When the trembling Sha and the fearless Jiyin walked into the ancestral hall, Fan Jin and Li Cai were already present. In addition to them, there are several leading gentlemen in the township and Feng Mingqi in the ancestral hall, and Hua Zhengying has taken the place of the Jia family in the position of the patriarch.

Seeing Sha Shi walk in, Hua Zhengying nodded and saluted, but the fifth master Hua Zhengjie had already stepped forward, held Jiyin's hand affectionately and said, "Virtuous nephew, is the dim sum sent by the fifth uncle delicious?" If you like to eat, the fifth uncle will give it to you again in the future. Sister-in-law, you don't look very good, go back and let Lang Zhong take a look. People die like lights go out, no matter how much you miss your big brother, you have to take care of your body, come and sit down. ”

Sha Shi lowered his head in fear, not daring to look at everyone in the ancestral hall, but said in a loud voice: "I am not a sister-in-law, the old lady is qualified to be called so." I'm just a concubine...... There is no seat for me here. ”

Her eyes wandered around for the one she feared the most, and she soon found her target in the next chair. But then she found that after only a few days of missing her, Jia's appearance had changed greatly.

The originally straight waist was now bent into a bow, and a pair of eyes as sharp as an eagle had become dull and cloudy and lifeless. His hair was full of silver silk, his spirit was haggard, and he sat there coughing a few times from time to time, and the whole person seemed to shrink a little. Hua Jiyin stood beside her mother, beating her back, holding a handkerchief in her hand, and wiping the saliva from the corners of her mouth from time to time for her mother.

Jiyin walked up at this time and called out to the eldest mother, but Jia Shi did not answer. I screamed twice, but there was no response. Hua Zhengying smiled: "Sister-in-law, my little nephew called you." ”

Hua Jiyin said embarrassedly: "Mother...... After returning to the room yesterday, my ears were not good, and I had to shout loudly to speak. Don't dare to make noise in the ancestral hall for fear of shocking the ancestors, this secular ceremony will be exempted. I'm not afraid of everyone's jokes, my mother has added a lot of illness this night, you look at this saliva, I really don't know how to do it. Just sit there and drool. ”

Hua Jiyin stepped forward to take the handkerchief from her brother's hand, stood beside Jia Shi and wiped her mouth for her, Jia Shi looked at him, muttered something in a slurred voice, and it took a while to hear clearly, "Who is he?" Which room for the children? How did you get to the ancestral hall? ”

"When my mother returned to the room, she became like this, she understood for a while and was confused, and sometimes she didn't even recognize me." Hua Jiyin wiped the sweat on his head and explained to the elders. Of course, he knew in his heart that the culprit who caused his mother to become like this was in the ancestral hall, but the clan relationship was like this, even if his heart was bright, he couldn't say it. Otherwise, you will become a sinner.

Hua Zhengying said: "I think it's too hot, the old sister-in-law has an old illness, and she can't get lost in a mouthful of phlegm, so I turn around and let Lang Zhongxing needle, this phlegm comes out, and everything will be fine." Blame us for this, my sister-in-law is tired from this illness, if she had unloaded her errands earlier, she wouldn't have been like today. She is like this, she can only rest and recuperate and recover slowly. Fortunately, there are successors in my Hua family, so I won't panic and mess up. Look at Jiyin, how good this child is, so filial to his elders, knows how to be polite, and deserves to be a good son of my Hua family. I really want to teach this kid myself......"

The old man said fairly: "Let's get down to business first, let's talk about the professor's article later." Jiyin, your mother is sick, so can you control this property? Don't miss the current separation and future handover because of this illness. There are so many people in the entire Hua family, if this account is not clear, something big will happen. ”

"Uncle rest assured, my mother has been a housekeeper over the years, and every property has an account, a public account in the clan, and a detailed account of the entry and exit of my room. The grandson has already brought the account book and the real estate deed, and asked the uncle to look at it. ”

"That's good." The old uncle nodded, and motioned to Hua Jiyin to send the account book and the key to the treasury, these things represent the power of the head of the clan, and to hand them over is to hand over the lifeblood of the clan. Hua Jiyin looked at money very lightly, and the clan elder quickly handed over the things after giving orders, and then walked back to his mother quickly. At the moment when he walked towards his mother, he noticed that the creepy smile appeared again on the face of Hua Jiyin, who was facing his mother's back to the Yigan clansman, although it was only a flash in the pan, but it was extremely clear.

Jia muttered something in his mouth, but his tongue was not good, and others couldn't hear it clearly, so the uncle in the clan reprimanded, "I'm also a person who is in charge of the family, don't you understand the rules?" No noise in the ancestral hall! ”

On the other side, the housekeepers of several rooms focused their attention on the account book handed over by Hua Jiyin, and no one cared about everything that happened here. The heat is unbearable, but Hua Jiyin's heart is cold. He looked at these uncles and elders, and saw that they were all smiling, and they were all smiling just as brightly. Looking at those account contracts, everyone smiled so happily, including the three clan elders, the difference was only that Jiyin was smiling on his face, while they were smiling in his heart.

Over the years, the Jia family has worked hard for the sake of the family, and there are naturally many excesses in the means, and the strict management of money and property is not easy for each house to make money. The Hua family is also considered a rich man, but under the leadership of the family members who believe in frugality, even the family members in each room live a very tight life. In the rules formulated by the Jia family, there are requirements for dress and diet, as long as the flower family has to abide by it, even if there is money, they can't enjoy it, of course, most of the time the money of the clan has to be handed over to the clan workers, and the individual does not have much money left.

Eating, drinking, and begging for concubines, these are very common behaviors at the moment, and they are not allowed in the clan. Although the Yihua family is rich and noble, except for a few special cases where there are no wives, all of them are not allowed to take concubines. The fifth uncle had a personal affair with the girl on the day of the festival, and he was punished by his mother to kneel for three days and three nights in the ancestral hall, and the girl was sunk in the pond. Today...... They are taking revenge. Revenge for the rigid and orderly life over the years, and revenge for the mother's discipline of them.

The whole family, it turns out that no one likes us. No one likes an autocratic patriarch, no one likes to live this ascetic life, people have long wanted to change.

Jiyin figured out a lot of things at this moment, such as why his mother was seized power so quickly, and why these people did not object to the separation of the family. I also thought about the great changes that the flower family will face in the future, as well as the consequences that may be faced. But he can't do anything about it, and he doesn't want to care about it anymore, so let it be.

Hua Zhengjie had already enthusiastically called Sha's sister-in-law and invited her to her seat, while Hua Zhengying sang the account book to Fan Jin and others. Most of the Hua family's property is the public property of the clan, although the Jia family has been in charge of the family for many years, she has never sought much personal benefit for her branch, and the property in her name is not too much.

The social method she worked hard to maintain was similar to the small clan society that He Xinyin had set up in his hometown back then, and the property was publicly owned. Everyone has no personal property, and all food and expenses are allocated from the clan property, and personal property is meaningless and insecure. No matter what way the money is earned, it must be shared by the clan to subsidize those poor clansmen. The welfare treatment for the poor is first-class at the moment, but it is torture for the rich.

Hua Zhengfang has her own share in the family property, of course, but there is no clear text explanation for this share, and it is rather confusing to divide it. Several clansmen looked at Fan Jin and asked for his opinion. Fan Jin said: "This property is the industry of your house, and Fan is an outsider, so it is difficult to speak." As long as you feel that you can give an account in your conscience, even if you only give a penny and an acre of land to their mother and son, it doesn't matter. ”

Guo Congshan said: "Today, the government and the local gentry are here, and the ancestors of the Hua family are also watching the spirits of the heavens. I think everyone is a knowledgeable person, so naturally they will not do anything deceitful. ”

Hua Zhengying said: "What Guo Yuanwai said is true. This is the ancestral hall, with the ancestors watching on the head, who dares to deceive people? ”

He looked at Sha's family, "Sister-in-law, what do you think about this property?" ”

Sha didn't know how to speak at this time, and besides, she was weak and didn't know how to fight with others. When he saw that he was asked, he only shook his head again and again and said, "I...... I don't want anything but my son. Just let us get out of this ......."

"Leave ......" Hua Zhengying looked at Fan Jin, "Mr. Fan, what did my sister-in-law say about leaving?" ”

"I think, Aunt Sha means, to live in the city." Fan Jin took over, "Your mansion also has some real estate in the county, and it is not difficult to live in one place for Aunt Sha. If the property in her name is not worth this amount, Fan will pay for it. Jiyin, is that what your mother means? ”

Hua Jiyin nodded and said, "Yes, that's what my mother meant." ”

Hua Zhengying said: "Oh, is that so? That's very easy to do, my Hua family has three houses in the city, all of which are quite passable, and I will let Jiyin and them choose one to live in after a while. As for the property, this doesn't need to be so clear, just say that the sister-in-law gave birth to a boy for my eldest brother, and such a big credit is enough to be a property. Let's reckoning with this wealth and the property. ”

Jiyin coughed, "Eighth uncle, can the little nephew speak?" ”

The old uncle said fairly: "You are a prisoner with a meritorious name, why can't you speak?" If you have anything to say, just ask. ”

Jiyin thanked the clan elder, "The little grandson will go to Jiangning Guozijian to study in the future, and he will not live at home." My mother lives in the county seat again, and she can't manage the affairs of the land. Moreover, this Zhongtian property is cultivated by the eldest mother with all the uncles and brothers, and every acre of land is full of the eldest mother's hard work, and the grandson can't bear to take it for himself. It is a field, and the grandchildren don't want an acre. ”

Hua Zhengying was stunned for a moment, then looked at Fan Jin, Fan Jin said: "This is the property of your mansion, naturally it is subject to the will of the people in your mansion, and we don't have much to do." ”

He looked at Sha Shi again, and Sha Shi said, "I listen to Yin'er, and what my son says is what it is." I...... I sew and wash for others, and I can also feed the children. ”

Li Cai said: "Okay! What a benevolent and righteous young man! The former of this official inspected the article, and knew that this son would become a great weapon one day, and today he saw that Jiyin could emphasize righteousness and light production, and he was even more sure that he had a bright future! The farmer's family is based on the field, and the official is in the yamen, and he has seen many cases of brothers turning against each other and uncles and nephews because of the field. You and your brother can divide the acres of land equally, do you really want an acre? ”

Jiyin nodded and said: "There is a golden house in the book, and there are thousands of bells in the book, and the students can't bear to damage the righteousness of their brothers and sisters because of the small farm property, and these field students don't want it." ”

"Good! The Hua family divided the family property today, but it was a good story, which shows that it must be Aunt Sha's godson who is well-groomed, and the flowers are sheltered, so that there is such a good son. When the county goes back, it will apply for a chastity archway for Aunt Sha, and the government will provide food every month, so that your mother and son will not be hungry and cold. ”

Fan Jin said: "Since Jiyin has decided, then the field will not be mentioned." ”

Hua Zhengying hurriedly said: "Naturally, floating wealth is to be shared. Our Hua family can't do things that bully and do good, and we won't let anyone suffer because of our duty. There will definitely be no shortage of floating wealth and food in the family. ”

At this time, Hua Zhengjie stood up and said, "Patriarch, three uncles." At a young age, the virtuous nephew knows courtesy, I am so old, I can't live as a child. Since my sister-in-law lives in the city, it is inconvenient to come to the countryside to collect rent, so I gave my sister-in-law all the storefronts and shops in the city. ”

Sha Shi was stunned for a moment, and hurriedly said, "I can't help it...... How can this make me unable to take the property of the fifth master. ”

"Sister-in-law, you are going to talk far away, are we a family, why do we divide each other? In the final analysis, it's not all the flower industry. Besides, you can't watch your little brother starve to death, can you? In the future, these stores will still be operated by the younger brother, and the surplus will be at the disposal of the sister-in-law, and the amount distributed to the younger brother will be as much. ”

Li Cai nodded and praised: "That's good! The Hua family is worthy of being the home of Shili, brothers, friends and brothers, and today's family has a good property. If I accept every family like your house, there will be no lawsuits, no property disputes, that is a good world in the world. Today's matter, the official will play according to the truth and praise the flower family. ”

He looked at Fan Jin, and the latter also said: "Yes, the Hua family's division of this property today not only did not break up the family relationship, but showed the affection of the brothers and sisters. Fan should also praise it, so that the people can know the good story of the Jurong Hua family. ”

Guo Congshan and the others all had smiles on their faces, and the clerk even said to Hua Zhengjie: "Jieweng, if I remember correctly, you have a grandson who is twelve this year, right?" The little girl is nine years old this year, how about we ask someone to make a combination another day? With a benevolent person like you as a family, the little girl will not suffer. ”

Li Cai presided over and began to write notes for the division of family property and finalized the division of property. In addition to the floating wealth and the storefront, he also divided a few maids from the Hua family to serve the Sha family. Jiyin was going to enter Jiangning Guozijian to study next, and he would also leave here, and he specially gave him an extra silver tael as study money.

After this operation, the previous disadvantage was finally reversed, and the Hua family was once again recognized by the gentry and praised by the government. Judging from the results, it seems to be a happy ending, which is worth celebrating. But Hua Jiyin couldn't be happy when she looked at everyone's overflowing smiles, and then at her mother's cloudy eyes and suddenly aging face.

It was like something was blocked in my chest, and it was hard to get rid of it. He thought that God must have made a mistake, and that things should not have developed this way, but he couldn't tell how it should be.

Hua Zhengying had already begun to talk to Fan Jin, inviting him to stay for dinner and discuss the article. Hua Zhengjie and Guo Congshan began to talk, and then the business cooperation. At this moment, a member of the Hua family suddenly ran in with a frightened face and said, "Outside...... A eunuch came outside, saying that he wanted to pass on the decree, and asked Master Fan to prepare an incense case to welcome the holy decree! ”