Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 107
Ma Min'er replied: "Last night there was a riot in the military camp. The families of the casualties said that the officials were greedy for money. Among these officials was my second uncle."

"He... how dare he?" Ma Qifeng immediately had the face of a murderous little general in front of him.

Kill without blinking an eye?God, son-in-law Xia, you are actually such a person in the heart of your future father-in-law!
Ma Min'er guessed right, Mrs. Ma Er fell down crying in front of her father-in-law, and asked her father-in-law to save the man, "Father, I heard that the little general transferred the man to Master Yao, just wait for Master Yao to come to judge the case, you can be saved." chapter!"

Ma Chengzu sat on the main seat coldly, with a straight face, without saying a word.

Mrs. Ma snorted coldly, "Now that I know how to ask for help, why did I go earlier?"

"Mother..." Mrs. Ma Er fell to the ground crying, "Please stop talking!"

"Humph!"

"Father, save Qi Zhang! Please save Qi Zhang..." Mrs. Ma Er kept crying and waited in Ma's house, waiting for her father-in-law Ma Chengzu to speak.

Knowing that his father's matter had been settled, Ma Dalang and Zhao Yuyan went back to the Fucheng Academy together, and Sanlang also went to the County Academy. The bustling home suddenly lost two young men, and it was really uncomfortable.

"Sanlang, you go first, and the second sister will invite your wife and wife tomorrow."

"Okay, Second Sister, then you must come to me." Ma Sanlang said happily because he was young, just like a teenager who doesn't know how to worry.

Ma Min'er smiled and said, "Got it, study hard, you know?"

"Well, I see."

Ma's son-in-law Zhao Yuyan and Ma Dalang went to Ma Chengzu's place to bid farewell, "Grandfather, we are returning to Fucheng."

"Well, study hard."

"Yes, grandfather."

Ma Chengzu looked at the eldest son of the old six family again, with a complicated expression on his face, just like his grandson-in-law, he said, "Study hard."

"Yes, grandfather."

"En." Ma Chengzu waved his hand, signaling the two young people to go to school quickly.

The two saluted and went out. Ma Yihui, the eldest grandson of the Ma family, stood at the door, looking at Ma Yichu who was able to get out of Ping Ding, feeling very uncomfortable. How could an ordinary bastard be able to get out of Ping Ding and have a future? Willingly.

"Ziyun—" Zhao Yuyan raised his hand.

Ma Yihui replied: "Ziqing—"

"Brother Dalang!"

To Ma Yichu, Ma Yihui only nodded.

Zhao Yuyan felt it, and said with a smile, "Ziyun, I have to hurry and talk to you when I come back next time."

"Ah."

The three young people saluted each other, one facing outwards and the other facing inwards, just like the stage of their life, one was in a wider place, and the other was always shrunk at the bottom of such a small well.

Standing in front of his grandfather, Ma Yihui couldn't stop crying, "Grandfather, why...why?" He kept asking.

Ma Chengzu also had a sad expression on his face, "Yeah, how did you end up in this situation? Didn't my Ma family get up one day?"

Five or six days have passed, and Xia Zhen and others haven't caught Shao Youliang who fled, so anxious that Mr. Tian's beard is almost white, "Did you find out where you escaped?"

Zhuang Hao shook his head, "Gu Dun and Zhang Nianmei have searched north and south, but they haven't heard anything yet."

Mr. Tian took a deep breath, "The king of Yancheng didn't go there, just sat here and waited. The ten days given by the little general have already passed more than half, so what should we do?"

Zhuang Hao narrowed his eyes, "Sir, that Shao man probably fled to the capital."

"The capital? He dares to go?"

Zhuang Hao looked outside, and said in a low voice, "Nianmei and I heard the news that the Holy Majesty is not in good health outside, do you want to find a way to confirm it?"

"To confirm." Mr. Tian said eagerly, "This is related to the future of our Zhen Guo General's Mansion. I will go now."

Zhuang Hao nodded, "I'll go with you."

King Yancheng did not go to Xia Zhen's official office today, but sat in his own room, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty's body... Shall we go back to Beijing?"

Liu Zaili pinched the jade pendant on his clothes, squinted his eyes, and kept turning around, as if he didn't hear the words of his staff.

"Your Majesty, according to our people's inquiries, the old general will arrive in Pingding in one day's journey."

Hearing this, Liu Zaili raised his eyelids, "Why did you come here suddenly?"

"I heard that I'm not in good health. It was sent by Master Yao, the magistrate."

"Poor health?"

"Yeah." The staff said in a low voice: "I'm afraid the people in Beijing are forcing him, so he's simply 'ill'."

Liu Zaili narrowed his eyes, "Leave everything else alone, pay attention to the movement in Beijing, and return to Beijing anytime and anywhere if there is any situation."

"Yes, the king of the county."

Due to the particularity of the marriage of the Ma Mo family, the first ceremony of the marriage - Na Cai, the Ma family can only go through the motions, mainly to give the Na Cai gift.

"Father, I will go to the county seat tomorrow and ask Mrs. Wen to help me write down the samples and quantities of the gifts I want to give." Ma Min'er asked Aunt Niu before. It seems that people of different levels have different marriage standards, so she can only ask Wen Madame.

"I will go with you."

"it is good."

After dinner, Ma Min'er thought about going to the county seat, so she went to the thatched shed and knocked on the door lightly.

Someone inside the door asked in a low voice, "Who?"

"I, Ma Erniang."

"What's the matter?"

"I'm going to the county seat tomorrow, do you want to go back?"

"No return."

"Oh." Ma Min'er really wanted to ask, but it's not an option for you to stay here, so think about it and hold back, forget it, when no one is in trouble, let's raise someone idle at home.

Inside the door, the beggar was lying on the floor, listening to the movement outside, after a while, the footsteps gradually faded away, he sighed deeply, what's the point of living like this.

The beggar asked himself secretly, how about...he touched the dagger at his waist, thought of death, sat up suddenly, drew out the knife, stabbed at his abdomen fiercely, but stopped halfway, or... ...Or, I will die when I see my grandson?
The beggar touched the dagger and put it back into the scabbard, and lay down again.

Because I'm going to the county seat tomorrow, and going back at night, Ma Min'er tidied up and went to bed early, before going to bed, she called, "Miss Shan, call me early tomorrow."

"Understood, Second Niang."

The night in the countryside is quiet, a round of bright moon hangs high in the sky, and the white light shines on the earth, as if coating the earth with a layer of silver light.The cool breeze brought a little bit of coolness to the people, and the people sitting at the door to enjoy the coolness moved the stools back to the house to sleep.

On the roadside and at the head of the field, rows of poplar trees make a "rustling" sound, as if whispering, and as if weaving a summer night dream, all kinds of unknown insects in the grass "cricket", " Chirp", singing, one after another, forming a harmonious piece of music.

The beggar sitting in the thatched shed could not sleep. He had slept all day during the day. At this moment, when the working farmers were falling asleep, he woke up. He quietly opened the crack of the door and looked outside. How beautiful it is Night, if one day I can live freely, I will be a farmer, work at sunrise and rest at sunset, how wonderful!

Suddenly, there was a sound of dogs barking in the distance. It was not like the sound of barking last night, but kept barking. After a while, all the dogs in the small village barked.

Ma Min'er was woken up by the noise, walked out of the room, stood in the corridor and looked into the distance, "Miss Shan, what's the matter?"

Miss Shan was at the gate of the courtyard, talking to Sister Shi outside the door, and then she saw her waving at her, "Er Niang, something happened!"

Ma Min'er was so frightened that she hurriedly went downstairs to the gate of the courtyard, "What's going on?"

"The assassin came to the village and is fighting with that beggar."

In order to take care of beggar Yier, Ma Miner told Shan Xiaodan.

"Come on, let's go and see."

"Er Niang, they have knives and stabs, they are very dangerous." Shan Xiaodan held Ma Miner back.

Ma Min'er said anxiously: "Then what to do, we have to save people, gather all our dogs there to help."

"Uncle Niu has already gone, and my two talented brothers have also gone to help."

"That's not okay, but the yamen in the town is even worse." Ma Min'er thought for a while, "We can only rely on ourselves."

"Er Niang, it's dangerous, don't go."

Ma Min'er thought for a while and said, "Bring over the firecrackers used for festivals at home, the lime used for killing insects, etc., and we'll throw them into the pile of bad guys."

"Second Niang..."

"Try it, there is only one beggar, we have to help him."

"Oh, I'll go then, I can run fast."

"it is good."

More than a dozen men in black attacked a beggar. No matter how good Huazi was, he couldn't stand up to many people. Besides, he was not young anymore, and his physical strength was even more unbearable. He was about to be stabbed by the man in black. to the throat.

He rushed to Shan Xiaodan and threw a firecracker, "Bang bang..." everyone in Yunshui Town heard it.

The assassin's hand trembled, the beggar turned sideways, the sword pierced his back, and blood spurted out.

Father Shi rushed over with all the villagers holding torches, "Hurry up, everyone, let's see who is trying to steal the wheat, don't let them succeed."

"Yes, father, let's all go, if you don't catch them and beat them to death, it's mine."

"I beat him to death..."

……

The black-clothed assassins were startled by the firecrackers, and they came towards Shan Xiaodan with a flash of sword light, and the two Shan Xiaoshan brothers, carrying the dung bucket, threw it at the face of the man in black who was wielding the sword.

"Puff...Puff..." The man in black who was wielding the sword kept vomiting.

The torch was as bright as day, and the man in black saw that the situation was not good, so he blew a whistle, and a dozen people disappeared into the field in an instant.

Ma Min'er hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd, and ran up to Beggar, only to see that he was stabbed in the back, dying, with half-opened eyes half-opened weakly.

"Old man, old man, how are you?" Ma Min'er squatted down, saw the sword behind him, her face turned pale with fright, and asked eagerly.

For some reason, the beggar felt as if he was relieved, pointed around, and moved his mouth twice.

Ma Min'er understood that this was to let the villagers leave. He had something to say to himself, he raised his head quickly, and shouted: "Old man Shi, let everyone go home and sleep, Xiaoyou... Xiaoyou..."

"Er Niang, I'm-"

"Go to the town to find the old doctor."

"it is good."

"Little single eye, take the wound medicine given by the little general, hurry up, hurry up."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

Seeing that his life was at stake, Old Man Shi immediately evacuated the villagers, "Don't talk about what happened tonight."

"Father, don't you want to report to the police?"

"Don't worry about this matter, the boss will handle it."

"Oh."

"Go back quickly."

"Oh."

After a while, the villagers all went back.

"Father, help me hold him and keep his back from touching the ground."

"Okay." Father Shi immediately ran over and hugged the beggar.

Ma Min'er asked softly, "Old man, what do you want to say?" "

"Zhen'er likes you, I know."

"Zhen..." For some reason, upon hearing such an intimate call, Ma Miner's first reaction was that this man was Xia Zhen's father, but hadn't he already... She didn't dare to think about it, and the words followed like a cannonball One sentence: "Who are you? Just like Mr. Tian, ​​you are his aide. You made a mistake and were kicked out..."

The beggar shook his head feebly, "It's been ten years, I've been wandering for ten years!"

"You..." Although she was skeptical, Ma Min'er still couldn't believe her ears when she heard his affirmation, "How could this be...how could this be?"

"Yeah, how could this be...how could this be..."

The beggar's breath became weaker and weaker, Ma Min'er reached out and pinched him, "Uncle, the place where you were stabbed is not a critical point, as long as the doctor handles it properly, you will be fine."

The old man became an uncle, and Xia Zetao smiled gratifiedly. Although the smile was weak, Ma Ma Miner still saw it, "Uncle, uncle, don't do this, you have survived ten years, can't you just wait a while?" Her tears flowed down unconsciously.

"Ten years... ten years..." Xia Zetao suddenly stared, "I would rather not have these ten years, and let me die early."

"No, no...Uncle, Zi'an misses you."

"My child, my child..."

Seeing that Xia Zetao was about to pass out, Ma Min'er stretched out her hand to pinch his benevolence, and shouted desperately, "Lang Zhong, Lang Zhong, help me..."

"Er Niang, Jinchuang Medicine is here."

Ma Min'er didn't care whether it was useful or not, she pulled out the plug and threw it at the place where the sword stabbed, "You'll be fine, you'll be fine..."

Fu Xiaoyou's pony also came with the Lang Zhong on his back, but the Lang Zhong nearly fell to his death when he got off the horse, "What happened again?"

"Help, dad, hurry up and help..." Ma Min'er cried out.

The old doctor looked at the back of the beggar, and gestured a few times with his hands, "It's not deep..."

"Ah..." Ma Miner exclaimed in surprise.

"But not shallow."

"Langzhong, don't scare me, save people quickly." Ma Min'er couldn't laugh or cry.

"The sword can be drawn, but it takes ginseng to suspend the spirit."

"Miss Shan, you and my dad go back to get ginseng, dad, that one is the best."

"Okay." Ma Qifeng hurriedly turned around and ran home. Daddy Shi and the others might not have understood, but he understood. This man is the father of the little general who has been missing for ten years. This is so serious...

Maybe it was because the country barefoot doctor was brave, or maybe it was because the country barefoot doctor really had two skills. Xia Zetao's life was saved, and he woke up after being in a coma for a day and a night.

"Thank God, thank God." Seeing the beggar wake up, Ma Min'er hurriedly shouted: "Salt boiled water, salt boiled water."

Shan Xiaodan quickly brought cold salt water, then wetted it with a cotton swab, and dripped it on his lips.

"Miss Shan, just give him water as I did."

"Okay, Erniang." Shan Xiaodan moistened his lips like Erniang did, and wet his throat with a few drops.

Hearing the sound, the doctor got up quickly, felt his pulse, and nodded after a while, "It's half of his life back, and in three days, there's nothing wrong with it, and there's nothing wrong with it."

"Oh." Ma Min'er was exhausted and dehydrated, but she still ordered, "Aunt Niu—"

Shi Chunyue came in from the outside: "Er Niang."

"All the things in this room are boiled three times a day, and the gauze clothes on his body must be changed frequently, boiled and washed with salt water."

"Okay, Er Niang, I'll listen to you."

"Give him water to drink, a bowl of sugar, a bowl of salty, take turns, so that he can eat porridge."

"Okay, I see."

The old man was so sleepy that he yawned with his mouth open, "Ma Erniang, what are you doing?"

"Prevent back wound cells from heating."

"Doing this will keep the body from getting fever?" The old doctor woke up with a jerk.

"Almost, not exactly, anyway, it can be prevented."

"Oh." The old man squinted his eyes, thinking to himself, then I will try it next time and write a prescription, "Hurry up and boil it." After finishing speaking, I want to go home and sleep.

"Father, you can't go, you want to sleep, right next to him."

"you……"

"What you said just now, you have to watch it for three days."

"you……"

"I'll give you money."

The old doctor blinked, "Okay, I got it." After finishing speaking, he went to sleep on the reclining chair next to him.

Ma Qifeng looked at his daughter who was barely closing his eyes, and felt very distressed. He pulled her aside and said in a low voice, "Can you tell the little general now?"

Ma Min'er's small face is sallow without powder, and her eye circles are all black. She shook her head, "This happened suddenly, I have to think about it."

"What else to consider?"

"Father, the matter of the little general's father is not just as simple as recognizing relatives. He is involved in court affairs. I have to inquire first before we talk about it."

"This..." Ma Qifeng admitted that his daughter's consideration was right, and sighed.

"Father, I'm sorry to delay your marriage."

"Human life is more important." Ma Qifeng is an honest person.

"Father, did you send someone to say hello?"

"Yes, yes, I asked Uncle Niu to go to Xu's Embroidery Workshop to say hello."

"That's good." Ma Min'er glanced at Langzhong who was sleeping on the chair, "Father, I'll go to sleep. If Langzhong wakes up, you can ask him to take his uncle's pulse and ask about the situation. "

"Okay, you go to rest, the rest, daddy."

"it is good."

The next day, Ma Miner's father and daughter went to the county seat, "Father, let's find Master Sanlang's wife first."

"Father's business is not in a hurry, you can go to the little general first."

Ma Min'er shook her head, "Father, I'll ask Mrs. Wen first, and ask her to write out the gift for the present, so that you can buy it quickly."

"That's fine." Seeing that his daughter insisted on doing her own business, Ma Qifeng had no choice but to agree.

Mrs. Wen has also heard about Mr. Mo's family, and she was a little surprised to see them come to invite her.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Wen, I'm sorry to trouble you."

Mrs. Wen's first reaction was to refuse. Considering that the woman is the daughter of the county magistrate, and the man is the father of a male student, it doesn't seem easy for her to refuse, no matter which side, she nodded, "As long as you don't think I'm rough. .”

"Mrs. Wen, you are too polite. If you are rough, there will be no fine people in Pingding County." Ma Min'er said the scene in a seasoned manner.

"Haha..." Mrs. Wen secretly said with a smile, it was the first time she saw a little lady begging for a wife for her father, she seemed to be quite active, and when she glanced at Master Maliu who was standing aside, she was gentle and gentle A handsome person is a widower, otherwise it would be a good match for Mrs. Mo, thinking of the step-wife of the county magistrate, she shook her head secretly, Mrs. Mo can only...

Ma Min'er thanked Mrs. Wen.

"Okay, then I will explain the flattened betrothal gift to you carefully."

"Thank you ma'am!"

"Come on." Mrs. Wen told them carefully the list of gifts and points to pay attention to. "On the day of gift delivery, I will go there with Mr. Ma."

"Trouble ma'am."

"Second lady, you are being polite."

After calming down the camp, Xiaowen trotted into Xia Zhen's office, "Little general, the old general is here."

"Yeah." Xia Zhen nodded with a serious expression. He knew about this since his grandfather left, "I'll go back later."

Xiaowen shrank his head and said again: "Madam is here too."

Xia Zhen paused while reading the official document, and raised her eyes.

"The madam is here too, she didn't even enter the gate of the mansion, she went directly to the general's..."

Xia Zhen suddenly stood up, took a step and walked outside. Outside, the startled horse was ready. He jumped on the horse and ran out of the camp, "Drive, drive, drive..."

Mr. Tian heard the sound of horseshoes and left the office, "Is the old general here?"

"No, the little general went to see his wife." Xiaowen replied.

"Ma'am?" Mr. Tian frowned, "Why is she here?" A person who didn't even leave the ancestral hall unexpectedly came to Pingding.

Xiaowen pouted, "Sir, in a few days, it will be the tenth anniversary of the general's death."

"Ah..." Mr. Tian patted his head violently. During this period of time, he was busy dealing with Yancheng County King, catching fugitives, and investigating the market situation in the capital.

Zhuang Hao breathed out, "Sir, let me arrange the funeral ceremony."

"Okay, hurry up, hurry up..." Mr. Tian said: "No wonder the old general is in poor health. It's really a sin, a sin..."

"Sir, this is the end of the matter, don't blame yourself."

Mr. Tian nodded wearily, "I don't know why, my eyelids have been twitching a lot these two days, and I always feel that Shao Youliang who escaped is going to make trouble."

"Are you afraid that he will go to some mountain to pull bandits to rebel?"

Mr. Tian shook his head, "If that's the case, I won't be afraid anymore, we will have a better position to arrest him, we are afraid of him..." He looked in the direction of Jingli.

"Even if he goes to Beijing, who would care about such a person without military power!"

Mr. Tian pursed his lips, "Let the scouts carefully investigate."

"Yes, sir."

Just as Mr. Tian was about to turn around and go back to the office, a guard stepped forward, "Sir, Ma Erniang is asking to see you."

"I haven't seen you for many days, let her in."

"Yes, sir."

Ma Min'er followed the guards to Mr. Tian's office.

"Er Niang, the little general just went out."

Ma Min'er shook her head, "I'm not here to look for him, I'm looking for you."

"I……"

"Ah."

Mr. Tian glanced at Zhuang Hao, he stood up, "I'll go to the Military Supplies Department, you can talk."

Ma Min'er smiled at him, "I'm sorry."

Zhuang Hao waved his hand and went out.

The guards and bookboys in the official room also went out, Mr. Tian asked, "Er Niang, what's the matter?"

"Sir, the tomb of the great general was just a tomb, wasn't it?"

Mr. Tian frowned slightly, "How did Er Niang know?"

"Sir..." Ma Miner took a deep breath, "Are you free?"

"what for?"

"Go to my house, just you."

Mr. Tian's heart beat inexplicably, "Okay, I'll make arrangements."

Leaving Pingding County, and going north for more than ten kilometers, there is a small mountain opposite to Xiaoniu Mountain, called Xiaoqing Mountain, where many casualties and soldiers of the Yizhou Camp are buried. He had been in front of the tomb for a long time, his tears were all dry, holding the tombstone silently, he walked gently behind his mother.

Mother - he is both familiar and strange in his heart, so strange that he always feels that she has left with his father.

How can a woman whose soul has gone with a man let her children feel maternal love.

Xia Zhen pursed her lips tightly and stood behind her without saying a word. The clouds above her head kept changing with the wind.

"Master, why are you here!" Mrs. Xia didn't know he was coming until she saw the old general, "Don't tell me you can't come."

The old general waved his hand, was supported and out of breath, and couldn't even speak.

"Master... What's the matter with you?" Mrs. Xia was frightened.

Master Yao breathed a sigh of relief, "Old Madam, the young general told me that there is still something for me to deal with, so I will leave it to you, old general."

"Thank you, Master Yao."

"Madam, then Yao will go to work first."

"well."

Mrs. Ma Er finally found out that Master Yao has arrived in Pingding, and went to Ma Zhai again, "Father, Master Yao has arrived in Pingding and lives in the county government office. You always ask him to say hello and let him release Qi Zhang."

Ma Chengzu half-lyed under the corridor to enjoy the cool air, and ignored the second daughter-in-law's words.

"Father, father..." Mrs. Ma Er knelt on the edge of the recliner and kept shaking the chair, "Please save Qi Zhang!"

Ma Yihui stood beside his grandfather, looked at his indifferent grandfather, and also remained indifferent.

Seeing such an indifferent father-in-law, Mrs. Ma'er's heart turned cold, but apart from him, no one could save her own man, she felt grief and indignation, hugged the pillar and said, "Father, if you don't save Qi Zhang, I will hit you!" On the dead pillar." After speaking, he waited for his father-in-law's reply, but he still didn't move.

"God, you are going to destroy my family!" After finishing speaking, he slammed into the pillar and was hugged by his daughter Ma Juer, "Mother...grandfather, don't you care about the concubine if the concubine can't come out of Pingding?" ?"

Ma Chengzu looked at Mrs. Ma Er's mother and son with old eyes, "Aside from crying, making trouble, and bumping into pillars, what else do you do?"

Those eyes shot at Mrs. Ma Er's mother and daughter as if piercing, "The old ones are like this, and the young ones have become a joke in Pingding County. Is this the family tradition taught by my Ma Chengzu?"

Ma Jian'er's face turned blue and white, and the life between her and the county magistrate's brother-in-law can no longer be described as frivolous.

"Father...Father..." Mrs. Ma's dignity was stripped away by her father-in-law.

When Mr. Tian stepped into Ma's courtyard, he trembled unconsciously.

"Sir, why don't you come in?" Ma Min'er turned to look at the door.

"Oh." Mr. Tian raised his feet and followed Ma Erniang into the courtyard. After a while, he arrived at the guest courtyard. In a guest room in Chaoyang, a man was sitting in front of a large open window basking in the sun.

His neatly trimmed hair was tied high with a wooden hairpin. His face was clean and thin, and there were many crow's feet around his eyes. He didn't look like a 39-year-old at all. Even people who said he was 49 would believe it.

Mr. Tian shed tears before saying a word, it was him, my general.

(End of this chapter)