The Zhuangzi in Changping is the dowry industry of the late third old lady, and it was given to the second master after the second master got married. Now the steward of Zhuangzi over there is surnamed Guan, and the steward Guan has an aunt who is over sixty years old, who is the second master's nursing mother, Guan's mother.

Guan's mother was the dowry of the late third old lady, and later married a Shen family to have a son and gave birth to a daughter.

Within a few years, Guan's mother's man was in a hurry, and the third old lady took pity on her, and when she saw that she served the second master carefully, she called her daughter Du Juan to be an errand and arranged for her to be a little maid.

Du Juan is half a year older than the second master, and he has been with the second master since he was six or seven years old, and the two grew up together.

When the second wife entered the door, the second master's family was separated from Lu to pass alone, and Guan's mother and Du Juan were the people who served the second master, so they naturally had to follow them.

As a result, within half a month, the second wife was going to match the cuckoo with someone. I don't know what happened at that time, so the cuckoo threw himself into the well, and Guan's mother was sent to Changping Zhuangzi.

In the blink of an eye, thirty years have passed.

When Shen Jue was selected as a servant the year before last, the two masters were all entrusted to the Xu family. In order to avoid suspicion, most of the maids chosen by the Xu family are the sons of the second master. Among them, Chunhe's father was the second steward of Changping Zhuangzi in his early years, and she heard her family mention the Guan family and knew about this relationship.

The second wife was going to be sent out of Lu to "recuperate", Shen Jue knew the cause and effect. Although he didn't open his mouth to intercede for the second wife again, he always felt a little uneasy in his heart regardless of this.

After all, nominally, Qiao is his mother. Although Qiao's calculation of the fourth brother was wrong, outsiders didn't know about it, and they would only think it was because of his illness a few years ago.

Shen Jue intentionally or unintentionally asked the maid beside him about Changping Zhuangzi. He didn't understand what he was doing in his heart, if Zhuangzi's life was too good, and the second master wanted to send his wife over to hide in the name of "recuperation", then Shen Jue would look down on the second master; If Zhuangzi's life was too bad, then as an heir, should he ask his uncle and aunt for some benefits?

Just when Shen Jue hadn't made up his mind in his heart, he heard this old news from Chunhe's mouth.

Because of the long time and the fact that it is about the master, Chunhe did not elaborate on why the second wife forced the cuckoo to marry and why the cuckoo did not marry, but the reason is not difficult to guess. It's nothing more than that the second wife is young and vigorous, and she can't see such a servant who has served for more than ten years by the side of the second master. The personal maid has always been a candidate for the male host's bed warmer, and this cuckoo is the second old lady, and her identity is an unusual maid.

After listening to this old story, Shen Rui only felt that the dog was bloody.

Just looking at the gentle and elegant righteous appearance of the second master now, I really can't see that he was so affectionate when he was a teenager. There is a child daughter-in-law who is engaged to be married, and there is a cousin in my aunt's house, and there is a pretty maid in my room.

Qiao's lethality was also proven thirty years ago.

"Maybe you're thinking too much, I think the second master didn't think of Mother Guan when he wrote ......the letter," Shen Rui said.

Thirty years have passed, and half a year has passed, for Shen Jue, who has only lived to be a teenager, it sounds like a lifetime.

Shen Jue hesitated for a moment and said, "Second brother, the second master really forgot about this matter for a while...... He is like this, and the uncle and aunt will not pay attention to these, do you want to tell the elders? ”

Shen Rui nodded and said, "Naturally, it should be informed." Regardless of whether Guan's mother and Guan's steward have a grudge or not, they are all servants in the second room, and even if the second wife was raised in the past, her identity is also their mother's mother, and there is no reason to be tempered by them. ”

Shen Rui said this, not to the Qiao family, but that the Shen family could not have a scandal of "slave abuse of masters". At that time, others will not explore the old news of thirty years ago, and will only blame the head of the family, Mrs. Xu

In addition, the Qiao family's mother's family is now in decline, and it is already weak in the eyes of the world, and the Shen family is not properly placed, and the character of the upper and lower families may be questioned.

"That's fine, or I'm really a little worried......" Shen Jue said with a sigh of relief.

It seems to be the Dragon Boat Festival, and there is only one and a half months left before the hospital exam.

Shen Jue came over for a stroll, and then went back to study.

Shen Rui was not in a hurry to go to the room immediately, he made a current article in the study, and wrote a big character for half an hour, estimating that Xu's lunch break would go over and tell Guan Ma's matter.

Xu Shi sighed and said, "Good boy, fortunately you reminded me...... Guan's mother has been out for too long, I only heard that the steward over there is surnamed Guan, who was used by the second master in his early years, and I forgot to pay attention to my mother's stubble."

Shen Rui hesitated for a moment and said, "Then do you want to send the second wife over there?" ”

"In this world, there are slaves who avoid their masters, but there is no reason for masters to avoid slaves... And this place is set by the second master, it is not easy to change" Xu said.

The mother and son glanced at each other, both suspicious.

Guan's mother has been out of the Shen family for 30 years, and it makes sense for others to forget, but she has served the second master for more than ten years, and she is also supported by the second master outside, and the second master really forgot the gap between Guan's mother and the second wife?

Xu couldn't help frowning, changing to other Zhuangzi, it was not appropriate to be in charge, just change the steward, just change the steward, this Zhuangzi is the private property of the second master, and the subordinates in it are all in the second room.

Xu Shi felt quite tricky: "Hey, I can only postpone it for a few more days......"

In fact, the Xu family directly arranged for the two mothers to follow and watch, and the people in the Zhuangzi would never dare to treat the Xu family slowly. However, the Xu family has now relieved himself of the housework and began to teach the third wife and Sister Yu, and he does not want to mix with the muddy waters of the second room. Otherwise, it would be as if her eldest sister-in-law was strict and had a seizure. Obviously, it was Qiao's own trouble, and the second master ordered the attack, why did he have to carry the black pot in the long room?

Another way is to let Mao's mother and his wife serve in the past, these two are the old people that the second master can use, with them, even if Guan's mother and aunt and nephew hold grudges, they don't dare to let Qiao's suffer.

But these two people take care of the second-room industry, and they take care of Shen Jue's side. The Xu family sent people out of Beijing, as if they were crowding out people in the second room.

If the Xu family had encountered such a thing before, where would they hesitate, they would have made up their minds directly, but now they are tired, and they are really impatient to work hard for the second room.

Regardless of whether to send the Qiao family away, when to send the Qiao family away, the elders have decided, and it is not Shen Rui's turn to worry. After Shen Rui reported this matter to the Xu family, he put it aside and went back to Jiuru to practice big characters.

After writing ten big characters, his chaotic heart also calmed down.

Shen Yan handed over the "letter of nomination", but how could he be willingly attached?

At this time, the Shen family did not have much choice. Can you really find someone to come forward and report Shen Yan's brother "unknown origin"? In that way, even if it would ruin the career of the Shen Yan brothers, it would also make the Shen clan's hearts cold.

The Shen family is a scholarly family, and most of the children are mainly engaged in professional study. For scholars, ruining one's future is no different from killing someone.

Shen Yan's ancestors are certainly at fault, but they are too far apart, and the generation of Shen Yan's brothers is already the fourth generation. Shangshufu had a seizure at this time, and it seemed that the prosperous world was overbearing, and he had to turn out the family ugliness of his ancestors to speak for others.

can't be the first, there are two choices left, one is to accept the other party's surrender, and the other is to ignore it.

But even if you ignore it now, and wait for others to pinch the shortcomings of the two brothers and reveal the matter, the second room still has to make a decision.

Shen Cang was relieved of Shen Rui, and only told him to deal with it by himself.

The Shen Yan brothers were trying to solve their worries, but Shen Cang obviously insisted on not allowing their brothers to return to the sect, and the rest was up to Shen Rui to say.

Shen Rui smiled bitterly, negotiating? The other party's bottom line is also known in his heart, but if he wants to make this "deal", it is not a verbal agreement. Only if Shangshufu is pressed forever, that side will be obedient.

Shen Yan is already a lifter, and he is a talent, why do you feel that there is not enough time?

The sun is setting, and the sky is full of clouds.

The third master Qiao was in a gloomy mood, and when he left the old mansion of the Qiao family, he looked back, sighed, and said to the second master Qiao: "I have always been a sister-in-law who understands people, but I didn't expect her to be so unfortunate in her family."

Second Master Qiao's face was not good-looking, and he felt sorry for the silver he had paid.

Since Mrs. Qiao has the intention to knock out a sum of money, how could she only catch the third master Qiao and pull down the second master Qiao?

Second Master Qiao didn't care about it, and he didn't dare to gamble, so he could only grit his teeth and say that he had no money at first.

Anyway, he is a concubine, and he has never been a scholar, and when he split up a few years ago, he was not assigned to a shop, half a Zhuangzi, and a three-entry house in Nancheng. Qiao's Zhuangzi is mostly made of sacrificial fields, regardless of production, leaving two small villages, a total of more than 20 hectares of land, the long house occupies a small one, and the second and third rooms are equally divided into the other.

Like Master Qiao and Master Qiao San, because they are sisters-in-law, they also share the other two farms under Mrs. Qiao's name.

Qiao Shi listened and didn't say anything at the time. Third Master Qiao was sympathetic to Second Master Qiao, and helped him say a lot of good things.

However, after entertaining the two uncles for lunch, Master Qiao came out with his nostrils facing the sky, holding a page in his hand, which listed the two shops that Second Master Qiao had added over the years and the two mansions under the city that had been pawned to foreign businessmen.

Although Second Master Qiao flatly denied it, Third Master Qiao still changed his face.

Second Master Qiao is depressed, and at this time, it is too late to expose Master Qiao and his wife.

With Mrs. Qiao's greedy nature, Second Master Qiao was really afraid that she would be forced to be anxious, and she didn't care about persuading Qiao's to return for the dowry.

However, he has been trading for half his life, and when it comes to bargaining, others are just not as good as others.

"My sister really wants to go home, and there is no reason to only have a long house. In the same way, even if the younger sister really brings the dowry back, the long house should not be monopolized for the sake of material discussion. Some of them are old lady dowries, when the eldest brother and the third brother share it equally; As for the ancestral property that was married out, it should be divided equally between the three families, the eldest brother, the eldest sister-in-law, and the third brother, do you think this is the truth? Second Master Qiao said with a heartfelt voice.

Mr. and Mrs. Qiao and Mr. Qiao San were stunned when they heard it.

Master Qiao San realized it and finally woke up.

Yes, even if Changfang had to ask for a dowry from the Shen family, it would not be Changfang's money. Why did you have to pay money for the second and third rooms in order to appease Master Qiao?

Master Qiao calculated in his heart for a long time, he should have been able to make a fortune, but the second master Qiao revealed his dream, and he couldn't help but be annoyed and said angrily: "I don't care if you share it or not, anyway, I can't hum less than a penny of silver, I am all poor and drink the northwest wind, what do you have to do?" You don't want to come, I don't have anything to worry about

The more he thought about it, the more he became more and more "righteous".

Second Master Qiao also had a cold face: "Oh? So when is Big Brother going? Tell my brother, and my brother will go with my brother."

Master Qiao raised his chin and said, "Hurry up early or late, won't the Shen family look down on the Qiao family when you go to the Shen family early in the morning?" Then don't think about taking advantage of the Qiao family's sister is unworldly, the dowry industry is taken care of by the people on the Shen family's side, and in the past thirty years, only the interest can feed the Shen family."

Qiao San is angry, Qiao's family returns, and the dowry is recovered, which is the severance of diplomatic relations between the two families. Is the help of the Shen family only worth a few thousand taels of silver? It's really insane

In his early years in Jiangnan, he often heard his colleagues mention the words "poor and treacherous", but he didn't think it was true at that time, and felt that there was no lack of noble things in the cold family; But today's eldest brother and sister-in-law's face made him insightful.

Calculating the dowry for marrying a sister-in-law, it can still be so justifiable, and this Ming Dynasty is also unique.

However, he also saw that he couldn't blindly agree, otherwise the couple would only become more and more unscrupulously greedy.

"Okay, big brother and second brother are gone, don't leave me behind, let's brothers work together" Qiao San said angrily.

In order to deliberately block the two younger brothers, Master Qiao went along with his wife's arrangement to come out to make a scene, thinking that the two would be so angry, but they didn't expect to be so "obedient".

He looked at this, and then at that, not knowing if what the two men said was true or not.

Seeing that the atmosphere was getting stiffer and stiffer, Mrs. Qiao hurriedly sent Mr. Qiao out. She wanted to knock some silver, but she didn't really plan to take Qiao's return.

When Master Qiao was not there, the atmosphere did not ease up.

Mrs. Qiao sighed in her heart, she glanced at Second Master Qiao, and understood that he had seen through his plan, so he refused to take out the silver, and took Third Master Qiao to repeat.

"Mrs. Gu's temper will not only make trouble this time. But the situation of the long house, your brothers are also watching. None of your nephews can support the door, and the lord is a hands-off shopkeeper, and it is difficult inside and out," Mrs. Qiao sighed.

Master Qiao San said with a straight face: "Although there was not much property when the family was divided, didn't there be a sacrificial field to make a big head?" How can I listen to my sister-in-law's meaning, but I can't eat? ”

Mrs. Qiao said: "Second uncle, third uncle, if life is good, the master will not have this thought...... To be honest, even if he persuades him this time, what if he thinks about it next time? He is the head of the family, the eldest brother is like a father, he wants to stand up for his aunt's wife, and no one can find fault with him."

Second Master Qiao's brows furrowed even tighter, he didn't want to be blackmailed by Changfang one after another for this matter.

Master Qiao San's face was even darker, and his eyes were cold.

When Mrs. Qiao saw this, her heart was excited, she hurriedly eased her tone, and said softly: "I mean, that's it...... If you can 'appease, the master, let the master set up a handwritten book. In the future, the long house will not interfere in the affairs of Mrs. Gu's side, and it will be decided by the two uncles."

After speaking, Mrs. Qiao didn't look at the reaction of the two masters, but only looked down at the teacup.

Qiao's dowry list, Qiao's family already kept a backup, and the whole 78 dowries were married, except for the furniture, clothing, jewelry, and silver, which are scattered, and there are five fields and shops, which are not worth much in the early years, but in recent years, the land price outside the city has doubled, and these industries can now be converted into five or six thousand taels of silver.

If it weren't for Mrs. Qiao's knowledge of the importance and the fact that her children and grandchildren could not abandon the Shen family as a backer in the capital, she would have been tempted.

Now that the second master Qiao and the third master Qiao have sent it to the door, she has no reason to let it go.

Second Master Qiao is right, even if the Qiao family really returns, Changfang doesn't want to swallow that dowry alone. Looking at the appearance of Master Qiao San, if he is really in a hurry, it is not impossible to find the elder of the clan to cure the unfilial crime of the eldest master.

She made it clear that the carriage and horses were clear, even if Master Qiao San was still angry, she was also a little moved.

Even if Qiao's family is now wrong and will be sent away, as Master Qiao San said that day, Shen Zhou will always return to Beijing one day. The Shen family is different from the Qiao family, they have been separated before, and when the three rooms don't live together, it is not a matter of Shen Zhou to take the Qiao family back to the city.

Who said that it was useless to succeed Shen Jue?

In the eyes of Master Qiao San, it is very useful, with Shen Jue here, Qiao's family will always be his foreign home.

Can Shen Cang be ruthless and ignore the affairs of the Qiao family, and can he be ruthless and ignore his nephew?

Second Master Qiao thought about his brother's virtue, and he was also a little interested in this proposal. A buyout, the provincial long house will be reborn in the future, which is also a good thing, but is it just this money?

Seeing that the third master Qiao didn't speak for a long time, the second master Qiao began to bargain.

Mrs. Qiao is greedy and greedy, but the second master Qiao is clever and clever, and it is not given in vain, and the silver money is pressed from two thousand taels of silver to one thousand five hundred taels at the end.

Second Master Qiao was still unsatisfied, and wanted to continue to lower the price, but Mrs. Qiao didn't follow. It's a hammer deal, it's sold too low, but there's no next time.

Seeing that your relatives came and went like this for a few silver coins, Master Qiao San couldn't help but feel ashamed.

He has always been high-minded, so he couldn't see this, so he said impatiently: "One thousand five hundred taels is one thousand five hundred taels, second brother, don't bargain again...... I'll come out of the whole number, and the second brother will come out with a fraction...... However, the sister-in-law had to see the note first, and asked the eldest brother to personally write and seal the ......" The latter sentence was said to Mrs. Qiao.

Mrs. Qiao nodded and said, "That's how it should be"

After all, this is not a glorious thing, and it is not easy for her to send someone to pass the word, so she got up and confessed her guilt, and went to find the eldest master in person.

Second Master Qiao said: "It's a matter of you and me, how can you let the third brother come out on top?" Now your life is also tight, and there will be more places to use money in the future, so it's better for half of the family to come......"

Master Qiao San was a little surprised: "The second brother is not reluctant to pay money, why has he been grinding with his sister-in-law for so long?" ”

Second Master Qiao said: "One yard is one yard, I really don't have to use my hard-earned silver to cheapen my sister-in-law." In the past, the third brother had never seen the sister-in-law's side, and I didn't say much, because if I talked too much, it seemed to be provoking...... Our sister-in-law looks like a cotton ball, but she is a money rake...... In the early years, the old lady was in charge of the house, but the sister-in-law was in charge of the house for 20 years, and the annual income of the public middle school was reduced by three or four percent, and several ancestral properties were lost, but the marriage property under the name of the sister-in-law was two more...... I had saved a few private money and bought two small shops for rent, which was also a helpless method. My big man takes care of himself every day, but he only has twenty taels of silver a month, so where is it enough? In the early years, the income handed over to the public middle school was only in, not out, but there was no new property in the public middle school, where did all the money go? ”

Master Qiao San was a little dissatisfied when he heard the news of Qiao Er's early purchase, but he didn't plan to care, who didn't have selfishness? Isn't he here also saving money for his own house?

However, listening to what Second Master Qiao said, Third Master Qiao also understood that Mrs. Qiao's greed was only found when she was poor after the family was separated, and this was actually her original nature.

The housewife is such a character, and the fall of the Qiao family is really not wronged.

Master Qiao San has already made up his mind, and only let the long room take advantage of this time, and there will be no next time.

When Mrs. Qiao took Master Qiao's handwritten book out, the second master Qiao and the third master Qiao sent the chief to go back to get the village ticket.

One hand handed over the banker's ticket, and the other hand received the note.

Although Mrs. Qiao seemed calm, she still expressed joy between her eyebrows.

The third master Qiao was so disgusted that he couldn't do it, and the transaction was completed, and he immediately pulled the second master Qiao out.

Master Qiao San has already made up his mind, in addition to sacrifices in the future, the long house can be avoided.

It is said that the fifth brother is smart, what good son can parents like Master Qiao and Mrs. Qiao teach? The sons have no hope, the grandchildren are still young, and the long house wants to turn over, but I am afraid that there is no hope......

In the old house of the Qiao family, Mrs. Qiao returned to the upper room from the living room, and Mr. Qiao was already waiting in the house.

Seeing Mrs. Qiao come in, Master Qiao couldn't wait to say, "Where's the silver?" ”

Mrs. Qiao took out a few Zhuang tickets, and Mr. Qiao snatched them over, saw that they were all one hundred taels, counted them, and frowned: "Why is this a little bit?" That adds up to five hundred taels? ”

Mrs. Qiao was surprised: "How much more does the master want?" This is just an opportunity to scare and scare the second and third children, if they react, let alone five hundred taels, even fifty taels, there is no hope"

Master Qiao said unwillingly: "Didn't the old lady always say that my sister's dowry was enough for 10,000 taels of silver?" That's too much to do......"

Mrs. Qiao sneered: "The master is a family member, how much does the Qiao family have a common property?" If you really had to accompany 10,000 taels to the past, the whole family would not have to live...... Back then, it was just that the old lady was stronger, and there was a Sun family in front of her, and she wanted to give Mrs. Gu a decent dowry. Zhuangzi has a complete number of shops and houses, and there are many looks, but many of them are made up. It's the house, but it's a two-in-one, a dozen rooms. The two Zhuangzi outside the city are also small villages, adding up to only three or four hectares of land, and the location of the two shops in the city is not good. I still helped the old lady handle this dowry, and the furniture and clothes were all counted, and it was less than 5,000 taels of silver, but it was reported to the outside world that it was 10,000 taels...... Even if the master wants to take his sister back now, can the furniture, clothes, and jewelry still be there? Even if it is, it is not worth the original money. ”

In fact, judging from the Qiao family's family background back then, even if it was five thousand taels, it was not a small amount for the Qiao family back then.

Master Qiao has never worried about housework, and he doesn't even know how much a mu of fertile land outside Beijing is. When he heard that it was only a few acres of land, he lost interest, and said: "The old lady is too, and she doesn't tell the truth in front of her family, and I really think that my sister's dowry is a little ......."

He pinched the few Zhuang tickets to put them away, and Mrs. Qiao was busy and said: "Master, it looks like the festival is coming, everything else can be saved, the festival ceremony over there in the west seat ......"

Master Qiao hesitated for a long time, and finally took out a piece and handed it over: "Although the festival is not easy to manage, don't be too shabby......"