Shopkeeper Hu and the others hurriedly echoed each other, saying that Xiao Dong personally came forward, how could Li Zhisheng and Master Pan dare not do their best to help? In the final analysis, it was Xiao Dong's combination of grace and power, so that the magistrate of Dongliao County did not dare to underestimate his party. With Xiao Dong presiding over the big event, the big ship will be recovered soon. When the time came, they pulled the anchor and set off and went to Fusang, and everyone made a lot of money, all thanks to the blessings of Lord Xiao.

All of a sudden, everyone was full of words, and all the top hats flew to Xiao Dong's head. Xiao Dong was praised by everyone, smiled, and said: "The shopkeepers are too high to hold Xiao Mou. As the saying goes, although the flowers are beautiful, they also need green leaves to support. If it weren't for the efforts of your shopkeepers, what big could Xiao do with a single person?"

Shopkeeper Hu took a step forward and said: "As the so-called outline is clear, if it weren't for Lord Xiao to draw a path for us, everyone would be blind, I'm afraid that we would have fallen into the ditch long ago." How can we still have a good chance to make a fortune? So I would like to thank Master Xiao for taking care of a few of us. ”

Li Qiufeng and Zhang Shixin were bright, knowing that Shopkeeper Hu and others were afraid that Xiao Dong would reprimand everyone for gambling, so they desperately touted Xiao Dong, hoping to make him happy and no longer reprimand everyone. Zhang Shi secretly thought that Lao Hu and others were also rich people, but they were like grandsons in front of Xiao Dong. And Xiao Dong is just a small official of the Firearms Bureau, so he has such authority. It can be seen that it is better to have money than to have power. As the saying goes, "break the prefect of the family, destroy the county order", and this has been the case since ancient times. After returning to Ningbo after this major event is completed, I must quickly ask Da Confucian to teach my sons who are not successful, and then find an official and a half-job, so that I will not be afraid of any turmoil in the future.

It wasn't until Shopkeeper Hu and the others were tired of talking that Xiao Dong waved his hand and said: "A few shopkeepers are so high that Xiao, if Xiao doesn't make a fortune with everyone, it will be too much to say." Everyone will go back to rest first, and after Master Pan calls the patriarchs of those big families, Xiao will naturally ask them to do their best to get our big ship back as soon as possible. ”

Everyone complimented Xiao Dong a few more words, and then they said goodbye one after another. Li Qiufeng and Zhang Shi returned to the guest room, but Qin Lao Wu also followed. He closed the door tightly, walked quickly to Zhang Shi's side, and whispered: "Zhang Yuanwai, if this big ship can't be found, our net worth and lives will not be saved." The surname Xiao can only talk big, but I'm afraid that this matter is not easy to handle. ”

Zhang Shi was stunned for a moment, and said, "Old Five, you don't have to worry so much. The surnamed Xiao suppressed the magistrate of Dongliao County as a Beijing official, and these petty officials did not dare to offend him. As long as the Yamen of Dongliao County sends people to search with all their might, they will definitely be able to find the big ship back. ”

Qin Lao Wu shook his head and said, "The thieves not only stole a dozen boats, but also took hundreds of people on the shore, this is not something that ordinary thieves can do. I'm afraid it's the pirates. They plundered the wharf, put the people on large ships, and then pulled anchor and set sail out of Dongliao County. ”

When Qin Lao Wu said this, his voice trembled slightly. I only heard him continue: "If this is really the case, let's only search in Dongliao County, wouldn't it be a bamboo basket to draw water?"

Zhang Shi pondered for a moment, and then said: "Old Five, you have been running boats for many years, and it stands to reason that you know several times more about things at sea than Zhang. However, we have heard of pirates robbing rich families and kidnapping meat tickets. But taking away the poor people is something that pirates would never do. We have all been in and seen the houses of the people on the shore of the wharf, and it can be said that there is nothing of value except for a broken quilt. The pirates took these people away, naturally, not to extort ransom. In Zhang's view, most of them were worried that these people had leaked the news, and the thieves took all the people away. Dongliao County is located in the east of Liaoning, with Dongyi to the north, the sea to the south, and Shandong to the west. The mast of our big ship is damaged, and if it goes to sea, the risk is extremely high. Unless the thieves die, they will never sail to sea. Zhang thought of this, and the surname Xiao naturally thought of it too. Nine times out of ten, this big ship is hidden in a place on the coast of Dongliao County that we don't know. It is very difficult for a few of us to find it. However, if the magistrate of Dongliao County and the Yamen of the county are quick to catch, and if these big local families are willing to help with all their might, things will be much easier. They are all land snakes, and they are very familiar with the terrain and terrain, and they naturally know the water and ditches by the sea. It is many times better for them to come forward to find it than for us to look for it ourselves. Old five, you just put your heart back in your stomach. ”

When Qin Lao Wu heard Zhang Shi say this, his face became a little better. Zhang Shi continued: "You can put your heart back in your stomach as much as you can. Take 10,000 steps back, even if there is really something wrong this time, Zhang will try his best to deal with you and let Lao Hu and them take out the silver to compensate for your loss. ”

Qin Lao Wu relieved his heart at this time, and said a few more gossips to Zhang Shi, and then left. After Qin Lao Wu left, Zhang Shi said to Li Qiufeng: "Lao Wu's net worth and life are on this boat, no wonder he is so impatient. ”

Li Qiufeng nodded and said, "That's true." If you change it, I'm afraid it's also restless. I'm just curious about how someone is so powerful that he can steal so many ships at once. And unlike chariots and horses, ships can only hide in docks by the sea. If a thief wants to get his money, he only needs to take the money and cargo from the ship, so why should he steal the ship as well?"

Zhang Shi glanced at the door intentionally or unintentionally, and then lowered his voice and said to Li Qiufeng: "Xiao Dong and Lao Hu put the goods in a secret place in the bilge, and locked the bilge firmly with an iron lock. Let's leave the big ship and go to the county town to eat and drink, and it will only take a few hours. Thinking that the thieves could not open the bilge and could not take the goods, they had to steal the big ship as well. ”

Li Qiufeng said: "But they not only drove away the big boat, but also took away all the people on the shore. Fang Cai Zhang Yuanwai also told Fifth Brother Qin that the thieves kidnapped the people because they were worried that they would leak the news. So I am afraid that some of these people will know the thief's face. Otherwise, why would they go to great lengths to arrest all the people? In a place the size of a palm in the county seat of Dongliao County, the people inside and outside the city combined, I am afraid that there are only 10,000 people. To say that ordinary thieves definitely don't have such great skills. It is not unreasonable to be worried about the fifth brother, and most of those who can do this will have something to do with the officials. ”

When Zhang Shi heard Li Qiufeng say this, his heart sank, and he said in a trembling voice: "Brother Zhu means that there are people in the yamen involved in this matter?"

Li Qiufeng shook his head and said, "It's just speculation, but it's not necessarily the big officials in the yamen who did it." Maybe it's just a thief who is secretly colluding with the thieves and knows that our ship is parked on the dock. So they exchanged words with the thieves to steal the ship's goods. It's just that when I got to the ship, I found that I couldn't open the bilge, so I had to drive the big ship away. And they tossed and turned on the boat, but they were watched by the people on the dock and the boatmen on other small boats. These people may not know the thieves, but they must know the officials in the yamen. That's why the thieves took away all the people and boatmen, so that the news would not leak. ”

Zhang Shi listened to Li Qiufeng's words and didn't say anything for a long time. In the end, he sighed and said, "If this is really the case, Xiao Dong went to Master Pan for help, wouldn't it be a plot with the tiger?"

Li Qiufeng said: "Looking down at that Master Jiang, he doesn't look like a wicked person. We'll need to make friends with this person, and maybe we can help. ”

Zhang Shi stood up suddenly and said to Li Qiufeng: "Brother Zhu is right. I'll go to the guy surnamed Xiao and tell him the benefits of this matter. Although the surname Xiao is arrogant, he is not a fool. Moreover, he presided over this transaction, and if the big ship was lost, he would also be unlucky. I reminded him to beware of Master Poon, and he would pay attention. Brother Zhu, you wait a moment, I'll come when I go. ”

After Zhang Shi finished speaking, he hurriedly walked out. Li Qiufeng paced a few steps in the room before he walked to the window and looked out. There was no one in the courtyard, but there was a faint noise in the lobby. In the distance, tall and low houses stretch out. Because it was almost noon, smoke came out of the chimneys of many houses, covering most of the Dongliao county in a gray smoke. Li Qiufeng thought to himself, since he arrived here, he has also encountered a lot of strange things. It's like the smoke in front of you, making it difficult to see your surroundings. This small county seat, like Xiuwu County, seems to have infinite killing opportunities.