As soon as the yamen was opened in the first month, the county magistrate continued to sign for the fast shift to go to the countryside to collect the arrears of Diding silver over the years, and at the same time began to collect this year's Diding silver. It is said that the war in Guangxi is tight, and the imperial court is in urgent need of food and salary, if the tax revenue that should be collected is not even, the county magistrate does not expect to turn the current acting into a real grant, I am afraid that the acting will not be able to act for a few days.

Guan Zhutou has been busy collecting taxes since the twentieth day of the first lunar month, and today he will go here with the "wind lot" that must be paid off in arrears, and tomorrow he will go there with the "fire lot" that must arrive with silver, and the county magistrate will not even be able to drag the "thunder sign" that night, so he is very busy, but time flies, and in the blink of an eye it is February 12.

I thought that the county magistrate didn't issue a visa today, and was about to find a reason to go home for a day of rest, but the pillar that would not come to the yamen without his life actually came, and pulled him to the yamen and asked happily: "Uncle Guan, is there nothing wrong at noon?" ”

"It shouldn't be anything today, what's wrong?"

"The fourth brother has a letter, and he brought it back with the big ticket number 'Rishengchang'! In the morning, I went to deliver something to my sister, and I happened to meet Duan Jingcheng, and Duan Jingcheng said that there is also a letter from you, let me invite you to eat and drink. ”

Guan Zhutou has been a messenger in the yamen for so many years, and has received gifts and even black money, but he has never received a letter, thinking of Han Si who is far away in the capital, he can't help but laugh and say: "The fourth baby also wrote to me?" ”

"What am I lying to you about, before I came, my sister-in-law asked my sister to go to the street to buy meat and wine, and I was waiting for you to eat lunch."

"Okay, you wait a minute, I'll go in and talk to them."

………

The ancients said: What is the joy of opening a distant book, and a few expert books are worth a thousand gold!

Qin'er looked forward to the stars and the moon, and finally looked forward to the letter sent back by Han Si from the capital, although she didn't recognize a word, she was still very happy and excited, sitting at the table and listening to her father read it over and over again.

The righteousness is still unfinished, and I want to ask her father to talk about it, but the pillar and Guan Zhutou are here.

As soon as Guan Zhutou entered the door, he asked eagerly: "In-laws, Qin'er, the four babies are good in the capital, are they missing to make up for the shortcomings?" ”

"I'm tired of Brother Guan's worries, Zhixing is all right in the capital, as for the lack of ......... How can it be so fast, but the letter said that he has entrusted a reliable person, and it will be a matter of time before he makes up for it. Duan Jiqing was also happy, got up and beckoned him to sit down, and immediately took out a letter written on red paper and put it in front of him: "Brother Guan, this is a New Year's greeting post written by Zhixing to you, you can take a look first." ”

There are a lot of words written on the big red paper, the font is beautiful and straight, highlighting the festive and warm feelings, Guan Zhutou looked at it, and said with a wry smile: "My family, I will recognize a Guan word, or you can help me read it." ”

"Oh, I was so happy that I forgot that you couldn't read." Duan Jiqing put down the tea bowl, picked up the belief and said, "Please, Nianxi!" Congratulations to Uncle and Parents, two adults, respect the former New Year's Festival, nephews and nephews knock on their knees, and the old and young in the courtyard are safe in the New Year......"

Duan Jiqing was stunned, but Guan Zhutou didn't seem to understand, and couldn't help but interrupt: "In-laws, Zhixing chews the words, I don't understand much." ”

"Okay, I'll tell you about it." Thinking that his daughter had also made this request just now, Duan Jiqing held the letter and said proudly: "This is the New Year's greeting post written to you on the first day of the first month of Zhixing, and it is for your whole family to pay New Year's greetings." ”

"The fourth baby is sensible, and he still thinks about me in the capital." Guan Zhutou took the letter, carefully put it away, thought about it and asked curiously: "In-laws, you just said that everything is fine with the four children, what is good, did he say it in the letter?" ”

"By the way, here we are!"

Duan Jiqing picked up another letter, spread it out and pointed to one of the paragraphs and said: "Zhixing They came to the capital on the 14th day of the lunar month and stayed in the Chongqing Hall in the capital. The steward of the guild hall is surnamed Fei, an old man in Bishan, who is old and plans to take the exam again, and if he still doesn't win, he will go back to his hometown in Bishan to recuperate. Didn't Zhi go to Master Gu to ask for a letter before he walked, that letter came in handy, it turned out that the guild hall was led by Gu when he was an official in the capital, and our Beijing officials and Fei Juren of Chongqing Prefecture saw that Zhixing was the person sponsored by Master Gu, so they asked Zhixing to take over Fei Juren to take care of the guild hall. ”

"So the four babies got an errand as soon as they arrived in the capital!"

"Yes, on the third day of arriving in the capital, I did the first thing in the Chongqing Hall." Duan Jiqing looked at Qin'er, who was sitting on the side and snickering, and pointed to the other three unopened letters on the table, and said with a fluttering eyebrow: "Zhixing has not only changed from a guest to a host, but also wants to raise two thousand taels of silver from seven fellow businessmen who are doing business in Beijing, and plans to start renovating after the palace trial list." ”

"Renovate what?"

"The guild hall."

"Why renovate?" Guan Zhutou asked puzzled.

Duan Jiqing took a sip of tea from the bowl and patiently explained: "The guild hall was built by Master Gu when he was a Beijing official, and it has been more than ten years, and it has not been taken care of well during this period, and it is in disrepair and almost impossible to live in. And when the initiative was built, I didn't raise much money, the scale was small, the room was few, as the saying goes, for the benefit of the official one, although the first thing that Zhixing is doing now is not an official, but it is not too much, so it is natural to take care of it well, and to renovate and expand the hall. ”

Thinking that the four babies had already raised two thousand taels of silver, Guan Zhutou suddenly reacted: "Yes, yes, yes, it should be rebuilt, the old house is in disrepair, how can it be rebuilt!" ”

Duan Jiqing smiled tacitly, and then his face turned straight: "Brother Guan, the renovation of the guild hall is a big deal, why do you say that, because the guild hall is the place where the officials of our fourteen prefectures and counties in Chongqing Prefecture and the alternate officials in Beijing stay, and it is also the place where the officials of our fourteen prefectures and counties in Chongqing Prefecture in Beijing talk about their hometown friendship and hometown feelings, do you know who Zhixing is dealing with now?" ”

"Who?"

"The Hanlin Academy reviews Master Ji, the household member Wailang Wang, the criminal department member Wailang Jiang, and the etiquette member Wailang Qian! Either the Duke of Hanlin or the master from the fifth grade, not to mention the people who will try to enter Beijing, and now they are begging him one by one. ”

Guan Zhutou was taken aback: "According to what you say, the four babies are really developed!" ”

"I just knew." Duan Jiqing nodded, and said with a smug smile: "Judging from the letter, it doesn't matter if he makes up for his shortcomings or not, as long as he does a good job in the first thing of this guild hall, he wants silver and silver, and he wants to have a reputation." When Han Yucai returns the money he borrowed from the Pan family before his death, and then he earns some more money back, not to mention Ren He's turtle son, even if Master Han Linji returns to his hometown, he has to remember Zhixing. ”

"Why?"

"Because Zhixing is the first thing of the association, not only to take care of the association, but also to take care of the fellow villagers who are officials in Beijing. In short, as long as the civil and military officials and masters who have been to the capital and lived in the guild hall have all been good at their ambitions and deeds, and they all have to receive this love! ”