Great Qing Xiangguo

Chapter 95

Mrs. Chen has white beard and hair, and walks with a cane, but she has good eyes and ears.On the day Chen Tingjing came home, the old man looked at his son for a long time and said, "Tingjing, follow me in, I have something to ask you."

The old man led Chen Tingjing into the garden, found a secluded place, and asked, "Tell me the truth, did you commit any crimes in the court?"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "Don't worry, father, I have done nothing wrong. I have said in the letter that I want to come back to serve father. The emperor took pity on me and allowed me to beg to return to my hometown."

The old man poked hard on the ground with his crutches and cursed: "I didn't write a letter to discuss such a big matter beforehand! The emperor treats you like a sea of ​​kindness, you have to do your best to serve the court! Dad is in good health, and there are people serving him at home. What are you doing back here!"

Chen Tingjing knelt down, kowtowed and said, "Father taught you the lesson, but my son is thinking about him day and night outside, and I feel uneasy. You can let your son stay at home for a few years, and then go out to be an official!"

The old man still sighed, and said: "Everyone is back, what's the use of talking about this!"

Chen Tingjing comforted him in every possible way, but his father was still not happy, saying: "First I heard that something happened to your in-laws, and now you have returned with your family. What do you call the three townships and the four neighbors about our Chen family and Zhang family!"

Chen Tingjing told the whole family not to talk nonsense in front of the old man, but the old man seemed to know it already.

One day, the old man asked Chen Sanjin: "Sanjin, don't hide it from me. You said that Ting Jing went home this time, maybe he did something wrong?"

Chen Sanjin said: "Where is it! If the master commits a crime, will he return home like this?"

The old man said: "Beautiful? Last time when he went home, people from the governor's office and Taiyuan Mansion all came. What about this time? Even the people from the county office can't be seen."

Chen Sanjin said: "Maybe the governor's yamen will come someday!"

Chen Tingjing was going to pay his respects to the old man, when he heard the conversation inside, he intentionally made the footsteps louder.The old man stopped asking questions and turned his head to watch Ting Jing enter the door.Ting Jing asked the old man if he was in good health and what he wanted to eat.

The old man said: "There is always someone by my side, don't worry about it. Ting Jing, the weather is fine today, let's go to Heshan Tower to have a look."

Chen Tingjing said, "That's exactly what I'm talking about!"

Chen Sanjin said: "It's rare that the old man is interested. I'm afraid the old man won't go up for a year."

Chen Tingjing helped the old man, and Shuxian, Yueyuan, and Zhen'er led the children up to the Heshan Tower.Looking from a distance, the mountains are beautiful, the village is meandering, the houses in the courtyard are continuous, and the trees are set off.Zhuang came up with a glass chess set and played against his elder brother Kenji.

Chen Tingjing picked up a chess piece and put it in the old man's hand, saying, "Father, this is called glass chess. It was given by the emperor, and it was originally a tribute from Westerners to the emperor."

The old man was playing with the glass chess, feeling very surprised, said: "Don't tell me, I thought the ice would come from March in Yangchun!"

Zhuang Lu deliberately teased Grandpa, saying: "Grandpa, this chess piece was originally made of ice, and then put into a kiln to burn out."

The old man laughed loudly and said, "Grandpa is getting old, so you treat him like a child!"

Zhen'er laughed beside her and said, "The strong shoes will really make grandpa happy." The whole family burst into laughter.

The old man lay down on the chair, and Chen Tingjing sat next to the chair, talking with his father while watching his son play chess.The old man gradually became tired and his eyes closed slightly.The family hurriedly took the thin quilt and covered it, and everyone fell silent.

The old man closed his eyes and said, "Why don't you talk anymore? I just rest in peace. You should joke around, it's okay. I'm happy to hear that."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said: "You two brothers just knock the chess pieces loudly, Grandpa likes to hear it!"

Chen Tingjing watched chess for a while, and suddenly a poem came to his mind, and he ordered people to fetch the Four Treasures of the Study.Not long after, the pen, ink, paper and inkstone were delivered, and Chen Tingjing wrote with a pen: "People and affairs are like a game of chess, and the old mountains look back and die. The dawn, the sky and the stars fluctuate suddenly. We should only push everything aside, and the night rain and autumn lights talk about the later stage."

Hearing Zhuanglu recite aloud, the old man opened his eyes and stood up.Chen Sanjin helped the old man go to the front of several cases, and carefully read the poems written by Chen Tingjing.

The old man recited it silently, pulled Chen Tingjing aside, and asked in a low voice, "Ting Jing, you must have something to hide from dad. After reading these few lines of your poem, dad will guess that you have something on your mind!"

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Father, don't worry, I'm really fine. Just now I saw two children playing chess, and I felt something in my heart, so I wrote a few words. It's just moaning without any real point."

The old man shook his head and sighed, "Ting Jing, you can't hide your father's presbyopia. If you are fine, if you are happy, the governor, prefect, and county magistrate will come to visit you early! Alas, the world is so cold!"

Chen Tingjing still said: "Father, there is nothing wrong. Tingjing has not forgotten father's teaching, study hard, be a man seriously, and be an official seriously."

The old man shook his head and didn't want to talk about it anymore, so he called Chen Sanjin: "Sanjin, ask someone to boil more water, the weather is fine today, I want to take a good bath."

When the water was ready, Chen Sanjin came to help the old man take a bath.Chen Tingjing followed to the bathing room, and said to his family: "You all go out, I will bathe the old man."

The old man said: "Ting Jing, let them come."

Chen Tingjing smiled and said, "Father, you always bathed me when I was a child. I have never bathed your old man before."

The old man said no more, just smiled.Chen Tingjing tried the water first, and then helped the old man lie down in the bathtub.Chen Tingjing slowly rubbed his father's body, and after a while he ordered his family to heat up the water.

The old man said: "Boil some more water, I will wash enough today."

Chen Sanjiang just came in and said, "Old man, the water is still boiling!"

After adding hot water several times in a row, the old man wanted to soak it again, and said, "Ting Jing, don't rub it, it's very clean. Go out first, I'm comfortable lying here, I want to soak for a while."

Chen Tingjing said: "Father, you clubbing, I will guard you."

The old man said: "Don't watch it, you are tired too."

Chen Tingjing had no choice but to go out first, and then come in after a while.

Seeing Chen Tingjing coming out, the servant hurriedly brought a stool.Chen Tingjing didn't want to sit, so he paced with his hands behind his back.At this time, Shuxian, Yueyuan, and Zhener also came over.

Shuxian asked: "Ting Jing, isn't dad taking a bath?"

Chen Tingjing said: "Father finished washing, he wants to soak for a while."

Yueyuan asked, "Is anyone watching?"

Chen Tingjing said: "I want to guard, but my father won't let me."

Zhen'er said: "That's not acceptable, you have to go in and guard."

Chen Tingjing said: "The old man won't let me go in later."

Chen Tingjing suddenly felt his heart beating fast, and couldn't help touching his chest.

Yueyuan hurriedly asked: "Ting Jing, what's the matter? Is there any discomfort?"

Zhen'er said, "Go and see Dad."

Chen Tingjing hurried into the bath room and asked, "Father, do you still want to take a bath?"

The old man slowly opened his eyes and said, "No hurry, I want to soak for a while. You can go out."

Chen Tingjing said, "I'll just sit here and accompany you."

The old man closed his eyes and lay quietly in the bathtub.After a while, Chen Tingjing tried the water again and asked, "Father, how is the water? Do you want to add some hot water?"

The old man didn't agree, Chen Tingjing asked again: "Father, are you asleep?"

The old man still didn't say anything.Chen Tingjing hurriedly touched his father's hand, and tried his breath again, suddenly his eyes went dark, and thunder struck him.It turned out that the old man had already gone.Chen Tingjing yelled "Father" and wailed uncontrollably.

With a family like the Chen family, the old man's funeral is naturally a scene.The governor of Shanxi finally found out the truth that Chen Tingjing was not convicted when he returned home this time, but the emperor wanted him to avoid suspicion for the time being, and if he still wanted to recover in the future, he sent him 2000 taels of silver.The magistrates and county magistrates all watched the governor's actions, and they all sent money.Although it is an official rule to send money in the yamen, if Chen Tingjing's old temperament is followed, he will definitely not accept it.He has already figured it out a long time ago, things on the scene must be face-saving, and everything must be done according to etiquette.

At night, the family sat around to watch the spirit, talking about how the old man walked so fast, it was really unpredictable.Chen Sanjin said: "The old man passed away without illness or disaster, and there are men and women who are filial and virtuous at home. The old man is a blessed person."

Chen Tingjing said: "The old man seemed to know that he was going to leave. He took a bath for half a day and washed it clean. It's just that my father was always worried that something would happen to me, and he was worried when he left. I am really unfilial!"

Shuxian said: "My lord, don't blame yourself. You are also filial to hide it from your father. Besides, you didn't do anything wrong. It is the emperor who allowed you to go home."

(End of this chapter)