Chapter 301: The Poor and the Rich

The Gu family was second only to the Zhang family in Kaifeng, and there were many people in the court who were officials in the court. However, the remnants of the ancestors can't stand the squandering of the younger generation, and now the surviving children and grandchildren of the Gu family are not very promising. The former patriarch Gu Qiaoshan is the younger brother of the Gu family, and after the death of his wife, he married a rich girl who was twenty years younger than himself to fill the house. He didn't care about the sons raised by these concubines, he had already divided some of his family wealth and sent them out to set up his own door, only caring about his own enjoyment, and he couldn't even recognize his grandchildren when he died.

persuaded several times but to no avail, Gu was ruthless and no longer cared about her mother's affairs, because of this, she has always been estranged from the Gu family. Many of the concubines of the Gu family did something unsightly because of poverty, so when she opened the seal, she ordered the people in the family not to let them come to the door. Zhang Zuo met Gu Bin's father when he was unwilling in the past, admired the other party's character, and felt the other party's life experience, so he helped Gu Bin, and later asked for a place as a prisoner in front of Gu's family.

At this moment, seeing this nephew of the mother's family kowtowing in front of him, the Gu family on the kang couldn't help but be stunned for a while, with mixed feelings in his heart, and then said with a smile: "Before when you went to Nanjing, the third child took you here once, and now you have grown so big." Hurry up and let me take a good look, there are so many unsuccessful people in the Gu family, but you are the only one! ”

Compared with Zhang Yue's ability to deal with people, Gu Bin was dwarfed in this aspect, standing up and stepping forward at this time, seeing Gu Shi pulling him up and down, he was actually a little uncomfortable. The lily incense is smoked in the Ding furnace in the room, and there is a porcelain vase painted by the kiln on the plum blossom high table in the corner, and the girls standing around are also neatly dressed and embroidered brilliantly. In contrast, he escaped from a poor relative who saw rich and noble elders, so where could he let go.

Gu didn't care about this, after taking a closer look, he ordered him to sit down, and asked about the situation in Guozijian. After learning that Gu Bin was excellent in the two-year-old exam, she nodded with satisfaction. Glancing at Zhang Yue standing beside her, she couldn't help but feel that Gu Bin's clothes were really unsightly, so she said: "You are studying in Guozijian, and you will rarely have the opportunity to come over in the future, so you will stay for dinner today and leave." It's good that you're simple and not luxurious, but now that it's cold, you should make a few sets of winter clothes. Later, I will let Brother Yue lead you to measure the size and make two sets of cocoon silk cotton clothes and hats, shoes and socks, which can be regarded as a little bit of my heart. ”

Although Gu Bin's expenses in the Guozijian are all supported by the government, after all, there are always some expenses on weekdays, and this money is completely provided by the Zhang family, so at this time, Gu said that he wanted to make clothes, and he instinctively wanted to open his mouth and refuse, but when he saw Zhang Yue glaring at him again and again, he swallowed back the words that came to his lips and thanked him sneeringly. Fortunately, after Gu stayed with him for lunch, he just took care of him a few more words and ordered Zhang Yue to take him out.

Zhang Yue called two needlework girls to the east wing of the North Courtyard to measure Gu Bin's size, and when he sent someone away, he smiled and said: "You can accept this intention, but a few sets of clothes, there is nothing to be embarrassed about." Who doesn't worry about their mother's family? The old lady has always hated iron and steel, and she is happy to see that you are studying and progressing, and she inevitably wants to compensate you a little. ”

"I'm just not used to it." Gu Bin's cold face showed a hint of confusion, "Except for your father, no one cared about our family at the beginning, and even almost ran out of food during the Chinese New Year...... Well, there's no point in talking about it now. I'm going back to China right now to prepare for the resumption of classes, and I'll rarely have a chance to see you in the future. I thought he would say to you, if I had known this, I should have brought a letter, and I was to blame! But I don't know what happened, and Guozijian didn't say anything about it, it was his eldest brother who brought people back. ”

Zhang Yue naturally wouldn't poke Gu Bin's scar uninterestingly, and he knew that with this guy's personality, he would definitely have few friends in the Guozi Prison, so as long as Fang Ling gave him an order, Gu Bin would indeed not talk around with a big mouth. Just when he was sighing secretly, he saw Gu Bin suddenly pat his head.

"I almost forgot the most important thing. You also know that my temperament is easy to offend people, and there have been a few times when I can't protect Fang Ling, and I don't know who said hello. Before I came to Beijing this time, Master Chen said that someone asked me to bring you a sentence saying that I had read all the notes on the Analects you had written. ”

What does that mean?

Zhang Yue was stunned for a moment, but his eyes lit up when he thought about it. Guozijian are all civil officials who pay the most attention to etiquette in old-fashioned Taoism, and they will not buy the account of the military attache in their spare time, so there are only a handful of people who can make a dignified priest take care of Gu Bin, even Yang Shiqi may not have such a face. And who would have traveled thousands of miles to bring such a simple sentence to someone, who else would there be besides Zhu Zhanji, the crown prince? In this way, Zhu Di actually had someone copy it and give it to Zhu Zhanji after reading his several books?

When Gu Bin was sent out of the door, Zhang Yue, who was full of excitement, wiped his face with cold water, and then he suppressed the excitement in his heart, knowing that he had not taken the risk in vain this time. Thinking about the matter of Fang Ling, he immediately decided to go to the Sun family to find Sun Han first, and then go to the Fang family to visit together.

Although Sun Han's father was the second son and could not be the lord, he was finally given the position of secretary, so after arriving in Beijing, he built a big mansion in Songshu Hutong. Since the Sun family and the Zhang family were already ironclad in-laws, the porter invited him in as soon as he heard that Zhang Yue had signed up. However, the father and son of the Sun family were on duty in the palace on this day, and they happened to be absent, Sun Han's mother Liu met Zhang Yue in person, and when she learned that she was asking about family affairs, although she had the heart to help, she didn't even know as much as Zhang Yue.

Fang Ling had just arrived in Beijing before Zhang Yue's marriage, and Zhang Yue had always known that his father and brother were selfish people, so he had never been to Fang's house, so he had to ask for the address of Fang's mansion at this time. Liu couldn't explain it for a while, so he hurriedly ordered a housekeeper's daughter-in-law to take Zhang Yue outside, and soon found a follower who had been to Fang's house and asked him to lead Zhang Yue.

After saying goodbye to Sun's house, Zhang Yue was led by that man. To his surprise, the Fang family did not live in Xicheng, where the powerful gathered, but in the Wei family Hutong on the east side of Shichahai. There are some high-gate compounds nearby, but there are no official positions written on the gate archway, and they are just rich and honest people. This family came to him, and even with a guide, he was still easy to find.

The follower was a talker, and while taking Zhang Yue and others to find a place, he nagged and said: "Young Master Fang's grandfather, Fuchang Bojing, descended to the emperor when he was in trouble, and he and the old lady who died in our family once guarded Tongzhou side by side, so the friendship between the two families is very good." However, although our master can't attack the lord, after all, there is only one son of the young master, and he always loves him tightly. The title of the Fang family is not hereditary, and now Young Master Fang's father has been appointed as a commander, and his eldest brother has entered the palace as a son-in-law to guard the house, but no one cares about him at all...... Alas! ”

Although Zhang Yue knew some of the situation of the Fang family, some of the words were heard for the first time today, and he couldn't help frowning. It was easy to inquire all the way and find the place, which was a high-walled compound with three five black oil and tin ring gates, only the corner gate on the side of the wall was tightly closed, and no one entered or exited. He turned over and dismounted, and was about to let Lian Sheng, who was accompanying him, knock on the door, but the closed corner door was suddenly opened with a babbling sound, and a man in a green silk robe came out of it.

"Yuanjie, why are you here?"

Fang Ling blurted out, and when he saw Zhang Yue glaring at him with a very ugly face, he suddenly thought of the joints. After being stunned for a moment, he walked forward quickly, and simply spread his hands and said crisply: "I know that the first should not hide it from you, but at that time, when you were overjoyed, you can't use my troubles to make you unhappy, right?" It's okay, isn't it just that Guozijian doesn't want me? I am a dignified manly husband, and I don't have a place to stay here! ”

Seeing that the corner door behind Fang Ling slammed shut, there was neither a follower nor a horse, and then he was smiling heartlessly, but he lost a lot of weight, Zhang Yue suddenly knew in his heart. stepped forward and punched Fang Ling's left shoulder, and he said in a deep voice: "Since you don't want to say it, don't say it, let's go drink!" ”

Hearing Zhang Yue say this, Fang Ling suddenly laughed: "This is what you said, on your wedding night, Lao Wan and Xiao Xia originally said that they wanted to get you drunk, but they still let you go for the sake of your eldest brother, second brother and bride." Now that you said you want to drink, see if I don't pour you a belly of yellow soup! ”

Zhang Yue instructed Lian Sheng to lead the horse to follow, and he walked all the way with Fang Ling. After turning two alleys, Fang Ling pointed to an inconspicuous signboard on the side of the road and said with a smile: "This is it, don't look at the small place, but the wine in it is authentic Jimo old wine!" Since you said to drink today, I have to squeeze your pockets dry! ”

Signaling Lian Sheng to tie the two horses to the tethered post at the door, Zhang Yue followed Fang Ling into the tavern with Jimo old wine written on it. After sitting down, the guy sent hot wine, and the two drank several bowls of wine, Zhang Yue was about to speak, but he saw Fang Ling drink another bowl in one go, and laughed drunk.

"It is said that as a prisoner, I competed with others and ruined the reputation of the country, but in fact, it was not because I offended Li Maofang, the Marquis of Fuchun? I'm just the concubine of a declining hero's family, and I am the concubine of Princess Yongping, so it's not easy to catch my mistakes? ”

As he spoke, he poured a bowl of wine and drank it all, and then sneered: "My father and brother in the family only know how to avoid trouble, and when they learned that I was expelled from the Guozi Prison, they asked my eldest brother to take me back to Beijing, but they didn't even go to the Guozi Jian to ask for a reason. When it comes to the ground, it's a family law, and it's up to me to defend it at all! Yuan Festival, your family are all responsible elders and brothers, why are my family such indifferent fathers and big brothers? ”

Seeing Fang Ling drinking as if he was drinking water, Zhang Yue originally planned to persuade two sentences, but when he heard the last sentence, he couldn't help frowning. As if because of those wines, Fang Ling, who was already half-drunk, unconsciously muttered about how he used to be at home, still pouring bowls of wine desperately, and finally fell asleep on the table.

Even so, Zhang Yue could still hear the muttering: "Li Maofang...... Don't think I don't know that you're secretly plotting! ”