In the evening, Cao Yan returned to the weaving house.

Wei Xin went home on vacation, and he was detained for several days, so he had to be relaxed. Before leaving, Cao asked Gu Na to give him a thousand taels of silver tickets, and told him to keep the matter a secret. Ten thousand taels of silver to buy a servant, it is too ostentatious to spread out. Even if he didn't mention it, Wei Xin wouldn't say it, not to say that the silver was in his hands, and if he said it, it wasn't that he was going to be looted by his father.

Cao Song returned to Xifu, and Gu Na returned to his Dianshi Zhai. Although he regarded himself as a companion, the Cao family regarded him as a young master. Cao Yin arranged a clean yard for him, and also chose two honest scholars for him.

Cao Yan did not go back to his home directly, but went to the Xuanrui Hall of the old lady in the backyard.

The old lady is seventy-two years old, and she is slightly richer than in previous years. When Cao Yan arrived, the old lady was sitting on the soft paddle of the kang head on the west side, listening to Li's reply to the arrangements in the mansion. The holy car arrived in Jiangning on March 28, and there are less than ten days left, and there are still busy.

Cao Yin's brother-in-law Zhao Jia sat on the chair beside Li's side, and she came over to help her sister-in-law every time. In addition to the Li family and Zhaojia family's concubines, Cao Yin's concubines are all there. The Cao family has taken over many times in recent years, and everyone has experienced it, anyway, there are regulations from previous years, so they don't seem flustered. Under the arrangement of the Li family, each person took his mother-in-law to take charge of a beach, and everything was done properly.

Seeing Cao Yan come in, the old lady's face was a little more joyful. Cao Yan first greeted the old lady, then met his mother and aunts, and finally met a few aunts. After several aunts returned the salute, they all withdrew, and Liuli walked at the end, glancing at Cao Yan thoughtfully. Cao Yan saw that her lower abdomen was slightly bulging, and she couldn't say anything in her heart, and the thought of adding a half-brother or sister felt like swallowing a fly. This is the junior who entered the room on stage, thinking of this, he became more and more sympathetic to his mother Li. As an eldest woman, not only can she not be jealous, but she must also treat her children gracefully and generously, isn't this a stab in people's hearts?

The old lady pulled Cao Yan to sit on the edge of the kang, and said with a smile: "Today, Lin Xiazhai has sent nine turns of morning dew, the color is good, the name is good, and the food is good, my precious grandson is bothered!" ”

Cao Yan hurriedly said: "Don't dare to take credit, it's all the credit of Yu Tian's two masters, the ancestor eats well, and rewards a few more silver coins." This is an era of "gentlemen who cook far away", and if it is rumored that he likes to fiddle with his cooking skills, it is not a good reputation.

The old lady is old and refined, where does he still not understand his grandson's thoughts, and it is very gratifying to see that he is not arrogant and impatient and old and introverted.

Zhao Jia's flattered on the side: "Ancestor, now Lin Xia Zhai is terrible, how many powerful people want to book a table but can't." The wife of the former Cui Fucheng family also went to her daughter-in-law to go to the door, and wanted to wrap a table in the forest to wash the dust for the general soldier of Kazakhstan! As he spoke, he looked at Cao Yan intentionally or unintentionally.

Cao Yan sat beside the old lady, twisted a piece of dried peach from the fruit plate on the kang table, and put it in his mouth, looking as if he had not heard of it.

Lin Xia Zhai was tossed out by Cao Yan before the old lady's 70th birthday in February last year. He used the 8,000 taels of silver from the pawn to buy the private residence of an official who returned to Beijing, and after cleaning it up, he opened Lin Xia Zhai. In fact, to put it bluntly, Lin Xia Zhai is a private restaurant. However, because of its novelty and chic, new food is launched every month, and one table is ordered every day, and two tables are taken out, which many people can ask for, so it has become famous.

Going to Linxiazhai to eat has become a long-face comparison behavior of the powerful families in Jiangning City. You must know that Cao Yan, the boss behind Lin Xia Zhai, believes in "not seeking the best, but seeking the most expensive". Lin Xia Zhai does not accept regular customers, who want to go to dinner, need to make a reservation in advance. In addition, there is only one table of guests every day, not counting tips, and the cost of ordering a meal per table is one hundred and ninety-nine taels of silver, or it is paid when you order a meal.

Zhao Jiashi saw that Cao Yan was silent, although he was unhappy in his heart, he didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of the old lady, and changed the topic with a smile.

Cao Yan accompanied the old lady to say a few gossips, and the old lady knew that he had just come back and had not eaten dinner, so he ordered someone to wait for him to change out of his clothes, and then called someone to bring the food left for him.

The Li family had other things, and it was time for the Zhaojia family to return home, and the concubine went out with him.

After eating, Cao Yan walked out of Xuanrui Hall, and as soon as he came out of the old lady's courtyard, he was stopped by two maids, but it was Cao Yan's side who was making books and tasting paintings.

"Uncle, but it's out, our girl has been waiting for you for a while!" Lane Shu said with a smile.

"Sister looking for me?" Cao Yan was slightly surprised, Cao Yan's surname was slightly cold, except for the old lady and Cao Yi, Cao Yan rarely took the initiative to get close to his family, and the two sisters and brothers did not have close contacts.

Listening to Cao Yan's questioning, Lang Yu and Pinhua nodded violently.

Outside Yunyong Zhai, a little maid stood outside the door, saw Cao Yan coming from a distance, and quickly turned around to the door to report: "Ask Sister Qin, Uncle is here!" ”

The maid in the door asked Qin to listen, her face was full of joy, she walked to the desk, and said to Cao Yan: "The girl should rest assured, the uncle is the most humble, as long as the girl speaks, where is she willing not to follow?" ”

Cao Yan was a little disappointed, and said in a low voice: "My younger brother used all his New Year's money to get a forest fast, and I, the elder sister, have not done my best, and I have shared five dividends every month in vain, which is already ashamed." Now I have to embarrass him again, I really shouldn't be, if it weren't for the reunion with the sisters of the Jizhu Society, I wouldn't have to work so hard. ”

The Jizhu Society, initiated by Cao Yan a few years ago, has more than ten members from various powerful families in Jiangning. Every month, each lady takes turns to make posts and write poems, which is really elegant. But the good thing is not long, next year is the year of the draft, this year many young ladies of the official eunuch family have been locked up by the elders to learn the rules, Cao Yan is no exception, except for the birthday of the young ladies, there is really no excuse to party.

Cao Yan's birthday is March 30, and it is during the period of the holy driver's stay in Jiangning, the weaving mansion will become the "Daxing Palace", not to mention inviting the ladies of various families to form associations, even if it is to celebrate the birthday as usual, I am afraid that I can't. Therefore, Cao Yan thought of asking his younger brother Cao Yan to set up a table in Linxia Zhai to celebrate his birthday in advance. It is well known that the food in Hayashi is so popular that anyone who wants to be there usually has to book a month in advance, or even two or three months in advance.

There are three main rooms in Yunyongzhai, the middle is the hall, the west room is the bedroom, and the east room is the study.

Cao Yan knew that this sister was buried in the pile of books, so she walked to the east room without anyone telling her.

Although I am reluctant to call a fourteen-year-old girl my sister, what can I do, who made Cao Yan's little body only eleven years old.

Cao Yan was wearing a lotus-colored shirt and skirt, her black and thick hair was braided with a whip hanging down at will, and she had no other jewelry except for a pair of pearl earrings.

"Sister!" Cao Yan bowed his head and said hello.

"It's really a distinguished guest who has arrived, ask Qin, quickly take the glass cup on the Baibao grid, and make a cup for the uncle before the rain!" Cao Yan put away the loss in his eyes and beckoned Cao Yan to sit down with a smile.

After all, she is a family of flesh and blood, thinking that the little girl in front of her will get married next year, Cao Yan's heart softened, and she couldn't help but start worrying about her, she was going to become a princess at the age of fifteen and manage a big family. Fortunately, the old man Kangxi saw Cao Yin's face and did not marry Cao Yan to his sons.

Waiting for Wenqin to bring the tea, Cao Yan was very embarrassed and said what he had entrusted. Cao Yan frowned slightly, but did not answer immediately.

Cao Yan's heart sank, yes, where is the younger brother who can agree with a word. Lin Xiazhai's food orders have been pushed to a month or two later, and those who can eat a meal with a thousand taels of silver, how many have no identity, the boss behind Lin Xiazhai is Cao Yan, only the Cao family knows, in the eyes of outsiders, the boss is just Cao Fang, a member of the Cao family, how to offend the guests directly.

"It's really embarrassing, forget it, brother, don't forget to prepare a big gift for my sister's birthday!" Cao Yan took a sip of tea and said with a smile.

Cao Yan replied: "It's really a little embarrassing, my sister wants to use the forest to feast on the ladies, it's not a big deal, it's just that the servants there are all servants, and there are no girls, which is inconvenient." At that time, it will be necessary for my sister to dispatch and arrange enough people to wait. ”

Cao Yan was already desperate, and when he heard this, his eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but be a little worried: "Brother, will it be too troublesome, if no one is willing to unsubscribe, don't force it, don't ruin Lin Xiazhai's integrity, my sister will find another place to feast." ”

"It's nothing, I'll go to Linxiazhai to discuss with Cao Fang tomorrow, at the latest it's only five or six, my sister relaxes and prepares a banquet." Cao Yan replied casually, but he was very happy in his heart. Fortunately, I had the foresight to not forget that both ancient and modern China is a country that pays attention to human relationships. Lin Xia Zhai's food ordering, every five days is empty for one day, just to deal with all kinds of related households, of course, the intercession person must have a big face, the relationship must be hard, and the order fee can not be less. Cao Yan is okay, as a sister, she spoke, and she should come down in order to make the little girl happy. Forget about Zhaojia's side, how can his own store allow others to use it to do favors. Thankless work, a lazy person like Cao Yan would never do it.

In Xifu, Zhao Jia's family returned to the mansion, his face was full of unhappiness, and he didn't even bother to pay attention to his youngest son Cao Fu, and asked the nurse to take him down and settle it.

Cao Quan returned to the room, and when she saw his wife like this, she was very puzzled and asked, "Why aren't you happy, the old lady beat you again?" ”

Zhao Jiashi snorted and complained: "The old lady is really eccentric, her eyes are full of a big grandson, where can she see others, she is too lazy to say it!" ”

Although Cao Quan and Lao Taijun were not close, they were respectful in their hearts, and they were unwilling to say what was wrong with her, so they did not answer.

Zhao Jia's heart was unwilling: "Lin Xia Zhai has three girls and five points of dry shares, I also admit it, after all, he is the life-saving benefactor of Yan'er, and he is on the genealogy of our family, but what is the matter with the Gu family boy, he also gets five points of dry shares, and he is treated like a benefactor of enemies, he thinks he is a bodhisattva?" Foolish! Seeing that her husband was still silent, he said: "Since everyone has a share, why do we only have Ying'er and Song'er in Xifu, but there are no Shuo'er brothers!" ”

Since Cao Ying and Cao Song received a monthly dividend of five or six hundred taels of silver from Lin Xia Zhai every month, Zhao Jia's words have not been less nagged, Cao Quan has not heard ten times, and has heard eight times, and he doesn't care, but when he saw his wife repeating the old words, he was a little curious: "How do you think of saying this, isn't it said that you haven't made a profit in the middle of the month?" ”

Zhao Jiashi sighed: "It was Mrs. Cui Fucheng who spoke, and wanted to set up a banquet in Linxiazhai to entertain guests, I said it to the old lady, your nephew just didn't hear it, and there was no aunt like me in his eyes." Really, Ying'er and Song'er have a single share of Lin Xia Zhai, which is a small proprietor there, so what is there for Lin Xia Zhai to squeeze out a day for the Cui family! ”

Cao Quan looked at Zhao Jia's and said with a smile: "I don't know if Yu'er is a bodhisattva, but he is by no means a fool. Who said that Ying'er and Song'er have Lin Xiazhai's dry shares, don't forget that what he said is dividends, adding pocket money to a few brothers and sisters, but never mentioning dry shares or not! ”

Zhao Jia's eyes widened: "Is this so?" ”

Cao Quan nodded: "And there is still a deadline, until Ying'er and a few of them get married." As brothers, of course, there is no reason to give pocket money to sisters and brothers who have become married. ”

Zhao Jia's "tsk" said: "I didn't expect the boy to have this scheming, so what, now that he has not separated from the family, even if he makes money again, it is also the Cao family's industry, and it must be returned to the public, right?" ”

"It's the Cao family's industry, but it's also Yan'er's own industry!" Cao Quan said: "Our nephew is not ordinary, such a big stall is used up to buy the jewelry and antiques in his room, and he didn't use half of the money in the public middle school, and he also made face under the banner of making snacks for the old lady." Whether it's a big brother or an uncle, who dares to calculate Lin Xiazhai, don't want to be embarrassed! ”

Zhao Jiashi frowned: "The monthly bonus of five cents is five or six hundred taels of silver, and the total bonus is about 10,000, and 120,000 yuan in a year." One shop tops the profits of a dozen or so shops outside, so it is cheaper. ”

Cao Quan glanced at his wife, and said: "Yan'er is a measured person, you respect him, he naturally respects you as an aunt." He is the grandson of the Cao family, and he looks like an elder brother, and in the future, several boys in our family will rely on this brother to pull him. Don't be blinded by a few pieces of silver. ”

Seeing that her husband said solemnly, Zhao Jiashi nodded in response, and a smile turned on her face, and the husband and wife untied their coats and settled.