In the end, it was Steward Liu who took out his personal private money to pay the fare. That's right, give him a silver ticket, and he won't be able to find change. The only thing that makes Zhou Xiaocao happy is that TAXI does not charge fuel surcharges at this time.

Entering the courtyard, there was a small patio in front of it, and it looked very different, and Zhou Xiaocao shook his head. However, once you turn the cloister at the door and walk to the back, you will immediately have a wide view, what a big house!

In fact, this house used to be the mansion of a big official, and this official was a southerner who liked to act low-key, so he didn't put much effort outside. And in order to hide people's eyes, a patio was deliberately set up at the door, and behind it was a rockery corridor.

Here comes the difference between the North and the South in terms of housing.

Northerners like to be magnificent, and the house must be beautiful and atmospheric, in a fashionable phrase, that is, it must be domineering and leaky. But the inside is very ordinary, some are even golden and jade, and the three-story small western-style building that looks mighty and domineering is a pile of wheat hoards, barns, pesticides and fertilizers inside. Since all the money was invested in the exterior of the house, the furnishings inside were lackluster. There may be a broken list on the sofa that has not been washed for two years, I don't know how many days ago, the guest drank a sip and still had most of the remaining half a cup of tea with thick stalks on the messy dining table that had not had time to clean up after eating, the floor was not necessarily swept once in two or three days, and there was not a single garbage basket in the whole building

Southerners are the opposite. Regardless of whether the exterior of the house looks good or not, the inside must be warm and tidy. Other words. Northerners value face, and southerners value inside.

into the inside. It is a courtyard in the form of a courtyard and a set of courtyards. In addition to the rockery corridor on the south side, the east, west and north sides are all wings. Then the large open space in the middle was completed, and more imposing houses and pavilions were built. To the west is a tree-lined avenue planted with perennial green pines and cypresses, interspersed with deciduous broad-leaved trees. The path is paved with a thin layer of pine needles and cypress leaves, and the green pines and cypresses contrast with the broad-leaved trees whose leaves have fallen and only the branches remain.

The east side is an artificial lake that bends and bends like the willow eyebrows of the beauty, the lake is willow trees and bamboo, I don't know if it is Bai Juyi who learned to build the embankment of the West Lake, there is a layer of white sand on the lake.

To the north is a rockery about 30 feet long, and there is a pavilion on the rockery. Octagonal, yellow glazed tiles, a spectacle.

"Satisfied, I'm satisfied!"

Zhou Xiaocao was happy when he saw this. It seems that my uncle still takes good care of himself, such a good house, I'm afraid it cost a lot of money when I bought it, right? It's just that no one is taking care of it at the moment, and it doesn't look so thriving.

Liu Xing was happy to see his master. He was also very excited, pointed to the rockery in the north and said, "Master, behind the rockery, is the residence of the relatives in the house." The walls of the houses over there are very thick, all of them are brick and tile, and they are very strong. Just close the doors and windows. The cold and heat outside can't get in, it's warm in winter and cool in summer. ”

Zhou Xiaocao's eyes narrowed. said, "Huh? Is there a yard behind the rockery? Is this a three-in-one courtyard? I like it! ”

Liu Xing then introduced: "Yes, master! And lo and behold. This house has been designed by a master. What should be in Feng Shui, we have it all in our house. You see, this green dragon on the left, white tiger on the right, Vermilion Bird in front, and Xuanwu in the back. The cloister and this fan-shaped open space are not the Suzaku that symbolizes the nature of fire? A tall rockery in the north is the number of Xuanwu. The Meihu Lake in the east is the Green Dragon, and the boulevard in the west refers to the White Tiger. And you look at this rockery, all the stones on the mountain are taken from the Wuyue Sacred Mountain, which will ensure the prosperity of the family industry and the peace of the generations! ”

Zhou Xiaocao pouted secretly, saying in his heart that if the family business is really prosperous and the generations are safe, how could the original owner of this house be sold? The ancients paid the most attention to this, and the fields and houses handed down by the ancestors were sold by later generations, which was a great unfilial piety, and would be condemned by everyone, saying that he was a loser.

But no matter what, such a construction is always auspicious, and Zhou Xiaocao will not ask someone to push the house to rebuild because of this, not to mention that this house is really good. Some people also say that the ancient Chinese feng shui theory is actually not so mysterious, at first it was just for the people who lived to look comfortable and live comfortably, and then those people in order to show their ability, only to say these things more and more mysterious. This is the Yang House, and there is the Yin House. The Yin House is said to be a place that the ancient Chinese believed that human beings should go after death, so no matter how mysterious it is, it is ultimately necessary to find a place similar to a female Yin House, because this is called "born in Si, sleeping in Si".

At the moment when everyone was admiring the flowers and trees here, a person's shout suddenly came from the courtyard in front of them: "Is this Zhou Xiaocao's house?" Come and visit often! ”

Feng Zigui asked, "Frequent gatherings?" Who is it? ”

Liu Xing obviously hadn't heard of this person's name, but Zhou Xiaocao knew it, so he said: "Oh, it's the guy who tried our case, he was still Dali Siqing at that time, and now I heard that he has been promoted to an official, what kind of scholar is he." ”

Liu Xing's throat twitched, and he said in his heart, Master Zhou, this is a Zhongshu Sheren, and he is a few steps away from the position of prime minister.

Feng Zigui heard that it was Chang Daren, who was trying his rebellion case that day, and hurriedly said: "Then let's hurry up and greet it, this is our family's great benefactor!" ”

Zhou Xiaocao pursed his lips and said, "Our family's great benefactor? I think we're his great benefactors, it's pretty much the same! If it weren't for the meritorious trial of our case, he would have been promoted to an official by the emperor! He also has to thank us! ”

Feng Zigui blushed and said loudly: "Xiaocao, how can you say that!" If it weren't for Chang Daren's impartial law enforcement, how could our grievances be redressed? You must know that not all officials have the courage to fight with a prince! Now that Lord Chang is like a great kindness to us, how can you not take others to heart! ”

After speaking, seeing Zhou Xiaocao's very ugly face, Feng Zigui was in a cold sweat, and whispered: "That father is still up to you, you have the final say!" What do you say, let's do. ”

The previous Chang Ju was already about to wait impatiently: "Zhou Xiaocao, Zhou Juren!" At home? ”

Zhou Xiaocao looked at the people who stayed here, even the old housekeeper had never seen such a big official, and he didn't know how to receive it, so he was stunned there. So he shook his head and sighed: "Forget it, you all wait here, I'll go see him myself." ”

Zhou Xiaocao trotted around the rockery, shouting as he ran, "I'mhere!"

Feng Zigui looked at Zhou Xiaocao's back and said indignantly: "That's a good thing, I didn't run like a rabbit and passed!" ”

Then I saw that everyone was staring at me, especially the housekeeper Liu, his eyes were full of unfriendliness, and he hurriedly lowered his head, and his heart was even more determined to go out and start a new stove. Sending people under the fence is always not a way!

Zhou Xiaocao walked out, turned the corridor, and saw our Chang Master standing at the door in an official robe, covered in dirt, just like a zombie who had just crawled out of the grave and cheated the corpse, very wolf.

Zhou Xiaocao asked strangely, "Huh?" Master Chang, you are so old, do you still like to play with dirt? ”

Chang Ju said with a bitter face: "You still say! If it weren't for you, would this official have become such a wolf? ”

It turned out that this Chang Daren originally knocked on the door first, who told that there was no doorman to guard the door in this Zhou Mansion, so our Chang Daren had to come up and knock on the door himself. Even though the gate is open, you can't break in without the owner's permission. In that case, if you are beaten badly, you can only suffer a dumb loss. Trespassing on a house is a very serious crime, and at that time, it was not necessary to check the water meter.

As soon as the Chang adults knocked on the door, the door that had been in disrepair for a long time suddenly hit the door frame with a "clang", and suddenly, the dust fell, only making our Chang adults disgraced, so he had to stand there and call.

Zhou Xiaocao asked: "That's sorry, take off your clothes, I'll ask someone to wash the pulp and wash it for you." ”

Chang Ju waved his hand again and again: "No need, no need!" This official has come to you for something important. (To be continued......)