The novelty of going out made Shen Jue, Shen Qin and others full of excitement. Even though they had been working in a carriage for a day, they were still in high spirits.
When they arrived at the inn, everyone was familiar with each other, and they were called to a place by Mrs. Xu to have dinner.
When the dining table was moved away, the little brothers put their heads together and chattered non-stop, feeling strange about everything they mentioned.
The two elders, Shen Quan and Shen Zhu, had traveled far away, but not many of the younger ones were so excited.
But Shen Quancha noticed something was wrong with Shen Zhu. The all-rounded young scholar in the clan suddenly seemed like a different person and became silent. He was holding a book in his hand and sitting next to him with a dull expression. It is incompatible with this cheerful atmosphere.
Shen Quan and he were clan brothers and entered clan school in the same year. They often played together in the early years. It was only because one was successful and the other was unknown, that they gradually became more and more popular.
Regardless of whether Shen Zhu likes it or not, since she has followed her elders and still behaves like this and is so unpopular, there is no way she will end up well in the end.
Shen Quan glanced at Mrs. Xu and saw that Mrs. Xu was listening to Shen Jue and Shen Qin with a smile. She didn't pay attention to what they were talking about, so she came to Shen Zhu and whispered: "Brother Zhu is so lethargic. , but are you tired of riding in the car?"
Talking like this is just an early warning. If you don't like sitting, you can just excuse yourself and go back to your room because you are tired.
Shen Zhu looked at Shen Quan blankly for a while and said, "Brother Quan, didn't you make great efforts to study before? Why can't you even get a book now?"
Shen Quan looked at the book in his hand, thinking about taking a nap on the way. Shen Zhu couldn't let go of the book every time. He frowned and said: "Brother Zhu is reading in the carriage? No matter how anxious he is to read, it's not bad. The carriage has been shaking these days. Go, do you want your eyes?"
After Chen Zhu said the sentence just now, she turned into a clam again, with a drooped face.
Young Master Shen Quan had no choice but to advise in a low voice: "Whether you want to go out or not, since you are coming out with me, please be gentler."
Shen Zhu sneered, lowered his head, and whispered: "How can you be gentle? It seems like you are playing monkey tricks with Brother Jue and Brother Qin?"
Seeing that he was in a bad mood, Shen Quan found an excuse, pulled him out, turned to a corner, and whispered, "Are you so angry? If your parents are not around, who will coax and pamper you?" Except for my second brother and me, the others are younger than you, and they don’t act like older brothers."
Shen Zhu raised his head with a ferocious look on his face: "Brother Quan San, I really don't know why I have studied for more than ten years?" At this point, he waved the old "Four Books Annotations" in his hand. He smiled bitterly and said: "Since Uncle Cang arrived in Songjiang, I haven't been able to read a single word. Even the things I had memorized before were completely unfamiliar to me, as if I had never learned them before."
"Ah?" Shen Quan said in surprise: "Is it because you are so preoccupied and lost your mind for a moment that you are like this? Don't think wildly and frighten yourself that the matter of choosing an heir will not happen, and then you will stifle yourself to death. You will Can’t you make some money?”
Shen Zhu said numbly: "My mother told me when I was a child that I would like to study hard and earn a crown and a crown for her, so that I could be named Mrs. He said that if you study well, you can change the three-bedroom courtyard and shine on the lintel. I listened honestly and started studying as early as I can remember."
"Others have lived in poverty for ten years, but I am seventeen years old this year, but I have already studied for thirteen or four years. But when Aunt Cang came, they said that studying was useless, and they all pushed me to be their heir. It doesn't matter if you don't do well in the annual examination, you can go directly to the Imperial College. If you don't do well in the provincial examination in the future, you don't have to worry about it. You can be a favored official.
"What are my more than ten years? All those books I have read are in vain? They only thought that if I became the heir of the second wife, they would raise me as their own son in the future, and they never thought of asking me if I was willing? When they coaxed me to study, I You are only three years old, so you don’t need to ask me if I am willing or not. Am I still three years old now? All the love and favor are in vain. When you need me to study, you can coax me to study. When you need me to be an heir, you can coax me. I am going to be an heir. Is the grandson born here just for profit?"
After listening to the previous words, Shen Quan also sighed for Shen Zhu, but when he heard the last sentence, he shook his head: "There are all parents in the world. The elders of the third room of the old lady are not saying that they have abandoned you. Maybe in their hearts, even if you really The second brother is still their biological son and grandson, and I am looking forward to you taking care of the third brother from now on..."
Shen Zhu sneered and said: "You can see that I was born and raised, so they naturally think that I should be obedient and obedient for the rest of my life. Are the elders of the second house stupid, choosing an heir who is always trying to supplement me and is an eyesore and a heartache? But what if they do it for me? I don't think for a minute that I won't feel so uncomfortable, but all I can think about is the benefits of disappearing, treating me like a clay puppet."
Shen Quan didn't know how to persuade him. In the final analysis, the elder of the third room was greedy and had simple ideas.
Even if Shen Zhu is true to their hearts, what if he becomes the heir of the second wife? Songjiang is thousands of miles away from the capital, can they still come to visit the whole family? The elders of the second wife are all in their prime, not yet in their 70s and 80s. If the heir wants to be the master of the family, he may have to Wait twenty years.
Twenty years later, who knows what the situation will be like? Even if Shen Zhu still cares about his kindness and cares about his life, what about his wife and children? Will he let his third wife come to ask for benefits in the name of his life?
This is also because the elders of the third room took Sheng En too seriously and did not even try to hide it in front of Shen Zhu. Instead, they were more diplomatic and coaxed him into having an heir for the sake of Shen Zhu's future, and then worked hard to make Shen Zhu return the favor. Can you really not care about your biological parents?
It's just that Shen Zhu's arrogant attitude is really unsettling. Shen Quan can only say: "After reading the book, you will benefit. If the knowledge is in your stomach, no one else can take it away. It's not a bad thing; this is the heir. If you don't want to, just go through the motions, no one is forcing you, why bother to feel angry when you see the sky?"
"Who said I don't want to be an heir? I really want to fight for it." Shen Zhu straightened up and said, "I was a puppet for the first seventeen years, but from now on I want to be a human being according to the rules of the family. I want to Look, how will they manipulate me then?"
The surprise this time was Shen Quan, who looked at Shen Zhu dumbfounded and said after a while: "So you are willing? So you were so unwilling before?"
Shen Zhu's eyes were dark: "This is the so-called 'people's hearts are fickle. Brother Quan San is an honest man. I only hope that you and my brother will always be well."
Shen Quan was so scared by what he saw that he hurriedly said: "Heirs without heirs are not the same as me. When I get to the capital, I will also go to my eldest brother's house. Don't treat me as your rival."
When Shen Zhu saw this, she couldn't help laughing: "Brother Quan is really in a naive mood, which is enviable."
Everyone in the room heard Shen Zhu's laughter.
Shen Jue winked at Shen Rui and whispered: "Brother Zhujiu finally smiled... His face has been darkened all day, and he looks like a different person..."
Shen Rui listened with a smile and didn't say much.
We haven't had much contact with each other, but seeing that Shen Zhu is a very smooth person, I don't think he will continue to be so ignorant.
Shen Qin was nearby, but couldn't help but peek at Shen Rui.
We are all of the same age, and were classmates in Mengtong class in their early years. Shen Rui was arrogant, arrogant, and really unpleasant. Who would have thought that in just three years, he would seem to be a completely different person.
When brothers Shen Qin, Shen Bao and other clan members mentioned this matter behind their backs, they could only lament the misery of a child without a mother.
This ordeal has polished Shen Rui's rubble into beautiful jade. Looking at Shen Rui's hard work in studying, he looks like a man who can become a talent. Now everyone is laughing and joking, but he is as steady as an adult, and there is no trace of it. naughty.
Mrs. Xu raised her head and looked at the door, and said to Shen who was sitting beside her: "Brother Quan is not old, but he is a careful and sensible boy. Your Aunt Hong taught you well."
This time, Mrs. Xu took the young men of the Shen family back to Suzhou. The clan also arranged for people to escort them, and the leader was Shen.
If it was Shen Jue who was being praised, Shen Zi would have to say a few words of humility, but if it was Shen Quan who was being praised, he would just follow up with the praise: "Brother Quan is good, he has an honest and peaceful temperament, and as a young boy, he is not squeamish at all... Three years ago in Yuanda After her aunt passed away, Brother Rui dragged his sick body to the mourning hall to observe mourning. Aunt Hong was worried and asked Brother Quan to accompany the vigil in the name of Sister Fu. In this cold winter, Brother Quan stayed at the mourning till the end and sent all funerals on behalf of Sister Fu. After the funeral, there was not even a single complaint, and Brother Rui did his best and took good care of him."
Regarding the details after Sun's death, Xu clearly inquired about it. He knew about Shen Quan's vigil at the funeral, but he didn't think anything of it at the time. Now that he thinks about it, he was only a fourteen-and-a-half-year-old child, and it was really not easy.
Such a good upbringing is not only due to the cautious family tradition of Wu Fang, but also thanks to Guo's outstanding mother.
"I have seen the eldest brother and the second brother of the fifth house in Beijing. They are two good children. Your aunt Hong can teach her son. According to me, among the aunts and uncles in the Shen family, she and your mother are the best. I will also have descendants who will be blessed." Mrs. Xu said with deep emotion.
There was no way for Shen to answer these words, so he could only remain silent.
Mrs. Xu came to her senses and laughed at herself: "My aunt is confused. How can I talk to you about this? There are many attendants, and I need you to keep an eye on me. Brother, please stop grinding your teeth with me and go get busy."
Tomorrow he had to go out early again, and Shen needed to pay attention to the many chores, so he got up to apologize and came out of the house.
As soon as he came out of the door, Shen saw his personal servant coming over: "Second brother, the second uncle is also staying here. I heard that second brother is here and sent someone to invite him."
"Second cousin is here too?" Shen looked happy and hurriedly asked the boy to lead the way.
Uncle Shen passed away early, and it was He Er's cousins who had the most contact with his maternal relatives. Mr. He Er had always been generous and kind to the younger generation, and his nephews and nephews were all happy to get close to him.
When Shen arrived, He Nansheng called for food and drinks. Seeing Shen, he waved and said: "Brother is here, come here quickly. It's cold. Let's have a few cups with uncle."
Shen said hello first, then sat down, and said with a smile: "I don't know if my second uncle is going out too, otherwise I will go all the way. The second uncle's carriage is more comfortable than my nephew's." After that, he gave He Nansheng a cup to fill with wine, and he also poured a glass. Said: "Since my second uncle ordered me, I should have eaten with my uncle more often, but I escorted a group of clan brothers out. There are many places that need to be taken care of, and there are elders and relatives here. It is not easy to get drunk, so I can only accompany you for a drink." Express your feelings..."