The snow was heavier than anyone expected. In the courtyards of the Xie family alone, thick snow was piled up, not to mention the streets outside.

When I got up early in the morning, all the male servants and healthy women of the Xie family were busy, busy clearing all kinds of snow in the house, clearing the road for people to walk, and cleaning the road in front of the gate at the same time, so as not to affect the master's travel.

Wen asked people to take the keys to open the front and back doors of the garden, and let people use a wheelbarrow to push the snow into the garden one by one, and poured into the sea of Shicha through the back door. Anyway, sooner or later, the snow will turn into water, and instead of letting it soak all parts of the house into mud, it is better to directly let the snow water fall into Shichahai.

Almost all the people in the neighborhood do this, even if the back garden is not close to Shichahai, they will let the next person take the car with snow, push across the road, and go to the lake with few people. Xie Mulin is actually a little worried, if the residents along the Shichahai coast do this, and there will be a few more heavy snowfalls before the arrival of this spring, will the water level in Shichahai really not rise after the beginning of spring? In fact, there is not much distance from the water's edge in the back garden, but I hope that the lake will not overflow under the root of the courtyard wall and soak the wall.

After Xie Pu hurriedly had breakfast, he took people to the Yamen of the Political Envoy Division. Even during the New Year's holiday, he did not forget his duty. At home, Wen habitually took his two eldest daughters to take care of housework, asked each family member if he was unwell, and found that Mrs. Xie was shouting that she was not good again, and she was not sure whether it was true or false, so she directly invited the doctor who had recently been familiar with her to come over to check her old man's pulse.

Except for Mrs. Xie, the family is basically fine, even Xie Hanzhi, who has always been the weakest physique, was ordered by his brothers and sisters to stay in the house and not go out, so he didn't blow the wind or anything. Except for being a little depressed, he didn't feel any discomfort, he was so happy that Xie Yingfen recited the Buddha directly, and turned around and told Wanqin, Wanqin was also very happy, despite the fact that he was not a strong person, he could run to his son's yard eight times a day. As for the fact that Ginkgo didn't come back overnight, she had long since forgotten about it. She couldn't take care of the recent situation of the Cao family brought by Ye Laogao and his wife.

Xie Pu went home for lunch at noon.

Beiping City is not a big problem. As early as after the last snowstorm, there were many victims in the outer city, and when Xie Pu led the officials to resettle the affected people, he also specially counted the dilapidated houses and straw sheds in the city, even if they did not collapse during that heavy snowstorm, they all checked them one by one, the reinforcement of the reinforcement, and the evacuation of the residents. Therefore, this time the heavy snow came again, and there were not many houses in the outer city that were crushed by the snow, that is, about a dozen, and some people were injured, but no one died because of it. Of course, those people who froze to death or died of disease due to weather changes will be counted separately.

The Wen family and Xie Mulin brothers and sisters were all happy that the people of Beiping were not deeply affected, but Xie Pu did not dare to be careless: "The people below reported that this heavy snow is not only around Beiping City, but also in Tongzhou and Changping." It is not until tomorrow and tomorrow that the official offices at the bottom come up to know the exact situation of the disaster in various places. As for the more distant state capitals, we will have to wait a few more days. Now it is the Spring Festival, and all the yamen have closed their pens, and God knows if those officials can do their best. ”

After lunch, Xie Pu didn't bother to take a nap, so he went out again. He had to discuss the response with King Yan, the governor and the prefect of Beiping, and he had to urge his subordinates to report the disaster information from all parts of the government as soon as possible.

After Xie Pu left, Wen was not idle. Princess Yan sent someone to send a post and invited her to come over tomorrow for tea. Xie Mulin also felt that this invitation was a bit strange, they had only met yesterday, and they hadn't heard anything about Princess Yan, so why did she come to invite the Wen family to be a guest today?

Wen was very calm: "Naturally, there is something to discuss." I know this in my heart, so you don't need to ask more. ”

Xie Mulin became more and more confused, and while he was talking, someone came to visit the Wen family again. This time, it was the governor's wife who sent a letter from her mother-in-law. Wen read the letter and said to the woman, "Please tell Madame that I will go to the appointment tomorrow on time and meet at the place Madame said." The mother-in-law responded with a smile and retreated respectfully.

Xie Mulin understood a little: "Mother, did Princess Yan invite you and the governor's wife to go to the palace for tea?" So the governor's wife asked you to come along? ”

Wen nodded: "Presumably, there are also the wives of the envoys, the wives of several great generals, and the heads of the most prestigious families in the city, most of whom are also invited." This is an annual practice, if there is a catastrophe under the rule of Beiping Mansion, Princess Yan will definitely come forward to invite the wives of the chief officials of the yamen to the palace to drink tea and discuss relief. In previous years, Mrs. Zhou came forward, and I was at most with others to assist her old man. This year, your father was newly promoted as a political envoy, and Mrs. Zhou died, so it was my turn to come forward. ”

Speaking of this, she unconsciously showed a little dilemma.

Xie Mulin asked her, "Mother, what's wrong?" This kind of thing is also common, didn't you do a good job during the previous heavy snowstorm? In this place of Beiping, there are constant winds and snows every winter, since the relief will become a routine, presumably my mother has been in office with her father for so many years, and she has long been used to it, right? ”

Wen sighed: "Although there is nothing unaccustomed, but in previous years, Mrs. Zhou was the leader, and we only need to follow orders." This year it's my turn......" she was silent again.

Xie Mulin didn't understand what she had to worry about: "Is this kind of thing difficult to do?" Since it happens every year, there must have been an old precedent for a long time. If you feel embarrassed, you can always go wrong if you do it according to the old routine. If there is anything else, you can also discuss it with Princess Yan. Although this is the first time that you have participated in such a thing as the wife of a political envoy, how difficult is it compared to previous years? ”

Wen told her, "It's different. To tell you the truth, Mrs. Zhou is old and virtuous, and she is the elder of King Yan and his wife, although Princess Yan came forward to take charge in previous years, she probably won't ask, and only let Mrs. Zhou call the shots. But Mrs. Zhou could still manage things in her early years, but in recent years, she has grown older and has little energy, so she handed over the matter to her daughters-in-law. The four wives of the Zhou family have all taken care of their mother-in-law, but the four wives have different temperaments, different behaviors, and different rules. Although I am only an assistant and cannot be the master, I have seen too many things, and I always feel that it is inappropriate, and I want to change them. However, except for Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Wednesday, who are willing to listen to my two words of persuasion, the other two don't take me very seriously. Even Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Wednesday thought that my words were reasonable, but Mrs. Zhou was the master, and they were daughters-in-law, and they didn't dare to change their mother-in-law's rules easily. ”

Xie Mulin understood: "This year, the Zhou family will definitely not be able to participate in this project, but my mother can take advantage of the situation of her father's new official to take office, according to the practice of previous years, as the wife of the political envoy, become the leader of the relief affairs, and then change the rules." What's the big deal? Mother, you just have to do it. Princess Yan doesn't need to take care of Mrs. Zhou this year, can she still stop you from acting? ”