At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly glanced at Li Chujiu next to him, the latter understood, stepped forward, and said to the second young master: "Second young master, the manager of Qi is dead, but the work of the side courtyard cannot be stopped, starting tomorrow, who should we listen to?" ”

Zhu Yuanzhang asked Li Chujiu to ask at the right time, the second young master yawned, and was about to go back to the house, when he suddenly heard that something bad was happening again, his face was full of impatience, and he muttered: "What's the trouble, the side courtyard is a group of mud legs, isn't it the same who is in charge?" Who's ...... What's your name? ”

"The little one's surname is Li, and he was born on the ninth day of the first lunar month, so his father and mother named the little one Li Chujiu."

The corners of the second young master's eyes twitched, and he said unhappily: "That's okay, it's you, you come to be the steward of the side courtyard." ”

Li Chujiu was startled, he didn't even dare to be happy, he hurriedly rolled to the side, kowtowed, and said: "Second young master, the little one doesn't dare, the little one has no ability, and he can't serve the public, and he can't be the manager of this partial hospital." ”

Ma Qianjiu, the chief steward of the front yard over there, also frowned, leaned into the second young master's ear, and said in a low voice: "Second young master, this person can't be used, at first glance, he is a small role running errands, if he is asked to take care of the courtyard, I am afraid that it will give you a headache every day." ”

The second young master just wanted to go back to sleep, but he was in no mood to care about these things, he said unhappily to Li Chujiu: "You can't be it, you have to recommend someone to me, right?" Let's talk about it, which of these mud-legged people in the side courtyard is suitable to come out and take care of things? ”

Li Chujiu was so frightened that his whole body trembled, he was about to promote Zhu Ba, when he suddenly saw Zhu Ba standing behind the second young master at some point, glanced at him, and pointed in the direction of the second king of white water.

Brother Zhu asked me to recommend Second Brother Wang? I don't understand...... Li Chujiu's poor intelligence is not enough, why don't you let me recommend him? Doesn't he want to be a housekeeper? Oh, I understand, Bugs Zhu and Second Brother Wang practice boxing together every night, and their relationship is very deep, he wants to give up the position of the housekeeper to Second Brother Wang, which is really touching.

Li Chujiu kowtowed three times to the second young master, and then said seriously: "The younger one thinks that the second brother Wang is righteous and takes care of the brothers, and he is very suitable to be the steward of the side hospital. ”

As soon as this sentence came out, a chorus immediately sounded next to him, and most of the long-term workers shouted: "That's right, Second Brother Wang is good, it's right to choose Second Brother Wang!" ”

"I also think that Second Brother Wang is the best, we will all obey him!"

"Wang Er? Well...... Just the second king. "The second young master intends to make a rash decision again.

At this time, Ma Qianjiu, who was standing next to him, suddenly spoke again: "Second Young Master, please allow the slave to report something important." ”

"Well, you say!" The second young master turned his ears to the past.

Ma Qianjiu bit his ear and said: "This Wang Er is a brother Gu, a man who values love and righteousness, if he is made to be the manager of the partial hospital, I am afraid that he will help this group of mud legs against us all day long." ”

The second young master pouted: "What's the matter, if he doesn't do a good job, I'll just withdraw him." ”

Ma Qianjiu smiled bitterly and said in a low voice: "My second young master, things are not as simple as you think. Wang Er's reputation is very loud in ten miles and eight towns, and he is known as the first hero in Baishui. It's easy for him to be in charge, everyone is convinced, but it's difficult to withdraw, if he raises his arms and shouts, the mud legs are all hugging him, if you remove him, you have to arrange a new manager, when the mud legs will make trouble, don't listen to the new manager, or listen to the words of Wang Er, it will also give you a headache, right? ”

Although the second young master's IQ is not very good, he still understands what he said after all. He frowned and asked, "This doesn't work, that doesn't work, you have to give me a personal choice, right?" ”

Ma Qianjiu smiled bitterly: "The old slave is the steward of the front yard, and he is not familiar with the people in the side yard, so this candidate still has to be decided by the second young master." ”

The second young master is not familiar with the people in the side courtyard, he tilted his head and thought for a long time, and suddenly a flash of inspiration moved in his mind, remembering a person, during the day, the Qi steward brought two people to report to me what happened in the county yamen, at that time, a person put forward an opinion that do not fight the county order, catch the slave of the county order family to fight, that person seems to be not bad, respectful to me, I look at it is also pleasing to the eye. By the way, I also asked his name, what is his name? Cinnabar...... That's right, Zhu Ba!

The second young master's eyes rolled left and right, and he said loudly: "What about Zhu Ba?" Where are you! ”

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled secretly in his heart, and finally ...... You fool thinks of me.

At the beginning, he asked Li Chujiu to speak, just because he didn't want Mao Sui's self-recommendation to appear too eager for quick success, and then when Li Chujiu wanted to promote him. He suddenly had an idea, thinking of using Ma Qianjiu. According to his observation in a short period of time just now, Ma Qianjiu is an old and serious person, and he thinks about the Ma family wholeheartedly, when he is present, someone proposes to let Wang Er be in charge, and he will definitely raise objections.

So Zhu Yuanzhang hinted that Li Chujiu recommended Wang Er, borrowed Ma Qianjiu's mouth, and permanently eliminated the possible surname of Wang Er's ascendancy.

After all the opponents were eliminated, even if he didn't say anything, Li Chujiu would no longer recommend him, and the second young master could only choose his head after all, and there was no other possible surname.

Hearing the second young master's call, Zhu Yuanzhang stepped in front of the second young master in two steps and said, "The second young master is looking for me?" ”

The second young master crooked his mouth: "I decided, let you be the manager of the side hospital, you will do a good job for me, and take care of the mud legs of this gang of people in the side court......"

"Bugling Zhu is also good!" The onlookers shouted again, Zhu Yuanzhang quietly looked around, and found that the people who supported him were still not as many as those who supported Wang Er, it seems that his kung fu has not been enough, it is no wonder that he has arrived for a short time, and it is a fool's dream to surpass the prestige of the famous Baishui Wang Er in such a short time.

"What can I do?" Zhu Yuanzhang pretended to say: "Second Brother Wang is the best." ”

"I just say yes!" The second young master was already very impatient, and waved his hand: "Okay, that's it, it's settled, the third watch was quarreled in the middle of the night to deal with some things, it's really annoying, go back to the house...... That, Ma Steward, what should Zhu Ba pay attention to after becoming the manager of the side court, you can tell Zhu Ba. ”

Ma Qianjiu hurriedly saluted and said, "Yes!" He lacked understanding of Zhu Ba, but seeing that he was calm and unchaotic when he walked, his movements and expressions revealed a sense of sophistication and maturity, and when he was appointed as a steward, he refused again, and seemed to be a person who knew how to measure, so he did not raise any objections.

The four lantern-playing housekeepers hugged the second young master back to the house, and the little maid with a double ponytail was still busy helping him sort out his clothes, and the second young master smiled: "What else is it?" When you go back to the house, you have to help the young master take it off again, isn't it troublesome? ”

The little maid quickly let go of her hand, hung her head and followed behind, and the group went slowly.

The long-term and short-term workers who were watching the scene of the murder found that there was nothing to see, so they also coaxed and began to retreat towards their houses. In the darkness, many lanterns were dragged into several lines and scattered on the stalks.

Zhu Yuanzhang hugged his fists at Wang Er and sighed: "Second brother Wang, my brother originally wanted to nominate you to be in charge, but the second young master ...... him."

Wang Er didn't care, and said with a smile: "I don't care about anything in charge, it seems that my temper that is easy to offend people can't be anything to do." I will first take Yang Chao back and lock him in the firewood room, and send him to see the official early in the morning. ”

"You can't stop treating your brother as a family just because your brother is in charge, and you have to bring your brother a few hands in the future." Zhu Yuanzhang lowered his posture and took it seriously.

Wang Erhao laughed: "What are you talking about! I learned all my boxing techniques from you, can I treat you as an outsider? He lifted Yang Chao into his hand, kicked him casually, and scolded: "Although the surname Qi is not a good person, if you kill it, you will kill it." But it's not right for you to betray our own brother, and I'm not going to fix you well tonight. ”

While kicking and scolding Yang Chao, he dragged the corpse of Steward Qi to the firewood room in the side courtyard, and when the court opened tomorrow to try the case, Steward Qi's body will be presented to the public court, so it can't be buried yet. Yang Chao squeaked, and the whimper with the sound of choking blood became farther and farther away, and finally fell silent after a while.

At this time, the onlookers were all dispersed, and Ma Qianjiu beckoned to Zhu Ba: "Brother Zhu, take a step to speak!" Since the two are in charge of affairs, Ma Qianjiu's address to him has become "brother", which is really unpleasant. Of course, Ma Qianjiu's identity is not comparable to that of a partial hospital manager, he just uses this attitude to show friendship.

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled slightly: "Don't dare to be it, Ma is in charge of things, just command." ”

"I'll tell you right now what the housekeeper is going to do." Ma Qianjiu led Zhu Yun to the small courtyard of the Qi manager, and said as he walked: "Your usual work is mainly to supervise whether the long-term and short-term workers are doing their work well. Every month, I will allocate a batch of money and food from the front yard to you, and you can use these things to arrange meals for the long-term and short-term workers. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, he saw Qi Guan doing these things every day, and he was familiar with them.

Ma Qianjiu continued: "In addition, all the villagers who come to post in our house are also managed by the side hospital, and you have to take them to apply for household registration and sign a deed of sale. ”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded again, that is, the people who came over by "trickery" are also under his control, in fact, he knows that the side courtyard is specially responsible for agricultural affairs, and the front yard is responsible for commercial affairs. As for the inner courtyard, it is mainly responsible for the living of the master, the young master, the young lady, the lady and others, and the responsibilities of the three courtyards of the Ma family are very distinct.

Ma Qianjiu and Zhu Yuanzhang were talking as they walked into the small courtyard where Steward Qi lived alone. Steward Qi is in his forties this year, but he has not yet married a daughter-in-law and has no children, so he lives in this small courtyard alone, and now that he is dead, this courtyard does not need to be cleared, and Zhu Yuanzhang can live in it directly.

The two walked into the hut, their own accompanying family members lit oil lamps, Ma Qianjiu took out a few account books from the study of the Qi manager, threw them on the table, and asked Zhu Yuanzhang: "Are you literate?" Do you know how to do arithmetic? ”

"Literacy! Will count! ”

"Huh?" Ma Qianjiu was taken aback, he casually asked if he was illiterate, and he didn't plan to get a satisfactory answer, and he planned to help him return the account from the front yard, but he didn't expect Zhu Yuanzhang to say that he knew, which suddenly made him look at him differently.

It is not easy to be literate in the countryside, not to mention literacy among ordinary villagers, it is difficult to even read and count, Zhu Ba actually said that he is literate, which really makes Ma Qianjiu feel incredible.