Gui Da has a son named Gui Tang, who hired Xia Yuanji's niece as a room, and the two are generally old, both are fifteen years old, and they have not yet completed their marriage.

Today, Guitang was ordered by his parents to go to the Xia Mansion with gifts. The Xia family is not so much a mansion as a private house, with a total of more than a dozen rooms in the front and back, the family adds up to less than ten people, and the furniture has been used for at least ten years. There is not even a decent antique porcelain in the house, all ceramic clay pots.

The ancestral home of the Gui family and the Xia family are in Dexing, Jiangxi, several generations of good families, after the death of Xia Yuanji's father in the early years, the life of orphans and widows was extremely difficult, and Guida had devoted all his money to the Xia family.

Xia Yuanji likes the clever Guitang very much, and because he has no daughter, he married his younger brother's daughter; Xia Yuanji lived a simple life, and his younger brother even only had two stones of rice to give when he came to Beijing, and the silver that helped the Gui family was borrowed from Xu Hao.

Xia Yuanji stayed in Guitang for dinner in the evening, sat in the house and talked about housework, Guitang said: "My father has called the grandmother surnamed Sun to death in the past few days, and my mother was very anxious that day, and she was so anxious that she was sick. I borrowed money and couldn't borrow it, all the clothes and jewelry at home were finished, and there were still a lot of accounts owed at the door, what to give to others?

Fortunately, my uncle helped solve the urgent need, and in the past few days, my colleagues have given my father a meal, and this family has invited wine, and I am homesick and poor, how can these favors be good? ”

Xia Yuanji said with a smile: "Good boy, you can know that Lu Dao is anxious for your father, it can be seen that you have grown up." Your house Xu Dudu promised to ask for three thousand taels of silver, and paid back the account, and the rest was used as a coil. When your family returns to Beijing in the future, the house will still remain, and this year the imperial court is brewing to raise the salary, and then we will have plenty of money, and we will pool the money to buy the house back, and Xu Dudu will not raise a tael of silver. ”

Gui Tang said movingly: "In the end, it is Xu Sange who is noble, but he connived at the people below to lend usury." Confusing. ”

Xia Yuanji said: "You are wrong to blame the governor, how can he know the sneaky deeds of the people under the Dao?" The nine sons of the dragon have their own advantages, not to mention the subordinates. ”

Gui Tang said: "At the beginning, my father mistakenly believed Zhu Gao's words, thinking that his relatives would not cheat people, but he was almost ruined, so in this way, Third Brother Xu didn't know, so I had to ask for an explanation." ”

Speaking of which, the Gui family and the Xu family are indeed related to each other, it turns out that Zhu Qiaoqiao's biological mother is the daughter of the Gui family, and she entered the palace as a palace maid in her early years. was given to the Qin Wangfu by Comrade Lao Zhu.

In the past few years, as Guida entered Beijing to do the main work, they have been in touch with each other. And Zhu Qiaoqiao's mother died early, and she has never received any favor from her mother since she was a child, so she doesn't take her uncle's family very seriously, but she has never missed normal etiquette.

It is because of this that Zhu Gao has a friendship with Gui Da, and Xia Yuanji dares to borrow money from Xu Hao's hands to the Gui family. It can also be explained that this is a normal human relationship, otherwise Xia Yuanji would never speak.

Xia Yuanji groaned, the reason why Guida and his wife knocked out their teeth and swallowed blood was that it was difficult to say why they borrowed money. Second, it is hindered by Zhu Gao's status in the Xu family. However, Gui Tang, as a junior, doesn't need to have too many scruples, it's good to tell this matter, and some subordinates of the Xu family and the Mu family are really too disagreeable, and continue to release official accounts so unscrupulously. Sooner or later, the Xu family itself will also have to be affected.

It was Xia Yuanji who said: "In this way, let your uncle and mother accompany your mother to visit the old lady at Xu's house tomorrow, and then you will rush over." It's up to you to improvise. ”

Let's say that Guida ate wine at home in the same year, and returned home in the middle of the night, and the housekeeper Du Er picked him up and got out of the car, and walked all the way back, who gave gifts, who invited wine, who recommended long-term followers, who recommended friends, one by one.

"Today Zhu Ye is here, saying that tomorrow the master will be invited to his house for dinner, when the white lady will discuss the matter of the silver, grandma Sun will also go over to accompany him, please make a decision. The little one doesn't know if this sentence is true or not, but Zhu Ye's words can't be believed. ”

Guida said: "Grandma Sun mentioned it once, whether it is true or not, I will go tomorrow, if it is a light piece of silver, I will write it down, and the province will sell the house." If it is still the same as the previous interest, I will never do it. ”

Du Er said: "According to the little feelings, the master doesn't have to go to his house tomorrow, and the master can't deal with such a coquettish guest." It's better to spend a few more days and think of other ideas to return him. If Grandma Sun comes to the door, the little one will say that there are villagers and old men who are preparing silver for the master, and it will be in hand in three days, and your silver is not necessary. If Grandma Sun really said one or two cents of interest, the lord will write it immediately, and you will be deceived by the bureau again when you go tomorrow. ”

Guida suppressed the temptation of the beauty and nodded: "That's it!" I'm not going, you take it for me. I also had a few friends who were discussing borrowing money, but now that I have been promoted, there will always be one or two places that will agree to borrow money, and if I can borrow 1,600 taels, I will quickly clear the short bill. If someone comes again, you will say that I am very busy, and my wife's body is not well, so everything is inconvenient. ”

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, Xu Hao and his wife returned home, Mu Ningxue accompanied her mother-in-law to lunch, and Xiao ordered the housekeeper Xu Gui to come in.

Xu Gui is a standard family child, his father was the second housekeeper, and his mother was the dowry girl of the old lady. Xu Gui is very trusted by the old lady and the Xiao family because of his steady personality and careful work, and after Zhu Qiaoqiao went to Liaodong and no longer held the power of the housekeeper, the Xiao family recommended him to his daughter-in-law.

Xu Gui, who was in his forties, came in to say goodbye, said hello to the young grandmother, and stood aside with his hands down.

Xiao Shi said: "The palace has already handed over the land, and the Zongren Mansion has come a few times, you have to go to the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites and other yamen to handle the approval." In addition, there are also drawings of the house, deed paper, internal and external general ledgers, relatives of the title deed, house deeds and other miscellaneous things, all of which will be handed over to you. You take the master's post to meet Lord Yang of the cabinet, Lord Xie and Lord Xia of the household department, and discuss with them face-to-face, you don't have to ask us girls about everything, anyway, you and Xu Hai are in charge, and you can't be wrong. But how much money will be spent, you have to think carefully. ”

Mu Ningxue brought over the rosewood box on the kang table, which contained the documents and other related things from the palace, and handed them to Xu Gui one by one.

Xiao instructed: "You can do it with confidence, if you need anything in the long room and three rooms, I will say it myself, and when everything is decided, let Hao'er sign and draw it." ”

Xu Gui said: "When the family was separated, the bases of the two mansions were all the money taken by the young master, and even the money for repairing the house and building the garden was also the young master's silver. Mrs. must explain to the eldest wife and the third wife face to face this time. Now that the family is separated, the money spent will be repaid according to the account in the future. ”

Xiao Shi said: "I know that you have opinions below, there is still a lot of ingenuity over there in the long house, and there is no shortage of silver." And there are two sons in the third room, how much money does your young master give to his younger brother? So it's superfluous for you to worry about him. ”

Xu Gui said helplessly: "One gift is tens of thousands of taels, alas! The brother still settles the account, the young master's hand is too scattered. ”

Sending away the unwilling Xu Gui, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other and smiled, speaking of which, as a woman, she was even more concerned about money. Who wants to give their money to others for free?

But the problem is that Xu Hao's money has too many sources, and people don't go from the books at all, and it seems that there can be a large amount of flying silver outside the account anytime and anywhere, and no one can do anything about it.

Xu Gui went to his house and opened the box, took a few important documents and brought them with him, and locked the rest of the box and handed it to his wife to keep.

came out to summon his henchmen and a few doormen that Xu Qingtang relied on, because Xu Hao didn't care at all, almost none of the people around him participated. Only Zhu Gao was greedy for a lot of benefits and volunteered to supervise.

Zhu Gao came with Sang Xinshan, and Grandma Sang and Zhu Gao also had a leg, because Zhu Gao wanted to share some benefits.

Xu Gui said to everyone: "The new mansion is related to our family's century-old luck. From the selection of the land to the sketch, we can't take it lightly, thanks to the old lady's attention, entrusted me with full authority to handle this matter, and the fifth young master and I did not dare to dictate it. We need to work together.

Because of the favor of the saints, the mansion allocated 30,000 taels of internal currency, and after preliminary estimates, the total amount of silver needed was at least 100,000. If you want to cultivate it no less than here. You probably have a number in your heart, maybe you can't hold 200,000 taels of silver, and the savings of the house for the previous year are only 10,000 or 20,000. Therefore, even if the house is built, the treasury is probably empty, so it needs to be able to save as much as possible. ”

Not to mention that they were slowly discussing, Mrs. Gui and Mrs. Xia came to Xu's Mansion together, and Mrs. Gui also had the meaning of resignation.

The servants came on horseback to inform first, and then the sedan chair arrived. Zhu Shun, the husband of the second housekeeper Sixi, arranged for the cattle to be driven into the stable, and the wife's sedan chair went all the way into the inner house, allowing the sedan chair drivers to rest in the outside room and prepare meals, tea, etc.

Shu Erniang asked Sister-in-law Ye to go in and let her know, and Zhu Qiaoqiao took a group of maids and mothers-in-law to welcome people into Qianshoutang.

Later, Guitang came on his own horse, and Lao Zhao heard that Uncle Gui was coming, so he quickly told Zhu Shun, and Zhu Shun went to the Hanging Flower Gate in person, and the sisters-in-law inside listened to it and went to Qianshoutang to go back to his wife.

The old lady was feasting on the two ladies, and she was very happy to hear it, and told her daughters-in-law to invite Uncle Gui in, and the daughters-in-law on duty agreed with a smile.

Zhu Qiaoqiao said with a smile: "Years ago, I repeatedly invited my brother to come to his house for a visit, and he was embarrassed to say anything, but he came uninvited." ”

Although Mrs. Gui said that she was a generation older than her, she didn't dare to take advantage of the elders' shelves, and hurriedly said: "There are some things around him, and he was in a hurry, but I said that Heng Zhi would come to resign." ”

As he was talking, the sisters-in-law followed Guitang in, knelt down and kowtowed to the old lady, and asked a few wives to say goodbye, and had to say hello to the sisters-in-law.

Because of Zhu Qiaoqiao's special status in the Xu family, even her relatives are most valued by the Xu family, for fear that the lack of etiquette will make her unhappy, so she does not treat the Gui family as an outsider.

Guitang is fifteen years old this year and has not yet married, so there is no need to be taboo in a group of female dependents in Qianshoutang. Xiao Shi liked him very much, and said, "Put a chair next to me, and the two of us will talk." ”

Seeing this, Mu Ningxue said: "I will eat with Cuiliu on the kang table, and let Uncle Gui sit here." ”

Xiao Shi said: "It's okay, you two accompany the old ancestor." ”

The maids then moved Mu Ningxue and Xu Cuiliu's seats, replaced them with carved lacquer chairs, and lifted everything such as the dishes, chopsticks, and dishes they had used to the kang table, and replaced them with fruits and vegetables.

Zhu Qiaoqiao deliberately asked, "Are you here to ask your wife's peace, or are you here to find me?" ”

Gui Tang said: "My brother first asked my mother to say goodbye, only to know that Lu Dao came here, I wanted to come and worship the elders, but my cousin has always loved me, if there is something I will come here specifically." ”

Zhu Qiaoqiao sneered: "You don't need to say good things." By the way, how is your father? ”

Guitang hurriedly stood up and said respectfully, "Father is very good. ”

Xiao Shi chuckled and said: "Brother, don't be rude, you don't pay attention to her, you have to find out the stubble if you have nothing to do, sit down and let's talk." ”

In this way, Guitang sat down again, and he answered whatever Xiao asked, and his mother, Mrs. Gui, looked at it with a smile, and her heart was very happy. And Mrs. Xia looked very restrained, looking at everything luxurious in the Guogong Mansion, everyone was covered in silk, satin, gold and silver, and her smile was a little bitter.

Xia Yuanji, as a household servant, is enough to eat at home, but he has to think about buying a few new clothes for the New Year. Although Mrs. Xia respects her husband, after all, as a woman, if she is willing to live a poor life, she is naturally deceiving herself.

Xu Hao, like most people, respects honest and capable officials throughout the ages, not without thinking of helping, but the principle of people is too strong, and they refuse to accept any funding other than their income and legal income.

Therefore, it can only be rewarded through Zhu Gaochi's roundabout, even so, it is not enough to reward more, Xia Yuanji will wonder why this is?

Besides, many civil officials like to seal up all the things they are rewarded, and when they look at their homes, wow! This is a big clean official, so the reward is also a white reward, he doesn't spend it! (To be continued......)