Yun Tan brought a gold-painted lacquer plate with two bowls of medicine painted with acacia flowers into the ear room, and the ear room that was originally completely used by Yuyan was specially used by the Ren brothers to recuperate on their stomachs. Hongyan sat next to them, working as a female worker with Zhang. Yuyan's illness is almost better, only wearing a big red jacket and playing colorful and exquisite bows with the girl Qiantong on the side. There was a brazier on the ground, and it was warm. Although it is spring, the cold of spring still makes people reluctant to go out.

Hongyan took the medicine from Yun Tan, gave it to Dai Zhong to drink first, and then went to feed Dai Xing, and so on, Yun Tan handed the lacquer plate to Ah Chi, sat down on a small chair with a half-old red cushion, and talked to Zhang and Hongyan while working as a female worker.

Just as she was talking happily, Qiong Xia came in: "Madam." ”

Zhang nodded: "What's the matter?" ”

Qiong Xia said: "The old man in front of him, Master Chang, Lord Zhou, and the master of the Liu family, who is in charge of wine, are discussing in the study, and Miss Chang, the son of the Zhou family, the lady of the Liu family, and the son are all coming here." ”

Zhang hurriedly got up: "Hurry up and go to Bangxia Residence!" Achi, dress me up. ”

Ah Chi was about to step forward, when the curtain of the door was lifted, and a woman with beaded hair and jewelry almost covered her hair walked in: "They are all acquaintances, why bother to be so vain?" ”

Zhang hurriedly stepped forward to salute: "Mrs. Liu." ”

"So polite," Mrs. Liu also returned the salute, "I haven't seen you for several years, but you haven't changed at all, unlike me, yesterday's yellow flower." ”

Zhang Shi hurriedly said: "Where is it! Where is the food at home worse than the palace? What else can you say in front of me? Aren't you here to send me! ”

Zhang helped Liu to sit on the couch, and Ah Chi brought tea. Liu beckoned to the three children standing at the door, motioned for them to come over, took the hand of one of the girls with a gentle and dignified temperament, and said with a smile: "Originally, men and women are different, and they shouldn't be brought together." Thinking that they all know each other, it's better to play together. There are not so many rules in southern Fujian, but they don't spread it. ”

Zhang nodded.

She didn't like it, but everyone else did, so what else could she say?

Mrs. Liu pulled the girl over and introduced to the Zhang family and Hongyan who was standing beside the Zhang family: "This is the only daughter of Chang You, the secretary of the ministry, whose name is Lixu, and she is fourteen years old this year. ”

Zhang nodded.

Liu Shi pointed to the son behind him who was holding a string of white marble beads in his hand: "That's Zhou Helin, the only son of Zhou Yang, the secretary of the Ministry of Industry, and Li Xu are cousins. ”

Zhou Helin hurriedly stepped forward, but when he got up, Yingying's affectionate eyes were facing Hongyan. Hongyan suddenly panicked in her heart, and hurriedly lowered her eyelids, so she also missed the fierce light that flashed in Li Xu's eyes.

Zhang smiled: "No wonder I said that this pair of children are so equally handsome, it turns out that the mother is a sister." ”

"It's not," Liu Shi continued the topic, "Both of their mothers are young ladies in the palace, and their style and appearance are naturally not bad, but unfortunately they are all thin." ”

When Lixu heard this, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Liu Shi hurriedly took her into his arms and comforted her for a long time, and it was easy not to cry, so Liu Shi said: "Look at my mouth, talking nonsense, making your sister sad in vain." ”

Zhou Helin hurriedly smiled.

Liu Shi pulled Liu Rugui, who had a dark face and obscene demeanor, and sighed: "This is my son who does not grow up, and you have seen it many times." ”

Hongyan covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

The disgust in Liu's eyebrows is really not pretending. It's no wonder that Liu Teng has no children, the eldest has such a son, the whole family is used to love, and even the name is "like a gem" - that is, he is regarded as a treasure, but in the end, it is already muddy and can't support the wall if he wants to get him back. Fortunately, although this willow is gentle, her heart is not bad, except for cockfighting and dog fighting, sleeping flowers and sleeping willows, she has not done anything out of the ordinary over the years. How does Hongyan know that once the bad factor is there, it is not that it does not bloom, but the time has not yet come.

Zhang said: "You came here to let you smell the medicine and let the two girls accompany you." It's all these two who don't fight for it, and they don't take their homework seriously, which makes the old man angry. ”

Mrs. Liu said: "There are children who love to play, and Master Ren is too strict." I saw that the two brothers couldn't get up on their stomachs. It's good at this time, but it won't hurt you? ”

Zhang sighed: "I hurt my muscles and bones for a hundred days, this is getting better, I don't know if I can make up for my original physique." ”

Liu said: "Let's go to your room to talk, and drive the children out to play." It's good to stay here alone. You see that they are all well-behaved now, and they don't know where their souls are swimming. ”

Zhang nodded. Hongyan added a cloak to Yuyan, took her hand, and took the others to Ningxia Building to play.

Liu Rugui lost her mother in front of her, and instantly regained her true nature, took a fresh peach and nibbled it, and spoke unceremoniously to Hongyan: "When did your family style become so strict?" My father didn't care that I went out for the night, and your brother didn't go to Lan Huaxuan for a drink, so he was beaten up like this. ”

Hongyan's eyes glared: "My grandfather is in Lin'an!" Grandpa was a tanhua back then, and he was very strict in governing the family, if he let his grandfather know that his brother and Xing'er were so profligate, it was not his father and mother who were trained. ”

Zhou Helin got up and said: "It's all in the bottom, if you haven't made an appointment to eat and drink, there will be no such twists and turns." ”

Hongyan hurriedly got up and saluted back: "It's not to blame Gongzi, it's because my brother came home late after Gongzi left, so he was beaten this time." ”

Liu Rugui teased: "Why are you two so vain? It's not a worship hall, it's still looking at each other. ”

Chang Lixu threw a roll of his eyes.

Hongyan was angry: "What nonsense are you talking about? Say anything, no wonder your dad often scolds you! ”

Zhou Helin was not angry, but looked very enjoyable, and Chang Lixu's face became more and more bad when he saw it.

Liu Rugui waved her hand disappreciably: "My father can't help me, if he has the ability, he will give birth to another inheritor of his family business." ”

Hongyan was speechless.

It's simply pampered and arrogant, and doesn't want to forge ahead.

Hongyan asked what she wanted to know: "What is your father doing today?" ”

Liu Rugui began to eat pastries: "I love to eat the mugwort leaf dumplings made by you, which are fragrant but not bitter, strengthen the spleen and stomach." ”

Hongyan frowned.

Mrs. Liu's disgusted expression was quite light, if it was her son, she would have to beat her with a stick.

Liu Rugui swallowed a few dumplings, and then returned to the topic: "What else can I do?" The two who fell into the eyes of the money, they had done a lot of money making money with the other six uncles in southern Fujian, but now they have all entered Beijing and met two adults, can they still start fishing? ”

Liu Rugui took a sip of the chiseled gold cup and praised: "Hey, what is your tea made of?" It's very appetizing to me. ”

Xiaomei replied: "Imitation rose dew is made of chrysanthemum cream." ”

Liu Rugui was quite satisfied: "It's still your family." ”

Hongyan was speechless again.

Did he use this as a free tea shop?

However, Hongyan is also a little proud, after all, there are many things in his own house that cannot be bought outside.

Liu Rugui continued: "I heard that there is a matter in the Ministry of Works, which is to repair the fortifications. It just so happened that the third uncle had nothing to do, so he wanted to take the door and wrap up this matter, so that he could gain a firm foothold in Lin'an. I heard that the Ministry of Industry came up with this number this time. ”

Liu Rugui stretched out a palm with a convincing expression on her face: "500,000 taels!" ”

Liu Rugui grabbed another mugwort leaf dumpling, and said while eating: "After Lord Chang put forward the bill in front of the emperor, it only needs to be recommended by Lord Zhou, and this matter can be done." How much does a fortification cost? At most, there are only 200,000, and they can be reduced even more - let the soldiers prepare their own armor and horses, and they can save about 100,000, and there will be a surplus of 400,000. The third uncle himself can earn money in the purchase of materials and labor, so naturally he does not have to share with him. So these 400,000, Chang Da, Zhou Da, your father and my father, one hundred thousand. ”

Hongyan frowned: "Isn't the third uncle a shipbuilder, does he know how to repair?" ”

The "third uncle" in the mouths of Hongyan and Liu Rugui is the third and Yuan Qing in the "Nine Tigers of Southern Fujian", who is a shipbuilding giant in southern Fujian, almost monopolizes the shipbuilding industry in Minzhou, and is also very domineering. And Liu Teng is the fourth eldest in the "Nine Tigers of Southern Fujian", he was a famous overlord in the village, collected people's wealth and became an official, and later entered Beijing with Ren Jiulong and became a dignitary. Yuan Qing felt tired of covering the sky with one hand in Minzhou, and he also wanted to go to Beijing to mix, which led to this lawsuit.

Liu Rugui was dismissive: "Will it matter anything?" The money of the treasury is not earned in vain! And there is no need for capital, a few favors. You can also get each other to be taken care of in the officialdom, why not? ”

Hongyan was speechless.

Fortunately, my brother was seriously injured and was not present, otherwise he would have been so angry that he would have walked away.

There are a lot of things like this, but they can't be stopped at all. If they don't do it, someone else will do it. Instead of letting others get advantage and showing off in front of yourself, it's better to do it yourself.

Zhou Helin said with a smile: "I don't think we may be able to finish the matter today, I'm afraid I will have to worry a lot in the future." ”

Chang Lixu's mouth pursed higher and higher.

Where is the disturbance, it is clear that I want to meet!

Liu Rugui said: "It's okay, it's okay, if the Ren family doesn't have anything, they have a lot of silver, and they can't eat her for three lifetimes." ”

Hongyan was speechless.

Is there anyone like you who helps others show off their wealth?

Chang Lixu covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and her eyes were about to stare through the roof.

Hmph, she's not rare, she's not in good health, she needs a mild diet to make up for it, and she can't eat more of this kind of food that is among the low-class merchants who have come up~

Zhou Helin laughed: "Then you're welcome!" ”

The corners of Hongyan's mouth twitched.

I haven't seen you polite anymore.

Qiongxia suddenly reappeared.

Hongyan saw that she was holding a letter in her hand and hurried here, so she asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Qiong Xia said: "The letter from Xiangzhou said that there was a plague there, and the criminal officer was unfortunately infected when he opened the warehouse to release grain, and he went there in a few days; Miss's third aunt was so sad that she didn't cough up a mouthful of phlegm, so she followed. Leaving Miss Wang alone, she wanted to defect to Master Zhang. Master Zhang himself was not in good health, so he sent his uncle to tell him, saying that he would let Miss Wang live in our house and go back to see if he had time. I'm just going back to Mrs., and Madame is sad now, so let me come to Miss, and Miss will be in charge of all matters. ”

Hongyan sighed.

This uncle was not born to his grandfather, but his grandfather really couldn't have a son to inherit, so he inherited the clan family, and he usually had no rules, and he clearly went for his property and future fame, and he didn't care about his grandfather and several sisters. There was a dead sister's daughter who came to spend his money, and he naturally didn't want to, so of course he sent it here.

Hongyan rubbed his temples.

If it's a safe one, that's fine; If you are restless, the family really has to ask God to come back and bless you.