Regarding the matter of marrying her daughter to Shen Xi, Hui Niang had mentioned it a long time ago, but after Shen Xi married Xie Yun'er, Hui Niang had not talked about it for a long time.

Now that Hui Niang suddenly brought it up, Shen Xi felt that he and Hui Niang seemed to be too angry, and many things were different from when he was young. The same people and things, but he has grown from a childish man who has nothing to do to a man who stands up to the sky, and the champion has become an official, and there is a significant gap in social status with Hui Niang, and things have changed dramatically.

Shen Xi originally wanted to talk to Hui Niang about the Chamber of Commerce, but he heard Zhou's scolding voice from the courtyard: "You didn't tell me this kind of thing earlier, why do you have to ask you to explain?" ”

Lin Dai pouted, carried the small lantern aggrievedly, and followed into the courtyard amid Zhou's scolding. The leading Zhou walked directly into the main house and knocked on the door outside the east bedroom.

"My sister is inside?" Zhou's voice softened again.

Hui Niang hurriedly went over to open the door for Zhou, for fear that it would make Zhou's suspicion if it was late. The door opened, Zhou glanced inside, and at a glance, he saw Shen Xi, whose eyes were still a little red, and complained: "This stinky boy just didn't listen to persuasion, and he said that his aunt was inconvenienced here, so he still came here without telling me." ”

"Mother, is there something wrong?"

Shen Xi took the "Kindergarten Qionglin" written by himself in his hand and walked to the door.

Hui Niang lowered her head with guilt as if she had done something wrong.

"Come home, have you forgotten that you have to set off firecrackers when the old and new year change? But if you are prosperous next year and your official fortune is prosperous, what will you look like if you don't show up? ”

Zhou wanted to complain about his son, but he didn't want to say too much in front of Hui Niang, so he had to use firecrackers as an excuse.

Shen Xi looked at the sky and said, "It's still far away at this time." ”

"It's not far away, your father has something to ask you, you are not a filial son, and you won't talk to your father much when you return to the capital."

Anyway, the Zhou family wanted to prevent Shen Xi from getting too close to Hui Niang, neither wanting to affect his son's official reputation, nor destroying Hui Niang's reputation. From an objective and fair standpoint, Zhou is "responsible" for Shen Xi and Hui Niang, but for the parties, it is tantamount to a torture.

Since the Zhou family had moved his father out, Shen Xi had no choice but to surrender, but before leaving, he still reminded him: "Aunt Sun, you still don't interfere in the business here in the capital, try to leave it to the sixth brother to do, he can do it properly." ”

"Your Excellency reminds you of that." Hui Niang looked humbly taught, and when she sent Shen Xi away, she had all kinds of courtesies, but because she was a widow, she couldn't send Shen Xi out of the door. Next to her, Lu Xi'er looked at the Zhou family and her mother timidly, her little face was full of grievances.

Zhou did not stay to comfort Hui Niang's mother and daughter, but accompanied Shen Xi back home, and as soon as he entered the yard, he treated Shen Xi well.

“…… Your aunt has to wait for the archway of chastity to be established after the age of fifty, and you can't ruin her reputation. ”

Shen Xi said: "I just went over to take a look, but I didn't think about it." ”

Zhou continued to count: "Stinky boy, what else do you want?" That's your aunt! Such a big person, you also know that you should avoid taboos, let people know that you are okay to go to the widow's door, what eyes will others look at you, and how will you behave in front of your colleagues in the future!? ”

Shen Xi knew that the impact on his official reputation was the most scrupulous thing for the Zhou family, and as for Hui Niang's reputation, it was not valued by the Zhou family.

How many years has Hui Niang come out to show her face, and she has seen countless men on weekdays, and she is not inferior to her own son, of course, in private, Zhou is still a little worried about what will happen to lonely men and widows in the same room.

When Zhou's count was finished, she returned to the room in a huff, Xie Yun'er said apologetically: "If I had known that I would talk more with my mother, this would not happen if she came out later...... Can the minister finish what he wants to say to the shopkeeper? ”

Shen Xi shook his head and smiled bitterly: "As soon as I started talking about the Chamber of Commerce, my mother came, and it seems that I can only find an opportunity to talk to her in detail in the future." ”

Xie Yun'er pursed her lips and smiled: "Then the princess might as well tell the concubine about the matter, and let the concubine tell him." ”

Shen Xi agreed, but his heart was full of loss...... Hui Niang can't let go of the knot in her heart, and he can't let go of it himself, so everything is like the moon in the glasses in the water, which looks beautiful but out of reach.

……

……

During the Spring Festival, the yamen of the capital is on holiday, and the emperor's family wants to celebrate the New Year happily.

Zhan Shifu is not a six-ministry yamen, the errands of the Spring Festival have basically stopped, only some lower-level officials need to go over to be on duty in shifts, Shen Xi is already a high-level in Zhan Shifu, it is not suitable for him to let a gentleman like a prince go to guard the empty house, these days he can just stay at home and take a good rest, driving away the physical and mental fatigue caused by the border pass.

Shen Xi didn't want to socialize, but the number of people who wanted to make friends with him gradually increased.

Early in the morning of the first day of the new year, Zhu Xizhou sent New Year's gifts, and then many officials inquired about Shen Xi's mansion, and they also came to give gifts.

"It's good to be an official, where have we received so many gifts in our family before, I really want your grandmother and aunt to come and take a look, and be angry with them!"

Zhou took the two little guys to Shenxi's side when he had nothing to do in the past few days, using the excuse of wanting to move, but in fact, he was here to supervise and steward.

Xie Yun'er looked at Shen Xi with some embarrassment and asked, "Xianggong, how to deal with it?" ”

Shen Xi said: "Open it and take a look, send it back with a heavy courtesy, let's return the courtesy if it is light, and we must not provoke the official." ”

Zhou couldn't put it down, touched a piece of gold jewelry taken out of the gift box, and said with some dissatisfaction: "Why do you want to return it?" Every time there is a New Year's holiday, which of those officials doesn't receive a lot of gifts at home? I haven't seen anyone talk about it! ”

Shen Xi sighed depressedly, not wanting to explain too much, Xie Yun'er hurriedly did it for her: "Mother, this is the capital, not the place." If it is local, it is easy to do, but there are many people in the capital, and the promotion of the official is too fast, and many officials are staring at it. Besides, His Majesty has already given generous gifts, which is to prevent the officials below from accepting gifts and collecting money...... If you accept it rashly, there will be problems and affect the future of Xianggong! ”

A simple matter, I have to explain it to Zhou in plain words for a long time.

The imperial court does not prohibit officials from giving gifts to each other, and there are even some gift-giving methods that are almost on the surface, such as recommending others to replace their original positions after officials are promoted, and they must pay "top silver", and in winter, lower-level officials should pay "charcoal respect" to their superiors, and in summer they should give "ice tribute", and even gifts are endless, and even the nobles and ministers of the court and the central government have to give gifts to the emperor.

But the things on the surface, in the end are all unspoken rules, don't care about you, that's the official yamen turn a blind eye, if you really want to be more serious, these gifts can be regarded as "bribery", you eat the emperor's food as an official, in addition to the Yulu and the emperor's reward for you, others give you are "ill-gotten gains", although the body is not afraid of shadows, but the problem is that all people are not upright now, it depends on who the official catches today.

And Shen Xi has been in the limelight for the past two years, and many people are staring at him.

Unpacking the gifts, and then returning the gifts and giving the gifts, Xie Yun'er was busy all day, and she had to go to the new house to clean up in the afternoon.

Shen Xi hid and sat on the Taishi chair in the study, holding the books borrowed from Xie Duo to read.

Zhu Shan came in recklessly and said, "Young Master, someone from Xie Mansion has come to give gifts, and the old lady will let you go out and have a look." ”

"Xie Fu?"

Shen Xi thought to himself, Xie Duo was really polite, and he actually thought of returning the gift to him! It is said that the things he sent to Xie Duo a few years ago were all worthless souvenirs, most of which were bought by the Zhou family from Fujian and on the way to Beijing.

Shen Xi arrived at the door accompanied by Zhu Shan, and saw two large boxes placed in front of the steps, and a servant of the Xie Mansion stepped forward and said, "Lord Shen, do you remember the villain?" ”

Shen Xi really remembered, but this servant was not from Xie Duo's family, but from Xie Daxue's mansion.

"Elder Xie Ge asked you to give a gift?" Shen Xi asked in surprise.

"Yes, my lord said that Lord Shen has worked hard for the court in the past two years, so let me wait for a gift...... Please have seen it. As he spoke, the servant respectfully handed the gift slip to Shen Xi with both hands.

Shen Xi took it over and looked at it, and immediately felt that Xie Qian was very "unreliable"...... It's not that Xie Qian's gift is light, but too heavy, in addition to ordering two sets of new official clothes for him, including court clothes, sacrificial clothes, official clothes, regular clothes, swallow clothes, etc., as well as Yao Nanxian tea, Simen mustard, straw weaving, bamboo weaving and dried bamboo shoots, bamboo sun, dried mushrooms and other local specialties that other officials are honored, and there are also silk satin and so on that other officials are honored.

"I can't accept such a valuable gift, go back and say to your lord......"

Before Shen Xi finished speaking, the servant hurriedly pleaded: "My lord said that if Lord Shen feels that the gift is too heavy and does not want to accept it, he will put it in front of the door of the Shen Mansion, and Lord Shen will personally go to the mansion to talk to him." ”

"Hey!"

Shen Xi's heart suddenly swelled with anger, and Xie Lao'er clearly set up a trap for him to drill.

Shen Xi was silent for a while, Zhou looked at the big box, then at Shen Xi, and hurriedly asked Xie Yun'er beside him: "Which Xie family is this Xie family?" ”

"Mother, it's Xie Ge's hometown, that's the Cabinet Auxiliary Political University Scholar, the emperor's right and left hand, and the head of the world's hundred officials." Xie Yun'er reminded in a whisper.

Zhou was speechless: "Oh, that's Han Wa'er's boss...... We haven't given a gift to Scholar Xie's family yet, why did you send us a generous gift first? ”

Although Zhou is stupid, what he said is very reasonable. What is Xie Qian's identity? Sitting at home every year, just receiving gifts can feed a family, Xie Qian has never been in the habit of giving gifts, but today Xie Qian gave gifts to Shen Xi, a subordinate, how can it be explained.

"Go back and tell your master, I accepted the gift, thank you for the officer." Shen Xi waved his hand and motioned for someone to carry the gift home.

Xie Yun'er hurriedly said: "Xianggong doesn't go to Xie Mansion?" ”

"I've done so many things for Xie Ge, and I should receive some gifts, and he will definitely have something to arrange for me to do in the future, so give some gifts to comfort, this is my deserved reward!" Shen Xi deliberately said it loudly, so that the servants of the Xie Mansion could hear it and go back to tell Xie Qian.

Xie Yun'er was anxious: "But, this ...... It's not in order! ”

"What are the rules and regulations, he didn't talk about the rules everywhere when he used me, and shook his hands when he ran out, as if I was going to wipe his ass when I was called."

Shen Xi's tone of voice was extremely unkind.

The servants of the Xie Mansion pretended not to hear anything, but they were secretly surprised in their hearts...... If you bring these words back and tell Xie Qian, Xie Qian can't be like thunder?

Sure enough, after the servant hurriedly went back and told Xie Qian these words as they were, Xie Qian immediately got up from the chair he was sitting on, and was so angry that he threw the tea bowl in his hand on the ground: "This kid is becoming more and more unruly." ”

Ma Wensheng, who was sitting on the Taishi chair next to him, laughed out loud: "It seems that today's bet is that Brother Yu Qiaoxian lost, and Shen Xi will not come to visit." (To be continued.) )