Mother Qiao led the three children to have tea and snacks. She only talked to the three children and gave some instructions to the brothers Mingheng and Mingheng. She never saw anyone watching them.
Mingjue and the other three were also listening intently to Mother Qiao's words. Moreover, the tea shop was noisy with people coming and going, so they didn't notice it.
The two people next to them looked better dressed than the ordinary people on the street. The older one was calm and steady, looking to be in his forties or fifties, and the one next to him was a young man in his twenties.
The older one also has a green jade pendant on his waist, which looks like a good thing and he looks like a respectable person.
The older one kept staring at Mingheng and Mingjue, while the younger one felt surprised and stared at Qiao's family back and forth.
But neither of them came close, and their faces remained calm.
Until Mother Qiao and her three children finished the meal and left, the two people didn't come up to talk to them. They just paid the bill in a hurry and followed them from a distance.
Mingheng called a carriage for Qiao's mother and ordered the driver to deliver her safely to Yunjia Village in Songshanji.
In the past, Mother Qiao would never have been willing to spend this wasted money.
It's not that you can't walk on two legs, but you can save a few coins even if you catch a ride on a ride or find a ride in an oxcart.
But now there is no shortage of those few copper coins at home, and since it is already past noon, I can still get home before dark by taking a carriage.
"Mingheng, you have to listen to your brother carefully and don't be naughty."
Seeing that Mingheng agreed, Mother Qiao told Mingjue again: "If anything happens, please send someone to deliver a letter back."
"Don't worry, Mom. Don't worry about us. When you have time, you and I can take my grandma to my eldest sister's place for a walk, or you can pick up your eldest sister and Wan'er and stay at home for a few days."
"Mom knows. In a few days, she will send someone to ask your sister to come and stay at home for a few days. Your grandmother often talks about your sister. She is the most worried about her."
Mingjue nodded.
"Come on, mother, it will get dark soon."
Mingheng was beside him anxiously urging Mr. Qiao.
"You kid. That mother and your sister have returned." Mother Qiao scolded her youngest son, then helped Mingyu board the car and left.
The two people following behind heard Ming Jue's words to the driver from a distance, saying that they were sending them to Jiyunjia Village in Songshan.
The two of them saw the two brothers heading towards the academy, and they were also trailing behind...
In Zhou Mansion, Mrs. Zhou’s main room.
Zhou Yanqing did not go to Xiahe Village that day. He returned home early and went to the old lady's main courtyard to have dinner as usual.
"Mom, dear mother, have you made something delicious for your son today? Are you ready for dinner? My son is very hungry."
The old lady listened to Zhou Yanqing's approaching footsteps in the room, raised her lips, and winked at Mother Lin.
Mother Lin understood, took three steps in succession and then opened the curtain and went out.
"Master Six is back early today. Come into the house quickly. There are several ice basins in the house to keep cool. I will ask the kitchen to bring all the food."
Zhou Yanqing handed a bag of snacks to Mother Lin: "I'm sorry, Mom. This is the Yun Pian Cake from Xinghualou, brought specially for my mother."
Mother Lin took the snack and smiled so hard: "Oh, Mr. Six is still thinking of me. I know that I like Xinghualou's cloud cake the most. Oops, it's still hot. Thank you, Mr. Six."
Zhou Yanqing smiled and said: "What is this worth? I passed by Xinghua Tower and sent stones to buy it. Mother Lin followed my mother to the house as a dowry. It has been decades, and the hard work has paid off. I still remember when I was a child
, Mom has no time to take care of me, it’s Mother Lin who takes care of me.”
Mother Lin felt comforted after hearing this.
She was married to the Zhou Mansion with the old lady. When she was young, she met someone unkind, so she had no choice but to stay with the old lady.
Among the maids who came as dowries at the same time, which one is not surrounded by children and grandchildren?
She was alone. She didn't know if anyone would beg for bones when she was old. During the holidays, no one would burn paper money.
Sometimes I don't regret it. Now I saw that Mr. Liu still remembered the kindness she had shown him when he was a child. He felt happy and said, "Master Six still remembers it. It is also a blessing for me to be able to stay with the old lady."
"
Zhou Yanqing looked at her half-grey hair and said, "Don't worry, mom. From now on, you can rest assured that you will be able to retire at home, and I will be there for you in the future."
Mother Lin couldn't help being happy. Mr. Liu said that he would help collect her bones after she died, and he would not just throw her away.
He blessed Zhou Yanqing deeply and said, "Old slave, thank you so much Master Six."
Zhou Yanqing gave him a hand, turned around and was about to enter the house.
Mother Lin opened her mouth towards him, saw that he quickly ducked into the house, closed her mouth again, shook her head and went to the kitchen.
When the old lady saw Zhou Yanqing walking in, she curled her lips in displeasure and said, "I've already heard the noise, so why don't you come in? What are you talking about with an old guy outside?"
Zhou Yanqing took two steps and sat down next to the old lady.
"Mom, do you miss your son?"
Seeing the old lady slap him on the body, she joked with him for a while.
Then he said sternly: "Mom, ask the housekeeper to see how many servants like Mother Lin are in our house. If the elderly are supported by someone, we will return their deeds and give them a sum of money to send them out of the house."
If they are helpless like Mother Lin, we will allow them to take care of themselves in the mansion. In the future, their affairs will be arranged by the mansion. There are many villages in our house, including several on the mountain. They will be sent to our home in the future.
Go up some hill or find a remote piece of land next to the ancestral graves for them to use."
The old lady pondered for a while and then said: "It is not up to our family to decide where to bury our ancestors. If they are as loyal and unreliable as Mother Lin, we can do it on our village or on a hilltop with beautiful mountains and clear waters."
This is for this purpose.”
After hearing this, Zhou Yanqing hurriedly praised: "I would say that my mother is the most kind-hearted. If the servants in the mansion knew about it, they would not be able to give her to me. I am afraid that the people in Qingchuan City would be eager to give her away overnight.
Come into our house and serve. Where can I find a kind-hearted master like my mother?"
Mrs. Zhou was made happy by Zhou Yanqing and kept laughing.
After dinner, mother and son sat together and chatted.
"Qing'er, your eldest brother sent a letter today, saying that your uncle revealed that Beijing has a large demand for cloth this year, and that Shu Brocade has emerged in the palace this year. Your eldest brother specially asked your family to send trustworthy people to the southwest to purchase large quantities.
He also said that these Shu brocades are to be given to the nobles in the capital and the palace for use, so I asked my mother to send reliable people to handle this matter. Who do you think it would be better to send?"
Zhou Yanqing was a little confused after hearing this.
He has always been in charge of Southwest's business. His eldest brother always wrote to him directly about this business matter, or sent his confidants to find him directly. Why didn't he know about this matter, but his eldest brother told him instead?
Did your mother say that?
"Mom, where is the letter from eldest brother?"
"Mom has put it away. Do you want to see it, Qing'er? I'll go look for it for you. I don't know where Mother Lin put that old thing."
Zhou Yanqing saw that his mother was about to leave, so she quickly supported him and said, "No, mother, just tell me."
Mrs. Zhou glanced at her son and breathed a sigh of relief. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
