Qingshi County.

Zhang Mansion.

As the richest household in the county, Zhang's courtyard is extremely large, occupying half of the street, and it is located in the best area of ​​the county...

As for this family, it is the envy of everyone in Qingshi County. This is not only because of the Zhang family's wealth, but also because the Zhang family has a big backend, and even the county magistrate does not dare to provoke it.

More than ten years ago, the Zhang family was far less famous in Qingshi County than it is now. At most, it was a second- and third-rate merchant family.

However, since Mr. Zhang remarried, the Zhang family has grown up at a speed that shocked everyone. In just ten years, the family's business has spread not only across Qingshi County, but also in prefectures and provincial capitals, with shops opening one after another.

One family.

There are rumors that Mr. Zhang’s second wife is a girl from a noble family in the capital, and the relationship behind her is very strong.

Everyone has different opinions on this.

Those who believe it feel that this must be true, otherwise, how could the Zhang family get up so quickly?

The skeptical side thought that how could a girl from a noble family fall in love with Mr. Zhang who was a merchant and become his stepmother?

What is puzzling is that the Zhang family has never responded directly to this controversy.

......

Champs Elysees.

Among the courtyards of the Zhang Mansion, it is one of the top three most exquisite courtyards.

It was getting slightly brighter, and there was a noise in the upper room.

"Girl, please sleep a little longer. It's the coldest month of winter and the temperature in the morning is very low. It doesn't matter if you get up later."

The eldest maid Caiwei whispered to the slender figure in the embroidered tent.

Unfortunately, Qianying did not stop getting up.

Seeing this, Caiwei felt helpless and quickly stepped forward to lift the embroidered tent.

Soon, a beautiful girl about fourteen years old sat up wearing clothes.

Worried that her girl was freezing, Caiwei quickly helped the girl get dressed.

After getting dressed, the girl sat in front of the dressing table.

Caiwei first put a hand warmer into the girl's hand, and then picked up a comb to comb her hair.

Zhang Huahan looked through the mirror at Caiwei, who was serving him wholeheartedly.

She knew that her family had been busy with her eldest sister's marriage recently, and because she was pressed for time, many people in the hospital had been assigned to help.

Although Caiwei is her eldest maid and will not be transferred, there are fewer maids in the courtyard, so she has more things to deal with. When there are too many things, she will inevitably be a little careless, so she said: "Today is Laba."

”

Hearing this, Caiwei's complexion immediately changed, and she quickly knelt down to plead guilty: "It's my servant's fault, but I forgot that the girl was going to pay homage to the eldest lady today. Please punish me."

Zhang Huahan did not blame her: "Get up, I know you are busy at this time, comb your hair quickly, don't waste time."

Caiwei stood up quickly and continued to comb Zhang Huahan's hair. During this period, her eyes glanced at the girl's indifferent face that had never changed.

Thinking of the eldest lady, Caiwei felt a little aggrieved for her own girl.

The eldest lady has an eccentric temperament. She never walks around in front of others and never sees anyone. She is very cold towards everyone, including the eldest master and the girl, her biological daughter.

When the girl was three years old, she came to serve her.

Nowadays, the girl will have her hair in one year, but the eldest lady has never set foot in the Champs Elysées, let alone educate the girl. She is so cold and chilling.

The girl in her family is so sincere and filial that after being rejected and coaxed away many times, she still insists on going to pay her respects to the eldest lady on the first and fifteenth day of every month, as well as during the holidays.

Even though the eldest lady has never seen the girl once, the girl still keeps coming back for several years.

She just couldn't understand, how could there be such a cruel mother in this world?

After getting dressed and freshened up, Zhang Huahan simply ate some pastries, put on his cloak and went out.

The first place we went to was Mrs. Zhang’s yard.

When Zhang Huahan arrived, Mrs. Zhang had just woken up.

Seeing that Zhang Huahan came so early, Mrs. Zhang smiled and asked the maid to pour her a cup of hot tea: "It's hard for you to be so filial and come so early in such a cold day. However, you are a delicate little girl, and your body is

The most important thing is, you can come later."

The corners of Zhang Huahan's mouth raised slightly, and the smile on his face was neither more nor less: "Thank you, grandma, for your consideration."

At this moment, laughter came from outside the door. Immediately afterwards, the eldest daughter of the Zhang family walked in with a smile. Seeing Zhang Huahan in the room, she smiled and said: "I thought I came early enough, but I didn't expect the fifth sister."

It was earlier than me."

Seeing her eldest granddaughter, the smile on Mrs. Zhang's face became much deeper, and she said angrily: "Girl, you are not tired these days, why don't you sleep more?"

Miss Zhang smiled and snuggled up to Mrs. Zhang: "My granddaughter wants to come over and have dinner with her grandma."

Mrs. Zhang smiled and scolded: "I think you want to come and eat the delicious food here." After saying that, she looked at Zhang Huahan with a smile and said smoothly, "Fifth girl, you can stay at my place for breakfast later."

Zhang Huahan was not very happy about this. She had to go to greet her mother. When she was thinking about how to refuse, the door curtain was opened again.

"Grandma is partial and only leaves the eldest sister and the fifth sister to have breakfast. We want it too."

This time there were more girls coming in, including the legitimate daughters and concubines of the second and third wives.

Mrs. Zhang likes to be lively. When she saw her granddaughters coming over, her eyes narrowed with laughter. She was talking and laughing with her granddaughters.

Zhang Huahan looked at the happy scene in front of her and always felt like she was being excluded. In fact, she was indeed the one who was excluded.

Whether it was her grandmother or her father, they were always too polite to her but not close enough.

As for the rest of the Zhang family, let alone them.

"Grandma, I heard that my uncle came back from the provincial capital last night?" The second girl from the second room hugged Mrs. Zhang's arm and asked coquettishly.

Hearing this, a trace of surprise flashed across Zhang Huahan's face.

Father came back last night?

This time my father went out mainly to buy a dowry for his eldest sister, and he was away for more than two months.

Zhang Huahan felt a little bitter in her heart. As a daughter, she found out later than her cousins ​​that her father was out and returning home.

It is impossible to say that it is not uncomfortable.

It can also be seen from this incident that her status in the Zhang family is awkward. Although she is the eldest daughter, she is not loved by her biological father and mother. The servants will not get close to a master like her because they only care about the food.

Therefore, she is often the last to know about the Zhang family's big and small matters.

"I wonder why you all came so early today. Are you thinking about the gifts your uncle brought back?"

Mrs. Zhang smiled and nodded to Miss Zhang's head: "Eat first, and I'll give it to you after you eat."

Seeing that Mrs. Zhang was about to lead everyone to the dining room, Zhang Huahan stood up quickly: "Grandma, forgive me, but my granddaughter won't stay to eat. Today is Laba, and I have to go and pay my respects to my mother."

As soon as these words came out, everyone who was chatting and laughing a moment ago suddenly became quiet.

The current eldest wife of the Zhang family is a bit of a taboo existence in the Zhang family. Everyone will not mention her if they can, and almost no one will take the initiative to talk about her.

Mrs. Zhang was the first to react and nodded with a smile: "I've been so busy during this period. Look, I forgot it's Laba today. Go quickly and don't keep your mother waiting."

Zhang Huahan didn't say anything. Did she really forget it, or did she deliberately not mention it? After so many years, she still knew something about it, so she turned around and left.

While standing outside the door tying his cloak, Zhang Huahan heard a voice of disdain coming from inside the room.

"The eldest lady has always been unwilling to see the fifth sister. I really don't know why the fifth sister goes to greet her again and again?"

"I don’t know how long the fifth sister will be away this time. Is it possible that we should wait for her to come back before we can choose the gifts that our uncle brings us?"

After that, several girls from the Zhang family begged Mrs. Zhang to wait for Zhang Huahan's words.

Unfortunately, they were all rejected by Mrs. Zhang.

Zhang Huahan left the yard with a mocking look on his lips.

The family is really interesting. No matter what good things there are, she will be the first to choose them. Even the eldest brother and eldest sister have to take a step back.

It seems that they value her, but in fact, it gives her the illusion of being a mascot, as if her existence is not a relative to the Zhang family, but just a... proof.<

/p>

What does it prove?

Proves that the Zhang family and the Yan family are indeed related by marriage!

The Yan family......

She actually didn't know much about her mother's natal family and her maternal grandfather's family. Her mother almost never saw her, but her father met her a few times a month, but he never mentioned the Yan family to her.

What she knew about the Yan family was pieced together from other people's gossip.

She had too few sources of information. She only knew that the Yan family's family status was much higher than that of the Zhang family. Even if the Zhang family was already the richest family in Qingshi County, it could not reach the Yan family.

The Yan family is so prominent, so why did the mother marry the father as a stepmother?

Thinking of his mother's indifference to him from birth to now, Zhang Huahan vaguely understood that his mother was definitely not willing to marry his father.
To be continued...