Zhang Erzhen had already sent Mingyue to wait at the door of the study, and when she saw the master, she told the master about her going out of the house to buy people. The nurse was looking at the eight children standing in the courtyard, all of them were yellow and thin, and they all hung their heads honestly.

Ruyue brought a dark lattice light wood-colored back chair, Zhang Erzhen sat on the chair and asked, "Are there any literate people?"

The eight children shook their heads one after another, and said "I don't know how to read", which is also expected, reading is still a very luxurious thing, if you can afford to read, you will not be sold because of poverty.

"Report your name one by one, what kind of craft you know, and where you want to serve. Just tell the truth and don't be afraid, as long as you do your job well, the government will give you a monthly amount of silver. Wait until you have saved enough money in the future to redeem yourself. The house is not as complicated as the people in the courtyard of the deep house, and naturally it can't tolerate impure thoughts, and if you want to steal or play tricks or have big ambitions, you can also tell me, and I will find another place for you to go. ”

The eight children were silent, Zhang Erzhen looked around, and said, "Okay, let's start——"

Starting from the first boy in the left row, he introduced himself, and he said timidly: "The slave grows roots, can farm, sweep and work, and the girl will go wherever she wants." "With the conciseness of Long Roots, the children behind follow in turn, the girls can embroider, and the boys can basically do chores, which is probably also the result of human tooth training. After hearing this, Zhang Erzhen pointed to the two older girls and said, "The two of you will stay in the butterfly courtyard in the future, second-class maids, and a hundred copper plates per month." The two girls who were named knelt and kowtowed excitedly, and Zhang Erzhen pointed to the girl with a round face and said: "Your name is Jin Qiu" and pointed to the thin girl and said: "Your name is ...... Silver Autumn Bar. Then he pointed to the two little girls: "You two go to Qingfeng Garden to serve the second girl, and the name of the second girl will be given to you." Ruyue, take them with you now. ”

The remaining four children looked enviously at the two little girls walking away, and obediently lowered their heads, Zhang Erzhen pointed out the two boys and said: "You two go to serve the eldest son, I want to tell you, if you are not right-minded, stealing and cheating, relying on the eldest son's young age to do nonsense, the deed of sale is in my hands, look back and see how I clean you up." The two boys were too busy to talk, Zhang Erzhen felt that she was really like a landlord bully, and decided to wait for these two or she to send them over in person. The remaining two crying and scared faces did not dare to look up, there are not so many children in the house now, it is completely sympathetic, Zhang Erzhen pointed to the two let the nurse take him to find Uncle Zhang, first do things in the house, and go to the store or Zhuangzi in the future depends on personal ability.

The Butterfly Courtyard was empty all of a sudden, and Zhang Erzhen took the two little scholars to Qifeng Courtyard and told Jin Qiu Yinqiu to wait in the courtyard.

The two little scholars followed honestly, Zhang Erzhen asked how they got into the hands of Renyazi, generally those who sell children will sell girls, and they are reluctant to sell their sons. A little boy who looked honest and thin said: "I was sold by my father, he knew gambling all day long, except for beating me, he beat my mother, and finally beat my mother to death, thinking that I was an eyesore and had to eat, so he sold me." Another said: "I was sold by my stepmother, she gave birth to a little brother, and sold me while my father was not paying attention." The two children were very calm when they spoke, and there was no particularly sad emotion, Zhang Erzhen did not speak again, so it was okay, since they had arrived at Zhang's mansion, they had to say goodbye to the past.

It was very quiet in the Qifeng Courtyard, and when Zhang Erzhen pushed the door open and entered, Zhang Heling was sitting on a wide chair in a daze, and was startled when he heard the movement, and saw that it was Zhang Erzhen who pouted and said, "Sister, you are going to scare me to death." ”

"I'll send you two little scholars, and you'll have to read and write together in the future, He'er, are you happy?" Zhang Erzhen dodged away, and Zhang Heling saw the two children following behind, older than himself, very thin, but Zhang Heling was still very happy, and his eyes lit up and said, "Then I can play with them in the future?"

Zhang Erzhen said solemnly: "If you make a mistake in the future, not only will you be punished, but the two of them will also be punished." If you do a good job, the two of them will be rewarded. It's not for you, remember?"

Zhang Heling nodded again and again, circled around the two children and asked, "What are they called?" Zhang Erzhen saw that Zhang Heling was really happy, so he suggested that he give him a name, Zhang Heling frowned for a long time before saying, "You are Ah Chu, you are Ah Shan." The two children were busy thanking each other, and Zhang Erzhen touched the small bun on Zhang Heling's head and praised: "He'er is really a smart child, and it's really nice to get these two names." Then he turned his head to Ah Chu Ashan and said: "You will serve the eldest prince in the future, you can't let him come to Hu, let alone pick up the son, if you let me know, you will not be spared." Accompany your son to study well, and you will be rewarded for your performance. If the performance is not good, even if there is the eldest son to protect me, I will deal with it. ”

When Zhang Luan returned home by moonlight, Zhang Erzhen had already ordered the kitchen to prepare dinner and bring it to Zhang Luan's study steamingly. Zhang Luan saw his daughter carrying a wide food box, and tiredly put down the paperwork she was holding and said, "Zhenzhen, thank you for your hard work." Zhang Erzhen told Zhang Luan about the daytime, and he also said that he bought eight maids, and Zhang Luan praised: "Zhenzhen, you have grown up." Your mother doesn't go out of the yard all day, you can also go to her yard and talk about it, she is your mother-in-law, and the mother and daughter can't have a disagreement. Although Zhang Erzhen was unwilling, she could only agree, looking at Zhang Luan's thick stack on the table and asking, "Dad, are these all materials from the imperial court?"

"Yes, there are still a lot of unfinished treatments, and there are always a lot of constraints for new officials to take office...... Zhang Luan sighed, estimating that he was under too much pressure, and he didn't care if his daughter could understand it, so he babbled out: "The water in Beijing is unfathomable, how many princely families lend money privately, and the taxes on salt, iron and tea are not clear, and the gap is too big to make up, and everyone shouts grievances...... And lo and behold, these are ......"

Zhang Erzhen pricked up his ears and wanted to hear the history of corruption among Ming Dynasty officials, but Zhang Luan didn't say anything, and said to himself: "I'm confused, what are I doing with you." Zhenzhen, go see your mother, Daddy is going to be busy for a while. ”

Zhang Erzhen didn't want to be so 'gossipy': "Dad, you have to remember to eat, I'll go to Zhenghui Courtyard to see my mother." ”

Corruption is an unavoidable problem in all dynasties, and in a few hundred years, there will be no corruption in a certain country? Don't be funny, Zhang Erzhen still remembers that when she went to the office to report to her superiors, her boss didn't have time to take away the bank card......

It is said that things can't stand the chatter, and Jin's body can't withstand the mental torture of pretending to be sick. It is estimated that she was depressed all day and no one comforted her, and she turned out to be really sick. When Zhang Erzhen went to Zhenghui Courtyard, Lu Liu was standing in front of the bed and waiting for the Jin family to eat. Jin's face was pale, his eyebrows and eyes were full of haggardness, and when he saw Zhang Erzhen coming in, he shook his head to signal that Green Willow didn't want to eat anymore, and nested himself in the scarlet thin brocade silk quilt, leaving only a black lacquered back of his head: "Green Willow, I'm going to rest, all quit." Green willow looked at the big girl in embarrassment and made a gesture of please.

Zhang Erzhen wanted to laugh a little, this Jin family was a little childish and cute, and motioned for Mingyue to pull the green willow down, and only Zhang Erzhen and Jin were left in the room before asking: "Mother, are you sick? Why don't you find a doctor to take a look, after a long time, it will be troublesome if it drags on seriously." At that time, it will be my mother who suffers and takes medicine. Zhang Erzhen said as she leaned over to the bed. Jin shook when he heard this, but he didn't make a sound, obviously not wanting to talk to his eldest daughter.

"Mother, if it weren't for my father repeatedly telling me that you were the mother who gave birth to me and raised me, I would have wondered if we were the mother and daughter of the in-laws. Zhang Erzhen sat slowly on the glazed embroidered low pier next to the bed, looked at the thin quilt wrapped in a thin quilt and said abruptly: "Since we are a mother and daughter, why don't you treat me so much?"

Jin said in a hoarse voice after a while: "Don't pretend to be pitiful to me here, you know that I am your mother at this time, why didn't you know it earlier." It's a shame that your father still found you a husband to teach you how to do things and behave, and he actually raised you as a white-eyed wolf. ”

"My mother said that I was a white-eyed wolf, then I would be a white-eyed wolf. But since my mother is sick, don't I, a white-eyed wolf, come to see you, maybe I want to serve you with medicine. ”

"Hurry up, don't be angry with me here, hurry up! Where are the green willows, red willows, hurry up and take the big girl away! I don't need you to serve me medicine, if you go farther, it will be good for me." ”

Quietly outside the door, Jin said irritably: "I'm still alive and well, it's not your turn to be in charge of this mansion." ”

Zhang Erzhen said helplessly: "If you don't see the doctor when you're sick, it's impossible to say...... Dad wants me to come and see you, I've already come to see you, and I'll ask a doctor to take a look at it later, so that I have the strength to reprimand me when I'm healthy, right?"

"You're not here to beg me for forgiveness? You dead girl, you don't have to be angry with me, see which family's Erlang dares to ask you in the future." ”

"What did my mother say, you are my own mother, how can mother and daughter have an overnight feud, what to forgive or not, there is no joke. I'm my mother's daughter, so I'm naturally more concerned about your body. After Zhang Erzhen finished speaking, she walked to the door and called Mingyue: "Madam is sick, go and invite a Lang Zhong." ”

I only heard Jin's rough panting, Zhang Erzhen patted her back gently, and said softly: "Mother takes good care of her body." I have already found two little girls to accompany He'er, and Yan'er has a nurse to take care of, so I naturally don't have to worry about my mother. The house can't be left without an owner for a day, so my mother should relax and have a good rest. At the end, he sighed: "Why is my mother so stubborn, wouldn't it be good for you to say a few words to soften when my father is angry?" Now that my father lives in the study every night, I guess he won't live in the study for a long time. ”

"Where else can he go, you're here to be a lobbyist?" said Kim.

"Mother, I heard that it is now popular in Beijing to send maids and beauties. The upper summit will send a maid to the lower official to show sympathy, and the lower official will send a beauty to the upper peak to express worship. This place is not more sparsely populated than Wuchang, and when my daughter went out to see it a few days ago, she only felt that there were many beautiful women on the street, and she didn't know ...... daddy."

"If you don't study well at a young age, if you hear you orchestrate your father, I'll sew your mouth up!" Jin turned around suddenly, his hair was messy, his expression was serious, and he said without any beauty: "If you are a filial person, go back quickly, and if you don't leave, I will spread the word that I am sick because I am angry with you, and when I see it, the Sun family still wants you." ”

Zhang Erzhen nodded hurriedly and said, "Then please send the word out quickly, I have a smooth life in the house, and I really don't expect to get married." ”

Jin's face suddenly turned pale, and Zhang Erzhen no longer provoked her, and was ready to leave: "Mother take care, my daughter will retire first......"

"Wait!" Kim asked again, "...... your brothers?"

"Don't worry about my mother, my younger brothers have my own care, it's better not to see them these days, and save yourself from illness. After Zhang Erzhen finished speaking, he walked out, and the red willow and green willow hurriedly ran into the house, and there was a dissatisfied reprimand from the Jin family: "You are my personal maid, where did you go just now, and there will be a next time, don't send it out, change some loyal ones to ......"

Zhang Erzhen didn't wait for Mingyue to come back, and went to Qifeng Courtyard to see her two younger brothers. Zhang Heling was instructing the two little scholars to tidy up the box and cage for him, looking like a wealthy nouveau riche once, when he saw Zhang Erzhen coming in, he hurriedly ran down from the high chair and threw himself into Zhang Erzhen's arms: "Sister, why are you here?"

Zhang Erzhen said unhappily: "You're bullying others again, aren't you, look at you, you still dare to step on the chair?"