Dai Yu and Zhang Meng strode back. The door to the study was open. Dai Yu went in first and said excitedly: "Young Master!"
Shen Lie was writing when he heard the words and looked up.
"Look at this." Dai Yu quickly put down the thing in his hand, which was a small brocade box.
"Manager Lin said that the person who came was a tall, middle-aged man, very burly. He specially gave this brocade box to you, the young master," Dai Yu said.
There was a plum blossom woven from branches inside the brocade box. Shen Lie picked it up and looked at it, gently turning it on his fingertips. It was a very delicate and ingenious workmanship.
"And this," Dai Yu put down another object, "Master, look at it, haha."
It’s a pack of...osmanthus sugar.
Shen Lie picked it up, sniffed it at the mouth of the bag, and said, "That man gave it to you too?"
"I asked Ah Li to treat you to something to eat," Dai Yu said, "Master, if you don't like sweets, why don't you give it to me?"
"Go buy it yourself and come back and reimburse it." Shen Lie said, putting the osmanthus candy inside the pen holder.
"Haha!" Dai Yu laughed.
Zhang Meng glanced at him: "What's so funny? He looks like a big fool."
"I laugh, this is really a coincidence," Dai Yu said with a smile, "Why do you think the young master met A Li?"
When he thinks of Ah Li, Dai Yu feels good. In fact, these days, the girl's sweet voice calling "Brother Dai" is always ringing in his ears.
He has been an orphan since he was a child and has no relatives. Although some people call him brothers, he has never had sisters, let alone sisters. He has been with Shen Lie for a long time, but Shen Lie doesn't even have a maid around him, so he can't even contact him. He met so many women that Ah Li called him "big brother", her voice was crisp and sweet, and he still hasn't forgotten it.
"What a coincidence?" Shen Lie asked.
"What a coincidence!"
Shen Lie smiled faintly, looked back at the plum blossom in his hand, and lightly tapped the stretched "plum blossom" with his long finger.
The "plum blossom" was extremely elastic and swayed back and forth for a while before gradually stopping.
In fact, it was no coincidence at all. He had been looking for her since the day after Kai's death when he went to Chuifangzhuang for an autopsy and bumped into her.
I met him last night after searching for so long. It can't be considered a coincidence, but at least it can be considered a chance encounter.
Shen Lie put down Mei Duo and looked at Zhang Meng: "What's going on over there, Mrs. An?"
"It's not good," Zhang Mengsurong said, "There are gradually voices saying that Taifu An won't live for a few days. Several doctors from the imperial hospital rushed to An's house early this morning. An's house sent a lot of people out. At the same time, many people came to visit, and it was very lively in front of the door, filled with carriages, horses and sedan chairs. Now everyone is saying that if Taifu An is really dead, I am afraid many people will blame the emperor."
Shen Lie's eyebrows slightly closed: "It does look like something is not going well."
Zhang Meng paused and said: "Master, before Taifu An entered the palace, you told me long ago that you wanted to visit Taifu An. I dare to ask, why?"
"Why," Shen Lie repeated softly, turning to look out the window and said, "it will be the beginning of winter in three days."
"Um."
Outside the window, the osmanthus tree has withered, but the residual fragrance remains, clear and light, as if it is there but not at all.
Although it is cloudy today, the light is very good and bright. Facing the cold sky, the fair face seems to reflect light, the eyebrows are like a painting, and the face is as handsome as jade.
"It should be these three days," Shen Lie said, "The reason why I want to visit Taifu An is to persuade him not to commit suicide."
"Suicide?" Zhang Meng was stunned, "What do you mean, Master, that he doesn't want to live anymore?"
"Well," Shen Lie nodded, "The situation is forcing me to do the same if I were standing where he is."
"But why does the young master want to persuade him?" Zhang Meng was confused. "We don't know him either. The relationship between the Guo family and the An family is only a little. I think he should look down on the Guo family."
"It has nothing to do with the Guo family. I'm worried that if he dies now, the world will be more chaotic. However," Shen Lie frowned and didn't say any more. After being silent for a while, he said, "I think I made a mistake. "
"What?"
"It's possible that he won't die," Shen Lie lowered his eyes, picked up Mei Duo again, and said softly, "If she was really her, she wouldn't let him die so easily."
Zhang Meng and Dai Yu looked at each other.
"Master, what are you talking about? What about him?"
"It's nothing," Shen Lie said. After thinking for a while, he put down Mei Duo, "Don't go far yet. I'll write a few letters and you can help me send them out."
"Well, yes, young master." Dai Yu responded.
……………………
Outside the market in Qiliqiao, in the small courtyard rented by Zhi Changle and Lao Tong, Zhi Changle was pouring bag after bag of rice into the vat. Before long, the rice vat was full.
The firewood was piled up, and the bowls and chopsticks were newly bought. It was hard to buy meat, so I only bought a few packages of relatively fragmented tenderloins. The vegetables were fresh, and they were placed on the stove one by one.
All the tables, chairs and benches here were old, and some could no longer be used. However, I found a screen in the miscellaneous room, which seemed to be intact and not damaged, so Zhi Changle called the old man and together they brought water from the well outside to wash it.
The well water washed against the dust on the screen, and the water was dyed black. Zhi Changle looked at the water, then raised his head and looked outside, with worry in his eyes: "Why haven't they come back yet?"
The old boy didn't dare to say anything, he washed the screen obediently, his head hung low.
Pang Yi was driving a large carriage to Huiyang Street.
It's just that there were many things going wrong today. Maybe the street was too cold and he was more conspicuous driving a carriage. Or maybe it was a routine he was very familiar with. The soldiers took a fancy to this horse.
When approaching Qili Bridge, Pang Yi was stopped again by a group of patrolling guards.
A team stepped forward and looked into the carriage: "Who is in here?"
Pang Yi put down his riding crop, turned around and opened the curtain, and said expressionlessly: "There is no one."
It's empty inside.
"Is this carriage yours?"
"It's for rent." Pang Yi took out the rental procedures from his arms. "It's half a day. Two people in the family are sick. It would be better to rent a carriage."
The carriage was very large, and there was a person hiding under the innermost bench. Lu Qianhai's hands and feet were tied, and he was bent in a narrow space, trying to twist with all his strength.
Que Zheng was not very literate and couldn't understand the rental. He glanced at it casually and looked up at Pang Yi.
The man has a fierce face and dark skin. Looking at his figure and physique, who would believe that he had not been drafted into the army?
"It's a carriage from Zhuge Carriage Shop in Nanjiepu," Pang Yi said. "I rescued their second master, so you are willing to rent it to me. Mr. Guan, I have to wait to go home to save people. Can you do it for your convenience?" "
As he spoke, Pang Yi took something out of his pocket and handed it over with an impatient expression.
The team was looking at it, and their eyes suddenly lit up.
"Masters, why don't you go have a drink and eat some meat?" Pang Yi asked again.
This was a really generous move, and with his understanding of the Zhuge family, one more thing was better than one less thing. The team just didn't want to get entangled anymore, so he handed the lease back and picked up the money at the same time.
"Thank you, Mr. Guan, for making way." Pang Yi said, raised his whip and left.
Lu Qianhai's heart sank, her eyes felt sore, and she suddenly started crying. Tears kept flowing. Her eyes were itchy and painful, and she couldn't rub them. It was extremely painful.
But soon, he thought of a way.
After holding it in for a long time, he no longer wanted to hold it in, so he just let himself wet his pants.
