After Meng Ran and the others ate and drank enough, they only felt extremely hot.

Because the wine in the restaurant is too spicy and strong, it is not as mellow and delicious as the wine in Jiangnan, and after drinking a few bowls of wine, everyone only feels full of wine.

Geng Huyuan was addicted and shouted: "It's the first time I've drunk such strong wine since I came to Jiangnan Province, it's really enjoyable." If it weren't for my injuries, I would have liked to drink another 300 glasses and get drunk. ”

The swordsman surnamed Lin picked up the porcelain bowl with half of the wine left, drank it all, and then let out a long sigh of relief and said, "This bowl of wine has the taste of home." ”

Meng Ran, who only drank a small sip and didn't want to drink anymore, smiled bitterly, he looked at Geng Huyuan and the swordsman surnamed Lin who were flushed, and said: "This wine is too spicy, it's hard to eat, I don't know why you love to drink it." ”

Geng Huyuan just muttered, "You are still young and don't understand the taste of Northland wine." ”

Meng Ran pursed his lips, took out a piece of silver from his arms, and handed it to the shopkeeper who was standing aside.

After the shopkeeper gave change, the uncle and nephew of the Zhu family at the next table also finished their meal, and the two tables stood up almost at the same time and walked towards the outside of the restaurant.

After leaving the restaurant, Zhu Wuchang hesitated, slowly walked up to Meng Ran, and invited: "Little Brother Meng, are you going to Tongli Ancient Town? ”

Meng Ran didn't rush to answer, and turned to look at the Geng Nursing Courtyard on the side.

After receiving the jaw of Geng Huyuan's jaw signal, Meng Ran smiled at Zhu Wuchang and said, "I can't ask for it." ”

With that, the group rode horses or horse-drawn carriages and headed for the north of the town.

Zhu Wuchang drove his horse and Meng Ran side by side, and asked in a strange tone, "Does Junior Brother Meng have the idea of participating in the Ji Family Competition to recruit a son-in-law?"

Meng Ran shook his head and said honestly: "I have a marriage contract, so it is inconvenient to participate." I wish Brother Zhu a victory and a beautiful return. ”

Zhu Wuchang smiled and said, "Who knows if that eldest lady of the Ji family is beautiful or ugly, if she is as beautiful as a fairy, why bother to recruit a son-in-law......?"

At this moment, Zhu Lao Er, who was on the horse in front, turned his head and glared at his nephew, those cold eyes made Zhu Wuchang tremble, and swallowed the words back into his stomach.

A smile appeared on the corner of Meng Ran's mouth, and he quietly looked at this extremely interesting pair of uncles and nephews.

Zhu Wuchang was probably aware of Meng Ran's playful eyes, and in order to ease the current atmosphere, he coughed lightly and asked in a low voice, "Junior Brother Meng is a monk?"

Meng Ran nodded and said, "Junior brother has just started to practice. ”

Zhu Wuchang glanced at Meng Ran's palm, and said with a smile: "Look at the cocoon on your hand, it should be practiced with a knife, right?"

Meng Ran continued to nod.

"Then do you have time to compete?" Zhu Wuchang asked with great vigour.

Meng Ran hesitated, nodded slowly, and said, "Okay, I have time to compete." ”

"Are you going to stay in Tongli Ancient Town tonight or continue on your way?" Zhu Wuchang asked again.

Meng Ran ran ran out of ideas and looked at the carriage behind him.

Geng Huyuan lifted the corner of the curtain and asked softly, "Little brother, when will Jijia Wuyuan open?"

Zhu Wuchang said very casually: "If it is not expected, it should be the day after tomorrow." ”

Geng Huyuan thought for a while, and said indifferently: "Since we happened to meet, then we will stay in Tongli Ancient Town for two days, and it just so happens that you two young students will have a discussion together." ”

Zhu Wuchang cheered, thinking that he was in a very good mood at the moment.

He traveled more than 1,000 miles with his uncle Zhu Laoer, from Hongzhou in Jiangnan West Province to Suzhou in Jiangnan East Province, and suffered a lot.

Compared with hardship, the loneliness of no one to speak to relieve boredom is the most unacceptable.

Zhu Lao Er is an extremely strict elder, very majestic on weekdays, he can only say some ordinary words, once he crosses the line, he will be reprimanded at best, and at worst he will be beaten flat.

During this period of hurry, Zhu Wuchang was very depressed, and now that he can see a swordsman of the same age, his heart is itching, and he can't wait to ride the same horse with Meng Ran and have a good exchange.

Meng Ran waited for Geng Huyuan to lower the curtain before retracting his gaze, turned to look at Zhu Wuchang, and asked, "Brother Zhu, what is this Jijia Wuyuan?"

Zhu Wuchang was worried that he had no topic to talk to Meng Ran, but now he happened to meet Meng Ran to send a topic, and said happily: "The Ji Family Wuyuan was built by the ancestor of the Ji family during his lifetime, and as for the ancestor of the Ji family, it is a long story. ”

The ancestor of the Ji family has a single name and a son, no word, no Taoist, but a person from the town of Wujiang County, Suzhou, the former dynasty.

Ji Cheng's family was poor when he was a teenager, but he caught up with a good era. At that time, not long after the imperial examination system was first implemented in the previous dynasty, various localities vigorously built academies to promote education in order to make some political achievements.

The ancestor of the Ji family entered the academy to study by chance, and he was very talented, and soon became familiar with the subset of scriptures and history, and the qin, chess, calligraphy and painting were also involved.

Not long after, the ancestor of the Ji family was admitted to the Xiucai fame, and his future was bright.

It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, because of the involvement of a fraud case, the ancestor of the Ji family was fined and confiscated his fame, and he was sentenced to more than a year in prison.

After being released from prison, the ancestor of the Ji family began to travel the rivers and lakes, going through the wind and dust, and the first half of his life can be regarded as hardships and ups and downs, and he lived a stable and happy life without a day.

Maybe it was God who opened his eyes, or maybe it was the fate of the ancestor of the Ji family, when he was in his forties, he met a Taoist priest in a mountain ancient temple.

The Taoist priest and the ancestor of the Ji family hit it off at first sight, and they had the idea of accepting disciples.

In the following years, the ancestor of the Ji family followed this cheap master to the north and south, and saw a lot of little-known scenery and wonderland, and his cultivation was also making great progress.

When the ancestor of the Ji family returned to his hometown, he was already more than fifty years old, but his steps were light and his body was strong, and he did not look like an old man who had passed the age of destiny.

The ancestor of the Ji family spent a lot of money to build a garden, and left the secret method of learning from the Taoist people in it, which is today's Ji Jia Wu Garden.

After decades of operation, Jijia has become a giant in Suzhou, and even once dominated Jiangnan Dongdao and became famous all over the world.

It's just that if a family wants to develop well, in addition to relying on the blessings left by their ancestors, they must also have suitable young children to inherit the incense.

The Ji family has lasted for hundreds of years, from the beginning of a one-person business to the later dominance of Jiangnan Province, and then to the current struggling to maintain, experiencing prosperity and decline.

After listening to Zhu Wuchang's chatter, Meng Ran asked with a puzzled expression: "Since the Ji family Wuyuan has such a powerful secret method, why doesn't the Ji family concentrate on cultivation?

Zhu Wuchang was hesitant, obviously he didn't know the answer, and as for all the news about the Ji family, I think it was also from other people's word of mouth.

Zhu Laoer, who was walking in front, pulled the reins lightly, slowed down and walked side by side with Meng Ran, and praised from the heart: "Little Brother Meng's question is to the point, unlike some people who are simple-minded and have developed limbs, who only know how to parrot and learn words, and don't know how to draw inferences at all. ”

Zhu Wuchang was belittled by his uncle, but he didn't have any different colors, and he was used to being scolded by this uncle who was extremely cultivated and short-tempered, or his skin was already very thick.

Meng Ran was a little embarrassed by this inexplicable compliment, and didn't know how to answer.

Zhu Lao Er continued: "Legend has it that at the beginning of the construction of Jijia Wuyuan, the Five Elements Bagua Formation was secretly combined, and if outsiders forcibly broke in, they would definitely damage the layout of the garden, and naturally they would not be able to find the secret method.

As for why the descendants of the Ji family don't concentrate on cultivation, it's because of an old thing.

Legend has it that fifty years ago, an ancestor of the Ji family acted viciously and viciously, doing all kinds of evil in the rivers and lakes, and finally annoyed a hidden master, slaughtering all the masters of the Ji family at that time, leaving only some teenagers.

At this point, no one knows the secret of the Ji family Wuyuan anymore, and the family tradition has also been broken, and the prestige of the Ji family is naturally the river is declining, and the prestige of the ancestors will no longer be restored.

Therefore, there is today's competition to recruit sons-in-law, I think it is to find a person who can revive the Ji family, and this person must also be a candidate arranged by God in the dark, to be able to understand the secret of the Ji family Wu Yuan, and to find the Ji family's family tradition. ”

Hearing this mysterious explanation, Meng Ran's brows furrowed slightly, and he asked, "What if no one can understand the secret of Wuyuan?

Zhu Lao Er laughed and said: "The Ji family dares to invite colleagues from all over the world with great fanfare, I think I have a certain degree of certainty, otherwise I won't tell the world." ”

Meng Ran sighed and asked, "What are the requirements for participating in the Ji family competition to recruit sons-in-law?"

Before Zhu Lao Er could speak, Zhu Wuchang screamed strangely, and said in a strange tone: "Junior Brother Meng, do you also want to participate in the Ji family's competition to recruit a son-in-law? Then the two of us are opponents, and we have to hurry up and compete." ”

Meng Ran smiled indifferently and explained: "I just want to enter the Jijia Wuyuan Garden, and I don't have any other thoughts, Brother Zhu thinks too much." ”

Zhu Wuchang was about to continue to say something, but Zhu Lao Er glared back with his eyes.

Zhu Laoer's attitude towards Meng Ran was very polite and gentle, which was diametrically opposed to his attitude towards his nephew, and said softly: "It is said that the requirements of the Ji family are young and handsome under the age of thirty, and these people must have a clean family background and no criminal record, and they want to join the Ji family, and the children after marriage are naturally surnamed Ji." ”

Meng Ran bowed slightly, and said, "This request is not excessive, is there anything else?"

Zhu Lao Er said: "As for the other detailed requirements, I don't know very much, but I think there are just a few, which are nothing more than requirements for good health, no medication to stimulate cultivation growth, no wife and children, etc." ”

Zhu Wuchang laughed gloatingly, and said: "Little Brother Meng, it seems that you don't meet the regulations, you already have a marriage contract, you can't participate in the Ji family's competition to recruit a son-in-law, and you can't enter the Ji family's Wuyuan, it's a pity." ”

Meng Ran was speechless about Zhu Wuchang's attitude, rolled his eyes greatly, and counterattacked: "That's better than you." At least I don't have to send people away to look at people's eyes, I can live a chic and free life, and do whatever I want. Moreover, my child has my surname Meng. ”

Words such as 'sending people away, looking at people's eyes, children' were bitten very hard by Meng Ran.

Zhu Wuchang was choked by Meng Ran's anger, but he didn't know how to refute it, he just sat on the back of the horse with a huff.