The old friend bid farewell to the Yellow Crane Tower in the west, and the fireworks descended from Yangzhou in March.
No matter in which era, Yangzhou is one of the most prosperous places.
The Daqing Dynasty was no exception. Yangzhou was famous for its richest salt merchants and was one of the most prosperous and beautiful places in the world.
The arrival of the imperial envoy and the investigation team was obviously detrimental to the Yangzhou salt merchants and the entire chain of interests.
Therefore, although the dock was full of officials and local gentry, the atmosphere was not very warm.
Of course, it's not as if the local salt merchants were afraid.
Lin Ruhai was wearing a third-grade official robe and stood at the forefront of all officials and squires. He was thin and pale in appearance.
When the official ship stopped and the imperial envoy and the investigation team came down, Lin Ruhai took the lead to greet them. Naturally, it was quite lively.
Jia Cong did not join in the fun, and left the investigation team directly. He arrived at the official residence of the Yangzhou Salt Patrol Censor, and successfully entered as his nephew and was warmly received.
Old housekeeper Lin kept company by the side, asking Miss Daiyu about her living conditions in Rongguo Mansion from time to time, and at the same time also making insinuations about Jia Cong's purpose.
A gentle woman who was obviously one of Lin Ruhai's concubines was directing the maids to serve tea and snacks not far away. Her attitude was gentle and measured, giving Jia Cong a feeling of spring breeze.
"Sister Lin is living a good life. She is accompanied by sisters of similar age, and her second brother Bao, whom she has played with since childhood, is always with her. They are either reading, writing poems or playing other games together!"
Oh, I accidentally hacked Brother Bao, no wonder.
"The old lady loves Sister Lin very much. Besides Brother Bao, the most valued person in the house is Sister Lin. Several sisters and sisters in the house are very envious!"
Ahem, by the way, I also blackmailed the old lady.
Didn’t you see that Old Butler Lin was smiling for a while and frowning slightly for a while?
As for the purpose of this trip, Jia Cong will naturally not reveal it easily. Who knows how many outside ears and eyes there are in the official residence of the Yangzhou Salt Patrol Censor?
Apart from anything else, the person lying on the roof was definitely not arranged by the Lin family. With his strength, he could clearly hear his weak breathing and strong heartbeat.
He just wanted to follow Brother Lian out to see it, but Old Butler Lin didn't believe a word of it.
Jia Cong didn't care and chatted casually about Yangzhou's customs and customs, as well as the tycoon style of Yangzhou's salt merchants, showing full interest.
Butler Lin is also a character. He tries his best to answer various questions raised by Jia Cong and has his own unique understanding and opinions. He is not just what everyone else says. But after careful consideration, he can't find any loopholes. He is absolutely human.
During dinner, Jia Cong had it all to himself.
Without any extravagant expression, his appetite was so great that the old housekeeper Lin and the maids of the Lin family who were waiting on him said, "It's really delicious!"
At this time, Old Butler Lin realized that the guy in front of him seemed to be taller and stronger than ordinary adults. He was not even ten years old?
My heart is so turbulent that it is difficult to describe it in words.
"Master Cong, are you really under ten years old?"
When Jia Cong had finished his dinner and enjoyed the after-dinner tea, the old housekeeper couldn't help but asked out of curiosity.
"Haha, it's true!"
…
It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that Lin Ruhai and Lian Er came back smelling of alcohol.
This is what it should be. After all, Lian Er is Lin Ruhai's wife and nephew, so it would be a bit outrageous to live in a post house.
"Nephew meets uncle!"
When Lin Ruhai, who was full of alcohol but looked a little pale, sat down, Jia Cong solemnly greeted her.
"Are you Brother Cong from the eldest house?"
Lin Ruhai was also surprised when she saw the tall and strong Jia Cong, with a strange look on her face. You must know that Jia Cong is smaller than Lin Daiyu.
"It's my nephew!"
Jia Cong was used to other people's weird looks and didn't care.
"Okay, okay, I can tell you are very strong just by looking at your body!"
Lin Ruhai praised repeatedly. Anyone who is not very agile in body and bones will inevitably envy those who are strong and healthy, and he is not immune to this.
More than just strong?
Lian Er, who was also smelling of alcohol, couldn't help but chuckle when he thought of his previous encounter on the canal and Jia Cong's prowess.
The laughter attracted Lin Ruhai's attention, and there was a searching look in his eyes.
"Uncle, I don't know, but my third brother has grown so fast and so strong that he attracts a lot of attention!"
Lian Er did not talk about what happened on the canal. He chuckled and said: "This boy can eat very hard. My uncle has never seen how much he eats. He is nicknamed 'Big Rice Bucket' in the house!"
“As long as you can eat it!”
Lin Ruhai not only did not dislike it, but showed envy: "Being able to eat means you are in good health. No wonder you have grown so tall and strong at a young age!"
"Uncle, are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"
Jia Cong interrupted at the right time and said with concern: "If you feel uncomfortable, it's better to rest early. If you have anything to do, we can talk about it tomorrow!"
Lin Ruhai kept talking about her body and was full of envy of Jia Cong's strong body. Obviously, his own body was not that good.
Jia Cong also saw some clues. There might be something wrong with the Yangzhou salt inspector's body and bones.
Regardless of the energy and blood sensed at close range, or the various functions of the body are not good, there is a faint atmosphere of decline.
Unfortunately, although he had memorized a lot of medical books and had quite a wealth of theoretical knowledge, he had very little practical experience in treating diseases. If he wanted to figure out Lin Ruhai's physical condition, he had to use the help of Neijiaquan.
But it's not very suitable now. There are still maids waiting in the flower hall, and the person on the roof has been replaced, and Jia Cong doesn't want to take the initiative to expose him.
"It's an old problem, no need to worry!"
Waving her hands, Lin Ruhai said with a smile: "I'm happy today because I can ask you two about the situation in Rongguo Mansion!"
He stood up and said, "Come on, let's go to the study to talk!"
Lian Er subconsciously looked at Jia Cong, and after getting the acknowledgment, he stood up and followed him. This time, he did not hide it from the shrewd housekeeper Lin.
When we arrived at the study room, we were greeted by the scent of books and a light sandalwood fragrance. It was definitely a rare thing to have a clear mind and focus.
Jia Cong immediately sensed the faint breathing coming from the roof and the steady heartbeat through the wall.
Damn, isn’t this level of surveillance too exaggerated?
He did not sit down, but directly signaled Lian Er to take out the letter sent by Lin Daiyu: "Uncle, this is the autographed letter that cousin Daiyu asked me to bring!"
Under the surprised gazes of Lian Er and Lin Ruhai, Jia Cong dipped his finger into the tea bowl and dipped some tea in it, and wrote on the desk in front of Lin Ruhai: Walls have ears!
After Lin Ruhai had seen it, he stretched out his hand to wipe away the water stains quietly, and said leisurely: "We brothers will not disturb you. Uncle, please rest early!"
After saying that, he and Lian Er, who looked surprised, withdrew and asked the Lin family servants to lead the way to the guest room prepared for them to rest...