"Ah, Brother Wenlong has finally sent a letter!" Zhang Jinchao picked up the letter and shouted in surprise.

Zheng Lifang asked with a little surprise, "Brother Wenlong?" Who is Brother Wenlong? Why haven't I heard you say that there is a person named Brother Wenlong? ”

Zhang Jinchao said excitedly: "Brother Wenlong is my classmate. At the beginning, the two of us participated in the imperial examination together and were made officials by the emperor together. In the blink of an eye, it has been three or five years since the breakup. ”

Wang Shaoxiang still didn't quite understand: "Husband, why did Brother Wenlong suddenly write to you?" ”

"Madam, let me ask you, how did I treat the people when I was an official in the court?" Zhang Jinchao did not answer the rhetorical question.

Wang Shaoxiang smiled: "You never told me, how can I know how you are in the eyes of the people?" However, judging from the fact that our family is now impoverished, lacking food and clothing, it at least proves that you are not a corrupt official. ”

"Our Zhang family has been an official for generations, and our ancestors have left a legacy to warn future generations to be honest and honest as officials. Back then, I, Zhang Jinchao, wanted to repay the court's reuse of kindness, and I was glorifying the Zhang family's court, and I have always been diligent and honest. It's just that I was framed by traitors and dismissed me and returned to my hometown. Therefore, I have never given up and been unwilling! When I returned to my hometown, I asked Brother Wenlong to excuse me in the court and look for an opportunity to make a comeback. Later, when I heard that Brother Wenlong had been promoted to a bachelor of Hanlin, he had a better chance to speak for me, so last year, I asked someone to bring him a letter. Zhang Jinchao gushed endlessly.

Wang Shaoxiang wanted to speak and stopped.

Zhang Jinchao opened the letter hopefully.

He didn't look at it, but he stood there like a thunderbolt on a sunny day.

It turned out that the letter wrote: Keep in mind what Brother Nian entrusted. The predicament of my brother in Handan, like a tiger falling in Pingyang, is also something Wenlong can think of. Wenlong united with his colleagues, contacted in the same year, and promised the emperor several times that he was not allowed to play......

In a trance, Zhang Jinchao seemed to hear Guan Zhenjiang say to him mockingly: You Zhang Jinchao offended the old man, and he wanted to be reinstated!

This voice hit Zhang Jinchao's heart like a heavy hammer.

He let out a "wow" as a stream of blood erupted from his mouth, and his entire body fell to the ground with a bang......

Wang Shaoxiang and Xiao Shaofei exclaimed in unison: "Husband, ......"

"Daddy......"

……

In order to save Zhang Jinchao's life, Wang Shaoxiang pulled Xiao Shaofei and staggered into Handan City.

Entering the north of the city, Wang Shaoxiang looked around, her eyes patrolled a store, and finally, she hesitated, walked to a grocery store, inquired about the shopkeeper, and asked earnestly: "Little second brother, may I ask you, where is the pawnshop in the city?" ”

The shopkeeper looked at the woman and the child, and said impatiently: "Go and go, inquire about gossip and go elsewhere......"

Wang Shaoxiang pulled Xiao Shaofei and was about to turn around and leave, when a middle-aged man came out of it.

He is the owner of this grocery store, surnamed Zhang Daocheng, and he kindly said to Wang Shaoxiang: "Sister-in-law, where are you from?" ”

Wang Shaoxiang said: "My mother and I are from Taizhen Village. The child's father is sick and has no money for medicine, so he thinks of ...... in the pawnshop."

"Sister-in-law, you go forward to the fourth intersection, then walk north for about 80 meters, cross the street and go west to the third intersection and ......then turn north," Zhang Daocheng pointed kindly.

Wang Shaoxiang was confused when she heard it, and was embarrassed, "Boss, may I ask, which side is north?" I'm a little dazed when I hear it......"

"I'd better take you there, so that you don't have to go the wrong way." Zhang Daocheng said apologetically.

"Thank you so much!" Zheng Lifang bowed to Zhang Daocheng with gratitude, and then followed him to the pawnshop.

Wang Shaoxiang saw that there was a shopkeeper at the counter, so he handed over a bag of clothes.

The shopkeeper shook out a half-new official uniform from his baggage and looked at Wang Shaoxiang: "You, where did this official uniform come from?" Did you steal it from the Yamen? ”

Wang Shaoxiang looked at the shopkeeper solemnly and said, "Although our Zhang family is down, we would rather starve to death than steal other people's things!" ”

The shopkeeper of the pawnshop picked up his official uniform, looked at Wang Shaoxiang suspiciously, and asked, "You are a common people, this official uniform?" ”

Wang Shaoxiang looked at the official uniform and said seriously: "This official uniform belongs to my lord, my lord was an official in the imperial court three years ago, of course he has an official uniform." ”

The shopkeeper looked at the official uniform and estimated: This official uniform is the same as that worn by Master Shangshu......

So, looking at Wang Shaoxiang, he asked tentatively: "Sister-in-law, your master has ever been a scholar in the court?" ”

Wang Shaoxiang nodded and said, "Alas, that was three years ago. ”

The shopkeeper asked puzzledly: "The common people say that if you are an official, you will be rich." Since you are a family of great officials, you still need to be clothed? ”

Wang Shaoxiang sighed and was speechless.

"Big shopkeeper, three years ago, there was a big official who was demoted from the court to our Handan, it seems that this lady is his family, I think, don't be embarrassed for her." Zhang Daocheng, who was standing on the side, spoke for Wang Shaoxiang.

"Since Boss Zhang said it, then I will accept the official uniform." The shopkeeper took out a few pieces of silver from the drawer.

Wang Shaoxiang took the broken silver, and under the guidance of Zhang Daocheng, he took Xiao Shaofei into the Chinese medicine shop to administer medicine.

This is the first time Xiao Shaofei has been to Handan City since he was born.

……

The winding Taizhen Village is still steaming and the weather is myriad, but the royal houses in the village have lost the laughter and vitality of the past.

Xiao Shaofei sat silently in the kitchen, fanning a small tandoor stove with a rotten sunflower fan to make medicine.

In the bedroom, Zhang Jinchao was lying on the bamboo bed, motionless, like a dead corpse.

After a while, he turned over, opened his eyes and turned around, two lines of tears dripping from the corners of his eyes, "Alas, madam, there is no hope for her husband's reinstatement...... Zhang Jinchao said lamentingly.

"Husband, if you are not an official, you should not be an official. The power of the sky is unpredictable, and he lives in fear all day long, and if he is not careful, the black yarn hat will be lost. Wang Shaoxiang explained.

Zhang Jinchao just thought about something, a mouthful of phlegm came up, coughed violently, his body trembled, and he couldn't breathe.

Wang Shaoxiang hurriedly came over, and while gently beating his back, he shouted sadly: "Master...... Master, don't be so yourself......"

After a long time, Zhang Jinchao finally spit out a mouthful of phlegm, gasped, and fell asleep for a while.

In the kitchen, Xiao Shaofei, who was cooking medicine, seemed to be caught in some kind of thought, and the expression on his face was extremely dazed.

The rotten sunflower fan in Xiao Shaofei's hand fanned the wind for a while.

Wang Shaoxiang shouted indoors: "Fei'er, is the medicine pot ready?" ”

But Xiao Shaofei didn't realize it, thinking hard and meditating as before.

Wang Shaoxiang called out twice, but still didn't answer, so he walked out of the room.

She saw that Xiao Shaofei was in a daze, so she gently knocked him with a burning stick.

Xiao Shaofei was stunned and asked, "What's the matter, A-Niang?" ”

Wang Shaoxiang said angrily: "What's the matter! What do you say? Tell you to boil medicine, where has your soul gone? ”

Xiao Shaofei realized that the fire was about to go out.

After Xiao Shaofei fanned the fire in the stove, he looked at Zheng Lifang and asked puzzledly: "Auntie, why is Daddy's official uniform still kept?" ”

"Why are you asking this? Compare the heart to make medicine. Wang Shaoxiang turned white and Xiao Shaofei was.

"That official uniform, can you come back in the future?" Xiao Shaofei asked again.

Wang Shaoxiang said indignantly: "What are you going to come back for? Your dad is daydreaming! He wants to be reinstated, unless the sun comes out of the west......"

Xiao Shaofei tilted his head and asked, "Dad vomited blood for this, and he was so angry that he got sick?" ”

Wang Shaoxiang spread his hands and said, "Who said it wasn't." He has been in Handan for three years, but he has been looking forward to being reused by the imperial court one day, and now his hope is shattered, and without this breath, he will not be able to hold on......"

Xiao Shaofei blinked and said, "Why does Daddy think like this?" ”

"It's not about getting a good name in front of people." Wang Shaoxiang said with a bitter face.

"Is fame that important?" Xiao Shaofei looked at Wang Shaoxiang inexplicably.

Wang Shaoxiang was stunned and didn't know how to answer. When the pot was ready, she poured it into a bowl and brought it into the house.