The mother and daughter were neatly dressed, and there was no makeup on their faces. Xiao Leshi's face looked a little pale; her body couldn't bear the one-month journey from Xianyun County to Beijing, and it showed on her face.
Minghua was in good health and had no symptoms of motion sickness. The journey was like traveling around the mountains and rivers; apart from being bored in the carriage, she had no other discomfort.
The maid led the way to the old man's study yard. After walking in, he found that many people had come to the house; men and women, old and young. The old man was sitting at the top drinking tea. On the left was Dean Fan Wei'an, one man and one woman at a time. There are two couples, a man and a woman, next to them, and below them are young men and women scurrying away.
"Mr. Xiao, Miss Xiao is here."
The maid is blessed to be honored.
"Minghua is here." Fan Wei'an said.
The old man glanced at him, with a smile in his eyes, but he didn't expect that a little girl would be protected by the second apprentice; all his words meant to protect his shortcomings, it would be a pity not to be a master and apprentice.
"Mr. Hello, Dean Fan." Minghua bowed.
The two young masters and second ladies on the left and right frowned, but the adult teenagers looked at them with interest.
"No need to be polite." The old man introduced them, "These two are Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Minghua. Minghua came to Beijing to become a disciple."
"Mrs. Xiao." The woman next to the father-in-law said with a smile.
The second lady was not to be outdone, "Mrs. Xiao, you have worked hard all the way."
"They are the wives of my two sons. They don't go out of the palace, and they mostly work at the palace to take care of the house."
"Hello, madams." Minghua and her mother greeted each other, one bowing to the other.
The father-in-law and his wife only looked away faintly, and the second lady covered her mouth and smiled, with disdain in her eyes.
Minghua didn't think anything of this attitude, but it was towards her mother; it was inevitable that she would feel dissatisfied.
The second lady asked jokingly: "Where is Miss Xiao's home?"
"My home is in Xiaojia Village, Xianyun Town, Shuzhou."
"We have never been to that place. We would like to visit it if we have the chance. Is it a fun place? Is there anything interesting there? Why didn't you bring some interesting things for us to play with when you came to Kyoto? "Carelessly, this is just a little village girl with no confidence.
Just as Minghua was about to speak, her husband said: "It's not easy to go to Xianyun Town to see it. When I go back to Chongcheng, I will take you and your family with me. It just so happens that there is a magistrate from Xianyun County, so I will go and have a good time." No matter the qualifications. When we get to the place, the second-in-command can do whatever he wants, and he doesn’t want anything. He extends his hand to the first-time customer without any shame."
The second lady never expected that the old man would be so merciless when he spoke, so the second man of the palace hurriedly stood up and bowed.
"Father, don't listen to what a woman says. My son is staying well in the capital, and he still needs to be filial to you in the house." The second master secretly glared at his wife, really he couldn't recognize her at all? Embarrassing people in front of their father.
No matter what the mother and daughter are here to do, whether it is to play in the autumn breeze or to be a serious apprentice, what does it have to do with them, it is just that the son of the family has poor qualifications and cannot get into the eyes of the old man. Why be jealous? She must be blamed for giving birth to a stupid son.
"Your eldest brother is here." The old man said again: "You have been in Beijing for decades and have not achieved much. It's time to go out and experience. Xianyun County is a good place. Minghua is smart, self-possessed, and well-organized. It can be seen that he is a child-bearing person." A place with good seedlings. When you go to Xianyun County, just look for more talents for the imperial court. I will tell your fourth senior brother that you can set off after Minghua becomes a disciple."
The fourth line is Xu Shoufu.
Knowing that he could not change the decision made by the old man, the second old man stopped saying nice words to beg for mercy and sat down in his original position; his hands were clenched into fists hidden in his wide sleeves, his face remained calm.
The father-in-law and his wife looked at each other and looked away. After this incident, everyone here understood that they should not provoke the mother and daughter of the Xiao family, otherwise the second master would be their fate. My husband would sacrifice his own son for Xiao Minghua. They, his grandchildren and servants, must have done a better job.
"We have finished getting to know each other, please take your seats." The old man stood up and walked towards the dining table on the left, while the female family members walked towards the dining table on the right.
Minghua followed her mother to the house of the women, but was stopped by Fan Wei'an, "Minghua, come here."
"Dean Fan." He glanced at Dean Fan across the street, and then at his mother. He couldn't let his mother deal with a group of women alone.
Xiao Leshi nodded slightly to her, "It's okay, mother can handle it, go ahead; behave well and don't let Dean Fan lose face. This is also a chance to gain a foothold."
"Then be careful." Minghua nodded and walked towards Dean Fan.
Dean Fan led her to the men's table. When they arrived, the old man asked Dean Fan to sit next to him, and his son sat on the other side. Then Minghua sat next to Dean Fan, and then everyone in the palace Grandchildren.
It can be seen that Dean Fan's position in the heart of the old man is clear.
"When we get here, we'll live like our own family." The old man said to Minghua before eating.
Minghua nodded in agreement without any hesitation.
Only then did the old man call for dinner. He ate and slept silently at the dinner table. After dinner, Minghua accompanied the old man to talk to Dean Fan, the father-in-law and his children and grandchildren, while Xiao Leshi was pestered by the female relatives. I stayed there, mostly because I wanted to win over him.
I don’t want to win over and I don’t want to offend.
The second wife was the only one who could hold back her eyes until her eyes turned red, because she made her husband go out of Beijing with just one sentence. Her parents knew better than to scold her, and even with her husband, her life was not easy. Her sons would probably complain about her talkativeness. She didn't know that a country girl could be so valued by her husband.
Besides, who is she saying these things for? Not for the sons.
The second lady was full of anxiety and dissatisfaction, restless; compared with the person next to her who was chatting with Xiao Leshi, she had a low aura.
"Minghua has a lot of shortcomings in poetry. These days, Chongcheng has been giving her pointers. As an official, not only is she proficient in poetry and poetry, but she must be able to dismantle capable groups, otherwise she will suffer a lot in the examination room." Is ginger still hotter than old? My husband asked a few questions and then explored her depths.
Fan Wei'an stood up and bowed in response, "I just have some free time these days, so before the fourth junior brother comes to claim his apprentice, I will teach him on his behalf for a few days."
"It should be like this." The old man thought more.
We cannot let the second disciple live in desolation for the rest of his life. If Minghua is a kind person, he will definitely treat him kindly. Without the name of master and disciple, but having the actual status of master and disciple is the best way.
"Grandpa, can my grandson go? Sister Minghua was born a child at such a young age; my grandson is still studying Zhouyi, and I don't know when he will be able to leave." The eldest male heir in the eldest house spoke.
The old man smiled and said, "You can go if you want. Your second uncle's knowledge back then was first-rate. It's your honor to have his guidance. You too, go if you want. Chongcheng! My grandchildren I'll leave it to you, give me as much advice as you can, and if you can't train me, just give it to my teacher."
