A cell near a skylight in the county jail.

Su Xigui sat on a wicker chair, humming a small tune in his mouth, shaking his head, and drinking tea leisurely.

"The owner, if you see a good thing, you can accept it, if you make a big fuss, you are not afraid of ruining our uncle's reputation?" The accounting room next to him and several entourages were persuading the proprietor to stop in time.

Su Xigui smiled: "You are afraid, there are people who are more afraid than you...... Do you think the magistrate here doesn't want to be promoted? I insist on sitting here, not because I feel that I need to make up for the loss of face, but because I want to calculate clearly, how much is my face or my brother-in-law's face worth? If you don't know how to take advantage of the situation, how to make a fortune? ”

Su Xigui drank a few cups of tea, and was asking people to send the night pot to the spot for convenience, when he suddenly heard footsteps, he thought it was the county magistrate Shenli who went and returned, and immediately sat down.

But it was an old woman, walking into the prison cell like a walk in her own back garden.

Su Xigui was also a scene person, got up and came to the prison door, looked at the old lady with a graceful demeanor in front of him, and looked confused: "The old lady is ......?" ”

Zhu Jia's chin: "The old body is the wife of Zhu Mingshan, a hereditary brocade guard, and the person who previously reported selling illicit salt with the yamen is a dog. ”

Su Xigui immediately shook his face and smiled: "Oh, I made a mistake, and the old lady came out to clean up the mess?" ”

said.

Before returning to the case, he poured himself another cup of tea, but found that the urine was surging, so he paused there.

Zhu Jiashi didn't respond, but just looked back and said to Song County: "I wonder if the old man can talk to Su Dongzhu alone?" ”

"This ......"

Before Su Xigui could say anything, Song Xiancheng hurriedly greeted him, not only called the jailer away, but also took out the account room and others who were locked in the cell with Su Xigui.

Soon only Zhu Jiashi and Su Xigui were left in the cell.

"Old lady, let's say it directly, apologize or something, if you can avoid it, you can avoid it, without a serious statement, contemptible people will not go out."

Su Xigui's attitude was indifferent, and he was not interested in sitting down with Zhu Jiashi to talk in detail.

Zhu Jiashi sat down on the bench next to him and wrote lightly: "The owner of the Su doesn't even want to give face to my Zhu family? ”

Su Xigui thought that the other party was here to admit his mistake, but who knew that the old lady came up and put on a domineering posture, which not only puzzled, but also stimulated his competitiveness.

"Hmph."

When the magistrate came to beg me, I wouldn't go out.

Do you dare to threaten with your words?

Jinyiwei is awesome?

In this vast land, how powerful are you?

Zhu Jiashi said: "It is said that my Zhu family has moved to Anlu since the seventh year of Hongzhi, and it has been 20 years, and the eldest son is currently serving as a deputy thousand households in Fusi Yamen, North Town, Beijing. ”

Su Xigui frowned: "Old lady, it's not interesting for you to say that." ”

"What did the owner of Su say? The old body just wants to reminisce about the past. ”

"It is said that my Zhu family has been blessed by the emperor for generations and given the surname of the country, so can the owner of Su know that my husband and wife do not stay in the north and south of Beijing, and want to come to Anlu, a place where birds don't, why?"

Zhu Jia's words are still peaceful, and he doesn't talk to you about apologies, but only talks to you about my family's past.

Su Xigui frowned slightly: "An Lu...... Xingwang? ”

"It's Xingwangfu...... It is said that in the last years of Chenghua, there were traitorous concubines in the court who tried to abolish the prince Lixing Wang unsuccessfully, and the first emperor succeeded to the throne soon after the king of Xing became a vassal, and the court sent my Zhu family to move to Huguang to supervise nearby, which shows that the first emperor valued my Zhu family. ”

Zhu Jiashi said, "The new emperor ascended the throne, and His Majesty doesn't pay much attention to these pasts, after all, the days have been a long time, but the Queen Mother has never forgotten it, and often writes to ask if there is any disturbance on the ground in Anlu, and my Zhu family will report it truthfully." Didn't the owner of the Su Dynasty want my Zhu family to arrange what happened in the past two days and report it to the Queen Mother, so that the Manchu Dynasty would know everything? ”

Su Xigui was furious and took the case: "Old lady, you threaten me? ”

Zhu Jiashi said: "Lord Su, there is a good saying, it is better to offend a gentleman than a villain." ”

"Phew."

Su Xigui spat the tea foam on the skin of his mouth: "You mean, your Zhu family is a villain?" ”

The cell smelled of gunpowder.

Zhu Jiashi stood up, turned around and made a gesture that he was about to leave, but his mouth still said in a peaceful tone: "Adults take the big road, villains take the small road, sometimes the big road is blocked, instead of forcing people to drive people to the small road, or even go to a dead end, what is the way?" ”

Zhu Jia's meaning is obvious.

It doesn't matter if our Zhu family is a villain or not, you forced us to go to a dead end, so let's break the net!

Su Xigui gritted his teeth and didn't say anything.

Zhu Jiashi walked away with elegant steps, and his voice came from outside the prison door: "The Zhu family never asks about local affairs, and Huang Fantai has a bright future, or they don't care about some gossip." ”

After speaking, Zhu Jiashi didn't look back and walked out of the prison door directly.

……

……

Three poles on the sun.

Zhu Jiashi came out of the cell.

Song Xiancheng stared at the door of the prison with a nervous expression, and when he saw Zhu Jiashi appearing, he didn't know what was going on inside, so he hurriedly came over and had the intention of inquiring.

Zhu Jiashi waved his hand: "The old man said goodbye, my son, go." ”

Zhu Wanjian was stunned for a moment when he heard this, but quickly followed, lest he really be taken down by the government and asked for the crime of false accusation.

Song Xiancheng was about to stop him, but he saw Su Xigui walking out of the prison door slowly.

"Su ...... Mr. Su, your ...... You can figure it out, my county has prepared a surprise banquet and is waiting to be seated. Song Xiancheng hurriedly went over to compliment.

Su Xigui's face was gloomy, he looked at Zhu Jia's back, and sneered: "Little Anlu is actually the land of the hidden dragon and the crouching tiger, it seems that you should try to avoid trading in the future!" Hum! ”

He was not afraid of the magistrate's office.

But if you have a bad relationship with Jinyiwei, especially Jinyiwei, who can talk to the above, then the matter will be a big deal.

Zhu Jia's words are first, we will definitely not tell the truth when we report, but to "arrange" it, Su Xigui will do business again, and he will not dare to gamble with his brother-in-law Huang Zhan's political future.

"Su ...... Mr. Su, I don't know what I just ...... Mrs. Zhu is with you...... What was said? Song Xiancheng was curious, and when he accompanied Su Xigui to the backyard of the county government, he couldn't help but ask.

Su Xigui said angrily: "It's just a friendly communication about the business in the future." This old lady Zhu is good at calculation, Su is ashamed of herself! ”

"Wait, where's the latrine?"

……

……

Zhu Jiashi came out of the county government with his son and Steward Liu.

She didn't get into the carriage, but walked south with a calm face, and the carriage consciously followed.

"Mother, what did you say to the person surnamed Su? Let's just go? Not afraid that the government will turn back and look for trouble? Zhu Wanjian is still entangled in whether the government will settle accounts after the autumn.

Zhu Jiashi glanced at him, "If my Zhu family doesn't even have this face, how can I gain a foothold in Anlu?" Needless to say, go to the shop of the third family with your mother. ”

When Zhu Wanjian heard this, he instantly became angry: "It's all that mother-in-law who cheated and actually provided false news, this is going to turn the sky upside down...... Look if you don't flay her alive this time...... Mother, you must give me anger! ”

Zhu Jiashi ignored him, and his face was uncertain.

Zhu Wanjian was also very unhappy: "Who asked me to go to the government to report yesterday?" The trouble was obviously caused by your old lady, so let me carry the black pot and put on a stinky face? ”

The group came to Zhu Niang's rice shop with murderous spirits.

At this time, not long after the rice shop opened, Zhu Niang was taking care of the accounts behind the counter, and when she saw Zhu Jia's presence in person, she hurriedly greeted the door: "Mother, why are you here?" The daughter-in-law didn't have time to meet ......"

Zhu Niang stepped into the shop first, looked around, didn't go to the counter, just walked to the chair on the side, Shi Shiran sat down, and didn't seem to have the intention of dominating the guests.

"It's okay, I just went to the county government and stopped by to have a look." Zhu Jiashi has a mild attitude.

Salute first, then soldier.

Zhu Hao originally designed a salt pond suitable for drying salt in the Huguang hilly area in the back, and when he heard the movement in front, he hurried out.

This was the first time he had seen the old lady of the Zhu family.

At first glance, the old woman has gray hair neatly tied in a bun, a plum hairpin inserted obliquely, kind eyebrows, smiling lips, and a modest attitude that gives people a feeling of not being angry and arrogant.

"Xiao Hao, come over and kowtow to grandmother."

Zhu Niang greeted.

Of course, Zhu Hao was unwilling to kneel down for an old woman who had repeatedly framed her mother and son, and was hesitating, but saw Zhu Jiashi waving his hand: "Don't care about these red tapes...... My grandson is older, smart and clever, and I don't have to worry about being treated badly when I have my mother by my side, and I can rest assured that I am a grandmother. ”

"Alas, I wanted to take you home to enjoy the blessings, and my grandson could also be educated, but since you refused, then stay in the city with peace of mind. The third daughter-in-law, if you have surplus money in the future, you must remember to invite a gentleman for my grandson, so as to live up to the spirit of the third child in the sky. ”

Neither humble nor arrogant.

This sounds fine, but Zhu Hao always feels that something is wrong.

The old lady was determined to take back the shop before, but now the meaning of her words is to let the orphans and widows of the three rooms go unchecked?

There is a conspiracy!

Zhu Niang was sincerely frightened and bowed: "What my mother said is that my daughter-in-law must do her best to raise Xiaohao to become a talent." ”

"Hmm."

Zhu Jiashi nodded again, "I heard that you have been selling salt to pay off your foreign debts recently, and my son has a good eye, and he married a woman who is a good housekeeper." ”

Zhu Niang said: "My mother's words are serious, and my daughter-in-law is just doing her best." ”

Zhu Jiashi sighed lightly: "You don't have to be presumptuous, for the people in the mother's knees, you want to say that you can do business, and you are top-notch." ”

"The current situation at home has been explained to you by my mother, and it costs money everywhere, and I just hope that your uncle can get out of the sea of misery as soon as possible. As for the misunderstanding before, just let it go away if it didn't happen. ”

"I was worried that your orphan and widow would not be able to operate, so I assigned you an account room, but I didn't expect him to poison the salt, this is a good intention! It's better to pay forty taels of silver to the family every month in the future, and when you do your filial piety for the third child, the business here will not interfere in the future ......"

At this point, I finally saw the dagger.

Zhu Hao understood Zhu Jia's conspiracy.

Zhu Jiashi saw that there was no reason to take back the shop, so he took the initiative to change his strategy.

Now that the shop has offended the Anlu Prefecture and county governments and local salt merchants, it is basically impossible to do business normally, if it still adheres to the rule of paying ninety percent of the monthly profits in the future, the Zhu family's income has plummeted, not to mention, the shop will continue to stay in Zhu Niang's hands, contrary to the original intention.

Zhu Jiashi simply came to "delegate power".

It's not impossible for you to take care of the shop, but you have to hand over forty taels of silver to the family every month as a price, although the business at this time is more than ninety percent less than before the accident.

You can't afford to pay the money, and the family is right.

"Mother......

In the face of this rude request, of course Zhu Niang had to fight.

saw Zhu Jiashi get up and raised his hand to interrupt his daughter-in-law's words: "Third daughter-in-law, we understand that people don't talk foolishly, as long as you hand over the silver on time and in accordance with the amount every month, the family will not only not trouble you, but will also help you in difficulty." ”

"But if you have to say that you can't even pay forty taels of silver, then it proves that you can't do it, hand over the shop to someone who can complete the task to operate, and go back to the Zhu family with peace of mind...... The Zhu family has a big business, and there is no problem in raising you people in this yard! Dick, let's go! ”

In the Zhu family, the words of the old lady are close to the holy decree.

She spoke, that is, there was no turning point in this matter.

Zhu Wanjian raised her eyebrows to the side, with a wicked smile, glared at Zhu Niang's mother and son with bad intentions, and followed Zhu Jiashi out of the store.

At this time, the carriage drove over, and the group was ready to get on the car and leave the city.

"Mother, you are still smart, with the current business situation of the shop, let the third daughter-in-law pay forty taels a month, and she can't raise it by smashing the pot and selling iron, so we will naturally take back the shop."

Zhu Wanjian realized that Zhu Jiashi and Yan Yuese were talking to Zhu Niang before, and he was still blowing his beard and glaring at him, looking unwilling.

Zhu Jiashi glanced sideways at him: "You go home with your mother." ”

"Mother, there is still something to do with the cloth shop run by the family, and I have to deal with it." Zhu Wanjian immediately let go of the hand holding Zhu Jia's arm and prepared to slip away.

Zhu Jiashi grabbed him, and then raised his chin, and Steward Liu got close to each other.

"Lao Liu, you go and check the accounts of all the shops in the city...... Second, the carriage back, you come to catch it! ”

Zhu Wanjian was not happy when she heard it: "Mother, what do you mean?" Looking for an outsider to check the accounts? ”

Zhu Jiashi turned around, stepped on the horse stool and got into the carriage, and coldly shook off a sentence before the curtain was lowered: "It's okay if you don't want to go back, for your mother, I will ask someone to send you to the county office." ”

Zhu Wanjian was stunned when she heard this, and argued: "Mother, why do you put the responsibility on the child? It's obviously the woman's conspiracy! ”

A cold voice came from behind the curtain: "Give you a pit, you jump, the sand can't be buried above your head, I don't know how to look up to the sky?" Seeing so many salt trucks and salt boats, I didn't wake up suddenly, how did the Zhu family come up with such a stupid talent! ”