On the second day of the ninth lunar month in the first year of Xianfeng, it is a good time to get married and go on a trip, and it is forbidden to disturb the earth for burial. It is also a day for going to Zoumagang.

Zomagang is the only way from Ba County to Chengdu Prefecture and an important post station on the Chengdu-Chongqing Post Road. It belongs to Cili Jiujia under the jurisdiction of Ba County. It is named because the mountain resembles a horse, and because it borders Bishan Mountain to the west.

, connected to Jiangjin in the south, is known as "three counties with one foot".

Whenever there is a market, people will be crowded inside and outside the mountain gate and on the three-mile long street.

Villagers from all over the country carry home-grown fruits and vegetables, or carry a basket of eggs laid by their own old hens in exchange for a few pennies, grab medicine, pull a few feet of cloth, or come to the pawn shop on the post to pawn some.

Some villagers and vendors who came late could not squeeze in, so they could only squat outside the mountain gate and guard their baskets to sell.

The streets are crowded with people, the shouts of vendors, the clanging bells of the blacksmith shop, the shouts of Liu Huzi dumplings and the Sanmenmen soup pot shop assistants, and the sounds of children chasing and playing, are endless and lively.

The small courtyard with two entrances behind Taihe Satin Shop is particularly deserted. One look at the white couplets on the door and you can tell that this family has just finished a funeral.

In the first courtyard, there is a yellow jujube tree planted in an unknown year. It is tall and strong, with overhanging roots and exposed claws. It is winding and intertwined, with dense branches and bright green leaves. The sunlight shines through the leaves in spots on the two sides under the tree.

On a young man.

They are not very old, but they are very famous!

Almost all the villagers on the post recognized the tall boy in the long robe who looked like a scholar as Han Xiufeng, a clerk working in the county government office, and the short, fat boy as Ding Zhu, a student clerk at the county government.

"Fourth brother, don't bother, I really can't do it." Ding Zhu put the book on the stone bench and squatted under the tree with a frown on his face, pulling at the roots.

Han Xiufeng picked up the "Resolution of Wrongs" he had put down, flipped through it, and said in a persuasive manner: "Zhuzi, I asked about it, it's not difficult to pass the exam, and you don't even need to write it."

Ding Zhu raised his head and asked: "How to take the test?"

"Futai is sitting in the hall, flipping through the book like this, picking a paragraph at random and asking you what it means. You can memorize the verses at the age of six, and you have memorized this record of redressing injustice by heart. You just say whatever the book says, and

I'm not asking you to write essays to test your talents. What's so difficult about this?" Han Xiufeng patted him on the shoulder and said sincerely: "I always study and do only three taels a year. If you can pass the Futai exam this time, you can

You can cover this shortfall, and you will have twelve taels of labor and food silver every year from now on. This bowl of rice will not only last you a lifetime, but can also be passed on to future generations."

"I can recite it and know what it means, but I can't say it." Ding Zhu suddenly plucked off the roots of the yellow jujube tree and said with a bitter face: "Fourth brother, you know that when I see the eldest master

My legs are so weak that I can't speak, let alone go to see the prefect."

Han Xiufeng became anxious, pointed at him and said: "Thanks to you, you are still a fool. You are not afraid of the dead, so why are you afraid of the living? Besides, it's not like you haven't seen the world. If you hadn't helped Zhang Luo, my uncle would have been in such a miserable state."

I don’t know how it will be done, and even if it can be done, I don’t know how much money it will cost.”

"Having a funeral and meeting the magistrate are two different things." Zhu Zhu threw down the roots of the yellow oak tree, thought about it and murmured: "When it comes to memorizing the record of redress of injustice, fourth brother, you can also do it. Not only can you recite it, but you can also write it. How about you go?

Forget it. You work as a widower to cover the shortfall, and you get the twelve taels of work, food, and silver."

Doing nothing, that is the most despicable karma among the debased karma!

Although this bowl of rice is not that delicious, as long as it is served, almost no one will compete with you. Anyone who can do anything will not eat this bowl of deathly rice.

The tall boy was made to laugh and cry, but he didn't want his good brother who had been playing with him since childhood to feel like he was looking down on him. He got up and walked to the door of the main room, pointing to a spiritual tablet in front of the throne of the Lord of Heaven and Earth, and said: "What's wrong with being a disciple?"

Okay, even if others are starving to death, my uncle will not be hungry. The main thing is that you don’t know about my uncle. With the little money I have for work and food, I will not be able to help my uncle pay off the debt until the Year of the Monkey and the Horse. Even if I want to slowly

They won’t agree even if you return it.”

"That's two thousand taels. I'm afraid of people just thinking about it. I've never seen so much silver in my life." Zhu Zhu was convinced, even looking at the tall boy with infinite sympathy in his eyes.

"Debts will not be paid off after death. I can only repay the debts owed by my uncle." The tall young man picked up the book and sat down on the wicker chair again.

"That's two thousand taels. Do you have that much silver?"

"No, let alone two thousand taels, I don't even have two hundred taels."

"That's it. The debt collector will come to your door this afternoon. How do you plan to get through this?"

"The road will naturally be straight when it reaches the bridge. There will always be a way."

As soon as Han Xiufeng finished speaking, a familiar loud voice came from outside: "Si Wazi, Zhu Zhu, are you here?"

"Uncle Guan, why are you here!" Zhu Zhu immediately smiled and ran over to open the door: "Here he is! Here he is!"

The door creaked open, and a burly government servant in his thirties limped in, holding a water and fire stick. As he walked, he looked at the yellow jujube tree and muttered: "Si Wazi, I told your uncle a long time ago that this is

Feng shui trees can only be planted in temples, but we can't live in a small house. Your uncle didn't believe it. He finally saved some money and insisted on buying this house. After buying it, he still didn't remove the tree. Is it true now?"

There is a saying in the countryside that it is not appropriate to plant yellow jujube trees at home, but in Han Xiufeng's impression, the man who just came in never seemed to tell his second uncle that it was not good to have this tree in the yard. Not only did he not tell him, but he even asked Chang to come back from the county seat.

Han Xiufeng, who was delivering something to his aunt, pulled more roots and picked some leaves to take back. In summer, making tea with the roots of the yellow box tree and drinking a few sips of it can clear away heat and detoxify. If he is injured somewhere, wash a few leaves of the yellow box tree and pound the velvet velvet.

, applied on the wound can reduce swelling and relieve pain. It is said that boiling water from the bark of Scutellaria japonica and taking a bath can also relieve itching and treat skin diseases.

However, for Han Xiufeng, this yellow oak tree not only has roots and leaves that can be used as medicine, but also has many childhood memories.

When I was a kid, every time I came back from the city with my second uncle, I would play under the tree with my two cousins ​​who were already married. To this day, I still remember the nursery rhyme my cousins ​​sang when they were running around the Huangjue tree: HuangJue tree, HuangJueYa,

My home is under the yellow oak tree, and there are missing teeth on the yellow oak tree...

But now was not the time to get emotional. Seeing Guan Baotou limping, he hurriedly stepped forward to help him. Zhuzi also realized that something was wrong and asked eagerly: "Uncle Guan, what's wrong with you?"

Guan Baotou's buttocks were burning with pain. He didn't dare to sit down and could only lie down on the wicker chair. He took the tea brought by Han Xiufeng and took a big sip. He didn't even bother to wipe his mouth and said through gritted teeth: "I don't know which turtle

My son has the guts to steal Taoist master's money. I'm also unlucky. I happened to be on duty that day, so I have given you seven days to find out."

"Didn't you take the turtle son?" Zhu Zhu asked subconsciously.

"If we can get the person, how can your uncle and I be beaten?" Guan Baotou accidentally touched the wound, and he grimaced in pain.

………
Chapter completed!