Lu Tao asked Yang Shixiang to bring Zhang Ruoxi a letter and five horses of fine cotton and five horses of yarn, in which he reported safety to his wife and children and congratulated his brother-in-law Zhang Yuan on the head of the Shaoxing Mansion trial in high school, in addition to Lu Tao did not say anything else, Zhang Ruoxi asked Zhang Yuan to ask Yang Shixiang about the current situation of the Lu family in Qingpu?

If you go to Baihualou to drink flower wine, Zhang Cao will stay with Zhang Yuan, Yang Shixiang, and Jin Bozong to eat mung bean porridge, and a few small dishes pickled by Cuigu are very refreshing, as well as cloth oil cakes and steamed cakes, which are quite delicious.

Speaking of the drought in the south of the Yangtze River, Yang Shixiang said: "There is no drought in the area of Songjiang, after Jiaxing, I see the land is dry and cracked everywhere, and half of the eleven provinces in Zhejiang Province are probably affected. ”

Zhang Cao said excitedly: "In two more days, the one hundred and eight generals of "Water Margin" will start to parade and pray for rain, and they will be able to move the heavens and give them rain." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Third brother, those red-haired ghosts Liu Tang and Yizhang Qinghu Sanniang have all been found?" ”

Zhang Cao hurriedly asked, "You know everything?" ”

Zhang Yuanqi said: "What do I know? ”

Zhang Cao laughed and said: "That seems to be the will of heaven, you ask the red-haired ghost Liu Tang and Yizhang Qinghu Sanniang, do you know who will play these two?" ”

Zhang Yuan's heart moved, and he frowned: "You want Mu Jingyan's father and daughter to dress up these two?" ”

Zhang Cao patted his leg and said: "Exactly, you must agree, otherwise the thirty-six days and seventy-two places will not be complete, in order to find these people, those servants are about to break their legs, or I said that I watched Mu Jingyan's father and daughter on the stone bridge waiting for your two nephews to ride mules, and then I suddenly thought that it was best for Mu Jingyan to play Liu Tang and Mu Zhenzhen to play Yizhangqing." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "It's not very similar." ”

Zhang Cao said: "Mu Jingyan is a yellow beard, just dye his beard red, Mu Zhenzhen's stature is not very high, let her wear high-soled shoes is barely considered beautiful, the most rare thing is that Mu Zhenzhen also has martial arts, let Mu Zhenzhen hold the moon double knife, the most wonderful - you have to tell his father and daughter before, I promised his father and daughter five taels of silver and refused." ”

Natural disasters are unpredictable, and it is impossible to think about it, Zhang Yuan shook his head and smiled, and said, "Okay, I'll tell the two of them later." ”

Zhang Cao said impatiently: "Call it now." ”

Zhang Yuan asked Wuling to summon Mu Jingyan and Mu Zhenzhen, and after a while, the Mu father and daughter came.

Zhang Cao said to the Mu father and daughter: "Your young master has agreed, and the two of you will come to Xizhang tomorrow to dress up, and then you will march to pray for rain." ”

Zhang Yuan saw that Mu Zhenzhen seemed to be a little reluctant, so he said: "Zhenzhen, this prayer for rain is also a major event in the county, and it doesn't hurt for you to participate." ”

But I heard Mu Zhenzhen say: "Young master, this young man has a husband." ”

Zhang Cao laughed and said, "You mean that Wang Dwarf Tiger, hahaha, I don't really want to marry you to him, even if you are willing, Jie Zi will not do anything." ”

Mu Zhenzhen hurriedly shook his head: "The maid refuses." ”

Zhang Yuan smiled at Mu Zhenzhen and said, "Zhenzhen, if that Wang Dwarf Tiger dares to approach you, you will kick it over." ”

Mu Zhenzhen lowered his head and did not speak.

Zhang Yuan saw that Mu Zhen was really reluctant, so he said to Zhang Cao: "Forget it, if she really doesn't want to, don't force her, it's easy to find a beautiful woman with a tall stature, she is really young, and she doesn't look like it." ”

Zhang Cao was displeased, and said: "Jiezi, can't you even call your own maidservant, how can a woman be so spoiled!" ”

Mu Zhenzhen hurriedly said: "Third son, the little maid is willing, the little maid is just worried that it is not easy to walk in high-soled shoes." ”

Zhang Cao suddenly laughed again and said, "You are not bound feet, what are you worried about, okay, then it's decided." He also said to Zhang Yuan, Yang Shixiang, and Jin Bozong: "Ming, please come together to see the Water Margin heroes." ”

After Zhang Cao left, Zhang Yuan and Yang Shixiang and Jin Bozong went to the back garden to take a walk on the banks of the Mash River for a long talk, there was no water in the Mash River, the river was overgrown with weeds, and the two-story wooden building of the three wings in the back garden had been built on the upper floor, and had not yet been capped.

Yang Shixiang didn't pay much attention to the drought in Shanyin, and said: "Brother Jiezi, this time I brought 500 articles on the craftsmanship of the three counties of Qingpu, Huating, and Shanghai, and asked Brother Jie Zi to select 120 articles from them to comment, and I am willing to pay 150 taels of silver." He also said: "Brother Jiezi should not be polite, he is a bookstore, and it is a matter of course to ask people to pay for the papers, you and I are friendship, you must accept this silver, I have already brought the silver." ”

Last time in Qingpu, Yang Shixiang said that he was paid one hundred taels of silver, and now it has been increased to one hundred and fifty taels of money, which is naturally because of the name of Zhang Yuan's Shaoxing Mansion trial head, and the name is Li.

The late Ming Party is an interest group, not to talk about how interests can be done, the late Ming scholars are far less than the previous generation of Qing Gao, scholars do business abound, Zhang Yuan said: "That's good, I must carefully comment on the next, I can't let this selection lose Brother Yang's capital." ”

Yang Shixiang laughed: "Brother Jie Zi coerced the prestige of the county test and the government test, this selection will definitely sell well, not to mention Huating and Shanghai counties, I Qingpu alone has more than 3,000 children and more than 10,000 Confucian children, as long as one out of ten buys a book, then it can protect the capital." ”

Jin Bozong on the side said: "It is not impossible for the students in the neighboring counties to compete for purchases, and those students only know how to follow the trend when they buy books." ”

Yang Shixiang is ambitious this time, he wants to borrow Zhang Yuan's selection to knock on the book markets in Huating and Shanghai counties, if he can sell books in these two counties, then his bookstore will make a lot of money, and said: "Brother Jiezi, there is still one thing to ask for in the future, I want to ask Mr. Ji Zhong to write a preface to this selection, this is also to borrow the reputation of the teacher." ”

This Yang Shixiang is very business-minded, Zhang Yuan said: "Okay, I will lead the two of you to visit Teacher Wang in two days." ”

Speaking of the matter of the Qingpu Lu family, Yang Shixiang said: "Don't hide it from Brother Jiezi, the Qingpu Lu family is afraid that there will be big trouble, and when I was leaving, Lu Tao also told me not to tell you those things, so as not to worry my sister." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "Is it that the Dong family of Huating wants to occupy the 200 acres of mulberry field of the Lu family?" ”

Yang Shixiangqi said: "It turns out that Brother Jie Zi already knows about this. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I'm just guessing, because I know that the Lu family's traitor Chen Ming took away the land deed of the Lu family's two hundred acres of mulberry fields, and it should be this matter if there is a big trouble." ”

Yang Shixiang said: "Brother Jie Zi expected that the Dong family of Huating sent someone to take over the two hundred acres of mulberry forest in early May, Lu Xiaolian reported to the county office, and Li County Ling also knew that the mulberry forest was the ancestral property of the Lu family, but he couldn't catch Chen Ming, no one had a certificate, Lu lost the field deed, there was no physical evidence, and Li County Ling did not dare to embarrass Dong, because the Songjiang prefect was Dong Xuanzai's protégé, and this kind of cross-county dispute should be tried by Songjiang Mansion in conjunction with Qingpu and Huating counties, and Li County Ling could only let the servants send the Dong servant back, saying that the mulberry forest was still controversial, and the Dong family had no right to take over, Li County's order to be able to do this is already very face-saving for the Lu family, but the two hundred acres are obviously the Lu family's land, and now it has become a place of controversy, and the silkworm households of the Lu family can't go to pick mulberries, how can Lu Xiaolian not be angry! ”

Speaking of this, Yang Shixiang paused, and said: "As far as I know, it is very likely that the Li County Commander will not be an official in Qingpu next year, and there will be a new official to succeed him. ”

Zhang Yuan was silent for a moment and asked, "How is Lu Yangfang doing lately?" ”

Yang Shixiang smiled and said, "Since the last time I was taught a lesson by Brother Jiezi, Lu Yangfang rarely appeared in the Qingpu Market, and I heard that I went to Huating last month, and I don't know what happened. ”

After chatting for a while, when it was nearly two drums, Zhang Yuan said: "The two virtuous brothers are tired from afar, so let's rest early today, and then set up wine for the two virtuous brothers tomorrow." ”

Because the small building in the back garden could not live in people, Zhang Yuan arranged for Yang Shixiang and Jin Bozong to live in the two ear rooms in the front hall, Yang Shixiang and Jin Bozong lived in one, Yang Shixiang's two servants and one of Jin Bozong's servants lived in the other room, it was indeed a little cramped, Zhang Yuan apologized and said that he had neglected the two, Yang Shixiang and Jin Bozong both said: "It's okay, it's okay, it's just right to live like this, and sooner or later you can ask Brother Jie for more advice." ”

After arranging the accommodation of Yang and Jin, Zhang Yuan returned to the inner courtyard, saw that there was a light in the study, and walked over to take a look, his sister Zhang Ruoxi was teaching Mu Zhenzhen to write, and when he saw Zhang Yuan, Zhang Ruoxi said: "Xiao Yuan, you come to see the Huashan Tablet that is really written, it is very powerful." ”

Zhang Yuan walked over to see, Mu Zhenzhen quickly got up and stood aside, Zhang Yuan looked at the big characters on the bookcase, the body was dignified, the pen was plump and vigorous, very atmospheric, and praised: "It's really well written, and my sister teaches well." ”

Zhang Ruoxi smiled and said: "Practicing calligraphy also requires talent, and the words that are really written are very powerful, but it's a pity-" said to Mu Zhenzhen: "Zhenzhen go and pour a cup of tea for Xiao Yuan." ”

After Mu Zhenzhen left, Zhang Ruoxi asked Zhang Yuan what Yang Shixiang had said?

Zhang Yuan said: "My sister's previous worries are not wrong, the Huating Dong family really came to occupy the two hundred acres of mulberry fields, fortunately, Li County Ling is still willing to uphold justice, and the two hundred acres of mulberry forest have not been occupied by the Dong family for the time being, but this matter is always troublesome to drag on, of course Lu Weng is unwilling to give in, and my brother-in-law is also anxious now." ”

Zhang Ruoxi sighed faintly, and suddenly asked: "Xiao Yuan, you said that you can help your brother-in-law, how can you help him?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The time has not yet come, I have to pass the Taoist test next year." ”

Zhang Ruoxi hurriedly said: "Yes, Xiaoyuan, you don't have to think too much, just concentrate on studying and preparing for the exam, and my sister is not in a hurry, anyway, it is already like this, and I can't rush to come, at most, I can't keep the two hundred acres of mulberry forest." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "As long as the brother-in-law is the master of the house, I will help him recapture these two hundred acres of mulberry forest, Dong thinks that the land deed is in hand and the mulberry forest belongs to them, how can this be reasonable, even if the mulberry forest property is transferred and sold, it must be endorsed by the original owner and his eldest son, and the brother-in-law has not endorsed the land deed, the mulberry forest will never be returned to the Dong family's name, but now there is no reason, only from the long-term consideration." ”

Zhang Ruoxi was a little relieved when she saw her brother say this, and when she saw Mu Zhenzhen coming in with tea, she went back to the West Building to rest.

(To be continued)