The housekeeper in Zhang Ang's mansion is named Deng Xing, and he is an old man who came through ups and downs with Zhang Ang's father, Zhang Dingkun. The ancestral home of the Zhang family is Jiangning Town, Tianfu, this Zhang family belongs to the family in Jiangning, the family has thousands of acres of fertile land, and the people are prosperous. It's a pity that Zhang Dingkun's vein belongs to the end of the branch in the Zhang family, and after several generations have been passed down, when Zhang Dingkun takes over, there are only a few acres of thin fields and a few broken tile houses left in the family. Zhang Dingkun looked at the thin field deed in his hand, and couldn't help but feel sad in his heart, even if these few acres of thin fields are harvested every year, they are just enough for the whole family to eat half full, this is not good, we have to find another way out.

Zhang Dingkun thought about it, then decided to do business, he carefully investigated, found that this Jiangning town is located in the key point, the south to the north of the business travel, scholars in and out of Jinling City have to pass through Jiangning, as long as he opens an inn near the wharf, or open a warehouse, the business must be prosperous. After Zhang Dingkun decided, he explained his thoughts to the patriarch of the Zhang family, but he was strongly opposed by the patriarch Zhang Tongyou, and Zhang Tongyou even asked for the monk law and severely reprimanded him. You must know that the Zhang family is a person who cultivates and reads heirlooms, and doing business is a cheap business, and as the head of the Zhang family, he will never allow the Zhang family to engage in cheap business, which is to discredit the family.

Don't look at the patriarch Zhang Tongyou who said so righteously, in fact, it is just to maintain his face as the patriarch of the Zhang family. He Zhang Tongyou has the most and best fertile land in the clan, and he has a remarkable status in the clan, so he doesn't have to worry about food and clothing. But Zhang Dingkun is different, he is old and young, counting on those few acres of thin fields, he will not die of hunger, but he will not think about being rich and expensive in this life. Zhang Dingkun knew in his heart that if he went into business, this clan would fall into a cheap business business, and the first person whose reputation would be damaged was Zhang Tongyou, the patriarch of the Zhang family, so he would oppose it so strongly. But Zhang Dingkun made up his mind and insisted on engaging in business, but Zhang Tongyou couldn't stop him in the end.

Zhang Dingkun is active, honest and reliable, his business is getting better and better, and his wealth and status are also rising, but he is still not welcomed in the Zhang clan. In order to improve the relationship between Zhang Dingkun and the family, but the clan needs to repair the ancestral hall, build the clan and other things, Zhang Dingkun is the most silver, the greatest strength, but the clan does not think of its benefits, but sees that it is generous, and Zhang Dingkun is more and more jealous.

As time passed, the Zhang family's dissatisfaction with Zhang Dingkun gradually transferred to his wife and son, Zhang Ang was actually only five years old, but often cried back from the family school, the young people in the clan were influenced by his family, and they were also cynical about the young Zhang Ang, often punching and kicking. His lady can't look at it, go to the door to theorize, but is often so angry that the face is pale back, what's even more odious is that Zhang Dingkun is often away from home because of business, and the rumors are from the mouth of those long-tongued women, imposed on his wife, saying that he does not abide by women's morals, hooks up with people, in short, it is very vicious, in ancient times, women regarded the reputation of the festival as life, Zhang Dingkun's wife was attacked by this evil language, and could not bear the grief and anger and threw herself into the well and died. So the disheartened Zhang Dingkun sold his property, buried his wife, and then took Zhang Ang and Deng Xing, the only loyal servant of the family, and left Jiangning.

Deng Xing was waiting in the ear room at the gate of Ruan's Mansion at this time, he was wearing a grass green quilt, a coarse cloth belt tied around his waist, white sideburns, deep wrinkles carved on his forehead, and a pair of azure tiger eyes were very exciting.

"Steward Deng, I haven't seen you for a long time and look younger and younger, the weather is hot and dry, you might as well go to the side room and use some tea to cool down the heat." At this time, Tian Bo, the housekeeper of Ruan Mansion, walked out from behind the stone wall and saluted Deng Xing with his hands and fists.

"It turned out to be Steward Tian, Lao Deng is here to thank Ruan Mansion for taking care of my young master, but there are a lot of miscellaneous things in the house, and the young master needs to go back to deal with it, so this tea is not needed, and I will have time to invite Steward Tian to come to Zhang's Mansion to use tea, and I also ask Steward Tian to help me take a look at it, has my young master come out." Deng Xing raised his hand and saluted back, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Steward Tian is much older than Deng Xing, because the two have a lot of business contacts, and the two often deal with each other, but since this Zhang family climbed to the Qi Palace, the wealth has accumulated like a snowball, and it has become one of the top ten richest people in Qingzhou City. Seeing Deng Xing's question at this moment, Steward Tian was about to reply, but unfortunately Xiao Ran happened to walk out of the courtyard of Ruan's Mansion at this time, followed by Yang Jiulang, and Ruan Yongshou also followed out.

Deng Xing saw Xiao Ran coming out, so he hurriedly greeted him, "Young master, the carriage is ready, let's go home." ”

Xiao Ran looked at the gray elders in front of him, and all the memories of Deng Xing began to come to his mind, this honest and loyal man is Deng Xing, a loyal servant of the Zhang family, Deng Xing almost watched Zhang Ang grow up, and treated Zhang Ang as if he were his own son, thinking that after Zhang Dingkun moved to Qingzhou City, he was unfamiliar with life, and wanted to reopen the situation, how easy it was to say, in this way, Zhang Dingkun almost did not touch the ground every day, running around and busy with business, often not at home, and the young Zhang Ang was almost brought up by Deng Xing, The relationship between the two is extremely deep.

"Uncle Deng, thank you for your hard work." Xiao Ran naturally shouted out a sentence Uncle Deng, and at this moment, Zhang Ang's latent consciousness had taken over.

"Young Master Zhang, go slowly, you must come to my house for a few drinks when you have time." Ruan Yongshou was smiling all over his face, the fat on his cheeks was piled up, coupled with the bulging belly, it didn't look funny.

Xiao Ran turned around slightly, glanced at Yang Jiulang, and saw that he was hiding it very well, and was waiting aside with low eyebrows at this time. Xiao Ran sneered in his heart, Yang Jiulang, you will pay the price for what you did today.

"Thank you Master Ruan for taking care of me, the kid is grateful here, I must invite Master Ruan to my Zhang Mansion when I have time in the future, there are still a few good Shaoxing aged wines in my house, and then you and I will have a good drink, and I will leave first." Xiao Ran bowed back in a fake way, and then took the lead out of Ruan's mansion, a gray carriage was already waiting there, Xiao Ran jumped into the carriage, Yang Jiulang hurriedly followed and got in, and then Deng Xing also came out, skillfully drove the carriage and quickly drove away from Ruan's mansion.

And at this moment, under a big locust tree not far away, a hunchbacked old man was revealing a pair of sharp eyes at this moment, he was wearing a black smock all over his body, leaning over, he couldn't see his face clearly, the corner of the hunchback's mouth twitched, and he couldn't believe that he looked at Zhang Ang, who was still vivid.