When Yue Dingtang's pocket watch arrived at six o'clock in the afternoon, Steward He came on time and invited them to dinner.
Ling Shuxin, who had been hungry for a long time, said that he could finally have a good meal. Even if the place to sleep at night was not satisfactory, at least the Guan family would not be able to treat the distinguished guests harshly. Even if there was no Manchu and Han banquet, there should always be eight dishes and one soup. of.
Yue Dingtang said that there is a small kitchen in each room, which has become his dream along the way. Even if he has seen the unreliability of everyone in the Guan family, Ling Shu still holds his last persistence and dream.
But this dream was soon completely shattered.
A plate of dumplings, a bowl of stewed vermicelli with pork and cabbage, and a politely smiling Guan Er.
This is the Guan family who claims to be rich and rich
Ling Shu suspected that something was wrong with his eyes.
He not only suspects that there is a problem with his own eyes, but also suspects that there is a problem with the Guan family's brain.
I don't know, I thought that Yue Dingtang was a poor relative from where, and the Guan family wanted to drive him away as soon as possible, so they issued a veiled order of expulsion.
"You are here, hurry up, sit down!"
The second master got up and raised his hand to say hello, polite and thoughtful.
Yue Dingtang did not attend.
"Second cousin, I'm not a poor relative who came to beg for food. I'm here to put incense sticks on the grave of the old man. I regret that my mother couldn't see her family before her death. If my mother was still alive, I would never have imagined that. The Guan family has fallen into such a state. Ling Shu is my friend, I can endure such a cold reception, but I can't let my friends accompany me. I'll leave for Shanghai, and I won't bother you again."
The second master opened his mouth and stunned, until he saw Yue Dingtang turning around to leave, then he was in a hurry, and hurriedly got up and pulled him.
"Dingtang, Dingtang, what are you doing! It's hard to come here, why did you say you want to leave in a blink of an eye, don't worry, don't worry, hey, listen to Uncle Biao and tell you slowly! It's a long story here, you Don't worry, Mr. Ling, help me to persuade Tang!"
Ling Shu smiled and said: "Master Guan Er, I'm an outsider, so I can't interfere in the family affairs. Besides, you made a mistake. Lao Yue said that I was his friend. That's to take care of the old classmate's affection. In fact, I belong to him. Secretaries and assistants, that is, subordinates, how dare I persuade the boss, you may have found the wrong person!"
The second master was helpless and held Yue Dingtang's arm tightly, for fear that the person would run away as soon as he let go.
"Ding Tang, to be honest, you have also seen the situation of the Guan family. The eldest brother doesn't look like an eldest brother. , tonight, this meal should have been grandly cleaned up for you, but other people refused to come, your second cousin is a clever woman who can't cook without rice, so you can only make it up, don't take it offense, turn back, wait for the old man to open the warehouse, I have enough money, and I will invite you to the biggest restaurant in the city to have a good meal, do you think?"
Yue Dingtang said indifferently: "The wing we are staying in, let alone the furnishings, even the chairs are gone. Is this how the Guan family treats guests?"
The second master sighed: "That's all the boss did. He said he was the eldest brother, and most of the Guan family should belong to him. No, they can only go! No, they just had a riot today. They were supposed to clean up the dust for you, but they all refused to come. After the old man passed away, the boss wanted to put the public in the middle. The money is taken out and divided, and although the family has not officially split, but each house is in charge of each house, and no one is willing to give a dime!"
The second master and Yue Ding Tang were talking, but Ling Shu's eyes fell on the dumplings on the plate.
Yue Dingtang did not express his position on the second master's words, but reminded him: "Second cousin, we are a little hungry, why don't we talk about it after eating."
The second master said hurriedly: "Yes, eat first, eat first, come, move chopsticks!"
According to the second master, the dumplings were stuffed with chicken feathers and pork. Ling Shu chewed it for a long time and had a mouthful of chicken feathers. The pork may have disappeared into the vast vegetable stuffing.
Look at the stewed vermicelli with cabbage and pork, flip the chopsticks, and the cabbage vermicelli moved by Wang Yang can occasionally see sporadic fat, which is even more finely divided than the gossip of the three aunts and six grandmothers.
"Second master, just now we heard some gossip from the mouth of the servants of the Guan family."
Ling Shu chewed and chewed the vermicelli, but could not chew the slightest pork flavor, so he said it smoothly.
"What kind of bullshit did you talk nonsense with!"
The second master raised his eyebrows, his mouth twitched, his tone raised—
Unfortunately, there is no deterrent.
Ling Shu: "They said that among the people who moved things from the Guan family to their own private house, besides the eldest master and the fourth master, there are also you, the second master."
The second master blushed: "Nonsense!"
Ling Shu smiled and said: "No, I also think they are talking nonsense, anyway, Lao Yue and I will leave in two days, and the mouths of these servants have to be troubled by the second master to rectify more, the two of us, one outsider, one Even outsiders have no right to talk. However, we also encountered a strange thing on the train when we came, and it is said that we have some connections with you, the second master."
He stopped talking and started to concentrate on picking the minced meat in the stewed vermicelli.
The second master was a little unhappy.
He didn't take Ling Shu seriously.
At first, I thought that the other party was Yue Dingtang's friend, and he was also from a good background, so he still had some face, but later I found out that this kid surnamed Ling was just an old classmate of Yue Dingtang, and he had to rely on Yue Dingtang for food. , It can be seen that the family background is also limited, so the secretary assistant is plain, that is, the long follower at the front and the back, but the dynasty has changed, let's put it another way.
But Ling Shu then took out a small white ivory card from his pocket.
It was the gold leaf and ivory sutras they seized from the hats on the train.
The second master's face changed.
"Where did you get this thing from?"
Ling Shu sighed and answered nonsense.
"Lao Yue, I think you are really difficult."
Yue Dingtang: "How do you say this?"
Ling Shu: "As soon as you received the letter from Guan's family, you immediately packed your bags, worked non-stop, day and night, day and night, and rushed over. As a result, except for the second master, no one told you that you had worked hard. No one understands that you can’t even get enough to eat along the way, you’re either busy arguing or quarreling, or you don’t even show your face, I’m really sorry for you!”
Yueding Tang Xin said that although they had backed up many times along the way, they were all in first-class carriages, with steak, red wine and dumpling fried rice. How could they not even have enough to eat, but he couldn't get used to it. Make a pie at home, and follow suit quietly.
"That can't be helped, relatives."
Ling Shu: "I thought I would have a good meal when I came to Guan's house, but the dumplings are not cold, and it's hard to find even some meat filling."
Yue Dingtang: "The Guan family has become so troubled, and they have no money."
Ling Shu: "Isn't it? I think that the tea set on the second cousin's height is worth dozens of dollars in a Shanghai antique shop. Could it be a fake?"
Yue Dingtang: "What kind of family is the Guan family? Their ancestors had big names, and the second cousin is even more embarrassing. No matter what, they will not use fakes."
Second Master:…
Ling Shu: "That's not right, if it wasn't a fake, Uncle Er Biao would just throw it there casually, and there was still unfinished tea in the cup, which shows that it is a common thing, even dozens of oceans take it easy. How can they give us pork dumplings without even seeing the minced meat? Is it because the servants made their own decisions, or is it a conspiracy of the first master or the fourth master to drive us away ahead of time?"
Yue Dingtang thought for a moment, then nodded his head: "It's possible."
Second Master:…
Ling Shu: "Let's not embarrass the second master. I heard that the donkey meat hot pot at the street outside Guan's house is very delicious. Why don't you try it at night?"
Yue Dingtang: "What about the second cousin?"
Ling Shu: "Second Master must eat it every day, and he's tired of it. It's different from the buns from the countryside. You have to go up the mountain to worship tomorrow. You can't eat too much vegetarian food, or else you won't get it."
You have finished talking good and bad, so what should I say? !
The second master roared and shouted in his heart, his face slightly distorted.
Ling Shu also showed him a bright smile.
"Well, second cousin, you eat first. Let's go out and find something to fill your stomach. What's the matter, we'll talk about it when we get back. When we get back, do you want to bring something to eat for you?"
Without waiting for Master Guan to answer, Ling Shu asked himself again.
"Forget it, the Guan family is rich and rich, and I think you are not short of it. You are old and you should eat more vegetarian food. It's better to stay and eat dumplings and vermicelli. Lao Yue, let's go."
"Wait!"
The second master stood up abruptly.
He blushed and held his breath, staring at Ling Shu with a terrifying expression.
Ling Shu thought he was going to curse.
If the second master is just right to scold people, they can get out of Guan's house in an open and honest way, and they don't have to sleep in that empty guest room at night.
"Old Li!!!"
Master Guan Er held it back for a long time, but it was the Chang Sui beside him who shouted.
"Go to the small kitchen and prepare the donkey meat pot, Ma Liu, Dingtang and the others are hungry!"
Chang Sui crawled in and ran in, and when he heard the order, he looked embarrassed.
"Master, where is the donkey meat now?"
"Isn't there a ready-made one outside the street? Go ask them to buy it, I don't care how much you spend, I will immediately get the donkey meat pot back, and the side dishes, don't miss it, Dingtang and the others come all the way. Gotta get them a good meal!"
The last four words, the second master was biting so hard that it was like bleeding between his teeth.
He took out a purse from his sleeve and handed it to the long follower tremblingly. The eyes glued to his purse were like the helpless Tang Minghuang who watched his concubine go to his death. It was desolate and bleak.
As for Ling Shu, he laughed like a heartless traitor who misled the king.
"Then why are you embarrassed to let the second master spend money?"
"It doesn't matter, it's all my own. If you eat well, the second cousin will be happy."
The second master showed a smile that was uglier than crying.
The three sat down again.
Master Guan Er adjusted his emotions and tried his best not to focus on the purse that was just taken away by Chang.
"Xiao Ling, can you show Uncle Second Biao what you just brought out?"
Ling Shu: "You mean, Zhang Chaofeng's ivory sutra?"
As soon as Zhang Chaofeng came out, the second master became more certain, and Ling Shu was not fooling him.
"How to say?"
Ling Shu: "You sold this thing to him, right?"
Master Guan Er snorted and refused to admit it: "How can it be, I just look pretty, and I want to borrow it to play with it."
Ling Shu pretended not to see his abnormality, and heaved a long sigh of relief: "If it has nothing to do with you, that's fine, to tell you the truth, Zhang Chaofeng died and was murdered because of these ivory and gold leaf carvings. "
Master Guan's liver trembled.