Emperor Qianlong: the beginning of his glory

Chapter 56
"Who is it?" Zhang Mingkui's chubby face flickered at the door, and he immediately put on a smile, came out and said with a smile: "It turned out to be Master Qian, congratulations on your reinstatement! Master Le went out early this morning, arrived Crooked Neck Tree Master Cao’s house is over—please come in—it’s time for you to be greeted by An Daoxi.” Qian Du accepted Zhang Mingkui’s respect and followed him into the house. Before the case, he lowered his head and said nothing.At home, Qian Du was very strict with his wife, so when he met a woman outside, he only looked at her from a distance.At this moment, Yu'er was in front of her eyes and was surprised to find Yu'er's beauty: her brows seemed to be frowning, her small lips were tightly pressed under her small nose, the two dimples on her cheeks looked very charming, and her eyes were red from crying. Yes, rubbing the corners of the clothes with both hands over and over again.Qian Du couldn't help being moved in his heart, and said with a smile: "Sister Yu is getting more and more beautiful! Why are you crying? Is it because of brother Le who wants to go far away?"

"The whole family must go with me, you stubborn girl!" The old woman sighed angrily, and said, "Go to Nanjing! The family and the family are not familiar with the place. He is a guest, and he can help our family four Mouth? Even if Mrs. Yin takes us in, we are butchers and sellers of meat, and speaking of it, it would embarrass Lord Le." Before she could finish speaking, Xiaoyu covered her mouth with a handkerchief and hurried to the backyard room. Zhang Mingkui just Shaking his head, he said: "I'm so used to it, I'm so used to it..." He was very honest and honest.

Qian Du took out the 20 taels of silver from his bosom, pulled out his sleeves, and put the [-] taels of silver notes on the bills together, and said: "This silver is my pocket money to send Brother Le on the way. You go to the city to redeem this ticket, and give Yumeizi some makeup. Brother Le may stay at Yin Zhongcheng’s place this time, or he may return to Beijing to take an exam. I think he and Yumeizi have a relationship, so you have to follow me , Before Brother Le left, they had their happy event done early. It is hard for you to leave the hot land, so you took Yumeizi to the south, which is the best of both worlds."

"That can't be done." Zhang Mingkui said in a very firm tone, contrary to his usual simplicity, "I asked a few elders to read it, and the two lives are not the same. Master Le's life is hard, and the two wives must be killed in order to be safe. I It's good to know Master Le's character and talent, but I love my daughter even more. I never thought about whether they would go south with Master Le. Idiot women and daughters, you have to listen to me!" said the old woman : "How many times have our mothers discussed it, and you have listened to it, why don't you say anything? Fate is wrong. The first sons said that there is a way to solve it... I don't agree with going to Nanjing, and I don't agree with you if you say it—— ——He who knows the basics and is a down-to-earth student from a good family, where can we pick such a good son-in-law?" "The things you discuss are all bullshit, I don't bother to tell you." Zhang Mingkui said calmly, with a reunion face neither angry nor happy, " We treat Master Le with kindness, and Master Le also helped us, I think it's worth it. In the future, Master Le will make a fortune, whether he helps us or not depends on his heart, and I don't care. When it comes to marriage, it's another matter matter. Ladies, what are you messing with!"

Qian Du has been here a few times, and every time he comes, he sees the butcher's benevolent and kind-hearted face, as if everything can be discussed. Only then did he realize that the family seems to be in charge of trivial matters, but the old man still has to listen to important matters.Thinking in his mind, Qian Du got up and said: "They went to Xishan for an outing, and they must have invited someone to have a drink, but they won't be able to come back for a while. Please tell Master Le that I have been here, and the left and right departments have correspondence with him It's very convenient. I won't send you off when I leave tomorrow. If you want to go with me, I won't talk about it. If you want to stay in Beijing, although I am a poor Beijing official, I am better than you after all. Naturally, I will take care of you. "Speaking, go out and get on the sedan chair and go back to the department.

"Master Qian, let's go!"

Zhang Mingkui rushed out to see him off, turned around and stepped on the door panel, and said to the old woman, "You ask Yu'er to come over, I have something to say to her." Before the old woman could go, Yu'er had already come in through the back door, looking angrily with a dark face Zhang Mingkui glanced at him, sat on the twig and said, "What's the matter?" Zhang Mingkui took a few puffs of cigarettes, and said with emotion, "I know your hearts."

"what?"

"Your mother looks good at Le Min, and you want to be with him too."

"father!"

"The three of us are talking behind closed doors. Why are we so embarrassed? Are we going to make a turn?" Zhang Mingkui exhaled a puff of smoke. "You think I believe in horoscopes? My fate and your mother are not compatible. What's the matter? I have talked to your mother several times behind this matter, and I have explained it thoroughly today. The family background is too far apart, and the foundation is different. Ambition It's not the same, so this matter definitely has no good results!"

The old woman swallowed her saliva helplessly, and said, "He's stubborn! Isn't he downcast?"

"I'm going to talk about this." Zhang Mingkui said melancholy, "You have this kind of heart: the son is in trouble and the poor girl rescues him, and then he is named on the gold list, and married according to the order-you are so fascinated by the theater, forgetting that In our ancestors, there was an old aunt. At that time, our family had not asked Wanli to ransack the house, and was still an official in the court. The girls were all out of the house, and only occasionally called a troupe into the mansion to perform, and she was fascinated. I thought the number one scholar was like that. In the 27th Wanli scientific examination, the old man came back from court and said that the number one scholar in this subject was only 26 years old and hadn’t married yet. The old lady rushed to say: "Look at the horoscope, if it is right, the fourth girl will tell him Isn’t the age just right?” The fourth aunt’s grandma was spoiled, and immediately said to the old lady, “If you marry a champion, you will die in peace.” Urging the master to recruit this son-in-law, whoever wants to enter the bridal chamber, when the two meet, then The number one scholar is five big and three thick, as dark as Zhou Cang reincarnation, as fat as Lu Zhishen in "Water Margin", and his face is full of flesh and he is still a pockmark..." At this point, the old woman bowed her back with laughter, and Yu'er couldn't help laughing He turned his face and spat.

"It's nothing ridiculous. My aunt hanged herself that night." Zhang Mingkui sighed, "It's not my truth to say that you and Master Le are just playing. ——But, that’s not the case! Look at those officials, among the three concubines and four concubines, how many people are not as good as their mother’s family? You just keep the one whose surname is Le and don’t be petty? Being an official makes you feel dark. What can't be done? It's better to talk and relax today, and to have something in mind in the future. Dad is just a girl and a son, and he loves you with all his heart, and there is no one who cheats you. To be honest, If you want to be true or want to follow him, it's up to you."

The old woman was convinced, and felt that this was really experienced words.When she got married, her husband was already in his 30s. All she knew was that he read a book and burned a book. Several bookshelves were empty, and after a few years, he became a butcher again.When you pay attention, the husband will quietly go to the grave of Mr. Zhang (Zhang Juzheng) every Qingming Festival to sprinkle wine and pay homage.Today, Zhang Mingkui let his breath out, and only then did he vaguely guess the foundation of his ancestors, so he sighed a long time and said, "Peace is a blessing. I also think your father is right. But if Le Xianggong does not become an official, Yu'er can still be with him. "

"Whether he is an official or not, I belong to him." With tears in her eyes, Yu'er said stubbornly: "I already thought he was my husband in my heart, and I didn't hear anyone say that I will stick to one and die? Father, you are wrong ! Why did you tell me this? I hate you to death!" In fact, the reason and emotion in her heart were fighting, and there was no winner, so she rushed all her resentment towards her father.

Zhang Mingkui held the long-extinguished pipe in a daze, his deep eyes flickering faintly.After a long time, he said: "I know you must say that. This is because your bad fate is not over. Confucius will not convince you even if you move here. Earlier, I looked at Mr. Cao of the Crooked Neck Tree in the west. He is so knowledgeable that he can't climb it. The better the article, the more life-threatening. I don’t really want to make Yu’er and Fangqing suffer the same punishment. Alas... If the sky has love, the sky will be old too!” He folded his hands and looked at the corner of the old house with melancholy eyes No more words.

After Shen time in the afternoon, Le Min came back drunk and vomited all over the floor as soon as he entered the door. The old woman and her son were busy fetching water to wash his face, collecting ashes to sweep the floor, and making sober soup.Yu'er cleaned up the kang for his house, helped him lie down, heard him snoring and fell asleep, took a needle and thread and sat beside him to do work.He, Le Min, slept soundly and didn't wake up until he turned on the lamp. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Yu'er was concentrating on cleaning the soles of her shoes, but she didn't make a sound. She stared blankly for a long time before letting out a long sigh.

"Scare me!" Yu'er hurriedly got off the kang, poured a cup of herbal tea from the pot, and handed it to Le Min, and said, "Eat with Cao Xueqin once and get drunk, if you are not a match for others, don't try your best You can do it!——Just doing your work, when did you wake up?"

"I've been awake for a while, and I've been looking at you."

"Look at me?" Yu'er looked at herself, "Haven't you seen me?"

"Looking at the flowers under the lamp naturally has a special sentiment."

Yu'er blushed suddenly, spat, saw Le Min lying down again, took the sole of her shoe and patted his forehead lightly, and said, "You don't read Qinhuai Fengyue poems all day long. I think I will meet you when I go back this time." The last Li Xiangjun and Liu Rushi are the ones who are delicious!" Le Min put his hands on his pillow and said with a smile: "Really, I thought about it, I didn't discuss it with you, so go to Nanjing with me?" Yu'er threaded a needle and said: "Just take me one?"

"Ah."

The needle pierced Yu'er's hand, and blood beads oozed out immediately.She sucked it with her mouth, rethreaded the needle, and while holding the shoe, she said after a while:

"Lego."

"Well."

"Will you remember me?"

"What is this nonsense?"

"If I don't go with you," Yu'er asked sadly, "will you remember me?" Le Min smiled and said, "I will tell your father tomorrow morning that I will definitely take you. I'm afraid your mother won't let me go." .You follow me every day, you don’t remember anything, what a fool!” Yu’er pursed her lips and smiled, and after a while, she lowered her head and said in a low voice: “When you come and go in the government over there, you are all people with status... I’m afraid .”

Le Min rolled over and sat up, took a sip of tea, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "Uncle Fu is really an elegant leader. The recommendation letter he wrote is straightforward. If he fails to take the exam in the next subject, he will leave the snow." Qin's way, first go to the Religious Affairs Department of the Imperial College, and if you choose it, it is the right way! If you go, I will show you face, and you are also a person with status, so what are you afraid of? One person is blessed to carry a house, and I am an official. Of course you are a concubine. Dare to belittle you?" At this point, he paused, and asked in surprise: "What's wrong with you, you were still smiling, but now your face is so pale!"

"It's nothing." Yu'er looked at the flickering candle shadow with frightened eyes, stood up slowly, tidied up her work, and said in a trembling voice, "I was just joking, my brother is so young, the family can't live without me. This In two days, I'll pack everything for you. You just go about your business—I have to make medicine for dad." After finishing speaking, he walked out with his head down.Le Min hadn't fully woken up from the wine, so he drank a sip of tea after being dazed for a while, then fell asleep.

(End of this chapter)