Since it can't be more than Zhao Wanrong's, it's always okay to be equal, leave one more lift, and earn more dowry from the Zhao family, Zhou Shaobai secretly calculated, thinking about which valuables to leave behind.

"Nope." Qian reluctantly refused, and said regretfully: "Wanrong is the daughter of the eldest grandmother, how can our Yurong compare to her, I have already discussed with the eldest grandmother, you can carry back forty-eight lifts, just leave forty lifts." ”

Withdraw to forty-eight lifts? Zhou Shaobai was suddenly worried.

In the dowry, the bridal cake, seafood, three livestock, fish, four Beijing fruits, raw fruits, four-color sugar, tea sesame, post box, incense cannon bracelet gold, coconut, fish and bucket two rice, these are the necessary for the next hiring, these things alone account for more than ten lifts, in addition to these, the rest of the things, even the cash for the dowry is borrowed by usury.

In addition to the necessary items, most of the rest of the value is borrowed at a high price, even if it is returned now, the interest that should be given will still have to be given, and when the time comes, the Zhao family will give forty dowry, there will still be more than a dozen dowry essential things, and the remaining twenty or so will be lifted, and once the interest is deducted, I am afraid there will be little left......

"Second aunt and grandmother, how can this be done! How can there be a reason why the dowry that comes to the door can be withdrawn! Zhou Shaobai secretly thought about it and thought that this matter was resolutely unfeasible.

The Zhao family has shirked the marriage many times, and the door has been pushed back several times, and he has never seen the main master, he has long lost patience with the Zhao family, if it wasn't for the fact that he happened to meet the wife of the Zhao family in the teahouse a few days ago, I am afraid that he would not want to step into the door of the Zhao family in this life, how can this marriage start.

And he and the third girl, Zhao Yurong, have never met, and they can't talk about a happy relationship, but they only came to propose marriage because the Zhao family could give her a rich dowry. But now that the Zhao family is coming to such a hand, he is likely to be unable to make ends meet, and the bamboo basket will be empty.

"Shaobai, I know that you treat my family Yurong sincerely, but my family Yurong has always been a concubine, and I dare not compare with the eldest grandmother's daughter in the dowry, let alone surpass her. This is not in line with the rules of the family. I was also helpless to come to you to talk. The second aunt explained bitterly, and her mouth was dry.

"Second aunt and grandmother. Since ancient times, there have only been those who have a small dowry, how can there be a dowry like you, who actually thinks that there are too many dowries? This doesn't make sense! Zhou Shaobai was reluctant. tried to persuade the second aunt to let her cancel the dowry and go back.

The second aunt said everything that should be said. also explained clearly, but this future uncle just didn't enter the oil and salt, and refused to agree to the retirement ceremony, and he was speechless for a while. I didn't know how to explain, so I had to look at the three girls sitting next to me for help.

Seeing this, the third girl also helped her mother explain: "Master Zhou." What my aunt said is right, the ancestor has already spoken. Even if you don't return the dowry and go back, the family will only buy me a dowry according to the rules of sending a concubine, forty is already the cap, and there can be no more, so let you return half of it back, it is also for your good. ”

The words have come to this, and Zhou Shaobai has been reluctant for hundreds of years, and he has no other way, so he agreed to the matter dejectedly, went to the outer courtyard with the second aunt, mother and daughter, picked out the forty-eight dowry and put it aside, and brought it back when he went back.

When picking up the dowry back, Zhou Shaobai personally handed it over and deliberately left the valuable, which really moved the second aunt and the mother and daughter, if the mother and daughter knew his intentions, they were afraid that they would be angry.

Steward Zhao acted neatly, and in the afternoon, he listed the twenty dowry gifts prepared for the three girls, and after the things were packed, he handed the list to Fang Fei.

It is said that it is twenty lifts, among which tea, fruits, lotus roots, taro and pomegranates, He Wei scarves, trousers that imply longevity and wealth, which means that they are accompanied by old shoes, cypress, ginger, tea fried piles, pine cakes, and other necessary things account for more than a dozen lifts, real things, but a few dishes are lifted.

In fact, some of these things can be completely combined, and a few lifts can be lifted, Fang Fei has seen the dowry list when Zhao Wanrong got married, and this is how it was purchased, and the necessary things are only five lifts together, and the rest of the sixty-one lifts are all real things.

On the surface, although it is taken care of by the chief steward of Zhao, they are all the daughters of the Zhao family, if there is no instruction from the eldest master, how dare he favor one over the other? It shows that the three girls really have no weight in the mind of the eldest master.

"Let's send it to the courtyard of the third girl." Fang Fei put the list into his sleeve pocket, went to the ancestor, and handed the list directly to the ancestor, and after she saw it, she personally handed it over to Grandma Song.

In this way, when the list is in the hands of the second aunt, even if she is not satisfied, there is no place to make trouble, so she can only swallow the bitter water in her stomach.

At that time, the sun was setting, the ancestor came out of Yining Hall as usual, and went to the pavilion on the lotus pond to meditate, Fang Fei handed the list over, the ancestor only glanced at it, then threw the list aside, pointed to the chessboard on the stone table in the center of the pavilion and said: "I still remember that your grandmother was superb in chess, and you grew up beside her, you must have learned a lot of essence, how about a few games?" ”

"The old ancestor is wonderful, my grandmother's chess skills are unbeatable, I just learned a little bit of skin, and I ask the ancestors to be merciful." Fang Fei nodded, lifted the hem of his skirt and sat opposite the old ancestor.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law held the chess and fought until the early lights were on, and when the family banquet in the backyard was almost opened, they went to the banquet with unfinished satisfaction.

That week, Shaobai is now half of the Zhao family, and he was also left to go to the banquet, and he has been immersed in drinking wine during the banquet, and his mood is very low.

Fang Fei couldn't help but be a little worried, if he was drunk and babbling nonsense and saying something that shouldn't be said, this banquet would be lively tonight, but fortunately, this person often wandered around the Qinglou Winery, but he didn't get drunk so easily, and he didn't say anything that shouldn't be said.

During the banquet, the old ancestor inadvertently glanced to the left-hand side, and the position of the second master and his wife who used to sit was empty, and no one sat down, so he asked: "Boss, what happened to the second family?" didn't even come to the Chongyang family banquet, what kind of system. ”

The eldest man on the side hurriedly put down the wine glass in his hand and replied respectfully: "Grandmother, the second brother of Guicai was stabbed when he went out a few days ago, and now he is recuperating in bed. ”

"If you want to get sick together, it's like the style of his husband and wife, and it's disappointing, and I can't do anything else." The old ancestor slapped the chopsticks in his hand on the table, frowned unhappily, swept the mat in the entire backyard, looked at Grandma Song, and said, "Where are the four girls in your big house?" Also fell ill? ”

When Grandma Song heard this, she hurriedly got up and bowed to the old ancestor, and replied: "Li Rong followed the second brother and sister to learn the girl red a few days ago, and heard the news of the assassination of the second brother, so she followed the second brother and sister to the county office, and now she has been living in the back hall of the county government to help take care of the second brother and sister. ”

'Bang'!

The old ancestor slapped the table suddenly, raised his eyes and glared at Grandma Song: "There is no one in the second room?" I even asked the girl in your big house to take care of her, and she is still a girl who has not left the cabinet! ”

Swept away by the ancestor's sharp eyes, Grandma Song couldn't help but shudder, and replied meekly: "The second room is all boys, and it is inconvenient to take care of the second brother and sister after all, it is rare for the fourth girl to get close to the second brother and sister, and she volunteered to take care of the second brother and sister, which is also a filial piety......"

"That's it!" The old ancestor interrupted impatiently, and said mercilessly: "How did you become a mistress? Even a few people in the big house can't be taken care of, what else can you expect to do! ”

"Grandmother, Zurong has done her best......" Seeing this, the eldest lord hurriedly persuaded on the side.

But it's better not to persuade you!

Grandma Song's face was red and white, and she couldn't wait to find a crack in the ground to get into.

"Ancestor, you misunderstood my mother." Zhao Rongzhao, who was sitting at the head of the other seat, got up and paced over, saluted to the old ancestor, and pleaded for his mother: "Old ancestor, it's not that my mother is not a director, it's that the second aunt has a tough attitude, the fourth sister is still grounded, she took the fourth sister to the West Courtyard, my mother asked people to pick it up many times, but to no avail, and now she brought the fourth sister to the county back hall, my mother is even more out of reach, how can I control the fourth sister." ”

"You mean, I wronged your mother?" The old ancestor stiffened his face, and his eyes fell on the stack of osmanthus cakes in the center of the table, during which he never glanced at her once favorite great-grandson.

"Rong Zhao, shut up!"

With a loud shout, Grandma Song hurriedly got up, hurried to the side of the ancestor in three steps and two steps, knelt on the ground, and said: "Ancestor, Rong Zhao is not sensible, and all the mistakes are the fault of the granddaughter-in-law, and the granddaughter-in-law will personally go and bring Lirong back!" ”

"Mother, it's so late......" Zhao Rongzhao shouted helplessly, filled with a deep sense of powerlessness, he is his mother's weakness, for himself, his mother doesn't know how many times he has compromised! Every time he wanted to help his mother, it backfired, and he got nothing but trouble for his mother......

"Shut up!" Grandma Song interrupted her son's unfinished words again, wanted to drive her son away, and said, "You don't have the right to speak here, quickly compensate the ancestor, and then go back to your seat!" ”

In the heart of the eldest master, whether he is a grandson or a concubine, he treats his son equally, the most important son is Zhao Rongting, the eldest son Zhao Rongzhao ranks behind him, and the old man who loves Zhao Rongzhao the most has passed away.

Zhao Rongzhao understood his mother's hard work, clenched his fists at the moment, gritted his teeth and admitted his mistake, and returned to the distance in a huff. (To be continued) R655