Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 475
The sixteenth day of the twelfth lunar month is the day when Cao Song got married.

Inside and outside the mansion, it was busy.Although Cao Yin is said to be the parent, but after all, he is getting old, except for some friends and relatives entertaining, Cao Yong will take care of the others.

It wasn't until midnight that the congratulatory guests who drank wine dispersed one after another.Cao Song was also drunk and dizzy, and was helped back to the east courtyard and sent to the bridal chamber.

Cao Yong saw off the guests outside the gate of the mansion, and when the night wind blew, his mind sank a bit.He staggered and almost fell over.

Fortunately, Xiaoman has sharp eyes, stepped forward to support her, and said: "Master, the ground is slippery, watch out for you!"

Cao Yong rubbed his forehead, looked up at the sky, the moon reached mid-heaven, and the courtyard was still glowing red against the backdrop of the lanterns.

Cao Fang and several other stewards were also in front of him. Cao Yong asked: "Where is the master? Just now at the banquet, I watched the master drink a lot."

Cao Fang leaned over and replied: "The master was a little drunk just now, and he has already been helped back to the inner courtyard!"

Cao Yong stretched out his arms, smiled and said to the crowd: "I have been busy for a few days, and finally it is over, and everyone has worked hard. After two days, I will finish your third master's marriage, so everyone can rest for a while." sky."

Everyone said that they were not tired, because it was late at night, and seeing that Cao Yong was also looking pale, Cao Fang said: "The front yard is not cleaned up, and the younger ones will take care of it. Grandpa, go back and have a rest."

Cao Yong nodded, turned around and entered the yard, walking a little wobbly.When Cao Fang saw him, he hurriedly told Xiao Man to follow.

Time is like water, time is like a shuttle.

Thinking of the scene of Cao Song just kneeling to welcome and see off guests, Cao Yong seemed to have returned to the scene when he married his wife four years ago.In the blink of an eye, more than four years have passed, so fast.

He touched his hair subconsciously. There were so many things in the past four years, it seemed like a lifetime away, and it was rare that he didn't have gray hair.He wears a fur hat on his head, but his hands are fluffy.

The younger brothers all married their wives, and nephews and nieces were born one after another, and the population of the family gradually increased. Is this the legendary prosperity?
Why does this little matter in the mansion all day make people feel weak?
Cao Yong was thinking wildly when he heard the faint sound of the piano in the dark midnight.

He stopped involuntarily and listened attentively, but he heard the intermittent sound of plucking the piano from the West Road courtyard.

The sound of the piano is low and gentle, which seems to calm the restlessness of people's hearts, and a smile gradually appeared on Cao Yong's face.Apart from Monk Zhiran, who else can play the Zen meaning of the Buddha's music on the guqin?
Because I have been busy entertaining guests these few days, the little monk has not seen him for a long time.

Cao Yong said to Xiaoman: "Send a message to the second gate, just say that I will sit in Master Zhiran's yard, and I will go back later, so that grandma can rest first."

Xiaoman agreed, and Cao Yong said again: "It's late at night. After you finish delivering the message, you should go back and rest first." The voice of "Gulu" was heard before the words fell.

Cao Yong rubbed his belly. He still ate two small flower rolls in the morning, and stayed at the table with guests at night, so he didn't eat much.

Xiao Man said: "Master, are you hungry? Then the elder will sit in Master Zhiran's courtyard for a while, and after the younger one has passed the message, let the kitchen prepare some food."

Cao Yong nodded and said: "Don't bother too much. If you have any ready-made food, just send some over. And on the master's side, if the lights in the wife's room are still on, let people ask if they want to eat Supper."

Xiaoman was a little worried about Cao Yong, and wanted to find someone to help him, Cao Yong waved his hand and said, "Go ahead, I'm fine, it's only a few steps away."

Only then did Xiaoman go. Cao Yong followed the sound of the piano and came to the west courtyard.

As soon as he entered the yard, he heard the sound of the piano stop abruptly. Cao Yong was a little unsatisfied, so he reached out and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Zhiran's calm voice came out.

Cao Yong entered the room, and Zhiran sat cross-legged on the kang, with a guqin in front of him.There is only a table and two chairs in the room, with a teapot and water cups on it, and there are no other decorations.On the kang, there are only round wooden hard pillows, covered with green cloth.

Although it is not the first time I have seen it, but every time I see it, Cao Yong still feels that it is too simple, and said to Zhiran: "The furniture and decorations are all ready-made, and it is better to tidy them up comfortably."

Zhiran moved Qin away from her eyes and said, "This is good. There are too many things, and it looks messy."

After standing in the cold wind for half a day, Cao Yong felt a little cold, so he picked up his skirt and sat down directly on the kang.It was warm, and he felt a lot of comfort immediately, and said, "Xiao Liuer went to sleep?"

Xiao Liu'er is a servant of Cao's family. After Zhiran came, he was sent to look after him in this yard.

Zhiran had already gone to the ground, nodded after listening to Cao Yong's words, then picked up the teapot on the table, poured half a cup of clear tea, brought it to Cao Yong, and said, "Have some tea!"

Cao Yong took it, glanced at the guqin on the kang, and said with a smile: "Why do you want to play this? I don't usually see you playing this. Could it be that the little monk has entered the world of mortals and his heart is disturbed."

Zhiran didn't refute, poured himself a cup of tea, lowered his eyelids, looked at the ups and downs of the tea leaves in the cup, and said, "I'm tired, just looking at it, I'm already tired! Donor Cao, do you still remember the mountain behind Qingliang Temple?" Is it fun?"

How can you forget?Just now Cao Yong thought of this when he was outside the courtyard. He has been in this world for more than ten years, and the two years in Qingliang Temple are the most worry-free.

He sat cross-legged on the kang, glanced at Zhiran, and said: "I was afraid that you were poor in Buddhism, and wanted to persuade you to grow your hair and return to vulgarity, but now it seems that I am still a little foolish."

Zhiran put down the teacup, touched the Buddhist beads on his wrist, with a look of confusion on his face, and said slowly: "From the beginning of Laba, there are many temples in Nancheng who give out porridge, and many lonely old people lined up for half a street. For a bowl of hot porridge..."

Seeing that he was a bit like this, Cao Yong thought it was because of his Buddha-mindedness, nodded and said: "Well, my mother and wife also went to the temple to give alms. If the young monk also has this kind of heart, I will just tell Cao Fang tomorrow."

Zhiran shook his head and said: "It's not because of this, I feel something in my heart... When I was in Qingliang Temple, I also saw poor women who were unable to raise their parents and children and sent their children to the gate of the temple...Everyone has parents , Xiaoseng's parents, maybe they are also forced by their livelihood... However, I remember that the master showed Xiaoseng the original swaddling clothes in the past, and it doesn't look like something used by the Han family."

Cao Yong was surprised when he heard the words. He had known the young monk for many years, but it was the first time he had heard him say that he missed his parents.It's just for no reason, why do you think of this?
Zhiran also saw the confusion in Cao Yong's heart, and said: "I have been reading "Journey to the West" for the past two days, and when I saw the section "Recognizing Son", I couldn't help feeling a little confused!"

No one jumped out of the cracks in the rocks, they were all born to their parents, and it is human nature to want to figure out their own life experience.

Cao Yongdao: "When I was still in the temple, I asked you if you wanted to find your biological parents. You became interested at that time, and you only had one master in your heart. Otherwise, since then, you will always have to look for your biological parents. It's a result." Speaking of this, he paused and said, "It's not too late, so you can find it if you want. I will write to Cao Yuan tomorrow and ask him to leave a few people to help you find out inside and outside Jiangning City. Investigate."

Zhiran listened, clasped his hands together, and said: "Since that's the case, the monk has thanked the benefactor Cao. The monk has no other intentions. If the family is rich, that's all. If it's lonely, it's good to send two buckets of rice."

If it were someone else, there would always be complaints about why he abandoned himself, Zhiran grew up in a temple after all, the bewilderment on his face has faded, and there is no sadness or joy in his words.

Cao Yong couldn't help feeling a little ashamed. Compared with Zhiran, he was blessed with parents and wives and children.But sometimes I feel sorry for myself, say "loneliness" and talk about "lonely", which is really a little dissatisfied.

Zhiran thought of a figure in his heart, could it be that he is that "Jiang Liu'er" and that woman is "Yin Shi"...

*
East mansion, east courtyard, upper room.

On the Eight Immortals table on the ground, the bright red dragon and phoenix candles kept beeping, and the curtains on the kang kept shaking, accompanied by more and more heavy breathing.

Following the female voice of "Ah", the panting stopped immediately, and it took a long time before I heard Cao Song say: "...Is it because I am too strong that I hurt you? I... I am just too anxious, I... I am not Deliberately..."

There was a bit of uneasiness and coyness in his voice.

Jinghui was under Cao Song, and her eyes were already wet. From the moment a girl became a woman, it would be a lie to say that she didn't hurt, but she didn't complain at all.

Seeing Cao Song so disturbed, she really didn't know what to say.After all, she was the bride, and she was too ashamed.

She didn't say a word, but stretched out her arms and put her arms around Cao Song's back. She hugged Cao Song tightly like this, and there was an indescribable sweetness in her heart...

It is also in Dongfu, but the other two women related to Cao Song are tossing and turning, and it is difficult to rest their pillows, that is, Zhao Jiashi and Yulong.

The daughter-in-law came in, and she was expecting to hold her grandson from now on. Mrs. Zhao Jia couldn't tell whether she was happy or sad, but since she hit the kang, she had never stopped sighing.

After struggling for a long time, but still unable to sleep, Zhao Jia sat up and asked, "What time is it?"

Zhao Jia didn't sleep, and Aster, who was on duty at night on the ground, didn't dare to close her eyes.After listening to Mr. Zhao Jia's question, Cui Ju touched a piece of clothes and put them on, took a fire sickle and lit the lamp, held it up to look at the clock, and replied: "If you go back to your wife, it will be Chouchu (one o'clock in the morning)." , since the wife can't sleep, can I have a servant to wait on the wife to eat cigarettes?"

Mrs. Zhao Jia was moved when she heard the words, and just wanted to say hello, thinking that the daughter-in-law would serve tea tomorrow morning, which would be the first time a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were greeted.If you feel refreshed after eating cigarettes, you can’t fall asleep even more, and your face will look ugly tomorrow morning, and your wife will laugh at you again.

Therefore, she said: "I don't want to eat, my mouth feels dry, just pour some tea and have a rest earlier. You bastard, don't you know if you have a bridal chamber?" The last sentence was talking to herself.

Luju was still at her daughter's house, and after hearing the last sentence, she couldn't help but blushed, pretending not to hear, and poured a cup of warm tea into Zhao Jia's hands.

After eating two mouthfuls, Zhao Jia felt more at ease, took a long breath, and said, "It's hard to marry a daughter-in-law. If I knew it would be so complicated, I might as well have arranged the marriage of your second and third masters at One day can save a lot of trouble. Otherwise, thirty years ago, I would have been busy with this."

Lu Ju returned the teacup and said, "Didn't Madam say that the wild ducks from the village taste good? Tomorrow, let the kitchen stew two cups. It would be delicious for the maid to watch Madam eat that. Madam has been very tired these two days." , I can't bear to see it, so I should make up for it."

Mrs. Zhao Jia rubbed his shoulders, and said: "What can we do? Who would have thought that there would be these female relatives coming to the door, and they all carry orders on them, and no one can be neglected. Although there is a big wife, after all, it is our second room. I don't have the time to rest for a wedding."

Although there was a little bit of complaint, there was also a bit of pride in the voice.

Seeing her like this, Luju flattered her: "Who says it's not? People come and go, it's really lively. Who can hold a wedding in such a grand manner? I haven't seen this servant for more than ten years. It's all because of my wife." Blessing."

After hearing this, Zhao Jia couldn't help laughing twice, and said: "Your second master is working in front of the imperial court. Don't look at it as a sixth-rank official. How disrespectful are the officials outside? Tsk tsk, don't say anything else, just say this There are officials of all grades who come to give gifts every day. Over there, I don’t know how much gift money will go into the account..."

Having said that, she gradually silenced her voice, feeling a little lost.

Cao Song's marriage was presided over by Cao Yin, and it was considered to be arranged by the public.When holding weddings and funerals in the public office, there is a regulation that whoever accepts the gift, and whoever receives it returns the gift.

Although there are many congratulatory guests in the past few days, it seems that the people on Erfang's side are only relatives from Zhaojia's mansion, and the others are mostly related to Cao Yin's father and son.

Although I know that people ask for a gift, it is just a word of "go", and receiving a gift is not for nothing, you have to return the gift; but thinking about hearing from the steward that there are many foreign officials in the mansion over there, the accompanying gift money is also free. For hundreds of taels of silver, Zhao Jia still felt a little reluctant.

Leaning down and lying on the pillow, she couldn't help but sighed again...

*
The front door, Daoxiang Village shop.

In the darkness, a figure tiptoed to the oil drum outside the warehouse, took out a paper bag from his arms rustlingly, and poured it into the oil drum...

(End of this chapter)