[Seven-five] Sunflowers are warm

Zhan Zhao brought Shuanzi back to the cave again, and the cave was the same as when they left, untouched.The cave is not big, and there are some stones scattered inside, which looks ordinary.Zhan Zhao pointed to one place and said, "This is where the box was found. It was damaged when we came, and there is no trace of the gemstone."

The cave was a bit dark, Shuanzi followed Zhan Zhao's words and looked there, but didn't see any clues.Bai Yutang also came back here for the first time. He turned around and kicked the stone under his feet, "You said that the deceased was called Hu San. Did he go to the village with you? Does he have accomplices? Maybe they are here to share the spoils." Unevenness, internal strife, mutual killing."

Shuanzi looked at Bai Yutang, then at Zhan Zhao, a little uncertain.A group of them originally gathered for profit, and they only called each other by first name, and I don't know if it's true or not.He is a servant and has no part to speak at all.However, "I remember that Hu San often got together with two people named Zhang Qiang and A Xing. The three of them often whispered together, not knowing what to discuss."

So you have an accomplice?Zhan Zhao scanned the situation in the cave, "How many people know that you brought back a box of gems?"

"You masters can sneak out a box of gems, and they can return empty-handed?" Bai Yutang obviously didn't believe it. The dead Master Cheng was simply stabbed to death, which shows that he has no skills.Such a pair of master and servant can get a box of gems, how can others be worse?Most likely it was because of their soft-headedness that they followed them to silence them and steal their money.

"After returning from the mine, they all seemed very excited. Our master was not the only one who made moves. Boss Li said that broken gemstones can be found in the river. We were placed in the village. I went to the side, and really let them find a gem the size of a mung bean. I think they should have gained something."

Zhan Zhao listened to Shuan Zi's words, thoughtful.Bai Yutang smiled, "Hearing what you said, even my heart is moved, and I want to go to the end. Zhan Zhao, maybe we have to go to the village."

Zhan Zhao casually picked up a stone and flipped it through his hands. Instead of listening to Bai Yutang carefully, he said, "Come and see, aren't these stones a little strange?" The box, then judging from the distribution of these stones, it seems to be poured out of the box.Moreover, these stones are slightly darker in color, and compared with the gravel in the corner, they do not seem to be the same kind of stone.

A few people approached and looked over and over again, although they felt that there was something different, they couldn't tell what was different.Zhao Hu said: "Master Zhan, the rocks on the mountain are strange, they look a little different, but they don't seem to be anything special." Zhan Zhao couldn't say anything, picked up two pieces at random, got up and said, "Forget it, let's go back first. .”

Zhan Zhao's small courtyard was well-maintained by Xu Xiangyang. A grape shelf was set up in front of the kitchen, and a small chicken pen was surrounded by a corner. Now these chickens have started to lay eggs, and they can pick up a few eggs every day.She warmed the water on the small stove at night, put the eggs in, and the next day they became hot spring eggs.The egg yolk in the middle is smooth and tastes unique, Zhan Zhao likes it a lot.

She also reclaimed the four-foot-square open space next to the chicken coop, where she planted onions and garlic.It has been planted for some time, and it is green and popping up. Every time she sees it, she feels very happy.The grape seedlings have just been planted, and I don't know how many branches will survive, but after planting so many, the whole army will not be wiped out.

Now it's the end of April, the Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner, and it's almost time to make zongzi.She made salted duck eggs last year, which is just in time to use.Since February, they have been outside, saying that Zhan Zhao nourished his stomach and put it on hold.Alas, it's no wonder that Zhan Zhao's health is not well maintained. How can he maintain his health after running around like this all day long?Like today, I went out early in the morning and didn't have breakfast.Fortunately, she told him yesterday that he remembered to bring the eggs. He did remember to bring them. Whether he has time to eat is another matter.

He said he would come back today, but he didn't know when he would come back, maybe it would be late again.Xu Xiangyang fed the chickens, watered her small vegetable plot, and turned to the kitchen to look at the vegetables.The last time I made Zhan Zhao a seven-star pork belly, I never made pork belly again. The seven-star pork belly is a bit big, and even Zhan Zhao would get tired of eating it all the time.So, today she changed it to a stomach-warming pepper pork belly soup.She cut off the tip of the pork belly and made a pork belly stuffed with salted egg yolk.

She had eaten this dish several times in her previous life, but when she checked the salted eggs today, she suddenly remembered it, so she made it.Six salted egg yolks are steamed and pressed into puree.Seal the tip of the pork belly with a toothpick, then fill in the egg yolk and press it tightly, and seal the opening with a toothpick.Adjust the marinade juice, put the pork belly in the high heat, bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat until it is crispy.

The kitchen was full of aromas, and even she could not help arousing her appetite when she smelled it, thinking that if Zhan Zhao didn't come back to eat, she would miss out on delicious food.Open the pot and look, the pork belly soup is ready, and the stuffed pork belly is also ready.She quickly took it out, and waited for it to cool before slicing it and serving it on a plate.

Zhan Zhao came back relatively early, Xu Xiangyang felt a little satisfied in his heart, unconsciously, it seemed that waiting for him to come back to eat every day had become a habit.Zhan Zhao took the soup she handed over, took a sip, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up, she was always careful when eating.Xu Xiangyang pointed at the stuffed pork belly, "I went out for a while, and I couldn't care less about feeding your stomach, so I just remembered today. This is stuffed pork belly made with salted egg yolk, try it." Suddenly pointing to the vegetables on the table, He smiled and said, "Try this too."

"What's this?" Zhan Zhao obeyed and took the vegetables with his chopsticks, tasting something special.Xu Xiangyang pursed his lips and smiled, "Sweet potato leaves are usually used to feed pigs, but the young leaves are also delicious."

Zhan Zhao was stunned for a moment, then he also smiled.

"Is there any gain from going to Shangjie Village today?" Xu Xiangyang said, looking at two stones on the corner of the table, a little strange, "What are these stones?"

Zhan Zhao held the stones in his hands and looked around, "I brought them back from the cave, and I always thought these stones were a bit strange, but I couldn't see anything wrong."

Xu Xiangyang picked up the other one, and it looked like an ordinary stone, what's so strange about it? "There are many such stones in the cave?"

"Scattered around the box, we suspect that the murderer had an internal strife in the cave because of the distribution of spoils, and killed each other. According to Shuanzi, they should have three accomplices. Now one is dead, and the whereabouts of the other two and the gem are unknown." At the end, Zhan Zhao simply said what Shuanzi said about not going to the village. "I also feel that something is wrong. Since they know where they are not going to the village, there is really no need to kill each other for the gems in the box."

Xu Xiangyang put down the stone and expressed his doubts, "Even in the mining area, gems are not everywhere. Where did Master Cheng find a large box of gems? He stole a large box of gems. How can that boss Li Let him go? Could the murderer belong to Boss Li?"

Zhan Zhao shook his head, "It's hard to say. This case is complicated, I'm afraid I have to go to the village instead." Xu Xiangyang thought about it, and looked at him worriedly. Although he lived in the same courtyard before, he really couldn't say a few words In other words, she didn't know what he was busy with, and she didn't care.Now, concern is chaotic.Sighing slightly, he lowered his head, "Where is the village? When will I go? How long will I go?" "Just thinking about it, whether to go, when, and who will go are all open to discussion."

Xu Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief, "A box of gemstones is too big to sell directly. Is it possible to process them into jewelry? Firstly, it can be sold at a good price, and secondly, it can be deceptive and easy to sell."

Ruby jewelry?Zhan Zhao thinks there is also this possibility, "The time is short, and maybe there is no time to make jewelry into the market in the future, but we can start from craftsmen." However, we still have to go to a big jewelry store first, because good gems need good ones Craftsmanship to present, otherwise it loses its value.Thinking of this, Zhan Zhao ate in a hurry and went out again.

They met with Bai Yutang first, and then they split up.After walking through several big shops, I saw several sets of ruby ​​jewelry. After careful inquiry, the source of goods seemed to be reliable.Zhan Zhao pondered for a while, and simply went to the unremarkable shop for a walk.The shop he came to now is not very famous, but I heard that there is an old craftsman, and the business looks good.

When the clerk saw a customer coming to the door, he quickly greeted him with a smile, "This customer... eh, Mr. Zhan? Please come inside, please come inside, but you are looking for our shopkeeper?" He said, leading Zhan Zhao inside, and called to the inside: "Shopkeeper, Master Zhan is here."

Soon, Shopkeeper Chen greeted him with a smile, "Master Zhan, long time no see, did you come here today for something?" Shopkeeper Chen and Zhan Zhao are also considered to be close friends, and the shop was stolen in the early years, and it was Zhan Zhao who handled the case.

Zhan Zhao exchanged a few words with him, looked in front of the counter, the clerk followed beside him, and said with a smile, "Adult, come to see the jewelry? I don't know who to give it to, but I can recommend one or two for the small ones." Zhan Zhao smiled, "I don't know if there are ruby ​​jewelry in the store."

"Ruby?" Shopkeeper Chen was taken aback for a moment, when did Mr. Zhan start to like such luxurious things?He thought he was just looking at the emerald and silver hairpin, but he didn't expect that it was a ruby ​​when he opened his mouth.Are things like gems something that a small shop like them can easily sell?If there is, it is also the treasure of the town store. "My lord, you are joking. Where can such a small shop sell jewelry of that quality? It's just relying on craftsmanship to make plain silver and plain gold, and earn some hard money."

Zhan Zhao looked around and said, "May I have a chance to speak?" Shopkeeper Chen understood, and sure enough he would go to the Three Treasures Hall for nothing, so he quickly invited him into the inner room.Only then did Zhan Zhao say: "To tell the truth from shopkeeper Chen, Zhan came here because of the recent murder case. I think shopkeeper Chen has heard about it."

Shopkeeper Chen nodded, "Ms. Chen knows, why, there is something hidden in it? If you need anything, just speak up."

"The murderer broke into the house for a box of rubies. A few days ago, we found the box containing the gems, but the gems inside were missing."

"Your Excellency, what do you mean they sold the gems? This... Gemstones are expensive, and a small shop like ours can't bear it. Your Excellency is very clear." Shopkeeper Chen got up quickly, and it is not fun to get his upper body contaminated by this matter.Zhan Zhao waved his hand, signaling him to be calm and calm, "Shopkeeper Chen, listen to me. Before I came to you, I also visited several big jewelry shops. So far, I haven't found a large amount of rubies entering the market. I think the murderer is also cautious. , if a large amount enters the market, it is easy to be involved by following the vine. Therefore, we guess whether they will find some beneficiaries, process the gemstones into jewelry, and resell them.”

Shopkeeper Chen hurriedly said: "Master Zhan, I have never met such a customer in my store. If I do, I will definitely pay attention to you."

"I'm sorry." Zhan Zhao came here because of this matter, "This matter is not suitable to startle the snake, and I hope shopkeeper Chen will keep it a secret."

"sure!"

When Zhan Zhao came out of the room, he suddenly remembered that Xu Xiangyang had no other jewelry except for a silver hairpin he bought when he was on tour, so he couldn't help but stop and look at the counter.The clerk was clever and leaned forward, "Master Zhan, since you're here, why don't you take a look, our master's craftsmanship is superb, you might catch any hairpin."

Zhan Zhao smiled, "Do you have any recommendations?"

The man was overjoyed, and led him to the other side, "If you want to recommend, there are many, plain silver, plain gold, all kinds of emerald and pearl inlaid, even the beaded and silk flowers are better. The girl's house There are too many things to count. Tell me if you want something more elegant or more beautiful, so I can recommend it to you.”

Zhan Zhao was confused, he really didn't understand the girl's stuff.Just thinking of Xu Xiangyang's delicate and clean appearance, I couldn't help but want to add some color to her. At her age, she was too clean.Can't help saying: "It's better to be pretty."

The clerk smiled and led him to stand still in front of the counter, "Master Zhan, these plain silver tassel hairpins are a new style." He took them out and showed them to Zhan Zhao.Zhan Zhao took it and looked at it briefly, then shook his head, "Although the style is lively, the color is plain." He put down the hairpin, pointed to a wooden agate hairpin, "show me this one."

The man took out the hairpin according to his words. The flowers on this hairpin were carved from agate, small but crystal clear, and the color of agate was pleasing.If Xu Xiangyang wore this hairpin, it would be a little more colorful.Zhan Zhao almost caught his eye, and said with a smile, "Wrap it up for me."

As far as Xu Xiangyang is concerned, the murder has little to do with her, and her life is as peaceful as ever.The Dragon Boat Festival is just around the corner, and zong leaves are being sold in the market. She bought some and wanted to make some to satisfy her cravings.I have prepared glutinous rice, peanuts, diced meat, shiitake mushrooms, and salted egg yolk, and I plan to make meat dumplings.After trying to pack a few, she smiled with satisfaction, her skills are not unfamiliar.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door outside.She thought it was Mrs. Wang who came to visit, and she thought it was a good time for her to bring some zongzi home.After opening the door, the smile froze on his face, why is it Ding Yuehua?Ding Yuehua smiled faintly, "Aren't you inviting me in?"

Uh, she regained her senses and quickly invited her in.With a forced smile, "Miss Ding, please come in quickly. Mr. Zhan is not here. If you are looking for him, you will have to come at night."

"I came to find you."

"Find me?"

"You saved me on the mountain, I haven't thanked you enough yet."

Xu Xiangyang suddenly remembered the conversation he had heard outside Guan Xu's courtyard that day, and felt apprehensive, shaking his head hastily, "Miss, you are serious, I, I will throw you down, I'm sorry."

"Compared to life, what are some falls?" As he spoke, his eyes fell on her hands. She was also injured in taking her down the mountain, especially her hands. "Is your hand ready?"

"Eh? Um, um. It's all right." Xu Xiangyang spread his hands, "Miss Ding, come and sit inside."

Ding Yuehua followed her, seeing the changes in the yard, she couldn't help but feel emotional, it turns out that everything is different, everything has changed.Where does this courtyard still look like before?Chicken rings, grape trellises, freshly grown green onions and garlic, more and more like a... home.Seeing her looking at the grape trellis again, Xu Xiangyang said, "It was just built a few days ago, and the grapes are alive." The grape seedlings in the corner have sprouted and slowly began to climb the trellis.

Ding Yuehua responded lightly, and then entered the main room, seeing the zongzi on the table, she laughed at herself, "Are you making zongzi?" She used to disdain these things, but Xu Xiangyang got closer to Brother Zhan's heart through these things.

"Well, the Dragon Boat Festival is coming soon." Xu Xiangyang couldn't help but glance at Ding Yuehua, she has been out for so long, is it really okay if she doesn't go home?No parent is worried about their daughter not coming home like this, let alone going to investigate the case.Even if Ding Yuehua has martial arts, the parents still hope that she will be safe at home, how can they rest assured that there are swords and swords outside?

Ding Yuehua looked at the newly furnished main room, and felt bitter in his heart. He had talked with Guan Xu that day and resolved the depression in his heart, but the bitterness was still unbearable.With a mocking smile, "Girl's life is getting better and better, and Brother Zhan is showing more and more affection for you. After the girl has forgotten the past, she really knows how to live. It's admirable that she can turn around in such a situation."

Such obvious ridicule made Xu Xiangyang look embarrassed.Before, she could still say that she kept her duty and had no extravagant thoughts.But now, the more she gets along with Zhan Zhao, the more she understands him, the more she knows how good he is.He is an excellent person, she restrained and endured, reminding herself not to have delusions.However, how to restrain emotions?

Seeing her embarrassed face, Ding Yuehua didn't express that he would return Zhan Zhao like he did at the beginning, "I'm also naive, I'll believe whatever you say. You won't be greedy for anything that isn't yours, what's a year or two, one day You want to return Big Brother Zhan. Why did I trust you? If you were not greedy, how could you do such a thing?"

"No! Those things..." Those things were not done by her!Xu Xiangyang was speechless, half of what he said stuck in his throat, who would believe it?Just quibbling!

"How about those things?" Ding Yuehua said with a cold face, "No matter what, those things have already happened, and you are kind to me, what can I do to you?"

"I don't intend to repay you with any kindness. The girl doesn't need to take this matter to heart. I believe that if I faint somewhere, the girl will not ignore it when she sees it." Xu Xiangyang didn't want his kindness to provoke Ding Yuehua's wild thoughts, She really didn't know how to deal with such a thing.

"Since this is the case, let's talk about it. You said that you would return Brother Zhan to me, but it still counts?"

This...Xu Xiangyang was stunned, she said that out of sincerity back then, but now, she was born with selfishness, and Zhan Zhao was gradually relieved, she was a little bit reluctant...Her hesitation could not escape Ding Yuehua's eyes, Ding Yuehua was cold With a smile, "Even if you say you want to pay it back now, I don't believe it! Let's each rely on our own abilities!" He said like a gust of wind and left the main room.

"Miss Ding!" Xu Xiangyang was stunned for a moment, and chased after him. Looking at Ding Yuehua's back, she couldn't say anything after all.Each according to his own ability?Does she really want to fight with Ding Yuehua?