Chen Yuan took Chunhua to eat noodles, but it was a pity that the Zheng family's father and daughter were no longer there to set up stalls, and after inquiring, it turned out that their father and daughter were foreigners, with a lot of government taxes and great business competition.

In the Ming Dynasty, the political department was responsible for managing the market economy, but after Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the post of prime minister, the six ministries were in charge of the affairs taken over by the original prime minister, and the tasks of the six ministries became heavier.

The new stall owners are a couple over forty years old, Chen Yuan asked for two bowls of noodles, but unfortunately, the taste is far worse than the taste of the Zheng family's father and daughter, and the two of them still gobbled up after being hungry for a long time. The couple thought that their noodle cooking skills had improved greatly, and they smiled happily.

After Chen Yuan was ordered by the emperor to go on a mission, Zhang Zhuang became active.

Chen Yuan, who was penniless at first, handed in a blank scroll, everyone blamed him, received the emperor's order, and was dumbfounded, and praised this "child" one after another.

Today's weather is good, and there is little work after the autumn harvest, so Fan Niangzi moved a small stool and made winter shoes for her son in her yard.

Two other women also came to chatter.

"Da Lang, this kid, is smart and clever, I have been optimistic about him since I was a child." Sister-in-law Song held the finished insole in her right hand, straightened the thread with her left hand, bit off the thread with her mouth, tied a dead knot, and said enviously.

Second Aunt Han is fatter, her hands and feet are slow, she is only halfway done, and she said to Fan Niangzi slowly: "Chen family lady, my second girl grew up with your family Chen Yuan since she was a child, my second girl was still talking about him yesterday, Chen Yuan is back, let him go to my house to sit." ”

Fan Niangzi scratched the hair on her ear with her right hand, and she was also hitting the insole. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, the workshop had not yet risen, and the food and clothing mainly depended on self-sufficiency. She replied, "Not yet." ”

Sister-in-law Song glanced at Aunt Han and said, "Look at the bottom line in the hands of others, they are all good materials, the Dong family is good to him now, and his daughters come to visit every three or five days." ”

Aunt Han compared it, and sure enough, she blushed, and he didn't notice that what Fan Niangzi was wearing and holding in her hands were much better than them, she blushed her neck and protested: "What's the matter, Da Lang is a single biography, the Dong family is a small businessman, and Da Lang is a person with a lot of talent, can you only marry one?" ”

These words resonated with Fan Niangzi, the old man likes to have more children and more blessings, the girl of the Dong family is really good, yes, her family is a businessman, and her son has a good life, can't she marry a small one?

Second Aunt Han originally meant to be her second girl, but Sister-in-law Song began to evaluate the girls in the village one by one.

"Lady of the Chen family, what do you say about the daughter of the Wang family at the west entrance of the village? She is a member of the Wang family, many people are officials in the court, I think this child is very honest, he doesn't talk much, he is a girl. ”

Fan Niangzi frowned: "That daughter of the Wang family...... I'm afraid it's not good, my little fool can't study, although he is entrusted by His Majesty, this village has the final say on their Wang family, not to mention that the Wang family girls have high vision, their elders will not agree to it. ”

"Well, that's right."

"How about the daughter of the Li family in the north of the village? You should be familiar, have a good physique, and be able to do strenuous work. ”

Second Aunt Han couldn't interject all the time, and hurriedly interrupted: "That daughter of the Li family, definitely not, I told you, don't show it to others." ”

Sister-in-law Song was dissatisfied: "Hey, am I such a rapper, what's the matter?" Say it. ”

"The daughter of the Li family has a problem with armpit odor, which is quite serious. In the summer, sweating is so smoky that people can't breathe, she is working hard to cover up this fact, you can't smell it until you are in front of you. The Li family watched a lot of Langzhong, but it didn't work. ”

"If you want to say that you can do physical work, my second girl is the top child in the village, I have seen it with my husband, and she is still a prosperous husband." Second Aunt Han added.

"Come on, your second girl, eat more than you do." Sister-in-law Song continued to strike and muttered, "What about my uncle's daughter?" It turned out that after doing it for a long time, she wanted to recommend her relative's daughter.

Second Aunt Han sneered: "Come on, your uncle's daughter, like a Li Kui, chased a prodigal child in the village with a flat pole last time, and it looked scary." ”

"People are strong, if they are like those unclean girls in the city, laughing at people all day long, like what to say, Chen family lady, you say yes, this concubine, of course, it is based on good conduct and childbirth."

Fan Niangzi didn't hear it, and said slowly: "Although my family is a single heir, if you really want to take a concubine, it won't be possible, after all, there is no fame, no wealth, and people with a bit of status dislike it." She has a plan in her heart, she has known them for a long time, it is not good to refuse in person, the second girl and the girl of Song's sister-in-law's brother-in-law's family, they are all tigers, and when they pass the door, they will definitely not listen to themselves.

Second Aunt Han didn't hear the meaning of rejecting them, and patted her thigh and said, "What do I say to you, we are not some of those with status, what do we dislike?" When your eldest man comes back, I will tell him myself, which man doesn't like three wives and four concubines, and one more is not impossible to support—" Her eyes widened suddenly.

Said Cao Cao, Cao Cao arrived, Chen Yuan came back with spring flowers.

Oh, what else are you saying that you can't afford to take a concubine, no, I went to run an errand and came back, and even the skinny yellow-haired girl was brought back, this is only eleven, and it will take at least two years to get a round house.

When Chen Yuan came back, Sister-in-law Song and Aunt Han got up and went back, deliberately looked at Chen Yuan more, and warmly invited him to their house to sit down.

Chen Yuan hypocritically agreed, while breaking out in a cold sweat. He heard half of their words just now, what is the situation, when he comes back from a business trip for a month, he is a concubine at home?

Their girls can't get married.

Chen Yuan didn't know about the Ming Dynasty, in ancient times, the ratio of men and women was seriously imbalanced, the rich had a group of wives and concubines, and most of the poor could not marry a daughter-in-law in their lives.

Children born to poor families, boys can still work to support the family, women are a mouth to eat, and parents want to marry their daughters early on.

Like the daughters of their poor families, most of them also want to be concubines with rich families. In this case, instead of filling the house for the rich to be the seventh or eighth, it is better to choose a potential stock.

Song's sister-in-law and Han's second aunt are farmers, and their daughters are "famous" and difficult to marry, the Dong family is a merchant family, and their status is lower than them.

When she entered the door, Chunhua bowed down, tears flowed down, and she called the old lady.

Fan Niangzi was startled and glared at her son, whether she had done something unreasonable.

Chen Yuan shrugged innocently.

Fan Niangzi pulled her up, but she refused to get up: "Ask the old lady and the young master to take me in, I am very diligent and willing to do anything, as long as the old lady does not let me go." ”

Chen Yuan told her about the death of her parents, Fan Niangzi felt sorry for her, and choked up: "Poor child, my family is a single hand, I don't want you to be a slave, you can live in my house in the future, if I have a bite to eat, I won't let you starve." ”

Before entering the door, Chunhua was very worried in her heart, although Chen Yuan said many times that her family was an ordinary family, but his tall image of catching corrupt officials and saving the people of Shizhou has always been in her small heart.

His family is indeed ordinary, but it is more than a hundred times better than his own. The wives of large families are difficult to serve, and a little girl like her, who can't lift her shoulders and has no appearance, is all driven away, and she is afraid that she will be driven away and have nowhere to stay. That's why I cried as soon as I entered the house.

"Thank you, old lady, Chunhua is willing to be a slave and serve the old lady and the young master for a lifetime."

"Good boy, you don't need to talk about the rules of those big families, what is a slave or a maid, just live in peace." While sympathizing with her, Fan Niangzi also thought that she was a mother after all, and it was a little inconvenient to take care of her son.

That night, he took out new fabrics to cut clothes for her, killed the chickens, and ate chicken soup, which moved the little girl to a great extent.

There are a lot of women's words, especially when they meet for the first time, even if they are separated by age, Fan Niangzi pulls the little girl and chatters until midnight, and finally falls asleep together.

Chen Yuan went to see his sweet potatoes the next day, and Mrs. Fan took care of them, and sweet potatoes the size of her thumb had begun to appear in the ground.

I wanted to farm well, but I stayed at home for a day, and the next day, Yuan Bin, who hadn't seen him for a long time, came to the door.