In the afternoon sun, Lin Boyong and Lin Bonian slowly walked under the corridor on the west side of the Sanjin back house. This was Lin Bonian's residence before he left home, and at this moment, all the scenery here evokes Lin Bonian's memories.

"Bonian, do you remember that little fish pond? Back then, we were naughty and bathed in it and caught fish. Several koi fish raised by my mother were caught ashore by us and sunburned to death. ”

"Hehehe, of course I remember. My mother took off her embroidered shoes and chased us in her hands, chasing a few yards. It's all Changqing's fault, he blocked in front, and in the end we were blocked in the West Pavilion. You and I were beaten. Lin Bonian laughed.

"yes, you can't blame him, he can't help it. That's a beating. I remember your ass being beaten red. When you were a child, you were stubborn and didn't beg for mercy. If you're so girly, I'm going to beat you. Lin Boyong said with a smile.

"I remember that my brother told my mother at the time that they would fight together. How many times the second brother suffers, and how many times the elder brother suffers. Daddy happened to come in time, and after hearing this, he praised it greatly, and he was exempted from scolding. I still remember what my father said, he said: If our Lin family wants to gain a foothold, it is necessary to work together and unite brothers. Suffer together when beaten, enjoy happiness together. Ay! At that time, I didn't seem to understand, but the older I get, the deeper the feeling becomes. Thinking about it, it was more than forty years ago, time flies, big brother, you and I have grown old like this. Lin Bonian sighed.

Lin Boyong stroked his beard and nodded: "Yes, more than forty years have passed in a flash, and now we can't get it if we want our mother to beat us, and we can't get it if we want to listen to our father's teachings." ”

"The son wants to raise but the parent is not there, as he said. But the eldest brother should not sigh, if my father and mother are alive, they must be extremely relieved to know the current situation of my Lin family. At that time, my Lin family was not ranked in Hangzhou, and it was just a businessman's family. And now, in business, the Lin family is already one of the top businessmen in Hangzhou, and I am already the deputy envoy of the third department. It can be said that both roads are unimpeded, which is because the eldest brother has a good way to govern the family and has a proper strategy. ”

Lin Boyong smiled and said, "Bonian, only you know our hardships for so many years. The Lin family's weather today is the result of the joint efforts of my two brothers. What the eldest brother thought in his heart was that he would live up to the ancestors of the Lin family, so he didn't dare to relax in the slightest. ”

Lin Bonian arched his hand and said: "Big brother has worked hard. ”

Lin Boyong smiled and waved his hand: "You are not easy, you are an official in the capital, and you seem to have unlimited scenery, but in fact, you know your own suffering." In that place in the capital, people who have no ability and no backing can't stay. My Lin family has no backers, it depends on your ability. You and my brother are both walking on thin ice, trembling, and we are in today's situation. ”

Lin Bonian sighed: "It's still the eldest brother who knows my hardships, and it's really difficult in the capital." In the early years, if it weren't for the support of my eldest brother and the letters of comfort and encouragement from time to time, I don't know how to survive to this day. Thankfully, we survived, and it turned out pretty well. ”

Lin Boyong smiled and nodded, looking at the flowers outside the corridor with a smug expression. Suddenly, Lin Boyong let out a long sigh.

"Big brother, what's wrong? Why sigh? ”

"Bo Nian, our older generation can be regarded as doing our best, seeing that we are all old, the affairs of the Lin family will depend on the next generation in the future. However...... Can they do their best and think about the Lin family wholeheartedly like you and me? Is there a ability to light the lintel? ”

Lin Bonian groaned: "Big brother, can't Lin Ke's nephew reassure you?" ”

Lin Boyong frowned and said, "Among the younger generation, Ke'er is quite capable. Over the past ten years, Keer has made a lot of efforts in business. He has also contributed a lot to today's situation. ”

"So what else is Big Brother worried about? In my opinion, Lin Ke will be in charge of the Lin family in the future, and there will not be much deviation. Lin Bonian said.

"Hey, Bo Nian, although Lin Ke has some ability, he is limited to businessmen. Will my Lin family be a businessman for the rest of his life? My Lin family is going to return to the court, is there anything to boast about in the Shangjia family? No matter how big the family business is, it is not fat meat to be slaughtered. You must know that hundreds of years ago, my Lin family was a family of scholars, a family with status and status, is it willing to be a businessman? Gou An's survival? ”

Lin Bonian nodded and said, "What the eldest brother taught is this." ”

Lin Boyong patted the wooden railing, looked at the verdant flowers, and said in a deep voice: "I'm not teaching you, but reminding you that if my Lin family wants to be truly prosperous, it must return to the court." This requires a large number of children to join the company, not to work for business. This is the reason why I have been the head of my family for decades and have devoted myself to urging my children to study. However, in the past few decades, although there have been some results, they have not achieved results. There are very few children of my Lin family. If you hadn't supported the façade, I am afraid that you would have become the laughing stock of the world. ”

Lin Bonian frowned and nodded slightly.

Lin Boyong continued: "Lin Keshang has some things to do, Lin Run, Lin Song is not my father, and it is really disappointing to say them behind their backs. If you can't do it, it's useless. In the second room, you have only two sons, and all three are daughters. Lin Chang and Lin Sheng don't like to read. Among the three rooms, Lin Quan was even more unsuccessful, and I drove him out of Hangzhou. As for Lin Jue......"

Lin Boyong was silent.

Lin Bonian said with a smile: "Big brother, this Lin Jue seems to be a bit of a doorway, but I didn't expect that there was a talent in the third room." If it is cultivated, it may become a great tool in the future. Although he is a concubine, he is also the flesh and blood of the third brother, we don't have to stick to this, what do you think, big brother? ”

Lin Boyong sighed lightly and said, "Bonian, you just came back, you don't know these things that happened at home. Lin Jue really surprised me, and since last summer, his performance has surprised me. Not to mention that he was bold and did many earth-shattering things one after another. As you mention him, I have to say how I feel about him. Lin Jue may be a material that can be made, but ...... There seems to be a bit of a gap between him and us, and I am afraid that you and I will not be able to restrain him. You have seen his behavior today, don't you feel anything? ”

Lin Bonian nodded slowly and said, "Don't hide it from my eldest brother, I also feel that something is wrong." I was also about to ask my eldest brother, what has Lin Jue done in the past year or so? What caused him to be estranged from us? Big brother, there are some things I have to say clearly. Since the eldest brother is bent on carrying forward the Lin family and returning to the court, some knots must be put aside. If Lin Jue is available, he must support him in general, and try to bridge differences and break down barriers. That's what Daddy means when he says that he is united. ”

Lin Boyong nodded slowly and said, "Bonian, you are right. Come, let's go and talk to the house where you used to live, where everything is arranged as it was before you went to Beijing, and I have never moved. When I miss you, I come and sit down. I'll tell you all the things he has done in the past year, you can be regarded as having a sharp eye in the capital, you analyze what he thinks. ”

Lin Bonian nodded in agreement, and the two brothers walked slowly along the wooden corridor until they entered a courtyard. That was Lin Bonian's residence back then. As Lin Boyong said, everything here is the same as before. Every table and stool is the same, the cleaning is spotless, and even the books that have been read before on the shelves are neatly stacked, without a trace of dust. It seems that people often come to take care of it.

Lin Bonian touched the scene and felt a lot of emotion. was moved by Lin Boyong's brotherly affection for him. Although this big brother has a stern appearance, he is really good to himself. I have been in the capital for so many years, and I have spent more than 100,000 taels of silver, and I feel embarrassed every time I open my mouth, but Lin Boyong never said a word. Every year on the day of the solar term, they send people to give silver taels to give themselves some gifts. And write to yourself to tell yourself that you don't have to think about it, that what you should use only works. And all this in front of me is even more touching than those things. Although I also know that the eldest brother is like this, it is actually for the sake of the Lin family, but there are a few people who can do this.

After the tea was brewed, the two brothers sat in the old residence and drank tea, and Lin Boyong also slowly talked about the turmoil that happened at the court training last year, and told Lin Bonian everything that Lin Jue had done in the past year.

……

It's been a long time since the night in the forest house has been so lively. The head of the house is a person who doesn't like extravagance and doesn't like to be lively, so the atmosphere in the Lin Mansion is generally quiet and dull. But today is the second master returning to Hangzhou as the Lord of the Qincha, the head of the family is happy, and naturally the atmosphere in the family is also different.

The family banquet for Lin Bonian was lively in the vestibule hall. Not only were everyone in the third room of the main family present, but this time even the brothers, uncles and nephews from the outer house also called together and set up more than a dozen banquets, and the scene was extremely grand.

It is rare for the people in the Lin family's outhouse to get such an honor, and most of them are in the Lin family's status like servants and beggars, and they can only swallow their anger in order to get the monthly money. The previous monthly convening of the court training made them tremble. But since this year, the Lin family's court training has stopped unconsciously, and everyone understands that this is the credit of the three-room son named Lin Jue. Some people have a premonition of signs of change. In the past few months after the year, there have been many people who have come to visit Lin Jue intentionally or unintentionally.

Today, Lin Bonian, the second master of the Lin family, has returned to his hometown, and everyone naturally wants to join in the fun. In any case, he is a member of the Lin family, and the rise and fall of the Lin family is related to everyone's life. And Lin Bonian is the most frequently mentioned one in the mouths of the Lin family, and he is the role model and idol of all the children of the Lin family who are interested in entering the office.

The lanterns are hung high, and the atmosphere is warm. The banquet started, and the planning was staggered.

Surrounded by Lin Boyong and Lin Ke and others, Lin Bonian walked from the hall to the courtyard with colorful lights on his face full of red light, and toasted with everyone in his family. As soon as Lin Bonian appeared, it was like the appearance of a superstar, and he was greeted with an admiring gaze.

"Give the second master a salute."

"The second master is in good health, which is a great blessing for my Lin family."

"Second master, it's autumn soon, and the second master will tell the nephews and grandnephews of the school how to take the exam."

"Second master, is the capital big? Isn't it fun? ”

"Does the second master remember me? I'm Lin Tang, when I was a child, we played together every day. ”

“……”

Everyone in the Lin family was in a mess, and the wine was like a little more courageous in their stomachs, and they did have a good impression of the second master of the Lin family. Compared with the head of the family, this second master is kind, kind, and gentle.

"What are you doing? What's the mess? With so many mouths to speak, teach the second uncle how to answer? Lin Song shouted.

The voice quieted down suddenly, and everyone suddenly realized that this family was still the head of the family and a few sons of the long house, and they showed too much enthusiasm for the second master, which might make the head of the family unhappy, which was not a good thing.

Lin Bonian waved his hand and said, "Lin Song, how can you scold them?" These are all uncles and children of the Lin family, so they should speak politely. ”

Lin Song hurriedly said: "What the second uncle said is true. ”

Lin Bonian walked down the front steps of the hall with a smile, came to the banquet, and bowed his hands. Addressing the people he knows, greeting with a smile, pulling family words, and recalling the events of the year, the scene was once extremely warm.