The first thing Master Liu Dingmao said when he woke up was to ask the dumb aunt: "How did you get it, a needle made me faint and not wake up, wouldn't it be dangerous if I couldn't wake up?"

The dumb aunt smiled: "I really can't think of a temporary strategy, and the master will bear with me." However, the official has already left, and I estimate that as long as you continue to pretend to be sick these days, we will continue to boil medicine, ask for doctors, and make a bigger noise, and the state capital will not come to harass you again during this time. ”

As soon as he heard that he could not go to the state capital for the time being to face those insatiable officials and gentlemen, Liu Dingmao was in a good mood and no longer pursued the dumb aunt, "If you are sure that you can handle the big and small things of the inner and outer houses, I have no opinion on replacing Steward Liu, but you have to hurry up on the matter of asking the family, in this troubled world, safety is the most important." ”

It happened that Steward Liu walked in, and when he heard this, he was stunned, and muttered rhetorically: "Master, are you going to change your minion?

"Not why. The dumb aunt faced him, "Once a son of heaven and a courtier, Steward Liu must have heard of this." The eldest lady is gone, and now I am in charge of the house, and the people in the hands of the eldest wife, I am afraid that my young wrists are soft and I can't control them. Therefore, the big Buddha of Steward Liu, my temple is small, and I can't afford to worship it, which is also human nature. If you go, I won't treat you badly, send you away decently, and the remuneration we pay is enough for your living expenses for the rest of your life. Moreover, if you have any difficulties and need help in the future, or if there are young people in your family who want to come to the house to find a bite to eat, just come, I will make proper arrangements and will not treat you badly. ”

Liu Dingmao originally felt a little sorry for Steward Liu being dismissed like this, but when he heard that the conditions offered by the dumb aunt were so good, it was indeed not a disadvantage to the old housekeeper who had worked for many years, so he stretched out his hand and patted the edge of the bed and smiled: "Old Liu, you can go with confidence, after working for so many years, you are really tired, and you can go back to rest." In the second half of my life, I sat and ate and drank, and I didn't care about it, but it was good. Now is the era of young people, let's let go and ask other young people to do it, don't you see that I am not handing over all the power of my family now, this body is sick again, just recuperating, stealing a leisure. ”

When Steward Liu saw that he was dismounted like this, where was he willing to accept his fate, and knelt down with a plop, "Master, what did the slave do wrong?" Anyway, I have to hear the reason for your dismissal of the slave, just like the old saying of a son of heaven and a courtier, and sent the slave away, isn't this bullying, let the slave out of the door of the Liu family's mansion, how to look up and see people, not to mention that someone can't tolerate the elderly, and the outside will think that the slave is not doing his job well, and he is not capable of being a good housekeeper, master, I have tried my best to you and the house, and I never dare to make a mistake!" he said, while kowtowing, he actually cried with tears like a woman.

Liu Dingmao was at a loss when he saw this scene, he couldn't bear to deal with such a scene the most, "You hurry up, don't do this, I know that you have a credit to our house, and you have contributed a lot to the eldest lady over the years." Otherwise, I'll ...... it," he said, looking back at the dumb girl, which meant to leave people behind.

When the dumb aunt saw that something bad was going to happen, she also knelt down, and also kowtowed to Liu Dingmao, but she was not a drama spirit, and she really lacked the kind of acting skills that she could cry when she said she cried, so she could only try to squeeze out the anger on her face, and looked at Steward Liu's fat face," Steward Liu, I'm sorry, I didn't want to expose your old bottom, since you are an old man who has worked for many years, even if you have no merit, there is hard work, we can't do the lack of virtue of unloading and killing donkeys, so I thought about it again and again, and gave you the best compensation, plus the oil and water you have privately fished over the years, it is enough for you to buy fields and manors after you go out, and you may even open a small shop. It's really good that you live the rest of your life without worrying about food and clothing. But what about you, people's hearts are insufficient, you see that the old man is soft-hearted, and he will keep you if you cry, make trouble, and hang yourself. As for me, it's not that there is anything big that I can't get along with you, it's just that the things you have done are really dirty, and living in the same yard with people like you, I don't know when I am not sure, because I don't know when you will suddenly stab me in the back. ”

Steward Liu shouted: "What nonsense are you talking about? You are spewing blood! Master, do you hear, this little woman is spewing blood, how can such a woman who is full of nonsense regardless of shame be the head of the house, sooner or later, this family will be defeated in her hands!"

"Am I spewing blood?" the dumb aunt sneered, stopped kneeling, her knees hurt, she stood up and stared at Steward Liu reflexively, "It seems that I don't say thirty or fifty good things that Steward Liu did in the Liu family, and Steward Liu will not be willing to retreat." Okay, I'll be a wicked person—let me ask you, the eldest lady is a famous lady, the dignified wife of the Liufu family, and Xie Yulin, a dignified man, why has he been the doctor of the Liu family for many years? Is it just because of his excellent medical skills? Why can he go directly to the deep courtyard of the back house to diagnose and treat the eldest lady's pulse over and over again? Just because he and the eldest lady are cousins? My big housekeeper Liu, you can use all these nonsense to coax a three-year-old child! The relationship between the eldest lady and Xie Yulin, the eldest lady admitted it herself last time, but over the years, who has covered up for the eldest lady and Mr. Xie in front of the saddle, hiding from the lord and the servants of the mansion, except for you Butler Liu and your wife Mother Li, who else has such good skills? So last time in front of the eldest lady, I gave it to you, as well as your wife Li Ma, and Lan Mei and the maid who was waiting for you, and left you all with affection, and only exposed Liu Ma alone. It can be said that Liu Ma carried the black pot for all of you alone, she looked for a short time, and she was a hundred, and I didn't want to force people too much, so this matter stopped. Do we still need to torture and confront each other one by one?"

She said angrily and excitedly, her little face turned red, she took a breath, and then looked at Steward Liu: "Don't talk about it, just take the example in front of you, it has snowed heavily every day in the past two days, and the weather is cold and freezing, I asked each house and courtyard to send more charcoal fires, has Mother Li done it? The second aunt is too sick, and there is not even a person to serve in the courtyard, and she has been driven to the kitchen by Mother Li to do rough work, and the second aunt's house is an ice cellar, not to mention food, clothing, housing and transportation! And where is the eighth aunt, Sister Lian'er is young, her clothes are shabby and thin, and the black charcoal used for cooking in the kitchen is actually burned in the house, and the stove is so cold that she can't stand it, and the house is full of smoke when it burns, and the poor eighth aunt is lying at the door to blow the fire, and even more pity Sister Lian'er, she is frozen like that at a young age, and her two little hands are full of chilblains——"

"Is there such a thing? This is worth it!" Liu Dingmao couldn't listen anymore and asked sharply.

"Trouble Uncle Zhong to go, Sister Lian, please come. The dumb aunt commanded.

The old bell walked quickly.

"Master, I, I...... It's all a matter of the backyard of the inner house, it has nothing to do with me, after all, I, as a housekeeper, only care about the men in front of me—" Steward Liu defended.

"Is Mama Li your wife? Without your support, can she be so arrogant?" the dumb aunt sneered.

The old bell came, and Lan Xiu was holding Liu Lian in his arms behind him.

Liu Lian pounced when she saw Liu Dingmao, "Daddy, hug-" Xiao Nizi had a sweet voice, a cute smile, not timid at all, and hugged Liu Dingmao's neck with both hands.

Liu Dingmao grabbed the child's little hand to check, and sure enough, the chilblains were visible one by one.

"Even if her mother and daughter are honest, and I can't go to visit often, but I won't be treated as cheap to such an extent-my Liu family is in a tight situation right now, but I have never ordered the reduction of the living expenses of each house and each house-" Liu Dingmao was surprised, and sat up at the same time, and there was finally fire in his eyes.

Steward Liu hurriedly shouted: "Master Mingcha, it really has nothing to do with villains, they are all cheap and confused, and there are many people in the house, and she has not done her best for a while, and it may be that the mother-in-law below is bad!"

"It's really carrying the head of a bull on his back and not recognizing his dirt, and he doesn't shed tears when he sees the coffin! Shameless to the point of being extremely vicious!" the dumb girl sneered.

Liu Dingmao touched his daughter's little hand and looked at Lan Xiu: "When did it freeze out? Even if it is a shortcoming, it will not freeze people like this! You, and your aunt and wife, how do you take care of your children?"

Lan Xiu quickly knelt down and cried, and at the same time stretched out her hand tremblingly: "Master, it's really cold, Liuyunju is like this every year, usually lack food and clothing, especially in winter, there is a shortage of charcoal, and the slave maid also called his aunt to beg you, but his aunt always said that the house is a big business, and you are entangled in affairs, so I don't want to disturb you." Also, our aunt was afraid of provoking the eldest lady's revenge, so she could only endure it. In fact, our aunt's own hands are frostbitten, which is worse than Sister Lian'er. ”

"How can it be!"

Liu Dingmao shouted, "In the past, the eldest lady treated your aunts and wives harshly, but she is dead, why is she no longer there, and her obscenity is still there?

That's a mean word. The dumb aunt couldn't help but praise this weak and incompetent old man in her heart, thanking him for finally saying a tough word.

"Steward Liu, do you still need evidence? My woman and child are frozen like this, Mama Li's housekeeper must not be able to be anymore, she has the audacity to do such a bully and betrayal of the master, do you think it has nothing to do with herself?"

Steward Liu kowtowed, "The slave is indeed loyal—"

The dumb aunt replied unceremoniously: "Do you need me to give another example to illustrate how many unconscionable things you two have done......?"

"Master, the villain doesn't do this housekeeper, just don't let the villain go, even if you ask the villain to stay in the house, do rough work!"