The next day, Li Jingtian really asked Li Gui to go to the ancestral house, and almost an hour later, he brought a pair of husbands about forty years old to ask to see Wang Qifang.

"The old slave Li Erkui asked the young grandmother to say goodbye, this is from the old slave's house, you call her Li Erkui's family."

Li Erkui wore a short head of Wu Sè, wearing an indigo sè thin cotton robe, and a pair of new coarse cloth thick-soled cloth shoes on his feet, he followed Li Gui to the hall, tied his hands and bowed his head, did not squint, but swept the corner of his eyes to the eight immortal chairs on the right side of the hall There was a silver and red shadow sitting on the eight immortal chairs on the right side of the hall, he expected that this was the eldest young grandmother newly married by the eldest young master, and he was busy lifting his clothes and kneeling on the ground, humbly asking Wang Qifang for peace.

Li Erkui was followed by a fù person, and I saw her combing her Uighur bun, and wearing a red gold hollow huā hairpin on both sides of the bun, which looked like the old look of previous years, but Cheng Sè was not bad.

Dressed in a long skirt with small sleeves and apricot yellow sè qi xiōng printed grapes wearing a branch huā min, kneeling half a step away from Li Erkui with low eyebrows, and a gray-brown coarse cloth burden at his feet.

After listening to Li Erkui's words, she hurriedly kowtowed, and said quickly: "The slave maid Li Erkui's family has seen the eldest young grandmother, and the eldest young grandmother is blessed with Jin'an. ”

"Steward Li doesn't need to be polite, Li Gui, move a drum pier for the big butler and the lady of the Li family" Let's sit down and say. ”

Wang Qifang said politely while looking at Li Erkuifu. Seeing that their eldest wife behaved in a decent manner, she said words of gratitude in her mouth, but she didn't have a too humble expression on her face. Well, it's understandable that he can get the trust of Grandpa Guo and stay to help the master guard the ancestral house, he must be a very capable and loyal person.

In addition, Li Erkui is on an errand in Beijing, behind which is the Auxiliary Mansion, Rao is a slave, because of the master, most of the people who come and go are high-ranking officials and nobles, wealthy families, and if his demeanor is too humble, he will lose the face of the Mansion.

It's not easy to follow the rules, and the size is well handled.

It is not unreasonable for Li Jingtian to think of him.

While Wang Qifang looked at Li Erkui and his wife, the other party was also quietly observing her.

Especially when Li Erkui's family heard Wang Qifang ask her to get up, she didn't stand up immediately, but with some uneasiness in her tone, she explained: "Thank you for grandma."

I should have come to say hello to the eldest young master and you, but something happened to Zhuangzi outside the city a few days ago, and the slave maid followed Li Erkui to Zhuangzi, and only came back the night before. I heard that the eldest young master and you have entered Beijing, and I wanted to come to greet the master immediately, but it was too late and the door was closed. The slave and maidservant were also worried about disturbing the master's rest, so he dared not come to greet him. ”

"Well, I heard" Wang Qifang knew that Li Erkui's family was not lying, when they first entered Beijing, the Yimu steward who stayed behind in the old mansion immediately rushed to ask for peace after hearing the letter, and mentioned Li Erkuifu's matter by the way.

However, it is one thing to know, and quite another to have the person in question explain it himself.

Wang Qifang nodded, and said with a smile: "The eldest young master also said that Li Erkui was trained by Li Wu's old housekeeper, and he knows the rules the most, and the grandfather who knows how to advance and retreat from the country asked you to take over the position of the chief butler, and it is precisely because of this that he has taken a fancy to this, hehe, it is important to be busy with business." Do you have the eldest young master and I in your hearts who are not in this little bit of courtesy. ”

Wang Qifang knew that Li Erkui's explanations were nothing more than to show that he was not the kind of person who praised the high and stepped on the low, and he didn't come to Pingkangfang to ask for peace, not because he heard that the eldest young master had lost his position as the son, but because he was really busy with important things.

After all, Li Jingtian is not a rebel son who was kicked out of the house by Grandpa Guo, even if he is not the son of the family, he is also the eldest young master of the Li family, the eldest son of Grandpa Guo, the father of the current son, and the young master of the Li family.

Listening to Wang Qifang's words, Li Erkui's eyebrows wrinkled slightly, his heart sank, and he said secretly: Hey, didn't you say that the young grandmother didn't understand the rules of the house, and specially asked her husband to help, but now listening to her tone, she doesn't look like a useless person? !

Thinking of this, Li Erkui's family hid caution in their hearts, saluted in a proper manner, took the burden, leaned over half of their buttocks on the drum pier, and waited for the master's orders.

"By the way, has the matter of Zhuangzi been dealt with? If it's a farming matter, I've got a very experienced steward here, and I can ask him to come and help. ”

Gently slapping Li Erkui's house, Wang Qifang adhered to the principle of giving a red date after a slap, suddenly changed her tone, and said with a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, thanks to the master's blessing, the old slave has been dealt with." Li Erkui also heard what Wang Qifang said just now, and knew that this young grandmother was not a soft person, so he stood up quickly and replied more carefully.

"Well, that's good." Wang Qifang picked up the teacup, gently blew the tea stalks, and asked casually: "Why did I call you here today, I guess Li Gui has already told you." Did you bring something? ”

"Back to the eldest and youngest grandmothers, the old slaves have brought them" Li Erkui took the burden from his wife's hands, held it in both hands and handed it to Wang Qifang, and said: "This is the family rules formulated by the old lord and the princess in the past, as well as the account books and old practices of the ancestral house in Beijing for nearly fifty years, please take a look at the eldest and youngest grandmothers." ”

Princess? Wang Qifang sighed, which princess? Could it be that the Li family once married a princess?

However, now is not the time to say this, she raised her chin at Zizhu, "Very good, there is a big housekeeper." ”

"Don't dare, the old slave is a servant of the Li family, and he has served the old lord since his great-grandfather and done things for the master, which is what should be shared, and he doesn't dare to do his job."

Li Erkui handed over the burden to Zizhu and continued to return to Wang Qifang: "Mama Chen went to her house yesterday, and the old slave has already sent someone to pick it up, and it is estimated that she will be able to go to the house at noon." If the young grandmother is in a hurry, it is better to give it to the old slave's family, although she is clumsy, she can do some work anyway, and she can also help the young grandmother share the burden. ”

When Li Erkui spoke, Wang Qifang had already opened the burden and took out a thin booklet placed on the top, the booklet was wrapped in a silk cloth cover of Hulan sè, and the title page was written in extremely delicate Tang Kai with four big characters "Li's family motto,."

Turning the title page, it is the text of the family motto, each page is written with a few lines of words in Tang Kai, Wang Qifang read the first page, "Dawn is up, sprinkle and sweep the court in addition to the inside and outside to be tidy, both faint and rest, close the door, and will personally check." , she only felt as if she had heard this sentence somewhere, and then turned to the second page: "It is not easy to think about where a porridge and a meal come from: half a thread and half a thread, and it is difficult to keep thinking about material resources." , poof

This Lord Li is really enough, really enough, how can he say it, his old man is also welcome, he plagiarized Zhu Bailu's masterpiece a hundred years ago, how can the original author of the family be embarrassed?

"Grandma?"

Li Erkui said for a long time, but he didn't see Wang Qifang responding, he peeked at her, and saw that she was looking at the 'family motto' and hurriedly explained: "This family motto is dictated by the old lord, and the princess personally transcribed it, which is the heirloom of the Li family. If you like it, you can stay and study it slowly. ”

This is the heirloom of the Li family, and many families know that the old lord left a book of Hengyan for governing the family, and they tried their best to read it. It's just that they don't want to think about it, how can the Li family's family motto be borrowed by outsiders?

Li Erkui's ancestor was Li Tianci's little servant, and Zhao Yongnian's ancestor entered the Li family together. However, the different personalities of the two eventually created different fates Li Erkui's ancestors served Li Tianci loyally, and was given the surname Li by the old lord, and after his death, he was buried in the ancestral grave of the Li family by the old lord, buried next to the old lord, and enjoyed the incense offerings of other generations of the Li family with the master: Needless to say, the other one went without saying, betraying the lord and setting up his own door" to become the second president of the Confucian Chamber of Commerce.

Li Erkui's ancestors were buried in the ancestral grave of the main family, and the descendants of the ancestors were also treated well by the master's family and became slaves, but respected everywhere.

"Well, with a smile, Wang Qifang agreed with a straight face" At this time, she also remembered Li Erkui's words, and after a little contemplation, she said, "That's the case, a group of servants have just entered the house, and I have too many things at hand, so I don't have time to teach them the rules for a while."

Without waiting for Wang Qifang to finish speaking, Li Erkui's family stood up directly, and said with a blessing: "If the young grandmother doesn't think the slave maid is vulgar, it is better to let the slave and maid do it." ”

"Then I'll trouble you, Zizhu, you take her to Grandma Sun's place and tell those little girls about the rules of the Li family."

This sentence was clearly said to Zizhu, but it was actually a reminder to Li Erkui's family, some words, Wang Qifang was embarrassed to say, even if she knew that she had beaten her, she didn't have the courage to laugh at herself behind her back, but she still didn't want to say it clearly.

Who is Li Erkui's family? She was originally the son of the Li family, how could she be a stupid person if she could be the daughter-in-law of Li Wu, the big housekeeper who was given the surname by her ancestors? !

As soon as Wang Qifang's words fell, she understood what her master meant, her eyes rolled, and she immediately assured Wang Qifang: "Don't worry, the slave will definitely assist Miss Zizhu and Grandma Bei to do this errand well." ”

Wang Qifang hummed softly, and Zizhu went down with Li Erkui's family.

Li Erkui saw that Wang Qifang had nothing to do here, so he retreated, found Li Gui, and went with him to Li Jingtian's study to ask the eldest young master.

In the afternoon, Mama Chen also arrived. Unlike Li Erkuifu, Mama Chen had long heard her Jingniang say that the eldest young master's newly married grandmother was her life-saving benefactor and an old friend.

With this relationship, Mama Chen did not come to Pingkangfang in a polite and restrained manner, but sincerely helped Wang Qifang sort out her housework.

A Li family's son and mother, a nurturing mother from the palace, with the help of these two, the situation of the Li family suddenly changed fundamentally. The little girls who signed the death contract honestly followed Mama Chen to learn the rules of the Li family, and those hired servants who lived the deed led by Mama Don't lead the Yuan Niang, and beat them again and again, with rewards and punishments, and also began to do their work in peace.

Seeing this scene, Wang Qifang also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and the new house finally had the appearance of a big family. The sons and daughters should also learn to learn, and the family began to be lively with those little girls.

The affairs of the inner house have been sorted out, and Wang Qifang finally has the energy to deal with the outside things.

"Grandma, this is an invitation sent by the Tang family, please go to the Tang family to enjoy the chrysanthemums the day after tomorrow."

Zizhu walked into Wang Qifang's study, put an invitation in front of her, and replied softly.

"The Tang family? Is Aunt Tang there? ”

Wang Qifang put down the account book, picked up the invitation card and looked at it, "Did the person who sent the invitation say who else was invited?" Is it just our in-laws, or are there other noble ones? ”

After entering Beijing, Wang Qifang only saw Aunt Tang at her uncle, and also met Aunt Tang, the old master of sour rot.

To be honest, Wang Qifang didn't like Aunt Tang's high-minded appearance, it was really strange, what was he arrogant?

A mouth is what "everything is inferior, only reading is high,."

Especially after hearing that she was a Confucian businessman, her eyes suddenly flashed with undisguised contempt for the merchants, and even more vaguely said "Shinong Industry and Commerce, "Merchants are heavy on profits and cunning", as if her niece had committed a great sin in business.

Later, I heard that she was married for the second time, and she also proposed the reconciliation with her ex-husband first, Aunt Tang's eyes were even more disdainful, and when she was about to separate, she was nervous to give her a copy of "Female Commandments, And" Biography of Daughters through Tang Yunqin!

There is such a superb uncle, Wang Qifang really doesn't want to go to the door of the Tang family, when she thinks of Aunt Tang's disdainful eyes, she can't help but smile bitterly, if she goes to the Tang family for an appointment, she won't just leave with the front foot, and the aunt will let people clean the house thoroughly with the back foot, right? !

"Back to the young grandmother, the slave maid asked, and the person who came said that this was a small banquet, and it was more of the Tang family's relatives and friends in the capital, oh, by the way, there are also the Tang family's in-laws, the Zheng family, the husband of the little lady of the Tang family."

Zizhu has been serving by Wang Qifang's side, and she also witnessed the scene that day, knowing what the young grandmother was worried about, and hurriedly told the master all the words that came out of people's mouths.

"The Zheng family?" Hmm, it's that Zheng Shengyu, the third master of Zheng who snatched the president with Cui Changgui?

With him here, it is estimated that Uncle Tang will not say anything about the lowly businessman, right?!

Alas, she really doesn't like this kind of hypocrite who wants to be both a son and a chastity archway. It's not that she doesn't respect her elders, it's really that Aunt Tang is too obvious, hey, if he really despises Shangjia, why did he marry his only concubine to the Confucian merchant Zheng family?

"Yes, the slave maid also heard that Aunt Tang also mentioned the two little ladies, and said that if it is convenient, they will also bring them together."

With a faint sigh, Wang Qifang accepted the invitation and said, "I know, tell the person who came, and the day after tomorrow, I will definitely take Yuan Niang and the young lady to Tang's house for a banquet."

"Yes" Zizhu responded, and then said as if remembering something: "By the way, Sister Zijuan also sent someone to deliver the post, asking when you have time, she wants to come and greet you." ”

"Let her come tomorrow, I happen to have something to ask her."

Zijuan has been staying in the capital to take care of Mei Huā Theater, and has come into contact with many people from three religions and nine streams, and she is also the most well-informed there, so there should be a way to inquire about the origin of some people, right? @。