When I returned home, it was close to sunset, Mrs. Fu and Mu Qingying greeted the old lady in front of the door, and then held a banquet in the old lady's house, and everyone came to eat together.

The old lady gave Master Fu a string of Buddhist beads for each of them, a red rope collar, a bead made of green sandalwood, and an ancient swastika pendant worn by beads underneath, and a faint agarwood fragrance spread in the house.

This Buddha bead is opened, which can bless the wearer with good fortune.

Everyone took the Buddha beads and took them with them, the old lady stared at Mu Qingying for a moment, and then took out another jade pendant from her arms, "You keep this jade pendant, go back tonight, put it under the pillow, don't take it." ”

Mu Qingying took a look, her face flushed slightly, "This is ......"

"This is what I begged for from Guanyin, you have to cherish it." The old lady said.

Mu Qingying glanced at Fu Minxiu shyly and agreed in a low voice.

He Xiujun watched from the side and smiled faintly, "Sister-in-law is going to give birth to a big fat son earlier, and the old lady thinks about holding her grandson every day." ”

The old lady smiled and narrowed her eyes, "Let the small kitchen stew some supplements tomorrow." ”

Aunt Liu, who was on the side, listened to this, and her face was a little angry, why is Fu Minxiu the grandson of the old lady, isn't her Minxun? It's really favoritism, and the difference between the concubines is so obvious.

He Xiujun glanced at Aunt Liu, with a mocking smile on the corner of her mouth, she had never looked up to Aunt Liu, seeing that the jealousy in her eyes was so obvious, she was afraid that she would not show it to Mrs. Fu, this is stupid.

Aunt Li has been depressed recently, and she has been cowardly, but now she doesn't talk often, and now she doesn't pay attention to it, and she still thinks she doesn't exist.

Shuangzhi's eyes fell on Fu Minsheng, since the last time even the old lady couldn't convince his father to let him take the big exam, he became silent, and there was a layer of depression between his eyebrows and eyes.

The old lady seems to be in good spirits today, she appreciated the two dishes of Aunt Liu and Aunt Li, and talked to Mrs. Fu for a long time, they have passed the first drum, and she still feels sleepy, if it weren't for Master Fu reminding her that it was time to rest, she would still want to continue.

After leaving the old lady's courtyard, Mu Qingying walked to Shuangzhi's side and said in a low voice, "Come to my house tomorrow to find me, I have something to tell you." ”

"What's the matter?" Shuangzhi looked at Mu Qingying suspiciously, and saw that her face was a little heavy, so he asked in a low voice.

"It's hard to say now, remember to come to me, it's not too early, it's going to be curfew, hurry up and go back to the house." As Mu Qingying spoke, she caught up with Fu Minxiu, who was walking in front, and disappeared into the night with him.

On the second day, Shuangzhi slept until he woke up naturally, holding the soft silk quilt as a dream, and he was going to continue to lie in bed, but suddenly remembered that he had to go to Mu Qingying, so he had to get up, freshen up and go to the big room after breakfast.

When he arrived at the big room, Shuangzhi didn't wait for the little maid to report to Mu Qingying, but he saw Liu Miaoru running out of the house with a pale face, and almost bumped into Shuangzhi.

"What are you doing in a panic?" Shuangzhi held Liu Miaoru, who almost fell to the ground, and asked lightly.

Liu Miaoru hurriedly retracted her hand, her face was as white as death, "Girl......"

"What's wrong?" Shuangzhi asked.

Liu Miaoru shook her head, "No, it's okay, girl, the slave maid will go down to do things first." ”

Shuangzhi frowned and looked at her back, and smiled bitterly, this Liu Miaoru spent so much scheming to climb into the eldest brother's bed, but now her reputation is gone, even the eldest brother ignored her, and she didn't even give her the identity of a concubine, she should regret it, if she wasn't so greedy for vanity, why would she have such an end, with her family background, it is not difficult to marry an ordinary person as the main house.

Seeing Liu Miaoru's figure disappear at the entrance of the corridor, Mu Qingying walked out of it as soon as she turned her head.

"Shuangzhi, you're here, why don't you come in, what are you looking at outside?" Mu Qingying came over and grabbed Shuangzhi's hand and walked to the inner room.

Shuangzhi smiled, "Seeing Liu Miaoru, what did you do to her?" ”

Mu Qingying's face turned cold, "Hmph, what else can I do to her, a moth like her, I don't know how long it will be tiring." ”

Shuangzhi heard that something was wrong, "What's wrong?" ”

Mu Qingying pulled Shuangzhi into the house and asked Yahuan to go out to guard the door, before sighing, "Do you know what is a discount money?" ”

Shuangzhi frowned, and he had heard the master say, "It is a way for some rich and unkind families to secretly lend money to others." ”

She knew that she didn't actually know about the money from her master, and she had been in contact with it before. In modern language, this is a form of usury, the money lender lends money at usury, the principal and interest are calculated together when due, the borrower must repay it in installments, and she is not very clear about how to calculate the specific interest, but the annual interest must be increased several times, because every time the loan is repaid, a stamp must be stamped on the fold, so the fold money is also called the seal money.

Mu Qingying said, "Not all of them are rich and unkind, some widows, orphans, and poor people will also sell their rental houses in order to make ends meet, and exchange silver for silver to put the seals, just do this...... Not only will you be bullied, but you may also get into trouble, if you don't have a certain amount of power, you will have to be bullied by evil forces. ”

Shuangzhi looked at Mu Qingying suspiciously, "What's the matter with us?" ”

Mu Qingying stood up, walked to the wardrobe and took out a box from it, took out a fold from it, and handed it to Shuangzhi, "Take a look for yourself." ”

Shuangzhi took it, opened it and looked at it, his eyebrows gradually raised, "Whose is this?" ”

Mu Qingying looked at her with bright eyes, "What do you say?" ”

"Liu Miaoru!" Shuangzhi called out a name and put the fold on the table, "Sister-in-law, where did you get this fold?" ”

"Liu Miaoru went out in a hurry yesterday morning when I bumped into her and fell out of her arms." Mu Qingying said.

Shuangzhi shook his head, "It's unlikely that it is Liu Miaoru's, not to mention that she is just a slave of the Fu family now, and her salary is not enough to put the discounted money, besides, she has cut off contact with the Liu family, even if she wants to sell the house for silver, it is impossible." ”

"I thought so too, so I just brought her here, and I want to ask clearly before telling my mother." Mu Qingying said.

"How?" Now the sister-in-law is also half the housemother of the family, and many things are decided by her, so she will not doubt Mu Qingying's ability, she didn't tell her mother about this, there must be her reasons.

"My mouth was so tight that I wouldn't say anything, but ...... I suspect she lent more than that. Mu Qingying said in a low voice.

Shuangzhi glanced down at the excerpt, "Thirty taels, for a maid, it is already a lot of silver, sister-in-law, do you suspect that Liu Miaoru borrowed the folded money from others, and then put the folded money to others?" ”

"I do doubt it, but where else can Liu Miaoru go every day except in this backyard? I never saw her go out, how did she ask others to borrow money, and how did she put the money? She just couldn't figure it out, so she asked Shuangzhi to come over and discuss it together.

Shuangzhi lowered her head and groaned, and after a moment, she raised her head suddenly, and her eyes jumped with an inexplicable light, "Could it be He Xiujun?" ”

"What do you mean by that?" Mu Qingying's eyebrows furrowed, wondering how Shuangzhi could doubt her.

"Last time I saw Liu Miaoru and He Xiujun in the garden, they talked and laughed and went to the second room, didn't He Xiujun hate Liu Miaoru before? How could he suddenly be so nice to her? "Double to the road.

Mu Qingying also showed a puzzled look at this time, "Shuangzhi, do you think He Xiujun is very different from before?" When she was not yet in the Fu family, her dress, words and deeds were very different from what she is now. ”

"I also think it's strange, even if a person's dress will change after getting married, her temperament can't be changed, unless everything she did before was pretended." Dual to low channels.

"What's in it for her? Deliberately want the old lady and cousin to leave a bad impression on her? She doesn't want to marry her cousin? Mu Qingying couldn't figure it out.

"Only she knows this, but now we have no evidence, even if we can drive Liu Miaoru out of the Fu family, it will not help, putting the money will violate the law, the crime can be big or small, and it is never a fair and honest thing, if it is known by others, I am afraid that our family will cause a big disaster again." Shuangzhi was a little troubled, if only he could know who lent the silver to Liu Miaoru.

"We can only lure the snake out of its own hole!" Mu Qingying's eyes sharpened, and she said coldly.

Hearing the snake word, Shuangzhi couldn't help but tremble, and she asked, "Sister-in-law plans to use Liu Miaoru?" ”

"It's been so long, Liu Miaoru is not pregnant, I just find a reason to beat her out, I guess no one will say anything." Mu Qingying said lightly.

Shuangzhi seemed to smile at her, "Do you really think that Liu Miaoru and her eldest brother are ......"

Mu Qingying was stunned for a moment, and then laughed, her smile as bright as the sunshine outside, "I know now." ”

Shuangzhi smiled, "As long as Liu Miaoru is kicked out, she will be able to put her money more freely, and when the time comes, depending on who she contacts with, things will naturally be clear." ”

Coming out of the courtyard of the big house, Shuangzhi walked slowly alone, and when he passed through the garden, he saw a person sitting on the octagonal pavilion, looking down and flipping through the books.

She smiled and walked towards the pavilion.

"Third brother, are you reading?" She smiled sweetly and walked across from Fu Minsheng, her smile like the warm afternoon sun.

Fu Minsheng raised his head, saw that it was Shuangzhi, and nodded with a smile, "It's Shuangzhi, are you going out for a walk?" ”

Shuangzhi nodded, seeing the gloom in his eyebrows and sharp eyes, he sighed in his heart, "Third brother, what book are you reading?" ”

A somewhat panicked look flashed on Fu Minsheng's face, "No, it's nothing." ”

Shuangzhi didn't ask again, but just said in a low voice, "Does the third brother feel that he can't take the big exam, it's a pity?" I can't use what I've learned for so many years, and I'm very unwilling? ”

Fu Minsheng lowered his head, "I don't have such a mind. ”

Shuangzhi said, "In fact, even if the third brother goes to take the big exam, he may not be able to get the ranking." ”

Fu Minsheng's face changed slightly, and there was an unconvinced look in his eyes, "I think I am not worse than others, why can't I get the ranking?" I...... I just can't prove myself. ”

"The third brother thinks that what he has learned must be better than that of all the students in the world? There are so many capable people in the world, you just surpass others in the academy, and you think you are the first in the world? Shuangzhi unceremoniously pointed out the frog insight at the bottom of his well.

Fu Minsheng moved his mouth, but said nothing.

Shuangzhi continued, "How big is the world, how many talented people are hidden in thousands of miles of rivers and mountains, and how much do you know? You just can't take the Spring Exam, so you think that there is no hope in life, and you are depressed all day long, who do you want to do it for? Who will pity you? Will Dad agree to you to take the big exam because of this? Or will the imperial court give you a champion to explore the flowers because of this? I thought the third brother wouldn't care about fame and fortune. ”

Fu Minsheng's face flushed, Huo stood up, and looked at Shuangzhi with round eyes, "It's not uncommon for me to be able to enter the court as an official, I just want to know what I've learned...... To what extent, the big exam is an opportunity for students all over the world to compete, and I just don't want to be too self-righteous, so I want to take the big exam. ”

A smile flashed across his eyes, but there was no expression on his face, "So what is the third brother doing these days?" Dad just said that he wouldn't let you take the big exam, and he didn't say that he couldn't let you compete with others. ”

Fu Minsheng was stunned, "What do you mean?" ”

Shuangzhi motioned for him to sit down, and said slowly, "Third brother, in terms of talent, it may be difficult for anyone in Pujing City to beat you, not to mention that you are still so young, but everything you have learned is from books, and it is all said by the master, have you personally experienced it?" There are some things that you can't learn in books. ”

Fu Minsheng was still stunned, but he had already heard a little meaning, and his chest rose and fell violently, "What do you mean......"

Shuangzhi said with a smile, "I wonder if the third brother has ever heard of a learning method called study tours?" ”

"Study tour?" Fu Minsheng looked at Shuangzhi inexplicably.

Shuangzhi explained, "In ancient times, there was a knowledgeable master who often took his disciples to travel around the world, improve the knowledge of his disciples, learn the languages of various places in the process of traveling, cultivate quality, and broaden their horizons. ”

Fu Minsheng's eyes lit up, and he was so excited that he wanted to continue talking.

"If the third brother can study outside for a few years, maybe he will have another achievement in the future, since you don't pay attention to fame and fortune, but if you bring out a group of disciples to be famous all over the world, isn't it more fulfilling than being an official yourself?"

Fu Minsheng paced back and forth excitedly, "Study tour!" A study tour is a good way, but, will my father agree to let me go? ”

"I haven't tried it, so how do you know?" Shuangzhi said with a smile.

Fu Minsheng nodded heavily, "I'll go find my dad now!" ”

Shuangzhi laughed and watched Fu Minsheng run to the upper room excitedly, turned around and prepared to go back to his yard, but saw that on the corridor in the garden, Aunt Li looked at her with tears in her eyes, and there was deep resentment in her eyes.

"Aunt Li......" she opened her mouth, but she didn't know what to say, and Aunt Li had already turned and left the garden.