After practicing boxing for a while, Cheng Kun's ears heard the sound of a person's footsteps, and he put away the pile method and looked at the door, just in time to see his cousin Cheng Quan coming over with a worried face.

He looked at the traces left by the boxing practice in the courtyard, and asked a little embarrassedly, "Xiao Kun, I didn't disturb you, did I?"

Cheng Kun waved his hand and said, "Cousin, you came just right, I just finished my homework, just say something." ”

Cheng Quan took a deep breath when he heard this, and then plucked up the courage to say to Cheng Kun: "Xiao Kun, after the New Year, I want to go to the Dingshan Army to join you." I don't want to be like my dad and live in this village in this ravine for the rest of my life. ”

Cheng Kun's eyelids drooped slightly, and he didn't say yes or no, but just asked him: "Have you mentioned this idea to your uncle?"

Cheng Quan did not hesitate: "I have told my father many times about this idea, and he agreed." ”

Cheng Kun didn't refuse again: "Okay, since that's the case, then naturally I won't have any opinions." When you arrive at the Dingshan Army, report my name, and General Peng will take you in. But there is one thing I want to tell you, I will go to the imperial capital after I go home this time, and I may not be able to take you with me. “

"Huh?"

Cheng Quan didn't expect his cousin to leave Youzhou to go to the imperial capital, which was a little different from the situation he expected in advance, but since the decision had been made, he didn't want to regret it anymore, so that this cousin looked down on himself: "It's okay, as long as I can join the army, I don't need you to treat me any specially, I'll just work hard myself." Don't worry, I won't lose the face of our Cheng family. ”

Cheng Kun is very satisfied with his cousin's attitude, no matter whether he can do it or not at that time, but at least this attitude must be there, he doesn't want Cheng Quan to want to join the army because of luck. His legs are not thick enough right now and don't need an additional pendant for the time being.

After agreeing on this matter, Cheng Kun settled down and stayed at home with his father and mother for two days.

Cheng Zhen and Cheng Li are also very satisfied with the gifts he bought back from the county, especially Cheng Li, she worked hard for half her life after marrying Cheng Kun's father, although her life is not too much to open, but there is not much money left throughout the year, all of which she saved for Cheng Kun to marry when he grows up, but she is reluctant to take it out to buy new clothes.

Cheng Kun also used these two days to condition his father's body, and he used his true qi to dredge the stagnant meridians in the two of them, expelled some small hidden diseases, and made Cheng Li's whole person a lot younger.

As for his father's injured leg, because it had been injured for too long, Cheng Kun had no way to heal it completely, so he could only ask him to drink more tiger bone wine when he was at home, and at the same time, he could also practice boxing diligently to enhance his physique.

Two days later, Cheng Kun left home and returned.

He did not follow the road he came, but made a big circle, first coming to Anci County under Jinyang County.

Among his subordinates who died in the Battle of Xuemen Pass, there was a man named Yuan Liang, who was born in Anci County.

After he died in battle, Cheng Kun and other people under him took out a part of the military salary and put together a part of it to send 1,000 yuan to each of the eight dead soldiers, including him, who still had relatives alive. If you save a little money, this money is almost enough for ordinary people to eat and dress for a year.

According to Yuan Liang's words before the war, he still had a younger sister alive in his hometown, but he was sent to a large family of Cao Xing to work as a maid before his parents died, and he rarely found the opportunity to meet his sister.

He joined the army not with the idea of finding an opportunity to redeem his sister from someone else's house after making meritorious contributions, but it was a pity that the battlefield was ruthless, and he fell into the dark in the first battle.

After entering Anci County, Cheng Kun randomly found a middle-aged man selling flatbread on the street, and after buying two flatbreads, he asked him about the location of the Cao family by the way.

As a result, this man in his thirties, who was full of weather, suddenly showed a trace of fear on his face after listening to him inquire about the Cao family, and he kindly reminded Cheng Kun: "Young man, what are you doing with those black-hearted jackals, no matter what you do, as long as you enter the door of their house, you will always be peeled off a layer of skin." ”

Cheng Kun knew in his heart after hearing this, it seems that this Cao family has a lot of notoriety in this Anci County. He couldn't help but worry about Yuan Liang's young sister, in this era, the social status of the maid can be said to be almost nothing. If you meet a black-hearted master, it will be even more miserable.

He wanted to know more about the situation, so he pretended to be curious and asked the uncle in front of him: "Where do you start with this, I just have a friend's sister who works at Cao's house, and he asked me to come and visit when I passed by Anci County, that's all." Even if the Cao family is domineering, they shouldn't be able to do anything to me for no reason. ”

The uncle who sold the cake thought about it for a while, and felt that if what Cheng Kun said was true, there should be no problem, so he explained:

"Young man, you are a foreigner, so I don't know, in this Anci County, in addition to the county magistrate (the highest county-level magistrate below 10,000 households), the most powerful is the Cao family, their head Cao Jingwu is still the county lieutenant of the county, and the officials in the county basically listen to him. ”

"Cao Jingwu is extremely greedy, and likes fishing, once he sees someone's shop, he will let the official come to the door, casually plant a crime to ruin his family, and then take the shop himself, if the original owner's family is young and beautiful, he will be robbed home to enjoy. When you get tired of playing, you sell it to the green buildings in the city. ”

Cheng Kun sneered in his heart when he heard this, this is clearly a Nanbatian-style character.

The county lieutenant holds the official armed forces in a county, and if the public weapons are used for private purposes, and the power is not restrained, he can naturally do whatever he wants.

He asked again: "This head of the Cao family is acting so unscrupulously, isn't there anyone who goes to the county government to complain?"

The uncle had a bitter smile on his face, "How could it not be, it's just that the county magistrate Ma Deyuan is in cahoots with him, and the next generation of the Cao and Ma families is even more in-law, even if someone complains, the county magistrate Ma will not pay attention to it." ”

Hearing this, Cheng Kun had a general understanding of the Cao family, and he also had some bottom in his heart.

After separating from the cake seller, Cheng Kun changed his mind.

He was no longer in a hurry to find the door now, before he came to the door, he had to find an insider of the Cao family to inquire about the current situation of Yuan Liang's sister. If the Cao family is really so unbearable, then he has to plan what to do.

Cheng Kun now has little hope for the money he sent back, Yuan Liang's sister is alone in such a person's house as a maid, how can the money fall into her hands.

............

Cao An, as usual, left the county office early and dragged a group of brothers to find a place to drink.

He was the son of the Cao family, and because he was diligent and loyal, he was given the surname Cao. Don't look at him like a pug in front of Cao Jingwu, but on the outside, he calls himself "An Ye", and he is very majestic.

In the tavern, Cao An munched on a plate of beef and drank a sip of wine from time to time, so that it was not moisturized. While drinking, several of them talked about how much money they had recently knocked out from someone, and went to the Qinglou to wrap a certain powder for the night.

The voice that spoke was not small, undisguised, and extremely arrogant, and the people on the side dared to be angry when they heard it.

Cao An suddenly smiled after drinking half of it: "You know the little girl named Yuan Qiao in our house, her brother went to join the army half a year ago, but the news came back some time ago that this guy fought with the Huns and died on the battlefield at that time." ”

One of the people next to him touched his chin and laughed: "Is it so simple to join the army, and it's normal to die." But this Yuan Qiao is very beautiful, and the brothers will have the opportunity to take her out one day. ”

Cao An scolded with a smile: "You kid took advantage of this thought, according to my observation, it is very likely that the head of the family has also taken a fancy to this girl." This is not surprising, some time ago the news of her brother's death came back, and this little girl was crying pear blossoms with rain, and that look was indeed pitiful to me. ”

The man who had just spoken sighed with some pity and lost hope. Joke, in this Anci County, who dares to rob a woman with the head of the Cao family, is this the old birthday star hanging himself!

Cao An continued: "But there is another strange thing, after Yuan Liang's death, in addition to the money sent back by the Dingshan Army, his commander also asked someone to send Yuan Qiao a thousand yuan, and said that it will be every year in the future, until this girl gets married." It's the first time I've heard that someone is willing to give money to his subordinates when I'm so old, and if I can do this as a soldier, that's really a good thing. ”

Several people who drank with him expressed disbelief, and they had never heard of anyone willing to pay for the bereavement themselves, isn't it stupid?

Seeing that they didn't believe it, Cao An blushed and shouted: "You don't have to believe it, the 1,000 yuan was taken away by the housekeeper as soon as it was sent to the house, and the master divided the money after he found out, and I also got 200 yuan for Ye An, and that's how the money for your drink today came from." ”

He didn't notice that in the corner of the tavern, there was a person whose face was obviously cold after hearing this, his eyes narrowed slightly, and the coldness suddenly appeared, but he was killed.