Half a month later, a carriage stopped at the gate of the backyard of the Hangzhou Mansion. Lu Xiaohu jumped out of the carriage, and the first to get out of the carriage was a young woman. This young woman looked about twenty-seven or eighteen years old, with red lips and bright teeth, and a little color. Only a pair of beautiful eyes look forward to life. She is Ye Xun's stepmother Pan Ruolian. In her early years, Pan Ruolian's family opened a silk village in the capital, and the business was prosperous, and the family had plenty of food and clothing, which was also a solid family. Later, because his father died of illness and his mother was weak, he began to fall into the middle of the family. Ruolian was just 12 years old at the time, the eldest daughter in the family, and there were two younger sisters and a younger brother behind her, and the younger brother was still in infancy. Wakaren is forced to take on the entire family. Because she was too young to operate, she rented out the shop and barely survived on a meager rent. It wasn't until she was 16 that she took back the shop and continued to run the silk business. But because others know their orphans and widows, there are often ruffians who ask for money and protection money. Most of the income from hard work goes into the pockets of these people, and it is just enough to make ends meet. Four years ago, Ruolian married into the Ye Mansion by mistake, and those hooligans and ruffians were cleaned up twice by Ye Xun and never dared to come again. In the past two years, business has been booming. It is reasonable to say that she should be grateful to Ye Xun, but she regards this stepson, who is only four years younger than herself, as a thorn in her side, often causing trouble and finding fault, and making things difficult for him everywhere......

As soon as they heard the report, Ye Xun and Wen Du ran out of the ground with a roll. Ye Xun's breath was uneven, so he bowed his hands and stood beside the car to greet him. Seeing Pan Ruolian getting out of the car, she hurriedly stretched out her hand and let Pan Ruolian hold her, "Madam, it's been hard all the way!" ”

Pan Ruolian glanced at Ye Xun and stretched out her hand to Xiaohu, "The bones are about to fall apart along the way, and this is all thanks to you." Didn't you say go to war? Why did you get here again? Ruolian got out of the car and turned back to Ye Shiqing in the car, "Master, let's get out of the car." ”

A young girl got out of the car with Ye Shiqing in her arms, Ye Xun looked at her father with a blank look, indescribably close, only to see that Ye Shiqing's eyes were a little trance-like, his face was ruddy, and he was as dignified as before.

"Father, you've had a hard time. Do you feel anything uncomfortable? Ye Xun asked with concern.

Ye Xun stretched out his hand to pick up his father and get out of the car, but was pushed away by Ruolian. "Get out of the way! Who wouldn't do a filial son who only moves his mouth every day? Ruolian took Ye Shiqing and walked to the house.

Ye Xun smiled at the girl behind him, "Tao'er, you have also worked hard all the way." ”

The girl named Tao'er looked at Ye Xun and smiled shyly, and called softly, "Young Master......" I saw that she was wearing a pink dress, her face was bright, and the warm sunlight sprinkled on her, like a brilliant glow, and like a cluster of bright peach blossoms.

Wen Du touched Xiaohu and whispered, "Is this beautiful girl an adult's aunt?" ”

Xiaohu gave him a blank look, "What aunt?" She is the best peach in the world. It is a maid who serves the young master's daily life. ”

"Is it a maid?"

Xiaohu glanced at him with disgust again, "No! I see why you scholars are full of all this nonsense? ”

"Chromophobia, too. The adult has no marriage match, and he doesn't even have a room, how can he solve that aspect? Wendu muttered quietly.

Xiaohu smiled evilly, "You go and ask him." ”

Ye Xun said to Tao'er, "It's hard for Tao'er to help prepare the meal, and I'll let Xiaohu help you." I've got to hurry up and serve the old lady. ”

Momo nodded obediently.

Ye Xun was just about to chase after the old lady, but Xiaohu pulled him, "Young master, I'm in a hurry all the way, and I have to come all the way non-stop." ”

Ye Xun smiled at Xiaohu and said, "You have worked hard too!" Go and help Tao'er cook, the lord and the lady should be hungry. ”

"Hmm!" Xiaohu nodded and walked away.

Ye Xun introduced his father and Ruolian into the courtyard, and Ruolian couldn't help but praise when she saw this courtyard, "Don't say that this courtyard is really good." She looked back and forth and asked Ye Xun, "With such a big courtyard, there should be a lot of people, right?" ”

"At the moment... Not yet. Ye Xun replied cautiously.

"What?" Ruolian couldn't believe it, "When are you going to enter the next person?" ”

"Madam, here's the thing. It's been on the road for a while, and the cost is a bit big......"

"Less nonsense! Just answer me directly, when can the next person come! Ruolian roared and scared Wen Du next to her. I don't know about you yet! Going around the bend with me all day long, don't you plan to get into the next person? ”

Ye Xun nodded timidly, "I won't be able to add someone for a while." ”

Ruolian suddenly thought of something and asked, "Then who is the person who just reported?" ”

"That's the official of the yamen." Ye Xun replied honestly.

Ruolian was angry, and pointed at Ye Xun and fell, "What do you think about it!" With such a big yard and such a big house, several people eat, drink, and have to cook, buy vegetables, wash dishes, mop the floor, wash clothes, and carry water, chop wood, and buy vegetables, who will do all these jobs? What am I doing? I married you to be a mother! It's easy to have a working pillar, and you've left him at home. Mother Liu's health is not good, but she can still make do with her own food, you treat her as an ancestor every day! Does your father have no one to serve? Ruolian said spittle, Ye Xun didn't dare to refute, and kept bowing his head to listen to her lecture. I married into your family, and on the surface, I look so beautiful, and others think that I can't have a group of slaves and maids, and I have fine clothes and food? Who would have thought that not only would there be no savings, but a large family would have to wait for the monthly suffrage! If it weren't for my careful monthly budgeting and thrift, I wouldn't even have enough to eat! I'm so blind! ”

Ye Xun was quite unconvinced, but he listened with a pious and respectful face.

Ruolian saw Wen Du at a glance and asked Ye Xun, "Who is this person?" Can't you help with the work? ”

Ye Xun hurriedly explained, "This is the general judgment assigned to me by the emperor to assist me in my office, the six-rank official." ”

"You live in this yard too?" Ruolian asked Xiang Wendu.

"Yes, ma'am." Wendu bowed his head and replied.

"Remember to pay for food every month!" Ruolian said dryly.

Wen Du was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly replied, "Okay." ”

Ruolian thought for a moment, and then looked at Ye Xun, "In this way, you send a few servants to work at home every day." ”

"Ma'am, is that not right? Besides, this is an inner house, and there is a lot of inconvenience. Ye Xun looked embarrassed.

"How can there be so much attention? You ask Xiaohu to bring a few people over every day, work for a few hours and leave. We'll keep the heavy lifting for them. What's wrong with having a little tiger watching? Ruolian said sharply.

"Hmm...... All right! Everything is arranged by Madame. Ye Xun had no choice but to reply.

Ruolian was about to say something, but was interrupted by Ye Shiqing on the side, "Ruolian, I'm thirsty and tired." ”

"Okay, sir, let's go inside." Ruolian looked at Father Ye like a child, then turned her head and glared at Ye Xun angrily, "Lead the way ahead!" Didn't you hear what your father said? ”

Ye Xun hurriedly bowed his waist and led the way.

Back in the study, Ye Xun was exhausted. Wendu asked, "Are you all settled?" ”

Ye Xun closed his eyes and nodded.

"Don't talk about you little mother, you're really amazing. I glared at me with anger, and I was scared when I looked at it. ”

Ye Xun smiled bitterly, "See, right?" Her mouth is scolding you for not wearing the same all day. In her eyes, I am full of benevolence and morality, a belly of male thieves and prostitutes, and a belly of bad water. What have I done? Why didn't I invite her like that? ”

As he spoke, there was a knock on the door. Ye Xun hurriedly asked, "Who?" ”

"Master, it's me." The sweet voice of a peach came from outside the door.

"Peach, come in!" Ye Xun was pleasantly surprised.

Tao'er walked in with a tray and a smile on her face, "I'll bring some tea and snacks to the young master, the young master must be working very hard." ”

Ye Xun looked at Tao'er with a smile and said, "Tao'er, it's great that you're here." We've finally got someone in charge. It's just hard for you, and I'm busy cooking for everyone without resting as soon as I get off the bus. ”

"It's fine." Peach shook her head and smiled. She glanced at Wen Du and looked at Ye Xun, "Young Master, this is ......"

Ye Xun hurriedly introduced, "This is Lord Shen, who lives in this courtyard with us, and we will meet every day in the future." ”

"Lord Shen." Tao'er smiled at Wen Du.

Wen Du felt that his heart was hit by something, and he blushed a little and said, "What Lord Shen?" In the future, just call me Wendu. ”

Tao'er smiled at Wen Du and nodded, and asked Ye Xun again, "Young Master, I'm not by your side these days, do you have any clothes to sew and wash?" Give it to me. ”

Ye Xun thought for a moment and brought a piece of clothing from a chair, "Tao'er, you help me wash and fold this dress." I'm sorry for you. ”

Tao'er picked up the dress and looked at it repeatedly, "This dress is not the young master's, I haven't seen it?" ”

"Someone else borrowed me, you washed it, I will go back." Ye Xun said.

Seeing Wen Du's eyes flashing with a sly smile, Tao'er knew that things would not be so simple, but it was inconvenient to ask in person, so she said, "Young master, you continue to work, I'll wash it and help you bring it." ”

"Peach, you also rest early."

Wen Du kept watching Tao'er leave, and Wen Du said to Ye Xun, "This girl is so cute!" At first I thought he was yours...... What about the room. ”

Ye Xun glared at him, "What nonsense? Her name is Ye Tao, she came to our house when she was two or three years old, and she is my sister. ”

Wen Du shook his head, expressing his incomprehension, "Such a good girl hangs around you every day, you don't have any other ideas?" Are you a normal person? ”

Ye Xun stepped forward and flipped Wendu's arm behind him, "Do you have any thoughts about your own sister?" Am I normal? I don't think you're normal! ”

"It hurts! The gentleman doesn't move his hands! Yes! It hurts, it hurts! I'm not normal! I'm not normal! Wen Du had no choice but to admit it.

Ye Xun developed a habit when he was at home, and every night before going to bed, he would go to his father's room to have a look, talk to his father, greet his body, wash his feet, and then kowtow goodbye to his father. On this day, he waited for his father to soak his feet before returning to the study.

"Where's it? I said that I would study the official document, and let me wait for you for a long time. Wen Du sat in the study and almost fell asleep.

"I'm going to my father's room."

"Do you have to go every day?"

"I don't go every day."

"Hey, it's still dawn and dusk. Are your rules really big? I don't think the royal family is like yours. ”

Ye Xun gave him a blank look, "I'm willing, can I manage it?" Hurry up and get to work, you know the poor mouth! ”

"I have a letter here. Want to see it? It was sent from Anhui. Wen Du raised the channel in his hand.

"Anhui is coming? My letter from Brother Du? Give it to me! Ye Xun said in surprise.

Ye Xun unfolded the letter, read it carefully, then closed the letter, and breathed a deep sigh of relief, "My eldest brother is a person who has a lot of troubles on his side, but he still remembers my side and tells me not to bend the law for personal gain, and to benefit the people." ”

"What? Is Brother Du's side tricky? ”

"The imperial court allocated that little money to control the water and repair the river embankment, and everyone was worried about it. Those people are used to doing layers of peeling, and they feel uncomfortable when they see that the silver is not greedy. My eldest brother wants every penny to be used to control the water, so he guards them like a thief every day. Those people are dying of my big brother. My eldest brother and my mother moved to the dam to eat and live in order to prevent those people from cutting corners and shoddy. ”

"But it's not a problem to be like this all the time! Those people are working against Brother Du, they will be passive and slack off, what should be done about the progress of river control? How can you rely on Lord Du alone? Wen Du was not without worry.

Ye Xun also said with a worried face, "That's why it's troublesome!" I'm going to write to him to persuade him not to be serious about these people. Fool them out first and ask them to help finish the project. Otherwise, the emperor's blame is small, and when the flood comes, the embankments and fields will be destroyed, and the houses will collapse, and the people will suffer. ”

Wendu nodded, "What you said is extremely true. I hope Brother Du can listen to it. It's just that a person like Brother Du who can't rub sand in his eyes is afraid that it will not change for a while. ”

Ye Xun sighed, "We can't help him even if we are far away." I can only comfort him and enlighten him in the letter, and let him know that he is not alone. ”