"Your Excellency, County Magistrate, last time my father sent me to the county government office to pay taxes, you happened to be away, so I couldn't meet you. It's a pity that I couldn't meet you. Today, my wish has come true."
"Brother Su, there is no need to be so outgoing. Today I am visiting you as Senior Brother Ling Jiang. My teacher is an old friend of yours, so we can be friends as equals."
"Then... just boldly call me Brother Lianghan."
"That's exactly what it should be."
After hearing the news from Cai Shou, Ouyang Rong said goodbye to his junior sister temporarily and did not disturb her rest.
After going out, in the narrow alley outside the courtyard, I met Su Fu, the eldest son of the Su family, who had been waiting for a long time. The two of them immediately saluted and exchanged greetings.
Xie Lingjiang is her daughter's family, so Su Dalang cannot enter her yard without permission and can only wait outside the door.
Just before I left, I heard my junior sister add that my uncle and aunt were very strict with the elder son of the Su family. He studied hard in the study all year round and invited all kinds of teachers to his door.
If the junior sister hadn't been busy with the county government affairs and had to shirk it, she would probably have to become a teacher for the eldest son of the Su family who is several years older than her... It can be seen that the entire Su family is very concerned about the eldest son's studies.
Ouyang Rong was not surprised by this. Studying is better than eating, drinking and having fun. It seems that although the Su family is rich, the family tradition is not bad.
The alley is located between the two girls' boudoirs. It is blocked by red walls on both sides and the light is slightly dark.
In the alley, after Ouyang Rong and Su Fu bowed, they looked at each other.
Wait until you get a clear look at the melancholy old man with unshaven beard and dark circles under his eyes.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but lean back slightly and turned to look at the bun-faced maid named Cai Shou who seemed to be leading him.
Are you sure this is not Uncle Su?
Is it Su Dalang, who is only two years older than me?
The alert little girl seemed to see the doubts in Ouyang Rong's eyes, Muyu nodded like a pointer and blinked.
Ouyang Rong was slightly shocked.
Good guy, at the age of twenty-three, he has matured at the age of thirty-two.
He turned around and quietly looked at the young man in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh, how old he was at such a young age.
Su Dalang touched his face curiously, "Brother Lianghan, why are you staring at me like this?"
Ouyang Rong waved his hand, "No...it's okay. I just heard his name for a long time and finally met him. Brother Su...is quite mature and steady."
"Brother Lianghan Miao praised it."
Su Dalang's face was pleased. He scratched the back of his head, as if he was a little embarrassed. He turned his head and looked at the yard of a girl with plum blossom makeup next door, and whispered in a low voice:
"Are you mature and steady... This is the first time someone has praised me like this. My sister says I'm immature every day."
Ouyang Rong laughed.
Immediately, Su Dalang invited Ouyang Rong to sit in the study. The latter had nothing to do today, so he was fine.
The two of them walked along the alley, chatting while walking.
Ouyang Rong took another closer look and found that the eldest son of the Su family was actually not as old-fashioned as he seemed at first glance.
Su Dalang is tall and has broad shoulders, and people with broad shoulders must have a big frame.
Walking in the alley, he and Ouyang Rong could only walk one behind the other, unable to walk side by side.
Besides, even though he has an unshaven beard, it is not too surprising that it was the fashion of the Zhou Dynasty for men to grow beards.
On the contrary, someone like Ouyang Rong, who doesn't like to grow a beard, looks too young. If he hadn't been in Longcheng County Yamen, with his deep temperament and resolute actions, he would have easily been unable to suppress the old officials.
In addition, I haven't met Su Xiaomei yet, but judging from her figure and temperament when we met that day, she must be not bad, and the Su family's genes are still good.
The elder son of the Su family also has an upright appearance. Even if he looks like a mature uncle, he is still a melancholy man with an unshaven beard, not a greasy man.
Glancing at Su Dalang's deep bags under his eyes, the young county magistrate accompanying him asked curiously:
"Brother Su, are you... working too hard last night?"
Su Dalang rubbed his increasingly haggard face and sighed:
"I have been very busy with my studies recently. Yesterday, Mr. Jingyi was in class again. I finished my homework a little late in the evening. I got up this morning and went out immediately when I heard that Brother Lianghan had arrived. My appearance may be a bit uneven. Don't blame me, Brother Lianghan."
"It doesn't matter. It's just that Brother Su's book is... a bit intense."
Ouyang Rong sighed. Although it was the first time that the two met, Su Dalang's look of being impatient made him very friendly, and he even wanted to teach someone about his fishing experience.
Sure enough, volume is the same in every era.
Even the man of the Su family, who has a great wealth and is well clothed and well-fed.
I just don’t know what kind of job Su Dalang is competing for.
If he studied hard, the Su family probably wanted him to take the imperial examination and become an official. Otherwise, he wouldn't be doing business, or just guarding the ancestral property of the three-thirds of an acre of land, right?
However, the imperial examinations of the Great Zhou Dynasty required thousands of troops to cross a single-plank bridge, and every year the number of scholars from the south was no more than one hand.
On the way to the study, Ouyang Rong originally wanted to find a topic to criticize the bad convolutions of scholars from the north and the south, but then he thought about it. He, a scholar who was a Jinshi, seemed to be the most provocateur among them, and he also involved everyone to death. In the end,
The roll won...
Ouyang Rong silently shut up.
As soon as he arrived at the study and entered the door, Ouyang Rong understood why Su Dalang was so haggard.
He couldn't help but look around.
"Brother Su, why is your study so dark?"
"Brother Lianghan, wait a moment, I'll open a window."
"Brother Su, this room is a bit crowded. Where is the bed? Why is there no couch? Hey, why are you putting all the books on the floor? It's very stylish... Wait, could this be you?
The bed?"
"Hey, brother Lianghan, please keep your voice down. Jiayan and Jiaci are afraid that I will be lazy and rest, so they don't allow a couch in the study room, and extra chairs are not allowed. It was my little sister's idea, saying that when I see a bed when I'm studying, I'm more likely to fall asleep.
Be wary of being disturbed by foreign objects..."
"Then your study bed..."
"It was a temporary set up. My legs felt numb when I slept on the table. Occasionally I couldn't hold on anymore and my homework wasn't finished, so I lay down on it and just squinted for a while... But I had to get out quickly so I couldn't be discovered... Liang Han
Brother, come and help me."
"..."
Ouyang Rong came forward silently. He was a guest and worked as a coolie to help Su Dalang sort the books into categories and move them back to the bookshelf.
After finishing, Ouyang Rong rolled down his sleeves, wiped his sweat, and walked to the desk. For a while, he couldn't find a stool to sit on.
"Brother Su, your documents... are piled a bit high."
"Wait a minute, I'll make a place for Brother Lianghan to sit down. By the way, what kind of tea does Brother Lianghan drink? I'll let the maids make tea."
"Well, I can do that."
"Cai Shou just gave me some Lushan tea. It's just right. Let's drink this."
Not long after, the maid from Su Dalang's courtyard came into the room and filled up the boiled tea.
But the appearance of these maids made Ouyang Rong look sideways.
"Brother Lianghan, what's wrong? The servants are not good at making tea?"
"That's not true, Brother Su, these maids in your house... are more mature than you."
Su Dalang was stunned, looked outside, took a long breath, and had a melancholy look on his face:
"This was also arranged by Jia Yan and Jia Ci. All the maids in the yard are like this. They are a bit older, but they are still very good. They are very diligent in their hands and feet. They usually don't disturb me when I study..."
He seemed to have no one and subconsciously muttered: "It's just that when I was sleeping at night, there was a maid in the next room who snored a little louder."
The corner of Ouyang Rong's mouth twitched.
You are not a maid here, they are all aunts and uncles... all of them are elderly maids doing rough work.
Others add Hongxiu to Tianxiang, but you add millet to rifle.
Compared with the beautiful young maids in the junior sister's courtyard just now...well, they don't look like her biological children at all. I suggest you check them out.
And he was so devoid of desire and diligent in studying... If the entire study room hadn't been so antique, Ouyang Rong would have almost looked around to find a countdown sign for an exam.
Brother Su doesn't just rhyme, he really takes the postgraduate entrance examination.
All joking aside, after witnessing this, Ouyang Rong was a little in awe and quite understood why Su Dalang was so mature and haggard. Anyone else would have to endure this.
Perhaps they both like Juan, and the two of them have a natural affinity.
Ouyang Rong said sincerely: "Brother Su, you have to develop a good habit of studying and then take your time. It is difficult to achieve it overnight. You still have to take care of your health first."
Su Dalang was a little moved:
"Thank you so much, Brother Lianghan. Actually... I envy you. Not only can you study, but you can also do things. Your family doesn't have to worry about it. At dinner the day before yesterday, my father and mother mentioned Brother Lianghan's deeds and asked me to study hard.
, my little sister also praised it."
"Whatever deeds are reported are all lies."
Su Dalang shook his head and said sincerely: "I will still ask Brother Lianghan for more advice in the future."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, "I don't dare to ask for advice."
Su Dalang suddenly said: "By the way, I forgot to take brother Lianghan to see my father. My sister Xie family often mentioned brother Lianghan before. My father has also wanted to see you for a long time. Let's go."
Ouyang Rong wanted to refuse and say goodbye, but he couldn't bear Su Dalang's enthusiasm. Without saying a word, he pulled him to an elegant and spacious hall on the west side of Su's mansion.
Here, Ouyang Rong met Su Xian, the master of the Su family.
Su Xian is a middle-aged man about forty or fifty years old, dressed in a clean blue robe and dressed as a scholar.
When we first met, he was unsmiling and quite serious, but his facial features were similar to Su Dalang's. Well, it seemed that there was no need to check, he was his biological son...
In addition, Su Xian is a little leaner and shorter than Su Dalang.
But it is not difficult to see that this man must have been a handsome man when he was young. Even now, he is still half a handsome man.
In addition, Uncle Su's brows were slightly furrowed, giving him a somewhat melancholic temperament.
Unlike the melancholy of Su Dalang, who studies every day and has a sad face, this uncle Su seems to have been disturbed for many years, and this melancholy temperament has penetrated so deep into his bones.
When Ouyang Rong and Su Xian and his son met in the lobby, they naturally exchanged polite greetings.
After saluting each other and saying hello, Su Xian, who was in charge, sat upright with a serious face and asked Ouyang Rong some things about his mentor Xie Xun.
After a conversation, Uncle Su spoke calmly, although he seemed old-fashioned, but he didn't have much airs as an elder, and he cared about the younger generation and was quite enthusiastic.
The three of them chatted for a while, each drank tea, and the hall became quiet.
Putting down the tea cup, Su Xian couldn't help but take a few more glances at Ouyang Rong's face.
The latter raised his head and asked:
"Uncle Su, does he have something to say?"
Su Xian thought for a while and felt that he still needed to fulfill some of his elders' educational obligations. He nodded, pointed at the two red marks on Ouyang Rong's face and said:
"My dear nephew, what's the reason for the scar on your face?"
Ouyang Rong was helpless: "I feel ashamed to say that I picked grapes last night. The ladder was not stable and I accidentally knocked down the grape trellis. My face was stained."
The middle-aged scribe wearing a Xiaoyao scarf raised his eyebrows and stared at Ouyang Rong's face for a while. A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, and he lowered his head to sip tea.
Ouyang Rong saw this and asked curiously: "Why is uncle laughing?"
Su Xian closed the tea lid and sighed: "My dear nephew, there is nothing bad to say about this kind of thing."
Ouyang Rong frowned slightly, "What do you mean, uncle? My nephew did not conceal the truth."
Su Xian pressed his palm downwards, seeming to understand very well, and comforted him nicely:
"You're welcome, my dear nephew. We hit it off as old friends today, and you and Da Lang got along well with each other, so we won't be outsiders. There are some things that your elders won't be around, but my uncle can give you some useful advice."
Someone became more and more puzzled: "What...what suggestion? What is it?"
On the side, Su Dalang, who was taking advantage of Ouyang Rong to come out to drink tea and fish, slowly turned his head and looked at Ouyang Rong, his expression turned strange.
Su Xian sighed:
"My dear nephew, please stop hesitating. The scratch on his face is such a coincidence. I guess my dear nephew must be... I have a fierce wife at home. Did the couple fight last night and was scratched by her?"
Although it was a question, the middle-aged scribe looked determined and smiled without saying a word.
Ouyang Rong: "..."
"Sorry, uncle guessed wrong." He shook his head, "There is no such thing, it's really just the grape trellis that fell down, and my nephew didn't..."
"My nephew, please don't shy away. It's not a big deal if you tell me about this kind of thing. There are only three of us. If my nephew speaks out, my uncle can give you some advice. My uncle has always hated the pain of this kind of thing."
Su Xian interrupted Ouyang Rong's words with a wave of his hand, feeling angry on his behalf, and spoke righteously towards the empty lobby ahead:
"The husband is the sky, the wife is the earth. How can the world be turned upside down? Some fierce women dare to use the earth to suppress the sky and ride on the head of their virtuous nephew. They are really lawless and arrogant.
"Nephew, there is no need to be afraid. The husband is the guide for his wife. No matter what you say, it makes sense. When you go back, try to bring out the ancestral precepts first, and then the family law. If you still can't suppress it, then invite the elders to suppress it.
Be a fierce wife, otherwise if you bow your head once, it will be even more difficult to rise up in the future..."
Ouyang Rong was about to speak but stopped.
Seeing this, Su Xian patted his shoulder and sighed:
"Don't be afraid, good nephew. My uncle is here. Hey, I originally thought that my good nephew could manage an entire yamen at a young age. He should be a strong character who can take charge of his own affairs. But I didn't expect that the back house would be set on fire. With such a fierce wife, hey.
…
"It's okay. If this kind of grape trellis collapse happens again in the future, you can come next door to discuss it with your uncle. If that fierce wife still dares to overwhelm the sky, my uncle will scold and teach her a lesson for you, and he can even turn her upside down..."
Just when the middle-aged scribe scolded Fang Qiu and encouraged his nephew.
Suddenly, a plate of cakes flew out from the back room and landed at his feet.
After a "clang" sound, the whole place fell silent.
Ouyang Rong curiously looked in the direction of the back room. It was strange that the cakes could still grow wings and fly out?
But what made him even more surprised was that Uncle Su suddenly became silent.
In the silent hall, a middle-aged scribe lowered his head and stared at the cakes at his feet for a while. He suddenly raised his head and said with a serious face:
"My dear nephew, this is your fault! We obviously have a good wife who manages the household well, but why are you still not satisfied? Don't you know the ancient saying that 'the woman is the master of the house and the man is the master of the house'?
"No matter how powerful a man is outside, he still has to listen to his good wife when he comes home. This is called listening and you will be wise. What's wrong with a good wife occasionally being strong? This is a treasure!"
Ouyang Rong was stunned.
The middle-aged scribe patted Ouyang Rong's shoulder earnestly, and with his feet under his chair, he quietly moved aside the pastry fragments on the floor and hid them:
"Ordinary wives and concubines will only be obedient to you. They don't care whether what you do is right or not. Only a real good wife will say things you don't like to hear. She is really doing it for your own good. What's wrong with occasionally quarreling and scratching? This is called
Hitting is love, scolding is love."
Su Xian stared at Ouyang Rong after saying this, and paused, as if waiting for something.
Unfortunately, after waiting for a long time, in the hall, apart from Ouyang Rong's soft "Ah" sound, there was only the low-key sound of Su Dalang drinking tea.
The middle-aged scribe seemed to have been pressed on the power button again. With a serious look on his face, he continued to speak:
"The good nephew is obviously so good outside, but he can't figure it out when he comes home. He just provokes the good wife and is forced to scratch her back. Well, you don't even think about it. OK, why is she scratching you? Of course it's you who is at fault.
It’s a place…”
He said sadly:
"You, you, you still come to my uncle to complain. You are really born in the midst of blessings and don't know the blessings. My uncle tells you that no matter what you say about this matter, you are the one who ignores it. Go back and comfort her!"
"ah?"
Ouyang Rong opened his mouth slightly, looked at the cheap uncle whose attitude changed completely, and said with a wry smile:
"What are you talking about, uncle? My nephew is really just a grape trellis."
"Then you have to go back now and fix the grape trellis!"
"..." Ouyang Rong.
At this moment, a woman's soft hum came from the back hall.
Su Xian immediately dropped Ouyang Rong, turned around, and said with a surprised expression:
"Hey, Sister Mei, why are you here? Why don't you say anything? Oh, you're here to visit your nephew, right?"
The woman’s voice continued to come from the back of the lobby:
"Aren't you asking Master Su for instructions? Can you come out to meet the guests? You have to nod your head. Otherwise, if you disobey Master Su even a little bit, you will be betraying the ancestral precepts and family law.
, we have to invite the elders, but I can’t afford it, and I’m trembling.”
Su Xian sneered, stood up and crouched to greet her, "Madam still likes to joke in front of juniors so much, hahaha, come in quickly, come in quickly."
"Humph, I don't dare to joke casually."
A woman slowly walked out of the back room with two maids. She had two slender eyebrows, a round face and thin lips. She looked like an old lady, and her temperament was quite fierce. At this moment, she was like a sharp knife, cutting open
The atmosphere of silence in the hall.
Su Xian hurried forward to help him, but as soon as he came to stand side by side with the long-browed woman, his face suddenly changed and turned into the color of pig liver. He seemed to be enduring the pain, but he still tried his best to face the gazes of his nephews.
A smile indicated that he was fine and nothing was wrong.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but open his eyes. Su Dalang lowered his head and counted the tea leaves in the cup, pretending not to see it.
Wei Mei quietly retracted her hand that was pinching her husband's waist. She turned her head and smiled at the handsome man in the lobby who looked quite pleasing to her eyes:
"My dear nephew, I accidentally dropped the cake on the floor just now. I'll bring you another plate."
"How can I trouble my wife to do all the work?"
Su Xian quickly grabbed Wei Mei, then her old face flushed, and she waved to them hastily: "Xiannephew, you...don't you still have something to do? Why don't you go back first? The grape trellis in my uncle's yard has also fallen down. I have to go and help him now."
Give me a hand."
"..." Ouyang Rong.
After receiving some pertinent feedback, I made some minor changes to this chapter and added a thousand words of content for free, for a total of 5,200 words, and only charged 4,000 words! Thank you for your support, dear brothers!