"Old madam, please come inside..." The man from Yaxing opened the lock with the key and led Qiao Lan and Mo Qiming into the courtyard.
This is the courtyard closest to the street entrance. Turn into the alley and walk in to the third courtyard. This courtyard is hidden in the middle of the alley, not far or near. It is quiet around and you can't hear the excitement on the street. It is considered a good place to stay.
Find peace amidst the noise.
Qiao Lan followed and walked around, looking carefully inside and outside the yard. The yard had two entrances and two exits, a large well in the middle, and a small open space in the backyard, which could accommodate a family and a carriage.
Different from the mottled walls at the door, the walls in the yard are all white, as if they have been repaired in the past two years. However, the furniture in the house looks new and smells like paint, as if it has just been brought in.
.
This piece of furniture puzzled Qiao Lan. Why was there all new furniture placed in the old yard?
Two trees were planted in the courtyard, and a few rocks were placed. It was already late autumn, and the trees above and below were all bare. Qiao Lan could still see some charm from these dead branches. It can be seen that the layout of the courtyard
It took a lot of thought.
Although it is an old yard, the yard has been renovated very well, so why is there no one living in it? Is there something wrong with it?
Qiao Lan was curious, "This yard has been well maintained. Who was the original owner? Why did he rent it out as soon as he finished cleaning it?"
Mo Qiming quickly winked at the man from "Yaxing".
The young man hurriedly smiled warmly and said, "Old madam, this courtyard used to belong to a gentleman in the government office. The gentleman got promoted and no longer lives in Tongzhou, so he plans to rent it out..."
Qiao Lan nodded, she could still accept this reason.
"How much does it cost per month?"
The man came up with the excuse he had prepared a long time ago, "Seven hundred coins a month, if you rent it for a long time, it will be cheaper for you!"
For a family to stay in four rooms in an inn, it costs 40 to 50 cents a night, which is quite affordable. However, when buying something, you always have to shop around, and you can't just make a decision after looking at the first one.
Qiao Lan did not agree, but looked around the yard again and said, "Are there any other yards? Let's go to other yards and have a look..."
The man still had a smile on his face and took Qiao Lan to a nearby courtyard with enthusiasm. He was a little unsure of Qiao Lan's thoughts. Why didn't the old lady of this courtyard not want it if she was satisfied with it? Could it be that she wanted more money?
The man glanced at Mo Qiming and asked for his help.
Mo Qiming blinked helplessly, don't count on him! He doesn't know anything!
In one morning, Qiao Lan visited five courtyards.
The next few yards I went to were much more ordinary in comparison. They were not renovated like the first one, but they were all cleaned and tidy, and not even a dead leaf could be seen.
Qiao Lan vaguely felt something was strange, but didn't think about it.
The yard at the back is not as new as the one at the front, and the price is also much cheaper.
Qiao Lan secretly compared the price in her mind and settled on a larger yard at 550 renminbi a month. After consulting with the dentist for a while, she negotiated the price at 500 renminbi.
Five hundred coins a month, fully furnished, ready to move in, stables, study, and kitchen. Two hundred steps outside is a lively market, and there is a river behind the door. Qiao Lan is very satisfied with this kind of yard.
It was the standard retirement home she had imagined before!
Now...it can be considered a pension!
After signing the deed, Qiao Lan went back to the inn and asked her family to pack their things and move into the small courtyard.
When the carriage slowly drove into the courtyard, Qiao Lan looked at the busy family in the courtyard and called to Mrs. Liu.
Qiao Lan: "Change your clothes and go to the government office with me."
Mrs. Liu shed tears for half the night yesterday. When she woke up this morning, her eyelids were red and swollen. With the advice of her two sisters-in-law, she applied eggs for a while and the swelling finally subsided.
When he heard Qiao Lan's words, a lot of water suddenly welled up in his eyes, and he held back the tears to prevent them from overflowing. Finally, he touched the corners of his eyes with his sleeves, broke his tears and said with a smile, "Mom, okay!"
"Please, my two sisters-in-law, please help me take care of Si Qi Si Hua."
"Go in peace."
"Go early and come back early."
-
Qiao Lan took Liu and Mo Qiming and knocked on the door of the Tongzhou government office with her queen's token.
The person who came to greet Qiao Lan was a governor of the government office, named Cai Sheng.
When Cai Sheng arrived, he greeted Qiao Lan politely and said that the prefect was very busy today and could not receive the lady in person, so he would take her there.
When others were polite, Qiao Lan also followed suit and was very cooperative throughout the process.
Cai Sheng took a few people to the small courtyard next to the government office.
Before reaching the entrance of the courtyard, Qiao Lan noticed that the courtyard was different from other courtyards. The walls of the courtyard were built much higher than ordinary courtyards. Qiao Lan glanced at the eaves next to it and saw that they might be one foot higher than the eaves.
There were three or four officers with swords guarding the door, and there were people patrolling not far away. It was considered to be heavily guarded.
Cai Sheng showed the badge on his waist and led several people in.
There were only three or four tile-roofed houses in the courtyard. Qiao Lan took a look and sighed that they were all equipped with doors and windows.
The people inside the house seemed to have heard the noise outside, and they popped their heads out to take a look.
Two strange young men in brocade clothes poked their heads out of other rooms to take a look, and Duan Mingchen poked his head out of the room on the far right!
Okay, now we know where he is!
Mrs. Liu stepped forward in a mixture of sorrow and joy.
"Third brother, look who's here!" Duan Mingchen turned around and shouted into the room.
-
The couple had only been separated for a day, and they were like the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl separated by heaven and earth, inseparable.
Qiao Lan considerately gave up the space in the house to the third son and his wife, and took Duan Mingchen to talk outside the house.
Qiao Lan expressed concern for her younger son and asked Duan Mingchen about his one-day detention experience.
"My son lives here quite well. He has food and drink, and the bedding is new. But there is nothing in the house, and it's quite boring." Duan Mingchen said honestly.
Qiao Lan nodded, knowing that the two of them were fine.
Although it is good to provide food and shelter, you still have to ask what you should ask.
"Governor Cai, I wonder when my son will be able to return home?" Qiao Lan asked.
Cai Sheng had a smile on his face and responded to his duty, "We have to wait for the imperial envoy from the capital to interrogate us before we can release these young masters home."
This means that we have to wait until the case is almost settled.
Qiao Lan nodded and asked if he could send some books and clothes. It was getting cold, and Qiao Lan was afraid that it would be too cold here and their clothes were not thick enough. Cai Sheng all nodded in agreement, "I can.
Nujun, just take it as you see it. The cabinet in this room is small, and there are too many things to hold in it."
Qiao Lan thanked her again and again, as long as she could give it away, the rest of the problems were not big. She didn't expect her two sons to live here permanently, so she wouldn't take too many things.
After Duan Mingqing and his wife finished talking, Qiao Lan directly asked her two sons if they had any books they wanted to read, and she sent some over.
The brothers reported several book titles one after another, and Qiao Lan wrote them down in her mind.
Before leaving, Duan Mingqing escorted Qiao Lan to the entrance of the courtyard. He suddenly leaned over and saluted Qiao Lan, "Mother is worried."
Duan Mingqing's tone was full of guilt and gratitude.
Duan Mingchen didn't have any feelings at all. It was obvious that his brother had done this, so naturally he wanted to show some expression, so he followed up with a salute.
Cai Sheng looked at it and said happily, "You two gentlemen are so filial!"
As for Qiao Lan herself, after all, she is not her biological mother, so she has no feelings of raising a son. She just slowly turned around and said with a loving smile, "I feel relieved when you are doing well."
Qiao Lan feels that she is doing a good job as a half-monastic mother!