Yan Xu has been busy with the family's chores and rarely cares about the affairs of the academy. However, Du Jinning took the county case at the age of twelve, and he still knew it.

He frowned and said, "This kid is really so powerful? How far do you think he can go? ”

Yan Songtao nodded: "It is indeed very powerful." I don't dare to say anything else, it's still okay to get a jinshi before the age of thirty. ”

He paused: "But this is the most preserved estimate, if it goes well, it is not impossible to pass the Jinshi examination before the age of twenty." ”

Yan Xu's brows, which had been loosened because of the previous sentence, wrinkled again after hearing the latter sentence.

He thought for a moment and asked Yan Songtao: "Then look, should we ...... him before he grows up" He made a gesture of cutting off his head.

He only made this gesture to represent a certain meaning, not to really cut off Du Jinning's head. In a family like theirs, there are many ways to harm people's lives. One day Du Jinning will go on a boat, or go up the mountain, fall into the water or fall off the mountain, it is very likely. Do you lose your life due to an accident, and in which year don't there be a dozen or so cases?

Yan Songtao's relaxed body sat up straight all of a sudden, his gaze at Yan Xu was like a sharp sword, and his tone of voice became cold: "Yan Xu, I see that you have been in the county long enough over the years, and you need to go outside to see the world and broaden your horizons." ”

Yan Xu is the concubine of Yan Songtao's eldest brother. Although he is a concubine, because his background is not high and he has no talent for reading, he was left in his hometown to take care of the general affairs, but because his father and eldest brother are becoming bigger and bigger, his right to speak in his hometown is also getting heavier day by day. Being flattered all day long, he already felt that he could be on an equal footing with his uncle Yan Songtao in the academy when Zhishi came back.

At this time, Yan Songtao was like this, he was naturally unconvinced, his tone became cold, and he retorted: "Am I not right? Do you have to wait for that kid to grow into a character and become the great enemy of our Yan family before finding a way to deal with him? ”

Yan Songtao stared at Yan Xu for a long time, and then sneered: "It's true that we don't deal with each other's family, but when did you see us reaching out to each other's house, killing other people's heirs, making people's backhouses uneasy and restless?" ”

Yan Xu opened his mouth and wanted to give an example, but after thinking about it, he was speechless.

Not yet.

"Our two families, whether in the court or in this small Lishui County, are not looking up and looking down. Although there are political disagreements and grievances, sometimes it is possible to unite and work together for the sake of common interests; When it comes to the critical juncture of destroying the family, maybe they will also reach out to the other party to help. So even if we have some family grievances, we have been making trouble for so many years, and we will never attack each other's people or the back house, and easily take people's lives. ”

He glanced at Yan Xu deeply: "Be a man and leave a line, and we will see each other in the future." Don't do things absolutely. You have to remember these two sentences. ”

"And ......" Without waiting for Yan Xu to speak, he added, "The reason why I came back to my hometown is not only for some reasons in the court, but also to guard the rear. I have the right to decide who and what happens here. You are in charge of the general affairs, and I have acquiesced in it. However, I don't think it's right for you to stay at home now, so you should go to Beijing and go to your father's side to open your eyes and understand the things in the court. ”

Originally, Yan Xu broke out in a cold sweat when he heard the words in front of him, but when he heard this, he became more and more frightened.

Naturally, he was willing to follow his father's side, accept his teachings, and obtain more political resources. Helplessly, he has a very methodical mother-in-law, and he looks at their mother and son in every possible way. At the beginning, their father left them in their hometown to save the lives of their mother and son. After so many years, the two elder brothers are very promising, and the eldest brother has reached the fourth grade, and he can enter another one when he sees it. And the father is getting older day by day, and the mother-in-law's methods are naturally more unscrupulous. Even if it was unlikely that she would take his life again, he didn't want to go to Beijing to be treated like a thorn in the flesh.

He hurriedly smiled with a shy face: "Third uncle, I will definitely listen to your teachings in the future, so about Du Jinning, I am not asking you for advice?" You can do whatever you say, and I will listen to you. The fourth brother and the sixth brother are not by your old side, you treat me as your son, and I also treat you as a father, can't you listen to your teaching? My dad is busy all day, where does he have time to teach me? ”

Yan Songtao softened his expression, but still shook his head firmly: "Brother Xu, it's not that the third uncle refuses to teach you, he must force you to go." The third uncle did this to let you go further. The third uncle is old, how many years can he manage the affairs of the family? Several of your brothers are outside as officials, and it is impossible for them to come back to take care of the affairs of the clan, and these things have to be left to you. It's just that you have stayed in the county since you were a child, and such a small place has seriously limited your vision and mind. You should go out, take a look, and understand the power struggle in Beijing, so as to better help our Yan family guard the rear. ”

Yan Xu's heart was shocked when he said this. He looked at Yan Songtao's old face and was speechless for a long time.

Yan Songtao knew that this nephew was suspicious, so he didn't force it, but said, "You go back and think about it yourself." To go or not to go, the choice is yours. If you want to go, I will write to your father and ask him to settle you well. ”

"Let my nephew think about it for a few days." Yan Xu said goodbye and left.

He didn't know if Yan Songtao said this, whether it was really for his good, or if he wanted to kick him out, so that other more obedient people could take his place and take care of the affairs of the clan. He'd have to go back and look around and think about it.

Watching Yan Xu leave, Yan Songtao smiled, turned his head and instructed his housekeeper: "You go and discuss with the Liang family to see if they are willing to learn to make tea together." If you are willing, tomorrow we will send the tea master to the Du family tea garden and learn to make tea with Du Yuan. ”

On the Liang family's side, Liang Xiankuan was originally because of his father's sudden incident, and he was busy with scientific research and couldn't find time to clean up those people. In the past few days, he followed Du Jinning and them to visit around to thank his teacher, but also used some thunderous means to clean up some people. In particular, the two people who stumbled him on the eve of the county test were frightened by the evidence he showed to collude with outsiders to mutilate the clansmen; When he showed a few more pieces of evidence and witnesses, the rest of the people were silent and immediately became honest.

Therefore, Liang Xiankuan can still call the shots about the Liang family's tea garden. He has a good relationship with Du Jinning, and he is naturally happy to see the Yan family's goodwill towards Du Jinning.

At this time, it will only be more than a month to leave the house for the test, if they occupy a few days, the Yan family occupies a few days, and the Du family makes tea and Du Jinning has to take care of it for a few days, then there are not many days left to read.

Although he and Du Jinning were still competitors during the government test, they still hoped to win by their own abilities, rather than by playing tricks. Besides, the government test is not about competing for the length of this one-third of an acre, it is about competing with students from other counties. Whether it is him or Du Jinning taking the first place, it is the glory of Lishui County. He didn't want him to compete with Du Jinning's sandpiper and mussels, so that fishermen in other counties would benefit.

After receiving the reply from the Liang family and the Yan family, Du Jinning was naturally very happy. She didn't miss the study time of those days, but the time waited for no one. After a few days of delay in the Liang family and the Yan family, the young leaves of her family's tea garden will all be elders, so naturally the sooner the matter of those two families is resolved, the better.

It couldn't be better now.

Early the next morning, Du Jinning and Chen and his two sisters got on the mule cart they hired yesterday, went to the city to pick up Du Fangfei, and then went to the tea garden outside the city together.

Chen pulled Du Fangfei to ask about her daily life, and then asked her: "I asked you to come to the tea garden to make tea, your mother-in-law didn't say anything, right?" ”

Du Fangfei shook his head: "No." ”

"What about yourself? We didn't call you mother-in-law, do you have any ideas? Chan asked again.

Du Fangfei looked at her mother with wide eyes, and was a little puzzled by her question: "Our own affairs, naturally, we do it ourselves." Isn't it right not to call her? What can I think? ”

"You can think so." Seeing that her daughter was not confused, Chen nodded with satisfaction, "Some women, as soon as they get married, they put their in-laws' family first, and feel that it is her closest family; And her mother's family is already a foreign family. ”

Although Du Fangfei didn't treat her mother's family as a foreigner, she was still a little blushing when Chen said this.

She said embarrassedly, "I don't have one." ”

Chen nodded at her and said, "Your younger brother, you have worked hard to make some money, and you don't buy a house or a field, but you have bought such a rich dowry. Now that I finally came up with a secret recipe for making tea, I haven't forgotten you, you can't have no conscience, treat him as an outsider, and treat the Xu family more seriously than him. His secret recipe for making tea, you go and tell your husband and mother-in-law in a blink of an eye, if you have no conscience like this, don't blame me for not recognizing your daughter in the future. ”

"Mother, how could I do that? I'm not confused. Du Fangfei hurriedly wanted to swear.

Chen interrupted her and said, "I'm also a woman, can I still know?" After many women get married, their husbands and children are the most important things in their lives. What are the rest? ”

Du Fangfei was said by her mother to be both frightened and uneasy, and there was a trace of wrongdoing.

She really didn't think Xu Chengyuan was heavier than Du Jinning.

However, Xu Chengyuan's weight in her heart is getting heavier and heavier. In the future, when she has a child, she can't guarantee that Du Jinning will still be the first in her heart.

"I say this, not to make you stay away from your husband and mother-in-law in your heart, but to tell you that a woman must always leave a way out for herself, and this way out is, first, your own ability and capital; Second, it is also the support of my mother's family. ”