Shen Quan frowned and repeated what he had just heard, and then whispered: "Mom, my aunt has not had children for many years. Did Brother Rui adopt him privately? Lao'an prefers his own grandson, that's why he is like this Don’t wait to see Rui Geer.”
After hearing this, Mrs. Guo couldn't help but get angry and glared at Shen Quan: "What are you talking about? Rui Ge'er is the direct bloodline of your aunt who was pregnant for ten months and gave birth to her after half her life!"
Shen Quan still didn't believe it: "Then if the fourth brother is really a direct blood relative, how could Lao An be like this? He asked the servants to encourage naughty things, and he was not allowed to read books. How can he love his grandson? This is flattery? Brother Rui is so young. He has a reputation for being naughty, and my mother has seen his previous temper and temperament, and my son did not lie... If my mother-in-law really gave birth to a younger brother, would it be because the younger brother was unlucky that she replaced Brother Rui..."
Guo didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she patted his forehead and said: "You bastard, I just said it was an adoption, and now there's even a replacement... Brother Rui is my mother. She looks very similar to your aunt, and her appearance is very similar to yours. There is no one else." Change the child. Rui Ge'er is not liked by Lao'an people, but it's just because of your mother-in-law's involvement. I just didn't expect that she would reach this point, the old man is really so cruel."
Shen Quan's ears were straightened up and he was listening intently.
Mrs. Guo picked up the tea and took a few sips, but she had no intention of talking anymore.
Shen Quan scratched his head anxiously and said, "Mom, please go on."
Guo's face has returned to calmness and she said: "Don't worry, since your brother from the Six Clans heard what Rui Ge'er said, he must come after him to find out what happened. When he comes, we will talk to him together, which will save my mother two mouths."
Shen Quan was full of curiosity and was aroused. There was no time to wait. Just as he was thinking about Yangmo Guo, a maid came through the door and said: "Madam, the sixth master of the ninth house is here. Please see me. The housekeeper welcomes you into the front hall to eat." Tea."
Mrs. Guo got up and took Shen Quan to the reception hall to meet the guests.
Seeing the mother and son coming together, Shen Li felt confident and said directly: "I shouldn't have disturbed my aunt, but Brother Rui is in a worrying situation. My nephew is confused and doesn't know how to help. Gu Lai Please clear up the confusion, Auntie." After saying that, he explained the treatment Shen Rui received at Zhang Lao'an's place.
Ms. Guo had already listened to her son's narration, and felt sad in her heart. Although she was not a gossip, she was annoyed with Lao An for being unkind, and had no intention of covering it up. She said: "Lao An is very fond of Sister-in-law Yuan There has been a long-standing grudge, and we are almost considered enemies. For the sake of sister-in-law Yuan, it is not surprising that Lao An does not love his grandson."
Shen Li puzzled and said: "It's common for mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to have conflicts, so how can they become enemies? My aunt is such a good-natured and most virtuous person. She only treats Lao An with filial piety. She has never heard of anything against her. How could the rift between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have reached this point despite Lao An's wishes?"
Mrs. Guo sighed and said: "It is related to the private affairs of the fourth house. Many people don't know that the year after Sister-in-law Yuan entered the house, Lao An entered the family temple for a year and a half."
Talking about the past relationship in detail, when Mrs. Sun married into the fourth house, it was the patriarch who acted as matchmaker.
Before Sun married into the fourth house, the patriarch told Shen Juren about being the head of the fourth house. Since Sun brought a generous dowry, she had to act as the mistress of the family. Shen Juren did not care about economic matters. , just concentrate on studying. At that time, the family of the four-fang family had fallen into decline, and there was nothing left of their ancestral property except the old house and Susukada.
Shen Juren was only a scholar at that time, and although he was a little dissatisfied with his wife's background as a merchant, the patriarch was a matchmaker and could help him take care of the housework, so it was natural.
After Mrs. Sun entered the house, she was beautiful, gentle and kind-hearted, and the couple was very happy. She didn't want the young couple to be happy, but it was an eyesore to Zhang Lao'an.
Although Zhang Lao'an also comes from a scholarly clan, his natal family has long been in decline, otherwise he would not have married into a poor fourth-bedroom family. He was jealous of his wife's dowry. Although the daughter-in-law had already arranged with the clan elders before she entered the house. In front of others, he promised his daughter-in-law to take over the house, but when Sun entered the house, she regretted it. Not only did she take the housework into her hands, but she also showed her mother-in-law's family name, and was determined to interfere in Sun's dowry industry.
After all, Mrs. Sun was the new daughter-in-law. She took her face into consideration and did not forcefully accept the housework of the fourth house. She was just soft on the outside but strong on the inside, and did not let Lao An interfere with the dowry industry. Zhang Lao An became more and more troublesome, He used the rules of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to torture Sun in a different way. He also used the excuse that Sun was pregnant to give several beautiful women to marry him, and tortured Sun's five-month-old body.
Sun's father was there at that time. He came to visit his daughter in three or five months. He knew what happened to Sun's family, so he did not find the fourth room, but went directly to the clan leader.
The patriarch was a great matchmaker and had a personal relationship with Sun's father. The patriarch scolded Shen Yuan, sold all the couple's houses, and took the initiative to send Zhang Lao'an to the family temple for "recuperation." Zhang Laoan He was not willing to obey, and he was about to make a scene, but Lao An from the clan house persuaded him with threats and coaxing, and the dispute between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law of the fourth house came to an end.
However, this incident not only caused Sun and Zhang Lao'an to lose their relationship as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, but also damaged the relationship between Sun and Shen Yuan as husband and wife.
Mrs. Sun's thoughts were more focused on taking care of her fourth house and her own dowry business. The fourth house was prospering, but her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were regarded as strangers, and the love between husband and wife was no longer the same as before.
The Sun family had a good reputation and was supported by the clan. No matter how uncomfortable Zhang Laoan was, they had no choice but to endure it. When Zhang Laoan came back from the family temple, he did not fight with the Sun family again, but regarded the Sun family as In the name of "childless", he took in the good concubine Zheng with great fanfare. When Zheng gave birth to Shen Jin, Lao An personally took her and raised her.
Although Mrs. Sun took care of the housework of the four houses, she was more like a housekeeper. The others were like a family of four, and the water from the two wells did not interfere with the river. Until Shen Rui landed, Zhang Laoan took his grandson there that day. As if he had support, his momentum began to become arrogant.
At this time, Sun's father had died of illness, and the clan leader Lao An had also passed away. Even if the clan leader was here, he would not be able to interfere in the housework of the fourth house.
Mrs. Sun was sad when her son was first taken away, but had no other reaction afterwards. She once said: "It doesn't matter if Brother Rui is loved by his grandmother, I don't want him to become famous. I just want him to be a wealthy and idle man, safe and comfortable."
I don't know if it's because of empathy, but since Sun was blocked by Zhang Lao'an, he couldn't easily see his biological son, but he was a little closer to his concubine than before. Shen Jin was enlightened and was the cute teacher invited by Sun. The number of teachers in the family studies was uneven, and it was Sun who asked the prefect's wife to invite well-known old Confucians.
Although the Sun family did not record Shen Jin in her name, she treated the concubine as if she had no biological son. Even after the Zheng family's uncle was elected, the Sun family helped him. Otherwise, a fellow Jinshi from a poor family would not be selected as an official. How can it be so smooth? This is also the reason why Zhang Lao'an people have promoted the Zheng family for many years, and the four houses are still stable without any trouble.
When Sun became bedridden half a year ago, the peace between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was broken.
Mrs. Sun seemed to have no intention of being strong, so she let the Lao An people arrange the Zhang family into the fourth house and her dowry property. The shopkeeper and second shopkeeper that Sun had used were successively squeezed out by the Zhang family. When Mr. Sun passed away,
Sun's dowry and concubine were even missing. I don't know whether it was Lao An who sent them away, or whether it was Sun who sent them out as Lao An said.
*
In the flower hall, Shen Rui was not in a hurry to return to the mourning hall. He knelt in the mourning hall for several days. Although he had mastered some tricks and wore the knee pads sewn by Guo, his knees were not hurt. However, after sitting for a long time, his calves were hurt.
But it was numb and numb, and my thighs were also a little swollen.
Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Shen Rui put his calves on the chair, leaned over and rubbed them.
There is a brother from the No. 1 Scholar family here. If you want to ask for advice, it is not "first come first, first get the moon". Moreover, Shen Rui cannot recite the "three hundred thousand" he said, whether it is true or not. The true part is, the true part cannot be recited.
Because my memory is fragmented and vague, and he was initiated into Confucianism by his great-grandfather so long ago, he has almost forgotten these three thousand cute books.
But for the imperial examination, Shen Rui was not afraid at all. Whether it was the Four Books, Five Classics or the Eight-legged Essay, it would be relatively unfamiliar to most people five hundred years later, but Shen Rui was not included among these people.
Eight-legged essays are just standard writing. They may be unfamiliar to others, but it is really not a problem for Shen Rui. His postgraduate choice happened to be ancient Chinese literature, and his research direction was Ming, Qing and modern literature. In addition, he was influenced by slapping his ears and eyes.
He is really not shy about reading the Four Books and Five Classics, eight-legged essays, and taking official positions through the imperial examination.
Now Shen Rui is still thinking about Sun's dowry donation.
Now that Shen Li has begun to investigate the family affairs of the fourth family, this matter cannot be kept secret for long. But as Shen Rui is the Sun family's parent, how can he stand on his own when the matter is revealed?
Although Shen Rui was not greedy about those weaving factory shops and the like, he only felt a toothache when Sun acted like this. After all, he was in an increasingly embarrassing situation. When outsiders mentioned this matter, they would not tell Sun's heart.
If he is kind and selfless, most people would say that he is a prodigal son, and that is why his own mother does not dare to expect him to keep his career.
Seeing Zhang Laoan's actions, it seemed that Sun's dowry donation had come to light. Shen Rui really wanted to have an early funeral and hide out in the name of keeping filial piety, so that the rest of the dispute would not involve his "child".
Now I just hope that Zhang Laoan will attack later, and his image as a "filial son" will be more profound, and when things come out, he will appear more innocent.
Thinking of this, Shen Rui couldn't help but sigh. What a good background, scholarly family, rich family assets, and status as the legitimate son. How could the owner have come to this point? Sun, whom others said was kind, not incompetent, how could he let his son fall behind?
In this situation, not to mention Shen Quan doubting whether he was adopted, even he himself was a little unsure. Just as he was thinking about it, he heard someone say: "Second brother, your legs are sore?"
Shen Jin is here.
Shen Rui stood up and said calmly: "Brother."
He was not willful and rude to Shen Jin like the owner, but he also had no intention of getting close. Who knows how much Shen Jin knew about Shen Rui, and if he said too much, he would be wrong.
Shen Jin stretched out her hand, and in her hand was a porcelain bottle half the size of a palm: "This is anti-swelling medicinal oil. Let Sister Dongxi rub it for you in the evening."
Dong Xi is Guo's maid, and she has been staying in the fourth room to serve Shen Rui these days.
There was genuine concern on his face. Shen Rui's expression softened when he thought that after Sun's incident, grandparents and grandchildren would no longer be grandfathers and grandchildren, and father and son might not be father and son. Shen Rui couldn't be enemies with everyone in the fourth house. Shen Rui's expression softened and he said with a bit of gratitude:
"Thank you, brother."
Shen Jin's expression became more and more relaxed and said: "If you are tired, don't hold on. Taking time to rest every day will not hinder your filial piety..."