Yang Lin was stunned for a long time, let go of Ye Xiaotian's ankle, and said slowly: "When the old man was in power, he held great power, like the Avalokitesvara who responded to every request. Whenever someone came to ask me, he would always be satisfied, but he could not go to heaven. Get yourself a son."
"Maybe it's because I have done too many immoral things. Since my old age, I have built bridges and roads, donated education to help the disabled, and donated a large amount of sesame oil money to the temple. I kept accumulating evil virtues, but I still couldn't get one. Son, as a last resort, I had to adopt one from the clan."
Yang Lin sighed melancholy, and said: "But he is not the old man's own flesh and blood after all. The old man has only given birth to one daughter in his life. Her mother is the old man's concubine. She has never been treated by the wife. The old man is worried about death. The Empress Madam is unscrupulous and will make things difficult for their mother and daughter."
Ye Xiaotian asked suspiciously, "What does Master Yang mean?"
Yang Lin choked up and said: "My daughter is cute, smart, handsome and lovely. I hate that I only cared about power and position at that time, and didn't take much pleasure under my knees. Now I regret it. I violated the laws and regulations of the country. Of course, I deserve to die. Now the only thing I care about is , only this daughter."
He slowly fixed his eyes on Ye Xiaotian, and said: "The old man wants to repair a book, please pass it on to the old man's family, let them divide the family property according to the old man's wishes, leave a dowry for the little girl, and ensure that she has no worries about food and clothing for the rest of her life. willing?"
Ye Xiaotian was surprised and said: "Is this the big thing your lord said?"
Yang Lin nodded solemnly, and said: "That's right! This old man has been in charge of power all his life, and has been greedy for money all his life. Only when he died did he finally understand what is the most important thing to me. This is the most important thing in my heart." !"
Ye Xiaotian said with great emotion: "Yes! It's not for fifty taels of silver. I should do such a good deed. Of course, it's better to have money, haha! It's just... since it involves the division of family property, I'm a red-mouthed and white-toothed boy." I’m afraid no one will believe me if I tell it, so I still need you to leave a letter as evidence, and wait for me to get the pen, ink, paper and inkstone.”
Yang Lin said gratefully: "Okay! The old man lives in Jingzhou Mansion, Huguang Road. As long as you deliver this letter for the old man, the reward of fifty taels of silver will be a lot!"
Ye Xiaotian suddenly widened his eyes, and said in surprise, "Jingzhou Mansion on Huguang Road? From your voice, this place shouldn't be in Beijing, right?"
Yang Lin gave him a strange look, and said, "Jingzhou Mansion is Jingzhou Mansion, of course it's not in Beijing, why?"
If it's not in Beijing, where is it? Having grown so big, Ye Xiaotian, who has only been to Tongzhou as far as he can, immediately imagined a scene of the wild world in "Shan Hai Jing", and he shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, that's not possible, leave I can't find the north because of the boundaries of Beijing."
Yang Lin stopped and said, "Five hundred taels! How about the old man giving you five hundred taels? This is money you will never earn in your entire life!"
"Five hundred taels..." Ye Xiaotian's heart skipped a beat, but this struggle only lasted for a moment, and he shook his head resolutely. Going to Huguang to deliver a letter, Huguang! In this era of inconvenient transportation and inconvenient communication, it sounds as if the world is so far away...
For Ye Xiaotian, who has never left Beijing, this is a daunting journey that makes him feel hesitant from the bottom of his heart. He hesitated for a while, but still refused: "It's too far away, why don't I hand it over when your family arrives in Beijing..."
Yang Lin smiled miserably, and said: "The old man has been in prison for three years. Ever since I knew that the old man will never go out, no one has been at home. The relationship between the old man and his wife has always been indifferent. If she arranges someone to come to transport my coffin from thousands of miles away , but I don’t know when and what month to wait.”
When Ye Xiaotian heard the word "thousands of miles away", he was even more unwilling to agree, and shook his head again and again: "Xiaotian can't make it, Mr. Yang, please ask someone else to be wise."
Yang Lin said: "Who else can the old man ask? Is there any good person in this big prison?"
Ye Xiaotian's face froze immediately.
Yang Lin sighed: "These criminals in the prison often send some money to your jailers to buy food and food. The old man watched coldly, and all the guards next to him cheated, or shoddy or greedy for money. Only you are the most serious promise. Although you are greedy for profit, you do not break your trust, so only you can believe it."
Ye Xiaotian shook his head and said: "My lord, this trip is really far away. Xiaotian, I am a little loach in the pond in front of my house. I have never seen any storms. I really can't handle your matter. , Farewell!"
Ye Xiaotian cupped his hands, turned around and left, Yang Lin shouted loudly behind him: "Five hundred taels, five hundred taels, it's enough to make you rich and honored for the rest of your life, don't you think you're willing to be a small prison boss for the rest of your life?"
Ye Xiaotian didn't look back, but walked away quickly. From a distance, a piece of Kunqu opera came out from him: "I was originally a little bird in Sijiu City. Why do I need to soar to the nine heavens to be Kunpeng? Kunpeng doesn't know The sparrow is good~~~"
Ye Xiaotian's voice gradually faded away, Yang Lin stood there obsessively, listening to his voice on the railing, after a long time, he slowly raised his head, looked at the gloomy prison roof, and murmured a long sigh: "Kunpeng, Maybe it’s really not as good as the sparrow..."
※※※
Ye Xiaotian's home is in Xiquzi Hutong, Xuanwu Street. The neighbor on the left is a hereditary executioner, and the family also runs a grocery store. The neighbor on the right is a family of craftsmen, and the family also runs a butcher shop. The Ye family is in the middle, and the lintel is the smallest.
As soon as he entered the small courtyard, he opened the door and went in. He saw his old mother, Ye Dou, holding a dustpan and feeding the chickens in the yard. Several old hens were clucking and happily chasing the scattered bran. The big rooster, which was basking in the sun under the wall, rushed over upon hearing the sound, held its head high, and aggressively pushed its harem aside.
Ye Xiaotian greeted his old lady, "Mother, I'm back."
Ye Dou's face was gloomy and he didn't speak. Ye Xiaotian was slightly surprised, and was about to ask, when he heard a burst of shouting and cursing from the west room, and the loud voice was naturally Old Ye's voice: "You bastard, you can do it! What a fart, such an old idea."
Ye Xiaotian said in surprise: "Mother, who is my father scolding? Brother is back?"
Ye Dou hesitated to speak, and finally just sighed heavily.
Ye Xiaotian hurriedly said: "I'll go and have a look!"
Ye Xiaotian hurried to the west room, opened the door curtain to take a look, and saw his father, old man Ye, beating his brother Ye Xiaoan shamelessly with a broom bump. Ye Xiaoan curled up on the kang, covered his head, pouted his buttocks, neither hiding nor shouting, allowing Lao Tzu to beat him.
Ye Xiaotian hurried forward to stop his father, persuading him: "What's the matter? Dad, you are always calm, what can't be said in the family, the eldest brother is a family member, you can teach me a few words." That's it, how can you do it?"
Ye Xiaotian gave his elder brother a wink as he said that, Ye Xiaoan and Ye Xiaotian are twins, they look exactly the same, but their expressions and temperament are far less than Xiaotian's quick-wittedness, at first glance he is a simple and honest person, when he sees the second younger brother winking at him Ye Xiaoan hurriedly hugged his head and ran away.
Ye Xiaotian pulled his furious father, pushed him to the edge of the kang and sat down, sat with him, put his arms around his father's shoulders, and said affectionately: "Father, such an honest man like elder brother, what can he do to make you angry?" , why are you so angry?"
When Lao Ye heard it, he couldn't get angry again, and said angrily: "This bastard is really mad at me. What do you think he can do, ah? What do you think he can do?"
Ye Xiaotian was obedient, he vaguely understood, and asked tentatively: "Why, big brother, that rice noodle workshop... isn't doing well?"
Lao Ye patted his thigh and said: "Not good? If it's just not good, I'll burn the incense! This bastard, I can't even open a rice noodle workshop. I owe a lot of famine, and the store can't continue. As soon as people run on it, the store is sold out.
Your sister-in-law went back to her mother's house in a fit of anger, and you said why your brother is so mean, he can't even open a business well, and what's even more annoying is that he didn't tell me from the beginning to the end, and he made up his own mind. Is there still me in this old man? "
Ye Xiaotian quickly comforted him and said: "Father, the matter has come to this, what's the use of being angry, if you want to get angry, the elder brother will be even more sad. In business, there are always losses and gains, otherwise everyone wouldn't be happy." Are you going to do business, don't be angry."
Lao Ye was silent for a moment, sighed deeply, and said slowly: "It doesn't matter whether father is angry or not. The important thing is that your sister-in-law is angry with your brother. Originally, her mother's family is stronger than ours. This marriage is ours. Hurrying at home, your brother is not up to date..."
Lao Ye was talking, touched by something sad, and tears welled up in his eyes: "It's your father who can't bear it, the bowl of Gongmen rice passed down from the ancestors, the two sons, who shall I give it to? Dad calculated, you are smarter, you can't suffer in that place, and the errand of the prison will be handed over to you.
For this reason, Dad felt that he owed your brother again, so he took out all his life savings, bought him a workshop, and helped him marry a wife. Dad... Dad has done everything he can. "
Lao Ye choked with sobs, and tears finally flowed down: "Your brother can't lift it with his hands or shoulders. It's just a fart. This guy who drags his family has no livelihood now. In the future But what should I do? I am a father who has no skills..."
Lao Ye covered his face sadly, tears continued to flow from the edges of his palms, Ye Xiaoan did not run away, just squatted outside the door curtain and listened, hearing what his father said, Ye Xiaoan felt miserable and couldn't help crying : "Father, don't talk about it, I don't blame you, it's my son's incompetence..."
Seeing his father crying, Ye Xiaotian's nose was sore, he quickly held back the tears, and pretended to be relaxed: "Father, what are you doing, let the neighbors hear it and not laugh at our old Ye's family? This matter about big brother It's easy to handle, can't it be enough to let the eldest brother take over the job of the jailer?"
Lao Ye was taken aback, then shook his head and said, "How could it be possible! Xiao An's own misfortune, how could it be worth your errand?"
Ye Xiaoan also said quietly outside the door curtain: "Second brother, this matter will not work. Even if I starve to death, I can't take my brother's job. If your sister-in-law really wants to live with me, then let her go! Brother? It's a matter of ability, but brother can't be unconscionable!"
Old man Ye pounded the head of the kang and shouted loudly towards the outside: "Shut up! See if you can do it, are you capable now? You have the ability to coax my daughter-in-law back first! You bastard!"
Ye Xiaoan was timid, and was frightened by Lao Tzu's roar, and fled out of the house in a hurry. After scolding the eldest son, Father Ye shook his head at Ye Xiaotian again, and his mood has calmed down a bit: "It can't be done like this, you should do your job well, there is no unparalleled road, your brother's side, dad, think about it again." Method."
Ye Xiaotian grinned and said: "Father, what else are you thinking about? Just do as your son tells you. In fact, my son was going to tell Dad about this when he came back today. Dad is going to take over the class, because the son is going on a long trip."
Lao Ye said in surprise: "A long trip? Where are you going?"
"That's it..."
Ye Xiaotian told him the ins and outs of the matter, and said: "Father, think about it, it's just sending a letter, and there is a benefit of five hundred taels of silver. With these five hundred taels, my son still needs to point out this Kougong’s family food? What kind of business can’t you do?”
Lao Ye was greatly moved when he heard that, it was five hundred taels of silver, a huge sum that was unimaginable in his dreams, but the mountains are so high and the rivers so far away, can Xiaotian make it
In today's era, with inconvenient transportation, fewer people, and different security conditions in different places, it is very difficult to travel far away. In many cases, going far away is a difference between life and death, and there is no chance to see each other again in a lifetime.
Except for the refugees who really can't survive, and the merchants who need to communicate with each other, only officials and scholars who study abroad will leave their hometown. Therefore, although there is a temptation of five hundred taels of silver, if it is not for the family With such a big incident, Lao Ye didn't even think about the urgent need for a sum of money to fill the famine, but right now...
After hesitating for a while, Lao Ye said worriedly: "My son, you have never traveled far. Can you make such a long journey?"
Ye Xiaotian also felt sorry for him. Not only was he anxious about traveling far away, but he was also reluctant to let go of the bowl of Gongmen food he cherished. But seeing the dense wrinkles on his father's face, he could make his old father who had worked hard all his life continue to make troubles. what? Besides, the eldest brother has reached the point where his husband and wife are separated, so can his brother who is a mother and a compatriot sit calmly and watch
Ye Xiaotian said to the old man Ye with a relaxed face: "Father, you underestimate your son, don't you just send a letter, how can I do such a small thing? My son wants to go! To be honest, my son has never I like the dreary place of Sky Prison, this is an opportunity for my son."
Looking at the silver hair on his father's temples, Ye Xiaotian gently held his father's big rough hand, and said softly: "Father, my son always feels that no matter how much money there is, it will always be spent; That day; even if the family had a huge fortune, a natural and man-made disaster would also bring it down.
This person, you have to have some real skills. As long as you have a whole body of skills, even if you have nothing to do with your bare hands, you can stand up again when you fall down. Just let me make a breakthrough and gain some experience. It's time to leave. "
Lao Ye felt relieved when he heard it, and seeing his son's immature face and the light hair on his lips, he suddenly felt that his son had really grown up. It's a pity that Xiao An's child is too honest, otherwise the eldest brother should have sent this letter, and now he can only rely on the second child.
Seeing his father being appeased, Ye Xiaotian couldn't help feeling relieved, but then he thought of the address of the house of the Great Master Yang, and his heart tightened again: "Jingzhou Mansion, it sounds really as far away as the world..."