Early the next morning, Shen Qi and Shen Ling came to Shen Mansion to gather separately, and Shen Rui, Shen Jue and other four people went to Tongzhou with the housekeeper to send the second master and his party.

As for the eldest lord, Shen Ji and others, they are all officials, and it is not easy to leave lightly; Shen Quan had not yet reported to Chunshan Academy, so he also went to Tongzhou.

Tongzhou Canal Wharf, more than 40 miles away from the city, because the Shen family and his party set off early, when the city gate was opened, they went out of the city, so when they arrived at the Tongzhou Wharf, it was just (ten o'clock in the morning).

It was February, when it was warm and cold, and there was still floating ice on the canal, and the democracy movement was not open at this time, and only the official ships that were stranded at the wharf because of the freezing on the canal a few years ago would go south at this time.

Official ships are different from tribute ships, and it is common to carry pedestrian goods.

The eldest master of the Shen family is the left attendant of the household department, and arranging an official boat for his younger brother is just a matter of saying hello.

When they arrived at the dock, the head of the household department who had already been greeted was waiting here, and when he heard that the second master Shen had arrived, he greeted him attentively. There is no need for the second master to worry about the affairs of the group on the ship, and the arrangements have already been made properly.

Among the three nephews who followed the second master to the south, Shen Qi was older and famous, so he followed the official to arrange the corresponding affairs.

When the luggage was on the boat, the second master turned around and said to Shen Rui: "There are many people here, don't stay at will, find a place to eat and go back in peace, don't let the elders worry." ”

Shen Rui lowered his hand and agreed, and the second master explained to the housekeeper who came with Shen Rui and the others.

Shen Quan, Shen Jue and others said goodbye to Shen Lin on the side.

Although we were not in one place at the time, we have eaten and lived together in the past few months, even the cats and dogs have also raised feelings, not to mention a big living person. Although Shen Lin is stupid and slow to speak and respond, she is really simple, and everyone does not hate this brother.

Now this difference, everyone is a little reluctant.

Shen Qin leaned in and said in a low voice: "Second Brother Lin, you also have some eyes, what your aunt has prepared for you, go back and hand it over...... Your eldest brother and sister-in-law have always lived a good life, but if they are left in their hands, I am afraid that they will become their ......."

Shen Lin just laughed, and didn't know if he heard it.

Shen Qin wanted to say more, but he felt that someone had been stabbed in the back, and when he looked back, he saw that it was Shen Bao.

Shen Bao glanced at Shen Qin's mouth and snorted lightly.

Shen Qin immediately shut up and stopped being wordy.

Shen Ling stood aside, watching the brothers of the clan say goodbye, and was very envious in her heart.

He turned his head and looked in the direction of the capital.

Dozens of miles apart, where can you see anything?

However, he was very agitated and told himself that one day he would come back, not as the shopkeeper.

When he was a teenager, he was apprenticed in the shop, even if it was the blood of the Shen family, but because he was born as a concubine, he suffered from the hardships that others could not imagine, and he survived for more than ten years, step by step from apprentice to shopkeeper.

I can suffer this kind of hardship myself, why can't I still endure the hardship of studying?

Compared with struggling like an ant for a lifetime, why not fight again in the next decade?

Shen Ling was full of fighting spirit, but he knew that it was not so easy to get rid of the errands arranged by his family and settle down to study. As long as he doesn't split his family, he can't act by himself, and countless elders above him are pressing; How many years later, there are still brothers riding on their heads.

If you want to be comfortable, you have to divide the family into three rooms first.

Now several masters of the third room are not in harmony with each other, except for the eldest master, others have long been looking forward to separating the family, but the old lady of the third room is alive, and he is used to being arbitrary, and no one dares to disobey the old lady's will.

If you want to study in An'an, you need to plan for a good life......

At noon, the official ship carried by the second master finally left the dock and drifted away.

As soon as the young man saw the official ship go away, the others were fine, and there was some parting, but because it was not a long time away, it was all faint; Only Shen Jue, his eyes gradually blurred, and his heart was blocked.

The second master is going, in addition to adding or subtracting genealogy to the clan, and officially succeeding Shen Rui and Shen Jue as the heirs of the second room, he will also move the household registration of the two out.

Shen Jue knew that when the second master returned to Beijing, he would still be Shen Jue, but he would not be the same Shen Jue as before......

Shen Rui and his entourage of five people, led by the housekeeper, entered a restaurant not far from the dock.

Although it is dinner time, due to the small number of pedestrians coming and going at the pier this month, there are only two or three tables of individual customers in the lobby of the restaurant.

Shen Rui asked for a private room and took a few brothers upstairs; He also ordered the butler to ask for two tables downstairs, and led them to be used by the attendants.

When I went out of town early in the morning, everyone was hungry.

There were no outsiders, and when the meal came up, the brothers moved their chopsticks.

At this time, the fish is called "open river fish", which grows in cold water after a winter, and the meat is very firm, and the earthy smell is also the lightest.

The carp is braised red, the crucian carp is crispy and fried, and the silver carp is stewed with tofu soup, and the brothers of the clan eat it with relish.

Except for Shen Rui, because of his two lifetimes, his tastes are relatively mixed, and the other four are all born and raised in Songjiang.

Shen Quan was a little better, and the cook from Shen Ying was brought from Songjiang; Here in the Shen house, even after the sons of the Shen family come over, there are often dishes from the south, but the ingredients are placed here, and they are still mainly chicken, duck and pork

Nowadays, this river fresh way to eat, although it is still a heavy mouth in the north, but the ingredients are fresh, and everyone is very hungry.

When a few fish dishes are liquidated, and the other dishes are basically untouched, a few brothers, you look at me, I look at you, and I can't help but laugh.

Shen Rui walked to the door, called Xiao Er, and asked for another few fish dishes.

Thinking that several of the scholars and servants were all followed by Songjiang, Shen Rui asked Xiao Er: "The two tables downstairs, do you want fish dishes?" ”

Xiao Er bowed down and said: "Now that the fish in the river is expensive, the two tables ordered by your housekeeper only have elbow and haggis soup, and there are no fish dishes." ”

Shen Rui hesitated for a moment, touched a piece of broken silver from his purse, and sent Xiao Er away.

If only a few of their brothers came out, he could add a few dishes to the long-term servants; Now that there is a second-room housekeeper, no matter how much he does, he is not beautiful.

As for the fish in the river, since the canal has been netted here, it will not take many days for the city to have it.

Shen Rui added food at the door of the private room, and several people inside naturally listened to the movement.

Everyone put down their chopsticks and waited for the new dishes to be served.

Shen Jue is here, it has been a month since he was injured, and the scabs on the wound have long since fallen off, leaving a pink mark. A few days ago, for fear of scars, they were all taboo, and the diet was mainly light, which made Shen Jue, who had no meat and no joy, extremely uncomfortable.

However, in just one month, Shen Jue has lost more than ten pounds, his cheeks are thin, and his actions are more calm, but he is less childish and a little more heroic.

Shen Quan glanced at Shen Jue: "Brother Jue finally doesn't need to be taboo, this time you have to make up for it......"

Shen Jue said to Shen Quan: "The third brother knows me best, but my younger brother is not happy without meat, and he hasn't eaten well this month" As he said, he raised his left arm and pinched it with his hand: "Why is the meat gone?" But the meat fat that has been raised for more than ten years. ”

Shen Qin turned sideways and said, "I have a way to raise meat here, do you want to give it a try?" ”

Shen Jue glanced Shen Qin up and down, shook his head at his bamboo-like figure and said, "If Fourth Brother Bao says this, I still believe it; When the second brother of the qin came out of his mouth, I felt that there was no score? ”

"Who's going to coax you?" Shen Qin said with undiminished interest: "The method is simple, that is, use a bowl of rice balls every night before going to bed, and add a spoon of oil to the soup balls. ”

Shen Jue gritted his teeth and said: "There is a lot of oil in the filling of the rice balls, and the oil is enlarged in the soup, can this still be eaten?" ”

"Why can't you eat it? It's really a great way to gain weight. Before my sister came out of the cabinet, my mother thought she was too thin, so she used this method to supplement her meat, and she gained 20 pounds in a month and a half. Shen Qin said.

Shen Jue hurriedly waved his hand and said: "I'm not a little lady, what's the point of being fat and thin, this method is still not sensitive."

Shen Rui listened and asked curiously: "Second Brother Qin didn't try it himself?" ”

Shen Qin laughed twice: "I tried it once, but it took me half a night to stretch my stomach and toss it, but I didn't get fat in one or two, but lost a few pounds." It can be seen that the method is a good method, and it is not used by everyone......"

When everyone heard this, they couldn't help but laugh.

Songjiang, the entrance of the old house of the sect.

The eldest lady of the fifth room, Guo Shi, got out of the carriage and felt a little uneasy in her heart. Yesterday, Mrs. Zongfang sent someone to invite, what did she do?

In the past few years, there have been many places where Wufang has dealt with Zongfang, and when Shen Ying and Shen Qi first arrived in the capital, they also had the help of Shen Ji's brothers. Therefore, Guo Shi can only be grateful to the sect's side.

However, gratitude is gratitude, for the eldest lady of the sect, the Guo family does not have many contacts.

Both of them are the mothers of the house, and the eldest wife of the clan is a clan wife, and she also has to assist her husband in taking care of some affairs of the women in the clan; Guo is here, because her husband was not in good health in his early years, and he was busy inside and out. In addition to the necessary social exchanges of the female relatives of the clan, they rarely go out to socialize.

After waiting for the second gate, Guo's heart settled down.

She was worried before, but she was anxious when she thought of her sons. The mother of the son is worried, and the three sons are outside, and the torment in Guo's heart can be seen. In addition, there is Shen Rui, who is also in Beijing, and there is one more person who is concerned.

But thinking that if there was really something urgent in the capital, Mrs. Zongfang would not be so unhurried, and she should have been told a long time ago.

If you can invite you one day in advance, you can use the reason to discuss something, so it shouldn't be a hurry.

After seeing Mrs. Zongfang and listening to her words, Guo didn't need to be in a hurry, but it was difficult to get tight.

It turned out that Mrs. Zongfang invited Guo to come over because she wanted to go to the fourth room with her to count Sun's dowry.

"Sister-in-law, what is this a four-room housework, is it inconvenient to meddle so much?" Guo hesitated.

Mrs. Zongfang sighed and said, "How is it inconvenient? Don't forget, brother-in-law, there is still Brother Rui behind you, can you really bear to let Brother Rui not even have a thought left? ”

Guo frowned and said, "Where did it get to this point? ”

The wedding date between Sifang and the He family is scheduled for March, and the man will officially celebrate the dowry a month before the wedding, which is a matter of a few days. The eldest lady of the sect mentioned this matter now, obviously to prevent the mother and son of the fourth room from misappropriating the Sun family's dowry.

Mrs. Zongfang said: "Sifang can afford this face, but I can't afford to lose this person...... If there is really a scandal, those who know Lu Dao know that the mother and son in the four rooms are confused, and they don't know that Lu Dao still thinks that our He family is greedy for money...... Rather than making it clear then, it is better to clean it up now, and both of them will be free from suspicion......"