No matter if you are a human or an immortal, you can still farm for me after traveling through time!

After returning home and looking at the empty yard, Li Erlang was in a trance.

He joined the military camp in spring, went to the south of the Yangtze River in midsummer, and returned home in midwinter.

He hadn't had a good look at the house in nearly a year.

Xu Qing heard the noise outside the door, opened the curtain and leaned out, seeing Li Erlang standing in the yard in a daze, so she smiled and waved: "Erlang, it's so cold outside, why are you standing there like an idiot? Come in and warm up."

Li Changji put his arm around his brother's shoulders and led him forward, secretly sighing: I didn't expect that in just one year, Erlang has not only grown taller, but also become stronger!

The younger brother who once clamored to grow up quickly and join the military camp as soon as possible has grown up slowly and unknowingly. The 18-year-old boy has first realized the lofty ambitions he made when he was playing with his brothers and friends.

The two brothers walked into the main room and saw little Dodo Tuanlang playing with the baby in the cradle, making the child giggle from time to time. When Dodo saw his father coming in with a man who looked like him, he was stunned for a moment, as if trying to remember who this man was.

After thinking for a long time, the little kid still couldn't remember, so he held on to the rocking cradle and didn't get close.

Li Changji was helpless with his four-year-old son and reminded him, "Tuanlang, do you remember your second uncle who rode a big horse with you?"

Speaking of riding a big horse, Tuan Lang was indeed impressed, and he ran over waving his hands. Li Erlang reached out and picked up the noisy nephew and held him in his arms, and couldn't help laughing: "How could he have the same temper as Si Lang?"

"Uncle! Uncle, I miss you so much!" The little kid was wearing a cotton jacket, cotton pants and cotton shoes. He was fat and round, just like a ball.

Li Erlang lifted up the little fat boy and let him ride on his shoulders. He walked around the room a few times and asked, "Where's Aung?"

Before anyone else could speak, the man sitting on his shoulder answered, "Mr. Zeng is ill..."

Hearing this, Li Erlang quickly put Tuanlang down and went to the room to look for Grandfather. Grandma Li, who was sitting by the rocking bed and teasing her little great-grandson, quickly raised her hand and said, "Don't worry, your Grandfather is fine. He just caught a cold. He's almost recovered now. He just took some medicine, so I'm afraid he hasn't woken up yet. It won't be too late to see him after he wakes up."

At this time, Aunt Li brought Xu Qing and Jin Niang in with hot pots and invited everyone to have dinner. "Let's eat first. There's some left for your grandfather on the stove. You don't have to wait."

Li Erlang was still a little worried, so he pushed the door open a crack, stood at the door and looked inside. He saw Grandpa lying on the kang with a quilt covering him, snoring with his mouth slightly open, and his snoring became louder and louder.

"How did Aung get sick? How long has he been sick?"

She got angry when she mentioned this Grandma Li. She spat twice in annoyance and cursed for the first time: "An old stubborn person is an old stubborn person. She was almost well, but when she heard that Zhenniang was pregnant, she insisted on going to Li Laowu's place to drink. No one could stop her. Who knew that she was so drunk that she couldn't even walk when she came back. Fortunately, your father was worried and went out early to look for her and carried her back."

The Li Laowu that Grandma Li mentioned is Li Wuweng, the carpenter.

In Li Erlang's impression, grandma rarely lost her temper. But this time, she not only scolded her husband, but also blamed Li Wuweng.

As soon as I finished cursing, the snoring over there suddenly stopped and didn't happen again for a long time.

When he woke up, he curled up in bed and dared not make a sound.

Li Erlang was just feeling scared, but now he felt funny. "Aunt, now that you are awake, get up and have dinner with us."

Old Man Li tentatively opened his eyes and stretched his head to check his wife's expression. Grandma Li snorted and walked away without paying any attention. The old man then stood up happily. "Erlang is back!"

Perhaps because Li Erlang had returned, Grandma Li stopped nagging during the meal and the atmosphere at the table was quite cheerful.

"The cotton that Yuelang left behind in the granary before he left is all for us. It took us one or two months to pick it with your aunt, and we got more than 200 kilograms! The cotton is divided into two parts, one for your aunt." Aunt Li took the initiative to tell Ji Qingyue that the batch of cotton that he gave to her before he went to the south of the Yangtze River had been properly handled: "Now the cotton seeds are all with me, and there is no need to get them from the county government. Next year we will also plant cotton according to the instructions of the county magistrate."

Li Erlang nodded to show that he understood. Now he was more worried about the garlic: "The garlic merchants have been on strike for more than a month, and the New Year is coming soon. They will definitely not give up. I see that the atmosphere in the county is not good. The prices of many things are rising every day, except for the garlic..."

How could everyone not understand the nature of the Hu merchants? Father Li sighed, "The Hu merchants have been entrenched here for a long time. The previous county magistrates all retreated when they could. Now it will be difficult for Lord Hong to subdue them..."

Li A Niang was also worried. It was a rare harvest of garlic this year. The tens of thousands of kilograms of garlic harvested in the autumn harvest have not yet been sold, so they naturally have not received any dividends. "Those Hu merchants are also ruthless. They keep a close eye on Fengzu Commercial Bank. Whenever Manager Zhang wants to ship out the garlic, the Hu merchants smell the smell and send people to make trouble."

"Mr. Hu sued Fengzu Merchants for stealing garlic, and Fengzu Merchants counter-sued Mr. Hu for bullying and monopolizing the market. The two sides were at loggerheads, so County Magistrate Hong issued an order that the garlic should not be moved until the case was concluded."

The garlic merchants did it on purpose. They went on strike to put pressure on the county government to compromise, and at the same time they sued the Fengzu Commercial Bank. This way they could suppress the batch of garlic. No matter how durable garlic is, it cannot be sold if it cannot be transported. The loss and cost are increasing every day, and the ones who will suffer will definitely be the Fengzu Commercial Bank and the farmers who grow garlic.

Aunt Li added, "Some time ago, an elder from our clan who was growing garlic with us was hit with a club when he was walking home alone. His head was broken and bleeding, and he fell to the ground. Fortunately, someone passed by and found him early and sent him to a doctor. Otherwise, in such a cold weather, he would have frozen to death before he could bleed out all his blood."

Grandma Li snorted coldly and glanced at Uncle Li. Li Erlang immediately understood why his father went to look for Uncle Li so early.

He couldn't ask Lord Hong about the case between Hu Shang and Fengzu Trading Company, and Lord Hong couldn't tell him. No one knew how Lord Hong would handle this difficult case, but if a verdict was not made and Hu Shang didn't do anything, the consequences of the strike would be uncontrollable.

You have to know that the Hu merchants' caravan came to Dali from the distant Xiyuan, but they did not stop at Shandan. They had destinations from south to north, involving many people and goods. The chain reaction caused by a long market strike would not be as simple as a shortage of goods.

"Now Hu Shang is just holding on to one thing and refuses to give in..." Li A Niang was so angry that her teeth were itching.

It's not that Li Erlang was calm or not anxious at all, but he felt that Hu Shang's words were ridiculous. Lord Hong had not yet brought the case to court to hear the case. Either some important evidence had not been found yet, or he was waiting for the right opportunity.

After entering the barracks, he realized that it was important to have a legitimate reason for fighting, otherwise he would easily be criticized.

If we fail to strike directly at the vital points of the Hu merchants and take this step back, it will be impossible to control the Hu merchants in the future.

"Erlang, are you going back to the county tomorrow?" Seeing Li Erlang nod, Li A'niang continued, "Your grandmother and I have woven a piece of cloth with new cotton and cut a new dress for Yuelang. You can take it to him. Your father will go to the county to pick you up before the New Year. Don't walk back by yourselves."

At night, Li Erlang tossed and turned on the kang, unable to fall asleep for a long time. He felt extremely anxious, so he got up without waiting for the rooster to crow, said something to his eldest brother who was trying to comfort a crying child in the opposite room, then went to the backyard to get the horse and headed straight for the county.

The end of the year is approaching, and it is time for the county government to go door to door to promote anti-theft measures. When Li Erlang, who had just returned from riding a horse, looked at his home for the first time, he saw the officers standing at the door and thought it was an annual routine, but then he realized something was wrong.

He rushed to the door and was immediately stopped: "The county government is investigating a case, no one is allowed to approach."

"Sir, I live here. I just came back from transporting cotton with a convoy yesterday."

The officer recognized Li Erlang and immediately put on a smile: "Master Hong is waiting for you, come in!"

Li Erlang was a little confused and walked into the house quickly. He saw Lord Hong and Li Sanlang talking to each other. Li Silang and Li Yu were still in shock. When they saw their brother come in, they ran over excitedly and said, "Second brother, you were not here last night and someone broke into the house and wanted to kill someone!!"

"What?" Li Erlang was shocked. He thought it was just a petty theft, but it turned out to be murder! !

"Are you injured?!"

Li Silang and Li Yu both shook their heads, "Third brother pushed Yulang and me away and got hurt..."

"How dare the Hu merchant deceive us here..." Before Li Erlang finished speaking, Hong Yu interrupted him, "Who told you that it was the Hu merchant who did it?"

When Li Erlang heard that his brother was injured, he was so angry that he almost lost his mind. After being interrupted by Lord Hong, he was even more confused: "It's not Hu Shang? Who else wants to harm us?"

Hearing what Li Erlang said, Hong Yu sighed: "This is bad, you all don't know who the visitor is... I know that Ji Langjun has put a lot of thought into the cotton matter, but as the owner of the house, I have to show up."

"He..." Li Erlang was a little embarrassed. He looked at Li Sanlang, who immediately took over the conversation: "Brother Ji said he needs to rest for two days. The earliest he can come back is tomorrow."

Hong Yu led people to search for clues in the house. At this time, Li Erlang hurriedly checked his brother's wound and found that Li Sanlang was injured in his arm. His arm was cut by a knife. The injury was not serious, but it must be very painful.

"Brother, it's alright. Don't tell Dad and Mom about this."

"If they find out from others, you and I will both be scolded!" Seeing that the wound on Sanlang's hand had been bandaged, he asked about what happened last night.

Lord Hong said that he was not a Hu merchant?

"We slept in the west wing of the main house last night. Everyone was sleeping soundly that night and didn't know thieves had broken in. We were awakened by the sound of weapons clashing outside the house." Li Sanlang was filled with fear. If no one had taken action, the three weak and unguarded people would have died last night.

Li Silang took over the conversation: "The moment we woke up, the thief rushed straight into the main house and rushed straight to the west wing where we were, and chopped at us with a knife..."

Li Yu: "Brother Li pushed us aside and raised his hands to block the attack. If the person who came in later hadn't used his knife to block the thief's knife, Brother Li would have been hurt even more seriously!"

"The thief slashed several times, but the hero blocked them with his sword. Seeing that his continuous attacks failed, the thief started to fight with the hero, and then took the opportunity to escape."

Li Erlang nodded: "What kind of knives did they use?"

Li Sanlang thought for a moment and said, "Both of them used straight swords with a width of two fingers, but the thief's sword is slightly longer, and the hero's is slightly shorter." He added, "Second brother, the thief is wearing a black coat and a mask, so we can't see his face clearly. The hero is wearing a long coat and a hood, so he seems to be the man guarding the street corner!"

Li Erlang was silent. After thinking for a while, he asked carefully, "How is Yuelang?"

"Brother Ji was in the east wing, and was also awakened by the noise of fighting when the incident happened. When he rushed out, he happened to run into them fighting."

"Sanlang, sit down and have a rest. I'll go take a look inside the room." Li Erlang walked towards the main house.

The main house was where they usually ate. There was an ear room on each side. Ji Qingyue lived on the east side, and Li Silang and Li Yu lived on the west side.

The accident happened in the west wing.

Li Erlang walked into the main house. Hong Yu and several of his men were checking the situation inside the room. There were not many furnishings in the room to begin with. When the thieves were fighting with the unknown hero, they not only scratched the window frames, but also chopped the walls and pillars.

Judging from the fallen wood chips and cotton floating all over the room, the fight last night was very fierce and the thief was really ruthless.

"Erlang, come here." Hong Yu was even more confused after seeing the situation in the room. How could the three of them get into such a fatal disaster?

Li Erlang approached and saw the mess on the bed. His eyes turned red with anger. He suppressed his rage and tried hard to calm himself down: "Sir."

"You don't know the identity of the thief, so how can you know who will save you?"

Li Erlang decided to tell the truth: "I know and I don't know."

Hong Yu raised his eyebrows and asked him to continue with interest.

"I only know that the man came from the barracks, but I don't know who he belongs to."

This answer surprised Hong Yu. If it was related to the barracks, it would be a big deal. "What is Li Yu's identity?"

"An orphan from the battlefield."

Now not only Hong Yu, but also Li Erlang was convinced that the thieves came for Li Yu.

Li Yu outside the house was also very worried, fearing that what happened last night was caused by him.

Hong Yu weighed the matter in his mind and reminded Li Erlang, "Even if we investigate this case thoroughly, we will not find any result. Now that things have come to this, we might as well go meet that person and see how to save the child." With that, Hong Yu ordered them to take the clues they found back to the county government office.

Li Erlang knew that Lord Hong was right. The water was too deep and it would be difficult to withdraw once you stepped in.

Before leaving, Hong Yu said, "The county government is too busy to handle the case, so let's put it aside. If necessary, you can send him to the county government."

"Thank you, sir!"

After seeing off Lord Hong, the house became quiet again. There was no way Li Erlang would miss any clues outside the house, so he asked Li Sanlang and the other two not to walk around, and he searched around the entire house himself.

Fortunately, it didn't snow last night, so there are not many traces left.

The thief climbed over the east wall and came directly to the east wing, then bypassed it and went straight to the main house.

Before entering the house, another man followed the thief's path and started fighting in the yard.

Sanlang and the others woke up at this time.

After escaping from the fight, the thief rushed into the main house. The main house was bolted. The thief was not afraid of disturbing the people inside, so he kicked open the door of the main house, bypassed the dining room and went straight into the west wing.

The door of the west wing was not locked. After the thief broke through the last door, he swung his knife at the person on the bed.

After failing to hit him once, he continued to chop after being stopped. The thief’s target was not Ji Qingyue who was “sleeping” in the east ear room.

How did that person know what was going on in the house? Could it be that he had been secretly watching them for a long time, just like the man on the corner?

Li Erlang quickly denied this doubt. No matter how long the thieves had been targeting them, it was impossible for them not to be discovered by the people guarding the street corner. Judging from what happened last night, the people guarding Li Yu were still diligent and responsible at night and discovered the intruder as soon as possible.

If it wasn't for advance surveillance, then someone leaked the news.

who is it? !

He quickly thought of the three people from the Ma family in the backyard.

Li Erlang kept suppressing his anger and continued to check for traces in the house. When he came to the garden for a routine check, he didn't expect to find traces in the garden too! !

"Sanlang! Come here!"

Li Sanlang and the other two heard the noise and came to the garden. "What happened?"

"Have people from the county government ever been to the garden?"

After receiving a negative answer, Li Erlang's expression became serious.

A killer with a clear purpose would not have been wandering around while implementing his plan. Two traces have been found, both entering from the east wall and exiting from the west wall. So what about the footprints in the garden?

Li Sanlang looked in the direction his brother had walked and saw a lot of footprints in the garden. Because of their schoolwork, they did not often go into the garden. After his brother came back, he tidied up the entire garden by himself. How could he have left such fresh footprints?

After checking the entire garden, Li Erlang had a guess in his mind. He found that the footprints went in and out of the backyard. After entering the garden, the footprints were disorderly, sometimes stopping in front of the rockery, sometimes falling beside the pit of a dead tree that had been dug out, and sometimes circling the pond...

Compared to the pace when they came in, the footsteps when they left were hurried, probably because they were scared away by the noise of fighting.

What is this person doing?

He had nothing to do with the previous fight. He sneaked into the garden at night and walked around aimlessly. If he wasn't admiring the scenery, then he was looking for something...

What he was looking for had nothing to do with him. What mattered now was that Yue Lang's kindness had been betrayed by a dog, and he had saved a few ungrateful people! !

"Silang, find the key to this door. I want to see what they are going to do!" Li Erlang pointed to the locked door connecting the garden and the backyard.