Listening to Shen Tianshu's words, Shen Lin couldn't help feeling ashamed.
As a grandmother, I didn't expect so much. No wonder Master Shen had spoken highly of this big girl before, saying that there would be no problem with her taking care of her.
I thought that a girl's family would be limited even if it was comprehensive, but I didn't expect it to be so careful and considerate.
Thinking of this, she hurriedly said: "Girl, I, I'm free. I can't help with anything else. It's okay to do some needlework."
Shen Tianshu hesitated for a moment after hearing this. Although Shen Lin was a guest to his family, he was from the same clan and clan and could not be considered an outsider. He did not have so many taboos.
She then nodded and said: "That's fine, I'll do my best to my uncle. Just make Mo'er two thin cotton-padded clothes and trousers to wear inside."
"I'll send a maid over to help you later. I'll try to make one during the day and put it on for the child.
"Although winter has not yet entered, it has already become cold at night, and staying in the mourning hall is far less warm than inside.
"After these two thin ones are finished, I have to make the thick one again. After the funeral, I have to go all the way back to my hometown, and it will really be winter by then."
"Thank you, Miss, for your thoughtfulness." If Shen Lin was still a little worried before, now she was truly relieved and left Mo'er in the mourning hall under the care of Shen Tianshu.
She pulled Mo'er aside and whispered in a low voice: "You should stay here to watch the funeral, and listen to the big girl's orders in everything. I will go back and make a jacket for you, do you know?"
Although he was about to face a room full of strangers alone, Mo'er still didn't show any fear and said very sensibly: "Go ahead, I'll obey you!"
It has been more than ten days since the funeral was suspended, and all the people who wanted to express their condolences have already come. Those relatives and friends who live far away from the mountains and roads are not convenient to come. Most of them send servants to come with the funeral rites, but only sporadically. How many people.
Therefore, besides burning paper, there was almost nothing else to do in the mourning hall at this time. Shen Tianshu could still find time to deal with chores at home every day.
Shen Yunhui led Mo'er to kneel down in front of the soul and asked in a low voice: "Does your knee hurt? If so, I'll ask someone to put another futon on your knee."
Mo'er shook his head and said, "It doesn't hurt. I always accompany Nao to worship Buddha and chant sutras at home. I'm used to kneeling."
Hearing this, Shen Yunhui showed a trace of sympathy in her eyes, raised her hand to rub Mo'er's hair and said, "Sister, I'm busy with work, so we can come over and burn paper when we have nothing to do.
"Remember, everything else is fine except for one thing: the paper in this basin must not be broken.
"If the fire goes out, big trouble will happen if someone looking for trouble sees it!"
Mo'er nodded in understanding. Although he didn't know who the person was who was making trouble and what big thing would happen if he saw it, he still kept the fact that the fire in the basin could not be extinguished firmly in his heart.
While the two were talking, someone suddenly shouted loudly outside the door: "My uncle is here!"
Shen Yunhui quickly pulled Mo'er and said quickly in a low voice: "Kneel down quickly, the troublemaker is here!"
As soon as Mo'er straightened up, she heard several heavy footsteps coming from behind, followed by Shen Tianshu's voice.
"Uncle is here."
"Well!" Xu Bingrong exhaled from his nose and said as he walked towards the funeral, "I heard that my eldest sister's adopted son has arrived? Why don't you come over and take a look!
"Tian Shu, I am not picky as an uncle. Although my sister and the child are gone, she gave birth to children and raised daughters for your Shen family, was filial to the elderly, and brought you up, don't you think?
"It's a big deal to recognize your adopted son, but you can't just find a cat or dog on the roadside and just accept it, don't you think?"
"My uncle's words are serious. Isn't the adopted son adopted by his mother also the adopted son of his father? Even for the sake of his own official reputation, my father will act cautiously.
"Although Mo'er is young, he is a smart child praised by his elders. He has been generous, well-behaved and sensible since he was a child.
"The person was personally selected by the patriarch of the Shen family, and was sent here with the approval of the uncle in the family. My grandmother and father have also seen it, and they are extremely satisfied.
"My father even gave Mo'er a name himself, calling him Shen Pengzheng. How could he be the kitten or puppy that my uncle said?"
After Shen Tianshu finished speaking, without waiting for Xu Bingrong to speak, he greeted directly: "Mo'er, why don't you come over and meet your uncle?"
Mo'er quickly stood up, walked to Xu Bingrong, knelt down and kowtowed to him in a polite manner: "Shen Pengzheng met my uncle and kowtowed to him."
Xu Bingrong was so full of things that the two of them choked him that he couldn't say a word.
After Mo'er stood up, she unconsciously moved her feet twice to bring herself closer to Shen Tianshu.
Shen Tianshu put his arms around the child's thin shoulders and protected him under his wings.
Xu Bingrong encountered a weak point and went back, unwilling to accept it. He thought that the funeral would be held in a few days. If he didn't go to Shen Zhonglei to ask for the dowry, it would be too late on the day of the funeral.
So he changed the topic and said: "Look at you kid, what are you talking about? I'm just asking out of concern, so it's just a pointless question.
"These are matters for adults. I have nothing to discuss with you children. I'll talk to your father."
Xu Bingrong left the mourning hall and went straight to Shen Zhonglei's current residence.
When he entered the room, Shen Zhonglei was leaning on the bedside to review official documents.
Seeing this, Xu Bingrong said with a smile: "Hey, my brother-in-law is so diligent. Even when he was sick, he didn't forget to handle official matters."
Shen Zhonglei said without raising his eyelids: "I'm just sick, so there are so many people in Yongzhou Prefecture who don't have to do anything?"
"You usually don't do anything on your salary, so you don't know the cumbersomeness of official work.
"If I don't do it now, it will only accumulate more and more, and even if I recover, I will get sick again."
The irony in Shen Zhonglei's words was very obvious, but Xu Bingrong was thick-skinned and didn't take it seriously at all.
He didn't need anyone to give in. He sat down and said, "Brother-in-law, I know that my salary depends on your help, but you don't need to talk about it all the time."
"One thing?" After hearing this, Shen Zhonglei finally raised his head and looked at him with raised eyebrows, "In your heart, is this the only thing I helped you with?"
"That's not possible, how could I mean that!" Xu Bingrong said with a playful smile, "You have helped me a lot. But now that my sister and children have gone, from now on we will be said to be in-laws, but we will also be strangers. There’s no difference.”
"What on earth do you want to say? Why don't you just say it directly? I still have so much I haven't read yet, so I really don't have time to beat around the bush with you." Shen Zhonglei patted the pile of official documents in front of him and said.
Xu Bingrong cleared his throat and said: "Actually, it's not a big deal. The main thing is, the dowry my eldest sister brought over...
"Ahem, look, now that my eldest sister is gone and her children are gone, do you think this dowry is... right..."
Shen Zhonglei thought to himself, finally he couldn't help but mention this matter.
He closed the official document in his hand, changed his sitting position and said, "Isn't this a newly adopted son? You have to rely on him to break the pot for your eldest sister during the funeral!"
Xu Bingrong exploded when he heard this. He jumped up and said, "What do you mean, you just adopted an adopted son and decided to cheat on my sister's dowry?"