CHAPTER XX

Xujia Town is a big town near Hangzhou City, take the dry road into Hangzhou City, must pass through Xujia Town. Over the years, Xujia Town has a large population and developed agricultural business. There is no lack of famous business inns in the town, many caravans and travelers choose to rest and stay in Xujia Town, the cost is much less than in Hangzhou City, and the transportation is convenient, from Xujia Town to Hangzhou City in less than half an hour to ride a horse.

The Mu family moved to Hangzhou with Mu Jiangxuan, and also chose to settle in Xujia Town. The land of the two rivers is rich in fishing and rice, and there are many fertile fields, and places like Xujiazhen are close to Hangzhou, and the land price is nearly half cheaper than Hangzhou, which has become the best place for the Mu family to gain a foothold.

In addition to Mu Qiuming, among the Mu family, Mu Lian and Mu Sheng, the two most often hang around Mu Qiwen, and they stopped Mu Qingling's carriage and horse in Hangzhou before, and these two people also followed behind Mu Qiwen, wanting to take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters. I didn't get any benefits from taking over Mu's, but I lost a lot of money, which not only made Mu Qiwen resentful, but Mu Lian and Mu Sheng, the two dogs, were also distressed and didn't sleep for several nights.

The sun at noon was poisonous, and even the flowers and plants were sunburned a little, so Mu Lian hid in his own house and drank wine with a plate of peanuts. His family is considered to be a relatively good life in the Mu clan, not only has a field property, but also has a wine shop in the town. There are still some business dealings with the big people in Hangzhou.

Mu Lian is now thirty-five, he looks honest, he has stubble, he just drinks and scolds in his mouth, either complaining about the clan, or complaining about Mu Qiwen, it sounds like the whole world is wrong, and he alone is right.

Mu Lian's wife, also surnamed Wang, was born tall and thin, with protruding cheekbones on her face, big but godless eyes, and liked to draw her eyebrows slender and raised, which looked a little fierce. Her mother's family is a farmer, and there are no rules on weekdays. Now even if the brocade clothes are added and the pearls are on the top, there is no good family bearing.

Wang sat cross-legged on the couch by the window doing needlework, and when he heard Mu Lian's scolding, he couldn't help but say: "You dare to say it at home, why don't you say a word when you go out?" If you want me to say that one by one you are not as useful as you seem on weekdays, then Mu Qingling is a little girl, why did you eat a few of you old men to death?! ”

When Mu Lian heard this, he said angrily: "What do you know! Even the prefect came that day! Magistrate! Have you ever seen it! I just said don't let Mu Qiuming's eggs go, don't listen to it! Now it's okay, the chickens are flying and the eggs are beating, and there is nothing! ”

Wang sneered and said, "If you want me to say, it was you who made the wrong move!" A little girl, can you make such a big fuss? It's not about shooting yourself in the foot. Looks like I'm going to have to get out of the way. ”

Mu Lian glanced at Wang drunkenly and scolded, "You don't mess around!" If it's the same trouble as Mu Qiuming's family, see how Lao Tzu cleans you up! ”

Wang put down the sewing basket, walked up to Mu Lian, grabbed the wine jug and put it on the table, and scolded: "Who are you with Lao Tzu!" If you're a little more aggressive, I'll have to bother with this?! Seeing that your son is getting older, you will be a shrinking turtle for the rest of your life, do you want your son to be like you, and you can't lick a hot bite behind other people's butts! ”

Mu Lian is a strong outsider, seeing that the Wang family is on fire, he immediately retracted, his mouth opened and closed, and only said in a half-loud voice: "Then what can I do!" Even the patriarch is angry, you can do that, you say, what can you do now?! ”

Wang sneered, sat down opposite Mu Lian, crossed his legs and said, "I can't expect you to do anything, just watch, see how I let that Mu Qingling, even someone bring money, obediently come to our house!" ”

……

Since the prefect Zhou Qingnian's wife came to the door, the ladies of the various families seemed to have received some kind of order, and they all came to the door with the excuse of adding daily necessities to Mu Qingleng, the Mu family was still in the filial piety period, so naturally they couldn't feast and drink, because Mu Qingleng did not post to the mansions because of the move, but which of the officials on the border of Hangzhou was not a human spirit, not to mention that Mu Jiangxuan had been operating in Hangzhou for many years, and the tree had deep roots, just said that Xiao Lanwei, the king of Xiaoyao, and Yu Wenyuan, the eldest son of Duke Jingyong, were still in Mu Mansion, and they could not ignore the Mu family. Because the Mu family was only one person, it was inconvenient for the officials to come to the door, so they took advantage of the Mu family to move, and asked their respective family members to bring some things to the door, and came to help in the name of the neighbors, and deliberately avoided the meal, which was not a violation of the Mu family's rules of filial piety. Mu Qingling has now received a reply from Mrs. Yu in Beijing, and is ready to recuperate in Hangzhou. A year is not a long time, and she still has a lot to do. But at the end of the day, it gave her the right time to accumulate her strength, so when dealing with these ladies and wives, Mu Qingling was even more thoughtful.

In the previous life, the Xu family was able to turn Mu Qingling around, because she choked Mu Qingling's networking. Mu Qingling is a daughter after all, if there is no elder to lead her, and she knows the ladies and ladies of various provinces, no matter how prominent her father is and how noble her status is, she is also a transparent person. No one else may have even heard of her name, let alone anything else.

In the previous life, Mu Qingling was raised innocently, and she did whatever the Xu family said. Xu said that the old lady was old, so she would serve the old lady at any time and not go out easily. Xu's subordinates in her room, except for Yunqiao, she was reluctant to protect them, and the others were as Xu 's wishes. She handed herself into the hands of the Xu family without reservation, the Xu family wanted her to be good, she was fine, and the Xu family wanted her to be bad, so she lingered on the sickbed for various reasons. Xu's pinching her was as easy as playing with a kitten and puppy, no wonder she lost her life in the end in Xu's hands.

But now it's different, there are many celebrities in Hangzhou, and many families are related to each other in the capital. If she stands in front of these people, when she returns to Beijing next year, it will be difficult for the Xu family to raise her again.

Today, several official wives in Hangzhou City came together, and Mu Qingling ordered people to prepare refreshments in the water pavilion early in the morning. These ladies are not big officials in the family, and in total, they feel that they can't take themselves too seriously, so they have to go to the door one day at a time, so they simply get together.

Mu Lian's family followed a young lady into the Mu Mansion, this lady was young, with slender willow eyebrows and long eyes, wearing a peach-red embroidered flower gown, and her sideburns were also decorated with a few hairpins of red yarn. The thing is exquisite, but this color style is too frivolous, but fortunately she is young and can hold it down.

This lady's husband's surname is Yu, and she is a pusher in the prefect's yamen, and she is not so particular about marrying a wife in a small family, and Mrs. Yu was born well, although she looks a little frivolous, but she likes it. Mu Lian often contacts Hangzhou City because of his business, and he has worked hard to catch the line of Yu Tuiguan, and he can be regarded as having an official background.

This Mrs. Yu is young and ignorant, and she can't find the north by the Wang family. He stuffed Wang with his entourage and brought him over.

"If you ask me to bring you to the world, then I will inevitably tell you again. This Mu family is different from your country mud legs, there are rules everywhere. You watch more and talk less, and don't walk around if you have nothing to do, lest you get into trouble and affect me. Mrs. Yu walked to the water pavilion again and again, and said to the Wang family who followed behind you.

Wang Shi watched Mrs. Yu walk in front, the water snake's waist twisted step by step, disdainful in his heart, but his mouth was welcome, "That's natural, it's all because of Madame's face that I have this creation, how dare I cause trouble for Madame again." ”

Mrs. Yu smiled smugly, seeing that the water pavilion was close in front of her, Wang glanced at a maid behind her who was burying her head. The maid combed her shuangya, and her figure was a head taller than that of other maids, and the Wang family only said that the country girls were stronger, and Mrs. Yu didn't think much about it. The maid slowed down and gradually fell behind, seeing Mrs. Yu walking away, she looked left and right, pulled the maid of the Mu family who was passing by and asked: "This sister, I followed my wife to the house, and suddenly felt a little pain in my stomach, where is the thatched house?" ”

The maid of the Mu family was startled by the girl's hoarse voice, and only after steadying down did she reply: "You follow this road to the end, turn right, walk to a small courtyard, and walk to the left along the courtyard gate, where there is a thatched house." Why don't I take you there? ”

The maid hurriedly waved her hand and said, "Don't dare to delay my sister's work, my sister's guidance is clear, I'll go by myself, thank you sister." Oh yes, I don't know where Miss Fugami lives, it wouldn't be good if I accidentally went the wrong way and collided. ”

The maid of the Mu family only said that this maid had never seen the world, and it was difficult for her to think of this, so she said: "Don't worry, this west is a place for banquets, and my young lady lives in the east, so she can't collide." Go ahead. ”

The maid learned to perform a salute in a strange way, which made the maid of the Mu family laugh secretly, I don't know which family is doing this, this poor and sour appearance.

Where is this maid who followed the Wang family into the Mu Mansion, what kind of maid is this, this is the son of the Wang family, Mu Cai. Wang's person is not only stupid, but the key is that he is also poisonous. She tried her best to take her son into Mu Mansion, so that Mu Cai could take the opportunity to find the place where Mu Qingling lived, and it was best to hide in the night, wait for Mu Qingling to return to the room, turn off the lights, and correct Mu Qingling on the spot.

Mu Qingling became her son's person, can she still marry her son obediently? As long as they marry Mu Qingling, then the Mu family will be justified as their family.

Even if you can't do it with Mu Qingling, you have to steal Mu Qingling's personal belongings. When the time comes, Mu Qingling can't shirk it! Wang followed Mrs. Yu all the way and looked at the scenery of Mufu all the way, only feeling red and hot. No wonder she thinks simply, she often goes to Mrs. Yu's house, and Yu Tuiguan is already the biggest official she can come into contact with. How do you know the difference between a seven-grade pusher and the Mu family, if you change the place, the seven-pin is also a county order, and it is considered a soil emperor, but Hangzhou is an important provincial capital, and there are not only the governor's offices from the second grade, but also the pacification envoys, the political envoys, the tax department, the general administration department, weaving and other yamen stationed, even the prefect of Zhou, the prefect of the fourth grade, is not eye-catching in this Hangzhou city, not to mention a small prefect in the prefect's yamen.

Mu Cai was moved by his mother's words, and now he is looking for the east all the way. happened to meet a team of maids, holding a newly made dress and going to Mu Qingling's east courtyard. Mu Cai saw that the color of the clothes on the tray was plain but exquisite, and it was not ordinary at first glance, so it was speculated that it was going to be sent to Mu Qingling's room, so he secretly followed behind the maid.

Seeing that he arrived in the East Courtyard, Mu Cai was still proud in his heart, feeling that he was smart and peerless, and he was planning to wait for Mu Qingling to marry him, and then take the tall maid who was the first in front of him into the room.

As a result, when the group of maids arrived at the gate of the courtyard, they saw two housekeepers dressed in short beatings standing at the gate of the courtyard. And the maids who delivered the things didn't go in, but only handed the things to the maids in the east courtyard at the door, turned around and left. Mu Cai was dumbfounded, how could this make him get in.

Mu Cai, like his short-sighted mother, only knows that the Mu family is rich and noble, but does not know that the Mu family has strict rules. He originally thought that there were many adults in the Mu family, and there was always a place where he couldn't see it, and he could get into it with a little brain, but he never expected it to be the current situation.

If you weren't born in such a family, you wouldn't know the pomp of the Mu family at all. Don't say anything else, because the east courtyard is where Mu Qingling lives, and there are three courtyard doors inside and outside. What Mu Cai sees now is just one door, and there are family guards every day and night. No matter what the people outside send, they stop here, and the people from the east courtyard continue to send it inside. If there was no big girl beside Mu Qingling to come out to pick it up, ordinary people would not be able to enter at all.

There are two doors in the door, the second door is held by the housekeeper's mother in the east courtyard, and it is locked every night, between the one door and the second door, and the housekeeper's mother patrols with the maid every half an hour.

Take 10,000 steps back, even if Mu Cai is lucky and sent into the second gate by the gods, but an official lady like Mu Qingling, in addition to a personal maid, there are eight first-class maids, ten second-class maids, twenty rough little girls, and sixteen housekeepers and mothers-in-law.

Not to mention the family members who patrol the courtyard and outside the courtyard on time, not all of these people are with Mu Qingling, Mu Qingling goes out, she has two big maids on duty in the inner room, four second-class maids in the courtyard, and there is no shortage of people in front of the house and outside the house, Mu Cai and Wang's idea can be said to be dizzy.