Taohuaxi

Chapter 58
"Sister Sangyu, you've had a hard journey, haven't you? Go home and rest soon. Mother misses you and has been talking about you for a long time. If her old man's cold leg hadn't broken down again after winter, she would have wanted to come to the ferry to pick her up in person. What about you? The kitchen has already prepared your favorite meals." The third lady pulled me and said.

I hesitate a bit.

Now that you have returned to the Cheng family, what is your identity?

If the old lady keeps me here, how should I behave?Not to keep it is to be heartless, as the Book of Rites says: Elders give gifts and dare not refuse them.If he stays, he will be incompatible with his status, and everything in the house will inevitably be awkward.

Qin Mingxu came over and said: "Not long after the Zhu family moved to Yangzhou, Mr. Zhu is still lingering on his sick bed and has not recovered from his serious illness. He wrote a letter before and eagerly awaited the return of his eldest daughter. Sangyu, you might as well hand over your luggage to me. Me, I'll take Xiaoyin to Zhu's Mansion first. You pay a visit to Mrs. Cheng and then return to the Mansion."

What he said was very thoughtful.

"Visiting" and "returning to the house" clearly indicate my current identity. I am no longer the daughter-in-law of the Cheng family, but the young lady of the Zhu family.The luggage should be returned first, so the old lady can't stay too late.Mentioning my father's serious illness was not too abrupt or disrespectful.It also ruined the dignity of the Cheng family.

I nodded and said, "In this case, Mr. Qin is here to be bothered."

In this compartment, I went to Cheng Mansion with Third Miss, Lu Gui, Wu Bi, He Hua and others.

After walking a few steps, I looked back behind the big willow tree.

Empty, nothing.

Who are those eyes?
The main courtyard of Cheng Mansion.

The old lady was leaning on the soft couch, and several maids were pressing her legs.

I entered the door, knelt on the ground, and saluted: "Meet my mother."

Seeing me coming, the old lady struggled to get up, staggered over, helped me up, and said with tears: "Sangyu, my son, you have been wronged."

I quickly helped her back to the soft couch and said, "Don't be wronged. My mother is in good health and the Cheng family is safe. This is the grace of the royal family and the grace of the Bodhisattva."

She covered her face with a handkerchief and said: "When the news of Huai'er's execution came back, I cried until I was mostly blind. At my age now, it hurts my heart to see a man with white hair give a man with black hair. I only hate this. Old Bones didn't kick his legs right away. I know that after Huai'er's death, the rest of the Cheng family was saved. Sang Yu, you must have done a lot. Thanks to you, thanks to you."

I leaned over and said, "When mother said this, she was out of touch."

She said with trembling silver hair: "Sang Yu, I received news from the clan elder that Huai'er divorced you, and my heart is full of regrets. I often tell people that my daughter-in-law is better than my son. I have nothing to say about my usual filial piety. You have done nothing wrong at all, why should he divorce you? You are confused, you are confused."

She waved to the maid, who came over holding a bunch of keys.

The old lady said to me: "Sang Yu, Huai'er doesn't recognize your daughter-in-law, but I do. These are the keys to the Cheng family's soft storehouse, warehouse, cabinets, and money bank. Son, as long as you are willing, this family can still It's under your control. Even if I die, I will feel at ease."

I knelt on the ground again and said, "My mother is so loving, and I am grateful for my child. My third sister has become more and more stable now, and Mr. Lu is a mature man. He is also knowledgeable about literature, etiquette, and has read the books of sages. He understands much better than this child. Wait. When they get married, Mr. Lu is a member of the Cheng family, which is the most appropriate thing. The mother will be able to rely on her when she is old, and the child can rest assured. The Zhu family has moved to Yangzhou, and the child lives in Yangzhou, so he must come to visit his mother often. "

Hearing this, the old lady looked at me with regret and some relief, and let out a long sigh.

Then he ordered the housekeeper: "Tell everyone in the house that Sang Yu is still a member of the Cheng family. When you see her in the future, you will call her the eldest lady."

"Yes." The butler lowered his head.

At this time, a young man came in and hurriedly reported: "Blessed is the old lady, blessed is the old lady, Quan Scorpion is here! It is here!"

The butler said happily: "Really? Where did you get it?"

The boy replied messily.

It turns out that not long ago, a visiting doctor prescribed a folk prescription for the old lady, saying that it was quite effective in treating Lao Han's legs.There is a medicine in it, which is whole scorpion, which is difficult to buy on the market.Because the whole scorpion has a hook-like stinger on its tail, catching it is life-threatening and should not be done by anyone but an expert.Therefore, it has been delayed.

Mr. Lu and shopkeeper Wu told each other in the medicine shop that if anyone got the whole scorpion, the old lady would give him a big reward.

However, months passed and there was still no news.

Today, the boy went to the market and happened to meet a farmer wearing a black hat selling this thing.The price the man offered was only a drop of money.The boy called him to come to the house to receive the reward, but he refused. He took the money and left with the bamboo basket.

The steward said: "That's strange. Who in the world doesn't love money? What does that person look like?"

The boy replied: "Looking at his clothes, he looks like a hunter in the deep mountains. His voice is rough, I think he is old."

The old lady said: "Presumably, he is only willing to take what he deserves. You have been in the Qiluo bush for a long time, how do you know the simplicity of the people in the mountains? Next time, when people from the house meet him in the market, take more money. give him."

"Yes." The boy said.

The housekeeper hurriedly took the whole scorpion and prepared the folk medicine.

I said goodbye to the old lady and left Cheng Mansion. Qin Mingxu was waiting for me at the intersection.

He smiled and said, "Sang Yu, let me show you the shop."

He said exactly what I thought.

On the way back from the capital, I kept thinking about this incident.Zhujia Huaniang has declined in recent years and is unknown.When you first come to Yangzhou, it is very important to find a suitable shop. Open the door to welcome all directions, and you must first make a reputation.

The Shang sage Tao Zhugong once said, "If there is no river, there is no boat to carry it, and if there is no boat, there is no way to cross the river."

I personally think that in terms of business, the shop floor is equivalent to the rudder of the boat, and the rudder is the direction.

Qin Mingxu said: "Sang Yu, I have booked a room on Dongguan Street. Go and have a look. If you are not satisfied, we can look for it tomorrow."

Dongguan Street, its eastern end is Dongguan Ferry of the Grand Canal.Since the Tang Dynasty, it has been an important thoroughfare to Yangzhou Prefecture.Yangzhou became the first commercial port in the southeast of the Ming Dynasty due to its convenient transportation via the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal.Dongguan Street is the most dazzling pearl in the commercial port.

I smiled and said, "You are worried about everything."

"When you are satisfied, I am satisfied."

When we arrived at Dongguan Street, he pointed to the designated shop and asked me, "Sang Yu, what do you think?"

I looked around carefully and said, "It's very good."

"Then this is the house." He told the boy, "Go and call the landlord."

The boy agreed and went.

Not long after, a middle-aged man came, and when he opened his mouth, he apologized profusely: "Mr. Qin, I was confused. My wife has sold this shop, and I didn't know until he informed me in the future." . I will refund the deposit to you, and you can look elsewhere."

Qin Mingxu frowned and said: "The rules are fixed. Why did you go back on your word? Since it was sold to someone else, show me the contract. If the date is indeed earlier than mine, I will accept it."

The man hesitated and refused to take it out.

When I saw this, I said: "According to the Ming Dynasty Laws, taking profits against the prohibition will be punished by forty floggings. Let's go to the government and let our parents make a decision."

The man became anxious and said: "To tell you the truth, it's useless even to go to the capital, not to mention the government office. There is a noble man who has taken a fancy to this place. How can you compete with him?"

I said: "No matter who you are, no matter how big you are, they can't be bigger than the Ming Law. No matter how noble you are, they can't be worth more than a word of reason."

Seeing that I showed no fear, the man winked at his entourage.

Not long after, a young man wearing lake blue clothes came over with a group of people.

That young man smelled of alcohol all over his body.

He looked at me and said, "Are you the one who wants to compete with me for a shop?"

I said, "Everything comes first. It's not that I'm fighting with you, it's that you're fighting with me."

"You are so brave!"

"I just said that you can go to the Yamen and ask your parents to make an official decision."

He spat disdainfully: "Parents are nothing!"

Qin Mingxu suddenly saw the jade plaque on the young man's waist.

He thought for a while and said: "Be kind in your words and deeds, and harmony brings wealth. Since the young master wants this shop, we will bear the pain and give it to him, and make him his friend."

I understood what he meant and followed his gaze to the jade plaque.

The word "Zheng" is prominent.

I looked at the young man's features again and suddenly thought of Zheng Shubin whom I had seen in the palace.

After Long live took office, the court was in turmoil, and the harem was also in turmoil.

The Queen Mother gave birth to the emperor's eldest son and was reluctantly named "Gongfei". Not long after, she was relegated to the cold palace.

Long live the favored concubine Zheng Shubin, who was granted the title of noble concubine and became unique.

After Mr. Zhang died, the Queen Mother withdrew the curtain, and Wansai no longer had any scruples in acting, and everything followed his own preferences.

Concubine Zheng was originally from Yangzhou.

This man with the jade badge and his domineering attitude is probably her brother.

The young man touched the ring on his hand, looked at me, and said to Qin Mingxu: "Oh? Can you take charge of your family? Is your wife willing to part ways with her?"

He mistakenly thought Qin Mingxu and I were husband and wife.

(End of this chapter)