But it was said that on this day, Jia Cong and Chen Ruijin returned to Chengtian Mansion, and when they arrived at the gate of the magistrate's office, a disciple came up to greet him: "The Third Master is back!"
Jia Cong jumped off his horse and asked, "How are you at home?"
The disciple said: "Second Master is arguing with someone."
"Um?"
Menzi said: "With the land reclamation order we have obtained, doesn't it mean we can acquire fields? There is no need for roads to lead the way."
"Yes." Jia Cong said, "What's wrong?"
Menzi said: "Of course we are fine, but they are not very happy. Many poor people and slaves came over from Fujian, and their manpower dropped sharply. They have been here several times. This kind of thing never happens.
The second master was in charge, so he sent someone to ask for Minister Lin." He lowered his voice and said, "It happens that our Prime Minister Lin is too busy every time to pay attention to them. This time, Mr. Huang Wengang, the governor of Fujian, came in person."
"Oh." Jia Cong frowned and turned to Chen Ruijin, "I think I have heard of Huang Wengang's name."
Chen Ruijin said: "He is the governor, originally the second master Lian was a Shangguan, the third master must have heard of it."
"No." Jia Cong said, "I heard it elsewhere." He walked across the threshold casually, walked around the lobby and went back. Those officials were better left to Jia Lian to deal with.
There was no idle time later. Mrs. Huang was complaining to Wang Xifeng with tears in her eyes, saying how those families who had lost their tenants and slaves were forcing their masters, and how difficult it was for their masters. Who was Wang Xifeng? She immediately took it from her sleeves.
He took a handkerchief and wiped her tears with her, saying how desolate Taiwan was. It was surrounded by wilderness and uninhabited, and even the roads were just small dirt roads. Mistress Lian was used to living in Beijing, how could she bear this? Lai Zhuzi said no.
It rolled down like money, and the pear blossoms were crying with rain, and the woman was heartbroken when she saw it. Mrs. Huang was young, and she was Huang Wengang's second wife only a few years ago. Where had I seen this? Instead, she turned her head to comfort Wang Xifeng. Follow Huang
A daughter-in-law who came from my wife coughed several times nearby. Ping'er quickly asked: "Sister, your voice is not very good?" He ordered someone to go and have a bath with Pang Dahai.
The daughter-in-law glanced at their wives in a coquettish way, feeling very anxious. Suddenly she caught sight of an eight-leaf hibiscus embroidered screen on the desk, and asked, "What a delicate work, girl, who embroidered this?"
?”
Ping'er said: "This is originally a Western glass screen. Our young man was naughty and broke the glass while playing, so he went to the embroidery workshop and ordered an embroidery to make up for it."
The daughter-in-law's eyes flashed, she looked at the embroidery carefully for half a day, and said: "Embroidery work is rare. Does the girl know who embroidered it?"
Ping'er suddenly felt that her expression was a little strange, and he laughed quickly and said: "I don't care about these embroidery orders. I don't know. There are many embroidery workers in the embroidery workshop, and they may not be all done by one person. I heard that this
For large pieces, there are several embroidery workers working together in the embroidery workshop."
The daughter-in-law nodded: "That's right. It's impossible for one person to make such a large item." She looked around the embroidered screen for a long time and looked at it carefully.
At that time, Wang Xifeng had fooled Mrs. Huang, and Jia Lian had denied Governor Huang. The Jia family sent the Huang family out of the house. Huang Wengang had a dark face from the moment he left the magistrate's office. As soon as he entered the post office, he started to curse. After he finished scolding, Jia Lian started to curse again.
Mrs. Huang.
The daughter-in-law who followed Mrs. Huang stepped forward and saluted: "Master, I have something to say."
Huang Wengang glanced at her: "Say."
The daughter-in-law said: "Just now, when I and my wife went to see Mrs. Jia in the back, they saw a table screen set up on the desk of their house. I recognize the embroiderer." She stepped forward and whispered, "He must have escaped from our house last year.
Daughter-in-law: "Back to my lord, in the early days, Liu Bao's family and I were all in the house of the first wife. At that time, she was called Fuli. Do you still remember her?"
Huang Wengang thought for a long time: "It seems that there is a person named Fu Rui who is often with Qiangwei?"
"Exactly!" said the daughter-in-law, "My wife gave her and Qiangwei to the Fourth Master. After a few years, she got older and was given to Liu Bao as his wife. Later Liu Bao died, and her mother-in-law complained that she had a hard life.
"Kefu, she couldn't bear to listen to the old man's nagging, so she ran away."
Huang Wengang looked at her and his face darkened: "Did you read that correctly?"
The daughter-in-law hurriedly said: "I grew up with Fuyu since I was a child. One of them learned needlework and the other made needlework. It's really true! It must be her who did it."
Huang Wengang nodded: "Okay, very good!" He gritted his teeth and said, "Jia Lian asked me to provide evidence, I will show him the evidence!" Then he looked at the wife, "If it is really a lotus, I will reward you heavily!"
"The daughter-in-law hurriedly bowed down and thanked her. Huang Wengang stroked his beard and said, "So, the Jia family is harboring the escaped slaves in my house?"
The daughter-in-law said quickly: "The aunt next to Mrs. Jia said that the embroidery piece was made by an embroidery workshop outside."
Huang Wengang frowned and said, "Which embroidery workshop?"
The daughter-in-law said: "She said she didn't know."
Huang Wengang immediately darkened his face: "I don't know where to look for it? There are so many embroidery workshops."
The daughter-in-law said with a flattering smile: "Master, don't be anxious. Not to mention that Mr. Jia is the prefect of Taiwan. Just look at Mrs. Jia's elegant demeanor and know that if they order embroidery from the house, it must be the best one in Chengtian Mansion."
He added, "I just asked about it on the way back. The best embroidery workshop in Chengtian Mansion is called Camellia Embroidery Workshop, which is located at the intersection of Zhongshan Road and Zhongzheng Road."
Huang Wengang repeatedly praised "good, good, good" and ordered his daughter-in-law: "Go to the Camellia Embroidery Workshop and keep an eye on it! Find the hibiscus!" The daughter-in-law bowed her head and left with a smile on her face.
She then changed into bright clothes and went out for a walk. The people at the inn asked how to get to Zhongshan Road and Zhongzheng Road. They told her to take a bus and a carriage. The daughter-in-law followed the instructions and found the store of Camellia Embroidery Shop. When she got there, she went inside.
Look, it is indeed the best embroidery workshop in Chengtian Mansion. There are all kinds of embroidery products, all of them are good, and the prices are very high. She is more and more convinced that Jia's embroidery screen was bought here. She walked back and forth.
After looking around for a while, I found several pieces of hibiscus craftsmanship, and I got the idea.
She then pointed to a handkerchief made of hibiscus and asked the clerk in the shop: "This handkerchief is so finely made! Who made it?"
The waiter said: "You have a good sense! This is made by the best master in our embroidery workshop."
The daughter-in-law asked again: "What is this master's name?"
The waiter smiled and shook his head and said: "The masters are not working in the store, so how would we know."
The daughter-in-law said angrily: "I don't know and you said it was made by the best master. You are obviously trying to trick me, aren't you?"
The guy said: "I'm not coaxing you to grow old. This Xipa was delivered with a signature. S-level masters are the best. There are only four S-level masters in our embroidery shop."
"That's so." The daughter-in-law nodded, gritting her teeth secretly, "It's a good skill. I think the salary will be quite good, too?"
"We don't even know this."
"Then where do the masters of your embroidery workshop do their work?" The daughter-in-law said with a smile, "I also have some skills in tying flowers. Maybe I can try it in your embroidery workshop?"
The clerk said "Oops" and said, "Are you here to apply for a job?" He hurriedly led her outside, pointed to the road and showed her how to get there, "This is our embroidery workshop." The daughter-in-law bent down and thanked him, twisting her head. He left.
Not long after, she found the Camellia Embroidery Workshop, dusted off her clothes and smiled at the door: "Brother, I'm looking for Master Zeng who is next to you in your embroidery workshop. I am her old neighbor."
The doorman said, "Please wait a moment." As soon as he walked in, the wife knew she had found the right person.
Who would have expected that after waiting for half a day, the disciple came out and said: "We have no S-level masters with the surname Zeng."
The daughter-in-law thought for a while: "Yes, she must have used her husband's surname. Is there anyone named Liu?"
Menzi muttered, "You can't tell me clearly what my last name is." The daughter-in-law hurriedly put in a good word, and Menzi had to run away again. After a while, Menzi brought a woman in her thirties out and said, "That's it." It’s our Master Zhang.”
The daughter-in-law took a look at it and didn’t recognize it at all! She could only say nonchalantly, “I guess it’s a mistake.” She got a lot of complaints from the doorman again. The daughter-in-law smiled at the doorman who had been with him for a long time, but she was puzzled in her heart: It was obviously her. There is no mistaking the needlework of Fuyuan.
She had no choice but to return to the post house and swear to Huang Wengang again and again: "I really know Fu Rui's craftsmanship. She embroidered many of the items in the camellia embroidery workshop. If you don't believe it, you can go to the embroidery workshop and buy one and take it back. Fu Rui's embroidery was done by her." Hua'er is considered top-notch in our house, and many maids and daughters-in-law have kept the items she made in the past to compare them with each other."
Huang Wengang thought: "In that case, she must have sincerely hid." Nai hummed, "Since she is my slave, she must be captured even if she dies." He immediately ordered him to change his clothes and go to the prefect's Yamen again.
When Jia Lian saw him leaving and returning, he quickly asked if anything was wrong. Huang Wengang said: "Master Jia only said that there are no escaped slaves in your Taiwan mansion, and now there is one in front of you. I have a daughter-in-law named Fu Ru in my mansion, and now I have a daughter-in-law in your family." What kind of Camellia Embroidery Workshop is there to be an embroidery master?"
Jia Lian frowned: "The owner of this Camellia Embroidery Shop is a capable man, how can he take in escaped slaves? Could Mr. Huang have made a mistake?"
Huang Wengang said: "We will know after we check it out. Why don't Master Jia and I go there together?"
Jia Lian thought for a while: "That's fine. I'll change my clothes later."
Huang Wengang said: "Wouldn't it be better to go in official uniform?"
Jia Lian waved his hand and said: "Official uniforms are worn in the Yamen. It is not appropriate to wear them after leaving the Yamen." Then he went to the back to change clothes.
When they got inside, they called out to Wang Xifeng: "Is there an escaped slave from the Huang family in Zhou Camellia's embroidery workshop?"
Wang Xifeng was shocked: "No way, such a coincidence?"
Ping'er hurriedly said, "I'm afraid that's the case. Just now I saw that the daughter-in-law who was following Mrs. Huang was looking at the embroidery screen strangely, so I sent someone to their embroidery shop to tell her."
Jia Lian frowned and said, "I just told Mr. Huang that there are no escaped slaves in Taiwan." Yin thought to himself, "Send someone over quickly to make the escaped slave leave quickly!" Ping'er agreed and went outside to shout. The boy with quick legs and feet is asked to go to Xiuzhuang to report the news. After thinking about it, he ordered someone to tell Jia Cong.
Jia Lian slowly changed into ordinary clothes, came out and only said, "I let the brat keep fussing for a long time. Your Excellency has been waiting for a long time." Then he accompanied Huang Wengang on the carriage and started running.
When they arrived at Camellia Embroidery Workshop, their boss Zhou Camellia heard that Magistrate Jia was coming in person and welcomed him out personally.
Jia Lian said: "Dong Zhou's family, I won't talk to you anymore. Now someone has reported that a master in your embroidery workshop is a runaway slave."
Zhou Camellia hurriedly said: "Sir, I have wronged the people's daughter! The embroidery masters like the people's daughter are all decent citizens with Taiwanese household registration."
Huang Wengang glanced at the daughter-in-law he had brought, and she stepped forward and said, "She is a master of similar rank."
Zhou Camellia then ordered people to invite all the S-level masters in the embroidery shop to come out. After a while, only three women came, none of them from the Huang family. She also said that Master Yang took leave today and did not come. That daughter-in-law Zi sneered and said: "Don't fool people in the Zhou Dong family. Even though our Lord, the second-rank governor Zhou Dong's family, probably doesn't take it seriously, Mr. Jia is the fourth-rank Taiwan magistrate. Don't you think the Zhou Dong family doesn't take it seriously either?" Where?" Huang Wengang gritted his teeth and Jia Lian was a bit embarrassed.
Zhou Camellia asked curiously: "How do you say this?"
The daughter-in-law said: "When I came in just now, I saw you hanging a sign outside, displaying the surnames and embroidery items of the four masters. There was no one named Yang, but there was one named Zeng. Could it be that the one displayed outside was not the tallest one? A first-class master? I see that the embroidery is clearly made of lotus."
Zhou Camellia said hurriedly: "That was the brand from the past. The people below it were too lazy to replace it. Our master Zeng got married last year, so he and his husband took the surname Yang."
The daughter-in-law immediately said, "She is Fu Rui in our house!" Then she turned to Huang Wengang and said, "Fu Rui's real name is Zeng!"
Zhou Camellia smiled and said: "This sister-in-law is very quick-tongued. When you saw that we had a name brand with the surname Zeng outside, you casually mentioned that the person you were looking for was named Zeng. If the name brand outside had the surname of Situ, I guess you The lost person’s surname is Situ?”
Huang Wengang drank: "How dare you! How can you talk nonsense about the Tian family name?"
Zhou Camellia said: "Our Master Zeng really escaped from home."
Huang Wengang said hurriedly: "Since this is the case, return this slave to me as soon as possible!"
Zhou Camellia said: "But she did not escape from Lord Huang's house." She sighed softly, "She was originally the niece of Lord Zeng Chu of Luzhou. Because the Zeng family wanted to marry Du Dequ, the pacifier of Luzhou, they wanted to Marry her to the son of Du Dequ. The uncle of the Du family is dark and ugly, like the evil ghost next to the Vajra Bodhisattva in the temple! She accidentally caught a glimpse of it, was frightened, and did not dare to marry, so she ran away." Then she shook her head and said, "Although she ran away from home, she always missed the Zeng family and asked someone to find out. A few days ago, I heard that the Zeng family was still planning to marry the Du family. Since her niece had escaped, she had to take it. The eldest girl from the Zeng family fills in. We, Master Yang, feel uncomfortable and feel a little sorry for our cousin. He has not been feeling well these past few days and has not come to the embroidery workshop."
Huang Wengang was stunned for a long time after hearing this: "This..." Although this Fuu served in his own courtyard many years ago, because of her plain appearance, he really didn't know what this girl's surname was. And Zeng Chu from Luzhou was actually named Zeng. .
Zhou Camellia smiled bitterly and said: "If you don't believe me, just send someone to Luzhou to find out whether Miss Zeng is negotiating with the Du family. Then you can see what Uncle Du looks like, and you will know whether what the girl said is true or false." "
What she said was decent and logical. Huang Wengang didn't know whether to believe it or not. The wife was anxious: "Master, it's really Fuu's needlework! I know it! Fuu's real surname is Zeng. Her mother-in-law is still with us.
In the house, you will know as soon as you ask." Seeing that Huang Wengang was still stroking his beard and thinking about it and refused to believe her, he vowed with hatred, "If I mistake her needle and thread, I will be devastated by five thunderbolts from heaven and earth, and I will never be human again!"
At this moment, Jia Cong, Chen Ruijin and Mrs. Zeng were all eavesdropping in the next room. Jia Cong couldn't help but ask: "Sister Zeng, what grudge does this sister-in-law have against you?"
Mrs. Zeng shook her head repeatedly: "She and I grew up together since childhood. We have always been good friends and we are like sisters!" (..)