Nightwatcher

"Do you know what the process of solving a case is?" Xu Qi'an started from a topic he was good at:

"Observe the scene, collect clues, then make bold assumptions and carefully verify. Solve the puzzle bit by bit to get the truth of the case."

The flickering candlelight illuminated Second Uncle Xu's bewildered expression.

Xu Erlang frowned in thought.

Xu Qi'an talked eloquently: "What we have to think about is not how to calculate Zhou Li, but to observe Zhou Li, collect information, then summarize it, boldly formulate a plan, and then carefully scrutinize the process to judge the feasibility of the plan."

What he said was clear and rigorous, leaving Xu Erlang speechless, and he agreed in his heart that his elder brother's idea was correct.

It turned out that Ning Yan was also a resourceful and reliable child. Xu Pingzhi was very pleased. He used to worry that his nephew's personality was too stubborn and he would be unreasonable, and he would suffer in the future.

Seeing that neither of them refuted, Xu Qi'an went on to say: "Cijiu, you have a reputation for raising people, you can get in touch with scholars and learn some official information. You go to collect information about Zhou Li. Don't make mistakes."

"Second Uncle, the Zhou Mansion's inner city, the imperial knife guards are in charge of night patrols of the inner and outer city on weekdays, and you are responsible for monitoring the movement of the Zhou Mansion, don't do it yourself, find a trustworthy confidant to watch over."

"I want to know where Zhou Li went, what he did, and who he met in a day."

The father and son nodded, suddenly thought of something, and stared at Xu Qi'an: "What about you?"

Xu Qi'an smiled mysteriously: "I want to find a way out for the Xu family, let's bid farewell to the old days, we will discuss the details later, and ask you something along the way. Tonight, I will stay overnight in your house."

tick tock

The sound of water leaking echoed in the silent room.

"Brother, are you asleep?"

"No."

"oh."

"Brother, are you asleep?"

"No."

"oh."

"Brother, you hit me"

Xu Qi'an was taken aback, and then heard Xu Nian say: "Take your elbow."

"oh oh"

There was another silence, listening to each other's breathing, Xu Qi'an asked: "Are you unable to sleep?"

Xu New Year said "hmm", "I'm not very used to it."

I am also Xu Qi'an and said with emotion: "How long has it been since we slept together?"

Xu Nian thought for a while, and replied: "After you turned ten, since you spent a hundred taels a year on martial arts training and your relationship with my mother became tense, we also became estranged."

I thought you would say arrogantly: We have never slept together before and now we can still sleep together, Lingyue sister will never be able to, the memory of the original owner's childhood flashed in my mind, Xu Qi'an sighed:

"Actually, it's not my aunt's fault. I can't get much money from the sword guard's job. The second uncle worked hard and added his salary, and it only cost more than two hundred taels of silver a year. Half of it was fed to me. The other half is your expenses. , Auntie has resentment in her heart, it is inevitable."

Xu New Year changed the topic: "If this crisis cannot be overcome, the Xu family may really be over."

If Zhou Shilang can't fall, after the Beijing inspection, it will be the time of disaster for the Xu family.

"I will arrange the way out. At worst, after the Beijing inspection, our family will leave the capital. My second uncle and I are very skilled, so we don't have to worry about life wherever we go." Xu Qi'an said regretfully:

"It's just that you, Erlang, studied hard for ten years before you passed the exam."

Xu Nian let out a "huh", "Fame and wealth are fleeting, I am a scholar, I read the books of sages, and I practice the way of sages. I don't care about mere fame."

Xu Qi'an agreed deeply and said: "If the sky does not give birth to me, I promise a new year, and I will honor the ages like a long night."

The boat of friendship capsized, and Xu Xinian's breath became short of breath. He suddenly rolled up, swept away the bedding, and pretended to be asleep without saying a word.

"Hey, farewell to the old days, share some of the quilt with me, it's a cold winter, even if the eldest brother is in the refinement state, it will be very uncomfortable."

Xu Cijiu curled up, wrapped the quilt tightly, and ignored him.

In Xu Lingyue's boudoir, the raging charcoal fire last night had been extinguished, and the carbon dioxide in the room made the air dull.

Open a slit window to bring fresh air into the boudoir.

On Xu Lingyue's porcelain-like beautiful face, her eyelashes trembled like small brushes. She opened her eyes and woke up, staring at the bed curtain above her head for a moment. rise.

She lazily stretched her waist, the thick quilt slipped off, and the thin white underwear wrapped the young girl's delicate body.

The fair neck has a graceful arc, and the fluffy and messy hair sets off the delicate and pretty face.

Xu Lingyue covered her ruddy mouth with her green hands and yawned.

The servant girl who was sleeping on the small bed opposite woke up with a start, and got dressed and got up in a leisurely manner.

"The air in the room is stuffy, open the window." The girl rubbed her eyebrows and ordered.

The maid immediately ran to open the window.

Xu Lingyue lifted the quilt and got out of bed, walked to the window, and breathed in the cold air from the yard.

The eldest lady who was born as a general is not so delicate. When Xu Pingzhi taught Xu Qi'an to exercise his body, he liked to bring Xu Erlang and Xu Lingyue with him.

The brothers and sisters laid a solid foundation at that time, and their physical fitness was very good.

It's just that when they grow up a little bit, my aunt doesn't let the two children practice martial arts with the unlucky nephew. After all, at that time, Xu Pingzhi, the head of the family, had already decided that his nephew would practice martial arts and his son would go to school.

Scholars practice martial arts and do not do business properly.

The daughter can't even practice martial arts, and she has ugly lumps, how will she marry in the future.

Xu Lingyue was enjoying the fresh air when she suddenly saw a figure passing by the window, wearing a black-based police uniform with red piping on the cuffs and neckline.

The siblings stared at each other silently for a few seconds through the window.

Xu Qi'an showed a warm manly smile.

Xu Lingyue screamed and slammed the window shut.

"Sister has grown up!" Xu Qi'an thought happily.

Although I didn't bring it up by myself, but at any rate, I watched it grow up and thought that I was still a yellow-haired girl but dressed well, so there is no need to react so much.

In the boudoir, Xu Lingyue squatted on the ground, blushing.

The servant girl said brokenly: "Miss, you should change this habit. You have to wash and tidy before opening the window. Look, Da Lang saw it. Fortunately, it's my brother. How can you live if you show it to outsiders?" .”

"You still say it!" Xu Lingyue said in shame and indignation.

In the past, Xu New Year didn't go this way, nor did his parents' main house, so it was safe to open the windows first thing in the morning.

Why did the eldest brother Xu Lingyue, who was sitting in front of the vanity mirror in the inner courtyard, was full of confusion.

The servant girl stood behind her, dressing him up. At the end, she picked out the jewelry box and complained, "Miss, you don't even have any pretty hairpins or hairpins."

Xu Lingyue didn't answer, and sighed, the family suffered many catastrophes, their savings were emptied, and the family's food and clothing, including the servants, had seventeen or eighteen mouths, and the expenses were huge.

Where can I get the silver to buy jewelry?

"The hairpin in Baoqixuan is very beautiful. I went in to see it yesterday, and I couldn't bear to come out. If I put it in your hair, Miss, it will definitely, definitely be a good match."

"It complements each other." Xu Lingyue's eyes flashed with desire, but she suppressed it quickly.

The maid said to herself, "It's just too expensive, ten taels of silver each. Unless you can solve the anagrams in the store, the boss will make it cheaper."

Xu Lingyue listened absent-mindedly, and suddenly asked, "Lan'er, do you think your elder brother has changed a lot recently?"

The maid named Lan'er was stunned for a moment, and a smile suddenly appeared on her face:

"Dalang is gentler, more interesting, and more capable than before. He used to always have a straight face, and he was not very kind to Miss and Erlang. He only smiled when he was talking to the master."

Xu Lingyue seemed very satisfied with the servant girl's answer, a smile bloomed on her pretty face, "That's not his fault, it's because my mother didn't want to see him."

Xu Lingyue likes the feeling of warming up the relationship between brother and sister, which makes people feel like spring breeze and happy.

The elder brother in the past was not very humane and uninteresting, but now he is very interesting and nice to speak.

Xu Qi'an came to the door of Xu Lingyin's room. She was not yet at the age of men and women, so she didn't have to knock on the door, and pushed in directly. She saw Xu Lingyin squatting on the ground, holding a bristle toothbrush in her little paw, with a serious face. Brush yourself.

As if it was a big project.

The maids in the room are tidying the bedding.

"It's a cauldron," she raised her head and said something vaguely with bubbles in her mouth.

"How do you wash it yourself?" Xu Qi'an asked, looking at the maid.

"Daddy said that a man should be self-improving in order to practice martial arts well."

"Do you know that you are a girl?" Xu Qi'an thought about it.

"I know." Xiao Douding tilted his head with an innocent expression on his face.

No, you don't know Xu Qi'an said: "Then do you know the difference between boys and girls?"

"Brother, I don't know." Xiao Douding was very honest, and then asked: "What's the difference?"

This involves the physiology class, the long talk is endless, and the ring tone may not understand Xu Qi'an, relying on the profound background and excellent self-cultivation of the nine-year compulsory education in his previous life, summed up the popular science that is suitable for all ages and is easy to understand:

"To put it simply, boys grow up to be mischievous, and girls grow up to cry."

Xu Lingyin suddenly realized, and said happily, "No wonder Mother always calls me a troublemaker."

She ran around the room, shouting happily: "I am a troublemaker, I am a troublemaker"

Xu Qi'an silently closed the door, not planning to have breakfast at home today.