"Wen Qi ......" Cheng Mengxian no longer has ordinary shrewdness, and his expression is quite moving: "The old lady was most worried about you when she was alive, but I, who was an uncle, was useless......

Listening to his words, Han Jiang said: "Uncle was young at that time, how could he complain about his uncle." The niece has a surname, is far away from her homeland, and cannot always be filial to her uncle's knees, which is the fault of the niece. ”

Both of them blamed themselves for their faults, but they couldn't exonerate each other for half a point, but it became more and more heartbreaking.

Cheng Mengxian was a little embarrassed when he heard the word "filial piety". When he was a child, because the old lady favored this granddaughter, his little uncle was jealous and cried.

Han Jiang had already taken Hui'er's hand and said to Cheng Mengxian: "Uncle, this is the little girl Hui'er......" and said to Hui'er: "This is uncle, kowtow to uncle." ”

Although they haven't seen each other for several years, the two uncles and nephews have always kept in touch with each other, and Cheng Mengxian has already heard that his niece has adopted a daughter.

Seeing that Hui'er was well-behaved and cute, he personally helped Hui'er up and said to Han Jiang: "It's a good boy, Wenqi is so blessed." ”

Han Jiang looked at Hui'er, his face was also quite pleased, and he was extremely satisfied with this daughter.

Cheng Mengxian had something to say to Han Jiang's family, so he called a maid and took Hui'er out to play.

The uncle and nephew sat down in the hall, and the two met again after a long absence, and they didn't know what to say for a while.

It was still Han Jiang's side, who put away his sentimentality and asked, "Uncle is coming to Beijing this time on business, or is it to visit friends?" It would be nice if I could keep more time, and I could also let Wen Qi do her filial piety. ”

Cheng Mengxian replied: "I was ordered by my cousin to go to Beijing to take care of some affairs." Now that we have almost done it, we will leave for a little more time before we will set off for the south. Speaking of this, he said with a little shame: "As your maternal uncle, I should have protected you, but over the years, I have taken a lot of care from you." ”

"They are all close relatives, what does my uncle say about this?" Han Jiang lowered his head and said.

Cheng Mengxian continued: "Now that I'm older, it's not as good as in the past, and the dowry of the old lady who was embezzled a few years ago was also asked for back. The eldest brother and the second brother used their concubines to encroach on their mother's inheritance, and calculated the nieces who were married, but the matter was exposed and their reputation was ruined, and now they are all tail-clipped. Wen Qi, people leave their hometowns, otherwise you will go back to Yangzhou with your uncle this time, right? ”

Cheng Mengxian was telling the truth, and Han Jiang's family was very moved when he heard it, but he couldn't accept it.

"Uncle pity, niece grateful, but the niece is not the daughter of the Cheng family after all, and it is not right to go back to the Cheng family. Besides, Yangzhou is not far from Jiangning, and it is also related to the Jiang family and the Han family, which will only make people upset. Forget it. Han Jiang said.

It's not that I don't believe in this little uncle, but in the Jiangnan area, etiquette is more prosperous, and women are very harsh. Even if Han Jiang's family has a million fortunes, he is only a woman, and he is not qualified to speak.

Besides, although my uncle is close, my aunt is an outsider. Moreover, above the uncle, there is also the patriarch Cheng Mengkun, and the Han Jiang clan is attached to the Cheng family, and there are a few more people who are in charge.

When the time comes, Han Jiang's family is used to being alone, and he really can't stand those verbosities.

When Cheng Mengxian heard this, he could only regret it, and remembered something and said: "By the way, I remember that Wenqi mentioned in his letter a few years ago that he was under the knees of Mrs. Cao Weaving and was sheltered by the Cao family. My cousin also mentioned many times that you can settle down in the capital and owe a lot of favors to the Cao family. ”

Han Jiang nodded and said, "That's true. The niece used to be young, and was calculated by the eldest uncle, the second uncle, and several cousins and cousins, and left her hometown in anger, thinking that she could find some livelihood in the capital. Unexpectedly, in the capital, the powerful are entrenched, and it is not easy to gain a foothold. It just so happened that the fourth cousin was in Beijing, and he had an old relationship with the uncle of Caofu, so he entrusted me to Caofu. Over the years, Mrs. Li and my grandmother have treated me very well. A few years ago, my grandmother was in charge, and I recognized my wife as my stepmother. ”

Cheng Mengxian heard the word "Li", a little shaken, and said, "Mrs. Li? But the one from the Li family who weaves in Suzhou? ”

Han Jiang said: "That's right, my stepmother was born in the Li family in Suzhou. ”

Cheng Mengxian thought about the children of the Li and Sun families he had come into contact with in the past few days, and he was also a little curious about Cao Hao, the head of the Cao family who had never met.

Cao Hao is Sun Jue's cousin and Li Cheng's cousin, but he doesn't know which of the two families is closer.

Thinking that every time his cousin Cheng Mengkun mentioned Cao Hao, his expression changed, and he only said, "It's a character, don't offend", as for what is extraordinary, he doesn't mention it.

"Since we have received the great favor of Cao Fu, we can't be grateful. This time when I entered Beijing, my uncle brought a lot of clay instruments, although it was not worth a few silver coins, but it was also a little heart. Can Wen Qi send a message to Cao's Mansion on behalf of his uncle? The uncle wanted to say goodbye to his wife. Cheng Mengxian thought for a while and said.

Han Jiang hesitated for a moment and said, "My stepmother is not in the capital, and I went to live in Changping Zhuangzi with the uncle and grandmother of the Cao family in March. ”

Cheng Mengxian said: "Changping is not far away, or send a post." If you agree, go and say hello to the old lady; If they are impatient to meet foreign visitors, we will offer filial piety, and it is not a short courtesy. ”

Han Jiang listened to it and knew that what his uncle said was reasonable.

Thinking that the last time he went to ask for peace to the Li family, or before the Dragon Boat Festival, Han Jiang said: "Since this is the case, then I will go to Changping to say goodbye to my stepmother, and mention this matter by the way." If you have news, tell your uncle again. ”

Cheng Mengxian responded with a smile and said casually: "In my early years, I heard about Cao, Li, and Sun, but I didn't expect that in the capital, the situation of these three families is different. ”

Han Jiang's early years in Jiangning, he was a member of the Jizhu Society, and the three sisters of the Cao family were old acquaintances; In the capital over the years, because of the coming and going to Caofu, the recent situation of the three sisters is also clear.

Hearing his uncle mention the Li and Sun families, thinking of Cao Ying's submissive appearance, Han Jiang could only shake his head at the uncle of the Sun family...... * Sun house, inner courtyard, main house.

Cao Ying looked at her husband sitting on the kang and looking at her, her heart was furious, and she didn't know where her husband was going to pick herself.

Early yesterday morning, the husband took away the two concubines, and the two concubines, Zhixian and Ye Xian, also locked people in the house, and it has been two days so far.

Cao Ying was still afraid of her life, so she sent food through the window.

I heard a maid outside the door say, "Grandma, grandma, young master, and girls are here to say goodbye." ”

Cao Ying looked at her husband and saw her husband nodding before saying, "Come in." ”

saw the curtain raised, and several people came in turn, and in front of them was Sun Jue's eldest son, thirteen-year-old Sun Li; followed by the eldest daughter, eleven-year-old Sun Xian; Behind is Sun Jue's concubine, eight-year-old Sun Chu.

Several children gave Sun Jue and Cao Ying a courtesy in a proper manner, and Sun Jue casually asked two sentences about his sons' homework, and then waved his hand to send them down.

Seeing that his father's face was cloudy, Sun Li's eyes showed a little worry, and he secretly glanced at his mother.

When Cao Ying saw it, her heart was sour, she only felt that tears were about to come out, but she didn't want her husband to be angry with her son, so she asked the maid to send them out.

Watching the children's figures leave, Sun Jue thought of the pair of twins he had always loved the most, and his heart was on fire.

"What happened to those two sluts in the East Chamber?" Sun Jue asked hatefully.

Cao Ying glanced at him cautiously and replied, "I was still crying in the morning, but there will be no movement in the next morning." Master, do you want to send someone to open the door and take a look, this has been closed for two days, don't make a mistake. ”

"Humph! Send the two mothers-in-law to see, those two sluts were let die, but they can't be cheap. Sun Jue thought that he had raised a cheap son for a few years, and he besieged the two broken flowers and willows as liver treasures, and he became more and more annoyed in his heart: "Ming said that he called a human tooth, sold these two sluts, and sold them to the kiln to ......."

Sun Jue thought about folding his face in front of the Li family, and sold the biological mother of the Li family's grandson to the kiln, riding thousands of people and carrying thousands of people, which can be regarded as giving the Li family some color. He didn't want to think about it, these two had also been his concubines, and if he became Sister Yao, then his hat would also be green.

In the past few days, he thought about how to attack the two sisters Zhixian and Ye Xian, and when he made this decision, he only felt that the turbid qi blocked in his heart had gone a little.

Cao Ying was beside her, but she was stunned.

I have heard that powerful families have difficulty getting along with their wives and concubines, and they have sold their concubines, but most of them have not come out. Zhixian is still gone, but Ye Xian is the biological mother of the twins.

is as domineering as her mother Zhao Jia, who regards Baodie as a thorn in her eye and a thorn in her flesh, and she never thought about selling it. was the biological mother who sold Cao Yi back then, and when she didn't open her face, she sold it as a servant.

Although I don't know where Zhixian and Ye Xian offended Sun Jue, Cao Ying didn't dare to take the name of this "fierce woman", and said tremblingly: "Master, even if their sisters are ignorant and make them angry, it depends on the love of the third and fourth children......

When Sun Jue heard half of this, he was already furious, got up and shouted angrily: "Tell you, you just do it!" What do you mean? ”

Cao Ying was so frightened that she didn't dare to speak anymore, Sun Jue frowned and looked at her twice, still snorted twice, and went out to the concubine's room.

Cao Ying sat on the edge of the kang, her mind full of mush.

Although it is said that "marry and obey the husband", if this notoriety is carried on your back, it will not be washed away for a lifetime.

She remembers clearly that in her early years, because of the notoriety of "jealousy" and "domineering", her mother was not allowed to be treated by her grandmother, and relatives mentioned her mother with a little pickiness.

It's my father, who was ridiculed by his colleagues outside, and when he came back, he had to throw fire on his mother.

Relatively speaking, Uncle Li is virtuous and virtuous, and no one can jump out of the slightest.

Since she was a child, Cao Ying thought that she couldn't learn from her mother, her reputation would be ruined, and people would look down on her; To be like an uncle, the in-laws love, the husband respects, and the concubines envy.

Sun Jue's surname is lonely, and sometimes he is like a child, and he loses his temper indiscriminately. Cao Ying endured it, just thinking that the ugliness of the family should not be publicized, and thinking about the words "virtuous and virtuous".

If you have a bad reputation, what is the point of swallowing your anger all these years?

Cao Ying bit her lip vigorously, walked to the dresser and sat down, opened the half-empty jewelry box, and found a gold-covered hairpin in her hand, with a little self-deprecation on her face.

In the Cao family, even a decent girl will not use gold-filled jewelry. I have been married for more than ten years, and my son is about to marry a daughter-in-law, but he is not even as good as a maid.

Thinking of her son marrying a daughter-in-law, Cao Ying grabbed the hairpin in her hand hard. Not for others, just for her son, her reputation as a "virtuous" has to be maintained...... * No matter what Cao Ying thinks, Sun Jue is an iron-hearted seller.

Early the next morning, before Sun Jue went to the yamen, he specially reminded Cao Ying not to delay, and to hurry up to find someone to lead the person. He also mentioned that he asked someone to change them into old clothes, jewelry, or something, and they were not allowed to take away half of them.

Cao Ying agreed, sent Sun Jue away, called her companion Qiao, and asked her to take her handwritten letter to the Guogong Mansion.

said that Sun Jue was here, and when he arrived at the Yamen, it was like a nail on his buttocks, and he couldn't sit still.

The deadline for the Cheng family is before dark, and the remaining 6,000 taels of silver in the Cao Mansion will be taken at noon today.

Sun Jue only felt that the time was like a year, and after half of the torment, at the beginning of the afternoon (eleven o'clock at noon), he hurriedly came out of the yamen and rode to Cao's house.

On the Cao family's side, Zheng Hu and Wu Sheng had already made the account room withdraw six thousand taels of silver from the treasury and waited for Sun Jue to come over.

Yesterday, the three thousand taels were not used, only two mules were supported and sent to Sun's house. Today, the six thousand taels of silver, several hundred catties, were loaded with mule carts.

The matter was about to end, Sun Jue was a little careful, looked at the two long entourages he was carrying, and then looked at Zheng Hu, who was five big and three thick.

These two long-term followers were newly selected by these few days, and the previous two long-term followers, seeing Sun Jue's ugly things, where would Sun Jue still be in front of him, and sent directly to the small Zhuangzi outside his own city.

Although it is said that at the feet of the Son of Heaven, the first good place, Sun Jue is still a little uneasy, "coughed", and said: "In the end, it is a few thousand taels of silver, not a small amount, or ask Steward Zheng to follow along." ”

Zheng Hu listened to it and was very happy in his heart.

He was originally ordered by Cao Hao to secretly follow Sun Jue and track the whereabouts of the nine thousand taels of silver, but he didn't expect Sun Jue to send him away.

Zheng Hu put on the appearance of a subordinate, bowed down and said, "The little one obeys the orders of the eldest aunt." ”

Seeing him so respectful, Sun Jue looked up at the "Bofu" plaque, and his body was a little fluttering. Yes, he is the "eldest aunt" of the Cao family, the same as the king of the county and the prince of the country, and he is also a person with status...... * Fangjia Hutong, Guogong Mansion.

Cao Yi sat on the kang and listened to the housekeeper's daughter-in-law reply.

Early in the morning, I received a handwritten letter from Cao Ying. This half-sister begged for the first time, and she, as a younger sister, was naturally extra careful. The housekeeper's daughter-in-law went out to find an acquaintance, and when she arrived at Sun's house, she wrote a deed and led out Zhixian and Ye Xian.

It's just that the identities of these two people are in the way, and it is not good to directly ask someone to take them into the Guogong Mansion, so Cao Yi asked someone to send them directly to Zhuangzi outside the city by carriage.

Now that everything has been handled properly, Cao Yi nodded and asked the daughter-in-law, "What did the grandmother of the Sun family say?" ”

The daughter-in-law replied: "Grandma Sun is even grateful to Madame, and said that she came to thank Madame in person a few days. ”

Cao Yi was a little curious, and said, "Did she say why their father wanted to sell these two concubines?" ”

The daughter-in-law shook her head and said, "Grandma Sun didn't say anything, but after coming out of Sun's house, the slave asked the two sisters a few words." The girl just cried and didn't say anything; My sister said a few words, as if she had annoyed their father because of something. ”

Cao Yi already had a bad impression of his rotten brother-in-law, and when he heard this, he thought that Sun Jue was so ruthless, and he said that he would sell the concubine who had been in the house for a few years, and he was really tired of it...... * At this time, the mule cart of the Cao family has arrived at Sun's mansion.

Sun Jue was in a hurry to go to Cheng's house, and he didn't even change the car, so he directly took the other three thousand taels of horses and went to Shichahai.

As for Zheng Hu and several elders of the Cao family to follow, Sun Jue did not shy away from it. Left and right in front of Cao Hao, what he said was borrowed by his colleagues, and he couldn't find out where to send it.

However, Zheng Hu and Wu Sheng were two people, riding horses and following the mule cart, and they were more and more surprised.

I thought that the silver would be sent to Sun's house, and Sun Jue would change the carriage and send them back, but I didn't expect this eldest aunt to be so "open".

The two looked at each other, but they were both a little puzzled, whether their uncle was thinking too much.

Sun Jue rode on the horse, finally down-to-earth, looked back at the silver car, and the healthy servants behind the car, and felt confident.

The tiredness of a few days was swept away, and in his mind, Xia Cicada's snow-white body and watery eyes appeared.

Selling the fairy branch and the leaf branch sisters, although there is an element of anger, it is also to make room for the summer cicada.

His house is not large, but he has six wives and concubines. One of the older concubines, who had nowhere to be placed, had moved to the back room. When this summer cicada arrives at Sun's house, he can't live in the back cover room with the maid.

Nine thousand taels, Sun Jue only felt really distressed at this moment.

Thinking wildly, when he arrived at Shichahai Cheng's house, Sun Jue let out a long sigh and asked someone to go up and knock on the door.

Cheng Mengxian's side, because today is the deadline agreed with Sun Jue, it also makes people pay attention to it in the front yard. Hearing that Sun Jue was coming, he opened the gate and let the silver cart into the courtyard.

Zheng Hu and Wu Sheng got off the horse, followed by the silver car, like an escorted servant, and out of the corner of his eye, he was already looking at the house.

Cheng Mengxian had already come out, arched his hand at Sun Jue, and said, "Grandpa is here." ”

When Sun Jue saw him, he thought of the absurdity of a few days ago, and said twice: "Cheng Qiye, this silver has been delivered, and the note ......"

Cheng Mengxian glanced at the silver car and saw Zheng Hu and Wu Sheng standing behind him, and was slightly stunned.

These two are the stewards of Cao Hao's side, and they also have a bit of bearing, which is too different from the long entourage that Sun Jue carried. Cheng Mengxian saw it in his eyes, and muttered a little in his heart, didn't he underestimate the Sun family?

Sun Jue misunderstood, thinking that Cheng Mengxian was going to check the number of silver, so he snorted coldly and said, "Could it be that Sun Mou can still be short of silver?" Cheng Qiye made people into the warehouse. ”

Cheng Mengxian didn't bother to explain, so he called the housekeeper to bring the hanging scale, and unloaded the silver and weighed it. He bears the name of a businessman, behaves like a businessman, and also fits his identity.

Debt-free and light, Sun Jue crossed his arms and stood aside, sweeping away the embarrassment when he left a few days ago.

Zheng Hu and Wu Sheng are two, but they keep "Cheng Qiye" in mind.

After unloading the silver, Sun Jue couldn't wait to mention the matter of Xia Cicada, but fortunately he was still a little sober, waved his hand at Zheng Hu, Wu Sheng and others, and said, "It's over, you guys go back first." ”

Zheng Hu, Wu Sheng and others bowed down and went out with a few elders of the Cao family.

This time he didn't call him "eldest aunt", Sun Jue was a little dissatisfied, but thinking about it, in front of Cheng Mengxian, it was good that he didn't draw a clear relationship.

Cheng Meng obviously saw these servants with extraordinary temperament go out, and he was already thinking in his heart whether it was right to help the Li family calculate Sun Jue this time.

Even if Sun Jue is dull, there are other people in the Sun family, when the East Window incident happens, will they be angry with the Cheng family?

The grandmother of the Sun family is a girl from Caofu.

Cheng Mengxian only felt a little bitter in his mouth, thinking of Li Cheng, who was young and ruthless, and he had already regretted being involved in the grievances of these families......

(To be continued)