Shang Zhoude's wife Qi invited Zhang Ruoxi and Zhang Yuan's sister and brother to sit inside, Zhang Yuan instructed Mu Jingyan and Wuling to go back to Shanyin first to report to his mother Lu, and his mother knew that her sister Zhang Ruoxi and the two little nephews were back, and she must have been overjoyed - the female relatives were inconvenient to entertain guests in the main hall of the front yard, they were all in-laws, and they sat in the flower hall in the back garden to drink tea and eat cakes, Zhang Yuan told Qi that his brother-in-law Shang Zhoude and he went to Hangzhou on the same road and then went north through the canal to the north. As soon as they met, they fell in love with Shang Ran - worried that their mother would wait for a long time, Zhang Ruoxi and Zhang Yuan's sister and brother sat for half an hour and then left, leaving six horses of Songjiang fine cotton and brocade, which were all produced by Qingpu Lu, which was a return gift to Shang for Lu Tao's birthday.

The Qi family and Shang Ran were sent to the dock in the back garden, and Zhang Yuan whispered to Shang Ran: "I'll come to see you in a few days." ”

Shang Yanran's face was slightly red, her eyelashes lowered to look at her toes, and she let out a soft "um".

Although Zhang Yuan spoke softly, he still let the two little guys hear it, and Lu Chun immediately said enthusiastically: "Uncle, I will come to see my aunt with Uncle Jie Zi in a few days." ”

Lu Jie was not willing to lag behind, and said loudly: "I want to come to see my aunt with Uncle Jiezi." ”

Shang Tan was so embarrassed that Zhang Yuan's two little nephews were even more naïve than her niece Shang Jinghui.

Zhang Yuan smiled and led Lu Chun and Lu Jie to the boat, waved goodbye, the Sanming tile white canopy boat left the Shang wharf, and turned from Dongda Pond to the waterway to Shanyin, the waterway was zigzag, and he had already seen the Bashi Bridge, Mu Zhenzhen had good eyesight, and shouted: "Young master, eldest lady, look, Mrs. is already waiting by the bridge." ”

Said on the three poles, the sky is clear, Zhang Ruoxi, Zhang Yuan stood on the bow of the boat, saw a group of people waiting for a group of people on the side of the bluestone quaint Bashi Bridge, beckoning to the white canopy boat, Zhang Yuan also stretched out his arm and waved vigorously, he was on the boat from the Bashi Bridge on the 20th of last month and left Shanyin to Qingpu, today it is March 18, back and forth is almost a month, I miss my mother very much - Zhang Ruoxi took the hands of the two sons, and said happily: "Pure, clean you see, grandmother picked us up." ”

The two little brothers snuggled up to their mother Zhang Ruoxi's legs, tiptoeing to look, and they didn't see which one was their grandmother, so they stretched their necks and shouted: "Grandmother-grandmother-"

The child's voice was sharp, and Zhang's mother Lu Shi on the side of the eight-character bridge heard it, and responded loudly: "Hey, Lu Chun, Lu Jie-" Yi Ting took two steps forward with her.

The white canopy boat docked by the bridge, and Zhang Yuan jumped ashore first and said to his mother: "Mother, my son is back, and I have brought my sister back." ”

Zhang's mother Lu smiled happily, and at this time she didn't care about talking to her son, and the two lively little nephews had already gone ashore, surrounding her and competing for favor, so busy that Zhang's mother Lu had no time to say a word to her daughter Ruoxi and Zhou's mother.

The little girl Rabbit Pavilion was a little afraid when she saw the four-year-old Lu Jie, last year she was three years old, and when she saw her, she was going to pull her girl's bun, who made her two rabbit ears so swaggering, so the rabbit pavilion only called "Miss" and quickly hid behind Yi Ting - Shi Shuang, Cuigu and his wife had never seen the eldest lady Zhang Ruoxi before, and then stepped forward to salute, Zhang Yuan's cousin Zhang Dingyi had seen Zhang's mother Lu and others go out, and asked if Zhang Yuan was back, so he also came to join in the fun, and greeted: "Brother Jiezi, Sister Ruoxi-"

Mu Jingyan and Shi Shuang were busy moving the utensils on the ship, Zhang Ruoxi took the two children to live in her mother's house, and brought back a lot of cage utensils, so Cuigu went to Fuxue Palace to hire five porters, Mu Jingyan, Shi Shuang and five porters moved these cage utensils to Zhang Yuan's house.

Zhang Ruoxi's boudoir used to be a daughter-in-law has remained the same, on the second floor of the South Building, adjacent to her mother Lu's room, at this time, even Zhou's mother and the two maidservants, as well as Lu Chun and Lu Jie, lived in the South Building together, and it was very lively.

Pure and clean are very happy, there are not so many rules in my grandmother's house, my grandmother is more kind than their grandmother Liu, the most important thing is that my mother Zhang Ruoxi is overjoyed and infected them, my mother has always been careful in front of my grandmother, so in my grandmother's house, the two children are like fish in water, and they ran upstairs at once, ran downstairs all at once, and didn't stop, Zhang Yuan asked Wuling and the two maids to take Lu Chun and Lu Jie to the back garden to see the white mule, so that they could have a good conversation with their mother, After the freshness of the little brothers has passed, it will naturally not be so noisy - the rectangular patio, two pots of yellow begonia and two pots of white tulip, the branches are luxuriant, the flowers are very beautiful, the sun shines obliquely, the fragrance of flowers is faint, there is a kind of spring light in the courtyard courtyard, Zhang's mother Lu and daughter Zhang Ruoxi, son Zhang Yuan are talking under the corridor of the south building, an ebony table, there are three celadon tea cups, as well as jujube mud cakes, mille-feuille cakes - of course Zhang Ruoxi will not say anything about Uncle Lu Yangfang, so as not to worry about her mother, He only said that he would stay in Sanyin until his mother's fiftieth birthday before returning to Qingpu, and Zhang's mother Lu was overjoyed and said: "Your father will also return to Sanyin in June and July, and the family will be reunited at that time." "I heard that Ruoxi had just met the Shang girl, and I was busy asking Ruoxi what she thought of the Shang girl?

Zhang Ruoxi looked at his younger brother Zhang Yuan who was standing on the side, and said with a smile: "I really don't know what kind of blessing Xiao Yuan has cultivated in his life, that Miss Shang is simply a fairy." ”

Zhang's mother Lu Shixi said: "Miss Shang is indeed beautiful, her surname is good, she is knowledgeable, and the fly in the ointment is that her feet are a little big, and she is not bound to her feet-" glanced at her son, and said: "But Zhang Yuan said that he likes not to wrap his feet, this is really fate." ”

Zhang Yuan smiled: "Who has ever seen a heavenly immortal want to wrap his feet?" ”

Zhang Ruoxi said: "I don't like foot binding either, my mother used to wrap my feet for me, I cried in pain, and complained about my mother." ”

Zhang's mother Lu sighed: "How can I bear it for my mother, but if you don't wrap your feet, it will be difficult for you to marry into a good family, your mother-in-law Liu Shi already thinks that our family is poor and not rich, if you are a pair of big feet, you will definitely suffer from her white eyes." ”

Zhang Ruoxi stroked her mother's hand and said: "My daughter is also a mother now, and I know my mother's hard work back then. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Even if my sister gives birth to a daughter in the future, don't wrap her feet, and when the time comes, I will support my little niece and resolutely not bind her feet." ”

Zhang Ruoxi smiled: "Okay, then I will marry my daughter to your son." ”

Zhang Yuan was stunned, and his mother Lu laughed.

Wu Ling called downstairs: "Young Master, the third young master of Xizhang is here." ”

Zhang Yuan said to his sister Zhang Ruoxi: "Sister, I'll go out for a while, and you can explain some things to my mother on my behalf." After that, he walked through the patio and came to the front yard, and saw the third brother Zhang Cao wearing a new Hu Luo silk shirt, shaking a red sandalwood folding fan in his hand, and he was not seated, walking around in the hall, and when he saw him come out, he hurriedly said: "Jiezi, you are back, the three glasses craftsmen I invited from Hangzhou arrived five days ago, you hurry up to meet them." "Zhang Cao's surname is anxious, and he wants to do everything overnight.

Zhang Yuan said: "Okay, I'll see you later, is the clan uncle in the North Courtyard?" ”

Zhang Cao said: "The eldest father is compiling a rhyme book, and these sons haven't gone out much. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "I have something to report to my uncle, and the third brother will accompany me." ”

Zhang Cao asked: "What's the matter, don't hurt me to be scolded?" ”

Zhang Yuan said that Yao Fu's brother Yao Xin hired Hangzhou to fight Qingshou and wanted to hurt him, Zhang Cao was angry when he heard it: "If you don't die by fighting snakes, you will be eaten back, this time you can't spare his Yao family." ”

Zhang Cao and Zhang Yuan went to the study of the North Courtyard to see Zhang Rulin, Zhang Rulin raised his white-haired head from the pile of old papers, and listened to Zhang Yuan talk about Hangzhou's beating of Qingshou, first frowned and said: "Yao Fu wants to hurt you, so that you should not take the test." Then he smiled and said: "That eunuch Zhong is really good to you, willing to help you like this." He got up and paced: "It's okay to go through this incident, see how Xu Shijin, the prefect of Shaoxing, still protects Yao Fu." ”

Zhang Caoqi said: "Jie Zi, is the fallen people's martial arts surnamed Mu so strong?" ”

Zhang Yuan nodded and said: "Mu Jingyan is strong in martial arts, but there are also a few local soldiers from the Shizhu Tusi to help." Then he made it clear to his uncle that he met Ma Qiancheng's wife Qin Liangyu, and that if he wanted to get the support of the family, these things could not be hidden from Zhang Rulin, of course, the things he talked with Eunuch Zhong secretly would not be said - Zhang Rulin was also very curious: "There is such a thing, this is a good fate, the local people are difficult to provoke, but there is kindness, it will be repaid, very good." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The clan grandson also caused something in Qingpu, and sued my brother-in-law's younger brother Lu Yangfang to the county jail——"

Zhang Rulin smiled and hurriedly asked, "What's the matter?" ”

Zhang Yuan said that the Narcissus Temple Cultural Meeting until Lu Yangfang sent someone to lure Mu Zhenzhen, and also said that the Lu slave Chen Ming defected to the Dong family in Songjiang, Zhang Rulin said: "If Lu Zhaoshen wants to argue with Dong Xuanzai, I am afraid that he will suffer setbacks, and you don't have to care about Lu Yangfang's affairs, it is his rudeness first——"

Zhang Cao interjected: "According to me, I want to beat that Lu Yangfang first." Glancing at the face of the eldest father, he quickly shut up.

Zhang Rulin told Zhang Yuan to concentrate on preparing for the government exam, and the prefect Xu Shijin must be quite dissatisfied with Zhang Yuan, so he must use impeccable craftsmanship to make Xu Shijin have nothing to say, and Xu Shijin does not dare to deliberately suppress it.

After another conversation, Zhang Yuan resigned, and Zhang Cao went out of the North Courtyard together, and met the maidservant Lianxia holding a small vase of fine flowers, with willow branches inserted in the bottle, Zhang Cao stopped and said: "Lianxia, what are you doing with a willow bottle, is it possible that you want to pretend to be Guanyin?" ”

Lian Xia said a little timidly: "The third son, it was the eldest master who ordered the maid to break the willow branch and insert the bottle. He said to Zhang Yuanfu again: "Young Master Jiezi is back." ”

Zhang Cao said: "Jie Zi wants to see if the treasure on your body is still shining?" ”

The maidservant Lian Xia's face was flushed, and she didn't walk with a willow branch bottle, nor did she stay-Zhang Yuan pulled Zhang Cao's forearm: "Let's go, see the optician." ”

Zhang Cao laughed, and Zhang Yuan went out of the side alley, and asked as he walked: "Jiezi, you really didn't beat that Lu Yangfang, Dong Zuchang you kicked it?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "For the sake of my brother-in-law's face, I was punished twice." ”

Zhang Cao said: "What kind of affection do you have, you have to beat it hard, just like beating those Hangzhou green hands." ”

Zhang Yuan diverted the topic and asked, "Third brother, are you engaged to Qi Huzi's cousin?" ”

Zhang Cao said: "I have been hired. ”

Zhang Yuan smiled: "Congratulations to the third brother." ”

Zhang Cao rolled his eyes and said, "What is there to congratulate, you are proud of your generation." ”

Zhang Yuan smiled: "How dare you, brother." ”

The three opticians live in a house near the champion, which was rented by Zhang Cao for twenty taels of silver, and the three opticians dragged their families with a total of more than a dozen people came, it seems that they plan to settle down in Shaoxing, the front yard hall is used as a glasses workshop, the square is stacked with large and small glass blocks, and the three craftsmen are polishing these water glasses with utensils, these three are well-known glasses craftsmen in Hangzhou, one is good at making incense mirrors, and the incense glasses are convex lenses, which can be used to light incense; One is good at making faint glasses, which is reading glasses; There is also a glasses that can make myopia, Zhang Cao invited one of the three crafts of mirror craftsmen, these three people are still relatively young, not more than thirty years old - Zhang Yuan did not speak, quietly watched the three craftsmen polish the lenses, and looked at a few pieces of incense glasses and myopia glasses, incense glasses not to mention, only for this myopia glasses, compared with the pair of crystal glasses that Zhang Cao bought from Macao and later gave him, it is not that the craftsmanship is poor, but the glass texture used to make the glasses is a little turbid, which is not completely transparent, so the myopia glasses made in this way, Wearing it is always gray, such myopia glasses can only be better than nothing - there is an ear room in the corner of the yard, that is the place where glass is made, Zhang Yuan went in to see, the craftsman used cinnabar, quartz and limestone to make glass, cinnabar is mercury, but contains impurities, it is difficult to refine pure mercury in these years, mercury is not pure, and the glass produced is naturally not pure, such glass cannot be used as a telescope - Zhang Yuan asked Wuling to run back and bring his glasses, Zhang Yuan showed the crystal stone glasses made by the Taixi Kingdom to the three craftsmen, and said: "This is made of crystal stone, I heard that Nanzhili Haizhou also produces transparent crystal stones, the texture is purer than these glasses, how about you also use transparent crystal stones to make glasses?" ”

The three mirror craftsmen looked at each other, and one of them, surnamed Sun, said: "The villains have not tried, if the son wants to make glasses with crystal stones, then he will have to go to Haizhou to select materials, and he will have to travel thousands of miles to transport them back, and the cost is not small." ”

Zhang Cao said: "Don't be afraid of spending money, what my Zhang family has is money, and I want a good mirror." ”

Zhang Yuan asked Zhang Cao: "How much silver did the third brother spend on inviting mirrorsmiths, buying utensils, and renting real estate this time?" ”

Zhang Cao said: "There are always four or five hundred taels, and these utensils are all moved from Hangzhou." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "This glasses workshop is a partnership between me and my third brother, and I will also pay five hundred taels of silver, and send someone to Haizhou to select transparent crystal stones as soon as possible and transport a boat back." ”

Zhang Caoqi said: "Jiezi, where did you get so much silver?" ”

Zhang Yuan smiled: "I dug the cellar." ”

Zhang Cao said: "I know, it's your sister's silver, and the Qingpu Lu family has a lot of money." ”

Zhang Yuan did not argue, and said: "The selection of materials must be good, who doesn't like crystal clear lenses, there are many rich people in Jiangnan, don't worry about not being able to sell, what you want is good glasses." ”

Making glasses was the first step in Zhang Yuan's plan, first to let the mirror maker master the skill of grinding glasses, and then try to make a telescope, he only knew some general principles, and the specific production naturally depended on the mirror master to explore.

(To be continued)