Chapter 132: Relatives Coming in Waves

The Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month is one of the big festivals all year round, every household puts up lanterns to make a Lantern Festival, and dignitaries and dignitaries have to get together in each room, guess the lantern riddles and watch the play, and eat a reunion dinner. Early in the morning, Zhang Yue went to Zhang Fu to say good morning after washing, and just after returning to the house for breakfast, a little girl ran over like a gust of wind.

"Young Master Yue, the little marquis and the little marquis have arrived!"

Zhang Yue heard this unfamiliar title, and he didn't react for a long time, and it took a while to understand that this was his eldest sister Zhang Qing and eldest brother-in-law Meng Jun. Thinking that the two of them arrived in Beijing with Baoding Hou Mengying a few years ago, and they had never seen each other since then, he was suddenly surprised and happy. When he was about to rush out to greet him, he remembered Zhang Fulai and hurriedly asked the little girl, only then did he know that someone from Zhang Fu's office had reported the news. However, as soon as this person was sent away, a housekeeper's daughter-in-law ran in the courtyard.

"Young Master Yue, there are two more groups of guests outside the door. One said that it was Mrs.'s mother's family, a son in his early twenties with a young master of twelve or thirteen years old, who said that he came from Shaanxi; The other group said that it was your relative, young master, a lady with a girl! Steward Rong happened to go out to give a gift, and now Steward Chen outside has taken everyone to the East and West Small Flower Hall to settle separately, and the little Hou and Mrs. of the Baoding Hou family are sitting in the big flower hall. ”

Zhang Yue didn't expect that all these relatives would make up a bunch, he didn't know Mrs. Wang's maiden family even if he went out, and the other group of relatives who claimed to be him were even more unimaginable - even if he wanted to break his head, he really couldn't think of who a woman with a girl's relatives could be. Standing there and pondering for a long time, he was quite unsure, and was about to go to Zhang Fu's place to ask first, before he walked out of the courtyard gate, someone hurriedly came to pass the word.

"The lord said, I didn't expect the guests to arrive on the fifteenth day of the first month. It's so lively. The little marquis of the Baoding Hou family and his wife are all familiar relatives, and the lord has not seen them for a long time, and he also wants them to accompany him to talk. As for the others, please ask the young master to meet, but most of the relatives in the lady's family are in the Jiangnan area, and they have never heard of relatives in Shaanxi. But since this big festival has come, most of them are for asking for help or something, so let the young master help some as appropriate. Don't let people think that our family treats our relatives poorly. ”

Zhang Yue knew this in his heart, so he nodded in response. After going out of the second gate, I saw Meng Jun and Zhang Qing and his wife in the big flower hall, and before he had time to say anything, Zhang Qing took his hand and said a lot of endless words, until he said that Zhang Fu was waiting for them in the main room, and the little couple went with a smile. When the two left, Zhang Yue kept an extra eye, and invited the steward who had just welcomed the guest to inquire carefully. I asked what kind of person it was, and then I went to the Little Flower Hall.

When he came to the east flower hall, Zhang Yue saw two people sitting on the chair on the left. The older man was in his early twenties, and at first glance his eyes wandered, and he should have been an extremely shrewd character; The youngest is a childish boy of twelve or thirteen years old. Born with a rich and joyful round face. Seeing him enter the hall, the young man in his early twenties immediately stood up and stepped forward, a smile on his face.

"But the third son?" Because he asked the steward for a detailed inquiry in advance, the young man recognized Zhang Yue at a glance. At this time, he bowed deeply and said with great humility, "In the lower Rui, brother Fang Jing, we are the nephews of the British Duchess, and we have just arrived from Shaanxi. Now there is a famine in Shaanxi, the displaced people are making trouble, because the Yellow River is frozen and it is difficult to go south, I heard that the British justice is in Beijing. That's why my father and mother sent us to Beijing. ”

As he spoke, the young man also came up to salute, but his speech was not as neat as his brother's, but rather shy. Zhang Yue took a closer look at the two brothers and found that they were in the dust, and there was only an old servant and a little girl behind them, so he knew that they must have been in a hurry. Although he didn't know if they were Mrs. Wang's relatives, when he thought of it, it would be clear when Rong Shan came back, and he didn't have to worry about other people's impersonations. Then he smiled and comforted him. I ordered the girl to bring snacks.

The dim sum was just a few smaller, and the eyes of the round-faced young man Fang Jing lit up. I wanted to reach out and grab it, but I hesitated. Zhang Yue looked at him quite cute, so he glanced at the little girl, who hurriedly brought the plate to him. Fang Jing glanced at his brother, and when he saw that he was sitting in a precarious position, he hesitated and grabbed a piece and put it in his mouth, but he ate it cleanly after dividing it by two.

Seeing this, Fang Rui's face showed a little embarrassment, and then he smiled dryly: "The British duchess is from everyone, and the third prince probably feels that we don't look like her relatives. To tell you the truth, my mother is the cousin of the British Duchess, and it is not us who often walk to the Wang family when she is not out of the cabinet. Actually......"

"Actually, Brother Fang went to Beijing to take the exam, am I right?" Zhang Yue smiled slightly, and when he saw that Fang Rui was stunned for a moment, he said directly, "I just saw that Brother Fang's luggage on the ground seems to have a bookcase, if ordinary people come out to join their relatives, they will not bring this." And Brother Fang came directly with his luggage, probably because of the exam, this inn in Beijing was either full or overpriced. I don't know if I'm right? ”

That Fang Jing devoured three pieces of snacks, and was finally full, looking at Zhang Yue curiously at this time, but he didn't dare to speak casually. When Fang Rui heard Zhang Yue say this, he was secretly shocked by the other party's acuity, and couldn't help sighing: "The third prince is right, I did come to Beijing to take the exam!" This Beijing City Inn is all asking for a price, that is, a rented house, a small room costs half a month and ten yuan, my two brothers ......"

He hesitated for a moment, and saw that Zhang Yue's face was as usual, and immediately put away his initial plan to get through the trick, so he had to explain in a fifteen-ten manner: "We came out in a hurry, and because of the famine in Shaanxi, hundreds of acres of land at home were not harvested, and my parents urged us to go on the road. ”

Knowing that people are indeed rushing to take the exam, and they can't afford to live in an inn because they are too shy to live, Zhang Yue has some sympathy. However, sympathy is sympathy, if it is really Mrs. Wang's relative, it doesn't hurt to stay, but if not, he can't be the master casually. At this moment, he saw Lian Sheng's head suddenly popping out of the door, so he owed a debt and went out.

"Young Master, Steward Rong is back!"

Zhang Yue immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this, after all. The relationship between relatives in this mansion is complicated, and he can barely figure it out from his own side, and he can't do anything about it from the British public here. So, he followed Lian Sheng outside, and when he saw Rong Shan waiting there with a smile, he explained the situation inside one by one.

Rong Shan, the housekeeper, is in charge of the guests who come and go in the house, and he knows the relationship between the upper and lower relatives best, and he counts carefully with his fingers. He smiled and said, "Young Master Yue, this is really a relative of Madame's family." It's just that there is a Tao that is three thousand miles away, and their mother and wife are distant relatives, and it will be even farther away in their generation. According to the meaning of Xiaodi, it is possible to send them a 200 yuan bill to spend as much as possible, but since it is a scholar who entered Beijing to take the exam, it is not impossible to keep it. If the young master can't make a decision, why don't you send someone to ask the master? ”

"Uncle Lobby is meeting the eldest sister and eldest brother-in-law. Don't let anyone bother you now. After staying here for several months, Zhang Yue knew in his heart that there was an empty space in the door of this mansion, and after pondering for a while, he ordered, "If it's other relatives, it's fine, since I'm here to take the exam." Even if the lobby uncle knows, he will always give it a convenience. You asked people to clean up the small courtyard at the west end of the house by the back door, which was originally empty, and it was okay for them to stay for a while. You send someone to talk to their brothers, and tell them to stay. I'll go to the west flower hall to meet another group of relatives who have come to the door, and I'll go and talk about it myself when I'm in the lobby. ”

Due to the orientation of the building, the West Flower Hall has always been colder than the East Flower Hall, so thick curtains have been hung in this winter. Zhang Yue opened the curtain and entered, squinted his eyes slightly to get used to the dim sight, and then saw the two people sitting on the ground. He was astonished when he saw the woman sitting at the bottom with a disturbed face, and the two maidens below.

That's Feng Lan and Jin Shu's mother and daughter!

Compared with the time when he was in Kaifeng City. Feng Lan was a little haggard, although the bun was not messy, he only wore a blue gemstone on his head, and he wore a half-old and blue satin jacket. In the face of his gaze, her face was quite sad, but she still forced a smile, and she was originally sitting diagonally, and her ass was barely next to many chairs.

Jin Shu boldly looked him in the eye. I couldn't tell if I was angry or angry. Or is it shame or shame, in short, just staring at him. Face this scene. Zhang Yue waved his hand and retreated from the two girls standing in the hall, don't turn his eyes to look at Feng Lan, and greeted lightly: "Aunt Feng, I haven't seen you for a long time." ”

As soon as the words fell, Feng Lan stood up and said with a smile: "Brother Yue, it was my lard that blinded my heart at the beginning, and this is why I did such a stupid thing as withdrawing from my family, and I have already regretted my intestines." I was an uninformed woman, and when I saw the situation of the Jinyi Guard, I was stunned for a while, and our master had never seen that scene, so we will come to the door to withdraw from the family after we have summed it up, this is just to protect ourselves, not to fall into the well! ”

She saw that Zhang Yue's face was indifferent, and she didn't mean to answer at all, so she had to wipe her tears helplessly while talking: "If you want to say that our family has also suffered retribution now, a good murder case, the result is that the master is wrong to accept bribes, and the hat of corruption is buttoned up, and now the master has been sent to Dali Temple in Beijing, saying that he will be punished severely." I know that it is me and the master who are sorry for the Zhang family, I just ask that your family don't remember the villain, and don't worry about people like us. Brother Chao'er has a bright future, but my daughter can't climb high. If your family doesn't dislike it, I'm willing to make a second room for Brother Chao'er......"

As soon as the words fell, I only heard a bang, but it was Jin Shu who missed, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground and shattered.