Updated: 2012-10-13

A quiet bluestone alley; old stone slabs and moss marks, new red lanterns; a courtyard door gently opened; a pretty girl's face suddenly showed a surprise expression. It seems that this scene has been experienced somewhere, but Zhang Ning knew that this was a deception of memory, but it just seemed familiar.

When we met at the gate of the courtyard, we didn't have time to say a few words. My younger sister's smart eyes seemed to have thousands of words, but soon more people needed to socialize and couldn't say anything. Even the neighbors around us came to "watch" after hearing that Zhang Ning, who was an official, came to "watch". Some people couldn't help but ask why there was no escort from the official officer who beat the drums and drums, and why there was no red flower sedan, as if Zhang Ning had won the top scholar and returned home in glory. Perhaps it was impossible to be a Shangguan in the Beijing eyes in the eyes of his fellow villagers.

Zhang Jiujin and his son were still doing business during the peak New Year season, but soon they closed the shop and came home.

Like stars holding the moon, neighbors who don’t usually come and go around Zhang Ning, and their respect and envy are beyond words. Zhang Jiujin is also full of red faces, and he is very rewarding for his compliments to his neighbors as an elder. When people are happy, they must lead the whole afternoon to set up a few tables in the yard.

Social engagements, flattery, politeness, and wine. The Zhang family courtyard is prosperous, like spring comes early, and the prosperity is auspicious, and people like it. Zhang Ning always smiles, and people during the New Year are so proud of their faces, and they can't even put their faces down even if they get frozen. Zhang Ning can't help but look around and search for the little sister's figure from time to time. There is nothing to do, but he subconsciously wants to see what she is doing; but he can meet the same gaze of the little sister every time.

Zhang Jiujin, who was sitting above, had successfully changed his role, as if he suddenly changed from a businessman to a respected gentry. He also talked about the words to the officialdom, and he was suspected of deliberately showing off: "When the Shangyuan County Yamen sent someone to deliver official documents, I didn't recognize who it was at first, but Dalang recognized it. Dalang made some friends with the county officials. After seeing Master Zhao, he realized that it was Zhao, who was around the county magistrate. He personally sent the official documents from the Ministry of Personnel. I invited me to the tea hall to talk..."

"Shi Ye, who is in charge of grain and horses, according to the words of the county clerk, the county magistrate made many decisions. "The eldest brother Zhang Shicai and his father were talking to each other. "The county magistrate is not convenient for him to come here, so he sent Mr. Zhao, which is considered very important. He usually just sends an official document to him."

Zhang Ning was not willing to save his uncle's face, so he said, "I was sent out to the judge of Yangzhou Prefecture at the end of the year. Not long ago, I was still a Beijing official of the Ministry of Rites, so it was inconvenient to walk with my parents in my hometown."

The same deskmate said seriously: "Although we have never walked around, we are all officials in the same court, so it is easy to talk about. In the future, if any of the villagers in the village has something to do with the government, we are not so afraid of the officials!"

The gate of the courtyard was not closed, and a rich man came again. He followed the two servants carrying a bundle of silk. He bowed and looked very intimate with Zhang Jiujin. After a long time of confusion, Zhang Ning realized that this person was not someone else, but his former father-in-law Wang Junwai. After the engagement was withdrawn, he could still come and go to the door in a big way, and gave such a big gift for no reason, which made people feel that it was a very unexpected business.

...The bustle and noise continued until the lights on Liren Street were bright before they dispersed one after another. A few tables of cups and garbage all over the ground were left. The women of the Zhang family were busy, while the men were full of food and drink and enjoying enough to squat at the door of the main hall to continue chatting. Two generations of three old men did not do housework. Zhang Shicai, who was pretending to be elegant at the table just now was picking his teeth with a toothpick.

"The Wang family wants to repair the relationship between the two families." Zhang Jiujin sighed.

Zhang Shicai smiled and looked at Zhang Ning: "Our Erlang is talented and their family is wealthy. If there is no such twists and turns in the middle, it will be considered a good match. The Wang family in Jiangning County has a wealthy family and lacks nothing, so they lack a good fortune; and Miss Wang is good-looking."

"Wen Wang did make a special mention twice, and he came to the door in person today." Uncle Zhang Jiujin said seriously, "Erlang and his younger sister are not young anymore and are not married yet. What do we think of our Zhang family?"

Zhang Shicai said again: "Don't say, the matchmaker who has been here to propose marriage in the past few months has quickly smoothed the threshold of our family. Now we are a family of officials, and many people like young girls."

"Er brother hasn't gotten married, so how can I make a little sister get married first!" Zhang Xiaomei, who was working, kept listening with her ears, and couldn't help but interrupt.

Zhang Shicai smiled and said, "The eldest lady of the eunuch's family will not go out of the door, but she will be called a certain identity. Don't run around in front of others and behind them in the future."

"Okay, I can't ask for it. Brother, come and sweep the yard. How can a dignified lady do such a job?" Zhang Xiaomei's crisp voice interpreted Nanjing official language to the extreme, and it was gentler than Wu's voice.

"Wen Wang's affairs depend on Erlang's idea." Zhang Jiujin kept serious regardless of the brother and sister's jokes. He finally said the truth. After all, the uncle is not a parent.

Zhang Ning then said, "The gifts sent by the Wang family today can only be refunded."

Jiujin and his son fell silent immediately.

Zhang Ning explained calmly again: "The teacher of the crown prince at that time, Zuo Yude Yang Shiqi, his daughter has made an engagement with me. When the official dealings at the beginning of the year, the Yang family should be able to write a book to the uncle. So the matter of the Wang family can only be forgotten."

"The Prince's teacher!" Zhang Shicai looked imaginative, as if imagining those great people whom he had never known before. He then laughed, "It's still Erlang's future! Since that's the case, why didn't you say it earlier? You mentioned that the Wang family is doing something. Tomorrow, we won't care about this."

Zhang Jiujin didn't say anything, usually he was much more steady than his son. He then suddenly said, "By the way, there is another very important thing. There is a husband named Ma Wenchang in Jiangning County who said he was a scholar from the tribute court with Erlang. His parents came to visit the begging people in person, but he almost made him kneel down... Erlang knew people in the government, could he help him?"

"It depends on what's going on." Zhang Ning said curiously.

"Dalang, you can make it clear." Zhang Jiujin looked at his son.

Zhang Shicai looked gloating: "This is a traitor who can do evil in heaven, but he can't live! Last time Erlang was wrongly accused of cheating in the imperial examination and was put into prison. It turned out that someone was hurting you behind the scenes! This person is either someone else, or his classmate Ma Wenchang."

"Who went to investigate this matter?" Zhang Ning felt a little angry, but he could still keep calm.

I remembered the scene when I met Ma Wenchang outside the Fule House. The guy looked polite and smiling on the surface. The person who didn't want to stab him in his back was either this dog. He also deliberately mentioned that Yang Sihai had a conflict with him and wanted to frame Yang Sihai. How could I offend him? Why did he harm me? What kind of classmate of Ma Wenchang is, and it's better to be a prostitute who has only met once.

Zhang Shicai said: "According to Master Zhao, Ma Wenchang went to Nanzhili to report to a censor named Zhou, who was wronged. Unexpectedly, the censor named Zhou was implicated in the case of Qin in Beijing and was taken to the Jinyiwei. I don't know who interrogated him for falsely accusing the Minister of Rites, and then brought out the informant Ma Wenchang, who was said to be a fellow party member of Zhou, but it seemed that he was not a big role. He did not come to the Jinyiwei, and the constable of Shangyuansi came to arrest him and was imprisoned... You see, this harmed others and himself will eventually harm himself!"

"His parents are unbearable. I heard that they are the only ones." Uncle frowned, "Besides, if we repay our grudges with kindness, our Zhang family has a reputation among the neighbors, otherwise the neighbors would not know what to say to us."

Zhang Ning couldn't help but glared and said, "How can I repay my kindness with kindness?"

Zhang Jiujin frowned and looked at him. He soon felt that he seemed too angry to speak to his elders in this tone. Qing was so angry that he held back his emotions and said patiently: "Uncle, please forgive me. I really can't do anything like this. It is clear that Ma Wenchang was a member of Zhou Nezhi and took Qinghong to prison without asking about it. It is obvious that it is an indiscriminate revenge from the Eastern Palace faction. I go to plead for him. Who am I on? To put it bluntly, there are so many things that started with the suspected cheating of the examiner, Lord Lu, and I were all unaware of the truth. The chess piece involved. Let's find a way to stay away, but Ma Wenchang came to him by himself. His own brain... can he blame someone else?"

"Erlang is right!" Zhang Shicai stood firmly on Zhang Ning's side, "It seems that Ma Wenchang did this detrimental thing because of Miss Wang. For this matter, he was slandering us. What kind of favors can he say now? We cannot let Erlang's future be affected because of him."

"Well." Zhang Jiujin said, "Forget it if you can't help, our Zhang family is kind to others, and the neighbors will know each other over time."

My uncle is old and does look a little bit unrelated to grudges and is too afraid of trouble. However, when Zhang Ning heard him speak, he breathed a sigh of relief. When he was resting, he subconsciously looked around and didn't see Zhang Xiaomei. When he looked up, he saw a red window on the gray wall. It was the little girl wearing a little red coat, looking at Zhang Ning with a smile.

A pure smile makes people think of it with all kinds of beautiful things in the world. Just that gentle look can make people obsessed with it and see that everything around them has no color and brilliance, and other things are extremely boring.

"When I clean up, I can have a good sleep at night." Zhang Xiaomei shouted softly in front of the window.

In the same Nanjing Mandarin, why can’t women such as aunt and sister-in-law speak so well? The staggered tunes of characters are smoothly connected like streamlines, which are more beautiful than the lyrics sung by Yue Opera.

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