The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the Zuojiang River, and the water surface shone with a little golden light. The returning fishing boats floated slowly on the water, and the captain's penny swayed in the water, rippling in circles.

The crowd on the shore is bustling, and the pedestrians who hang out and sell their goods gather here to be lively.

Dagui took Daddy's hand and looked curiously at everything around him, these people and things he had never seen or experienced were full of novelty and yearning.

After several temptations, Cen Dalang finally walked out of the mountains and came to Taiping County. Jiangzhou Wei Zhizhou really no longer sent people to arrest him, even the rewards of the previous years have been canceled, the dark clouds in fate have dispersed, and Cen Dalang and his son started their new life in Taiping County.

With his medical skills, Cen Dalang set up a stall on Zuojiang's side, and the money he earned every day was enough to maintain the life of his father and son, and there was a slight surplus, and in a few years, they might be able to settle down here.

"Daddy, look that person is still there!"

Dagui shook Cen Dalang's hand and pointed to the person lying there like a dead dog under the willow tree on the side of the street and shouted.

Cen Dalang shook his head and sighed: "Poor descendant, I don't know who I offended to suffer like this!" ”

As he spoke, he stepped forward, took out two sticks of plaster and put them in front of the lying young man, and said softly: "After using these two sticks of medicine, your leg will be almost better, find some work to do, save money and go home." ”

The young man kept nodding his head and muttering.

Dagui said: "Daddy, this person is still a dumb person. ”

"They are all hard-working people, and it's hard for hard-working people in this world to live-"

Putting down the plaster, Cen Dalang left with his son sighing.

Seeing that the father and son were far away, the young man picked up the plaster on the ground and walked out of the town with his head down. At this time, the sun was setting, the cool breeze was gradually rising, and the young man involuntarily shrank up.

When he arrived outside the town, he looked left and right and saw that there was no one around, and the young man sat on the ground with his butt and cursed in his mouth: "It's also bad luck, and I have to suffer this catastrophe in my life!" It's really a loss to the two nerds, one big and one small, otherwise this leg doesn't know when it will be good. It's a pity that the father and son are also poor ghosts, and each time they give me two sticks of plaster, and give me any gold or silver. If people are unlucky, they have no luck, why don't you let me meet someone else! ”

As he spoke, he lifted up his trouser leg and changed the plaster on his leg.

This ragged beggar-like person turned out to be Huang Conggui in Zhongzhou Xiaoya. He escaped from the Luobai County Government at the right time and saved his life, but he also injured his leg and couldn't walk far, so he wandered around these days.

After changing the plaster, Huang Conggui saw that it was getting dark, stood up, and spat on the ground: "Let's go to the town to find something to fill my stomach." Pity me for being born rich and rich, but I ended up robbing with beggars for food! As the saying goes, if you don't die in a catastrophe, you will have a blessing, and when I get rid of this catastrophe, I will definitely double it back! ”

The sun sets, the lights come on, and the streets by the river are still lively.

Duan Yunjie walked in the crowd with Xiuxiu, and saw a vendor in front of him selling tangerines on the street with a burden, and said to Xiuxiu: "Fresh oranges, let's buy some and eat them back." ”

Xiuxiu said "um", and she didn't know if she was okay or not, maybe she just made a voice and was not embarrassed.

Duan Yunjie shook her head helplessly. These days, Xiuxiu is still like this, although she is more agile than two months ago, she still rarely speaks, and she is not interested in anything, she does whatever she wants, and never talks back. Even if she can't do what she is asked to do, she will keep doing it, tirelessly over and over again, until someone calls her away.

No one knows what Xiuxiu is thinking, and they don't know when they will return to the way they used to be.

When Xu Ping was leaving, he entrusted Xiuxiu to Duan Yunjie, and specially instructed him not to be bored at home every day, but to take him out for more shopping and relax.

The personal soldiers who came with him were all taken by Xu Ping to Qianlongtong, and no one followed Duan Yunjie and didn't dare to run around with Xiuxiu, but they had nothing to do on the other side of the river. Today, someone from the Yamen of Taiping County came to Jiang to do business, so Duan Yunjie took Xiuxiu to come over with the officials, and then went back together later.

There are many merchants from other places on this side of the river, and there are many new gadgets, Xiuxiu may be interested when she sees it, she used to be a person who can't be idle for a moment.

The hawker weighed the oranges, Duan Yunjie touched his body, and sighed: "Damn, why did you forget to bring your purse with you when you came out today?" What can I do? ”

Xiuxiu doesn't have to count on it, she has long forgotten about these little things like her purse these days.

The peddler carried the orange and smiled at Duan Yunjie: "Who on this street doesn't know two little ladies?" You can bring some oranges back and eat them first, and if you have free time, you can send money over, and I will sell them here for a few days. ”

"What's so embarrassing about that? I'm afraid I'm going to let people gossip in vain. ”

You can't just cross the river these days, Duan Yunjie hesitated, turned around, and her eyes lit up: "No need, there is a shop opened by an acquaintance of ours over there, I'll borrow some money." ”

After speaking, he said to Xiuxiu: "You wait here, my sister will go to Qiu Niangzi's shop to borrow a few copper coins, and she will come back in the blink of an eye, don't walk around." ”

Xiuxiu nodded and mumbled.

Duan Yunjie left, and Xiuxiu stood on the side of the street, silently looking at the crowd on the street. Xiuxiu's eyes are pitch black, but they have lost their former brilliance, these eyes look at the world, maybe they don't see anything.

Suddenly, Xiuxiu turned around suddenly, as if a lightning bolt crossed her eyes, and her eyes brightened. Just stared blankly, and after a while, Xiuxiu turned around and looked at the direction in which Duan Yunjie left, her face full of anxiety.

Duan Yunjie still didn't come back, and Xiuxiu was so anxious that she was about to cry.

Seeing Xiuxiu's appearance, the peddler picked up an orange and handed it over: "What's the urgency of the little lady?" Don't rush at this time, let's quench your thirst with an orange first. ”

"Thank you, I won't eat it."

After Xiuxiu finished speaking, she took out a handkerchief from her body, took out a strange pen, and hurriedly wrote on the handkerchief.

This fountain pen was given to Xiuxiu by Xu Ping, and if there is something new, Xu Ping always gives Xiuxiu to play with first, and Xiuxiu has always carried it with her, which is a treasure that belongs to her.

After writing on the handkerchief, Xiuxiu carefully folded it and handed it to the vendor: "Uncle, you can help me give this handkerchief to my sister, I have something to leave." ”

With that, Xiuxiu shoved the handkerchief into the vendor's hand, turned around and hurried away. After taking three or four steps, Xiuxiu turned around again and said to the vendor: "Uncle, you must give it to your sister!" ”

Before the vendor could answer, Xiuxiu's figure merged into the flow of people and disappeared into the night.

The peddler held up a handkerchief, and before he could say anything, he couldn't find Xiuxiu.

Zhang Rong was left to take a command of the township soldiers to be stationed in Longtong, and Xu Ping returned to Taiping County with Gao Daquan's township soldiers and loyal soldiers. Once in Taiping, according to the list provided by Huang Zhixian, all of them were arrested and imprisoned. The loyal and ruined troops were divided into two routes, led by the chief and deputy commanders, and went down to the Tuzhou counties to arrest the families of the convicts.

After arranging all this, Xu Ping returned to the back office, and Duan Yunjie was already waiting there.

Handing Xiuxiu's handkerchief to Xu Ping, Duan Yunjie, who was exhausted, kept shaking her head: "Since Xiuxiu left the day before yesterday, I have entrusted Sun Qige and the people in Taiping County in the past two days, and I have searched all around, but I can't find her shadow." Where can she run to a little girl? ”

After speaking, he sighed: "Gone Xiuxiu, I'm sorry for you!" ”

Xu Ping unfolded his handkerchief, on which was Xiuxiu's handwriting, which looked a little scribbled: "Official, I saw Huang Conggui's thief." He hurt Sister Liu Xiaomei and hurt a lot of people, I must not let him escape. I'm going to follow him and see where he's hiding, and I'll tell the officials when I get the news, and you can bring someone to arrest him." ”

The last one is what Xiuxiu wants to add: "Official, I've been with you for many years, if Xiuxiu has an accident this time, remember Xiuxiu's goodness, and forget all the naughty things about Xiuxiu." Help me take care of my father and mother, and my younger brother Huzi, who hasn't taken good care of them for so many years, and I miss them again-"

Xu Ping looked at the words on the handkerchief and didn't speak for a while.

Fold up the handkerchief and put it away carefully, Xu Ping said to the people around him: "Call Gao Daquan and Tan Hu over, come over immediately!" ”

Duan Yunjie sighed and stood aside silently.

Xu Ping paced back and forth, and when he saw Gao Daquan and Tan Hu coming to his side, he said in a deep voice: "Xiuxiu found Huang Conggui on the other side of the Zuojiang River and followed him. The two of you each took me fifty personal soldiers and went to look for them separately, there are many people around here who know Xiuxiu, it is impossible that there is no news at all, you must find someone back for me! ”

Gao Daquan and Tan Hu agreed and looked at each other. Especially Gao Daquan, who followed Xu Ping one after the other with Xiuxiu, knowing how serious it was for Xu Ping to lose Xiuxiu, this task was much more serious than fighting a battle. If Xiuxiu can't be found, Xu Ping is afraid that he will turn the entire Zuojiang Road over.

As soon as the two turned around, Xu Ping said again: "Get Xiuxiu back, Huang Conggui don't care about him first, as long as he is still in this world, I will also catch him if the sky is turned upside down!" ”

The two stood in place, seeing that Xu Ping didn't say anything for a while, and was just about to leave, Xu Ping said again: "Inform me as soon as there is news, don't have a trace of delay!" Alright, you guys go! ”

This is a small shack built by the locals as a place to stay at night in the summer, but by this season it has been dilapidated, barely able to shelter from the wind and rain.

Less than a hundred paces away from the shack was a large rock, boxy, and a small pit had been washed out by the rain over the years.

Xiuxiu fell asleep lying on the stone, but she couldn't sleep at all, and she had all kinds of dreams. I dreamed that when I was a child, I followed my father to drive the sheep on the beach and grass by the Jinshui River, I dreamed that I took my younger brother Huzi to catch cicadas under the big willow tree by the river, I dreamed that I followed my mother to the river to wash clothes, I dreamed that my father and mother looked helplessly at the sky after losing the sheep at home, and I dreamed that I saw Xu Ping with my own small flower cloth burden that day, and I dreamed that Xu Ping asked myself with a smile: "You sold it to my house at a young age, are you afraid?" ”

Tears unconsciously slipped out of her eyes, accompanied by the crystal dew on the tips of her hair, quietly waiting for the red sun to rise in the east.