Starting from the small courtyard in the west gate, go inside after the second gate, it is a long sandwich road, which leads straight to the back door, and there are small doors on both sides of the sandwich road leading to various courtyards, which can be said to extend in all directions.

After Zhao Xiu and the others entered the second gate, they first went to the courtyard behind the main hall. This courtyard is different from other courtyard houses, there are no side rooms, only five large houses in front of it, and the layout appears to be long and narrow. According to Lu's mother, this used to be the place where Zhang's housekeeper used to be. Every day she came out of the main courtyard where she lived and went to sit up in this long and narrow courtyard. The housekeepers and housekeepers from all over the house will wait in line in the courtyard, enter the house one by one to report to her, apply for funds, get the right cards, and then go to the account room to get the money with the right cards. There is only a wall between here and the front yard, and it is very convenient to go to the courtyard of the old county prince, so the Zhang family will spend most of the day here every day, and will go back to his own yard after having dinner with the old county prince.

Sometimes there are female guests who are closer, and the Zhang family will also entertain each other here.

In the west of this long and narrow courtyard, across the road from it, is another long and narrow courtyard, there are five main rooms and two west wing rooms, all of which are used as guest rooms. If a male guest comes, he is generally placed directly in the inverted room in the courtyard of the county grandfather, but the female guest has to be arranged separately, which is close to the inner house and convenient to enter and exit, so it is naturally the first choice. There's not much to say about this place, the contents of the house are gone, and the house is so dilapidated that it looks like it needs to be torn down and rebuilt.

Further in, there are two courtyards on the left and right, which are connected by the moon cave door. On the right is the main courtyard where Zhang's used to live, the standard courtyard layout, three main rooms, with two ear rooms, three east and west wings, each with an ear room, the inverted seat room on the south side is the residence of the girls, and there are hand-copying verandahs on all sides to connect with each other. Looking at the decoration of the house, you can also see the gorgeousness of the past. But at this moment, the attention of Zhang's ancestors and grandchildren is more elsewhere.

Standing in the courtyard, Zhang said very firmly: "This place has been repaired. ”

Zhao Xiu didn't understand: "What does grandmother mean by this?" Although it looks fine here, the doors, windows, roofs, walls and everything are broken, where have they been repaired? ”

"That's not what Grandmother meant." Zhao Wei also reacted, "This courtyard was rebuilt after we left. Originally, it wasn't like that. ”

Zhao Xiu was surprised: "How could it be?" When we left the Hou Mansion, my grandfather had only been 100 days later, and they moved out the following year, and Zhao Jiong was not there during the period. is in the heat of filial piety, building a lot of construction or something, isn't it not good? ”

Zhang said coldly: "Can they still take care of this? "She's in a terrible mood. When I came back today, I just wanted to see the old house in the past, but I didn't expect it to have been ruined by the enemy, which is really an indescribable heartache.

Zhao Wei took stock of all the rebuilt places on the side: "The frames of the doors and windows, the columns, and the poles were originally green, but now they have been painted red, which was painted in the filial piety period, right?" And not afraid of taboos! There are more colorful paintings on the verandah beams, gold dust, and window frames, which were originally all plum blossom patterns, but now they have been changed to Fang Sheng patterns, which are very rough and seem to have been done in a hurry. He set his eyes on the middle of the yard: "There was originally a rockery in the courtyard, there were stone benches and stone tables on the side of the rockery, and there were many osmanthus flowers, plantains and Xifu begonias planted in the corners, but now they are all shoveled out, all of them are paved with bluestone slabs like the outer yard, but the available materials are not as good as the outside, and the paving is not as smooth as the outside, so it must be done in a hurry." ”

Zhao Xiu guessed: "Could it be that the Niu family found someone to rebuild it after we left the capital?" is still red, she is not afraid of being known by outsiders, is she a crime of unfilial piety? ”

Zhang sneered: "I'm afraid that in her heart, all the etiquette and rules will be behind, and the most important thing is to make this courtyard not see the slightest trace I left, right?" Why is this all the trouble? If she didn't have to live here, she wouldn't have to move in, and it would be better than ruining the house! ”

She was angry, and she didn't want to go into the house to take a closer look. There must be nothing left in the horizontal vertical house, even if it is not taken away by the officials who have confiscated it, it will be replaced by the Niu family. The only room that may not have been altered must be the West Wing where Aunt Qian's grandmother lived in the past, right? It's a pity that when Zhao Jiong and his wife live here, she will also move elsewhere, and there is no reason to live in the same courtyard with her son and daughter-in-law.

Zhang said to Zhao Wei: "This is the main house of the main courtyard, when your grandfather was in the past, I was the main mother, so I lived here." Now that you are unrecognizable, you have attacked the knight again, and it is not suitable for me to live here again. When the house is renovated, you can move in. How to place it, it's up to you. ”

Zhao Wei wanted to say something, but Zhang had already left without looking back, and Zhao Xiu hurriedly followed, supporting her all the way. Zhao Wei opened his mouth, looked at his grandmother's back, looked back at the unfamiliar courtyard, and glanced at Lu's mother, feeling both angry and a little gloomy.

Another courtyard across the road to the west of the main courtyard is where Zhao Jiong and Niu's husband and wife lived in the past. Originally, Zhao Jiong, as the heir of the old county prince, should live in the courtyard directly behind the main courtyard. But he is a concubine, although he bears the name of the son, under the premise of having a son-in-law, his name has always been a little unstable, so he has been living in the courtyard to the west. Later, the old county prince died, and Zhao Jiong became the Marquis of Jiannan, and this courtyard was given to Zhao Jue's wife and children to live in. Even if Zhao Jue thinks that he is the eldest son of the concubine and should live in the courtyard behind the main road, Zhao Jiong does not allow him to dislike his former residence, as if he is sarcastic that he is not a concubine, so the treatment is different from that of the eldest son.

Zhang was not in the mood to look at this courtyard, so he only looked at the situation inside at the door, and then turned around and left. The large area north of this courtyard was the kitchen and the place where the servants lived. To the north of the main courtyard is the small courtyard where Zhao Zhuo and his wife used to live, and it is also the place where Zhao Xiu and Zhao Wei were born and raised.

The small courtyard is not big, long and narrow, closely followed by the main courtyard, there are also three main rooms, two ear rooms, and only one east and west wings. There were originally a few trees planted in the corner of the courtyard, but naturally only dead ones remained. The bluestone slab floor in the courtyard is also overgrown with weeds. At the foot of the wall of the house grew thin vines, spreading up to the corners of the eaves, and crawling all over the wall.

The doors and windows of the house were damaged, and a few were crooked, but they could still be opened. Zhao Wei opened the way in front of him with great interest, brushing away the cobwebs, Zhang took Zhao Xiu's hand and walked into the house, and at the same time helped her recall the layout of the house: "In the main room, there was originally a big case, facing the door, your father used to study here, and there were several large shelves of books in the back. Your father had read all those books, but he still worked very hard and was never complacent, which is why he passed the examination at a young age. ”

Zhao Wei also gestured: "I remember that at that time, the big case was taller than me, and there were two large porcelain jars on the side of the case, both filled with all kinds of books. When I was naughty, I would smoke those books to play, and my mother would come and carry me out, and I would not disturb my father. But my father was very kind, never annoyed me, and would take me from my mother's arms and let me sit on his lap, and he taught me to write hand in hand. At that time, the big desk was full of paper and books, there were all kinds of pens in the sea of pens, and there were a few hanging from the pen stand. I just like to push those pens and play with them. ”

Zhang laughed when he heard this: "You often come to disturb your father's study, and your mother hates it like something, because your father loves you and is not allowed to beat, and she also complains to me in private, saying that your father spoils children too much." She smiled and looked at Zhao Xiu: "Sister Xiu hasn't gone through this. Because after Zhao Xiu was born, he could only be carried around by other people, so naturally he couldn't be naughty. And by the time she was old enough to walk on her own, Zhao Zhuo had already died.

Seeing that Zhang's eyes were about to red again, Zhao Xiu hurriedly gave Zhao Wei a look, Zhao Wei was stunned, and understood that his sister didn't want her grandmother to be sad again, so she put aside the sadness in her heart, and smiled and gave her sister another room: "The East Warm Pavilion is my father's mother's bedroom, and the West House is my sister's house, and my sister-in-law will take you to live here, do you remember?" ”

Zhao Xiu naturally didn't remember, and he couldn't imagine the situation back then in front of the empty room. She could only follow the tone of her little brother and ask, "Where does that brother live?" ”

"When I was a child, before you were born, I lived in Westinghouse. When you are born, I will move to the East Wing. Zhao Wei remembered the past, and also felt very nostalgic: "I remember that there is an osmanthus tree under the window of my house, and when I endorse in front of the window, the wind will blow the osmanthus on my desktop, which is fragrant and sweet, and then I will think of the osmanthus lotus root cake made by my mother." He paused, and found that he couldn't stop thinking about his parents, so he quickly stopped, turned back and smiled at his sister: "You were still young at that time, you must not remember anything, right?" ”

Zhao Xiu really didn't know, not that she couldn't remember, because when she walked through, the family had already moved to the dilapidated courtyard in the eastern corner. Afraid of causing her grandmother's sadness, she changed the topic again: "I saw a building at the back of this courtyard, what kind of place is that?" ”

The building behind the Hou Mansion is equivalent to the existence of a warehouse. The miscellaneous items in the house are stored there. There is a passage in front of the building that leads to the courtyard behind the garden on East Road. In the past, it was the place where the concubines sent by several other people of the old county prince lived, and the old county prince gave each of them a dowry, so that the Zhang family married them, and the courtyard was abandoned, until after the death of the county prince, the Zhang family moved in.

There is also a mewich road between the courtyard behind the garden on the east road and the yard on the main road, and the mezzanine road can also lead to the garden. However, there is nothing to visit in the garden at this time, the garden is overgrown with weeds, and snakes, insects, rats and ants do not know how many nests have been born. Zhang took his grandchildren and grandchildren, only glanced in a few times at the side gate of the garden, and was about to leave.

Although this garden is large, there are some pavilions, flowers and trees and pools, but it has never been to her liking. This garden was already there when she married into the Hou Mansion, but it was not designed by the style Cheng, nor was it built according to the will of the old county prince, and she didn't even ask the old county princess about the Qin family's preferences. When the Hou Mansion was first built, the old county prince was fighting outside, and the Qin family was still in his hometown and had never reunited with her husband, so the housewife of the Hou Mansion at that time was the old Aunt Qian's grandmother.

The Qian family is also a wealthy family, but it is at the level of a rich man. Old Aunt Qian was born in such a family, and her taste and knowledge cannot be any better. To build a garden, she refused to let go of the design of the style program, and had to make her own decisions. But there are no hills and ravines in her chest, just piled up randomly, and the result is a bunch of rockery pavilions, flowers, trees and fish ponds, which are combined together without any aesthetic sense. The old county prince didn't think there was anything, but the Qin family hated that the garden was built by the old Aunt Qian's grandmother, and rarely came to play, only the Zhang family, every time he came to visit, he would feel that this place was unbearable. It's just that more is better than less, and it costs money to build a large number of buildings, so she can just let it go.

Now there is a chance to tear it down and rebuild it.

The Hou Mansion has been shopped, and when I take a quick look, it is simply everywhere that needs to be repaired. There are several places that have to be torn down and rebuilt. Zhang already had a number in his heart, so he said to Zhao Wei and Zhao Xiu: "Call the style Cheng to come and see, tell him what we mean, and let him draw the drawings according to them." Construction will start after the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it would be great if it could be completed within this year. If it can't be done this year, wait for the beginning of spring next year to continue, and in any case, it will be completed by this time next year. ”

Emperor Daxing died, and the people in the capital were forbidden to drink and feast for a year. If it can be completed within a year, it is just right to put in the wine after the ban period is over, and invite relatives and friends to celebrate.

Zhao Wei hurriedly agreed. Zhao Xiu thought for a while and asked, "Grandmother, if we want to rebuild the Hou Mansion, how much silver do we need to prepare?" ”RS