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Chapter 349 The Cursed Place
Bai Ting became even more interested.Since ancient times, it was difficult for an upright official to settle housework. Baiju's current crisis is easy to solve. As long as the two guests show kindness and give a hundred guan, it shouldn't be a big problem.But this time is not the case for the Baiju family. After taking it, the second brother Baiju is still like this. What should I do?
Even if she went to the lobby, the county magistrate would put her second brother on the [-]th board and persuade her to go home, but there was nothing she could do.

If you show kindness, you can give Baiju some money, but it is obviously unwise to interfere directly.But this burly young man was not like that kind of unwise person.So she became more curious.

Bai Ju was in front, leading them through the narrow main room to the room.

The room was even darker, and even though a window was open, the strong July sunlight still couldn't break through the gray space of the room.

A woman was kneeling by the bed, serving a man in his forties to take medicine.There were two little girls and a young boy standing beside him.The two little girls were very handsome, especially the older one. Although she was dressed plainly and had some dirt on her face, it still couldn't cover her beautiful face.But the faces of these teenagers were all worried.

It was the first time for Bai Ting to see Bai Ju's family. When he saw the appearance of Bai Ju's fourth younger sister, he knew it well.

Bai Ju walked to the bed and asked, "Yeah, what's wrong with you?"

The middle-aged woman turned her head, looked at Bai Ju and said, "Xi'er, you are back, you are sick."

The middle-aged man was so angry that he snorted twice on the bed and didn't speak.

Bai Ju asked angrily, "Where's Xiaoer?"

Hearing Bai Ju's question, the thin young man turned his head and looked at the burly young man with a look of suspicion on his face.

The burly young man pinched the tip of his nose.

Bai Ting became suspicious again, but he was relieved, his name is Erlang, he must be the second at home, and there are not many people who rank second in the world.

"He went out again." The middle-aged woman said unhappily.This is going out again, I am afraid it is going out to gamble again.

Bai Ju said to her fourth sister: "Fourth brother, go and find him."

The middle-aged woman sighed, and said, "Xi'er, don't worry about family affairs."

After speaking, she shed two tears, then looked at the group of people behind them, stood up and said suspiciously: "Xi'er, who are they?"

"They are a few well-meaning guest officials who came to help the servants."
The middle-aged woman quickly stood up, led them to the main room, let's call it the living room, wiped down a few simple chairs with a rag, and invited them to sit down.But Bai Ting noticed another thing, the burly young man was fine and sat down calmly.Another thin young man glanced at the chair, and after looking at the burly young man for a while, he sat down carefully, as if the chair had thorns.

Up to now Bai Ting has judged one thing.This thin young man may have come from a family of gold and jade, and even now he has a higher status than the burly young man, which can be judged from the priority of their seats.But this burly young man has a lot of prestige, so the thin young man also has to follow the burly young man's wink.

Bai Ju's mother boiled tea, which was of course a simple pottery teacup, and said carefully: "The family is too poor, gentlemen, don't blame the old servant for being lazy."

The burly young man replied: "No problem."

He raised his teacup and took a sip.

But when the thin young man saw the dark tea mug, he didn't even touch it.

The burly young man said: "When we hoe the crops at noon, the sweat drips down to the soil. Who knows that the food on the plate is hard work if the grains weep. Dalang, only by knowing all kinds of hardships can you be the best person and be the best person."

Bai Ting is still thinking about this poem, it should be a very strange little poem, not antithetical, and has no charm, but it makes people have endless aftertaste.She saw the thin young man suddenly bowed his hands in salute, and said, "Erlang, you have been educated."

After finishing speaking, he took a big sip in a heroic manner.But then he lowered his head, as if he wanted to spit out all the tea he drank.

It seemed that he had never drunk such inferior tea.

He raised his head, pulled the burly young man up, and the two walked outside, Bai Ting faintly heard, the thin young man said: "Erlang, I know you have good intentions, but now this matter is too lenient, and There are many big things waiting for us to deal with."

The burly young man laughed, looking out from the room, he could see his gleaming teeth.He replied: "Da Lang, don't worry, I'll take care of things, don't worry. After a while, you will be able to see what I mean by doing this."

After finishing speaking, he patted him heavily on the shoulder again: "Please believe me, this big scene has only just begun to unfold."

Hearing what he said, the thin young man walked back helplessly and sat down.

Baiju's fourth sister brought back Baiju's second brother, a young man who was also thin but handsome.When he saw Bai Ju, he said with a smile, "Sister, the money has been raised."

The burly young man didn't wait for Bai Ju's answer, and interjected, "No need to raise money."

Speaking of this, he looked at Bai Ju's mother and asked: "Mother, now you have a choice. One is that you want your other children, and the other is that you want your second son. If you want your second son, we will go back immediately .If you want other children, maybe we can help a little."

The middle-aged woman was bitter, and she said angrily: "This old servant doesn't want this evil."

"Who are you? How dare you meddle in our family affairs." Before the second brother Baiju finished speaking, a strong man stepped out from the guards around the two young men, slapped him hard, and spurted blood from his mouth , and then the brawny man said: "You are called an evil and praised you, you are a beast!"

After speaking, he lifted him alive and threw him outside the door.

The burly young man said: "Catch him back."

The second younger brother Baiju saw that something was wrong and said, "Just wait and see."

After finishing speaking, he was about to run away, but after running a few steps, he was caught again by the four big men around the two young men like an eagle catching a chick.

But at this point, Bai Ju's second brother was still talking harshly, he said: "This is our family matter, what right do you have to manage it. I'm going to report to the authorities."

The burly young man sneered: "I want you to report to the official. But it seems that you don't understand, then I will teach you. According to the regulations in the No. 20 volume of "Tang Law Shuyi", all Lueren and Lueren are slaves. If it is a trilogy, it will flow three thousand miles; if it is a wife, concubine and grandchildren, it will be a three-year apprenticeship. Those who are slaves and maidservants are considered robbers; those who seduce are considered robbers.

Hearing this, Bai Ting suddenly realized that this burly young man had already made preparations. This is not just a family matter, not only Bai Ju's second brother, but also the person who forced her second brother to sign the agreement, also violated the same law.

Of course, that's not the case. If it is really dealt with according to the law, at least one-third of all the big families in the Tang Dynasty will be strangled or exiled based on this one.But having the law is equivalent to having a basis. First of all, this principle is occupied.

Similarly, when Baiju's second brother heard the words "hang" and "exile", he was also taken aback, and said, "I don't have anyone."

The burly young man sighed and said, "Your siblings are all good people, and the law stipulates that no one can buy or sell them, not to mention that you used your parents' illiteracy to sign an agreement to sell your children for gambling. This kind of behavior is to twist and forgive you lightly."

Speaking of this, he said to a handsome young man beside him: "Mu, write a lawsuit for me."

After he finished speaking, the sneer at the corner of his mouth became even more meaningful. I don't know how this prodigal son can read a few big characters.But as an ordinary person, he is far from understanding the essence of the social system of the Tang Dynasty. Just this sentence is enough to make him feel scared.

As he expected, the second brother Baiju finally got angry. He knelt down and said, "Young gentleman, I can't do anything about it. They used an iron claw crow to pretend to be Tie Gongqing, and fought a flower head red , and used words to provoke each other, so I made a big bet. Then they forced me to either sell my siblings to them or pay off the debt. I had no choice but to come up with this idea."

"What are Iron Claw Crow, Tie Gongqing, and Huatouhong?" The burly young man asked the thin young man.

"They are all types of gamecocks. Good gamecocks are big, strong and strong, with well-developed muscles and strong personalities. But there are exceptions. For example, the iron claw is a kind of silky chicken, which is slightly smaller in size and can leap over agile, especially A pair of chicken feet is the most powerful. Tie Gongqing is just an ordinary species of fighting cock, similar to Tie Zhawu, but the chicken feet are weak and also inflexible in leaping. Huatouhong is a species of fighting cock with bright colors and miscellaneous flowers, and a red crest. But the iron claw crow is not the best type of fighting cock. For example, the eagle beak iron, the big light feather, the black beak hook, etc., are better than the iron claw crow."

"My lord, have you ever seen eagle beak iron, big light feather and black beak hook?" Hearing these varieties, the second brother Baiju forgot his current situation, his eyes sparkled, and asked.

But he was immediately kicked twice by two strong men, instead of the thin young man's answer.

The burly young man asked again: "Who is the person who led you into the cockfight with you?"

"Guest officer, you'd better not confuse them."

"why?"

"The cockfighter with me is the son of Master Fei, who can be counted as one of the direct descendants of the Fei family. They are related by marriage to the Shangguan family. At the same time, a daughter is married to a nephew of the current King Dejing. .Even the county magistrate was afraid of his father."

When Bai Ting heard this, she started to have a headache.The three major surnames in Huazhou, Chenggong, Fei, and Shangguan, are all Wang surnames of the Tang Dynasty. Of course, they are not as good as the seven surnames and ten families.But there are many people from these three surnames, such as the most popular Shangguan Xiaowan in the court. Although her family did not come directly from Huazhou, she is indeed one of the direct disciples of the surname Shangguan in Huazhou.Coupled with the inclusion of a Wu surname, it means that the identities of these two young people may not be trivial, and I am afraid it will be difficult to settle.

Thinking of this, she looked at the two people, and the thin young man looked suspiciously at the burly young man.The burly young man spread his hands and said, "Da Lang, I'm sure I don't know why there are so many things. It's a coincidence."

Turning to look at Baiju's second younger brother, he said, "Then you are willing to sell your younger siblings to the Fei family?"

"I definitely don't want to, but what can I do?"

"I'll give you a chance, and I hope you will correct your evil ways."

"Yes, yes, the little one will definitely start a new life," but after he finished speaking, he quickly glanced at Bai Ju with his eyes.

No matter whether you change it or not, what about the money first?

The burly young man winked at another handsome young man behind him, and this young man immediately took out some flying money from his pocket.Apparently, he heard about these complicated relationships, and originally went to Baiju's family to file a lawsuit, but now he has changed his mind.Back off.But because of this digging, Baiju finally saw some flaws. This young man looks surprisingly handsome, but he is not tall and big, but a pair of chests stick out.She turned quickly in her mind and thought: Could it be that these two handsome young men are disguised as men?

This made her even more suspicious, but she denied her thoughts again, although this was more in line with that identity, but if that person was here, he would not be afraid of the Fei family, the Shangguan family, or even King Dejing himself. I won't be afraid either.

Bai Ju's mother thanked him again for his great kindness.

But the young man had already stood up and started to leave.Another thin young man was afraid that he would be half a second late, and then strode out.

But his eyebrows were obviously furrowed, as if he was full of doubts.

The burly young man pressed his hand and made a gesture. After seeing this gesture, he didn't ask any more questions.

Later, under the leadership of this burly young man, a group of people wandered around the streets of Huazhou seemingly aimlessly.This dispelled Bai Ting's suspicions again. If it was that person, he had never been to Huazhou once, so it is impossible for him to be as familiar with the terrain of Huazhou as this young man.

She finally couldn't hold back her curiosity, and asked: "Maidservant, can I have the courage to ask, why did the two gentlemen come to Huazhou?"

"Girl, are you a government servant?" The young man joked, with a gentle smile on his face, which made her feel a little dizzy again, and then said: "We are here to do business, a big business."

It turned out to be a big businessman, Bai Ting looked disappointed.

After the young man finished speaking, he didn't say any more. Following his unintentional wanderings, he arrived in front of Chenggong's mansion, the largest family in Huazhou.

Chenggong is a surname in Huazhou, but it is one of the most unpopular compound surnames in the world, but it is indeed a Han surname.During the Three Kingdoms period, Cheng Gongying, a general, had this surname.Cheng Gongsui, a litterateur in the Southern and Northern Dynasties, also had this surname, and at the same time came from the school of Huazhou.But compared with the seven surnames and ten families, they are still like fireflies.

There were lanterns and festoons in front of Chenggong's mansion, and the sound of gongs and drums was to welcome the imperial envoys who came to Huazhou to deliver food.

Bai Ting heard the thin young man snort coldly: "Ma Ziliang is so courageous."

Bai Ting's expression changed.Ma Ziliang was the name of the official who came to deliver food.This time, Wang Hua came to Seventeen Prefectures to release food for disaster relief and appease the victims. Because of the vast area, the imperial court also dispatched some six doctors, Yuanwailang, and supervisory censors to assist him in his work.

Ma Ziliang was a doctor in the household department, and he was also a relatively senior official in the group, so Wang Hua went to Bianzhou and asked him to come to Huazhou, which was also severely affected by the disaster, to preside over the disaster.So it can be regarded as an imperial envoy.

But this time Ma Ziliang disregarded the dire straits of the victims and enjoyed the grand hospitality of Huazhou officials, which not only made people doubt his character, but also made people doubt the character of Huazhou officials.This has cast a shadow over the hearts of ordinary people.

But the burly young man immediately smiled and said: "We are in big business and have nothing to do with him, Da Lang, let's go."

Pull him away.

But it seemed that he was also afraid that this thin young man would cause trouble, so the burly young man didn't turn around anymore, and went straight back to Qiufei Baiyufang.

Huazhou was a well-known Wangzhou in the Tang Dynasty, because it was located at the confluence of the Yellow River and the Yongji Canal of the Grand Canal, so its commerce was prosperous.It also produces the famous square weave silk, Huazhou yarn, Huazhou silk, and specialties such as rice mat and wild jujube.

This strong commercial atmosphere has also stimulated the development of inns, restaurants, and brothels. As the largest brothel in Huazhou, Qiu Fei Bai Yu Fang covers an area of ​​nearly [-] mu. In addition to countless young and beautiful girls, there are also Each courtyard has beautiful scenery and deep pavilions. Xiangba Courtyard is not only a place for entertainment, but also a high-end hotel.Just live in it, nothing is needed.

Go in, turn around a small stone bridge, and you will arrive at Xiaheyuan.

The burly young man suddenly pointed to a small yard full of purple flowers, and said: "Miss Baiting, where is the place, I like those flowers very much."

Hearing what the burly young man said, the thin young man also turned his eyes away.Sure enough, through the iron fence of the locked courtyard gate, one can vaguely see countless purple flowers blooming inside, red like fire, white like snow, and purple like clouds.

He turned his face and smiled at the burly young man, "Erlang, you have sharp eyes."

As he said that, he walked over and looked through the gaps in the fence. In addition to large areas of purple flowers, there were also large areas of emerald bamboos in the corner, which were green and pleasing under the sunshine of July.

There is also a rockery and a small pool inside, and behind the rockery is a small building.But it surprised him, this is a small courtyard with beautiful scenery, it seems that no one has lived in it for a long time, the scenery is very beautiful, but the small building is gray, it seems that no one has cleaned it for a long time.

He called out to the burly young man with a strange expression: "Erlang, come and take a look."

The burly young man walked over and had a strange expression on his face when he saw it.

But the expressions of Bai Ting and Bai Ju suddenly changed.Bai Ting walked over and immediately pulled them back, saying: "You two gentlemen, don't approach that courtyard. It's a cursed place."

"A cursed place?" The thin young man became even more curious.

Bai Ju was also trembling, nodded and said: "Yes, if you get close to it, you may be cursed, or even die inexplicably."

Speaking of a gust of wind blowing here, even though they were under the scorching sun and everyone was standing under the thick shade, this gust of cold wind blowing on their bodies immediately produced a gloomy feeling on their bodies.

(End of this chapter)