Last time, I said that after the Fan's Mansion flower-viewing party, all the guests returned separately, and Fan went to talk to her brother. Fan Chengyan sent away the entourage, so that he could concentrate on speaking. Fan slowly talked about his plans for Fan Shuwen's marriage the day before, and finally said: "I just thought that these two children may be good, if they can achieve marriage, it will naturally be a beautiful thing." Because it was my own thoughts, I never mentioned this to a third person except for my lord and eldest brother. The eldest sister-in-law and the sister-in-law of the Zhang family didn't say a word. ”

Fan Chengyan nodded and said, "My sister has a heart." Wen'er is tired of her as parents after all. Now I have only this really first-class thing left, and I must find a good family for her. It's just that after experiencing this episode in Beijing, I don't want any famous families now, just ordinary people, even if they are businessmen, it doesn't hurt, but if I can stay close to my parents, I will be satisfied with a harmonious and peaceful life. ”

Fan said: "Listening to what the eldest brother said, my sister's heart hurts, but she also understands her brother's truth." What's more, my brother and sister-in-law only have one daughter, and I don't want her to be far away, unable to reach her hands or eyes. However, speaking of which, Yangzhou and Changzhou were originally close to each other, and the canals and waterways were connected, so it was easy to come and go. Fan Shi said as he looked at Fan Chengyan's face, and saw that he lowered his head and thought about it, and listened to his words. So he smiled and said: "It's good that my brother and sister-in-law have only been here for a few days, so there is no need to be too anxious about this matter." I still have some time in Yangzhou. I know when the big brother will be free, and when he will deliver a letter. Then he took his leave.

After a while, the Qiang family came over, and saw that the maids and maids were all guarding the door, and Fan Chengyan was sitting in the house alone in a daze, and asked with a smile why this was the case. Fan Chengyan didn't answer, and asked how the Qiang family would enjoy the flowers. Qiang replied that it was very good, the guests and hosts were happy, and praised the daughters at the meeting, and only said: "In the past, it was said that the girls in the capital had good families, with good background, upbringing, descriptive language, manners and demeanor, and more importantly, the vision and knowledge were beyond the reach of the women in the mountains and villages." I don't want to come here, these girls I saw today, their character and appearance are only able to learn to talk, and they are ten times stronger than those of the idlers in Beijing, and they are almost the young ladies of the Houmen of the Gongfu and few can compare. ”

Fan Chengyan smiled and said: "If you say such a thing, it will be unpleasant to be heard carefully." You don't know these families invited today? They are all scholarly families, and there are also public mansions. Ren Baishi was born in Hanlin, Ding Tao was a jinshi in the two lists, and there was also a county uncle in the East China Sea, and he was also a first-class family. Not to mention that Yan Zheng Lin Ruhai, the ancestors of the family are Zhongxing famous ministers, liehou nobles, he is a former detective, and his wife is also from the princess - the girl of his family, how can you compare it with ordinary people in the capital? ”

Qiang nodded and sighed: "Speaking of this Lin girl, she is really good-looking, with a delicate and pretty magnolia-like appearance, which makes people happy when they see it, and compares everyone else." Needless to say, good temperament is the first thing. You just need to look at the niece and Wen'er, the sisters, who are full of praise for her. This is the first time I've seen you. ”

Fan Chengqi said: "Ying'er is also full of praise for people? Although that girl is small, she has a good idea, and because of her childhood illness experience, she has developed a strange temperament, and she sees people and things differently from others. can enter her eyes and get close to her, and it must be good to think about it. However, the niece followed the eighth sister in Changzhou, and was closest to the grandmother of the Zhang family and her godaunt. Miss Lin is also the cousin and niece of the Zhang family's grandmother. Or maybe it's just for this, it's also possible to be extra close. ”

Qiang smiled: "The old man just said that his niece has a strange temper, and it is not ordinary relatives who can make her look at it differently." However, when the master talks about this Grandma Zhang, he listens to his sister praise non-stop on weekdays, and I still don't believe it. Today, when I look at it, it is better to meet than to be famous--it is said to be in her early forties, but it can be described, and no one will disbelieve it when she is thirty-one or two years old; her face is so fresh and tender that she is three points better than the hibiscus flowers on her fan, and the scarlet embroidered grape pattern gown, and the pleated skirt with big red flowers, and other colors that idlers dare not use, but she wears it casually, and she simply surrenders. If you can speak and laugh, if you know, you will speak happily, if you don't know, you will ask questions calmly and neatly, and when others speak, you will listen quietly; Even the wife of the Marquis of Donghai County looks like she is on an equal footing, and I am afraid that it is not as good as that freedom. Such a person, the strange sister said proudly, it was Lin Yanzheng, and he also asked his daughter to follow her. ”

Fan Chengge nodded and said, "This is everyone's family." Zhang Wangzhang Yangzhi's wife, who was personally selected by Duke Wenhua and had been by Mrs. Wu's side for decades, how little of the world she had seen. Not to mention our family's flower appreciation party, who doesn't know that Emperor Taizu has made a special trip to her house when he was on his southern tour, the old sage of Emperor Taishang, and the current dragon dive, and there can be a bigger battle in the world than this, which makes people uncomfortable?"

Qiang didn't expect this first, but when he suddenly heard about it, he was shocked. Then he remembered and said, "The master said it again, and it's not right to calculate the time." caught up with the last one, how old she was at the time, there was a scene, and it was not for her to support it. He smiled and asked: "It's rare for the master to praise a person like this, is there any allusion that I don't know?"

Fan Cheng said: "Where are there any allusions." Speaking of which, we may still have a relationship with the Changzhou Zhang family, and we don't have any contact on weekdays. It's just that I talked with Zhang Yangzhi's young son Zhang Hui in the hall over there, and judging by his demeanor, speech and knowledge, he is really the number one person among the young people I have seen in the past few years. And it doesn't matter if he is excellent in literature and classics - there is always that kind of innate intelligence in the world, such as being broad-minded and memorable, and unforgettable, and his family has a rich collection of books, and it is not uncommon for his family to have a deep knowledge. But those geography, hydrology, human customs, and things have been heard and witnessed to some extent, even if they don't experience it personally, they also have similar insights that can be inferred - this is naturally the credit of his teacher Huang Su and Huang Yanxi, who led him to take the path of unity of knowledge and action. But this study tour, don't say that fourteen or fifteen-year-old boys, that is, adults in their twenties and thirties, how many of them can endure this hardship? Back then, my father-in-law also mentioned that Dalang followed his husband from the academy to various places, but we were not willing to do so. Now that I think about it, it is worthy of being the family of Duke Wen Zhao and Duke Wenhua, and he certainly has his uniqueness in teaching and training his descendants. ”

When Qiang heard this, his heart suddenly moved, and he asked: "This little Zhang Xianggong, I don't know how old he is?"

Fan Cheng said: "Eighteen." He was a mid-year mover three years ago and is planning to play next year. Then he shook his head at his wife and said, "This is not something we can think of." If you didn't take the lead in those things, you would have asked the eighth sister to help in the morning, plus the face of your father and the two masters in the capital, maybe there would be one or two points. Now...... Bah!" Seeing that the two sentences passed, Qiang's eyes couldn't help but redden, and Fan Cheng hurriedly said: "Mrs. Mo Duoxin." Although Zhang Huaiying is not bad, she is three years younger than our daughter. Although it is often said that 'female juniors hold gold bricks', there are also some places where 'female juniors are muddy'. And back then, the abbot of Dajiyuan Temple also gave Wen'er a review of eight characters, and he must find someone who will be two years older than her. That Jiang Zi'an said that he was two years older than Wen'er, but he was calculated at the beginning and end of the year, and it was not a good match originally, so those bad things happened later. Fortunately, everything has passed, and away from the right and wrong nest in the capital, our family has to stop. In the end, this is the foundation of the Fan family, and there are many friends from the same family as her father and teacher, so Wen'er's affairs are not difficult. Also, before Mrs. Fang Cai came, I also entrusted my eighth sister. She and her brother-in-law Gu are familiar with each other in Changzhou and Nanjing, and there are many people who know about it—I don't believe in the huge Jiangnan, and I can't find a satisfactory son-in-law?"

When Qiang heard what he said, he burst into tears and laughed, and said, "Since the master is so sure, then look for it quickly." The father should have been in charge of this child's marriage, and now I understand the reason, and I will never disobey the lord again. ”

Fan Cheng hurriedly said: "Mrs. has said this again. I can take a look at the man's appearance and demeanor, can I still see that his family is short and long? Wen girl is going to someone else's house after all, mother-in-law and aunt and sister-in-law, in fact, it is not less important than the husband. Mrs. should have held more flower parties and tea banquets like today, and invited the ladies of various families to sit at the house—so that it is convenient for me to pay attention, and secondly, it is good to get acquainted, and I can also pass on the news for us, right?"

It turned out that in the capital, the Qiang family had frequent contacts with the powerful, and what she loved and was good at was to manage these banquets and gatherings, which also won her a lot of good reputation. It's just that Fan Shuwen's marriage changed, and she was heartbroken, and she didn't have any leisure for a year. Fan Chengyan said this, although the Qiang family still had a mustard in his heart, but thinking of his daughter's life, he gritted his teeth and said: "It's a pity that the top brothers in the family are still too young, otherwise, there are the most good women in Jiangnan, and I can choose to be a grandmother." ”

Fan Chengyan smiled and said, "You watched it in advance, and it's not wrong." ”

The two talked for a while, and a maid came to ask if they would go to the old lady Fan Taosheng for dinner. Qiang asked his aunt and grandmother if they could serve on the side. It turned out that the old aunt's maiden name was Jane, and she was Fan Taosheng's concubine, and she was also a good family of military attachés. Fan Taosheng's old wife Bai had something to do with the Jian family, so she asked Jian her own idea, and she was hired to make a second room, and followed Fan Taosheng to take care of daily life and food, while Bai was fortunate to be filial piety and raise children with peace of mind in front of her ancestral parents and elders. Jane's temperament is gentle and his manners are guarded, although he has never given birth, he is loved by the Fan family. After the Bai family, the Qiang family was in charge of the middle feed, and every time she asked about big and small things, not to mention the four seasons of the Jane family. The maid here said: "My aunt and grandmother are a little unhappy in the afternoon, or they have eaten half a peach more than the first day, and they have diarrhea twice, but they only say that they don't need dinner." ”

Qiang hurriedly said: "My aunt and grandmother are not feeling well, why didn't she say this earlier? Even if there is a guest at home, she should stop her from talking too much, and she should quietly tell her to come up, so that she can ask for medical treatment, and don't make a small illness a big one." As he spoke, he called for the next generation, to invite a doctor, and to prepare a decoction. At this time, the maid said that she had just met the eldest lady Fan Shuwen, and she had already arranged and ordered them one by one. Qiang nodded, asked again, and then said, "It's okay." It's just that I have to take a look at it to be relieved. The old lady can only flatter the old lady alone. I'll take care of it here, and I'll go over again. ”

Fan Cheng said: "You just have to go." My aunt and grandmother have the Spring and Autumn Period, so it's better to be careful in everything. On my father's side, there was Gu Brother-in-law to accompany him to eat and drink, and it would be okay if I didn't open my mouth next to me. The two went their separate ways.

So here Fan Cheng waited for Fan Taosheng to finish talking, and after the maid returned to the room, he firmly caught a Gu Chong, and only asked: "How did the eldest man of the Zhang family give birth to such a person? How did the orphans of the clan become heirs? What is the basis of the previous marriage?" Gu Chong knew that it must have been Fan's insistence on mentioning it, and he was forced to ask with a wry smile, so he had to go to the study to talk in detail.