Lin'an City is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the Tiaoxi River slowly bypasses Lin'an City from east to west, flows into the Qiantang River, and becomes the main road for the people of Lin'an to go out of the city.

The Pei family's mansion was built in Xiaomei Lane in the east of the city. The houses built on the hill are scattered and occupy the entire Xiaomei Lane. The small river that is introduced from the Tiaoxi River, meanders down from the backyard of the Pei family's mansion, and joins the Tiaoxi Wharf, is called Xiaomei Creek by the people of Lin'an City. And because this Xiaomei Creek is the only river in the city that leads to the wharf and can still walk the boat, after staying in the city's government and state school, both sides of the river began to be lined with river houses and hawkers, although it is not as prosperous as Changxing Street in the west of the city, which is full of shops, but also has the liveliness of Changxing Street in the west of the city.

On a summer morning, the sun has not yet risen, and the air is filled with the freshness of grass and dewdrops.

Yu Tang wore white silk flowers, wore a plain summer cloth skirt, and helped his mother through the river houses on both sides of Xiaomei Creek.

Xiaomei Lane is still far away, and sweat is already on her forehead.

She took out the snow-blue Hangzhou silk plain and wiped her sweat, and then looked at her mother Chen.

Seeing that she was also sweating her sideburns, she hurriedly handed over the handkerchief and said in a low voice: "Mom, you can also wipe your sweat!" ”

Chen shook his head, took out his handkerchief to wipe his sweat, praised her "good", and said, "You don't have to worry about your mother, just take care of yourself." ”

Yu Wen, who was walking in front of them, couldn't help but complain: "I said that I hired a sedan chair, and you said that you were disrespectful to the deceased." Your body has finally healed a little, but don't toss and fall down again. If you want me to say, you shouldn't come. I'll just bring Ah Tang over. ”

Chen's thin and tall, pale complexion, and her perennial illness made her delicate eyebrows and eyes always look as pitiful as pear blossoms in the rain. She smiled and comforted Yuwen: "Okay, okay, I know you care about me." I will do what I can and not worry about you and Tang. The old lady of the Pei family has a great kindness to me, if I am in good health, I should go to the temple in three steps and one knock to pray for the Bodhisattva to bless his old man to ascend to Bliss early, so that he will not be hurt or itchy to go to his old man to worship incense, but it is just to deceive his old man to be merciful and lazy. At this, her eyes darkened.

Ever since he learned of the death of the old lady of the Pei family, the Chen family was upset.

Yu Tang hurriedly comforted his mother: "Mom, you also said that the old lady of the Pei family is merciful, and he doesn't care about this." In the future, when we have a chance, we will go to the temple to pray for the old lady of the Pei family. ”

Chan nodded.

Yu Wen told the mother and daughter: "The Pei family has a big business, and although the three branches are divided, they are not divided. The old lady of the Pei family lives on East Road, and the ancestral hall of the Pei family is also on East Road. But the old lady of the Pei family stopped her spirit, and there were too many people who wanted to come to worship, so she stopped in the side hall of the main entrance of the middle road. The male guests put incense in the side hall, and the female guests set up two other places to worship incense on the East Road. One is the daughters of those relatives and old friends, and the other is neighbors like us. When you go in, remember to follow the mother-in-law in charge, and don't go to the wrong place. ”

After three days of small burials, the mourning hall began to open to the villagers.

Yu Wen had some intersection with the Pei family because of Chen's medical treatment, and he was a Xiucai, so he went to greet him in advance, he had been helping the Pei family these days, and he took his wife and daughter to worship the old lady of the Pei family today.

The Chen family had never seen such a large formation of funerals, and he was a little worried in his heart, so he responded worriedly.

Although Yu Tang has been a human being for two lives, she was detained in the backyard of the inner house by the Li family, and she always sneaked out when she came out, and she did not go through such a formation, but she felt that she had been trained in the Li family for those years, and if she was strong, she was strong, even if something went wrong, it did not involve interests, and the Pei family should still be very generous.

Maybe it's because there are a lot of people in Lin'an City who are favored by the Pei family, and today is the first day that the Pei family opened the mourning hall.

Yu Wen sighed: "If these young talents in the county school did not have the funding of the old lady of the Pei family, how could they come up with a person every few years, now that the old lady of the Pei family has gone, the Pei family does not know who is in charge, everyone is very uneasy, and most of them are afraid that they have no intention of studying......

Chen Shi listened and said, "You won't also believe Lu Xin's nonsense, right?" Crossing the long house and letting the three rooms be in charge? Is this going to happen? ”

It is the imperial court, and it is also the head of the court.

Yu Wen hesitated for a long time and whispered: "If there are such rumors, it is not unusual. The eldest lord died of illness in the prime of life, and his two sons did not reach the crown, and he had not been in contact with the general affairs of the Pei family before......"

Chen argued: "Isn't there still a steward in this house? Who is born with it? As long as you are willing to learn, you can do it! ”

Yu Wen hesitated and said: "But I heard those people talk about it, the two young masters of the Pei family are uncles, and the second master has not counted since he was a child...... Maybe that's why the rumors are spreading. ”

It's just that in this way, the Pei family will inevitably have trouble.

Brothers work together, and their profits are broken.

If there is an internal strife, even the largest tree may fall down.

Yu Wen and Chen both fell silent.

Yu Tang looked at the atmosphere and said with a smile: "Daddy, why is the place where the Pei family lives called Xiaomei Lane?" There are no plum blossoms in Xiaomei Lane, and there is nothing related to plums. ”

This is a question she wanted to ask in her previous life.

It's just that I haven't been able to find anyone to ask.

Yu Wen smiled: "Of course you can't see it." I also heard from the shopkeeper Tong last time. It is said that when the ancestor of the Pei family brought his family to Lin'an to escape the world, he found a wild plum tree, and built a house next to the plum tree, and named it Xiaomei Lane. It's just that the Pei family is thriving, slowly expanding outward, and the old plum has long belonged to the inner house, and it is difficult for ordinary guests to see it. But the name of this Xiaomei Lane remained. ”

The family of three climbed the slope unhurriedly and arrived at Pei's house.

Outside the gate, there was a white expanse.

During the shuttle of the servants, they were busy but not chaotic.

Seeing Yu Wen, someone who looked like a steward stepped forward to greet him: "Master Yu is here, please sit in the side hall." ”

Yu Wen hurriedly pointed at Chen and Yu Tang: "The clumsy wife and little daughter, after receiving the great favor of the old lady, they have to come to kowtow to the old lady no matter what, and pay homage to the incense." ”

There are too many such people.

The steward politely saluted Chen and Yu Tang, and called a housekeeper who wore linen and filial piety to come over, and asked her to take Chen and Yu Tang to worship Mrs. Pei.

Chen and Yu Tang were polite and followed the mother-in-law to live (to) the east.

Yu Tang had the time to look at the Pei family's mansion.

It is worthy of being a behemoth entrenched in Lin'an City, but there is a courtyard that can park at least more than 20 carriages in Lin'an City, where there are many mountains and few places, the trees next to the courtyard are mostly thick, the branches and leaves are luxuriant, the canopy is like an umbrella, the welcome pine is higher than a person, and the knotted branches are circling and stretching out, not two feet but also three feet. The corridor that goes up with the trend is covered with green tiles and red railings, the top is painted with blue-green patterns, the pillars are all wrapped in white silk, and the green trees on both sides are all decorated with white silk flowers with large bowls.

How much money does this get!

Yu Tang was speechless in his heart.

Then something even stranger was discovered.

Along the way, she didn't see a single flower of any color other than white.

Rich and noble people like to plant some flowers and trees that imply many sons and blessings, melons and melons, especially in this season, it is the season when pomegranate and jujube trees bloom, not to mention these flower trees, even such as hibiscus, crape myrtle, and moon season are not seen in such common flower trees.

Yu Tang's footsteps were sluggish, carefully looking at the trees stretching out next to the corridor.

The mother-in-law, who had been paying attention to the guests, immediately noticed something unusual, and she also slowed down and said softly: "What is the little lady looking at?" Is there anything I can do to help? ”

Chen also looked back in confusion.

Yu Tang hurriedly retracted his gaze and took a few steps forward to catch up with Chen, afraid that the woman would misunderstand her peeping into the inner house and lack education, and explained: "I look at this tree like a pomegranate tree, but it doesn't bloom......"

The woman was stunned.

Xu was afraid that Yu Tang would misunderstand that the pomegranate tree of the Pei family would not bloom, so he thought about it and said, "It was originally blooming, isn't this the old lady going?" Several old and young masters in the family looked uncomfortable, so they let them cut it. ”

That's the reason.

Yu Tang was stunned.

Chen was also surprised and said, "Did you cut it all?" ”

The Pei family has a very large area at first glance, and there are many flowers and trees, if they are all cut, how much manpower will it take!

The woman estimated that she was deeply affected, and said with a wry smile: "Who said it wasn't!" Since the third master disliked the flowers blooming too brightly, for two whole days, the three chief managers were busy with the funeral, and they were busy instructing people to cut the flowers and trees. ”

"It's so hard for you!" Chen said sympathetically, "It's good to be busy for a while." ”

Probably because Chen spoke very sincerely, and when his tone slowed down, there was a bit of gentleness that no one could match, and the woman looked at Chen carefully a few times, and actually said: "My husband's surname is Ji, and everyone calls me Aunt Ji." If you have something to talk to, someone can come and talk to me. ”

The one who can be called "Auntie" is not an ordinary decent servant, most of them are servants who have served the Pei family for several generations, not to mention, they may also be shrewd and capable, and they are relied on by the owner of the house and are in charge of the affairs of one party.

Chen politely called "Aunt Ji".

Yu Tang's heart is like turning over the river and the sea.

Chen couldn't hear it, but she did.

It is the three masters who don't like safflowers, and the three chief managers who are busy treating the funeral and instructing people to cut the flowers and trees, so what are the chief managers and the second chief managers doing?

Is it true that the Pei family has changed course and reordered in places that others can't see, as Lu Xin said?

She was quiet, naïve, and fairy tale to trick the words of the eldest lady: "The Pei family is worthy of being the head of Lin'an City." There are three of them. How many general stewards are there? My dad knows the shopkeeper Tong. My father said that the shopkeeper Tong's knowledge is very good and very powerful. So is the shopkeeper of your house the manager or the chief manager? ”

Aunt Ji's eyes became gentle when she heard this, and said, "Shopkeeper Tong is my in-law." ”

In other words, Aunt Ji's daughter married Xiao Tong's shopkeeper.

"Oh, that's a coincidence!" Yu Tang and Chen exclaimed in a low voice, and Yu Tang even told Aunt Ji how she met the father and son of the Tong family, and praised the shopkeeper of Xiao Tong well.