Yue Zhongyao came back, and his life became simpler again.
The wasteland still needs to be cultivated. Even if farmers have money in vain in front of them, it is not as reassuring as holding land in their hands.
Because Mrs. Wu wanted to help Yue Xiaoman prepare her dowry, and Yue Zhongyao had brought three taels of silver to her, she couldn't keep an eye on Yue Zhongyao too much, which would offend San'er, who was getting increasingly angry.
Therefore, Yue Zhongyao would sometimes stay at Qiao Mingjin's house for a while in the evening, play with his daughter for a while, or watch her write a few large letters and do abacus a few times before going home.
When he was a child, his family was poor, and his mother always thought that as long as farmers knew how to farm, knowing those few words was of little use as they were not responsible for food or clothing.
Now that he sees that his daughter can read, do arithmetic, and do abacus, he feels so happy.
I feel that his daughter is many times better than the child in Shanghe Village who is said to be able to read poetry at the age of two and write articles at the age of five.
Although Jin Niang never asked him to stay at home, she did not refuse Wan'er to be close to him, which made him feel happy.
Yue Zhongyao also knew that Zhou Yanqing came to the workshop and had lunch at Qiao Mingjin's house. The two of them did not avoid people, and Yue Zhongyao also met him several times.
Every time Zhou Yanqing asked him to write a letter of divorce, Yue Zhongyao would hold his neck and say that if he could send a matchmaker to come to the house to formally propose marriage, he would definitely write a letter of release.
Zhou Yanqing has not yet reported it to his mother and it has not been approved, and there is nothing he can do about Yue Zhongyao's provocation.
On this day, Mrs. Zhou received a letter from Beijing and specially called Zhou Yanqing to the main courtyard.
"Qing'er, your uncle has a letter."
On a hot day, when the old lady saw her little son, she felt refreshed in her heart.
She is getting older, and the older she gets, the more lonely she feels, and the more she looks forward to having her children around her.
When she was young, not to mention the concubines who fawned over her, even her biological children were always around her all day long, acting coquettishly in her arms, and could not drive them away.
At that time, she had to take care of everything, take care of the family's food and drink, deal with the women in her master's backyard, and was busy setting rules in front of her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law. She always felt that her children were making a lot of noise.
But now that her children are older, she actually thinks about having them by her side to talk to her every day to relieve her boredom.
Zhou Yanqing peeled off a grape and handed it to the old lady's mouth. She asked with a smile: "What did the uncle say in the letter?"
The old lady leaned over with a happy look on her face, took the grape into her mouth, chewed it twice and swallowed it.
Then he said: "It is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the palace is preparing for a big event this year. Not to mention the empresses in the palaces, but also everywhere in the palace. The nobles in the capital and the officials all need new clothes. A letter from your uncle.
Let your eldest brother and you help prepare some fashionable materials. Our fabric business cannot make money from others, but we can still share the pie."
Zhou Yanqing nodded.
Said: "The past two years have been good. The world is at peace. In addition to the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, the Queen Mother in the palace is also celebrating her birthday, which must be a grand event. The Queen Qianqiu is also in the winter, and many people in Beijing also like to celebrate their birthdays.
In autumn and winter, we gather together to get married. Although our family does not want to offer fabrics, we can still prepare some more fabrics to send to Beijing and share the pie."
The old lady looked at her promising young son with joy and said: "Thanks to your eldest brother and you, otherwise the whole family would have to rest on their laurels. Your eldest brother is taking care of you in the north, and your clan uncle is helping you. Although he
I'm alone outside, so I'm not worried about him. But you, after all these years, you're already in your twenties, and you haven't even started a family yet and have no heirs..."
"Mom, how can you force this?"
Zhou Yanqing interrupted the old lady.
He added: "My son will definitely marry someone who is considerate to me this time. We will have a bunch of more children for my mother to help take care of. When the time comes, my mother will keep her around to entertain me."
The old lady laughed after hearing this and said: "That's good. Your uncle also asked about your marriage in the letter. The weather is not hot anymore. You really don't tell me about the one you hid.
A lovely person?"
After hearing this, Zhou Yanqing raised his head and glanced at the old lady, and asked cautiously: "Mom, what if you don't like the lovely person I like?"
The old lady was stunned after hearing this.
She stared at him and blinked, then said: "What Qing'er likes must be good. How could Mom not like it? As long as Qing'er thinks it's good, Mom will definitely think it's good too."
Zhou Yanqing's eyes were bright and she said, "Really?"
The old lady looked at him, smiled and nodded: "Of course it's true."
Seeing the joy on Zhou Yanqing's face, he asked again: "Maybe you can tell mother who the family is this time?"
Zhou Yanqing looked at the old lady's face, and there seemed to be nothing unusual. Then she slowly said: "That person is really a good woman, good-looking, literate, able to read account books, and a good governor..."
The old lady laughed after hearing this.
Said: "In a family like ours, the lady in charge and the girls around her are not all literate and can read accounts? Ordinary people, as long as they don't raise crooked people, who is not the governor and courteous?"
Zhou Yanqing was choked by what the old lady said.
Then he said hurriedly: "Although she was born in a small family, she looks like she comes from a big family. I am not praising her, but several of our sisters-in-law are not as generous as her. Besides, her family is not a merchant, and her father and
Her younger brother is still a scholar, and he has another younger brother who is also very good at studying. Although the family does not have much financial resources, it is a real farming and studying family. If her father had not been in poor health, the family would not have been in trouble in the early years.
It's all within easy reach. Marrying into a family like ours is not a high achievement."
The old lady was very interested.
"Oh? It's still a family of farming and studying? Her father and his younger brother are both scholars?"
Zhou Yanqing nodded repeatedly.
The old lady hummed, nodded and said: "If this is really the case, the daughters they raise will not be any worse. Although our family is looked after by your uncle in Beijing, your father gave birth to six children.
Son, your third brother is the only one who can read, but he is still a white man. Fortunately, Wenxuan is a bit smarter and energetic than him. Although his skin is a bit skinny, fortunately he is a savvy student. Now
He was taken by your clan uncle to study with his grandchildren in Beijing. If he is promising in the future, our family can also advance to a higher level. If the girl you mentioned is both her younger brothers and are promising in the future,
, that will also be a help to our family.”
Zhou Yanqing breathed a few sighs of relief after hearing this, and suddenly felt two ounces lighter.
The old lady glanced at him and said, "What's that girl's last name? Where does she live? You hide it so well. You never tell Wei Niang about her family's affairs. Wei Niang has never seen anyone from these two families.
If you want to get married, you have to meet each other and understand each other's situation, right? It's possible that you are just worried about the burden of shaving your head."
After hearing this, Yan Qing hurriedly shook her head: "No, she is also willing."
The old lady narrowed her eyes and said, "You and I, um, have a private relationship with each other?"
After hearing this, Zhou Yanqing hurriedly shook her head and said, "What's the matter? Mother, please don't think of your son as such a despicable person. Besides, he also wants a reputation."
The old lady stared at him for a while and said, "Then how did you know her thoughts?"
Zhou Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Mom, it's not the first time I'm getting married. This time I'm going to find someone who is knowledgeable and considerate. Of course I have to test it out."
The old lady hummed, but didn't ask him how he tested it.
Then he said: "Then you have to tell me which family it is from, whose name it is, and where they live, right? You can also let your mother make plans for you. Otherwise, how long will you delay it? Didn't you say that you hope for the New Year before?
Did you marry someone back before?"
Zhou Yanqing felt a little embarrassed.
He didn't want the old lady to know Jin Niang's identity so early.
His colorful clothes and entertainment have not yet achieved the best results. Although his mother loves him, she loves him too much. The old lady has always been a very principled person.
He originally thought about taking a shortcut, and made some plans before. But because Jin Niang didn't like it, he didn't plan to find someone to recognize him as his kinsman or buy his identity.
Later, I thought about slowly making her mother fall in love with Jin Niang, and slowly overcoming the old lady's guard. It would also be easier to plan.
Jinniang is like the old wine that has been hidden underground for many years. Only when you taste it slowly will it become more and more fragrant. Only by being in contact with it for a long time can you slowly feel her beauty.
If you are not prepared at the beginning, it may be counterproductive.
"Is there something wrong with you?" The old lady saw Zhou Yanqing was silent for a long time, frowned almost inaudibly, and suddenly asked.
Zhou Yanqing quickly calmed down and said: "It's nothing. It's just that her family is not from the city, but lives in the village below Songshanji. Mom, you don't mind that her family has no money and lives in the countryside, right?"
"
The old lady looked at her son's cautious look and laughed.
He said: "Does your mother dislike people who don't have money? They say that when you marry a daughter with your head down, you marry a daughter-in-law with your head down. Our family is not short of money. How can we expect that the daughter-in-law's mother-in-law has a rich family? It's not like we are counting on the daughter-in-law's dowry to make a living.
.”
Zhou Yanqing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "I know you are not like this, mother. Our sisters-in-law are all good people. Aren't I afraid that her dowry will be small and people will look down upon her?"
The old lady smiled and nodded at him twice, and said: "Who doesn't know that the sixth master of the Zhou family is a rich man? He is afraid that if she comes into the house with a small dowry and will be looked down upon by her sisters-in-law, why don't you secretly stuff a few banknotes before the marriage?
Past?"
Zhou Yanqing rushed over and hugged the old lady's arm, saying, "I knew you were an open-minded mother. I must have burned incense in my previous life to be reborn in my mother's belly."
The old lady was so happy that she laughed loudly, slapped him and said, "She knows how to act strangely. What's that girl's last name?"
Zhou Yanqing was feeling happy and said casually: "My surname is Qiao, she is the eldest daughter in the family. Now her family is doing better, and she even bought a house in the city for her two younger brothers to study in the city academy.
"
The old lady got the news she wanted and stopped pestering her. She only talked about interesting things at home with her son...
After Zhou Yanqing left, Mrs. Zhou leaned on the couch with a solemn expression. She tapped her fingers back and forth on one thigh.
After a long time, I asked Mother Lin: "What is the name of the driver who drives Mr. Liu?"
Mother Lin respectfully replied: "He's an idiot."
"Call him over secretly."
"yes."
After a while, the coachman named Erhanzi was secretly brought over by Mother Lin.
Er Jiazi has been driving cars for various masters in the Zhou Mansion for several years. Because he is strong, honest, and doesn't like to learn from his servants, the masters of the house always like to ask him to drive cars when they go out.
Later, Zhou Yanqing took a fancy to him. When he went out, he would ask him to drive him every now and then. Gradually, he started to drive specifically for Mr. Liu.
When Erhanzi was brought to the main courtyard by Mother Lin, his heart was pounding and his legs were shaking, wondering what mistake he had made.
From time to time in Zhou Mansion, slaves died of sudden illness, were beaten, or were driven out to sell. There were many slaves.
He didn't want to stand out, he just wanted to eat and drink and not be hungry. So he always acted honestly, not getting in front of others, and refused to say more than a few words. Why was he being targeted by the old lady now?
He didn't do anything wrong?
Erhanzi lay prone on the ground, not daring to raise his head.
The old lady winked at Mother Lin, who hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, and patted the corner of his clothes that was stained with dust.
"Don't be afraid. The old lady is just worried that Mr. Liu will not be able to eat or drink well when he is out and learn bad things. She called you here just to ask Mr. Liu where he went on weekdays and whether he went to some bad places with some bad people.
Where?"
Erhanzi breathed a sigh of relief and felt that he was alive again.
"Old lady, don't worry. Mr. Liu is fine. Every time he goes out, Shitou prepares food and drink for Mr. Liu. There is also an ice basin in the car. He will not be hungry or thirsty. During this period, Liu
I am busy with business matters every day, and I seldom go out to socialize or drink with friends."
The old lady sat on the chair and nodded while listening.
Xu Xu said: "I see that Mr. Liu has lost a lot of weight and tanned a lot during this period. It can be seen that he is busy with business and has worked hard. As an old lady at home, I can't do anything to help him, so I will only stay in the house.
I'm worrying about the backyard, I don't know what kind of business my son is busy with outside, and I can't help him."
Erhanzi was completely relieved. The old lady really only called him here to ask about Mr. Liu. It was really pitiful for the parents in the world.
He hurriedly said: "Don't worry, old lady, Mr. Liu knows it well. It's just that the place we went to is a bit far away. Although there was an ice basin on the car, it melted halfway. It's a hot day and the journey is long, so I won't lose weight."
It’s a little darker.”
The old lady straightened up and said: "The ice basin has melted, so just bring a few more. There is no shortage at home."
"It won't work. It's a long way there. And there won't be any time to get back."
"Where have you gone to suffer so much?"
Erhanzi felt that the old lady was a woman who still had to worry about her son at such an old age, and was deeply moved.
Like pouring beans out of a bamboo tube, he reported exactly where Mr. Liu usually went, who he met, what he gave, what he ate, and what he said.
After that, he still felt hot to the two taels of silver that the old lady rewarded him with. He just said something and got the two taels of silver.
The old lady cares so much about Mr. Liu and also worries about his food and drink. It is really not easy for the old lady.
After Erhanzi left, Mother Lin took a cautious look at the old lady and saw that the old lady was leaning on the couch and narrowed her eyes, and her fingers stopped tapping.
He swallowed his saliva and asked: "Old lady, do you want me to call Shitou and ask?"
The old lady opened her eyes just a slit and said slowly: "No need. You can quietly call someone tomorrow to go to the academy alley to have a look at the two brothers named Qiao. Then ask someone to go to Xiahe Village to find out their surnames.
Joe’s family.”
"Yes." Mother Lin responded.
He glanced at the old lady, thought for a moment and then said: "Old lady, don't think too much. I'll ask about the situation tomorrow..."
The old lady wrote something in her hand hanging on her side.
"Okay, you will arrange for someone to inquire early tomorrow morning."
"Yes." (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
