On the other hand, everyone in the Meng Mansion had dinner and was busy cleaning up.

Meng Hao just sat there and sipped tea.

After Mrs. Meng finished her work, she walked to Meng Hao and sat down, and asked in a low voice, "Master, do you have an old relationship with that Fang Xing?"

Meng Hao was very surprised, "Why did you suddenly ask about this?"

"Shouldn't you ask? Since you came home, he has been the first one in the yamen to visit you, and he still looks like a close friend. Mrs. Meng asked rhetorically.

"Hmm... It's all old things, so why mention it again?" Meng Hao sighed.

"Does that mean you two have known each other before?" Lady Meng chased after her, and she was determined to break the casserole and ask to the end.

"Yes, we knew each other for many years. Meng Hao nodded.

"Then there is one thing that is very strange," said Mrs. Meng, with a strange face, "Do you remember the first time I went to visit you? He actually asked me for silver, saying that he would not let me in if he did not give me enough five taels of silver." ”

"You said this, I know this. Meng Hao smiled and continued: "Later, he spent the silver and bought a lot of wine and food to drink with me. ”

"Isn't the food at home delicious? Asking someone else to buy it?" asked Mrs. Meng with some surprise.

"Where... All you bring is what I like to eat, but Xiao Fang doesn't like it, so I can only buy some outside. I can't let him accompany me while I'm eating. Meng Hao explained.

"Didn't you give him food in the end?" Mrs. Meng chimed on.

"Okay, my good lady, if I didn't have Xiao Fang with me, I would definitely go crazy in those three months. Meng Hao took Mrs. Lameng's hand and said cordially.

"Old husband and wife, don't be ashamed, there are still people here. Mrs. Meng's face flushed a little.

Meng Hao smiled, returned to his normal shape, and sat there well.

Mrs. Meng continued to ask, "Master, you haven't said anything about the five taels of silver, don't think about getting by." ”

Meng Hao coughed lightly, "It's not that Xiaofang is greedy for silver, but he wants to tell others that he treats Meng Fu equally and will never bend the law for personal gain." He wants to tell others that he has his own selfish intentions, so that he can take care of me justifiably without being suspected and spied on by others. ”

Mrs. Meng pondered, "Then there are the people they planted in the jailers?"

"That's natural, prison is such an important place, how can they be uneasy about interfering with their own hands. ”

"Is it just because prison is important?" said Mrs. Meng with a smile.

"Ahem, there's plenty of oil and water there. Meng Hao no longer concealed it.

"Oh, then you can continue to talk about Fang Xing. Mrs. Meng gave her husband a blank look.

"Do you really have to know? That was many years ago. Meng Hao wanted to shirk it, but he didn't want to upset his wife.

"It's not a secret, so why hide it. ”

"Well, then I'll tell you. Meng Hao took a sip of tea, moistened his throat, and began to speak. "Fang Xing, a person from Lin'an. However, his home is not in the city, his hometown Nanting Village is a mountain village near Lin'an City near Qiandao Lake. When I met him, it was many years ago. We didn't know each other at that time. ”

Mrs. Meng's face was full of gossip, "Master, it can't be that there is a sister in his family who is like you, right?"

Meng Hao glared at Mrs. Meng, "Women's Taoist people, opening their mouths is what kind of 'goodness', and their mouths are open......"

Mrs. Meng was said, but she didn't speak.

Meng Hao sighed in his heart, and thought silently, this woman is just gossip, I wouldn't say it if I knew it.

Meng Hao was in a daze, but Mrs. Meng pulled his sleeves and urged: "Master, you don't want to deny it, do you? ”

Being urged by Mrs. Meng like this, the memories and emotions in Meng Hao's heart became more and more churning, and they bubbled out.

Meng Hao cleared his throat and continued to speak, "At that time, Xiao Fang happened to sign a contract with our family to work as a helper on a farm in the countryside. At that time, I was a little bored with reading, so I went there to spend my free time. During that time, I got to know Xiao Fang. At that time, Xiao Fang was wooden and didn't like to talk, but he grew a good man and had a lot of strength, although he was young, he did his job well.

Later one afternoon, I saw him secretly wiping his face alone, and when I walked over to take a look, I found that his eyes were red and his cheeks were moist. I asked him what was wrong, and he said that during the lunch break, his old family came to report that his father had passed away the day before. He told me that he wanted to take a leave of absence to go back, but it was too busy in the fields at that time to ask for leave.

At that time, I asked him, 'Why didn't you tell me about such a big thing at home?' besides, there is so much work in the field that he can't do it alone.' ’

He said with some grievances, 'It's not easy to find a good owner these days, how can you easily break the contract.' ’

I scolded him at the time, and then I went to the person in charge of the farm and asked him for leave.

At that time, I was a little worried about him, and I was really bored with reading, so I planned to follow him home. At first, he was reluctant to live or die, saying how could I let this young master accompany him back to the funeral.

I said, 'You have taken care of me for so long on weekdays, and you have been talking to me, fighting crickets with me, catching birds with me, and messing around with me. ’

Xiao Fang cried at that time, and I still remember that he was slightly silent at that time, wiping away his tears, and he couldn't finish wiping the feeling, and said very movingly, 'Young Master... The young master can't go...... The young master still wants to study......

He just kept saying that I wanted to read and couldn't waste time.

So I told him, 'Don't think about it, just go back in peace, but I'll come back with you when you're done.' ’

I grinded hard, and he finally agreed.

Later, I asked the steward, and the steward finally agreed, saying, 'That's fine, then it's going to be hard for the young master to run, and bring the nursing home with him, if there is any situation on the road, he can protect you.' It's just that you have to be careful on the road.'"

So I took two servants with him. He kept saying words of gratitude all the way through.

It stands to reason that running for a funeral should be a very serious matter, but in fact, all kinds of cheesy problems are indispensable. Since I, the young master, accompanied Xiao Fang back, I naturally had to bring a lot of gifts. After all, if you want to visit this and that house, you have to meet all kinds of etiquette.

In a sense, Xiao Fang's return that time can also be regarded as a part of the meaning of returning home, although it is a little incompatible with the funeral. But for example, if the old man passed away, he worked in the house of a well-known local family, and the young master of the big family followed him to pay respects, which was also a kind of face to their family. When people talk about the deceased, they will also say that he raised a good son, and how he was buried in a grand manner after he passed away, even if the deceased is still alive, what he pursues is probably this kind of thing.

People are sophisticated, and they live for a lifetime, these are also human nature.

After packing up our things, we spent the night at the farmstead.

The next morning, we had breakfast and set off.

I remember that the driver who drove the car at that time was named Li Bo, and now he is no longer there. The accompanying nurse surnamed Yuan, thirty-seven or eighteen years old, looked very calm and reliable, and held a simple knife in his hand.

I remember that Xiao Fang was a little sad about his father's death, but as a man, his emotions were not so obvious. I asked him about the situation at home, who his relatives were, who the neighbors were, and what the elders were.

Xiao Fang said simply, so I don't have to worry too much, naturally there will be brothers in the clan to help with it.

I didn't ask any more questions at the time, but I opened the curtain from time to time and looked at the scenery outside.

Slowly leaving the official road, the road gradually became less and less crowded, the road was bumpy, and at noon stopped on the side of the road for a while, mainly to let the horses rest. I took some snacks and food with me and ate some with the others.

In the morning, Xiao Fang also chatted with me for some words, and when he set off again, Xiao Fang stopped talking, I lifted the car curtain by myself and looked outside, green mountains and green waters, there are small villages in the distance, not many fields, and the overall appearance is very desolate.

The mountain road was difficult to walk, and I fell asleep gradually.

When I woke up, I was almost in Nanting Village, and it was already early at that time, so I had walked for about four or five hours.

When they arrived at the village, they were surrounded by many villagers and began to greet and greet each other.

When we arrived, Xiao Fang's father's funeral had been going on for two days. Because it was summer, the burial could not be delayed, so it began to be done before Xiao Fang went back.

I remember that as soon as I entered the village, I could see the shed erected on the side of the village lobby house, and several of Xiao Fang's relatives and his brother and sister-in-law had already greeted him.

I had heard Xiao Fang roughly introduce his family before, his father and mother, now his father has passed away, his brother married the most virtuous woman in the village as his wife, he has a younger sister who is one year younger than him, and a younger brother died when he was a child, etc.

Although Xiao Fang worked part-time in the Meng family, his family background was not bad, he was still prosperous in the village, and the funeral was also beautiful. Blowing and rapping, there is no shortage of anything, and there are many people who come over, and in the small place of Nanting Village, it can also be called decent.

The villagers also have a lot of curiosity about me, the eldest young master in the city, and ask questions. Xiao Fang introduced me to those people, and I greeted them one by one. I also said some kind words to them, thanking them for taking care of Xiaofang's family, and so on. They said that Xiao Fang met the good master's family, and the eldest young master accompanied him home for the funeral, which was too favorable.

Although Xiao Fang is wooden, he has also seen a lot of the world, and he has done a good job of greeting with his neighbors.

After that, Xiao Fang took me to meet his mother and sister.

The funeral was carried out, and then the dinner party was basically not a frequent greeting and entertainment, and in the evening, Xiao Fang was wearing linen and wearing filial piety and kneeling in the mourning hall with his brother.

I was put in a room to rest. After the end of the day, when I was about to go to bed, Xiao Fang's sister came over with a basin and a handkerchief.

I saw that the girl was wearing a light-colored dress, and her hair was a little wet, with a slight fragrance......"

Speaking of which. Meng Hao stopped and stopped talking, Mrs. Meng just looked at her husband playfully, and asked playfully: "So you became Fang Xing's cheap brother-in-law?"

"Not really. Meng Hao just let out a long sigh, and then turned around and walked out of the dining room, but his figure was a little lonely.