The guests and hosts of this banquet enjoyed themselves, and by the time of the application for the license in the afternoon, the guests had resigned. Only the relatives of the Lu family are still there, and all the men are in the side hall, accompanied by the father and son of the Lu family, and the female dependents are all gathered in the upper room.

Everyone sat down for a while, and Lu Jiashi said that he was tired and wanted to take a lunch break, so he went first. The crowd sent them back and sat down as usual. Liu instructed Yingxia to bring a tea tray up, and all the women took the tea cup in their hands.

Zhou was holding a tea bowl in his hand, but he was not busy eating, his eyes were dripping and turning with the summer, and he smiled at Liu's again: "If you don't come for a few days, my sister-in-law has changed the people in the room." Changchun has been with his sister-in-law for a few years, and there is no big fault in listening to it on weekdays. Seeing her provocation, Liu put down the tea bowl and said, "What you said is wrong, and I didn't pick her up." It's just that Sister Hong's room has never made up for anyone since Cherry died last year. The apricots are so small that they can't be relied on in everything. I'm her mother, I don't love her, what outsider do you expect to hurt her? When others think about it, it's already late! Therefore, I asked Changchun to make up for the lack of cherries in the past, and chose this summer from my family and daughters. Although I can't be the master of buying people, I can always call whoever comes up and serves. ”

When Zhou heard this, he nodded with a light smile and said: "That's reasonable, it's just that the girl who serves her personally is not a straight face, and she looks comfortable." My sister-in-law is different from the world, and she must have some benefits that others can't have when she chooses to serve like this. Liu sighed and said: "What else can I have, I just look at this child honestly and pitifully, her mother is a widow, and it is not easy to support two children." Her face has become like that again, and it is difficult to say that it is difficult to match people in the future. I felt sorry for her, so I simply asked her to come to me to serve, which was also an errand, but it was better than those who did not know the bottom outside. ”

Zhou said with a smile: "My sister-in-law is getting older, and there are more and more bodhisattva hearts. Thinking about the jasper used in our family in the early years, the eldest man just looked at it twice, and his sister-in-law quit the family. also chased to the door of the house, and refused to give up after scolding for two days. It's so tired that when the women of other families reach the age of saying goodbye, no one in the whole capital is willing to ask for it, and they are hired to go to a foreign country. ”

As soon as she said a word, everyone in the room already understood Liu's thoughts, and they were funny in their hearts, but fortunately, they always respected the identity of the Lu family and did not dare to ridicule them in person.

Liu's face was a little unbearable, and he said: "My brother and sister have a good memory, and I still remember such old stories in my heart." Zhou smiled: "I don't remember it very much, but when I saw this girl's face, I suddenly remembered it." ”

Everyone ate two teas, and the housekeeper outside took the old sister-in-law Huiling and her two apprentices Mingxin and Mingxing to come in and say goodbye.

This Hui Ling is the sister-in-law of the water purification nunnery in the eastern suburbs of the capital, who became a monk at the age of eighteen, and has been more than 30 years now, and has also been a party host. Because Lu Jia has always been pious, he used to love the monk's house, and there are also offerings in this pure water nunnery. This Hui Ling also often came to Lu's house to ask for peace to walk around, sing a Buddhist song with Lu Jia's family, recite a scripture, and earn some incense and silver. Today, I heard that the young master of the Lu family has become a big official, and he hurriedly came to offer his courtesy.

This Hui Ling entered the hall, folded his hands, recited a Buddha name, first said hello to the Liu family, and then said hello to Xia Chunchao.

Xia Chunchao ordered someone to sit with her, and said with a smile: "It's unfortunate that the master is here today, the old lady is resting at this time, so it's not good to disturb." Hui Ling smiled and said, "The old lady is an old person, and she needs to be carefully maintained every day, and the old body naturally knows." I can't see the old lady, and it's the same when I see the wife and grandmother. Thinking that the first time I came to the house to preach the scriptures that year, when I saw my grandmother, I said that my grandmother was a blessed person, and she would have the joy of a crown of pearls in the future. Today, it is indeed the case, which shows that the old body speaks effectively. ”

As soon as she said a word, everyone laughed. That Zhou couldn't get used to her appearance, so he smiled and said: "Master Huiling, a while ago I asked you to come home to read a volume of "The Book of Sending Children" for my daughter-in-law, and you can only be idle. How did I meet you here today, it turns out that you are not idle, but you are also picking. When Hui Ling heard this, he hurriedly smiled and said, "I didn't see that the second wife was also there, it's a sin." The second wife laughed, the old body really didn't have time to spare a few days ago. Qianqiu, the old lady of the infantry commander, asked the old man to sing the "Peace Sutra" all night. It's the wife of the Hou family in Jing'an who wants to do the water and land dojo, and the old body also goes to help. This body is like a spinning top, and it can't turn around to the second wife. Even today, I squeezed out the loopholes. The second wife can rest assured, I have already made an offer for my wife in front of Guanyin. As long as the wife is sincere, the bodhisattva will definitely perceive. ”

While talking, the girl brought in two plates of vegetarian dim sum, and Huiling's master and apprentice each took some.

Sister Lu Hong felt bored sitting on the side, and said quickly: "Master Huiling, you have always had the most allusions, and it is okay for your son to wait for the old lady to get up, why don't you talk about two?" Liu reprimanded: "This kid, why don't you know how to be polite." When people came, before they ate a cup of tea, they asked someone to tell a story! As long as Hui Ling was flattering, she didn't care, and said with a smile: "Since the girl can afford it, there are still some rotten sesame seeds in Chen Guzi here in the old body, so I will take it out to flatter you today." So saying, he spoke one.

Sister Lu Hong shook her head and said, "It's not good, it's all on the scriptures, and I'm tired of listening to my grandmother's chatter on weekdays." Does the master still have a fresh and good story? ”

Hui Ling frowned and thought for a while, and said, "There really is one, it's a story from the south." The old body also listened to the sister-in-law who came over there, and told him to listen to it. After speaking, he cleared his throat and said: "I heard that there is a rich man in Huizhou who gave birth to two daughters in his lifetime. The eldest daughter was raised by a wife, and this daughter was born to a house. This eldest daughter gave birth to a closed moon and a shy flower, sinking fish and geese, and her personality is extremely gentle and virtuous. However, this person has a lot of wealth, but he does not have a son under his knees, and he has no sacrifice in front of the grave behind him, so he has to recruit for the eldest daughter, thinking that he is half a son. At that time, this younger sister, who married into a foreign country, brought her son to take refuge because of the death of a man. This young man is a clever person, able to speak well, and he is very versatile. A few sweet words coaxed this person out. I chose a date and recruited him into the house. ”

"In the first few years, there was nothing to do, but the two of them suddenly fell ill and died one after another. This son-in-law became the master of the family. Who knew that this young man was actually a needle, and he hooked up with the eldest lady's sister-in-law in private. These two people also did it seriously, and even forced the eldest lady to give up the position in the main room and imprisoned them alive. It's a pity that a good beauty died like this. ”

When they heard the story, they were silent. Sister Lu Hong had a straightforward temper, and immediately scolded: "Where did this pair of beasts come from, they have not only won other people's people, but also occupied other people's wealth, and they still have to be bullied and trampled on like this at the end of their lives, who in this world can play such a breath?!" Didn't you get retribution?! God is really blind! ”

Seeing that she was scolding and sick, Liu reprimanded: "Girl, how can you roar in public like this, what is it like!" Xia Chunchao said on the side: "Although the girl's words are a little rougher, they are really good in theory." Since you have been a son-in-law for others, you have obtained thousands of family wealth, you have married beautiful women, and you have enjoyed a happy life, so you should be good at presiding over housework for others. It is really wolf-hearted to be able to do such a corrupt and unconscionable deed. ”

Aunt Zhang smiled: "You two young children, you are really angry. What's in it? It's also worth being angry about! The world is big, what strange theories are not? What's more, since the eldest lady is married, she has returned to her husband's family with her wealth and money. Although her husband is a little out of line, it is all reasonable. It is an eternal truth for a woman to marry and obey her husband. This woman was only afraid that she would have some bad things, so she asked her husband to be treated like this, and there was nothing to complain about. ”

Xia Chunchao said: "I don't like to listen to what Mrs. Aunt says. What does it mean that she even returned to her husband's family with money and money? Not to mention that this man came in, and there is no room for his father-in-law's wealth. Even according to the marriage, the woman's dowry is also her own property, and there is no reason for a husband to covet it. My aunt is also a person who has been married for many years and has given birth to a daughter, how can she say such inconsequential things! ”

While everyone was talking, there was a sudden noisy shouting outside to catch the thief, and someone shouted: "It's irrelevant, don't disturb the wives!" ”

When Xia Chunchao heard this movement, he knew that something had happened, so he sent Zhu'er out to pass on the people.

After a while, the housekeeper Wang'er came in and replied: "Please say hello to the wife, the second wife, the grandmother, and the girls. When I asked him, I didn't pay attention to him, but called him, and ran as fast as I could. Everyone was suspicious, so they went up together and took him, and found some stolen goods, all of which were our family's property, so they were going to be sent to the government, and asked grandma to show them. ”

When everyone heard this, they were all taken aback. Xia Chunchao said: "The sky is blue, and there is a thief in the house, but this matter should be asked." Then he asked, "What did this guy steal?" Don't send him to the official yet, bring him here for our trial. Wang'er agreed, and hurriedly went.

After a while, I saw a few small servants in the family pushing a man in. When he arrived in the hall, the man didn't need to be pushed, so he knelt down and said with a mouthful of forgiveness: "The little one is really not a thief, those things are given by people." The little one came over today, and he also had an appointment with the same person. Ask for the wives and grandmothers, spare the little ones. ”

The little guys shouted in unison: "We took one on the spot, everyone got the stolen goods, and they dare to say that they are not thieves!" As he spoke, one of them presented a cloth bag and said, "Mrs. and grandmother, look at it, these are all guys from our family." ”

Everyone looked at it, and saw that there were two red gold engraved lotus pattern wine bells, a pair of silver-covered chopsticks, and a colorful enamel chicken chirping pot in the cloth bag, all of which were on the Lu family's guest table, and they all said in unison: "What a stinky thief, and dare to quibble!" ”

Xia Chunchao looked at it and asked: "This is the utensils used in our house, if there is no internal response, if you are an outsider, there is nowhere to steal." You said it was sent by someone, but who sent it? The man rolled his eyes around the hall, and suddenly pointed at Zhang Xueyan and said, "It's this young lady and me!" ”。