The night is quieter, and the house in the county government is still brightly lit.

The abacus beads crackled, and the slender little hand held the pen barrel to scribble down line after line of words in the account book. In the dim light, the mark left by smallpox on the girl's face was not obvious, and at this time, it was enough to be called a beauty.

With the identity of the daughter of the girl Wei Guogong, such a woman should be held in the palm of her hand, in her mouth, and flattered in every way, how can she be used as a bookkeeper? Looking at the Ming Dynasty, I am afraid that there is only Fan Jin who can use the daughter of the prince as the county order of the record office, and on this point alone, even Zhang Juzheng is not as majestic as him.

Zheng Chan shook the fan for Xu Liu to repel mosquitoes and cool down, and couldn't help yawning, Xu Liu looked at her, and said sharply: "Don't yawn indiscriminately!" Not a spark of decency! A girl from a big family, can she be like this? ”

Looking at the other powerful mothers-in-law in the room, Zheng Chan didn't dare to fight back, so she had to answer yes, and asked with some trepidation: "Sixth Miss, it's so late, aren't you going back?" ”

"I told my mother that I would stay with my aunt today, so I didn't have to go back. Besides, my brother-in-law didn't bring Master Qian Gu this time, and I don't know the truth of the accounts in the yamen, do I rely on you if I don't help? You're going to settle accounts, but if something goes wrong with a figure as big as this yamen, can you afford it? ”

The well-behaved and lovely girl in front of Fan Jin is now revealing the domineering side of the daughter of a big family, Zheng Chan's momentum was completely suppressed, so she had to echo and said: "What Miss Sixth has taught is that you are just a noble person, so you shouldn't do these rough jobs." Rest and rest, if you are tired, the lord will blame you. ”

"I won't get tired of working for my brother-in-law. Besides, my brother-in-law is estimated to come back very late tonight, and I will wait for him here. Mother Wang, go to the kitchen and see how the iced honeysuckle water is prepared. My brother-in-law will drink a lot of wine today, and my mouth must be very dry when I come back, this honeysuckle water can both cool off and defeat the fire, and my brother-in-law will let him drink it first as soon as he comes back. ”

Zheng Chan felt that this Xu Liu was very much like the eldest woman in the family at this time, and she actually entered the role of a concubine and maid in advance, and she was very depressed. But against such a young lady, she had no choice but to continue to fan mechanically. The one outside beat the second watch, and a mother-in-law walked in and said, "The eldest man is back and is walking to the inner house." ”

"Great!"

When Xu Liu heard this, he immediately jumped up, hugged a few account books in his arms, and glanced at Zheng Chan again: "You go to sleep in the next room, you are not allowed to come over tonight!" Mama Li, you watch her pass. Then he trotted all the way to the door of the house with the account book.

"Sixth sister? You didn't come home? ”

Fan Jin, who was holding the lantern, was also very surprised to see Xu Liu, no matter what, a big girl who has not left the pavilion should not stay in her own yamen, this is really too problematic. The latter smiled smugly,

"I don't usually live at home, but I always live with my aunt at the family temple. Besides, we have a lot of property in the city, so I can't sleep anywhere. As soon as I arrived, my mother had to find my mother-in-law's house, and I was so annoyed that I wanted to cut my hair and become a nun, so I was still happy outside. Besides, my brother-in-law went to eat flowers and wine, and there was no one around to help, so what if I didn't stay to help you look at the accounts? I...... Sister Shunqing and I are good sisters, so naturally I have to help her. ”

She held up the account book in her hand and said, "I've reconciled so many accounts in one night, isn't it good?" ”

"Sixth sister, you have been ...... Didn't sleep? ”

"I'm not sleepy, so naturally I won't sleep. Besides, the sooner these accounts are sorted out, the easier it will be for my brother-in-law to take over the errand, and how can I sleep. ”

The two walked towards the study as they spoke, and Fan Jin looked around and asked, "What about Zheng Chan?" ”

"I sent her back to her room to sleep, and at first glance she came out of a small house, and she had never learned the rules. In the past, everything was good, but in the future, she will be embarrassed at her brother-in-law's house. I went back and asked my mother to send a few girls over to teach her the rules and serve her brother-in-law well. ”

Fan Jin smiled and didn't speak. Xu Liu asked, "Brother-in-law, are you ...... tonight Came back alone? ”

"Of course, or else?"

"I ...... I thought Wang Xuexiao would come back with you. She said...... He said that he would stay in the yamen for a few days. Xu Liu lowered his head and said.

Fan Jin looked at her, "What will happen if Wang Xuexiao really lives in the sixth sister?" ”

"I'm not going to do anything, I just think ...... felt that her identity was unworthy. It's always my eldest brother who is the worst, and it's okay to bring such a woman to my brother-in-law, it's all his fault. My sister isn't here, I want to watch my brother-in-law and not do bad things for my sister. If Wang Xuexiao only stays for a few days, if she stays for a long time, I will drive her away! ”

Fan Jin smiled, "I just guessed that the sixth sister would be unhappy, so I didn't let her live in." Today, I drank wine and ate with the gentry in the county, and talked for a while. Brother Xu wanted to drag me to gamble, but I pushed it away. Wang Xuexiao accompanied Brother Xu to the stall, and I came back. ”

Xu Liudao: "I know that my brother-in-law is different from my eldest brother, so I won't be as bad as him." Except for drinking flower wine and gambling, there is no serious business at all, how can a talented person like my brother-in-law be like my eldest brother. Let's go, let's go into the room to look at the account, the account in Shangyuan County is really scared to death. ”

When he walked into the study, the mother-in-law had already brought the iced honeysuckle water, and the two of them each shared a bowl, Xu Liu spread out the account book and said to Fan Jin: "Brother-in-law, you see, Shangyuan has a big deficit here." I used to think that a few hundred taels would be about the same, but now I have preliminarily calculated that on the account alone, the yamen has a deficit of more than 2,000 taels, and this has not been calculated, and I don't know how many after the calculation. ”

Fan Jin looked at the account books, but was not frightened by this huge deficit, but smiled: "Actually, I thought that it would be like this, Shangyuan is the first county, ushering in the send-off, entertaining official business, plus the apportionment of the entire Jiangning, it is strange that there is no deficit." The tenth world is not good, Shangyuan Zhixian, this is not a loss. There is a cross order of the first county, has the sixth sister heard it? ”

Xu Liu shook his head to say that he didn't know, Fan Jin said: "Listen to me read it with you: one word red, two words are round, three words are clear, you can read antiques, you are not afraid of big losses, Go horses are hanging in the middle, you Ling children are diligent, your clothes are neat and your words are calm, the Lord Enxiande is full of praise, and the guests are often full of wine in the glass." You see, people have said that if you are the first county, you can't be afraid of a big deficit, and if I am the first county here, I naturally have the courage to bear the deficit. ”

"Fun...... Ha ha...... It's fun. Xu Liu couldn't help laughing out loud, as everyone's lady, she couldn't show her teeth and couldn't laugh loudly, but in front of Fan Jin, these rules didn't work, she laughed like an innocent little girl, and it took a while to stop laughing. Xingyan looked at Fan Jin and said, "Brother-in-law, do you usually tell jokes to tease your sister like this?" ”

"That's natural, Shun Qing smiled more happily than you. But I don't dare to tell her such a joke, and when she says it, she will definitely send a sigh of emotion, saying how unbearable this cross order is, and how to solve it. It's just you heartless little girl, take this as a joke. Your brother-in-law is now in a big deficit, and he is still smiling so happily. ”

"What are you afraid of in the shortfall, isn't it just a thousand taels of silver? My dowry field is also worth more than this. I went back and sold the fields, which was enough to fill the deficit for my brother-in-law. If it doesn't work, I'll go to my mother to ask for it, and my mother will cry if she doesn't give it to me, as long as I cry, my mother will be willing to do anything. ”

Fan Jin smiled: "Then you gave me the dowry field, what will you do if you marry in the future?" ”

"I ...... I won't marry anyone......" Xu Liu muttered something, and finally said this. His face turned red again inexplicably, and he lowered his head and gently rubbed the corners of his clothes with his hands.

"My brother-in-law is a talented man who should devote himself to learning, and these money, food, and mundane things should not mess with my brother-in-law's heart. Originally, there should have been a money and food master to take care of these, but my brother-in-law didn't bring anyone, so I asked my father to find a few people to help my brother-in-law. Brother-in-law just needs to be the county magistrate with peace of mind, and I'll figure out a way to deal with Qian Gu's affairs. ”

"What can the little yellow-haired girl do!" Fan Jin's face sank, and then he couldn't help laughing: "Your brother-in-law is so useless in your eyes, and you want to sell your land for a few thousand taels of silver?" How can I get this money, even the summer and autumn taxes, there is a way, and you don't need to sell anything. Brother-in-law, the first county, not only can't post money, but also make money, and when you make a lot of money, your brother-in-law will buy you flowers to wear. Right now...... Let's go to bed early when it's dark, but fortunately there are guest rooms in the inner house. Tomorrow you must go home and go to sleep, or I won't let you come here." ”

Xu Liu looked at Fan Jin, "Brother-in-law...... You...... Are you going to find that Zheng Chan? ”

"You little kid, don't mind the adults. Besides, I still have a lot of things to do, and most of them can't sleep tonight, so what else are I looking for Zheng Chan. Don't compare yourself with me, your body is thin and can't hurt your mind, go to bed quickly, and go home early tomorrow morning. ”

"I don't ...... I mean, I can't sleep in a different place. The places where I slept were the best, my brother-in-law's yamen was so broken that the bed was so hard that my waist could be broken, and the smell in the room was weird, so I couldn't sleep. Otherwise......" The little girl's eyes flashed twice, "Brother-in-law, can you play with me?" We play chess, we play backgammon, or we play the cards you play. Otherwise, you'll teach me how to write stories. ”

"Children, know how to play." Fan Jin sighed, "If you are really not sleepy, your brother-in-law will show you some interesting things, are you interested?" ”

"Yes, yes, yes. As long as you play with your brother-in-law, you can watch anything. ”

"I'll take you...... Let's try the case. You know that an old woman scolded me during the day today? She said that she was from Jiangning and was not under my control, so I brought her with me. ”

Xu Liu was stunned, "There is such a thing, I don't know." Where did the old woman dare to scold her brother-in-law, it's really bad. What Jiangning County and Shangyuan County, in this city, there is nothing that our Wei State Mansion can't manage. Wang Ma, you take someone to ......"

"Take someone to bring the old woman here, I have something to ask her, and I don't have to embarrass her." Fan Jin took over the words and nodded to the mother-in-law, Xu Liu had no choice but to say, "Do what my brother-in-law says." A few of you will follow Wang Ma, by the way, bring some sugar water. ”

As soon as the mother-in-law went, there were only two of them left in the room, Xu Liu looked at Fan Jin excitedly and shyly, and asked, "Brother-in-law, will I be pretending to be a master for a while?" Do you want to change your clothes? ”

"You're so cute, you can't scare people with anything, it's better to do this. For a while, you are only responsible for listening, and you don't need to remember anything. But you have to promise me one thing, no matter what you hear, you are not allowed to say it, especially not to tell my old uncle and aunt, can you do it? If you say it, I won't play with you in the future. ”

"I know I know, whatever my brother-in-law says, I definitely won't say." Xu Liu nodded, and asked puzzledly: "An ignorant woman scolded her brother-in-law, just clean her up, why do you still ask questions and don't say anything?" ”

"You don't understand. How could an ordinary old woman have the guts to scold me? There is something strange here, and when I came back, I asked Zhang Tiejian to take good care of her for my life, so as not to let people get close to the old woman, and now I know the answer. ”

As she spoke, the old woman had already entered the room under the drag of several mothers-in-law, although there was Fan Jin's order, but since she was a prisoner, it was not easy to be happy. The old woman, who already had a vegetable face, looked even more haggard at this time, and finally her body was not in serious trouble, and she was not in danger. As soon as the person entered the study, he knelt there and said, "The people's women see the eldest master." The women of the people are wronged! Ask the lord to call the shots! ”

Xu Liudao: "Don't shout! scolded my brother-in-law during the day, and now I come to shout grievances, where is this kind of truth? You are from Jiangning, why did you come to Shangyuan to cry out for injustice? Do you understand the rules? ”

The old man said: "Since Shangyuan County can cure the sin of the old woman, you can receive the old woman's paper!" When the eldest lord brought me, he should avenge my grievances, and he shouldn't share anything with Shangyuan Jiangning! As long as you can hate the people's wife, even if you beat the old woman to death, the old woman will admit it! ”

Fan Jin said: "I'm afraid you didn't say this yourself, right?" Presumably someone deliberately taught you this, you tell me first, who taught you this trick to scold first and then shout injustice? The person who taught you may not be kind, and you are too easy to deceive, and others dare to scold you when they say it. Aren't you afraid that the official won't ask a word and just beat you up? ”

The old woman didn't hide it, "Yes, there is a son who taught the people to say so. The old woman didn't know the name of the son, but she only knew that he was a kind person. As for life and death...... The old woman has nothing to worry about in the world, and she dies when she dies, what is so terrible? I have run all over the yamen in Yingtian, and no one dares to take the women's papers, so I have to make this decision. Master Fan saves the people of the world with cowpox, but he is a Wenqu star descended from heaven, a living Bodhisattva! It is the last hope of the old woman, if you can no longer be the master of the people's women here, the people's women will only die! Ask Master Fan to be the master of the people's wife! Give the women a fair hand! ”

Fan Jin nodded and said: "As soon as you scold here, the official will know that there must be something wrong, come here, help her up, and give her a bowl of water to drink." If there is any injustice, just say it, and the official will try to give you justice. ”