There were not many people who knew Liu Ziqiu in Luoyang City, and in order to avoid attracting attention, Li Jing and his wife did not come to the dock to see them off. However, Liu Ziqiu not only knew the man who came here on horseback, but also had dealings with him.
This man is dressed in military uniform and beats his horse like flying. He is Qin Shubao.
Liu Ziqiu's heart tightened, and when he saw that there were no soldiers behind him, he calmed down.
During the hesitation, Qin Shubao came closer and tightened the reins. The horse neighed loudly and stood up. Qin Shubao clasped his fists at Zhang Sanyi on the horse and asked eagerly: "Shipman, are you going south?"
Zhang San quickly smiled and said: "Go back to the army, this ship is about to go to Jiangdu."
Qin Shubao turned over and dismounted, cupped his hands and said, "Can I take a certain ride? A certain family's mother is seriously ill, so I hope it will be convenient."
Only then did Liu Ziqiu realize that it was just a false alarm.
On the edge of the cliff that day, Liu Ziqiu remembered Qin Shubao's face, and how could Qin Shubao recognize him since he was covered up? Besides, the matter in Shanglinyuan had already been decided, and Qin Shubao would not associate the businessman in front of him with the assassin.
.
The weather in the north is extremely cold this year. It's only the beginning of winter, and the river is already covered with a thin layer of ice. Many boats have stopped running. Zhang San also plans not to go north again after returning to Jiangdu. Unless someone offers a big offer that he can't refuse.
The price made no one willing to sail in the cold winter, so Qin Shubao was extremely anxious.
Before Zhang San could speak, Liu Ziqiu had already waved his hand and said: "Shipman, let him come up."
Qin Shubao was very grateful. He quickly led his horse to Liu Ziqiu and saluted him: "I, Qin Shubao, are here to serve as guards under the command of the general. I came from the army in a hurry today. I didn't bring any belongings with me. I dare you to ask your name, brother. I will definitely be there one day."
Thank you very much!”
"It's a small effort, but it doesn't matter!" Liu Ziqiu didn't know his name, so he turned around and took Gao Xiuer on his arm to get on the boat.
This is the cleverness of Liu Ziqiu. Traffickers and pawns all belong to the bottom of society, but Qin Shubao is just a soldier now, not even a general. But Liu Ziqiu has already entered the ranks of wealthy businessmen. If he wants, he can buy it at any time
He buys land and becomes a wealthy country squire. Under such circumstances, if he deliberately makes friends, it will arouse suspicion.
It is very rude to not know the name, but it is in line with the characteristics of a "nouveau riche". If it fell into the eyes of a villain, Liu Ziqiu would be thought to be a bit arrogant. But Qin Shubao didn't see it that way. He knew that others were showing kindness without expecting repayment.
The ship slowly left the dock, and Liu Ziqiu and the women entered the cabin. Ah An and Ah Fu were guarding the hatch, while Ah Fu and Ah Gui were at the bow and stern of the ship, watching the sailors working. Qin Shubao
It was inconvenient to break into the cabin, so he took a chance to ask Ah Fu. However, these slaves were tight-lipped and refused to reveal any information about their master. Qin Shubao had no choice but to ask Zhang San again. Zhang San also knew nothing, but
I heard that this family's surname is Liu and they come from Yanguan County, Yuhang County.
The northwest wind picked up, and the ship sailed very fast, feeling like it was traveling thousands of miles in a day. Gradually it came to dusk, the sky was clear with snow, and a red sun hung in the west. Suddenly, Zhang San shouted loudly, and the sailors got busy, furling the sails and docking.
Qin Shubao's heart returned like an arrow, and he asked repeatedly: "Shipman, the sun is still early, why don't you leave?"
"There is no human habitation for dozens of miles ahead. I'm afraid there might be thieves. How can we do this?"
"You are here, why fear a few thieves!"
Zhang San sneered and said: "This boat is my fortune and life, how can I let it be lost? The employer's family and their female relatives are following them, how can it be compared to you who are alone!"
Qin Shubao was speechless for a moment, but he heard a "plop". Everyone became nervous and looked around, only to see Agui taking off his clothes and loudly saying: "Boatman, don't panic, my brother went to get some fish and shrimp for the master's midnight snack."
After saying that, Agui also jumped into the water.
In just a cup of tea, Ah Fu emerged from the water first, with his hands raised high, and a big fish in his hand was swinging its tail desperately, which was more than two feet long. Hearing another "crash" sound, Ah Gui also He came out of the water with a rather depressed look on his face. He was also holding a big fish in his hand, but it was slightly smaller than Ah Fu's.
The Kunlun slaves came from the South Sea and came from the stormy sea. Of course, a small canal was not a problem. But because they came from the south, it was difficult to adapt to the severe cold in the north. Many Kunlun slaves in Luoyang died every year because they were not acclimatized to the climate. At this time , although the canal was not frozen, the river water was bitingly cold, but the two Kunlun slaves remained intact, and they were obviously both skilled in martial arts.
The two Kunlun slaves deliberately showed off in front of their master, which made Zhang San's eyes hot. He secretly planned to buy a few Kunlun slaves like this when he saved enough money. In that case, he would even save money on hiring sailors. But He soon became discouraged. A young and strong Kunlun slave like this was worth at least fifty guan, which was enough to be worth a boat. If Changsun Wuji hadn't rewarded him with a piece of silver, he would have arrived. I can't afford to change my boat now, so I don't know how long it will take to save enough money to buy a Kunlun slave.
Qin Shubao has been in Beijing for a long time and knows that wealthy families like to use Kunlun slaves, but there are very few Kunlun slaves with such unique skills, and their worth is astonishing. The two Kunlun slaves standing outside the hatch can gain the trust of their masters, only because of their skills Still above them.
These four Kunlun slaves were originally warriors from a small tribe in Nanyang. In a war with a tribe that was much stronger than them, they were outnumbered and became prisoners. Together with many other captives, they traveled across the ocean to the Sui Dynasty. , sold as slaves. The four of them originally had an astonishing appetite, but since the day they became prisoners of war, they had not eaten enough. As a result, they were so hungry that their faces were yellow and their muscles were thin. They were in the hands of human tooth traffickers for half a year and could not be sold. However, these few The Kunlun slave was extremely smart. He could learn Chinese and all kinds of work at once, but the dealer was not willing to lower the price.
Liu Ziqiu, a buyer's mother, suddenly discovered that although these Kunlun slaves were languid, their eyes were extremely sharp, so he paid for them. Who would have thought that after a few full meals, they would become lively and energetic. This is completely It was a coincidence. Liu Ziqiu visited the market several times later, but could not find the fifth one.
Qin Shubao didn't know the story. Just looking at Kunlun Nu's skills, he felt that Liu Ziqiu was by no means as simple as an ordinary merchant. He should at least be a powerful person. Such a person would never care about a few ship coins. Qin Shubao couldn't help but put it away. Although I thought about paying the shipping fee in the future, my desire to repay my kindness has not diminished at all.
A few days later, the boat arrived at the border of Qi County. Qin Shubao felt that his status was very different from that of Liu Ziqiu and he was not qualified to say goodbye to him, so he greeted Zhang San and others and led the boat ashore.
"Wait a minute!" Ah Fu, who was guarding outside the cabin door, rushed towards him, holding a cloth bag in his hand and bowing, "My master heard that your father-in-law is seriously ill, and the military master didn't bring any money. Here. I have one hundred taels of silver as a gift to the military master, so that I can provide medical services to your court. I hope the military master will not refuse."
Qin Shubao's eyes flashed with surprise, he took the cloth bag casually, cupped his hands toward the boat, mounted his horse and whipped away.
"Who are you? You can't even say thank you!" Zhang San curled his lips disdainfully and pushed the boat away from the shore with a long bamboo pole. But he didn't know that in Qin Shubao's heart, such kindness was not
What can I repay with the word "thank you"?
Liu Ziqiu and Gao Xiuer also walked out of the cabin and stood side by side at the bow. On the edge of the cliff that day, Gao Xiuer did not see Qin Shubao's face clearly, but she remembered his name. In the cabin these days, Gao Xiuer was extremely nervous
They were careful not to mention this matter for fear of leaking the secret and having Qin Shubao detect their identities.
At this time, Qin Shubao's figure gradually disappeared into the dust, and Gao Xiuer just whispered: "He was the first one to catch up to the cliff that day. If he hadn't been chasing after us, we might not have to jump off the cliff. Why did Lang Jun react?
Give him gold and silver?"
"He was just doing his duty." Liu Ziqiu said with a smile, "If you didn't jump off the cliff, where would you be as a grandfather?"
The boat continued to go south, and after passing Tongji Canal, it was Hangou. Zhang San began to brag to the sailors, telling the story of Liu Ziqiu's vicious battle with the water bandits a few months ago. Of course, his bravery and decisive command were also indispensable in the story.
Content. Every time he passed by here, he would tell this story, and the sailors would listen to it with gusto. But Zhang San didn’t know that the protagonist of the story was standing behind him.
There were many exaggerated and bizarre things in the story, but Liu Ziqiu and Gao Xiuer just looked at each other and smiled without criticizing them.
A few days later, the boat arrived at Jiangdu. Without bothering the two masters, Liu Ziqiu paid more money and asked Zhang San to send them across the Yangtze River, abandoning the boat and landing in Yanling County. Yanling is today's Zhenjiang.
From here to Yanguan, you still need to pass through Piling County and Wu County, so you have to hire some carriages and horses. Now that Liu Ziqiu was wealthy, he simply bought a few more good horses in the city, hitched up a carriage, and then set off south.
In the early winter, snow has already begun to fall in the north, and the leaves in the south of the Yangtze River have just begun to wither, and the surrounding fields are golden. Gao Xiuer lifted the curtains and looked outside. Now that she is far away from Dongdu, Gao Xiuer has restored her original appearance, and her pretty face is always full of smiles.
With a happy smile, she had completely overcome the grief of her father's unjust and tragic death.
Liu Ziqiu suddenly remembered something and said: "Xiu'er, you grew up in the north, and I'm afraid you don't like the climate in the south. After I meet Yuan Tiangang, I will put my mind to rest, and let's go buy a house in Luoyang City.
how?"
"My mother is from the south of the Yangtze River." Gao Xiuer only wanted to be with Liu Ziqiu. She didn't care whether it was the south or the north. "But I will follow wherever Mr. Lang tells me to go."
This was the first time Liu Ziqiu heard Gao Xiuer mention her mother. He was about to ask what happened, but saw that Gao Xiuer had already lowered the curtains, so he stopped paying attention.
…
After a bumpy journey, the team finally arrived at Changshan Village on the bank of the Qiantang River. It was already the third day of winter, and the cold wind from the north had finally reached here. The newly planted small trees around the village were already bare, with only a few trees left.
leaf.
Liu Ziqiu remembered that it was only the end of summer when he first arrived, and it was already winter in the blink of an eye. In four months, many things had happened, he had experienced happiness, life and death, and now he was back here again.
"Drive!" Liu Ziqiu couldn't help but sigh, and rode into the village. However, he felt that the atmosphere in the village was a bit strange, and there were faint sounds of crying.