It snowed heavily overnight, and until the next day, the sky was still cloudy.

According to Shen Rui's habit, when he wore short clothes to the yard to practice boxing, the sky was just cloudy, and the snow in the yard had not been swept yet.

When Shen Rui finished practicing a set of punches, he only felt steaming all over.

When the sky was getting brighter, two little maids wrapped in thick cotton jackets, yawning, and carrying brooms out to sweep the snow. Seeing that Shen Rui was there, he hurriedly stood a few steps apart, and bent his knees to see it.

Shen Rui saw that the snow was not stopping, and the two maids were only ten years old, not much taller than the broom, so he said: "I just swept the road first, and the rest of the place will be swept when the snow stops." ”

The two little maids answered honestly.

Shen Rui turned around and entered the room.

Liu Ya had already prepared hot water, and Chunmei packed a new set of clothes and came out.

is different from the usual Confucian clothes, it looks more dignified and atmospheric, and the cloak is also mink lining. hung a hollow gold sachet around his waist, and changed into thick-soled official boots under his feet, looking like a jade-faced boy.

Yesterday, Shen Rui sent someone to take leave from the school, and this morning he was going to visit the teacher Wang Shouren's family in the Shilang Mansion. Wang Shouren's family of three arrived in Beijing yesterday afternoon. After going to Wang's house, Shen Rui still had to go to Yang Tinghe's house.

After breakfast, Shen Rui went to the study to practice calligraphy for half an hour, wrote a current article, and saw that the hour was almost up, so he went to the main courtyard to see Xu.

Shen Cang had already gone to the yamen, and Sister Yu was in charge with the third wife, but the main room was quiet.

Xu was sitting on the clinical couch and was teasing a wren brother.

Shen Jiayuan also had cats and dogs, and later the third wife became pregnant and gave birth to the fourth brother, and the cats and dogs were sent away

This wren brother is a filial piety of a village head outside the city, and his mouth is full of auspicious words, but it is lively.

Xu's face is very good, although there is a lot of rain and snow this winter, but because of good maintenance, Shen Cang did not suffer from chronic illness. Although the third master and Shen Jue had an accident before, they were also petty and there was no big problem.

Don't worry about your family's health, and hand over the complicated housework, Xu's body is almost adjusted

Wang Shouren's wife, He, was raised by Xu's side for several years in her early years. In Xu's heart, he is also a niece like his own daughter. This time, the He family returned to Beijing with Wang Shouren, and the Xu family was also worried in his heart, and instructed Shen Rui: "If you see your cousin, ask them when they will return to the province. ”

Shen Rui responded.

Xu Shi remembered something and said: "Brother Jue will be sixteen in the next year, this family matter can not be delayed any longer, and when the service is full, it will be decided that you and Brother Jue are the best, and ask carefully in private, what kind of woman he likes, it just so happens that he is good at picking and choosing in the past six or seven months, and he must always choose a talent and beauty that suits his heart." ”

After the death of the patriarch, Shen Cang spoke to the Xu family, asking Shen Jue to serve his filial piety. As a result, it will not be available until June next year. Take advantage of the New Year's and New Year's Eve when there are many socials, look at the ladies of each family, and then carefully inquire about the character of your parents, and it will be almost time.

Shen Rui said with a smile: "Brother Jue also said about this earlier, only that the color must be good, and you have to be able to have something to say to him." Brother Jue said before that what he was most afraid of was the Mu Ne woman with a virtuous name...... If it is relatively silent, such as to Dabin, it will suffocate people. ”

Xu shook his head and said: "It's all children's words, isn't it good for girls who are taught from the four virtues?" Speaking of this, he sighed and said: "Listening to Brother Jue's tone, he likes lively and refreshing women, but the original intention of the master and I is to choose a sensible and stable eldest daughter for Brother Jue, and it is good to support the small second room when you enter the door."

Not only to be lively and refreshing, but also to be able to take care of the house, Shen Rui suddenly thought of Feng Lazi, and said: "Or find a military attache lady, it can't be said that it is not only in line with Brother Jue's heart, but also like the heart of his father and mother."

When Xu heard this, he hesitated a little and said: "There are many military attachés who are hereditary, and most of them are from noble backgrounds, but it doesn't mean that there are no marriages with civil officials, but there are few." ”

The most important thing is the path of civil and military affairs, Shen Jue will enter the government in the future, and there is no help in finding a military attache in the Yue family.

After Shen Rui finished speaking, he also thought of this and said, "It's my son who thinks simply." ”

can only say that the strange thing about the court of the Ming Dynasty is that the civil officials absolutely control politics, and the noble military attaches cannot intervene; In the same way, in the military power, it is also firmly controlled by the noble military attaché, and the civilian officials cannot speak.

As for the emperor who is high above, he seems to be set aside by civil officials, but because he has a factory guard in his hand, he can turn the clouds and rain at any time, so it depends on whether he is happy to toss or not.

"A lively and refreshing woman may not have to go to the military attaché's house to find it, the young daughter of the civil official's family is more pampered, and her temperament is inevitably naïve, but such a woman is pleasing and pleasing, but not suitable for home. Your second aunt was a lively little girl back then. Forget it, let's take a look......" Xu said.

Shen Rui said: "It would be nice if the cousin of the Yang family was a descendant......

Xu said: "Who said it wasn't...... Your uncle's side is also interested, but it is not a coincidence. A few days ago, he was still talking to the old man, even if your generation can't do it, the younger generation must kiss and kiss......"

Although Yang Zhen is a child of the eunuch family, his family is in the middle of the road, and he can have the support of the Shen family today, not only the Shen family's in-laws, but also Shen Cang's political ally. The reason why Shen Cang was able to maintain a "neutral" position and not be crushed by several cabinet elders was also related to the fact that he and Yang Zhen helped each other and should not be underestimated.

Yang Zhen is quite nostalgic for the old feelings, but he is really good to the Shen family.

The reason why I don't forget to "kiss and kiss" is also because I am afraid that the two elders will pass away and the younger generation will lose their closeness, after all, Shen Rui, Shen Jue and the Yang brothers are only honorary cousins, not blood relatives. It's just that it's not a coincidence that the Yang family doesn't have a concubine, so it's not good to pull down his face and use a concubine to marry the Shen family; And when Yang Zhongyan said that she was pro, Sister Yu here was just a little second-room maid, and the weight was not enough.

The third-generation marriage between Yang Zhen and Shen Cang will naturally not be a side branch, but refers to the lineage between Shen Rui and the Yang family.

Shen Rui thought of Yang Zhongyan, who was in a bad habit, and hurriedly said: "The eldest cousin is okay, if you are in-laws with the second cousin, it will really be insensitive."

At this time, there is no such thing as "love", marriage is a good thing for two surnames, and Shen Rui does not feel unacceptable for Shen Cang and Yang Zhen to decide on the marriage of their children now. He also turned around in his heart, and felt that it was best to marry a daughter of the Yang family and enter the door.

Although the wife of the Yang family is a step-family, she is a quite virtuous woman, her children are not divided into grandchildren, and her upbringing is good, only Yang Zhongyan is one of the alternatives. However, compared with those big gentlemen who "eat, drink, prostitute and gamble" outside, Yang Zhongyan's style of paying attention to food and clothing, liking to call friends, and eating and drinking is nothing

Xu said with a smile: "This daughter-in-law has been in the door for a few years, and you are worried too early." ”

Seeing that the time was not early, and after a few words of laughter with the Xu family, Shen Rui came out of the main room.

Because the snow outside hadn't stopped, Shen Rui asked someone to set up a carriage and brought Changshou and Changfu out of the house

The road was covered with snow, but the distance between the front and back of the carriage took two quarters of an hour.

The concierge knew Shen Rui, and when he saw this, he hurriedly greeted him: "Young Master Rui is here"

Shen Rui is not only a disciple of Wang Shouren, but also a cousin of the grandmother of the Wang family, and the twofold relationship makes the subordinates more and more respectful.

Changshou stepped forward to give a reward, and Shen Rui kept Changshou and Changfu, and directly followed a small servant of the Wang family into the room.

Wang Shouren was wearing homely clothes and saw Shen Rui in the study.

When the master and apprentice met, Wang Shouren did not forget his identity as a "teacher", and asked about his knowledge as soon as he opened his mouth, and also came up with a question for Shen Rui to solve the problem on the spot.

Although the master and apprentice have been exchanging letters in the past two years, it is inconvenient to send letters for thousands of miles, but once every two or three months.

Shen Rui was preparing for the exam all day long, and he naturally came casually about the Four Books and Five Classics, but he did not disappoint Wang Shouren.

Wang Shouren nodded with a smile and said: "Compared with the previous year, I have made a lot of progress, and I will not be able to fight next year."

The township test is different from the meeting test, and it is inevitable that the test will fall to the top three, even if it will be one step ahead of the top two in the career in the future; The township test is different, even if it is the last person to lift people, it is also a person. As long as you are on the list, you are successful.

In Wang Shouren's opinion, although Shen Rui's current results are not outstanding, but because of the exam in the capital, he took advantage of it, and his position on the list can be up or down, so it's nothing to give it a try.

Shen Rui touched the calluses on his hands and said, "Teacher, students now feel that doing knowledge is no different from selling oil, and they are only familiar with it."

Wang Shouren said with a smile: "It's not bad to say this, but it's much more troublesome to do learning than oil...... Speaking of this, he counted the days and said: "When the appointment of the chief examiner of the township examination in various places after the year is over, it should come down, and there is half a year to ponder the examiner's preference, which is another convenience in Beijing......

Shen Rui remembered that Wang Shouren was returning to Beijing now and had taken off his "sick leave", so he said, "Teacher, is he still going back to the Criminal Department on an errand?" ”

Before Wang Shouren "became a member of the Ministry of Illness due to illness", he was the head of the Zhengliupin Criminal Department.

Wang Shouren shook his head and said: "Although the Criminal Department is not a hot stove, but the Jingguan has always been a radish and a pit, I have been gone for two years, where can I still be empty?" In the end, it depends on the arrangement of the Ministry of Officials......"

Shen Rui didn't ask about this matter again, although Wang Shouren said so, but Wang Hua, a close minister of the Son of Heaven, urged his son to return to Beijing, did he have no backhand at all? I can't say that the proper arrangements have been made long ago.

"I think you should be here too, but do you want to meet your little junior brother?" After Wang Shouren finished asking his homework, he thought of his son and said.

After counting Wang Shouren's two years of hard work in Beijing, I don't know if it is because he has more meat than before, and the whole person is becoming more and more warm. The original edge is hidden. Compared with two years ago, when he was often frowning and worried, Wang Shouren is happy and peaceful now.

When he mentioned his son, his face lit up, like an ordinary father, and the "sage spirit" that did not eat fireworks in the world before had decreased a lot, and the whole person was alive.

"Naturally, I want to see the little big brother who landed, and my mother was chattering, and my ears were grinding out calluses. But I'm looking forward to going to the capital. Shen Rui said.

Shen Rui is not an outsider, and he is still a cousin, so Wang Shouren sent someone into the inner courtyard to say goodbye, and then directly took Shen Rui into the inner house.

Wang Shouren's stepmother only entered the door two years earlier than He's, and was no more than two years older than He's.

Therefore, when Shen Rui came over with Wang Shouren, in addition to seeing his little junior brother, he also saw his cousin He.

Compared with the depressed and thin girl a few years ago, the current He family is like a pearl, and he can't help but be radiant and round and jade.

"Yuyao is really a blessed place to raise people, if you meet outside, the little brother is really a little afraid to admit it." Shen Rui saluted He and said.

He glared at her husband and said, "It's all your good husband, who makes up for me every day, and now he has become a big fat man......"