Jiang Zhu's family, the second master of Jiang, only had four masters, but the luggage and people who came to the carriage were at least three times that of Jiang Xi's family. When Taohua walked from Baicaozhai to the main courtyard, he saw that the western courtyard arranged for them was full of people, and many boxes and cages were constantly moving inside, as if they wanted to fill the entire courtyard.

"The second master's family is very pompous." Mint came from the front and had already seen it, "The second wife and the second girl are beside each of the four big maidens, all of whom are wearing silk and satin, and they are all wearing gilded hairpins on their heads. "Jiang Zhu's family is just a businessman, and it is already the limit for the family to wear gold-plated jewelry.

"I heard that the second aunt's dowry was extremely generous back then, and the second uncle has been doing business outside these years, so he is naturally arrogant." To do business, you must have both the ability and connections, Jiang Zhu has the ability, and the maiden foil of Jiang's second wife Jing's family, the business is naturally doing well, but it is not comparable to Jiang Xi's family.

Mint hurriedly declared: "The slave doesn't mean to be envious, she just feels dazzled." Looking at the pomp and circumstance of the second wife, I suddenly compared the eldest wife......"

Momoka couldn't help but shake her head. The concubine's daughter-in-law is even more expensive than the eldest son's daughter-in-law, and I am afraid that there will be some storms again. Fortunately, everyone does not live together for a long time, otherwise there would be no peace.

A group of people gathered in Yu's courtyard, and when Taohua entered the courtyard gate, she found that mint was not exaggerated at all. There are six strange maids lined up on the steps in front of the door, all wearing silk and satin, although they are limited to their identities, they are all plain and without lines, but the color and texture are also good. At least one piece of gold-plated jewelry on each person's head. There were two older ones, and a pair of gold-plated earrings, which seemed to be a little higher in rank than the other four younger ones.

Momoka understood it when she thought about it. On weekdays, when the family enters Yu's house, they only bring one maid by their side, and the second wife Jiang and the second girl Jiang Lianhua do not intend to violate this rule, so they leave the extra few outside the house. It's just that if you really want to abide by the rules, you don't have to bring it, so you can bring it here...... Momoka didn't bother to think about it.

In the room, Yu was still sitting on top, but two men and two women were saluting her.

Momoka watched from the side. Jiang Zhu was born like Aunt Zhu, her eyebrows and eyes were faint and there was no too bright outline, but she was long and jade, quite a bit of Confucian businessman. Jiang's second wife, Jing, was born very beautiful, with a melon seed face and phoenix eyes, a small figure, and a typical southern appearance.

Jiang Nanhua and Jiang Lianhua, two brothers and sisters in the back, were born like Jing's family. Jiang Nanhua is seventeen years old, and his figure has inherited the height of the Jiang family, perhaps he walks around a lot outside, his complexion is slightly dark, his shoulders are broad, and he already looks like a young man. Jiang Lianhua is as petite as Jing's, and Jing's is very well maintained, so at first glance she doesn't look like a mother and daughter, but like two sisters.

These people kowtowed, and Yu ordered the maid to give Jiang Nanhua a meeting gift for his brother and sister as usual, but the look on his face was still faint, and he only said: "It's good to be back, the old lady has been thinking about it." After a while, remember to go to Baicaozhai to meet your aunt, I haven't seen you for many years, and she also misses you. ”

Xiao Shi stood next to him, and when he heard this, he smiled and said, "Mother said yes." In a few days, the second brother will leave Beijing again, and the daughter-in-law thinks that she should say more to Aunt Zhu, so she will place the second brother's family in the West Courtyard, which is also closer to Baicaozhai, and it is convenient for Aunt Zhu to go over. ”

Jing smiled lightly and said softly, "Thank you sister-in-law for thinking about it so thoroughly." "Speaking of which, the Yu family is Jiang Zhu's mother, but the Xiao family bluntly said that Jiang Zhu and Aunt Zhu should be closer and closer, is this to remind them that the family is the identity of the concubine?

"However, this time when I return to Beijing, my lord is about to stay for a few more days." Jing's voice also spoke with a little southern accent, and his words sounded soft and tactful, as if every word had a small tail, "General Meng is about to find an official position for the master." This thing can't be done in a day or two, but I'm afraid it will take three or five months to get a little eyebrows. ”

"Get an official position?" Xiaoshi's voice involuntarily rose a little higher, "Second brother doesn't want to donate officials, right?" It's not as good now as it was in the previous dynasty......"

In the last years of the previous dynasty, the emperor was mediocre, and the officials of the Manchu Dynasty only thought about making money, as long as they were willing to pay money, the officials below the fifth grade could be picked at will. But now it's different, the founding emperor hates corrupt officials the most, I don't know how many people have been killed, although now it is not as strict as it was then, and the petty officials of □□ are also operated in private, but if they do this in the capital, it is not possible. What's more, Jiang Jun himself is an official, and he is especially closely watched, if someone exposes his brother's donation of officials, Jiang Jun will also be implicated together, so it is no wonder that Xiao's reaction is so big.

Jing covered his mouth with a handkerchief and laughed. Although she is a businesswoman, a big businessman is rich enough to a certain extent, and she will also ask someone to teach her children to read, thinking about getting rid of the smell of copper on her body. The Jing family has been a big tea merchant for several generations, and when it comes to children's study, it is no worse than that of ordinary small officials, but most of them are not for the sake of being a scholar, so they don't learn to write articles for exams.

Jing himself is said to be familiar with piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, so between his gestures, he can't see the crampedness of a merchant girl at all, and the dress is even more elegant, there are not many jewelry on his head, and the color is also plain, only a branch of red gold Huiluan hairpin is golden and bright, which is particularly eye-catching in the cloud-like sideburns. A string of pearls hung from Luan's mouth, round and gently swaying on her sideburns as she moved, and the drop-shaped jade pendant at the end was as transparent as a drop on a green leaf.

In contrast, the eldest sister-in-law of the Xiao family, a serious official wife, looks shabby.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry, how can the master affect the eldest brother? This seeking an official position is not necessarily a way to donate an official. Jing smiled slightly, and turned his eyes to his pair of children, "Nan'er Lian'er, why don't you give a salute to your eldest aunt?" ”

Xiao Shi wanted to say more, but Yu Shi had already glanced at her and suppressed all her words. Jiang Nanhua and Jiang Lianhua both stepped forward to salute, and Xiao Shi gave each a purse with a smile, but his heart was like a cat scratching, and he couldn't wait to ask about it immediately.

"What donor?" Suddenly there was the voice of Mrs. Jiang outside the door, Jiang Xi opened the curtain with his own hands, Mrs. Jiang came in with his hands behind his back, and there was Cao with Jiang Yanhua and Jiang Bohua behind, Jiang Xinghua was actually among them, seeing that Taohua had arrived, he smiled at Taohua and walked to her: "The third sister has already come?" I'm still thinking about going to the third sister. ”

Taohua also smiled and said in a low voice: "I copy books in my uncle's yard, and if I have nothing to do on weekdays, I will probably be there." ”

Copying books in Baicaozhai? Jiang Xinghua was slightly stunned. She remembered that in her previous life, Mrs. Jiang was also very close to Taohua, but when she went to Baicaozhai to copy books, was there such a thing? Jiang Xinghua really hated why he was so closed in his previous life, and he only knew how to do needlework in the house all day long to honor Yu and Xiao, so that now he doesn't know anything and can't do anything.

As soon as Mrs. Jiang came in, everyone was coaxing and saluting, and it was not until the salute was over that Mrs. Jiang asked again: "I just heard outside the door that I was donating officials, what's going on?" ”

Jiang Zhu stood with his hands down, and said respectfully: "Father, it's not that he is a donor, but General Lu has the intention to find an official position for his son." ”

"General Lu?" Old lady Jiang raised her eyebrows, "Is it the general Lu who fought against the Japanese in the East China Sea?" ”

General Lu's name, Taohua also knows. Although Wuxi is not near the sea, it is not far away, and Wuxi people have heard of the things of the East China Sea. More than ten years ago, the Japanese invaders repeatedly went ashore to plunder, and once even went deep into the interior to reach Songjiang, and they were still a hundred miles away from Suzhou. Wuxi is close to Suzhou, if Suzhou is broken, Wuxi will not be able to escape.

In the midst of that raid, General Lu was born, leading some of the remnants of the local guards, as well as the local people, as well as the monks and soldiers in various temples, to lay many traps on the road deep into the interior, depleting the living strength of the Japanese little by little, and initially turning defeat into victory, not only driving the Japanese back to the sea, but also killing a big leader.

After that, General Lu guarded Shanghai, and for more than ten years, the Japanese were never able to go ashore more than 50 miles away. He himself was promoted from a hundred households to a deputy thousand households, a thousand households, a cavalry captain, and a light car captain, until now he has been granted the general of the second grade Zhenguo, and has the right to transfer and command the coastal guards. As long as General Lu is mentioned, everyone knows that he is talking about Lu Jing. Everyone said that his credit was greater than that of Jinghai Hou at the beginning.

"It's the general of Zhenguo." Jiang Zhu said respectfully, "In the summer of the previous year, the Japanese were repeatedly frustrated in the Shanghai area, so they went around to Fuzhou to try to sneak attack. General Lu rushed to Fuzhou to mobilize troops and horses to resist, but he didn't want those Japanese robbers to be extremely vicious, so he actually got some sick rats to spread cholera in the Fuzhou area! ”

Everyone in the hall, except for the Jing family and Jiang Nanhua and Jiang Lianhua's brothers and sisters, who had long known about it, couldn't help but gasp for air. Cholera is a serious disease, and malaria smallpox and the like can be called together, not only in the history books have recorded the tragic situation of ten rooms and nine emptiness, even in this dynasty there have been outbreaks in some places, although there are imperial court efforts to treat, the result is still quite terrible.

"These inhuman brutes!" Jiang Xi couldn't help but scold, and then said, "Last year, I went to Guangdong, passing through the Fuzhou area, and I looked as if-" There are no ten rooms and nine empty rooms. And if cholera is prevalent, this kind of thing must not be reported to the imperial court, otherwise there will be more deaths, and the Fuzhou prefect will be responsible.

Jiang Zhu smiled slightly: "It turns out that the third brother passed through Fuzhou last year. Yes, all the rats made by the Japanese were killed in time by General Lu's troops, but some people in the Fuzhou army were already sick, and the Japanese took the opportunity to attack the city on a large scale......"

Everyone was nervous. Although most of them had never seen the Japanese invaders, everyone had heard of how they burned and looted when they came ashore.

"Since the Fuzhou army is infected with the epidemic, how can it hold the city?" Jiang Xi couldn't hide his words, and he was at his own home, so he asked what he was thinking.

Jiang Zhu smiled slightly, but Jing said softly: "It was the old man who donated all the herbs in his hand to the Fuzhou army, and it stopped not spreading." "Cholera is most afraid of a large-scale outbreak, once the disease occurs, the patient vomits and diarrhea until dehydration and convulsions, not to mention defending the city and fighting, he can't even stand on his feet at all, and thousands of people in the entire Fuzhou Health Center are equivalent to being completely destroyed.

Old lady Jiang's eyebrows couldn't help but rise again: "You donated herbs?" Licorice, dried ginger, atractylodes, aconite? ”

The commonly used convenience in the treatment of cholera is Lizhong soup or Si Reverse soup. The four reverse soup mainly uses boiled licorice, raw aconite and dried ginger, and Lizhong soup is ginseng, atractylodes, licorice, and dried ginger, and can add additional auxiliary drugs according to the situation, changing to aconite Lizhong soup or Lianli soup, astragalus soup and the like, but the treatment of cholera is generally these four medicines.

"It's still a father, and you'll know it as soon as you say it." Jiang Zhu smiled gently, but between his eyebrows, he couldn't help but bring out a trace of self-satisfaction, "There are still some mountain ginseng, the quality is not bad." ”

After he married his wife, he did not sell tea with the Yue family, but started to do the medicinal herb business with the help of the Yue family's connections. In the past few years, he often went northwest to the front line of Fuzhou, selling medicinal materials from the north and south, and gradually got into a relationship with the prefect of Fuzhou.

On that occasion the year before last, a large number of licorice and dried ginger he sold were actually collected from a colleague at a cheap price. The peer was optimistic about the market of these two goods, but who knew that he had lost his eyes, so that the backlog in his hands was not effective.

After Jiang Zhu got married, Jing took out his dowry and used it as his business capital. Although Jiang Zhu refused to take more, he was backed by his wife's dowry, and he was full of confidence in money. He knows that he must be shrewd in business, but he must not lose his favor, so if there is a time when his peers are in difficulty, he will also help, and for more than ten years, he has gained a reputation for righteousness and wealth in the medicine store, and gradually established his own contacts, but he does not have to be limited by the Yue family.

Because of his reputation, the peer found him when he was helpless. Jiang Zhu has a very flexible mind and understands some pharmacology, he heard that a kind of flower tea is popular in the south of the Yangtze River, so he thought that this licorice and dried ginger can also be used to make medicinal tea. Licorice clears heat and detoxifies, dry ginger dispels cold and warm, he has medicine, his father-in-law has tea, and he does not need to use any new tea before the rain before the Ming Dynasty, as long as it is concocted with old tea, it can be launched as new tea, so he generously purchased this large number of medicinal materials and shipped them to Fuzhou.

As soon as the medicinal materials arrived, they heard that the Fuzhou army had cholera disease, and the Japanese soldiers were also coming to the city and were about to take advantage of the situation. The old saying that heroes are born in troubled times is also very reasonable, and people can only distinguish the superior and inferior more easily when they are in chaos. In such a difficult place at home and abroad, if someone else is replaced, you will have to cry and regret that you should not come to do business at this time. Jiang Zhu made a quick decision and donated all the medicinal materials that could be used to the army, and offered the recipes of the Four Reverse Soup and Lizhong Soup.

This recipe is a prescription, and it is not surprising that military doctors in the army also know it. But offering both prescriptions and medicines, it can be seen that he is an understanding person, and General Lu immediately met him.

It was also Jiang Zhu's time to operate. Among the medicinal materials sold this time, in addition to a large amount of licorice and dried ginger, there are also many atractylodes and aconite, and there is also a batch of ginseng, which is produced in the northeast and has been grown for more than 20 years.

Licorice and ginger are not worth much, and atractylodes aconite is not a valuable medicinal herb, but this batch of ginseng is worth a lot. Jiang Zhu donated all of them without blinking, which shows his courage.

With this batch of medicinal materials, the military doctors did their best to treat and finally stop the spread of cholera in time. This group of pirates was originally small in number, and they only thought of spreading cholera with rats, so they took advantage of the fire to rob, but who knew that the rat army did not work, so they did not dare to directly attack General Lu's edge, and fled back to the sea in a gray way.

Because there were not many enemies attacking, the Fuzhou side did not report to the imperial court with great fanfare -- in fact, they wanted to report according to the intention of the Fuzhou prefect, but they were stopped by General Lu, who said that when he entered Beijing the next year to report on his work, he would personally report to the emperor. Although the prefect of Fuzhou was a little reluctant to take this credit, because the widow who released the rats entered the city, he couldn't run away from a charge of negligence, but it was better for General Lu to face the saint and excuse him.

"General Lu entered Beijing to report on his work this time, just to show credit for you?" Old lady Jiang was slightly moved. If it is written in the recital that a businessman donates medicinal herbs, the court will give a bounty at most, and then praise a few words, and support the heavens to commend a righteous businessman or something, and it will be the end. However, what Jiang Zhu just said was seeking officials, that is to say, General Lu wanted to ask the emperor for an official position on his behalf, which is not a trivial matter!

Jiang Zhu smiled modestly: "General Lu has always been benevolent and righteous......"

Xiao Shi closed his lips and said nothing. This dynasty is not as harsh as the previous dynasty, even if it is a businessman, he can participate in the scientific examination, but once he does business himself, it will not work. Jiang Zhu not only runs his own business, but even Jiang Nanhua is now learning to do business, so at least the father and son have not thought of entering the official career. But if General Lu really asked for this official position for him, even if it was just an idle official, the lintel would change immediately.

Even the old lady Jiang showed a hint of joy, but then said: "This matter can't be forced, if it can be successful, it is the best, if it can't be - you donate medicine to save the city, not to win the official." ”

"That's what my father said." Jiang Zhu bowed his head and agreed, his demeanor still respectful.

"General Lu personally asked for merit, even if it doesn't work, it is extremely decent." Jiang Xi said with some excitement, "The second brother is dedicated to the people, and his credit is in the community, which cannot be erased." ”

A smile appeared in Jiang Zhu's eyes: "The third brother has won the award." This cousin is not good at saying flattering things, otherwise he would not say anything "even if it doesn't work", but the praise at the back is from the bottom of his heart, and it is very comfortable to listen to. In fact, he was not selfless when he donated medicine, but everyone would prefer to hear such words as being dedicated to the people - who doesn't want others to think that he is a noble person?

Yu's and Xiao's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were silent, and the atmosphere in the hall was a little strange. Jing smiled slightly and looked at Taohua: "Is this Sister Tao?" I haven't seen her for ten years, and she has become a big girl, and she is so handsome, she really likes it when she looks at it. ”

As soon as she opened her mouth, Jiang Xi woke up suddenly: "It's not like I haven't seen you for ten years." Taohua, don't hurry up to give the second uncle and aunt a gift. ”

As a result, the juniors in the hall saluted Jiang Zhu and Jing's one after another, and Jiang Nanhua and Jiang Lianhua saluted Jiang Xi and his wife, and they were busy.

As soon as Jing waved his hand, the maid behind him immediately brought a plate, and a few maids outside also walked in, each with jewels in their hands, and it turned out to be a few sets of heads: "I can't see it in a blink of an eye, the girls are all so good, they are like flowers, they should be dressed up well." Each of you has one set of these sets of heads. Catch up with Ming'er on March 3, wear it and go out to play. ”

Even Taohua was a little surprised at this time.

The head is not a two-piece, but a set of jewelry. Although there are no more heads and faces worn by girls who have not left the cabinet than adults, there are at least three hair combs, a pair of hairpins and a pair of steps. The one given by Jing's also added an extra pair of earrings, even Jiang Yanhua has it. The four girls, that is, the four sets of heads, are all red gold inlaid with treasures, which is a huge stroke.

Cao Shi was originally holding the hairpin he was going to give to Jiang Lianhua in his hand, and he immediately froze. Compared to these heads, this hairpin is too unacceptable.

Xiao Shi's face was even more ugly. Cao's is just a younger brother and sister, but she is the eldest sister-in-law, and the meeting gift she gave to her nephews and nieces just now was lined with these heads, which was so shabby that Cheng Dù was ridiculous.

Jiang Danhua looked at the head sent to him, and his eyes couldn't help but slip towards the set in front of Taohua. She has always loved red, but the set of heads and faces that Jing gave her were inlaid with pearls, and the set with ruins was given to Taohua.

These pearls are all good, round, shining, anyone who sees it has to praise a good thing, but the pearl color is light, which she does not love. Jing's gift is really instructive, like a stalk in the throat, swallowing and not being able to swallow, and not being able to spit it out.

Jiang Danhua couldn't get out in a breath, and in a blink of an eye, he saw that Cao's face was a little embarrassed, and he rolled his eyes and said loudly: "Thank you, second aunt." Third aunt, what kind of gift do you give to the second sister? ”

Everyone has seen the hairpin in Cao's hand, the workmanship is fine, and the weight is appropriate, but compared to the head of this set, it is too far behind. However, the Cao family really didn't have anything else, so he had to wipe a pair of bracelets from his wrists, hand them to Jiang Lianhua, and said with a forced smile: "A little thing, the second girl can play with it." ”

This pair of bracelets was given to her by Jiang Xi on her birthday last year, and it hurts to wipe it off at the moment, but she is a little glad in her heart - fortunately, she is not wearing the pair of jade bracelets given by the lord of Nanhua County today.

Jiang Lianhua took it with both hands respectfully, and took a closer look, and a smile appeared on her face: "Thank you Aunt San, this coral bead is extremely colorful, although my niece has a string of coral bracelets, it is not as good as this." ”

She was born with a slender figure, her eyebrows and eyes are extremely similar to Jing's, but her temperament is different. If Jing's skin is as white as snow, it seems that it will melt when he breathes, but Jiang Lianhua's skin is so white that it is a little translucent, like crystal glass, which makes people involuntarily feel a feeling of "handle it with care".

Even when she was smiling, Jiang Lianhua still had a faint coldness between her eyebrows, but the sincerity of her words diluted the coldness. Cao's heart was relieved, and he slipped out without thinking: "It was rewarded by the county lord." ”