The three wooden buildings of the back garden near the mash river have been painted with two tung oil, one should be said to be basically complete with utensils, the small building is simple, not carved and decorated, the bed, several, table, chair, screen, lamps and other utensils are also simple and practical, on the riverside in front of the building, there are scarlet peaches, white peaches, green peaches, green calyxes, plums, under the eaves in front of the steps, planting begonias, poppies, cut red Luo, hosta flowers, saxifrage, so that you can see green branches and green leaves and blooming flowers all year round - Zhang Yuan walked over from the three-arch stone bridge, looking at the light on the left side of the small building, Someone was reflected on the window lattice, so he walked quickly downstairs and asked loudly, "Who is upstairs?" Qin Minping did not live in his house, but lived in the Cross Street Restaurant, saying that the local soldiers he brought were rude and did not dare to disturb.

A tall and beautiful figure soon appeared on the corridor, and the fallen girl looked down and answered, "Young master, it's the maid who is tidying up the room." ”

Zhang Yuan "oh" sound, on the boat back to Shanyin, Zhang Yuan said that he wanted to move to the back garden building to live, so that it would be convenient to meet guests and friends, now he is no longer a child, sixteen years old should be regarded as an adult - "squeak" The wooden door of the back garden opened, and the rabbit pavilion jumped out and said: "Young master, Mrs. and eldest lady asked the young master to meet them as soon as he came back, and he had something to ask the young master." ”

Zhang Yuan followed the rabbit pavilion through the back garden, and went through the hall to the inner courtyard to see his mother and sister, and in a hurry, there was Qin Minping on the side, and he didn't have time to talk to his mother and sister to see his uncle - Zhang Ruoxi frowned and said: "Xiao Yuan, it's twenty-seven today, why hasn't your brother-in-law arrived yet?" ”

Zhang Yuan wrote home in the middle of last month and said that he had caught Chen Ming and escorted him back to Qingpu, Zhang Ruoxi was very happy at that time, and said to his mother that Xiao Yuan really had the ability, and this time he helped Qingpu Lu's family a lot, but until recently, he did not see his husband Lu Tao arrive, and he began to worry again, Lu Tao said that he would come to Shanyin to celebrate his mother-in-law's birthday - Zhang Yuan comforted: "Sister don't worry, brother-in-law is estimated to be here in the next two days." ”

It was such a coincidence, as soon as Zhang Yuan's voice fell, he heard Xiao Shi shouting from the patio downstairs: "Mrs., eldest lady, the father of Young Master Xuchun and Young Master Xujie is here." ”

Zhang Ruoxi was overjoyed, stood up suddenly, and heard Lu Chun and Lu Jie in the compartment shouting: "Is Daddy here, I want to see Daddy, I don't sleep." ”

"I don't sleep anymore, I want to see my dad more."

It was already the end of the day, and I went to bed early when it was cold, and Zhou's mother and the two maidservants had already undressed the two little brothers and were coaxing them to sleep. ”

Zhang Ruoxi came over and asked the maid to dress Lu Chun and Lu Jie, she and her younger brother Zhang Yuan went downstairs and came to the front hall, and saw Lu Tao in the courtyard directing the porter to carry a few large boxes to the hall, the couple saw each other, and they were overjoyed, and the two servants who followed Lu Tao to Shanyin Lu Dayou and Lu Dachuan stepped forward to greet the little grandmother and the young master Jiezi, Zhang's mother Lu Shi and Lu Chun and Lu Jie also came out, and the two little brothers had not seen their father for more than half a year, and they were very happy and affectionate - Cui Gu and the two servants hurriedly prepared dinner for Lu Tao's master and servant, After a busy while, the front hall quieted down, Lu Tao followed his wife Zhang Ruoxi into the inner courtyard, went up to the south building to talk, saying that he set off from Qingpu on the twelfth of this month, and the road was half a month, and the whole way was smooth - Zhang Ruoxi carefully looked at her husband Lu Tao's complexion under the lamp, and saw that she had lost some weight, knowing that these husbands were not less worried, and asked: "Lu Lang, how did Chen Ming's matter be handled?" ”

Lu Tao hesitated for a moment and said with a smile: "It's okay, everything is fine, this time thanks to Jie Zi, my father is also very grateful, and asked me to thank Jie Zi." ”

Zhang's mother Lu Shi said happily: "That's good, that's good, Ruoxi has been worried, what do you thank your family." ”

After chatting for a while, Zhang's mother Lu went back to the room to rest, the weather at the end of October, especially at night, was already very cold, and elderly people could not sit for a long time.

After her mother left, Zhang Ruoxi asked Lu Tao: "Lu Lang, is there anything else in trouble?" ”

Lu Tao looked at his wife Zhang Ruoxi and brother-in-law Zhang Yuan, and told the truth: "The evil slave Chen Ming was sent back to Qingpu on the sixteenth of last month, and the trial began on the eighteenth, but the evil slave was beaten with dozens of rods but refused to admit that he stole the silver and the land deed, and put the fault on my brother Yangfang's head, and on the twentieth, the Songjiang prefect sent Chen Mingjie to Songjiang Mansion for interrogation, and my father and I went to Huating with him, and Wu Tuiguan opened a trial, and the evil slave arrived in Huating, presumably because of Dong's secret pouting, and became more and more arrogant, and said in the hall that my father and the second brother Yangfang were ugly, It's about fabrication, then Wu Tuiguan said that such a master and servant have broken off their righteousness, and actually asked my father to let Chen Ming get out of his nationality, Chen Ming sold a family of four to return one hundred taels of silver to my Lu family, Chen Ming as a domestic slave traitor, punished with hard labor for one year - Chen Ming stole 3,000 taels of silver and 200 acres of mulberry forest The land deed has not been recovered, how can the case be closed like this, of course my father refused to accept it, and the case dragged on again, I was worried about my mother-in-law's birthday, so I rushed here first, and I don't know what the final result of the case was. ”

Zhang Ruoxi said angrily: "I have caught Chen Ming, but I can't help him, Huating Dong covers the sky with one hand." ”

Lu Tao said: "Songjiang prefect Huang Guoding is Dong Qichang's protégé, of course he wants to protect the Dong family, this time he caught Chen Ming, but the Dong family didn't dare to ask for the two hundred acres of mulberry forest again, my father didn't agree to close the case, then Wu Tuiguan can't judge without authorization, my father has a reputation for making people, how can he be manipulated by others." ”

Zhang Yuan has been silent, and then said: "Chen Ming has the support of the Dong family, and the official refuses to use a heavy sentence, of course he refuses to recruit, now it depends on how this case is judged, according to my estimate, it is very likely that it will drag on for a few months, and Chen Ming will be released." ”

Lu Tao said: "How can this be reasonable, it is too much to deceive people." "But I was worried that this would really end like this.

Zhang Ruoxi asked his younger brother: "Xiao Yuan, do you have any good solutions?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Dong's evil is not just this time, Dong Qichang has gone from being a poor scholar thirty years ago to now having a house like a cloud and tens of thousands of servants. These must be counted on his head in the end, this is what Master Lianchi of Yunqi Temple said The most evil in the world is the person who has seven articles of the first department, no matter how Dong Qichang is unique in calligraphy and painting, he is the culprit, and he will kill himself if he does too much injustice, and my sister is waiting to see it. ”

Lu Tao said: "I heard from the people of Huating that Dong Qichang is good at the middle of the house, and his son and house slaves often buy beautiful and white-skinned girls from poor families for them to fight, and there are dozens of young maids in Xihongtang and Baozhu Pavilion, so Dong Qichang is nearly sixty years old, and his body is as healthy as a teenager. ”

Zhang Ruoxi said with slight annoyance: "What are you talking about these dirty things!" ”

Zhang Yuan said with a smile: "In Dong Qichang's opinion, these things are not considered evil at all, and the handmaid he bought should be disposed of by him, and this does not violate the law of the Ming Dynasty." After a while, he asked, "Does my brother-in-law plan to take my sister back this time?" ”

Lu Tao said: "My mother is worried about being pure and clean, and she wants to take it back together." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The weather is cold, it will take more than half a month on the road, I am afraid that my sister and Lu Chun and Lu Jie will not be able to withstand the bumps and wind cold, and Chen Ming's case is not over, and the Lu family is restless, is it not to wait for April and May next year to take the Taoist test and then send my sister and them back to Qingpu?" ”

Lu Tao also felt that the journey was hard all the way, so he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Ruoxi, what do you think?" ”

Zhang Ruoxi was a little hesitant, she wanted to go back to Qingpu with Lu Tao, and she wanted to accompany her mother more, and her younger brother Zhang Yuan's Taoist test next year is also something she is very concerned about - Zhang Yuan smiled: "Sister, don't hesitate, just go back next year, this time let your brother-in-law accompany you here a little more, you change into men's clothes and go to Dashan Temple, Longshan, and Shuzu's garden with your brother-in-law to play and relax." ”

Lu Tao laughed and said: "Ruoxi, then let's do it, I'll stay here for a while, I'll go back after the fifteenth day of next month, and I'll pick you up again in the early summer of next year, when the weather is warm and the road is pleasant." ”

Late at night, Zhang Yuan wanted to go back to the small building in the back garden to rest, Lu Tao came downstairs and said: "Jiezi, the collection of essays you selected and evaluated for Yang Shixiang last time has been engraved and printed, Yang Shixiang asked me to bring ten volumes to you, as well as a letter from him, knowing that I am celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday, Yang Shixiang has also prepared a birthday gift for me to bring." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Brother Shi Xiang is really polite, my brother-in-law will help me bring a letter to him when I return to Qingpu." ”

Came to the front hall, Lu Tao opened a box and took out the ten volumes, Zhang Yuan looked at it, the indigo cover, the title of the book is "Zhang Jiezi's Selected Commentary on Songjiang Shiwen One Hundred and Twenty Articles", "Zhang Jiezi's Selected Commentary" The five words are particularly big - Lu Tao smiled: "The original title of the book was 'Songjiang Shiwen One Hundred and Two Articles', and there were small words on the side 'Shanyin Zhang Jiezi Selected Commentary', I heard that you beat Dong Zuchang and worshiped under Jiao Zhuangyuan's door, Yang Shixiang immediately changed the seal and sealed it, put ' When I left Qingpu, it was said that the first printing of 1,500 copies had been sold out, and it had been reprinted overnight, otherwise it would have been pirated by other book publishers. ”

Zhang Yuan laughed: "If you beat Dong Zuchang, can you also make the book sell well, so Dong Zuchang can be regarded as doing a beneficial thing." ”

Lu Tao said with a smile: "I am in Huating, and I also heard about it, Dong Zuchang is bedridden, and the people of Huating are applauding. ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Dong Zu is often pretending, and I kicked him, so why is he bedridden." ”

Lu Tao suddenly asked: "By the way, Jie Zi, what's going on with that Zong Yishan?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Brother-in-law, do you remember the young scholar who came to the Narcissus Temple Literary Society, he is Zong Yishan, talented, and he is actually a slave of the Dong family, and I am already a good friend, and I am determined to help him get out of the country." ”

Lu Tao said: "Then you can offend Dong Qichang greatly, I heard that Zong Yishan calligraphy is exquisite, often ghostwriting for Dong Qichang, Dong Qichang's calligraphy and painting is famous, many vassal and elegant rich businessmen also ask Dong Qichang for painting, the capital of the pen is as high as 100 taels, Dong Qichang can't write, can't paint, so he asked someone to write for him, for his calligraphy ghostwriter Zong Yishan, Wu Chuhou, painting ghostwriter is Zhao Zuo, Shen Shichong. ”

Zhang Yuanxin said: "Dong Qichang's calligraphy and painting are known for many fakes in later generations, and the seals on these fakes are generally the same as the seals of Dong Qichang's authentic works. ”

(To be continued)