Zhang Yuan came to the door and bowed: "Sister-in-law is well." He straightened up and smiled at Shang Jinglan: "Hello Jinglan."
Shang Jinglan sent a blessing to Zhang Yuan. She was a little shy and said in a very soft voice, "Uncle, I'm fine."
Mrs. Fu was very happy: "Our family has been waiting for you for many days. A few days ago, Xiao Hui followed Zhou's mother and Fanghua to Chaoyangmen Pier to wait for you. We heard that the hungry people in Shandong were rebelling, and we were very worried.
, glad it has finally arrived.”
When Zhang Yuan heard what his sister-in-law Fu said, he felt relieved and asked with a smile: "Where is Xiao Hui now? Dan Ran has prepared a gift for the two sisters Jing Lan and Jing Hui."
Mrs. Fu said: "I had a cold and fever a few days ago. I went to the doctor for treatment and took two doses of medicine. I feel better today. In the afternoon, I was busy picking up my aunt and uncle from the dock. I just took the medicine and fell asleep again.
.”
Shang Jinglan asked, "Is it true that my little aunt didn't come?" She looked very disappointed.
Mrs. Fu glanced at her: "Didn't I receive the letter at the beginning of last month? Your little aunt can't come."
Mu Zhenzhen, Wu Ling and Wang Dachui came over to kowtow to Mrs. Fu. Mrs. Fu said: "Thank you for your hard work, let's go and rest first." They led Zhang Yuan into the second door, and saw a large rectangular courtyard with green brick floor, spacious and clean, with partitions
Opposite the door of the courtyard is the hall. There are some short herbs and flowers planted under the steps of the hall. In winter, the branches and leaves are all bare, so you can't tell what flowers they are. There are also two large lotus vats, half a person tall and with a large diameter.
, like two huge bowls, which can hold a lot of water. They are prepared for fire emergencies. They raise water lilies in their free time. Of course there are no water lilies in the tank now. The water surface is covered with a thin layer of ice. On the left and right sides of the yard are side rooms.
Each has eight rooms. The right wing has a high platform and is the master's residence. The left wing is lower and is for the maid. After entering the courtyard, there are several short rooms, which are warehouses, kitchens and miscellaneous rooms. This is the capital city.
Common medium-sized courtyard houses——
Zhang Yuan followed his sister-in-law Fu to the hall and sat down. The hall door was hung with a thick curtain to keep out the cold. It was obviously much warmer inside than outside the hall, but it turned out that a loop of tunnel was dug under the floor tiles. A charcoal fire was burning, and the heat was rising.
, the whole room is warm, but the use of charcoal fire for heating is not something that ordinary people can afford.
Zhang Yuan asked Wu Ling and Wang Dachui to bring up the gifts he had prepared for his brother-in-law and his family. They were all specialties from Shanyin and Kuaiji, including soybean wine, fermented bean curd, salted mandarin fish, dried plum vegetables, fennel beans, Yue porcelain tableware, and tea sets.
, as well as silks and cottons from Shengmei Company, as well as stationery supplies from Jiangnan, a full load, and two mahogany boxes measuring five feet square, which were gifts prepared by Dan Ran for his two nieces, as well as Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
Dehe Shang Danran wrote a letter to his brother and sister-in-law, and Danran wrote a separate letter to his two nieces——
Shang Jinglan was very happy after reading the letter and gift from her aunt, and said to Zhang Yuan: "Do you want to see Xiao Hui?" When Fanghua coaxed her to sleep just now, he said that Mr. Zhang and his brother would be here as soon as she wakes up.
She quickly went to bed. Otherwise, she would not have slept."
Zhang Yuan looked at his sister-in-law Fu, who smiled and said, "Let her come out to see her when she wakes up."
"Mrs., mrs.—"
Fanghua, the maid serving little Jinghui, lifted the curtain and came in. When she saw Zhang Yuan, she was surprised and said: "Master Zhang is here?" She was blessed and hurriedly said to Mrs. Fu: "Madam, Miss Jinghui looks like she has a head."
It hurts again, and I feel uncomfortable humming in my sleep."
Mrs. Fu frowned and said, "Why are you doing it again?" She said to Zhang Yuan, "Mr. Zhang, sit down for a moment and I'll go take a look." After that, she hurried out of the hall.
Zhang Yuan was worried. He followed his sister-in-law Fu and his maid Fanghua to the row of rooms on the left with a high platform. The second room from the left was Xiao Jinghui's room. It was already dark, and the room was lit.
It is spacious. It is separated by a screen. Two maids live in the outer room, and little Jinghui's bedroom is inside. A maid came out softly and said: "Madam, Miss Jinghui fell asleep again, do you want to wake her up?"
Mrs. Fu waved her hand, walked to Xiao Jinghui's bed, and reached out to touch her forehead. She still had a low-grade fever and had not yet recovered from the illness. Xiao Jinghui's long eyelashes covered her eyelids, which were wet, as if she was sleeping.
I had a headache that made me cry. Even when I was half asleep, I knew it was my mother's hand, and murmured: "Mother, are my aunt and Mr. Zhang's brother here?"
Mrs. Fu caressed her daughter's delicate face and said softly: "Xiao Hui, have a good sleep. After a good sleep, your illness will be cured. Mr. Zhang - your uncle will be here soon."
Xiao Jinghui said "Oh" and asked again: "What about little aunt?"
Mrs. Fu whispered to her: "Stop talking and go to sleep."
Xiao Jinghui turned sideways and fell asleep.
Although Jing Hui was young, this was also a boudoir. It was not convenient for Zhang Yuan to go in, so he just stood in the corridor outside the door and listened. When he heard Jing Hui talking, he was not seriously ill. He felt relieved and thought: "Little Hui's voice has not changed much."
, she is still as charming and naive as she was when she was six or seven years old."
At this time, the servant woman came to report: "Uncle Zhang, my master is back - as well as Master Qi and Mr. Qi from the Ministry of War."
Hearing a soft "ah" from Shang Jinglan in the room, Zhang Yuan secretly laughed in his heart: "Qi Huzi is really impatient. He has just arrived in the capital and has not yet sat down to warm himself up, and he has already come to pay homage to his father-in-law."
Zhang Yuan walked out of the room and stood on the platform. It was dark in the courtyard. Two large lanterns hung in front of the eaves of the main hall. Two lanterns were also lit inside the second door. Two people wore black gauze hats, regimental collar shirts, and
Officials with plain gold belts walked in hand in hand, and the young man following them was Qi Biaojia——
The two officials in black gauze hats were of the same age. Their faces were bright and dark, so Zhang Yuan didn't know which one was his brother-in-law, Shang Zhouzuo. He walked down the steps, bowed his head and said, "Brother Shang, my brother Zhang Yuan is polite."
The official on the right, who is about forty years old and has a square face and a beard, quickly stepped forward to hold his hand and said: "My dear brother, you have worked hard on a long journey, just hope you arrive safely." He introduced: "This is Mr. Qi Erguang of Kuaiji——"
Qi Chengshun cupped his hands and said, "Qi Chengshun from Kuaiji, also known as Erguang. I owe you to Brother Zhang Xian for taking care of me this time. Thank you very much. Thank you very much."
Zhang Yuan bowed his head and said: "Mr. Qi, you're too polite. I'm just walking with you along the way, so there's no need to take care of me."
Qi Biaojia, who was following his father, was a little depressed when he heard that his father and Zhang Yuan were brothers. His father Qi Chengshun was fifty-two years old this year, and because Zhang Yuan married the sister of his father-in-law Shang Zhouzuo, he was shorter.
Fortunately, Zhang Yuan usually only has equal friendship with him——
Qi Biaojia turned to look at the two side rooms and saw that there seemed to be a girl with half of her face exposed in the left room. When she looked again, she had disappeared. Could it be that it was my wife Shang Jinglan?
They are not engaged yet, but just by saying that three years ago, young Qi Biaojia regarded Shang Jinglan as his wife——
Shang Zhouzuo welcomed Zhang Yuan and Qi Chengshun and his son into the hall and sat down. He ordered the cooks to prepare for the banquet. He looked at his sister-in-law Zhang Yuan from time to time and saw that Zhang Yuan had clear features and elegant demeanor. Although he became famous at a young age, he had no arrogance. Shang Zhouzuo was very young.
The younger sister Danran was happy. At this time, because Qi Chengshun and his son were present, it was inconvenient to ask about the current situation of the younger sister Danran. During the banquet, they only asked about the provincial examination in August. Zhang Yuan explained in detail how Dong Zuchang and Wang Ruqian spread rumors and slander. The Zhejiang Procuratorate investigated the case.
They kept delaying again. When they passed through Hangzhou on their way to Beijing this time, they heard that the case had not been decided yet——
Qi Chengshun said: "In the matter, Yao Zongwen issued a memorial last month to impeach Qian Qianyi for accepting a large number of Song and Yuan rare books and famous paintings as bribes. Qian Hanlin is now in the criminal's home, waiting for investigation and the cabinet to retain him."
Zhang Yuan raised his eyebrows and asked, "Is this Yao Zongwen the same as Yao Chengli?" Yao Chengli was Yao Fu's cousin, who was appointed as an official in charge of the matter.
Shang Zhouzuo nodded and said: "Exactly, Yao Zongwen, courtesy name Chengli. He has a close relationship with Mr. Fang Ge."
Zhang Yuan thought to himself: "Is it possible that in the late Ming Dynasty we can only make peace with each other, do nothing, and offend no one? It's just to bring down Yao Tiezui, a scholar who has done many evil things. But it also involves his cousin who was involved in the crime. It's disgusting.
people!"
Shang Zhouzuo saw Zhang Yuan's brows slightly furrowed and comforted him: "Brother, don't worry, just prepare for the exam with peace of mind. Mr. Fang Ge also has a good relationship with Qian Hanlin. The bribe-taking incident is caught in the wind, so I hope it won't have much impact."
Qi Chengshun also said: "Don't worry, there are still forty days before the general examination. Good results in the general examination will be the reward for the provincial examination teacher."
Zhang Yuan and Qi Biaojia said in unison: "Yes."
At the banquet, Qi Chengyuan and Shang Zhouzuo agreed on the engagement of Qi Biao and Shang Jinglan, and a small betrothal ceremony would be held on the eighteenth day of the first lunar month next year. A big betrothal ceremony would be held on the twenty-sixth day of the first lunar month. Qi Biaojia would be fifteen years old next year, and Shang Jinglan would be married.
At the age of thirteen, you can get engaged.
Before the dinner was over, the old servant came to report that Mr. Zhang Baosheng from Shanyin was visiting.
Qi Chengyun smiled at Shang Zhouzuo and said: "This Zhang Baosheng is not easy to see now. He is a generation above me out of thin air."
Zhou Zuo of Shang Dynasty also laughed, and he and Zhang Yuan arrived at Erdaomen, and saw Zhang Dai coming with his second uncle Zhang Lianfang. Zhang Yuan had no impression of this uncle, but now he looked about six or seven times the same as Zhang E.
Similar, with similar expressions and beaming faces——
Zhang Lianfang bowed repeatedly and said: "Brother Ming Jian, don't be too polite, don't be too polite. I don't deserve it." Looking at Zhang Yuan who was saluting him, he smiled and said, "Brother Ming Jian's sister-in-law is so talented, I envy him."
." He stepped forward, took Zhang Yuan's hand, and asked him cordially. This nephew of the clan has a great reputation.
Qi Chengshun and his son also welcomed him out of the hall. There was a lot of greetings and greetings for a while. Zhang Lianfang's uncle and nephew had already had dinner, so they dismissed the banquet for tea and talked. Although Zhang Lianfang was just one person, he had a wide network of friends and was quite famous in Beijing——
Zhang Dai quietly said to Zhang Yuan: "Jiezi, do you know who I saw before? Hey, Dong Qichang lives next to my second uncle, both on the bank of the Paozi River. My second uncle likes calligraphy, painting and antiques, and has been in contact with Dong Qichang in his early years. What about now?
, come and go as usual."
Zhang Yuandao: "Our affairs have nothing to do with Uncle Baosheng, we just do our own thing."
Zhang Dai said with a smile: "I'm embarrassed. Dong Qichang doesn't recognize me, but Dong Zuchang can recognize me. Enemies are extremely jealous when they meet. I'm going to find another place to live. It's not comfortable to live with my elders. My second uncle has many concubines. I
If you're afraid of causing trouble, please move out and live with me."
Zhang Yuandao: "I will still live here for the time being. If I am named on the gold medal list, I will find a house to live in."
Zhang Dai asked with a smile: "What if the name falls from Sun Mountain?"
Zhang Yuandao said: "Even if I lose my fame, I still have to stay here in the capital." He thought to himself: "I really don't love this fame. If I don't pass the exam, I would like to go back to Jiangnan. Unfortunately, Jiangnan's good times will not last long. We
You have to worry about the world's worries first, and look for opportunities in Beijing to save the country——"
Zhang Dai said: "If I fail, I will go back to my hometown. I am not used to living in the north. It is still the small bridges and flowing water in the south of the Yangtze River. The beautiful scenery and delicious food are what I like."
Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "The Northland also has magnificent and wonderful scenery. Brother, don't be limited to the 28-year-old girl singing the willow bank at dawn and the waning moon. You should also be able to appreciate the copper pipa and the iron wooden board and sing the song "River East".
Zhang Dai smiled and suddenly said: "Jiezi, if my uncle and nephew all go to high school next spring, wouldn't it be a good idea?"
Zhang Yuan smiled and said: "Of course it's a good story about the imperial examination."
Hearing the sound of a drum from the Bell and Drum Tower in the distance, Qi Chengshun, his father and his son, and Zhang Lianfang's uncle and nephew stood up to say goodbye. When the drum was beaten for the third time, a curfew would begin in the inner city. Although the curfew was not very strict for officials, it was still important not to violate it.
good--
After seeing off the guests, Shang Zhouzuo and Zhang Yuan returned to the study to sit down and have a long talk. Only then did Shang Zhouzuo ask Zhang Yuan about the current situation of his younger sister Danran. Shang Zhouzuo entered Beijing five years ago and served as the Shaoqing of Taipu Temple. Since then,
I have never seen my little sister again. Her father died when she was three years old, and her mother died when she was five years old. She was raised by his eldest brother. They say they are brother and sister. In fact, they are more like father and daughter. Now I heard that my little sister is six months old.
She was very happy to be pregnant and said with a smile: "I just hope that next year I can bring my little sister to Beijing for a reunion." This is the hope of Zhang Yuan Chunwei High School.
Talking about tomorrow's joint letter requesting the emperor to issue an edict for disaster relief, Zhou Zuo of Shang Dynasty said: "Since the Longqing Dynasty, the court has not allowed tax exemptions for general disasters, unless it is a serious disaster or a continuous disaster. The Ministry of Household Affairs will not lightly discuss tax exemption."
Zhang Yuan showed "Pictures of Hungry People" to Shang Zhouzuo and told him what he saw on the road. Shangzhou Zuo sighed and said: "Tomorrow I will go to the Metropolitan Procuratorate to ask the censor who supervises Shandong Road if he has any disaster report to submit. Shandong
The disaster is so severe that relief efforts are urgent."
Shang Zhouzuo and Zhang Yuan talked a lot, ranging from classics and history to world affairs and human relations. Shang Zhouzuo was secretly amazed by his sister-in-law's vast knowledge and insight. The more they talked, the more they agreed with each other. After missing two words, Shang Zhouzuo got up and returned to his room.
Let Zhang Yuan rest early. The bedroom arranged for Zhang Yuan is in the wing room on the left side of the main hall. It is newly decorated, heated, and the beds and bedding are all prepared for Zhang Yuan and his wife. Now only Zhang Yuan lives there. Mu
Zhenzhen set up a small bed outside——
The first day in Beijing passed like this. The moment before going to bed, Zhang Yuan was thinking that today, from high-ranking officials to emperors and grandsons, to peddlers and lackeys, all the people he had seen were like a revolving door. Opportunities seemed to be everywhere -
…
In winter in Beijing, the sun sets early and rises late. Zhang Yuan woke up habitually at 3:30 and looked out the window and it was still dark. Mu Zhenzhen slept with him, so they should hug each other for warmth in the cold winter.
——
Mu Zhenzhen woke up a moment earlier than Zhang Yuan, but for fear of disturbing Zhang Yuan, he still lay still. The young master leaned sideways and put an arm on her waist. When he saw that Zhang Yuan was awake, he asked softly: "
Master, do you want to get up?"
Zhang Yuan said: "It will be at least half an hour before dawn. It's strange. Why doesn't the self-ringing clock ring?"
Mu Zhenzhen pursed her lips and smiled, knowing that the young master was teasing her, so he cooperated and said: "Master, this is in the capital, not Shanyin, it is four thousand miles away."
Zhang Yuan put his head behind his head with both hands and said leisurely: "Yes, my home four thousand miles away——" After a moment of silence, he sat up and said: "I'm going to start working hard in the capital again." Taking a deep breath, he felt
Energetic and confident to face any difficulties.
Mu Zhenzhen got out of bed first, lit the paper media in the brazier, lit the lamp, put on her coat and skirt, opened the door and saw that it was freezing cold and pitch black outside, so she went out to wash up and wound up her little bow under the lamp.
The young master has to practice his arm strength by shooting the bow from left to right every day——
Zhang Yuan copied half of Teacher Wang Siren's "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo" in small regular script. Only then did the sun shine slightly on the window lattice. Mu Zhenzhen went to the kitchen to bring hot water. After Zhang Yuan washed up, he practiced Tai Chi between the two large lotus vats in the courtyard.
The sky is half bright, the square eaves cut out the light blue sky, the courtyard is quiet, only the sound of people in the kitchen in the backyard is heard, people in Beijing do not get up so early if they have nothing to do, so they save lamp oil——
Zhang Yuan concentrated on practicing once without any distractions. When he was about to practice for the second time, he glanced at a small figure standing on the high steps of the left wing. He was wearing a six-sided boy's hat and a sable jacket.
Qiu, only showing his small white face, looked at him intently with those bright eyes——
"Brother Mr. Zhang."
The little girl screamed for joy. Although she was wearing a bloated cold fur coat, she jumped down from the steps. Her calves were soft and she was about to fall down. Zhang Yuan hurriedly stretched out his hand to hold her, and the little girl raised her pink baby fat.
With a small face, his eyes blinked in joy, and white breath came out of his mouth, and he said: "It's really Brother Zhang. Can Brother Zhang recognize who I am?"
Seeing the lively little Jinghui, Zhang Yuan felt extremely relaxed and happy, and said with a smile: "You should ask, can Mr. Zhang recognize who I am, little Jinghui?"
Laughter like silver bells suddenly resounded throughout the courtyard——
The maid Fanghua ran out of Jing Hui's bedroom in disheveled clothes and exclaimed in surprise: "Miss Jing Hui, why did you get up and run out alone? Your body is just better now. What if you catch a cold again!"
Xiao Jinghui said proudly: "I am well-dressed and I won't catch a cold. My illness is all cured."
Xiao Jinghui went to bed early yesterday, so she woke up very early. When she heard the noise in the courtyard, she wondered if Mr. Zhang's brother had already arrived. She didn't wake up her maid Fanghua to help her get dressed, so she went quietly by herself.
After finding my clothes and clothes, I got up, opened the door, came out and stood on the steps to watch Zhang Yuan doing Tai Chi. My eyes were wide open and I was so surprised——
The maid Fanghua's hair was messy, and she gave Zhang Yuan a very embarrassed look. She came over and touched Xiao Jinghui's hand. It felt cool. She quickly pulled Xiao Jinghui back to the room and said, "I have to freshen up before I can come out."
"
As Xiao Jinghui walked up the steps, he turned around and asked, "Brother Mr. Zhang, is it true that my aunt is not here?"
This sentence was exactly the same as what Jinglan asked yesterday. Although the two sisters knew that Aunt Danran might not come, they still had illusions——
Zhang Yuan smiled apologetically and shook his head.
Xiao Jinghui held the door with his hands and refused to go in. He asked again: "When will my little aunt give birth to the baby? Will she come to the capital after the baby is born?"
Fu's voice came from the room next to her: "Xiao Hui, don't be verbose. Go into the room quickly. Don't catch a cold. Also, you have to call me uncle."
Xiao Jinghui smiled sweetly at Zhang Yuan, blinked, and entered the room, with the curtain inside the door lowered.
————————————————————
I have been having headaches and fever for the past few days, and I haven’t updated much. I didn’t go to work today, so I asked for leave to rest at home. I coded 5,000 words and submitted them here. From tomorrow onwards, normal updates will resume. There is still the last day of this month. Book friends who still have monthly tickets, please