The Red Mansion is so charming

Chapter 36
(Xiao He accidentally exploded, and wrote too much in the second watch, so I wasted a little time, ho ho, thank you for the sachet of Yi Jian Fei Hua)

Because the Xing family came to Beijing with prosperity instead of leaving in despair, Lu's has a lot of things to do and a lot of interpersonal relationships to take care of recently, and he is very busy.Fortunately, Xiuyan helped raise important matters at home, and later, mothers-in-law and mothers simply did not go to the main courtyard to bother Lu Shi, and went to Xiuyan directly with lists or cards.

The 16-year-old Xiuyan has lost her greenness, and the sallow and thin complexion she had a few years ago has been replaced by a skin like creamy fat and a face like a lotus.A frown and a smile are like a white lotus blooming in a blue and white porcelain vat, beautiful and refined, everyone who sees her loves her to the heart.

From the top up to the lady in charge of the Xing family, down to the lady-in-law, there is no disrespect or love for this lady, so they hate the rumors from outside, and they dare not reveal the slightest bit in front of the girl, for fear of the girl. sad.

Xiuyan had only finished counting several large boxes in the main room, when she heard the news from the outer courtyard that the master ordered the girl to help him prepare some small dishes, and he wanted to keep the old minister to eat wine.Xiuyan hurriedly put down the matter in hand and said with a smile: "Go and tell the master, I got up early and prepared it. I have prepared the West Lake vinegar fish that the old man loves most, and there is also a fish head with chopped peppers. In addition, I asked someone to go to the Ji'an in the east of the city. Sheng Jiufang took a jar of sorghum wine and a jar of Nurhong, and asked the master which one would you like to have for lunch?"

Xing Zhong is still an authentic northerner in his heart, and he is not used to drinks like Nurhong, always saying that it is tasteless, and the old Shangshu has lived in the capital for a long time, and he is also a person who can eat spicy food and drink strong alcohol, so the two got together You have to use half a jar.

The little maid agreed to go, and ran into Zhengde who had just returned from practicing.In the past two years, the meat bun has become the handsome young man he is now, with red lips and white teeth, and his long hair has reached Xiuyan's waist and belly. With years of martial arts training, Zhengde is not like ordinary weak scholars. to an illness.

Zhengde had a stern face that was still a bit immature, and the maid saw Zhengde and hurriedly pursed her lips and said with a smile: "The young master is back!"

"Yeah!" Zhengde, with his little hands behind his back, was still willing to take steady steps when passing by the maid, and when he saw the maid walking away, he rushed into the room like flying, and plunged into Xiuyan's arms, "Sister !"

Xiuyan was talking to Meilian, when she accidentally got bumped into her chest by this brat, she laughed and scolded: "Be careful mom spanking your ass!"

Meilian held the booklet and giggled, Zhengde became a little annoyed, and gave Meilian a hard look, then turned to flatter him and said: "Mom is not willing to beat me! Sister, I heard from Zhuaner that we are going by water this time." Come to Beijing! Is the capital big? Is there a Wu County University? Where do we live in the capital? Are we staying at Sister Lin’s house? There are still others.”

Xiuyan quickly grabbed a peeled longan from the plate and stuffed it into the little guy's mouth: "Where do you talk so much? You are so noisy, thanks to your master who can hold you back every day!"

Zhengde hurriedly wrapped the longan with his small tongue, and all the sweet water poured into his mouth, his brows and eyes were so sweet that a slit was formed.

"My master also praised me for being eager to learn and ask a lot!" Zhengde will definitely be a handsome man who will fascinate all sentient beings ten years later. His master has no daughter, otherwise he would have to marry the Xing family.

Xiuyan brought the peeled longan bowls to Zhengde: "What is Wu County? The capital city is at the foot of the emperor, and it is hundreds of times larger than here. Don't ask random questions in the future, and be careful of those snobbish guys who think you are a bumpkin. Laughing at you!"

Xiuyan straightened Li Zhengde's collar, and said earnestly: "This time when you come to Beijing, your parents will send you to study at Bishan Academy in the suburbs of Beijing. I heard from your elder sister Lin that the masters there don't care about family background. If you care about learning about character, don’t be playful and use force to bully others, let alone make friends with dudes, if I find out.”

Xiuyan raised her snowball-like fist in a gesture, Zhengde shrunk his neck quickly, nodded his head, and kept stuffing longan in his mouth, but didn't speak, and looked at his sister very obediently.

"As for the place to live," Xiuyan said with a smile, "it doesn't bother you, my parents have asked Lian's second brother to buy a very proper house, maybe it's not as good as here, but after all we have to settle down on our own The place."

Mei Lian interjected, "Even if Miss Lin is tired of living at home, she still has a place to come out and relax."

Zhengde suddenly nodded very seriously, Yin Hong's small mouth opened and closed: "I think so too!"

Xiuyan was overjoyed, and poked Zhengde's bulging belly with her fingers, "What do you think!"

Zhengde hid with a smile, and said: "When you talk, you still pretend that I don't know! In fact, I know everything! Hmph, no matter how good the Rongguo Mansion is, it's not Sister Lin's own home. Sister Lin always talks to you when she doesn't leave Chirping, chattering, talking about sending people under the fence, next to the fence, I asked Mr. what he meant, and I was puzzled in my heart. Sister Lin lived in her grandmother's house, with uncles and aunts to take care of her, and brothers and sisters to help her, so why did she say that? That kind of words? But then I gradually realized that Sister Lin was not comfortable living there. "

When he finished speaking, not only Meilian was stunned, but even Xiuyan couldn't help staring at Zhengde.The troubled Zhengde blushed: "Could I be wrong!"

Xiuyan hugged her younger brother: "Our Zhengde has grown up, and our knowledge is far from comparable to that of children of the same age. In the future, we will study hard and earn a first-class order for our mother!"

Zhengde smiled confidently: "I still have to tell my sister? My husband said, if I hadn't left in a hurry this time, I would definitely be able to catch up with the county examination next year. But don't worry, my sister will put me in Bishan Academy. He is also the number one character in it!"

Now that the Xing family has moved to Beijing, their household registration will also be moved to the capital. Although Wu County is outstanding, it cannot be compared with places like the capital. The tutor of Zhengde is also worried that Zhengde will be squeezed out by many prodigies at a young age, which will affect the child's confidence in studying. .Seeing that her younger brother was so confident, Xiuyan couldn't help being happy.

At noon, Xiuyan not only cooked a table of good dishes for Lao Shangshu and his father, but also made Zhengde his favorite braised lion head.Very lean meat, three-point fat meat, finely chopped and roughly chopped, the size is like a grain of rice, there are still gaps between the meat, which can hold the juice, and it is particularly attractive when served on a plate covered with green leaves.

Zhengde took a bite of meat and rice, and even took a break from his busy schedule to give Xiuyan a sweet smile.Xiuyan doesn't eat it by herself, but concentrates on peeling Zhengde's shrimp, with a kind face on her face, but she's thinking of another thing in her heart.

The family members thought they were keeping her and Zhengde in the dark, but they didn't know that she knew Gu Erlang's tricks behind his back.What made her most angry was not that the Gu family wanted to tarnish her reputation, but that Gu Erlang used Zhengde to attack the Xing family.From the moment the family of three decided to raise Zhengde in that situation, Xiuyan was ready to protect the child. Gu Erlang undoubtedly touched his own bottom line.

Don't look at her inability to deal with the Gu family now, but Xiuyan believes that one day that person will have to learn the lesson of suffering the consequences.

More than a month later, the imperial court selected a juren with fairly good grades to take over Xing Zhong's post as county magistrate.This person inquired about Xing Zhong's local reputation early in the morning and wanted to make friends with him, so he privately promised that after Xing Zhong left, the Xing family's shop in Suzhou would still be taken care of.

In fact, even if he doesn't make a move, Mrs. Gu won't allow anyone to get involved in the pastry shop of the Xing family in order to have the capital to fight with the family's aunt.

In the blink of an eye, it was August, and a letter from the Ministry of Officials urged Xing Zhong to go to Beijing to report on his duties. The Xing family dared not delay any longer, and hired three large boats, surrounded by more than a dozen family members to rush to the capital.When I went to Yangzhou, I stayed with the second aunt of the Xing family for one night, and I got up early the next day and went to the capital.

Unbeknownst to Xing Zhong and others, they left Yangzhou on the front foot, and Wang Ren, Wang Xifeng's brother, also dragged his family to the capital to join his sister Wang Xifeng.Cao Gong originally said that the two families have some friendship, so they can travel together. Unfortunately, now that Xing Zhong has changed his mind, even if there is communication, it has been reversed, and it has become the situation today.

Although the Xing family had a lot of things, the boats they hired were some of the best in Suzhou City, and the boatmen respected Xing Zhong as a man, so the Xing family's journey was very ordinary.However, it took four or five days to reach Hejian. According to the boatman's many years of experience, he could reach Zhuozhou in two days at most. At that time, he would abandon the boat and use a car, and he would surely reach the capital in half a day.

The time was four or five days earlier than the regulations of the Ministry of Officials. Xing Zhong gradually felt relieved, and prepared the barge to dock that night, and asked the housekeeper to book a few tables at the restaurant on the shore, and also rewarded the boatmen who had worked hard for many days.

Everyone was even more grateful for the benevolence and righteousness of the Xing family, and they planned to take a good rest after eating enough, and strive to arrive in the capital as early as possible.

The four members of the Xing family sat together to talk, but the housekeeper hurried back, and Xing Zhong asked in surprise, "You're back so soon?"

The housekeeper hurriedly laughed and said: "My lord misunderstood, the young man got off the shore and was going to find someone to inquire about, and someone came to talk to him from a small boat opposite. It turned out that her family was the aunt of the grandma of the Rongguo Mansion. I heard that the master was from the mansion there. The elder lady’s brother is about to come to see the ceremony!"

Xiuyan was startled, how could she forget this?
Xing Zhong and Lu Shi looked at their daughter at the same time, Xiuyan said with a smile: "Sister Lin mentioned that the ancestors of the Li family all held the official position of offering wine to the Imperial Academy, and they have a scholarly family, so it's better for the daughter to greet her in person, so as not to neglect her. relative."

Xiuyan got up and went out, Xing Zhong pulled Zhengde out of the inner cabin and went down, leaving the room for their women to talk to.

Light wine, yellow flowers, strong wind in the evening, phoenix trees and drizzle at dusk.
Aunt Li helped her two daughters tremblingly onto the deck. The eldest daughter Coco Li was on the left hand, and the second daughter Li Qi was the second daughter Li Qi on the right. We must bear in mind what mother told me, we are a scholarly family, we cannot lose the century-old reputation of the Li family! Otherwise, because you two are ignorant, your father will not be able to close his eyes even if he dies!"

Coco Li is better, Li Qi is younger, she has long been tired of nagging her mother every day, she doesn't refute, but she has already listened to it in her heart.Li Qi saw a woman in a red cloak standing not far from the boat, her thin body seemed to melt away in the evening wind.

"Mother, look!" Li Qi was so dazed, she had long forgotten what her mother ordered, and pointed at the woman in red and said in a daze.

(End of this chapter)