Cao Hongshou also frowned and thought about this question.

He gave Du Jinning a cold reception, firstly, to give his brother-in-law a bad breath, and secondly, to anger Du Jinning's arrogance. Third, he felt that Du Jinning was demoted to Runzhou after staying in the Hanlin Academy for a short period of time, and he must have hated the emperor. If he doesn't step on such a person, the emperor may be unhappy. And when he stepped on a champion, he was also very dark in his heart.

But what officialdom pays attention to is one thing in front of you and one thing behind your back. Therefore, he didn't want to face Du Jinning head-on, so he simply played such a play. When Du Jinning went to his house with the gift and bowed his head, he went back and forth two or three times, and then he knocked and knocked, and the young man was naturally subdued by him.

In the future, he said that the east is the east, and the west is the west, even if Du Jinning was admitted to the champion at a young age and stayed in the Hanlin Academy, he had to be a docile little rabbit in front of him.

This is the way of the Emperor.

But I don't want to, this guy doesn't know because he is too arrogant and unwilling to bow his head; There is still no one around to guide me, I don't understand his hard work, I don't go to his house, but I come to the yamen every day in a daze.

If it goes on like this, he won't be able to bear it.

"Tomorrow I will go to the yamen on time to order the mao, and we can't let him catch us." Cao Hongshou said, "When the time comes, I will still give him a cold face, but you can send someone to remind him." ”

Wang Yugui nodded.

As long as he is on time tomorrow, he will have no opinion.

Ma Jian sat there expressionlessly, not participating in their conversation.

……

Du Jinning didn't know this, she took a carriage with Wang Laohan and others and went directly to Zhuangzi.

This place in Runzhou was originally an alluvial plain, with flat terrain, fertile soil, dense rivers and convenient irrigation, and it is a famous land of fish and rice.

When Du Jinning led Wang Laohan to Zhuangzi, Yao Shuqi was organizing Zhuangzi's people to irrigate the fields.

These fields have become hard and compacted after the original cultivation and a winter of desolation, and they need to be moistened with water so that they are not too hard when ploughed.

Seeing Du Jinning coming, Yao Shuqi hurriedly came up to report: "Everyone went to the field to irrigate busily, and they were quite obedient and had no thorns." ”

Saying that, he smiled again: "Originally, a few people had opinions and felt that there was no need to irrigate the fields now, but as soon as I mentioned the contract, they shut up and didn't dare to complain anymore." ”

However, it was written in the contract that if you did not obey the orders of the owner and acted without authorization, not only would you not receive a subsidy when the grain harvest failed in the autumn, but you would also have to compensate for the loss of one stone of rent per mu of land. No one has the audacity to break the contract. That's all money.

Du Jinning saw Yao Shuqi's beard unshaven, and his eyes were bloodshot, thinking that he hadn't slept well last night, he couldn't help frowning.

Yao Shuqi was originally a scholar, but later when he couldn't read, he helped people in the city with business, and never farmed. Now it seems inappropriate to let him be in charge of a group of farmers and direct them on how to farm.

She said, "You asked someone to call Song Zhuangtou." ”

After a while, Song Zhuangtou came over. He had just thought he had gone to irrigate, and there was muddy water on the trousers he had pulled up.

"Song Zhuangtou, I will give you a monthly sum of six taels of silver per month, you help me manage the people in Zhuangzi well, and what orders do you have to supervise their execution. Let the fields of your name not be cultivated. Du Jinning said.

Song Zhuangtou was stunned for a moment, and then his face showed surprise, but then, he was a little embarrassed.

"Is there any difficulty?" Du Jinning asked.

"In this case, I am afraid that the people in Zhuangzi will think that I have defected to the owner, and no, they are not willing to listen to me again." Song Zhuangtou stammered.

Du Jinning nodded secretly with satisfaction.

Six taels of silver a month is a huge income for the farmers who are digging in the field. If you change to a profit-hungry person, you must agree to come down without saying a word.

But Song Zhuangtou still thought about the Venerable Zhuangzi's trust in him, and at the same time he was unwilling to fool her, which showed that he still had a very good conscience.

"You see if this will work, I have three boys in my family, the youngest is sixteen this year, and he can do heavy work. I don't give back the land I used to share, I let them do more, and I can do a favor once in a while. In this way, everyone doesn't know that I help the owner, and there is no resistance to me, and I can mediate and persuade me if there is anything. ”

Worried that Du Jinning thought he was greedy, he wanted to make money here, and he refused to let go there, Song Zhuangtou finished speaking, and hurriedly explained: "Don't worry, even if I let the crops in the field grow badly, I won't miss your work here." If you don't do a good job, you can immediately withdraw from my errand and replace it with someone else. ”

Being able to do this, Du Jinning was naturally more satisfied. The people on Zhuangzi didn't know that Song Zhuangtou had become a person on her side, so it would be more effective to talk and it would be much easier to manage.

She smiled: "You have a good idea, just do what you say." I don't need to tell the people in Zhuangzi about the news that you are helping me. If your family is not tight-lipped, you can hide it from them. ”

"Yes, I won't tell them. The woman in the house has a broken mouth, and it is easy to leak her mouth. "Song Zhuang is thorough at the first point.

Although he believes in his son, his son is close to his daughter-in-law, and his daughter-in-law is close to her mother's family, and she loves to gossip and can't keep her mouth shut. One to ten, ten to hundred, where is there a secret to speak of? Therefore, he didn't plan to say anything about his son and wife.

Yao Shuqi listened to Du Jinning's arrangement and was full of gratitude.

Du Jinning's next task is farming, and as a housekeeper, he should naturally take care of all affairs in the Zhuangzi. But he was an outsider, and he was also the butler of the Du family, and he was born to stand on the opposite side of the Zhuangzi master, and he was not easy to speak. Although everyone will not do anything with him, there is also something to do about his words as a deaf ear, and he is helpless.

Song Zhuangtou helped to manage it, what did he only need to instruct Song Zhuangtou, and Song Zhuangtou would naturally arrange for the people on Zhuangzi to execute.

"There are now thirteen oxen available for ploughing on the Zhuangzi, you look at the situation of each household, divide the cattle equally, and plough the fields according to the requirements of Father Wang." Du Jinning pointed at Wang Laohan.

"Yes, host." Song Zhuangtou immediately took office, and greeted Wang Laohan again.

"Daddy Wang, you also explain the matter of fertilizer and how to apply base fertilizer to Song Zhuangtou." Du Jinning advised again.

"Okay, young master."

Seeing that the three of them were talking about it, Du Jinning stood up, took Yao Shuqi out, walked around the field, and went to the grove to think about how to build a garden.

The busy time passed quickly, and he returned to the city in the evening, and on the second day, Du Jinning went to the yamen on time.

This time, the official guarding the door told Du Jinning very kindly: "Lord Cao, they didn't go out today. ”

"Thank you." Du Jinning thanked him lightly and was about to go inside.

"Hey, Lord Du." The official stopped her and whispered mysteriously, "You have been here a few times, Master Cao is not here, and the history of the workshop is still angry with you, I really can't stand it." That, I'll have one more mouth, what about you, you're a lower official, and you're a newcomer, so you have to lower your body a little. After a while, you will first give Master Cao a smile and say a few good words; After getting off the Ya, you bring a bag of snacks and go to Master Cao's house to sit down. Stretch out your hand and don't hit the smiling person, no matter how much Lord Cao doesn't treat you coldly, right? Hehe, I'm purely talkative, if you don't say it well, don't be surprised. ”

As he spoke, he arched his hand, looked at Du Jinning with a smile, and glanced at the purse on Du Jinning's waist. The meaning couldn't be clearer: I kindly reminded you, but you don't mean it, thank you for my suggestion?