After entering the courtyard of the yamen, only Yan Hong, Yan Feng, and Yan Fu followed Hai Rui to the study behind the yamen. But the furnishings in the room are simple, a large table, a few chairs are not complete, and there is a pile of books on the bookcase against the wall, which is turned into tatters.

Yan Hong and Hai Rui sat down, and Hai Rui said, "Pour tea." Haiping immediately carried a big black pot and poured tea into the notched porcelain cup, but seeing that the color was as light as water, he took a sip, isn't this water? However, he didn't expect to drink any good tea here, so he smiled and said, "Da Yin, the contemptible person is a few years younger than you, dare to call Brother Hai, okay?" ”

In terms of age, Hai Rui is more than 20 years older than Yan Hong, a generation behind. However, in officialdom, the title has always been according to the official, not the age. It is said that Yan Hong is the fifth grade, and Hai Rui is nothing more than the seventh grade, even if Wu Jianwen is demoted to the third level, the two of them are also straight, and Brother Hai is not wronged by Hai Rui. But Hai Rui seemed to be unwilling to do so, and pondered for a moment before saying, "If Yan Qianhu wants to call it like this, it doesn't matter. ”

Yan Hong didn't care, and said with a smile: "Brother Hai, it's not early, the younger brother has prepared a few home-cooked meals, please come out with Brother Hai, the old lady, sister-in-law, nephews and nieces." ”

Hai Rui nodded and said to Hai Ping: "Tell the old ladies to come out." ”

Yan Hong also instructed Yan Feng and Yan Fu: "Bring it up." ”

In a moment, several men brought out the food. Yan Donglai had experienced starvation before the crossing, but since he possessed his body, he has never left the delicacies of the mountains and seas at every meal, and he has become more and more particular about his diet. He invited guests in Beijing, that is not tired of eating, not tired of fine, the dishes prepared, even if not all kinds of sea cucumbers, shark fins, bear's paws, bird's nest rare things, at least duck paw meat, sea bass soup, pigeon brains, chicken tongue shreds and other fine dishes.

But these are going to be brought to invite Hai Rui to dinner, but I am afraid that he will spit on him first. Therefore, what Yan Hong prepared this time was quite realistic, with four dishes and one soup that were standard. Two pots, one pot is mutton with enough sauce, sugar and spices, and it is burned enough. One pot is a big fat hen, and it is also stewed with thick soup and rotten meat. Three large plates, a plate of braised duck breast with bamboo shoots, a plate of dried fried yellow croaker, and a plate of scrambled eggs with shrimp.

These four dishes and one soup are fragrant and hot. There is also a small bucket of dry rice cooked with fine polished rice. In addition, it was expected that Hai Rui might not even have many tableware here, and Yan Hong also brought ten sets of dishes and chopsticks. Although it is not a high-quality product, the bowl is not notched, and the chopsticks can also be matched.

At this time, Hai Rui's family also came out. One is Hai Rui's mother, Mrs. Xie, and the other is Hai Rui's wife, Wang. The daughter born to the Wang family is only four years old, and another son, Hai Zhongliang, is not yet a year old, so he doesn't have to come out.

Yan Hong looked at the families of these two Qing officials with three points of curiosity. But seeing that Hai Rui's old mother is about sixty years old, she is tall among old ladies. She was several years younger than her grandmother, Old Madam Ouyang, but she looked like she had more wrinkles on her face, and it seemed as if a knife was carved into stone. Both of them had white hair, but Old Madam Ouyang was full of red light, while Old Madam Xie had a little malnourished and sickly appearance, and she was hunched over even more. Despite this, the old lady's eyes were blazing, the corners of her mouth were pursed, and she looked quite assertive, which even made Yan Hong feel three points of awe.

And Hai Rui's wife, Wang, seems to be around thirty years old, and she can probably be regarded as a middle-aged person at the beginning. It's just that maybe life is too hard, not only is it thin, but also young, there are already a lot of white hair, faint wrinkles appear at the corners of the eyes, and there is a trace of exhaustion and vicissitudes in the eyes. Her expression is in stark contrast to her mother-in-law Xie Shi. When I looked at my husband Hai Rui, there was not only unconcealable tenderness, but also faint fear and restraint.

According to Yan Donglai's experience in the 21st century, basically, those who have husbands who are macho and wives who have no status in the family have such expressions. It's no wonder that Hai Rui, a master who clings to Taizu's legacy, must also be a whole set of feudal ethics in the family, three subordination and four virtues, and his wife would be strange if she didn't have this expression.

Yan Hong saw the appearance of Xie and Wang, which was really a 13 portrait of the suffering of the family members of the standard Qing officials. He is used to sales, and he is naturally familiar with pleasing all kinds of people. immediately smiled all over his face, and arched his hand: "In Xia Yanhong, it is Jinyi Wei Qianhu." This time, I was ordered to go south to do business, and I heard that Brother Haida Yin Hairen was a famous Qing official, so he admired it very much, and came to disturb him. The old aunt and nephew are polite. Old sister-in-law, brother, I am polite. ”

As soon as he said these few words, he immediately put himself in the position of Hai Rui's close relationship. Old Madam Xie and the Wang family also smiled and stepped forward to salute. Yan Hong instructed Yan Fu again: "Take a few clean bowls, fill some food, and send them to the house." My aunt, sister-in-law, and my nephews and nieces, though they are too young to be at the table, call them oily-mouthed. ”

Hearing him say this, a grateful expression suddenly appeared on Wang's face. It was Mrs. Xie, and her expression was even more kind. After all, it is natural for a mother to love her son, and a grandmother to love her grandson. Only Hai Rui Hai Qingtian is still expressionless.

Yan Hong didn't care, continued to smile on his face, beckoned everyone to sit down, and asked Yan Feng to put the dishes and chopsticks: "Brother prepared a few home-cooked dishes, and invited the old aunt, brother Hai and old sister-in-law to eat." It's all like a family, so I won't talk so much politely, aunt, eldest brother and sister-in-law, please take care of yourself. But I still hope that a few people don't think I'm rude and rude. ”

Old Madam Xie nodded and said, "Xianggong Yan, I am grateful that you can have this piece of heart, not to mention such a sumptuous feast?" My son is not good at socializing with people, and where he is rude, I hope that Yan Xianggong will bear with him. ”

Yan Hong hurriedly arched his hand and said: "Where is the old aunt, nephew, I have always admired Brother Hai the most, he is upright, as if the Bao Longtu is reincarnated." It was a brother's honor to have a meal with Brother Hai. Yan Feng Yan Fu, you stand down, I am waiting for you here. ”

Yan Feng, Yan Fu and others bowed and retreated. How could the Wang family really let Yan Hong do it, and hurriedly came to serve dinner to everyone. The first bowl of rice was supposed to be given to Yan Hong, but Yan Hong hurriedly gave it to Mrs. Xie. The second bowl was given to Yan Hong, but Yan Hong pushed it, and later wanted to give it to Hai Rui, but he was not polite, so he served it himself. The third bowl was served to Hai Rui, and the fourth bowl was placed on Wang's own table.

So it was officially eaten. Yan Hong pinched the chopsticks, first sandwiched a chicken thigh in the basin, and two pieces of good mutton, and saluted Xie Shi to the bowl, and said respectfully: "Old aunt, my big brother Hai has been raised by you and has become an iron-clad man today." The nephew is in Chun'an County, and he heard the word of mouth from the people, and they all said that Brother Hai was Hai Qingtian. His brother will surely leave a name for a thousand years. The nephew admires it very much, and here he replaces wine with meat, wishing the old aunt a better life than Nanshan and blessings like the East China Sea. ”

When Mrs. Xie heard Yan Hong say this, her wrinkled face was full of smiles, and she said: "Don't dare, don't dare, the old body doesn't have much knowledge, just teach me some simple truths." Yan Xianggong praised it. ”

It was Hai Rui, who saw Yan Hong's respect for his mother and his usual expression that everyone owed me money, so he also smiled slightly.

Yan Hong caught a glimpse of the expressions of the mother and son, and was secretly proud in his heart, and stretched out his chopsticks to clip a piece of duck breast, which was about to be sent to Wang's bowl, and suddenly saw Hai Rui looking at him suspiciously, but remembered that it was a feudal society after all, and men and women could not kiss each other. Although he is close to Hai Ruitao, he doesn't really regard himself as a family. Coupled with the notoriety of his little Hades, I don't know how far this notoriety has gone in this Jiangnan. If this makes Brother Hai mistakenly think that I am seducing my sister-in-law, then it is strange not to kill myself!

Thinking of this, he broke out in a cold sweat on his vest, and he had to put the duck breast in his bowl first, then put down the chopsticks, and then said to Wang: "Sister-in-law, my brother is a famous Qing official, and my sister-in-law is in charge of housework, but she has also worked a lot hard. However, in the future, Brother Hai will be famous in history, but everyone also knows that Lu Dao is the credit of his sister-in-law's virtuous help. ”

When Wang heard Yan Hong say this, his eyes turned red, and he replied: "Thank you Yan Xianggong for complimenting." Then he bowed his head again and did not dare to speak.

In this way, because Yan Hong gaged at the dinner table, a man and two women of the Hai family didn't talk much. Mrs. Xie didn't have a big appetite, and after eating half a bowl of rice and a few pieces of meat, she put down her chopsticks and said, "Yan Xianggong, thank you." ”

Wang didn't eat much, and seeing that his mother-in-law was eating well, he quickly put down the dishes and chopsticks and went to serve. Old Madam Xie nodded slightly, and said to Hai Rui again: "Rui'er, Yan Xianggong is kind, please eat this meal for our family." You are usually hard and self-disciplined, but you don't need to be polite today, don't let Yan Xianggong do his kindness. After speaking, he said to Yan Hong: "The old man is polite." Then he stood up, supported by Wang, and went back to the back house.

After Mrs. Xie and the Wang family went in, they saw that Hai Rui had changed slightly. The demeanor is still gentle, but the efficiency of eating is significantly higher. Slowly, he moved his chopsticks, and raised two handfuls of heavy mutton to his mouth, and he didn't see how his mouth moved, so it was smaller, and when he moved again, it disappeared, and then the chopsticks stretched out to another piece unhurriedly. Like a verdict file, he picked up the dish unhurriedly, but it quickly disappeared into the mouth of his thin face.

Yan Hong saw such a food appearance for the first time, and couldn't help but secretly admire. Watching Hai Rui keep stuffing meat into his mouth, he was both a little funny and a little sad. As the saying goes, the county order of the broken family, the mansion of the extinction, the county of the feudal era is known as the Baili Hou, and the head snake who dominates the life and death of the people of a county. But this county magistrate starved himself like this, and there was no problem in changing his clothes and pretending to be a refugee to escape the famine, which made people despise him or admire him?