Zen Master Hong Shan glanced at Mr. He Lu and said, "That's fine, I'm just going to have tea with Lay Master Wang." After that, he stood up.
Mr. He Lu took his son and granddaughter to send Zen Master Hong Shan to the door. Fang said to He Beisheng, "I have a normal conversation with Brother Rui. You can take your niece back first."
He Beisheng agreed and took He Yunniang out. This inn is quite large. In addition to the facade building in the front, there is an enclosed building in the back. Guests with their families should choose to stay there. It is quieter than the front, and it is cheaper for women to enter and exit.
He Lu and Shen Rui were the only two people left in the house. Shen Rui couldn't help but be surprised. Why didn't this old lady leave anyone around? None of her personal maids, old mother, etc. were there. What on earth did this old lady want to do with him?
What do you mean?
He Lu returned to his seat and asked Shen Rui to sit down as well, saying: "I should have invited you to come over and talk, instead of occupying the master's room like this. It's just that there are so many people there and it's inconvenient for me to invite you."
Brother Rui is considerate."
The old lady's tone of voice was a bit strange. She didn't rely on her old age to show off her old age. Instead, she sounded serious as if she wasn't talking to adults.
Shen Rui was confused and said: "No problem, Uncle He is too polite."
He Lu sighed heavily: "My second son has acted inappropriately. I don't have the face to see you, but every time I think of your mother, I feel uneasy. I heard that you were in Xilin Temple, and I wanted to go there in person.
But I am also afraid that others will misunderstand me and cause more trouble. I think that you are young and it is not too late to say some things when you are a filial piety, so I have nothing to do. Unexpectedly, I left for Beijing today and met my little brother.
Fate. There are rumors outside that you are stupid, naughty, and unworthy of education, but I don’t believe it. How could a sweet-hearted woman like your mother give birth to a stupid son? Even if you were innocent and immature before, these few months will push you to become the number one scholar.
Lang will also teach you to grow up. As expected, I guessed right, you are indeed different from the rumors.
Listening to the first words, Shen Rui felt that He Lu was as nice as He Nansheng, whom he had met the same year. He was a little speechless when he heard the second words. He had a reputation for being naughty, and in addition, Sun gave half of the dowry to the concubine.
Regarding the matter of the eldest son, people outside who knew little about Shen Rui believed that Shen Rui was really incompetent, which is why Sun made such arrangements. Before he passed the examination, this impression should be difficult to change. When the day comes when he succeeds, even if no one can say "the prodigal son turns back"
"On the topic, you will also say "you will be brave after you know your shame", "you will learn from the stubborn stone" and so on. However, although these words are meant to be a warning, they are actually positive comments, so it doesn't matter.
Seeing that Shen Rui was silent, He Lu said: "Not only do you look like your mother, but your temperament also follows hers. Your mother is a taciturn person."
After listening to this, Shen Rui's impression of Mrs. Sun became a little blurry. The Mrs. Sun in his memory was indeed a gentle, quiet, taciturn person. But others said that Mrs. Sun was "all-rounder" and "exquisite-hearted".
I always feel that her character is very contradictory. She is well-known among neighboring clans and is at home among officials and women. She should be a sassy woman. Such a woman can have a beautiful husband and a beautiful concubine after not giving birth for more than ten years.
, there is no one to follow in the natal family, and the mother-in-law treats her as an enemy, despite all the disadvantages, she can still continue to firmly control the housework of the fourth house, which is not only the confidence given by money.
Just like the old uncle of the Zhang family, even if he has taken advantage of four houses for decades, he still belongs to the Zhang Laoan people. With the Sun family, they just gave away three melons and two dates, and did not let the Zhang family actually occupy it until he fell ill.
What's cheap? Can a person who has been shrewd his whole life become confused when he is sick, and let people waste an estate worth more than 200,000 yuan?
Shen Rui had long felt that something was wrong about the Sun family's property being defrauded and sold. He originally thought that the Zhang family was overwhelmed by greed and was blinded by greed. Now it seems that there is something else fishy. Even if the property is sold at a discount, this is a good move.
There are also hundreds of thousands taels of silver.
At this time, there was not much gold, and most of the money circulating on the market was silver and copper coins. Calculated according to silver, one hundred thousand taels of silver was equivalent to six thousand two hundred and fifty kilograms. The density of silver is not as high as that of gold, and gold is "an inch of gold."
"One inch square weighs one pound, and the density of silver is more than half that of gold. One pound is more than two cubic inches, one thousand pounds is twenty cubic feet, and six thousand two hundred and fifty pounds is one hundred and twenty-five cubic feet.
There are ten wooden boxes that are three feet long, two feet wide, and two feet high, and there are still some fractions left.
Uncle Zhang said that his son-in-law had taken away the money, but how could he take away these thousands of kilograms of things? Unless he hired a big ship or hired a dozen carriages. But it was not easy to go out, even for a book boy like Wu Xuan.
Knowing the principle of "don't reveal wealth in vain", you should carry dozens of taels of gold and silver separately and personally.
It is a joke to leave Songjiang with thousands of taels of silver. No wonder the third and ninth houses dared to use their power to "rob" the Zhang family. Obviously, if this matter really needs to be investigated, the Zhang family will never be able to tell the truth.
But looking at the Zhang family's current situation, it doesn't look like they have hidden tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands taels of silver?
Where did the one hundred thousand taels of silver go?
Shen Rui was distracted when he heard Mr. He Lu say: "A few days ago, I asked someone to estimate the land, factory buildings, skilled workers and young workers in your mother's two weaving factories.
The good cloth can be exchanged for a total of 120,000 taels of silver. The old man spent 55,000 taels of silver to live in the house. They are all neighbors, and they should be watching and helping each other. What he did was contrary to his kindness. I don't
I defend him, but I don’t want to feel sorry for you. According to my wishes, I wanted to force the evil obstacle to return the property to you. But fifty-five thousand taels of silver is not a small amount, and it is difficult to recover this money now.
The accounts here are really unclear. In addition, your mother left a will to divide the dowry equally. Even if the property is returned, what will happen to you as a child? I am afraid that your grandmother and father will continue to control it."
At this point, she paused and said: "I also have a weaving factory under my name. Although it doesn't have as many looms as your mother's two weaving factories, the weaving factory also has a cotton field. What do you think of my granddaughter?
If you nod, I will ask someone to act as a matchmaker and betroth Sister Yun to you after you have fulfilled your filial piety. Although Sister Yun has lost her parents, she still has a dowry from her mother Zhang. If your marriage is consummated, then
Shi Laoshen made the decision and asked her to take over her father's position, so that she could bring more property with her.
Shen Rui did not calculate how much Sister He Yun was worth. Without even thinking about it, he said: "You are kind and loving, and I will keep it in my heart. But I once swore to study in front of the spirit of my deceased mother, and if I don't establish a career, I won't have a family. Now with the help of 'rest and recuperation'
"The name of Sojourn in the Zen Temple is actually a result of his enlightenment from the family friends of his clan brother. When he was young, the boy liked to be active rather than quiet. He spent several years studying among clansmen, but only three days of fishing and two days of drying nets. Now he is officially studying. When he is able to
At the end of the day, I can’t say ten or eight years, but I really didn’t care about anything else.”
Xilin Chanyuan is the property of He Lu's natal family. Whether Shen Rui is "recuperating" or "studying", the old lady doesn't know.
The reason why she was afraid of Shen Rui and wanted to resolve the feud between the two families through in-laws was because she knew about Shen Rui's education. If Shen Rui was uneducated and incompetent, even if there was Shen Li behind him, the He family would not take it seriously. But. What about Shen Rui, who has started studying? Don't bully a young man into poverty, who knows when he will succeed. Although seizing someone's property is not as hateful as "killing his father and seizing his wife", it is still a great hatred that cannot be resolved.
All kinds of calculations came to Shen Rui. Because of this sentence, "I once made up my mind to study in front of the spirit of my deceased mother, I will not have a family if I don't establish a career." It will be more than ten years until the time when the boy can take the test. How can Sister Yun wait until then?
Although she has her own selfish motives, the marriage between the two families is ultimately a matter of mutual consent. As the woman, He Lu took the initiative to mention this matter, which is already a sign of humiliation. You must know that although Yun Niang's parents are dead, they can pass away. His grandfather was the magistrate, his uncle in court was the minister of Dali Temple, and the fourth room of the Shen family was just a member of the family.
Mrs. He Lu only felt that her enthusiasm was waning, and said: "You child, it is a good thing to aspire to study, but it is also a big deal to pass on the inheritance. After all, your mother only has your blood."
It is better to offend a gentleman than a villain. Confucius said that it is difficult to raise a woman with a villain.
He Lu is the old feudal lord of the He family. Shen Rui didn't want to offend her in vain, so he said: "Compared to others, this kid started too late, and his qualifications are limited. Only when he has no distractions can he give it a go. About the name of the second uncle of the He family. Uncle He's family didn't have to worry about the two weaving factories. It was the Zhang family who had cheated and sold them first. If it hadn't been for Uncle He's second uncle to take over, someone else would have taken over. My father didn't have any economic skills, so the weaving factory left in the Shen family would inevitably fall into ruin. ; When it is transferred to Second Uncle He, it can be regarded as meeting the Ming Lord.
His eyes were clear and his words were candid, without the slightest hint of reluctance.
He Lu was filled with admiration in his heart, and his expression softened: "Since you are determined, you should study hard and get your mother a gift as soon as possible. Your mother will be happy in the underground. If you encounter difficulties, it is not easy to talk to your own people. , I came to see you. I can’t say that I have full authority to make decisions for you. I may be protecting you from being bullied.”
Shen Rui nodded in agreement, and He Lu asked a few more questions about his schoolwork. When he heard that he had only studied "The Analects of Confucius" halfway, he sighed: "It's indeed a bit late. It's okay for me to concentrate on studying, but I have to remember my body." It is most important. You must not burn out your body because of studying hard. As long as the person is good, everything else will be easy to talk about."
I don't know how true or false this kind of concern is, but since Mr. He Lu showed kindness, Shen Rui could only be honest and well-behaved, and the old and the young got along harmoniously.
Having said all that needed to be said, Mr. He Lu looked pale and took out a piece of mutton-fat jade peace sign that was one and a half inches long and one inch wide from his cuff, and handed it to Shen Rui: "This is the piece of jade that Yun Niang's grandfather loved during his lifetime." , Today counts as a meeting gift from me to my little brother. Even if I am not in Songjiang in the future, you don’t have to be afraid if you encounter difficulties. Use this as a voucher to go talk to my second and fifth brothers."
Shen Rui hesitated and said: "Uncle He, this is too precious. Even if it is a legacy of Uncle He, it should be left in memory of all uncles."
He Lu smiled and said: "My old man loved jade when he was alive. Such jade tablets don't cost ten or eight yuan, but also three or five yuan. The elders give them to me, and my younger brother will follow them."
Shen Rui had no choice but to bite the bullet and accept it. Although jade is a spiritual object, it felt a bit awkward considering that it was worn by a late old man during his lifetime.
Mr. He Lu walked to the next door, said goodbye to Zen Master Hong Shan, and then returned to the back building.
Zen Master Hong Shan went back to his room. Seeing that Wu Xuan had not come back yet, Shen Rui was a little worried: "Sir, what did Brother Wu Xuan do?"
Wang Shouren snorted softly: "You're a worthless thing. You were coaxed by the He family's maid, and led the He family's maid to the north of the city to buy snacks for the He family's young lady.
It was just that Mr. He Lu wanted to talk privately before sending people out. It would be nice to have a destination, so that it would save people from worrying about it. However, this pole can be reached far enough. The inn is in the south of the city, and you have to cross the county seat to go to the north. No wonder Been gone for so long.
While he was talking, he heard movement at the door next door, and the faint sound of Wu Xuan's voice could be heard.
Shen Rui opened the door to take a look, and saw Wu Xuan standing at the next door, talking to Master Hong Shan, and holding a bunch of paper packages in his hand.
Seeing Shen Rui, Wu Xuan said goodbye to Zen Master Hong Shan and walked over with a smile.
"This is what I'm going to bring tomorrow. Why did I buy so many?" Shen Rui took the snack bag and thought it weighed three or four pounds: "The He family's snacks are also here?"
Wu Xuan waved his hand: "No, Miss Mingchan has already brought the snacks from the He family. They are all ours. Two packages are snacks, and two packages are five-spice vegetarian chicken and five-spice peanuts. We will add vegetables at noon tomorrow. "
Hearing this, Shen Rui couldn't help but curse. The singing cicada is a summer insect with a very short lifespan. Why did the maid next to the young lady of the He family have such an unlucky name?
Today, everyone was walking during the day. Wu Xuan had been walking for such a long time, and his forehead was already sweating. After saying hello to Wang Shouren, he sat down to rest.
Shen Rui poured him a cup of warm tea, thanked Wu Xuan, and finished the meal in three mouthfuls: "Fortunately, this county is small. If it were like Huating County, a round trip would take several hours."
Wang Shouren shook his head and said: "Idiot, Huating County is a place where Fanchong relies on Guo. The county next to it can't compare with it."
Wu Xuan laughed twice and looked at Shen Rui, half-smiling but not smiling: "Did I just go to see a foreigner? The little lady of the He family is quite beautiful.
Before Shen Rui could answer, Wang Shouren frowned and scolded: "What are you talking about that is frivolous?"
Wu Xuan was startled, and said more honestly: "I didn't mean it, brother, don't be upset. Just now, sister Mingchan asked me insinuatingly along the way. It would not be without reason. In addition, the lady was talking to the master. At that time, I also mentioned my little brother. The little man then thought that this lady brought her granddaughter out to meet guests without avoiding suspicion, maybe she wants to get married to my little brother."
After Wang Shouren heard this, he looked at Shen Rui.
The corner of Shen Rui's mouth twitched. Wu Xuan was not only nagging, but also so sensitive to gossip. He was right.
Seeing his strange expression, Wang Shouren frowned: "How can this lady be so rude! Not to mention that the marriage was originally an important matter of marriage, which was ordered by the parents, but she said that you were still in filial piety, and she would not mention it again. "
Having finished talking, Shen Rui explained He Lu's proposal just now.
When Wang Shouren heard that Shen Rui had declined, his expression became better: "Although I have the intention to make up for it, marriage is not a child's play. The old man has been too rash."
Wu Xuan listened and disagreed: "How much compensation? The dowry is private property, and it doesn't really belong to the younger brother. She said that Miss He wants to step into the family, and the younger brother is not considered a son-in-law, but a legitimate son. Go out, the old man is really smart. Although Miss He is better looking, she is a daughter who has never married, but she seems to be married. Isn't this little brother worthy of me...