On the Chinese New Year's Eve of the fifty-fourth year of Kangxi, due to the acne of longevity, Cao Mansion was immediately much colder.

The orchid courtyard can not be set up, and the table is placed in the flower hall in the front yard.

In addition to the Cao family, there were two brothers Zuo Cheng and Zuo Zhu who participated in the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner this year, and the Tian family was Mr. Zhuang's niece and wanted to keep filial piety for Mr. Zhuang, so they ate in their own house.

Cao's family room and second room are also free of wine because of Cao Shuo. There is only one table for the female dependents, in addition to the Li family, Zhao Jia's family, Chu Yu and others, there is also Su Xin who has returned from home.

Zhao Jia's Dong Laxi said a few words of homely things, and when he saw that Su Xin was quiet and refused to say a word, he was not interested.

However, the fourth sister and the fifth son have learned the rules from Aunt Luo and Aunt Chang, and they look at Su Xin's actions as if they were taught by the aunts, but they are not as strict as the aunts, and they are close to her.

Su Xin's face lowered his eyebrows and smiled, but his heart was quite miserable.

After all, it was Chinese New Year's Eve, but she temporarily stayed at someone else's house in the name of an errand. In addition, there was also the gossip she heard when she went home, which made her even more jealous, and she didn't want to have any contact with Zhaojia's.

Every festive season, I think of my relatives, and this sentence is true.

Even though his parents and sisters have passed away for many years, and his mother and sister have never seen him, Han Jiang's thoughts about him have not diminished.

She put incense in front of the tablet of her parents and sister Wenxiu, and then sat down at the table and ran away.

On the table, it is authentic Huaiyang cuisine, most of which Han Jiang's family loves to eat.

This is all her post, and Han Jiang looked at the table full of delicacies, but he didn't mean to raise chopsticks at all.

It's okay to say at other times, but I'm busy with business and can't think of anything else; At this time of the New Year's holiday, it is inevitable to be touched and think of my parents.

Han Jiang hesitated for a moment and asked Xiaoxi to take the pen and ink.

The Jiang family has a side branch of Jiang Wu, who is the brother of the Han Jiang clan, who died of illness two years ago, leaving a widow to pull two sons.

In the bones of the Han Jiang clan, he pities the poor and the weak, and he can't see women suffering. In addition, Jiang Wu's sister-in-law is an honest person, and she has been a lot of help in the past few years. Even if he moved to the capital, he also sent some silver there.

The second son of Jiang's fifth sister-in-law, who is four years old this year, if she is brought to be her adopted son...... Han Jiang thought about it, and he had already spread out the pen and paper and wrote a letter to a clan uncle.

After writing a few lines, she stopped writing, sighed, tore up the letter, and threw it into a paper bucket.

Even if Fifth Sister-in-law Jiang is an honest person, who can guarantee that her child will grow up to be a good person?

If the Jiang family opens the banner of the heir in the future to calculate her, then she is not pulling a brick and hitting her own feet.

In fact, in her heart, there is really no respect and affection for those people of the Jiang clan. She remembered the fact that those people had joined together to divide her property.

If it weren't for the Cheng family to rely on, it is estimated that she would have been devoured alive by those lives.

It's better to wait until the market opens and go to the "human market" to have a look, Han Jiang has an idea in his heart.

* Here in Caofu, everyone's interest is not high, and in order to avoid acne, the house cannot be fried, and even the food is reduced a lot.

This Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, but everyone who ate it was happy, and it dispersed early.

Cao Hao and Chu Yu were afraid that the Banyan Courtyard would be cold and sad, so they prepared a snack that Niuniu liked to eat early and sent it over.

Because it was late at night, it was a little inconvenient for Cao Hao to go, so Chu Yu went over for a walk and talked with him for a while.

Cao Hao sent Zhao Jia's family back to Dongfu, and talked to Cao Song about housework in Dongfu.

Whether it is said that it is good to accumulate blessings or to buy a good reputation, the land rent of this Zhuangzi cannot be too much. Every boundary has a charter for each boundary, and if you collect less rent, you will offend the landlords in the neighborhood, and if you collect more, you will be pinched back.

Cao Song is not a fool, he naturally knows that people in the capital pay the most attention to face.

If this leaves a reputation of "stingy" and "greedy for money", then it will become a laughing stock for others in the future.

Therefore, hearing his brother talk about this, Cao Song nodded his head in a hurry.

In addition to renting, it is a matter of avoiding acne in Dongfu. Although the Cao Song brothers have had several pox, there are still Tianhu and other female dependents, who have never flowered, and they must be strictly guarded against.

Especially Tianhu, less than 100 days, is Cao Shuo's posthumous son, and there must be no mistakes.

In the inner house of the East Mansion, Zhao Jiashi returned to the house, took off his coat outside, went cross-legged on the kang, lit a cigarette pouch, and looked at Jinghui, who wanted to speak and stopped.

Because she didn't call her away, Jing Hui lowered her eyebrows and stood pleasing to her eyes, thinking that it was Chu Yu's private mention before, that her mother-in-law's heart to open a shop here would not die, and she would ask her for a shop during the New Year.

She was a little apprehensive in her heart, afraid that Zhao Jia's would take advantage of the shop to attack herself.

Today's Chinese New Year's Eve dinner, Zhao Jia's family did not eat happily, and Jinghui saw it.

Zilan and Lu Ju took the two maids to serve Zhao Jia's and ate cigarettes, and stood aside with their hands down.

Zhao Jiashi took two puffs of cigarettes, raised his eyelids, and asked Jinghui, "Your shop, still rented to the person before?" How much is the rent, has it gone up? ”

Jing Hui didn't understand the intention of his question, weighed it in her heart, and replied carefully: "The rent is still according to the example of previous years, because the contract has been signed for a long time, it is not good to increase the price at will. However, compared with the rent on the side of the drum tower, it can be regarded as the upper middle. ”

Zhao Jiashi put down the cigarette pouch, nodded, glanced at Jinghui's stomach, and said, "You have also been busy in Xifu for a long time, go back and rest." ”

Seeing her like this, Jing Hui was a little surprised, but her face was not obvious, she leaned over and went down.

As soon as I walked to the door, I heard Zhao Jia's say: "Zhuangzi has little interest, I made people look at two shops, and I have already paid a deposit, and I will have to pay other silver money after the sixth day of the first month." There is a certain amount of silver in the account of this house, and if you are cheap, take away a thousand eight hundred taels of silver for the time being, and let me make it.

If she says too much, Jinghui can still push it with no cheapness. What Bisheng said was one thousand eight hundred taels, no more, no less, and Jing Hui couldn't mention it if she wanted to refuse.

Because a few years ago, when she married Zhuangzi to report the account, not to mention the local food she sent, the silver was nearly 1,000 taels.

Although Jinghui disapproves of her mother-in-law opening a dim sum shop, it is not good to repeatedly go against her mother-in-law's will for this matter. Zhao Jiashi looked at it, if she said the word "no", she didn't know what would happen next.

Therefore, she responded: "It just so happened that the daughter-in-law had a tight entry in the account a year ago, and there were seven hundred and sixty taels of silver, if the wife made it, the daughter-in-law would send it over." ”

When Zhao Jiashi heard this, he frowned slightly, and said, "It's only seven hundred and sixty taels?" Well, it also makes you, tired of you. But it was hard to hide the disappointment.

Jinghui sighed inwardly and turned to go out.

When her back was far away, Zhao Jiashi took a puff of cigarette and asked the maid on the side, "How is the master?" Did you cry today? How many times have you fed milk? ”

Zilan and Lu Ju glanced at each other, and Zilan took a step closer and said, "Back to Mrs., from noon to night, the master woke up four times and drank milk three times." ”

"It's good to be able to eat and sleep, this flower is not a joke, if it comes to the house, doesn't it make people worry about death? On the side of the West Cross Courtyard, no one is allowed to enter except for you. Zhao Jia said.

Zilan bowed in response, Zhao Jiashi nodded with satisfaction, and said, "I know that you are loyal and careful, rest assured, after these two months have stopped, I will lift you up." ”

In this way, Zhao Jia's family said more than once, Zilan's face was flushed, and she lowered her head but didn't dare to speak.

Green chrysanthemum watched from the side, but couldn't help but rejoice.

As early as not long after Tianhu landed, Zhao Jiashi asked Zilan and Luju who were willing to share her worries and take care of Tianhu.

Green Ju has always been clever and thinks more, knowing that Zhao Jia's family will not say this for no reason.

Cao Shuo in the house has no main mother, even if there is a biological mother Tian Xiang, it is just an open-faced room, and he is not qualified to take care of and raise Tianhu. Not to mention, Zhao Jia's family didn't want to see her at all, if it wasn't for Cao Song's intercession, I'm afraid that Zhao Jia's family would have found an excuse to send her out of the house.

It stands to reason that Jinghui, the eldest aunt, as the future hostess of the house, has the responsibility of taking care of her nephew.

She is busy, and she needs to take care of the housework inside and out.

Zhao Jia's family also knew this, so he found another appropriate person around him to take care of the heavenly protection.

This lifting is to give Cao Song as a side room, as the meaning of heaven to protect the adoptive mother.

Before Cao Shuo had an accident, Zhao Jia's family thought about giving the two maids around him one to the eldest son and one to the second son. Because of Cao Shuo's accident, the matter was delayed.

Now, it is because of taking care of the heavenly protectors, and the old words are repeated.

Green Ju was unwilling, so he repeatedly backed down.

She lit a cigarette well, and she was doing Zhao Jia's inner account room, and Zhao Jia's couldn't do without her for a while, so she obeyed her wishes and asked Zilan to take care of Tianhu.

Long before Jinghui entered, Zilan knew that she was going to be a concubine for Cao Song in the future. Now she is a little shy on her face, but she is happy in her heart.

* Not to mention Xiao Jiujiu, who was waiting for everyone in the East Mansion, Cao Hao talked to Cao Song for a while, and then came to the outer hall to persuade the two Cao Xiang brothers to say a few words before returning to the West Mansion.

He didn't go back to the inner house immediately, but went to Zhiran's courtyard.

Although Buddhism pays attention to the purity of the six roots, after all, it is Chinese New Year's Eve, and it is always a little bleak to live alone.

I have already sent someone to send a table here, but I don't know how the little monk uses it?

Cao Hao thought about it while entering the courtyard, but he heard the sound of pushing the cup and changing the lamp from the upper room.

"The Buddha sat in his heart, and the wine and meat passed through the intestines...... A monk is a truly free and easy person...... It's done...... "This one who speaks with a big tongue, isn't it Li Wei?"

"Sins, sins, and Brother Jue, please be cautious, carefully offend the Buddha." This is more pious than a monk, and it is naturally Cao Hao's staff Jiang Jian.

Although he couldn't hear Zhiran's movements, Cao Hao could imagine his appearance as a silent bystander.

These people are not laymen.

Together, there is also a lot of aura added to this house.

If Mr. Zhuang is still ...... When Cao Hao thought of this, he still felt uncomfortable.

He picked the curtain and entered, and the errand boy here was outside, looking intently at the water on the stove, and a tea set was placed next to it, apparently waiting for the water to boil to make tea.

Seeing Cao Hao come in, the little guy got up and bowed down to say goodbye.

Cao Hao waved his hand, told him to be spared, and strode into the back room.

Li Wei and the others were all sitting on the kang, Jiang Jian was sitting facing the south, Li Wei was on his left, and Zhiran was accompanied by the prime minister.

When Cao Hao entered, Li Wei held the wine jug, looked at Zhiran's cup of wine, and his mouth was not idle, and he said continuously: "Dry, dry!" The beautiful scenery of the good day is the day, the wine is a song, the geometry of life, the wine and food, and the joy of life. ”

He has always refused to read, and although he wrote crepe this time, he didn't know where he heard the drama, and it was nondescript to pull it together.

When Zhiran and Jiang Jian heard this, they couldn't help but sigh.

Jiang Jian had already seen Cao Hao, and hurriedly got up from the kang, Zhiran looked at Jiang Jian's line of sight, but his eyebrows were slightly raised.

Cao Hao intersected with him as a young man, and he was even a deed.

Although Zhiran didn't speak, just raised his eyebrows, but Cao Hao understood the meaning between his expressions, and was asking: "Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is finished?" ”

Cao Hao nodded and said, "I've been scattered for a while, and I just said a few words to Xiao Er in Dongfu, otherwise I would have come over a long time ago." ”

Li Wei had already put down the wine jug, got up and went to the ground, and said with a smile: "Even if the uncle can't come now, Li Wei will be cheeky and ask someone to invite the uncle." Uncle, take a seat, I'll go to my uncle's house for dinner today, and I'll get some good wine...... Lotus white ...... that has been cellared for more than ten years It's really a fairy liquid......"

Xu was drinking for a while, Li Wei's face was flushed, and he was a little unfavorable when he spoke.

Not only Li Wei, but even Zhiran also had red cheeks and drunken eyes.

Only Jiang Jian, although he has the smell of alcohol on his body, he is not on his face, and it is still the norm.

Looking at the clear lotus white, smelling the mellow fragrance, Cao Hao also has a ** to drink.

He let everyone go, and when he saw that everyone refused to take a seat, he didn't shirk it anymore, took off his boots, and went to the kang to take his position.

Jiang Jian sat on the east side, Li Wei did the west side, Zhiran took a stool, and the prime minister accompanied him.

Zhiran asked the little servant to take the bowl, chopsticks and wine cup, Li Weiti slipped the wine pot handle, starting with Cao Hao, and poured a full cup for everyone.

The four of them raised their glasses together and drank a full glass of wine.

Lotus white is not white wine, nor is it rice wine, but dew wine.

This is a low-alcohol liquor made of lotus stamens with astragalus, sand kernels, angelica, Polygonum multiflori, Wujiapi and other medicinal herbs.

This kind of wine, not to mention the taste is fragrant and sweet, it can also nourish yin and kidneys, relax muscles and invigorate blood, and dispel wind and avoid miasma.

Cao Hao is not an alcoholic, but he also has a little love for this wine.

When he was fine, he and Chu Yu were two, and sometimes they had a few drinks.

Li Wei had already brought the flask again and filled it for everyone.

Zhiran and Jiang Jian are not happy people, and for a while, only Li Wei was the only one on the table who muttered: "Uncle, at the bidding meeting on February 2, if you really bid for it, can you get the Mongolian tea ceremony?" In that case, wouldn't it be cheaper for those guys, I don't have enough money, even if I clean up the family, I can't compare to a fraction of those people, otherwise, who is rare to be an official, get a business, not children and grandchildren can chew enough for several lifetimes. ”

Cao Hao nodded and said, "It's an excerpt from the emperor's imperial pen, can there be a fake?" It's just that there is no upper limit to this target, and when the time comes, it will be a fight for whose family assets are abundant. You can't ask for a false price, otherwise after winning the bid, there is no silver to pay, which is the crime of defrauding the king. You should also find an opportunity to remind those people of these words. They are no more than the Jin merchants, who take the royal business and know the importance of it. ”

Li Wei listened, nodded hurriedly, and said, "I know, starting tomorrow, those people will take turns to entertain." The little ones were also stained with the light of the adults and became the guests of honor...... Let them give the uncle a long face, and make the guys who are waiting to see the excitement dumbfounded......"

*

(To be continued)