Chapter 222: No Distinction Between Each Other

Since ancient times, the thinness of Yulu has not been too bright. In terms of Zhang Yue, the acting official who received the six grades, his monthly salary is ten stones, and it is not all to Lu rice, of which sixty percent is given rice, forty percent is banknotes, and one stone of rice is ten yuan, that is to say, his monthly salary is six stones of rice, and forty yuan of banknotes. According to today's current price of one tael of silver and two stone rice, and ten taels of treasure banknotes, his monthly salary is seven taels of silver, and it is only eighty-four taels of silver a year.

And if such a sum of money is used to provide for the expenses of so many people up and down the Meng family, it will not be able to last even ten days. Although he brought some silver with him when he took office, it was really not enough for such a large family to eat, drink, and chew.

Early in the morning of the next day after settling the Meng family, Zhang Yue went to the prefect's yamen council and lent all his family members to Meng Min to suppress the formation. The three-entry courtyard made a lot of noise all day, and Meng Min finally dismissed most of his family, leaving only a dozen servants and four-room aunts, and a pair of younger siblings. There were more than 20 deeds burned, and the cost of severance was used up to the last bit of money on the books.

"It's really clean this time."

Looking at the empty courtyard and listening to the cries in the rooms, Meng Min couldn't help but smile miserably. The roots of the family were originally in Beijing, where there was a big mansion, in which the family was valuable, there were many servants, and now there were Meng Tao and Meng Fan there. But those two younger brothers, who have not experienced the hardships of the world, are now afraid that they are thundering, how much better can the situation there be? If the Son of Heaven is angry, it may not be known whether the house has been raided.

Although he was used to seeing the faces of those relatives who beat the autumn wind when he was in the countryside, but now that he saw the Meng family, it became what he is today, and Du Juan also felt heavy in his heart. She took the gray sable cloak from Red Sleeves' hand, gently covered Meng Min's shoulder, and persuaded in a low voice: "Sister Min, it's windy outside." You've been up for so many days, so go inside. ”

Meng Min stiffened her neck and turned her head, seeing that Du Juan was looking at her with concern, she forcibly held back the tears that came out of her eyes and nodded heavily. Even so, in a trance, she stumbled when she stepped into the threshold. The red sleeves next to him reached out to help, but he also didn't sleep for many days, where did he have that strength. But the master and the servant fell to the ground together. Du Juan, who was one step behind, hurriedly stepped forward and helped the person to the circle chair in the middle, seeing that Chunying also picked up her red sleeves, she hurriedly rolled up Meng Min's sleeve tube and checked it, because she saw that it was only slightly scratched a little skin, and hurriedly told Chunying to get the white medicine.

After being busy and comforting for a while, it was time for dinner in a blink of an eye. Compared with the usual first-class people who are often chicken, duck and fish, the Meng family's dinner on this day is simple. The people below are all pancakes, slurry and water and other foods bought on Chunshui Street outside. This is sad and panicked, and no one dares to care. Lingxi personally sent a jar of pheasant soup to Mrs. Wu with Qiu Zhen, and Ben also said that he would let the cook in the public house cook some more food and send it over, but Meng Min shook his head stubbornly.

"The Meng family is now taking care of Brother Yue like this, which is already very unacceptable, if even our food and drink have to be sent out of the public party. Let others see it, even if he will fall behind. There are still noodles at home that I prepared yesterday, just go to the next few bowls, just wronged Sister Du, you ......"

Du Juan saw that Meng Min could still think of this joint at this point now. I had more respect in my heart, because I smiled and said: "There are still noodles to eat, what kind of grievance is it?" ”

At that moment, she stood up and went out, and instructed a capable housekeeper daughter-in-law standing under the porch: "Go and order a few bowls of clear soup noodles, add two eggs to your young lady, and put more green onion sesame oil, she hasn't eaten well for a few days." We don't need it, but all the things in this kitchen were brought by a spirit rhino yesterday. Save when it's time to be thrifty. ”

The daughter-in-law was Mrs. Wu's dowry girl, and when she heard this, she nodded hurriedly, hurriedly went down the steps to the kitchen to prepare, and soon brought in a few bowls of noodles with carved lacquer plates. Because Lingxi said that he had already eaten it, he pulled Qiu Zhen in to feed Mrs. Wu chicken soup, and the others ate their own food, and absentmindedly Meng Min didn't pay attention to the situation in other people's bowls.

I haven't eaten a stable meal for several days, and at this time, I have egg noodles in my stomach one night. She finally got some spirits. Wait for the daughter-in-law to take the dishes and chopsticks. Lingxi and Autumn Scar both came out of it again, and she spoke, "Now all the money in the account is used to dismiss the servants. My mother is still sick, so we can't just sit and eat empty, and we can't always rely on Brother Yue's funding. I and the embroidery work of the red sleeves are still passable, a few aunts and the girls around me can also do needlework, can Sister Lingxi go to the prefect's yamen to pick up some embroidery work for us to do? Even a drop in the bucket is better than nothing. When my mother is a little better, let's go to Beijing again. ”

Zhang Yue, who had finished a busy day of official business, happened to be outside the door at this time, and he was quite worried when he heard these words. The Meng family was so rich and noble when they were in Beijing, but now they have been reduced to the situation where the female relatives of the family have to do needlework and sell their lives to survive. Opened the cotton curtain at the door and entered the house, and saw Meng Min and Du Juan standing up to salute, so he smiled and greeted him in return.

Seeing that Zhang Yue seemed to have something to say, Lingxi hurriedly pulled up the autumn mark and said with a smile that it was time to go; Red Sleeves is also a clever person, and he simply dragged Chunying out of the hall. The four girls stood in the doorway, and you looked at me and sighed at the same time. At that moment, Red Sleeves and Chunying went to the ear room, and Lingxi thought that there were still a few account books to be cleared at home, so he simply went back with Qiu Zhen first.

Zhang Yue saw that Meng Min was about to give up his seat, so he hurriedly shook his hand and sat down in the first chair, because he said: "I have inquired about the news in Beijing, Uncle Meng is now in Jinyiwei, although it is to uphold the holy will to dismiss and investigate, but for the time being, he has not suffered much. Danger is danger, but it should not be without any leeway. ”

As soon as he heard this, Meng Min immediately cried with joy, but Du Juan was puzzled. Once he was imprisoned by Jinyiwei, even if he was a prince and uncle, he was just an ordinary prisoner, and his family wanted to inquire about the news, where did Zhang Yue come from? If the British Gong Zhang Fu was still in Beijing now, it might be reasonable, but didn't Zhang Fu go to Xuanfu to train his troops?

Zhang Yue didn't notice Du Xuan's expression, and explained: "Baoding Marquis shouldn't want to save Uncle Meng, but now the emperor is angry, if he rashly pleads, he is afraid that it will be worse, so now your two younger brothers are still living in his house, and my eldest sister and brother-in-law are personally taking care of them, so I am afraid that they will cause trouble." You must know that the emperor has not intended to implicate his family now, and he can't make things worse. As for King Zhao, he was reprimanded by the emperor and is now thinking about it behind closed doors. ”

This was all the news he sent Hu Qi to Mu Ning to inquire, and at the same time, he also asked Hu Qi to report some extremely incredible possibility. Now he is busy cultivating the fields and taking care of the Meng family, so he naturally has no time to care about whether the White Lotus Sect is colluding with a certain vassal king, and he can't investigate this matter. Leave professional matters to experts, which is undoubtedly the best and most trouble-free way. Thinking of what he had just said outside the door, he knew that Meng Min seemed to be weak but was actually tenacious, so he thought for a moment and then opened his mouth again.

"The fourth sister just mentioned the embroidery work, to tell the truth, although there are many officials in the prefect's yamen, but the expenses on this are limited, even if it is the Ling prefect's mansion, most of the embroidery work at home is done by female dependents, and there is generally no need for outsiders. If you really have this heart, fourth sister, and you are not afraid of criticism from others, I know a merchant who has an embroidery shop, and you can send your embroidery there for consignment. After all, this embroidery work depends on the craftsmanship and the mind, and you must be more delicate than others. ”

Businessmen are cheap, this is still a truth in the early Ming Dynasty, not to mention the meritorious heroes of the Meng family. At this time, Meng Min's face was a little pale, but when she thought of her mother's illness was still a bottomless pit, when she thought that the books at home had been cleaned, and when she thought that Zhang Yue had already helped a lot at a critical moment, she couldn't keep bothering people, so she instantly left behind the humiliation of dealing with businessmen.

"There's nothing to be afraid of, it's just self-reliance, and you can't always rely on Brother Yue to live."

Listening to Meng Min's categorical words, Du Juan couldn't help but be moved. Although she has not experienced the current predicament, she thinks that there is only such a way to get along. After seeing Zhang Yue comforting Meng Min a few more words, he immediately went inside to visit Mrs. Wu. When he was about to say goodbye for a while, she found a reason to personally send Zhang Yue out.

The cold wind of the early spring night swirled through the courtyard, and the grass leaves that had just pulled out the buds clung to the cracks in the mud, and the other debris and dust were swept by the wind and flew in the air. Du Juan was only wearing a close-fitting blue satin jacket, and at this time, a cold wind poured her, and she couldn't help but sneeze loudly, and when she was a little embarrassed, two louder sneezes sounded next to her.

When Zhang Yue came, he only hurriedly took off his black gauze hat and official uniform, and casually wore a dist-collared gauze shirt, but he didn't expect that the temperature was lower and the cold wind was stronger this night, and he sneezed a dozen times, and then saw Du Juan looking over with a smile, he couldn't help but show a wry smile, rubbing the few beard stubbles that had just been tied out on his chin and said: "It's too cold, Sister Juan, don't send it, go in." ”

"If I hadn't asked you, I wouldn't have sent you before I saw that Sister Min was too late." Accustomed to each other, Du Juan now speaks with a bit of casualness, so he simply asked bluntly, "I didn't know that senior brother, you actually have such a great ability, and you can still find out the news in a place like Jinyiwei." Although I believe that you won't talk about it, I still have to ask, you can make Sister Min and Aunt Min feel at ease for the time being, but you can't hide it for a lifetime, just don't be self-defeating. ”

"Don't worry, I'm telling the truth."

As soon as Zhang Yue spoke, he saw Du Juan staring at him, as if he had an understanding, and he knew that she was probably guessing something. Having said that, he didn't explain much about this kind of thing that could only be understood and unspeakable, and after standing for a while, he said again: "Before, you guessed that I had already handed over the proper person to investigate, and Mr. played dumb riddles, but I am not good at playing dumb riddles, after all, this is a big deal." Get inside, it's too cold in here! ”

Seeing Zhang Yue smile and turn away, Du Juan only felt that there were countless doubts and emotions piled up in his heart. After standing for a long time, she slowly turned around, but saw that the curtain of the hall not far behind her was raised high, and a thin figure was standing in the door looking at this side, his eyes were a little confused.