For seven days in a row, a few women waited at the back door of the mansion, and whenever there was a shouting and crying from inside the thick iron door, they would come forward beautifully. After a moment, the iron gate creaked open, and the old mother-in-law led the punished and abandoned slaves out for sale.

Zhai Yapo, who was well at the abacus, found a vacancy, grabbed the sleeve of the old woman's shirt tightly and brought it to the side, stuffed her with a few coins and said in a low voice:

"The lord's family has sold so many servants to the subordinates, so there must be more well-behaved and obedient ones, right? Otherwise, when the need arises, where will there be enough people to call on? ”

The old woman pursed her lips and spread her palms upward. Cui Yapo put a few more money on it with interest, and she didn't feel heartache, just a taste: "Sister-in-law just help introduce and match, and there will be heavy thanks after success." ”

The old woman skillfully gathered the money into her sleeve, pulled her lips and whispered in her ear: "I can't help when I'm busy, but I can sue you, go back to look good at some young children, and it is best to sell them for life." ”

When Zhai Yapo heard this, she couldn't help but be overjoyed, nodded her head, and thanked her for her kindness. On the other side, there are either sad faces, or low sobbing and whimpering servants and maids, who are enduring the selection of fat and thin, and even degrading and depressing.

As the slow-moving carriage passed, the wind lifted the curtain of the air window, and the passengers inadvertently took in the scene outside the car.

Huang sighed, turned his head to look at the ignorant and pure young master who was sleeping on his lap, and sighed: "What Da Hong said is right, after this incident, the people in the mansion are afraid that they can be replaced, so they all drove away." ”

The housekeeper and grandmother just took advantage of this incident to change the people in the mansion.

Lu Jiu'er felt something in her heart, and asked lightly: "Mother, will our family be like them?" "Will it end up like them one day?

"How could it be. Others are slaves who sell life and death, and we are just hired laborers in the village of Qi's family. In the worst case, you don't work as an owner, but go to earn rations from the west. ”

The carriage went around the back street, all the way along the blue brick and stone slabs, and stopped directly in front of the Qi mansion. There were already people waiting there, and as soon as they saw someone coming, they immediately greeted them: "It's Lu Zhuangguan, right?" The manager asked the little one to lead the way and take you to say hello to the fifth aunt and grandmother. ”

Lu Yonghong handed the whip to the porter. "I'm tired."

Huang also heard the sound of talking in the car, and hurriedly took care of the clothes for the little boy who had just woken up. Before the people got out of the car, there were nurses and maidservants who swarmed up, muttering "Oh, my young master's heart" and "Poor one, thin like this", and then Qi Bowen was surrounded like stars holding the moon and hurriedly went to the inner house.

Huang led her daughter and followed her husband across the threshold of the big door.

Qi Fu can be said to be a squire and tyrant in the eighteen villages where Beizhuang is located, but in the city and town, it is just one of many wealthy businessmen. The Qi Mansion is no different from the common wealthy and noble families, and the design and layout of the house are all decent, but due to the employment of first-class builders in the city, there are some exquisite changes in the rules.

It's just that these fall into the eyes of the Lu family, and their thoughts are different. Lu Yonghong was used to seeing it for a long time, so he lowered his eyebrows slightly and walked straight forward. How could the Huang family have had the opportunity to be to such a rich house before, although they have heard a little bit of oral narration from others, but when they are in a different situation, they have long forgotten their husband's instructions last night, and they can't help but look left and right, their faces are full of surprise and admiration, yearning and envy, and they have all kinds of flavors in their hearts.

Lu Jiuer raised her head and looked around, basically the scenery of the front yard was clear in her heart, it was nothing more than a patchwork of pavilions, rockeries, ponds, water lotus, and then a cloister and tall trees for rain and shade, and the avenue in the center led directly to the second gate, and I believe that through there was the front hall. But the leader avoided the avenue, and only took them through the cloister to the moon arch on the side, and followed the mezzanine around the antechamber into the courtyard of the back house.

After walking for a long time, he finally stopped in front of the courtyard gate. The grandmother guarding the door glanced at them, and then sent the leader away, leaving only a family of three to go under the eaves of the courtyard and wait for the transmission.

After standing for an unknown amount of time, Lu Jiuer felt a little thirsty and tired, and Lu Yonghong whispered to her to endure it any longer. After waiting for a while, a maid in Tsing Yi stepped out of it, glanced at them, and then pursed her lips and smiled: "Come along, Madame has called you." ”

Lu Yonghong thanked him, and then took his family Xiaojin into the hall with him. Unexpectedly, as soon as she entered, Jiu'er only felt dazzled. The warblers and swallows in the hall stood in a bunch, and the laughter and soft whispers filled the eardrums. I finally looked at it, only to see that there was a screen embroidered with peony flowers in the hall to block it, and I only vaguely saw the two women who were surrounded by the first seat in the center through the embroidery. The youngest is Qi Bowen, and the other is speculated to be his own mother, the fifth aunt and grandmother of the Qi family. The people who were dressed in red and green, holding tea sauces, and laughing and coquettish were all these two servants, which was really lively.

"Madam, Lu Zhuangguan's family is here."

I don't know who reminded me, the scene immediately calmed down, and six or seven pairs of eyes fell on the family of three, and I couldn't tell what kind of thoughts they had. Lu Jiu'er immediately lowered her head.

Lu Yonghong took his wife and daughter to greet Jin An to his fifth aunt and grandmother. She smiled slightly, bowed her head, and ordered to move the stool left and right and please sit down for tea.

Lu Yonghong confessed again and again, and said: "Madam, the little ones are all country savages, vulgar and ugly, where do they know how to be polite? I was only worried that I would accidentally offend my wife between my manners and words, and I didn't know it, so I only kept my small duty and hoped that the lord's family would be happy and happy, and everything would be satisfied. ”

The fifth aunt and grandmother looked slightly surprised, pointed to the three people in the hall and said to the older nurse next to her: "It seems that you are relaying the words of the general manager, this person is honest and cautious on the outside and inside, and he is stupid to say that he is stupid, like a donkey." ”

There was a coaxing, and the maids and mothers around them all laughed. Lu Yonghong also smiled innocently.

Huang smiled with a smile on his face, opened his mouth and said, "This person has a stupid mouth, isn't he just a stupid donkey?" Madame was right. ”

I don't know if Huang was nervous or excited, this voice sounded unusual, but it made people calm down. At this time, she suddenly remembered that her husband had instructed her last night to think twice about everything, and her heart suddenly chuckled and became worried.

The fifth aunt and grandmother slowly took a sip of tea, and asked how the affairs in the village were, how was the life of Young Master Qi in the village, and how was it before entering the house after returning to the city. Lu Yonghong answered them one by one in a low voice, with an objective stance and cautious words.

What Lu Yonghong said was no different from what was reported by the general manager and deputy general manager of Wei before, and the fifth aunt and grandmother had a bottom in their hearts. The eyes fell on the daughter of the Lu family, except for looking up a few times when she first entered the door, the child had always lowered her head, and only saw the girl's hair bun that Huang had coiled for her. As if casually asked:

"Is this called Jiu'er? How old is this year? ”

Huang hurriedly laughed and said, "Yes, it's called Lu Jiu'er, don't look at her skinny, she is already nine years old." ”

"Oh." The fifth aunt smiled gently, "It's so big." Come on, come and let me see what it looks like. “

Lu Jiu'er responded, slowly approached the main seat, and stopped three steps away. Looking up slightly, I saw the woman sitting firmly in the center dressed in a gorgeous brocade dress, wearing a gold hairpin bead ornament, with a delicate appearance and eyebrows and eyes. Qi Bowen next to her was changed into a bright crown dress, sitting upright, like a little adult, but it felt different from the usual. He saw Jiu'er's eyes turned, his body was not moving, but his eyes were shining, and he secretly raised his lips and grinned at her.

Lu Jiu'er immediately lowered her head, bent her eyebrows and lips, and looked at a point in front of her, so as not to bump into the master's house.

"She looks beautiful and smart, and it is rare to be quiet and well-behaved."

The maid next to her, who was closest to the fifth aunt's grandmother, covered her lips and smiled, and interjected: "Listening to the little master's speech just now, I think it should be a very smart and clever child, why look at it now, it looks a bit like her father." ”

As soon as these words fell, only a few "porphyry" laughter could be heard. The fifth aunt and grandmother smiled and bent her eyebrows, pointed at the maid and scolded: "You see what Lian Zi said, other people's daughters don't look like their fathers and mothers, can that be like words?" It's really itchy to look for a fight! ”

The servant girl who called Lian Zi begged for mercy again and again, and after laughing, she didn't say anything.

The fifth aunt and grandmother turned to Jiu'er and picked up the conversation again: "I just heard the little young master talk about you falling off a cliff in distress a few days ago, which should have been a thrilling accident, but he happily mentioned it, but the more I listened, the more confused I became." Jiu'er, tell me about it, what was the situation like at that time? ”

Lu Jiu'er should be, while praising her father's clever calculation in her heart, she quickly sorted out the prepared words in her mind, softened her voice, and slowly said it as if she was recalling. also admired and ashamed and said: "The young master is not surprised, and his thinking is quick. At that time, he also proposed to climb down with the help of the thick vines on the cliff. Afterwards, the experienced old chaifu also said that this plan was conducive to survival, but at that time, it was Jiu'er's timidity that dragged the young master to accompany him on the cliff and wait for rescue. ”

After hearing the words, the fifth aunt and grandmother hugged Qi Bowen, and called "My son" and "heart and liver" several times with heartache and love, so that the little young master in his arms blushed and enjoyed the soft hug of his mother.

After all, Lu Jiu'er is a child's body, and she can't bear it for a long time. She muttered to herself that the punishment station was a physical job, and it was more tiring than working when the farm was busy. Coupled with a lot of words, I felt more and more dry and lightheaded. I can't estimate how long the host wants to "chat", she twisted it, and said in a low but audible voice: "Mother, Jiu'er is in a hurry, I want to go to the thatched house......"

Huang hurriedly confessed, and took Jiu'er and the mother who led the way to find a thatched house outside to relieve them. Lu Jiu'er followed behind, and when she left the flower hall, she vaguely heard the words of the fifth aunt and grandmother asking Lu Yonghong:

"Your Jiu'er, it seems that you still went to school? ……”