Chapter 775 Make a Friend

"This water doesn't look unusual." A big man in a coarse linen shirt frowned, stared at the water in front of him, scratched his head and said.

Ouyang Lian stood aside, his eyes deep and focused.

He leaned forward slightly and whispered: "Do you see the tiny oil spots on the water?"

After saying that, his eyes revealed a hint of doubt and inquiry.

When everyone heard it, they hurriedly came closer to check.

A man who looked like a scholar pushed the non-existent glasses on his nose and exclaimed: "Oh, it's true!"

Ouyang Lian stretched out his hand, pointed his slender fingers straight at the middle-aged man, raised his voice and said: "That's right, this guy is a cattle dealer, he usually touches cattle, and there is often oil on his hands, so there is also oil on the currency, which proves that this purse is indeed his."

When everyone heard this, they were stunned at first, and then began to whisper.

"Oh, so that's it." Many people showed a look of sudden enlightenment on their faces.

When the middle-aged man heard this, his frown instantly relaxed, and his eyes sparkled with excitement.

He nodded repeatedly and said loudly: "Yes, yes, yes, I am a cattle dealer. I have to oil and check the cattle every day, so there must be oil on the money bag."

Someone in the crowd questioned: "Can this really be proved? Is there a coincidence?"

Ouyang Lian was not in a hurry. He turned to face the questioner and explained with a smile: "Please look, everyone, the oil stains on this money bag are not ordinary oil stains. There is a unique smell of cattle, and the texture of this oil is relatively thick. Unlike ordinary edible oil, it is the oil commonly used by cattle dealers to maintain the leather goods of cattle." He spoke clearly and with a firm tone.

At this time, an old man touched his beard and nodded slightly: "Well, this young man is well-founded. It seems that this money bag is indeed the cattle dealer's."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Next, Ouyang Lian looked stern, his eyes pierced the young man like a sword, and his voice was cold: "Anything else to say?"

The young man's face flushed red, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, his eyes dodged, and he didn't dare to look at Ouyang Lian.

His feet moved back unconsciously, as if there was a fire burning on the ground.

The people around him pointed and pointed at him like needles, and he felt like he was being roasted on the fire.

His heart was full of regret and shame at this moment, and his head was buzzing.

Originally thought that he could easily succeed, but he didn't expect to be discovered by Ouyang Lian.

The people around began to talk.

"He looks handsome, but I didn't expect him to be a thief."

"That's right, he is young and doesn't learn well."

Hearing these words, the young man lowered his head even more, wishing he could disappear in front of everyone immediately. His hands were clenched into fists, and his body trembled slightly.

Ouyang Lian looked at him and continued, "It is a great virtue to know one's mistakes and correct them. It is not too late to make things clear now." Ouyang Lian's eyes were filled with a hint of persuasion.

The young man finally couldn't bear the pressure, and knelt down with a "thump", saying, "I... I was wrong. I was confused for a moment and stole the purse."

Everyone was in an uproar, and the accusations were even louder.

Xi Yu's eyes were full of admiration, and he secretly admired Ouyang Lian's intelligence and courage.

He was willing to make friends with him.

The middle-aged man held the lost and recovered purse tightly, with tears of gratitude in his eyes. He walked quickly to Ouyang Lian, held Ouyang Lian's hands tightly with both hands, and shook them constantly, saying: "My benefactor, if it weren't for you today, I would not be able to find my purse back. This is the livelihood of my whole family."

The middle-aged man turned his head to look at the young man, his face suddenly darkened, his eyes were as big as copper bells, and he gritted his teeth and said viciously: "You kid, you are so young and you don't learn well, you actually do this kind of sneaky thing."

The young man was like a frost-bitten eggplant at this time, with his head drooping and his feet rubbing on the ground restlessly.

His voice was trembling and crying, and he begged: "Uncle, I was wrong, you must forgive me, I will never dare to do this again."

The middle-aged man snorted angrily and shouted loudly: "Get out!"

The young man was as if he had been pardoned, lowered his head, hurried his steps, and disappeared in the crowd in disgrace.

When everyone saw this scene, they applauded and cheered.

Ouyang Lian bowed humbly to everyone, with a gentle smile on his face, but his heart was very calm. He just did what he thought was right.

Xi Yu looked at Ouyang Lian from the side, and became more determined to make friends.

The middle-aged man held a stack of currency in both hands and handed it to Ouyang Lian respectfully, with gratitude and sincerity on his face.

"Sir, this is a little gift from me. If it weren't for you, my loss would be great. You must accept it." The middle-aged man bowed slightly.

Ouyang Lian waved his hand gently, his expression was indifferent, his eyes were calm but firm.

He raised his head slightly and said, "I didn't do this to be thanked, you take it back."

The people around him cast approving glances and praised softly. A man who looked like a scholar shook his fan, nodded and said, "This young man is upright and upright, he is really a gentleman."

The middle-aged man was a little anxious, and took another step forward, and sent the currency to Ouyang Lian again.

"Sir, just accept it. This is just a small token of my appreciation. If it weren't for your help, my life would be very difficult."

Ouyang Lian frowned slightly and said: "I appreciate your kindness, but I am only doing this to seek justice, not for your money. If I accept this money, wouldn't it violate my original intention?"

His eyes were clear and bright, looking directly at the middle-aged man.

Seeing this, the middle-aged man had no choice but to slowly take back the currency, his eyes full of admiration.

"Sir, you are such a good person. If you need my help in the future, just ask."

Ouyang Lian smiled and nodded.

"Thank you very much. I'll see you again if we have chance in the future."

Ouyang Lian sat down.

Xi Yu had a smile on his face, leaning forward slightly, his eyes flashing with excitement and anticipation.

"Brother, I really admire what you did today. I really want to make friends with you. What do you think, brother Ouyang?"

Ouyang Lian picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, looked at Xi Yu, and nodded: "Absolutely." His voice was calm and gentle, like a spring breeze.

The smile on Xi Yu's face grew stronger. He reached out to the waiter and asked for a pot of good tea and several plates of snacks.

The two of them chatted over tea and snacks. From strange things in the world to poems and songs, the more we chatted, the more interesting they became, as if they were old friends for many years.

Xi Yu stared at Ouyang Lian with his bright eyes and asked the question seemingly casually: "What do you call me, brother?"

Ouyang Lian's heart tightened, countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and he finally answered: "Chen Lian."

Xi Yu also made up a name: "Sun Zhe."

After finishing the meal, Ouyang Lian's face was filled with anticipation and his eyes were full of desire. He said to Xi Yu: "Sun Zhe, the scenery around here is pleasant. Come and walk with me."

"Then let's take a walk."

As Ouyang Lian walked side by side with Xi Yu, he turned slightly sideways, with curiosity and inquiry in his eyes, and asked with a smile: "Brother Sun Zhe, where are you from? What brings you here?"

Xi Yu looked calmly into the distance, with a relaxed smile on his lips, and replied: "I came from afar, just to have fun and appreciate the local customs."

The two of them just chatted, and after walking around for a while, Ouyang Lian raised his hand and scratched his head, with a hint of weariness in his eyes, and said, "I had a great time chatting with Brother Sun Zhe today, but I have some problems. I’m tired and want to go back to rest and meet again another day.”

Xi Yu nodded slightly, with a gentle smile on his face, and said: "Then let's say goodbye, brother, take care."

After a while, Xi Yu stood there, looking at the direction Ouyang Lian was leaving, and the feeling of loss in his heart became stronger. Why did I forget to ask him where he lived just now and how to contact him? Even if it's just to know where he often goes, it would be nice.

His eyes were a little empty, and the brief time he spent with Ouyang Lian kept popping up in his mind.

The meals we had together were simple but full of fun; there were also the few simple conversations and the occasional glances from each other when walking side by side.

Xi Yu sighed softly, a wry smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, shook his head and said to himself: "It's just a chance meeting, why should I be so persistent? Passers-by in this world come and go, maybe we shouldn't expect too much. many."

A breeze blew by, lifting the hair on his forehead.

Xi Yu walked through the streets and asked everyone about Ouyang Lian's official career.

In the busy market, Xi Yu grabbed an old man selling vegetables and asked politely: "Old man, do you know Mr. Ouyang Lian?"

The old man put down the vegetables he was playing with, and with a glimmer of light in his cloudy eyes, he gave a thumbs up and said: "Master Ouyang, that is a good official! He often helps poor people like us, and he even helped repair the village's house a while ago. Where is the bridge?”

Xi Yu walked into a teahouse again and asked a man who looked like a scholar.

The scholar put down the folding fan in his hand and talked eloquently: "Brother, I don't know. Mr. Ouyang is diligent in government affairs, handles cases impartially and selflessly, and is deeply loved by the people."

Listening to everyone's praise, Xi Yu's affection for Ouyang Lian increased even more.

It is gratifying to have such a reputable person.

Xi Yu harbored the idea of ​​going to the palace to find out.

Suddenly, the noise in front of a shop attracted his attention.

He approached the crowd and saw a woman in a simple sarong, her hands on her hips, her face flushed, her eyes burning with anger, and she loudly accused: "You black-hearted shopkeeper, you are so dishonest in your business, give me If you eat too much, you must give me an explanation today!"

The woman's voice trembled slightly because of anger, and her eyes were firm and a little aggrieved. She was thinking about the hungry children at home, but the coins she had worked so hard to save were met with such injustice.

The shopkeeper was a fat man with a sinewy face. He was crossing his arms and squinting at the woman with a disdainful sneer on his lips. If you keep messing around here, believe it or not, I’ll beat you to death!”

He was convinced in his heart that this woman was just a powerless commoner, and he couldn't make any waves with her.

When the woman heard this, she was so angry that she trembled. She gritted her teeth, took a small step forward, raised her voice and said, "You behave like this. If you don't make up for it, I will sue the official! You must let me go." The government will punish you!"

There was determination in her eyes, and although she was a little scared, she couldn't back down for the sake of her family.

When the shop owner heard this, not only was he not afraid, but he laughed even more arrogantly, puffed out his chest, and said arrogantly: "Go and sue! Don't even ask who I am. There are some acquaintances of mine in the government, so you can do it yourself." Ask for trouble!”

Xi Yu watched from the side, with anger welling up in his heart. He thought to himself: It's really abominable that there are such bullies in this world, using their power to bully others.

He frowned slightly, a trace of determination flashed in his eyes, and he decided to stand up and seek justice for the woman.

He gently pushed aside the crowd, stepped forward, and said loudly: "Aren't you afraid of the king's law when you oppress the people like this in broad daylight?"

The shopkeeper and the woman looked at him at the same time, one full of hostility, the other expectantly.

Xi Yu stood tall and straight, with a serious expression. He looked directly into the shop owner's eyes.

The people around him also began to talk in low voices, expressing their appreciation and support for Xi Yu's actions.

The shopkeeper narrowed his eyes, looked Xi Yu up and down, raised a sarcastic sneer at the corner of his mouth, and asked: "Who are you? You are nosy here. I advise you to be sensible and get out of here. I am not something you can mess with." A worthy person.”

He clasped his hands in front of his chest and puffed out his chest, looking arrogant and domineering as if he was the master of this world.

Xi Yu looked directly at the malicious eyes of the shop owner and said unhurriedly: "Everyone can deal with the uneven road. You deceive the people like this and are so arrogant. Don't you have the law?"

The shopkeeper threw his head back and laughed, his laughter full of disdain.

"Wang Fa? In this three-thirds of an acre of land, I am Wang Fa. You, a young boy who appears out of nowhere, dare to speak so brazenly in front of me."

He took a step forward, approaching Xi Yu, trying to overwhelm the opponent with his momentum.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, and a tense atmosphere enveloped everyone.

The people were whispering on the sidelines, worried about Xi Yu's safety, but also hoping that he could really subdue this hateful shopkeeper.

Xi Yu had no intention of flinching. He stood firmly on the spot, his eyes getting sharper.

"I will take care of today's matter. If you continue to persist in your obsession, don't blame me for bringing this matter to the government and letting the government judge what is right and wrong." Xi Yu's voice was sonorous and powerful, reverberating in the air.

The woman looked at Xi Yu gratefully, her eyes shining with hope, as if she saw a glimmer of light in the darkness.

The shopkeeper put his hands on his hips, his stomach was shaking violently from laughing wildly, and the flesh on his face was shaking wildly. He looked at Xi Yu with contempt with his green bean-sized eyes, and taunted loudly: "You idiot, you didn't hear what I just said. ? I am the cousin of Ouyang Lian, the governor of Fang County. Who dares to touch me in this city? "

With that arrogant look, it was as if the whole world was under his control.

When everyone heard this, they all took a deep breath and looked horrified.

The woman's face was even more pale, her body was shaking like chaff, and her eyes were full of fear and helplessness.

She thought to herself: How could she have provoked such a person? How could she afford to offend the governor's cousin?

Thinking that the young and old in the family still needed to be taken care of by herself, she hurriedly turned around to leave, her steps as flustered as a frightened deer.

Xi Yu frowned, stepped forward quickly, grabbed the woman's arm, looked at her sincerely and firmly, and said softly: "Don't be afraid, I will be able to solve this matter."

Xi Yu turned to face the shop owner, straightened his spine, his eyes were as bright as fire, and said loudly: "No matter whose cousin you are, you must give an explanation for your fraud today. Mr. Ouyang is an upright official. If he knew that you were behaving like this, he would definitely Will be lenient."

There was no fear in his eyes, and the sense of justice in his heart burned like a blazing fire.

After hearing Xi Yu's words, the people around him recovered from their initial panic, began to whisper, and looked at Xi Yu with admiration.

When the shop owner heard Xi Yu mention Ouyang Lian, his expression changed slightly, but he soon regained his arrogance.

Xi Yu took a step forward, pointed his finger at the shop owner, and loudly accused him: "You have done so many evil things. Mr. Ouyang is honest and upright. He must not have known that you were doing anything wrong here, otherwise how could he allow you to be so wanton!"

He was so angry that his chest heaved violently, his brows were tightly knitted into the character "Chuan", and the anger in his heart was burning.

He was well aware of Ouyang Lian's prestige in the hearts of the people, and would never believe that he would associate with such evil people. At this moment, all he wanted to do was seek justice for the people who had been bullied.

The flesh on the shopkeeper's face trembled, and he sneered again. The laughter was like the cry of a night owl, making people shudder.

He looked sideways at Xi Yu, his eyes full of provocation and threat, "Huh, so what if he doesn't know? If you offended me today, don't even think about getting better. If you have the guts, just give it a try and see how I deal with you."

He crossed his arms and raised his head slightly.

"I will not be afraid of your threat. There is justice in this world. Don't think that you can do whatever you want just by relying on so-called connections." He gritted his teeth tightly, clenched his fists at his side, and secretly thought about how to deal with it. strategy.

The people around him were all sweating for Xi Yu, but they were moved by his courage. There were faint whispers of encouragement from the crowd.

The bullied woman hid behind Xi Yu, with tears in her eyes, feeling both grateful and scared.

His eyes were like swords, piercing straight towards the shopkeeper, and a fierce confrontation began, and the fire of justice in his heart grew stronger and stronger.

"Since you are so arrogant and unreasonable, let's ask Mr. Ouyang to judge this matter. I believe that Mr. Ouyang will understand everything clearly and give everyone justice."

The shop owner was stunned when he heard this, and then he burst into an even more arrogant laugh.

He pointed at Xi Yu with disdain.

"Who do you think you are? You still want my cousin to come over? Do you have the ability? Don't overestimate yourself."

"I will find a way to let Lord Ouyang know about this. Don't be arrogant for too long, your evil deeds will be exposed one day." The people around held their breath and watched the confrontation between the two nervously. The atmosphere on the scene was like a taut bowstring, ready to explode. (End of this chapter)