Chapter 109
When the Shen family moved out of their house, they also used the boat they had bought to move all the usable items from their mansion in Xiaxi Village.
Of course, before that, they had already transported the urgently needed donkey carts and horse carriages to the island.
Only then did Gu Ran know that the Shen family had two donkey carts and two horse carriages.
Tsk, for the first time, Gu Ran felt the pressure of living next to rich people.
But it doesn’t matter, pressure brings motivation, and she worked hard to catch up.
Not long after the Shen family moved out of the house, it was Mid-Autumn Festival, which was just in time. When Shen Erlang came back, the whole family could sit together and have a reunion dinner.
As for Gu Ran, he spent this year's Mid-Autumn Festival with Pei Liu, Li Ji... and of course Daju's family.
Now that the red tangerines have been moved and planted on Dunzi Island, the courtyard of the small house is dominated by the big tangerine family, and they can go anywhere.
Daju's family has three generations living together, and next year it may be possible for four generations to live together.
There are old and young people here, and the whole family is happy.
Gu Ran was delighted to see ten cats of different sizes meowing happily in the small house.
She and Pei Liu are their grandmothers, so they are naturally a family and are reunited.
Only Li Ji's family had not arrived yet, even though the houses built in Xiaxi Village were already completed.
This is no wonder. It takes more than a month to travel from Zhengzhou to Jianzhou by ordinary waterway. Even if Li Si goes back and arranges the move immediately, he still has to deal with his duties, clean up the house, hire a security team, and book a boat ticket.
Not to mention, since it is transported by sea, there are times when the service is suspended.
But judging by the time, it’s almost time.
"Don't worry, uncle. In a few days, when we have free time, we will sail to Jianzhou Port and help you see if the person has arrived." Gu Ran looked like a good old man and persuaded Li Ji to be at ease.
Pei Liu pursed his lips, smiled lightly, and said nothing.
This wasn't just about going there specifically to see if anyone had come. Ever since she acquired the passenger ship, whenever Er Niang had free time, even if she didn't have to deliver dried fairy grass and konjac to the He and Yang families, she would still like to drive the boat around to see if anyone had come, just to show off!
Li Ji glanced at Gu Ran and nodded.
Now I have been working as a clerk for Gu Er Niang for almost two years. We have become familiar with each other and have become close to both Gu Ran and Pei Liu.
Moreover, all three of them were exiled to Minzhou alone, so it was fate that they could gather together in the same village.
Li Ji's impression of Gu Ran was no longer as simple as it had been during his exile. As for Pei Liuniang...
He looked up at Pei Liuniang who was eating silently, hesitated for a moment, but remained calm in the end.
When Li Ji discovered that Pei Liu had extraordinary martial arts skills and was even better than himself, he re-examined everything that happened during his exile and began to suspect that Feng Duojin's death was not simple.
At the beginning, I believed that Feng Duojin and Pei Liu were alone together, and Feng Duojin could not die at the hands of Pei Liu. I had a preconceived notion that Pei Liuniang was a weak woman who was unable to even tie a chicken.
If he had known that Pei Liuniang had hidden skills, he would not have simply assumed that Feng Duojin was actually killed by a wolf.
As he speculated, Feng Duojin was selfish and afraid of death, and he would never go into the forest alone to hunt for wild animals without the company of other officials.
This is contrary to his character and usual behavior.
The most likely possibility is that it is related to Pei Liuniang. As for Gu Erniang, she may have also given false testimony.
Seeing that the two of them can now get together and treat each other like sisters, and even do business together, it is obvious that they may have developed feelings that outsiders did not know about when they were exiled.
But, at this point, even if it is confirmed that Feng Duojin was killed by Pei Liu and Gu Erniang, what is the use?
Overturn the verdict? The prerequisite is that he can return to Zhengzhou and obtain the witnesses and evidence of Pei Liu and Gu Erniang's murder of Feng Duojin.
Are there any witnesses or physical evidence?
No.
And what is he trying to achieve by overturning the verdict?
He had always disliked people like Feng Duojin, but because of Feng Tongpan, who was above him, he could only turn a blind eye to Feng Duojin's various evil deeds, and only stepped forward to stop them when the situation got out of control.
In his eyes, Feng Duojin also deserved to die.
Feng Duojin was indeed dead, and he was framed and exiled to Jianzhou.
What benefit can he gain by overturning the verdict and giving away Pei Liuniang and Gu Erniang?
He is living a good life now, and has saved more money than he could have imagined in his entire life.
Pei Liuniang and Gu Erniang are living a good life, and it seems that things will even get better in the future.
Now it is the Feng family that is suppressing and bullying him, Li Ji. Even the people of the Li family, Pei Liuniang and Gu Erniang, are the ones who are supporting him and giving him hope for a good life. Who should he stand with?
It’s such a simple choice, anyone with a discerning eye knows the choice.
Thinking about his remaining gold, the house he had built, and the leisurely work in the orange grove, Li Ji had never felt a better feeling than before. He felt that there was hope for the future and he was looking forward to his family coming over soon.
Li Ji's usually stern face had softened because he was living a comfortable life. The stern look he had when he was an official had long since softened, and he looked less majestic than before. Even the cats jumping around in front of and behind the house dared to jump on him.
He caught a cat that jumped onto his knees, stroked its small, soft body, and asked, "When my son comes over, can I ask you for a cat?"
"You have a son?" Gu Ran was surprised.
Pei Liu also looked over curiously.
"There is one. I'll introduce him to you when my family members are here." Li Ji showed his first smile after arriving in Xiaxi Village, which stunned Gu Ran.
"Oh, I didn't expect that Uncle Li has become a father. I always thought you were not married yet!" Workaholic, because the first impression Li Ji gave Gu Ran was that of a workaholic.
Li Ji laughed: "Is it okay?"
"No." Gu Ran shook his head.
Li Ji's smile gradually faded.
"It takes a lot of effort to take care of this cat. It's also very picky about who raises it. Didn't you see how well-behaved Qi Ge'er from Sister Lin's family is? I didn't give him anything even though he wanted it?" Gu Ran explained, taking in his expression. "However, if your son comes and can take good care of the cats, and can kidnap any of them, then the cat will be yours."
Li Ji's smile gradually returned.
"good."
While Li Ji was waiting for Li Si to bring his family and son over, Li Si, Li Ji's son, Li Ji's elder brother and sister-in-law, nephews and nieces, Li Ji's father and mother, Li Ji's three colleagues, and the families of each of Li Ji's three colleagues were all sitting on a big boat.
Ever since Li Si returned to the Li family in Zhengzhou, he imitated his uncle's tone and told the Li family exactly what Li Ji had said in the conversation. He also emphasized that his uncle had made a lot of money and was building a big house for their family. Then all the people in the Li family unanimously agreed to sell the land and house immediately, pack up their bags and prepare to join the capable younger brother/uncle.
When Li Si went to Zhengzhou to submit his resignation, he had a farewell drink with several officials he was on good terms with. He accidentally drank too much. During the meal, three colleagues asked about his uncle's recent situation. Li Si, in a drunken state, let out the fact that his uncle was doing particularly well despite being demoted. In particular, he took advantage of his drunkenness to gesture at the gold ingot that his uncle had earned and told them in a strong tone, which deeply touched the hearts of these three colleagues.
Li Si said that those who used to hang out with Li Ji were suppressed by Feng Tongpan, and it was not easy to work in the government office. Since Li Ji is doing so well in Jianzhou, they might as well follow the example of the Li family and go to Jianzhou!
If they follow Li Ji and he can earn a gold ingot, then they can at least earn some small change, right?
Li Ji is a fair person. He can drink soup himself and also let his subordinates drink soup. If you go to a place where you are not familiar with, you don't have to worry about being led astray by him.
So the three colleagues went back and told their families about this.
The three families who were close to the Li family and knew that the Li family would leave Zhengzhou soon, heard that Li Ji was doing better now than when he was in the government office and had saved up a lot of gold, so how could they not be willing?
Let’s all go. Let’s all go.
Li Ji never expected that he deliberately showed off his wealth in front of Li Si in order to make it easier for Li Si to persuade the Li family to migrate to Jianzhou, but he inadvertently brought the families of his three former subordinates over as well.
As more people wanted to go to Jianzhou, the process was delayed for a while.
When Li Si was about to hire a bodyguard team, his three colleagues called out their strong men and patted their chests: We are all working in the government office, and none of us who follow Li Ji are cowards. We can capture evil thieves and kill wolves, and we are all capable. We have so many tall and strong men at home, so who are we afraid of robbing them?
Well, now we can save the money on hiring a security team and just go in a group by boat.
The ship is about to leave Cang Port and there are still four days of sailing to Jianzhou Port. The four families are getting excited as they see that they are getting closer and closer to their destination. When sailing with a tailwind during the day, they all come out to the side of the ship to enjoy the scenery.
The side of the ship was full of passengers who came out to see the sea, all of them were very excited.
"How many days are left? How many days are left before we reach Jianzhou?"
"Four or five days, if everything goes well, it will arrive in just four days."
"That's great, I can see Brother Li again!"
Everyone laughed, and Li Si held Li Ji's son Song Ge'er in his arms and pointed at the birds flying above the sea. "Song Ge'er, see? The further south you go, the more seabirds there are. Let your father catch them for you later."
"I don't want to catch these birds, I just want to see my dad!" Song Ge'er was not looking forward to it at all, his face was a little gloomy: "How long will it take before I can see my dad? Brother?"
"It's almost there, just bear with it a little longer, ah!"
Li Si looked at the blue sea and thought of the golden and silver light he saw when he came to Jianzhou to visit his uncle a few months ago. He couldn't help but want to see his uncle as eagerly as Song Ge'er.
The big house that uncle said he would build for them must have been built already, right?
When they get to Xiaxi Village, they will definitely be able to live in a big house, right?
Is uncle also anxious to see Song Ge'er?
Well, if they hadn't had to wait for Uncle Lu, Uncle Liang, and Brother Luo's three families, the Li family should have settled down in the village by now.
Li Si was muttering this in his mind when he unexpectedly saw Uncle Lu and Uncle Liang exchanging glances. Then they winked at him and also looked at Brother Luo San.
That was the code sign that they, as officials, sensed something was wrong.
Li Si felt panic in his heart, no way?
We have been safe and sound all the way here, and now we are almost reaching Jianzhou. What did Uncle Lu and Uncle Liang discover?
But neither Uncle Lu nor Uncle Liang mentioned what they had discovered. Li Si and Luo San, who had received the secret signal, sent the family members who had been brought to the deck to enjoy the scenery back to the cabin. In the end, only the four of them were left standing by the side of the ship to enjoy the scenery.
After a while, the number of passengers on the side of the ship gradually decreased.
Li Si looked solemn after sending Song Ge'er back. Uncle Lu and Uncle Liang had discovered something, that is, there was something wrong with the people on the side of the boat?
So I couldn't help but look at the passengers on the same journey from time to time.
It would have been fine if he hadn't looked at it, but once he looked at it, Li Si also saw something.
After all, he has been an official for many years and has come into contact with all kinds of prisoners and criminals. His ability to read people's expressions is better than that of ordinary people. The difference between people is in disguise, and as long as you are careful, you can find some flaws.
Among the passengers who were watching the sea like them, there was a group of about five or six people. Although they were dressed brightly and looked like people from wealthy families, there was a hint of evil between their brows.
Especially the young man who was surrounded by the crowd. He was wearing a noble robe with gold and silver threads and a silver belt around his waist. He looked noble, but it could not hide his face that looked like he was terminally ill.
But even this young man who looked frail and sickly was filled with murderous intent.
Li Si was suspicious because his eyes stayed on them for too long. When he felt they were looking at him, he quickly turned his head away, looked at the sea and took a deep breath.
"Did you see it?"
Uncle Lu had discovered this group of people a long time ago and was afraid of provoking them. Now he was in a foreign land, so he reminded Li Si and Luo San to be vigilant based on the principle of "less trouble is more".
Li Si nodded.
Who were they? They didn't look like the gentlemen and guards of ordinary wealthy families.
"We are no longer officials, and we are all on the road with our whole family. I will not offend anyone unless they offend me. Go back and tell the impulsive sons at home not to let them get into trouble on the boat."
After hearing what Uncle Lu said, Uncle Liang, Luo San and Li Si all nodded.
Li Si even breathed a sigh of relief, secretly glad that he had brought Lu Bo, Liang Shu and others with him on this trip. They were in charge of all the big and small matters along the way, and he, as the leader, only had to follow orders and it was very easy.
When Li Si and Lu Bo realized that their origins were unknown and they were wary and cautious, the group of people they had noticed also noticed them.
"Mr. Meng?"
The man who looked like a guard glanced at the four passengers still on the side of the boat, then turned to look at the man in the middle.
"Yes, I saw it!" Young Master Meng squinted his eyes nonchalantly at the azure sea. He brushed his hair that had been blown by the sea breeze, covered his nose with a handkerchief, and said lightly, "Looking at the family members with them, they seem to be ordinary people, but those four look like housekeepers. I smell the stench of an official! And it seems that they have noticed us too!"
When everyone heard this, they all looked towards the four gentlemen that Master Meng pointed at.
"Although they were wary of us and had sent their families away, they remained on deck, guarding us. Firstly, they were afraid of us, and secondly, they wanted to intimidate us." Young Master Meng said, laughing sinisterly. "Tsk, when will such an eyesore like this one survive? Yi Shi, you go and get rid of them."
"Yi Shizun..."
"Absolutely not, Master Meng!" Someone was furious. He glanced at the passengers around him and said in a low voice, "Jia San, the hall master asked us to remain anonymous and bide our time, waiting for our own future rise. That's why he handed this team over to you. Don't act recklessly!"
"Master Hu, you also know that this team of personnel was handed over to me by the hall master. How they will act in the future will naturally depend on my arrangements. Are you dissatisfied?"
Young Master Meng's brows knitted slightly, his tone already filled with impatience. "Master Hu, if you don't like my style of doing things, you could have just stayed away from me in the first place and gone to Mobei with the Hall Master and Jia Yi."
"If the Hall Master hadn't instructed me to help you revitalize the organization in the future, do you think I would want to follow a lunatic like you? You should have gone to Jiangnan, but you insisted on coming all the way to Jianzhou."
Seeing that Master Meng looked down upon him so much, Master Hu was so angry that he stretched out his hand, intending to grab the front of Master Meng's collar, but unexpectedly, his hand lifted the handkerchief from his hand.
The handkerchief swayed and flew to Li Si and his group with the blowing sea breeze.
Master Meng tilted his head, his eyes falling on the handkerchief that fell on the deck, and he wanted to say with a smile: "Mr. Hu, isn't this a coincidence? Your move saved me a lot of effort. I think..." Then he stopped talking.
He saw someone pick up the handkerchief and then stride towards them.
Master Meng was very surprised and slightly startled.
The one who picked up the handkerchief was Li Si.
They were worried that the group of people of unknown origin on the ship were behaving suspiciously and might cause trouble on the ship, so they had been observing secretly. However, they did not expect to see the young man's handkerchief suddenly fall onto the deck where they were standing.
Is it a test, or?
Li Si exchanged glances with Lu Bo and others, and then, as if possessed by a ghost, he bent down and picked up the handkerchief.
Seeing the handkerchief in his hand, Li Si was also stunned for a moment, and then thought: Why not take advantage of the situation and throw a stone to ask for directions? It would be good to feel the other party's intentions.
So he grabbed the handkerchief and walked towards the young man who was obviously the boss. When he noticed the passerby, Li Si realized that it was him who was holding the handkerchief.
Seeing Li Si walking towards the group of people who were obviously not to be trifled with, Uncle Lu, Uncle Liang, and Luo San were also confused: Didn't we just say that we should avoid this group of people? Why did Li Si just go up to them so brazenly?
"Sir, your handkerchief has fallen off!" Li Si handed the handkerchief directly to Master Meng.
Master Meng looked at Li Si, smiled sinisterly, and gestured to Yi Shi to take the handkerchief.
"I wonder what your name is, sir? Are you also going to Jianzhou?" Li Si asked boldly.
"My son..." Mr. Hu had just begun to speak when he was interrupted by Mr. Meng, "My last name is Meng, this..."
"My last name is Li, and I'm the fourth in my family. You can call me Li Si."
"Oh!" Mr. Meng raised his eyebrows, not knowing what he was thinking of. "Li Si, who are you then?"
"I am from Zhengzhou. I used to work in the Zhengzhou government office for a while, but I have resigned. Now I am coming to Jianzhou with my families and several colleagues to live with my relatives." Li Si said frankly.
Anyway, even if they don't say anything after this day, Master Meng will probably investigate them. It would be better to explain their origins first, flatter these people, and see if they can let down their guard.
"Why would you quit your job when everything is fine?"
"Of course I'm incompetent and can't make it." Li Si laughed self-deprecatingly. "I wonder how you are, Master Meng? It looks like you're traveling alone, Master Meng?"
"That's right, I'm from the capital, Meng, and I came to Jianzhou..." Young Master Meng looked at Mr. Hu's nervous face and said, "I came to Jianzhou to recuperate." He sneered and changed his words, "I came to Jianzhou to seek revenge."
Li Si was stunned.
Mr. Hu was also stunned, with an angry look on his face. He was about to say something to Master Meng, but was dragged away by Yi Shi.
Is this Mr. Meng serious or joking?
"I'm not afraid to tell you, Li Si, that both my parents died when I was young, and I only have one close relative, my younger brother, to rely on for survival." Young Master Meng's sickly face grew increasingly pale and weak. "But he came to Jianzhou once and died here. As his brother, I naturally want to avenge him and kill the real culprit."
Li Si was stunned.
"So, Li Si, do you think I should avenge my only little brother?" Master Meng forced a smile, but he didn't know that his face became even more bleak.
Li Si took a step back and said, "This is your Master Meng's family affair. I, Li Si, and my colleagues are outsiders and it's not appropriate for us to interfere."
This is to tell Mr. Meng that no matter what their original purpose is, whether this matter of revenge for his younger brother is true or false, they will not get involved and will just stay out of it. They hope that both parties will be safe.
Master Meng looked at Li Si and nodded slightly. Li Si turned and left. He finally breathed a sigh of relief when he reached Uncle Lu and Uncle Liang. He realized that he had taken a risky move and broke out in a cold sweat.
"Li Si!"
"Are you going to die?"
"It's okay, it's okay."
Li Si felt his legs were weak and he was about to collapse, but he still stood firm against the side of the boat and told them what he had just said to Master Meng. The three of them looked at each other, were silent for a moment, and nodded.
That is, I don't intend to pay any attention to Master Meng and his group.
Sure enough, after that day, the two sides lived in peace. The four-day journey was very short, and the large merchant ship quickly arrived in Jianzhou.
Seeing that the ship had docked at Jianzhou Harbor and that everything was safe, Li Si, Lu Bo, Liang Shu and others felt relieved and happily escorted everyone down the harbor. Without having time to savor the prosperity of Jianzhou, they planned to take a small boat from the harbor to Yongchang County.
However, Master Meng and his group, who came to Jianzhou to avenge their father, passed through the port and slowly headed towards Jianzhou city.
As we passed the checkpoint, the vendors and shops in the streets and alleys outside were actively shouting:
"Selling oyster cakes, gentlemen! Our oyster cakes are the best in Jianzhou. Don't miss them if you pass by!"
"Noodle soup, Lu's noodle soup, one bite, ten bites of deliciousness."
"Here's the grass jelly! It's He's grass jelly, sweet and delicious! Come and buy some, my dear guests! It's a great way to cool down and quench your thirst!"
"Sir, have you ever heard of the authentic local earthworm jelly?"
…
Amidst the clamor of hawkers, Master Meng's voice mingled with the rest. His low voice was inaudible to others, but Yi Shi, who was standing right beside him, heard it clearly: "Is Hall Master Sun still being held in custody at this government office?"
"Indeed, I heard that he was apprehended in Xiaxi Village and originally imprisoned in Yongchang County. The county magistrate was a ruthless character, and Hall Master Sun wasn't a martial artist like us, so he couldn't withstand the torture. I heard he confessed a lot. After the case was closed, Yongchang County sent him to the Jianzhou government office for a retrial as per custom."
"Then let's go to the government office first and see if we can dig something out of our Hall Master Sun!"
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