The candles burned out, the sky was bright, and the night passed again.

Dow, who was sitting at the table with his head propped up, shook and woke up.

She shook her head and smiled self-deprecatingly—a woman who was not yet thirty felt so low that she could fall asleep even while sitting.

The account on the table was not finished, she rubbed her eyes, and then turned to the case.

The sound of dialing the dial occasionally sounded.

I don't know how long it took, but there was a sudden exclamation with joy outside the house: "Young grandmother, the eldest young master is back." ”

Then the door was pushed open, and Tan Xiang led Wang Zhen up.

"Young grandma, you haven't slept all night? If it's cold today, you should put on some clothes. Tan Xiang said.

Tao Shi glanced at Wang Zhen behind her slightly, and sneered softly: "I haven't returned for two days and nights in a row, and I don't know which fox hooked ......."

Wang Zhen smiled self-deprecatingly, didn't speak, opened his hand, and Ren Tanxiang took off the coat on his body.

Tan Xiang saw that he didn't explain, so he said for him: "The eldest young master has been busy in the bookstore, and the young grandmother is all joking, how can there be any foxes?" ”

Wang Zhen sat down opposite Tao, glanced at the account book on the table, and chuckled: "You are a good hand at making fake accounts." ”

"The concubine still has to thank you for a word of praise?" Dow sneered.

"How much is there to lose?" Wang Zhen asked.

"You don't have to." Tao lowered his head, very annoyed, and felt that his eyes were sour, "Don't worry, it's a big deal that I will ask my mother's family for it, and I won't owe you the ...... of your Wang family."

The next moment, a stack of silver tickets was handed over and stamped on top of the ledger.

Wang Zhen's tone was flat, and she asked, "Six thousand taels, is it enough?" ”

Dow was a little stunned, and his mood was a little complicated for a while, saying that he was moved, but he felt that he couldn't get off the stage.

She had no choice but to bury her head lower.

After a while, she asked, "Where did you come from?" If you pick out the borrowed from the second child, I don't recognize it. ”

"Knowing that you have the strongest temperament, how can I talk to him?" Wang Zhen said lightly: "I sold the bookstore." ”

"Heh, can you sell your bookstore for this price?" Dow didn't believe it.

Wang Zhen didn't like her tone and said, "Believe it or not." ”

Tan Xiang smiled and said, "Young grandma, really." The eldest young master has done a lot of things in the past two days. After deducting the five hundred taels of silver from the Pan Bookstore that year, it only took two days for the eldest young master to directly multiply the profit tenfold! ”

Tao was a little surprised, looked at Tan Xiang, and let her continue.

Speaking of this, Tan Xiang was a little excited, and quickly glanced at Wang Zhen, with a lot of brilliance in her eyes.

"The eldest young master held a poetry meeting the day before yesterday, and now he is famous in the capital...... Tan Xiang was a little incoherent, and said: "I also heard what others said, the day before yesterday, a jinshi came to quarrel with the eldest young master, and he was arguing that he was going to compare poems with the eldest young master, but the eldest young master said that he would never write poetry again in the future, and others asked him why, and the eldest young master said that the third young master was the reincarnation of Dongpo......"

"And then?"

Then the Jinshi ridiculed the third young master a few words, and the eldest young master slapped him. Then, many people scolded the Jinshi, saying that he was shameless and relieved himself in someone else's lotus pond. The jinshi was very angry, and brought many people to make trouble. As a result, things got big, and there was a big official from the Hanlin Academy, who seemed to be the teacher of the Jinshi. ”

Hallym Temple?

Teacher? Or is it a teacher?

Although Tao knew that Wang Zhen had returned without incident, he was still a little worried when he heard this.

But he heard Tan Xiang continue: "As a result, as a result, the eldest young master read out the two words of the third young master, and those people became dumb. The eldest young master and the third young master are now famous in the capital, and everyone is rumoring that the third young master is the reincarnation of Dongpo......"

Tao knew that Wang Zhen had nothing to do, but she didn't care about the matter of moving the capital, and asked, "So, take the opportunity to sell the bookstore for 6,000 taels?" ”

As soon as the words came out, she shook her head again: "No, I still can't sell it at this price." ”

Tan Xiang nodded vigorously and said, "Of course, it can't be sold like this, but the eldest young master has already ordered people to collect all the "Dongpo Ci" in the whole capital, and also printed the two poems of the third young master in the back. Now in the capital, the price of such a copy of "Dongpo Ci" has risen many times compared with the original, and there is still no market, and I don't know how many readers are waiting to buy it at the door of the bookstore......"

Dow sneered: "I don't see them love to read so much on weekdays, but they just follow the trend." ”

"And oh, that senior official of the Hanlin Academy, I admire our eldest young master very much. The eldest young master gave him a book from our bookstore, and he asked in front of everyone, 'Hungry?' What's the meaning of this name? Then the eldest young master replied, "The student has failed many attempts, and he will not be able to participate in the field in the future, however, the gentleman said: It is not necessary to learn." That's why it's called 'Fasting,' and the official said......"

Tan Xiang imitated the appearance of a high-ranking official with a big belly and long beard, put one hand in front of him, and stroked his chin with the other, and sighed: "Good, if all the scholars in the world have this heart, I am not alone!" ”

Her performance was quite cute and smart, and Wang Zhen chuckled.

Tan Xiang was extremely happy.

She is just a maid, and in her eyes, she mainly thinks that Wang Zhen is very powerful, but she doesn't understand the joints, so she can only watch it lively.

Tao Shi understands that the Hanlin bachelor that Tan Xiang said is the 'teacher' of Jinshi, and he thinks that it should be the 'seat teacher', and that is the chief examiner of this subject.

The three words 'no stop fasting' praised by such a person in public are still cheap to sell for 6,000 taels, if you let yourself operate......

She glanced at Wang Zhen, felt a little pity, and still asked a little unwillingly: "The name 'Bu Ji Zhai' was also sold together?" ”

Wang Zhen chuckled lightly and said, "It's just open to play, and it's the same for other stores to spend five hundred taels between the plates." By the way, I borrowed a hundred taels from my third brother, so you can pay him back. ”

Dow was a little disappointed and said, "I know." But you also keep a hundred taels of silver in your heart, but you don't have to worry about other things. ”

Wang Zhen said: "I'm used to being idle. ”

He will only be thirty years old next year, and he has not yet begun to grow a beard, and he has a sloppy beard and looks a little tired after two nights of sleep.

Such a tired face fell in Tan Xiang's eyes, but she admired it very much. She was already in awe of the eldest young master's nobility and extraordinary, but now she saw him turn his hands into clouds, but he was still calm and clear, and she worshiped nature even more in her heart.

What Tan Xiang didn't expect was that Tao frowned and became a little dissatisfied.

But I heard Tao say: "In this way, you are obviously also a businessman, but why are you always so careless?" ”

The tone is bitter, but the mood is clearly a little unhappy.

Tan Xiang was really strange in her heart, she really didn't understand why the eldest young master earned six thousand taels to make up the hole for the young grandmother, but it made the young grandmother unhappy?

Wang Zhen still looked unsalty, waved his hand and said, "I don't have any business talent." ”

"You're always like that! That's it, so that the second room will be pressed. Tao said, the more she said, the more aggrieved she felt: "I just lost 6,000 taels of silver in the inner courtyard, and you have to stay up for two nights, but what is this money in the eyes of the second child?" He clutched the head of the house. And put on a picture of raising you......"

"Enough!" Wang Zhen was squinting and pretending to sleep, but at this time, he suddenly opened his eyes and said coldly, "I thought that your second brother and second brother were close on weekdays, and I thought that your uncle and sister-in-law were harmonious." How? I just knocked down my mother, and I'm about to start fighting my second brother? ”

This sentence is extremely heavy.

Dow's eyes turned red.

"Bucket? Did I let you fight? I'm just trying to get you a way out, you're successful in your studies. The result? He has to plan something for the third brother to attach the horse to the captain, and cut off your future......"

"It's still these words, is it interesting? I said one last time, for the third brother to seek attachment, the second brother asked me about this matter first, and then I advocated it! ”

"Even so, you should always find a way out for the future, now this is a vain test, either the family business, or the bookstore business, and there is a way, the business mentioned by my cousin, he asked me to ask you what you mean." Dow tried hard to suppress his emotions and persuaded: "I can't let others say that they are living under the wings of my younger brother, and my sisters ...... my mother's family."

Wang Zhen also suppressed her emotions and slowed down her voice and said: "I am naturally looking for a way out, and I will go to Wendao Academy to be a gentleman next month." The academy is in the alley of Lotus Temple, not far away, and it is leisurely over there, and it is ...... in the morning."

Dow stood up and said hurriedly, "When did you decide?" You know your cousin wants you to take charge of that business! Why, your Wang family has relied on him for ten years, and now that he has become a royal prince, he doesn't take him seriously? Want to cross the river and tear down the bridge, and hide the birds? ”

"Do you know what you're talking about!?" Wang Zhen was displeased, and said sarcastically: "We are just businessmen, how can we dismantle the dignified household servant?" ”

At this point, the couple's suppressed emotions finally couldn't be held back anymore.

Dow said: "Yes! I lost 20,000 taels of profits, but this is what I owe to your royal family, not to mention that I also filled it with a dowry. Our Tao family doesn't owe anything to your family! How much has your second brother done over the years by relying on my cousin? In the end, I still have to be looked down upon in front of my sisters! ”

She said, glaring at Wang Zhen, and said, "Do you know what they say about you and me? They said, you were the most successful child of the Wang family back then, young and promising. As a result, I coaxed our Tao family to marry me to you, and with this relationship, it made your second brother earn a lot of wealth and wealth, and raised you into a rice bucket that eats and waits for death......"

The word 'rice bucket' came into his ears, and Tan Xiang covered his mouth and exclaimed.

"Did you say enough?!"

Wang Zhen slapped his palm heavily on the table.

There was a loud "bang".

The stack of silver tickets floated up in two, slowly falling in the air.

"I didn't say enough!" Dow cried: "You study hard, and once you land." I know you have depression in your heart. But my cousin is kind, you shouldn't be treated as a donkey's liver. The whole family didn't see that you had such a business talent, but he saw it early. You don't know what to do, you suffer from the benefits of my mother's family, but you only give me idleness, you have no conscience! ”

"Smack."

The vase smashed to the ground and shattered.

Dow and Tan Xiang were startled.

Wang Zhen said to Tan Xiang: "You go and guard the courtyard, don't let people in." ”

Tao only thought that he was going to beat himself, looked at Wang Zhen coldly, and sneered: "Haha, ten years of husband and wife, but that's it." How? You're finally tired of me today, and you have the ability to ......"

"Shut up!"

Wang Zhen kicked the broken porcelain on the ground on the door and shouted, "Stupid woman! You're still mentioning your cousin, do you know what he wants me to do!? ”

Dow was stunned for a moment.

The word 'stupid woman' reminded her of Cui's family, and she always looked down on Cui's the most.

Today, I was scolded like this. Dow only felt that there was no greater humiliation than that.

Speechless!

Both husband and wife fell silent.

"Jinke, I could have passed the ...... exam," Wang Zhen suddenly sighed.

Tao looked at him in amazement, and then sneered: "You're still bragging, you man is getting more and more useless." ”

Wang Zhen said lightly: "I deliberately fell off the list, there is a strategy, I thought about it, and finally deliberately defiled the paper......"

"Really? Why? ”

Wang Zhen had that self-deprecating expression on her face again, and said, "Because of your cousin, the white waiter of the household department." Did he tell you that he and a few of his colleagues were planning to do a grain business, but it was inconvenient for him to come forward, and he wanted me to take charge of it? ”

"What's wrong with that?"

"There's nothing wrong with that, but you know where that food comes from? In the winter of the previous year, there was heavy snow in the north, the Yellow River froze, and the dragon in the southwest turned over, and there were countless people who were hungry, and the household allocated 300,000 stone of grain...... Haha, 50,000 stones were scraped off the hands of just a few of them! Last year, there was a great drought in Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Henan, and a major flood in Nanzhili, Huguang, and Liangjiang, and locusts flew all over the country. A whole 500,000 stone was scraped! The land is hungry and starving, but for them it is a good year and a good harvest! The more disasters there are in this world, the more they earn! ”

"yes, what's wrong with this business? Every year, every year, there is a steady stream of food, money and rice coming in! Your cousin said, "Rest assured, nothing can go wrong." But where can I put this heart? Just listening to these things makes me feel scared! I'm afraid that when you and I sleep peacefully on the couch, hundreds of thousands of millions of souls who are starving to death in this world will come to ask for your life! You're right, in the past ten years, our Wang family has done a lot of things relying on your cousin, and this mansion has been expanded once a year, and the silver in the treasury has increased year by year...... But I'm afraid, I'm afraid that one day the whole family will be raided and wiped out! ”

Dow was stunned with red eyes, unable to speak.

"Do you know what it means to raid a family and exterminate a family? The tiger head is so tall this year, if you are convicted, you can ask for it. Wang Zhen stared at Tao and said coldly: "Do you know what the teeth of the people in the capital will bite us into if the crime of embezzling disaster relief grain falls on our heads?" ”

"Not a drop of flesh and blood will be left." Wang Zhen replied to herself, "I can take you to the vegetable market to have a look." ”

Dow's legs limped and he slumped into his chair.

Long.

Wang Zhen took a deep breath and sighed: "All in all, the second brother said that I agreed to let the third brother choose the horse. The road of the imperial examination is also something I do not want to take. With a family background like mine, once I enter the official career, I will definitely not be able to escape the whirlpool of the trend.

These days, I have looked at those high-spirited new science and technology scholars, if I say that there is envy, if I say that there is also happiness. But if I can't benefit the people as an official, but I have to deprive the world for business, I'd rather do nothing! In the future, I can study and teach others, and I can be a truly useless scholar......"