After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 147 Zhou Ma’s plan
When Mrs. Zhou Ma arrived at Hai's house, Haitang was sitting in the west warm pavilion of the main house chatting with her grandmother Ma while doing needlework.

She also inquired about many past events when the Hai family lived in Chang'an City more than ten years ago, and learned some of the best words and deeds of Mrs. Ma and Zhou Shuyi's mother and daughter, as well as the methods of people around Mrs. Ma. Incidentally, I also heard a lot of gossip about my uncle and aunt in the Ma family.

When Zhou Ma came, Ma naturally wanted to leave her to have tea and talk in the Xinuang Pavilion.They wanted to talk about something that was not suitable for children to hear. After Haitang gave her aunt a gift, she resigned with a look, but did not go far. She only went to the east room to sit down and continue to do needlework.

The east room is the bedroom. Except for winter, this is the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Haixiya in other seasons. There are beds, high cabinets and dressing tables in sequence next to the wall. There are many unopened boxes and cages piled under the opposite wall. In front of the window sill is A combination of a pair of armchairs and a small table.Haitang sat on the armchair, turned her head and looked through the thin curtain to the Nuan Pavilion six or seven meters away. If she listened carefully, she could hear what Ma and Zhou Ma were talking about.

The lighting here is very good, although it is not as warm as in the thermal pavilion, but Haitang asked Putao to bring a charcoal basin over, and it would not make her cold, not to mention she had the internal power to protect herself.She also used the skills she had learned in the palace, multitasking, [-]% of her attention was spent on eavesdropping, and the remaining [-]% ​​was enough for simple needlework.If Ma went back to check the progress of her embroidery work after she left, he would definitely find that she was diligent enough, and he would not think that she still had time for anything else.

Zhou Ma's spirit is much better today than yesterday.Although it was still difficult to hide the age and haggardness on his face, he was finally in the mood to insert a few more gold bead hairpins on himself, and then apply a thin layer of powder on his face to cover up those obvious wrinkles and spots.She even got a black gauze handkerchief to wrap her hair up in a bun, and put wide golden silk strands on her temples to hide the gray hair on her head.

If Zhou Ma who appeared in front of Ma yesterday was an old lady in her 60s, today she looks like a half-old lady in her 50s, five or six years younger. Although looking up close, everything looks different. It can't be concealed, but at least it can be deceived by outsiders.

Zhou Ma smiled and told Ma a piece of good news: "I went back yesterday and told the master about the murder near the village. The master didn't blame me. He even took him to see the old lady and explained the whole story to her!"

Of course, Mrs. Ma had always wanted to get her villa. How could she give up so easily just because a murder occurred near the villa?Didn’t it just mean that a few foreigners died?What does that have to do with her?The village was several miles away from the accident site, so it wasn't even a bad place.

As for the injured person who was temporarily staying in the village, as expected by Zhou Ma, Mrs. Ma asked her to persuade her sister to take the person away.

Zhou Ma family sacrificed the old military advisor who lived in Zhoujiazhuangzi for retirement, and expressed with embarrassment that this case had aroused the ideas of the Zhenguo Government and Zhoujiazhuangzi. Everyone thought that the murderer was This is a slap in the face of the Zhou family. Therefore, before the case is solved, they will pay great attention to the survivors who are recovering from injuries. The old military advisor even sent people to protect the child in case anyone does harm to the only remaining survivor!

Are you forcing the injured child to move out of the village at this time?Isn't Mrs. Ma worried that the old military advisor will come to question her?
Mrs. Ma really had nothing to say.

This time, even Zhou Shigong began to persuade his stepmother to temporarily postpone the plan to build a workshop on the villa.Anyway, the injured person will only stay at the village for three or two months at most, and will leave after recovering from the injury.Why do they need to attract attention now?Now that the weather is freezing, even if the other village transfers ownership, they will have to wait until next spring to start building the workshop, so they might as well wait a few more months.Anyway, the land will not be lost. The key is not to let the Zhenguo government know Sanfang's plan.

Mrs. Ma believes that many families in the city are interested in building glass workshops, but they cannot find good craftsmen.It was not easy for their family to find one. A few months was too long, which added many variables.What if next spring the craftsman changes his mind?What if he was impressed by someone else's higher price and kicked them out to start a new business?Therefore, they must build a workshop before others take action and let the craftsman teach the secret method to his apprentices.Not to mention that winter is not suitable for building houses. They can use the existing houses first, recruit craftsmen and apprentices to build the kiln entrance, and collect all the materials. When spring comes, they can start the kiln and burn glass directly. , reduce waiting time.Whether it is to house craftsmen's apprentices, build kilns, or stack materials, they all need a secret and safe place. There is no other more suitable location for the village.

When Ma heard this, he couldn't help but interrupt the eldest sister: "This woman doesn't understand anything, what are you talking about? If any house can be used to build a workshop, just a few bricks can build a kiln for burning glass. , Why bother spending several months in Suzhou?! She doesn’t want to build a workshop, she wants to spend money to kill her!”

Mr. Zhou Ma hurriedly said: "Young masters also think that this matter cannot be ignored. If the workshop's building and kiln entrance could be easily handled, Chang'an Glass Workshop would not have to be built for half a year, and a lot of refractory furnaces would have to be bought from other places. Come over with the bricks. Besides, the craftsman they found also wrote down many rules for building a workshop in detail. If our family can't do it, he won't come!"

Ma glanced sideways at her: "Sister, does your mother-in-law really want to help Zhou Jinpu open a workshop? Does she want to find an excuse to learn the secret recipe for making glass first, and then open another workshop to make a fortune on her own?"

Zhou Ma was not sure. She actually doubted Mrs. Ma's intentions in her heart. But her husband and stepson both obeyed Mrs. Ma's advice: "Anyway, Mr. Zhou Jinpu listened to what we said. Well, then My mother-in-law can’t say anything more. She promised to postpone this matter to next year. Until spring, there’s no need to worry about her mentioning the transfer of ownership again!”

Zhou Ma can be said to be refreshed now.As for next spring, how will she block her stepmother-in-law's transfer request again?There will always be a way when the time comes.

She quietly told Mr. Ma: "I have already convinced the master to send Zhou Jinpu to personally deliver a generous annual gift to the craftsman to win him over. In addition, I also asked him to find a person in the clan who is the same as Zhou Jinpu." The young man who has any suspicion will lead him to discover that Zhou Jinpu is secretly colluding with the craftsmen of Chang'an Glass Workshop. As long as the young man raises this matter among the clan, the workshop will be ruined! If the old lady and the master pursue it, they will only It’s my fault that Zhou Jinpu didn’t act secretly and exposed his flaws.”

Zhou Ma thought she had a trick, but Ma glared at her angrily: "Sister, are you sure your mother-in-law won't blame you for this? It was you who suggested Zhou Jinpu give New Year's gifts. Then. The descendants may not give you up!"

"No, no, no." Mr. Zhou Ma chuckled proudly, "If you make people act carefully, then the younger generation won't know that it is you who is plotting behind your back, and naturally they won't give you anything."

As for whether her suggestion would cause Madam Ma to blame her later?She was used to this kind of thing.Whether it was her fault or not, it would always be her fault in the end.Isn't it just a few scoldings?As long as the village can be saved, this little grievance is nothing.

Ma looked at her eldest sister's happy and proud expression, and for some reason, she always felt that she would overturn.

(End of this chapter)