Cao Wu has only been in the capital for more than half a year, and he is a nobody, where can he get two thousand taels of silver, the real income is actually half, plus the upper and lower people, etc., about 1,300 taels is enough, and the rest of the amount is reported by Mrs. Cao Wu. Because if they really prepared according to 1,300 taels, Cao Wu would come out, and they would be penniless.

I want a little more from the Cao family, and when Cao Wu is released from prison, even if he can't stay in the capital, at least he still has the money to return to his hometown to live, right? Mrs. Cao's fifth abacus crackled, and her face was full of tears: "Sister, how much silver do you have to lose, and it's not up to you to say?" Your brother is just running errands for others, where is there any money to get, but now that something has happened, the boss insists on asking for 2,000 taels, what can we say? ”

"I, I don't have it either...... "Cao's really didn't. In the past, she only took the monthly silver, but in the Jiang family's account room, she still had the right to withdraw less than ten taels of loose money, and if she went out shopping or incense, Jiang Xi would also give her some silver to buy what she liked. In addition, there are public regulations for daily needs, and the Cao family has little money, but he does not feel that money is tight.

But now that the little dowry she has left has been paid to Cao Wu's family one after another, because of the foolish things she has done repeatedly, Jiang Xi is no longer close to her, let alone paying for money. As for the account room, the account room of the second room of the Jiang family is far away in Wuxi, and this is the Jiang family's room, and she has no right to pay the money. In this way, not to mention the shortage of money, there is not much money to spare. Don't say one or two thousand taels, even one hundred taels is nothing.

"Baiguo, how much silver do we have?"

Bai Guo can answer without looking at the account: "Madam, there are twenty taels of whole, and three or four taels of broken silver and a few hundred dollars." ”

That's just too far off. Mrs. Cao Wu was about to let go of her throat with a whimper: "Sister, if you can't make up the money, your brother will be finished!" What about your jewelry? Go and be it, get together! Again, beg my brother-in-law ......"

"What did my aunt say about pestering my mother again?" Jiang Yanhua came in from the door coldly, "Isn't it time to make fun of our mother and son in front of Mrs. Jinghai?" My aunt flattered the Jinghai Hou Mansion like this, why didn't she ask Mrs. Tai and Mrs. Hou if she had something to do now? ”

If I could get in, I'd have gone a long time ago. The Jinghai Hou Mansion is strictly controlled, as long as Mrs. Hou makes a signal, the news of their mother and daughter will not reach Mrs. Hou's ears at all, let alone begging. Cao Luo also wanted to go over to see Cao Hui, but Miss Hou Fu hugged her before she went out, where could she come forward?

"Sister Yan, my aunt is also a last resort...... Mrs. Cao Wu stubbornly pointed out, this nephew's daughter is not as easy to fool as her sister-in-law, and her heart is very hard, "That's all the ghost of Mrs. Jinghaihou, you have to force me to face it...... This is what you want us to make a fuss about. ”

"My aunt doesn't want us to enter the Jinghai Hou Mansion, and Mrs. Jinghai Hou forced it? Coaxed my mother to take the jade carving narcissus to give a gift to my aunt, and it was also forced by the Marquis of Jinghai? Let my uncle be greedy for money outside, and it was also forced by the Marquis of Jinghai? ”

"This-" Rao is Mrs. Cao Wu's cheekiness is that no matter how thick-skinned she is, she can't answer.

Cao Luo knelt down with a plop on the side: "Auntie, don't talk about this now, it's the most important thing to rescue my father first!" "The family has not been able to eat and sleep well for several days, Cao Hai goes to the yamen every day to inquire about the news, everyone has lost weight, the sun is peeling, and if Cao Wu is not fished out, the family will be finished.

Cao Shi thought of his brother, and panicked in his heart: "This, this, but I really don't have any money......"

Mrs. Cao Wu hurriedly said, "Sister, where are your jewelry?" My brother-in-law has always given you a lot of good things, take them out as a pawn, and save the emergency first. Out of the corner of his eye, he swept Jiang Yanhua with a sneer, and hurriedly added, "When your brother comes out, I will have to find a way to redeem you." ”

Cao was hesitating, Jiang Yanhua had already said coldly: "Mother, do you have any jewelry that can be used as one or two thousand silver?" ”

How could this be. The Jiang family is not a wealthy family, the annual interest of the medicine hall and the village shop is only three or four thousand taels, although the family is small, Jiang Xi's hands are also looser, and she gives the Cao family some things from time to time, but after all, she has only been married for a few years, and all the things add up, but they are worth five or six hundred taels of silver, and they can only be worth half of it if they are sent to the pawnshop, where to find one or two thousand silver.

Mrs. Cao Wu was anxious in her heart: Cao's jewelry should be worth three or four hundred taels, and if Jiang Yanhua's is added, there will be at least seven or eight hundred. If you say that the Cao family is moved, then go to Jiang Xi to ask for some...... Thinking in his heart, he quietly pinched his daughter in his hand.

Cao Luo took two steps forward, hugged Cao's leg and cried, "Auntie, now I can only beg you." It's up to my aunt to live at home for a few years, save my father. When my father came out, I would rather sell my own money to pay back my aunt's money. ”

Cao's has always been soft-hearted, and he really loves his nephews and nieces, and he couldn't help but have red eyes when he heard this: "Sister Luo, my aunt really doesn't have so much silver." ”

Cao Luo cried: "Ask my aunt to think of a way, otherwise my father will die in prison." ”

Jiang Yanhua sneered: "My cousin said that it is easy to live, two thousand taels of silver, my uncle doesn't have so much money on an errand, my mother is a woman in the house, where can I raise it?" After a pause, he said sarcastically, "If my mother's dowry hadn't been used to donate to my uncle, I would have been able to make up a few hundred taels today." ”

Mrs. Cao Wu was stabbed by her and blushed, and couldn't help but say, "Sister Yan, you are too ruthless." I only care about that bit of marriage, but I don't want to think about what you and your mother will look like when they come out of the Chen family, if it weren't for your uncle, you mother and daughter would have starved to death on the streets, where can you marry into the Jiang family and enjoy such happiness? ”

said, and turned to the Cao family again: "Sister, Sister Yan doesn't see her uncle either, don't you look at your brother either?" You and Sister Yan's jewelry are taken as a pawn, I'm afraid it will be worth seven or eight hundred taels, and then ask your brother-in-law for some, and rescue your brother first. Will we still owe it in the future? ”

The Cao family hesitated, but Jiang Yanhua was as hard as iron, and sneered: "Mother, do you think my sister is willing to take the silver out?" ”

This sentence dispelled all of Cao's thoughts. The Jiang family's silver money is in Taohua's hands, let Taohua take out hundreds or thousands of silver to save Cao Wu? No matter how stupid Cao is, he knows that this is impossible.

Mrs. Cao Wu shouted: "Why don't you want to? Sister, you are her stepmother, and your brother is her uncle, and if you don't save your uncle when she sees death, her reputation is not good! ”

Jiang Yanhua sneered: "My aunt is so reasonable, I went to tell my sister by myself." ”

Mrs. Cao Wu jumped up suddenly: "Sister, I know what you are for. But don't forget, the jade carving narcissus was taken out for me by your own hands, if this matter is really spread, you steal the original dowry, and you will be divorced home! ”

"What's the matter, the fifth wife bought someone to steal my mother's dowry, and now she still wants to slander my wife?" The voice came from the door, and Bai Guo opened the curtain, and Taohua walked in.

She came back with a belly full of anger. A few days ago, Xiao Shi tried every possible way to bring her into the palace, but this time she looked for her, and Xiao Xiao picked up the shelf again. Taohua listened to her lesson angrily, and understood in her heart that Mrs. Cao Wu's ability to enter the door was also the instruction of the Xiao family, which was specially to disgust her.

was already annoyed, but when she arrived at the door, she heard Mrs. Cao's rogue words, and Taohua's fire really arched upwards: "Does Mrs. Fifth think that Qingguo's mother and daughter have been sold, and they will die without proof?" Mrs. Fifth might as well go out and say that everyone will believe that someone is so stupid that someone took the original dowry and did not leave it to his children, but posted it to his nephews and nieces? But the fifth wife bought someone to steal someone else's things, which sounds more credible. ”

Cao shrank back. She understood these words, and Taohua was clearly scolding her for being stupid.

Mrs. Cao Wu was so choked that she couldn't speak. Cao is so stupid, but it really doesn't sound as convincing as her stealing. After all, it is a very ugly reputation for the step-room to steal the original marriage, for the sake of his own children, for the sake of his nephews and nieces...... It's hard to believe that you could be stupid like this.

Momoka looked at her lightly. In the past six months, she has grown a little taller, and Mrs. Cao Wu is not tall enough, but now the two are almost the same height, Taohua's waist is straight, and she is even a little condescending: "Baiguo, take twenty taels of silver to Mrs. Five, and be Cheng Yi who has returned to her hometown." ”

"No need!" Cao Luo suddenly stood up from the ground, her delicate face was distorted, and she screamed, "I don't want your silver!" Mother, let's go! ”

She was born petite, but at this moment, she didn't know where she got the strength to pull the reluctant Mrs. Cao Wu out. Cao involuntarily took two steps forward, but was dragged by Jiang Yanhua.

Bai Guo went out with him, and came back after a while and said, "The fifth wife is gone." ”

Taohua nodded, and turned her head to look at the Cao family who was still in a daze: "What is my wife doing these days?" ”

"Huh?" Cao Shi was dazed, "I, I'm only in the room, I haven't gone out ......"

"Mrs. just sits idle all day?" Taohua had to order again. It's really casual and ignorant of people, when the Cao family first married into the Jiang family, they only revolved around Jiang Xi, and now Jiang Xi is so cold to her, she can only sit in the room in a daze, do you really want to force Jiang Xi to take someone back to take care of her own life?

The concubine is very troublesome, and as a last resort, Taohua really doesn't want such a creature to appear in her house, so she has no choice but to have a little bit of Cao's family. Even if it's an abacus bead, it's time to move it.

Cao Shi watched Taohua walk out in a daze, his mind was still dizzy, and he unconsciously said to Jiang Yanhua: "Sister Yan, your uncle-"

"Mother, let's think about ourselves first!" Jiang Yanhua was almost angry, "If I don't come, does my mother plan to take all the jewelry away?" Is that mother planning to go out barehead to meet people in the future? Or do you think that my sister will let people replay jewelry for my mother? ”

Cao opened his mouth and didn't speak. Jiang Yanhua continued: "Didn't you understand what my sister said just now? My sister is asking you, you haven't done any needlework for your father these days, right? It seems like my father hasn't been here for a few days. ”

Speaking of this, Cao lowered his head: "Just because of the narcissus, your father-master annoyed me......"

"Mother still knows that it was the narcissus that killed my mother? Didn't the narcissus steal it from her aunt? Now that my father is estranged from my mother, my mother is still thinking about my uncle, do you want to go to my uncle's house one day just like we were kicked out by the Chen family in the past? ”

"No, no, no!" Cao didn't want to be kicked out again, "I, I have Brother Bai'er......"

"If you don't get out, you won't necessarily be able to live a good life." Jiang Yanhua said coldly, "Mother, we can only rely on my father now." A trip to the Jinghai Marquis Mansion made her deeply aware of her identity, and at the same time, she also found that it was rare to accept a stepdaughter like Jiang Xi.

"That's, then I'm ......"

"Why don't you understand!" Jiang Yanhua was about to run out of patience, "What did you do when my sister was kind to us in the past, and how do you do it now!" ”

Cao Shi was frightened by his daughter's cold prospects, and finally remembered how he had served Jiang Xi in the past, and hurriedly went to turn over the needlework: "It's hot, it's time to make a few summer cloth clothes for the master......"

So Jiang Xi only returned to the house on this day, and Cao came over with fabrics to make a middle coat for him. Although Jiang Xi was cold, the Cao family seemed to not see his cold face, shushing the cold and asking for warmth, and welcoming him with little intentions, just like when he first married into the Jiang family.

Of course, this is all a later story, and it is said that Mrs. Cao Wu's mother and daughter came out of Jiang's mansion and returned to their residence all the way, when they saw that the courtyard door was wide open and someone was moving things. Mrs. Cao Wu was startled, and hurriedly went up to stop: "Who are you!" ”

"Mrs. Five-" a mother-in-law came out of the courtyard, "there will be a few relatives in the house in a few days, and Mrs. plans to settle people here, and things will naturally have to be changed." ”

"Well, but I live here now-" This mansion is in the name of the Marquis of Jinghai, and of course the furnishings in it are also from the Marquis of Jinghai, so you can move it as you want.

"Oh, Madame said, Mrs. can stay for the whole month, and the house can be vacated before June." The mother-in-law smiled and pointed to the house, "Madame also asked the slave and maid to send something over and return it to Mrs. Five." With that, he took his subordinates and walked away.

The house has been emptied for more than half of the time, only a few bulky household belongings remain, and a small box is placed on the table, Mrs. Cao Wu opened it to see that there were two silver tickets of fifty taels in it, and there was a jade carved narcissus pressed on the silver ticket, which was the birthday gift she gave to Mrs. Jinghai Marquis.

"This-" Mrs. Cao Wu was stunned, and then became surprised, "Quick, let's return this to the Jiang family!" ”

Cao Luo pressed the box: "What about returning it to the Jiang family?" ”

"It's all made of this piece of jade, and it was returned to the Jiang family, and this matter is over." After that, you can borrow money from the Jiang family.

Cao Luo sneered: "Mother, do you think that if you return this thing to the Jiang family, the Jiang family will be willing to pay?" Don't forget, Sister Yan doesn't hate us now because of this jade carving! ”

Mrs. Cao Wu suddenly remembered what she had said, and her face turned white again: "Then what should I do!" If your father is really exiled, our family will be finished! ”

Cao Luo's hand pressed the box tightly, so that his knuckles turned white, and he sneered for a while: "Whether my father is guilty or not, it's not up to the officials of the Criminal Department to have the final say." As long as you find someone who is higher than their official to speak for your father, it will naturally be fine. ”

"Where is such a person? The Jinghai Marquis Mansion didn't let us come at all. "Now even the jade carving narcissus has been returned, and it is clear that he wants to clear up the relationship.

"Of course." Cao Luo said almost viciously, "I heard that the biggest pawnshop on Shuncheng Street is opened by Cheng Enbo. ”

Mrs. Cao Wu was stunned for a moment, and then understood: "Luo'er, you want to ......"

"You don't have to beg the Jiang family, we can also rescue my father!"

Mrs. Cao's lips trembled, and she said after a moment: "You, what do you want?" "Cheng Enbo has been messing with flowers and grass for many years, and he is not a casual one who can be bait, if he shows traces, he is afraid that he will lose his rice if he can't steal chickens.

Cao Luo looked down at the box: "When you go to the pawnshop, you naturally want to be a thing." ”

Taohua didn't know how Cao Luo got into Chengenbo's Mansion, and she didn't even know how Cao Wu got out of prison, after all, Cao Wu, a nobody, couldn't even make waves in this corruption turmoil, and there were more things that were attracting everyone's attention. The first thing is that the king of Anjun wants to donate the money embezzled by the internal supervisors to build the county king's mansion to the Northwest Army to buy medicinal materials.

His reason is very sufficient: the county king's mansion has been almost renovated, and if it is rebuilt at this time, it will cost more money, so it is better not to build it, and donate the stolen silver copied from those internal prisons to the Northwest Army. As for the rough house, he couldn't live in such a good house when he was in the northwest.

It's a bit unpleasant to publicize this. Where does King Anjun live in the Northwest? Of course, it's the Dingbei Hou Mansion. And the Dingbei Hou Mansion that commands the Northwest Army is not as good as the county prince's mansion that cuts corners, so not to mention what the situation is in the Northwest Army.

As soon as King Anjun said this, the county horse of the county lord of Nanhua became sad first. As we all know, the Jiang family also started with military merits, Jiang Junma's father was injured and died on the battlefield in the northwest, and Jiang Junma himself stayed in the northwest army for several years, so it is inevitable that he has feelings. The king of Anjun donated silver, and Jiangjun Ma also asked for donation. However, Jiang Junma himself does not have much wealth, if it is really compared to the money donated by King Anjun to repair the house, I am afraid that he will have to live a poor life.

Although he paid off the county lord, Jiang Junma did not refuse to use the Nanhua county lord's dowry money, and the Nanhua county lord couldn't resist him all these years, so how could he be willing to let him live a hard life, so he simply came up with a way - to hold a flower appreciation banquet, auction off some of the precious flowers that Jiangjun horses have cultivated over the years, and donate the silver obtained to the Northwest Army.

As soon as the news came out, the emperor first praised the lord of Nanhua County for being able to understand the difficulties of the country, not to let the eyebrows, and immediately donated a few precious flowers and trees in the palace to participate in the auction. The emperor has spoken, who else doesn't cheer? The cherry blossom viewing party has not yet begun, and invitations have become something that everyone can't ask for.

Not only that, but the emperor also took out the family property of the two great eunuchs confiscated to pay for military expenses. And because the Queen Mother is unwell these days, she also instructed the most valuable of the flowers and trees in the palace auctioned at this banquet, and the silver money from the sale should be used to pray for the Queen Mother in the Xingjiao Temple.

This matter is actually a bit nondescript, because the flower viewing banquet for donating military expenses was made to pray for the queen mother, which was really a bit chaotic, but a secret gathering in the old mansion ended relatively peacefully because of the emperor's strange behavior. A few days later, Mrs. Yu Ge entered the palace to visit the Queen Mother, and had a few words with the Queen Mother.

The content of these two secret talks is unknown to outsiders, but the rumors circulating in the market may make people speculate: the military and civilians in the northwest are poor, but the eunuchs around the emperor are so corrupt, which really makes the emperor shameless. Who doesn't know that the flowers and trees in the palace can sell the most silver.

Three days before the opening of the cherry blossom viewing party, Taohua followed Xiaoshi into the palace. The uproar of the flower-viewing party has little to do with the Jiang family, because with the current status of the Jiang family, they are not qualified to receive the post of the flower-viewing party.

Xiao Shi is happy to see this. Obviously, going to the cherry blossom viewing party is asking for money. Needless to say, those precious flowers and trees have to be at least a thousand silver, even if you don't buy flowers and trees, you have to donate a little. Now she can't wait to break it in half to spend it, where can she give up this money.

Because the queen mother was unwell, the queen and the high-ranking concubines were taking turns to serve the sick, and this time they only needed to make a salute outside the Shouxian Palace, and then they could go to the Yuhui Pavilion. When he saw Jiang Meihua, Xiao Xiao was both happy and worried. I was happy that my daughter looked much better, but I was worried that her body was far from recovering to her original slenderness, so she couldn't help but open her mouth and asked, "How is the medicine going?" ”

Jiang Meihua touched her face and said with a smile: "Mother, don't worry, it's much better." ”

"Then this-" Xiao Shi's gaze turned around Jiang Meihua's waist, "Sister Tao, Niang Niang looks at this, this waist doesn't seem to have changed much, what's going on?" ”

Taohua said coldly: "Then I have to ask Niangniang if she has enough exercise every day according to what the recipe says." ”

Jiang Meihua hadn't heard the word exercise, but she had heard enough of the word enough to guess what Taohua meant, and hurriedly said: "Mother, where is this something that can be urgent, the third sister didn't just say it, it will take at least half a year." ”

Taohua said lightly: "It means that it will come completely according to the formula, about half a year." If she can't do it - in fact, she thinks that Jiang Meihua can't do it either, and losing weight is a very hard thing - then let alone half a year, two or three years may not be able to lose weight.

Jiang Meihua stopped what Xiao Shi was about to say, and said with a smile: "Since the third sister entered the palace today, please give me another diagnosis." ”

Taohua sat down silently and carefully checked her pulse: "Does the eldest sister walk for half an hour every morning and evening?" ”

Jiang Meihua coughed lightly: "At present, it is really difficult to support the body, but at least once." ”

"It's better to walk once than not to walk at all. Big sister is much better than last time. Taohua looked at Jiang Meihua's face, "In another month or two, the complexion on the eldest sister's face will probably be restored, but if you want to recover your body, you can only follow the prescription." After she finished speaking, she no longer wanted to be perfunctory with Xiao's mother and daughter, and said bluntly, "I want to meet Lu Baolin, I wonder if Jieyu Niangniang can arrange someone to lead me there now?" ”

Xiao Shi was about to speak again, Jiang Meihua stopped her with her gaze again, and got up with a smile: "This time the third sister entered the palace for Lu Baolin, so naturally I will go now." ”

Listening to the rain house is not far from the Yuhui Pavilion, it is more remote and narrow, the yard is planted with bamboo and plantains, and it is also cool in midsummer, but because it does not live for a long time, it is overgrown with weeds, and it seems to be gloomy.

There should have been a guard at the door, but now the door was ajar, and people couldn't know where to go, and a faint cough could be heard inside. Xiao Shi couldn't help but grab Jiang Meihua's hand, and said in a low voice: "That, that's tuberculosis...... "Tuberculosis is going to pass people!"

Jiang Meihua shook her head: "Mother, don't worry, I have my own ideas." If she guessed correctly, Lu Baolin may not be tuberculosis, and since she recommended Taohua to the emperor, she should also express her concern for Lu Baolin, this trip is a must. Besides, even if it is tuberculosis, it may not be possible to get by by going to see it, in short, this one must be gambled.