The Plow

In the warm sunny and windy afternoon, it is still a bit chilly, which is most suitable for taking a nap.

Yue Dingtang is writing a thesis on the comparison of Ming and Qing rule of law.

The data collection is almost done, and the rest is to assemble and straighten the sentences that have been sorted out in my mind.

After more than half of the eloquent writing, he reached out to touch the cigarette case, which was empty.

Once the addiction to cigarettes is committed, all inspirations are immediately shattered and scattered, Yue Dingtang feels uncomfortable all over, wishing he could hold the cigarette in his hand and smoke it immediately.

"Go buy me a bag..."

He raised his head and was speechless.

Ling Shu was lying on the table sleeping in the dark, with his head resting on his arms slightly raised, his mouth opened a crack, ready to drool at any time, he didn't know what he was dreaming of, when Yue Dingtang looked over, there was still a mysterious expression on the corner of his mouth His smiling face seemed to be drowned by dollars falling from the sky, and he was sitting on the pile of money and sleeping.

Yue Dingtang sighed, got up, walked to him, and tapped on the table.

Tuk Tuk Tuk.

Ling Shu didn't respond.

Yue Dingtang stretched out his hand to push him again.

Ling Shu dazedly let out a dissatisfied sneeze from his nasal cavity, changed his position, and continued to sleep soundly.

Yue Dingtang possessed himself, and in his ear, spoke with a magnetic and charming voice, almost whispering love words——

"Salary is paid today."

"Uh-huh!"

It took Ling Shu about three seconds from receiving the information to reacting.

He suddenly raised his head and sat up straight, his shoulders suddenly made an unbearable click due to keeping the same posture at his desk for a long time, causing Ling Shu to bark his teeth in pain.

"What bonus? Did I hear wrong?"

Yue Dingtang: "You heard me right, my salary for this month has been paid."

Ling Shu was at a loss: "What about mine?"

Yue Dingtang looked like you were still asleep: "Didn't you just take it?"

Ling Shu's official position is Assistant Secretary of the Municipal Bureau, and he has a fixed salary every month, but Yue Dingtang also has a position as a school professor, which means he can receive double salary.

Leaving aside the family background of the Yue family, the combined salary of Yue Dingtang's two jobs is enough for him to live comfortably in Shanghai.

In comparison, Lingshu will be in a lot of trouble.

The money that He Youan left them, Yue Dingtang thought that Ling Shu would share it equally with him, but he didn't touch a dime, it was still stored in safe No. [-], saying that he would wait for He Lixin to grow up. Here it is, continue to be stingy after you finish the work, and live your life. You can also bargain with the boss for two bowls of tofu flowers for more portion for breakfast.

"My salary was just brought home yesterday, when my sister sniffed it and confiscated it."

After stretching, Ling Shu yawned again. He was so tired that he was on the verge of falling, and he was about to tilt to the table again.

Yue Dingtang grabbed him by the collar in time.

"Go and buy me a pack of cigarettes, Hardman." He took out an ocean. "The extra is at your disposal."

The office was quiet again.

Thinking of the upcoming Tunyun Confidential, Yue Dingtang reluctantly suppressed his addiction, trying to concentrate on the first draft of his thesis, just writing and writing, seeing that more than half an hour had passed, the surname Ling should have crawled back .

On the opposite street behind the City Bureau, there are often people selling cigarettes there. With Lingshu's long legs, it only takes a moment to take a step, and it is a miracle that it took nearly an hour.

Unless there is an accident in the middle of the journey.

Yue Dingtang has seen him being entangled by a passing female student. This is an era when students dared to chase after their teachers and courteously. A peach blossom tree like Lingshu who walks like Lingshu can meet a passionate girl wherever he goes. If you meet a woman who is as obsessed with fire as a snake, it's fine if you meet He You'an, but if you meet Miss Zhen's, it's enough to drink a pot.

Although this is not a school, the female students should be in class at this time.

Yue Dingtang got up, he was afraid that if he didn't go out to find him again, he might not be able to smoke that cigarette today.

Ling Shu was chatting with the cigarette peddler.

Northeast people call it Kan Dashan, and Sichuan people call it playing Dragon Gate Array.

But Yue Dingtang had never seen someone who could chat for more than half an hour while buying a pack of cigarettes. Only when he got closer did he realize that Ling Shu was bargaining with the other party.

A box of Hardmen was a few coppers, and the peddler couldn't get that much money, so Ling Shu bought ten boxes, and if he had to ask someone to give away one box, he was only willing to give away half a box, and the two just talked nonsense.

I also met someone who was eloquent, not from the origin of the word Hardman, but whether the tobacco company would increase the price in the near future, and finally sold at the price of two more than half a pack of cigarettes.

Yue Dingtang was amazed.

Ling Shu bought ten packs of cigarettes in one go, of course he couldn't smoke so much, and every time he asked Ling Shu to buy cigarettes, he would usually give a piece of ocean directly. , and you don’t have to run out every time, directly saving time, effort and money.

Just ...

It's kind of embarrassing.

He is a dignified university professor, a consultant to the city police department, his secretary and assistant, and he is reduced to haggling with others on the street.

Yue Dingtang couldn't stand it any longer, and directly reached out to pat Ling Shu on the shoulder.

The latter was happily counting the cigarettes in his hand.

"Hey, don't drag me, wait a minute! Who is it!"

Ling Shu turned his head and fell silent.

"Today's harvest is good!"

Yue Dingtang laughed heartily.

"It's okay, it's okay!"

Ling Shu let out a haha, and pulled him away with his backhand. "To make a small fortune today, I will borrow flowers to present Buddha at noon, treat you to dinner, and let's go!"

Yue Dingtang: "What can I eat with a piece of money that I found in the ocean?"

Ling Shu: "That's too much. You are the young master. You don't touch the spring water with your ten fingers. Not to mention those well-known restaurants, noodle stalls and bakeries, those are not enough to eat for a few cents? But I really have to save some money. , you also know that my salary was confiscated by my sister, so I have to be diligent and thrifty in the remaining days."

Yue Dingtang felt that being thrifty is not a bad thing. The current situation of the Ling family is indeed different from the past. Ling Yao was afraid that Lingshu would spend money randomly, so it made sense for him to hand over the money, although he did not believe that Lingshu would be honest enough to give it all. He didn't leave anything behind, but because of his bleak tone, Yue Dingtang didn't complain.

Unexpectedly, Ling Shu went all the way through the bustling city, seeing many steaming haggis noodle soup and stewed pork rice noodles, and finally came to a small shop at the corner of the street.

The pitch black and the flies flying everywhere were Yue Dingtang's first impression of this small shop.

It is also the only impression.

"Don't look at the poor environment here, and the taste is really good. Last time, Director Huang's brother-in-law's sister-in-law's neighbor was brought here by me, and he had the same disgusted expression as you. As a result, he ate it, and the next time He also asked me to bring him here, and said he would go back and introduce him to the whole family..."

Yue Dingtang couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted his chatter.

"At noon, I'm going to eat at the Dexing Restaurant, and I'm treating you."

Ling Shu silenced the sound decisively, and gave Yue Dingtang a thumbs up.

"Officer Yue, you are such a man, so refreshing!"

Yue Dingtang felt that Ling Shu had never eaten here, but he no longer wanted to delve into the authenticity of it, and just wanted to leave this uncomfortable place as soon as possible.

A plump blowfly flew past the tip of Yue Dingtang's nose, with a deafening cry, which directly made his face turn pale again.

He squeezed Lingshu's wrist tightly, without turning his head, he strode away and fled.

The corners of Ling Shu's mouth rose slightly, and he immediately stretched out his hand to smooth the uncontrollable arc, continuing to maintain that innocent and inexplicable face.

You can eat and drink for nothing again.

Lunch at Dexing Restaurant is naturally a big meal.

Everyone in old Shanghai knows that this is a restaurant that accommodates all kinds of religions and cultures. Naturally, ordinary people can't afford it, but no matter whether it's the leader of the Qing Gang or a dignitary, you can find the heroic, pungent and gentle and steady here.

Shepherd's purse and spring bamboo shoot dumplings are the most seasonal staple food. Add braised hoof pork and shredded radish shortbread to complete the meal. If it is richer, it is nothing more than two bowls of soup and two bowls less. But Ling Shu felt that the skill of the soup cooks in Yue's family was not inferior to that of the chefs in Dexing Restaurant.

Satisfied with tea and food, Ling Shu never forgot to ask about the recent situation of the old man's son.

"How is Lixin's child?"

Yue Dingtang said: "Professor Li and his wife treated him very attentively. They even took him with them when they went out to collect scenery with the Department of Architecture. Maybe it's because they have seen more of the world, and the child has gradually become cheerful, and is willing to call people and say some simple things. Something happened."

Not two days after Ling Shu brought He Lixin home for a temporary stay, Yue Dingtang got in touch with Professor Li.

Li's couple lost their beloved daughter and haven't given birth to them for many years. They are looking for an adopted son. Adoption is a matter of fate. The couple must have been dissatisfied, but Professor Li and his wife fell in love with He Lixin immediately when they saw He Lixin. They even agreed to wait until He Lixin turned 16 before telling him his real surname, and he decided to change it back to He Lixin.

After Yue Dingtang and Ling Shu let them get along for a few days, seeing that He Lixin had no obvious dislike, they formally handed over the adoption after seeking his consent, and He Lixin has since become Li Lixin and officially become a member of the Li family.

"Although He Youan and Narita died together, and the matter about her should come to an end, it is still difficult for someone with a heart to find out the root cause and find out this child. What's more, his looks and looks are somewhat similar to He Youan. This is why I agreed to change my surname. The reason." Yue Dingtang said.

Ling Shu: "I understand. If someone really asks later, you can say that he is my illegitimate child. With my outstanding appearance, no one will be suspicious."

Yue Dingtang twitched the corners of his mouth, wanting to say something about his majesty, but after thinking about it, he thought it was fine, he really didn't need to care about this incomprehensible guy.

After the meal, Yue Dingtang asked the driver to drive to the school, and Ling Shu had nothing to do, so he took a ride with him.

For a slacker like him, let him walk home, it's better to stay with Yue Dingtang at school all afternoon, and then hitch a ride home.

However, as soon as he arrived at the school, Yue Dingtang received a letter from the postman.

The letter was sent from the Northeast.

Fengtian, Guan Shi.

Ling Shu only saw a few words on the envelope, so he didn't go any closer. He went out for a walk with an excuse, met some beautiful female students, chatted for a while, and went to several classrooms to listen until it was almost dark , before wandering back.

The school office is open, and several professors in the department share one place, unlike the city bureau where Ling Shu has a separate desk.

With Lingshu's eloquence, if he wants, he can get along well with others, but he doesn't like to hear those professors who have returned from studying in Europe and the United States openly talk about imitating the West to establish a constitutional system and completely negate all local products, so he doesn't like to listen to them. Yue Dingtang joined in the fun in his office.

Those people were polite to Yue Dingtang, but they didn't necessarily take him seriously.

Yue Dingtang had almost finished writing his thesis, and he didn't intend to work overtime. Seeing him coming back, he sorted out the manuscript papers at hand and put them all in the drawer.

"Let's go, go to my house to eat tonight."

It was rare for him to take the initiative to invite Ling Shu to eat at home, Ling Shu was a little strange.

"Aren't you going to write more?"

Yue Dingtang: "No, let's go back first."

Ling Shu intuited that his performance had something to do with the letter he had received earlier.

But Yue Dingtang didn't say anything, and he didn't ask.

Despite his curiosity, he never asked for trouble for no reason.

Sure enough, when he returned to Yue's house, Ling Shu saw Yue Dingtang was busy and made several phone calls upstairs. He didn't even go downstairs to eat dinner. Take it upstairs.

It wasn't until Ling Shu finished eating and was about to ask the driver to take him back home that Yue Dingtang came down from upstairs.

"Don't go yet." Yue Dingtang said, "I'm going to the Northeast, and I'm leaving tomorrow."

Ling Shu: "What happened?"

Yue Dingtang: "My uncle passed away."

Ling Shu: "Off?"

Yue Dingtang nodded.

Yue Dingtang's mother's surname was Guan, but she was not Han, but Manchu. Among the eight surnames in the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, Guerjia was one of them. This surname has also produced many founding fathers, assistant ministers, and concubines in the harem.

But times have changed, and even the best families have their downfalls. After the fall of the Qing Dynasty, the revolutionaries started their careers against the Qing Dynasty. Most of the old and young people changed their Han surnames one after another for the sake of anonymity or convenience. The Guan family is one of them.

Since the current situation changed, the Guan family moved from Beijing to Tianjin, and from Tianjin back to Fengtian, where they have settled down ever since. Yue Dingtang’s mother died young, and he also lost contact with his family very early, and occasionally wrote letters. , It was also a long time letter, the other party sent some local products, and this side returned some thank you gifts. Gradually, even this occasional news was cut off. When Yue Dingtang's mother passed away, Fengtian didn't even send anyone, just The entrusting person sent a message, saying that the old man of the Guan family was about to die, he was lingering in the sick bed, and was unable to come over to mourn for his aunt, and asked the Yue family to take care of it by themselves.

Now the Guan family sent a letter, saying that Yue Dingtang's mother's uncle had passed away, and asked the Yue family to send someone to express their condolences.

"According to this, the relationship between the Yue family and the Guan family is not very good?"

After hearing this, Ling Shu came to a conclusion.

Yue Dingtang said: "It's not easy. Back then, the Guan family originally made a marriage contract for my late mother, who was from the former Qing royal family, but my late mother was not happy, so she regretted the marriage and married my late father. Because of this, Yue Guan and the two The family also broke up for a while."

Ling Shu praised: "My aunt is really a hero among women, a pioneer of women's liberation!"

Yue Dingtang glanced at him, then continued.

"Later, the relationship between the two families became cold, which is reasonable. This time, the uncle is the oldest elder of the Guan family in Fengtian, and he is also the ancestor of the Guan family. It is said that he made the decision when the Guan family moved to Fengtian. .”

Ling Shu cupped his hands: "Then I understand. You will represent the Yue family to express condolences tomorrow. I wish you a smooth journey, a safe journey, a smooth journey, and a bright cloud. You will have a precious son and grow old together. It's not too early, so I won't bother you, so let's go!"

In one go, he got up and walked out.

"You come with me."

Yue Dingtang said behind him.

Ling Shu stopped and turned around, with a bitter expression on his face.

"Come on, it's so far away, it takes days and nights to take the train, and it's still in the territory of the Japanese, so it's uncomfortable to talk and do things, besides, look at my small body, I can be blown away by a gust of wind, It’s really not suitable for a long journey!”

Yue Dingtang: "The Guan family has a big business and a lot of wealth. I heard from my father that they don't reward servants with copper coins. They use gold leaves and silver leaves directly. Each room has a small kitchen, and each extra meal can be worth seven dollars." Eight dishes, and an imperial chef who followed him out of the imperial dining room in the early years..."

Ling Shu changed his smiling face and stepped forward in small steps.

"Hey, where do you want to go, just give me an order, and the little one will follow you for thousands of miles!"