If Li Deng is a person who enforces the law impartially, what is the fear of Editor-in-Chief Zhao, even if he is a retired scholar at home? However, this matter is selfish, and there is a ghost in his heart, even if it is presumed that the top approves the killing, what if the editor-in-chief Zhao exposes it in the newspaper?

If there was no intervention by Editor-in-Chief Zhao, Li Deng was confident that he would not be held accountable for Yongshun's remoteness, and this was also a common problem of many officials, who thought that as long as they did not pursue the investigation, they could do whatever they wanted in the locality.

Seeing that Editor-in-Chief Zhao didn't give any face, his face turned red for a while, and he sat for a while, the two of them were relatively speechless, and it was difficult to turn their faces.

When he returned to Yamen, he was full of sorrow in his heart for a while, he had an uncle named Lai Daquan, who used to do a small economy in Changsha, and since his brother-in-law was deficient, he wrote a letter to call him to help.

I didn't have much to do after I came.,At best, I'm a helper who eats idle meals.,Playing cards with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law in my spare time.,Gossip.,Help with the trivial things in the house.。 The real thing, he can't insert a word, and he can't compare to the professionalism of a few masters.

In the past few days, I saw that my brother-in-law was smashed in order to donate, and another inexplicable guy came to the court, and the prefect didn't even dare to refuse, making my brother-in-law angry, and the people around him had no idea, so he had the heart to please.

Originally, Li Deng didn't treat him very well, but he couldn't resist his wife's request and rewarded him with a bite to eat.

Lai Daquan had the courage to send tea and water to his brother-in-law first, and offered his hospitality for a long time, but when he saw his brother-in-law sighing and not speaking, he suddenly sighed first.

Li Deng asked, "Because of what sigh?" ”

Lai Daquan said indignantly: "When I see what happened to my brother-in-law these days, it really makes me angry and my stomach hurts. ”

Li Deng, who was sitting on the Taishi's chair, tilted his head and closed his eyes, as if explaining to him and as if he was talking to himself: "I am justified in handling the matter of donations, and the little people dare to disobey the order and resist the officials, although I am now held hostage by them. Temporarily suspended, as soon as the light is clear, I will definitely not cheapen them, and I will get rid of a few people. It's that I was angry with Mr. Zhao for no reason, I was really reluctant in my heart, I had to think of a way to come out, how could I tell him to get out of the way? ”

Lai Daquan said: "Brother-in-law! Now that the newspapers are so loud, we have to let him order them. If you can't do it, you might as well come to the soft one! I used to be a local economist, and I know these poor tempers very well. For now, I have a plan here? ”

Li Deng was a little moved, opened his eyes and said, "What plan?" How to use soft power? ”

Lai Daquan said mysteriously: "Early tomorrow morning, my brother-in-law instructed the kitchen to buy twelve fat and big chickens, a hundred eggs, and a sheep, which can be combined with one fruit to form four gifts." The brother-in-law wrote another letter, in which he told him about it tactfully. Begged him to put a dozen people back. The letter was sent along with the gift, and as long as Mr. Zhao received our gift, the matter would be reliable nine out of ten. ”

Li Deng frowned and said, "What is this?" How can that idea get into the eyes of others, and they won't accept it. ”

"Huh!" Lai Daquan smiled: "It's just that the gift is not heavy." These literati pay the most attention to human contacts, and they will definitely not return. As long as he is willing to take it, it will be easy to do. ”

Dead horses are the right to be a live horse doctor, and the helpless Governor Li decided to listen to him. Immediately ordered the large kitchen to prepare the gifts early tomorrow morning, and he himself returned to the signing room. He personally wrote a letter with earnest words.

In front of the house on the ferry, Xu Hao told Cuicui about the cutting down of trees in Liaodong, and the people often encountered the story of big tigers and big dogs and bears, pointing to the evergreen bamboo forest on the mountain, saying that it was the best raw material for making paper, and talking about the red iron juice leaked from the iron furnace of the iron factory in the big city.

Even if she speaks wildly, Cuicui listens with relish, asks questions from time to time, and is very curious about everything.

At this time, someone brought a gift over, and the head of the Zhangshui Wharf really invited a matchmaker.

The old man was a little surprised by the speed of going home, and he didn't prepare anything, so he crossed the mouth of the stream in a panic and invited him to the house.

Cuicui listened to the story while peeling peas, and the guests didn't pay much attention to it.

As soon as the matchmaker entered the door, he smiled and said, "Congratulations, congratulations!" Cuicui immediately blushed, didn't dare to stay in the yard anymore, pretended to chase the chickens and ducks in the vegetable garden, took the bamboo pole and shook it, and ran to the white tower behind the house with a soft drink.

This is someone else's business, Xu Hao was going out, but he was insisted on being pulled by the old man to be a companion.

At that moment, the person said a few words of gossip, and the old man didn't know how to answer, so he couldn't help but be a little panicked, and kept rubbing his two big cocooned hands, as if this qiē was a dream, and his expression was honest and honest as he said it.

Xu Hao couldn't say a word when he saw him, and the bride price to the family naturally didn't care about the amount, no matter how much, the old man who was poor and happy would not spend it. Anyway, he was going to give Cuicui a congratulatory gift, which was enough for Cuicui to have enough money to survive in case something happened.

Xu Hao took the initiative to speak, and after a while, the old man calmed down and said with a smile: "Since the elder wants to take the road, this is very good, but I have to ask Cuicui to see what her own idea is?" ”

After sending the people away, Cuicui took a dustpan of peas and got on the boat, and asked curiously, "Grandpa, what's the matter?" ”

The old man who was full of emotion smiled and didn't say anything, just looked at his granddaughter with white hair and pale head, and just looked at it for a long time.

In the distance, the yellow bird in the tree was chirping, and the enlightened Cuicui lowered her head to peel peas, and her heart beat softly.

The old man finally said, "Cuicui, what did the uncle who came here do before, do you know?" ”

"I don't know." After Cuicui finished speaking, her face and neck were all red.

Seeing her little daughter's shyness, the old man looked into the distance, as if he had seen Cuicui's mother sixteen years ago, the old man's heart was unusually soft, and he said to himself: "Every boat must have a dock, and every finch must have a nest!" ”

Thinking of his daughter's pitiful past, the old man felt a faint pain in his heart, but he forced a smile on his face.

And Xu Hao in the distance looked at the sky with his hands behind his back, his eyes were deep and very soft, the things of the old man and his granddaughter were very ordinary and ordinary, very warm and touching, just like thousands of ordinary people.

Isn't everything he does so that millions of ordinary people can live in peace and joy?

The old man finally asked slowly: "Cuicui, I invited someone to my family to be a matchmaker, I want to ask you to be my daughter-in-law, and I asked if I would like to." As for me, people are old, maybe one day will pass, I don't have anything I don't want to do, the important thing is whether you want to, think about it, say it yourself, if you are willing, it will be done; If you don't want to, it's fine. ”

At this moment, where does Cuicui know how to face the major events in life? Trying to pretend to be calm, his eyes looked at his grandfather timidly, and it was inconvenient to ask anything, and of course this question was not easy to answer.

Since ancient times, the Han people's parents' words of matchmaking are essentially blind marriages and dumb marriages, even if they say in advance who the other party is and what their character is, what can they do? Want to fall in love freely in the future, men and women have been together for so long before marriage, how many people can fully understand each other? So not to mention the ancient times, in short, marriage is a big deal for both men and women, whether it is the order of their parents or free love.

Of course, free love is stronger than the order of parents, but you should also listen to your parents' advice.

Cuicui's heart was in turmoil, but fortunately, the old man unlocked the final answer, "The eldest elder is a promising person, upright and generous, you marry him, it is a good fate!" ”

Cuicui, who lowered her head, was in an instant good mood, and secretly said that he was the matchmaker? Her heart was beating like a little rabbit, and her face burned badly, and she tried to peel her peas, and threw the empty pods into the water, and watched them float calmly in the stream, so as to make her mood as calm as possible.

Seeing that his granddaughter was silent, the old man smiled and said, "If you think about it for a few more days, it won't get in the way, Luoyang City can't be built well in one night." The last time I told my family about this matter, I have already told sù that the car is the road of the car, and the boat is the road of the boat, and each has its own rules. The father is the master and invites the matchmaker to propose marriage seriously, which is the road; If you make your own decisions and stand in the bamboo forest on the high cliff of the opposite stream and sing songs for you for three years and six months, this is the boat road.

Haha, if you like to walk by boat, I believe that people will sing passionate songs for you under the sun, and gentle songs under the moonlight, just like the Miao people, for you to sing until the sea is dry and the rocks are rotten. ”

I don't know why, the silent Cuicui didn't have any surprises, and she just wanted to cry in her heart, but there was no reason to cry.

Xu Hao, who was in the distance, felt the true feelings of his grandfather and grandson, and hid out one step earlier, and the warm taste flowed through his heart.

On the ferry, the old man continued, inevitably leading to his dead mother, who fell silent as he spoke.

Cuicui quietly twisted her head to the side, and her grandfather's eyes were already filled with tears, and she said timidly in shock and fear: "Grandpa, what's wrong with you?" ”

The old man wiped his eyes with his big hands, and suddenly the child laughed, jumped ashore, and ran home.

Cuicui was in a chaotic mood, and she wanted to chase but didn't dare.

The weather is sunny after the rain, and the sun in early winter is scorching on people's shoulders and backs, transmitting a little strength.

The reeds and willows by the stream, the vegetables in the vegetable garden, all benefit from the natural environment of Xiangxi, which is prosperous and lush, with a bit of wild vitality.

The green grasshoppers in the grass fluttered alive, their wings squirming as they beat the air. The wind on the branches has gradually become louder, and among the bamboo fences of the two mountains, there are yellow birds and bamboo finches and cuckoos chirping.

Cuicui felt, looked, listened, and thought at the same time, thinking of her grandfather's age and her new life in the future, the whole person was stupid.

Suddenly, she couldn't help but stand up, letting the wind blow her hair, and the half-dustpan peas fell into the water.

There was a little ripple, and the wind became warmer and warmer. (To be continued......)