The weather has been great these days during the Chinese New Year.
Cheng Wanwan’s family makes all kinds of delicacies and puts them in boxes as New Year’s gifts for visiting relatives and friends.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Wu Huiniang and Zhao Dashan took Xiao Zhuzhu back to their parents' home, while Cao Yingying and Zhao Ergou went to Cao's house. Zhao Sanniu was not there, so Cheng Wanwan took her young son to Shen's house to pay New Year's greetings.
The Shen family is not from Huzhou. It was County Magistrate Shen who was transferred here to serve as an official, and the family of three moved here. This is the New Year, and there are no relatives to interact with. The government officials at the door have all gone back to celebrate the New Year on vacation. It seems that the county government is particularly deserted.
Cheng Wanwan took Zhao Sidan with him, and Ninglan was waiting behind him. The three people who came here can be regarded as adding some popularity to the Shen family.
"Wanwan, why are you here?" Mrs. Shen smiled brightly, "It's been so long since we last seen this boy Si Dan. How come he's grown so tall... It's cold outside. Come in and sit down. Come and serve hot tea."
There was a charcoal fire in the room, which was extremely warm. After drinking hot tea, the chill in my body immediately dissipated.
"Anai Shen, recently many people have gone to our village to buy land and build houses." Zhao Sidan said, holding a tea cup, "Brother Zheng said before that he was also buying land in Dahe Village to build a house for Ama Shen to provide for his retirement?"
Mrs. Shen snorted softly: "That boy has a long mouth. After he finished speaking, he stopped talking. Let's forget about building a house... Dongming will go to the capital to report on his work at the end of next year. If there are no surprises, he should He's about to be promoted, but he doesn't have a virtuous wife by his side, and he's already flying out when he's grown up. As a mother, I have to accompany him, and I'll stay wherever he goes to take up a post."
Cheng Wanwan nodded. She was a woman, so there were no restrictions on her promotion. However, there was a very strict process for civil service promotion. Only those with outstanding political achievements could be promoted sooner than once every three years. County Magistrate Shen now has political achievements, so promotion is a matter of time. .
"I'm not worried about Dongming anymore. The main thing is Zheng'er. He's eighteen this year. It's time to find him a wife." Mrs. Shen took Cheng Wanwan's hand and said, "You have a wider vision than me, an old woman. As for Zheng'er's marriage, you, my godmother, have to help with some snacks."
Just as he was talking, the curtain was lifted, and Magistrate Shen walked in. Seeing Cheng Wanwan there, he laughed: "I was also preparing to go to Dahe Village."
He sat down on the seat next to him, took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it over, "This is a letter from my fellow villager in the capital. I asked him to take care of Zheng'er and Zhao'er. He writes letters every now and then." Tell me about the situation of the two children. Everything is going well in terms of studies. No need to say more. This letter mainly talks about Zhaoer's marriage. You, the second aunt, should read it first."
Cheng Wanwan quickly took the letter.
When men write letters to each other, there are not so many pleasantries. They go straight to the point and end it in just a few sentences.
The letter mainly talked about Zhao'er's marriage. Because hundreds of people in Yuncheng were disqualified, Cheng Zhao's reputation spread. Even in the capital, many literati came to compete to make friends, and even got a lot of money. The favor of the capital officials invited him to a private banquet, but of course, Cheng Zhao refused one by one.
If he goes to a banquet, he may be looked down upon by others, but refusing without hesitation can actually make people take a higher look at him, thus making his reputation more prominent.
He looks very down-to-earth, gentle and gentle, giving people a sense of reliability. Many people in the capital believe that he will definitely become a Jinshi. Some even assert that he will definitely be able to take part in the imperial examination, even if he fails to get in. If you are in the first class, you can at least be among the top three in the second class.
As a result, many people asked Magistrate Shen's fellow villagers to act as intermediaries to arrange marriage.
"The year before last, Zhao'er received the imperial gift of Jade Locust. In addition, he has an outstanding aunt from Sui'an. It can be said that he is the most outstanding person among the students of this generation. At that time, Lord Erpinhe wanted to Zhao'er becomes the son-in-law of the He family." Magistrate Shen said with a smile, "The He family has a sixteenth-year-old daughter who is similar in age to Zhao'er. If the people of Sui'an don't have any objections, then..."
"I have an opinion."
Cheng Wanwan refused directly.
Second-grade Lord He, isn't that He Xiao's biological father? He Ling, the eldest son of the He family, is He Xiao's sibling. What kind of good person can he be who can chase the sniper?
If Zhaoer becomes the son-in-law of the He family, he will have to deal with people like the He family. It will be like a piece of white jade entering a big dye vat.
"Are the people of Sui'an worried that the He family's official position is too high and Zhao'er will be overshadowed?" Magistrate Shen said, "The people of Sui'an can rest assured. With Zhao'er's talent and learning, he should be able to enter the Imperial Academy after the imperial examination. Even if you are unlucky, you will still have an official position in the capital, and the daughter the He family wants to marry is a concubine. If a concubine daughter can marry a scholar-bureaucrat with a promising future, in the long run, the He family will be better off."
Mrs. Shen also thinks this marriage is a good one: "The character and upbringing of a concubine from a second-grade official family should be fine, and it will also be beneficial to Zhao'er's future. Wanwan, what do you think specifically?"
Cheng Wanwan shook his head: "The He family is a scholarly family in the capital. This kind of family has been passed down for hundreds of years. It is difficult for Zhaoer to cope with it. Not to mention the intrigues, the relationship between direct concubines and concubines is enough to give him a headache. Zhaoer He is focused on learning, and I don’t want him to waste energy on these human relationships. Secretly, I hope he can build a simple family.”
Looking at her expression, Magistrate Shen vaguely guessed that she seemed to have other worries, but since she didn't want to say anything, he naturally wouldn't ask any more questions.
He sighed and said: "Although the He family is only of the second rank, because Mr. He is a veteran of three dynasties, he has many staff and a wide range of influence in the capital. Even if he refuses the marriage now, after Zhao'er becomes a Jinshi, The He family is afraid that they will also ask the Holy Father to grant a marriage..."
These words made Cheng Wanwan a little worried.
In He Xiao, she has already seen the intrigues of the big family, and the struggle in the court is nothing more than the internal strife between the families. With Zhao'er's character, she will never participate in these. If she really becomes the He family In-laws, Zhaoer's future career is worrying.
She thought for a moment and said, "Then, before the results of the imperial examination come out, decide on Zhao'er's marriage."
She would rather step in and help find Biyu from a small family than let Zhaoer have anything to do with the He family.
Magistrate Shen nodded: "Then I will write a reply to my fellow villager now and ask him to reject all those who want to marry him, and only say that his relatives at home are already making plans. How about that?"
"Then I'll trouble you, sir." Cheng Wanwan stood up, "Today is the day to go back to her parents' home to pay New Year's greetings. Mrs. Lin is from the capital, so she probably has nowhere to go. It's still early, so I'll go to the Lin Mansion. Dan, you stay here to have dinner with Grandma Shen, I will pick you up later."
Zhao Sidan knew that his mother had something very important to attend to, so he nodded in agreement.
Cheng Wanwan took Ninglan to say goodbye and took a carriage straight to the Lin Mansion in Hekou County.
