Records of the Lost Cases of Helaitang in the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 138 Plum Blossom Club

On the first day of the first lunar month, all the old disciples and family members came to pay New Year's greetings to Mrs. Zhu. Mrs. Zhu was very generous, and everyone got a big red envelope. Wang Heng received ten taels of silver, and Xiao Cai received a drop of money. Because the servant came back to repay Zhu. Mrs. Zhu was very pleased that the seventh young master had passed the internal examination examination and rewarded Wang Heng with ten taels of silver.

The eldest brother, Mr. Chen Yu, traveled to the Northland a few years ago and has not returned. The task of receiving the male guests in the old Ge Mansion had to fall on Wang Heng.The eldest brother Chenyu prides himself on being good at frontier affairs, but because of the imperial examination fraud case, he has to be an idler. His ambitions are not as strong as his ambitions, which are all in the sanqu he writes. Even when he is at home, he is too lazy to entertain these mediocre fathers and elders.

In the past two years, Wang's house has become more and more crowded during the Chinese New Year, with many visitors. Most people just ask them to leave greeting cards. There are very few families with good families, so the Wang family members had several New Year's wine dinners with Wang Heng. There were also other families who invited Wang Heng to their houses to watch operas and listen to music, and they all showed the right kind of kindness. The children of these families also admired them when they heard that Wang Heng was studying at the Suzhou City Academy.

Wang Heng had been socializing with Xiaocai for a few days, but he felt that he was in a good mood and was not useful.

On the fifth day of the first lunar month, meet the God of Wealth.

In the midst of joy, his disciple Lao Fulin came to report to Madam Zhu. Master Wang San sent his confidant Mr. Min to ask for an audience with Madam Zhu. Since he was from Lanxi, Madam Zhu asked Wang Heng to go with him to Baoxia Hall where she handled family affairs to meet Mr. Min.

What Mr. Min brought was an autographed letter from Master Wang San. After reading it, Mrs. Zhu calmly handed the letter to Wang Heng.

Wang Heng flipped through it briefly and felt that his father was a little inappropriate. Someone might have instigated him to write this letter.

Mr. Wang San said in the letter that he had an awkward relationship with his superiors, and he was getting older. God knows, Mr. Ge Lao was five years older than him. Mr. Wang San had to work hard outside, and he planned to resign and return to his hometown. I have written to Mr. Wang, Mr. Wang, to explain that Mr. Wang has allowed him to resign and promised to find a vacancy for him at an appropriate time in the future.

There was another problem at the moment. He owed 800 taels of silver over the years, and Magistrate Liu wanted to collect it. He sold off the pledges and pieced together 200 taels. If the amount was not enough, Magistrate Liu refused to release him.

Therefore, I sent Mr. Min back to his hometown and asked the clan elders to give him 500 taels of silver as an emergency.

I don’t know which master taught Mr. Wang San. Mr. Wang San’s father and Mr. Wang’s father were brothers. They separated decades ago. Now Mr. Wang San wants to use money from the public servant. In what way? I have no intention of paying back the money.

Therefore, Mr. Wang San did not do well as an official because he did not hire a capable staff. Previously, Mr. Zeng had hired Mr. Zeng to help him, but he thought he was old and had relatives who liked his position. Before the end of the year, Mr. Zeng resigned.

If Mr. Wang San was really like this, he would have had no choice but to borrow a piece of silver from his brother and sister-in-law to rescue him. Mrs. Zhu also asked for money to rescue Mr. Wang San so that Mr. Wang San would not affect Mr. Wang's official reputation. he.

But if you have to make such a trick, your wishful thinking may be in vain.

I heard Mrs. Zhu put the tea cup on the table and said: "Mr. Min is the third master's confidant, so we don't have to come in vain. When our master becomes an official, he is prepared to leave his name in history. He has never received a single salary." Back home, everything is supported by the family's property. A year ago, I sent Agen to take a government ship to deliver a sum of money to the elder to Beijing. The income from the family's cotton and rice production was all spent on this. The women and children in our house, It is because I am an official and serve the court that I have such honor. On weekdays, the province should be simple and simple, and the festival should not be extravagant. In this way, I have prepared a sum of 15 taels of silver for the Lantern Festival envoy on the 200th of the first lunar month. Third Master, please take care of the emergency first, I really can’t afford the rest.”

After saying that, Mrs. Zhu served tea to see the guests off, and signaled the maid Guixiang to go to the accounting room to find Mr. Da, and paid Mr. Min 200 taels of silver to arrange room and board.

When Mr. Min saw that Mrs. Zhu would not allow him to say anything more, he sent the guests away. She was a first-class wife and she did not dare to make any mistakes, so he had to bow down and leave.

Wang Heng had a sarcastic look on his face. Madam Zhu knew that he was in an awkward situation, so she chatted with him for a few words, and then sent him to go to his villa in Nanyuan. Mr. Chenyu was not here, so she wanted to take a look at the servants in Nanyuan. Is there anyone who gambles, eats and drinks and is restless?

Wang Heng will return to Helaitang and change into the clothes he went out to go to Nanyuan. Ah Xing from the second gate will come to report, and Mr. Min sent by the third master will come to pay a visit.

He Lai Hall is located in the back garden partition, and it is very inappropriate for outsiders to come in and out, so Wang Heng asked Mr. Min to meet at the door.

Xiaocai hadn't been to Nanyuan for many days and wanted to visit the garden, so he went with him.

There was no place to entertain guests at the second door, so Ah Xing gave up the chair he was sitting on, and Wang Heng and Mr. Min sat and talked for a while.

As soon as he sat down, Mr. Min complimented him and said: "Seventh Young Master is getting better and better. He entered the academy and learned very noble things. His overall demeanor is really like that of Young Master Zaifu."

Wang Heng said: "Old Min, don't do this. What urgent matter do you have with me?" Mr. Min said: "Before coming to Taicang, your father, Mr. Wang San, told me that the Seventh Young Master is now very popular with Mr. Pavilion. Mrs. Gaoming's high regard makes the Seventh Young Master must help him find a way to raise some money and bring it back."

Wang Heng sounded a little worried and didn't know how to reply to him.

"I am in charge of the young master's money." Xiaocai took the lead and said: "Last year we returned to Taicang from Lanxi, and the third wife gave us a bunch of money in total. The young master went to Suzhou Academy to study, and Shu Xiu also The eldest lady paid for it, and after paying all kinds of fees, there was not much money left. On weekdays, we always choose the cheapest ones for food. In the city of Suzhou, we couldn't even bear to bray donkeys, and we all walked on two legs. Do you have the nerve to ask the eldest lady for pocket money? Where will the young master get the money to give it to you?"

Mr. Min smiled and said: "When the Seventh Young Master talks to the eldest lady, the eldest lady must give him some dignity."

Xiaocai also smiled and said: "That's because you are wrong. The eldest lady manages the family strictly and never shows mercy. The eldest grandma made a mistake, and now she is still thinking about it in the hall."

Wang Heng said: "Xiaocai, it's hard for us to be without a penny. It would be best if the master and his wife return home as soon as possible."

Xiaocai said: "Young master is right. The first lady will give you ten taels of silver as a gift on the first day of the first lunar month. Let Lao Min take five taels back."

Wang Heng thought for a while and said: "I will give all ten taels to Lao Min."

Wang Cai shook his head and said: "School will start after the new year, and Mr. Chu will hold a spring outing again. Think about it, Mr. Chu, you have no money, how can you go out and socialize?"

Wang Heng sighed and said, "Let's talk about it later."

Wang Cai returned to Helaitang with great enthusiasm. Soon he came out with a silk bag, pushed the silk bag towards Mr. Min's hand, and said, "Yinzi, Yinzi, I'll send you out before you've warmed up."

Mr. Min smiled dryly and said: "Young talent, you are so funny."

Wang Cai said: "We still have to go out to do important things. Lao Min, I want to say goodbye to you."

After that, he pulled Wang Heng out towards the south gate.

Going up the stairs to Zhouqiao, Xiaocai saw no one around him and said, "Seventh brother, don't think that the family really has no money. It's just that the three masters and three wives have no money in their hands. The eldest mistress and Aunt Hong, who doesn't have three to five hundred taels of silver in their hands?" Lao Min, if he doesn’t have 500 taels of silver in his hand, I’ll write the character “王” upside down.”

Wang Hengzhi sighed and did not want to say anything.

Wang Heng felt a little embarrassed because Master Wang San had made such a fuss, so he wanted to go to the academy to study as soon as possible. Mrs. Zhu said that it was not the first half of the first month and it was not appropriate to go out, so she allowed him to rest for a few more days.

A few days later, a letter arrived from the post office, but it was written by Mr. Xu, who was in charge of general affairs at Ziyang Academy.

It is said that on the day Wang Heng returned to his hometown, the owners of Ailian Residence, Shen Xiaolian and his wife in the south of the city, personally sent a housekeeper to Ziyang Academy to send an invitation to Prince Wang Qi to attend the Plum Blossom Festival in Ailian Residence on the 15th of the first lunar month, the Lantern Festival. Unexpectedly, Wang Heng had already returned to Taicang.

The invitation was sent to Mr. Xu. Mr. Xu found out that Shen Xiaolian had only invited a total of twenty young scholars from the city. Lord Tongpan Qu would also attend the Plum Blossom Party.

Mr. Xu felt that the opportunity was rare, and he was afraid that Wang Heng would not arrive at the academy until the [-]th of the first lunar month when school started, so he wrote to inform him.

After Wang Heng read the letter, he went to find Mrs. Zhu. Mrs. Zhu was very happy and encouraged him to interact more with learned people. He immediately arranged carriages and horses, and set off on the [-]th of the first lunar month to return to Ziyang Academy to start school.

(End of this chapter)