Hearing her husband's question, Feng Shi was taken aback and said hurriedly: "Liu Yuan didn't take leave. He didn't go out with you, but came back at the beginning of last month and said that you had spent no money in Quanzhou, and that you had no entanglement, and that you had moved three thousand taels of silver in Yinzhuang, and I sent him to remit the silver to write it off. Ah! According to this, dare he cheat the money to buy an official? ”

Xu Hu jumped up and said, "Needless to say, it must be that bastard who lied." How can I do this? When he was in Quanzhou that day, he came in with a letter, saying that his wife was seriously ill, so he came back first after taking leave. It's really a big dog's guts, Xiaofeng, you go and pass on Liu Yuan's family to come in. ”

Xiaofeng's expression changed greatly when she heard this, and she hurriedly said: "I was asked to call Liu's mother during the day, and Liu Shun's aunt said that Liu's mother went to Quanzhou with Liu Yuan by her grandmother last month and has not come back yet." I'm afraid that my grandmother will forget, and I heard that she is hiding it from the young master, so I don't dare to say more. ”

"Hide? I'm whew, it's the other way around, it's the other way around. Feng Shi was furious, "The good things that these minions have done behind their backs are hateful!" Hurry up and call me to come to Liu Shun's house, and I will ask her face to face. ”

Xiaofeng agreed and hurriedly called someone. Liu Shun's family knew about this and shouted: "Is this worth it?" Are we still washing it clean? ”

The anxious woman immediately ran to Liu Yuan's house and dragged her twelve-year-old niece over, making the girl cry in fright.

Xu Hu was so angry that he couldn't speak, and when he saw them running in in a panic, he slapped the table and shouted: "I've been out for a few days, and you guys have ganged up to cheat, isn't it good to bully grandma?" Okay, give me a hard slap in the face. ”

Feng Shi was angry in his heart, but he still said, "I'm not busy, let me ask first." Then he said slowly: "Sister-in-law Liu, I ask myself if I have always treated you well, why don't you say a word back to me when you know that the couple has run away?" Don't you look down on me too? ”

Feng's eyes are a taboo in the courtyard, whoever touches them will die. The bluffed Liu Shun family hurriedly knelt down and said, "Grandma." I really don't do the slave's business. Last month, Liu Yuan came back, we only knew that he came to ask for silver for the young master, and the next day his family moved out of the covers and cages, and I asked at the time, my sister-in-law said that the young master was in Quanzhou, in Quanzhou. ”

Speaking of this, she didn't seem to dare to continue, Feng Shi said angrily: "You just have to say, it's none of your business." ”

The woman secretly glanced at Xu Hu, who had a dark face, and said tremblingly, "Sister-in-law said." said that the young master married an aunt in Quanzhou, and the master sent a letter back and asked his grandmother to send someone to pick it up. He also said that his grandmother sent out because he was stable, and my sister-in-law also told me not to make a noise, so I was afraid that the old lady would know.

Grandmother! The slave family didn't know that the black-hearted brother and sister-in-law had committed such a stupid thing, and it really had nothing to do with my family. If you don't believe it, grandma just ask the girl. ”

Liu Yuan's daughter cried: "I don't know what my mother did, no one told me." Ask grandma for mercy. When the father and mother come back, let the young master and grandmother fall, and the slave family did not dare to ask for a word. ”

Several maids in the room all watched with bated breath, and this incident undoubtedly hit the seventh grandmother's face hard. Originally because of the inconvenience of the eyes, born in a happy family and was ridiculed and despised, these years have paid more than normal people's efforts, never dare to offend people because of harshness and so on. To anyone is gentle and gentle, tolerant and generous, no matter how big or small, he must bow to him. This is finally the prestige of the lady in charge.

The clay figure still has three points of fire, although the two aunts are not there, you can imagine how they will be sarcastic in the future? Liu Yuan and his wife were too bold this time, presumably grandma would be disappointed, and she would definitely kill the chicken to show the monkey. Not only a few maids thought so, but even Xu Hu thought so.

Feng Shi was angry for a while, and sighed: "I understand that I don't do your business, in short, I am careless." Go back, and don't give me much to talk outside. ”

"Yes." The overjoyed Liu Shunjia breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly pulled the crying girl and kowtowed out.

Feng Shi hurriedly asked the maid to take out the fold of the silver horn and ask someone to inspect it, for fear of being replaced with a fake one. Seeing this, Xu Hu said: "It's impossible, they don't have the ability to propose silver, that's the charter set by the sisters-in-law." ”

Sure enough, Xiaofeng came back and said, "Yes, the excerpt is real." Recently, there was only one account of three thousand taels. ”

Xu Hu sneered: "Do you think that I can soften my heart by secretly buying a fame and begging back?" Xiaofeng, come on! ”

The maid took the pen, ink, paper, and inkstone, and Xu Hu wrote a letter and asked Xiaofeng to take it out and ask the housekeeper to send it to the ministry. Not wanting Feng to shake his head slightly, Xiaofeng understood, so he put the letter in his arms and wandered elsewhere.

Here, Feng Shi said softly: "Husband, I am always to blame for this matter." ”

"How can I blame you?" Xu Hu sighed: "They are so rampant and disregard for kindness and righteousness, even I have to fall into a trap, who would have thought that there would really be people who would not know whether they are alive or dead?" I've seen many unbelievable cases in the past, and I wonder why this person is so confused? was met by himself, Liu Yuan and his wife have been doing things for many years, and they are very shrewd, but they do not hesitate to risk their lives for the sake of wealth and wealth, regardless of the fact that the incident will soon be exposed, which shows that they have figured out our temper. For the sake of the future, they must not be spared this time. ”

Feng asked: "I don't know anything about officialdom, I want him to be a house slave, and if he buys fame and wants to be an official, is three thousand taels of silver enough?" ”

"Not enough." Xu Hu explained: "He changed his name, he didn't dare to borrow the power of our family, with Liu Yuan's own way, according to his way, he would probably get at least 5,000 taels of silver, and if he was lucky, he would be able to get a shortage in 48 days as usual." Hum! I took care of the officials and asked him directly, even if he didn't die, he wouldn't think about it. ”

In the early Ming Dynasty, there was no such thing as donating officials, and in the middle and later periods, for various reasons, some businessmen were allowed to donate a loose official or a prisoner, and they were basically not allowed to be real officials (because there is no absolute in everything), which was an honorary status, and most of them were businessmen in order to let their children and grandchildren better participate in the imperial examination.

However, the act of buying and selling officials has been repeatedly banned in all dynasties, once the crime is found to be very strict, in the early Ming Dynasty, often in the name of recommendation or grace, it is naturally not difficult for the servants of the wealthy family to seek a future, anyway, officials will always come up with all kinds of ways to fill their pockets.

The Manchu Qing Dynasty was unprecedented in this regard, and it was a must for the state to openly sell officials.

Feng said: "Isn't this a waste of money, but it hurts Qingqing's life?" ”

"Well deserved!" Xu Hu sneered: "If you don't get it right, you will be cut by a thousand knives, otherwise, who will know the benefits?" ”

Feng said: "It's not an exaggeration to kill the head with reason, but after all, it is a wife's person, who has been a cow and a horse in our family for several lifetimes, and the crime is not to death!" He Liu's family has been in the family for decades, and he only earned two or three thousand taels of silver, and he deceived me of three thousand, and he himself added two thousand taels of savings. The husband exposed him, and all of a sudden the bamboo basket fetched water, and Liu Yuan and his family had to regret their death, so they did not regret their death, and they would not be able to get ahead for the rest of their lives. According to me, it is better for us to simply admit the bad luck, and we should lose three thousand taels of silver, and fulfill his fame, which can be regarded as the ultimate yin virtue. But if he has a little conscience, he doesn't dare to forget our master, it's a good thing that you reprimand him in a good life, and look at him and regret himself. ”

Xu Hu secretly praised his wife's virtuousness and said with a smile: "I can not pursue it according to you, but the officials can't help but report it." It is virtuous to your woman, and if I am soft-hearted, I will have to bear the charge of conniving at my subordinates and disregarding it for personal gain. Don't say it, lady, I promise you to keep him before he enters the stream, he can't be an official, unless he has the ability in the future, and he must part ways with the Xu family, if he dares to rely on the name of the Xu family outside, take the way of death! ”

"That's what I meant." Feng smiled.

Xu Hu said: "I told you to lose a large amount of silver, and the three thousand taels have to be confiscated." ”

"That's not worth anything." Feng picked up the flute on the table casually, "It's as if we only lost a few hundred dollars in our hands, I don't feel distressed." The husband can't be angry like this, is his clothes sweaty? Why bother? Play me a tune. ”

"It's fine." Xu Hu took it, and when he saw that the two concubines were not there, he asked, "What about the others?" ”

"I've all gone to a corn garden to see the watermelon lanterns." Feng said with a smile: "Blow a 'lotus appreciation' that suits the occasion, I haven't sung it for a long time, let's just do it today." ”

In Yangzhou City, Lu Xiong wore a new set of clothes and asked Wang De to go to Shen's house with his name, and he wanted to go over to thank the banquet in person.

Wang De ran over, Wu came out to open the door, Wang De said, "Madam, my young master is coming to thank you in person." ”

"Ahh

Without waiting for Wu's reaction, Lu Xiong had already arrived at the door, and respectfully gave a deep salute: "Sister-in-law gives food, and I am ashamed to receive it later." ”

When Wu saw people standing outside the door and saluting, how could he not say, "Please come in and sit down?" ”

In this way, Lu Xiong was able to enter the door, came to the front of the hall, and made another move. Wu Shi hurriedly returned the gift, and invited the distinguished guests to sit down again and again, and she went to make two cups of tea herself, and gave them to the master and servant of the Lu family, before sitting opposite.

Lu Xiong didn't squint, and said: "A few days ago, I met my brother in Suzhou, and I talked about the ancestors who were originally world friends and often communicated with each other, but later because the ancestors took their families to take up their posts, the north-south barrier was lost. talked about it that day, it turned out to be a good brother in the Tong family. It's a pity that my brother is extremely modest, and I haven't waited for the friendship of the landlord, my brother has invited me several times in a row, sister-in-law, and my younger brother is really ashamed.

I wanted to prepare some Tuyi to send him, but I came to Yangzhou in advance, so I sent the steward to send the return gift to the Supreme Mansion, thank you sister-in-law for the reward, it is already very considerate. My sister-in-law gave me wine and food. After saying that, he stood up again and thanked him.

As the saying goes, many people are not strange, Wu saw that Lu Xiong was delicate, his clothes were gorgeous, and he was the demeanor of a big family's son, and he saw that he was gentle, respectful and polite, and his conversation was also graceful and graceful, and he was full of praise in his heart, and said that my husband had such a friend, and he did not worry about having no backrest.

Who can be unhappy when they suddenly know a high-ranking official? Wu said with a smile: "Leave the family cold, and give up the generous gifts, I just sent a few delicious coarse dishes, son, please don't say it again, it's really embarrassing." Since the humble husband and the Zunfu have a good family background, they will be considered a family in the future, so please don't be so polite in the future. ”

"Yes, yes." Lu Xiong didn't say anything about obeying orders, and then he gossiped for a while, and politely got up and left. (To be continued......)