Zhao Xiu had no idea that someone was planning his marriage in another corner of the capital. She is concentrating on preparing for the southward journey these days, and she is as busy as a spinning top, where can she still have the leisure to take care of others?

After a busy day, a lot of things have been arranged. The people who returned to Fengxian to report the news were gone, and the people who dotted along the road were also sent out; The boat carrying the luggage and the men accompanying the ship were almost ready, and began to carry large items; The water supplies needed on the road were found and carried on the ship the day before departure; And the two horses that Zhao Wei wants to ride when he goes out, the two carriages that Zhao Xiu and the Zhang family want to ride, and the carriages that the girls and daughters-in-law sit in are all ready and ready to go out at any time. But Zhao Xiu encountered difficulties on the issue of who to take south.

Other male and female servants are all fine, but whether to bring Wang Fulai back is a difficult matter to decide. Wang Fulai is now the head of the Hou Mansion, if he leaves, the three masters of the Zhao family are not there, who will hand over this huge Hou Mansion to be in charge? You must know the rules of this high-ranking family, even if the master is not there, the number of rituals that should be fulfilled must be exhausted, and whoever sends the worship post to the door needs someone to reply; Whoever has a happy event, the Hou Mansion also needs to express one or two; In addition, the servants in the house and the tenants in the village are particular about what obligations the master needs to fulfill every New Year's Festival; The quarterly and annual accounts of various industries and the delivery of silver and rice to pay rent money also need to be taken care of. It's not that the three ancestors and grandchildren of the Zhao family can leave everything behind when they go out. The Hou Mansion needs to summarize the major events into letters every ten years, and order people to report to the master all the way, but the mansion also needs people to be directors, and some are not so important. You have to make a decision first.

Zhao Xiu was embarrassed because the Hou Mansion was inseparable from the chief manager of a director, but the three of their ancestors and grandchildren also needed someone to follow them on the road. More importantly, Wang Fulai's old father Wang Siping is already old, I heard that his health has not been very good in the past two years, Wang Fulai needs to stay in the capital to do things for his master, and he can't be filial piety in front of his father. Do you have to ask people to stay?

Zhao Xiu felt that this was too much, she knew in her heart that Wang Fulai was looking forward to this opportunity. I've been looking forward to it for a long time.

Zhang's family was also a little unbearable: "Although in front of the master's family, there is nothing filial or unfilial, but Wang Fulai has always been loyal, and Wang Siping is also an old man who has to be used when the county grandfather is there." Even if it's for the sake of their father and son's years of hard work. I can't do that. Wang Siping didn't know how long he could last. If we miss this time, their father and son will probably never see each other again......"

Zhao Xiu thought for a while: "Why don't you ...... Shall we take him back? Just find someone else to watch here. I can draw up a charter and let them follow the rules, and there shouldn't be a big difference. If I don't have time, I will first tell the recent events to go down, and then make plans on the road ahead, and order someone to send the letter back to Beijing as soon as possible. ”

Zhang sighed: "That's it, that's the only way." I knew it was so. I should have called Wang Shuangfu from my hometown in advance, if he was there. Why should I bother with that? This trip back to the south, let's bring him back. ”

Wang Shuangfu is their housekeeper in Fengxian's old mansion, and he was only promoted a few years ago, and he is loyal enough and his ability is not bad. The reason why he failed to follow him to the capital was because he had stayed in Fengxian for many years, and his understanding of the customs and people in the capital was far less clear than Wang Fulai's. If you really want to bring him back to the capital this time, I am afraid that you will have to work under Wang Fulai.

Zhao Xiu said: "Wang Shuangfu is a big housekeeper in the old mansion, so he may not be willing to come to the capital to help Wang Fulai, right?" I'll have to go back and ask him what he means. Although there are many things to do in the Hou Mansion in the capital, there is no shortage of reliable people in his hometown. Our family still has a lot of property there, and it is impossible to entrust all the affairs of the foreign bank to Liufang. ”

Zhang's thought about it was right, so he stopped insisting and waited until he returned to his hometown to see the situation.

Wang Fulai wants to follow his master back to the south, and the Hou Mansion always needs to find someone to take care of things. Zhang discussed with Zhao Xiu and decided to promote Wu Laixing, the adopted son of the old aconite. When renovating the Hou Mansion and rebuilding the Mingzhi Library, Wu Laixing was a supervisor, and the errand was done very well, which shows that the ability is there. Although he is young, there are the oldest and most decent old aconitum couples standing behind him, which is enough to suppress the old servants of the Hou Mansion. As for the newcomers, even the old ones have been suppressed, are you still afraid that the newcomers will cause trouble? Just in case, Zhao Xiu added: "Ask Mother Lu to come back from time to time to take care of it." Anyway, she came from home, which is just a few steps away. ”

Zhang nodded, and said that he would send a letter to the Lu family, and if he encountered something that Lu's mother couldn't solve, he could also ask Qiuye. Although Autumn Leaf is a big girl next to her, she has already recognized her righteous daughter, so her identity is different. After all, Lu's mother is out of the house, not everyone may buy her account, with the help of autumn leaves, it will always be better.

If there is really something that can't be solved even by Autumn Leaves, the people in the Hou Mansion can only send a message to the master of the southbound ship.

Zhao Xiu solved the problem of stewardship and went back to his yard to write the charter. There is not much time left, she has to first find out who in the capital in the next few months may have a birthday, who may have a happy event, she has to inquire first, prepare a rough gift list in advance, and inquire again in the day to make sure that there is no change in that family, and then prepare the gift and send it to the door. As for which family will have a white affair in the next few months, and which family will have a sudden happy event, Zhao Xiu is not a prophet, and he can't prepare a gift in advance, so he can only draw up a few gift lists, divided into different specifications, so that Wu Laixing can act cheaply at that time.

In addition, the rewards for the granges, shops, and servants and women in the family should also be decided in advance and greeted to the bookkeeper. When Wu Laixing paid the money directly from the account office, it was done.

Zhao Xiu spread the paper all over the table, busy with a head and two big, and accidentally found that the light in front of her was covered by something, raised her head to look, but found Bihan and Liu Lu standing in front of her at some point, you look at me, I look at you, as if there is something to say.

She asked suspiciously, "What's wrong with you?" ”

Bihan glanced at Liu Lu again, hesitating and not daring to speak. Liu Lu boldly stepped forward: "Girl, Sister Bihan said that she wants to stay and marry Sister Bilian, and she is willing to exchange errands with the slave maid, and asks the girl for permission." ”

Zhao Xiu originally ordered Bihan to accompany him, and Liu Lu stayed behind. Just like the owner of the Hou Mansion leaves and needs to leave a steward in the town, there are a lot of people in her yard, and there are many valuable things in the house, so it is impossible not to leave a trustworthy big girl to look at the house. Bihan has always been accustomed to serving in the south, and she is also familiar with people, so Zhao Xiu wanted to bring her more conveniently, but she didn't expect her to make this request.

Bi Han said to Zhao Xiu: "Sister Bi Lian has already decided to marry a year ago, and the slave maid and her sister want to send her." Besides, the slave's parents went to Beijing on errands, and the few relatives who stayed in their hometown were not close to the slave and maid. It's Liu Lu, although the girl promised to let her parents go to Beijing, but she still has her grandmother, uncles, and elders, and she doesn't know when they will see each other again. The slave and maid were willing to change errands with her, and each other could fulfill their wishes. ”

Zhao Xiu smiled: "Since you have reached a consensus, I will not be uninteresting." So be it. But has Bilian already set a date for marriage? It turned out to be a year ago? Then I can't marry her? ”

Bilian finally decided on the family matter, it is a family of cultivators in Daxing County, Jingnan, surnamed Ding, the family is also rich, there are two or three hundred acres of land, the man's father is an old talent, has a good reputation in the countryside, and his mother is also known as a virtuous name. The fiancé himself is the eldest son, because he has to keep the filial piety of his grandparents one after another, he missed the marriage and scientific examination, and now he is just a child, and he is preparing to take the Xiucai exam next spring.

Bilian's brother Lu Mingzhang went to Daxing County to inquire about the countryside several times, and learned that this Ding Tongsheng had a good character and good learning, and it was very likely that he would pass the exam next spring, so he was relieved to agree to the family affair. Lu Mingzhang himself will also go down to participate in the children's examination next year, and when Bilian's husband and brother are all talents, she will also have a light on her face. And because Ding Tongsheng is already twenty-two years old, his parents are anxious to marry a daughter-in-law for him, and if he tries to be a child next year, he will be admitted to Xiucai, and then there will be autumn in the future, and I don't know when he will have time to do happy events. Both the bride and groom are old, and it is not appropriate to delay it any longer, so the Ding family simply set the wedding date within the year.

Lu's mother had already reported the matter to Zhang's family, but it was Zhang's who said that it didn't matter, so she agreed to the man's request. couldn't let the old owner watch her daughter get married, Lu's mother always felt very regretful in her heart. Zhang laughed at her a few words, but he was very moved in his heart, and greatly rewarded a few sets of head noodles and twenty pieces of silk to add makeup to Bilian. Zhao Xiu got the letter here, and she also felt that it was a pity, and gave her a lot of other things.

Now that Bi Han intends to marry Bi Lian, Zhao Xiu naturally will not refuse, and specially rewarded her with a new set of winter clothes, let her wear it to drink wedding wine, and let her and Liu Lu and other girls take leave, and ask them to say hello to Bi Lian.

The girls happily went out in batches, and Zhao Xiu drove the people who stayed behind out of the room, and stayed in the house by himself to continue fighting. She was busy until dark, and the Zhang family sent someone to call her over for dinner, only to find that she had been working all afternoon, and the lights were lit in the house at some time, but she didn't notice it at all.

She sorted out what she had written, got up and stretched her arms, twisted her waist, and stretched her muscles, only to feel that her neck was sore.

Liu Lu smiled and brought a cup of hot tea: "The girl has been sitting for a long time, and her bones are stiff, right?" Take a sip of tea, and hurry to the old lady's for dinner. ”

Zhao Xiu took the tea bowl: "Are you coming back from Sister Bilian's house?" She must be glad to see you go, right? ”

Liu Lu smiled: "Isn't it? My sister also said that she would come into the house to kowtow to the old lady and the girl. As he spoke, he took a small bag and opened it to Zhao Xiu: "She also asked me to carry something for the girl in Fengxian's old house, which is a few red stone rings, two pairs of silver cloves, and four embroidered silk handkerchiefs." ”

Zhao Xiu glanced at it, and didn't pay attention anymore: "I know, you can help her." After drinking tea, she put down the tea bowl and was about to go out, when she suddenly remembered something.

On this way south, she will definitely pass through Tianjin and Jining on the way, and most of them will see Jiang Wen and Fang Renzhu. Shouldn't she send someone to Jiang's house and Fang's house to ask if anyone asked her to bring letters and things? The Fang family's side is down, and Fang Huizhu's side seems to be inquiring as well. When she saw Fang Renzhu, she also told her about her sister's recent situation. (To be continued......)