Within a few days, in the northwest direction of Yuncheng, there was news of the bandits, and the family passing by was robbed, except for the clothes on their bodies, there was not even a strip of cloth left.

It just so happened that Yuan Dongliang was training nearby, and when he heard the news, he immediately rushed over, so there was no homicide. Later, Yuan Dongliang went to the prefect's yamen with the old man, and he didn't know what he said, anyway, even the matter of taking the third young lady's maiden family was handed over to Yuan Dongliang.

Those who don't know how to do it, when they see this, they only think that the errand is different. But if you are knowledgeable, you will know that the number one leader of this Cloud City is finally the original family. However, the original family was not greedy, and the thief was caught and handed over to the prefect's yamen as usual.

Yuan Dongliang wanted this errand, but it was not to come to distinguish between the prefect and the yamen, they were all officials of the imperial court, and a local like him was more restricted, and it reached the ears of the emperor, but it became a bully of foreign officials, and the impression on the emperor was not good, if you are not selfish, will you suppress foreign officials? Say, do you want to be the emperor of the soil?

Yuan Dongliang was able to get to this day, firstly, because he had the ability, but if he didn't have the emperor's attention and cultivation support, he would not have succeeded to the original family, so he snatched this errand from the prefect's yamen for other things.

Now that he has just inherited the original family, the old man is slowly delegating the rights of the original family to him step by step, and the new official has taken office three fires, and he has to take his brothers to make some achievements in order to serve the public. But on the contrary, the war with Xiliang has only ended for two or three years, and Xiliang has not eased up yet, so he can't fight it so loudly. Internally, Yuan Dongliang disdains to do such a trivial thing as patrolling the streets.

So after thinking about it, I hit the idea on this bandit, the north of Cloud City is Baishui City, due west is Xiliang, and the northwest is a more remote place, it belongs to the uninhabited area, and there are often people who can't tolerate the three towns to flee to that side. There are many bandits, there are many robbers, and there is instability anyway.

But the prefect's yamen doesn't want to bother with this, after all, you just settled down that area, and the jurisdiction is not in charge of yourself, and this political achievement can't be put on your head, so why bother with that? In case you lose your subordinates, let alone say it's delicious, I'm afraid it will be contaminated.

The difference between the two families is this, but Yuan Dongliang found an opportunity at this time, and after negotiation, the prefect nodded helplessly.

The happy Yuan Dongliang went home and hugged Ning Nianzhi and kissed him hard: "Since I was a child, my father and mother have said that you are a lucky star, I haven't taken it seriously, I just thought that my father and mother love you, but I didn't expect that you are really a big lucky star, I have been worried about this matter for several months, and as soon as you came forward, it was done immediately." ”

Ning Nianzhi smiled dryly, can she say that she deliberately calculated this matter? As early as when she was thinking about solving this matter, she was already thinking about the place where the third young lady's maiden family met the bandits, so she pushed it around. However, it was a bit of a surprise that it went so well.

In the main courtyard, the old man also smiled and touched his beard and said to the old lady: "You said before that she was a lucky star, I still disdain, this father, for his own children can really come up with any means, this time, it is really thanks to her, you have something good to look back on, you can get a reward." ”

The old lady glanced at him: "Do you still need to say this?" I did what I said, and I said before that I would treat her as my own granddaughter, and I would treat her the same as Dongliang. ”

As he was talking, he saw the big girl on Ning Nianzhi's side hurriedly coming over, and the old lady hurriedly asked, "Why are you here here?" But what's going on there? What about Brother Guang'er? Are you still asleep? ”

"Don't worry, old lady, it's not a bad thing, Brother Guang'er just ate milk, and he is making a fuss about coming to the old lady, Mama Tang will bring it over in a while, and the slave and maid are here, there is another thing to say."

Listening to Xue smiling and saluting: "Our young lady just received a letter from the capital, saying that she had set off for Cloud City a month ago, counting the days, it will be about ten days to arrive, the young lady wants to ask the old lady, is it okay to open the peach orchard?" ”

The courtyard of the original house, when the garden was repaired earlier, it was changed to a name, it is particularly easy to understand, and at a glance you know that it corresponds to the flowers and plants in the yard, this peach orchard, as the name suggests, is full of peach trees.

When the old lady heard this, she laughed: "Really? That's great, hey, our Yuncheng is too far away from the capital, your young lady has been in the door for more than a year, and I haven't seen my relatives, I feel sorry for her in my heart, no matter how much I love her, I am not my mother, now my in-laws can come, I am welcome to sweep the couch, not to mention a peach orchard, even if you open the courtyard of the whole house, by the way, but who will come? Mother-in-law? Or brothers? ”

"Back to the old lady, it is the master of the Ning family and the wife of the Ning family, as well as several young masters of the Ning family." Listening to Xue said with a smile, just listening to these titles, the old lady couldn't help but smile and squint her eyes, it is good to treat herself as the original family, and only then can she think about the original family wholeheartedly in the future.

This letter was received in mid-February, and since receiving this letter, Ning Nianzhi began to get busy, and while sending people to wait at the city gate, he began to decorate the yard. The yard of the original house was locked up before, and now I have to find someone to clean it and add some furnishings, and the weather here in Cloud City is very different from that in the capital, so I have to prepare clothes or something.

It's the end of February, the days are getting closer and closer, Ning Nianzhi is getting more and more nervous, I don't know what kind of nervousness it is, it's all my own family, even if I haven't seen each other for more than a year, isn't it still a family?

Yuan Dongliang persuaded him like this, but Ning Nianzhi shook his head: "It's not that I'm nervous about them, it's just that I haven't seen them for a long time, and I don't know if my father and mother have gained weight or thin, how much taller my younger brothers have grown, and besides, before I left home, they were all children, and now, An Cheng is already discussing marriage and has become a young man, I am afraid that I will see them, but I will become speechless." ”

"Nothing to say?" Yuan Dongliang raised his eyebrows: "I'm still worried that you have too much to say, you ask them about their life in the capital, and then they ask about their life in Cloud City, you have to take them around Cloud City, your father still has a position, it is impossible to stay in Cloud City for too long, at most half a month, and then look at the children, get together with your grandparents and grandmothers, maybe you have to make a detour to Baishui City, you really don't have to worry about running out of words." ”

Ning Nianzhi thought about it, it's really like this, even if I haven't seen each other for a long time, it's relatives, talk about each other, and talk about the changes in various places, even if you don't speak, you don't have to be nervous and embarrassed at all if you look at each other face-to-face.

As soon as he figured it out, he saw Tingxue running in with her skirt, Ning Nianzhi twitched the corner of her mouth: "They are all people who are about to become new daughters-in-law, what do you look like if you are still reckless, be quick and steady, lest you dislike you in the future." ”

Tingxue's face turned red, and she muttered: "If he dislikes it, he will dislike it, it's not that I can't get married." ”

After the previous Zhuangzi matter was settled, Liu Tiezhu and his comrade Zhang Zongji came to the door to propose marriage, mentioning Yingxue and Tingxue. Yingxue is easy to say, she and Liu Tiezhu have a good impression of each other, just listen to Xue, at the beginning she still had to marry a steward or something, and she can still enter the house to serve Ning Nianzhi in the future, but Ning Nianzhi felt that it was better to marry Zhang Zongji, so she pretended to be deaf and let Zhang Zongji please Tingxue for a while, and it was about Yingxue who persuaded her, and Tingxue slowly changed her attitude, and the relationship between the two of them was finalized last month, just waiting for August, when the weather was cool, she went out to get married.

"Now that's the case, people really dislike you when you turn around, don't come to me and cry." Ning Nianzhi said with a smile, listening to Xue pouting: "If he dislikes me, I also dislike him." As he spoke, he patted his head: "It's all for the young lady to be deceived, the slave and maid are here, the young lady, it's a big happy event, the old lady and a few young masters are already almost there, and it is estimated that they will be able to reach the city gate in half an hour!" ”

"Really?" Ning Nianzhi got up suddenly, his eyes shining: "Entered the city?" Dongliang, hurry up, let's go and greet you. ”

After Ning Nianzhi got up, Yuan Dongliang had already stood up, nodded hurriedly and said, "Well, I'll let people prepare the carriage." ”

Ning Nianzhi waved his hand: "No need for a carriage, let's ride out on horseback." ”

Yuan Dongliang quickly shook his head: "No, you have only been out of confinement for a long time, and the doctor said that you can't ride a horse, if you don't listen to me, we won't go out." Yuan Dongliang put on a non-negotiable appearance, Ning Nian's heart was anxious, and after weighing it, it was indeed slow to take the carriage, but at this time, he would be entangled with Yuan Dongliang for a long time, and it would be about the same time as taking the carriage to turn back.

So, I could only nod: "Then take the carriage, hurry up." ”

"Don't worry, I had someone prepare the carriage a few days earlier, and you can leave directly when you go to the second gate at this time." Yuan Dongliang hurriedly said, giving Tingxue a look, Tingxue hurriedly went out with her skirt again, and sure enough, when Ning Nianzhi arrived at the gate of the second courtyard, the carriage was already waiting.

Along the way, the coachman was urged to rush over, Ning Zhen and Ma Xinrong also happened to have just arrived, and several small servants of the original family were saluting and greeting. Ning Nianzhi didn't wait for the bus stop to stabilize and pounced, but fortunately, Yuan Dongliang had been paying attention to her, and immediately raised his hand to catch the person: "You are steady, everyone is here, what are you anxious about?" ”

Ning Zhen was also startled, and said with a tiger face: "Dongliang is right, they are all mothers, what does it look like to be so reckless?" Don't have a next time, or you'll be punished for squatting back. ”

Ning Nianzhi made a grimace, Ning Zhen's words are also scary, she has grown up, Ning Zhen has never even touched her with a finger, and she is punished for squatting or something, which is a punishment that only boys have.

Ma Xinrong also lifted the curtain and stretched out his hand: "Come in quickly, let me take a good look at you, are you thin again?" Why is this figure much thinner than when I was in the capital? But can't get used to eating the food here in Cloud City? ”

"Mother, I'm still fat twice, and I can't wear the clothes I made before." Ning Nianzhi was helpless, when the new daughter-in-law got married, she couldn't bring the old clothes from her mother's family, and the Ning family was not short of money, so they simply made new ones. After Ning Nianzhi finished the confinement, he found that the clothes he wore when he was married were already a little tight, not just a little tighter.

"I look like I've lost weight." Ma Xinrong was still distressed: "This face is smaller!" By the way, what about the kids? Can I leave you now? "I remember that my daughter wrote a letter saying that she was personally fed, and she was breastfeeding, can she throw it away?

"It's okay, I'm asleep when I go out, and it's too late to rush back now." Ning Nianzhi said with a smile, Ma Xinrong hurriedly beckoned: "Then let's stop talking here, hurry back, in case the child wakes up, won't he cry if he can't see you?" As he spoke, he shouted to Yuan Dongliang: "Dongliang, let's go back first." If you have anything to say, go back and talk about it, but don't block the city gate. ”

Yuan Dongliang hurriedly responded, helped Ning Nian to get into Ma Xinrong's carriage, rode a horse and followed Ning Zhen and others, and didn't care about us chatting, and went back to the house directly, sure enough, the child had woken up, Ning Nianzhi went back to feed the child first, and Ning Zhen and Ma Xinrong went to visit the old lady and the old lady first.

"Is your old man okay?" The old man touched his beard and asked, "When I saw your father last year, I was still very energetic and had a very good face, why didn't I come over this time?" Since there are no errands on you, walking around, looking around, feeling better is better for your body. ”

"Thank you for your concern, my father's health is fine, but, after all, he is a little old, and he can't stand it when he runs around day and night like this." Ning Zhen hurriedly said: "He wants to come to see Nianzhi, after all, among the children and grandchildren, there are only two granddaughters, and they usually have good things to think about them, and they are angry with me for this, I am also worried, and I don't know how to make the old man angry when I go back." ”

"Hahahaha, old child, you just need to bother coaxing, it's really not good, go back and let Dongliang take you to buy more specialties from our side, it's your own mind, the old man knows that you juniors still have him in your hearts, and you will be angry."

"Thank you for mentioning it, I, I just thought that I could go back with more handwritten letters or something, and I could coax my old man." Ning Zhen said with a smile, and the topic came to the court, although the original family is far away from the capital, but after all, they are courtiers, even if every move in the capital is not completely clear, but they have to know the general direction, Ning Zhen also means this, and there is nothing to hide when it comes to it.

"The emperor had an illness at the beginning of this year, and the eldest prince was anxious, so he found a reason to install his own people in the Gyeonggi Guard, and the emperor was furious, and it was not good to blame his son for this, so I thought about going out for a walk."

Yuan Dongliang's eyes widened, no wonder his father also came over this time, it turned out that he wanted to hide and be clean.

"The prince also got married last year, and he married the daughter of the Ministry of Industry, who is talented and beautiful, but he is also a natural pair."

"The third prince and the fourth prince went hunting together, and finally fell into an ambush, the third prince fell off his horse, and there were some problems with his legs and feet, and in this life, I am afraid there is no hope."

The old lady and Ma Xinrong were talking some gossip, and the old lady grabbed Ma Xinrong's hand, her face full of gratitude: "Nian Zhi is a blessed person, not long after entering the door, I gave birth to a big fat boy, and I also feel more and more that my body is useless, so I look forward to seeing Dongliang's heirs before I die, whether it is a girl or a boy, as long as I know that Dongliang is doing well, I can also close my eyes." ”

"The old lady must not say such frustrating words, I see that the old lady is very good-looking, in the future, I will definitely be able to watch Brother Guang'er marry a wife and have children, what is the four generations in the same house, we want the six generations in the same house!"

"Then I'll be an old monster." The old lady laughed and said, and looked at Ning Niancheng again: "In a blink of an eye, I became an adult, and this family matter is also said?" When? ”

Ning Ancheng blushed, pretending to be listening to Ning Zhen and the old man. Ma Xinrong pursed his lips and smiled: "It's set, it's set at the end of this year, when I see Nianzhi, I will send someone to propose marriage when I go back from Yuncheng, the child is not small, I can start a family early, I can start a business early, let's be an old man, just pull the child up, and it's up to them to live a good or bad life in the future." ”

"My in-laws are right." The old lady nodded busily, and as she was talking, she saw Ning Nianzhi coming in with the child in her arms, and everyone in the room was attracted to it, Ning Nianzhi was stunned for a moment, and couldn't help pinching the little belly of the fat ball in her arms: "Brother Guang'er, look, everyone wants to see you, there are gifts to receive, do you want to see what it is?" ”

Ma Xinrong couldn't help laughing and said, "Why are you still so narrow-minded when you become a mother?" Then he turned his head to look at the old lady: "Looking at her like this, I know that the old lady must be very fond of her on weekdays, which makes her more and more lazy and unruly." ”

The old lady smiled: "I just like her temperament, lively and cheerful, now I think of it as my baby pistachio, I can't see her for a day, I think in a panic, that is, Dongliang can't compare to her in front of me." ”

Yuan Dongliang nodded hurriedly: "This is true, let's just say eat, when it comes to the meal, grandmother must say, oops, what do you want to eat, we have to tell Xu Niangzi to do it earlier, it's my turn, grandmother said, you just eat a little, just eat enough." ”

After saying this, everyone was smiling, and the Ning family was really relieved, their daughter's state was there, her face was ruddy, she spoke briskly, and her words and deeds were generous.

"Mother, look, this is Brother Guang'er." Ning Nianzhi's face was teased, he simply came in with the child, diverted the topic, and untied the swaddling clothes in his arms for everyone to see, the old lady was very embarrassed: "This child is very well-behaved, and he cried twice on the day he was born and on the day of washing, and the rest of the time he was quiet, and when he was hungry, he hummed twice, pulled or urinated, and he also hummed and chirped a few times, which is especially easy to bring." ”

"See, this forehead looks like a thought, the heavenly court is full, and it will definitely be blessed in the future. This mouth is the same as Dongliang, the man's mouth is full of food, and this nose, see? It's exactly the same as me. ”

"Sure enough, if the old lady doesn't say it, I really don't see it." Ma Xinrong didn't refute the old lady's words, it didn't matter if the old man was happy, wasn't it just who the child looked like? I'm still young, and when I grow up, maybe I'll be like my grandmother?

However, Ma Xinrong was docile, but the old lady was embarrassed, and hurriedly said: "This earlobe is really similar to your Ning Zhen's, take a look, is it printed in a mold?" It's all such big earlobes, and they will be a promising one in the future, and this hair is too much the same as yours. ”

Ning Nianzhi and Yuan Dongliang glanced at each other, and two days ago they said that they wanted to kiss their father and mother, but now they look like their great-grandmothers, great-grandfathers and maternal grandfathers, and this change is really big enough. But think about it, I am also a little similar to my father, maybe it is these similarities that have been passed down?

"Look at me, I'm happy when I see you, and I'm talking endlessly, it's negligence, you've been on the road for so many days, and you must be very tired, why don't we have dinner first, and then you wash and scrub, sleep for a while, and let's chat again when you're free?"

Looking at the sky outside, the old lady patted her forehead and said with a smile: "The yard or something, Nianzhi was ready half a month ago, if you look back and lack anything, you just have to talk to Nianzhi." Let's not be polite, Nianzhidu is married to Dongliang, we are also a family, don't talk about those two families, you must eat well and live well, otherwise, I won't spare Nianzhi. ”

Ning Nianzhi hurriedly made a gesture of begging for mercy: "Don't take the old lady's words seriously, let's just coax my father and mother, otherwise, I will take revenge on the old lady's heart, liver and flesh." ”

As he spoke, he bared his teeth and claws at Yaohui Yuan, making the room full of people laugh.

Tingxue and Yingxue knew the tastes of the Ning family better, and the secretly invited these two over early in the morning and prepared a large table of Beijing-style meals. When he heard that the meal was passed on, he was anxious and let people carry it over, and he had been waiting in the kitchen with fear, for fear that these people from the capital would not be satisfied with the food, and it would be herself who the young lady would dispose of.

But I didn't expect that when the dinner over there was over, when the maid sent the plates over, she actually brought a reward: "The old lady and the young lady said that you made this meal with your heart, and the young lady's maiden family ate very well, so these are rewards for you, but from tomorrow, you don't have to cook the dishes of the capital, and you know the taste, just follow the dishes of Yuncheng, just the right taste." ”

No matter how good the cooking skills of the are, the Beijing cuisine will definitely not be as good as the chefs in the capital, so it is better to make their own specialty dishes.

The was busy, and when she saw that the maids had come to fetch hot water, she cleaned her hands and went out, planning to go home from the house, pondering in her heart while walking. Ming'er still has to ask the personal maids to see what kind of flavor the old man and his wife eat today, and go back and set a menu by themselves, don't be lazy.