In ancient times, there was an old man, surnamed Wang, with a double name Xiuyuan, who was a well-known tea merchant.
Mr. Wang did not do the tea business at the beginning, but the hardest and least profitable tea stall. On the side of the main road to and from the merchants, set up a cool awning, regardless of the cold winter and heat, the wind and rain do not count, and it is indispensable to get up early and be greedy for darkness, think about it and calculate it, in order to barely earn one or two taels of silver.
Seven or eight years later, Wang Xiuyuan, who was in his early thirties, learned the ins and outs of the tea business from a familiar tea customer. If you don't fight, will it be difficult to set up a tea stall for the rest of your life? Wang Xiuyuan took the silver taels he had saved for seven or eight years, bought a set of carriages, and used the rest as capital and entanglement, and traveled thousands of miles to Sichuan and Guizhou to do tea business.
Thirty years passed like a white horse, rushing by, Wang Xiuyuan, who was young and strong, became a white-haired Wang Lao, and the simple and dilapidated "Wang's Tea Stall" also became a "Four Seas Tea House" with carved beams and paintings, full of guests and friends.
Mr. Wang has worked hard all his life, but all he has on hand is some scattered silver taels. This is the old rule of tea merchants, scattered silver must be packed separately, ten taels and one small packet, if you meet bandits and horse bandits on the road, you will not be robbed.
Now that Mr. Wang is old, he melted the silver taels he had saved all his life into silver ingots. One hundred and fifty taels is one ingot, and it is melted into eight large silver ingots. Mr. Wang wrapped the eight large silver ingots in eight pieces of red silk and hid them in a one-foot-square rosewood box.
This red sandalwood box was placed next to the pillow outside the old man Wang, and before he went to bed at night, he always had to take out the silver ingot to look at it and touch it, so that he could sleep peacefully.
On this day, it was the sixty-eighth birthday of Mr. Wang, and his four sons all came to pay their respects.
The eldest son, Wang Daye, has a steady and generous personality, elegant and easy-going, and has a good family, and in recent years, the tea business of the Wang family has been taken care of by him. The second son, Wang Ercheng, is the most talented son of the Wang family, likes to read, play chess, recite poetry and paint, and has a reputation for showing talent.
The third son, Wang Sanhui, was frail and sickly since he was a child, and almost died, but now he is skinny and silent. The fourth son, Wang Sifu, is the most spoiled by Wang Lao, pampered since he was a child, and now he is flying and domineering, spending money like dirt, and often goes in and out of the land of fireworks.
Wang Laoyuan saw his four sons come to pay their respects, recalling the hardships of the past, but he was also overjoyed.
Mr. Wang drank three glasses of wine and said to his four sons: "Although I have worked hard all my life, I have finally created this family business. On weekdays, I had accumulated a lot of loose silver taels, and melted them into eight hundred and fifty taels of silver, which I hid next to my pillow. Take the time to find a good day, I will give these eight big silver ingots to your four brothers, one pair for each of them, not to mention that you will not have to worry about eating and drinking for three lifetimes, and you will always be able to worry about food and clothing in this life. ”
When the four sons heard this, they knelt down to thank the old man Wang. On the day, everyone went home with a good drink.
That night, Mr. Wang was a little drunk, blew out the lights, and prepared to go to bed. In a drunken haze, Mr. Wang opened the red sandalwood box again, touched eight silver ingots of one hundred and fifty taels, and laughed a few times.
When he was about to sleep, Mr. Wang seemed to hear footsteps in front of the bed, could there be a thief? Mr. Wang sat up and listened carefully, as if someone was arguing. When the old man opened the curtain outside, he saw eight big men in silver-white robes, wearing red cloaks, arguing endlessly.
Mr. Wang was suspicious, this is a strong man at home? The bodies of these eight big men are tiger-backed and bear-waisted, burly and abnormal, even if their four sons are all here, they are not opponents!
Just when Mr. Wang's heart was uneasy, I saw a big man in white turn around and bow to the ground, and said to Mr. Wang: "My eight brothers, according to the cycle of days, are all by your side Wang Xiuyuan.
Thanks to the love of the veterans, we have been cherished for many years. Originally, I wanted to wait for the old man's life to expire, and then I would look for another place. Today, I heard that the old man wanted to divide my brothers and other brothers into the four sons, but my brothers and Ling Lang had no chance, so I came here to say goodbye. If fate is not over, it may be seen. ”
Before the words fell, the eight white-clothed men turned around and left. Mr. Wang didn't understand what he meant for a while, so he hurriedly got up to catch up, and before he could take two steps, he tripped over the threshold and fell to the ground.
Mr. Wang was face down and fell directly. This fall directly woke up Mr. Wang, and it turned out to be a dream of Nan Ke! Mr. Wang was anxious, hurriedly lit the lamp, opened the red sandalwood box on the side of the pillow, and eight large silver ingots were already missing!
Mr. Wang was in tears, choked for a long time, and recalled a few words of the man in white over and over again. After a long time, he sighed and said: "I have worked hard all my life, why can't I give the family property to my four sons, what is the reason?" ”
Early the next morning, Mr. Wang called his four sons to his side and told him about yesterday's strange dream, and at the same time said that eight big silver ingots were missing.
When the four sons heard their father's words, they looked at each other, some were shocked, some were puzzled, and some were silent.
The eldest son, Wang Daye, smiled and said to Mr. Wang: "Dad drank high yesterday, and he was happy for a while, and promised eight big silver ingots to four of our brothers. Don't worry about it, don't worry about it, you always keep the silver, just be happy. ”
Mr. Wang's brows furrowed, and before he could speak, his youngest son Wang Sifu walked to his side, patted the back of Mr. Wang's hand, and said with a hippie smile: "Dad, if you say it, the water that will be spilled out will not be recycled!" If I really lose it, I'll go to the yamen now, Song Zhutou and I are sworn brothers, and we will definitely find out within three days! ”
Listening to Wang Sifu's words, Mr. Wang was stunned for a moment, day and night, it is difficult to prevent thieves. Could it be that it wasn't a strange dream at all, someone stole it? Only he and his four sons know about this silver ingot, if they really invite Song Zhutou to come, how will it end?
Mr. Wang's eyes swept over the faces of his four sons one by one. The third son, Wang Sanhui, lowered his head and didn't say a word, as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
The second son stroked his beard, stood up and said slowly: "The son is silent, strange and confused, but there is nothing strange in the world. Maybe the four of us brothers have no fortune and no chance with eight silver ingots. If you are poor, you will dig gold and turn it into copper; If you are rich, pick up white paper and turn it into cloth! Dad's dream is true or false, false or real, I don't care anymore! Everything is inferior, only reading is high. ”
The fourth son just wanted to speak, but the third son opened his mouth for the first time, and he said: "Although the article is full, it is better to have a bag of money." After saying that, the third son staggered up and left. The corners of the second son's Wang Ercheng's mouth trembled, and he also left.
Three years later, the third son Wang Sanhui contracted a cold, and the second brother Wang Ercheng has been taking care of him all the time, bringing water and medicine. The third son was already weak, and after a long time of treatment, he walked in front of the old man Wang. After Wang Sanhui's death, the second brother Wang Ercheng took his family to the capital and never returned. Later, I heard that he opened a "Poetry Tea Accord" that was twice as magnificent as the "Four Seas Teahouse".