Jinzhi Courtyard is a garden-style courtyard, and it is also a house with four sides, two courtyards before and after, a main room and a flower hall.

There are rockery strange stones in the yard, there is a small pavilion that can accommodate three or four people on the rockery, there is a path around the stone that leads directly to the small pavilion, it is a good place to enjoy the moon in summer and autumn.

There are also bamboo forests and flower beds in the yard, and flowers bloom continuously in all seasons.

Steward Wang stood beside a bush of budding peonies, looking at the gate of the main house of Jinzhi Garden, and the busy figure who came out and went in a little bit of composure, he took a few maids and servants, followed Zheng's mother and Candle Cutting to Jinzhi Courtyard, Zheng's mother and Candle Cutting took over the right of his housekeeper, and directly commanded several servant women and maids here.

He was just left out.

Manjuan stretched out his finger and poked Steward Wang's arm, and called, "Steward Wang." ”

Steward Wang turned his head to see that it was her, and said, "You have seen the county lord, how is it?" Do you recognize her? ”

"Yes! When he was at home, the county lord of Xiyang often went to play. Manjuan nodded and said with a smile.

The home she said was naturally in the palace in the capital.

Manjuan told him about several masters in the family, and treating the county lord of Xiyang is like a young lady in the house, even better than treating a few young ladies, "The county lord of Xiyang is in the same way as in his own home, what he wants, what he uses is directly ordered, and the people below also respect her as the master, but there is no dare to disobey the instructions." She said.

Steward Wang withdrew his gaze from a servant woman who came out of the basin, turned his head to look at the manjuan and said, "If she wants to open a treasury, will the people in the house also open it for her?" ”

"This is not true, but I think the main one who came to the county has such an idea, I guess the master will not refuse." Manjuan said cautiously.

Steward Wang suddenly remembered something and asked, "Why are you coming to me?" What's the matter? ”

Manjuan covered her mouth and laughed, and only after laughing enough did she say: "The county lord of Xiyang is afraid that you won't let her open the warehouse, so ask me to come and talk to you, if the master comes back to blame, she will bear it for you, and promise not to let you suffer." ”

"I know, you go back, bother you to support over there, lest anyone cause trouble." Steward Wang waved her hand and motioned for her to hurry back.

Manjuan bowed his knees to him, "Then I'll go back first." As he spoke, he turned around and went back to the flower hall in front of him.

When the steward saw that there was nothing to do with him, he turned around and went to the big kitchen to see what good dishes could be entertained to the county lord, and three or five people in the courtyard of the kitchen gathered around a table, shouting and drinking and gambling with dice.

In the house, four baskets of mixed noodles steamed buns were steamed on the stove, and on one side of the other stove, a large pot of brown rice porridge was boiled, and a twelve or thirteen-year-old apprentice was watching the stove here.

In a large wooden basin on the ground, a pot full of bean sprouts is on the tip.

This is the dinner for everyone in the house.

"Well, don't even play it." As soon as Steward Wang entered the courtyard, he shouted loudly, he had to exercise his right to be a housekeeper, otherwise he was really aggrieved in his heart, "What can I eat, don't want vegetables and radishes." Is there any chicken, duck and fish? ”

When a few people heard the voice, they grabbed the scattered silver and a pile of copper coins on the table, threw them into their arms, turned around and smiled flatteringly, "Why is Steward Wang here, it's not time to eat yet!" If you're hungry, I'll bring you a bun and two slices of pickles. ”

"Didn't you hear what I said?" Steward Wang crossed his waist and looked at the five or six people in the courtyard, and now he couldn't speak so badly, "Let me ask you if you have any good dishes that can be made right away and immediately?" ...... right away," he yelled.

When several people saw that he was angry, they all put away the flattering smiles on their faces, and said carefully: "Without prior preparation, I'm afraid I won't be able to make any good dishes right away,......

Steward Wang stared, and counted them down for a while, and when he was a little less angry, he felt much more comfortable, and said: "Don't think that if there is no master at home, no one will care about you, I will be in a bad mood one day, and I will send you directly to the Zhuangzi outside the city to turn over the ground." ”

"Don't dare, don't dare ......"

A few people only agreed, and no one dared to speak again.

Out of the courtyard of the big kitchen, he pointed out two small servants to go to Honghu Pavilion to book two tables of banquets, send them over as soon as possible, and invite the county lord of Xiyang to eat.

There was a mother-in-law over there who called out to him, and Steward Wang stopped his steps to go to the flower hall, and stood there waiting for the mother-in-law to come.

The mother-in-law said from afar: "Steward Wang, that Mother Zheng is looking for you, please take a look." ”

Steward Wang had already guessed what he was asked to do, and when he returned to Jinzhi Courtyard, he saw Mother Zheng standing in the courtyard from a distance, directing the two servants to sweep the ground outside the East Wing Corridor, "What are you doing?" How can you sweep the garbage into the flower bed, do you think you can't see it when you sweep it inside? When the lord sees it, you don't have to eat. She exclaimed.

A frightened spirit by the said servant woman hurriedly bent down and squatted down to pick out a few weeds that had swept in, and there was no way to pick up the dust.

Mother Zheng looked at another servant woman who was squatting and pulling weeds, and said, "And you, talk about you!" Don't you see the grass under your feet? The eyes only see the front (money) up, isn't it? Can't you see that three-inch place under your feet? ”

Before Steward Wang entered the courtyard, he heard her reprimanding his subordinates, such a scolding was tantamount to slapping the face of the Jinzhang Palace, clearly saying that the subordinates had no eyesight to see, and they were stealing corners and playing slippery, but in fact, they said that in the Jinzhang Palace, even a subordinate could not be taught well.

He walked in with an ugly face and said, "What are you angry with them?" Let's go to this small hall for a cup of tea. ”

Mother Zheng turned her head and saw that he was coming, patted the dust on her body, and said, "It's good that you're here!" Please take me to the storeroom to see what is suitable for the house. ”

Steward Wang saw that she would not give up if she had not been to the warehouse, and she was not in the mood to grind with her, so he nodded and agreed to take her away.

He is a steward of another courtyard, and he really can't afford to provoke the lord of the palace, so he can only delay a little time to see what the old lady has to say.

I don't know when that kid will come back?

The storeroom was opened, and there were several large rooms with large and small boxes in it.

"This room is full of gold and silver ornaments, pendants, and some jewelry. In the next room are all kinds of jade mountain stone ornaments, and some porcelain vase ornaments, all of which are outdated in previous years, sent here from the capital, and have been placed here for a few years. Steward Wang stood at the door of the storehouse and looked inside, then turned and walked to the third room.

He was carrying a bunch of keys in his hand, there were twenty or thirty keys on it, and he tried a few keys before opening the lock on the door, "Here are some ancient painting books, which are said to be ancient books, but they are just objects from more than 100 years ago,......

Zheng's mother stood at the door and looked inside, and the bookcases and painting cabinets inside were placed on a bench to prevent the paper inside from getting wet and moldy, damaging the ancient books and paintings.

She asked people to go in and carry two boxes out, put them in the courtyard and opened them to take a look, and when they saw that they were two boxes of books, she asked them to carry them back.

Another box came out, this time it was a box of scrolls, unfolded and looked at a few, picked out two flowers and birds to draw, and asked someone to send the box back.

Zheng's mother looked at the jade and porcelain boxes again, picked a pair of high-necked painted porcelain vases, and two jade carved landscapes, and asked people to send them to the upper room of Jinzhi Courtyard.

"Remember, I took these things out, and I will check them as they are in the future, but don't rely on me to take more of your family's things and send me to the government as a thief, it will be a joke......" Zheng's mother laughed and teased Steward Wang.

Steward Wang said with a smile: "That won't be, I'm not the one who is a fool." ”

"Then I'll go back first, I don't know if the county lord has any other orders." As she spoke, Mother Zheng turned around and went to the inner courtyard.

Steward Wang watched as the people put the boxes away, locked the door and went to the Big Flower Hall, where they waited for the news from Fahua Nunnery.

When he returned to the flower hall, the county lord of Xiyang had already taken the maid and servant to the inner courtyard, leaving only the twenty or so guards here, and he chatted with the leader of the guards about how to arrange their food and lodging.

In this courtyard, there are two places where people live, one is in the southwest, where there are 28 large brick houses, all of which are large shops, and it is not a problem to live for one or two hundred people.

The other is the back house of the inner court, where there are also twenty-eight houses, which are used by the maids and servants who work in the inner court.

"Okay, let's stay there. I'm sorry for you. Shi Jing, the leader of the guards, finally thanked Steward Wang.

Steward Wang smiled and bowed back, and said, "Your subordinates should be restrained, don't cause trouble and hurt each other's harmony." ”

"This is natural, please rest assured that Steward Wang." Shi Jingzhong said.

Steward Wang called a family member and led Shi Jingzhong and his guards to the place where they were staying, and arranged for them to stay.

The family sent to Fahua Nunnery came back and returned to Steward Wang: "The old lady said, listen to the orders of the county lord of Xiyang first, don't make her angry." The county will give her whatever she wants, and if there is no one in the house, she will go outside and buy it back for her, and everything will follow her will. ”

Steward Wang secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, fortunately he didn't dare to embarrass the Xiyang County Lord, "Did the old lady say when she would come back?" He said.

"The old lady said that she would come back in fifteen." The family man bowed and replied.

"Today is twelve, and there are three or five days left." Steward Wang said to himself.

Lu Han's big ship, sailing on the sea until the sixth day, arrived at the sea off Fuzhou, where he met the sixth master who came to greet them. This sixth master is on a one-masted fishing boat, which is not big and only three or four zhang long, and at most two zhang wide.

The sixth master's boat approached Lu Han's big ship, and he shouted in a loud voice: "Quickly put the cable down and let your sixth master go up." ”

Li Tao heard the shouting and walked to the side of the boat, leaned out half of his body and looked down, "Hehehehehe, the sixth child, you look so small!" ”

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