Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 201
The old lady chose the right pair of red gold silk inlaid treasure bracelets, took the hand of the girl in the flag dress, and gestured on her wrists, the maid next to her was all smiles, and flattered her beautifully , the old lady also seemed to be quite satisfied, only the young girl, with a shy face, retracted her wrists into her sleeves when she had time, covering her tightly.

Hearing someone coming in, the old lady glanced at the door casually, only to see that a couple of young people came in, and the young woman was dressed in a flag dress, so she couldn't help but take a second look.The more she looked at it, the more puzzled she became. She was also from a family, and she married into the Dong E family with hairpin tassels from generation to generation.She could naturally see that the young woman was well dressed, not to mention the red spring silk mink fur cloak, and the two double happiness and double wishful emerald hairpins on her hair were even more palace style.

In Jiangning City, apart from the officials and eunuchs, there are not many women wearing flag dresses. Among them, there are some decent ones, and this old lady knows some of them, but she can't think of any young daughter-in-law who can dress up in such a dignified appearance.

It was Cao Yong and Chu Yu who came in.Sensing that someone was looking at her, Chu Yu raised her head and saw that it was an old lady in a flag dress, she nodded slightly in greeting.Seeing that she was very polite, the old lady was quite pleased with it, so she nodded her head in return.

The shopkeeper saw that although the young couple was new to each other, they were well-dressed and had an extraordinary bearing, and they were very hospitable. While introducing the signboard of his shop, he selected some top-grade hairpins and beads and placed them in front of Chuyu. , for her to choose.

Hearing that this "Zhenbao Pavilion" here is the century-old house of the Bai family, Cao Yong's heart moved, and he said with a smile: "I have heard about the name for a long time, so it is your house! I heard that the famous Bihe Lou Yang family, are you relatives to your owner’s family? I’ve seen their belongings, and they’re pretty good!”

Hearing Cao Yong mention the Yang family, the shopkeeper couldn't help showing a bit of pride on his face, and said with a smile: "It seems that this master has not lived in Jiangning for a long time. That Bihe building belongs to our aunt's house. A few years ago we The second young master of the family married Miss Yang's Biao again. This is a kiss. Last year, Mr. Yang had a stroke and was bedridden. Now the second young master of my family is running the business. Although there is no signboard of our "Zhenbaoxuan", who doesn't know, The two of us are one family!"

Cao Yong had just returned to Jiangning, and before he had time to ask these questions, when he heard about Yang's stroke, he thought of the brothers and sisters of the Zheng family. , how long has this been?"

The shopkeeper thought for a while and replied, "It was two months ago, probably after the Double Ninth Festival!"

Cao Yong calculated the time in his mind, at that time, it was only a year and a half since the recipe selling cultured pearls last year, and the pearls hadn't been planted yet. I don't know why Yang Mingchang had a stroke?Although he doesn't believe in destiny, he still feels very happy when he thinks of "the cycle of heaven and retribution is not good".

Although Chu Yu was carrying the jewelry, she also heard Cao Yong's conversation, and seeing that he fell silent, she turned her head to look at him.Just looking at Cao Yong's pensive expression, Chu Yu thought he was worried about that Mr. Yang's family, so she asked softly, "Er...Master, are you an old friend?" , almost called out, said a word and suddenly realized that it was really inappropriate to reveal his identity outside now, so he hurriedly changed his words.

Hearing Chu Yu call out "Master" softly, Cao Yong only felt itchy ears, smiled and glanced at her, Fang replied: "I don't know him, I just know his children!" As soon as he said that, he felt something was wrong, and turned to look at the shopkeeper. Sure enough, the other party was looking at him suspiciously.

Cao Yong was talking about the brothers and sisters of the Zheng family, but in the eyes of these people, the Yang family had only one daughter.After Cao Yong finished speaking, he also came to his senses, and then remembered the little girl who stopped him on the pier many years ago. Although he didn't have a good impression of her or her father, he also knew that the etiquette was strict at this time. Let the shopkeeper misunderstand, maybe it will hurt that little girl.

Although Cao Yong felt that he had made a mistake in his heart, his face was still as usual, but he seemed to say unintentionally: "Actually, it is not appropriate for me to say this! Because the two brothers and sisters I met a few years ago were brothers and sisters who were begging for children, and they were beggars. Even though they said their mother was the married wife of Dong Yang’s family, they might be pretending to be false! Otherwise, it would be too childish for a pair of legitimate children to be kicked out of the house. !"

When Chu Yu heard this, she couldn't make up her mind for a moment.In her cognition since she was a child, the word "di" is extremely precious.Whether it is the royal family or the major palaces, the identities of the concubines and concubines are extremely noble.Especially the original wife, who is more noble than the second wife to fill in the house.Even if it is the successor Fujin, before the tablet of the original wife Fujin, he can only perform the ceremony of the concubine's room, and the children born are not as noble as the children left by the predecessor Fujin.She couldn't help frowning, and wanted to ask a few questions.

Before Chu Yu could speak, she heard the old lady not far away say seriously: "Abandoning a wife and a child, there is such a thing? Young man, this is a major matter related to people's reputation, so it's not easy to talk about it?"

When Cao Yong saw that the old lady taught him a lesson with an upright face, he was not annoyed, but just surprised.Because this old lady is very dignified, although she looks to be in her 70s, she is very energetic, and she is very energetic when she speaks these few words.This made him think of his deceased grandmother, and he felt a little sad.

Chu Yu has always respected Cao Yong from the bottom of his heart. Now that he heard the accusation in the old lady's tone, he was a little unhappy, frowned slightly, and said in a dissatisfied tone: "Why is this old man? My grandfather's character Guigui, why do you want to slander others? Since he heard about it, it is naturally 'heard', as for whether that person has abandoned his wife and son, what is he doing to my father?"

Cao Yong saw that Chuyu was like a little tiger protecting the calf, he was funny and moved, so he gently took her hand.Although the old lady is troublesome, she is not a bad person after all, and Cao Yong is not willing to embarrass her, and said with a smile: "This old man taught me a lesson, it is a kid talking too much, as for whether it is true..." Speaking of this, he pointed to the shopkeeper: "Actually, you can ask the shopkeeper, because I heard that Dong Yang's family didn't recognize his wife and children just to get married with the Bai family."

The shopkeeper laughed a little awkwardly, and cursed in his heart, how did he talk about himself!While laughing, he was thinking of some reason to escape, when the old lady asked: "Shopkeeper, let me ask you, is this little official telling the truth?"

It is no secret in Jiangning shopping mall that Yang Mingchang abandoned his wife and son after his fortune, and then married a daughter of the Bai family.Even a few years ago, after his and Bai's only son died, he was laughed at by everyone in private, and they all said it was retribution.

The shopkeeper wanted to shake his head and deny it, but he was afraid of taking some responsibility; it was hard to admit it, so he smiled dryly and said: "I also ask this guest to be considerate of the little one. The right and wrong of this owner is really not something that a little one can do." Fair enough!"

The old lady has lived most of her life, so she can naturally tell the truth.Cao Yong had a kind face, even after he reprimanded him rudely, he was still amiable; but the shopkeeper's expression changed, his eyes flickered, and he felt guilty, which was obvious.

The old lady came from a family background, she was the one who paid the most attention to etiquette and respect, and she was familiar with the world, so she immediately felt annoyed.Xin Dao, since the Bai family is marrying a girl, there is no reason not to inquire about the other party's details. Since they know that the other party has a wife and son, they still pretend not to know, marrying their daughter is also despicable and shameless.

She put down the few pieces of jewelry she was choosing, and said to the girl standing beside her: "Although grandma wants to add makeup to you, she can't take things from other people. Wait for grandma to give it to your uncles in the capital." , Aunt and Aunt, let them help with a few good things!"

Seeing her grandmother mentioning this in public, the young girl became even more embarrassed, blushing and nodding her head in response, the noise was no bigger than a mosquito.

The shopkeeper heard the old lady's harsh words, and wanted to retaliate, but the old lady stared at him and immediately fell silent.Because looking at the old lady's well-dressed clothes, if she is rich and expensive, she must be something she can't afford.Although he had good eyesight and dared not stand out, there were two young and reckless servants in the lobby. Seeing the shopkeeper's frustration, they were unwilling to reconcile, so they stopped at the door.

Seeing Cao Yong beside him, he felt annoyed, because he was the old son of his parents in his previous life, and he grew up beside his grandmother in this life, so he was very respectful to the elderly and could not see others being rude.

Before Cao Yong approached, he heard two sounds of "pa" and "pa", and the two young servants were slapped heavily on the face, but it was the servant woman who followed the old lady who took the first step.She raised her eyebrows and raised her eyes, and said sharply: "In front of my old lady, even the governor and the general soldier have to stand in silence, where is the place for you to act wildly?!"

Cao Yong originally planned to walk over to rescue the siege and drink back the two boys.He had just taken two steps, and after hearing what the servant girl said, he stopped in his tracks immediately, and he also guessed a thing or two about the identity of the old lady.

The old lady didn't even look at the two young children who were holding their cheeks and crying, but said to the servant woman indifferently: "Mei Niang, why bother with them!"

The maid suddenly lost her tigress attitude, and replied very docilely: "The old lady taught me the lesson, Mei Niang knows she was wrong!"

The old lady nodded, and then she took her granddaughter out of Zhenbaoxuan surrounded by servants and maids, and drove away in a carriage.

*
Jiangning Weaving Mansion, Study Room.

Looking at Li Xu sitting opposite, Cao Yin was speechless for a long time.It's only half a year since I saw Fang, Li Xu seems to be ten years older, his originally slightly fat body has also lost weight, and he has grown a lot of gray hair.Speaking of which, Li Xu is three years older than Cao Yin, and is now 56 or [-] years old.The two of them can be regarded as the acquaintance of the president, and they have been friends for more than fifty years.

Cao Yin sighed in his heart, and still persuaded: "Although my brother-in-law didn't approve of this marriage at the beginning, but since the engagement has been made and it is well known, if the elder brother's family regrets the marriage, it will damage their reputation!"

Li Xu shook his head and said, "Dong Ting is not an outsider, and I won't hide it from you. Last year, I really lost my head. I knew that Ga Li was trying to win me over, but I still wanted to cling to him. Thinking about how we can marry someone like us. It is decent for a daughter-in-law of a wealthy family like the Dong E family to be a daughter-in-law. However, after more than a year of ups and downs, I can understand that this slave is a slave. Although we have the grace of the emperor, we must not forget it. Duty! If the second child is really married to Ga Li's niece, then the Long Live Lord will think of the Li family, wouldn't that be an embarrassment?"

Hearing what he said was desolate, Cao Yin was not as energetic as before, and his brows and eyes were full of fear and apprehension.Because these are all things he has experienced in the past, so he was very considerate of Li Xu's situation, and quickly comforted him: "This is the end, brother don't need to worry too much, Long Live Lord is the most generous, even if you are a little annoyed right now, let's calm down in a few days That's good! Since you kept your weaving, the part-time job was only taken by the Sun family, and no other people were sent over, so it can be seen that it is still dependent on Brother Da!"

Li Xu smiled wryly and nodded: "Now, I have figured it out, and I will send the second child to Beijing in two years! The Li family was originally humble and wrapped up, and it is all due to the master's grace to be able to have today's status. All right, it’s still a matter of simple tea and light food, all look at the gifts from above, and don’t dare to be greedy again! This Kari has lost his head. In addition to continuously impeaching Zhang Boxing, he also impeached Jiao Yinghan, the procurator. Although Jiao Yinghan was dismissed from his post to question , but this gift must have to be moved!" Speaking of this, I am still full of puzzlement: "I wonder why this gift matches Zhang Boxing? This box is an assistant sent out by Lord Longevity himself Even if Gali is impeached and slandered again, can he still obliterate his political achievements over the years? Could it be that this is a thief crying catch a thief! Gali's hands are not clean, and he looks like a thief when he looks at others, but he forgets that he has been a "evil" since ancient times Unbelievable!"

Cao Yin was stunned when he heard this. Last year when Li Xu came to Jiangning and mentioned Zhang Boxing, he still shook his head and said that he was "a sour scholar and doesn't know how to adapt", but now he looks completely convinced.

Although Cao Yin has been an official for decades, he behaves more like a scholar. It is still difficult to forgive Li Xu's untrustworthy actions such as retiring his marriage.But I have to admit that Li Xu's scruples are also very reasonable.He wondered if there was a better way to solve the problem. Although he hated Gali quite much, he did not agree with the practice of angering his family. Once the engagement was divorced, Miss Dong E would have to say whether she would marry again, at least There will be no good people coming to propose marriage.

Li Xu and Cao Yin have known each other since they were young, so they know his temperament and nature, and they are afraid that he will persuade him again, so they immediately changed the subject and said: "I heard that Yong'er set up a Taoist platform outside, although he is not as decent as Jingzhong, but at a young age, He is already in the fourth rank, and his future is limitless!" While praising him, he couldn't help laughing twice: "Now, we are all old, and there is nothing to support him! It's nothing, after all, he has his brother-in-law With my father-in-law, as long as there is a middle distance, it is not difficult to survive a few terms and be promoted to the governor's position! The three of us will rely on Yonger to support us in the future!"

Hearing Li Xu's praise of his son, Cao Yin hurriedly said humbly: "Hey, big brother, don't praise him! If Yong'er is really promising, Long Live God can't send him out of Beijing! He is still young , my brother-in-law has been busy with errands, and the old lady has always been spoiled and neglected to teach, let alone my two nephews from the elder brother's family, even the children from the Sun family, are also very promising !"

While talking, a young servant came to report that the uncle and grandma had returned.Cao Yin smiled and asked Li Xu to come to the living room.

Because when Li Xu arrived just now, Cao Yong and Chu Yu were not in the mansion and did not greet them, so Cao Yin specially asked someone to tell the door that if he saw them come back, he would come to inform them.

Cao Yong and Chu Yu also heard about their uncle's arrival, they looked at each other's clothes, they were generous and tidy, they would not neglect distinguished guests, so they waited for their father to summon them in the side hall.

When Cao Yin sent someone to invite him, Cao Yong and Chu Yu went to the living room to greet their uncle Li Xu.

However, for more than a year, Cao Yong acted more and more maturely, and his words were tight.This precious emperor and grandson princess is not as coquettish and self-willed as imagined.Li Xu couldn't help praising and praising, but he couldn't tell whether it was envy or jealousy.

*
The inner house, in Gao Taijun's room.

Gao Taijun held Wu'er in his arms and kissed again and again, full of reluctance, muttering: "Wu'er, don't blame grandma for being cruel, grandmother is also reluctant to love Wu'er! Who made your cousin sick? The marriage is going to be delayed, how can grandma rest assured!"

It turned out that when Li Xu came to Cao's mansion, he first came to pay his respects to his aunt Gao Taijun, and told him about the postponement of the marriage due to the serious illness of his second son Li Ding.In fact, what he said at the Governor's Mansion was that his son was seriously ill and he was afraid of delaying Miss Dong E, so he broke off the engagement.It's just that, thinking that the old man's ideas are relatively rigid, he was afraid of causing Gao Taijun's dissatisfaction and nagging, so he changed his rhetoric.

Gao Taijun originally wanted to persuade him to get along well with the Cao family, but now that he heard that his nephew and grandson were ill, he didn't care about so much, and asked someone to prepare his luggage.The only thing that worries her is Wu'er, who has been raised in her house since the day she landed.But although Wu'er didn't have a biological mother, after all, he had his father and aunt, so there was no reason to take him to Li's family for adoption.
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(End of this chapter)