At the time of the dinner, Lingwu went to the backyard accompanied by Zhang Linghai and Zhang Lingyuan, and Zhang Rulong and his wife lived in Huaxi Garden. Entering a circular arch inscribed with the name of the garden written by the master Zhang Yuzhang, you will come to the Huaxi Garden, which everyone knows in Gangneung Mansion. A small river flows through the park, the stream is only seven or eight meters wide, and the water is crystal clear. What's even more rare is that in the center of the park, the river surface is widened to form a natural lake, shaped like a gourd, with an area of about three acres. The creek is lined with green trees, flowers and trees, mountains and rocks are ingenious, and winding paths are secluded.

On the shore of the north of the lake, there is a row of houses with gray walls and blue tiles, small and exquisite, carved beams and painted buildings, which blend in with the surrounding scenery. This is where Zhang Rulong and his wife live, and there are about seven or eight houses. There is a row of side rooms on each side, all of which are functional rooms such as kitchens and close servants' housing.

The dinner was arranged in the hall in the middle of the main room, with the double doors open, and the two cousins and the slave girls greeted them at the door. Seeing Lingwu coming, a manservant shouted a roll call: "The master has arrived." ”

The two cousins-in-law had already come down the steps to salute, Lingwu took the hands of the two cousins-in-law and said affectionately: "The two sisters-in-law have worked hard, you took care of me when I was a child, and now I have to trouble you again." ”

"Look at your politeness, let's do some housework, where to talk about hard work. Lingwu nephew can come here, we can't be happy yet, if we can take care of your life a little, it is the glory of our people. A few years ago in the Master's Mansion, the boss specially told us to take care of your life. It's just that we are stupid and slow and don't do a good job. Don't laugh, nephew. ”

As he was talking, the eldest aunt had already walked out and beckoned Lingwu: "Come in, it's cold outside." Linghai, you are such a big person, and you still don't know anything, how can there be a reason to let guests stand by the door. While scolding his son, he took Lingwu's hand and entered the door. The two cousins said with a smile while acknowledging the guilt: "Mother is really partial, she doesn't want to see her son when she sees her nephew." ”

"Just your poor mouth, you two are not angry. You have even one-tenth of the ability and diligence of Lingwu, and your father and I are also happy. Just know that your father and I are going to make you angry to death. Speaking of Zhang Rulong, my aunt couldn't help but cry again, and the two cousins didn't dare to speak anymore. The eldest cousin Lingxin was the most clever, and hurriedly helped her mother and said, "Mother, you see that our family invited Brother Lingwu to dinner for the first time today, and your old man was so happy." ”

"Okay, it's fine. Lingwu, you see that the eldest aunt patronized herself to teach her son, and the courtesy of coming to entertain guests is gone. Please sit down, I haven't seen you in years. We ate and talked. ”

Five round tables were placed in the entire hall, and the eldest aunt pulled Lingwu to sit on the main seat. Lingwu refused, and resolutely let the eldest aunt sit on the main seat, and sat down next to her. The two brothers, Zhang Linghai and Zhang Lingyuan, sat down on both sides of the old lady and Lingwu in turn, and the three cousins sat opposite Lingwu and bowed down. Everyone else sat in their seats, each with a maid waiting behind them.

Lingwu looked around the entire hall, and the other four tables were roughly seated by families, distributed in the four corners of the hall. I heard my aunt stand up and speak: "Our family is gathered here today, mixed with joy and sorrow. The sad thing is that the four men of our Zhang family sacrificed their lives for the country, and today they are home, they are the heroes of my family and the heroes of the country. Everyone fills the bar, and our family pays tribute to our deceased relatives and wishes them happiness and health in the heavenly spirits! ”

Everyone stood up and raised their glasses. The eldest aunt came to the middle of the hall with a cup in both hands, and whispered: "Rulong, children, you are going home today." You are the heroes of the country, I don't cry, I am proud of you. I toast you, rest in peace, don't worry about us, Lingwu is coming to Jiangling, he will take care of our family. Don't worry, and enjoy the blessings in heaven! Rulong, you usually like to drink a few glasses, I will pour you wine every day in the future! With that, she lifted the wine above her head and slowly poured it into the ashes on the incense table. Everyone in the hall burst into tears and wept in low voices.

Lingwu stepped forward the second, he knelt down in front of the incense case, raised the wine glass in his hand, and said affectionately: "Grandfather, uncle, three cousins-in-law, I left home from Fumian." You took care of me and taught me in every way, especially my grandfather and uncle who worried about me every day. Even though the three brothers-in-law had only met once before the expedition, they were extremely affectionate to me. Lingwu remembers your kindness in this life, I will take care of everyone in the family, you can rest assured. The Zhang family is still prosperous, and the Hou Kingdom will be peaceful and prosperous, and Lingwu will not let you down. With that, he slowly poured the wine in his hand into the incense ashes.

Then the Zhang brothers stepped forward to toast one by one, and the atmosphere was very low and sad, and several young people cried loudly. Lingwu's mood was very heavy, and he couldn't stop crying. Thinking of the heroism of my uncle's life, the family actually fell into this step, if I hadn't come to Gangneung by myself, I don't know how miserable it would be. I couldn't help but look around at everyone, looking at them one by one, thinking that I must take care of my uncle's family. I didn't care about it, but I found that a woman standing next to the table on the left was very special. Wearing a plain shirt, tall, about ten years old, although crying with tears in his eyes, it has another charm. The special place is not that it is beautiful, the key is that Lingwu's spiritual sense can't help but move, and it is obvious that Lingwu feels that this female soul is much stronger than ordinary people. Who is this? He couldn't help but care about this person. But the woman didn't step forward, and Lingwu didn't want to ask others at this time, so he had to suppress the curiosity in his heart and wait for the opportunity to ask again.

After the toast, everyone returned to their seats, and Lingwu saw that the woman was just standing at the table and was not seated, and Lingwu understood that she was just a slave girl. He was thinking about it, but he heard his eldest aunt say, "Lingwu's nephew is different from others, he is not only our relative, but also the only disciple of my father. Our Zhang family is connected with flesh and blood, hand in hand. Now he is not only the master of Gangneung Mansion, but also the master of the Master Mansion. Everyone in our family must respect Him and listen to His commands. Now let's toast him with a glass of wine and wash away the dust for Lingwu. ”

Everyone stood up under the leadership of their aunt, and Lingwu also hurriedly stood up, and even said: "Don't dare to be, don't dare to be, thank you for your kindness." After everyone waited for Lingwu to drink it all, they drank the wine in their cups before sitting down. The servant next to him was already filling up the wine, and Lingwu found that the woman had also stepped forward to fill the wine for a woman.

Lingwu picked up the wine jug with his own hands, stood up and poured a full wine glass for his uncle, and said respectfully: "Uncle, there are thousands of mountains and rivers here, and I can't see my mother." Here you are my mother, I toast you with a glass of wine, and you will treat me as your own son! ”

The eldest aunt had tears in her eyes, and she couldn't say that she was alive, but she nodded her head vigorously twice, drank the wine in one sip, put down the wine glass and hugged Lingwu in her arms, and it took a long time to separate. Lingwu toasted several times his cousin and cousin, and everyone was moved by Lingwu's enthusiasm and sincerity, and raised their glasses again and again.

Zhang Linghai hurriedly said: "Mother, we are really useless, you see that our cousin was originally a guest, but we toasted us first, we are really rude." ”

Zhang Lingyuan also nodded again and again, and said, "That's not good, cousin Lingwu, we have to toast you, otherwise my mother will scold us again." ”

"Look at your politeness, you don't look like a family anymore. Cousin, you should not be busy toasting first, I want to go around the other four tables, some of which I don't know yet, you have to help me introduce them! In the future, when I see them, I can't scream, so that outsiders won't laugh to death. I can't bother my aunt either, so you're the best fit, how about it? ”

"What my cousin said is" Zhang Linghai and the two brothers stood up: "You are still thoughtful, I think it is better to let them come over and toast you one by one, how about I introduce it?" ”

"No, I'll go over, the two cousins want to be lazy?" Lingwu said with a smile.

"Don't dare, don't dare, it's just that you, Master Laojia, it's not appropriate" Lingwu didn't listen to them, he stood up and walked over to the table on the left, and the two brothers hurriedly followed.

At the table on the left were the ladies of the two cousins' families, and when they saw Lingwu coming, they curtsied and saluted respectively. Zhang Linghai introduced: "This table is the daughter of me and your second cousin, let me introduce you one by one." Lingwu toasted with them one by one, and the last one was a girl about seventeen or eighteen years old, who looked delicate and dignified, and spoke very gently. When it was his turn to drink, there was no wine in Lingwu's cup, and Xia Yu stepped forward to add wine, but Lingwu blocked it with his body. Lingwu pointed to the maid behind her and said, "This is Xianyue's niece's personal maid?" ”

Zhang Xianyue didn't expect Lingwu to ask this, and hurriedly saluted and replied: "Exactly." ”

"Why do I think she looks so much like you?"

"This, don't hide it from my cousin, although she and I are master and servants, we can also be regarded as sisters" Zhang Xianyue was a little embarrassed. At this time, Zhang Lingyuan interjected: "Cousin smiled, this is called Xiulian, I was born to a maid in a moment of confusion, so it is very similar to my daughter Xianyue, so I will let her follow Xianyue." ”

Ling Wu couldn't help but have a thought in his heart, he usually felt that Xia Yu was a little similar to himself, right?

"Oh, that's right. It's my niece, can you pour me a drink? Lingwu took the initiative to pass the cup.

"My lord, it is the blessing of a slave to pour wine for an adult, and the others dare not be it" Xiulian poured it for Lingwu steadily, and her words were very decent.

Lingwu gave Xianyue a glass and asked, "Just now, the other sisters all promised others, where is the husband of the fairy moon girl?" ”

When Xianyue heard this, her face immediately turned red, and the old lady next to her said loudly: "Lingwu, your niece has high eyes, and she really hasn't found a good family yet." You know a lot of people, so let's introduce a suitable one. ”

"My aunt laughed, I haven't settled down yet, where do I have that ability." Where had Lingwu seen this, and he blushed all of a sudden.

"Mother, look at it, you are still looking at the introduction of the Lingwu Gang, and Lingwu is looking for something for you. Just now Lingwu also said that you are his own mother here, and now Lingwu does not have a wife, how are you a mother? Why do you want Lingwu to help you find your grandson-in-law? Zhang Linghai's wife has a quick mouth.

"What the eldest daughter-in-law said is reasonable, it's mine, it's not me. Lingwu is sixteen or seventeen years old, and there is no one to take care of life, which is a dereliction of duty for me as an uncle. But you said that the condition of Lingwu is only worthy of the fairies in the sky, where can I find it? The old lady had been a little sad today, and only then laughed out loud.

Lingwu was embarrassed, so he had to defend: "Where is my aunt, how can I be as good as you say." They usually take care of Xia Yu in their lives, and their aunt doesn't have to worry. ”

"Look at what you said, this is different, Xia Yu will take care of your food and clothing, I am relieved. If you want to say anything else, Miss Xia Yu, don't be angry, I see that your appearance is also somewhat similar to Lingwu, if you guess well, I'm afraid it's similar to this Xiulian. It's not that I'm an aunt, no matter how good you take care of Lingwu, I'm afraid that you won't be able to take care of some things. Don't you say? ”

Xia Yu is close to thirty people, and he is good with He Jian, he doesn't know anything, so he made a big red face in public, and only replied: "What the old lady said is reasonable, the master and the lady are far away, and the old lady has to take care of the master's affairs." ”

"Miss Xia Yu is really good at talking, my aunt is definitely going to take care of this. You brothers and sisters can't just take care of yourself, you have to pay attention to Lingwu, and arrange more people to take care of his daily life. I see that Xianyue is careful, gentle and considerate, and I usually help Miss Xia Yu do more things. ”

Everyone looked at Zhang Xianyue with a smile, making her look down and only dare to look underground. But he didn't want Lingwu to open his mouth and said, "Then it's troublesome for the two sisters Xianyue and Xiulian." ”

Everyone's laughter was even more meaningful, and the embarrassed Zhang Xianyue didn't dare to answer, only Xiulian replied: "Don't call it that, adult, kill the slave maid." ”

The old lady had seen the world, and when she saw a clue, she spoke: "Xiulian, it is your blessing that the master likes you two." In this way, you will be by the side of Da Lingwu from today onwards. Xianyue, you usually go over to help. Lingwu didn't refuse, even if the matter was settled, a female slave was nothing at all.