Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Yan Ziyou, a scholar from Wujiang, said that he had met an immortal.

"He is truly a fairy. That experience was truly like a dream."

People onlookers laughed at him for his strange power and confusion. He sneered and said: "There is no reason for a Taoist immortal to show off his skills at will. It's just that you don't have such a good opportunity as me."

He has not told anyone the beginning and end of Encounter with the Immortal, because it would be inconvenient to talk about it.

It was still spring time, and the pear blossoms in the courtyard of Yan Ziyou's mansion were like snow. He ordered the janitor Lao Ding to move a piece of bamboo and lie under the pear tree, looking at the colorful falling flowers with his heart full of thoughts.

The Yan residence in Da Rufang was originally one of the most wealthy families in Wujiang County, but before Yan Ziyou's late father Xiaolian returned to the west, the family fortune had gradually declined.

Duke Xiaolian likes to invite guests and make friends with powerful people. There are often dozens of diners in his home who stay up all night to have banquets. Being attentive to wealthy families also requires a lot of money. When he died, although his family property had gone from ten to seventy-eight, there was not much left. Life is still abundant.

Yan Ziyou entered the county school as early as Xiaolian Gongsheng. "Ziyou can serve as a high official with a salary of two thousand dan", his late father expected. He was also conceited. He always felt that becoming an official with such a family background was just a matter of taking advantage of his wealth.

However, since he had no one to control him, he became more and more lazy and wandering around. He learned to sword when he failed to learn books, and learned to read again when he failed to learn swords. He had no ability to manage the family.

My father died less than five years ago, leaving him impoverished.

All the young servants have been dismissed. The old man is over seventy years old, has never been married, has no home, no room, and nowhere to go.

Yan Ziyou couldn't bear it on his shoulders, couldn't carry it on his hands, and had no solution to the current predicament.

In fact, he has been living on mortgages for the past six months.

Closing his eyes, the face of the Xin'an merchant appeared in his mind, with a hint of indifference and imperceptible pride, and he knew that this time the toys left by his father were sold at a low price again.

"Yan Xiucai, if my nickname had not been closely related to my family, I would never have collected such a large number of your antiques." The Xin'an pawnbroker rubbed his nose with his sleeves and said in a thick native accent: "In the past two years, The year is not good, so many antiques have been smashed into my hands. If you have gold beads or jewelry, or spices flowing from the south, you might as well bring them to me for a look."

"No, no." Yan Ziyou was frightened. He knew that what the Xin'an merchant said was the truth.

Even if you buy antiques with a lot of money that day, if no one appreciates them, they will neither be appreciated nor worn.

Of course he also knew that the things his father left behind were treasures with great origins. Thinking of this, he felt a sense of humiliation in his heart. The young master of the Yan family was reduced to being ordered around by a merchant.

He sighed, it was always because he was useless.

Today is a special day. If we don't think of a way, we will really have to run out of food.

Every time Yan Ziyou got a little money from a businessman in Xin'an, he decided to live frugally and come up with a perfect plan to maintain the family's livelihood, but he always broke his promise.

He and his two younger sisters Tanghe. Lihe's biological mother was the eldest lady, who died young. The concubine whom Duke Xiaolian left to support was a concubine who had been married for some years.

The women were not used to living a frugal life, and he was afraid of being too harsh to them.If his family has always been wealthy, he must be a generous and good brother. Now, he has no choice but to discuss with his sister to tide over the difficulties first.

The younger sisters still have some pearls and jade jewelry such as gold rings, which were given to them as dowries by their mother. The eldest sister Tang'e is a virtuous and sensible person, so she should understand her brother's predicament and agree to use it to tide over the difficulties.

Tang'e is eighteen years old and has not yet been betrothed, so she is already turning into an old girl.

Yan Ziyou felt ashamed. Today, he had to plan her dowry again, and he couldn't help but feel a fever on his face.

"Uncle, there is a Mr. Sima who wants to see you." Old Ding bowed his back and said slowly.Yan Ziyou raised his chin and said suspiciously: "Mr. Sima, who is it? Please invite him in."

Contrary to the previous bustling crowds, in the past one or two years, the Yan Mansion has been almost deserted.

Under the pear tree, a slender man came up. He was about thirty years old. He was wearing a green Zen robe and a flat scarf. It was obvious at a glance that the material was made of fine lake silk. He was undoubtedly a famous scholar. figure.

"Are you Yan Shaojun?" the man in green said.

Yan Ziyou stood up and said, "Exactly."

"After ten years of separation, why is Yan Shaojun so depressed?" The man in Tsing Yi said in surprise.

Yan Ziyou glanced at the old silk clothes on his body, and said with a wry smile: "It's a long story, and I can't bear to look back at it. Sir, you are very handsome, can you please give me a good name?"

"Oh, no wonder the young master doesn't recognize it. Decades have passed in a blink of an eye." The man in Tsing Yi exclaimed: "Before Sima Ji went to Kunlun to study Taoism, he experienced the misfortune of Duke Meng Yan. He stayed here for half a year. The young master was always fashionable. Corner child."

He looked at Sima's appearance carefully. Sima looked happy and behaved in an approachable manner.

Yan traveled extensively and had many guests at home. It was not surprising that Yan Ziyou had no memory of the guests from decades ago, "It turns out they were old friends. It has been five years since my father passed away."

Sima Ji was a little confused and said: "Since Mr. Yan's family is rich, the young prince can just sit back and enjoy the success, so he won't be in such an embarrassing situation?"

Yan Ziyou blushed, stood quietly with his hands down, and said after a long while: "This, in short, is hard to describe..."

Sima Ji shook his head slightly and said: "Mr. Yan was kind to me in the past, now I might as well make plans for you."

Yan Ziyou lowered his hands and stood respectfully and said, "Please give me some advice from Mr. Sima."

Sima glanced at him lightly, and then ordered his entourage: "Xiao Rong, bring the skin bag over."

The name Xiao Rong does not suit him well. Xiao Rong is not a handsome boy, but a very honest and mediocre young man with a strong figure and extremely powerful limbs.

"A few gold ingots, you can spend the day first." Sima untied the heavy leather bag, revealing a few ingots of red gold, and placed them casually in front of Yan Ziyou.

Yan Ziyou was not an inexperienced person, so he immediately estimated that this was a considerable fortune.

"Please sir, please move to our house so that Ziyou can ask for advice sooner or later." Yan Ziyou almost bowed and fell to the ground, his heart filled with the surprise of surviving a desperate situation.

Sima sighed slightly and said: "People who practice Taoism are most afraid of being attached to worldly affairs. Such a whim will inevitably destroy countless practices. You will clean the west courtyard, and I will have to stay for a few days." After saying this, he went on his way. .

Yan Ziyou saw the pear petals falling, and suddenly fell into a trance. Then he rubbed his eyes, smacked his lips, and then held the gold and rubbed it. Only then did he realize that he was not dreaming. He walked quickly across the screen wall and looked outside the gate. Sima Ji His attendant, Xiao Rong, had already disappeared.

"You really come and go without a trace." A smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. At least, he didn't have to talk to his elder sister about that unspeakable thing.

The west courtyard is the resting place of Duke Yan in his later years. It has three rooms, not too big and not too small, separated from the main room by a moon cave door. The furnishings are extremely simple compared to the inner hall.

Yan Ziyou and Lao Ding spent a long time sweeping the place to make it look clean and simple. After that, Yan Ziyou looked forward to Sima Ji's arrival every day.