Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 117 Concubine
Jiangning, Qingliang Temple, Back Mountain.

Cao Yong sat on the ground, in front of him were two opened paper bags, one with smoked chicken inside, and one with sauced pig's trotters, both of which were cut.Opposite him, sitting a young monk wearing a blue monk robe, his hair was shaved green, and he was clasping his hands, looking at the two packages of meat food devoutly.

"Little monk, do you really want to take the precepts tomorrow? Don't think about it carefully anymore? Although it is said that the monks are pure, the world of mortals also has the fun of the world of mortals. It's good to be free and follow one's heart in one's life. Why use these clear rules and precepts to restrain yourself!" Cao Cao Yong couldn't help persuading.

He looks like this, but a greedy young man, how can he have any Buddha nature!
This little monk is Zhiran, a novice from Qingliang Temple. He stretched out his hand calmly, and gracefully broke a chicken leg and put it to his mouth. Freedom is great freedom, don't need to persuade Master Cao anymore!" After finishing speaking, he took a bite of the chicken and nodded while eating, apparently satisfied with its taste.

Cao Yong shook his head disapprovingly: "You are only sixteen, you grew up in Qingliang Temple since you were young, and you have never seen the colorful world outside... Even if you travel for two years, it is not too late to decide whether it is right to receive the precept!"

Zhiran quickly finished a chicken leg, took another half of a pig's trotter, and said while eating: "If you can't bear the loneliness of practicing, you can return to the vulgar even if you are seventy or eighty years old. It's nothing to be ordained now. The master only has little monks." As a disciple, if the young monk cannot formally take the precepts, how disappointed the master and the old man will be!"

Cao Yong smiled, this little monk is both greedy and filial, and he is far from the purity of the six roots.Forget it, just let him go and help him when he wants to return to vulgarity.

Zhiran thought it was a long time since he had meat, so he ate up the two packs of meat in a blink of an eye, and then said to Cao Yong: "At the beginning of the month, the temple made a new batch of incense for the Buddha's birthday next month. The master thought about what the benefactor Cao had mentioned in his letter years ago, so he left a copy, and this time the benefactor came, he can take it back."

"Are you newly made incense?" Cao Yong is very happy, this is a good thing for "bribing" the fourth elder brother, so we are not far or near, and if we get closer in front of the thirteenth elder brother, let the Cao family do it. An invisible "four parties".

The two talked for a while, Cao Yong mentioned that he would come to watch the ceremony tomorrow, and the little monk Zhiran thanked him solemnly.He was originally an abandoned baby, he was thrown at the gate of Qingliang Temple when he was a baby, and he was brought up by his master since he was a child. He really didn't have any relatives, and his only friend was Cao Yong.

Back at Zhizao Mansion, I saw Zhuang Chang coming out of the second gate frowning.Although Cao Yin's spirits are getting better recently, he still can't get out of bed. Zhuang Chang is old and doesn't have so many taboos. Some official affairs that need to be discussed with Cao Yin go to Kaiyang Courtyard to discuss with him.

Cao Yong went up to greet him and said hello. Seeing that Zhuang Chang frowned tightly, he couldn't help asking: "Sir, are you worried about the will of the past few days?"

Zhuang Chang nodded: "According to the regulations, the old man will go to Suzhou after handing over the aides and errands of the Weaving Mansion in the past few days. From now on, your lord will need to take care of you!"

"The Li family?" Cao Yong didn't know whether he should rejoice for the Cao family or mourn for the Li family.But after all, the two families are closely related, and they communicate too closely.In the eyes of others, the Cao family, the Li family and the Sun family, the three major weaving companies in the south of the Yangtze River, are "prosperity and prosperity, and loss and loss".

Li Xu is different from Cao Yin, more like a bureaucrat.He was from the same background as Cao Yin, but he has always been under Cao Yin all these years. Now that he can directly serve Kangxi and become the chief officer of the General Administration Department, he is probably obsessed with power.In the past few years, he had wantonly embezzled the money from the salt class to fill the shortfall of the reception in Suzhou.Cao Yin tried to persuade him several times, but he didn't know how to avoid disaster and restrain himself.

Thinking of these, both Cao Yong and Zhuang Chang were a little worried.Zhuang Chang sighed, and said: "After all, it is a son-in-law family. If the son-in-law can help, he will help him. If he can't help, he should think about taking off the relationship and don't be implicated. Otherwise, the previous plan will be in vain! As for Old man, next year he will be an old man in sixties, if there is nothing to do, he will have to pray for illness."

All words from the heart, Cao Yong nodded in agreement.

Zhuang Chang said again: "Although the old man is not in the mansion here, the old man's cousin can be trusted. When he was young, he had received favors from his son and father. He has only one gratitude to the Cao family and will not have two hearts."

"Mr. is worrying too much. Even if you are not in the mansion here, you are my father's best friend. Mr. Jingchengzhuang, I have always treated him as a teacher, and I will never dare to be a bit sloppy!" Cao Yong said solemnly.

Zhuang Chang nodded: "Young master is pure and kind, and he has the demeanor of an adult when he was young. He is old and talkative!"

The two said goodbye, Cao Yong entered the second gate, and went to Kaiyang courtyard to greet his parents first.

After more than a month of conditioning, Cao Yin's complexion improved a lot, and he sat on the bed.Sitting on the twig in front of the bed, Mrs. Li peeled a lychee and handed it to her husband.

Standing at the door, Cao Yong felt warm when he saw this picture.These days, as Cao Yin's body is getting better, Li's mood is also getting better.After careful calculation, there are not many days when the husband and wife stay together for a few months.In previous years, Cao Yin had a lot of official business to deal with, and he spent more than half a month in various places in the south of the Yangtze River every month, and he spent very little time in Zhizao Mansion.

"Master is here!" Xiu Luan, the eldest maid beside Li Shi, came in from the outside and said when she saw Cao Yong.

Mrs. Li got up and turned around, only then did she see her son coming, and seeing him looking at her with a half-smile, she felt a little embarrassed.

Cao Yong sighed secretly in his heart, the mother's person is really too shy, but it's the husband feeding a lychee, what's the matter for an old couple?However, he didn't show it at all on his face, he stepped forward and greeted his parents.

The father and son chatted a few words, Xiuluan asked Mrs. Li in a low voice, the food in the kitchen is ready, should I set the meal now.

Although Cao Yong watched the little monk eat two packs of meat just now, he didn't eat it himself, and he was a little hungry, so he smiled and said to Mrs. Li: "Today, my son will live with his mother! Later , also go and call Pinger, our family may not have dinner together for a long time!"

Mrs. Li looked at her son and smiled lovingly: "Not today, the doctor asked your father to clear his stomach for a few days, and I will accompany your father to drink porridge! Besides, Ping'er has already prepared it, waiting for you Let's have dinner together! There are still guests, so go after you change your clothes, don't make them wait too long!"

"Where is the third sister?" Cao Yong was a little curious: "Whose family's daughters are those young ladies who visited when my sister was at home? Is it inappropriate for me to go?"

"It's not those ones. You'll know when you go. Hurry up and change into your big clothes and go there!" Mrs. Li chose to keep her son at bay, and refused to speak directly.

Back to Qiujiju, Cao Yong changed into homely clothes and wiped his face.Seeing Xiu Ying come in, he asked: "Have you been to Chun Nuan Pavilion? Do you know what kind of guest came to Miss?"

Xiu Ying knew it, and replied with a smile: "Miss Zheng is here. When the servant girl went to the wife's side in the morning, she was catching up with Miss Zheng to pay her respects. After the third girl got the news, she also came to see Zheng. Miss, it seems that Miss Zheng has been left to live in the mansion!"

Cao Yong smiled wryly and shook his head, no wonder he felt that his mother was smiling strangely, and his father also looked like he was watching a play. It turned out that it was Zheng Woxue who came.Because of pearl cultivation, Cao Yin was unwilling to let Zheng Woxue leave the Cao family, Cao Yong could understand this.However, now that he has figured out how to transfer the breeding method, there is no need to involve her in him anymore.

No matter how he thought, Cao Yong changed his clothes and went to Chun Nuan Pavilion.After all, it was because of him that the brothers and sisters of the Zheng family were brought into the Cao family, and this knot must be solved.In addition, when he first met the brothers and sisters of the Zheng family, he had promised to avenge them both.Now that he is growing up, if the brother and sister have such or such ideas, he also wants to help them achieve them.In this way, it is not in vain that the two of them have worked hard for the Cao family for many years.

Before reaching the gate of Chun Nuan Pavilion, I saw Qiu Xuan and Dong Zhi walking towards each other, and saw Cao Yong blessed with blessings: "Master is back, the girl is waiting!"

Cao Yong waved his hand and ordered the two to get up.After entering the Chunnuan Pavilion, I heard Cao Yi's voice: "The winter in Beijing is not as cold as our south. However, the colder it is, the better it is in the hot spring village!"

"Hot Spring Zhuangzi?" An unfamiliar and soft female voice.

|"Well, my brother built a big, big Zhuangzi, and took us there to play. The hot springs there are not only in the house, but also in the yard! The water vapor is lingering, and people walk in it, just like in a painting. Originally Baogege said We have to wait for the peach blossoms to bloom this spring, but we missed the season!" Cao Yi said with indifference.

Cao Yong entered for a while, but both of them didn't notice, they still chatted happily on their own.Even if they said nothing, Cao Yong was embarrassed to eavesdrop and coughed twice.

Cao Yi smiled and stood up: "Brother is back!" The woman who was sitting opposite Cao Yi with her back to the door also got up and turned around. It was Zheng's Wo Xue whom Cao Yong had not seen for many years.

Compared with ordinary daughters from the south, Zheng Woxue is quite tall, a fist taller than Pinger. She is wearing beige clothes and a bamboo green toothpick waistcoat, which looks very refreshing.

"Woxue has seen the young master!" The moment she saw Cao Yong, Zheng Woxue bowed slowly.

"Miss Zheng, long time no see!" Cao Yong didn't know what to say for a while, so he had to be polite.

Cao Yi was at the side, seeing the two of them being so unfamiliar and courteous, he said with a smile: "If I hadn't heard what Sister Zheng said, I wouldn't have known that my elder brother and second younger brother were still Jiangning's little overlords! I really didn't expect that my elder brother would be so ostentatious when!"

"At that time, he was stubborn, and many things were not done properly!" Cao Yong said with a little regret.

Zheng Woxue just smiled, but Cao Yi didn't believe it: "From the moment I saw my brother, my brother has a steady appearance. I really can't think of a time when my brother is stubborn!"

Xiang Cao took Chun Ya to set up a meal, Cao Yi asked his brother to sit in the seat, and asked Zheng Woxue to sit down, and he himself accompanied the prime minister.Although Zheng Woxue was more demure and didn't talk much, she was unfamiliar after all, so Cao Yong hurriedly used the bowl of rice, then put down his chopsticks, said "use slowly", then got up and came back to ask for a place to live.

It's not appropriate to talk about the revenge of the Zhengzhou brothers and sisters in front of others, it's better to wait until you see Zheng Hu and ask him what he means.Thinking of this, Cao Yong let go of Zheng's family in advance, and remembered that the few packets of Buddhist incense brought back from Qingliang Temple should be sent back to Beijing before the Buddha's birthday.Thinking of the capital, and thinking of the people in the capital, Brother Sixteen painstakingly arranged a meeting, but in the end he missed it; and the new garden in the mansion, I don’t know how it is being repaired; Cao Song, Zijing and Mr. Zhuang are all fine ...

Just as she was thinking about it, she saw the little girl Caier talking back and forth. It turned out that it was Xiaoman who was at the gate of the courtyard, saying that she was looking for the uncle for something.

Since Xiaoman returned to Jiangning, his grandmother and mother tried to nourish him. After a month, he gained a lot of weight and had a double chin.Seeing Cao Yong, Xiao Man hurriedly smiled and said, "Master, have you had dinner yet?"

Cao Yong saw his eyes flickering, like a ghost, and said with a smile: "Stop talking nonsense, tell me, what's the matter?"

Xiao Cao scratched the back of his head, "hehe" laughed twice: "Master, I can't do anything about it, I was really forced by brother-in-law Zheng." Speaking of this, he lowered his voice: "He wanted to see Mr. His sister suppressed her, and she didn't dare to come directly to the old man, so she begged the younger one to pass on the message to the old man."

The "brother-in-law of Zheng's family" that Xiao Cao talked about was Zheng Woxue's elder brother Zheng Hu, who married the granddaughter of housekeeper Cao Fu and Xiao Man's cousin two years ago.

Cao Yong frowned slightly and asked, "He also returned to Jiangning?"

"Well, waiting for news at Zhang's Tea House on Qianjie Street, can you see me?" Xiao Man replied.

Cao Yong nodded: "Let's go and have a look, I have something to look for him! It's just that you have not been back for a long time, but you are promising!" Speaking of this, he glanced at Xiaoman lightly, although he has never treated Xiaoman as an outsider, But his temperament of soliciting things is really bad,
Xiao Man has been with Cao Yong for four years, knowing that although he has a good temper, he is tired of the troublesome people around him, so his face turned pale immediately, and he said pitifully: "Master, I don't dare anymore!"

"Okay, okay!" Cao Yong glanced at Xiaoman: "When you come back later, you should think about it carefully. If you really like to take care of things, follow your grandfather and uncle and learn how to be a housekeeper."

+ + + + + + + +
Then codeword, strive for two more before 0 o'clock. .

Everyone, it's eleventh tomorrow. For the sake of the Ninth National Congress, I forgot the monthly pass. .Thank you. .

(End of this chapter)