There were seven or eight male and female servants standing in front of the gate, and Shui Yan pointed to a few people and introduced: "I made my own decision, and I bought a few rough servants for a few first, and after a while, I can have a support." Li Zongliang and the others hurriedly thanked him, and the servants knelt down to salute and led everyone into the courtyard.

Like all the courtyards in Beiping, this courtyard is very spacious, but very simple, facing the pink and white shadow wall, turning the shadow wall, the yard is covered with green bricks, there are several thick ginkgo trees against the wall, there are two densely packed ginkgo fruits, and there are some yellow rotten small fan-like ginkgo biloba leaves and ginkgo nuts on the green brick ground.

Shui Yan carefully looked at the expressions of Li Xiaoqi and Li Zongliang and others, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and waved a folding fan and introduced: "This courtyard was originally a military attaché's house, originally planned to be used for the elderly in Kaiping Mansion, lived in a place where there was no horse for more than half a year, and was not used to it, and moved back to the countryside, and the house was entrusted to the broker. ”

"The Fan family has a large population! Li Erhuai answered the phone first, Wei Shuisheng pushed him and blocked his words: "His family has a lot ••••••of people, but compared with our family, it is less, you hurry to the side door, watch the people unload the luggage, pile the luggage together, and then move to the house when everyone has a place to live." Li Erhuai still wanted to speak, and Li Zongliang also instructed: "Shui Sheng is right, you hurry over and take a look, and the Fan family's luggage, pull it directly to the next house, so as not to move around again." Li Erhuai happily agreed, and followed a middle-aged servant to the side door.

Shui Yan shook the folding fan, watched Li Erhuai turn the moon gate, and arched his hand at Li Xiaoqi and Li Zongliang and others: "I won't disturb your resettlement and rest, if there is anything, just send someone to Jingjiang Houfu to find me, tomorrow everyone will rest for a day, and I will come over early the day after tomorrow, accompany a few people to Zhuangzi to have a look, and a few things about the placement in the army, don't worry, just settle down slowly." ”

Li Zongliang hurriedly thanked him politely, led everyone to send Shui Yan out of the courtyard gate, and watched him get on the horse and walk away before turning back to the courtyard. Mrs. Fan gently pulled Mr. Fan's sleeve, Mr. Fan patted her hand, and said gently: "Let's take a look, it's not too late to go back to our side when we see it." Li Xiaoqi turned her head to look at Mrs. Fan, took half a step back, took her arm, and said with a smile: "Sister, don't just care about your own one-third of an acre of land, first settle this place, you don't care who cares?" Mrs. Fan glanced at Li Xiaoqi with disgust, and followed everyone into the moon gate generously.

A few people followed the guidance of a few mothers-in-law while walking and seeing, behind the moon gate, is a very spacious courtyard, five main houses sit north and face south, two wings on the left and right, arranged a bit like a martial arts training ground, this was originally the military attaché's house, but it is normal, this is the main courtyard, there is a moon hole door on the left and right of the five main houses leading to the back, behind is a sparse flowers and plants, at a glance is a small garden that is neglected, through the garden, through a hanging flower gate, even if it is into the inner courtyard, from the hanging flower door, A winding verandah is connected to a large three-entry courtyard, and the mother-in-law pointed to the courtyard and introduced: "This courtyard is the largest in the courtyard, because it is located in the east, it was originally called the East Courtyard." ”

A few people went into the courtyard and turned around, and continued along the verandah, not far from the west behind the east courtyard, it was the lotus garden, close to the lotus garden, it was the humble courtyard, behind the east courtyard, it was the hundred grass hall, and then later, it entered the garden, the garden was not small, there were a few pavilions and pavilions, close to the front yard, more than a dozen small houses formed a courtyard, a few people entered the courtyard, turned around before and after, Li Xiaoqi announced with satisfaction: "It's good here, I want it here!" Is there a name for this place? Li Xiaoqi turned her head and asked her mother-in-law, and her mother-in-law hurriedly replied: "Back to the girl, this place was originally used for studying, and it has a name, called Jingxinzhai." ”

"Meditation? It's not good, change it, it's called a half-acre garden, look at this yard, it's only half an acre in size. Mr. Fan read it a few times, and agreed with a smile: "It's a big coincidence, this name is interesting, and it sounds better than Jingxinzhai." ”

Li Xiaoqi first decided on the residence, Li Zongliang and others discussed, and decided on everyone's residence in a few words, Li Zongliang occupied the east courtyard, Wei Shuisheng chose the lotus root courtyard, Li Zonggui asked for the Baicaotang, and the rest of the humble courtyard was given to Li Erhuai, Li Xiaoqi couldn't support his laughter, this humble courtyard with Brother Erhuai, who is really living where does it live.

A few mothers-in-law got the master's residence, busily went to the side door to pass the message, took people to carry things, and packed up things, which was too many things to be busy.

A few people came out, and went to the courtyard of the Fan family next door to take a look, this house is a lot smaller, a five-entry yard, a very small garden behind, Mr. Fan lived in the main courtyard, Mrs. Fan let Yan Er's aunt and Yueting's mother and daughter pick a place to live first, and they chose a yard close to their father to live, Yan Er's aunt and Yueting took someone to clean up their things, Fan Da Niang was held by Li Xiaomi, and returned to Li's house, Li Zongliang and Wei Shuisheng and others were busy moving things and cleaning up everywhere, Fan Da Niang and Li Xiaoqi followed their mother-in-law to see the kitchen and other places.

Mrs. Fan took care of the family affairs such as the servants, the mother-in-law, Li Zonggui and Li Erhuai took people to buy grain, oil, salt, vegetables and meat, Li Xiaoqi followed behind Li Zongliang and Wei Shuisheng, and with them, the people who were going to return to the fields and farmers gathered together, and the luggage and items did not have to be disassembled, and they would leave for Zhuangzi tomorrow to have a look, and those who were willing to continue to follow their brothers and sisters were placed in the guest rooms and the generals' residences, dozens of people, who were busy until the evening, and only settled down a little.

The next day was another busy day, Mrs. Fan came over early in the morning, like a housewife to deal with all the things in the house, Li Xiaoqi slept until after the sun, and the three poles on the day were still lazy lying on the bed and were unwilling to get up, her half-acre garden was more comfortable and clean than any place to clean up, she had many girls, and Mrs. Fan was close to her everywhere.

Wisteria waited for Li Xiaoqi to change his clothes, and suggested with a smile: "Fifth Master, our place is far from the front, and even farther away from the big kitchen, if the fifth master wants a hot soup and hot water in winter, it is inconvenient, I think our back garden is very spacious, or let's set up a small kitchen in the back?" You don't need to add people, just begonia, what about the fifth master? ”

Li Xiaoqi tilted his head and stared at the wisteria for a long time, and suddenly ordered: "From today on, this half-acre garden will be managed by you, and it has nothing to do with the outside. ”

Wisteria was dumbfounded for a moment, looked up at Danyue as if asking for help, Danyue shook her head lightly in embarrassment, and motioned to Wisteria not to say more, Wisteria bit her lip and was silent for a moment, but couldn't help it, and said in a low voice: "Fifth Master, there are so many people in this small kitchen to eat, at least two or three mothers-in-law are needed, and there are few people to wash the pulp, and there are few ••••••."

Li Xiaoqi looked back at the wisteria, turned his gaze to Danyue and the others, and let out a long sigh after a while: "In this house, there are a total of five mothers-in-law, and it's not enough to give us this yard, isn't it?" Wisteria opened his mouth, saw that Li Xiaoyi's face was gentle as usual, thought about it, and simply continued: "Fifth master, our house is thrifty, this kitchen, tea room, tents, needlework, pulp washing, flowers and plants, envoys, etc., there must be talents." Li Xiaoqi looked at Wisteria speechlessly, although she was a slave, she was the son of the royal family, this bearing and knowledge, alas! Her thrift is so different from her own thrift that Li Xiaoqi rested her elbows on the dresser, looked at the wisteria with her cheeks, and didn't know what to say for a while.

Danyue looked at the wisteria, looked at Li Xiaoqi carefully, took half a step forward, pulled the wisteria, and said in a low voice: "We follow the fifth master, we have to follow the rules of the fifth master, look at you, what are you talking about!" ”

"She's not wrong, you're even more right." Li Xiaoqi sighed: "Otherwise, I'll return you back, I really can't afford to raise you." ”

"The fifth master forgives sins!" Danyue pulled Wisteria to kneel on the ground, kowtowing again and again: "The slave is wrong••••••

Li Xiaoqi hurriedly stepped forward and pulled up the two: "I didn't say you were wrong, get up and talk, kowtow!" The light moon and wisteria took advantage of the situation, Li Xiaoqi thought about it, and simply said: "I really can't afford it, you dozen people, you have to pay more than ten or twenty taels of silver for a month, in addition to this, there is also daily use, as well as kitchen, pulp washing, needlework and thread or something, I calculate that a hundred and ten taels of silver a month is not enough, just like that, I have wronged you, I don't have so much silver, and I can't use so many people••••••" Li Xiaoqi was halfway through his words, as if he remembered something, he hung his head for a moment, and suddenly changed his mind, waved his hand and said: "Forget it, so be it, this courtyard is still the head of wisteria, the first will be done, you just take care of yourself, let's do it first." After Li Xiaoqi finished speaking with some irritation, he simply got up and went out of the door and went to the front yard.

Li Xiaoqi first went to find Mrs. Fan, and said that there was a small kitchen in the half-acre garden, and then went to the east courtyard to find Li Zongliang, and as soon as he arrived at the courtyard gate, he heard bursts of laughter inside, and Li Zonggui laughed the loudest. Li Xiaoqi hurriedly took a few steps into the main house, Li Zongliang sat on the armchair with a smile on his face, saw Li Xiaoqi come in, and hurriedly beckoned her to sit over, Wei Shuisheng stood up with a smile and poured a cup of tea for Li Xiaoqi, Li Erhuai and Li Zonggui hugged their stomachs and fell on the couch laughing, Lu Feng stared at the two of them angrily, and when he saw Li Xiaoqi coming in, he jumped up all of a sudden, pointed at Li Xiaoqi and shouted: "How unreasonable!" Punish me with one! ”

Li Xiaoqi understood as soon as he heard it, took the cup handed by Wei Shuisheng, sat down beside Li Zongliang for a long time, looked at Lu Feng and asked: "That's, you have to jump into that river, tell me about you, a dignified master of the inner door of the Qing Gate, you jumped a three-inch-wide river and fell into the river, who will you punish if you don't punish you?" What a shame! Lu Feng returned to the couch as softly as a deflated ball, and Li Xiaoqi turned his eyes to look at Li Zonggui and asked: "How was it punished?" ”

"The prince punished him for washing everyone's horses." Li Zonggui fanned the wind with his hand, as if looking at Lu Feng with disgust, and replied, Lu Feng wailed: "I have been washing for two days!" Don't let me out of the stable until I'm done! Li Xiaoqi hurriedly jumped up, walked a few steps in front of Lu Feng, frowned and sniffed, and exclaimed, "No wonder the house stinks!" ”

"I've washed them twice!" Lu Feng hurriedly raised his sleeves under his nose and sniffed hard, and Li Zonggui also shouted: "It really stinks!" How can you wash it twice, and then wash it ten times or eight times! Lu Feng sniffed his fingers vigorously and looked at the two of them suspiciously, Wei Shuisheng stepped forward and patted him: "There is no smell, don't listen to the two of them." Lu Feng breathed a sigh of relief, ignored Li Xiaoyi, who couldn't support the smile, and turned his head to look at Li Zongliang: "I also live here, your son's yard is good, I will live there." ”

Li Zongliang smiled and nodded in response, Li Xiaoyi's heart moved slightly, looked at Lu Feng and asked, "Does the Lu family have a house in this Kaiping Mansion?" ”

"There's a place I don't want to go, what's the point of living alone? We're just going to be in one place. Lu Feng replied casually.