"Sister-in-law!"
"Uncle, come in quickly!"
Zhu Shenzui entered the door happily. Mrs. Zhang closed the door smoothly and then looked at the dusty Zhu Shenzui.
"Look at the dirt. I'll boil the water. Uncle, you go and have a rest first."
"Excuse me, sister-in-law. By the way, this is the meat I cut on the road, and there is also a fish. Let's cook a delicious meal tonight. Where is Qiao'er? Why haven't you seen her?" Zhu Shenzui was holding the fish in his hand. A piece of meat and fish was handed over, and Mrs. Zhang took it with a smile and said, "Qiao'er is playing on the kang in the house. She has been thinking about you these days. I don't know how happy she is to see you back."
Zhu Shenzui laughed. He also brought a gift to Qiaoer this time. In addition to the same rattle he gave to Zhou Bin when he visited his sister and brother-in-law last time, there was also a pack of sesame candy. Qiaoer would definitely like it when he saw it.
But now that the world is so busy, you have to wash your face and change clothes before going to see Qiaoer. Children have poor immunity, and coupled with the underdeveloped medical science in this era, the child mortality rate is not low. Zhu Shenzui didn't want Qiaoer to get sick due to his negligence, so he went back to his house first, packed up the things he brought back, and then washed himself with the hot water that Mrs. Zhang brought for him. After changing into clean clothes, she took the things for Qiaoer and went to the main room.
Sure enough, as Mrs. Zhang said, when Qiaoer saw Zhu Shenzui entering the door, she was so happy that she stood up from the kang and stumbled over. She hugged Zhu Shenzui's neck and giggled, shouting "Father". !father!"
Zhu Shenzui picked up Qiaoer and raised her up high, making her even happier. After playing with the little guy for a while, he took out the rattle and sesame candy he brought back.
When he saw these Qiaoer's eyes lit up, he used his hands and feet to grab the thing, played with the rattle a few times, then grabbed the sesame candy and licked it, his happy eyes became two slits, and he leaned close to Zhu Zhu. Shen Zhui's cheek clicked with a kiss.
"What are you bringing these for? Isn't it a waste of money to be generous but not real?" Mrs. Zhang was happy in her heart, but she couldn't help complaining. Zhu Shenzui didn't say anything, he just smiled and taught Qiao'er in his arms. How she plays with the rattle.
Mrs. Zhang watched Zhu Shenzui and Qiaoer playing, feeling sweet and sad at the same time.
She suddenly thought of her deceased husband. How nice it would be if her husband were still around! Just like now, the family of three is happy and happy, and this day also makes me feel at ease.
It's a pity that although Zhu Shenzui looks exactly like his elder brother, he is not his husband after all, and the illusion just now is just his imagination.
But she was still very happy when Zhu Shenzui came back. She was a young widow living with her brother-in-law with her children, and she was most afraid of such gossip. Although Mrs. Zhang and Zhu Shenzui both know that even if there is gossip, it is just gossip, but if the gossip really spreads, Ms. Zhang will feel uncomfortable in her heart.
Therefore, when Zhu Shenzui was at home, Zhang, as his widowed sister-in-law and his brother-in-law, treated each other with respect and kept a distance from each other, not daring to cross them at all.
But Zhu Shenzui was not at home, so Mrs. Zhang was relieved. However, within a few days, she couldn't help but worry about Zhu Shenzui, worrying about how he was doing outside and when he would be able to come back. How's the meal? Can you dress warmly? Will anything happen...?
Such complicated emotions made Ms. Zhang not sure what was going on. But today, Zhu Shenzui finally came back. Ms. Zhang’s heart that she had been holding on to in the past few days was relieved. She smiled when she saw him teasing Qiaoer. It seemed that Mrs. Zhang also felt at ease and warm.
After playing with Qiaoer for a long time, the little guy seemed a little tired and fell asleep in Zhu Shenzui's arms unknowingly.
Seeing his lovely niece lying in his arms, Zhu Shenzui did not put her down. He patted her gently with a slight rhythm with one hand, and carefully changed his position with the other hand to let her sleep more peacefully.
"I'm not at home these days, how are you, sister-in-law?"
"My thoughts are with you, uncle. Everything is fine at home." Zhang said with a smile, and then asked: "Uncle is away these days...?"
"It's okay." Zhu Shenzui gave her a reassuring smile.
Zhang did not know about Zhu Shenzui and Wangjiacun's salt smuggling, and never told her. All along, Mrs. Zhang just thought that Zhu Shenzui went out for half a month from time to time to do other things. After all, the lower-level clans are having a hard time. If they could only rely on the salary that has never been paid, I am afraid that all the ordinary clans would have starved to death.
In order to support this family, Zhu Shenzui worked hard, and Mrs. Zhang saw it all. In addition, she is just a widowed sister-in-law, and her brother-in-law is a man. It is not easy for women to find out what men do outside.
"The food and rice at home...?"
"I have already bought it, and there is also coal."
"I brought some money back this time, and I will give it to you later, sister-in-law. Winter came early this year, and spring next year will probably be late. I will try to save as much food and rice as possible at home, and I will buy other things in the next few days. I will wait until later. In two months, our family will have a good New Year."
"Okay, don't worry about this, I'll make the arrangements." Mrs. Zhang nodded, mentally calculating what else she needed to buy at home. If she didn't spend much, she would save the money she had in case she didn't need it.
It's hard to live in a poor family. The family now relies on Zhu Shenzui alone, and Zhu Shenzui is not young anymore and will eventually start a family. Ms. Zhang was thinking that by saving some money in the past two years, she could find a suitable wife for Zhu Shenzui.
After chatting for a while, Zhu Shenzui asked Mr. Zhang if he was not at home these days, if anyone came to see him at home, or if anything else happened.
Mrs. Zhang didn't tell Zhu Shenzui about anything else, but she did come to see Zhu Shenzui. However, Mrs. Zhang just found a reason to send her away according to Zhu Shenzui's instructions. She only said that Zhu Shenzui was not at home and did not tell her where she went.
As for the person who came, he was not an outsider. He was the old housekeeper of the General's Mansion. He came to tell Zhu Shenzui to go to the General's Mansion that day at the beginning of winter.
Hearing what Zhang said, Zhu Shenzui suddenly remembered this matter.
Zhu Minfan, the general of the auxiliary state, and Zhu Shenzui both belonged to the lineage of Jin kings, and their ancestors were also from the lineage of Jiaocheng kings.
However, compared to Zhu Shenzui, Zhu Minfan's title was much higher, and their lineage was separated from Jiaocheng Palace later.
In the fourth year of Longqing, the last king of Jiaocheng passed away, and the princes and princes of the county had been expelled. The lineage of the kings of Jiaocheng was now under the jurisdiction of the lineage of the Jin kings. However, in Pingyang Mansion, General Zhu Minfan, the auxiliary general of the country, was a member of their lineage. The one with the highest title also has the best life.
If calculated based on the genealogy, Zhu Shenzui is Zhu Minfan's uncle, but the two families have little contact on weekdays, and this so-called seniority is just a reflection of the genealogy.
Although they don't interact with each other on weekdays, there are still a few days every year that the clan members still get together in Pingyang Mansion. The organizer is naturally the auxiliary general Zhu Minfan.
According to the custom here, ancestor worship is held on the day of the Beginning of Winter. Zhu Minfan is the closest member of the previous Jiaocheng King lineage, and he also has the highest title, so his family is currently responsible for this ancestor worship ceremony. .
As for ordinary clan members, those who can come can come. It doesn't matter if they don't come. According to the rules, it is just a notice. But although Zhu Shenzui is young, his seniority is not low. Except for a few clansmen from Taiyuan Prince Jin's Mansion, there are not many people of the same generation as Zhu Shenzui in Pingyang Mansion, so from this point of view He said that it was normal for the General's Mansion to send a butler over to invite Zhu Shenzui.
After calculating the time, the day after tomorrow was the Beginning of Winter. Zhu Shenzui nodded and said that he knew it, and he would definitely go. This was not only a party within the clan, but also a good opportunity to inquire about news, and there was also a drink on the day of ancestor worship. The General's Mansion is not short of money for a banquet. Let's go there and have a good meal. How could Zhu Shenzui miss such a good thing?
