Ajiu

Chapter 37 Journey

Lin Youhui pulled Mrs. Xu to sit down and drank tea, "Try it, it's so fragrant."

In the shiny and clear Ding Kiln white porcelain teacup, the originally curled snail-like tea leaves are slowly stretched, flying up and down, the tea is silvery and green, fragrant and refreshing.Mrs. Xu took a sip slowly, and praised with a smile, "The fragrance is fresh and elegant, and the fragrance is mellow. It's really a good taste."

After slowly drinking a cup of tea and talking to Lin Youhui calmly, Mrs. Xu walked back to her room slowly.

Not long after returning to the room, Mother He came in with a letter, "Mrs. Chen Jiatai ordered someone to bring it, and the visitor is waiting for tea in the wing room."

Nanny He looked worried and helpless.She has always been dissatisfied with Mrs. Linjiang Houtai's behavior, but she is the sister of the Duke's wife, and she has to be social.Mrs. Chen sent a letter from such a long distance from the capital, and she didn't know what it was about. Alas, I guess there was nothing good in the letter.

Mrs. Xu smiled slightly, took the letter from Nanny He, cut it open with a paper knife, took out the letter, and looked at it casually.

Like Madam He, Mrs. Xu knew that Mrs. Tai's letter would not have any good words, and Mrs. Xu did not intend to take her seriously.However, it is better to take a look, after all, it is my aunt.

After reading the letter again, Mrs. Xu couldn't help but laugh.

Mrs. Linjiang Hou Tai wrote a letter to scold her, scolding her for being jealous, fierce and intolerant, not keeping promises, not keeping her marriage contract, and killing her only son. "If there is any trouble with Yong'er, it is all your fault! You are really worthy of me for how I treated you since I was a child!" Between the lines, you can feel the anger and injustice of Mrs. Tai everywhere.

Mrs. Tai's only son, Linjiang Marquis Chen Yong, said goodbye to his sweetheart and the eldest son and returned to Beijing. People live in harmony.With the backing of her natal family and the support of her legitimate son, the Qiu family is not willing to compromise easily?Regardless of whether Linjiang Hou Yangzheng was angry or angry, she refused to nod her head.

Linjiang Hou couldn't discuss with his wife at home, so he had to go out and run around, trying to find a favor for the eldest son of the concubine, and seek a support.However, Concubine Qiu Gui was very proud in the palace, and the Qiu family was in the limelight. He entrusted a lot of favors, but his wish was not fulfilled.

Mrs. Tai persuaded him, "Ling'er will definitely be brought back. The child is still young and ignorant, so just teach him slowly. Just forget it for Mrs. Ye. Forget it. It's not difficult for you to want a beauty." , Niang will pay you a lot of money to buy a few peerless beauties for you to play with you."

Marquis Linjiang smiled wryly, "No matter how beautiful and magnificent she is, she is not my son's mother. It's different." He and Ye Shi have known each other for a long time, even though they have wives and concubines, they always treat Ye Shi unusually.During the time away from Mrs. Ye, he had trouble sleeping and eating, and lost a lot of weight.

Mrs. Tai couldn't persuade her son or her daughter-in-law, so she was in a hurry.

It was useless for the Marquis of Linjiang to make all kinds of calculations, and then gradually became decadent, and he was seriously ill in bed, and he could not be cured for a long time.The Linjiang Marquis Mansion invited countless famous doctors to visit the mansion for diagnosis and treatment, but they didn't work.When he fell ill, Mrs. Linjiang Hou Tai was really at a loss, desolate and panicked.

This is her only son, her lifelong hope.

Mrs. Tai saw her son losing weight day by day, and her heart ached to the extreme. "It's all the fault of that girl from the Xu family. If she hadn't regretted her marriage back then, how could my family have married the Qiu family, and how could Yonger have ended up in this field?" I wrote to the Xu family, cursing her.

Mrs. Xu smiled, and handed the letter to Nanny He, "Take it and burn it." There is no need to keep this kind of letter, just burn it and throw it away.

Seeing her young lady's calm and breezy appearance, He Nanny was very relieved.Mrs. Tai doesn't care what she says, as long as the lady is not angry and doesn't take it seriously, that's fine.

Mammy He immediately took out the fire pocket to set fire to, and burned the letter.Seeing the white letter gradually turning to ashes, Mammy He felt a burst of joy in her heart.

"Someone will reward you with a first-class seal and ask him to return to Beijing today. The Marquis of Linjiang is ill, and the family needs to employ someone, so we won't keep him. Tell him, I'll say hello to my aunt, and send my best regards to my aunt." Please take care of your aunt and her elderly." Xu ordered with a smile.

He Nanny pursed her lips and smiled, "Yes." She agreed, and went out to send someone away.

In the chilly spring, Second Master Pei took his wife and children, bid farewell to his parents, and embarked on a journey to Beijing.Mrs. Fang was full of reluctance, with tears in her eyes. Prefect Pei calmed down a lot, and explained with his usual expression, "Be careful on the road. When you arrive, send a letter back so that your mother can rest assured." Second Master Pei and Lin Youhui agreed.

Second Master Pei saw that Mrs. Fang was very sad, and comforted her in a low voice, "Mother, there is nothing you can do if your son asks for fame. When we arrived in the capital safely, we will write to you, and write to you every day."

Madam Fang said with tears in her eyes, "It's nothing if you're gone. Mom just misses the grandchildren and little Ajiu." If the good grandson is leaving, the little granddaughter will also be leaving. It's really terrible.

Pei Qi and Pei Yuan's eyes were red, and they were also very reluctant to part with their grandfather, grandmother, uncles, aunts and cousins.At the moment of parting, I feel sad.

Ajiu raised her pink face, and said in a consoling way: "In the future, when my grandfather gets promoted, he will also enter the capital!"

Don't be sad, the separation is short, and we will meet again soon.

Ajiu purely chose nice words to comfort her grandmother who was sad about parting, while Third Master Pei squatted down neatly and asked excitedly, "Ajiu, when will grandfather be promoted to the capital?"

Third Master Pei had a free and easy temper, he didn't care if Taishou Pei was a foreign official or a Beijing official.But now he and his wife Xu have a close relationship, and naturally he knows that his wife has been away from home for a long time and misses her relatives. If Prefect Pei can be promoted to serve in Beijing, Xu can often meet with her natal parents, how wonderful it is.

Third Master Pei looked at Ajiu anxiously, waiting for Ajiu to give him a definite answer.

I am not a magic stick!I am a considerate child, I am very sensible to comfort my grandmother, you know?Ajiu looked at Third Dad angrily, and gave him a big roll of eyes.

"Ah Jiu doesn't know." Mr. Pei was a little embarrassed.

"Ajiu is not a god." Xu pursed her lips and smiled, and gently pulled Mr. Pei to signal him to get up.

Mr. Pei is an optimist, he was depressed for a moment, and then he was in high spirits, "Father, mother, it's okay for the second brother to leave, and I'm still here! I'm much smarter and more lovable than him. The old man always smiles every day!"

"Who cares about you? Your father and I want a little grandson, little granddaughter, do you understand?" Mrs. Fang was amused by him, and she joked in a good mood.

"Little grandson and granddaughter, what's so difficult about this? I'll give you another one!" Mr. Pei patted his chest.

Now, not only Mrs. Fang, but even Prefect Pei had a smile on his face.

Second Master Pei paid homage to his parents again with his wife and children, and left with tears.

Mr. Pei and Mrs. Xu took their three sons and kept sending their second elder brother, second sister-in-law and children aboard.

Second Master Pei and Third Master Pei walked out of the house and walked on the clean white stone path in the middle of the courtyard. They slowly left the courtyard and disappeared.

The figures of the son, the grandson, and little Ajiu gradually drifted away, out of sight.Madam Fang was so sad that she wanted to cry, but Prefect Pei stroked his beard and sighed, "Now, Lao Lin should be proud!"

Zhong Lang and Zhong Lang's daughter-in-law are going to live in his house, he must be so happy.

Two parents, friends for many years, are so jealous!Mrs. Fang forgot even her sadness, and burst out laughing.

Ajiu was hugged by her father, Second Master Pei, and boarded the boat at Changmen.Changmen has gained a great reputation. Lu Ji said, "Wu Yue has its own history, please start from Changmen"; Cao Gongxueqin said that Changmen is "the most luxurious and romantic place in the first and second class in the world of mortals", where boats and cars gather from north to south , foreign traders come and go, bustling.

The brothers were lying by the window, looking at the scenery on the pointing canal, but Ajiu was not interested in playing at all, and asked Second Master Pei seriously, "Daddy, is there a small boat hanging on this big boat?"

The spare tire may not be needed for 30 or 20 years, but it must be in the car in case of emergency.The same is true for large passenger ships. There must be small boats in reserve to deal with emergencies.

"Yes." Second master Pei smiled and carried her to the stern, showing her the boat behind.Ajiu was very satisfied, "Very good!" After praising her vigorously, she broke free from her father's arms and got off the ground, and ran to play with her brothers.

"Worrying little Ajiu." Second Master Pei couldn't help laughing.

Third Master Pei calmly sat on the chair, looked at Ajiu's small figure, and was jealous, "Second brother, nothing else matters, I just envy you for having little Ajiu." Second Master Pei laughed at him, " Didn't you just say that you want to have another one?" Mr. Pei shook his head and sighed, "I think so, I'm afraid I won't be so lucky. Second brother, how many years have we had such a little girl in our family."

Lin Youhui and Mrs. Xu sat in the cabin, talking slowly and privately, "It's good to go out, but the journey is also very hard." "Yes, if the wind is smooth, it will take half a month to reach Tongzhou."

When we arrived in Tongzhou, there was no waterway to go, and we had to go ashore to change cars and sedan chairs.After careful calculation, this road is really not easy.

While they were talking, Chen Lingyun arrived.Chen Lingyun brought seven or eight servants, two little girls, and a slim woman with a veil covering her head and face tightly.Xu Shi and Lin Youhui knew who she was, so they could only pretend that they didn't see her and didn't know.

Chen Lingyun entered the cabin to say hello to Mrs. Xu and Lin Youhui. These are relatives of Mrs. Xu, and Lin Youhui naturally treated him politely, with very considerate etiquette.Mrs. Xu is the daughter of a general, with a magnanimous heart. Although the former only received the curse letter from her aunt a few days ago, she did not express her anger towards Chen Lingyun at this moment, and was as gentle as usual.

Chen Lingyun asked Ann and went back to his cabin.

Soon, people from the Lin family also arrived.Mrs. Wu personally sent her youngest son on board, wiping away tears.Beside Wu was a middle-aged man in silk clothes, and a middle-aged woman in gold and silver, with an arrogant expression, she seemed to be a slave sent by the capital, and she didn't take Wu's seriously.

They ignored Lin Mingtang who was only six or seven years old.The heir, everything is in the hands of the heir mother, he is not in charge of the family at all, just a doormat, not worth their trouble.

Mrs. Wu begged Lin Youhui repeatedly, but was urged by Hao Nu, and walked away step by step.

Mrs. Wu left, and Lin Mingtang, who was handsome and stubborn, was left alone and desolate.

"It is a tragedy in the world that a child has to leave his mother." Both Lin Youhui and Xu sympathized with him.

It's time to sail, but Zhao Zhen and the elder sister couldn't wait for a long time.Mrs. Xu frowned, "Leave the boat, don't worry about her." What's the reason why the appointment was delayed?So many people are waiting for you alone, sorry.

Lin Youhui smiled, "Not in a hurry, just wait a while."

When Mrs. Xu started to get a little anxious, Zhao Zhen finally came with not only her eldest daughter and maid, but also her mother-in-law and her niece. "They are also going back to the capital..." Zhao Zhen said weakly and timidly.

Zhao Zhen still looked timid, the eldest sister was even more shy and afraid of seeing people, but Mei Mu and her niece looked very imposing.Mei's mother is not very old, she looks about 40 years old, and her hair is still all black.She was wearing a dark purple silk beige and a long black skirt, her hair was combed into a bun without any mess.Rarely, her bun is clean and there is no decoration.

Her face is also very serious, as if she doesn't know how to smile.

Seeing such an "elder", Mrs. Xu was really bored.It is said that my cousin's stepmother, Fang, was allowed to marry her daughter because Mei's mother was "very kind".Fang Shi, you are blind, no matter how much this person in front of you pretends to be, he can't be called friendly!
Beside Mei's mother stood her daughter-in-law Zhao Zhen, two maids, the nanny holding the eldest sister, and another girl about fifteen or sixteen years old.Looking at the girl's attire, she is dressed in a light blue dress, very pure and lovely, she will definitely not be a first-class maid, she should be the cousin of the Mei family.

Zhao Zhen introduced it to everyone, and Xu felt contemptuous. She didn't even care about the cousin's last name, and of course she was even more impatient with them.

The status is not high, and the conduct is not high, Xu can't think of a reason to entertain them.

Mrs. Xu called Zhao Zhen aside, and told her with a straight face, "Your mother-in-law, and that cousin girl, take care of yourself, and don't bother my second sister-in-law." Bring your shady mother-in-law and your so-called cousin of unknown origin!It's endless, you.

"I... I can't control them..." Zhao Zhen said weakly, wanting to cry.

Xu's head was getting bigger, and he couldn't stand this woman, so he turned and walked away.

Mr. Pei, Mrs. Xu and his sister-in-law said goodbye, and waved to the children, "Heng'er, Jing'er, Lin'er, let's go home." Pei Heng and Pei Jing obediently agreed, and Pei Lin played tricks, "Don't go home , I want to go with the second uncle!" Squatting on the ground and refusing to stand up.

Mr. Pei coaxed him a few words, but it didn't work.Seeing that his youngest son was determined to play tricks, Third Master Pei smiled brightly, reached out to hug Pei Lin, and carried him on his shoulders, "Lin'er, I can't help you!"

Mrs. Pei carried the screaming little Pei Lin on his shoulders, Mrs. Xu led Pei Heng and Pei Jing, and got off the boat with a smile.

The boat started to move slowly, and Ajiu and his brothers leaned against the window, waving to the shore non-stop.Little Pei Lin wiped tears on Mr. Pei's shoulders, Pei Heng and Pei Jing stood on tiptoes and looked this way, reluctant to part.

Three fathers, three aunts, brothers, the figures became smaller and smaller, and gradually disappeared.

Ajiu sighed sadly, "Sentimental hurts parting since ancient times."

Standing behind them, Second Master Pei didn't know what to say after hearing his little daughter's emotion.

The boat was driving on the canal, and Second Master Pei showed them the scenery along the way, "That's Xumen, where Wu Zixu's head was hung back then. That's the Gusu station, pavilions, platforms, buildings, pavilions, built Very particular."

"Daddy, what are those big characters?" Ajiu asked with relish.

There are stone pillars in front of the gate of Gusu Post Station, and there are couplets written on the stone pillars, but Ajiu can't see what is written.

Second Master Pei couldn't see it either.However, of course he knew what was written on the couplet, "When the guest cooks tea, the guest has the right to be the host, and the lantern is hung so that the moon post booth can reflect the Xujiang River far away." Second Master Pei laughed.

He took care of official duties for his father, Taishou Pei, and had received more than one overseas envoy, so he was naturally familiar with the Gusu station.

Ajiu watched the scenery along the way, and Second Master Pei was behind her answering questions. Ajiu's journey was very pleasant.

(End of this chapter)