Jinling Xu Mansion, Outer Study.

Xu Miaojin and Xu Cuiliu came to sit down without incident, and as soon as they entered the door, they saw Xu Hao's hands crossed on his waist and a few newspapers scattered on the ground, so he picked them up and looked at them, and found nothing abnormal.

Xu Cuiliu asked, "What's the matter, why are you angry?" ”

When Xu Hao saw the two of them coming, his expression softened, and he said stupidly: "Kindness is regarded as a donkey's liver and lungs, it turns out that I have become the culprit of forcing a good family to be a prostitute, how can this be reasonable." ”

The second daughter hurriedly re-read it, and it turned out to be a Yangzhou news, saying that Shen Qing'er, the most famous prostitute in Qinhuai River, is now from Yangzhou, her mother is a widow, and her family is very poor.

When Shen Qing'er was twelve or thirteen years old, she was already bright-eyed and bright-toothed, beautiful and pleasant, and she was a rare beauty, and Widow Shen asked the host of Yuhua Nunnery next door, "I can't open the pot at home, what should I do?" ”

The host smiled: "With this jade man at home, why don't you worry about the silver not coming home?" ”

Widow Shen sighed: "The left and right are just other people's people, the family is poor, and they can't climb the main room of a good family." The emperor is a saint, there are people like Xu Dudu around him, women don't choose concubines, after all, marry a poor child, where will he get rich? ”

"Amitabha." The host smiled: "You want silver beckoning to you, I'm afraid there is no such cheap thing, you are also a Yangzhou person, haven't you heard the saying 'Yangzhou girl, ten people nine singing'?" You are not a descendant of the Confucius and Mencius family, but you are afraid of insulting your ancestors? According to me, Sister Qing is also about to become an adult, she must look good, she must be smart and smart, which one is weaker than others, teach a few songs as soon as possible, and don't worry about no chance. ”

Widow Shen was moved, and said with a smile: "I don't think you are like a master who practices and recites Buddhism, but you are actually a godmother who protects the matchmaker." is a good girl, but she taught her to act. ”

Mrs. Shi said: "I'm for your good, I don't want to, now there are countless famous prostitutes in Qinhuaihe, and the money is gone." Why bother nagging? ”

After that, Widow Shen moved her mind, and within a few days, she actually hired a teacher for Shen Qing'er to learn drama. Shen Qing'er is very smart, in less than a year, she learned dozens of tunes, plus she was beautiful, and she followed the troupe to the capital, and she became famous in a short period of time.

Therefore, Yangzhou Shilin took advantage of the topic to complain that Xu Hao had reduced the number of palace maids. So much so that many poor girls who could have entered the palace to enjoy happiness could only be forced to become prostitutes, so can Xu Hao not be angry?

Even if this is ancient times, it is difficult for women to have a decent job, but the social atmosphere has changed a lot, and it is not a problem to rely on labor income steadily, three meals and food and clothing are not a problem, and it is not good to marry a hard-working husband, and the husband and wife work together to run a small family. It can't be rich and rich, but it can be regarded as a contented person who is always happy.

But apparently Widow Shen was bent on making a lot of money easily, and did not hesitate to let her daughter become a prostitute, and those scholars who had nothing to do were still resentful of why the court did not choose a concubine. It's just a bunch of fools, isn't it the same as those in later generations who are bent on being a junior for big money?

Xu Hao's anger comes and goes quickly, who makes people popular a lot, there is no need to make a fuss about this. Even without malicious thoughts, he simply asked Zhu Gaochi to issue a holy decree to elect all the daughters of these scholars who criticized him into the palace. Let them taste what it is like to be a relative of the emperor.

At this time, the young Xu Yu led Zhong Jing, who was ten years older than him, to walk in, followed by the bride Zou Er.

From afar, I first smelled a strong fragrance, not from the woman, but from Zhong Jing.

Xu Miaojin and Xu Cuiliu smiled and greeted the newcomer who came forward to greet him, Xu Hao didn't say anything, and when his son brought a couple of newlyweds into the inner house, Xu Cuiliu said: "I heard Aunt Ke say yesterday that the bride ran to her and cried for a long time." ”

Xu Miaojin hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Xu Cuiliu said: "Zhong Jing is a stunned young man, probably ugly, he has never been close to a woman, and he married such a beautiful and gentle wife, he can't even wait to eat wine, and he wants to pull his wife to bed." He himself knew that his appearance was not good, and he was afraid that his wife would dislike him, so he blew out the lamp in one breath, and the flowers and candles in the cave room did not need to be detailed, and the woman's family always had to go through it.

After the clouds and rain dispersed, the second girl Zou felt that there was a smell on the bed that was very bad, and she couldn't sleep, she suspected that there were bedbugs on the bed, and sniffed her nose everywhere, guess what? ”

Xu Miaojin shook his head and said that he didn't know, Xu Hao said: "I know, Zhong Jing has three kinds of strange fragrances on his body, breath, body qi and athlete's foot, everyone outside knows this, he can smoke people to death, so the windows of the school are not closed all year round, and the students complain every day." I think it's also a kind of training for them, so I don't care. ”

"How can there be such a grind, really." Xu Miaojin suddenly, "It's strange that when I hugged Yu'er, there was always a smell, and when I asked him, he shook his head with a smile and said I don't know, I also counted him down a few times for this, scolding him for not liking cleanliness and not taking a bath." ”

Xu Cuiliu smiled: "I really wronged the child." That Zhong Jing knew that he had bad breath and didn't dare to kiss his mouth, so Zou Er didn't smell it; I slept with my head because of the smell of my feet, and I didn't smell it through the brocade quilt. At that time, she smelled it inside and out, and found that the outside was much better than the bed, and guessed that it was because of her husband, marrying a fox smelling bed, and naturally she was unhappy in her heart.

Thinking about asking her husband to wash it, at least it can reduce some of the smell, who knows that Zhong Jing is tired, forgetting his shortcomings, the filth in one mouth is the same as eating raw onions and garlic, thinking that Miss Zou Er's nose has also grown up on the incense burner, where can she stand this smoking method? ”

Thinking that she was going to face such a man, Xu Miaojin couldn't help but feel nauseous, and Xu Hao snorted at the palm of his hand and asked, "I don't have a breath, do I?" ”

"Phew!" Xu Miaojin took a sip and laughed.

Xu Cuiliu chuckled: "I'm disgusted when I hear it, don't talk about other girls, I forcibly pressed it down, afraid that the groom would know that he hated him, not as a newcomer's kindness, so I desperately endured it; endured until Zhong Jing fell asleep, and quickly climbed to the other end to sleep, but his feet and mouth were almost the same, and the stomach of the second girl Zou turned upside down. ”

At that time, the second girl Zou wanted to cry without tears, so she sat on the edge of the bed and thought, "I am a clean person, and I married such a dirty thing, it is obvious that the warbler met the cockroach, how can I survive this life?" It's okay, let him bathe every day, ask a doctor for treatment, and make a few more sachets for him to wear, probably able to cover up the past. I'm afraid that my cousin's appearance is as rumored, so what should I do? ”

All girls want to marry a handsome man, even if they are not handsome, they have to meet their bottom line, even if they are in the eyes of their lovers, this is the same as what men think, what they are afraid of is that people don't like it, and their appearance is even more disliked.

At night, the house was dark, and Miss Zou didn't sleep well all night, and she couldn't wait to see his face when the sky was slightly bright. It's okay not to look at it, but I'm scared and cold, and I suspect that I haven't woken up yet, and I bumped into a ghost in my dream.

pinched himself hard, okay, it's not a dream, opened his eyes and looked at it carefully, and immediately cried loudly.

Zhong Jing woke up from his dream, thinking that his wife missed his father and mother, and sat up. Put a thick and black arm on her greasy and white fragrant shoulder, and persuade her daughter-in-law not to be sad and not to cry.

The more he persuaded her, the more she cried harder. When Zhong Jing couldn't stand it and went out with his clothes on, it could be said that the enemy was away from his eyes, so he rested for a while and waited for him to walk into the room. Still crying from the beginning.

Xu Miaojin sighed: "No wonder I saw that her eyes were red and swollen, and it was difficult for a child." ”

In this regard, Xu Hao stood in his son's position and said, "What's wrong with being ugly? The treasure of the ugly wife's family. The same is true of ugly husbands, men focus on ability rather than looks. ”

"Standing and talking doesn't hurt your back." Xu Cuiliu was not happy, and pulled Xu Miaojin, "Let's go, don't pay attention to him, you are marrying an ugly wife?" Hum! ”

Leaving Xu Hao, the second daughter rushed to Huchun Hall, Mu Ningxue was talking to Zhong Jing, they walked into the room, and saw Zhu Qiaoqiao, who had just returned to Beijing, sitting on the head of Zhong Kegu and Wang Xuanqing, talking to the second girl Zou who bowed her head and sobbed.

"If you don't like it, let him write a letter of resignation, I'll call the shots for you, what are you crying about?"

Zhong Kegu hurriedly said: "His father-in-law is about to become a waiter, and he is the most face-saving person, how can he allow his son to divorce his wife?" If you come to the scholarly family of the Zou family for generations, you will definitely not agree, otherwise you would have regretted the marriage a long time ago. ”

The squire is nothing to Xu Hao, but it is different to Zhu Qiaoqiao, and if the squire and Zou Er Girl are compared together, Grandma Zhu's little conscience was immediately thrown away and fed to the dog.

After thinking about it, Zhu Qiaoqiao said: "Since you can't break up the marriage, then you can hold him, let him take a concubine, hook up with the girl at will, don't ask, just be happy." ”

The big guy said in his heart that there is such a persuasion? But it's a good idea to put it on Zou Er's girl.

Yangzhou, Yuhua Nunnery.

Shen Qing'er, who was famous in Beijing, returned to her hometown to worship her ancestors, and the widow Shen, who was dressed in silk and satin, brought two little girls to the nunnery to thank her.

The old host smiled and said, "Didn't you say it wrong the year before last, and you came to the door today?" ”

Widow Shen hurriedly said: "My living Buddha and living bodhisattva! My young children rely on boundless Buddhism, sing well, and make good money, but it's too late to kowtow to you. ”

turned back to Qing'er and said, "Daughter, you should kowtow to the living Bodhisattva." ”

Shen Qing'er really came up and kowtowed with a smile, and the old nun hurriedly took her hand and said: "Sister Qing'er, this is the blessing of your ancestors, so you were born to be such a competitive junior who can sing and play, what is the matter with the poor nun?" Hurry up. ”

Qing'er got up with a smile, and Lao Ni looked carefully and saw that she was wearing a white gray wrinkled silk robe and a vest with a line of pigment satin.

Combed a big braid, but a strand of hair was separated to the top, and the red velvet thread was tied with a braided piece of incense, trembling and holding it, dressed up ingeniously, and felt that the jade smile was fragrant, very beautiful. Unconsciously sighed: "I haven't seen you for a year, and I'm getting more and more marked." ”

At night, Widow Shen didn't sleep well all night, this time she left the troupe, and according to Shen Qing'er's meaning, she made a name for herself in Yangzhou and continued to sing. And the teacher means to continue to stay in Jinling, even if he doesn't go to the sea to be a prostitute, with his Qing'er color and art, some are princes and grandsons, and high-ranking officials and nobles are vying for it, where will it be easier to make money than in the capital?

However, Shen Qing'er wanted to go to Songjiang Mansion, firstly, it was no less than the prosperous capital, where the rich gathered, and secondly, there were relatively few dignitaries and dignitaries, and there were few things to occupy people, and the atmosphere was also enlightened;

Thirdly, for a young and proud girl like Shen Qing'er, in the final analysis, she hopes to wait until she earns enough money and find a wishful husband to entrust her for life, so she doesn't want to be a famous prostitute who can be a husband. (To be continued......)