When it was almost dark, Lai Dacai walked into the door of Lai's house dejectedly.
The sound of drumming came from inside, which was very lively.
Lai Da didn't pay attention to the boy at the door of his house, knelt down and kowtowed, shouting "Uncle Lai" and walked straight in.
From a distance, I saw a few guests sitting in the garden. The babbling opera on the stage had come to an end, and Lai Da's brows furrowed even more tightly.
His son Lai Shangrong rushed over to greet him:
"Why did dad come back so late at night? Dinner has been served at home.
Grandma said that when my official appointment documents as county magistrate arrived, I would perform a three-day opera show in this garden. She asked me to find the opera troupe I had selected in advance to sing for half a day to see if they were happy.
I thought since I was singing a half-day opera, I might as well invite a few friends over to have a good time, so I prepared a table.
The people invited are all children from aristocratic families. When I enter the officialdom, I don’t know when I will need them. Now I will find an opportunity to get closer and closer.
Grandma also said that I think far ahead. She also came out to listen to the opera just now and said that the troupe's new play "Shuangguangao" was good. In the play, Bilian's husband Feng Rui finally became the Minister of War and returned home in glory, and his son Feng Xiong
The imperial court rewarded Bilian with two royal titles when she was the most beautiful girl in high school.
Grandma liked what she heard and said that she would sing this song to suit the occasion when the guests are officially invited."
Lai Da was impatient and waved at Lai Shangrong like a fly:
"We're setting up a banquet again. You've invited me seven or eight times this month.
They are all children of aristocratic families, and they always have high-quality meals. Does this family have a mountain of gold or a mountain of silver? If we eat like this, sooner or later we will be as poor as the Jia family."
Lai Shangrong had long noticed that Lai Qiaqi had a bad look and knew that something was on his mind. At this time, he started scolding him and did not dare to reply. He only said:
"Then I'll tell them to disperse."
"Let's break up? Doesn't this offend people? How did your grandma teach you? You should never offend people in person no matter what, have you forgotten?
Forget it, forget it, you should go and accompany the guests. Make more friends with the children of these aristocratic families. They will also be your connections in the future. This money cannot be wasted."
Lai Da just said a few words, and then he hurriedly went back to make up for it. After saying that, he hurriedly asked:
"Where's your grandma?"
Lai Shangrong pointed to the small building to the east:
"I'm settling accounts with my second aunt upstairs. It's said that my second uncle got another amount of money. My grandma is very happy."
Lai Dayi frowned and muttered, "People are about to settle accounts and come to the door." He left Lai Shangrong and walked quickly towards the small building.
.
Aunt Lai was holding a big account book, and the two Lai family members were counting the banknotes. Suddenly Lai Dayi’s head bumped into the room, and Aunt Lai said with a smile:
"It's great this time. Since you're back, come over and help.
The Jia family gave the craftsman 5,000 taels of money for the doors and windows, and the money for the garden on the second son's side was sent in. Everyone understood that the custom was that we had half share, plus the private filial piety, we got 2,500 taels, and the rest.
Each of them was divided into another thousand taels.
Moreover, there are officials from far away in Dongfu who have begun to send gifts for the August Festival. There is an official from Guizhou, and his people have arrived today. They have sent two baskets of gastrodia elata and two baskets of tea. Extra orders.
Xiao Jing gave the second brother a basket of Gastrodia elata and a basket of tea leaves. I asked people to sell the tea leaves and keep the Gastrodia elata for future gifts.
Boss, did you get anything over there?"
Before Grandma Lai finished her rambling words, Lai Er walked in, cracking melon seeds and smiling:
"Hey, they're all here, it's so lively."
Lai Da frowned and asked Lai Er:
"What have you been doing? I asked people to look for you in Dongfu, but they said you weren't there?"
Lai Er spat out the melon seed skins from afar and said with a smile:
"I went to our shop.
Uncle Zhen is going to treat guests in a few days and wants to buy good sea cucumbers and abalone from outside. Naturally, I have to go to our shop to prepare them.
Just this one case can earn another two to three hundred taels. Mom said that flies are still meat no matter how small they are, so naturally we can’t let them go."
As soon as Aunt Lai raised her eyes from the account book, she saw that Lai Daqi had a bad look and asked:
"Did something happen to Jia Lian again?"
.
"锵锵锵锵锵锵"
The stage outside has been replaced with "Five Ghosts Alarming Zhong Kui".
The stage was full of kiddos doing somersaults, and the gongs and drums were beating so loudly that it was so noisy that even the words in the room could not be heard clearly.
"It's so noisy." Lai Da muttered, closed all the windows, and then said:
"What happened this time is not trivial. If one thing goes wrong, I'm afraid we won't be able to stay in this capital any longer."
"Ah? So serious?"
The other three people in the room were all shocked.
Lai Da sat down at the table and slapped his thigh heavily:
"Jia Lian, the man who had been stabbed a thousand times, suddenly turned his face when he and Uncle Zhen were talking about the construction of the provincial residence. As soon as he came up, he officially sent Shan Ziye to the official post. In the blink of an eye, he again
Wu Xindeng and Wu Xinzhu were arrested."
Aunt Lai didn't know who Shan Ziye was, but when she heard that Wu Xindeng and Wu Xinzhu had been arrested, her hands trembled:
"Wu Xindeng and Wu Xinzhu were arrested? How were they dealt with? Were they beaten or driven away?"
Lai Dayi shook his head:
"It would be better if we beat him and drive him away. It would also save us the trouble of grabbing and biting other people.
What’s so hateful is that Jia Lian just arrested him and didn’t imprison him in our house. He sent him directly to the prison of his prefect’s yamen.”
"He handed over the slaves of the Jia family to the Yamen for disposal? What's the reason for this?" Aunt Lai was also confused.
"It's not about sending him to the official. He's asking the head of the police team to help him. What's the 'means' he's going to use to force him to confess, and he's also saying 'except that he can't hurt his life, anything else' is fine."
"This Jia Lian is simply not a human being!" Grandma Lai gritted her teeth and said bitterly, "My servant can only be beaten or scolded a few times. Why would he make such a big fuss for a few taels of silver!"
Lai Dalian nodded:
"Who says it's not?
If a slave in our house commits a serious crime, even if the master gets angry and says he wants to be locked up, he will at most be locked up in a warehouse or a stable and released for a day or two, and even a meal will be given to him.
This is what decent people do.
Jia Lian sent the Wu brothers to the Yamen prison like this. We just want to take care of them or talk to them, but it doesn't work."
Laiji became worried again:
"They won't break us out, right?"
Aunt Lai waved her hand:
"They are not stupid people, and Wu Xindeng is your in-law, so it would be of no benefit to them to drag us out."
Lai Da also nodded:
"I have carefully read the accounts. The accounts of Wu Xinden and Wu Xinzhu's bank account are all matched one by one. They are done very carefully and no flaws can be found. Jia Lian's check of the accounts was also in vain. That is, it is necessary to
It’s just a matter of a few days in prison for the two of them.”
After a pause, Lai Da Dao:
"What I'm worried about now is that the trouble lies with that Shan Ziye."