After the painting of "Sniffing Spring". Jiankang City has also arrived.

This day is the twenty-eighth day of the first month, * Guang Zhengmei, Jiankang people two years ago thousands of empty alleys vying to see Chen Caozhi's lively scene reappeared, from Qingximen to the Qinhuai River, scholars and girls fell into the city, the road onlookers, saw the Chen clan's ox cart entourage endlessly, very magnificent, Chen Caozhi, Chen Zongzhi's uncle and nephew are superb, handsome and beautiful, everyone is said that Qian Tang Chen is worthy of being a big family from Yingchuan, it is really a foundation, no wonder Wu Jun Lu and Chen Jun Xie will compete to marry Chen Caozhi -

Chen Shang, Liu Shangwei, Gu Kaizhi, and Zhang Xuanzhi greeted several miles early and entered the city with Chen Caozhi, and the ladies of the Lu Mansion had taken a detour to Guangmomen to go back to Hengtang Lu Mansion first because they were worried about being watched-

Xie Yan, Xie Xuan, and Xie Shao brothers rode horses and followed Xie Daoyun's ox cart, because the spectators were blocked, they couldn't squeeze over to meet Chen Caozhi, Xie Daoyun asked the maid Liu Fu to send a message to Xie Xuan and the three of them: "You don't have to come forward to see each other, just follow for a ride." ”

When they arrived at Chen's house on the bank of the Qinhuai River, the lively crowd dispersed slightly, and the ox carts of Chen Xian, Ding Youwei, Chen Shang's wife and others had entered through the side door, and Ran Sheng, who was riding a big white horse, saw Xie Xuan, so he said to Chen Caozhi: "Brother, look." Xie Peng over there—"

Chen Caozhi got off the horse and went over to meet him, and exchanged a few words with the three Xie brothers, Xie Xuan pointed to the cattle lane parked on the side of the road: "Zizhong, my sister is in the car." ”

As soon as Chen Caozhi walked to the side of the ox cart, the embroidered curtain on the window was opened, and the maid Liu Wu smiled in the car and said: "Chen Langjun has a good New Year, my lady is here." After that, the body staggered, revealing Xie Daoyun's beautiful and elegant melon seed face, the oblique eyebrows were very bright, the eyes were narrow and long, the eyes were squinted when he smiled, the upper and lower eyelashes were rubbed, the pear vortex was shallow, there was a kind of charm in the bones, it was unbelievable that such a woman could be a man!

"Zizhong, is it safe to go back and forth?" Xie Daoyun asked with a smile, his eyes deep.

Chen Caozhi: "It's all good, it's beneficial to open the book, and the shoes are also sufficient." ”

Xie Daoyun thought of his clumsy needlework girl, and couldn't help but be embarrassed, and remembered that the letter he wrote to Chen Caozhi was addressed by her husband.

Chen Caozhi looked at Xie Daoyun carefully, the sun shone into the car near noon, the carriage was very bright, Xie Daoyun's face was not as yellow as the last time they were separated, but a glorious porcelain white, and his cheeks were slightly richer than two months ago. Knowing that his lung disease was healing, he was very happy and said, "I will come to see you again in the evening." Suddenly realized that this was his door, so he said: "The East Garden of the Chen Mansion has been completed, do you want to go in and have a look-my two uncles, as well as my sister-in-law, Zongzhi, and Run'er, they are all here." ”

Xie Daoyun has been to Chenjiawu many times, and has talked face-to-face with Chen Xian, the old patriarch of the Chen family, and they are even more harmonious and affectionate with Ding Youwei and Run'er, but at this time, the hairpin skirt is women's clothing, and they are about to get engaged, how can they rush into the Chen family's house, isn't it laughable!

Xie Daoyun said shyly: "Zizhong, on my behalf, I would like to greet Uncle Chen and Ding's sister-in-law, Daoyun will come to see you in a few days." ”

Chen Caozhi nodded and said, "It's okay." He turned to Xie Xuan and said, "How about the three of you please go to our house for a little tea?" ”

Xie Yan smiled and said nothing, Xie Xuan said: "Today is too hasty, I will officially come to visit another day." After that, they bowed their hands to Chen Caozhi and Chen Shanggong, and the three brothers followed Xie Daoyun's ox cart along the south bank of the Qinhuai River to the direction of Wuyi Lane.

Chen Caozhi entered the house, saw Run'er standing in the foyer stunned, and stepped forward to ask: "Run'er, what's wrong, do you like this house designed by Uncle Ugly?" ”。

Run'er cut the water, her eyes blinked. Surprised, said: "Run'er has dreamed of this house before, when Uncle Ugly showed Run'er the picture, Run'er thought when she could live in this painting, and then I dreamed of this house several times, it was exactly the same, it was so beautiful!" ”

Chen Caozhi smiled and said, "Come, Uncle Ugly will show you this house." ”

This East Garden covers an area of about 12 acres, accounting for more than a quarter of the house, according to the design of Chen Caozhi, this Chen House is a beautiful and grand garden building, the East Garden is one of the components, but due to limited financial resources, can only build this East Garden first, this East Garden alone, from the beginning of the preparation to the completion of the decoration, it cost nearly five million dollars, greatly exceeding the original estimate of 3.8 million money, as well as the newly purchased painted bed, small seat screen, Wan seat, several cases, screens, mirror tables, boxes and other furniture, a total of more than six million dollars, and arranged for Lu, The east and west corridors where the two ladies Xie live have not yet been furnished, leaving them to be enriched by the makeup of the left and right ladies-

Chen Caozhi led Run'er from the outer house three into the hall - the entrance hall, the tea room, the main hall all the way in, the house is continuous, the layers are clear, this outer house is used for guests, wedding events and ancestor worship ceremonies, and then it is separated by the door of the hanging flower instrument The inner house, first of all, is the big wooden building with two double-storey heavy corridors in the east and west, each with 32 rooms, and the buildings are connected by double corridors. There is a ladder under the porch, which not only shelters from the wind and rain, but also separates the master and servant's room—

Run'er pointed to the two double-corridor buildings and asked, "Ugly uncle, is this where the two ugly uncles live?" ”。

Chen Caozhi responded: "Yes." ”

Run'er smiled and said: "There are exactly two buildings, and the format is the same, did Uncle Ugly think of marrying two ugly uncles when he designed this double corridor building?" ”。

Chen Caozhi was embarrassed, this niece was too smart, asked sharply, and replied: "It was originally designed for symmetry and good looks." ”

Run'er pursed her lips and smiled, no longer asking about it, she couldn't embarrass Uncle Ugly, she just asked, "Then where do Run'er and her mother live?" ”

Chen Caozhi said: "Come with me, make sure Run'er likes it." ”

Behind the double corridor building is a small pond with twists and turns, about one and a half acres of size, the pond bank is planted with camphor and magnolia, the pond is planted with lotus and water chestnut, there is a small waterfront building in the north of the pool, it is also a double storey, the scale is slightly smaller than the double corridor building, the building is exquisite, Chen Caozhi refers to the waterfront wooden building: "There is the residence of Run'er and sister-in-law." ”

Run'er looked left and right, the reflection of the water, and the flowers and trees were sparse. The scenery is excellent, I can't help but be very happy, go to the north of the pool, and see that Sister Xiaochan has led her mother Ding Youwei downstairs, they are all overjoyed, and the exquisite architecture here is something they have never seen before.

Chen Shangqian recruited some stewards, servants, cooks, and servant women in Jiankang a few years ago, and this time he brought more than a dozen servants from Qian Tang, and the daily dispatch is basically enough, and after Lu and Xie get married, there will be a large number of servant servants who will accompany the marriage, and I am afraid that they will not be able to live at that time-

The two elders Chen Xian and Chen Man saw that Chen Shang and Chen Cao's brothers had such a big family business in Beijing. They were overjoyed, and after lunch, Chen Xian and Chen Man asked Chen Caozhi: "Sixteen nephews, which mansion should this Lu Mansion and Xie Mansion visit first?" ”

Chen Caozhi said: "The two uncles are tired from the long road, do you want to rest for two days first?" ”

Chen Xian said: "People are in good spirits when they are happy, I don't feel tired, sixth brother, what about you?" ”

Chen Mandao: "The fourth brother is right, I don't feel tired, it's better to confirm the marriage of the sixteenth nephew as soon as possible." ”

Chen Xian said: "Yes, go to visit first, and then you have to prepare the gift of Nacai, white silk, yellow silk, wine millet these essential things have been brought from Qiantang, I am worried that Jiankang will not be able to buy geese in a hurry, so I specially ordered Chen Jiawu cat household to catch two pairs of geese to bring, and Xidu is still alive." ”

Chen Man said with great interest: "Without further ado, let's go to Lu Mansion and Xie Mansion to visit now, I don't know who will come first?" ”

Chen Xian said: "Since the Empress Dowager Chongde has given the daughter of the Lu family as Mrs. Zuo, then I will visit the Lu Mansion first, what do the sixteen nephews think?" ”

Chen Caozhi nodded yes, that is, to arrange, the Lu Mansion steward Chestnut was waiting in the foyer, and when he heard that the two elders of the Chen family were going to visit the Lu Mansion now, he hurriedly ordered his deacon to return to Hengtang to report the news, and he accompanied Chen Xian and the others to——

Ding Youwei and Run'er have long been familiar with Mrs. Lu Zhang Wenjun because they have traveled all the way, so they did not follow to visit this time, and only let Zong Zhi go with the two Congzu and Uncle Ugly to visit Lu Na, the secretary of the ministry.

Lu Na personally greeted him at the door of the house, sat down in the main hall, and after greetings, he discussed the topic, when to take it? Who to match?

At that time, matchmakers were not as cheap as the post-secular people, and they all invited people with status as matchmakers, and "Zhou Li" recorded that there were also matchmakers at that time, who were in charge of the people's marriages, so the higher the status of the matchmaker invited by the man, the more respect he had for the woman-

Chen Xian and Chen Man didn't know anyone at all in Beijing. They all looked at Chen Caozhi, and Chen Caozhi asked Lu Nadao: "How about the junior ask Xi Shilang to do the war?" ”

Xi Chao and Chen Caozhi have a good relationship, although they are only the five grades of the Chinese scholar, but because they are Huan Wen's spokesperson in the court, they have great power, and asking Xi Chao to be the matchmaker is of course a very shameful thing for the Nanren clan-

Lu Na nodded and said, "Yes." He asked again: "Then who will the Xie family invite to do it?" ”

Chen Caozhi said: "The younger generation wants to invite Zhang Shizhong as a matchmaker. ”

Zhang Shizhong is Mrs. Lu's brother Zhang Wenjun's brother Zhang Ping, the third rank is prominent, and the three Wu clans will never humiliate the Xie family of Chen County when he goes to Xie Mansion for Chen Caozhi.

Lu Na and Chen Xian and Chen Man agreed that on the first day of the first month of February, the matchmaker would come to the door to get married, and the next day he would have a gift of asking for his name. ”

Lu Naha smiled and said, "Then we will have a banquet for the two virtuous men another day." "Personally sent out of the house.

Chen Xian and Chen Man walked slowly along the north bank of Hengtang in an ox cart, and Chen Xian sighed: "When Qingzhi Menglu made Jun appreciate, I didn't expect Cao Zhi to become his son-in-law!" ”

Chen Man said with a smile: "Marriage with the Lu clan of Wu County, if I talked about it to others five years ago, I would definitely be despised and regarded as crazy!" ”

Back in the East Garden of Chen Zhai, Ding Youwei and Run'er, mother and daughter, were ready to stop, took Xiaochan and A Xiu, took two ox carts, and followed the old patriarch Chen Xian to Wuyi Lane, and the two of them were going to visit Mrs. Xie Liu Tang and Xie Daoyun.

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At the end of the month, Cao Zhi is also getting engaged, and I ask the book friends to give a monthly ticket support, thank you.