Several people in the hall fell silent, and it seemed that this slightly heavy topic had produced a great deal of depression.

"Dad, why do you keep saying this, isn't that Tartar destroyed now!" At the critical moment, it was the lively and active Chen Zhaoxue who broke the deadlock first, she came to Chen Wenchuan's side, pulled his sleeve and said coquettishly, "Why don't you say something happy during the New Year." ”

"Haha, look at my daughter, she was born to be a little trickster." Although Chen Wenchuan is blaming his daughter, everyone can hear it, and it is full of doting.

"Daddy!" Chen Zhaoxue was coquettish for a while, "Don't talk about your daughter like that." ”

"Hahaha......" Several people laughed loudly, and even her sister Chen Ruxue on the side chuckled twice.

"Okay, let's not talk about this, this is the New Year's Day, we should say something festive." Chen Wenchuan said, turned his head to look at Zhang Fan and said, "I heard that Master Zhang Juzheng, a cabinet scholar, is going to recommend you to study in Guozijian?" ”

"Yes, the little nephew has no merits, and he is ashamed to be so appreciated by the scholars!" Zhang Fan said modestly.

"Virtuous nephews don't have to be presumptuous, I know Lord Zhang's temper." Chen Wenchuan said, "This person is an honest official and loyal to the imperial court, since he says you can do it, you can do it." Be confident in yourself. ”

"Thank you, Lord for teaching." Zhang Fan said.

The two sisters on the side heard the elders chatting with Zhang Fan again, and they also listened quietly, and when they heard them talking about Zhang Fan, the two pairs of big eyes looked at Zhang Fan. Fortunately, when Zhang Fan was a waiter in his previous life, he was teased by many middle-aged resentful women with his eyes, and he could make extraordinary mistakes at that time, and now he doesn't care about the gaze of the two young girls.

"Then when are you going to go to the capital?" Chen Wenchuan asked again, "If you study in Guozijian, you will inevitably move to the capital to live, are you prepared?" ”

"I've already discussed it with my mother." Zhang Fan said, "Originally, I thought that my mother would be reluctant to leave this place where I have lived for decades. As soon as I said this, she agreed without saying a word. ”

"Alas, pity the hearts of parents all over the world!" Ma Xian Ling understood Zhao's intentions very well, and said with a long sigh, "Virtuous nephew, it is really a great blessing in life that you have such a mother who cares about you so much!" ”

"What the adults said is that since my father left, my mother has worked hard for me for so many years, and my little nephew must serve my mother well." Zhang Fan smiled and talked about his mother's care for him, and there was a smile in his eyes. However, he found that the two sisters sitting opposite each other were lonely when they heard their words, which may have aroused some sadness between the two of them.

"By the way, speaking of your father, I do remember one thing." Chen Wenchuan didn't know whether he wanted to change the topic or something else, and said, "I heard that your ancestor is from Yangzhou Mansion?" ”

"Exactly." Zhang Fan was a little puzzled why Chen Wenchuan would mention this matter, and then thought that he and Ma Xianling were family friends and lived in Yangzhou, so Zhang Fan knew why.

"So, are you ......" Chen Wenchuan looked at Ma Xianling thoughtfully, saw Ma Xianling nodded, and then said, "It's you!" You can make it easy for me and Brother Ma to find it! ”

Chen Wenchuan didn't wait for Zhang Fan to speak, and said to Ma County: "Big brother, since you already know, why didn't you inform Zhang Daguan?" ”

"My lord, please don't blame Ma, I asked Madam to protect me." Zhang Fan said.

"Why is that?" When Chen Wenchuan heard Zhang Fan say this, he looked at Zhang Fan suspiciously.

"My grandfather once passed down the family motto, if there is no one in the family, never return to Yangzhou." Zhang Fan said the reason.

"......" Chen Wenchuan heard Zhang Fan's words and was very puzzled, "What kind of family motto is this!" ”

"Brother Xian, don't think about it anymore, each family has its own difficulties, why bother?" Ma Xianling said.

"With your current status, returning to Yangzhou is not an insult to your grandfather's family motto." Chen Wenchuan persuaded again.

"My little nephew also thought about it, but I thought that I would take the exam next year, so I was afraid that I would delay my studies." Zhang Fan said, "I have also mentioned it to my mother a few times, but my mother doesn't seem to go back, it seems that my grandfather said something back then." ”

"Alas, every family has a scripture that is difficult to read!" Chen Wenchuan didn't want to inquire about Zhang Fan's family affairs, so he had to sigh.

"By the way, it's rare for someone to come to visit me, an old man, today, so you can stay for dinner." Ma Xianling said.

"My lord, my mother is at home alone, and I ......" Zhang Fan was worried about his mother.

"Alas, it's rare for the New Year, so call your mother to come along." Ma Xianling came up with an idea.

"This ...... I don't think my mother would say yes. Zhang Fan said.

"Then you have to stay, with Lord Chen and my two nieces here, you won't let me, an old man, be unable to get off the stage, right!" Ma County's order rarely used a bitter meat trick.

"That'...... The little nephew is respectful and obedient. Zhang Fan couldn't resist the persuasion of Ma County's order, and there was also the vision of the two sisters, so he had to lose the battle and said, "But it's still early before dinner, and I want to go home and talk to my mother." ”

"It was natural." Ma Xianling said.

"Dad, my sister and I are going out too." Chen Zhaoxue came over to live with Chen Wenchuan's sleeves coquettishly.

"You two girls, what are you doing when you go out?" Chen Wenchuan didn't seem to want to agree.

"Dad, this is the first time we are out for the New Year, of course we want to go here to see the scene of the New Year. How do you know that Dad is so unreasonable. Chen Zhaoxue said as if she was complaining, and blinked her big beautiful eyes, looking at Ma Xianling who was sitting on the side with a pleading eye.

"Brother Xian, you just let them go, this small Anhua county is not big, not to mention that it is the end of the year, and the guards in the city are also working hard, nothing will happen." Ma Xianling didn't seem to be able to stand Chen Zhaoxue's sad eyes, and said to Chen Wenchuan, "Just ask Zhang Xian's nephew to go with them, wouldn't it be good." ”

"Alas, you!" Chen Wenchuan was also his second daughter, so he had no choice but to say, "Remember to come back early, don't mess around on the road, and listen to your big brother Zhang." ”

When Chen Zhaoxue heard that her father had promised her, the sadness on her face immediately disappeared, replaced by infinite joy, and said, "Dad, don't worry, I will listen to Brother Zhang's orders." He said to Ma County: "I knew that Uncle would definitely help me." It made Chen Wenchuan and Ma Xianling smile bitterly.

"Alas, my daughter will never grow up!" Chen Wenchuan shook his head, and said to Zhang Fan again, "My two daughters will trouble my nephew." ”

"Don't worry, my lord, I will take care of the two young ladies." Zhang Fan said.

"Now that you're all gone, Brother Xian, are we going to put it on the table?" Ma Xianling said to Chen Wenchuan.

"It's been a long time since I've played against you, I don't know if your chess skills have regressed, big brother." Chen Wenchuan also agreed with the opinions put forward by the Ma County Order.

"You forget, you're my loser."

"Hmph, we'll see on the chessboard who wins and loses."

“……”

“……”

Zhang Fan looked at the two people who were like children, and he was also surprised, he didn't know that these two people still looked like this.

"Zhaoxue, I'm not going." Over there, Chen Ruxue said to her sister.

Zhang Fan listened to her voice, and that feeling of pity appeared in his mind again.

"No, my sister is bored at home all day, and she is about to get sick." Chen Zhaoxue took her sister's hand and said very strongly, "I have to go out for everything today, and I will also go to see how it is different from Yangzhou during the New Year." ”

Finally, the weak sister couldn't stand her sister's urging, so she had to agree to go with her.

"Brother Zhang, what's wrong?" Chen Zhaoxue pulled her sister over, but saw Zhang Fan who was in a daze there and said. Chen Ruxue, the sister on the side, also looked at Zhang Fan curiously.

"Ah, it's nothing, I remembered something just now, I was distracted, and I neglected the two young ladies, and I included a lot." Zhang Fan was awakened by Chen Zhaoxue's bluntness, and hurriedly drove out the fantasy of Chen Ruxue in his mind and said.

"Don't be so outside, my father and my uncle also have some friendship with your hometown in Yangzhou." Chen Zhaoxue said, "Don't call Miss Miss, just call me Zhaoxue, and the same is true for my sister." ”

Zhang Fan looked at Chen Ruxue with inquiring eyes, and saw that the other party nodded slightly, so he said: "In this case, Zhaoxue, Ruxue, I will take you to visit this Anhua County." ”

"Great, sister, let's go." Chen Zhaoxue happily pulled her sister out of the gate of the county government.

Zhang Fan had to follow behind, and the sound of Ma Xianling and Chen Wenchuan playing against each other came from the hall behind him.

When the three of them came to the street, the two sisters were not familiar with this place and didn't know where to go, so they had to look at Zhang Fan. Although this Anhua County Chen is not big, and the New Year has arrived, many shops are closed, but just some ordinary business, those shops that sell New Year's goods and various daily necessities are still open as usual, and there are many hawkers who set up stalls to buy small things, and sell some gadgets to those children who have some New Year's money during the New Year.

Zhang Fan looked at the sky and said to the two sisters: "I want to go home and talk to my mother first." Then he was worried about the two sisters, and said: "My family lives in the east of the city, which is also the most interesting place in this Anhua county. ”

"What Brother Zhang said, he should put his mother first." Chen Zhaoxue said, thought about it again, and said with some twists, "I wonder if my sister and I can also go with Brother Zhang." ”

"Oh, of course." Zhang Fan didn't know why Chen Zhaoxue wanted to follow him home, thinking that it was just that the two girls didn't know the way and wanted to follow him, so he agreed.

"Really, that's great." Chen Zhaoxue said happily, even Chen Ruxue on the side looked very happy, making Zhang Fan inexplicable.

The county government was not far from Zhang Fan's home, and the two sisters arrived not long after following Zhang Fan. Zhang Fan walked to the door and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Mother's voice came from behind the door.

"Mother, it's mortal." Zhang Fan responded.

"It's Fan'er who is back, come in quickly......" Zhao opened the door and was about to let Zhang Fan in, when he saw the two sisters behind Zhang Fan, he was stunned.

"Fan'er, this is ......" Zhao asked where he thought that Zhang Fan would take the two girls home.

"Mother, this is the daughter of Master Chen Wenchuan Chen, the Dingbian Patrol Division." Zhang Fan explained, "Lord Chen came to visit Ma County and asked me to stay for dinner, and I will come back to say to my mother." It happened that the two younger sisters were going shopping, so Mr. Chen entrusted me to take care of them. ”

"That's good, that's good." Zhao was also very happy, and hurriedly said, "Come into the house quickly, it's cold outside, be careful of freezing." ”

A few people entered the house, and Zhao beckoned the sisters to sit down in the hall and go to make tea. Zhang Fan saw that his mother seemed to have something to say, and he also confessed to the two sisters, saying that he was going to help.

"Fan'er, what's going on?" Mother asked, busy.

"Mother, that's the case......" Zhang Fan had no choice but to get to know the two of them by Hu Er the last time he met them on the street and was molested by Hu Er, and he stepped forward to help each other. However, Zhang Fan was afraid that his mother would worry, so he didn't dare to say that he was beaten from behind by Hu Er.

"That's right." Zhao Shi listened to Zhang Fan's explanation, and then he was relieved, but then he said, "Why did you call the two girls like that just now, you are familiar with the book of sages, how can you be so frivolous, what your mother usually says to you is not the wind in your ears?" ”

Zhang Fan saw that his mother's tone became heavier and heavier the more he spoke, and how could he still hold back and not say: "Mother, you dissipate your anger and listen to the child explain to you." ”

"You say, if you don't tell the reason today, I, I'm ......" Zhao looked angry.

"Mother, that's the case......" At the moment, Zhang Fan knew about his family about Ma Xianling, and he had some connections with his hometown in Yangzhou, and Yangzhou also wanted to find his home. and Ma Xianling and Chen Wenchuan are world friends told the Zhao family, "And the younger sister of the two sisters has to ask me to call it like this, saying that it is too foreign to call 'Miss'." ”

"I see." Zhao listened to what Zhang Fan said, and then calmed down, and then thought of something again, and said, "According to what you say, doesn't Yangzhou already know?" ”

"No, I asked Ma County to not say it, and he promised me." Zhang Fan said.

"That's good, that's good." Zhao was relieved when he heard that Yangzhou would not know, and muttered to himself.

Seeing his mother like this, Zhang Fan thought for a while and asked, "Mother, why can't you let the people in your hometown know?" Although my grandfather said that "if there is no one at home, I will not return to Yangzhou", but now I have fulfilled my grandfather's last wish. ”

"Alas, your grandfather did have such an order back then, and you did complete it, but ......" Zhao said here, stopped, thought for a while and continued, "It's just that when your grandfather was dying, there were other instructions, and your father and I didn't tell you." ”

"What's that?" Zhang Fan asked.

"It's not time to tell you yet, when you do what your grandfather ordered, my mother will tell you." Zhao said to Zhang Fan, but his face was lonely.

"But, mother, if you don't tell the child, how can the child fulfill his grandfather's wish?" Zhang Fan asked with some confusion.

"This is also your grandfather's order, and he also told your father when it is impossible for your father to do it." Zhao said, "He said that this matter depends on a certain number and cannot be forced." ”

"......" Zhang Fan listened to his mother's words and didn't know what to say.

At this time, Zhao also brewed the tea and said to Zhang Fan: "Go and greet the two girls, don't slack off others." So saying, he picked up the tea set and went to the hall.

Zhang Fan looked at his mother's departing figure and thought about a lot of things in his heart. "Forget it, the boat will naturally go straight to the bridge, no matter how much you think about it now, you can't do it, let's take one step at a time." Thinking so in his heart, Zhang Fan also walked towards the hall.