Chapter Thirty-Five of One Hundred and Thirty-Five
Chapter 103: There is a time to get together and part ways (please ask for a guaranteed monthly ticket)
Cui Hao left Anlu on the third day of junior high school. Before leaving, he left a name note for the Huguang Ti School for the Taoist. If the Taoist wanted to be a Gongsheng student, he could use this to go to the Huguang Ti School.
The normal time for tribute students from the Imperial College to pay tribute is in March, but there is still no movement in the capital. Of course, it is impossible for Dao Chi to abandon the palace and go directly to the capital. I keep this post in my hand, but I am not in a hurry to use it.
Wang Qinghong participated in politics for Guangxi, and his yamen was in Nanning, more than two thousand miles away from Anlu. On the sixth day of the first lunar month, Wang Qinghong took his concubine Feng and set off with his wife Biyun.
Many members of the Wang clan came to see him off, including brothers Wang Zhen and Wang Qi.
Among the many fawning in-laws, Wang Qinghong chose two honest nephews to serve as his companions. He has been an official for many years and is familiar with all kinds of dealings in the officialdom. In addition to the official dealings between his colleagues and superiors, the dealings between his female family members,
When the younger generation interacts with each other, there is knowledge in them.
Although the Wang Yang family could not accompany him to his post, there was a generous Feng family who was not humble and could handle the official duties for him. The two nephews did not need to be very clever, as long as they were honest and responsible.
Until Wang Qinghong left the gate and got on the carriage, the Taoist idiot did not show up.
When Wang Qi saw this, he couldn't help but disagree, and asked Wang Zhen in a low voice: "Brother, why didn't Erlang come?"
Since returning from the funeral years ago, he has not been able to go to other people's homes because of the clothes he wears, and he has never seen a Taoist idiot.
Wang Zhendao: "As early as after Uncle Hong returned to his hometown, my uncle and aunt over there had said that Erlang's studies are very important, and if he can't go out to socialize, he won't go out to socialize."
Wang Qi couldn't help but frown when he heard this.
Wang Zhen glanced at him and said: "I know you and Saburo are good, but there is still little involvement in the affairs of the twelfth house. It is not easy for my uncle and grandma to endure it until now. How many children who have passed away will not see their first family members for half their lives."
Wang Qi muttered: "Sanlang knows he will be sad."
Wang Zhen patted him and said: "If it's unfair, go to Erlang and complain."
Wang Qi said with a sneer: "Erlang is also my brother, and the palms and backs of his hands are all flesh. I'd better shut up."
Although I don't know why Wang Ning said those words, the old lady is not an unreasonable person, so she must have some intention for doing so.
Thinking of this, Wang Qi looked at the Wang Yang family surrounded by their female relatives. Could it be because of the Wang Yang family?
Wang Yang will not go to his post with her husband, but will stay in Anlu. It is understandable that Wang Ning is afraid of her.
Wang Qinghong was a famous person in the Wang family. Even the eighth prince, who did not like human relationships, went to see him off on crutches. The Wang Ning family did not know the news.
Wang Cui is very partial, Wang Yang is not a good person, but Wang Qinghong is the biological father of a Taoist idiot after all.
Since early in the morning, Mrs. Wang Ning had been hesitant whether she should ask Dao Chi to see her off. But seeing her grandson sitting in front of the window, concentrating on reading, the old lady calmed down.
If I can't bear to let go of this old face and care about that little reputation, then there will be troubles over there in the future, which will make the grandparents and grandchildren unhappy. In addition, people are prone to push their own boundaries. If they see their grandparents being easy to talk to, who knows?
What measures will be taken in the future?
With Mrs. Wang Cui's high heart, how could she allow her adopted grandson to be stronger than her beloved grandson?
Thinking about Wang Yang's methods, the old lady felt chilled. She had two uncles, one had already left, and the other had left after the Lantern Festival, so she couldn't count on them.
At this time, the old lady was really looking forward to going to Beijing with her grandson as soon as possible...
Wang Qi followed Wang Zhen in the twelfth room to see him off, but finally couldn't hold it back and slipped into the outer ninth room.
When Wang Ning saw that he had lost a lot of weight, she felt distressed before it was too late. How could she care about his visit? She quickly ordered Aunt Yan to prepare tea and snacks for the two brothers.
Wang Qi entered the east chamber, looked at the books spread out on the desk and a few manuscripts with wet ink, and said with a click of his tongue: "We are still in the middle of the festival, Erlang is working too hard."
Dao Chi smiled bitterly and said: "Next year will be the year of the provincial examination, and time waits for no one."
Wang Qi put down the manuscript, rolled his eyes and said, "Aren't you angry with me sincerely? You will only be fifteen next year, so what will happen if you wait for the next subject?"
Dao Chi stroked his forehead and said, "It's already too early. I've been facing my eight-parted stockings all day long. Wouldn't it be more annoying if I drag it on?"
When Wang Qi heard this, his eyes widened and he said, "Erlang doesn't like reading?"
The Taoist Chi glanced at him and said, "If it wasn't for exams, who would have the patience to read this?"
Wang Qi said: "Haha, brother thought you loved reading. It turns out that you don't like reading either. No wonder you and I are so attracted to each other. It turns out that this is the root of it."
While laughing and joking, Wang Qi didn't mention why Dao Chi didn't see his biological father off, and Dao Chi didn't ask Wang Qi about the 120 hectares of land.
Just chatting, Wang Qi said with a hint of melancholy: "I was looking forward to the holiday earlier, but now I miss the palace..."
For other people, the Chinese New Year means endless banquets and entertainment. But for the Waijiufang, the widow's family is thin, and the number of relatives who come and go is limited. Except for the first few days, everything else is quiet again.
In a blink of an eye, on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, Dao Chi went to see off Liu Wanshan and his family.
What Liu Wanshan left to his nephew was a land deed to eighty acres of fertile land, two hundred taels of silver, and a house deed to a servant.
The Taoist idiot refused to accept the offer, so Liu Wanshan said: "You are still young. You should concentrate on your studies and not be distracted by external affairs, but you are supporting the family. It is not easy. I am your uncle, and I am not someone else. Within the scope of my ability,
It is also right to do your best for your nephew. Elders give it to you and you cannot refuse it. You don’t have to worry about your grandmother, the old lady is a sensible person and will not stop us from getting close to our uncle and nephew."
At this point, he pointed to the plate of silver ingots and said: "You are a responsible person if you think about buying more dowry for your sister, but since it is your biological mother's dowry, it is better to redeem it if you can. As for this one
My servant is a son from your aunt's family. Even if you have been away from Beijing for more than ten years, you still have relatives and friends working as servants in the old house in Beijing. Your aunt gives you this because she cares about you. When you come to Beijing, you will take him with you.
There is an errand boy, so you won't have a black eye. If you can't live there, just stay here. When you go to Beijing, just take it with you... The people in your house are too old, and the little ones are too young.
It’s small and not really useful…”
Taoist idiots can't push it away, so they can only thank you.
Regarding the issue of servants, he had already thought about it, but there was no way. There were few cabins in the house, and he wanted to buy more people, and the old lady was not willing to live in it despite the tight living conditions.
Even the people in the two rooms Cui Hao left behind are also staying in the new house and have not arranged errands yet.
Seeing that the Taoist idiot stopped talking, Liu Wanshan stroked his beard with satisfaction.
Because this servant was a gift from the Ren family, the Taoist idiot made a special trip to thank the Ren family.
Mrs. Ren ordered her mother-in-law to call the servants in that room to come out and pay homage to the new master.
There are a family of six in that house. The man is Zhou Tai, who is in his forties. In addition to his mother-in-law, he has four children. The eldest son Dashun is seventeen or eight years old, the second son Erping is fourteen or five years old, and the next two are
They are girls, one is twelve or three years old, and the other is eight or nine years old.
There are servants in this house, including healthy servants, maids, servants, and girls. Even if the two grandsons and grandsons in the ninth house don't like too many people, leaving only the servants in this house is enough to make exceptions. Liu Wanshan and his wife chose
The person who gave this room as a gift was also thoughtful.
Zhou Tai's family kowtowed to the Tao Chi with low eyebrows and recognized the new owner.
Many old relatives and friends of the Liu family came to see them off, and the uncle and nephew had no time to talk. Dao Chi, together with others, sent Liu Wanshan and his family out of the city before returning to the city.
Seeing Zhou Tai's family, he felt something in his heart. Before returning to the palace, Dao Chi went to the old house.
Even though Zhou Tai and his family are servants, because they are from the Ren family, they still have to think carefully about how to use them. The two servants left behind by Cui Hao don't have to worry about much.
There are now three pieces of farmland in Waijiufang, the ten acres passed down from the ancestors, the thirty acres from Dao Chi’s biological mother’s dowry, and the eighty acres donated by Liu Wanshan.
In addition, Dao Chi had already discussed with the Wang Ning family to inquire about the land on the market. Instead of buying it piecemeal, he would pick out pieces and prepare the land to buy more. When outsiders asked, they also blamed Cui and Liu's uncles.
Uncle Yan is old and has inconvenient legs and feet, so he is not suitable for patrolling the village.
Dao Chi had already seen the two servants in the new house before Cui Hao left.
Zhang Da's family and Zhao Si's family are all servants bought by Cui Hao from Wuchang Mansion. One house comes from an official's family, and the other comes from a wealthy businessman's family. The former has a family of four, and the latter has a family of three. There are not many Dingkou.
According to Cui Hao, if you buy servants from outside, they still need to be trained, so it is better to get them done.
Seeing the Taoist idiot approaching, Zhang Da and Zhao Si both came out to welcome him.
The Taoist idiot then ordered Zhang Da to inquire about fertile land, preferably between 200 and 500 acres. Then he ordered Zhao Si to purchase shops, including an antique shop and a ready-made clothing shop.
Both of them happily agreed.
For servants, the more prosperous their master's family is, the better their lives will be.
Dao Chi ordered Jingzhe to give Zhang Da and Zhao Si twenty taels of silver each for their expenses, and then left the new house.
Zhang Da and Zhao looked at each other, but they didn't say anything and respectfully sent the Taoist idiot out the door.
Zhao Si was thoughtful and said: "Brother Zhang, why don't you call me the superior of our family?"
Zhang Dadao: "Maybe the young master's family is not short of people to serve him."
Zhao Si said "haha" twice and said no more.
Although the two of them came from wealthy families, no one dared to look down on the new owner.
Mr. Cui, who bought them, was not a good person. Before he left, he had already told them that if they dared to bully each other because of the young neglect of their new owner, the only outcome would be death.
Although I don't know who Mr. Cui is, since he can pick people from the magistrate's office and wealthy businessmen's homes, how can he be messed with by ordinary people?
As for not letting their women and children serve there, I'm afraid the new owner is still waiting to see them.
Both of them made up their minds to get off to a good start and complete the first errand assigned by the new owner.
…
Dao Chi originally planned to go back to the palace directly after seeing off Liu Wanshan, but because of the relationship between the two hundred taels of silver and the land deed, he went back to the outer ninth house first and handed these to Wang Ning.
Wang Ning sighed, put the things away, and said, "We owe you Uncle Liu more."
The Taoist Chi said: "Grandma, my grandson remembers it. When my grandson becomes successful one day, he will definitely repay his uncle."
Wang Ning said lovingly: "I'm going to the palace again. Remember what I said. You can study hard, but you are not allowed to stay up late. If studying hurts your health, I would rather you be a farmer."
Dao Chi agreed honestly. Seeing that it was getting late outside, he took Jingzhe back to the palace.
By the time we arrived at Lequn Courtyard, except for Hu Tou, all the companions had already arrived and were gathering in the upper room to have tea and talk.
Jingzhe went to clean up the house, but Dao Chi was directly called to the room by Wang Qi.
Wang Qi wore white filial piety and dressed up in plain clothes. Because everyone in the palace was in filial piety, everyone had been dressing up in plain clothes for the past two years, but he didn't look eye-catching.
After losing a lot of weight, he has a lot of energy. If he doesn't speak, he is still a handsome young man, but when he speaks, his bottom is revealed.
Inviting Erlang to come in, Wang Qi winked at him and said: "Erlang, Boss Chen went to Wuchang Mansion a few days ago and brought back the little beauty... Hehe..."
He smiled obscenely, which really cost him his face.
Seeing him like this, the Taoist idiots were dumbfounded. Looking at his classmates, Chen Chizhong became more and more calm, as if Wang Qi was not talking about him; Liu Congyun smiled and ate tea and watched from the sidelines; Lu Wenzhao, on the other hand, had a different reaction, with an uneasy expression on his face.
, looking at Wang Qi and Chen Chizhong with unkind expressions.
Dao Chi looked around, feeling confused, but did not stop Wang Qi and allowed him to tease Chen Chizhong.
Although Chen Chizhong took off his Taoist robe, he grew up in a Taoist sect and was not shy. He spoke the Tao of "Yin and Yang of Heaven and Earth".
Wang Qi choked and ate half a cup of tea: "I can tell. Fortunately, Mr. Chen has returned to secular life. Otherwise, if he really wanted to become a Taoist priest, he would be a waste to the little Taoist nun."
Chen Chizhong glanced at Wang Qi's waist, looking like he knew what he was doing and didn't say much.
Wang Qi didn't know whether it was from embarrassment or annoyance, her face turned red and she said, "I'm in Xiaozhong, why is Mr. Chen's eyes darting around?"
Chen Chizhong said with a "haha" smile: "I think Qilang's new belt is good. What do Qilang think I'm looking at?"
Wang Qi couldn't hold it in anymore, so she stood up, pointed at Chen Chizhong, and said angrily: "It's really unreasonable. It's only been a year, and Mr. Chen's thick-skinnedness is almost as thick as mine..."
Before Chen Chizhong could speak, Lu Wenzhao responded.
"Bump!" He put the tea cup down hard, stood up, and said coldly: "Shameless!" After that, without waiting for anyone to react, he turned around and walked out angrily.
Chen Chizhong lowered his face and looked at Lu Wenzhao's back with a gloomy expression.
Being scolded for being confused, Wang Qi thought about how he had never seen Lu Wenzhao these days, let alone offended him, so he asked: "Boss Chen, when did you offend Lu Shudu?"
Chen Chizhong snorted softly and said, "Who knows why he has convulsions."
Wang Qi has known Lu Wenzhao for more than ten years and knows that although he is carefree and careless, he will never lose his temper for no reason.
Chen Chizhong refused to say that Erlang had always walked far away from them, so he must not have known about it, so Wang Qi looked at Liu Congyun.
As expected, Liu Congyun looked like a bitch who knew what he was doing. Wang Qi hurriedly came over and said, "Da Mao, I've only been resting for half a month and I'm already a fool. Let's talk about it. What kind of grudges did Boss Chen and Lu Shu have?"
Are you tired of looking at each other?"
Liu Congyun did not reply immediately, but glanced at Chen Chizhong and said, "This is Mr. Chen's private matter. Qi Lang had better ask Mr. Chen."
Wang Qi had no choice but to approach Chen Chizhong again, suppressed his smile, gave him a slap, and said: "Okay, Boss Chen, you are reporting good news rather than bad news. After all, Lu Wenzhao is the eldest son of the Lu family, and he still has a lot of power behind his back."
It's not easy to offend someone from the Lu family. What's the friction? You can't even care about the relationship between the windows?"
No matter what, he has some real friendship with Boss Chen, so he has to worry about him.
Even if Chen Chizhong is in the palace and has the heir apparent to support him, as one of the four surnames in Anlu, the Lu family will do no good if he offends him.
Seeing the concern on his face, Chen Chizhong calmed down slightly and said: "Qi Lang, don't worry, it's nothing serious, it's just that you don't mean what you say."
Seeing that Wang Qi was full of curiosity and wanted to ask more questions, he had to add another sentence: "On the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, Mr. Lu sent someone to invite me over for dinner. He was too quick to talk."
It is not in line with Mr. Lu's nature to invite his son's classmates to visit him during the first lunar month.
Mr. Lu is famous for not being able to afford an early break without profit, and all dealings with favors depend on the word profit. Even if his uncle borrows money, he must write an IOU and indicate the interest to the owner.
Although the Lu family is the last of the four surnames in Anlu, this is also because the children of the Lu family did not rank well in the imperial examinations, and their official career depends on donating officials. It is difficult to advance into the officialdom by donating officials, and of course it is not as good as the other three families. They have enough backers in the officialdom.
.
However, the Lu family's officialdom is weak, but they can borrow the power of their in-laws.
Thinking of this, Wang Qi roughly guessed the reason. Seeing Chen Chizhong's depressed look, he didn't dwell on the matter any further.
Although the palace was on holiday before the Laba Festival, when Mrs. Wang was attending the funeral, everyone else also returned to the palace to assist in the funeral, so everyone gossiped about interesting things during the first half of the New Year.
After eating two cups of tea, the Taoist idiot was thinking about Hu Tou, so he told everyone and came out of the tea room. He thought about going to the front to greet Hu Tou. If Hu Tou hadn't come yet, he would go to the shop in Xicheng to look for Hu Tou's hall.
Brother, ask around.
Wang Qi heard that he was going to meet Hutou and followed him out.
After leaving Lequn Hall, Wang Qi said with a face full of gossip: "Erlang, brother knows why Shudai Lu is angry."
The Taoist idiot asked: "Why?"
Wang Qi smiled and said: "How can Mr. Lu treat people to dinner for free? Since he is staring at Mr. Chen, there must be a reason. Although Mr. Chen is a lonely man, he has Xuanmiao Temple and 500 hectares of land in his name. In the Anlu world,
In addition to the palace and the four surnames, Mr. Chen has a lot of land. Mr. Lu is probably eyeing Mr. Chen’s land." At this point, he touched his chin and seemed to have some understanding, and said: "No wonder in the past six months, there has always been
I feel that there is something wrong with Boss Chen. Even if he does hire a few maids, it is just his own private matter, so why make it known to everyone. It seems that he has other motives. I am afraid that it is not just the Lu family who is targeting Boss Chen.
He had no intention of accepting a son-in-law call from a wealthy family, and he didn't want to offend others too much, so he had to appear more romantic."
Five hundred hectares of land, worth hundreds of thousands of taels of silver.
The Taoist idiot thought that after Chen Chizhong received the Xuanmiao Temple to watch the delivery, he changed out of his Taoist robe and stayed in the palace. He was afraid that he knew in his heart that with these properties in his hands, if he didn't hold the prince's thigh tightly, he would be eaten alive when he went out.
Chen Chizhong looks rough, but he is quite calculating at heart.
The two brothers left the school and went to the gate of the palace.
Before reaching the gate, I saw a tiger head coming towards me.
Wang Qi was overjoyed to see this. Just as he was about to say hello, his expression changed before he could speak, and he gritted his teeth and said, "Who hit this..."
Hutou raised his head, holding the slap mark on half of his face, looking at Dao Chi, with tears welling up in his eyes.