The Plough

Chapter 91

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If the box left to Yue Dingtang was bigger than the others, the eldest master would jump up right now.

Seeing that small box now, although I feel uncomfortable, I find it reluctantly acceptable.

The label in Lao Yuan's mouth is an iron plate directly nailed to it. It is distinguished by the characters of qin, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and Yue. They will naturally recognize that this is the handwriting of the old man, and the possibility of fraud is extremely small. .

The eldest man wanted to complain a few words, to the effect that the old man had saved his whole life, how could the boxes he left behind be so small and so small, but seeing that no one else spoke, he didn't want to be that early bird, silently poking his lips. Tucao swallowed again.

The Fourth Master didn't say a word, and his actions were no slower than others. He walked over quickly and lifted his suitcase into his arms.

"Why is it so light?" He looked at Lao Yuan, his face full of doubts.

Lao Yuan didn't speak, he found the key of Fourth Master's box and opened it.

Only then did the fourth master realize that the box contained all land deeds and bank notes, and there was no solid stuff. No wonder it was light.

"Zhuangzi in the suburbs, thirty acres of high-quality fields, Fengtian house, rouge shop, rice shop..."

The four masters picked them up one by one and read them one by one, then raised their heads.

"that's it?"

Without answering, Lao Yuan replied, "The old man left a letter for each of you. It was written by him himself. The content of the letter is the same. You may wish to open it and read it."

While he was talking, everyone else opened their suitcases one after another.

Yue Dingtang was the last to get the box.

It felt a little heavy when I started, and it was not the same as the lightness described by others.

He didn't show it, he added a little strength without showing any trace, took the box in his arms, and walked out of the warehouse.

The items in the boxes of the eldest, the second, the third, and the fifth are similar to those of the fourth master, except that they are all land deeds and bank notes.

These things, big and small, can't be counted together.

It's not too small. In Ling Shu's opinion, the property of an ordinary small wealthy family is estimated to be what an old master of the Guan family has allocated. Sure enough, Yue Dingtang didn't lie to him before, and the Guan family was so tossed by several brothers. If they are very rich, if they live frugally, they may not be able to carry forward their family business.

But judging from the expressions of several masters, they are not very satisfied.

The eldest man even stared at Lao Yuan and said in a rough voice, "Why did the old man leave such a thing for us? To be honest, did you sneak up on those antique calligraphy and paintings of the old man to sell them?"

Lao Yuan calmly said: "I have been in the Guan family for so many years, what is my temperament, the old man knows it, and everyone knows that all these things are handled by the old man, and I have never asked to intervene. As for the antique calligraphy and painting, the old man did collect it during his lifetime. There are quite a few, but the truth is mixed. One day he took advantage of my health and called me away, and asked me to pull all the fakes to the suburbs and burn them. You all saw when I pulled them out of the car that day. The master didn't believe it at that time, he even walked with me and saw with his own eyes the fakes were smashed and burned."

The second master nodded, showing a painful expression: "I saw it, but you said why the old man would rather smash and burn things than leave us some, even if it's a fake, it's worth it..."

Lao Yuan interrupted him sternly: "The old man said that these fakes spread around the world will only harm others. Although our Guan family is not a family that accumulates good deeds, it is by no means the kind of people who have been kidnapped and deceived and brought harm to their descendants. Think about it, If you sell fakes to people, that person is powerful and powerful, and in the end, won't it bring disaster to the Guan family?!"

The fifth master was a little unconvinced: "Why does it appear to be a fake? I didn't even see it, maybe the master mistook the pearl for a fish's eye!"

Lao Yuan said: "The identification of these fakes was made by the old man after he selected them by himself, and then invited the pawnshop of Fengtian to look at Fengzhang to identify them. The authentic items they identified were auctioned on the spot by the old man, and they were exchanged for banknotes and stored in the bank. Or buy Zhuangzi's house, and now it's in the boxes of the gentlemen. You were abroad at that time, so naturally you weren't there, but the first and second gentlemen were all present."

The second master murmured: "I thought Dad would at least keep some, but I didn't expect it to be burned and sold..."

Among the people in the Guan family, only Master Guan San had a dull face and didn't open the box. He just put his hands on the box, closed his eyes and rested, as if waiting for Lao Yuan to announce the end of the meeting. He immediately raised his legs and left. Not for a moment.

Yue Dingtang's eyes fell on the box in front of him.

His intuition was that what was inside would definitely not be a banknote deed.

Yue Ding Tang thought to himself that he was not a hesitant person, but now he felt that it might be better to take the box back and open it again.

"Master Yue."

Lao Yuan's voice suddenly sounded.

"You haven't opened the box yet."

In an instant, everyone looked at Yue Dingtang.

Yue Dingtang: "The old man's will does not stipulate that whoever gets the box must open it in public, right?"

Lao Yuan said: "Second Master, please read the letter in your box."

The second master pondered for a moment, opened the letter and read it aloud.

Since the letters the old man left to everyone are the same, he doesn't have to be afraid.

There is not much content, the old man does not have the lyricism of his mother-in-law and mother, and what he says is some straightforward words.

The general idea is that the Guan family moved to Fengtian, which was forced by the current situation and had to be forced as a last resort. Because of the turmoil in the world, in order to settle the family business, he spent a lot of money on the management of human relations over the years. , is almost the same. The old man knows that his time is short. Recently, he has sorted out the family property and found that most of the things that can be left to his descendants are flashy antiques, and these things are difficult to price. Therefore, in order to avoid chaos for his children and grandchildren after his death, while he can still move around the director, he quickly takes out these things, sells them, destroys them, discounts them, and distributes them equally to the Guan family.

The other two boxes, one is the public expense, if the masters do not divide the family, the expenses will be taken from this box, and if you want to divide the family, the contents of the box will be equally divided. One was left to Yue Dingtang's mother, Guan. The old man said that when Guan ran away in anger, the Guan family did not pay a dowry. He and Guan's father didn't say anything. The things of the Guan family should be used to make up for the dowry that year, and no one other than the Guan family and their descendants is allowed to touch it.

After his death, the keys of these boxes will be kept by Lao Yuan, and the keys of the warehouse will be distributed to the five brothers of the Guan family. It must wait until the Yue family is present and everyone in the Guan family is present before the warehouse can be opened. It is also necessary to open it under the witness of everyone and confirm that it is correct before leaving, so as to avoid disputes between the disciples in the future.

As for the old house of the Guan family, if everyone in the Guan family insists on splitting up the family, the house will not be sold, because the tablet of the ancestors of the Guan family is enshrined here. If you sell it, you will lose your ancestors. .

After the second master finished reading, everyone digested it carefully. The tastes were different, and it was not enough for outsiders.

Lao Yuan said to Yue Dingtang: "Young Master Yue, the old man's last words are like this, now you can open it."

Without waiting for Yue Dingtang to act, the third master opened his box first after closing the book.

Not surprisingly, it is also a title deed, silver and other things.

Guan Shuzhi's face was everything, neither happy nor angry, as if the box in his hand had nothing to do with him, he even took out a file and a piece of wood from his pocket, and began to carve on it, wholeheartedly. Immerse yourself in your own world.

No wonder everyone said that the third master of the Guan family is a lonely and weird person, and just like this, not to mention the servants of the Guan family, even a few brothers are reluctant to get close to him.

Ling Shu went to inquire with the heart of gossip. It is said that the brothers of the Guan family, the eldest and the second are born to a mother, that is, the old man's first wife, and the third is from the old man's successor.

This step room is similar to Guan San's temperament. They are all stuffy gourds, and the eight sticks can't make a fart. The old lady doesn't like her either.

The fourth and fifth were born to the two concubines of the old man respectively.

Now the old Guan family, together with these women, have all passed away one by one. The old man himself has the longest lifespan, and the Guan family is also a prosperous one.

Lao Yuan handed over the only key in his hand to Yue Dingtang.

The moment Yue Dingtang inserted the key into the keyhole, he suddenly felt a strange feeling.

He had a hunch that the contents of the box were not only different from others, but also unexpected.

The lid of the box was lifted up, and a trace of golden light emerged from the inside.

It was too late for Yue Dingtang to close it again.

Because everyone saw that ray of golden light.

The eldest man shouted first: "What's inside!"

When the box was completely opened, everyone was stunned.

Under the sun, a golden light shone so hard that they couldn't open their eyes.

The second master couldn't help but take a step forward, avoiding direct light, and finally saw the true face of the thing.

A stupa.

A colorful and pure gold pagoda.

It is colorful because it is inlaid with various colored gemstones, sapphires, rubies, and tourmalines.

The pagoda has seven floors, and the height is no more than two feet. At a rough glance, at least the techniques of tired silk, filigree, and micro-carving are used.

There are even various reliefs of Buddhist stories on the walls of each floor. Ling Shu looked closely and vaguely recognized the contents of Mulian saving his mother, cutting meat to feed the eagle, etc. If he had a magnifying glass in his hand, he should be able to recognize more.

There are golden bells hanging under the eaves, the wind is slightly moving, and there is a slight jingling sound, which shows that the craftsmanship is exquisite.

Gold is naturally valuable, but such an ingenious pure gold pagoda can no longer be estimated by the value of gold itself. If it is placed in a dynasty with an emperor, I am afraid that it can be used as a tribute, and it can also win the joy of Longyan. Come for a half-office job.

But such a rare thing, the old man actually left it to a foreigner.

He was still a foreigner who ran away from home in his early years and cut ties with his family.

Look at the box, under the pagoda, there are several other objects.

Pure gold lotus, treasure vase, Falun, conch, sterling silver umbrella inlaid with gems, jade pendant with auspicious lotus pattern of Pisces, etc., as well as scattered red, yellow, blue and green gemstones on the bottom, visually grasped with two hands, Those gems couldn't be fully grasped.

Jinyu Linlang, dazzling.

It is also shocking, and it is a bit inferior to the pagoda after all.

If the pagoda is the masterpiece of the famous craftsman in the world, the rest of the things are at best a good treasure.

But, even so, it is enough to be jealous.

Looking at the eldest man again, a pair of eyeballs are about to pop out of their sockets. Others are not as exaggerated as him, but they are not much better.

"What's going on here! Why did he take these while we only have the title deed for money?!"

The fourth master turned his head sharply and questioned Lao Yuan.

Lao Yuan said lightly: "Isn't it already said in the letter of the old grandfather that the aunt of the Guan family was the most favored by the elders during her lifetime. Later, although she ran away with anger and was young and ignorant, the elders also apologized for half their lives. These things are the dowry of the aunt. If you don't accept it. , since you can question the old man, the villain just obeys orders."

The eldest man: "I object! None of us knew that the old man hid these things before he died. If we knew, if we wanted it as a son, would he still not give it? I have debts outside, but the old man put the valuable money away. Giving things to outsiders, no, I don't agree!"

In the yard, swords were drawn, and there was a stance on the verge of breaking out.

The eldest man looked like a cockfight, his heels had already left the ground, ready to spread his wings and pounce on the box in front of Yue Dingtang, swallowing all the treasures in his stomach.

Although the second master did not speak, his expression was not much better, gloomy and gloomy, very like the days when a woman came to have a small life.

The four masters were expressionless and forbearance.

The fifth master didn't say anything, but I don't know when, the man was already standing closest to the door, holding his suitcase in his arms, Ling Shu guessed that the other party might be preventing Yue Ding and Tang from running away.

The third master was still concentrating on chiseling his own small plank, and he was also the only Guan family member who did not pay attention to the pagoda.

As for Ivanov and Ying Zuo, the two did not show greed, just like ordinary people who saw rare treasures. Ying Zuo also asked Yue Dingtang if he could come forward and appreciate the pagoda carefully, and then asked the latter to agree After that, he took three steps away in a measured way, took out the magnifying glass probe and looked at it, while tsk tsk exclaimed.

"Although I haven't been able to meet the old man with my own eyes, I can feel the old man's love for my mother, but now the Yue family is still decent, these things are too precious, and it is inconvenient for me to travel all the way back. , I'll take a few gems as my thoughts, that's all."

When Yue Dingtang finally spoke, he wanted to give up the property completely.

The eldest master had a happy expression on his face, and was about to speak, but there were two people rushing ahead of him.

"No!"

"Don't do it!"

It was Lao Yuan and the second master who stopped him.

Lao Yuan glanced at the second master, then turned back to Yue Dingtang.

"Young Master Yue, you don't want to be greedy for property, this character is very valuable, but this is the will left by the old man, and mortals must abide by it. When you bring the things back, how to deal with them is your Yue family's business, but now Since the old man gave something away, there is no reason to take it back, so please be careful with Young Master Yue."

Yue Dingtang frowned: "So, this box, I have to take it, and I have to take it if I don't? The husband is innocent, but he is guilty. If anyone wants to take away the treasure, he will plot against me. , how is that good?"

Lao Yuan said: "There are many people outside, and things are really not safe. Before you leave Fengtian, you can stay in the Guan family temporarily. I will send some people to protect you. Make sure that everything is safe and you are safe and sound."

The second master also said: "Yes, Dingtang, since Dad said so, you should be obedient, the things are yours, and none of us will move, so you can stay at home first, the house you lived in before was not there. Burning the kang, today the public has money, I will let someone buy it, move a house for you, and there is everything in it."

The second master was so reasonable and reasonable, it almost refreshed Yue Dingtang's previous perception of his stinginess.

But some people are sensible, and some people are ignorant of wealth.

"No! The money in the public is everyone's, when did I agree to use it to buy a guest room?!" The eldest man shouted first, "He has divided so much, let him find a way to arrange it by himself, his mother is not concerned with the family. Why do you still use Guan Family's money!"

The second master said with a sullen face: "Big brother, Dingtang, although his surname is Yue, is our nephew who is connected by blood. If you say this, where is the old man, and where is a relative relationship? He didn't come to beg, but Come to the funeral for the old man, do you still want to drive him out of the house?!"

The eldest man stomped his neck: "I am the eldest, I have as many things as you, and my father didn't even leave me the ancestral house, I haven't spoken yet, the money in the public, without my approval, is not allowed to move a corner anyway. !"

Yue Dingtang said lightly: "Second cousin, it's okay, I'll pay for it myself, I'll ask you to help buy it, and tomorrow I'll go up the mountain to kowtow to the old man, and then I'll leave, and I won't bother your uncles."

Second Master: "You, this, hey!"

He sighed for a long time without saying a charter, Yue Dingtang glanced at Ling Shu, the latter understood, took out a few pieces of ocean from his pocket, and shoved it to the second master with a smile.

"Second cousin, I'll bother you, let's not say, the quilts will come first, and the kang will have to be set on fire. Last night, we almost didn't freeze to death! Thanks for the donkey meat pot you invited. Carry the hunger, or I will definitely not be able to survive last night!"

He didn't mention the donkey meat pot, but when he mentioned it, the second master's face turned blue and white.

Ling Shu didn't care what the second master and the others thought, he just closed the box in the eyes of everyone, and then picked it up.

"Old Yue, let's go!"

When he came to the door, Ling Shu stumbled and fell forward, and he was about to fall into the mud. If the box in his arms fell out, it would definitely be torn apart, and the precious pagoda inside would also be damaged in an instant. .

Everyone couldn't help, and could only watch this scene happen.

The second master's heart was in his throat, and he, who loved treasure like his life, felt so distressed when he thought of the ingenious pagoda falling into four or five petals, he couldn't help but scream.

The expected scene didn't happen, Ling Shu turned around, the tiger fell to the ground, the bottom plate was as steady as a mountain, and his expression was not panic.

Family members: …

"Who tripped me just now?" Ling Shu looked around, but no one admitted it.

Yue Dingtang glanced at the fifth master Guan Shi, who avoided Yue Dingtang's sight and looked elsewhere.

Aside from this little episode, Ling Shu and the others went back to the room very smoothly. No one stopped him, and Mr. He also quickly sent news that the new guest room had been cleaned, the bedding was being arranged, and the kang was on fire. , you can check in at the latest this evening, and he also sent people to eat, saying that the two young masters got up early this morning and didn't enter anything. You can come in the room.

Two bowls of hot and sour noodle soup, a plate of pork rind jelly, and a plate of hot and sour shredded potatoes, compared to the past two days of Guan Family's hospitality, this meal is considered to be a middle-to-upper-level sumptuous meal.

Guanshi He also said that this is what the second master invited the two young masters to eat, and he did not leave the public center.

The implication is that the eldest master can't pass the test, so the second master has to pay for it out of his own pocket.

He Guanshi came and went in a hurry, and soon disappeared.

Yue Ding Tang was hungry and was about to pick up his chopsticks, but Ling Shu stopped him.

"Beware of poison."

Yue Dingtang: …

He was speechless as Ling Shu got a silver needle out of nowhere, and stabbed it left and right.

"You haven't disinfected this silver needle, where did it come from?"

Ling Shu: "Didn't the second master invite you to eat the pot last night? I went to the thatched hut in the middle and slipped out to buy it. Before I came out, I carefully roasted it with fire."

Yue Dingtang: "Silver needles can only test arsenic at most. There are many poisons in the world that silver needles can't test. For example, potassium cyanide, a drop can kill you. When you die, you don't know how you died."

Ling Shu was really frightened.

"Then what to do? Is there really such a poison?"

Yue Dingtang nodded: "More than two hundred years ago, the Germans discovered it. It is colorless and tastes like bitter almonds, which can easily be overshadowed by the smell of other things."

Ling Shu: "Since one drop kills you, how do you know it tastes like bitter almonds?"

Yue Dingtang: …

Ling Shu: "Don't move, I'll be the first person to eat crabs. If you want to poison me, I'll be poisoned first."

After saying that, he picked up the bowl and snorted and took two bites.

Yue Dingtang wanted to get another bowl, but was stopped by him.

"Don't worry, some poisons take a long time to attack, you have to wait a while, I will try this bowl for you too."

Ling Shu grabbed the other bowl and ate a few mouthfuls, and then showed an expression like waking up from a dream, pretending to say: "Oh, I'm so sorry, both bowls have my saliva, why don't you eat something else? , I think that plate of hot and sour shredded potatoes is quite suitable for you."

"It's okay, I don't mind, I want to die together."

Yue Dingtang grabbed his bowl back, put most of the pork rind jelly and hot and sour shredded potatoes into his bowl, and began to bury his head in eating.

When Ling Shu first came to Yue's house for dinner, Yue Dingtang was a noble man who could even distinguish between soup bowls and rice bowls, and would never confuse him, let alone sharing a bowl with others to eat.

"Old Yue, Lao Yue, you have learned badly!"

Ling Shu shook his head, serious.

"My sister is still teaching me all day long, saying that I am not as good as you, and she should really let her come and see how you look like a starving ghost now!"

Yue Dingtang didn't lift his head: "I learned that from you. Even if Sister Ling Yao knew about it, she would definitely scold you for teaching me badly."

Ling Shu still wanted to run against him, but the second master came to visit.

And he didn't come alone, he also brought his own daughter-in-law, Yue Dingtang's second cousin aunt.

This second cousin aunt was born young, beautiful, graceful, and obviously not of the same age as the second master. It is said that she is the continuation of the second master and is much loved.

The second master put his hands together and smiled kindly and kindly.

"Have I disturbed your meal?"

Ling Shu: "It's a little bit."

Second Master:…

He forgot that Ling Shu didn't understand what a polite greeting was at all, so there was no need to waste time. The second master skipped this link and entered the theme.

"Ding Tang, I have something I want to discuss with you."

Yue Dingtang put down the bowl and wiped his mouth.

"Second cousin, please speak."

The second master didn't say a word, he squinted at Ling Shu hard, and gave Yue Ding Tang a wink.

He thinks he's made it obvious enough, but the two of them still don't have eyes.

One rooted at the foot, the other with its mouth closed.

The one who took root under his feet also came over and said with concern: "Second cousin, are your eyes cramping? You need to take care of them when you are old."

"Your eyes are cramping! I want you to avoid it. I'm going to talk to Dingtang about housework, why can't you understand colors!" The second master finally couldn't help jumping up.

Ling Shu smiled and said: "Then you understand that if you don't say it, then it's over, and you keep winking over there, no one can understand it!"

"I'll leave you..." The second master took a deep breath, "Okay, let's go out, let's talk about something."

However, Yue Dingtang said: "Second cousin, you don't have to let him go out, you can tell me if you have something to do."

The second master saw that Ling Shu was motionless, and thought to himself how this man was so thick-skinned. The young wife kept stabbing him with her elbows, signaling him to hurry up and get down to business. The second master had no choice but to cut to the chase.

"That's it, I want to offer a high price to buy this pagoda in your hand."