Ordinary clear day

Chapter 81 Concubine

In the spring of the 30th year of Kangxi, Guangzhou.

More than a year has passed in the blink of an eye, and the spring has just started, and the air still has the chill left over from winter. It has been raining for a few days, but a warm wind blows from the south, and the most troublesome return begins. Southern wet weather.Everywhere in the city is wet, and water seeps through the walls and doors of the house, which makes people feel very depressed.

Shuning Xu is already 12 years old, and Tong is over 35 years old. Xianning is no longer a little baby crawling around, but has grown into a little kid who can walk, run and be mischievous.A letter from Beijing has just arrived. The old man greeted his friends in the army years ago. In autumn, Duanning was sent to the camp in the west of Beijing to practice.

Zhang Bao is now a man of the fourth year, and he has done very well in political affairs. Not only have he been excellent in the official performance examinations for two consecutive years, but he also awarded the [-] outstanding local officials who were awarded by the imperial court during the New Year. Identity is among them.Most of these twenty officials are local officials, and the leader is Jackie Chan, who is favored by the emperor.Zhang Bao's entry into the list can be regarded as earth-shattering.

In fact, Zhang Bao knew it in his own mind. It may be that when he wrote to Yuheng the year before last, he indirectly proposed to Chen Liangben to rebuild the government-run postal system, so that Master Chen made another contribution, and only gave a little reward to the original proposer.

Zhang Bao thought he was worthy of this award, so he accepted it graciously.Chen Liangben didn't have any feelings about the Earl's Mansion because of Wanning's matter, and he wrote to Zhang Bao last year, asking why he proposed the government-run post office.

Zhang Bao generously replied that it was his youngest daughter who was thousands of miles away from his elder brother and complained that communication was inconvenient, so he remembered the Xiangjun postal service recorded in the history books.Afterwards, he and Chen Liangben occasionally exchanged letters, and when the Earl's Mansion in Beijing noticed it, he realized that the third son was no longer an object that could be ignored in the past.

Sitting on the couch in the upper room, Tong frowned and meditated while reading the letter from Beijing.Shu Ning came in from the outside to salute her mother, and then asked, "What is Er Niang worried about?" She glanced at the letter in her mother's hand, "But the letter from Beijing the day before yesterday? Is there anything wrong?"

Tong smiled and pressed the letter under the book at hand, and said, "What's wrong? Er Niang is just thinking about our family going back to Beijing in half a year." She looked at the water red dress her daughter was wearing. Silk satin gown and lilac-colored embroidered vest, said with a slight smile: "My daughter has grown a lot taller now, and she is even taller than my mother's shoulders. Did you do the embroidery on this vest yourself? It seems that Master Zhong Taught you very well."

Shu Ning said with a smile: "Master Zhong's teaching is good, but it's too strict. Not only must the stitches be even, but even the threads on the back are not allowed to mess up. If the 'water path' on the embroidery pattern is a little bit crooked, she will Just tell me."

Tong Shi nodded her forehead: "If the master was not strict, how could you do so well now? You should thank her."

Shu Ning smiled a little embarrassedly: "My daughter also knows, so she has always followed the master's instructions. Now I am embroidering the picture of 'Spring Blossoms', which is full of three feet square. complain."

Mrs. Tong asked, "Have you finished embroidery?" Shuning shook her head, "There are still a few flower bones." Mrs. Tong smiled and said, "When you finish embroidering, I'll ask someone to inlay it and make it into an embroidered flower." Screen, put it at home to watch every day, okay?"

Shu Ning waved her hand: "Forget it, I'm just trying to embroider. If you let experts see it, you'll laugh your ass off. I'll talk about it later when I really embroider a masterpiece. What's more, I'll leave in half a year. Why bother with such a heavy screen. "

Tong Shi nodded, and said again: "I see that you are doing a good job of embroidery now, and you don't need Master Zhong to teach you every day. She told me yesterday that she was just pregnant and wanted to quit her job and go home to raise her baby. I have already promised, you will work hard on your own in the future."

Shu Ning had heard about it a long time ago, so she should say that she knew about it.The mother and daughter wentssip again before Shuning went back to her room.

As soon as her daughter left, Tong took out the letter again, sighed, and continued to worry.

This is a letter from Beijing, written by the old lady, but not to her, but to Zhang Bao.Zhang Bao loved his wife, so he showed her the letter.

There are mainly two things in the letter.One is that Zhang Bao has scored excellent in the civil service examination for two consecutive years. After half a year, his term of office will expire, and he will definitely be promoted.She said that the gift to send back at the end of the year, enamel and ivory carvings are very expensive, but not as affordable as real gold and silver, and the 3000 taels of silver ticket is not a small amount.Although there are some difficulties in the mansion, Zhang Bao needs these more to find a future, so that he doesn't have to send them back.

Every time Tong sees this place, she can't help curling her lips. She's about to leave. Naturally, she won't give any new year gifts. What is she saying these words for?Has the Earl's Mansion ever had any difficulties?Both Jinbao Rongbao have been promoted, the business of the second bedroom is booming again, the mansion is making money every day, and it is even more prosperous than before. Doesn't the old lady know this when she looks at them in Guangzhou?I'm afraid it means that the third son has benefited, so don't forget about the family, right?

The other thing mentioned in the letter is Tong's current troubles.The old lady hinted that Zhang Bao was almost 40 years old and was about to be promoted to the fourth rank. It was outrageous that he had no one to wait besides the main room. His wife was not young, so he had to find someone to help her It's good to share the housework.His sister Fuli's husband's family has an adopted daughter who just turned [-] this year. Although her family background is lower, she was raised as a young lady.The old lady wanted to tell this girl to Zhang Bao as the second wife, and asked him what he thought.

Zhang Bao himself had no idea. He had seen this girl before. Her biological father was a soldier of her brother-in-law Na Ride’s father. He died trying to save his boss, so the old man adopted his orphan and raised him as his own daughter. After his death, the girl lived with her foster brother's family.In my impression, she has been very juicy since she was a child, and she is indeed knowledgeable and courteous, but Ride had long wanted to marry this girl to a high-ranking official as a marriage, how could she be a concubine for a fourth- and fifth-rank official?So Zhang Bao didn't take it seriously.

But for Tong, although it is impossible, it is also a warning.After a few years of silence, the old lady once again thought of placing someone in the third bedroom.It is conceivable that if this marriage is not successful, she will send a trusted girl to serve Zhang Bao in the name of "making up for it".Now Sanfang is much richer than before, Zhang Bao and Tong's couple both want to hide their real property and don't want to be divided by others.Once an outsider enters the house, this kind of thing can't be hidden.

Tong thought about it, and always wanted to find a longer-term solution, otherwise she would not be able to push it a second time.There was a vague idea in her mind, but she couldn't make up her mind.Just when she was worried, Suyun came into the room and reported: "Grandma Rong sent someone to return the gift, saying that it was the jade pendant and medicinal materials that Mrs. Xie sent earlier."

Grandma Rong is the big Liu family. She married a man named Rong Zhi last year as the main wife.Although Rong Zhi is 40 years old, looks a little ugly, and has not married a wife for a long time, but he is an upright person, treats his wife very well, and the husband and wife are loving, Da Liu is five months pregnant.

Tong ordered someone to accept the gift in return, and asked the person about Da Liu's situation, and then sent her away with a top-notch reward.When she sat down again, she thought of Mrs. Liu.

Little Liu did not follow her sister to her new brother-in-law's house, but continued to stay at her uncle's house, but her uncle passed away at the end of last year, and she lost her sister's support, and her life became more and more difficult. Her aunt had already arranged for her by force. The meaning of marriage.

I don't know if Mrs. Liu can help me?

So Mrs. Tong wrote a post and ordered people to carry the sedan chair to invite Mrs. Liu to be a guest.

In less than half a day, Mrs. Liu came, and the two chatted for a while, and Mrs. Tong noticed that the other party was wearing a worn-out robe, and the cuffs were slightly worn.When Xiao Liu saw Tong looking at her clothes, she shrank her hands in embarrassment.

Mrs. Tong said: "Your aunt is going too far. You are going out as a guest, but you don't even have any better clothes?" Little Liu said with a shy smile, "My sister-in-law wants to leave relatives, so I borrow two decent clothes. Yes. I thought I was at home all day, and it was nothing to them. Please don’t take offense if I’m rude in front of you. "

Tong Shi sighed, and said, "You are just too soft-tempered. Your sister repeatedly asked you to move in. Why are you so determined?"

Little Liu shook her head: "When I was in the Shen family, my sister was better off than now, but I was in their house, and my sister suffered a lot of gossip. Now that my sister has finally found a good home, why should I gossip again?" Involve her?"

Mrs. Tong pondered for a while, and asked, "You still don't want to remarry now?" Mrs. Liu shook her head.Tong asked again: "Did you read the letter I sent you the day before yesterday? Your parents-in-law have passed away now, and your Xiaobao lives with his aunt. I heard that the situation is very bad. Have you ever thought about it?" Take your son to yourself?"

Xiao Liu's eyes turned red when she heard the words: "Why don't I want to? But now I'm not in Beijing, even if I want to, there's nothing I can do." After saying that, she wiped her tears again.

Mrs. Tong got up and walked back and forth in the room for a few times, then summoned up her courage and said, "Sister Liu, don't be offended by what I said. Would you like to marry into our house as the second wife? We will be back in half a year. Jing, you go back with us, and you can see your son again."

Little Liu was taken aback, and was stunned there.Tong Shi took a step forward and said, "You know our master's character, and I'm not a difficult person to get along with. When I return to Beijing in the future, I'll ask someone to take your son over. You just agree."

Xiao Liu's face turned red and then pale, white and then red, and she said intermittently after a long while: "I...I never thought about it...and, besides, I don't want to marry another man. My family's...he... he……"

Mrs. Tong knew it well, and hurriedly said: "If this is the case, it's okay to just have a false name, as long as you occupy the title of the second wife." Xiao Liu was surprised again.

Tong said bitterly: "I won't hide it from you. In fact, my mother-in-law wants to marry our grandfather, but our husband and wife are unwilling. I'm worried that if she puts someone who doesn't deserve her in, my children and I will be angry. But we don't have a concubine in our family, so it's really hard to refuse. I've known you for a few years, so I know what kind of person you are. If you really don't want to, it's just a false name. I can use you to reject my mother-in-law's arrangement , you can also settle down in our house from now on, and when you return to Beijing in the future, you can take your little treasure over. Your aunt is not willing to raise a son for you, and she will definitely not reject our family when the time comes. "

Xiao Liu's expression was very complicated, and Tong could see that she was not indifferent, so she said softly: "I know this is too sudden, no wonder you hesitate. If that's the case, go home and think about it for two days before replying how do I?"

Xiao Liu nodded slowly, then got up and said goodbye.

Tong Shi sat there full of thoughts, and her daughter pulled her younger brother to play with her, but she also felt bored.Seeing her like this, Shu Ning thought she was doing housework and didn't want to disturb her, so she took Xian Ning to the east room to teach him how to read.

After dinner in the evening, Zhang Bao discussed several business matters with Mr. Su in the study, and Mr. Su left.Tong Shi walked into the study and saw Zhang Bao rubbing his eyebrows with his hands, so he asked him: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with your business?"

Zhang Bao reluctantly smiled and said: "It's nothing. By the way, the Sichuan Tiandi Council made chaos a few days ago, and the government arrested many people. I heard that some of them fled to Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou provinces. The governor's office has ordered martial law. You should try your best recently. Don’t go out less, and the family members should be stricter.”

After Tong's hearing, she hurriedly asked for details, and Zhang Bao reassured, "I just heard that some gangsters have entered Guangdong. I don't know if they will come to Guangzhou. Just be careful when you go in and out. Don't take it too seriously."

Tong Shi was a little relieved, hesitated for a while, and told Zhang Bao what he said to Xiao Liu Shi today.

Zhang Bao was stunned, and his face was a little livid: "Isn't this harmful? Why didn't you ask me first, and then make up your own mind?!"

(End of this chapter)