The carriage stopped far in front of the Zhang family's house.
A woman in her forties got out of the carriage with the help of the ladies on her left and right.
"Madam, let Xu Da drive a little further. Look, the ground is full of potholes and muddy ditches. Fish and vegetables are rotten. That's how it is in a small place."
"I don't mind it, so what do you mind? Why don't you park the carriage at the door of someone's house and show off?" the woman scolded.
Another old woman said: "Madam, your body is not fully recovered yet, and it is very windy by the stream."
To this old lady, Madam was very polite and said: "It doesn't matter, just walk more."
The woman looked at this narrow street, and many of the buildings along the street still had thatched roofs. She couldn't help but sigh: "My sister's family is like this. If I don't come and take a look, how can I bear it? Why do you want me to go to Beijing and enjoy the glory and wealth in peace?"
A group of servants on the left and right did not dare to speak.
Only the old capital official said in a low voice: "Madam, I have something I have to say. Look at this market place, a place as big as a hand, no matter how big a person's heart is, he is forced to be small."
"It's like people who understand know that the lady pities him, but people who don't understand still think that our family owes him."
The woman glanced at Lao Duguan and said, "You can tell if he's so heartless."
The old capital official lowered his head and said, "I am loyal to my eldest lady."
"I can tell what is loyal and what is not. If the Master doesn't dare to say anything to me, can I say it for him?"
"Master Lang, don't you mean this? I just want the eldest lady to go to Beijing for a family reunion as soon as possible."
"My ancestral home is Pucheng, and this is my home. I have my own sense of discretion in this matter. You are waiting here. No one is allowed to come with you except Mother Xu."
The old governor and several mothers hesitated for a while, and then said: "Yes, madam."
So the woman pushed open the fence door, walked to the door and hesitated for a moment before reaching out and knocking on the door.
There is a unique atmosphere in the Zhang family's house.
The Yu family was just happy about Zhang Qiu's introduction to clan studies, but Zhang Shi and Zhang Yue had just had a quarrel, with neither of them paying attention to the other.
Hearing the knock on the door, Zhang Qiu trotted and opened the door.
I heard a voice outside the house excitedly saying: "This is Xi'er! Don't be afraid, I am your aunt!"
Hearing this, Zhang Shi, Zhang Yue and Yu were all shocked and hurried to the door.
But when he saw the other party, his eyes were filled with tears.
Zhang Shi was startled and said: "Second aunt, Mother Xu, why are you here? I'll go and greet you soon. Why bother you to come all the way from Suzhou? It's all my fault... It's all my fault, Third Brother."
immature."
Zhang Shi glanced at Zhang Yue.
Zhang Yue...
"It's not my fault, Third Brother," Yang said after stopping her eyes, "It's because I wanted to go back to my hometown and see it, but I was even more timid about being close to it. When Xi'er was just born, she could kiss me..."
Zhang Shi quickly moved a chair to Yang.
Yang's eyes were fixed on Zhangqiu's body with unspeakable love and affection, but Zhangqiu dodged a little, and Yu said something.
"It doesn't matter," Yang said after sitting down and taking a pair of dragon and phoenix jade pendants from Mother Xu behind her, "It's never too late to kiss her from now on. Xi'er, this is a meeting gift from your aunt."
Mrs. Yu was from a wealthy family. When she saw that the jade pendant was mutton-fat jade, she said, "Second aunt, this is really too precious."
Yang said: "This is what my aunt gave to my grandnephew. If it's valuable, just accept it."
Mrs. Yu said helplessly: "Xier, why don't you thank your aunt quickly?"
"Thank you, aunt."
Yang held Zhangqiu's hand and said, "Xi'er has piercing eyes, so he must be a smart child. But the smarter the child, the less indulgent it is, otherwise it will become useless. Did you hear that, Xi'er, if my stepmother beats you,
It's my aunt's idea, not because it's not good for you, but because I want you to be able to read like your second uncle and third uncle."
Hearing this, Zhang Yue's heart moved, and Zhang Qiu put down the jade pendant he was playing with, nodded and said: "Xi'er knows, the third uncle said that all the children of the Zhang family are educated."
"well said!"
Yang couldn't help but be very happy.
After speaking, Yang looked at Zhang Shi and said, "I heard that all the shops on Chema Street were burned down, and that the old house and the family's 100 acres of farmland were gone?"
Zhang Shi said: "Yes and no, Chema's shop was rebuilt and turned into a food shop."
"Where did the money come from?"
"Third brother raised money and now it's all paid off. The business of the shop is pretty good, and we can make dozens of dollars a month."
Yang glanced at Zhang Yue and nodded, then said to Zhang Shi: "Brothers share weal and woe and rejuvenate the family. This is a good man of the Zhang family."
Zhang Shi remembered that he was fond of gambling at the time, and said with a look of shame on his face: "Yes."
Yang heard something strange, raised his head and asked, "Why is that wrong?"
"My nephew is ashamed that he is not as good as my second aunt said."
Yang looked at Zhang Shi and said: "I always remember how you were ignorant at first, but now you are the head of the family. You should correct your shortcomings. No one is born upright."
Yang took hold of Tai's hand and said, "I've suffered a lot for you these years. Dalang must have made you suffer a lot."
Mrs. Yu's eyes turned red when she heard this, and she whispered: "If I tell my second aunt, my niece-in-law will not feel wronged."
"You still say you are not wronged," Mrs. Yang said with tears. "This woman just goes from one home to another when she gets married, but as a wife of a family, how can she be so angry? She can't say that all the suffering is
I swallowed all my tears from the bottom of my heart, trying to maintain a family and everything going well outside."
After Mrs. Yang finished speaking, Mrs. Yu said with tears: "The second aunt said that we are from a big family, but my nephew and daughter-in-law from a small family are fine. Shiro and uncle are usually considerate."
Yang said happily: "You are a good daughter-in-law. It is a blessing that my husband has cultivated for many lifetimes to marry you!"
Ms. Yu shed tears and said, "My niece-in-law does not dare to take this seriously."
Zhang Yue took a look and realized that this was wrong. When his second aunt came home, she was very thorough in everything, praising this and scolding that, completely isolating herself.
Yang and Yu talked to each other for a long time, and finally looked at Zhang Yue and said: "Third brother, come closer and let Second Aunt take a good look at you."
Zhang Yue didn't want to, but he still took two steps forward involuntarily.
"Among the brothers, you are the most similar to my second brother. Now you are also a scholar. You don't remember much about the last time you met my second aunt, so it is inevitable that we will get angry."
Zhang Yue reluctantly said: "Second aunt, where can I get anything to say?"
Yang said: "Second aunt can see that you are an ambitious person. I heard that you didn't like to study before, but after my second brother left, you went to the village school. You didn't even have enough to eat, and you also worked as a servant.
At that time, everyone said that you were a scholar because of your second brother, but in fact, you were admitted with a full pass, and there is no reason why you would not be accepted wherever you are."
"It's no wonder you don't want to come to Suzhou. You want to fight for it!"
Zhang Yue had mixed feelings in his heart after hearing this.
"Of course it's good for a man to give it a try, but if you are angry in your heart, can you not blame your second brother, but only your second aunt?"
Zhang Yue said: "Why did Second Aunt say this? And why should I blame Second Aunt."
Yang said: "It was entirely your second aunt's idea to let your second brother leave home. I lied to your second brother, saying that I was seriously ill in Yangzhou, and asked your second brother to come to see me, but I deliberately didn't tell your brother.
.Your second brother regards me as half his mother, so..."
"Then why is Second Aunt like this?"
Mrs. Yang sighed: "It's all my selfishness. I don't want your uncle and I to save so much in our lives and make everyone's wealth easier for that little mother-in-law. I've been sorry for your family from the beginning to the end."
In the Song Dynasty, concubines were called Xiaoniang.
Zhang Yue didn't know much about his uncle's family affairs, but he knew that when his second aunt married, he brought a lot of dowry, and his uncle was quite respectful and fond of her. Later, when his uncle became an official, he took in concubines, and the number of concubines became more and more.
After giving birth to a son, I no longer loved my second aunt but only respected her.
Hearing this, Zhang Shi stamped his feet and said, "What is this?"
"At first, I thought it was my second brother who looked down on Zhao Yasi, and then I thought it was my fault that I changed my registration to Suzhou to take the imperial examination, and then I became Zhao Yasi's daughter. Now it's my second aunt's fault. I don't even know.
Who is to blame? Who is at fault for this? I am so confused."
Yu whispered: "Shilang, please stop talking."
Mother Xu on the side was silently wiping her tears and said: "Eldest brother, third brother, you can't blame the eldest lady so much. This time, the doctor paid homage to Doctor Fang and became an official in Beijing. Now his family has moved to Beijing.
The eldest lady was also going to Beijing, but after learning about the old governor’s reward, she abandoned her husband and rushed to Fujian to find you. Her health is not good, so..."
Yang waved her hand and said: "I am used to traveling around with my master. These journeys are nothing. Now that we have finally met, we can sit down and talk about important matters. Third brother, would you like to come with me, my second aunt?"
Going to Beijing?"
Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Shi and Yu.
Zhang Shi walked around for a while, and then said: "Sanlang, since the second aunt shows her sincerity, you can follow her to Beijing."
Mrs. Yu also said: "Second aunt treats us as one family, so Sanlang should go with second aunt."
Zhang Qiu wanted to object, but when his parents said this, he had to stand aside gloomily.
Zhang Yue thought for a while and said, "May I ask my second aunt, what does my uncle have to say?"
When the second aunt heard the mention of her uncle, her face turned a little sullen, and then she said: "The second aunt can still make the decision in this family. Of course, your uncle is not the same, he is just a bit petty."
Zhang Yue nodded and said, "Then I want to make things difficult for my uncle. Second brother, do you have any excuses?"
The second aunt said: "Your second brother has been studying in Beijing for the summer since he gave up the exam. He has not returned to Suzhou, so I haven't seen him either."
"Then there will always be correspondence with my second aunt!"
"That's true."
"Have you ever mentioned my brother and me?"
The second aunt was silent for a moment and said: "Third brother, I really can't lie to you, I really haven't. But the second aunt guarantees that your second brother is definitely not a person who doesn't care about brotherhood."
Zhang Yue said: "Maybe the second brother has some difficulties! I can save it."
"Third brother..."
Zhang Yue had already stood up and saluted Mr. Yang and said: "Second aunt has come all the way here. My brother and I were extremely unlucky not to go out to greet you before. Now that it is difficult for aunt to return to her hometown, why not take a good rest first?"
Let me and my brother serve you well and spend the New Year together as a family."
"this……"
When Mrs. Xu was about to speak, the second aunt pressed her down and said, "It's okay. I haven't been home for a long time. There are still people taking care of our Yang family's ancestral house. I just happened to go back and remove the dust."
"As for whether or not to go to Beijing, please let me think about it."
