Ma Erniang's Splendid Pastoral

Chapter 146 Looking forward to a good daughter-in-law

Seeing that the young couple wanted to be alone, Aunt Shan didn't want to be the one who got in the way, so she retracted her head and closed the door to continue sleeping.

There was probably still fire in the stove, and the small kitchen was still very warm. Ma Min'er stretched out her shrunken shoulders, "Wow, it's so warm, Xia Zhen, is it warm?" She looked at him playfully with her eyes.

"Yeah." Xia Zhen's eyes were always smiling, and he never left her eyes.

With his approval, Ma Min'er turned around triumphantly, "Master Xia, sit down, I'll fix the small stove, soon." After speaking, she walked to the small stove, pulled out the fire door, and there was air in the stove door. Entering, the charcoal fire slowly came up, she quickly put the copper pot with boiled water on it, and quickly put the hot pot bottom material, bones, etc. into the copper pot, the small body kept on the stove and the food shelf Going back and forth, I was very busy.

Xia Zhen sat on the small stool, resting her chin on one hand, leaning on the side of the small table with the other, her eyes following the little daughter-in-law around, her sword eyebrows and starry eyes were not as cold as in the daytime, and the clean-shaven stubble was exposed under the oil lamp. It looks a little blue, with one long leg curled up and the other stretched out, like a resting lion, it looks lazy and docile, and the occasionally bright eyes secretly hide a dangerous atmosphere, revealing an elusive charm.

As if sensing his gaze, Ma Min'er lifted a piece of mutton out of the ice and smiled brightly at him, "Cut it up, and we can chat around the fire."

Xia Zhen responded with bright eyes.

Ma Miner started to cut the mutton, and asked while cutting, "By the way, I forgot to ask you just now, how did you find this place?"

"Listen to what your father said."

"Have you ever been to Xiaowang Village?" Ma Min'er said in surprise, "I'm just saying, you haven't been to this place, so you shouldn't know that I'm here."

Xia Zhen supported her chin with another hand, "This small place seems to be nice."

Ma Min'er followed his gaze and looked around the kitchen, "I don't know why, I like small places, and I always feel that small places are popular."

Xia Zhen raised her eyebrows.

"Hee hee..." Ma Min'er continued to cut meat, "What about you, do you like it?"

"Ok!"

"What do you mean?"

"I like it when you're there."

"..." Ma Min'er raised her head and grinned, "Sweet talk."

While talking, she put all kinds of lettuce and raw meat plates on the small table. Xia Zhen stretched out her hand to help. After a while, the small table was full, and moved the small stove to the side of the table.

"Brother Zhen, let's eat!" Ma Min'er picked up the chopsticks and smiled.

The corners of Xia Zhen's mouth kept rising. Tonight, he could see how powerful his little daughter-in-law is. Every time he called him, he changed her name. He looked forward to what he would call himself next.

"It's cold, eat it while it's hot." Ma Min'er picked up sliced ​​meat and scalded it in the soup, took it out after a while, dipped it in Xiangru sauce and sent it to Xia Zhen's small bowl, "Eat, Xia Xiaotu. "

"Pfft..." Xia Zhen took a sip of hot soup, startled by the next title of 'expectation'.

"What's the matter? Xia Zhen?" Ma Min'er was so frightened that she quickly stood behind him and patted his back, extremely nervous.

"You...you..." Xia Zhen drank the remaining soup in his mouth, "What did you call me just now?"

"Are... are you kidding me?" Ma Min'er felt guilty and dared not speak loudly.

"Call it something else, don't call it this."

"Oh, so what do you like to hear?"

"I like everything except this."

"You like shit too?"

Xia Zhen reached out and patted the little daughter-in-law's head, "Don't make trouble, will you let your husband have a good meal?"

Ma Min'er made a grimace, and sat back in her seat: "My future husband, I won't bother you anymore, hurry up and eat."

Xia Zhen lowered his head and ate the food brought by his daughter-in-law. He was really hungry. After moving the chopsticks, he almost didn't stop. In the middle of eating, the food on the daughter-in-law's chopsticks was not put into the bowl. mouth.

"Is it hot? Be careful!" Ma Miner asked and blew carefully.

"Well, it's okay." Xia Zhen, who was full of food, took the time to reply.

The light of the oil lamp casts the shadows of the two on the wall, which is warm and plain.

Aunt Shan was worried after all, she just wanted to knock on the kitchen door but didn't dare to knock, she quietly peeped through the crack of the door, and saw the young couple feeding each other, she patted her heart and hurried back, and quickly returned to her bedroom.

Uncle Shan asked, "Why so fast?"

"Come back at the door."

"Your Excellency, you really don't want to help?" Old Uncle Shan asked.

Aunt Shan shook her head and smiled, "The little master and the little general are doing well, and the two of them are having a good meal."

"That's good." Uncle Shan said, "It saves the rumors outside that the little general doesn't want the little boss. Now it's good. The little general will look for the little boss as soon as he comes back. The rumors will be self-defeating."

Aunt Shan breathed a sigh of relief, and got under the covers, "Oh, don't talk about the rumors outside, just talk about the world. Once a man has power and power, he always abandons his wretched wife."

Old Uncle Shan laughed and said, "The young general is a powerful person himself. I haven't seen any scenes. Isn't it just the capital? I can't see that beauty can be attractive to the young master."

Aunt Shan was taken aback by what her man said, "That's right, our little boss really grows more and more juicy, and there are really few people in this world who are more beautiful than her."

"That is, go to bed quickly, and get up early tomorrow."

"understood."

After pacifying the camp, Mr. Tian finally received the news that the little general had entered the city, and he couldn't close his mouth with joy, "The old man can finally sleep soundly."

The entourage asked: "Sir, the little general is back, why are you still sleeping if you don't go to greet him?"

Mr. Tian laughed, "Do you want to see the little general tonight?"

"Oh, I see, the little general is back home, why don't you go?"

Mr. Tian laughed loudly, "Haha, Xiaolu, the little general won't go back home either."

"Ah..." The entourage was surprised: "I have already entered the city gate. I will neither come to the camp nor return to the mansion. Where can the little general go? Did he go to the brothel like General Zhang?"

Mr. Tian stretched out his hand and slapped the little follower, "Stop talking nonsense."

"Mr. Tian, ​​you can't blame me for talking nonsense. That actor often came to inquire about General Zhang. I thought they would go to the brothel." The little entourage said aggrievedly.

"Come on, you brat, hurry up and prepare some washing water for me, the old man can sleep well tonight."

In the general's mansion, the old general Xia Shiyong was also waiting for his grandson. He obviously heard that he had entered the city, but he didn't see anyone for a long time. Until midnight, he couldn't help asking: "Why hasn't the little general come back?"

"Back... back to the old general, the little general..."

"Did you go to the camp?"

"no!"

Xia Shiyong asked strangely: "Where are we going?"

"In...in Ma...'s small courtyard."

"..." The old general stared angrily, "This brat didn't come back and didn't bring a letter, so I waited here for a long time." It was really angry and funny: "I really forget my mother when I have a wife."

Sighing, the old general had no choice but to go back to his room to rest. Although the old lady was lying on the bed, when she heard the old man coming back, she immediately raised her head, "Zian is back?"

"No!"

"Didn't you say you entered the city gate?" Mrs. Xia felt strange.

"This brat is looking for his future wife."

"..." Mrs. Xia was also taken aback by the old man's words, and said with a smile: "This child..."

"Go to sleep!" The old general shook his head and smiled, "Everyone is waiting for him, he is good, unexpectedly...you are really young!"

Mrs. Xia couldn't sleep, so she simply sat up, "Master, the Chinese New Year is less than a month away, and Zian is back, shall we go back to Fucheng to celebrate the New Year?"

"Well, we must go back, not for anything else, even if Tao'er has been away from home for ten years, we have to go back too."

Mrs. Xia nodded, "Then I will start packing tomorrow and prepare to go back to Fucheng."

Ma Min'er didn't eat much, and all the food she prepared went into Xia Zhen's stomach, "Why are you full? Do you want me to get some more food?"

Xia Zhen shook her head, she had enough food and drink, her face was rosy, she was satisfied, and she relaxed, as if she had returned to the appearance of a young boy, simple and straightforward.

"I don't want to move anymore, I just want to sleep here."

"It's so cold outside, I don't want to move." Ma Min'er smiled.

"Then what should I do, I'm afraid it's midnight now, and what about Little Midnight?"

"I have a way."

"any solution?"

Ma Min'er stood up, walked to the back of the stove, pointed to the straw and said, "How about laying it in front of the stove and covering it with your cloak?"

"Same as when marching and fighting?"

"Yes, is it interesting?"

Xia Zhen smiled and nodded, "It's so interesting."

As soon as they said it, the two of them spread all the straw straws piled up in thick layers, and put a large firewood in the stove to make the fire in the stove flourish, and put water in the big iron pot. The hot air and water vapor from the stove quickly warmed up the whole small kitchen, and the two small stoves were placed next to it, and the back of the stove was as warm as a burning pit.Lying on it, the two of them were silly together for a while, and fell asleep hugging each other.

On the second day when the sky was bright, Aunt Shan went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, but when she opened the door, she found that the little master and the little general were sleeping soundly in each other's arms. After eating too much, they went out of the kitchen and closed the door gently.

"What's wrong?" Uncle Shan asked.

"Father, do you think rich people are sometimes tired of living in riches, and want to experience the lives of us poor people?"

"Mother, what do you mean?"

"Little Master and Little General are asleep behind the stove." Aunt Shan laughed.

"Stove... Stove chamber?"

"Yeah." Aunt Shan said, "When I was young, my family was poor and it was cold in winter. In order to keep warm, my brothers and sisters would rush to sleep behind the stove. I didn't expect that the little boss and the little general would also sleep here."

Uncle Shan smiled: "I reckon they are too tired to move."

"That's not okay, I guess it's just curiosity."

"What about breakfast then?"

"I'm going to buy it on the street." Aunt Shan said up to here, and quickly said: "I have to hurry, Sanlang is going to college." After finishing speaking, she went into the room and took two copper coins, "I'm going to buy breakfast, you let Xiao Shan go to wake Sanlang up, and ask Dashan to prepare the carriage for Sanlang to go to school."

"Okay, I see."

Zhang Nianmei is a foodie. When she got up in the morning, she went to the kitchen to look for something to eat, but was stopped by someone, "General Zhang, today's breakfast is in the side room."

"Why aren't you in the kitchen? It's so warm." Zhang Nianmei rubbed her hands and gasped, it was too cold.

Old Uncle Shan could only smile, and spoke ambiguously: "The little boss and the little general haven't woken up yet, so I invite General Zhang to eat first. It's hot and warm."

"Oh!" As long as there is something to eat, Zhang Nianmei doesn't care why the kitchen is closed.

It was cold in winter, and Ma Sanlang knew that his second sister had the habit of staying in bed, and he didn't find it strange that he didn't see her until he got into the carriage.

Zhang Nianmei and the others had finished their breakfast, and they didn't dare to linger. They still had a lot of work to do when they came back from the capital, so he directly asked Shan Xiaodan who was cleaning the table, "Where's my sister?"

"in the kitchen."

"Is it delicious?"

Shan Xiaodan shook his head, "No."

"Oh, so what?"

"I do not know."

Shan Nianmei said, "Since my sister is in the kitchen, where is the little general?"

"Also in the kitchen!"

"Oh!" Zhang Nianmei went to the kitchen, but found that the door was still closed, "Didn't you say my sister is in the kitchen?"

"Yes, General Zhang!"

"That door..."

Zhang Nianmei hadn't finished speaking when the kitchen door opened. Xia Zhen and Ma Min'er came out of the kitchen with straw marks on their faces, and they could understand what happened with clear eyes.

"Will..." Only then did Shan Nianmei understand what the old man meant, and it was really interesting that the young couple were sleeping in the kitchen together, so...don't dare to think about it.

Xia Zhen interrupted him, "Hurry up and arrange for the army to enter the city."

"Yes, General." As soon as Zhang Nianmei heard about the business, she immediately put away her casual expression, and stopped asking about other trivial matters.

Xia Zhen turned her head: "Grandfather is afraid that he is in a hurry, so I'll go back first."

"Yeah." Ma Min'er nodded and helped him straighten his cloak, "Don't forget to have breakfast."

Xia Zhen asked, "Will you be here these few days?"

"It's all there."

"Okay, then I'll come tonight."

Ma Min'er smiled, "Don't come if you're too tired."

"Not tired." Xia Zhen squinted a smile, "I'm going back, it's cold outside, don't send it away." After speaking, he stroked her hand, turned and left.

On the street, Xia Zhen's horse galloped towards the General's Mansion. People recognized him, and someone shouted, "Look, little general, he's back!"

"Yeah, I saw it, it's the little general!"

"God, I heard that he has the merits of being a dragon, I'm afraid he has been promoted to a noble."

"That's for sure."

……

With the return of the little general, the boring people had new gossip. In the crowd, a mother and daughter in shabby clothes held a child in the young hands, with a disheveled face, and looked towards the direction of the galloping horse.

"Son, don't look at it, let's go,"

"Mom, I don't accept it, I don't accept it."

"Don't accept it, so what?" The middle-aged woman looked bitter, "Let's quietly ask your aunt for some money, rent a house and settle down, and support the child in your hands."

"Mom, I don't want to raise it."

"No matter what, it's your flesh and blood."

"But his father was a..."

The middle-aged woman quickly covered the mouth of the young lady, "Stop talking, hurry up and walk around to the small alley behind with mother, let's go to your aunt and ask her for some money to live on."

The young woman's eyes were blank, as if everything was lifeless, she hugged the child and let the middle-aged woman pull her forward.

Xia Shiyong finally waited for his eldest grandson at the breakfast table, and raised his eyes: "You brat, you still know how to come back?"

Xia Zhen smiled embarrassingly, and saluted her grandparents and parents, "I kept you waiting for a long time."

"I know I've been waiting for a long time, you brat, you have the same virtue as your father, and you have a daughter-in-law..." Xia Shiyong was pulled by his wife and choked on the words, "Have you had breakfast?"

"Not yet, I came back to eat with my grandfather."

"Stinky boy, I didn't learn the good ones, but I learned how to be glib."

Mrs. Xia likes her eldest grandson now, and she will respond to whatever she says, even if it is a glib tongue, she likes to listen, and stretches out her hand to pull him: "Hurry up and sit down, what you made this morning is what you like to eat."

“Grandma is so nice!”

"Grandmother is bad, who is good, old man, stop talking, let the grandson eat quickly." Mrs. Xia was happy to add food to her grandson herself.

Xia Zetao waited until his son ate a bowl of lianzi porridge before asking, "How is the situation in Beijing?"

"It's okay." Xia Zhen said, "But we only have [-] soldiers!"

"So much damage?" Xia Zetao said, "You didn't mention it in the letter!"

"Father, I brought 12 troops with me when I went there, and nearly [-] troops were lost in the battle for position."

"What about forty thousand?"

"Emperor Yuantai said that there were few troops in Beijing, so he left them behind."

Xia Shiyong said: "Forget it, let's keep it, and we will recruit it later."

"Grandfather, it happened to be flooded this year. I want to use this opportunity to recruit troops." Xia Zhen said.

"That's a good idea."

"Grandfather, I want to use the recruitment system for this recruitment."

"Recruitment system?" Xia Shiyong asked, "What do you mean?"

Xia Zhen replied: "Grandfather, our current military system is the government military system, which has a sense of coercion, but the recruitment system is completely hired with money. Whether the strong men want to be soldiers, we don't force them, it's up to them."

"This……"

Xia Zhendao: "Grandfather, Emperor Yuantai gave me all the five state capitals in the Great North. As long as I encourage production and strengthen commerce, it won't be long before there will be money in the treasury, and money will be able to feed the army."

"Zian, it's easier said than done." Xia Shiyong said, "Let's not talk about it, the nomads in the north alone are enough for us to worry about, and then there is..."

"Grandfather, natural disasters and man-made disasters are the same for everyone, not only in our Great Wei Dynasty, but also in northern Turks, Mongolia, and Liao. I heard that the Liao Dynasty seems to have signs of annexing Turks. At least in the past two years, we have rested and recuperated." Possibly, we will use the two or three years of effort to bring agriculture and business to the top."

Xia Shiyong looked at the eldest grandson who spoke lightly. He is a brash war man, but he actually talks about engaging in agricultural business. Can he do it?
Mrs. Xia didn't care about her eldest grandson's lofty ambitions, she said with a smile, "Zian, it's almost Chinese New Year, let's pack up and go back to Fucheng."

Xia Zhen nodded, "Okay, listen to grandma."

"My great grandson." Mrs. Xia smiled happily.

Xia Zetao also smiled gratifiedly, and lowered his head to eat breakfast.

At the whole dinner table, only Zhao Suxin was out of tune with everyone. After her son greeted her coldly, he never spoke to her again. She felt that she was an outsider in Xia's family, and the food in her mouth was like chewing wax.

After breakfast was finished in basic harmony, the family moved to a small wing room to digest food. Before they sat down, Zhao Suxin said, "I'm a little dizzy, so I'll go back to my room first."

Xia Zetao frowned slightly, but did not speak.

Old Mrs. Xia looked at her a long time ago, and waved her hand, "You are not in good health, so go back and rest quickly."

Poor health?Zhao Suxin staggered and almost fell, "Mother... Mother..."

"Come here, take Madam back to the room."

"Yes, old lady!"

The two big girls stepped forward, stretched out their hands to support the wife, and sent her back to the room. Zhao Suxin looked at her husband eagerly, but unfortunately his eyes were on his son, and he didn't look at her at all.

Heartbroken, Zhao Suxin turned around and went back to her room.

Mrs. Xia couldn't see her looking sick the most. When her eldest grandson came back, she had made a fuss... She secretly patted her heart, I was not angry, I was not angry, she grinned at her eldest grandson and said: "Zian, why did the emperor let you come back now?"

"On the one hand, I miss my army, and on the other hand, I regret the Haikou I once boasted."

"Haikou? Are you referring to the matter of the king of the opposite sex?"

"Ah."

Xia Shiyong asked, "How did you solve that? Could it be Feng Jiangyi who just arrived in Beijing?"

Xia Zhen shook her head: "I solved it myself."

"You..." Xia Shiyong and Xia Zetao were both surprised.

"Yeah." Xia Zhen said, "The emperor won't let me come back. I was so anxious that I almost ran to the emperor and pointed his nose..."

With his eldest grandson's irritable temper, Xia Shiyong believed this, "Then how did you hold back?"

"Recite the Analects..."

"Back..." Xia Shiyong choked and spit, and said nothing.

"I was at Erniang's house, and I once heard Ma Dalang and Ma Sanlang discuss 'half the story of Analects governing the world.'"

"Half the Analects rule the world?"

Xia Zhen nodded: "Well, the two brothers asked Erniang a lot of questions, including suspicions about how to deal with superiors."

"How to face it?" Xia Shiyong and his son were also curious.

Xia Zhen replied: "Er Niang said that avoiding and pretending to be a grandson are worse than being immoral and greedy, so that the superiors can rest assured."

"What? Immorality, greed?" Xia Shiyong was shocked.

"Yes, grandfather."

Xia Shiyong came to a sudden: "So, you acted absurdly in the capital, and you robbed the money of various aristocratic shops to pay the military salary on purpose?"

"Yes, grandfather."

Xia Shiyong stood up solemnly, and kept pacing the room, "God, I finally know why the late emperor was not at ease in this whole life, no wonder the late emperor was always worried no matter how I showed weakness, and you Acting absurdly in Beijing, and let the new emperor boast that Haikou is the king of the opposite sex, it turns out...it turns out...!" I was filled with emotion.

Xia Zhen said: "Grandfather, when we return to Fucheng, the new emperor's imperial decree to make me the king of the opposite sex may also arrive."

"Okay, okay, our Xia family has finally taken a big step forward in your hands."

Xia Zetao followed with emotion: "Zhen'er has a good life and met a good daughter-in-law!"

Uh……

Everyone looked at Xia Zetao, only to see him covering his face with his hands, "I..."

"Father--"

Xia Zetao stood up, "Zhen'er, after the next year, I will go to Liangzhou and Qingzhou to guard for my father."

"Father... my son will go too."

"Zhen'er? You don't believe in being a father?" Xia Zetao looked bitter.

Xia Zhen smiled and said, "No, father, it has nothing to do with you guarding me."

"Then you are..."

"I'm going to develop the three western prefectures."

Hearing his grandson's long-term strategy, Xia Shiyong was very pleased, "Okay, take the second mother of the Ma family and let him take care of you, and take care of your angry temper by the way."

Xia Zetao, who was feeling lonely just now, was very happy that his son was with him, and he reached out and patted his son on the shoulder, "Good son, have more sons with Erniang, don't be like your father, there are too many fiefdoms, find someone to guard them." There is no one, you have to do it yourself.”

"Uh..." Xia Zhen was taken aback by her father's emotional words.

"Haha..." Xia Shiyong laughed out loud at his son's words.

Zhao Suxin was sent to the room by the girl and woman, and she was sitting pitifully by herself, feeling sentimental, and the newly raised erotic meat disappeared again because of her husband's neglect, and she didn't know what to do, so she went to get the wooden fish again, Stopped by the girl Shuanglian, "Hey, my wife, what are you doing with this thing, you..."

Zhao Suxin, who was awakened by the girl's scream, looked at Muyu, and let go of her hand, "I... I didn't mean it."

"Ma'am, what's the matter with you, you were happy and doing well a while ago, but this time it's like..." It's like a dead man, but it's a pity that Shuanglian didn't dare to say it out.

"Zenning he ignores me."

Shuanglian glanced at the wife who was in mourning all day long, not to mention others, even she didn't want to stay with her any longer, there was a lifeless smell on her body, which made people feel guilty.

"Shuanglian, why don't you talk, and don't want to talk to me?"

"Husband... man, you'd better find some books to read, it will kill time." Shuanglian bit the bullet and said.

Zhao Suxin looked sad: "Zening ignores me, what's the point of me reading?"

"Husband... madam, then you should dress up to please the general, or you will be fine."

"That's what a concubine does. How can a wife like me lower my value to do such a thing."

"But our general's mansion, from the old general to the young general, doesn't have concubines!"

Zhao Suxin looked at Shuanglian with misty eyes, "Could it be that Zening wants to marry a concubine?"

Oh my mother, Shuanglian was so angry that she wanted to burst out, she suppressed her temper, "Ma'am, I saw you didn't eat much just now, I'll get you something to eat."

Zhao Suxin was listless, as if she didn't hear what the girl said.

Shuanglian didn't care about it and went out. Just as she reached the door, a little girl reported at the door: "Sister Shuanglian, someone is looking for his wife at the back door."

Shuanglian frowned: "Madam's relatives are all in Beijing, so who do you know?"

"That's what I said too, but those three people said that they came from the capital."

"That's it, I'll go and see." Shuanglian was a little puzzled, she didn't go through the main entrance, but who could it be if she found the back door? She is the wife's personal girl, and she has been with her since she was a child, and everyone in Beijing should know her.

I heard that the master and the others lost even the sixth-rank officials in Beijing, and they seemed to be defeated. Could it be that they found this place.

When Shuanglian saw the three of them, even though Mrs. Ling's mother and son were beggars, she recognized them immediately, "Ling..."

"Hush!" Madam Ling hurriedly stopped Shuanglian.

Shuanglian frowned: "You guys are..."

"My man was killed by that judge!"

Shuanglian looked at them sympathetically, "The child in her hands is..."

Madam Ling fell silent, and Shuanglian understood that this child belonged to the judge, "That man is the enemy of the general's mansion, I'm afraid you won't be able to enter the mansion."

"I know, I know, Shuanglian, for our pity's sake, just ask my sister to give me some money." Madam Ling begged bitterly.

"This……"

Madam Ling cried and said: "Go and ask my sister, ask her to give us some money for the sake of Ruya's serving her for many years!"

"Then you wait, I'll ask."

"Thank you Shuanglian, thank you..."

Shuang Lian originally didn't want to tell his wife about the matter, but seeing her mourning all day long, she thought, maybe seeing a more pitiful person, she can know how good her life is!

(End of this chapter)