After lunch, not only Zhou Ma was leaving, but Ma and his family were also preparing to leave.
Ma sent her eldest sister out first. When they were leaving, the two sisters happened to hear the sound of strangers talking in the yard next door, and they couldn't help but look curious.
Hai Jiao hurried forward to take a look, and then came back to report: "It's someone from Zhoujia Zhuangzi who came to see Jin Jiashu. He was talking to his cousin in the yard."
Zhou Ma immediately understood that his sister had given him an excuse to refuse to transfer the village. The young man who survived the murder had really attracted the people from Zhoujiazhuangzi. She hesitated for a moment, then walked over quietly and looked around for a few times, then immediately turned back with a hint of joy on her face.
Ma thought her reaction was weird: "Sister, what's wrong with you? Don't show such weird behavior in front of the children." It's so disrespectful! It will make the grandchildren misunderstand the upbringing of their Ma family.
Zhou Ma didn't understand her sister's thoughts at all, and just told her in a low voice with a smile: "Well, I saw the old military advisor and his youngest son. They have all been recruited. When I go back and talk about it, the woman will never dare to mention it again." The matter of building a workshop in Ebiezhuang will not be mentioned until at least next year."
The old military advisor was over seventy years old and had been her father-in-law's confidant when he was young. After her father-in-law returned to the rear to recuperate, he recommended this old man to his young nephew, Marshal Zhou, and the old military advisor assisted Marshal Zhou in many military exploits until he retired ten years ago when his body could no longer hold up. , Retiring in the Zhou family's village. He has two sons, five grandsons, one son-in-law and three grandson-in-laws who are still serving in the army. The younger son's family stays at the farm to take care of his father. As long as his health permits, the old military advisor will go to Chang'an City to visit Marshal Zhou and Zhou Shigong almost every month.
The old military advisor had always been dissatisfied with Madam Ma for persuading her husband to retreat to the rear, and was even more opposed to her teaching her stepson to read and learn literature while neglecting riding and shooting. Without his full support, it would have been difficult for Zhou Ma's son to follow the traditional route of family members and join the army like his uncle. Instead, under the arrangement of his step-grandmother, he had followed the old path of his father and brother and studied for the imperial examination since childhood.
Mrs. Ma can rely on her seniority and good reputation to make decisions in front of others, but she cannot put on airs in front of the old military advisor. Although she had been favored and trusted by her husband in the past, Mrs. Zhou was always more willing to listen to the opinions of her confidant, the old military advisor, on many matters.
After the death of the old man, Mrs. Ma became lax and acted quite inappropriately. Others thought of her former benefits and tolerated her. Only when the old military advisor went to Chang'an again, although he would not see the widow of his old boss, he always advised Zhou Shigong not to let his stepmother mess around. Filial piety is not such a filial law. Occasionally, He would also remind Marshal Zhou to keep his clan members in check. Whether Zhou Shigong listened or not was his own business, but Mrs. Ma was really a little scared of Marshal Zhou. She was deeply annoyed by the old military advisor, but no matter how angry she was, she couldn't get angry at him. This old man has a high prestige among the Northwest Frontier Army and the Zhou clan, and it is not something that Mrs. Ma can defeat with just a few gossips.
Therefore, as soon as Zhou Ma saw the figure of the old military advisor, he felt that he was in a stable situation. Although she didn't have the courage to ask this elder to see her, after all, the elder didn't have anything good to say about her, but she knew that Zhou Shigong would never blame her for refusing to transfer the ownership of the other village this time.
Zhou Ma said goodbye to his sister happily and left. Ma sent her eldest sister off, feeling a little depressed, but because she was in a hurry, she had to tell Aunt Cui: "Go tell Chang'an's wife that we are ready to leave." He then told Hai Jiao, "Go and take a look at your appearance. Uncle, do you want to greet the guests? Once the guests leave, we have to set off quickly, otherwise we won’t be able to enter the city after dark! "
Hai Jiao and Aunt Cui responded. Haitang thought that she had nothing to do, so she followed her brother to watch the fun, leaving Ma alone to talk to the maid named Caixia.
When Haijiao Haitang rushed to the courtyard where Jin Jiashu lived, Xie Wenzai was sending the guests out. The brother and sister could only obey their cousin's instructions honestly, saluted their elders, and then followed Xie Wenzai to send the guests out of Zhuangzi.
The old military advisor was still in good health. He seems to have collaborated with Xie Wenzai before and they have a good relationship with each other. The two talked about the murder case, but did not mention it too much in front of the Hai family brothers and sisters. However, the old military advisor promised Xie Wenzai that he would send trustworthy and skilled people to protect the injured Jin Jiashu, lest the killer hear the news about the survivors and come to harm Jin Jiashu.
Haitang and Haijiao looked at each other, feeling in their hearts that their aunt was very lucky this time.
Haitang also noticed with keen eyes that the old military advisor had been holding a folded piece of paper in his hand. There was a faint line of ink on the back of the paper. It looked a bit like the painting she gave to her cousin Xie Wenzai with the words "Longevity and Worry-Free". ” is printed with the word “zhou” on the paper. Did your cousin give the paper to the old military advisor? Why? Does the veteran military counselor know what these two seals mean?
Haitang thought again that these two seals came from the mysterious letter. My uncle just took the old military master and his son to Jin Jiashu's yard. Have they persuaded Jin Jiashu to hand over the secret letter?
She actually missed the big event in the yard next door because she was busy listening to her aunt and grandma's family!
Haitang couldn't help but feel a little annoyed. After Xie Wenzai sent the guests away, she immediately came forward and asked in a low voice: "Cousin, have you persuaded Jin Jiashu to hand over the letter? What was written in the letter?"
Xie Wenzai smiled and patted her head: "It's getting late. If we don't go out, we won't be able to advance to Chang'an City in time before the city gate closes. Hurry up, we can wait until we get home to talk about anything."
If you leave the Villa now and want to see Jin Jiashu again in the future, it will be difficult to get information from him! The village is so far away from Chang'an City, so it's not a place that half-grown children can walk to when they go out for a stroll.
Haitang was dragged away by Haijiao with some worry. Seeing that the younger sister was unhappy, the latter comforted her: "It's okay. Brother will come over to see Jin Jiashu when he has some free time someday. I will definitely find out the inside story from him!"
Haitang glanced at her brother helplessly and said nothing. Of course Haijiao can go out as she pleases, but what worries her is her inability to move!
However, it is difficult to find out the secrets about Jin Jiashu, but it is much easier to find out the news about aunt Zhou Ma.
Haitang quickly cheered up. She did not get into her carriage—the carriage was temporarily left at the villa for cleaning because it was stained with blood. All the clean luggage and items in the carriage were moved to other carriages. Haitang got into her grandmother Ma's car, and she could chat with her to pass the time on the way.
Mrs. Ma was very happy to have her granddaughter as her companion during the trip. She told Aunt Cui: "Take Caixia, her daughter-in-law, and eldest granddaughter to the back of the car. You should tell them in advance what they will do after entering the city, and take the opportunity to inquire about the latest news from the Zhou family."
Aunt Cui nodded knowingly, then took the maid named Caixia, her daughter-in-law, and granddaughter to the back of the car.
Ma turned around and got into the car, and said to her granddaughter with a smile: "Tangtang, our family doesn't have to worry about no one to take care of us this time. Grandma will send you a girl soon."
Haitang was not very interested in the girl. She wished that there were no strangers around her, otherwise it would be inconvenient for her to do anything.
She put aside the topic for the time being, hugged her grandmother's arms affectionately, and asked in a low voice: "Grandma, what's going on at my aunt's house? Who is her step-mother-in-law? Why do their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fill in the house? She The step-mother-in-law has been able to oppress the aunt for decades? It was obviously her step-mother-in-law who bullied others, but everyone actually said that it was the aunt who was wrong. Isn't it so unreasonable?! Is it because her step-mother-in-law's son became a high official? Or... …Her daughter married into some palace in the capital?"
(End of chapter)
