Drink a jar of wine, and everyone can't bear it. Everyone is accustomed to drinking low-alcohol wine, and when they suddenly encounter such a high number, they take a big sip of it, and it is not as good as Xu Ping.

Li Zhang, in particular, has long been crooked to the side, and he doesn't know what to do.

Look at the night, Xu Chang took Li Yonghe to settle down, and Li Zhang stayed in Xu Pingfang and slept with him. The two of them have been playing since they were children, and they have more time to sleep together.

Got Li Zhang to the bed, Xu Ping lay down beside him in his clothes, couldn't sleep for a while, looked at the roof and thought about it.

Li Zhang is different from the previous Xu Ping, he has an old personality and never causes trouble. If it weren't for the fact that the two of them had such a fateful relationship, the two of them should not have had anything to do with each other.

Xu Ping is two years older, and when he sees that Li Zhang is honest, he often teases him, and often takes him to do some tricks like stealing chickens and dogs. Time is long, Li Zhang is also skinned up in front of Xu Ping, not like in front of others. It is also this kind of friendship that the two talk about everything, and they are not big or small.

Li Yonghe became an official, but his grade was not high, although there was no shortage of food at home, it still couldn't be compared with Xu Ping's family. The person who entered the courtyard had already resigned and gone home to retire, and the whole family relied on Li Yonghe and one person's income, and the prices in Tokyo were expensive, and their family was not well-off. Fortunately, there is an ancestral mansion outside Xicheng in that courtyard, not far from Xu Ping's restaurant, and their family lives, otherwise it will be even more embarrassing.

Li Zhang has been mixed with Xu Ping since he was a child, and for a long time he has been eating in the Xu family and living in the Xu family, and he is regarded as his own family up and down.

Xu Ping turned around, looked at Li Zhang, who was sleeping next to him, and sighed. I'm no longer the same gentleman I used to be, and I don't know if I can get along with this brother.

The next morning, Xu Ping woke up and woke Li Zhang up when he got up.

The guy looked around blankly, and asked Xu Ping thoughtlessly, "Brother, was I drunk last night?" I don't remember how I fell asleep. ”

Xu Ping said angrily: "You are so drunk that you can't move like a puddle of mud!" It's only been a long time, how did you become so heavy? ”

Li Zhang said embarrassedly: "I have grown faster in the past two years, which makes my brother smile." ”

After the two washed up, Li Zhang asked Xu Ping: "Why is there no one around my brother?" I heard that your house is a little dilapidated, but it hasn't come to this point, right? ”

Xu Ping said: "There is one, called Xiuxiu, I let her go home to see her father and mother on vacation." ”

Li Zhang said: "When will you introduce me to see it, in the end, it is my brother's side, how embarrassing it will be if I don't know him." ”

Xu Ping smiled: "Then you will stay for two more days." ”

Li Zhang said: "Originally, I was going to stay for a few days. There are horses in Qiji Yard nearby, and the forage yard can't be checked clearly in a while, and Dad has to be busy for a while. ”

Xu Ping shook his head: "I really can't figure it out, the Qianyuan Festival is a festival celebrated by the whole world, how could Uncle Shi be sent out at this time." Forget it, let's go for breakfast. ”

The two came out and saw Xu Chang, only to know that Li Yonghe had already joined his subordinates, crossed the river to check the grassland on business, and would not come back in two or three days.

Xu Ping shook his head, this family really shouldn't be an outsider.

After breakfast, Xu Ping said to Li Zhang: "I'm going to study and go to class, will you go?" ”

Li Zhang shook his head: "I just need to read and write, and I won't go to the imperial examination, but I don't want to listen to Lin Xiucai talk about those poems." ”

Xu Ping didn't want to go, so his heart moved, and he said to Li Zhang: "Then I won't go either." It's better to do this, Lin Niangzi wants to plant a few mulberry trees around her yard, so we will go to plant trees, and by the way, tell the teacher, you are a guest, and there will be no classes for the next two days. ”

Li Zhang approached Xu Ping and laughed in a low voice: "You want to skip class, do you want me to help you lie?" ”

This is all something that the two of them have done a lot before, looking at each other and smiling, tacitly.

Let Xu Chang gather all the guests and stand on the wheat field. They have already divided themselves, one shift is dedicated to managing the orchard and vegetable garden chores, and Xu Chang is also responsible for the guard. There is also a class of Sun Qilang, and the other class is Gao Daquan.

This is a newcomer, and he can even convince the public, Xu Ping couldn't help but look at him. But I don't want the people below to look at Gao Daquan with all their strength, and push him out because they want to force him to work more and not be lazy, and besides, he takes more money than others, so he naturally has to carry something.

Let the villagers stand in three columns, and Xu Ping took the roll call according to the roster. This is a passing scene, but the most can't be sloppy, there will be a thousand strange things coming out below, and there will be a lot of work with migrant workers, Xu Ping feels deeply about this.

After the roll call, Xu Ping asked Xu Chang's group to go by himself, and said to Sun Qilang: "Seventh brother, you take your subordinates to harvest seeds." Remember, it's the alfalfa that blooms purple flowers, and the sweet reed, the more the merrier, and you can't bring in other seeds. There are also tamarix and purple locust, oh, and falling peanuts, if there is, I will also collect some back, and the price will be discussed with Xu Duguan. ”

Sun Qilang said: "The petty official commanded, and we will naturally do our best." I just don't know what kind of charter it is, whether to buy it with cash or to exchange it for food? Or let's go on credit? This is a matter of insurance. ”

Xu Chang arranged his subordinates, and did not leave, and said to Sun Qilang: "What do you want to protect people!" Our Xu family is a first-class household here, written in black and white, which one will not believe it? Go and go, for there are unbelievers who come back to me and tell me. ”

Xu Ping originally wanted to give them cash money to make a book, but when he saw Xu Chang speak, he stopped talking. He didn't know that this was an unspoken rule, the bankers were all floating people, not particularly reliable, or had no choice but to give them cash to do things. As soon as the money arrived, there were many people who ran away.

Xu Chang took Sun Qilang's class aside and instructed him carefully, and Xu Ping said to Gao Daquan: "Your class will follow me and go to plant trees for Lin Niangzi's house." I don't need to talk about it, and you know how to deal with it carefully. ”

The crowd responded.

Mulberry trees are the root of the farm, and unlike other tree species, there are seedlings in the village, so there is no need to go outside to find them.

Li Zhang saw that Xu Ping was busy, wandering around alone, and came back after a while, carrying two sweet sorghum trees on his shoulders and nibbling on a piece in his hand.

Seeing Xu Ping leading people to dig saplings, Li Zhang hurriedly came up and said, "Brother, you still have this kind of good thing in this village!" I've heard of reed millet, but I've never seen it so sweet, and I'm about to catch up with the sugarcane from the south! Speaking of sugarcane, Grandpa Duan bought me a few last year, and I still don't forget the taste! ”

Grandpa Duan is the one who enters the courtyard, the old man likes children, and he holds Li Zhang by his side every day.

Xu Ping looked at Li Zhang's intoxicated appearance, and said with a smile: "If you like it, I will cut a bundle for you when you leave and bring it back." But it's no better than sugar cane, it won't last for two days before it will change its taste, so you have to eat it in time. ”

The group crossed the South River, and there was a pond not far to the east, and on the edge was the place where mulberry saplings were raised, and there were hundreds of saplings in the forest.

Because it is summer, the branches and leaves are already luxuriant, after selecting the saplings, Xu Ping first asked Gao Daquan to take people to take most of the branches and leaves, dig deep, and be sure to bring more roots and soil.

This is a sandy area, the soil layer is deep and soft, and it didn't take much time to take out more than 20 saplings, and more than a dozen villagers took out two or three trees each, and they carried them and left.

When he returned to the courtyard gate, he saw Liu Xiaoyi driving an ox cart to deliver coal, and Xu Chang commanded the unloading.

Seeing Xu Ping coming, Liu Xiaoyi sang: "The little official came just in time, the charcoal you asked for has been delivered." I heard that it was a petty official who wanted to use it, and my wife specially instructed that the products selected were all good goods. ”

Xu Ping looked at the ox cart, which was loaded with large pieces of coal, not dark in color and fluorescent, so he had to nod impatiently: "I'm tired of Brother Xiaoyi." ”

This is really good coal, I'm afraid it doesn't have to be anthracite. But he was supposed to make briquettes, and he didn't pay attention to the quality of the coal at all, the more broken the better.

After a few words, everyone turned west along the river, and bypassed the bend to the Lin family's new house.

Li Zhang put down the two sweet sorghum on his shoulders at the door, caught up with Xu Ping, and said, "It's been a long time, I'll go see my sister-in-law too." ”

He called Lin Suniang and called his sister-in-law because he was used to it, and no one paid attention to him.

Turning the river bend and heading north, I didn't go far to see a small courtyard hidden in the bamboo forest, where a few birdsongs occasionally sounded, and the environment was very quiet.

Xu Ping also admired Lin Wensi very much in his heart, how many days have it been, and he doesn't know where he found so many bamboos to plant here.

Lin Wensi's family has a two-story house facing the street in Tokyo, which is rented out to be a shop all year round, and does not rely on the Xu family for help. Tokyo Bianliang is a city where every inch of land is expensive, and there is such a real estate, which is enough to worry about food and clothing.

When he arrived at the door, he saw the pink walls and tiles of the small courtyard, and Li Zhang praised: "Lin Xiucai is from Jiangnan, and this courtyard is from the water town." ”

A group of people were making a commotion, and they had already heard it inside, Su Er opened the door, and when he saw that it was Xu Ping, he hurriedly said: "It turns out that the little official is here, you wait a minute, I'll go in and spread the word." ”

Li Zhang watched Su Er go in and asked Xu Ping, "Who is this?" Why haven't you seen it before? ”

Xu Ping said: "This is Lin Niangzi's new personal envoy, because she is from Suzhou, she is named Su'er." ”

Li Zhang was silent, and after a while, he suddenly said: "I often hear people say that the south of the Yangtze River is prosperous, and all kinds of scenery are far better than the Central Plains, when will I go to see it." ”

Xu Ping didn't answer. The people who have crossed over are always a little strange to the south of the Yangtze River, and whoever makes the Great Song Dynasty not angry will make people have bad associations.

After a while, Su Er came out and said to Xu Ping: "The little officials come in to worship tea, and the other brothers will go and get busy first, and there will be tea for you later." ”

Gao Daquan looked at Xu Ping, and when he saw him nodding, he led everyone to the surrounding area to plant trees.

Li Zhang said with a bitter face: "Sister-in-law, won't you invite me in for a bowl of tea?" I came from Tokyo to see her. ”

Xu Ping scolded: "Full of nonsense, are you coming to see her?" Besides, she didn't know you were coming, so how could she mention you? Just let me in! ”

Li Zhang shook his head vigorously: "You are all a family, of course, how reasonable you say." ”

With Xu Ping, he followed Su Er into the courtyard gate.