"How old is Brother Chen?"
"Sixteen."
"Brother Chen, is your mother okay?"
"Grandma, my mother is very good..."
"…………"
Old Mrs. Sheng took Zhou Chen and talked about her family. In just a few words, she laughed several times and did not let go of Zhou Chen's hand, which seemed very close to her.
On the other hand, Sheng Hong and Mrs. Wang were a little restless and felt a little redundant.
Mrs. Sheng seemed to have forgotten the two of them, and only Zhou Chen was left in her eyes. Listening to Zhou Chen's words, her face was filled with a kind and kind smile.
When she heard that Zhou Chen had passed the provincial examination and won the title of Xie Yuan, she was greatly surprised.
Not to mention her, even Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu almost had their eyes popped out.
"Brother Chen is still Jieyuan, Hui Niang is lucky, she gave birth to two Wenqu stars."
Old Mrs. Sheng was so happy that she couldn't open her mouth from ear to ear. She was a noble daughter of the Hou family, so she naturally knew what Jieyuan in the rural examination meant. What's more, Zhou Chen was also the Jieyuan of the capital, which was extremely valuable.
Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu also praised her repeatedly, especially Wang Ruofu. Her eyes were fixed on Zhou Chen. She seemed to see that Zhou Chen's whole body was beginning to emit light, and there were countless voices calling in her head.
.
'Where can I find such a good son-in-law...'
You can't blame Wang Ruofu for having wild thoughts. The main reason is that she doesn't care about the backyard and usually has nothing to do. It just so happens that her daughter will have haircuts in a few years. Suddenly such an outstanding young man comes and he is also the legitimate son of the Marquis Palace. Isn't this a gift from God?
What a wonderful son-in-law.
The old lady chatted with Zhou Chen for a while, then turned to look at Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu.
"You still have to go on duty. You can still catch up if you go now. If Madam is okay, you can go back first. Brother Chen will have dinner in my courtyard at noon today."
Sheng Hong's expression froze, and Wang Ruofu even shouted anxiously: "Mother..."
But before she could say anything, Sheng Hong pulled her and said to the old lady without changing her expression: "Mother, let's go first."
After saying that, he took Mrs. Wang, who still wanted to stay, and left.
After walking outside the yard, Wang Ruofu said very dissatisfied: "Why are you pulling me? I still want to talk to Hua'er."
Sheng Hong really had no way to deal with Wang Ruofu, who had no eyesight at all. As for a woman like him, it would be useless to teach her and she would not be able to help her at all.
"The old lady has kicked her out, why do you still want to stay here?"
Wang Ruofu muttered: "Old lady, it's true. Why didn't you tell us about such a relative before? If they hadn't suddenly come to the door, we wouldn't have known about it."
"Okay, you, this is the old lady's business. What does it have to do with you? I won't tell you anymore. I have to go to the Yamen."
"Hey, why are you so anxious?"
Wang Ruofu stamped his feet angrily: "God, who am I in this family?"
In the Shou'an Hall, the old lady pulled Hua Lan beside her and introduced Zhou Chen with a smile.
"Brother Chen, this is the eldest girl from your uncle's family, Hua Lan, who is a few years younger than you. She is your cousin."
Zhou Chen had long noticed Sheng Hualan standing next to the old lady and guessed her identity.
"Sister Hualan."
Sheng Hualan was generous and said crisply: "Third brother."
She knew that Zhou Chen ranked third, so she called him third brother as she was closer to him.
At this time, Sheng Hualan should be eleven or twelve years old, but she was already tall and graceful, with the temperament of a lady. Facing Zhou Chen, her cousin whom she met for the first time, she was not shy or nervous.
On the contrary, she was very curious about Zhou Chen. At first, it was because of Zhou Chen's identity and the old lady's attention. But after knowing Zhou Chen's achievements, she was even more surprised.
This is the first time in her life that she has met such an outstanding young man as Zhou Chen.
Zhou Chen is also sizing up Sheng Hualan. Ever since he learned about his main mission, Sheng Hualan has been his first target choice.
When they first met, Sheng Hualan made a good impression on him and his senses were also good.
Although she is still young, she can still tell that she is a beautiful woman, and she is very calm when she is silent. As for her ability, Sheng Hualan, who grew up next to the old lady, is definitely no worse than Minglan. I can only say that their
Experiences are different.
If we really want to calculate it, Hua Lan is the eldest daughter. In terms of magnanimity and magnanimity, she is definitely better than the humble Ming Lan. It is only the different circumstances later that created the gap.
The most important thing is that Hua Lan is not much different from him, and she is definitely the most compatible with him among the girls in the Sheng family.
The old lady asked Zhou Chen to talk, and Zhou Chen answered fluently and acted very close to her, which made the old lady even more happy.
Sheng Hualan occasionally interrupted, but most of the time it was Zhou Chen talking to the old lady.
The old lady asked the mother in the courtyard to serve the best tea, and when lunch time came, she asked the small kitchen to prepare the best meals, and entertained Zhou Chen warmly.
After lunch, Zhou Chen specially helped the old lady to bask in the sun in the courtyard, and said a lot of witty words, which made the old lady happy. The old lady also knew that Zhou Chen was deliberately making her happy, and praised her for being such a good boy.
When she learned that Zhou Chen was living in Li Xueguo's house, the old lady immediately asked Zhou Chen to move over. Zhou Chen's refusal was useless, so he accepted the offer and asked Shui Quan to go to Li's house to pack his things.
Although Zhou Chen is a man, because he is related to the old lady, he is not considered a foreign man. In addition, the old lady requested it, so in the end Zhou Chen stayed in Shou'an Hall, while the rest of Shui Quan and others were arranged to stay in the outer courtyard.
.
Because Zhou Chen was staying in Sheng Mansion, Sheng Hong did not go to Linqi Pavilion today, but came to Wei Ruixuan.
Wang Ruofu was very happy with Sheng Hong's arrival, but she didn't understand that Sheng Hong was only doing it for the face of Sheng Mansion, and was afraid that after Zhou Chen stayed in Sheng Mansion, he would find out that their family had a tendency to pamper concubines and destroy their wives.
That is, for the sake of one's own face.
The naive Mrs. Wang did not expect this. She only knew that the official was staying with her, so she tried her best to please Sheng Hong.
It's just that these methods of hers don't please Sheng Hong at all. In terms of pleasing men, Wang Ruofu is not even a bit worse than Lin Sushuang, and she can't satisfy Sheng Hong's machismo mentality at all.
Before the couple fell asleep, they talked a lot about Zhou Chen. When Wang Ruofu muttered that Zhou Chen and Hualan were a perfect match, Sheng Hong trembled in fright and stood up suddenly and sat down.
"My God, what are you thinking about? That is the Marquis Palace of Zhongjing, a Marquis Palace that has been inherited from generation to generation. Marquis Zhongjing is also a frontier general and a third-rank official. Even though Brother Chen cannot inherit the title, he is also a Marquis.
The second son of the imperial family, his status is so noble; not to mention that he is Qiu Wei Jieyuan, and his future is so bright. You can choose a famous lady from a famous family in Tokyo at random, and you still want to propose marriage to him, what are you thinking about?"
It's not that Sheng Hong has never thought about this possibility, but it really just passed by in a flash. His family knew about his family affairs. Their Sheng Mansion was relatively wealthy in Yangzhou City, but compared with the powerful people in Tokyo City,
It's really a world of difference.
I'm going to marry you, a girl from a sixth-rank official family, instead of marrying a famous lady from Bianjing City. How can there be such a good thing in the world?
Wang Ruofu had a different opinion: "Why not? Our Hua'er family is not bad. Besides, my father deserves to enjoy the Ancestral Temple, and my Wang family is not bad now..."
"Okay, okay, let me tell you, you must not go out and talk nonsense. Brother Chen is the old lady's descendant, and Hua'er grew up next to the old lady. If it is really possible, no need to
You said, the old lady will also help. If the old lady doesn't tell you, you are not allowed to mess around. Do you hear me?"
In this kind of matter, Sheng Hong naturally trusts his aunt more. Even if he doesn't want to admit it, he still has to admit that the Sheng family has gradually improved over the years. Although it is inseparable from his efforts, it is also inseparable.
Open the old lady's strategizing.
Wang Ruofu may not be very good as a wife, but the influence of Mrs. Wang behind her is still helpful to him to some extent.
Therefore, when it came to choosing a bride, he felt that the old lady's vision and strategy were far beyond what his silly wife could match.
"I see that you really don't think about Hua'er at all. Hua'er is my first-born daughter. I definitely can't lose her. Am I thinking wrong about Hua'er?"
Wang Ruofu vented angrily. Of course she knew that Zhou Chen's conditions were very good. That's why she had such an idea. If Zhou Chen was someone who couldn't get on the stage, how could she mention it?
"It's really boring, sleep, sleep."
Looking at Wang Ruofu, who was lying down with his head covered, Sheng Hong sighed, this lady, what could he do, just throw it into his hands.
"Sleep, sleep."
Linqi Pavilion!
Lin Sushuang was also very upset when she learned that Sheng Hong would not come over tonight. While putting her daughter to bed, she cursed Wang Ruofu in her heart.
After putting her daughter Mo Lan to sleep, she walked to the main room, and the most loyal housekeeper around her, Zhou Xueniang, immediately came over and helped her sit down.
Although Lin Sushuang is a concubine, she is a concubine with the right to manage the house, and she can also keep her own son and daughter by her side. It is rare in the world for a concubine to be able to do this to her extent.
It's not that she never thought about replacing him before, but now, she no longer has this idea. Wang Ruofu's family background is profound, which she can't compare with, and the old lady will never agree.
What's more important is that the Lord Sheng Hong, although he dotes on her, will never really let him replace her for the sake of her own future.
To be continued...