Chapter 19 Recruitment plan

At first, he didn't want others to share his worries, but at this point, Hu Xueyan alone could not eliminate the possible disasters, so he could only speak out his concerns.Qiu Fengyan has the foresight and experience, but it's not that bad. Liu Bucai used to be a dandy, but now he has become a material for the Qing Dynasty. His complexion changed drastically, even Huang Yinbao was forgotten. When Hu Xueyan saw him like this, he quickly comforted him, patted him on the back and said, "It's none of your business, you and Lao Qiu sit and guard Suzhou." "It's none of my business, and I don't worry about you going!"

"That's not bad." Qiu Fengyan said, "It's my business, I have no reason to sit idle." "Forget it, forget it!" Hu Xueyan hurriedly stopped in front, "I don't have time to argue with you, it's important to do things now, you have to listen to me, don't get confused." This is the so-called disobedience, Qiu Fengyan and Liu Bucai dare not speak again.So Hu Xueyan estimated the situation again, and analyzed three situations and three difficulties. The three situations are: first, Yu Wucheng cooperates with Hong Yang to dispatch troops and generals, and the arrangement is ready, and he can't help himself, and he is invisibly coerced; It's just a severance fee, which is quite considerable; the last situation is exactly what everyone hopes, Yu Wucheng can just say no to it, and at most return the received remuneration to the other party.

"Always plan for the worst. It's the first case, and I have an idea." Qiu Fengyan hesitated for a while, "Old Hu, tell me first, what are the three difficulties?" "The first is the Yu family's friendship. The third mother-in-law of Yu is really powerful. Now this 'wet cloth shirt' seems to be put on me in a daze. It is the biggest difficulty that I have to take care of Yu Wucheng everywhere." "Yes." Qiu Fengyan nodded deeply, "It's not just the Yu family's friendship, it also involves the Songjiang Cao Gang. No matter what, this friendship must be preserved."

"I think so too. So I initially have such a plan. If it is the first situation, at least try to get Yu Wucheng out of the game, regardless of which side." "You mean, if Lai Hanying must act recklessly, we should deal with it ourselves?" "Yes! We need to find a reason for Yu Wucheng, so that he must be allowed to withdraw." "It's easy to think about. The difficult thing is how do we deal with it ourselves?" Qiu Fengyan said, "According to what I saw at that time, we had to call in soldiers to protect our luck." "The difficulty is here. It's not easy to recruit soldiers at the moment, so I hired them. The green camp's bosses are also difficult to serve. They need money for setting up camp, money for setting up camp, money for leaving the team, compensation for death in battle, and even more money for victory rewards—— "

"Forget it, forget it!" Qiu Fengyan waved his hands again and again, "This road is blocked! There is no need to talk about it." "Then let's talk about the third difficulty. For example, if it can be settled peacefully, their people will either withdraw or be dismissed. Of course, we have to raise a sum of money to send them over. Money is the second priority. If someone sues us and says we are 'collaborators', This charge is no joke!" Qiu Fengyan was shocked, "I didn't think of this level." He was relieved when he woke up from a nightmare, "It's thanks to you thinking deeply!"

Liu Bucai, who hadn't spoken for a long time beside him, was troubled by what he heard, and couldn't help interjecting: "It's hard to hear from you! Could it be that you are really helpless?" "Tell me, what's the best way? The matter is really difficult!" Qiu Fengyan looked at Hu Xueyan, "Old Hu, I think I can only follow my way, and it will be solved once and for all." He deliberately didn't say anything, leaving time for people to guess.But even with Hu Xueyan's brains, he had no choice but to retreat: "Old Qiu, tell me! Let's see what kind of tricks you have in the dead chess?"

"According to me, take this ticket and return it!" He said with his Beijing accent, "The uncle is no longer playing! Let's see if they still have something to do?" "Well, what's that called?" Liu Bucai, who was used to joking with him, mocked sharply, "Your idea is a little bit bad before the weather is hot!" "Third Master, that's not what you said! The idea can be unexpected, but it's high-minded. It's true. It's not bad to let them spend their own efforts to vain. However, for the sake of being wise and safe, you don't want meritorious deeds, but you don't want merit, but you might as well do this .Now, we are fighting the world, so we must not back down like this. Face matters!"

This face is related to Hu Xueyan's reputation, Qiu Fengyan's future, and Wang Youling's reputation.It must be stretched.After all, we still have to follow Hu Xueyan's method, first find a reason to let Yu Wucheng get out of the matter, and then make a reason based on the situation in the second step. "This reason is too easy to find!" Qiu Fengyan said, "Yu Wucheng is a filial son, and everyone in the world knows it. Now the old lady says no, so she says no! Yu Wucheng's mother's life is hard to break, isn't it a good reason?" Before Hu Xueyan could answer, four more Ma Bian appeared, and then Yu Shaowu came in accompanied by a man. This man had a very strange appearance, with a round face, his eyebrows, eyes and nose were very close together, and he was sixty years old. , a shriveled mouth shrunk up, the more it appeared that the facial features were indistinguishable, it was unbearably funny.

"Uncle Shi, let me introduce you to someone, my elder brother Yang Fengmao." Seeing that Yang Fengmao was quite old, Hu Xueyan always regarded him as Yu Shaowu's father, but now he heard that he was a "big brother", and he knew that he was Yu Wucheng's apprentice who "opened the mountain gate". So I hurried up and took his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, it's a pleasure to meet you!" Unexpectedly, although Yang Fengmao is old, his waist and feet are extremely light and strong, while saying "dare not", he knelt down and kowtowed.Hu Xueyan thanked him humbly, but Yang Fengmao "continued his efforts" and paid big respects to both Qiu Fengyan and Liu Bucai.

"How do you say that?" Hu Xueyan was very uneasy, "It's hard for us to talk like this." "Our third mother-in-law told me that seeing Master Hu and his friends is like seeing Master." Yang Fengmao lowered his hands and said, "Master Hu, the third mother-in-law sent me to Songjiang with you." Looking around, it seems very hesitant. Hu Xueyan understood what he meant, the most important secret in Jianghu, there are some things that even family members and father and son can't tell each other.Although Qiu and Liu were present to hear the news together, they would never leak it, but since Yang Fengmao has some scruples about "there are many tendons in the linen, it is better to have a private conversation."

So he beckoned and said, "Brother Yang, let's take a step to talk!" "Apologize, apologise!" Yang Fengmao bowed again to Qiu Fengyan and Liu Bucai, and then followed Hu Xueyan to the suite. The place was too small, and the two of them sat on the edge of the bed and talked. "Master Hu! The third mother-in-law told me that although Master Hu is outside the 'threshold', he is just like one of his own people. He takes care of me and speaks without politeness. What can I say? So, I have an honest sentence, and I don't know whether I should say it or not. ?” This kind of greeting comes first, so we know that the phrase "to be honest" will not be very pleasant.It's just that Hu Xueyan doesn't like to listen to sweet talk so much, so he nodded and said, "It doesn't matter! Just say it." "I've also inquired. Mr. Hu is a great person. However, the threshold of the road is like a mountain. There are some things that Mr. Hu may not pass through." Yang Fengmao paused and said, "It's best not to get involved in the affairs of the world. , once you touch it, it's like singing an opera, you won't be allowed to shrink back when you get out of the game." "I know. This play doesn't allow me not to sing, even if the audience sings booing, I will finish it." "Now this play is not easy to sing, 'Nine Watches with Rolling Nailboard'!" Yang Fengmao said sincerely, "It's better not to sing if you can." Upon hearing this, Hu Xueyan became wary.Yu Wucheng wanted to move those foreign guns. Obviously, Yang Fengmao was also involved in the matter, and in terms of their relationship, he must be an important role.Although the third mother-in-law is extremely beautiful, and Yu Shaowu is quite frank, they are all outsiders. Only Yang Fengmao in front of him is the person who has a lot to do with the success or failure of his trip. It is clear, but we should deal with it well. Therefore, he replied very cautiously: "Thank you for your kindness, brother. I have no choice but to go, not to mention 'Jiu Geng Tian', even 'Tour Ten Palaces'. Granny Cheng thinks highly of me, and when I sing this play, I always have to take care of her elderly." This confession seems to be soft but hard, meaning that regardless of the third mother-in-law's face, she has to face it head-on and make it clear.As for the common saying "people carry people in flower sedan chairs", it is the other way around: "I respect the third mother-in-law so much, are you so embarrassed to let me get off?" Yang Fengmao is Yu Wucheng's most effective helper, he is well-informed and has read a few books, so he wanted to test Hu Xueyan first, to see if he is a person who is worthy enough to withstand strong winds and waves?If it's not useful, or if it's useful, it's half-baked, then you have other plans.After trying it out now, I am quite impressed, so I treat each other wholeheartedly. "Uncle Hu!" He changed his title, "Since you are always considerate of us and willing to take responsibility, then I will tell the truth from the bottom of my heart. The matter is quite troublesome." Sure enough, it was the first scenario Hu Xueyan estimated.Of course, this is also due to Yu Wucheng's impatience. He felt that he had lost his territory in Zhenjiang. Boat. "Uncle Hu," Yang Fengmao said, "my master can't help himself now. People belong to them, and all the arrangements are also theirs, but it's just a signboard of my master to block their true colors." "Then I don't understand. Could it be that they sent people from Zhenjiang and Yangzhou? Are you afraid that the officers and soldiers will know about the encirclement and suppression?" "It's up to my master to help them cover it up." Yang Fengmao replied, "There are not many people from Zhenjiang and Yangzhou, and most of them are from the Small Knife Society. Zhou Lichun's people had already dispersed, but now they have gathered It's coming together." "What if your master doesn't cover them?" Hu Xueyan asked, "What will happen then?" "Because I can't live in this area." This is the reason why the other party insisted on tying Yu Wucheng.The thing is obvious, Yu Wucheng is riding a tiger, even if he can jump off his back, he will inevitably get the reputation of betraying his own people.This is the most important point in the Jianghu, so whether Granny Yu's words are effective, and whether Yu Wucheng can always be a filial and obedient son are all doubtful. If you think so, you might as well say it first: "'Eat a piece of radish and peel it off', I think the first step is to let your master jump out of the right and wrong, and not help in any aspect. This can always be done, right? " "Then do it and watch." "how?" "If you don't let go of that aspect, you will definitely turn your face." Yang Fengmao said, "If you turn your face, it can be settled once and for all. Come on, the right and wrong are bigger." That is to say, after jumping off the tiger's back, the tiger still barks its teeth and claws. How to beat the tiger is still a difficult problem.At this time of thorns and thorns everywhere, Hu Xueyan had an idea and unconsciously said a word. "Be a tiger-subduing arhat and subdue it!" Yang Fengmao didn't understand his words, and asked in amazement: "Uncle Hu! What are you talking about?" Only then did Hu Xueyan come to his senses, and he mumbled to himself, "Oh," he said with a smile, "I think about what's on my mind. There may be a way to go, and I think this way is probably the only way." "As long as we can go, we will go as hard as we can. Uncle Hu, tell me!" Hu Xueyan calmed down and replied: "I am 'Kongzi', and it is taboo to speak out, but—" "Oh, Uncle Hu!" Yang Fengmao was a little impatient, "We didn't take you for nothing. Uncle Hu, why do you have to confess your love?" "Okay! Then I'll tell the truth." Hu Xueyan recalled the old man's words, and spoke calmly, "I also know a little about the origin of your Cao Gang. You all valued it when Hong Yang started. How could you know what Changmao did? They are neither fish nor fowl, and are completely inconsistent with the principles of the sages in the Bible. It can be said that you are acting against the sky, and you will definitely not succeed. They are in their hands. One day you will be liberated, and you will have a way of life. Are you saying this to me?" "Yes!" Yang Fengmao nodded deeply, and said sadly, "My master acted recklessly this time." "Crooked strikes can be directed! Dude," Hu Xueyan said, stroking his back, "I will think of a way for you master and apprentice! I also know a little about the situation of the Little Knife Club, and Zhou Lichun and his group are only for a while. I'm scratching my head, why don't I regret it in my heart? It's just that I can't find a way to correct the evil. Now I have to rely on you two. I mean, since the scattered people under Zhou Lichun have gathered, why don't you use them? come over?" Hearing this, Yang Fengmao's shriveled mouth closed even tighter, so that his chin turned up, his eyes blinked violently, but they were bright, showing both confusion and joy. "Uncle Hu, you mean the group of 'recruiting security'?" "That's right!" Hu Xueyan said, "Lai Hanying's long hair, it would be best if they are willing to come here together, otherwise you can just fuck off, and you are doing them a favor!" Yang Fengmao felt that Hu Xueyan's approach was very peaceful.Thinking about it further, even if Yu Wucheng can withdraw and become an outsider, it is only superficially so. In fact, he must not stay out of the matter. If the government and army siege and things get serious, the world will criticize him for not being enough friends.So this is the only way to deal with it. Take a step back and say, recruiting security failed, he finally did his best for his friend, and he has an explanation to the world. Having figured out these principles, he immediately respected Hu Xueyan like a god, stood up and kowtowed.Hu Xueyan was shocked, and hurriedly avoided, took him by the arm and said, "Why, why, I did this for no reason!" "Uncle Hu, you have saved my master's family. I'm afraid you don't know it. The third mother-in-law has never felt sorry for her for decades. This time, she was so anxious that she couldn't sleep. In Suzhou, we are tourists. This matter If things start to break out, they will be involved in exile and decapitation! Besides, her old man loves her grandson, and Shaowu is a military officer of the imperial court. My master has done this, and the rumors have ruined Shaowu's future? It's all right now! But "Yang Fengmao said with a smile again, "You always send the Buddha to the west, I know you always have friendship with He Xuetai, and you have to rely on your strength to recruit security." Then he made another big bow. Hu Xueyan never thought of He Guiqing.Now when Yang Fengmao reminded me, I immediately shouted in my heart: Wonderful!He Guiqing paid a lot of money to talk about military affairs on paper. It is a great achievement to be able to accomplish this now, and it will be of great help to his activities in Beijing.From this point of view, my own idea, in all fairness, is not bad at all. So he replied straightforwardly: "One word! If you don't do such a good thing, what else do you do!" "Thank you, Uncle Hu!" Yang Fengmao's face turned serious, "I'm at your old errands." Hu Xueyan was the most obedient, and realized that this was an ironic statement to express modesty, but in fact Yang Fengmao had something to say, so he replied: "The matter is that you master and apprentice take the lead, as long as I can do my best, I will never be lazy. You are welcome, what should I do please assign." "Then I'm going to be presumptuous! I think, first of all, only you and I always know that." "Of course!" Hu Xueyan said, "Your Yang family's church is called 'Four Knowledges'. Heaven knows, Earth knows, you know, and I know." "Yes. Second, I think I'll go first and ask Uncle Hu to listen to my news before going to see He Xuetai." "That's for sure. Only when that party nods can we discuss further terms." "You always understand best, so I don't need to say more." Yang Fengmao said, "I will go to see my master right away, and I will definitely come back within a day and night at most." "I'm afraid your master is in Songjiang, so we can go together." "No! Not in Songjiang." Where is it not in Songjiang?If he didn't say anything, it would be inconvenient for Hu Xueyan to ask, but he was clear in his heart that Yang Fengmao must know Yu Wucheng's whereabouts.It is said that he will be able to return within a day and night at most, so the hiding place will never be far away. "It's not too late. I'm leaving now." Yang Fengmao solemnly urged, "Uncle Hu! Please don't go away tomorrow morning no matter what. I'll definitely get a letter when I'm not around." When Yang Fengmao left, Qiu Fengyan naturally wanted to ask about the conversation.Hu Xueyan kept the agreement, didn't utter a word, just smiled and said: "You can accompany Mr. Liu to hold that 'silver ingot'. After eating a few tables of flower wine, there will be good news." Qiu Fengyan was relieved, and happily followed Liu Bucai away.Hu Xueyan calmed down by himself, and thought about the situation before and after, and felt that he was on the right path, whether he was going through it or not, and at this time tomorrow, he could see the difference, so let's not worry about it.There is a whole day in front of me, time is like gold, it should not be wasted, just in time to figure out what Pan's family entrusts, and sister Aqiao's life. Now I have to find Zhou Ming.The strange thing is that I didn't see him in the morning, so I had to leave a message. If he came, let him wait at Jinchangzhan, and then go to the city in a sedan chair to visit He Guiqing first. As soon as the famous post was put in, He Guiqing invited him to the study and greeted him with great hospitality. Naturally, he wanted to ask: Why did you come to Suzhou again? "There are a few things that need to be visited before they can be sorted out. One of them was ordered by Mr. Yun, and it is almost done." "Oh!" He Guiqing asked happily, "What kind of person is it?" "Virtue is middle-class, appearance is top-notch, and only then is top-notch. In the future, you will be considerate and courteous, and you will definitely have nothing to say." Because sister Aqiao had taken a fancy to He Guiqing, Hu Xueyan expected that she would be very docile when she entered the He family. So boast about such a seaport at this time. Of course He Guiqing believed what he said, overjoyed, couldn't help but rubbed his hands together and said, "Can we meet?" "Please calm down, Mr. Yun." Hu Xueyan said with a smile, "Whenever we arrive in Shanghai, we can meet right away." After all, he is a senior member of the second rank, so it is inconvenient for him to be impatient, so He Guiqing could only force himself to suppress his itching heart, and answered with composure: "The weather is getting hot soon. Traveling in the hot summer is a big hardship, I think Let's go earlier. Count the days, and there will be a decree in these few days." "In this way, we can always leave in the middle of May." "correct." "Then I will make an agreement with Duke Yun for a period of five months, how about it?" "Okay. I will also make arrangements according to this day." He Guiqing said again, "I will do for you what you entrusted to me. Pan Shuya is not a bad person, and we often have contacts now. In his favor, we often I have a legacy, I want to thank you, I am your friend in face, it seems disrespectful, so I have to be ashamed." In the words, he is willing to condescend to make a friend like Pan Shuya, and Pan Shuya's respect for him is from "often There are often exchanges, and there are often gifts." These words are clearly expressed.Hu Xueyan's original intention was to win them over for them, so of course he was relieved to hear He Guiqing's words. According to the rules, he also needs to express something, "Mr. Yun loves Wu and Wu, I really feel the same way." He cupped his hands and said. "Where, where!" He Guiqing was thinking in his heart, it's really called "I haven't seen you for three days, and I've seen you with admiration". There are not many days apart, and he will lose the text if I don't think about it!Although it is a cliché on the ruler tablet, it is still very valuable. Thinking about it this way, he smiled again: "Brother Xueyan, once upon a time, your way of speaking was very different, which is very gratifying." Hu Xueyan was slightly embarrassed, "Make Duke Yun laugh at you!" He turned sharply and said, "There is something I want to ask Duke Yun for advice." Then, he looked at the footman standing at the door. It was something urgent to say, so He Guiqing ordered the servant to avoid it, and then switched from the opposite side to Hu Xueyan's lower head, turned his head sideways, and waited for him to speak. "I want to ask Mr. Yun one thing," Hu Xueyan said in a low voice. "Now there are a group of people who were confused for a while and wronged the officers and soldiers. They really want to correct their mistakes. I wonder if the court can give them a road to reform?" "Why not? This is a great thing!" He Guiqing was very excited, "Where are these people from?" When asked about this, Hu Xueyan of course refused to tell the truth, "I was also entrusted by others, and I was very cautious in doing things, and I refused to disclose the details. However, the person who entrusted me is someone I can trust. I also feel that This is a good thing, and I thought that Duke Yun is a man of courage and willingness to do things, so I came here to ask for advice." He paused and said, "Now I want to ask Mr. Yun for a word, is this possible? What are the regulations for appeasement rewards?" "Generally, they are the subjects of the imperial court. If they can repent and turn over a new leaf, the imperial court will naturally be gracious, so the appeasement and rewards are all ordered to the border officials and deal with it in a timely manner." He Guiqing added, "Why do I ask where these people are? It depends on who is in charge. If it is to the west of Suzhou, Changzhou, Zhen and Yang areas, and belongs to the two camps of Jiangnan and Jiangbei, it is difficult for Yi Zhitai to ask. If it is to the east of Suzhou, Xu Zhongcheng is the same year as me. I can tell him that everyone Everything is easy." Hearing this, Hu Xueyan secretly rejoiced, "Then, I will report back to Duke Yun after I have asked the question clearly. However," Hu Xueyan asked tentatively, "I think recruiting is always done by an official with a salary. Duke Yun, Don't you think so?" "It's a must for the officials. It depends on the number of people in that area and how the firearms are. If they are reorganized into the army, they must be assigned a considerable amount of official positions. As for the salary, it can only be paid once when you come here, and it will be returned later. Whoever controls it will have his own 'grain platform' to coordinate distribution." The same is true of what Hu Xueyan imagined.It's just that the awarding of officials and payment of salaries is still in the second step. First of all, there is a sentence that has a very important relationship, so we have to ask clearly. "Duke Yun," he purposely put on a heavy expression of worry, "I heard that in some places, people just throw away their weapons and caress them, but in the end they were fooled and regret it. I wonder if there is such a thing?" "You mean 'kill surrender'?" He Guiqing shook his head, "Killing surrender is inauspicious, and there are ancient instructions. You entrust this matter to me, even if you don't tell me, I must be careful. Think about it, I have no chance Why did you commit this evil for no reason? Besides, how can I explain to you?" "Yes! Yes!" Hu Xueyan hurriedly stood up and made a bow, "Dong Yun's love, I naturally know, I just reminded Yun Gong." "It's your business. I have nothing to complain about. However, this matter must be done quickly, and I won't be able to control it if it is too late." "I understand that within these two or three days, there must be ups and downs in this matter. But there is one more thing, I must first ask Yungong for understanding." Hu Xueyan said, "People came to entrust me, just to say that there is this matter, please let me know." How, I don't know at all. Maybe there will be some changes, let's just talk about it, and at that time, I beg Duke Yun not to pursue it." "Of course. I won't be a fuss." "I also asked Mr. Yun not to talk about it with anyone." "I know, I know. If this matter is dismissed, I will pretend that I haven't heard from you at all. All in all, I will never cause you trouble." "Mr. Yun is so considerate, there will be more places for me to serve in the future!" There is a deep meaning in this sentence, which means that as long as He Guiqing is willing to obey what he says and not make his own decisions, he will come up with many ways to help He Guiqing get promoted and make a fortune. "I'm going to rely heavily on it." He Guiqing said, "I admire you for being a genius in the shopping mall. A few days ago, I received a long letter from Xuexuan, saying that my brother has helped him a lot. My friendship with Xuexuan is extraordinary. Please treat me like someone who treats Xuexuan!" So I started to talk about the past again, and the talk was endless.Many guests came to visit, and He Guiqing ordered the servants to sit in the flower hall, but he refused to show up for a long time, and entertained Hu Xueyan himself. This made the guests very uneasy, and at the same time, because there were still many things to take care of, they left again and again, but the host kept asking him to stay, and in the end he wanted to keep it for dinner, but Hu Xueyan refused no matter what.By the time he got away and resigned, the sun was almost setting. When the bearer asked for directions, Hu Xueyan was a little hesitant. Logically, he wanted to go and see the third mother-in-law, but he was afraid that it would be inconvenient when it got dark.If you go back to Jinchang Inn, you don't need to enter the city again after leaving the city. It would be a pity to waste the night in the inn.In a dilemma, I thought of a third place to visit Pan Shuya. However, it seems that there is a lack of politeness when visiting a guest in the dark, and one has to think carefully about how to deal with the matter entrusted to him, and it is better not to meet in a hurry. Then he thought of the fourth destination, "Hello!" He asked the bearer, "There is a famous girl named Huang Yinbao, do you know where she lives?" The bearer smiled apologetically, "I don't know." "Where are most of the Tangzi in Suzhou?" "Most are in Shantang. Dingjia Lane in Shangtang is the most." The bearer suggested, "We will take Mr. Hu there and ask about it." Every family went to visit Yan, Hu Xueyan felt that there was no such thing as leisure time, so there was no need.And just found it, it's nothing more than having a meal of flowers and wine with Qiu Fengyan, and it can't do anything serious.Thinking about it this way, he made up his mind and decided to go back to the inn. As soon as he arrived at Jinchangzhan, he saw Zhou Yiming head-on, and when he saw Hu Xueyan, he felt like a treasure, "Mr. Hu, Mr. Hu!" He said, "I've been waiting for you all afternoon." Before Hu Xueyan could answer, he saw another young man flashing out, tall and fair, extremely decent, with a very delicate face, and a bit of makeup, Hu Xueyan felt as if he had seen it somewhere before, and was stunned for a moment, forgetting spoke. "His name is Fushan." Zhou Yiming said, "He is sister Aqiao's brother." "No wonder!" Hu Xueyan suddenly realized, "I said you look familiar, as if you've seen her before! That's not bad, you look a lot like your sister." Fukuyama was a little shy, "Master Hu!" The Suzhou dialect was more smug, and then he knelt down and kowtowed. "Please get up, please get up!" Fushan was specially taken care of by his sister, and he had to kowtow. Hu Xueyan dragged him up and was very happy, but he didn't know whether it was because of Fushan's good looks, or because of his love for Wu. "I went to Mudu early in the morning. I specially brought him out to meet Mr. Hu." Zhou Ming said. "Strange way, I won't wait for you in the morning." Hu Xueyan then turned to Fushan and asked, "How old are you this year?" "Nineteen." "Learned about the cloth shop business?" "yes." "How long has it been?" Hu Xueyan asked, "Have you completed your teacher?" "It's been a year since I've been a teacher." Only two sentences were asked, but there were three discrepancies.Hu Xueyan has an excellent memory, remembering what Sister Aqiao told him, so he asked, "Isn't your nickname Ah Shun?" "Yes." Fukuyama replied, "I went to a cloth shop to learn business, and the boss called me Fukuyama, so he called me." "I remember your sister said that you are eighteen years old, and you haven't completed your teacher yet." "I am nineteen. My sister remembers wrongly." "Then, if you are full of teachers and dissatisfied with teachers, your sister will never remember wrongly?" "It can be said that the teacher is full, or it can be said that he is dissatisfied with the teacher." Zhou Yiming explained on his behalf, "He has completed his studies, and as usual he has to 'help the teacher for three years', and he has not been able to help the teacher." "Is it all done now?" Hu Xueyan looked at Zhou Yiming and asked. "It's already been done." Zhou Ming replied, "'Guan Shu' has been brought back." "That's good." Hu Xueyan asked Fushan again, "Your sister entrusted you to me, but I want to ask you, what do you want to do?" "I want to invite Master Hu—" "Don't call me master!" Hu Xueyan interrupted him, "Just call me sir." "Oh!" Fukuyama also felt that being called "Master" was inconvenient, so he readily responded, "Sir!" "You are a student of the cloth business, so you know everything about silk and satin?" "Knowledge is knowledge. But that cloth shop is not big, and there are not many goods, and some expensive silks and satins have never been seen before." "That's okay, I'll take you to Shanghai, and you'll see it naturally." Hu Xueyan added, "The most important thing to do business is to have an abacus." "His calculation is good." Zhou Ming interjected, "Hurry up!" "Oh, I'll put you to the test. You sit down with your abacus." When Fushan was ready, Hu Xueyan came up with a question casually, four pieces of cloth totaled ten taels of silver, and the size of each piece of cloth was different, four zhang seven, five zhang six, three zhang two, four zhang nine. silver?He spoke quickly, intending to test Fushan's wisdom as well as his abacus.If these long-winded numbers can be remembered clearly after listening to them, it is a material that can be made. Fushan lived up to expectations, with his five fingers fluttering, he moved the abacus beads crisply and fluently, and he knew he was a good hand just by hearing the sound of "big beads and small beads falling on the jade plate".When the sound stopped, he reported the result: "The four pieces of cloth total a total of 184 feet, and the total price is 12 taels. Each foot equals to 5 cents, 4 cents, 3 silk, and 4 suddenly hanging zero." Hu Xueyan repeated the abacus himself, and it was really good. He was very satisfied, so he nodded and said: "You can learn how to do business. However, just because you have a good memory and a quick abacus, you can't do other things, you can only do it." Small business. Doing big business is a different skill, and you can’t talk about it for a while. You follow me, and you will gradually understand. Today I will tell you a word: If you want to eat well, you must keep your word. So before you agree to others , you have to think for yourself first, can you do it, can’t you do it? If you can’t do it, you can’t promise others, and if you promise others, you must do it.” He said all the way, Fushan nodded deeply all the way, and when Hu Xueyan finished speaking, he replied respectfully: "I remember it!" "Are you familiar with Suzhou City?" "Not familiar in the city." "So, what about Shantang?" "It's familiar from the mountain pond." Fukuyama asked, "Where is the mountain pond, sir?" "I'm not going by myself. I want to ask you to go. There is a girl named Huang Yinbao. I have two friends there. One is Qiu and the other is Liu. What are they doing there? Come back and tell me." Hu Xueyan then said, "Don't let them know that someone is asking about them." "Oh!" Fukuyama agreed very calmly, stood up, seemed to hesitate a little, but finally left quickly. When his back disappeared, Zhou Yiming said in a slightly disapproving tone: "Mr. Hu, I know you are testing his 'outfield' skills, but it is not suitable for him to go to that kind of place for a young man like him! " "Are you afraid that he will fall into the 'Ecstasy Formation'?" Hu Xueyan said with a smile, "It doesn't matter! I think he has been in the 'Ecstasy Formation' for a while. I’m not familiar with the way.” After a pause, he continued, “It’s better to enter the flower bushes when you are young than to enter the flowers when you are old. I am different from others in employing people. Others want to be young and mature. After seeing the process, when it comes to a critical moment, you will not be obsessed with being fooled." Zhou Yiming had never heard of this point of view, so he had nothing to answer for a while, but after thinking about it carefully, it seemed to have some truth.However, he was thinking that young people, who have seen the world, learned how to be mischievous after battles, and it is not easy to control them. "Only Mr. Hu has the ability to support them." Zhou Yiming finally figured it out, "Others dare not act like Mr. Hu." "Yes!" Hu Xueyan expressed his relief, "You understand me now." "However," Zhou Yiming was worried for Fushan again, "he found the Huang family without any money on him, how could he get in through that kind of 'doorway'?" "It depends on his ability. Leave him alone. Let me ask you, how is Sister Aqiao?" "She still lives in Pan's house. She is fat, so she lives comfortably." Zhou Yiming said again, "The matter of Fushan was completed two or three days before you came, Mr. Hu. If you don't come, I will I have brought Fushan back to Shanghai. Please tell Mr. Hu about the current situation." "Hey!" Hu Xueyan shook his head, "Things happened one after another, like a messy hair. If you ask, I can't tell you now. You and Fushan will stay here first." So Zhou Yiming went to the building to make arrangements, and Hu Xueyan leaned on the pillow to sleep alone, thinking about one thing after another, and realized that he had made a huge mistake, so he thought of a sentence: "A gentleman should do his best."One's own foundation, the first is the bank, and the second is silk.There is already a sum of money from Pan Shuya in the bank, and the new silk from Huzhou will be listed again. Is this business still going on this year?How to do it?I have to make up my mind quickly and inform Chen Shilong to do it.This way of meddling in other people's business and delaying the seriousness will be a dead end in the future. So, he made a decisive decision and made a decision. He only waited for Yang Fengmao to come back tomorrow. If the matter was troublesome, he had to follow Qiu Fengyan's method and leave the batch of foreign guns in Shanghai. Seriously, if you can manage your own affairs, you can manage them, and if you can't, you have to leave them behind. When he wanted to stop, he made another plan and appointed people to take care of the nosy things that could be taken care of. The first one was Liu Bucai, who could take care of the Pan family's affairs; the second one was Zhou Zhouming, who could take care of He Guiqing and Ah Miss Qiao's business. The heaviness that has been accumulated in my heart for many days is because of such a flash of thought, and I see lightness.Of course, Liu Bucai and Zhou Yiming would never do better than themselves if they took care of those two nosy affairs for him, so they seemed a bit uneasy.But he was really tired and couldn't care less.My heart skipped a beat, and I remembered two lines of poem I didn't know where I read, and blurted out: "Close the door and push out the moon in front of the window, and tell plum blossoms to stand on their own!" However, there is one of the three nosy things that cannot be ignored. When I concentrate my mind, I can think carefully, thinking in my heart: Why go back to Hangzhou first and then go to Huzhou after traveling so far?From Suzhou to Huzhou, there is a ready-made canal. In terms of location, Suzhou is to the east of Taihu Lake, and Huzhou is to the south of Taihu Lake. It should be a shortcut. "Old Zhou," Hu Xueyan asked him, "How to travel by water from Suzhou to Huzhou?" “胡先生是问运河？”周一鸣答说，“这条路我走过，由苏州到吴江叫北塘河，吴江到平望这一段叫官塘河，到了平望分两支，一支往南到嘉兴叫南塘河，往西经南浔到湖州，就是西塘河，一共一百二十里路。” 于是胡雪岩打定了主意，剪烛磨墨，亲笔写好一封信，封缄完毕，福山也就回来了。 “黄银宝住在下塘水潭头。”福山回报，“刘老爷、裘老爷都在那里，刘先生在推牌九。” “推牌九？”胡雪岩诧异，“跟哪些人在赌？” “都是那里的人，娘姨、小大姐，拥了一屋子。”福山又说，“只有裘老爷一个人在吃酒。” 胡雪岩笑了：“一个酒鬼，一个赌鬼，到哪里都一样。” “福山，”周一鸣问，“你是不是亲眼看见的？怎么晓得是他们两位？” 福山脸一红，“那里有个'相帮'，我认识，”他说，“是我们木渎人，我托他领我进去看的。” 这就见得胡雪岩说他“在迷魂阵里闯过一阵”的话，有点道理了。周一鸣笑笑不响。胡雪岩却对福山夸奖了两句。 “你倒蛮能干，在外面自己会想办法，很好，很好！”接着又问，“湖州，你去过没有？” “没有去过。”福山刚受了鼓励，因而自告奋勇，“不过没有去过也不要紧，胡先生有啥事，我去好了。” “你替我去送封信。地址在信面上，那个人你叫他郁四叔好了。讨了回信，立刻回来。”说着，胡雪岩将一封信，十两银子都交了给他，又加了一句话，“穷家富路，多带点，用多少算多少。” 这意思是，盘缠费用，实报实销。周一鸣想指点他一句，转念一想，怕胡雪岩是有意试他，不宜说破，便闭口不语。 于是福山当夜便去打听到湖州的航船，第二天一早就走了。胡雪岩睡得很晚才起身，抖擞精神，等候杨凤毛的消息。趁这空档中，他将阿巧姐与何桂清的好事，如何安排，细细作了交代，接着，刘不才与裘丰言在黄银宝家宿夜归来，少不得又有一番的说笑，这就到了放午炮的时候了。 杨凤毛言而有信，正在他们团团一桌吃午饭的当儿，匆匆赶了回来。 于是主客四人，一起离座，相邀共餐。杨凤毛说是吃了饭来的，胡雪岩便不勉强，依旧是将他延入套房去密谈。 “你啥辰光到的？” “上半天就回来了。在三婆婆那里有几句话要说。”杨凤毛说到这里停了下来，双眼不住地眨，仿佛话很多，不知从哪里说起似的。 这神情让胡雪岩起了戒心，心里在想，他一回来不先到金阊栈，却回俞家去看三婆婆，自然是他们“自己人”有一番不足为外人道的密议。照此看来，彼此还谈不到休戚与共，亲疏远近之间，自己要掌握分寸才好。 “胡大叔，我先说一件事，三婆婆想高攀，请姨太太认在她老人家名下。不知胡大叔肯不肯委屈？” 这一问，大出胡雪岩的意外，不过他的思路快，几个念头电闪般在脑海中印了一下，大致明白了用意，还是因为彼此初交，而所言之事，安危祸福，出入甚大，要结成亲家，变做“自己人”方能放心。 为了公事，胡雪岩自然乐从，为了彼此结交，这也是好事，但他另有一层顾虑，怕芙蓉有了这样一个来头甚大的“干娘”，搞成尾大不掉之局，将来处妻妾之间会有麻烦，因而迟疑着答应不下来。 江湖上讲究见风使舵得快，杨凤毛一看这样子，赶紧说道：“原是妄意高攀，做不到的事——” “不！”胡雪岩深恐引起误会，急忙打断，同时也想到唯有说实话，才能消释猜疑，所以接着说道，“承三婆婆抬爱，我是求之不得。为的是内人是只雌老虎，我亦不敢将小妾带回家去。将来内人有什么悍泼的行为，小妾受了委屈，变得对不起她老人家，所以我不敢答应。” 话说得很老实，也很委婉，杨凤毛当然懂得其中的深意，“胡大叔，说到这一点，你请放心。三婆婆的人情世故熟透熟透！将来只有帮你调停家务，”他使劲摇着手说，“绝不会替干女儿撑腰，让胡大叔为难的。” “既然如此，那我还有什么话说？”胡雪岩放出心满意足的神态，“拣日不如撞日，今天下午，就叫小妾替三婆婆磕头。” “好的！归我来安排。胡大叔，我跟你老实说吧！这样一办，是让我师父好向对方说话。原来一切都安排好了，实在说不出不算数的话来，如今才有话说，是我干妹妹家的事，真正没有法子，只好对不起了！” 胡雪岩这才明白，杨凤毛所以要先回俞家，原是与三婆婆有关，要跟她先说通，这样安排，用心甚苦，也见得俞家的诚意，胡雪岩觉得很安慰。 “那么，”他问，“还有件事，怎么说？” 还有件就是“招安”大事，杨凤毛沉着地说：“我师父自然赞成，不过做起来不容易，好比一条船已经顺流东下，再要掉过头来逆风上行，自然吃力。我师父的意思，是想请胡大叔去见一面，当面详谈。” “好！”胡雪岩毫不迟疑地答应，“你师父此刻在哪里？” “在同里。”杨凤毛问道，“这地方，胡大叔总知道吧？” 胡雪岩自然听说过——吴江县城极小，有人说笑话，东门喊一声“喂”，西门会有人答应，但吴江县属，位处县城东北的同里，却是出名的一个大镇，其地与青浦接壤，是东南鱼米之乡中的菁华，富庶异常。 “原来你师父在同里，怪不得来去不过一天的工夫。”胡雪岩问道，“我们什么时候走？” “明天一早。胡大叔你看如何？” “可以。怎么去法？” “自然是坐船去，归我预备。”杨凤毛又说，“骑马也很方便，沿着一条塘路，一直就到了。” “还是坐船去吧！” “是。”杨凤毛略停了一下又说，“不过有句话，我先要关照你老。对方有几个管事的人，亦都在同里，这批人，胡大叔想不想跟他们见面？” 胡雪岩考虑了一会，毅然答道：“不入虎穴，焉得虎子，我跟他们见见面也可以。” “既然这样，要请胡大叔随缘些，”杨凤毛说，“这批人狂嫖滥赌，不成个玩意，如果肯跟他们混在一起，那就说什么都好办了。” 胡雪岩灵机一动，立即问了出来：“杨老兄，我带个人去行不行？” “那自然可以。”杨凤毛的语气有些勉强，“不知是哪一个？” “自然是极靠得住的自己人，就是外面的那位刘三爷。”胡雪岩说，“我们是亲戚。此公吃着嫖赌，件件精通，赌上面更是个大行家。” “是胡大叔的亲戚，自然不要紧。”杨凤毛站起身来说，“我先去回报三婆婆。” “好的！我等下就去。托你先跟小妾说一声，拜在三婆婆膝下，我很高兴。应该有的规矩，我会预备——” “不！”杨凤毛打断他的话，“三婆婆交代过了，那份重礼已经受之有愧，绝不让胡大叔再破费！” 胡雪岩心想，此刻不必多争，自己这面照规矩办好了。因而含含糊糊地敷衍着，等把杨凤毛送走了，立刻便找裘、刘、周三人商量，好分头办事。 事情很复杂，“招安”一节，还有忌讳，一时说不清楚，他只能要言不烦地交代，首先是让周一鸣进城，备办匹头等物，作为芙蓉孝敬“干娘”的仪礼。其次是关照刘不才收拾行李，预备第二天到同里。最后托裘丰言到俞家，跟七姑奶奶商议芙蓉拜义母的礼节。 “那么你呢？”裘丰言问，“一起到俞家不好吗？” “我另有个要紧地方，非走一趟不可。一会儿找到俞家去好了。” 胡雪岩要去的那个要紧地方，是潘叔雅家。由于杨凤毛的话，触发了他的灵机，预备做一篇“偏锋文章”，在赌上找机会去收服那批草莽豪客，这就得带足了本钱，自己身上只有一万多银票，打算跟潘叔雅去借两万现银。 名帖一投进去，潘叔雅立刻迎了出来，一见面就说：“雪岩，要罚你！到了苏州，为什么不来看我？” “你怎么知道我来了？” “今天上午见着何学使，他告诉我的。” “这就是了！我自然该罚。不过，你老兄也要想想，如果不是为了有迫不得已的事，我去看他干什么？”胡雪岩又说，“本来还不想来打搅你，晓得你们这班阔大爷讨厌无谓的应酬，既然抽不出工夫来陪你们玩，而且各位所委的事，也还没有办妥，何必上门？” 潘叔雅笑了，“话总说不过你。”他又问，“照这样说，今天来是有事？” “是啊！无事不登三宝殿，今天有两桩事奉托，第一，想请你们到同里去捧我一个场——” “你的手真长，”潘叔雅打断他的话说，“伸到同里去做生意捞钱了！” “恰恰相反，不是去捞几文，想去送几个，不然，还不至于来麻烦你。我想到同里去大赌一场。” 这一下潘叔雅才懂了捧场的意味，胡雪岩不是赌客，但不懂他为何路远迢迢跑到同里去大赌一场？“其中总有个道理吧？”他问。 “不错，我要结交几个人，到了同里你就知道了，”胡雪岩紧接着提出第二个要求，“为此想跟你借两万银子，三天以后，等我上海钱到，马上奉还。” “说什么马上马下？”潘叔雅想了想说，“我给你金叶子如何？” “都可以，借金叶子我仍旧还金叶子好了。” 于是潘叔雅借了五百两金叶子给胡雪岩。但到同里捧场，他却不甚有兴趣，“同里的赌风极盛，平常人家，什么儿子周岁，孙子满月，请客一请请三天，也就赌三天。”潘叔雅摇摇头，“龙蛇混杂，我不想去。” “既然如此，我不勉强。”胡雪岩说，“等我这趟回来，如果事情顺利，陪你们好好赌一场。此外还有个人要替你们引见，此人极有趣，跟你们几位一定玩得来。你们几位托办的事，我也交给他了。一切都等我从同里回来再谈。” “好！专候大驾。”潘叔雅又问，“要不要跟那位见见面？” 这是指阿巧姐，胡雪岩早就打好了主意的，立即答道：“不必，不必！我晓得她住在府上，人都胖了。心广体胖，日子过得很舒服，我放心得很。” 说完胡雪岩随即告辞，先回金阊栈，将金叶子锁了在箱子里。接着，周一鸣也回来了，办来极丰盛的仪礼，胡雪岩一一检视，认为满意。于是由周一鸣押着礼物，跟在他的轿子后面，一起进城。 一到俞家，俞少武开大门迎接，抬头望到里面，大厅上已高烧一对红烛，燃着寿字香，桌椅都换上红缎平金的围椅披，檐前还挂着四盏簇新的宫灯，一派喜气洋洋，布置得像个寿堂。 芙蓉还不曾替三婆婆行礼，俞少武倒已经改了口，“姑夫！”他这样喊着，“一切都布置好了，只等你老来了，行个仪式。” 到得里面一看，大厅两厢，高朋满座，裘丰言被奉为上客，好些人陪着谈话，一看胡雪岩自然转移了目标。看这样子，三婆婆对收这干女儿，视作一件大事。胡雪岩一面敷衍应酬，一面心里在琢磨，到底是她跟芙蓉投缘，还是另有用意？ 这个疑问一时无从解答，只好先随缘应酬着，找个空隙跟俞少武说：“我先到后面跟老人家去请个安。” “奶奶也在等姑夫。”俞少武说，“我陪了你老进去。” 道声“得罪”，胡雪岩跟着俞少武进了中门，里面也是布置得一片喜气。七姑奶奶笑嘻嘻地迎了出来，绿袄黑裙，鬓边簪一朵深红色极大的茶花，衬着她那皓皓白雪的肌肤，浓艳异常，见了胡雪岩先福一福道贺：“小爷叔，恭喜，恭喜！” “不敢当！”胡雪岩拱手答礼，“这两天多亏你照应。” “小爷叔！”七姑奶奶心急，不及等待三婆婆，就有话要说，“你请过来！” 胡雪岩立即就想到，她要说的话，必是在见三婆婆以前就该知道的，所以遥遥以目致了歉意，然后跟着七姑奶奶到了一边。 “小爷叔！”她轻声说道，“事情要当做芙蓉阿姨从小就认了三婆婆做干娘。” “光棍一点就透”，这是为了便于俞武成好说话，若非如此，则认亲一举，显然就是有意装扮出来的一出戏。所以胡雪岩连声答道：“我懂，我懂！” “三婆婆今天把压箱底的私房钱，掏出来请客，晚上场面热闹得很——” “啊！”这一下提醒了胡雪岩，抢着问道，“七姐，我正要问你，今天场面好像很隆重。到底是三婆婆喜欢芙蓉，还是另有用意？” “两样都有。一则替阿姨热闹热闹，再则要叫江湖上传出一句话去，三婆婆收了干女儿。” “啊！啊！”胡雪岩说道，“真正是姜是老的辣。” 说完，随着七姑奶奶一起进了堂屋，三婆婆跟芙蓉是一样打扮，大红宁绸夹袄，月白裙子，簇簇生新，看上去像是连夜赶制而成的。 胡雪岩为了捧三婆婆，也抬举芙蓉的身份，直截了当便叫：“干娘！”这一叫三婆婆高兴，芙蓉更高兴。有这样一个江湖上赫赫有名的俞三婆婆做干娘，在她是个极大的安慰，心里不舒服的是，不是正室，像今天这种日子，竟不能穿红裙。三婆婆体贴干女儿，却又不能乱了世俗规矩，特意跟七姑奶奶商量，找了四个女裁缝来，搭起案被，连夜做了这么一式两套衣服，叫人一望而知是母女，这已使得芙蓉感激不已，如今再听得胡雪岩跟着自己一样称呼，泯灭了偏房的痕迹，自然越发高兴。 “胡老爷！”三婆婆笑得眼睛眯成一条缝，“我就高攀托大了，以后称你'姑爷'。”她紧握着芙蓉的手说，“姑爷，从今更是一家人了。武成的事，你总要放在心上。” “当然，不但大哥的事，少武的事，我也不能不管。” 这些都不是寻常的应酬。胡雪岩意会到这是一出做给江湖朋友看的戏，跟俞三婆婆桴鼓相应，每句话都应付得严丝合缝，滴水不漏，一切仪节，也是庄肃隆重，顺顺利利地行过了礼，随即开筵，一共有十二桌人。胡雪岩在裘丰言“保驾”之下，依次敬酒，应酬得十分周到。 盛筵结束，继之以赌，摇摊，牌九，一应俱全。这时候胡雪岩可不上场了，由杨凤毛陪着，进中门去跟俞三婆婆辞行。 “干娘！”他这样开口问道，“明天我到同里去看大哥。干娘有什么话，要我跟大哥说？” “我对他没有什么话。倒是，姑爷，我跟你有几句话说。” “是！请干娘吩咐。” “我今天很高兴。说实在的，我大半截身子在土里的人，还有这样一桩意外的喜事，想想老天爷真不亏待我！” “干娘说得好。”胡雪岩笑道，“只怕我跟芙蓉没有啥孝敬干娘，等我这趟跟大哥将事情办妥当了，我接干娘到杭州去，在西湖上住一个夏天。” “好啊！去年到杭州烧过一次香，今年还要去。这是以后的事，暂且不去说它。”俞三婆婆略停一下又说，“姑爷，我现在要重重托你。” “干娘怎么说这话？”胡雪岩微感不安，“我早说过，只要我能尽心，一定尽心，大哥、少武的事，就是我的事。” “我晓得，我晓得。不过，你大哥虽说年纪也一大把，说实在的，有时候做出来的事、说出来的话嫩得很，远不如凤毛来得老到。比姑爷你，那就差得更远了。” “干娘！”胡雪岩笑道，“你把大哥说成这个样子，连我都有点替他不服。” “是我自己的儿子，而且就是他一个，哪有故意贬他的道理？实在情形是如此！在外人面前，我做娘的，要替他遮羞，在你面前我不必。你以后就知道了。现在我要重托你，其实是跟你打个招呼，如果武成说话、行事有什么不上路的地方，你看我的面子！” 这番话说得胡雪岩莫名其妙，但此时亦无暇去细作推敲，只满口应承下来。 “干娘，你请放心。我这趟去，见了大哥，自然当自己长兄一样敬他。”胡雪岩又说，“大哥是'大树下面好乘凉'，我也听说了，他从小就是公子哥儿的脾气，倘或有什么话，我自不敢跟他计较！” “姑爷！”俞三婆婆激动地说，“有你这两句话，就是我们俞家之福。我什么话也不用说了，等你回来，我好好替你接风。” “不光是接风，”胡雪岩凑她的兴说，“还要庆功！” “愿如你金口。”三婆婆转脸喊道，“姑奶奶，你请出来吧！” 她口中的姑奶奶便是芙蓉，因为有杨凤毛在，先不便露面，此时听得呼唤，才踏着极稳重的步子走了出来。 “这两天你算是'回门'，今天姑爷来接，你们一起回去吧！” 今天去了，明天胡雪岩到同里，还得回来，何必多此一举？一动不如一静，反可以显出自己的“孝心”。芙蓉对人情世故也很留意的，这样打定了主意，便笑着答道：“还是在干娘这里舒服，我不回去！” 胡雪岩也不愿她回去，因为这一夜要跟刘不才、裘丰言有所商议，也许谈得很晚，也许到黄银宝那里作长夜之饮，有芙蓉在，言语行动都不免顾忌，所以听得她的答语，正中下怀，随即便帮了两句腔。 “让芙蓉在这里陪你老人家，等我同里回来，再来接她。” “随你们的便。好在我这里也是你们的家。”三婆婆又说，“或者你就住在这里也好。” “那不必了，我跟凤毛兄，还有点事要商量。”胡雪岩趁机告辞，“明天一早就走，我此刻就跟干娘辞行。”