Ma Shi sighed when he heard it.

The last time I met my eldest brother Ma Yukun was more than ten years ago. At that time, Ma Yukun was in the prime of life, and had not yet gone to the Northwest Frontier with the army to participate in the war, and he was still full of spirit due to leg disease, thinking that he would definitely be able to surpass his father and ancestors in the future......

Who would have thought that more than ten years later, Ma Yukun would be so sick that he had to be a teacher?

Ma touched his sideburns. She also has gray hair, and she is not young......

She whispered to Zhou Mashi: "Eldest sister doesn't need to say any more, I understand what you mean." Isn't it four hundred taels of silver? The amount is not bad, and I won't ask my eldest brother and sister-in-law for it. ”

Zhou Mashi sneered: "I don't mean anything else, I just think it's not easy for the eldest brother...... Although the sister-in-law is greedy for money and hateful, she is also for the sake of the Ma family. ”

Alas, when Zhou Ma thinks about it, he doesn't understand why the Ma family has fallen to the point where it is now? In the past, although the Ma family was not as prominent as the Zhou family in Chang'an, it was also an old family with a foundation and a prosperous family business. When the eldest brother was young, he could also be called a young talent, and his future was bright. With the help of her sister-in-law, who married into the Zhou family, the eldest brother's development in the army should be getting better and better, but why did he go downhill unconsciously?

In the past, the eldest brother and sister-in-law never took their brother-in-law's small eighth- and nineth-grade official positions seriously, but now, it is difficult for their grandsons to find an eighth-grade or nine-grade position, as long as they can find a serious errand, they don't dare to find fault with anything anymore.

The eldest nephew can be mediocre, only in his calm temperament, he has a family to rely on, his wife can also do it, and it is estimated that he is expected to rise to the sixth grade; The second nephew is not outstanding in everything, and he is not smart, and the couple only has the benefit of filial piety and obedience, and I am afraid that there will be no future for them. is as eccentric as the sister-in-law, and she never mentioned that she wanted her two sons to split up, just because she knew that the well-behaved second son would not be able to stand up if she left her brother and sister-in-law. Therefore, although the sister-in-law prefers the second son, she is never mean to the eldest son, for fear that he will have a grudge against his mother and younger brother. She just likes to quarrel with her eldest daughter-in-law.

Zhou Ma couldn't help but ask Ma: "Yumei, you said you were ...... back then?" If the eldest brother hadn't been persuaded to promote the eldest brother, the eldest brother hadn't gone to the frontier to participate in the war, and he hadn't suffered from leg disease, wouldn't the Ma family have fallen into the current situation? ”

Ma Shi looked at her helplessly: "Eldest sister, there were more people who participated in the war back then, why didn't other people's families go downhill, but rose step by step?" The eldest brother doesn't have any outstanding talents, don't listen to his relatives praise him, you really treat him as a capable person! ”

Of course, to be fair, the Ma family and the Zhou family are married, and they can still get to the point where they are now, the grandchildren can't even get a small position of the eighth or ninth grade, and the sons want to be promoted to the seventh grade, they have to work hard, which is really not entirely a matter of personal ability. Ma Yukun has been sick for many years, and Ma Jiang's family is eager for quick success and quick profit, and he has repeatedly made mistakes in the marriage of his children and grandchildren, which are all important reasons.

I'm afraid that even Mrs. Ma and Zhou Shigong are suspected of deliberately suppressing the Ma family. Whether they are thinking about Zhou Shigong's eldest son Zhou Jinpu, they don't want Zhou Ma's mother's family to threaten their stepson, or for other reasons, if they want to help the Ma family, the Ma family will not even find a small official position for their children and grandchildren.

The Northwest Frontier Army is now still the final say of the Zhou family!

Ma sighed and didn't want to say anything more, so he changed the topic: "I didn't know that my eldest nephew's sons were married to daughters-in-law, so I didn't have a meeting gift." I wonder how my eldest brother has been doing lately? I want to pick a good day to go back to see him. ”

Zhou Ma said, "I'll send someone to ask for you." You can't ask your sister-in-law about this kind of thing, your sister-in-law will never have a good face if she knows, and when she sees you, she must say a bunch of nos, cover up the five hundred taels of silver she received at the beginning, and the rent she earned by renting out your house over the years, and blame you for causing your eldest brother to pay for building a house for your family. When she's not at home, you can take the two younger ones back to meet the eldest brother. ”

Ma sneered: "Ecai will not avoid her, but it seems that Ecai is afraid of her." It's her who is to blame! Since I'm not going to ask her for silver, I have to make the favor open, so that she can only be grateful when she sees her, how can she still have the opportunity to say it?! ”

Zhou Mashi saw that the little sister had made up her mind, and it was not easy to persuade her more, for fear that the little sister would quarrel with the sister-in-law again. When she saw that it was not early, she was about to get up: "I have to go back, my lord said that I will go home for dinner at noon today." ”

has returned to Chang'an, Ma knows that he will often have the opportunity to get together with his eldest sister in the future, so he will not leave her: "I will see you when I am free." If that mother-in-law troubles you again, don't forget to send a letter to you. ”

"Got it." Zhou Ma paused, "Actually, it's all the trouble caused by silver." If the step-mother-in-law doesn't want to get the amount of silver, why bother calculating the amount of other villages? If the sister-in-law didn't have no money, she wouldn't have become the god-hating she is now. Yumei, brother-in-law Hai has always been a capable person who can earn money. When you go back to Chang'an, if there is any way to make money, don't forget to count the eldest sister. I can trust the ability of your husband and wife, even if you sell the dowry, you will also make up enough money to partner with you! ”

Ma said helplessly: "That's all the old yellow calendar from the past." Now that the lord and the forehead are old, I don't want to toss anymore. After a few years, if it rises again, the old man will return to his hometown. "Anyway, I make enough money now.

Zhou Mashi smiled, and didn't take his sister's words seriously: "In short, what way do you have, you must tell the eldest sister." has been in Chang'an City for so many years, and she is somewhat decent, and the name of Mrs. Zhou can still bluff people. ”

Ma wanted to send Zhou Ma out, but Zhou Ma lifted the curtain of the east house before going out and looked inside. Haitang hurriedly got up and saluted: "Auntie, are you leaving?" "Pretend you didn't hear anything before.

Zhou Mashi smiled: "Good boy, you can sit still." "Seeing the needlework in the hands of the begonia, compared to when I first came, I have added four or five more flowers, although the pattern is not complicated, but the embroidery is meticulous, and the stitches are neat, obviously with heart. She praised Haitang a few words, and then left accompanied by her sister Ma.

Begonia put down the needle and thread, followed behind her grandmother Ma, and sent off the guest together. When he came back, Ma ordered the kitchen to prepare lunch, and when he turned his head, he saw his eldest grandson Haijiao leading a horse through the door, so he smiled and said, "Where have you been going for half a day?" Can it be bustling outside? ”

Begonia glanced at the hem of the reef coat, and then looked at the coat on the horse's back, but did not say a word.

"It was very lively. Chang'an City is really prosperous. After Haijiao greeted my grandmother, I led the horse to the stable, and then went back to the house to change my clothes, and then went to the main house to talk to my grandmother in detail about today's "shopping", such as what are the famous big shops in the area of the City God Temple, which of the time-honored shops mentioned by my grandparents during their chats are still alive, which neighborhood sells many types of scholars, and where are the harness shops and blacksmith shops gathered...... And so on and so forth, as if he had spent the morning visiting so many places.

Ma Shi was happy to hear this: "The cakes, sauces and meat sold by those time-honored shops are delicious, and I will send someone to buy them back and taste them in a while." I haven't eaten it for so many years, and I don't know if the taste has changed. I felt that my grandson must be tired after shopping for a long time, so I sent him back to the house to rest, and then came back to the main house when the meal was served.

Begonia made an excuse and followed her brother out of the main house.

The brother and sister went to the backyard together. Taking advantage of the fact that there was no third person in the backyard, Haitang hurried up and asked his brother: "Brother, have you gone to Beizhuang?" Why is there still blood on Fang Cai's clothes? Where did your stick go? ”

(End of chapter)