71-80

Chapter 71

Lin Xiaoyao was frightened. Although there were some gossips from the time he set up a stall with Lin Zhen, this was the first time he smashed things.

At first, he was so angry that he wanted to argue with Cai Jinzhu, but was pushed to the ground by the servants brought by Cai Jinzhu, and almost hit his head on the pillar.

Lin Zhen pulled him to his side and walked in, stepping on the broken porcelain pieces, bamboo cups, and chopsticks.

Cai Jinzhu saw him and did not hide the hatred in her eyes at all: "I thought you were shrinking and would not come out, what, you finally can't hide anymore?"

"Who are you? Why are you smashing my shop?" Lin Zhen's ears were not bad, and when he squeezed into the crowd, he heard those gossipers say that Qian Jingyuan's current wife came to smash things, but he didn't want to give Cai Jinzhu this face.

When the arrogant Cai Jinzhu heard Lin Zhen asking her who she was, she became so angry that her face turned blue: "You seduced my husband, and you still ask me who I am, Lin Zhen, how can you be so shameless!" "

That's right. When you were still single, you could drag men to yourself. Of course, you are even more shameless now than then."

Lin Zhen took a look at her and said: "So you are the young lady of the Qian family in this town. In that case, please keep your men under control, and don't run to my door like a lunatic and say things that are offensive to others."

Cai Jinzhu was certain that it was Lin Zhen who seduced Qian Jingyuan first and used Qian Jingyuan's money to open this shop. In his opinion, these words from Lin Zhen were just a whore wanting to be a saint.

She sneered, "You are just pretending to be good because Qian Jingyuan is not here."

"A slut like you would do anything dirty and smelly for a little money, otherwise how could you open this shop?" "

Qian Jingyuan is a fool, but I am not. If you dare to come to town to do business again, I will smash you every time I see you!"

As she said that, Cai Jinzhu moved the potted plants that Lin Zhen had made on the counter and smashed them to the ground. The pots were instantly broken into pieces, and the soil and lush green plants inside could not be seen in their previous state.

The servants he brought with him seemed to have received an imperial decree. The tables and chairs in the snack room and the two simple paintings that Lin Zhen had just hung on the wall were all smashed into pieces, and they went to the backyard aggressively.

Lin Zhen's face was cold, and he said loudly: "To catch an adulterer, you must catch both. To catch a thief, you must catch the dirty one. Madam Qian keeps saying that I had an affair with your husband. May I ask which eye of Madam Qian saw it, when and where she saw it, and are there any other witnesses?" "

If Madam Qian comes here to smash things and beat people just because of her words, then even if I get beaten with ten boards, I will go to the county government office and ask the county magistrate to investigate and make a clear statement." "

You are such a talker. I'm afraid you will go to the government to sue," Cai Jinzhu sneered. "Everyone in the town knows that you were having an affair with my husband in broad daylight. What other evidence do you need!"

Lin Zhen: "Okay, since you are so sure, let's settle it one by one and two by two in front of the county magistrate."

"Xiaoyao, you and Zhuzi and the others don't touch anything in this room these days. Wait for the officials from the county government to come and check, in case Madam Qian denies it."

Lin Zhen's attitude was very firm, and he was about to sue Cai Jinzhu.

The onlookers didn't expect it to go this way. After all, everyone thought that with Lin Zhen's looks, it was normal for him to seduce someone. Even if Young Master Qian wasn't his lover, he must be very interested in him. If

a girl or a boy encountered such a thing, they would avoid it as much as possible. For the sake of their own reputation, they didn't want to make a big deal. Who would have thought that Lin Zhen had no scruples at all.

The voices of discussion became louder and louder, and people said all kinds of things.

Cai Jinzhu listened to the sound of servants smashing things in the backyard and looked down at Lin Zhen: "If you want to sue, then go ahead. But I still say that every time you show up in town, I will smash it."

Soon, the people who went to the backyard to smash things came out and left with Cai Jinzhu.

The onlookers outside were still staring at the messy shop with great interest. Lin Zhen called Lin Xiaoyao to put up a few door panels to block the eyes of those people.

Lin Xiaoyao's brows were furrowed, "Brother, are we really going to sue the government?"

"Well, this matter has come to this point. Only if the county government clears my name can we continue our business in the future." Before this happened, Lin Zhen was still thinking that he would use time to slowly grind it out, and it would be fine after everyone's enthusiasm faded.

But today when Cai Jinzhu came to make trouble, he saw those people who seemed to have lost their minds and only knew to grasp what they thought was right as the truth, and he felt that this could not go on.

He still has his own shop, Gu Shuanzi, Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Shitou and others. He can't let them go shopping in the town in the future with fear and endure other people's strange looks.

Lin Xiaoyao's heart was still pounding, and he was very worried: "But if we go to the county government to file a complaint..."

"It's okay. We have been in the town for two years, and we have heard some things. Although our county magistrate has not done anything good that has been spread, he is not the kind of person who will be tortured into confessing and will not distinguish right from wrong."

"I will find someone to write a petition and send it to the criminal room, and wait for the county government to summon you." There is a relatively complete process for filing a complaint here. If it is not a murder case or a major case, you cannot knock on the drum outside the county government to complain. Instead, you must first find someone to write a petition and submit it to the criminal room that specializes in managing civil and criminal cases in the jurisdiction. The criminal room will then review it first, and then send it to the county magistrate for review.

Lin Zhen took a look at the shop that was completely smashed and could no longer be seen in its former appearance. He asked Gu Shuanzi and others to clean up the backyard a little bit so that people could live there, and he went out to find someone to write a petition.

Thanks to Cai Jinzhu's "blessing", Lin Zhen felt a strange atmosphere wherever he went. He had a plan in mind. He turned into Zhong Yan's house in a narrow alley and knocked on the door.

Chen Niang's voice soon came from the door: "Who is it?"

"I, Lin Zhen, is Zhong Yan at home, Niang Chen, I have something to ask him."

The voice in the door stopped abruptly, and Lin Zhen's heart sank. The rumors about him were widely spread in the town. According to the degree to which Niang Chen valued Zhong Yan, she was probably worried that Zhong Yan's association with him would affect his reputation.

But there were not many scholars in the town, and he was only familiar with Zhong Yan, not to mention that Zhong Yan was very talented in writing, so it was most appropriate for him to write the petition.

But Lin Zhen also estimated that if Zhong Yan could not write this petition, he would go and ask other people.

After a while, the door creaked open. It was Zhong Yan who opened the door himself. He stood in the door and looked at Lin Zhen: "Uncle Lin, come in."

The Zhong family's yard was still the same as when he first came, even the wooden basin standing in the corner was exactly the same. He walked in and greeted Chen Niang in the yard first.

Chen Niang's expression was a little indescribable, and she just took two stools from the house: "Brother Lin, please sit down. I wonder what Brother Lin is here for this time?"

Xiaoshizhai's milk tea business was good, so Lin Zhen gave all the work of pasting oil paper to Chen Niang. In addition, because Zhong Yan polished and copied the storybook for him, the life of the mother and son was much better than before when they were washing and mending clothes.

Mrs. Chen was not someone who did not know how to be grateful. Anyone could do the job of pasting oil paper. Lin Zhen had already done her a favor by giving her the job. However, the words in the town these days were too many and too scary. She only had one son, Zhong Yan, and he would go to the prefectural city to take the prefectural examination next year. If he was implicated by Lin Zhen by mistake, all the hard work Zhong Yan had done in the past few years would be in vain.

So Mrs. Chen did not want Zhong Yan to write a petition to Lin Zhen, but she could not bring herself to ask Lin Zhen to leave.

Lin Zhen did not hide his purpose at all and replied, "Ever since Qian Jingyuan went to the shop, rumors about him and me have spread in the town. Today, his wife smashed the snack bar to pieces and kept saying that Qian Jingyuan and I were having an affair. So I want Zhong Yan to write a petition for me and hand it over to the prison." Madam

Chen frowned, "How could you be related to Young Master Qian? How could his wife be so indiscriminate!"

Although Madam Chen did not want Zhong Yan to have anything to do with this matter, after spending so much time with Lin Zhen, she knew what kind of person Lin Zhen was and that he would never get along with Young Master Qian.

She remembered something and said, "I heard that Master Qian's current wife is from the prefectural city, and her family has quite some background. Will it be useful for you to sue her in the county government?"

"Don't worry, Madam Chen. Although she is the daughter of a minor official in the prefectural city, the prefectural city is far away from us. She can't get any help even if she wants to."

"Besides, our county magistrate is quite open-minded. As long as the evidence is strong, he is 70% to 80% sure that I will be cleared of all charges."

Madam Chen looked at him, sighed, and said to Lin Zhen and Zhong Yan, "I don't understand what you want to say. Let me pour you a bowl of water."

After all, she refused Lin Zhen without saying a word, and turned to go into the house to pour water.

The Zhong family's house was too narrow, and there was no place to entertain guests. It was either Madam Chen and her mother-in-law's residence or Zhong Yan's residence. The distance between the yard and the house was only two meters, and Madam Chen could hear clearly what the two said without having to prick up her ears.

He only heard his son ask: "Uncle Lin, tell me everything that happened here in full. Don't hide anything, otherwise you will be defeated by the opponent in court, which will be disadvantageous to Uncle Lin."

Soon, Lin Zhen told the story from Qian Jingyuan's sudden appearance in his shop and his misleading words, to the rumors in the town, and to Cai Jinzhu's rush into the small food restaurant and smashing the shop today.

Zhong Yan asked a few questions, then asked Lin Zhen to wait for a while. Half an hour later, he came out with a piece of paper with wet ink and handed it to Lin Zhen: "Uncle Lin, take a look and see if it needs to be changed."

At present, the imperial examination requires students to use the Taige style, and Zhong Yan also uses this font. Every word on a piece of paper is square and smooth, but it is not rigid and boring like the Taige style. It is vivid and neat, which makes people have only one thought: good handwriting.

And the content of the petition is even better than this amazing handwriting. The writing is smooth and highly readable.

Lin Zhen knew that he had come to the right place this time, and only Zhong Yan could write this petition.

Chapter 72

"It's well written," Lin Zhen waited for the last bit of ink on the paper to dry, folded it in half and put it away, "When this matter is settled, I will invite Madam Chen and Boy Yan to come to my place for a gathering."

As he spoke, he took out a two-liang piece of silver from his purse: "This is for the cost of writing, Boy Yan, take it."

Zhong Yan never thought of taking his silver, stretched out his hand to push it away: "Uncle Lin, it's just a petition--"

"I still have to hand in the petition to the criminal room, I'll leave first." After stuffing the silver into Zhong Yan's hand, Lin Zhen took a few big strides and walked out of the Zhong family's yard.

Zhong Yan will go to the provincial capital to take the provincial examination next year, and the town is a long way from the provincial capital. He has to set off two or three months in advance to avoid any accidents on the way and delay the examination.

Lin Zhen could barely estimate how much money Zhong Yan and Madam Chen had on hand. If he gave all of it to Zhong Yan, it would not be enough for his expenses to go to the provincial capital. How could he take advantage of Zhong Yan?

The county government office was in the east of the city, not far from Master Xu's house. Lin Zhen took the petition and bowed to the yamen runner guarding the gate of the county government office: "Hello, sir. May I ask how to hand the petition to the criminal chamber?"

It is said that the seventh-rank official is in front of the prime minister. Here, the yamen runners in the government office have already leaped above the common people. They are dressed in red and black robes, with a wide knife on their waists. They are very majestic. Looking at Lin Zhen who came to hand in the petition, he said: "The government office is very busy. If some trivial neighborhood matters are resolved by themselves, you will be summoned to court as soon as the petition is submitted. It will be too late to regret it."

Lin Zhen said: "If I could negotiate with the other party, I would not ask anyone to write a petition. Please help me to hand in this petition."

Seeing that Lin Zhen was determined to do this, the yamen runner said: "Then follow me."

"Thank you, sir," Lin Zhen knew the ins and outs of the yamen very well. He followed the yamen runner and stuffed two taels of silver into his pocket. "Use this silver to buy you a few sips of wine."

The yamen runner touched the silver ingot in his hand and his face looked much better: "Since you are so sincere, I can say a few words to the manager of the criminal department later. I can't say more, but I can put your petition in front."

"I was not lying to you just now. We do have a lot of things to do in our yamen. The petitions are piled higher than me. The county magistrate has issued an order not to bring the miscellaneous petitions from the neighbors to him."

"It will take at least three to five months to submit your petition."

The county yamen is not small. After entering, you will see the court directly opposite. There are long corridors on both sides connecting the affiliated institutions on both sides and the county magistrate's residence at the back.

The yamen runner led Lin Zhen into the left wing room with ease. He was originally very majestic, but his back bent a little. He clasped his fists and said to the middle-aged man sitting behind the desk, "Sir Cheng, I brought someone to submit a complaint."

The middle-aged man who managed the prison room had two mustaches, ordinary looks, and a slightly shorter stature. When he heard that someone came to submit a complaint, he stopped writing and looked up impatiently, "What is the matter and who are you suing?"

Lin Zhen replied, "Sir, I am from Liyu Village. My surname is Lin and my name is Zhen. I opened a restaurant in the town three months ago. On the seventh day of May, Master Qian of the Qian family in the town suddenly came to my restaurant and trapped me in rumors. Today, Master Qian's wife came to my restaurant again. Not only did she smash my restaurant, she also threatened me not to come to the town again, otherwise she would harm me."

"I have no choice but to write this petition. I hope you will give me justice."

After hearing what he said, Cheng, who was in charge of the criminal room, looked at Lin Zhen and said, "Are you the owner of Zhenyouwei Snack Shop?"

"Yes."

"Bring your petition up here for me to see." The rumors about Lin Zhen were known to almost even five-year-old children in the town, and Cheng Shen had naturally heard of them.

Seeing him today, he understood why those rumors spread so widely and so quickly.

The owner of Zhenyouwei Snack Shop was indeed very beautiful, with the kind of delicate, charming, and pure appearance that men love the most. It was normal for Young Master Sun to be obsessed with him.

Cheng Shen took the petition handed over by Lin Zhen in his hand, and the first thing he saw was the neat and square Taige style, which made people feel happy for this beautiful handwriting.

Looking at the content of the petition again, the content was described in a concise and touching way. Even Cheng Shen felt that Lin Zhen was too unlucky and suffered an unexpected disaster.

Cheng Shen was only a scholar in his early years. After failing the provincial examination many times, he found a connection and went to the county government to manage the criminal department. He asked himself, he couldn't write this petition, and couldn't help but ask Lin Zhen curiously: "Who wrote this petition?"

Lin Zhen naturally didn't hide it, and said: "I asked Zhong Yan, a scholar from Zhazi Street, to write it."

"Zhong Yan..." The town is not big, Cheng Shen is not unfamiliar with the name Zhong Yan. The twelve-year-old scholar will take the provincial examination next year. If he can pass the examination, even he, a scholar, who is the manager of the criminal department, will have to give way to him.

According to the regulations of the imperial examination in the Dayu Dynasty, candidates and above can be appointed as officials. The worst is to serve as a seventh-rank county magistrate in a remote small place.

Just like Cheng Shen's boss, the county magistrate here.

If Zhong Yan is lucky, he can pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, which is even more like a leap forward. He can stay in the six ministries in Beijing and become a sixth-rank or fifth-rank official. It is hard

to say whether Zhong Yan can pass the imperial examination, but it should not be a big problem for him to pass the imperial examination. Cheng Shen has a deep impression of Zhong Yan. When he learned that he helped write this petition, he couldn't help but pay attention to it: "Put the petition here. The yamen runners will come to summon it in three or five days."

Lin Zhen saw that the manager of the criminal room did not push his petition down, but flipped a few on top and put them in, and actually let him cut in line.

He thought about it for a while and understood why the manager of the criminal room did this. He quietly thanked Zhong Yan in his heart, bowed, and followed the yamen runner out of the county government.

The yamen runner said, "I didn't expect you to have your own connections, so you don't need me."

Lin Zhen smiled and said, "If the magistrate hadn't taken me in, I wouldn't have been able to meet Lord Cheng so smoothly. I know what's in front and what's behind."

The yamen runner took two taels of silver and wanted to show off his ability, but he didn't show it off. He felt a little depressed, but after hearing what Lin Zhen said, he felt that it was true. If he hadn't led Lin Zhen in, Lin Zhen wouldn't be able to see Lord Cheng Shen, let alone enter the gate of the county yamen.

So his frown loosened, his face looked better, and he said to Lin Zhen, "You also heard what Lord Cheng said just now. He will summon you in three to five days. Remember not to run far these days. If we fail to summon you, you will be punished."

"Yes, thank you for the reminder, magistrate." After submitting the petition, Lin Zhen was fine. He came out of the county yamen and went straight back to the shop. Looking at the mess on the ground, his footsteps paused.

This was the first shop he opened here. He had been setting up a stall for more than a year for this shop. He made a lot of preparations before selling spicy hot pot, cold noodles, sour plum soup, milk tea, and each item.

According to his original plan, when he earned four or five thousand taels of silver and Gu Shuanzi was older, he would go to the capital and Kyoto.

Who would have thought it would turn out like this.

Lin Zhen stepped on the debris on the ground and picked up the cloth curtain connecting the shop and the backyard. Just as he took a step, a figure trotted over from the backyard and stopped dangerously in front of him.

He looked at Gu Shuanzi, who frowned and looked even more angry, and touched his head: "Have you eaten?"

"No, I'm waiting for you."

"Don't wait next time, you still have to eat on time." Lin Zhen walked into the kitchen in the backyard with him.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was sitting on the stool in a daze, stood up when he saw him come back and ran to him, "Brother..."

"Let's eat first, and talk while we eat." Lin Zhen saw several dishes covered with bowls on the stove, picked up the bowls, and found that they were fried tofu with dogwood, stir-fried Chinese cabbage moss, pork belly, and a big bowl of meatballs, bean and rice soup.

These dishes were all cooked by Lin Zhen on weekdays, and Lin Xiaoyao also learned from him. Although the cooking was a little lacking, it was a world of difference compared to what he did in Liyu Village.

Lin Zhen held a bowl in each hand and called Gu Shuanzi, Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi: "Shuanzi, set up the table in the yard, Shitou, take the bowls and chopsticks, and Zhuzi, bring out the rice."

Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi were still children, and they were also frightened by what happened today. They stood in the kitchen in a daze. When they heard Lin Zhen's words, they woke up as if from a dream, and followed his instructions to take the bowls and chopsticks and bring out the rice.

Soon, the food was placed on the table. Lin Zhen scooped rice into his bowl and said, "The petition has been submitted to the county government. We will be summoned in three to five days. Xiaoyao, when this matter is settled, you can take the stone and the pillar back to Liyu Village to live for a while. Wait for me when you come back to town."

Lin Xiaoyao held the chopsticks, "Is there something wrong? How can you handle it alone with Shuanzi? I want to follow you."

"It's not a big deal. Many people heard and saw what Qian Jingyuan said and did that day. We can find a few more witnesses to prove that I am not involved with him, and the things that Cai Jinzhu smashed are still clearly displayed in the store. She can't deny it even if she wants to." "

But even if I win, the business of Xiaoshizhai may not be back for several months. There is no point in letting you waste time here. You might as well go back and help the family."

"Shitou and Zhuzi have been out for a few months. The elder and second brothers must miss them. This is a break for them to have a rest." In spring, the work in the fields is tedious and numerous. Dried mushrooms, dried black fungus, and dried bamboo shoots are all delivered by Carpenter Ma when he delivers bamboo tubes. The elder and second brothers are so busy that they really have no time to spare.

Not to mention the elder and second sisters-in-law who rarely come to the town. They have not seen each other since Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi came to the town.

Lin Xiaoyao is still very worried. He is afraid when he thinks that Lin Zhen is going to the county government to confront Cai Jinzhu and Qian Jingyuan face to face. However, he knows the temper of his third brother. What he said must be well thought out. It is best for him to do it himself: "...Okay, I will take Shitou and Zhuzi back when the matter is over."

"Eat quickly, the food will get cold if you keep talking." Seeing that they were listless, Lin Zhen spoke in the same tone as usual, telling them to eat whatever they wanted.

Chapter 73

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. At about ten o'clock in the morning of the fourth day, Lin Zhenzhen put the rotten cabbages and vegetables that had been piled up due to lack of business into a sack and prepared to throw them away. Two yamen runners in red and black robes with wide knives on their waists walked in: "Who is Lin Zhen?"

Lin Zhen put down the rotten cabbages and vegetables in his hands and hurriedly washed his hands: "I am Lin Zhen. May I ask if you are here to summon me, sir?"

The two yamen runners said: "Yes, the petition you submitted will be heard today. We are taking you to the county government office to confront the person you sued, Mrs. Cai, in court. Let's go."

Lin Zhen had been waiting for the past few days. Hearing this, he said to Lin Xiaoyao and Gu Shuanzi who were standing beside him with a worried look on their faces: "You stay at home and wait for me to come back after I finish my business." Then he turned

and walked towards the two yamen runners: "Thank you, sir, for coming to summon us. Let's go."

The county magistrate who was hearing the case in the county government office was waiting. The two yamen runners did not dare to delay. They immediately sandwiched Lin Zhen on the left and right and strode towards the county government office.

Compared with the two of them, Lin Zhen's slender figure looked fragile, and being sandwiched in the middle, he felt like he would be annihilated in the next moment.

Lin Xiaoyao looked at Gu Shuanzi, Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi, gritted his teeth and said, "You three stay at home, I'll be back in a while."

His figure quickly disappeared in the shop, chasing Lin Zhen and the two yamen runners who had just left.

Gu Shuanzi looked at his back with dark eyes, and said to Lin Zhuzi, "Uncle Lin and Xiaoyao's uncle are not here, you take Shitou back to the backyard, and close the door of the shop by the way, don't open the door unless Uncle Lin and Xiaoyao's uncle knock."

Lin Zhuzi roughly knew what he was going to do, and said softly, "But Uncle Lin and Xiaoyao's uncle asked us to stay at home...you..."

"I'll be fine."

Lin Zhuzi couldn't say the next words, he knew that what Gu Shuanzi said was true, although he was one year older than Gu Shuanzi, but it was safer for Gu Shuanzi to go out than him.

He nodded: "I will do as you said and stay in the shop with Shitou and wait for you to come back."

Gu Shuanzi hummed, turned around and walked out quickly. After leaving the shop, his steps became faster and faster, and finally he started running. Someone whispered his name in his ear.

"Isn't that Lin Zhen's stepson Gu Shuanzi? Isn't he afraid of falling when he runs so fast?"

"I heard that the kid is studying with Master Xu. What a pity. Maybe he will have some good fortune in the future, but

he was implicated by his stepfather." "What do you think Lin Zhen is trying to do? He was divorced by the Qian family all the way, and now he is involved with Young Master Qian in Yuxitun, causing Young Master Qian's wife to chase him. If she had known this would happen, she would have divorced Young Master Qian."

"You know nothing. Young Master Qian has always liked Lin Zhen, but it was the old lady in the family who didn't allow it and forced Young Master Qian to write the divorce letter."

"Then does that mean Young Master Qian and him are a pair of star-crossed lovers?"

"Bah, Young Master Qian already has a wife, why is he getting involved? In my opinion, he deserves it. Being beaten to death by the people in the yamen is the least of

his worries!" "He was the one taken away by the yamen runners just now. Let's go and see the fun."

"Let's go,

let's go too."

"..."

Those who had nothing to do rarely had such a big event to watch, and they all wanted to see with their own eyes how Lin Zhen was beaten with a stick, so they called their friends to go to the county government office.

Gu Shuanzi squeezed in the crowd and finally squeezed to the front, and saw Lin Zhen led by two yamen runners into the county government office. The county magistrate, who was sitting high up at the top, slammed the gavel, and a voice came from the main hall opposite: "Who is in the hall?"

"I am Lin Zhen, your humble servant, and I kowtow to you, sir."

The man who was more dazzling than the sun in his eyes knelt on his knees in front of the people in the hall and knocked his head to the ground, while the two yamen runners in the hall, Cai Jinzhu, stood upright, as if they could step on Lin Zhen with one foot.

Gu Shuanzi was squeezed by the surging crowd of onlookers. He heard someone say, "Didn't Lin Zhen sue Cai Jinzhu? Why is Cai Jinzhu standing there well, while Lin Zhen is the only one kneeling."

The person next to him had an expression as if you didn't know, "Not to mention that the Qian family is one of the richest families in the town. I heard that Cai Jinzhu's father is an official in the government office in the prefecture. Our county magistrate has to give him some face, so naturally he won't ask Cai Jinzhu to kneel like Lin Zhen."

"It's said that it's easier to get things done if someone in the family is an official." The county

magistrate sat in the middle, and the person closest to him was the legal advisor. The county magistrate had already read Lin Zhen's petition. Because he had a very good impression of Zhong Yan's handwriting and literary talent, he also had some patience for Lin Zhen. He looked at Lin Zhen who was kneeling on the ground and said, "You said in your petition that on the seventh day of May, Young Master Qian came to your store and said that he still had feelings for you. Then you asked Lin Xiaoyao, Lin Shitou, and Lin Zhuzi in the store to drive Young Master Qian out of the store. Is that true?"

"My Lord, that is indeed the case," Lin Zhen said as he stood in the hall. "My child's friends came to play in the shop that day. As soon as the children left, Young Master Qian showed up. He even said that he hadn't seen me for three years, and then he said some nonsense."

"But just now, Qian Jingyuan's wife said that you and Qian Jingyuan have not broken off the affair. Not only did you have an affair with Qian Jingyuan, but you also tricked Qian Jingyuan into giving you money to open a shop."

As soon as the county magistrate finished speaking, the lawyer closest to him put his hands behind his back and said calmly, "As far as I know, Qian Jingyuan and you were once husband and wife?"

Lin Zhen would of course not hide this matter: "Yes, but I have no relationship with him for a long time. I am married, he married someone else, and we live our own lives. If he hadn't appeared that day, I would have forgotten this kind of person."

The lawyer smiled, "A day of marriage means a hundred days of grace. The Qian family is a big family in the town, but the family you married is mediocre. Haven't you ever thought about reconciling with him in your heart?"

His words were the other way around, which meant that Lin Zhen was unwilling to marry Gu Da and wanted to be with Qian Jingyuan. It was natural that the two of them were secretly involved.

Lin Zhen saw that this lawyer was full of malice towards him and was digging a hole for him to jump into.

He said to the master: "Although there is a saying that a husband and wife are bound by love for a day, but after we leave, he will go his way and I will go my way. Although I don't eat as well as the Qian family, and I don't wear as beautiful clothes as the Qian family, I don't care about these things."

The master disagreed: "These are all what you said, and only you know the inside story."

Cai Jinzhu snorted and interrupted: "That's right, only you two know whether the thing was done or not. We didn't see or hear it, so we can't let you turn black and white."

Lin Zhen knew that he was just a commoner now, and he would be beaten if he was not careful, so he could only explain the words of the master in a light and clear manner. Cai Jinzhu's interruption gave him an opportunity to immediately say what he had drafted several times in his stomach. What basis did

Cai Jinzhu have to say that he had dealings with Qian Jingyuan? Did she see it with her own eyes, or heard it, and had to catch them with her own hands? Just because she opened her mouth, she convicted herself and smashed things in the small food hall without knowing right or wrong.

Lin Zhen was always eloquent, and his words were concise and to the point, which made Cai Jinzhu speechless.

Indeed, she had never seen the two of them hanging out together, but Qian Jingyuan went to see him because everyone saw it. She kept harping on this point, saying that if he hadn't hooked up with Qian Jingyuan, why would Qian Jingyuan go to see him.

The two of them came and went, and one stood in one place, with a strong smell of gunpowder.

Gradually, people realized that Lin Zhen might really have nothing to do with Qian Jingyuan. According to Lin Zhen, after leaving the Lin family, she married Gu Da, and usually walked around Datianzi Village, and occasionally followed Gu Da to the town to buy some rouge and powder.

After Gu Da died, he returned to his own home, and then set up a stall to make money and open a shop.

However, Cai Jinzhu could not produce any evidence to prove that Lin Zhen seduced Qian Jingyuan. He only said that Qian Jingyuan went to him and gave him money to open a shop.

This was also refuted by Lin Zhen in a few words. In front of the county magistrate and two groups of yamen runners, he clearly described how much he earned from setting up a stall and how he used the accumulated money to open a shop.

"If I really took Qian Jingyuan's money, why would I have to walk to the town for an hour and a half along the mountain road before dawn, and then rush back after closing the stall? Wouldn't it be better to just open this shop now?"

Cai Jinzhu, who was at a disadvantage, stared at him intently. As soon as he finished speaking, Cai Jinzhu pounced on him like a madman, and pinched his neck with her long nails: "It's all your fault. If it weren't for you, how could Qian Jingyuan not take me seriously? Why don't you just die!"

Her move was too sudden, and Lin Zhen was caught off guard and his neck was pressed down. The sharp nails almost poked his eyes, and he quickly stepped back in fear.

The county magistrate did not expect that the two people would actually wrestle in the court, and he banged the gavel in his hand hurriedly: "How disgraceful, pull them apart!"

Two shifts of yamen runners hurried to pull Cai Jinzhu and Lin Zhen. Cai Jinzhu was very strong when he got mad, and the yamen runners had to pull them apart several times. Lin Zhen's neck and face were scratched by him, leaving several bloody marks, and his clothes and hair were also messy.

The county magistrate was so angry that

his beard stood up. He looked at Cai Jinzhu and Lin Zhen and said, "This is a court, not a place for you to be so insolent. Each of you will be given ten strokes of the cane. Come back when you're behaved." The lawyer who was standing below him raised his eyebrows and quickly leaned over and said, "Master, Cai Jinzhu's father..."

The two of them were whispering. Soon, the county magistrate glanced at Cai Jinzhu and Lin Zhen and said, "You two are roaring in the court. Cai Jinzhu will be given five strokes of the cane and Lin Zhen will be given ten strokes of the cane. The execution will be immediate."

A stick fell to the ground with a snap. The two shifts of yamen runners who had just separated the two men held down each of them. Someone else set up a stool in the hall and held them down firmly on it. With a whoosh, two palm-wide boards fell on the waist and hips. The pain made Lin Zhen almost choke.

Cai Jinzhu was hit and screamed like a ghost: "My father is the tax collector of the prefecture. You are so brave. Be careful or I will cause trouble to you!"

After hearing what the master said, the county magistrate, who had already let her off lightly, became even more angry and shouted: "If it weren't for your father, the five fewer strokes would have fallen on you!"

"Huh."

"Huh."

Cai Jinzhu's five strokes were quickly finished, but Lin Zhen still had five strokes. This was the first time he was hit so hard. Every stroke seemed to break his waist and hips and crush them into pieces.

.

Chapter 74

After the ten strokes of the cane, the county magistrate, who had figured out the facts involved, was a little tired. He banged the gavel and said, "This master already knows everything about this case. Lin Zhen, you sued Qian Jingyuan's wife Cai Jinzhu for falsely accusing you of having an affair with Qian Jingyuan, and also came to your house to destroy your shop, is that right or not?"

"Yes."

The county magistrate looked at Cai Jinzhu again. Although he only gave Cai Jinzhu five strokes of the cane because of the words of the lawyer, he did not have a good impression of Cai Jinzhu in his heart: "Cai Jinzhu, regarding what Lin Zhen said, you have not produced any witnesses and material evidence that can convince this official. Therefore, I declare that you must apologize to Lin Zhen in court and restore his shop to its original state."

"What!" Cai Jinzhu never thought that she would lose. She looked at the county magistrate with bulging eyes, "Although I did not see him seducing my husband with my own eyes, isn't this a well-known thing!?"

"Asking me to apologize to him and compensate him for his shop? No way!" Cai Jinzhu was sure of it before she came. She even stuffed a sum of money into the lawyer's pocket to make him speak on her side.

The county magistrate was refuted by her. He smiled coldly. He was just a tax collector in the prefectural city. If he gave him face, he would be a dog under the prefect. If he didn't give him face, what could he do with him, a proper county magistrate?

The county magistrate, who had been staying in this small town for more than ten years and couldn't move, was already depressed. When he met Cai Jinzhu, he immediately slammed the gavel: "How can you, a woman, ignore what I said? Come on, give me ten more strokes." The lawyer who

received the money from Cai Jinzhu hurriedly stood up to speak for Cai Jinzhu. He really didn't expect that the young lady of the Qian family would be such a stupid person who didn't see the trend at all.

If she didn't roar in the court, with his help, even if there were no witnesses and physical evidence, the county magistrate would not be so quick to side with Lin Zhen. As soon as

the lawyer stood out, the county magistrate glanced at him, which made his heart jump and he retracted his foot.

Although their county magistrate was exiled here and his talent was mediocre, he was born into a good family. He was the illegitimate son of a family in the capital. If the master of the family remembered, they might take action against him, but he dared not offend him.

Cai Jinzhu was quickly pressed by the yamen runners on a bench that had not been removed yet. After receiving the ten strokes of the board, she still had the strength to cry and curse in pain at first, but after the last stroke of the board, she collapsed on the bench and could not get up. She was dragged to the court by two yamen runners holding her shoulders. The

county magistrate was too lazy to look at her. He asked the yamen runners to hold her down and bow to Lin Zhen to apologize. He also asked the yamen runners to send her back to the Qian family and inform her of his verdict.

After handling the matter, he patted his waist and left

the court. Lin Zhen, who received five strokes less than her, looked at Cai Jinzhu who was supported by the yamen runners and walked out with difficulty.

Those yamen runners were all strong and healthy, and they used all their strength to hit the solid wood board. From waist to buttocks to thighs, Lin Zhen's clothes were soaked with cold sweat on his back.

Lin Xiaoyao and Gu Shuanzi, who followed him, ran up to him one by one and supported him: "Uncle Lin..."

"Third brother!"

"It's okay, it's okay, you will be fine after a few days of rest." Lin Zhen's face was as white as paper, and big beads of sweat dripped from his chin. Although he said that he was fine, his twitching cheeks and eyebrows every time he took a step let Lin Xiaoyao and Gu Shuanzi know that he was trying his best to endure, but he was still on the verge of not being able to endure it. "Fortunately, the county magistrate has some plans in mind. If he doesn't care about anything and only knows how to get a salary, according to Cai Jinzhu's family background, he will not get any good."

Lin Zhen didn't know that the county magistrate was born as a bastard of a family in Kyoto, and he didn't think much of the prefect of the prefecture city. He just felt that this time was a blessing in disguise.

It also gave him a clearer understanding of the strict class system. If the county magistrate wants to beat you, he will beat you, no matter if you are right or wrong. What if it is the prefect, the governor, or the officials in the capital?

The power of life and death is in the hands of others, and there is no room for resistance.

If Lin Zhen had not sued Cai Jinzhu, Lin Xiaoyao would never have come to the county government in his life. If he met the yamen runners on the road, he would take a detour if he could.

He supported Lin Zhen with lingering fear: "In the future, we must avoid trouble if we can. I am scared."

"Well, it is inevitable to suffer if we go against them." Lin Zhen cherishes his life very much. He does not want to use his skin and flesh to test the board in the hands of the yamen runners. Cai Jinzhu is just the daughter of the tax collector in the prefectural government. If she changes to someone with a more powerful family...

When the two talked, Gu Shuanzi did not say a word, but used all his strength to support Lin Zhen. His head was only at the level of Lin Zhen's chest, so he could only put Lin Zhen's hand on his shoulder so that Lin Zhen could borrow some strength.

Suddenly, Gu Shuanzi raised his head and looked at Lin Zhen, who was pale, with a waist and hips that could not be straightened and could only bend to relieve the pain: "Uncle Lin, what do you have to take the exam after you pass the exam?" Lin Zhen

was a little surprised that he would ask this question. Gu Shuanzi's dislike for studying was clearly written on his face. He said: "After passing the exam, you have to take the prefectural exam every three years like Zhong Yan. After passing the prefectural exam, you will be a juren and can be appointed as an official."

"The county magistrate was a juren, and was appointed to our town."

Gu Shuanzi blinked and looked back at the gate of the county government office. In his mind, he recalled the two groups of majestic yamen runners and the county magistrate who threw down the stick and punished Lin Zhen with ten boards: "What if I want to be an official higher than the county magistrate?"

Lin Zhen thought Gu Shuanzi was scared by the county magistrate's beating just now, and said, "Only those who pass the juren exam can truly join the gentry. If you want to go one step further, you have to take the joint exam. If you pass the juren exam, you will become a gongshi. Gongshi will then take the palace exam. According to a certain proportion of the gongshi, the top three will be selected. The first class will be awarded the title of Jinshi, the second class will be awarded the title of Jinshi, and the third class will be awarded the title of Tong Jinshi."

"There can be several people in the second and third classes, but the first class can only have the first place, the top scholar, the second place, and the third place."

"As long as you pass the imperial examination and win the emperor's favor, you will be assigned to the six ministries to hone your experience. As for how far you can go, it all depends on your personal opportunities and abilities."

Although it sounds simple, the number of people who come out of the first, second and third place in the imperial examination every three years is too many to count on one's fingers, but there are very few who can finally stand out and have a reputation in the six ministries.

Most people only study for decades and become inconspicuous little screws in the corners, but this inconspicuous little screw is already the best path for poor students.

Haven't you seen how many people have fallen outside of one level after another, depressed and frustrated.

After listening to Lin Zhen's words, Gu Shuanzi nodded and did not continue to ask.

But no one knew that a seed was planted in Gu Shuanzi's heart. He didn't want to see Lin Zhen kneeling in front of others, being looked down upon by others, waiting for others to judge him.

There were too many people who came to watch the fun. Because the county magistrate announced in court that Qian Jingyuan and Lin Zhen did not have a private relationship, the various "truths" that they had believed in before seemed so ridiculous.

Some people slipped away with shame on their faces. Although some people did not say it, they still had the same idea in their hearts and looked at Lin Zhen with contempt.

Some people realized their mistakes, showed embarrassed expressions, and came over to ask if they needed help.

Lin Xiaoyao remembered their faces in the past few days clearly, turned his head and did not give them a glance.

Gu Shuanzi silently acted as Lin Zhen's "crutch", without speaking or showing any expression.

Lin Zhen, who was asked, smiled and said, "The injury is not serious, so I won't bother you."

The people who wanted to help just felt sorry, and left after being rejected by Lin Zhen. The gate of the county government office, which was so crowded that even a foot could not be put in, was empty in an instant.

Lin Xiaoyao put most of his strength on Lin Xiaoyao and Gu Shuanzi, walked down the steps with a grin, and was led into the shop by the two as he said, "Let's forget about those who still believe in how I send people, and let's forget about those who feel a little regretful and those who know the truth but don't say it. Our future meetings will be the same as before."

Lin Xiaoyao was so angry that he said, "Why?"

Gu Shuanzi also looked at Lin Zhen.

Lin Zhen said as he took slow steps, "The worse someone is to you, the more you should greet them with a smile, because you don't know if he will stab you in the back, and we have to minimize the probability of him stabbing you in the back, so as to gain the most favorable situation for ourselves at the lowest cost."

"However, this principle applies to those who just came to ask for help and those who left quietly, but those who still insist that I did those things are not included."

"People who insist that I am wrong to prove that they are right will only cover their ideas with layer of dirt to ensure that they are on the side of justice. Even if they realize that they are wrong later, it will make no difference to them."

It took Lin Zhen more than 40 minutes to get from the county government office to the snack bar, which originally took only a dozen minutes. When he returned to the snack bar, his clothes were soaked and his hair was wet and stuck to his cheeks and neck.

Lin Zhen asked Gu Shuanzi to put two long benches together, lie on them, and said to Lin Xiaoyao: "Replace the bedding on my bed with a bamboo mat and a thin quilt, and boil some water to wipe my body."

"Okay." Lin Xiaoyao's heart was almost broken, and he got up and went to the kitchen without saying a word, first poured a bucket of water into the pot and boiled it, and then went to the main room to change his bed.

Recently, the weather has been getting hotter and hotter, and Lin Zhen's bed has been replaced with a thin cotton summer quilt, but now he can't lie down, he can only lie down. These thin cotton quilts will inevitably get on the injuries on his waist and hips. Mats are more convenient and easy to wash.

Lin Zhen, who was lying on the bench, swallowed his saliva, frowned and said to Gu Shuanzi: "Go to the clinic to ask a doctor, remember to tell the doctor how my injury was caused first, so as to avoid the ineffectiveness of the medicine."

The spices used in their snacks were all bought from the clinic they often went to. Gu Shuanzi was very familiar with it, so Lin Zhen was not worried when he asked him to go.

Gu Shuanzi nodded, poured a glass of water, and let him drink it in his position, then said: "I will find a doctor soon, Uncle Lin, wait for me."

After that, he moved his hand hanging by his side, just like Lin Zhen had done many times before, fell on his head and stroked it twice.

Lin Zhen was lying on the chair, and he was standing. The previous height order seemed to be reversed.

Lin Zhen raised his eyes and looked at Gu Shuanzi, who pursed his lips and had dark eyes. Suddenly, he felt a sense of laughter and tears, but he felt very happy.

It was not in vain that he loved this kid.

Chapter 75

While Gu Shuanzi was still waiting to call the doctor, Lin Zhen asked Lin Xiaoyao to wipe the sweat off his body, changed his underwear, and lay on the bed waiting for the doctor to come.

Soon, the doctor who was already familiar with him was brought in. After listening to his description of the range of pain, he looked at the injury on his waist, stepped aside and said, "You have slightly injured some bones. Don't do heavy work or bend over in the next month to avoid bone dislocation."

As he spoke, the doctor sat on a chair and wrote a prescription: "The waist above must be treated three times a day, and it will take half a month."

"There is also my exclusive blood stasis cream, apply it once a day." When Gu Shuanzi went there, he told the old doctor about Lin Zhen's symptoms. The old doctor specially brought his own ointment, which was square and a little smaller than a palm, and the smell was very pungent.

"Thank you, doctor, for bothering you to make this trip." Lin Zhen still trusted his medical skills, and he was also afraid that he would have sequelae in the future, which would be really troublesome.

The old doctor handed the recipe to Gu Shuanzi: "No need to thank me, Brother Lin invited me here, and I have time, so I naturally have to come."

"But when the owner of our clinic came, he told me that he missed the spicy hot pot made by Boss Lin, and asked Boss Lin if he had any idea of ​​selling the recipe to him."

The apprentice who came with the old doctor was very sad to see Lin Zhen lying on the bed unable to move. He didn't expect that his uncle would ask about the recipe at this time. It seemed a bit like taking advantage of the situation.

He opened his mouth and wanted to speak, but the old doctor didn't give him a chance and said directly: "Brother Lin also saw that our clinic is the largest in town, and the owner is not short of money. If you are willing to sell it, you will definitely not lose money."

Now Lin Zhen has been lying on the bed for more than a month and can't move. Although Lin Xiaoyao and Gu Shuanzi can arrange business, due to his reputation, the customer flow of Xiaoshizhai will not increase for a while.

Lin Zhen had anticipated this a long time ago. The county magistrate gave him "justice", but he couldn't stop those busybodies from talking. He is still in the spotlight, and only with the passage of time can he turn the page on this matter.

So after he came back from the government office, he was thinking about the closure of the small food shop, but he had to re-plan his original plan to let Lin Xiaoyao take Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou back.

Gu Shuanzi is studying at Xu Youda's school, so he definitely can't go back to Liyu Village. He is injured now, and it would be troublesome for him to go back.

But it's not a good idea to let Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi hang around here. It's better to send them back to live with their parents for a while, and let them come back when the shop is open.

As for the old doctor's suggestion that the owner of the clinic wanted to buy the recipe of Malatang, Lin Zhen had some doubts at first, but soon shook his head and refused: "Although the shop will be closed for a while, it will eventually open. Malatang is the signature dish of Xiaoshizhai, and it is impossible to sell it."

"Please tell the doctor that when Xiaoshizhai reopens to welcome customers, anyone who comes to your clinic will be given three skewers."

The old doctor was just a messenger, and that was it, and he didn't say anything else.

Nodding: "Well, I will pass on this message. You have to go to the clinic to get the medicine on the prescription. The plaster is enough for five days, so go and get it when it's used up."

"Thank you, doctor." Lin Zhen still asked Gu Shuanzi to go with him to get the medicine.

On weekdays, he was busy running around and didn't notice it, but once he lay on the bed, time became hard to bear.

Lin Zhen's chest felt stuffy from lying down, so he grabbed the buckwheat husk pillow that he had specially asked Chen Niangzi to make and stuffed it under his chest. Unexpectedly, it pulled his waist, causing him to shudder in pain and almost cry out.

The yamen runners had already sent Cai Jinzhu back to the Qian family, and by the way, they were asking for the compensation money for the shop that the county magistrate had mentioned, so when Lin Zhen came back, he asked Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou to sweep up the debris and dirt on the ground.

Lin Xiaoyao had also been cleaning with them, and as soon as the doctor left, he closed the door and walked in, picking up the plaster: "Brother, I'll wipe that place for you again and put the plaster on you."

"Yeah." Not sure if it was because his body functions had recovered, Lin Zhen felt that his lower back and buttocks were constantly aching, and he wished he could give himself two injections of anesthesia.

He looked at Lin Xiaoyao's hand twisting the handkerchief and said, "You should send the pillar and the stone back in a few days. I originally planned to let you go back with me, but now I'm injured and Shuanzi has to go to school, so I can't leave you here."

"Even if you didn't say it, I would have planned so. I'm here to wipe your body, wash your clothes, and cook some food for you and Shuanzi." As he spoke, Lin Xiaoyao walked to the bed with a warm handkerchief and lifted up the hem of Lin Zhen's clothes, revealing his dark blue lower back.

His skin was already dazzlingly white, so the wound now looked even more hideous, like an ugly monster lying under his skin, which was very dazzling.

Lin Xiaoyao, who had just wiped his sweat and dressed him, still felt shocked and didn't even dare to let the handkerchief fall on him.

Lin Zhen looked back and hugged the pillow: "Luckily, the bones are not seriously injured. The injuries on the flesh look terrible, but they will heal with enough time."

"..." Lin Xiaoyao was afraid that rubbing left and right would make him more painful, so he changed to dipping it one by one, but he still saw the swollen flesh under the towel twitching.

He couldn't hold it back any longer, and tears dripped onto Lin Zhen's lower back: "Third brother, you should run your business and live your life well. You haven't provoked anyone or offended anyone. Why should you be beaten like that crazy woman?"

Lin Zhen's face was against the pillow. He was also very depressed about being beaten for no reason, but depression could not solve any problems.

He reached out and patted the back of Lin Xiaoyao's hand without saying anything.

Lin Xiaoyao wiped away his tears and continued to wipe his lower back, then pulled his pants down a little bit and wiped his buttocks. After wiping them clean, he waited for the water stains on them to dry and applied a plaster.

As soon as the plaster was applied, Lin Zhen felt that his painful and hot lower back and buttocks were cool and comfortable. He turned his head to Lin Xiaoyao and said, "The old doctor's plaster is good. It won't be so uncomfortable

after applying it." "I'll get it when it's finished." Hearing him say that he felt better, Lin Xiaoyao was happier than anything else. Two

days later, the smashed backyard and the shop in front were almost cleaned up by Lin Xiaoyao and his three children. Except for the things they needed for life, other things could only be replenished when the shop reopened.

Today was the day when Lin Xiaoyao took Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou back to Liyu Village. After getting up, he first made breakfast for Lin Zhen, put the boiled medicine on the chair beside the bed, and then took Lin Zhuzi and Lin Shitou to the fork in the road to find an oxcart.

The three of them were lucky. As soon as they arrived, there was an oxcart passing through Liyu Village. Each of them spent two three-cent coins to get on it.

Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi had been in the town for three or four months. They were extremely excited to know that they could go home. They kept looking around while sitting on the oxcart.

However, compared with the heartless and thick-skinned Lin Shitou, Lin Zhuzi was much quieter. He remembered what Gu Shuanzi had said to him last night. If everything went well, he would not have to come to town next time and could go to Ma Carpenter to learn the craft.

Lin Xiaoyao had more things on his mind. Lin Zhen asked him to stay at home for two days before returning to town. He also asked him not to hide what happened here, but not to make it too serious, so as not to worry Lin Adie and Lin's father.

After all, people from their village would also come to town. If someone else spread the news to Lin Adie and Lin's father, they would definitely have wild thoughts. It would be better for them to take the lead and give them a shot of prevention.

Lin Xiaoyao knew what he meant and knew what to say. He was just worried that it would be inconvenient for him and Gu Shuanzi to be in the shop.

"Bang--" The uncle driving the ox cart raised his whip and swept it across the ox's butt. The ox, which had long been tamed, immediately twisted its body to move forward, and the wheels of the ox cart rolled forward.

It was still early. If the uncle driving the ox cart hadn't gone home for something, he wouldn't have gone back at this time, resulting in only Lin Xiaoyao and the other three on the ox cart.

The uncle chatted with him while driving the cart: "Whose family in Liyu Village are you from? My family moved out of Liyu Village a long time ago. Maybe we are relatives."

Lin Xiaoyao was just thinking about what to do if Lin Zhen was alone at home, when he suddenly heard the uncle talking to him. He was stunned for a moment before he reacted: "So, I used to be from Liyu Village. My family name is Lin, and I live in Shangliyu Village."

Liyu Village is divided into Shangliyu Village and Xialiyu Village, with the bridge over the river that runs through Liyu Village as the boundary. The upper one is Shangliyu Village, and the lower one is Xialiyu Village.

"Lin?"

"Are you the second Lin family?"

There are only two families with the surname Lin in Liyu Village, one is Lin Xiaoyao's family, and the other is Lin Xiaoyao's uncle's family, but the relationship between the two families is very weak, and there is almost no contact. Even if they meet on the road, they will pretend not to see each other.

Lin Xiaoyao said quickly, "Lin Er is my uncle, and my father is Lin Da."

"Oh, so you are from the Lin family. When my family moved out of Liyu Village, your two families had just separated. Your grandmother was partial to your uncle's family and gave your uncle's family food and two chickens. Your family got nothing except two plots of land. I didn't expect that life would be better now. Both children are tall and strong."

Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi had meat or eggs every day in the small restaurant. They were full of food, but they looked stronger than most children.

Lin Xiaoyao had only heard his father mention these things a few times before. His grandmother was a powerful person and favored his uncle. When the family was divided, she was too much, almost making his father and father unable to live.

But when Lin Xiaoyao was born, his grandmother had died, and he had no contact with his uncle. He only heard about these things and didn't feel anything.

So he only nodded in agreement occasionally.

The ox cart was slow, but better than walking. It took almost two hours to reach the fork in the road where there was a small hill near Liyu Village. Lin Xiaoyao took Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi off the cart, said goodbye to the uncle driving the cart, and then stepped onto the familiar mountain path with a backpack on their backs.

There was already wasteland reclaimed by Liyu Village here. The people working in the fields saw the three of them, straightened up and greeted them: "Xiaoyao is back, wow, Shitou and Zhuzi have really changed a lot, they have grown so much taller." The

wasteland on the hillside was planted with sorghum. The tall and thick sorghum stalks were taller than the people standing in the field, like a forest, rustling in the wind.

Chapter 76

Compared to last year, this year's sorghum is like the difference between an adult and a child, and the sorghum ears that have just begun to bear are as long as half a forearm and densely packed.

The Lin family used compost last year, and Lin Xiaoyao had seen such good sorghum and buckwheat, so she was not surprised. But those who used compost this year were so happy that they could not close their mouths. As long as they saw the sorghum and buckwheat that had never been so good, they wanted to pray to the gods and be thankful that they had followed the Lin family to use compost.

The person who was talking to Lin Xiaoyao said, "Xiaoyao, didn't you follow Zhen Ge'er to the town to do business? Why did you come back suddenly?"

Lin Xiaoyao paused and said, "Shitou and Zhu have not been back for a long time. My brother asked me to send them back to see my parents. I will be back in two days."

"I said that making money in the town is much better than digging for food in the fields. You two brothers are capable. You can open a shop in the town."

"Each has its own advantages," Lin Xiaoyao continued. "In the town, you have to buy a green onion or a vegetable. It's more convenient in the village. You can just plant it in the field and pick it. It doesn't cost money."

"That's right." The person who was talking felt that Lin Xiaoyao was right. The town was so small, but so many people lived there. There was not even a vegetable field. You didn't have to buy everything you ate.

Only the two brothers of the Lin family could make money. If it were them, they would have returned to the village in disgrace.

The sun was very strong, and Lin Xiaoyao was thirsty and hot. He chatted with the person who spoke to him for a few words and then left. He greeted several groups of people along the way. Before he reached home, he saw from afar Lin Adie, Lin Fu, and his two brothers and their sister-in-law carrying farm tools coming down the mountain path. They ran up to them happily and greeted them: "Dad and Father, we are back!"

This was the first time that Lin Xiaoyao had been away from home for so long. Although his eldest and second brothers Lin went to the town to deliver things every few days, it felt different.

The second brother Lin, who was walking in the front, heard the voice and said in a rough voice, "Xiaoyao, you are back!"

Lin Shitou, who was following behind Lin Xiaoyao, could no longer hold back and ran up and jumped onto his father. The second brother Lin quickly hugged his waist with one hand and shook him up and down, "You are stronger and more energetic."

Zhao Xiu, who was walking beside the second brother Lin, also missed her son very much. She reached out and patted Lin Shitou's head a few times, "Zhen Ge'er and Shuanzi haven't come back yet?"

The joy in Lin Xiaoyao's heart was instantly diluted, "Let's go home and talk."

The Lin family saw that his face was a little wrong, and they looked at each other and had a bad premonition, carrying the farm tools and hurried home. Father Lin

has been worried about them for the past few months. As soon as he entered the house, he couldn't wait to ask, "What's wrong, is the business of the shop not good?"

"The business of the shop is very good, and we make a lot of money." Lin Xiaoyao looked at the Lin family in the house and told them everything that happened in the past few days.

From Qian Jingyuan coming to the store to find Lin Zhen, to Lin Zhen being surrounded by rumors, to Cai Jinzhu coming to smash the store, and then Lin Zhen taking her to court.

Taking just one incident out alone made Lin Adie and the others feel so anxious, and putting them all together simply frightened them to the point of turning pale.

They were all born and raised in the village, and the biggest thing they had experienced was a quarrel between one family in the village, or a fight between a couple. How could it be compared to what Lin Zhen had experienced.

Lin's father frowned tightly: "How is Brother Zhen now? Is he okay?"

Frightened, Lin Adie came to his senses and looked at him eagerly.

Lin Xiaoyao did not mention the fact that Lin Zhen was beaten with a stick. He only said, "The county magistrate sentenced Cai Jinzhu to death for spreading rumors and ordered her to compensate for the things in the shop."

Everyone in the room breathed a sigh of relief. Mrs. Lin was very angry and said indignantly, "What kind of woman did Young Master Qian marry? She is unreasonable and vicious. Our Brother Zhen has been divorced from Young Master Qian for so many years. Why is she calling him a name when they have nothing to do with us!"

Zhao Xiu also felt veins popping out on his forehead when he heard this. If Young Master Qian had come to bother him in the past, he would have been a little suspicious of his own brother, but Zhenge was doing fine now. Needless to say, it was definitely Young Master Qian's fault!

Father Lin's heart was almost broken, and he grabbed Lin Xiaoyao's hand: "Where is your third brother? How is he now? Is he eating well and sleeping well?"

Lin Xiaoyao nodded reluctantly: "Third brother is fine now. He sent Shuanzi to school in the morning and rested when he came back."

"But the shop needs to be closed for a while, and wait for those gossips to die down."

"It's better to die down, it's better to die down," Father Lin wished he could fly to the town to see Lin Zhen right now, "Those bastards who followed suit, they don't know how to feel sorry for their own children, they think it's easy to say words from their mouths, but they don't know that it can also kill people, our village that-"

Father Lin couldn't continue, tears were already overflowing from his eyes.

He was old and had experienced a lot. He also saw some people who were not beaten with sticks, but couldn't stand the words and got into trouble. Not to mention the distant ones, just say that the mother of the girl in Tianwan Village who was forced to death by Zhou Tao and Ma was so angry that she couldn't breathe.

Father Lin patted Lin's father on the shoulder: "Xiaoyao is with Zhen Ge'er every day. If he said he's okay, then he should be okay. Don't worry about it."

"Besides, you don't know Zhen Ge'er's temper now. He will get over it."

Suddenly, just when the Lin family was feeling uncomfortable and angry, the unclosed fence door was suddenly pushed open, and a familiar voice came from the yard: "From the Lin family, it's me, Aunt Li. I fried some buckwheat cakes and brought them to you to try."

Lin Xiaoyao, who was almost a family member of Aunt Li's son Li Jiucheng, looked at Lin's father when he heard it was her.

Father Lin quickly whispered, "Aunt Li is very enthusiastic and often sends things to our house."

"Father, we're not..."

"Father knows, but she always cooks and eats the food she sends. I've refused eight times but couldn't refuse twice. Don't worry, I've already made it clear about you and Li Jiu, and she agreed."

Since everything had been made clear, Lin Xiaoyao couldn't stop the villagers from interacting normally, and quickly asked the family to pretend nothing had happened and disperse to do their own things.

Aunt Li, holding a bowl, took a few big steps to the steps above the yard. When she saw Xiaoyao standing in the house, her eyes lit up: "Xiaoyao is back, just in time, try the buckwheat cakes I made, they are just out of the pan, so crispy."

She didn't just happen to come to visit, but heard from the villagers that Lin Xiaoyao had returned from the town, so she immediately brought some food. At first glance, she found that Lin Xiaoyao was very different from when she was in the village before. Her skin was whiter, her figure was plump, and she looked barely acceptable.

Although she didn't like this daughter-in-law, she was still a member of her Li family after all, and it was good to bring her out to show off.

Involuntarily, Li Zhaodi's eyes mostly fell on Lin Xiaoyao's face.

Lin Xiaoyao didn't like her eyes that looked at something, so he greeted her: "Aunt Li."

"I haven't seen you for a few months, Xiaoyao has become more and more beautiful." While looking at her, she stuffed a buckwheat cake into Lin Xiaoyao's hand and kept urging him to try it.

Guests are welcome, and the two families didn't have any grudges in front of others. Although Lin Xiaoyao had some resistance to her in his heart, he took a bite of the buckwheat cake out of politeness.

His mouth had been spoiled by Lin Zhen for a long time, and he could tell at once that the buckwheat cake was not freshly fried, but just ran with cold oil before it was brought in. The buckwheat inside was a little hard, and there was not enough salt. The buckwheat flour was not evenly mixed, so it was not delicious.

He took two bites and said, "Auntie's cooking skills are really good. Come and sit down. I just came back and I'm sweaty. I'll go wash my hands and face first."

"Oh, you're worthy of being back from the town, you're so particular!"

"Xiaoyao is doing business in the town with your brother now. I heard that the business is very good. How much money can you make in a day? Is it enough to build a blue brick and tile house?" Li Zhaodi's family is not bad. She goes to the town once a month. After asking around a few times, she knows that Lin Zhen's shop is very prosperous and probably makes dozens of taels of silver a month.

This made her eyes red, and she wanted to marry Lin Xiaoyao home immediately.

In her opinion, the silver belonged to her Li family. Lin Xiaoyao was giving the Li family's silver to Lin Zhen for free when she was in Lin Zhen's shop for a day.

That's why she ran over in a hurry when she knew Lin Xiaoyao was back.

Lin Xiaoyao noticed something in her tone and became even more disgusted. She put the unpalatable buckwheat cake in her hand on the table next to her: "I just work for my brother. I don't know how much money I make. Aunt Li, please make way. I'll go get some water to wash my face."

After saying that, Lin Xiaoyao walked around Li Zhaodi and washed her face there with a basin of water.

Li Zhaodi didn't expect Lin Xiaoyao to be so disrespectful to her as an elder, and she almost couldn't hold back her anger. However, when she thought about how Lin Xiaoyao still let herself be manipulated after marrying into the Li family, she immediately took a slap in the face to Lin Xiaoyao, and spoke to Lin Adie with a smile on her face.

Lin Adie's mind and eyes were now full of Lin Zhen's affairs, and he didn't even have the energy to perfunctorily answer her. He reluctantly said a few words and sent her out.

As soon as she left, Lin Xiaoyao said to Lin Adie: "When she calls you in the future, just pretend you didn't hear it. I think there's something wrong with her." That feeling made him a little scared. Although he didn't know what Aunt Li would do, Lin Xiaoyao decided to stay away from her.

Father Lin nodded: "I know, your third brother and father have said so. Come over after you wash your face and tell me about your experiences in the town..."

That night, Lin Xiaoyao talked to Father Lin all night long. He was really worried about Lin Zhen. Before noon the next day, he asked Brother Lin to take him halfway. When they reached a slightly wider road, they met two other villages. People who were also going to the town asked Brother Lin to go back.

He didn't know that he had avoided a disaster by leaving a day earlier. Li Zhaodi had set a trap and was waiting for him to fall into it. After waiting for two days, he didn't see him come out. When he asked, he found out that he had walked back to the town. He was so angry that his face was crooked.

Chapter 77

Lin Zhen did not expect Lin Xiaoyao to come back so soon. He knew without thinking that he must be worried about his injury. Gu Shuanzi was a boy and it was inconvenient to serve him.

The next day, the yamen runners brought the silver that Cai Jinzhu should compensate, a total of thirty taels. According to the two yamen runners, Cai Jinzhu, Qian Jingyuan and Old Madam Qian had a big fight and completely tore their faces apart, which made the always strong Old Madam Qian faint.

Qian Jingyuan asked someone to take the silver, but Cai Jinzhu refused to admit it.

Lin Zhen didn't care who took the silver. Anyway, everyone knew that it was Cai Jinzhu who compensated him, so he took it all.

Days passed, and Lin Zhen could only walk with the help of the wall after drinking half a month's worth of medicine. He also had a pile of plasters that needed to be changed every day. After

another month, his walking posture was almost the same as before, but he couldn't bend over for a long time or carry things to prevent his bones from being squeezed again.

The Zhenyouwei Snack Shop was reopened two months later. Before the opening, Lin Zhen specifically asked Lin Xiaoyao to go to the village to pick up Lin Shitou and Lin Zhuzi. It was unknown how Lin Zhuzi did it. Sister Lin, who had always wanted him to work in the town, actually agreed to let him learn the craft from Ma Mujiang.

So Lin Xiaoyao only brought Lin Shitou back, but the shop was short of manpower. Lin Zhen thought about it and went to find Zhong Yan's mother, Chen Niangzi, and asked her if she was willing to work in the shop. The wages were the same as Lin Xiaoyao's, fifteen cents a day.

Chen Niangzi was worried about the money for Zhong Yan's travel to the capital city for the imperial examination. It is said that a mother worries about her son when he travels a thousand miles away. It is difficult to go anywhere without money. The little money she earned from washing and mending clothes was barely enough to support the family, and she had to take some money from Zhong Yan's copying of books.

She was surprised and happy to learn that Lin Zhen came to ask her to work in the shop.

As a widow, she would inevitably be criticized for working outside, but Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao were both brothers in Zhenyouwei Snack Shop, and Gu Shuanzi and Lin Shitou were still half-grown children, so it was perfect for them.

Chen Niangzi agreed immediately and went to help in the shop the next day.

The snack shop that was smashed once was reopened like this, and spicy hot pot, cold noodles, sour plum soup, milk tea, etc. were sold as before.

Although the county magistrate approved the matter of Lin Zhen and Qian Jingyuan, it was Cai Jinzhu who deliberately framed them, but Cai Jinzhu was not a pushover. Although she did not openly find fault, she did not say bad things about Lin Zhen in the circle of husbands and wives in the town.

The milk tea, which cost 20 cents a cup, was originally sold by the rich families in the town, so it was inevitable that it was affected. The amount sold in a day was less than one-third of the previous day.

The spicy hot pot and cold noodles business was not as good as before, but the total profit was still okay, with a net profit of more than 90 taels a month, and more than 100 taels at most.

In a blink of an eye, more than half a year passed.

As the weather gets colder, cold noodles and sour plum soup have been removed from the menu, waiting to be sold next year when the weather gets hotter. Malatang and hot milk tea have become the mainstays of Xiaoshizhai.

In autumn, Liyu Village and several surrounding villages have a good harvest. Brothers Lin and Lin Er, who came to deliver Malatang vegetables, told Lin Zhen the good news and told him that several more villages came to them and wanted to learn composting.

Naturally, Lin Zhen agreed and gave them full authority to do this.

Gu Shuanzi also studied in Xu Youda's school for half a year. According to the information he revealed on weekdays, Lin Zhen probably knew that he learned well in the school and received several praises from Xu Youda.

"Hoo--"

A gust of cold wind blew in, causing Lin Zhen, who was standing behind the counter, to shudder. He looked at the sky outside and said to Lin Xiaoyao and Chen Niangzi in the backyard, "Auntie Xiaoyao, let's stop here today and close the shop."

After Chen Niangzi came to the shop, Lin Zhen arranged her to help Lin Xiaoyao in the backyard, cutting vegetables and stringing them. Chen Niangzi was used to doing these tasks at home, and she got the hang of it in a few days, and never made any mistakes. As soon as

he called out, the two of them came out with the curtain, and without saying a word, they began to sweep the floor and wipe the table, and then put the tables and chairs in order.

Lin Zhen was counting the bills at the counter. After taking inventory, he said, "It's the 23rd day of the twelfth lunar month. Our shop is open until today. Come back after you go home for the New Year."

"Mrs. Chen, your wages this month are 4.65 qian, plus the year-end bonus we agreed on, the total is 1.665 liang. Come and take it."

Mrs. Chen has worked here for half a year, earning more than 400 wen a month. So far, she has saved up almost 3 liang of silver. Compared with the salary she used to get from washing clothes until her hands were almost rotten, it is already very good.

When she heard Lin Zhen say that there was a bonus of more than 1 liang, she was so excited that she didn't know what to say.

Seeing this, Lin Xiaoyao quickly pushed her and said, "Auntie, go get your wages."

Mrs. Chen woke up from her dream, wiped her hands and walked forward to take the silver from Lin Zhen's hand, "Brother Zhen, this, this is too much."

"I earned it all by myself, and I have no guilt in taking it," Lin Zhen turned to Lin Xiaoyao with a smile and said, "I packed the things last night, you go and bring them to me, it's on the kitchen cabinet, with a red cloth tied to it."

Lin Xiaoyao ran very fast and soon brought the things. In his hand, he saw a three or five jin pork, a package of cakes with the name of the cake written on it, a bag of dried bamboo shoots, a bag of dried black fungus, a bag of dried mushrooms, and a chicken that had been plucked and cleaned. It

was so heavy, but Lin Xiaoyao was strong and it was not difficult to lift it.

Lin Zhen took the things and handed them to Madam Chen: "New Year's Eve is coming soon. Consider these things as New Year's gifts to my family. When the shop is open after New Year, you can come to help me again."

There were so many things, including chicken, pork, and cakes. Madam Chen shook her head and refused to accept them: "I have already received your bonus, how can I ask for these again? Brother Zhen, take them back quickly."

"Aunt, there is no need to be polite to me. Not to mention that you work efficiently and seriously for me, and we have worked together, I still remember the kindness of Zhong writing a petition for me. If you don't accept it, I will deliver it to your house personally."

Lin Zhen's temper is such that he really does what he says. Madam Chen felt very bad.

Since coming to Zhenyouwei Snack Restaurant, not only is food provided, but there is also a monthly salary of more than 400 wen. Lin Zhen has helped her many times. Let's not talk about the distant past. Just a few days ago, Zhong Yan's grandmother fell down at home, and Zhong Yan was not at home. When she was at a loss, Lin Zhen happened to come to her. Without saying a word, she carried Zhong Yan's grandmother to the clinic and paid for the consultation and medicine.

Even if there was a favor from Zhong Yan writing a petition, it has been repaid long ago.

Looking at Lin Zhen, Chen nodded: "Thank you, brother Zhen, I will come whenever the snack restaurant opens, and I will never delay your business."

"Okay, then Auntie, walk slower."

With silver in her arms and the New Year's gift from Lin Zhen in her hands, Chen returned home as if she was carrying the wind. Zhong Yan, who opened the door, was still wearing an old beige robe that was washed white. Because he was in the growth period, he grew taller in just half a year and looked thinner.

Mrs. Chen walked out with a rosy face, and said in the house, "Your Uncle Lin's small restaurant will be closed from today, and he will not be back until the New Year. This is the New Year's gift from him."

Pork, chicken and other things made Mrs. Chen's hands a little pale. Zhong Yan quickly took some of them, but he didn't say anything in the end.

He knew that Lin Zhen was not one of those people who came with money or his own brothers and daughters to gain benefits from him, and he also heard from Master Chen about Gu Shuanzi and Gu Lin's affairs in the school. Gu Lin studied very well and was already the person Xu Youda valued most besides himself.

There was a pile of things on the table. Mrs. Chen took out the silver wrapped in a handkerchief from her bosom and said with a smile: "With the little money at home, it's enough for you to go to the capital to take the exam."

"Why is it so much more?" Zhong Yan knew how much Mrs. Chen's monthly salary was. This was much more than what she got.

Mrs. Chen sighed and said: "Mother has never seen a person like Zhen Ge'er. He made money and gave some to us who work. I heard from Xiaoyao and Shitou that when the shop just opened, they also gave bonuses."

Zhong Yan looked at the more than one or two taels of silver, said a few words to Mrs. Chen, and suddenly turned around and walked towards the snack room.

When he arrived, Lin Xiaoyao was holding a door panel to close it. When he saw him, he paused for some reason and trembled a little in his heart: "Xiao Yan, do you have something to ask?"

Lin Xiaoyao and Lin Zhen are brothers, so Zhong Yan is naturally a generation younger than him.

Lin Xiaoyao always felt that he was too thin, so thin that it made people feel distressed, and wanted to feed him fatter.

But this is just a thought. The age difference between the two is not big. Although they are in the relationship of elder and junior, they still have to avoid suspicion.

Zhong Yan bowed to Lin Xiaoyao: "Uncle Xiaoyao, I'm here to find Uncle Lin."

"Your Uncle Lin is in the backyard. I'll take you in to see him," Lin Xiaoyao put down the door panel and led the way. He saw Zhong Yan's body as thin as a bamboo pole from the corner of his eye, and pursed his lips, "I heard from my aunt that you will not be in town after the New Year. Are you going to the prefectural city to participate in the prefectural examination?"

"Yes," the prefectural examination is held every three years. If everything goes well, you will have to participate in the subsequent joint examination, academy examination, and palace examination. Zhong Yan is confident in his own talents, but there are countless students in the world, and only one in ten thousand is competing for it. He did not brag, "We will be on the road after the second or third day of the New Year. It will be just right to rest in the prefectural city for half a month."

"You are going alone? It's too dangerous." It is said that it is very far from the town to the prefectural city. It takes more than half a month to get there. It is a road that Lin Xiaoyao has never walked before.

Zhong Yan's face was serious: "Master Xu contacted me a caravan that will pass through the city. It's much safer to follow them. It's not dangerous."

"Then... I wish you success in the imperial examination." During the days when Lin Zhen was recovering from his injury, he picked up the missed homework and made up for it for him and Lin Shitou. Lin Xiaoyao now knows quite a few words and will go to the bookstore to buy some interesting stories.

This sentence "success in the imperial examination" was what he saw in the storybook. The scholar in that storybook not only passed the imperial examination but also married a princess, and his life was perfect.

Lin Xiaoyao felt that Zhong Yan would definitely pass the imperial examination and marry a high-ranking official or a princess, just like the scholar in that storybook.

Chapter 78

He was happy for Zhong Yan.

But he felt a little depressed and uncomfortable.

He didn't dare to think about it, and he didn't know what to think.

Lin Zhen took out the account books for this year by the fire pit in the kitchen, and calculated how much he earned and spent in total this year. Gu Shuanzi, who had been on holiday the day before yesterday, was helping him.

Seeing Zhong Yan coming, Lin Zhen handed the account book to Gu Shuanzi: "Yan boy is here, come and sit down."

"Uncle Lin." Zhong Yan stood one meter away from him and bowed.

He was born with the appearance of a scholar, and was full of literary air. Even though his clothes were old, he made people feel that he had a noble character.

Lin Zhen had some affection for him, the affection that elders have for their juniors, for talented people: "Okay, come and sit down. By the way, I heard from your mother that we will go to the city after the New Year?" "

Have you found a carriage? It's better to find someone you know. We are far from the city, and it's much easier to have someone you know." Lin Zhen was a little scared of the journey at that time. It would take a month or several months, and the only means of transportation were horse carriages and ox carts. There were also waterways, but their waterways were not very accessible, so the most commonly used means of transportation were horse carriages and ox carts. In

addition, the roads were all bumpy mud roads, and a long journey could shake people's bones.

Zhong Yan repeated what he had just said to Lin Xiaoyao. The people in the caravan were contacted by Xu Youda, and his nephew was among them, otherwise he would not dare to entrust Zhong Yan to them.

Lin Zhen thought it was reliable and nodded: "Then we who are familiar with each other can rest assured."

"Thank you, Uncle Lin, for your concern," Zhong Yan said, "You have taken good care of our family these days. It is reasonable for me to come and thank you."

"We call this courtesy reciprocity. If you hadn't written that petition for me, I wouldn't have been able to get out of the predicament so smoothly," Lin Zhen saw that he wanted to thank him again, and hurriedly said, "We are all familiar with each other, and too many gifts will make it seem strange."

"Go to the prefectural city to take the prefectural exam with peace of mind. I will take care of your mother and grandmother."

Zhong Yan was stunned for a moment. This sentence touched the deepest part of his heart.

He was raised by Chen Niangzi, and his grandmother loved him. Even though the family was so difficult, she tightened her belt to send him to school, giving him a few opportunities to change his life.

For him, Chen Niangzi's hands were worn out from washing clothes. A person in his thirties looked older than a fifty-year-old woman. Therefore, Zhong Yan couldn't let go of his family these days, for fear that something would happen to his family after he went to the prefectural city.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say that this was too much trouble, but he didn't say it after all. He just bowed to

Lin Zhen again and said, "Thank you, Uncle Lin." When the sky was slightly stained with a few strands of lead gray, Zhong Yan came out of the Zhenyouwei Snack Restaurant. Lin Zhen came to Gu Shuanzi to see where he was in his calculations. He picked up another booklet and calculated, and said to Gu Shuanzi casually, "This boy Yan will do a lot in the future, but..."

"But what?" Gu Shuanzi used the Arabic numerals he taught him slickly and calculated quickly.

"There are often good horses, but there are not often good horse trainers. He is too upright and polite. There are many people who like him, and there are even more people who don't like him." Zhong Yan is simply the most perfect embodiment of etiquette dogma, and he expresses the word "literati" vividly.

If such a person meets a boss who appreciates him, he can quickly stand out, but if he meets a person who is the opposite, the rift between them will become larger and larger.

But in the officialdom, this kind of innocence is a sharp blade that hurts oneself.

Gu Shuanzi wrote down the total amount on the last page of the account he had calculated: "There is no Thousand-Li Horse that has not been discovered by Bole, there is only Thousand-Li Horse that does not want to be discovered by Bole."

Lin Zhen turned his head to look at him, "What do you mean by that?"

Gu Shuanzi's unfeeling eyebrows were hung with an idle expression, holding a sharpened charcoal pencil in his hand, and he said while flipping through the account book: "Everyone has something they like, and the one who caters to their preferences is the Thousand-Li Horse that person values."

He has been studying for half a year, and now he can wear a long robe and tie his hair very skillfully, as if he was born to be dressed like this,

and he looks particularly calm. If he were not sitting in this kitchen, no one would think it was wrong to say that he was the young master of some family.

Lin Zhen raised his eyebrows: "Your explanation is interesting, but I definitely can't be such a Thousand-Li Horse. I am used to doing whatever I want, and I really can't be another me in front of others."

"Uncle Lin is doing well now." Gu Lin said seriously.

In fact, the original idea of ​​his previous sentence was that everyone has weaknesses and desires, and these desires can be many, many things. By grasping people's weaknesses, they can be defeated one by one.

And he doesn't want to be a thousand-mile horse, he wants to be the one who holds the reins of the thousand-mile horse.

But Gu Shuanzi, who has become smart, knows that Lin Zhen will definitely not like that statement, so he slightly beautified it.

He added: "Uncle Lin is good in any way."

"Hahahaha, Gu Shuanzi, you have been eating candy recently, saying nice things to me from time to time." Lin Zhen was comfortable in front of him, leaning back on the chair, slumped, like a tired cat, curled up there.

He laughed loudly, and his rising voice had his unique tone.

Gu Shuanzi looked at him, a little dazed.

Lin Zhen soon found that he was not paying attention, and raised his hand and waved it in front of him: "What's wrong, why are you suddenly dazed, what are you thinking about."

"——" Gu Shuanzi came back to his senses and blinked.

"Nothing, I just suddenly thought of what Master Xu said today. He asked me if I wanted to take part in the county exam next year. If I do, I must study hard."

"County exam?" Lin Zhen understood immediately, "Is it for those of you who don't have a degree yet?"

"Well, those who pass the exam are called Tongsheng. After becoming a Tongsheng, if you take the county exam again, you will become a Xiucai."

Lin Zhen was a little confused. His kid has only been studying for half a year, how can he take the exam to become a Tongsheng? This is such a big step.

Gu Shuanzi knew what he was thinking by looking at the expression on his face, and said, "Master Xu said that I have learned well and I can give it a try."

He said it without any fluctuation in his tone. In fact, Master Xu didn't say that it was just okay. He simply treated him as the second Zhong Yan and was sure that he would pass the Tongsheng exam.

Lin Zhen was very happy. He suddenly moved his chair over and sat next to Gu Shuanzi. He rubbed his head with a smile and said, "You are amazing, son. I didn't expect you would take the exam for a student."

After a year of careful care, Gu Shuanzi's hair was no longer the dull yellow it once was. It was now black and shiny. It was still naturally straight hair, and it looked thick and smooth when tied up. It

was different from his own hair, which was also black and shiny, but a little curly. Every time he washed his hair and let it down, it looked like big waves...

He was almost depressed to death.

Chapter 79

The day after the shop closed, Lin Zhen took Gu Shuanzi, Lin Xiaoyao and Lin Shitou to the town to buy a basket full of New Year's goods, and took a mule cart to go home.

At the end of the year, many people came to the town to go back to the village. There were seven or eight people squeezed on a mule cart, plus the baskets on their backs, everyone was shoulder to shoulder and leg to leg. After

squeezing into Liyu Village with great difficulty, Lin Zhen just took off the basket when he saw Lin Adie standing at the entrance of the village. He waved his hand quickly: "Dad, why are you here?"

Lin Adie walked over quickly with a happy face, "Your father and your brother and sister-in-law went to sift mud for compost, I stopped by here to take a break."

In fact, it was not just passing by. Seeing that the New Year was about to come, Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao had not returned yet. Lin Adie missed them in his heart, and took advantage of the fact that there was not much work at this time to come here for a walk and stroll, and his eyes fell on the way back to the village.

How could Lin Zhen not know what he really meant? His eyes smiled into two crescent moons. He lifted the backpack onto his back and carried it on his back: "If the shop hadn't closed late yesterday, we would have been home yesterday evening. Let's go home quickly, I'll take care of dinner tonight."

His backpack was stuffed to the brim. Lin Xiaoyao, Gu Shuanzi and Lin Shitou were still holding some things that couldn't fit in their hands. Lin's father said: "You always buy so many things when you come back. It's a complete waste of money."

Lin Zhen walked up to him and took his hand: "How can you say it's a waste to spend money at home? By the way, Dad, I'm not sure if you asked my eldest and second brothers to take the delivery last time. Did something happen?"

The two of them walked in the front. Lin Xiaoyao, Gu Shuanzi and Lin Shitou lagged behind. The cold wind made their faces hurt. People who were sifting soil for compost in the fields kept greeting Lin Zhen when they saw him.

It would have been fine if he hadn't mentioned it, but as soon as he mentioned it, Lin Adie's expression darkened. He glanced at Lin Xiaoyao behind him and said, "That Li Zhaodi is so shameless. I don't know how he talked to the villagers, but they all thought that Xiaoyao and Li Jiufa were a done deal. If Uncle Ji, who has frequent contacts with our family, hadn't let it slip and asked whether Xiaoyao and Li Jiufa's marriage was settled and when they would come to help, your father and I would still be kept in the dark."

Lin Adie had a good temper. He never spoke ill of others or talked about other people's right and wrong, but at this moment his face turned a little red with anger and his tone was very bad.

Lin Xiaoyao, who was walking behind the two, didn't expect that the topic would fall on him. He looked puzzled: "How can Li Jiu and I get married? We have been talking to Aunt Li for almost a year."

"I don't know what Li Zhaodi said to the villagers. Now everyone is spreading rumors about your marriage. I went to find her, but she was never at home. Her husband is useless and keeps making excuses." Lin's father was extremely annoyed with Li Zhaodi now. Something that obviously didn't happen was spread all over the place. It would be difficult for Xiaoyao to get married in the future. After all, in the concept of farmers, since the rumor of marriage was revealed, the marriage was 100% done.

"So I have to get married this time?" Lin Xiaoyao's eyes were full of anger. He didn't like that Li Jiu. The two of them were not even acquaintances in the village. What kind of couple were they?

Lin Zhen's brows also slightly frowned. He did not doubt that Lin's father would joke about Xiaoyao's marriage. Since he had said that he had confronted Li Zhaodi at the beginning, he must have made it clear.

And the reason why Li Zhaodi was so persistent in pestering Lin Xiaoyao and spreading the news that Lin Xiaoyao was going to marry Li Jiu in the village a few months later was probably because she could not wait any longer and wanted to make it a done deal and force Lin Xiaoyao to be labeled as a member of the Li family, so that those who wanted to come to the Lin family to propose Lin Xiaoyao's marriage would give up.

At this point, there was no need to say what Li Zhaodi wanted. She was going for Lin Zhen's prescription.

Lin Zhen was carrying things on his back: "Dad, don't be anxious. Li Zhaodi is avoiding you, which shows that she wants to maintain the appearance of our two families becoming relatives. If someone asks about it these days, don't be afraid to say it. Just point out that she did mention it a few months ago, but our family agreed. As for what happened afterwards, we know nothing about it."

"How can I not be anxious? The news has spread all over the village now, and everyone believes what Li Zhaodi said!"

"Anyway, Xiaoyao is our family. Can her family come to the house to snatch someone to get married?"

"Third brother is right."

Dad Lin had a headache because of this matter these days. After being enlightened by Lin Zhen, he finally felt a little relieved: "Your second brother and sister-in-law are impatient. These days, they almost carried a hoe to the Li family to ask for an explanation, but we stopped them."

"Wait for you to go back and discuss it carefully."

Lin Zhen nodded, and they soon arrived home. This year's compost was not piled in the yard, but the manure was carried from home to the fields and mixed with the soil nearby.

Now every household in the village has piled up manure, so there is no need to worry about people stealing it. It is also convenient to use, and there is no need to carry it from home to the field like in the past two years.

When they arrived outside the fence, Lin's father and his men had already returned from sifting the soil. Seeing them, they hurried over to take the things.

Lin Shitou had already jumped to the side of Lin's second brother and looked up to talk to him.

Lin's eldest brother and Lin's second sister Zhao Xiu took down the basket on his back. Lin's eldest sister was a little embarrassed and avoided her eyes: "Brother Zhen is back. Are you thirsty? I'll pour you a glass of water."

After these months, Lin's eldest sister's brain, which had been fascinated, finally cleared up. The longer time went by, the more she felt that she really took Lin Zhen's kindness for granted.

Her younger brother used his own kindness to make Ma Mujiang accept Zhuzi, so that Zhuzi would not have to be tortured by the master like those apprentices who went out to learn skills.

In particular, Zhuzi was visibly happier after going to Ma Mujiang, and even made a few chairs. In the future, he might really be able to make a living by his skills like Ma Mujiang.

Everyone can see what kind of life Ma Carpenter's family lives. They have no shortage of rice, flour, grain and oil, and can eat meat from time to time. There are few people who can compare with them.

Lin Zhen was indeed thirsty, and took the water poured by Sister Lin: "Thank you, sister-in-law, where is Zhuzi, he hasn't come back yet?"

"Ma Carpenter took a job outside the village and took him out. I'm afraid he won't be back until dark."

"That's good. That kid is a bit smart in carpentry. It's a good thing that Ma Carpenter is willing to teach him and learn." Because of frequent business dealings, Lin Zhen and Ma Carpenter became more and more familiar with each other. When they chatted, they were more open and intimate than ordinary fathers and sons. This time when he came back, Lin Zhen specially brought things for Ma Carpenter and Aunt Ma. He said, "New Year's Eve is in a few days, it's not easy to visit each other, I'll send some things to Ma Carpenter's house."

"Okay, we'll cook and wait for you."

"Dad, you guys cook the rice, I'll come back to cook the dishes." Lin Zhen took out the things he bought for Ma Carpenter and Aunt Ma from the backpack, carried them out, and Gu Shuanzi followed him spontaneously.

It hasn't snowed yet this year, but the cold wind is no less intense than in previous years. Both of them are dressed warmly, and Gu Shuanzi is wearing a long robe that reaches his ankles, wrapping him up tightly, finally revealing some of the cute fatness of a child.

They arrived outside Carpenter Ma's house, and before they knocked on the door, Aunt Ma, who they hadn't seen for almost half a year, was pouring water. Seeing Lin Zhen, she couldn't hide the joy on her face: "When did Brother Zhen come back?!"

"I just got home. I haven't seen Auntie for a long time." Lin Zhen pushed open the gate of the fence and went in. Seeing that she was holding a basin, it was inconvenient for her to carry the things in her hands into the house directly.

Auntie Ma was so happy that she walked beside Lin Zhen happily: "You came as soon as you got home. You are such an honest child. Why did you bring so many things when you came here?"

"Not much, two bags of candies and cakes, a box of preserved fruits from outside, and a few feet of cloth."

"You and Uncle Ma don't like sweet things, so I chose the preserved fruits and candies that are not too sweet. And the cloth is beautifully dyed. Auntie, you are so skillful, it's just right for making two sets of spring clothes."

The sweets, cakes and preserved fruits were wrapped so that they could not be seen, but the cloth could be seen at a glance. It was a slightly darker pine green color, calm and elegant, and most suitable for people of their age.

Especially this cloth, no one knew how it was woven, but it actually had faint pine branch patterns, which made Aunt Ma like it.

Aunt Ma touched the soft cloth, and she had no place to vent her love for Lin Zhen. Suddenly she remembered something and patted Lin Zhen's arm: "I made clothes for you, try to see if they fit you." "

?" Lin Zhen didn't expect that she would make clothes for herself, and was a little overwhelmed.

Before she could blink, Aunt Ma had already come out of the house, holding a neatly folded light blue robe in her hand, and shook it out in front of Lin Zhen.

This cotton robe was made of the finest cotton cloth, with fine stitches and plenty of cotton, which made people feel warm just by looking at it.

"Try it on," Aunt Ma shook the cotton gown open, with a friendly smile on her face, "I didn't measure your size, I made it based on the few times I met you before, if it doesn't fit, I'll modify it."

Before this, Lin Zhen and she didn't have many opportunities to get along, only seven or eight times in total, but their personalities were unexpectedly compatible. When Carpenter Ma went to the town to deliver bamboo cups, Lin Zhen would ask him to bring back some food he made for her from time to time.

Lin Zhen did these things when she wanted to do them, and never thought of asking her to repay her.

But she still made this dress, without knowing Lin Zhen's size.

This thought made Lin Zhen's heart warm, and he took off his outer cotton gown and quickly put on the new clothes.

The cotton gowns worn by farmers don't have any fancy decorations, tight sleeves, a slightly fat waist, and then tied with a belt to cover the buttocks, warm and convenient, and not cumbersome to work.

Lin Zhen turned around twice in front of Aunt Ma and touched the clothes: "It's just right. Aunt Ma has a good eye. She made it so well without measuring the size."

Lin Zhen said directly: "I won't take it off after I wear it. This is my new clothes for the New Year."

He is good-looking, and ordinary clothes look very good on him.

Aunt Ma squinted her eyes because of his childish words: "Hahaha, okay, I will make two more sets for you in the spring!"

"Don't hurt your eyes, it's not good to see things blurry in the future." Lin Zhen knew that the daughter of Carpenter Ma and Aunt Ma married far away in the capital, and rarely came back once a year. The couple was actually a little lonely.

He said those childish words to make Aunt Ma feel more at ease.

Aunt Ma straightened his collar: "Aunt knows, I will do it slowly, it's okay."

Suddenly, Lin Zhen remembered the matter of Lin Xiaoyao and asked: "Aunt, do you know what happened to my Xiaoyao and Li Jiu's marriage?"

Chapter 80

Aunt Ma was stunned for a moment, "You don't know about this marriage?"

They are from the same village, even if Aunt Ma doesn't go out to visit relatives, everyone should know about it. Most people in the village are holding their heads high, ready to attend the wedding of the Li and Lin families.

The Lin family has made a lot of money in the surrounding villages with compost. When Liyu Village sends people to visit relatives, the most asked question is compost, which also makes them look good.

There is also the real brother of the Lin family, who opened a shop in the town. For them, who are farmers, it is really amazing to be able to make a living in the town, and get rid of the life of digging for food in the soil.

The Li family is a well-known rich family in the village. The family has more than 20 acres of good land and lives in a stone house that is not much worse than a blue brick and tile house. Li Jiu looks filial, and many families want to marry their daughter into the family.

Many people are optimistic about this marriage, but since the Lin family has no intention of making it public, they have not made much public.

Lin Zhen's face darkened, as if he couldn't believe it: "Xiaoyao and I didn't hear about it until we returned home. To be honest, Aunt Li came to my house after the Chinese New Year and mentioned it to my father, but my father wanted to keep Xiaoyao by his side for a few more years, so he quickly replied."

"Our family thought it was over, but who knew that after so long, there would be a rumor that Xiaoyao was going to marry Li Jiu."

Aunt Ma frowned. She believed in Lin Zhen and the Lin family, and she would never think that he was lying. What about the marriage between Lin Xiaoyao and Li Jiu that was widely rumored in the village?

Lin Xiaoyao is a boy, and there is no benefit in spreading such news. It will also hinder his future marriage, so it must not have come from the Lin family.

Thinking of this, Aunt Ma understood that it must be the Li family who was determined to marry the Lin family and wanted to take the initiative.

"What are you doing? You can't force a marriage like this." Aunt Ma frowned.

"Aunt, tell me about the things you heard in the village, how could everyone believe that our two families were going to get married."

Aunt Ma said, "Some of the things I heard were a little early. It was said that the Li family went to your house to sound out the situation. Although your family did not agree openly, they immediately gave a return gift, and since then, the exchanges between the two families have increased."

"And Li Zhaodi, when others asked about this, she just smiled and didn't say anything."

"After a while, everyone thought that the relationship between your two families was settled, but it was not easy to say it out loud for everyone to know."

"But now that you say so, I'm afraid Li Zhaodi did it on purpose, just to make everyone think so."

"Nine out of ten times, this is what you said, aunt," Lin Zhen restored most of the facts as soon as he heard it, "Aunt knows my father's personality. He is very hospitable and enthusiastic. If others go to see him, he will accompany them to finish the work even if he has work to do."

"Then we have to clarify it quickly." Aunt Ma lived in the village for a long time. She knew more about the marriage between the Lin family and the Li family than Lin Zhen. Just because of what she heard, several families who originally planned to come to Lin's father to ask about Lin Xiaoyao's marriage withdrew.

After all, the Li family was well-off, and Li Jiu was also a young man. Most of the families they were talking about were not as good as the Li family, and they did not dare to go to the Lin family to cause trouble.

"Yes, something that was obviously not true has been spread like this. Li Jiu is nothing, but Xiaoyao got into trouble for nothing." Lin Zhen asked about some of the things in it, said goodbye to Aunt Ma, and took Gu Shuanzi back.

Lin's father, Lin's eldest sister-in-law, and Lin's second sister-in-law had already cooked the meal, washed the cabbage and radishes of this season, and the black fungus, mushrooms, and dried bamboo shoots that were not lacking in the family.

Lin Zhen was afraid that the smoke would smoke the new clothes made by Aunt Ma, so he told Lin's father that he would change them himself.

Father Lin saw the brand new clothes on him and asked where they came from. He was wearing a half-worn one when he went out, but it was new when he came back.

Lin Zhen smiled and said, "It was made by Aunt Ma. I made a profit on this delivery trip. I still need this robe to buy those things."

"Aunt Ma made it?" Father Lin knew that Lin Zhen was good friends with Carpenter Ma. Sometimes when Carpenter Ma went to the town to deliver bamboo cups, he would ask Carpenter Ma to bring things back. He also sent Zhu to Carpenter Ma to learn the craft.

But he didn't expect that he was even better with Aunt Ma and even asked Aunt Ma to make clothes for him. To be honest, his father hasn't made a winter coat for Lin Zhen yet.

"Aunt Ma has good craftsmanship and the clothes she makes are very fitting," Lin Zhen said to Lin's father as he walked towards his room. "By the way, Father, when Li Zhaodi came to tell you about Li Jiu and Xiao Yao, did you give her anything after you refused her?"

According to the information received from Aunt Ma, the gift given after the New Year was the most widely circulated and almost became a token of the marriage between the two families.

Father Lin frowned, "Yes, after I rejected her, I took two bags of cakes you bought and gave them to her, thinking that there was something wrong with our family and she was a good-tempered person."

"I learned from Aunt Ma that she said the two bags of cakes you took were a token of your promise to her family, and she distributed them to the people in the village." "

Later, she often came to your house to talk and chat, and it was natural that the two families became friends."

"This... this..." Father Lin didn't expect that his kindness would become the source of the Li family's scheme against Lin Xiaoyao. His chest was heaving with anger, "Li Zhaodi, she's making a fool of me!"

"Since she dared to do this, she must have planned what would happen next. If our family goes out and makes a big fuss about this now, she might even retaliate. Let's wait and see what she has up her sleeve." Since it was related to Lin Xiaoyao's reputation, it would not be too cautious. Lin Zhen changed out of the new clothes made by Aunt Ma and went to the kitchen.

He looked around and prepared to make a winter essential food, hot pot.

Heat lard and sesame oil, add scallion and garlic and fry them. When the aroma of scallion and garlic comes out and they turn slightly brown, take them out, then add the pounded cornel fruit, stir-fry until it has a spicy flavor and add water.

Then cut the pork just brought back today into thin slices, add egg white and seasonings to marinate, and when the pot is boiling, use a small pot to scoop it into two portions: "Let's eat."

There are many adults and children in the Lin family, and there can't be too many people around the hot pot, so there are two tables, one for Gu Shuanzi, Lin Shitou, Huaixiang, Chunxiang, Xingxiang and others, and the other for the adults.

Because Lin Zhuzi and Ma Mujiang went out to work, they didn't know when they would come back, so they didn't wait for him.

The hot pot, the unique spicy smell of dogwood in the air, the sound of the two brothers Lin Da Ge and Lin Er Ge going to the children's table to set up the pot and brazier for them, the sound of Lin's father asking Lin A Di to pour them a glass of wine, and the children's cheerful shouts, it was very lively, and the fireworks that soothed the heart.

Lin Zhen looked at it and couldn't help but smile.

After the meal, everyone hurriedly put away the things, some washed the dishes, some wiped the tables, and then gathered around the fire pit to chat and talk. When they had some space in their stomachs, they went to the sack in the corner to get a pot of sweet potatoes and buried them under the bright charcoal fire. After a while, the sweet fragrance of sweet potatoes floated into their noses.

Lin's father and his family also used compost when planting sweet potatoes, so the size of the sweet potatoes is much larger than before. Although it can't be compared with modern ones, it is still good enough to look at now.

Lin Zhen dug out one, brushed off the charcoal ashes and handed it to Gu Shuanzi. He also told Lin's father and Lin Adie that Gu Shuanzi was going to take the exam for a student next year: "Master Xu in the town said that Shuanzi did a good job and asked him to try next year to practice."

The eyes of everyone in the room turned to Gu Shuanzi. Studying and taking the imperial examination were too far away for them. As long as he could recognize how to write his own name and could read the scales to sell things, he was pretty good in their eyes.

Lin's father stopped the firewood stick he was using and said, "Okay, our family is going to have a scholar. It doesn't matter whether he passes the exam or not. He is still young, so he should study for a few more years."

Father Lin was a typical taciturn person. He would do the work at home quietly. He would do whatever Father Lin asked him to do. It was only in the past two years when composting became popular and many people came to chat with him that he started to talk more.

Father Lin said something similar, and added: "Although your father's shop in town can't make you rich, it can provide you with food and drink. If you don't pass the exam, go to the shop and do business with your father. You have studied, so you will definitely be able to do it." Gu Shuanzi

still had the soft roasted sweet potato in his hand. He tore open the gray-black skin, and inside was the golden soft meat, which seemed to be dripping with sugar juice. He turned his head and looked at Lin Zhen, saying: "I will pass the exam to become a student."

Being a student was just the first step. He still had to take the exams for a scholar and a juren. He never forgot his state of mind at that time. It was also from that time that he began to study and write seriously.

Hearing his firm tone, Father Lin and Father Lin looked at their grandson a few more times.

After chatting for a while, when Lin Zhuzi came back, it was completely dark outside, and everyone washed up and went to bed.

Lin Zhen still squeezed into a bed with Lin Xiaoyao Huaixiang, and the two girls from Lin Dasao's family slept on the bed at the other end.

Lin Zhen and Lin Xiaoyao slept in a bed in the town, and they were still a little uncomfortable lying together. When Lin Zhen was about to fall asleep, he thought: "After the New Year, I will ask my father how much idle money he has. It would be best to rebuild the house. Seeing that the children have grown up, it is not a big deal to squeeze in such a narrow place..." Before he

finished thinking, Lin Zhen fell into a deep dream.

The next day, Lin Zhen woke up when it was time to open the shop. Before he moved, Lin Xiaoyao next to him also opened his eyes on time. The two looked at each other, leaned on the pillow and smiled.

After opening the shop for a year, it has become a habit.

The two tacitly stayed in bed for half an hour until they heard others get up, then they got dressed and got out of bed.

As soon as I opened the door, I found that the snow had covered the yard in white in just one night. Not only the yard, but everywhere I could see was covered in white.