Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 218 Choice
Yizhou, Daotai Mansion, in front of Yimen.

Dong E Jinghui bowed to Chu Yu, and Chu Yu hurriedly stepped forward to support her: "What are you doing, cousin? You shouldn't do such a big gift!"

Dong E Jinghui said with tears: "If there is no cousin to take in, no cousin to cherish..."

Chu Yu took her hand and said comfortingly: "The past is over, cousin can't be too sad!"

Dong E Jinghui nodded with tears in her eyes, and thanked Zijing, Xiyun and others for their care in the past few months, and everyone returned the gift one after another.Cao Song was at the side, watching Dong E Jinghui pass everyone away one by one, only pulling himself down, his face was a little ugly.Thinking in his heart, this ugly girl, have you forgotten who saved her?
The nanny who came to pick him up said: "Girl, there is still a long way to go, let's set off!"

Dong E Jinghui listened, Fang turned around and looked at Cao Song, took two steps forward, leaned over and said, "Thank you second cousin for saving my life!" The voice was not loud, but it sounded real, which made people feel sad.

Cao Song hesitated for a moment, took out something from his bosom, handed it over, and said, "Ugly girl, in case you still want to come out...this...so as not to be bullied!"

It was a beautifully decorated Mongolian knife, with a thumb-sized ruby ​​inlaid on the top of the handle, and various small gems dotted on the scabbard. This gift was very valuable, indeed too expensive.

Dong E Jinghui still didn't know how to say no, Cao Song had already stepped forward and put the Mongolian knife into her hand.

Knowing that Dong E Jinghui returned to Beijing today, Cao Song didn't go anywhere, and even lost interest in following his brother for a stroll.Unexpectedly, after waiting for a long time, she got a word in exchange. He originally wanted to lose a few words, but seeing her with tears in her eyes and frowning slightly, he couldn't get angry.

Perhaps because of the proximity, Cao Song could smell the faint fragrance of Dong E Jinghui's body, and he couldn't help but suddenly realized.For a moment, he really didn't know what to say, looking at Dong E Jinghui, he couldn't help being stunned.

The two nanny who were ordered by the old lady Jueluo to pick up Dong E Jinghui, saw that the Cao family's second master, who looked a bit naive and annoyed, was standing a little close to his lady, so they "coughed" twice. Voice, said: "Girl, it's time to go!"

Dong E Jinghui glanced at the crowd again, turned around and got into the carriage and sat down. Just as Mammy was about to put down the curtain, she heard Cao Song say, "Ugly... I'm going to Beijing next year, so I'll see you then!"

Dong E Jinghui nodded and clenched the Mongolian knife even more tightly.The car curtain separated everyone's sight, and Dong E Jinghui returned to Beijing!

Although Dong Ejinghui usually doesn't talk much, she is honest and well-behaved. Not only Chuyu and Zijing are reluctant, but even Xiyun and others have red eye circles.

Cao Song only felt tightness in his chest and unspeakable irritability in his heart. He stretched his arms and waist vigorously. He was a little tired because he didn't sleep much last night.

In March in Yangchun, the weather was fine, Cao Song was really impatient to go back to the house to sleep, so he asked Chu Yu, "Sister-in-law, when will brother come back? How about brother take a few people to meet him?"

Chu Yu laughed and said, "Your brother said it will take three or five days. He wants to visit the counties below. I don't know where I am now. Where can I meet him?"

Cao Song looked at the blue sky, scratched his head and said: "In this case, sister-in-law should go back to the yard to rest first, brother, go to the martial arts hall for a walk!"

Chu Yu responded and led the people back to the inner courtyard.Zijing had nothing to do and was idle, so she followed Chuyu to the main room to talk.Before reaching the gate, I saw Yuqin from the west yard standing at the gate of the yard with a rather hesitant expression.

Chu Yu smiled and asked, "Why are you standing here? Are you looking for Sister Zijing for something, or are you here for me?"

Yulong's face was a little shy, and she replied: "I have something to do, I want to report to the Princess and Sister Zijing!"

Chuyu and Zijing looked at each other, and invited her to sit down in the hall of the main room.Yulong hesitated for a while, then Fang lowered her head and said: "Accordingly, there is no room for servants to talk about things in the second master's room. It's just that Madam Zhang is not here right now. Come back, both of you!"

After hearing this, Chu Yu glanced at Amethyst with some embarrassment.Although Cao Song is still young, there is no reason for his sister-in-law to take care of his uncle's house.

Zijing smiled and said to Yulong: "Seeing you are so hesitant, but the second master is ignorant, did you feel wronged?"

Fearing that the two of them might misunderstand, Yulong shook her head and said, "That's not the case... It's the second master who lifted up Sister Yuzhu..." After speaking, it was already inaudible.

Chu Yu was fine, Zijing frowned slightly, and then asked with a smile: "I see that she is very close to Ms. Jing these days. Today, Ms. Jing returns to Beijing, why didn't she come out to see her off?"

Yulong smiled and replied: "Sister Yuzhu thought about it, but she accidentally saw the wind last night, and her body was a little hot, and now she is lying in the house!"

Zijing knew it well, and said to Chuyu: "Princess, since the second master has promoted Yuzhu to be a person next to him, he can no longer pay the monthly money in the past, you see..."

Chu Yu nodded, thought for a while, and said: "Since this is the case, according to the previous monthly rules of Yulong, you can also add some clothes on your head and face." Having said that, she smiled and glanced at Yulong: "Yulong, here, The monthly rules remain the same, but some additions and subtractions are made during festivals!"

Yulong couldn't refuse, got up and thanked him solemnly, and then went back to the west courtyard.

Because Cao Song was not married, Yulong didn't show her face officially, but everyone treated her as an aunt.In addition, she is the same age as Chuyu, she doesn't talk much, and has a good temper. Everyone likes her very much.

Before our sons get married, it is not a big deal to have two or three people in the house, but it is also common for men to "like the new and dislike the old".Thinking of this, Chuyu and Zijing complained about Cao Song's promiscuity.It's just that their status is limited, it's not easy for the two of them to talk about it, so they just shook their heads and sighed once.

*
In the wing room of the west courtyard, Yu Spider took a short nap and got up to wash up. Seeing Yu Dragon coming in, she couldn't help asking: "Is Master back?"

Yuqin couldn't help being startled when she saw that her face was full of spring breeze, as if she was a different person from yesterday.Sensing the gaffe, Yu Spider hurriedly lowered her head, wrapped her fingers around the corner of her clothes, and was speechless.

Although Yulong's heart is sour, she also understands that this is the life of a woman, and if her body is given away, how can she keep her heart?Smiling, he pulled her to sit by the kang, and said with a smile: "I just came back, and I asked the second servant, saying that the master has gone to the martial arts hall!"

Yuzhu nodded, her face was already blushing, and she faltered: "Yulong...I..."

Seeing her embarrassed, Yuqian saw a small plate of hawthorn on the small table next to her, picked up one, and said with a smile: "My lord is also very confused. Fortunately, Mr. Zhuang has a lot of experience. After hearing the two aunts mention it, I know it's not right." Okay, why don't you do bad things with good intentions? It's good now, all the courtyards and rooms are full of red hawthorns, which makes people feel sore cheeks just by looking at them!"

Jade Spider picked one up, took a bite, and said disapprovingly: "Who knows what Mr. Zhuang said is true or not! The more knowledgeable this person is, the more particular he is. , Eat more of this, I haven’t seen anyone make a mistake! Even if there is no hawthorn, there is no such thing as sour radish and capers!”

Hearing Yuzhu mention the past, Yulong also thought of her own size. She is from Wuhu, and her parents are honest farmers. In the 46th year of Kangxi, there was a severe drought in Wuhu, the rivers and ports were all dry, and the crops failed.In addition to her parents, she also has two younger brothers, and the family of five has run out of food rations.There was nothing the family could do, so they sold the 12-year-old her to someone else.

Ren Yazi taught these ten-year-old girls how to behave for two years, and sold them to rich families in the capital as maids at a high price.

*
After returning from Daxing Town in Tancheng, Cao Yong and the others did not return the same way, but went east through Linmu Town and went north, first to Junan Town, and then to Juzhou.On the north-south road from the south gate to the north gate of Juzhou, there are many shops scattered one after another, but it doesn't look as prosperous as Daxing Town.

Not long after entering the city through the south gate, Cao Yong saw a half-circle of people not far away, pointing at someone.

When he got close, he could see clearly that it was a little girl of eight or nine years old, wearing a gray cloth jacket covered with patches, kneeling on the side of the road, with a grass sign stuck on her head.A middle-aged man in his thirties squatted beside him, covering his face with his hands.

"Sell your children and sell your daughters!" Cao Yong felt unspeakably heavy, reining in the reins and watching there.

The little girl's eyes were red, it seemed that she had been crying for a long time, but at this moment her expression was blank, her eyes were dull, how could there be half a child's aura?
Some of the onlookers asked about the price of selling themselves, and laughed twice; some looked at the little girl to see if it was profitable; , with healthy limbs, how can you be willing to sell your daughter?"

The man didn't argue, he moved his shoulders, wiped his tears, and cried like a child.

At this time, I saw two people running up the street. The one in front was a woman in a coat with a baby in her arms. Regardless of whether there were too many people or not, she squeezed in sideways and looked at the girl on her head. Cao Biao immediately knelt down, held her in his arms, and wailed loudly.The little girl cuddled in the woman's arms and cried slowly.The baby in the swaddle, as if feeling the sadness of the mother and sister, began to cry "ahhh".

Behind the woman was a middle-aged man in his forties. When he saw the straw mark on the little girl's head, he immediately said angrily: "Zhao He, the girl is your own flesh and blood. How can you do this to your younger siblings?"

The man beat his head vigorously: "Brother Zhou, it's because I'm worthless. Even my father and mother have been raised for more than 30 years, but now I can't fill the stomachs of the two elders! What else can I do, the whole family can't starve to death!"

"Brother Zhou" sighed, and said helplessly, "This is caused by those unscrupulous grain merchants. It's not your fault. If the price of rice keeps going up like this, who else can afford it!"

"Girl father, please, keep the girl!" The woman cried and said, then put the baby into her husband's hands, pulled out the straw from the daughter's hair, and slowly inserted it into her own hair.

Although she is sallow and thin, and her hands are slightly rough, she is still 26 or [-] years old, and she is somewhat pretty.

Among the people who were watching other people's business, someone immediately said: "How much is the worth, the master wants it, and it happens that there is a young lady in the family?"

Everyone followed the sound and saw a fat old man in a blue silk robe, squinting his eyes, looking into the woman's arms.Although he doesn't have many wrinkles due to being fat, but looking at his gray hair and age spots on his face, he must be in his 60s.

When the people around saw it, they couldn't help laughing and said, "Is it missing a grandma, or a little grandma?"

Another person said: "What do you care about breastfeeding, people are in the house, so you can breastfeed whatever you want?"

The words became more and more obscene, but the fat old man just smiled "hehe", looked at the money bag in his hand, looked at the couple and said, "Master, I haven't eaten lunch yet, you two, don't be bored." , quickly make an offer!"

The woman looked at the man with tears in her eyes, how could the man think of anything else?A family of four, hugging their heads and crying loudly.It was the little girl who stopped first, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to the people around: "Uncles, I beg you, please don't buy the girl's mother, who still has to take care of her younger brother and cook for grandparents and daddy." , you should buy the girl!"

No matter how others are, Cao Yong couldn't stand it anymore, and turned back to Wei Hei, who was not far away, to signal.

Wei Hei, Wu Mao and the others reined in their horses and stepped forward to disperse the onlookers.Someone saw that they didn't have a local accent and wanted to argue a few words, but Wei Hei whipped them to be honest.

In fact, in the arms of Wei Hei and Wu Mao, there are pawns from the Daotai Yamen, and a sentence of "the Yamen handles the case" can also make them retreat.But seeing this family is really pitiful, and watching the excitement is shameful, so they don't have a good attitude.

The big man sensed something was wrong and stood up, protecting his wife and children behind him.Even "Brother Zhou" who came with the woman also stepped forward and stood by the man.

Among the people who had just been dispersed, a few stood not far away, and wanted to continue watching the excitement, but Wei Hei stared at them, and immediately ran away.

Cao Yong looked at the family of four, clenched his fist secretly, and murmured: "Seven days, give me seven days!"

Mr. Zhuang's heart was very heavy. After hearing Cao Yong's words, he turned his head: "What seven days? Furuo made up his mind?"

Cao Yong nodded and said: "Yes, sir, I know what I should do!" He turned his head and gave Xiaoman a few words, watching Xiaoman go to Wei Hei, his expression became more determined.
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(End of this chapter)