Chapter 176
Zhou Ma was not really sick, and he had known that his sister was coming, so there was no need to pretend to be a patient and lie on the kang to receive visitors.

She was fully dressed and entertained her three visiting sisters, grandparents, and grandchildren in the main room where she lived.

After the greetings, Haitang presented a magnolia embroidered handkerchief that she had embroidered by herself. Zhou Ma was overjoyed and praised her a lot: "The embroidery is so good! How can you embroider so well at such a young age?" He also said that his younger sister Ma was blessed, her husband and wife were harmonious, her grandchildren were smart and capable, and they could be by her side, making her a hundred times better than her.

Ma didn't really want to hear such words.Zhou Ma's children are not around, but they are still alive at least. The daughter can go back to her parents' home from time to time to visit relatives.And what about her?I only had one biological son, but he died early. What kind of blessing is this?

She interrupted the eldest sister: "Okay, why are you so polite to me? You specially sent your confidants to invite me here. Is it just to talk nonsense?!"

Zhou Ma put away the magnolia embroidered handkerchief and said: "My little sister is getting older now, and her temper has also increased. I can't wait any longer." Then he cleared his throat and winked at his confidant maid Caijuan. , "Go and bring out the new snacks made yesterday for my cousin to try. They are all Chang'an flavor. Brother Jiao and Sister Tang must have never tasted them." He then whispered to Ma in a low voice, "You can do whatever you want. Come into the back room."

Are the two sisters whispering alone?

Ma raised an eyebrow: "What kind of secret is this? Even my grandchildren can't hear it? I trust the children of my family, why are you guarding them?"

Zhou Ma laughed dryly: "Little sister, it's not that the eldest sister can't trust your children, it's just that this matter... it doesn't sound good to talk about it!"

Ma didn't say anything more, and only told Haijiao and Haitang brother and sister: "Stay in the house for a long time and don't wander around. There are many people in this family with bad hearts. They think about your aunt and grandma's jokes all day long. Maybe How can you plot against people!"

Haijiao Haitang stood up and responded, watching Mr. Ma follow Mr. Zhou into the inner bedroom.Cailuo lowered the door curtain again and stood guard by the door.

This makes it inconvenient to get close and eavesdrop.

Haijiao and Haitang looked at each other and said nothing.

Caijuan brought two boxes of fresh snacks. Looking at the flowers, they were actually all kinds of exquisite pastries.When Ma was in Suzhou and Guazhou, as long as he could find the ingredients, he would make some pasta from time to time, but it was just not as exquisite as the Zhou family's.Brother and sister Haitang Haijiao didn't think it was strange, but they also took one to eat.

After Hai Jiao ate snacks and drank a sip of noodle tea, he cleared his throat, smiled and said to Caijuan: "Sister, how can these snacks filled with jujube paste be so sweet? It's a bit harsh on my throat. I wonder if I have some tea? Can you give me some? Can I have a cup? If there is no tea, plain water will be enough."

How could Caijuan let the grandson of her mistress’s maiden sister eat boiled water?He quickly told his sister Cailuo to make some tea.

After Haitang had some snacks, she stood up and gave Caijuan a wink, asking her to follow her to a deserted place near the door. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hai Jiao getting up and visiting the house. She lowered her voice and said that she had noticed someone peeping on the way in. After the matter was settled, he asked: "My brother and I didn't see clearly who that person was. We only knew that he entered the door of the second courtyard on the east road. I wonder who lives there?"

Caijuan looked shocked: "This... cousin, are you sure it is the second courtyard on East Road? But that is the guest courtyard..."

Haitang was a little surprised.In the three-bedroom ancestral house of the Zhou family, the second courtyard on the east road is not actually used by the family, but is used as a guest room?

Caijuan told her that the first entrance on the east road was the residence of the guards and soldiers, and a third of the area was set aside for a carriage and horse stable. The second entrance was a guest courtyard for entertaining guests. These two courtyards All within the scope of the outer courtyard, the third courtyard is the large courtyard where the eldest young master Zhou Jinpu and his family live. In fact, it is a three-entry courtyard. It is very spacious and has many houses. There is also a separate side door leading to the side road and directly out of the main door.The three-bedroom guest house of the Zhou family once entertained many distinguished guests, but in recent years, apart from the family members of the Yingchuan Houfu who were sent back by the concubine's family in Beijing to pay their respects to Mrs. Ma, only the colleagues or subordinates of the second master Zhou Shicheng came to Chang'an for official business. Came to stay overnight.There happens to be a new guest in the guest house at the moment. He checked in the day before yesterday. He is an orphan from Zhou Shicheng's old ministry in Minzhou Wei who came to Chang'an for business.The second master wrote a letter, and Mrs. Ma enthusiastically left him at home.This isn't the first time this has happened. Not to mention Zhou Shigong, even Zhou Ma doesn't know much about it.

Haitang blinked: "How old is this guest?" Did he check in the day before yesterday?What a coincidence...

Caijuan replied: "It looks like he is about fourteen or fifteen years old...about the same age as Master Sun from the first house. Master Sun is interested in making friends with him, but the old lady has told him not to disturb the guests, saying that the guests are visiting Chang'an. I’m busy with business and don’t have time to play with others.”

This age is even more coincidental.

Haitang looked up at Haijiao. At some point, he walked behind Caijuan and listened to the entire conversation between the two.

Haitang smiled and said: "If this person was the only one living in the guest house, he couldn't have been peeking at us just now, right? He's quite weird like this. I don't know what his temperament is. What's his surname? What's his name? What's the business of coming to Chang'an? Are you busy?"

Caijuan thought for a while: "I remember his surname is Zhang... His father and mother are dead, and his uncle has taken the military position at home. He is about to become a man, but has no livelihood, so he wants to come to Chang'an to find a job. His father's old acquaintances were sorted out, and no matter where the guardhouse was, as long as he could enter the army, it would be fine. Although the old lady invited him to stay, she had not had time to find someone for him. Now she had to pretend to be sick, and there was no way I'm worried about him, I'll probably keep him at home for the New Year.

"The old lady also sent someone to ask the madam to make new clothes for the guests. The madam said she was sick, so the master handed the cards to the eldest mistress and asked the eldest mistress to take care of the house. The eldest mistress did not want to spend money on outsiders. Last night He even ran outside the main courtyard and scolded Huaihuai for a long time!" The master moved to the study, and the wife had nowhere to complain if she wanted to, so she spent the whole night sulking.

Haitang laughed twice, not really wanting to eat the old melon of the three Zhou family's infighting, so he continued to ask his own question: "Since this little brother is the orphan of your second master's old army, he just wants to find a job in the army, your family Can't the second master help? It's okay to recruit him as a personal soldier. Why let him go back to Chang'an to find someone? If your second master doesn't intend to help him, how can your old lady be so enthusiastic? , and specifically left people to live at home?"

Caijuan sighed and shook her head: "Madam can't understand it either, she's talked about it in private. But what can Madam say after the old lady said something? She's just a boarding guest. She will stay until next spring at most and then leave. We Zhou Zhou The family is not short of food for the past few months, but what my wife is really worried about right now is something else."

Haitang looked at Haijiao, who turned around and started looking elsewhere, then turned around and returned to the inner door.

At this time, Cailuo came back with freshly brewed tea.

The Hai brothers and sisters changed seats. Hai Jiao sat on the chair closest to the door of the inner bedroom, drinking tea quietly.His hearing was very good, and he could vaguely hear the conversation inside even through the walls and curtains.

Haitang used gossip to attract the attention of Caijuan and Cailuo sisters. In addition to covering up for her brother, she could also make some conversation and inquire about other news inside the third room of the Zhou family.

The brother and sister were working together when they suddenly heard the voice of their grandmother Ma from behind: "What? Impossible! You listen to her nonsense!" There was anger in the tone.

Haitang Haijiao looked at each other, stopped in unison, held his breath and listened, just in time to hear Ma's categorical speech again: "We have been settling accounts for the border army in Chang'an for more than ten years, and they are also in your hands." Accounts have been done below. If there is such a thing, how can we masters not know about it? What she said is all lies, and you can't believe a word of it!"

(End of this chapter)

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