Fan Tiezhou didn't go home until late at night, and there were many injuries and illnesses during the New Year, and he was exhausted every day.

Zhang Sanniang took off her husband's coat and asked with concern, "Are you going to the doctor again today?" ”

Fan Tiezhou nodded, "Hengtang Township's father accidentally broke his leg at noon, I went to give him a bone, he is old, and he is very tired to treat his injuries." ”

"Then did you go to see the third brother-in-law by the way?" Zhang Sanniang asked again.

"I wanted to go, but I didn't go too late, hey! Lu Yuanwai estimated that he wouldn't be able to stay up for long. ”

When Fan Tieniu's father-in-law, Lu Yuanwai, returned home from the Chinese New Year's Eve sacrifice, he drank a little too much wine, accidentally fell into a roadside pond, and the next day he became ill, recuperating for more than ten days, and his condition did not improve, but became more and more serious.

Zhang Sanniang was also taken aback, "Is it so serious?" ”

"I heard from Dr. Ma this morning that Lu Yuanwai started coughing up blood ten days ago, and he actually vomited blood yesterday, so it is estimated that there is a big problem with his lungs."

Fan Tiezhou is also a doctor, and he knows very well what lung problems mean to patients.

"It can't be typhoid fever, right?"

"It shouldn't be, there is no infection, but since it has reached the point of vomiting blood, Doctor Ma asked the Lu family to prepare for the future."

Fan Tiezhou sighed, of course he knew what Lu Yuanwai's preparation for the aftermath meant to the third child, once Lu Yuanwai died of illness, how could the rich family property behind him not be stolen?

Thinking of this, Fan Tiezhou was a little upset, he waved his hand, "Don't talk about the third child, what about Ning'er?" ”

"I guess I'm already asleep! It's so late. ”

"Then forget it, today Zhou Yuanwai asked me about Ning'er helping his son make up for his class, have you talked to him?"

Zhang Sanniang shook her head, "I mentioned this matter to Ning'er, he said that he was going to participate in the imperial examination this year, and he had no time to make up for others, so he suggested that he could be inserted into the Yanying Academy to give up his students to audit." ”

"Oh well! Tomorrow I will tell Zhou Yuanwai that there is really no way. ”

Fan Tiezhou went to see his daughter again, and then he burned his feet and rested.

．．．．．．．．

The next morning, Fanning was woken up by the chirping of birds.

He lives in the side courtyard, covering an area of one acre, a small garden and more than a dozen rooms, and he is the only one living at present, which seems very empty.

For most of the past two years, Fanning has lived in the county school, and he will only go home on big holidays, and it is usually empty.

At this time, the crisp voice of the little maid A Tao came from the courtyard, "Little official, the eldest lady told you to go to breakfast!" ”

Ah Tao is Ah Mei's younger sister, because Ah Mei is treated well as a maid in the Fan family, and things are easy, Ah Mei's parents sent their youngest daughter to the Fan family as a maid, mainly responsible for washing diapers for Fan Ning's sister, cleaning up the room, etc.

In the middle of the Northern Song Dynasty, she worked as a little maid in the family of the official eunuch in the capital, and her average monthly income was three yuan, that is, about 100 yuan per day.

Ordinary people are a little lower, about 80 yuan a day.

Pingjiang Mansion is a little lower, the maids of the big families in the county towns earn about 70 wen a day, but in the towns below, it is only 50 wen a day, and in the countryside it is only 30 wen a day.

Zhang Sanniang treats people more kindly, and pays wages according to the standards of Mudu Town, not only eats and lives the same as the owner, but also makes two sets of good clothes every year.

So many families still want to send their daughters to the Fan family as handmaidens, but they really don't need it anymore.

Fanning's family also has a servant named Luo, a native of the village, who is responsible for washing and boiling water and cooking for Fanning's grandparents every day, and going home to take care of the children at night.

Fan Ning came to the inner house, and the maid Ah Tao brought him washing water, and said with a smile: "Auntie asked me to comb the hair of the little official!" ”

The two little maids in his family are only one year apart, and they look very similar, with the same fair skin, the same picturesque eyebrows and eyes, delicate and lovely, but the personalities of the two are completely different.

Ah Mei is shy and introverted, and it took a full year to talk to Fanning, while her sister Ah Tao is outgoing and generous, and Fanning talked and laughed with Fanning on the first day she came home.

Fan Ning washed his face, sat down and untied the ends of his hair, Ah Tao combed his hair, and said aggrievedly: "Today is the Shangyuan Festival, and my mother gave us a holiday to go home, but my father and mother refused, saying that we would go home for a leisurely meal, and it would be better to make a few more days." ”

Fanning also knew that on the three major festivals of the winter solstice, Danri and Shangyuan, servants could go home for reunion on vacation, and the main family had to pay their wages.

Of course, the master can also prevent the servant from returning, but he will have to pay double the salary for a few days.

Ah Mei and Ah Tao's parents didn't let them go home, apparently playing with this idea.

Fanning smiled and asked, "I heard that there are many sisters in your family?" ”

"We have five little mothers in our family! I am Xiao Si Niang, Sister A is Xiao San Niang, and we have a seven-year-old Xiao Wu Niang below.

My father wanted to have a son, but he gave birth to a younger brother this year, another brother next year, and a younger brother the year after next, giving birth to five younger brothers in a row.

My father was angry at us during the New Year's holidays, and after drinking two glasses of old wine, he cried and shouted that the cigarettes were cut off, and he was sorry for his ancestors, and my mother sighed all day long, and we grew up watching my father's face to live. ”

Xiao Tao was articulate and eloquent, and Fanning asked with a smile: "Then is your eldest sister married?" ”

"Speaking of the eldest sister getting married, our sisters are all angry, obviously the eldest sister and Brother Shuigen have been childhood sweethearts since childhood, and they are in love, my father doesn't think Brother Shuigen's family is poor, and he wants to marry the eldest sister to the city......."

The more Ah Tao spoke, the more angry he became, and he knocked Fan Ning on the head with a grate, and Fan Ning grinned in pain, "Ah Tao, if you are a face shaver, you must not stick a razor on my head?" ”

Ah Tao was so frightened that he hurriedly apologized, "Little official, I didn't mean it, don't be angry!" ”

Fan Ning waved his hand, "Ah Tao, I'll give your eldest sister an idea!" Let her wish come true. ”

"Little official, what can you do?"

Ah Tao knew that Fanning was the leader of the prodigy competition, a talent who studied in the county, and was more knowledgeable than the teacher in the village, and she suddenly had hope in her heart when she heard him give her eldest sister ideas.

Fan Ning smiled slightly, "I'll give your eldest sister two ideas, the first is to elope with your lover to go to other places, and then come back after giving birth to a child, raw rice to cook mature rice, and your father can't do anything about it." ”

Ah Tao shook her head, "I'm afraid this method won't work, my father has already said that the eldest sister dares to elope, and Brother Shuigen will definitely have a lawsuit." ”

"If this method doesn't work, then your eldest sister's lover will have to pay the price."

"But his family is so poor!"

Fanning waved his hand, "I'm not talking about money, as long as your eldest sister gives birth to a son with your father's surname, your father will definitely agree to this marriage." ”

"What do you mean by the little official, let Brother Shuigen be my son-in-law?"

"It's not a son-in-law, or a son with a grandfather's surname, your father dreams of having a son, and when he has a grandson, won't this problem be solved?"

Ah Tao's eyes lit up, "That's right! How come we didn't think of this good idea? I'll go back and tell my eldest sister about it today. ”

Fanning chatted with the little maid for a long time before having breakfast.

After breakfast, he left for the county to see the lights.

Fanning's canopy passenger boat passed by the town of Mudu, staggering towards the shore, where two tall and thin men squatted in the distance, dressed in exactly the same clothes and looking exactly the same.

"This way!" Fanning waved to the two.

"A-Ning!"

Mingren and Mingli ran over, and one of them said anxiously to Fanning: "I'm afraid I won't be able to go to the county seat to see the lights today." ”

"The third uncle is here, and he seems to have been beaten quite badly."

"What's going on again?" Fanning asked with a frown.

"It seems that his father-in-law died last night, and before dawn, the Lu family came over to grab the family property and drove the third uncle out of the Lu family."

Lu Yuanwai died? This news really surprised Fanning, he still remembered that more than two years ago, he fought with Lu Yuanwai over the matter of the third uncle, but he didn't expect that Lu Yuanwai died in just two years.

Fanning hurriedly took out a handful of money, handed it to the boatman, and said, "I'll rent this boat for a day, and you'll wait here!" ”

Fanning jumped ashore and asked, "Where is the third uncle now?" ”

"At home!"

"Let's go! Let's see. ”

Fan Ning's old house in Mudu Town was lent to the second uncle's family to live in, and Fan Tiezhou would also come over at noon to join up.

At this time in the compound, Fan Tieniu was squatting on the ground sulking, there was a bruise in the corner of his eye, and he was smashed with a stone in the chaos.

His father-in-law died of illness at the first watch last night, and before dawn, a large group of Lu family members rushed to the door, and he thought that he was here to keep a wake for his father-in-law, but this group of people came to rob the family property.

In the chaos, everyone tore and beat up, Fan Tieniu was outnumbered and was directly driven out of the Lu family, so he had to hold his daughter Ah Qiao to Mudu Town to discuss with the two brothers.

Fan Tiezhou comforted him and said: "No matter how rude the Lu family is, they don't dare to go too far, after all, your mother-in-law and mother are still there, not to mention that you still have a son, his surname is Lu." ”

Fan Tieniu sighed, "My mother-in-law usually scolds me fiercely, but in fact, she is also an unassertive woman, and her two brothers in her mother's family instigated her to hold the title deed in her hand a few days ago, saying that after my father-in-law dies, the Wu family can also share a piece of the family property." ”

Fan Tiege was more shrewd, he pondered for a moment and asked, "Are there any people from the Wu family who came to rob the family property in the early hours of this morning?" ”

"Yes!"

Fan Tieniu said affirmatively: "My mother-in-law's two brothers are here, and my mother-in-law's uncle and father punched me. ”

Fan Tiege nodded and said to his brother: "Obviously, the Lu family and the Zhang family have colluded together, they first joined forces to drive the third brother out, and then considered how to divide the family property. ”

At this time, Fanning's laughter came from outside: "Second uncle, this is a good thing, we should go and celebrate with wine!" ”