CHAPTER XXXVII

Back in the back room, Tang Xiaoshi's brother-in-law Zhang Gang closed the door, so he was willing to take off the burden in front of him, untie several layers of linen, take out a thick small cloth bag, and hand it to Tang Xiaoshi.

"Xiaoshi, this ninety-one taels of silver was entrusted to you by the old man...... Originally, it was one hundred taels, but the journey was far away, and on the way, your cousin fell ill and spent nine taels. ”

Zhang Gang was a little embarrassed on his face.

Silver? My brother-in-law came all the way from his hometown in Yangzhou to give her silver?

At present, the last thing she lacks is silver.

"All this money is for me?" Tang Xiaoshi asked suspiciously.

Zhang Gang nodded, he thought Tang Xiaoshi was shirking, and said, "Xiaoshi, you have suffered, you can accept the money." Half a year ago, Lao Zhu, who was in the jewelry business in the county, came back from Chang'an City and said that you were kicked out of the Jingwang Mansion and lived alone in the farm, and you were very lonely...... When the old man heard this, he was very anxious, thinking that you are a woman, how can you endure such suffering, so I scraped together a hundred taels of silver, and asked me to send it over to you quickly, the old man said, he felt sorry for you as soon as you were born, you had no mother, but he was old and useless, so he could only help you like this......"

Zhang Gang then said ashamedly: "The journey to Yangzhou in Chang'an is far away, and my uncle is really useless, the three-month journey has been tossed and turned for nearly half a year, and it has been delayed for so long, so you have suffered here." So, Xiaoshi, you can take this silver, it's all your own family, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. ”

Zhang Gang pushed the silver in front of Tang Xiaoshi again.

Tang Xiaoshi felt warm in her heart, no matter how much money she earned in the Dark Fragrance Pavilion today, she felt that it was not as heavy as the ninety-one taels in front of her.

Seeing the shoes on his uncle's feet that had been worn with several holes, Tang Xiaoshi asked: "Chang'an Yangzhou is far away, uncle, you just walked over?" Why not take the water? ”

Zhang Gang let out a long sigh, shook his head, and did not answer.

Tang Xiaoshi guessed a little in her heart, now her uncle and cousin are wearing the cheapest linen clothes, and their economic situation does not seem to be good. Although the waterway is fast, it has to charge a lot of money, and two people will have to pay fifty taels of silver.

Uncle was probably reluctant to spend money, so he came step by step.

But in the news that Tang Xiaoshi heard before, her mother's maiden family is in a restaurant, and it has been passed down for three generations, living in a small county town in Yangzhou, even if it is not rich and expensive, at least it is a well-off family with no worries about food and clothing.

How did you get to this point? Can't even afford a ferry ticket?

Could it be that there have been some natural disasters in the past few years**?

Tang Xiaoshi asked again: "Uncle, what happened to the restaurant at home?" ”

Zhang Gang turned his face away and said, "Xiaoshi, don't ask." "Those embarrassing things at home, how could he sue Tang Xiaoshi!

The more uncle is like this, the more Tang Xiaoshi understands that there must be a hidden secret.

Although she crossed over, after all, she occupied other people's bodies, and she had the obligation to take care of the relatives of this body, besides, Tang Xiaoshi liked a loving and righteous uncle like Zhang Gang very much.

Tang Xiaoshi pretended to be angry, pushed the silver back, and said, "Uncle, if you don't say it, I won't accept this silver." ”

Zhang Gang still didn't speak.

Tang Xiaoshi said again: "Uncle Fang Cai also said that they are all a family, and there is nothing to be embarrassed about, but now that something happens at home, he doesn't tell Xiaoshi, don't you treat Xiaoshi as a family?" In this way, Xiao Shi is really alone......"

Zhang Gang was stunned for a moment, thinking to himself, the family is in trouble, and Xiaoshi does have the right to know what happened in Yangzhou's hometown.

He said: "If you say this, I'm afraid it will make Xiaoshi embarrassed for you." In fact, the restaurant in Yangzhou's hometown has been unable to make ends meet a few years ago, and it is difficult to maintain, and the restaurant has been closed for several years. ”

The restaurant is gone, isn't there still a field? How can it be that it will not be down to such a point, Xiao Shi asked again: "Could it be that the hundreds of acres of land at home are gone?" ”

Zhang Gang nodded again, his face was full of depression, and said: "Someone colluded with the government, saying that the Zhang family's land was forcibly bought and sold, which violated the laws of the state, and they were all taken away." There were even tenants who sued the Zhang family for forcibly collecting tenant money and squeezing the tenants, and the government sentenced the Zhang family to pay money to the tenants. ”

Tang Xiaoshi was stunned, the restaurant that has been inherited for three generations is said to be running very steadily, how can it be said that it will go out of business? Hundreds of acres of land were bought back by the Zhang family, how could they be swept away? Even the tenants came to bite back.

This makes it clear that someone is deliberately bringing down the Zhang family! And this person should be a figure with status, otherwise how could he hook up with the Shangguan family.

Who is it? Tang Huairen? No, although he is unkind, there is really no need to calculate a small Zhang family.

Stepmother Zhao? Tang Xiaoshi felt that it was very possible, because Zhao's hometown was also Yangzhou, she must have a force in Yangzhou, women are the most angry, she hates the Zhang family, and she has a reason to bring down the Zhang family.

Tang Xiaoshi asked, "Is it the ghost of the Zhao family?" ”

Zhang Gang was surprised how Tang Xiaoshi knew, and said: "That's right, it's the ghost of the slut of the Zhao family, she first poached a few chefs in the Zuixinlou, and opened a restaurant opposite the Zuinxinlou, and then secretly drugged the dishes in the Zuinxinlou, and sent people to make trouble in the Zuinxinlou, in just one year, the reputation accumulated by the three generations of the Zuinxinlou was all ruined." As for the fields, the Zhang family has no officials and no power, how can they confront the government? I have never seen a few forged certificates, but they have my fingerprints on them...... Unexpectedly, the intoxication building was destroyed in my generation......"

Zhang Gang lowered his head and sighed.

There is no restaurant, no field, and there are not many men in the family, so it is no wonder that Zhang Gang is now in a down-and-out outfit.

However, under such difficult conditions, how did they get together a hundred taels of silver? Tang Xiaoshi pondered.

"Uncle, the family is so depressed, where did the hundred taels of silver come from?" Tang Xiaoshi asked.

"The restaurant is sold." Zhang Gang said, "The old man said that there was only an empty shell left, and it was useless to keep it, so it was better to buy it, and it could be exchanged for some money to help you, so the old man sold the restaurant." ”

Zhang Gang said lightly, but Tang Xiaoshi understood how important the meaning of the restaurant was to his grandfather, this is an inheritance passed down from his ancestors, but he was defeated in his own hands, which is a very painful thing.

She was very touched to have such a grandfather, far away, even if he was not by her side, he was still worried about having such a granddaughter and worried about her hardship.

Tang Xiaoshi looked at his uncle and said to him firmly: "Uncle, don't worry, the Drunken Heart Building will definitely open again, and the business will be a hundred times better than before!" ”