To the north of Zhuangzi, not far from the road to Baisha Town, is where the South River enters Xujia Grange, where the river is narrower and the water is deeper.

Xu Ping led a group of people from Gao Daquan to dam the river here.

In this era, there is no pumping machine or anything, just using a waterwheel to lift water, which consumes a lot of manpower and is too inefficient, which is far less cost-effective than damming to raise the water level and artesian irrigation. After the diversion, the downwater level can be lowered, which is conducive to the flow of surplus water after irrigation back to the river.

The tools used to dig the soil are made of wrought iron, and although the soil is soft here, the tools are worn out. Xu Ping sat on the side, looking troubled, and couldn't help but think of the cart of coal that Liu Xiaoyi pulled back, should it be smelted into coke and make some better steel? I can use it in the future.

While Xu Ping was thinking wildly, a Zhuang guest ran over from the village in a panic.

This farmer's name is Lu Song, who is under Xu Chang and is in charge of herding sheep.

Lu Song ran to Xu Ping and saluted with his crossed hands: "Official, your maidservant Xiuxiu is back." ”

Xu Ping retracted his thoughts, looked at him, and replied with a smile: "Come back, come back, you don't need to come to tell me." Why are you still panicking? ”

Lu Song swallowed: "But Granny Hong is punishing her......"

"What?!"

Xu stood up flatteningly. Xiuxiu is her own person, what's in the way of Granny Hong?

Taking a deep breath, he said to Lu Song, "What the hell is going on?" ”

Lu Song's face turned bitter: "I'm a subordinate, how can I say it clearly?" Xu Duguan asked me to come to you, it's better to go back and have a look. ”

Xu Ping instructed Gao Daquan to take people to work, and hurriedly followed Lu Song back to the village.

There were five or six people around the courtyard, all of whom were under Xu Chang, and Xu Chang stood in front.

In the crowd, Xiuxiu knelt on the ground, and Granny Hong stood beside her, holding a rattan in her hand, scolding in her mouth, and snorting Xiuxiu from time to time.

Hearing the footsteps, Xiuxiu raised her head and looked at Xu Ping.

Her eyes glistened with tears, which did not flow out, but burst out of her eyes, and she forced them back into her eyes, and the remnants of them shone in the sunlight outside.

Xu Ping stepped up with an arrow and snatched the rattan from Granny Hong's hand.

Squatting down, Xu Ping asked Xiuxiu gently, "What's the matter?" I promised you to go home, who would dare to come to you for trouble! ”

Xiuxiu shook her head gently, held back her tears and said to Xu Ping: "Official, my family is poor, but I have never had the intention of stealing anything from here. ”

Granny Hong just sneered on the side.

Xu Ping patted Xiuxiu's shoulder: "It's okay, you get up first." ”

Xiuxiu didn't dare, just knelt there and shook her head, the corners of her mouth stubbornly pursed.

Xu Ping stood up and looked at Granny Hong coldly, with murderous anger in his eyes.

Granny Hong sneered: "Da Lang is good to the people around him, no one can control this." However, the subordinates have the rules of the subordinates, and the lady instructed me to manage the village here, and I must be optimistic about these subordinates with all my heart, so as to be worthy of the grace of the lady. This little girl was stolen by me, and she will be punished, so don't be cruel. ”

Xu Ping said coldly: "What stolen goods? ”

Granny Hong said: "When this little girl went home, she carried a lot of baggage home, and many villagers saw it. When she came back, she recognized it herself, and brought back two glutinous rice dumplings weighing four or five kilograms. Da Lang, I don't know that salt and rice are expensive, four or five catties of glutinous rice are a lot of money! There's meat in it, and that's no small thing! ”

Xu Ping laughed angrily: "That's what I asked Xiuxiu to take back to honor my father, and I want you to talk about the things in my yard!" ”

Granny Hong had a cold face: "The things in this house, Mrs. said clearly, I am in charge." I don't care how good Da Lang is to this little girl at home, and if he takes it out and doesn't tell me, then it's clearly stealing. That's right, and I'm not afraid of heaven when it comes to heaven! ”

How could there be these messy things in Xu Ping's consciousness, when the anger came up, he was about to attack.

At this moment, a banker shouted: "Lin Xiucai is here!" ”

The dealer got out of the way, and Lin Wensi walked in from outside.

Don't say that Lin Wensi is Xu Ping's father-in-law, even if he is a tribute in his hometown, he has to give face, so Xu Ping stopped and just looked at him.

Lin Wensi looked at Xu Ping and Granny Hong in the field, and then looked at Xiuxiu who was kneeling on the ground, and said in a deep voice: "What's the big deal?" Noisy and shouting, fortunately there is no neighbor, otherwise it would not be laughed at! ”

Granny Hong said: "I've seen Xiucai. This little girl relied on the master's favor and took things out of this house. There are so many people in the house, if they are all like this, then what is it? The Xu family has mountains of gold and silver, this little by little, or it won't be long before it will be emptied! If she is not punished, others will follow suit! ”

Xu Ping said: "Let's talk about it first, those two zongzi are for Xiuxiu by me, but they have nothing to do with you, don't pull the tiger skin as a banner, just tell me if you have anything to say!" ”

Lin Wensi looked at Xu Ping and said in a deep voice: "You are also a scholar, and with me for so many years, I don't understand the basic truth?" What happened to what you gave her? The slave has no selfish wealth, and everyone belongs to the Xu family, not to mention those foreign things! To take it without telling is to steal, what to quibble! Scholars must understand the reason, occupy a reason, and be not afraid to go all over the world! In a few years, you will also become a Ding and set up a household, and you will just blindly make a mistake! ”

Xu Ping was choked by this sentence, his face turned red, and his green tendons burst out.

Lin Wensi ignored her, turned to Granny Hong and said, "You should be loyal to you when you do things for the Lord." Since everyone has stolen goods, then a rope is tied up to see the official! They are all one good people, who gave you the right to set up a private torture hall! National decrees, lynching is a great crime, and the government will investigate it, not to mention your mother-in-law who manages the hospital, even the Xu family is not small! Very foolish! ”

Granny Hong saw that Lin Wensi was angry with herself, and she was already panicked, as for those truths, how could a woman like her figure it out? He snorted: "It's just two zongzi, how can you tie this girl to the yamen?" The magistrate of the county still doesn't beat me out of the stick! Is there no punishment? ”

Lin Wensi said: "You want to be punished, are you punished like this?" Knowing with reason, moving with affection, are generally born and raised by fathers and mothers, if you don't survive, which one will sell your daughter? How do you get your hands dirty! At her age, she was sold to the Xu family, and what she was afraid of was that the owner would beat and scold her at every turn, and she had to be careful with her every move. It's when I'm a child, even if there are some small mistakes, just say that I know her, why bother like this, hurt people's bodies and insult people's reputation! ”

After saying this, each played fifty boards, and no one said anything.

Even Xu Ping always felt that something was wrong in his heart, but he couldn't say it, so he had to hold back. Is this the power of the reader?

Lin Wensi looked around and said, "Let's all disperse, go and do your own thing, what kind of system will you gather here!" Xu Ping, you take Xiuxiu back. ”

After speaking, he didn't stay long, and walked out of the courtyard.

Seeing that the matter was over, the bankers dispersed one after another.

Xu Ping helped Xiuxiu up and called Xu Chang to stop.

Turning to look at Granny Hong, he said word by word: "Xu Chang, send Granny Hong back to my mother, you personally watch the delivery." Tell my mother, if I send this woman back again, I will beat her to death with a stick and return the body to her! I didn't know what I was expecting! ”

After speaking, he helped Xiuxiu back to his small courtyard.

Xu Chang was stunned. Xu Ping, who looks quite unreasonable, is not unseen before, but it has been a long time ago, and Xu Ping's image has been much better than that of the man who often makes mistakes. Today, this one suddenly came again, which made Xu Chang very unaccustomed. But he can't be lazy, Xu Ping said that if he wants to beat Granny Hong to death, then it is really possible to do it, and it doesn't matter if the sky falls.

turned to Granny Hong and smiled bitterly: "Sister, you also heard Da Lang's words, Da Lang started to be ruthless, but he did everything, and no one could stop him!" Don't be embarrassed, find a car, I'll send you to town, if you have any grievances, go and tell Madame, only Madame can cure him. ”

Granny Hong looked at Xu Ping's back viciously. This little beast has looked unpleasant since she re-entered the Xu family, and she originally wanted to grab the handle of the servant girl next to him today and humiliate him well, but she didn't expect to end up with such consequences. The master and his wife regarded this guy as a top meat, and they couldn't resist him if they tried to force her, but fortunately, the cause of the incident was justified, and the lady couldn't say anything, just to know what would happen in the future.

Xu Ping helped Xiuxiu back to the small courtyard, found a stool for her to sit on, and fetched water to let her wash her face.

Xiuxiu's tears had dried up, and she remained silent.

Watching Xiuxiu wash her face, Xu Ping asked her in a low voice, "Does it hurt in your body?" ”

Xiuxiu shook her head: "We children from poor families, this is nothing. ”

Xu Ping didn't know what to say for a while, but just watched Xiuxiu sit there in a daze after washing her face.

After being stunned for a while, Xiuxiu suddenly asked, "Official, is Xiuxiu really a thief?" ”

Xu Ping hurriedly said: "No! How could it be! That's what you're doing! Remember, I still want to give you a gift, you don't want it yet! ”

Xiuxiu let out a long sigh: "However, Lin Xiucai also said that I am." He was a reader, and everything he said made sense. I've lived so big, and I've never done anything to point people behind my back! ”

Xu Ping said: "What's wrong with the reader? What the scholar says is not a heavenly reason! Xiuxiu, don't take it to heart, people live in the world, it's good to have a clear conscience. ”

Xiuxiu turned to look at Xu Ping: "What the scholars said makes sense, they read so many sage books, but you didn't even take the exam, official, just comforted me." is pointed out as a thief, how can he have a clear conscience. ”

Xu Ping looked at Xiuxiu, her face was calm, as if she had really figured it out, and she didn't know what to say for a while.

Sitting there looking at the ground in a daze, Xiuxiu suddenly turned to look at Xu Ping: "Official, I'm really wronged!" I just feel sorry for my brother and bring him something delicious! ”

Tears finally flowed uncontrollably.