It was almost dusk when Zhuang Li brought his family back to Luoxia Village. The green mountains, green water, and blue sky had lost their original colors, and were dyed golden red by the sunset. The whole world is immersed in a warm atmosphere, and the flow of time seems to slow down.
The second son of Zhuang and Liu Chunhua were half leaning on the carriage, looking at the magnificent scenery on the horizon with satisfaction, with a peaceful and happy expression on their faces.
Liu Chunhua took her husband's hand and looked at it carefully, and sighed contentedly: "Dad, my son, I'll go home today, and I won't have to poke your blisters on the way."
Zhuang's second child hurriedly looked at the two children sitting in the car, and gave his wife a "don't talk nonsense" wink.
It turned out that every day when she finished work and went home, Liu Chunhua would take out her sewing kit and poke off the blisters that Zhuang Lao Er made when he was carrying the goods, just to make the illusion that Zhuang Lao Er did not work hard.
When Zhuang Lao Er went back to the dock to carry the goods, he brought back blood blisters all over his hands and feet, which looked very terrifying. The two children were so frightened that they refused to go to school the next day after being beaten to death, which gave the couple a headache. After that, the couple developed the habit of hiding their hard work before going home.
They are willing to give everything for their two sons.
Liu Chunhua immediately changed the subject, pretending that nothing happened just now, but their conversation had already been overheard by the two brothers sitting in the carriage.
Zhuang Li didn't know the previous situation, so he didn't feel deeply, but Zhuang Jiuge turned his head away and quietly wiped the corner of his eyes.
Over the years, parents have worked really hard for them to study. If the two brothers can't stand up, the hopes of their parents all these years will be in vain, all their efforts will be in vain, and the family will lose all hope.
In that case, life would be an endless torment for them.
If the eldest brother didn't come, what would happen to the banker's second room, Zhuang Jiuge couldn't even think about it. So he silently accepted all the changes, and did not hate the new big brother in front of him.
In addition to being sad, he was even grateful, thanking his eldest brother for bringing hope to his family.
Unconsciously, the carriage arrived at the entrance of the village, and Zhuang Li jumped out of the carriage and said, "Father and mother, little brother, you go back first, and I will go around the village."
"Be sure to come back before it gets dark," Zhuang Lao Er said worriedly.
"Big brother, I'll accompany you." Zhuang Jiuge followed step by step.
So the four of them split into two groups, all the way home, and wandering aimlessly in the village all the way.
Zhuang Li carried an oiled paper bag and walked towards the big banyan tree where the children gathered. When he got close, he poured the candy in the paper bag into his palm and tempted: "Want to eat candy?"
The children who were a little afraid of him were immediately attracted to him, looked at his palm eagerly, and nodded timidly.
"Come and eat, each person will take one." Zhuang Li handed his palm forward, a gentle smile on his face.
If he deliberately shows the good side, others will immediately fall into his trap. In a sense, he has mastered the skills of the devil walking the world.
Sure enough, the children were no longer afraid of him, and scrambled to surround him, took the candy in his palm, and couldn't wait to stuff it into their mouths.
Zhuang Li squatted down and looked at the children, and asked softly, "Are any strangers coming to the village today?"
"Yes, two big brothers came here today, and they looked very raw. They said they were from the next village and came here to catch fish." Without asking in detail, the children told everything they knew.
"Have they inquired about my family's situation?" Zhuang Li continued to ask.
"Yes, they asked if your family is really rich, and we said yes. They are very envious, and they also asked what treasures your family has." The children have no idea what kind of sinister intentions are hidden in this question and answer. . For them, getting rich is a great thing.
Zhuang Li curled the corners of his lips and smiled with satisfaction.
He stood up and waved to his pale younger brother, "Go home."
Zhuang Jiuge quickly followed him, and when he reached an unoccupied corner, he lowered his voice and said, "Brother, those two people are likely to be sent by bandits or robbers to step on the spot. Our family is being watched!"
Zhuang Li was very satisfied with his younger brother's sharpness, rubbed his head and said, "Don't worry, they will make a careful plan tonight, and they won't do anything, and the danger will only happen after tomorrow. And tomorrow, I will bring it with me. Our family is going to live in Bazhou City. What do you think of the house opposite Qin Taishou's house? Our family is renting there, do robbers dare to come?"
The street where Qin Taishou's house lives is the most prosperous street in Bazhou City. Every day there are yamen patrolling back and forth, and the law and order is very good.
The house over there is definitely not cheap, but for the current Zhuang Li, the rent of 12 taels a month is really not expensive. Moreover, he also helped Master Zhou a lot. Master Zhou used to be the confidant of Qin Taishou.
After all the family members have moved out, who will the robbers rob? Do they dare to commit crimes in Bazhou City
Thinking of this, Zhuang Jiuge laughed easily, and then scratched his head embarrassedly. The elder brother is so powerful, how could he not consider these situations, he is just worrying about it.
Zhuang Li glanced at him and asked in a low voice, "Everyone said that the thieves will not fail. Guess what, if we leave, who will those thieves miss?"
Zhuang Jiuge was stunned for a moment, then opened his eyes wide, showing a stunned expression.
On the day of the separation, several clan elders settled an account for the two houses of the Zhuang family, and the story that Zhuang Tianer picked up ginseng and sold it for one hundred taels of silver had spread throughout the village. Therefore, if the second house of the banker leaves the village, the big house of the banker with a huge sum of one hundred taels will naturally be targeted by thieves.
Big brother, are you going to let the big room replace the second room to prevent disasters? Is this what he planned in advance
Zhuang Jiuge's reverence for this new eldest brother increased a little bit, but he couldn't bear to see the big house suffer, so he whispered: "Big brother, will the uncle and his family encounter danger? Or let's send them a message, Let them go out and avoid it."
Zhuang Li turned around, walked towards the Zhuang's courtyard, and said in a cold tone, "Why do you think the news of our family's great fortune spread so quickly? The villages are separated by mountains, and it is very inconvenient to travel without a carriage. The villagers have lived here for generations, and few people go out.
"In such a closed environment, it would take at least ten days and a half for a piece of news to spread, and it's only just one night. The thieves received the news and came to investigate. Don't you think they acted too quickly?"
Zhuang Jiuge's scalp started to go numb, and he said in a trembling voice, "Brother, do you mean that this news was released on purpose by someone else?"
"What do you think?" Zhuang Li asked without looking back, but he smiled secretly in his heart.
He first released the news, but he didn't expect Zhuang Tianer's actions to be so fast, and it took only one day to spread the news. This would save him the wait.
Zhuang Jiuge looked at his brother's back and murmured, "Who is the person who released the news? What kind of hatred does he have with our family? My parents work honestly and have never offended anyone. We study every day without causing trouble. , who really hates us so much?"
Zhuang Li pointed out: "Breaking my brain and your hands, so that we can't read a book, is to ruin the future of our family; hang the donkey and hang it on the front door, this is to curse our family to be destroyed and not allowed to die. Good death. Who is the one who did these things one after another?"
Zhuang Jiuge opened his eyes wide, his eyes showing horror: "It's Zhuang Tian'er!"
Zhuang Li continued to make a point: "Releasing the news attracts robbers, making our house looted and even losing our lives. Who can do it? Don't you think this method is very familiar?"
"It's still Zhuang Tian'er!"
Zhuang Jiuge was stunned for a while before whispering in disbelief: "Brother, why do you think this is? What kind of hatred does she have with our family? My parents have never treated her badly. Girls from other families go to the ground every day. She is the only one who can stay at home and embroider at a leisurely pace. If it wasn't for the money that her parents bring back every month, would she be able to enjoy such a life?"
"Perhaps in her opinion, letting her embroider is to squeeze her labor; letting her do laundry and cooking is to be a cow and a horse for our brothers. If we can read, our parents should provide her with reading; we can live in the spacious East Room. , she should have the same wing; we can have half a tael of money every month, and she should have it too. In short, we have it, she must have it, and it must be better."
Zhuang Li slowly described Zhuang Tian'er's state of mind.
Zhuang Jiuge was stunned, and said angrily: "Why is she? Our parents have worked so hard to exchange the money with blood and sweat. When you and I spend it, my heart aches, why does she feel that? Can she own it for free? Does she have no parents? Why should our parents support her? And she is afraid that she forgot that she, her parents, her brother, and her grandparents are all raised by our parents. The food and clothing of their family are all bought by their parents with blood and sweat, why is she still not satisfied?"
"She will be content." Zhuang Li said terrifying words in a calm tone: "When our family is drained of blood by her and turned into bones, she will be satisfied."
He looked back at his brother with a cold light in his eyes: "After we die, she will suck up our marrow, smash our bones, and put them on the ground as stepping stones. She will squeeze our last value out. net."
Zhuang Jiuge was so scared that his whole body was stiff and his back was cold. The sinister nature of the human heart will always refresh his cognition. When he thought that there was no more hateful person in the world than Lingxi, Xuan Zhenzi appeared, and when he thought that Xuan Zhenzi was the extreme of evil, Zhuang Tianer appeared again.
He hugged himself tightly, chasing his brother deep and shallow, and let out a sigh of relief when his body submerged in his brother's elongated projection. It seems that only with this person can he feel safe enough.
Zhuang Li continued to walk forward, the hand behind him moved slightly, and his tone was full of pampering: "If you are afraid, hold your brother's hand tightly. This world is indeed a world where ghosts are rampant, but with my brother around, our family must be It'll be all right."
Zhuang Jiuge quickly grabbed his brother's slender fingertips and touched the traces of warmth, and his panicked heart instantly calmed down.
At this moment, he sincerely thanked this man for his presence. Because he has glimpsed his own future from those conversations just now.
Being sucked dry by Zhuang Tianer, stepping on bones and turning into dust, that scene was countless times more terrifying than he had imagined before.
"So, are you still planning to notify Zhuang Tian'er's family?" Zhuang Li asked back at the right time.
Zhuang Jiuge shook his head into a rattle: "No, no, whoever releases the news will bear the consequences, I can't control it!"