Begonia and the reef sat outside and listened to the conversation in the house.

Maybe it was because Zhou Ma and Ma were more emotional, and they didn't notice the volume of their speech for a while, but this was more conducive to the Hai brothers and sisters to understand the content of their conversation.

The brother and sister looked at each other, and they really couldn't think of how anyone in the world could tell such a lie?

If the army on the northwest frontier is really exhausted, and the generals buy grain and grass out of their own pockets to ensure that their soldiers will not starve to death, it is normal, after all, this is related to the vital interests of the generals.

But the Northwest Frontier Army hasn't reached that level yet!

It is true that the imperial court deducted military expenses, but the Northwest Frontier Army still has many years of accumulation, as well as the money earned back by the caravans organized by the Zhou family and other guards, and financial experts like Haixiya are making money and saving money. There are some border troops who lack food and horses, and there is a shortage of armaments, but they are far from the point of starving to death, and at least they are half full. Since they are not in a desperate situation, even if the generals of the Zhou family will pay money, they will not exhaust their own property, not to mention that they are acting secretly, and no one knows except their wives?

Is this treating the top and bottom of the border army as deaf and blind? How much grain and grass was allocated from above, and how much was consumed at the bottom, the accounts are clearly remembered, and more than one person is responsible for counting and checking at each level. How can the old lady of the third room of the Zhou family hide from everyone and stick money inside? Did you buy food out of your own pocket and stuff it in? There are so many people inside and outside that they don't notice the difference in the number of objects? And where did this food come from? Can he still go to the grain store to buy it himself? After buying food, I had to personally transport it to the granary in the army, and there was no one to help me during the period?

If the old lady of the third room had called someone to help, the news would have leaked out a long time ago, how could it be that only his wife knew? Isn't this a shady secret, and it is necessary to silence everyone who handles it?

And if there was such a large grain transaction on the border of Chang'an, it would be impossible for local officials and businessmen not to hear the slightest rumor. But as long as Chang'an merchants can get such a large amount of grain, can Shaanxi Dusi still need to worry about grain and grass? Just spend money to buy it directly, and you don't need the old lady of the third room to act quietly at all. As long as it is not traded at a low price below cost, will the Chang'an grain merchants still refuse the army? Then I really don't want to mix in this realm! As for the food money, if it can't be collected for a while, it can also be credited, and the Northwest Frontier Army is here, and if it can't run away, it will pay back the money sooner or later. And the silver that was repaid was ...... Haixi Cliff must be worried, and it is impossible to be ignorant.

If you think about it carefully, this lie can't stand scrutiny at all, that is, a nerd like Zhou Shigong who doesn't know how to do general affairs will be deceived, right? Although Zhou Ma is a woman who has not seen much, because she has a certain amount of common sense and has experience in housekeeping and financial management, she can also intuitively feel that lies are not credible. As for Ma's, it was even more obvious that Mrs. Ma was lying.

Why did Mrs. Ma tell such a lie? In order to explain the reason why the Zhou family lacks money for the third room? In order to find a reasonable excuse for her plan to steal border army craftsmen and build a private glass workshop?

Because the three rooms of the Zhou family once exhausted their wealth in order to supplement the border army, so taking advantage of the border army today is just to get back some interest, and the border army is not qualified to accuse the Zhou family of three rooms?

But since the statement that the old lady of the third room exhausted his family wealth in order to supplement the border army is false, where did the property of the third room go?

Was it consumed by Mrs. Ma's luxurious life and wealth over the years, or did her daughter Zhou Shuyi marry away when she got married in red makeup?

Anyway, it won't be Zhou Ma's flower. She was so poor that she could only live on monthly money and the income of the Zhuangzi who married her, and from time to time she was woolened by Mrs. Ma, and was ridiculed by the female relatives of the clan for being too shabby. Where does she look like a big gold eater?

So, where is the money spent on the third room? Mrs. Ma would rather tell an unclever lie and pull her dead husband as her shield, what secret did she hide?

Haitang secretly kept this doubt in his mind, turned his head to look at his brother's reef, and found that he was also frowning and pondering, wondering if he remembered more clues from his previous life.

She turned her head to look at Cai Juan and Cai Luo again, and saw that the former looked angry and happy, and she had also heard about it from Zhou Ma in the past two days, and now she was angry about the truth that Mrs. Ma lied and deceived people, but obviously she didn't expect it to go deeper. As for the latter, she was still confused, and she probably didn't know what the conversation between the Ma sisters meant.

And at this moment, Ma also began to ask Zhou Ma some key questions: "Your old lady has presided over the middle feed for fifty years, but she doesn't look like a fool." Why would she lie like that? But if you ask someone outside, it's easy to be punctured. Isn't she afraid that after the lie is revealed, she won't be able to explain? She has been housekeeping for decades, and if there is a problem with her family's livelihood, she is the first to blame! ”

Zhou Ma's heart was obviously confused: "I don't know...... I didn't know that there was no money at home! She asked the master not to talk outside, and the master also told Don't tell anyone, who can you ask to ask?! But since she has no money, why doesn't she want to save some flowers?! A few days ago, she also said that she would make new clothes for the New Year, and she and the big house had to spend a lot of money to make clothes, using good leather, and good materials with fashionable patterns in Beijing. Zhou Jinpu's daughter-in-law also has to play new jewelry, and she also has new jewelry for her daughter, saying that the children will see each other next year, and their mother and daughter are decent, and they will not be underestimated by supporting the pomp and circumstance of the General's Mansion...... They are still spending money so lavishly, who can tell that there is no money at home?! ”

She grabbed her sister's hand tightly: "Yumei, the eldest sister has been married into the Zhou family for decades, and she has not enjoyed any blessings seriously, she only thinks about the family and everything, and the children and grandchildren can be safe, so there is no need to worry about others." But if it is because of a few lies from that mother-in-law, the flesh and blood of the forehead will be affected, the future will be gone, and the life will be worried, and the forehead will never be able to agree! Good sister, you must help the eldest sister, and tell the old man to wake up! That mother-in-law is a scourge, she is just lying at home today, what if she goes out and talks nonsense tomorrow?! ”

Ma Shi held her hand instead: "Don't worry, she has to be stupid, so many clansmen in the Zhou family are not stupid, and the old marshal can't let her ruin your old lady's reputation!" According to the forehead, if you husband and wife figure it out, but because of filial piety, you can't do anything with her, so you simply sue the clan and let the patriarch come forward to take care of it for you. Although the old marshal also wants to call your old lady aunt, isn't there still a clan elder in the Zhou clan who is the same as her? As long as these old people are willing to come forward, you don't have to worry about your reputation being damaged, you can safely confine her at home, and she will not be allowed to take care of things anymore, and she will not be allowed to see outsiders again! ”

After trapping Mrs. Ma, Zhou Shigong and Zhou Ma's husband and wife took over the power of the family, and it was not too late to slowly find out the truth of the past. It is estimated that the lost property will not be able to come back, but there is still a chance to make amends. There is always a grange industry in Sanfang, and you can't build a glass workshop to open source, you can also reduce expenses, live frugally, and always live a good life.

In this regard, Ma had to remind Zhou Ma: "Eldest sister, if you really get the power of the middle feed, remember not to spend money lavishly like your stepmother-in-law." She has a rich dowry, a second-class fate, and a highly-married daughter, but you have nothing, you need to live within your means. Your family is now just a five-grade family, in fact, you really don't need to pay attention to those virtual pomp! ”

Zhou Ma nodded blankly, his mind was already in chaos, he didn't have any ideas, he only thought about going to her husband to discuss the future.

(End of chapter)