Zhao Xiu readily agreed to Cao Luo's invitation, and after a short time, Mrs. Cao and Mrs. Cao knew. Mrs. Cao has always disliked the gathering of her granddaughter mixed with the poems and lyrics of the daughter of the civil official family, but her daughter-in-law was very supportive, so she just turned a blind eye, but she didn't expect her granddaughter to bring Zhao Xiu with her.

After dinner, everyone sat in the warm pavilion to eat tea and talk, and Mrs. Cao mentioned this matter to Zhang: "Their children are just having fun, whose girl takes this poem as a proper livelihood?" It's not unusual to be able to play the piano, paint, and chess, and you can't eat or drink, that is, the girls in those civil official families will take these things seriously. Because Sister Luo loves this as much as her mother, I think that she doesn't have much pastime at home on weekdays, and her brother is not at home, so when she goes to play, let her go to her grandfather's house to go to this school. I never thought that she would be annoyed by you. ”

Cao Luo's face turned pale when she heard this, and she looked at Zhang worriedly. Zhao Xiu smiled slightly when she saw it, and patted the back of her hand soothingly.

Zhang smiled at Mrs. Cao and said, "What's this?" It's just a matter of giving a few words. I'm not afraid of your jokes, I loved this when I was young, what pastime can the girl's family have in the boudoir? Learning this can not only pass the time, but also cultivate sentiment. If you learn poetry and books well, you will not have to bother others in raising your children in the future. If you learn calligraphy and painting well, you can draw a pattern that is more chic than others. ”

Zhang understood Mrs. Cao's temperament and preferences, and deliberately said this, Mrs. Cao listened, and sure enough, she took away all her usual impatience, and there was a smile on her face: "You are reasonable." When Brother Ran was a child, his mother enlightened him, so she didn't rely on the strength of others, she taught it all by herself, and she taught it very well. Although Brother Ran has been naughty since he was a child, when it comes to filial piety to his elders and thoughtful etiquette, he didn't say it. "She really didn't like the kind of style of scholars before. But now that Zhang has persuaded her, she feels that it is not useless for her granddaughter to learn those poetry and calligraphy talents: "In addition to this poetry, calligraphy, painting and painting, she also plays the piano and chess." If they all learn well, in the future, Sister Luo will marry a son-in-law who is literate and literate, and the young couple will be able to raise their eyebrows. ”

Zhang smiled and said nothing, in front of the two little girls, this was a little inappropriate, so she didn't answer. However, Mrs. Cao has always spoken fluently, and she is telling the truth, and she has no intention of stopping it.

Cao Luo listened, her face turned red, and she lowered her head and wrung her handkerchief without saying a word. I was shy. Zhao Xiu was still smiling and grinning, and did not take Mrs. Cao's words to heart. Mrs. Cao first complained about her mother-in-law in her heart, and when she looked back and saw Zhao Xiu's appearance, she couldn't help but be surprised, she didn't know that she was a child and didn't understand. It's really thick-skinned enough, and when you hear this kind of talk, you won't be as shy as other little girls.

Zhao Xiu really didn't take Mrs. Cao's words to heart, but felt that with her words, Cao Luo would have a reason to learn talent in the future, so she touched Cao Luo with her elbow, lowered her voice and said, "Sister heard it?" Mrs. Tai said. It's also useful to learn poetry and calligraphy, with her words, what else do you have to worry about in the future? ”

Cao Luo's face turned red again, and she gently pushed her in shame. Zhao Xiu smiled and decided to let go of this thin-skinned little girl for the time being: "Okay, I asked my sister about it earlier." Sister, have you thought about it? Which one to learn first? ”

Cao Luo hurriedly straightened her expression: "I've thought about it, my sister is practicing calligraphy and painting now, so I'll follow the practice of calligraphy and painting." "There are two ways of horizontal and vertical poetry, piano and chess, and she is not very proficient.

Mrs. Cao listened to the concern and hurriedly asked, "What are you talking about?" ”

Cao Luo told her mother what Zhang and Zhao Xiu had about her homework. Mrs. Cao frowned when she heard this: "If you work harder, you won't be like now." You have learned later than others, and you don't practice much on weekdays, and then you learn the same, when do you have to learn? If you really wait until you say that you are married, you won't have to do it. Besides, you went to your grandfather's house to study, if you only learn the same thing, then what about the other homework? ”

When Cao Luo heard her mother's objection, half of her courage disappeared, and she said in a snort: "Old Mrs. Zhao said that I can't chew too much, and I concentrate on learning well, but it's better than not learning everything well." She also asked me to go to Zhao's house to practice calligraphy and painting with Sister Xiu. The Zhao family has many famous calligraphy and paintings, and Mrs. Zhao is also an expert, I can just learn more things, if there is anything I don't understand in the study, you can also ask Mrs. Zhao. ”

Mrs. Cao still felt that this was too troublesome: "Where does Old Madam Zhao have time to teach you?" Besides, you studied well with Mr. Xueli, and suddenly ran to bother Mrs. Zhao what to do? If there is anything you don't understand, why don't you ask the gentleman to go? I sent you to my grandfather's house, and I also gave it to Shu Xiu, and Mr. should have taught you well. You yourself are thin-skinned and dare not speak, how can your husband know? My grandfather's family is not an outsider, you have to think about it there, and you don't dare to talk to people and make friends, what if you go outside? "She didn't understand what was wrong with her daughter? Obviously, you should be more comfortable in your grandfather's house than in an outsider's house.

Cao Luo lowered her head to listen to the training, not daring to say anything more. Although Zhao Xiu felt that Mrs. Cao's words were reasonable, she felt that she was too taken for granted, she was a daughter of the Fang family, and when the Fang family girl learned poetry and calligraphy from a female gentleman, there was naturally no problem. But Cao Luo is not surnamed Fang, she is still from a background that the Fang family looks down on, and she went to the Fang family to study, can the female gentleman take her in her eyes?

Cao Luo's homework is not good, Zhang suggested that she learn the same, don't mix everything together, scatter the study time and energy, but can't learn everything well, this is a very reasonable suggestion, but also for Cao Luo's sake. But Mrs. Cao actually thought that this was too long, and asked her daughter to continue to learn everything together as before. Although she is a loving mother, she is too inconsiderate of her daughter.

When Zhang heard this, she also had this thought, but she was kind, so naturally she wouldn't say it to her face, but just smiled and said to Mrs. Cao: "It's just a trivial matter, and it also means that the children are in one place, where is it tiring me?" Old sister, our two families have a good relationship, and they are not outsiders, so don't be polite to me. I saw that Sister Luo had a steady temperament and liked it, so I wanted to see her more. She wanted to know anything, but whatever I could, I would be happy to point her out. In fact, children don't have to be proficient in everything to learn these talents, each of them has a meaning, and one or two things are good at, and it is enough. The girls of the official eunuch family can know the etiquette and know the serious knowledge, which is already extremely rare. Unless you are really talented, you are expected to become a talent. Otherwise, everyone is just using this as a pastime. ”

Mrs. Cao also smiled: "This is very true. Not to mention when we were young, even if we count from now on, ten years ago, there were only four or five talented women in the capital who could be called proficient in piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. A slap can be counted, but there is nothing wrong with no one making fun of other daughters. Everyone knows it, it's just fun. ”

Mrs. Cao didn't agree with this very much, but Mrs. Cao and the Zhang family were both elders, so she respected them and didn't refute them.

She didn't speak, so Mrs. Cao made an appointment with Zhang's family to let Cao Luo go to Zhao's house every three days to learn talent with Zhao Xiu, and there was something she didn't understand. Zhang will point her out. When the Zhao family has a new husband next year, he asked Cao Luo to resign from the Fang family's pavilion and go to school in Jiannanhou Mansion instead. Of course, this time cannot exceed two years at most. As soon as next year passes, Cao Luo will have to wait for it. It's time to talk about people's age, so naturally it's impossible to run around anymore.

Cao Luo listened, and was overjoyed, but once again shyly lowered her head and twisted her veil, refusing to say anything for a long time. Zhao Xiu knew that she was embarrassed, and secretly sighed in her heart that the ancients were twisting, and secretly she was still a little worried. This friend is so shy. How can we get along in the future?

Life in the Cao family Zhuangzi is very comfortable, but the Cao family just went to the village to live, by the way, should be a Double Ninth Festival scene, climb the mountain to worship the Buddha, after twelve, still have to go back to the capital home. Zhao Xiu's ancestors and grandsons lived in the village for a few days. Seeing that he was going back the next day, he felt a little reluctant in his heart.

Zhang sighed to his grandchildren in his room: "Our family used to have a garden in Xishan, and we had to go there to cool off in the summer. At that time, there were melons and vegetables in the garden, just like the ones planted in the backyard today. Your grandfather liked to go to the melon shed and pick melons and fruits to eat. However, at that time, our family's garden was not as big as Cao's Zhuangzi, and there was not so much land for running horses. Your grandfather's hands are itchy. will call a few nobles and old departments, and ride horses to hunt in the back mountains. I always complained to him at that time, the mountain is the temple, how can he kill under the nose of the Bodhisattva? He was so much read by me that he had to release the living wild things into life, and the dead ones were also rewarded to the farmers at the bottom of the mountain, and they went back to eat vegetarian vegetables with me. She couldn't help but laugh when she said that, "Looking back now, I had too much to do back then." ”

Zhao Wei likes to listen to this: "This is because my grandfather respects my grandmother, so I will listen to my grandmother's persuasion." It's a pity that our family's garden called Niu and Zhao Jue was ruined, and it fell into the hands of others, so it's not easy to get it back. The grandson will definitely think about it. "The current owner of that garden is also an official, with prominent generations, and some real power in the court, but he has no dealings with the Zhao family. However, the reputation of that family is not bad, and if it is seriously discussed with his family, it is not impossible to redeem the garden with silver taels.

Zhang just sighed: "That's it, I've also heard that the garden has changed a few hands and been rebuilt, even if it comes back, it is not what it used to be, why waste that money?" ”

Zhao Xiu said: "If grandmother doesn't want to see the garden change, then we won't redeem it." But it's hot in the city in summer, so we should also put a Zhuangzi on the Xishan side. When we wait for Chongyang next year, we can go to our own Zhuangzi to live for a while, and we can also invite Mrs. Cao's family to be guests. ”

This is a good idea, Zhang smiled: "But I don't know where to find a good Zhuangzi." The size is secondary, and the most important thing is to have a good view. There are also a few Zhuangzi in our house, but unfortunately they are not on the side of the West Mountain, and the closest one is just a mountain shadow. It's a flower. ”

The Zhao family's Zhuangzi are not all growing grain, there are also flowers, melons, vegetables and fruits, raising chickens, ducks, pigs and sheep, in addition to supplying the main family for the four seasons of the year, the Zhuangzi also sells the things produced, and the income is very good. However, because several Zhuangzi have their own livelihoods, they are not good places for leisure, so the ancestors of the Zhang family never thought of going to any Zhuangzi to escape the summer. Now there is another Zhuangzi for summer vacation, which can be regarded as filling the vacancy.

Zhao Wei heard that his grandmother and sister had this intention, so he got up and said, "I'll go to Brother Ran and ask if there are any Zhuangzi for sale nearby." If you can buy one nearby, it will be cheaper for the two to come and go in the future. ”

Zhao Wei went to ask, and really asked a Zhuangzi who was looking for a buyer, which was less than five miles north of Caojia Zhuangzi. Zhuangzi covers an area of no more than 100 acres, and the fields are barely considered good, with a half-old three-entry courtyard, which is located on the western boundary of the field. The previous owner was a gentleman who loved elegance, and he also built a one-acre lotus pond next to the courtyard with two pavilions, but unfortunately they are now deserted. The squire was originally famous for his talents, and his net worth was quite rich, but unfortunately he didn't get a good son or grandchild, after his death, his children couldn't keep the family business, and they lost in a few years. Because the money is urgent, his family would rather lower the price, if Zhao Wei delivered it immediately, the original price of Zhuangzi was 800 taels, and he was willing to sell it for 650 taels.

Zhao Wei naturally won't take advantage of it, although he doesn't have enough money on hand, but it will only take a few more hours to go back to the city to get it. Unexpectedly, Cao Ran was generous, so he immediately asked the account office to pay a sum of money first. Zhao Wei was grateful, but still sent someone back to the city and returned him with the silver. Cao Ran laughed and accepted it.

Zhao Xiu watched his brother go out for a turn, originally just to inquire, but he didn't expect to turn around and bring the title deed back, and he was surprised in his heart. However, Zhuangzi started so quickly, and she was also very happy, so she pestered her grandmother Zhang, wanting to go to Zhuangzi to have a look.

Zhao Wei said with a smile: "I have already ridden over to take a look." The ruined family lived in the city on weekdays, and abandoned all the good homes, and the houses were built sturdily, and only a little repair was sufficient, but the lotus pond was full of stagnant water, which stinked badly, and there were many mosquitoes. My sister used to be unhappy. Why don't you go home first, wait for someone to clean up the place, and when the weather is warm next spring, then invite my grandmother and sister to enjoy the spring scenery? It's not as big as here, but it's more beautiful. My grandmother and sister must have liked it. ”

When Zhao Xiu heard this, he dismissed the idea of visiting, and asked his brother instead, how abandoned the house was and how it would be repaired. The mansion of the Hou Mansion of Jiannan is now under construction, and transferring a few craftsmen over is just a matter of one sentence, and it is very easy.

The three of them discussed for a long time, and until they returned to the city on the second day, they had not yet agreed on how to repair the house. After entering the Desheng Gate, the Zhao Cao family said goodbye to each other and parted ways. The ancestors and grandsons of the Zhao family went directly back to the small house on Gulou West Street, before they entered the door and sat down, and before they had time to drink a sip of tea, they heard the housekeeper report: "In the past, the family members who used several rooms in the Hou Mansion were originally scattered to the counties on the outskirts of Beijing to find a living, and now they heard that the main family has returned and come to run." The little one came to ask the old lady, the little marquis, and the big girl to show me, how to deal with it? ”

(.) RU