The Songxi Chen family, in the past hundred years, has been regarded as a first-class family in Dengzhou, but in addition to the first few generations, there have been a few big officials, and the more they go on, the more powerless they become, as if they have fallen into the eyes of money, doing business or some big and small achievements, and their careers are tired. Especially as the long house of the Zong family, to the generation of Chen Zhiyu, Chen Ji's grandfather, it is actually a thin position, in order to maintain the authority of the Zong family, he actually came up with the rhetoric of "no separation within the three suits", and the rest of the powerful side branches may still have ideas, and they can only bypass this matter for the time being, of course, the seats in the ancestral hall every year, they are getting closer and forward.

The last struggle of the Zong family, Chen Zhiyu and Chen Zhiyu, the two brothers, have much higher requirements for their children and grandchildren. Then Chen Zhiyu passed away, and the old lady Chen Zhiyu, who is now in charge of the Chen family, has a different focus on the only son and only grandson of his brother's family. Although his children and grandchildren have a prosperous trend, three sons, and seven or eight grandchildren, before these juniors really grow up, they still need Chen Xiujie to do a transfer support. The old man himself didn't mind that the name of the Zong family fell on Chen Xiujie, and it should be the same himself, but there were more children and grandchildren, and some things had to be prepared more.

Chen Xiujie was transferred to Denglai as the prefect, which suppressed the thoughts of some people in the Chen family to a certain extent, and then heard that Chen Ji had made a lot of things in Qingzhou, and some thoughts naturally came alive.

Chen Xiujie returned to Songxi earlier and was treated with unlimited scenery. Of course, for him, this kind of scenery is not much different from the previous ridicule, not to mention that he has always been such a pampered and unfazed character, and he will not care much.

Chen Ji is much worse than his father, and the state shown by this guy really makes some people think. Chen Ji actually doesn't care about the killing or sarcasm of these relatives, he only listens to the surface of everything, as for the messy things behind him, if you really want to play with him like this, it is really too contemptuous of people.

Chen Ji suddenly had some thoughts about his father letting him out to "block the knife".

As Chen Guo entered the courtyard of the Zongjia family located in the middle, Chen Ji was led to a deep courtyard, and when he arrived here, except for Chen Guo, the other Chen family disciples had already left halfway, and Chen Ji was also familiar with it, and said, "Please invite the brothers to drink later." Chen Guo's other big children didn't have any special reactions, but a few small ones, their eyes lit up, and they probably carried their backs to the house on weekdays and tasted the taste of wine.

After the brothers left, Chen Guo whispered, probably because of the family's rules for children to drink.

Chen Ji is the color should be down.

Chen Guo is the grandson of Chen Zhiyu and the third in the family. There are now two older brothers studying abroad, and it is said that the eldest was appreciated by a certain literary master and was recommended to study in Guozijian. Speaking of this, Chen Guo was obviously very interested, and Chen Ji also made a look of honor.

At the gate of the small courtyard, Chen Ji asked in a low voice: "If you want my brother to report first, I'll wait here for a while."

Chen Guo was slightly stunned and smiled: "Grandpa has already instructed, Brother Ji will go in directly when he comes, and there is no need to talk about those false courtesies."

Circling like this, Chen Ji still retracted slightly and became cautious.

Chen Guo saw it in his eyes and didn't say anything.

The small courtyard is built in imitation of the south of the Yangtze River, and now spring is coming, the water is murmuring, and the greenery is gradual, which really gives people a feeling of spring breeze.

Hsinchu running water.

Chen Ji stopped in the courtyard, and no matter what Chen Guo said, he felt that as a junior, he should still know some etiquette. Chen Guo no longer insisted, took a few steps forward to the bottom of the porch, pushed the door and entered.

When I came out when I was young, I entered the door with Chen Ji, and a burst of bookish fragrance came to my nose.

At the beginning of the sandalwood smoke, a voice sounded, and Chen Guo said: "You go first, and come to pick up people in an hour."

Chen Guo went out in response, gave Chen Ji a look, turned around and closed the door.

Chen Ji glanced slightly, and Fang Cai's voice came from behind a bookshelf, saying, "Jibu bookshelf."

Chen Ji reacted to this, searched through the rows of bookshelves, and soon found the "collection department". Walking over there, an old man in a plain shirt stood on a wooden shelf, holding a lantern looking for something.

Chen Ji stood under the wooden ladder, tilted his head slightly, but looked carefully, the old man looked for a moment again, it seemed that he did not get his wish, sighed lightly, his eyes fell down, and he walked down the wooden ladder.

"I originally wanted to find a book to send to you, but I forgot where to put it, and Chen Yu took it with me."

The old man is over the age of six, but he is in spirit, there is a bookish atmosphere of the old city between his eyebrows, and his eyebrows are slightly white.

Chen Ji took a step back and respectfully shouted, "Second grandfather." ”

The old man nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and said slightly angrily: "In the past, anyone who was in front of my old and dizzy old guy didn't have anything good to say about you, and he was really not a competent elder."

Chen Ji said embarrassedly: "The second grandfather also knows that I really don't do well in Qingzhou."

Chen Zhiyu walked forward with Chen Ji and said: "Your father doesn't want to mention it to me too much, you usually stay in Qingzhou, and rarely come back every year, and there are many things here, and I, the old man, can only know from others."

Chen Ji respectfully followed behind and did not answer. When the old man saw his restrained appearance, he quipped, "This is a far cry from what they talked about before me."

Chen Ji smiled bitterly.

The old man put away his seriousness and smiled: "Don't be restrained, does the old man really care about the bastard things you did in Qingzhou?" Your father is on my side, and he is still willing to say a few words of truth, especially about you. The reason why I called you here this time is not only to fulfill the promise you made to your family, but also to let you go to the sect school to study. I also recognize my family. ”

Chen Ji was really puzzled this time.

The old man then said: "Since you are interested in doing business, you might as well try to do it, because of the external and internal reasons at home over the years, the surface scenery, behind the scenes, it has actually reached the point where you have to pick up and pick up."

Chen Ji said in a panic: "Did the second grandfather misunderstand something?" I don't have that ability. ”

The old man said, "Then read at home first." You should also sort out the blood and family relationship here. ”

Chen Ji responded and said, "It's all up to the second grandfather."

The old man laughed, "Yes. In the future, you will follow Chen Wei and Chen Xun to go to Zongxue, and you should also participate in this subject next year. Even if you really plan to do business, if you have the identity of a scholar there, you won't be said to have too much copper smell. ”

Chen Ji's face was helpless, reading was indeed not an easy thing.

Chen Ji suddenly remembered that he was just coming to Dengzhou to explore a way this time, so why did he stay for a long time? remedied at the moment: "Second grandfather, there are still many things in Qingzhou that have not been resolved, and I am afraid that I will have to go back again." He wasn't sure what to say.

But the old man didn't give him a chance to regret it, and said, "Let's talk about it after next year's test."

Chen Ji was surprised: "How can that be?"

The old man looked at him fixedly and smiled: "This is a little bit of a young man's appearance." Don't worry, the old man is not detaining you, what you want to do, where you want to go, it's all up to you. ”

Chen Ji breathed a sigh of relief.

The old man followed up and talked about something that made his heart rise to his throat, but it was about the silver that had been raised for grain years ago.

At the beginning, Chen Ji mortgaged the old mansion, saying that it was given to the money bank, but in the end, some family elders reasonably redeemed the "contract", which means that Chen Ji's business with the money village has now been transferred to the matter between him and the family.

The Zong family is weak, although Chen Zhiyu wants to help his nephew get through the difficulties, in the end, because of many constraints, he has made a lot of discounts. The rest of the family members thought that they had finally found an opportunity to suppress the Zong family, so they used many means to eat a lot of things that should have been the Zong family.

Of course, it stands to reason that it has been passed down from the ancestor Chen Songxi to Chen Ji's generation, but for six generations, the family affection that blood is thicker than water is still there, and it will never get to the point where it is now. It's just that the family is big and there are many people, and it's always easy to have moths.

is also the same, in Chen Zhiyu's father Chen Ke's generation split up, as the eldest son, Chen Ke had no intention of splitting the family, but in the end he couldn't resist the resoluteness of several brothers, and as a result, the entire Chen family ushered in loneliness.

The Chen family is like a slave to the outside, but it is like a jackal to his insiders, and even in Chen Xiujie's generation, some brothers who have separated from the family sit and eat empty, and at the same time resentful of the Zong family, they don't want to take advantage of the Zong family.

Whether it's Chen Ke or Chen Zhiyu, they all recognize these people in their hearts, and as long as they don't go too far, they naturally don't say much. Later, it turned out to be their fault.

Many things that the clan lost, such as fields, were taken away and handed over several times. Now I don't know who it is, and now there are still a lot of bad debts at home that I can't sort out.

What is even more hateful now is that he resents the Qi clan for ignoring them. Several times when they sat down in the ancestral hall, they all accused the clan of not separating their families and taking up a lot of things in the whole clan. Almost every time, someone will stand up and shout for the division of industries.

Chen Zhiyu smashed the cup several times, and he was so annoyed that it was not the disgusting words they said, but that he was angry and angry.

Chen Ji usually doesn't care about these things, Chen Xiujie doesn't say anything, and of course Chen Zhiyu won't say anything more at the moment. Since it was decided to let Chen Ji study in Zongxue, he naturally planned to let Chen Ji go to see it himself.

In his room, even if the people are gradually prospering, he still treats Chen Xiujie not just as a nephew. To put it more selfishly, at least among Chen Xiujie's cousins, Chen Xiujie is the most promising. Therefore, from childhood to now, Chen Zhiyu has done a lot of things behind the scenes. When he heard the "bad news" from Qingzhou last year, he had the worst plan, and even made countermeasures for it.

Once Chen Ji can't be saved, he will pick one of his grandsons to go over.

Chen Guo is the most suitable candidate.

Chen Ji left the small courtyard, and Chen Guo was already waiting for him outside the door.

After seeing him, he said: "Your family's old house is now occupied by the seventh uncle, and grandpa ordered you to live in my house for the time being."

Chen Ji bowed his head and smiled: "Second grandpa just asked me to settle accounts with you."

Chen Guo scratched his head, "It is to reconcile, and the account book is also with the second uncle." ”

Chen Ji snorted and said, "Forget it, I'll talk about these things later." But I'm not here today, I need to go back to the city. If I have seen my father, I may have to go back to Qingzhou tomorrow to sort out the things over there, and when I come back to Songxi, I am afraid that I will have to disturb the third brother. ”

Chen Guo laughed, "That's it, I'll send you out." ”

In any case, Chen Ji was willing to call him the third brother, and a large part of the little guilt in his heart dissipated.

When he heard that his grandfather might pass him on last year, many of the words said by the people gathered around him made him hear in his heart, so for a while, he would even have the thought of "why not die". When he came back to his senses, he was worried for a long time, and finally he couldn't resist the inner torment, went to his grandfather to make a confession, and finally ran to the ancestral hall and knelt for a long time.

was so distressed that his mother washed her face with tears every day, but his grandfather didn't say anything, but after receiving the "report of safety" from Qingzhou, he personally went to the ancestral hall to pick him up.

Of course, if you want to completely let go of this kind of thing, you still need to talk to Chen Ji, otherwise if everyone stays together for a long time in the future, this idea will slowly turn into something more terrifying.

Therefore, under the several arches erected outside, Chen Guo was acting and apologizing to Chen Ji.

Chen Ji felt that this third brother was too sincere. Then he also returned the salute.

……

A little later, Chen Ji returned to the place where Chen Xiujie lived temporarily in the city, Chen Wenxuan, who got the news, was already waiting for him in the front yard, and when he saw him coming, he avoided Chen Ji's greeting gift, with a little anger, "Who are you studying when you pass through the door and don't enter?" ”

Chen Ji said helplessly: "Isn't this intercepted for Lao Chen." By the way, how did he know I could get there today? ”

Chen Wenxuan shook her head.

Chen Ji didn't delve into it anymore and asked, "Grandma, are they still used to life here?"

Chen Wenxuan nodded, "I'm still used to it, but I'm a little diligent every day." My aunt is also pregnant, and you can be an elder brother at the end of the year, so you have to take care of it in the future, and don't be as unobtrusive as before. ”

Chen Wenxuan disappeared from Chen Ji's afterglow, and when she turned around, Chen Ji fell behind, with an expression of eating soil.

Chen Wenxuan laughed and walked back towards him, "Maybe my father stopped you because of this?" ”

"What? Are you still ashamed to see me? Chen Ji finally eased up, "Sister Xuan, I'm really happy to hear this news." I must give praise to Lao Chen. ”

"That's our father, don't be an old Chen."

Chen Ji echoed: "Yes, yes, yes, our father, our father can do it." Chen Wenxuan glared at Chen Ji, too lazy to blame.

Laughing, the sister and brother went to the backyard and met the old grandmother, the old man looked at him and said distressedly, blaming his son for a long time.

Chen Ji hurriedly comforted and said a lot of thoughtful words.

The old lady gradually regained her smile, and felt that her grandson had finally grown up, and then thought about untying the knot, and finally had a child's son and second daughter-in-law, and the old man's heart was full of warmth.

This big family, this family, finally has some shape.