Early in the morning of the second day, Mu Qingling let Yunqiao lay a tea table and chair on the bow of the ship, a fragrant tea and a classic, and the white sandalwood brought out from Beijing ignited the fragrance, the early morning sun was mild, the river breeze was gentle, and it had a chic. Mu Qingling is dressed in plain clothes, not decorated with pearls, no fat powder, and it shows the graceful and beautiful posture of a Jiangnan woman. It's just that now, Mu Qingling's weak and invincible posture reveals an indescribable tenacity.

Before the incense was halfway through, Yu Wenyuan stood opposite Mu Qingling, and a shadow fell on the book in her hand. Mu Qingling raised her head and smiled: "Cousin Wenyuan is early, do you want to sit down and taste it?" ”

Yu Wenyuan looked at Mu Qingling steadily, he had never looked at Mu Qingling so seriously. Mu Qingling's words yesterday really shocked him, but when he returned to his room and thought about it, he realized that something was wrong. Sure enough, Mu Qingling, who usually doesn't go out of the hatch easily, put on such a battle at the bow of the boat early in the morning, isn't he waiting for him to take the bait.

Yu Wenyuan took off his robe and sat down opposite Mu Qingling, took the tea cup handed over by Mu Qingling, and asked softly: "Mingren doesn't say secret words, my cousin's play in the cabin yesterday was specially performed for me." ”

Mu Qingling rolled up the book to cover her lips and smiled, and said: "Ling'er's little trick really can't hide from Cousin Wenyuan, but although the play is fake, it is sincere, what does my cousin think?" ”

Yu Wenyuan put down the teacup, leaned back in the chair and looked at Mu Qingling disapprovingly: "The second wife is a kind person, there is nothing in the family that cannot be taken care of, my cousin is afraid that she heard some black-hearted nonsense outside, misunderstood?" ”

Mu Qingling was not surprised that Yu Wenyuan didn't believe her, if Yu Wenyuan was really busy running to have a showdown with her because of her words or two, she would have to consider finding another ally.

"Cousin, do you misunderstand you and I know it, no matter how good the surface work is, I can't help but scrutinize, my cousin is willing to sit down and talk to Ling'er today, I must have felt it a long time ago, but I don't want to pierce the appearance of harmony." Mu Qingling said slowly.

The sound of the boat breaking water reached the ears of the two of them with the river breeze, the river was boundless, Mu Qingling only felt that in such an environment, his thoughts were a little clearer, and his words were more firm: "Cousin, I have set up a dangerous wall, if he brings the Mu family's property into the house one day, how many days he can live, it will all depend on how many days the ancestors can take care of me." You are different, you still have the strength to maneuver, are you really willing to give up everything in the Jingyong Mansion? ”

Yu Wenyuan said coldly: "How can you be sure that the Jingyong Mansion will be taken away by the second room, and the current Jingyong Mansion is my father." Mu Qingling smiled, looked at Yu Wenyuan and said, "Although the eldest uncle is Jing Yonggong, the inside and outside of the Yu Mansion is the second room master. Sima Zhao's heart in the second room, I thought that three years ago, it was already obvious, didn't my cousin feel the slightest? ”

Yu Wenyuan seemed to think of something, his expression was cold, Mu Qingling picked up the teacup and sniffed the fragrance of tea, and said slowly: "My cousin's place in the country is replaced by the second room, so I should be really willing?" After a year, you were seriously ill before you left the field, and the imperial examination was mistaken, so you really never doubted it? After recovering from illness, Xu's Zhang Luo asked you and Wenda's cousin to marry before and after, not to mention the big difference in the family background of the two sisters-in-law, just say that you have been busy with general affairs in the past few years, and the imperial examination will be held again next year. ”

Mu Qingling looked at Yu Wenyuan, the corners of her mouth curled, and her tone was soft: "My cousin and I have both been out of control since childhood, the second aunt is gentle and amiable, and my cousin used to regard her as a mother, I wonder if my cousin is like this?" Such a gentle and amiable second wife, she must have comforted her cousin when she was studying hard in Qingxue, and said that she should not hurt her body by working too hard, and said: People like us are not lacking in glory and wealth, so why suffer from that crime, and on the grounds that my cousin will inherit the house sooner or later, I will spend my cousin's expenses to deal with big and small chores. Xu's heart to cut off your future is so obvious, my cousin really thinks that these are her kindness? The cousin Wenda in the second room has won the Taixue quota and has been diligent in studying, but the second wife has ever persuaded her, could it be that the second wife's mother does not cherish her own children? Wenyuan's cousin is the heir of the house, and there is no cousin who can't interfere in the big and small affairs of the house, and there is naturally nothing wrong with handling the housework. It's just that the second cousin handles the idea, but one of them can make his own decisions? It's just that what the second master and the second wife order, you can do it, and it can't compare to a few big housekeepers in the house, in the name of the young master, what you do is running errands. ”

Mu Qingleng refilled the tea for Yu Wenyuan, Yu Wenyuan stared at the teacup, his face was not obvious, he was stunned for a long time, and then looked up at Mu Qingleng, "Even if what you say is true, I just don't understand, why do you want to say this to me." As you said, you are now a desperate woman, with a huge amount of money, and who is not tempted. Even though the Xu family is greedy, but the old lady's mind to be the main marriage match for you and Wen Min, no one in the entire Jingyong Mansion doesn't know, if you become the second daughter-in-law of the Xu family, won't your Wanguan family wealth become her bag, why should she harm your life? If you become the daughter-in-law of the second room, the more benefits the second room will naturally be, and the more beneficial it will be to you. If, as you said, one day, this Jing Yonggong becomes the second uncle, you should also be happy, why do you want to remind me to beware of the second room? ”

Yu Wenyuan took a sip and said with a puzzled face: "Don't you want to marry Wen Min?" You also know that now that you don't have the support of your father and brother, and your family wealth is so exciting, it is better to marry Wen Min than to marry into another family. You grew up with Wen Min, you know the roots, and you are your uncle's family. Even if the second room covets your family wealth, is it possible that other families are in a beautiful place? There's an old lady anyway. ”

Mu Qingleng was already gloomy, and put the cup in his hand on a few times, bringing out some tea and splashing it on her white and slender fingers. "Cousin Wenyuan, what are these words! The Yu family is my maternal grandfather's family, and my eldest uncle is also my maternal uncle. If I see that someone is causing trouble to the Yu family and harming my ancestor's bloodline and doing nothing for my personal gain, how can I be worthy of the Mu family motto and my father's teachings. What face does it have to face the old lady, that is, the spirit of my mother and grandfather, and I have no face. ”

Mu Qing calmed down and took out the embroidery to wipe off the water stains. "I ...... with Wen Min" Mu Qingling paused, "I understand the old lady's thoughts, my father's family is withering, and there is no brother and sister to support her, she is afraid that I will be bullied if I marry into another family, so she always wants to keep me in front of her and take care of me." And then there is Wen Min, now that the house has not been divided, Wen Min is naturally the son of the prince, but once he is separated in the future, Wen Min is just the second son of a six-grade petty official family, and in the territory of the capital, what is it. If he marries me, if he is motivated in the future, my father will always have some legacy as a provincial magistrate; If he doesn't want to forge ahead, my Mu family's wealth can also ensure that his vein is rich and noble. Our children and grandchildren, which are the hearts of the old lady, which are the livers of the old lady, she always wants us to be thoughtful. Mu Qingling thought that her grandmother was dedicated to planning for future generations, but she couldn't die well in her previous life, and her hatred for the Xu family was even stronger.

"As for Xu's family, although I don't know why she doesn't treat me like this, I still know that she doesn't want me to be her daughter-in-law." The corners of Mu Qingling's mouth were cold: "On that day, my father's funeral news came into the house, I couldn't help myself with grief, and the old lady was also hit hard but forcibly arranged for me to return to my hometown for the funeral. Because the three uncles are all on official business, they are not allowed to leave the capital without permission. The old lady intended to let Cousin Wenyuan, Cousin Wenda, and Wen Min escort me back to my hometown. The old lady's mind was that the two cousins were older, and they would take care of them on the road and help them in front of the spirit, and the two cousins would make her old man feel at ease. As for Wen Min, the old lady probably wanted my father to take a look at him, and if my father knew about it, he could rest assured. ”

"But in the end, Wenda Wenmin was left behind by the Xu family, if the Xu family really intended to let me pass the door, how could he stop it?" When Yu Wenyuan heard this, he had to agree with Mu Qingling's words, and it seemed that the Xu family really had no intention of making Mu Qingling his daughter-in-law.

"Cousin Wenyuan also thinks what I said is reasonable? It's just that Wen Yuan's cousin has ever thought about why Xu doesn't want Wen Da to follow? Wen Da is already married, my father is his uncle, and an old lady has spoken, why doesn't Xu want him to send me back to my hometown? Why is it just Cousin Wenyuan, you are traveling with me. Yu Wenyuan's heart moved, thinking of the Mu family's huge investment, and he instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

Mu Qingling seemed to be unaware and continued: "I don't know if when you are leaving, the second wife can entrust you alone, such as: bring back the wealth of the Mu family, and never be occupied by the side branches of the Mu family; Send the slaves of the Mu family on the spot, and there is no shortage of people in the Jingyong Mansion to call me, and there is no need to bring them back to Beijing from far away. ”

"Cousin Wenyuan, if one day in the future, I will die in the Jingyong Mansion. If I don't fight for my own body, if I am murdered for money, who do you think will fall on for the crime of murdering the orphans of loyal ministers? Mu Qing sat up straight, and a sense of grandeur seeped out from her thin body, "It is you who brought back the Mu family's wealth from Jiangnan, if I die in the Jingyong Mansion, the eldest uncle is the head of the family, will this crime have anything to do with others?" The butcher's knife in the second room has been raised to you and me, are you really willing to be killed? ”

Yu Wenyuan looked at Mu Qingling, and it was only at this time that he really let down his guard and looked at the woman in front of him. Mu Qingling is thin, and her posture is beautiful with a bit of cute paleness. is such a weak orphan girl, every word is like a sharp knife chiseled into the hearts of others, piercing the deepest worries in your heart.

This pain, which is like cutting flesh and removing bones, is followed by the pleasure of getting rid of the heavy scabies. Yu Wenyuan is not a fool, he was the heir of the Jingyong Mansion when he was a child, and he inherited the bits and pieces pointed out by Mu Qingling, how could he never doubt it, the suspicion was just a little bit of water, and before he could leave too many ripples, he was fooled by the tears and self-blame of the second wife.

"You told me so much today, you must have a plan, what do you want to do?" Yu Wenyuan asked, no matter how reasonable the analysis is, now it is just speculation and no evidence, he doesn't believe that Mu Qingling has not thought of a way back for himself.

Mu Qingling looked in the direction of the boat and said, "The Xu family is hateful, but she is right in what she said, the Mu family has thousands of family properties, and they can't be taken away by the side branches." What about cousins? The imperial examination will be held again next year, can my cousin be sure? Yu Wenyuan lowered his eyes and asked himself in his heart, are you sure?

He was entangled in general affairs on weekdays, and rarely had time to calm down and study his knowledge, and occasionally made time to study hard at night, and he could no longer concentrate as much as he did when he held the scriptures of the sages. If he was sure of the title of the seven-point gold list two years ago, now, I am afraid that he will not even have three points.

"Although it is a cold window to read hard, but in the end, the matter of reading also pays attention to the words, there is still time, and my cousin's background is not bad, so you can think about it. Yangzhou is close at hand, and there are still many things at home, and I have to rely on my cousin's support. When the father's funeral is sorted out, it is not too late for my cousin to make plans. Mu Qingling flipped through the book in her hand and persuaded her.

The water waves are shining, there are bursts of fishing songs on the river, and the river water is like a white practice that meanders away, lifting the last veil on the face of Hangzhou City.