list." ”

Shu Yan was puzzled: "Prime Minister, why do you let me take it, all my colleagues are on duty and ask for leave, and they have to come to you according to this list." ”

Qiu Guoxiang pretended to be angry and said: "Hmph, am I without a father, mother, wife and children? I've been looking forward to this day too! Do you have to replace everyone and don't give me face alone? ”

Shu Yan hurriedly explained: "The minister of state misunderstood, I mean that the minister of state should ask Nei Shicheng or Du Wei to sign the affairs of the county and the state, how can I replace you with this big responsibility?" ”

"Hey, it's okay, now that the world is peaceful, there are no soldiers, no thieves, no floods, what can happen?"

"But ......"

"But what? My carriage is ready and I'm going to leave right away! ”

……

On Chinese New Year's Eve, Shu Yan came to Qianyan and looked through the rotation list. Tang Hui had already said that he would be replaced by Shu Yan. As early as the first day of the holiday, Shu Yan found that the huge official office, including the front and back offices, had long been empty. Shu Yan said secretly: This group of people are usually lazy and lazy at work, and they run faster than rabbits when it comes to holidays.

For the official office, the New Year's Day period is really the best time, there is no annoying official document down, and the people below are also auspicious, and no one wants to come to the official office to find trouble during the New Year. Therefore, although Shu Yan was on duty for several days, he didn't have anything to do. Shu Yan was bored, sitting in front of Tang Hui's case, next to the case was a row of cabinets, he opened one of them and saw that it was full of previous account books. He flipped through a few books at random, and then glanced at them again, and found a "labor army book" in a corner below. "'Labor Army Book'? Isn't it the labor army that passed through Ruyin in the sixth year of Xianning, after the imperial court pacified Wu? "Shu Yan took it and looked at it, and it said, 'Taikang was established in April in the first year'. Shu Yan thought to himself: "Every time the imperial court encounters a major event, it must change the year name, and after Ping Wu, the year name was changed from the sixth year of Xianning to the first year of Taikang, which was that time." He opened the account book and saw that it was densely written all the expenses of the labor army that day, and Shu Yan found his name, which read: Shu Yan two loads of firewood and four hundred dollars. Shu Yanyi recalled that when I went to the county office to get the money that day, I only gave 30%, and I only took 130 yuan, and how could it be 400 yuan in this account book? Didn't you make a mistake? Or is this ledger a fraud? He looked down again, and saw the name of Tang's father-in-law, Tang Bi Zhu Ling 600 yuan. He looked at the names of other people, Liu Butcher, Bai Mi Zhang, etc., and the amount of money of these people did not match the actual amount of money they received. He wasn't sure how much other people's money was different, but he remembered Father-in-law Tang's money clearly, because Father-in-law Tang's money was received by him on his behalf, only 200 yuan, because he pitied Father-in-law Tang's old age, and added the 400 dollars he brought with him to the old man, and lied that the office was given according to the original amount of ....... Oh, when you think about it, there is no doubt that this account book is fraudulent, and there is no doubt that the money will be embezzled, who could it be? Tang Hui must be counted as one, who else? He looked at it for a while, then put the account book in it, closed the cabinet, and opened the cabinet closest to the bookcase, and found that there was an account book on the top, on which was written the words "Jianxu School Book". Shu Yan had doubts again: "Hey, our Ruyin Jianzhen School was built with fundraising, and there is not a single money in the department, so what kind of account books do we need to set up?" He opened the account book and saw that the general title read, "The imperial court appropriation, below is the ...... of the expenditure of Ruyin City and the counties of Xuxue"

He was about to take the account book and look at it in detail, when suddenly someone pushed the door in and snatched it from his hand with a whoosh. Shu Yan saw that this person was Tang Hui. Tang Hui obviously came all the way, it was cold outside, and he was still exhaling white air when he entered the door.

Shu Yan asked, "Tang Cangcao, don't you have something to do today?" How did you get back? ”

Tang Hui didn't answer, but asked: "Shu Wenxue, as a small literary scholar and scholar, what right do you have to look at the account books at will?" ”

Shu Yan asked rhetorically: "Tang Cangcao, you want me to be on duty for you, and your room is warmer than mine, so I will come to your house, is there anything wrong with this?" Besides, the cabinet where you put your account books is not locked, and no one says that you are not allowed to look at it! ”

Tang Hui was negligent in this matter, and when he was asked rhetorically at the moment, there was nothing to answer, so he said hesitantly: "Shu Wenxue, no matter who you are on duty, please go to your own room, don't worry about things that are not within your own responsibility!" ”

As he spoke, he pushed Shu Yan out and locked the cabinet and door by himself. Shu Yan was bored, thinking to himself, this money was undoubtedly embezzled by Tang Hui.

On Chinese New Year's Eve, the lights in Ruyin City are brilliant, every family sticks up the Spring Festival, every household hangs colorful lanterns, and the sound of firecrackers and noise comes and goes, and it is very lively. Shu Yan watched on the street for a while, and thought: Every family is enjoying the peace and prosperity of the world and the joy of family, and I am alone and sad. Who else in this Ruyin City is as lonely as me? Hey, Grandpa Tang! Although he has a son, I have never seen him go home, presumably Grandpa Tang is also alone, why don't I go to him, drink and relieve my boredom! Thinking of this, Shu Yan bought some wine, meat, and fruits, came to Tang Gonggong's house, and when he entered the door, he saw that only Tang Gonggong was sitting alone in the local area, guarding a small stove, cold and deserted, the Spring Festival couplets were not pasted, the lanterns were not hung, the firecrackers were not released, and there was no New Year's Eve at all. Seeing Shu Yan coming, the old man was very happy, warmed up the wine, and took the dishes to the kitchen. These two people don't look like men, but they have been cooking for themselves for a long time, and they can cook some wine and food easily, and they will be served in a moment.

The two of them sat in front of a dining table, and there was another sound of firecrackers outside. After drinking a full glass, Tang Bi sighed and said: "This Chinese New Year's Eve night, everyone else is happy with the family, but I am still cold and ......lonely at my old age, fortunately, you came to see me." ”

Shu Yan also sighed and said, "How could I not be so lonely? I thought that you must be alone when you are old, so I came to you for a drink or two to relieve the pain of loneliness and coldness during this festive season. ”

Shu Yan was angry with Tang Hui in the morning, and because he was lonely under such a festival, and he thought of Zhixin again, he couldn't help but feel a lot of depression. He picked up his cup and drank three more cups in a row. Tang Bi saw that Shu Yan was in a bad mood today, so he found a topic to relieve his boredom: "Little boy, don't be too sad, the eldest husband has no wife, no home, as long as the world is peaceful, everything will be there." How do you young people know that a few decades ago, when the war was in chaos, people were in exile everywhere, where they had wives and homes, and they didn't know whether they would freeze to death tomorrow or be killed by the rebels; Where there are these red candles and lanterns, they are but a piece of fire; Wherever you listen to the sound of firecrackers, people and horses are neighing everywhere. ”

When Shu Yan heard it, Father-in-law Tang was an elderly person, don't look at the fact that he doesn't talk much on weekdays, but when he says it, it makes people open-minded, he picked up his wine glass and said: "What Father-in-law Tang said is very true, come and I will toast you again." The two of them drank another glass, and Shu Yan said again: "Father-in-law Tang, you said that you have a son, I often come to you, I have never seen him, may I ask where he is in high school, I don't even have time to come to see you during the New Year!" ”

Tang Bi's face sank when he heard this, put the wine glass on the table, and said, "Don't mention him!" I don't think I have this son! ”

Every time Tang's father-in-law's son was mentioned, the old man always diverted the topic, but he had never lost his temper like today. He saw that the old man didn't like to mention this matter, so he simply talked about his own affairs, "Father-in-law Tang, today I was on duty for our Cangcao Tang in the department, and I accidentally saw the account books of our labor army a few years ago, and found that the accounts in it were wrong. I was about to take a closer look, when suddenly our Cangcao came back, snatched the account books, and drove me out, there must be something wrong with this......"

"Tang Hui!" Father-in-law Tang mentioned this name, his face sank a little more, and his eyes drooped: "What's the problem?" ”

"What's the problem, of course, is that the money of the businessmen has been deducted, or the money of Jianzhen has been embezzled."

"And what are you going to do?"

"What to do? I will never tolerate this kind of thing, and when Qiu Guoxiang comes back, I will definitely ask Qiu Guoxiang for an understanding. ”

The corners of Tang's mouth twitched twice and said, "It should have been like this a long time ago." The common people can be regarded as looking forward to the peaceful years, but they are oppressed by this group of moths......"

The two of them drank for a while, and the time was already close to the third watch, Shu Yan said: "Father-in-law Tang, it's not too early, and the New Year will be handed over in a while, how can the New Year not be pasted in the New Year?" I wrote a couplet for you, help you paste it, and I'll take my leave. ”

"Okay, well, I'm missing this. Your Shu literary character is the first in our Ruyin, and the Spring Festival couplets you wrote can't be bought with money. ”

"Grandpa Tang has won the award." As soon as the two of them got up and walked out, they heard a "bang" in the outhouse. Shu Yan said: "It's the New Year, and the mice are also coming to join in the fun." After speaking, he went out of the door, but saw a dark shadow flashing outside the door. Shu Yan drank a lot of wine today, and he didn't see it clearly when he was drunk, and he didn't care, so he pasted the Spring Festival couplets and went back.

Shu Yan had never drunk so much wine. He felt top-heavy, staggered back to the back office, pushed open the door, didn't take off his clothes, shoes and socks, and collapsed on the bed in a daze. In a drunken dream, he saw Zhixin coming again, her face was still the same, but she was dressed in a beautiful dress, and said to him: "Brother Yan, why be so depressed, I am your wife, this is our agreement since childhood." Have you forgotten our oath: 'The feast of the horns, the words and smiles.' ', 'Death and life are broad, say with Zicheng, hold the hand of the son, and grow old with the son.' ', 'If you are in a different room, if you die, you will be in the same hole.' ’…… When are you going to take me to you? ”

Shu Yan heard Zhixin's words in his dream, and his thoughts echoed in the countryside, on the West Mountain, at the crossing of the Ru River, and at the Shangsi Festival...... Shu Yan only felt that Zhixin was walking in front, so he chased after him, but Zhixin's footsteps were fast and light, and he couldn't catch up no matter how he chased him, so he was so anxious that he shouted behind him: "Zhixin Zhixin, wait for me." ”

Suddenly, a sudden spirit sat up, it turned out to be a dream, the situation in the dream was very messy, most of them don't remember, only remember Zhixin said, 'When will you take me to your side'. Shu Yan settled down, and when he found that he had already slept with his clothes all night, he hurriedly straightened his clothes, brushed his hair, and rushed to paint.