Whether it is a big family or a small family, it is a thing worth surprising and exploring to use the private money of a certain house to subsidize the public middle school. Especially in a famous family like the Meng family, there must be a large number of fields and shops in the public, even if it is not good at management, there should be several channels for long-term income, and there are two officials in the family, a Beijing official and a local official, which official family have you heard of is short of money?

Meng Qingyun consciously asked this question by himself, and there was nothing wrong with it.

However, not to mention that Green Smoke didn't answer immediately, Cui's mother and Asakusa also stared at her suspiciously, as if they had seen a ghost.

Meng Qingyun couldn't help but touch his face, and said a little confused: "You, why are you looking at me like this?" ”

Cui's mother said sneeringly: "Why is it that you are sick, and your temperament is different from before?" Yuan Niang had never asked about such mundane affairs before, let alone said such a thing. ”

"Huh? Is it? Meng Qingyun shook his lips in surprise, the momentum that had just risen from exploration weakened inexplicably, and he said a little weakly, "Didn't I care about this kind of thing before?" ”

Choi's mother and Asakusa nodded like chicks pecking rice.

Luyan thought he had figured something out, his face was sad, and he sighed and said: "In the past, there were two ladies here, where did Yuan Niang need to worry about this, just eat, drink, play, eat and drink without worry, ask for gold and jade, and never spend." Now that the second lady is gone, even if there is a dowry, if you don't manage it well, there will always be a day when you sit and eat nothing. Yuan Niang, although Yuan Niang has been sick, ...... has grown up"

A few words hooked the tears of the most emotional Mother Cui, and wiped her tears and said: "Our Yuan Niang, our Yuan Niang is sensible, but the second lady can't see it...... woo"

Meng Qingyun helplessly held his forehead: "Why are you crying again." ”

She sighed and gave Asakusa a look, and Asakusa grabbed Cui's mother's arm and comforted her softly.

Meng Qingyun patted the stone beside him and said to Green Yan: "It seems that this matter cannot be explained in one or two sentences, you sit down and talk to me slowly." ”

Green Smoke thought about it, and sure enough, he took a handkerchief and put it on the stone, and sat opposite her.

"It stands to reason that what Yuan Niang said in front of me is right, a prestigious family like ours, whether it is land, shops, or trading, has more than ten generations of accumulation, and there is no reason to be short of money. It's just that it's all watched by outsiders. ”

"There are many people in the south of the Yangtze River and little land, especially our Yaxi, known as the saying that there are seven points of mountains, two points of water and one division of fields, and the rice, vegetables, and vegetables from the fields are just for the whole family to drink the old snacks, as well as two nursing homes and a Huimin pharmacy in the county. Our family's main entry has to be shops, and there are twelve in the public; There were originally two long houses, because the dowry of the eldest lady was thin, the old lady took pity on the big officials, and gave her own shops to the two of them, leaving six on hand; We originally had two families in the second room, and the second lady had a rich dowry, so she brought eight families, and this is ten. ”

Green Smoke is worthy of being the most relied on servant girl by the second lady's side, shrewd and capable, and she is really the head when it comes to family assets.

Meng Qingyun only did a little mental calculation, and said: "Since there are twelve shops in Gongzhong, why is there a shortage of money?" Could it be that they are all not doing well and all of them are going out of business? ”

Green Smoke said: "This has to start with the old lady." The old lady was born in the Song Mountain Zhao family, since she was a child, she was noble and noble, and her style was extravagant, and she has always been like this since she arrived at the Meng family. The old lady was the emperor's grace, and the two southern tours were taken over by our family, and the cost before and after was less than a million silver taels, and the savings accumulated for many years were once clean, which was the second item. And then after the big officials went to Beijing, although the officials said that they were getting bigger and bigger, and the money they spent was getting more and more, the eldest lady had to send silver to the capital every three or five days, as little as one or two thousand, and as much as three or five thousand. ”

Meng Qingyun was shocked: "It is said that thousands of miles of officials are only for money. Why does the uncle have to pay upside down? ”

Green Smoke sighed: "Everyone says, 'It's not easy to live in Kyoto', is it possible that the rice in Kyoto is made of gold?" I don't know where the money is spent. ”

Meng Qingyun said again: "According to what you say, the eldest lady's public property is not used for a day or two, and the old lady doesn't care?" My dad didn't complain either? ”

Green smoke said: "The old lady has always been eccentric and long-housed, and since the eldest lady entered the door, she has been housekeeper for nearly 20 years, and there are no people like her inside and outside, and the old lady has long been indifferent." In addition, the eldest lady will serve and be soft, the old lady just knows, and she also turns a blind eye, after all, she has a body in her hands, and no matter how poor the public is, she will not shorten her usefulness. As for our second room......" she sighed, Yaoyao, "The second official is a scholar, and he has never cared about money and mundane affairs; Because of her background in the merchant family, the second lady is always looked down upon by the old lady, how dare she say that the eldest lady is not, and she is weak, let alone have the heart, just close the door and live her own small life. The eldest lady asks for money, but it is only two or three hundred, three or five hundred each time, and the second lady is not lacking money, so she naturally spends money to buy peace. ”

It turned out that such a big mansion, dignified and noble, looked magnificent from the outside, but it was already an empty shelf inside.

Meng Qingyun silently digested these words and remained silent.

Green Smoke held his breath and waited obediently. Asakusa is also obedient and can keep her mouth shut.

But Cui's mother not only loves to cry, but also loves to worry about it, and comforted: "Yuan Niang doesn't have to worry, the lack of money in the public middle school is a matter of the public school, we have our own shop, and the dowry left by the second lady, which is enough for you to eat and drink for a few lifetimes." ”

Meng Qingyun couldn't cry or laugh: "What Mother Cui said is that in the end, you are old and knowledgeable. ”

Cui's mother laughed.

Meng Qingyun glanced at Green Smoke and Asakusa, and his eyes were helpless. Cui's mother didn't know how to get mixed up in this deep house compound, and she was still as innocent as a child when she was old.

She was about to stand up, but Green Smoke waited for her, and as soon as he stretched out his hand, he helped her up.

Zijing Xiao ran over quickly and said softly, "The eldest lady is here." ”

Meng Qingyun immediately turned his head and waved at Xiu'er in the distance, Xiu'er hurriedly ran back, and the six masters and servants pretended to have just finished resting and chatting.

The eldest lady Lu took Luo's mother and the maidservants through the moon cave gate, and said in surprise: "Why did Yuan Niang come here?" ”

She deliberately stayed in Huanhua Pavilion for a while to wait for Mrs. Zhou's affairs, and it was about two quarters of an hour before and after, and then she was ready to go to Leshoutang to visit the old lady, and thought that Meng Qingyun should have arrived there a long time ago, but she didn't expect that she was still halfway.

Meng Qingyun had a standard smile of respect for the elders on his face, and said obediently: "The illness is not complete, I am too tired to walk here, so I sat for a while." ”

Lu Shi let out an "oh", and he didn't know whether to believe it or not, and his gaze drifted to Green Smoke's face.

Midori lowered her head, avoiding her gaze.

Lu Shi frowned slightly.