Cheng Wanwan knew that the Cheng family was very lively these days.
The threshold of her place was almost broken, let alone the Cheng family. A golden phoenix appeared in the ravine. You can imagine how big a sensation it caused.
She heard that the governor of Yuncheng was rewarded with one thousand taels of silver, the magistrate of Huzhou was rewarded with 500 taels, and Magistrate Shen of Ping'an County was rewarded with 200 taels. These silvers were all given directly to the Cheng family, and some landlords and squires were trying to negotiate with the Cheng family. Thanks to the connections, they all donated generously to help Cheng Zhao settle down in the capital.
However, Magistrate Shen and Patriarch Cheng had told him not to accept gifts from merchants, as this might bring disaster to Cheng Zhao.
Chief Cheng naturally did not dare to ignore Magistrate Shen's words. The clan held several meetings and prohibited any Cheng family member from using Cheng Zhao's name to make money. If anyone dared to do so, he would be directly expelled from the Cheng family tree.
After hearing about this incident, Cheng Wanwan felt relieved. As long as nothing happened to the Cheng family, Cheng Zhao would not be held back.
But the Cheng family came here today, and she didn't think that Mrs. Cheng was here to pay back the money. An old lady who was accustomed to exploiting her daughter who married outside her home would never be able to take the initiative to pay back the money.
Cheng Wanwan walked to the living room and saw that everyone in the Cheng family was there. People from the second and third bedrooms in the big room were all there, chatting in the hall.
As soon as she came in, the hall automatically became quiet.
Sister-in-law Cheng couldn't help but said: "His second aunt, you should already know about Zhao'er becoming Huiyuan. Oh, I really didn't expect that our Zhao'er is so outstanding and is the number one scholar in the country. We, the Cheng family, are really ancestral. The smoke is burning, my stomach is really full of energy..."
"What are you talking about? Let's get down to business." Old Mrs. Cheng glared at her, then turned to look at Cheng Wanwan warmly, "It's about to take the imperial examination. If nothing goes wrong, Zhao'er will definitely become a Jinshi. Then and Situ The wedding at home should also be put on the agenda. Zhao'er has been studying since she was a child and doesn't understand anything. We elders still have to go to the capital to help arrange the marriage, so I want to go there in advance. But the mountains are high and the roads are far away, and walking is definitely not possible. Take a carriage... A carriage costs twenty or thirty taels of silver, which is too expensive. There are so many people in our family, so we have to buy three or four of them. How can we afford to spend more than a thousand taels of silver given by the adults? It is better to keep the money. We are organizing a wedding for Zhaoer, Wanwan, don’t you think so?”
Cheng Wanwan understood.
This is to borrow a carriage from her house. There are two carriages for her own use at home, and four carriages are purchased and transported by the workshop. There are so many people in the Cheng family... there are really many people, two old people, three people in the house, and eight adults. There are more than a dozen children in total, and it would take at least four carriages to sit in them, so they are eyeing her.
The two elders of the Cheng family and Cheng's eldest brother and sister-in-law went to the capital, and the second and third bedrooms also dragged their families with them. When there are too many people, it is easy to cause trouble. Isn't this causing trouble for Cheng Zhao for no reason.
Along the way, when we arrived in the capital, the results of the palace examination happened to be announced. A newly promoted Jinshi was stared at with many eyes. At this time, the Cheng family went to the capital with their whole family. I don't know how many people raised eyebrows.
She spoke slowly: "After you go to the capital to arrange Zhao'er's marriage, when will you come back?"
"Why are you coming back?" Sister-in-law Cheng said carelessly, "My son is successful and has become a high official in the capital. Naturally, as a mother, I will follow him to enjoy the blessings."
"That's right!" Uncle Cheng followed, "For more than ten years, the Cheng family has provided for him to study. When he becomes successful, he will naturally have to take care of us. If he is an official in the capital, then we are also from the capital. From now on, the three members of the family will I plan to hand over more than ten acres of land to the clan for farming, and just collect some rent every year."
Sister-in-law Cheng San nodded: "Our Rui'er is as smart as Zhao'er. We went to Zhao'er and asked Zhao'er to take him to study and become an official in the future."
Others talked about the arrangements for going to the capital.
Cheng Wanwan felt her scalp numb.
A young man who had just arrived in Beijing was not capable of raising such a large family.
But if Zhaoer refuses, it will be a great act of unfilial piety and the Cheng family will drown him with saliva. Zhaoer cannot know about this.
She paused and said, "Zhao'er's studies have indeed cost the Cheng family a lot of money over the years. Of course you can follow the past. The Cheng family has changed from a mud-legged person to a capital citizen, so it can be regarded as a change of family, right?"
Old Man Cheng slapped his thigh: "I'll just say it's feasible. Old lady, you still insist on not allowing so many people to follow you, for fear of causing trouble to Zhao'er. Wanwan thinks it's feasible, then there's no problem!"
Cheng Wanwan once again looked at Mrs. Cheng with admiration. At least there was an understanding person in the Cheng family, so this matter would not be difficult.
"Zhao'er is getting married. My family members are going to attend the wedding. There is nothing to say. I just need to think about my future livelihood." Cheng Wanwan said slowly, "Even if Zhao'er becomes the number one scholar this time, the court will not arrange it." Residence, that is to say, you have to buy a house, but the Cheng family only has more than a thousand taels of silver now, and they can't buy a small yard in the most remote place in the capital. Then they can only rent a house, not a small yard. With so many people in the Cheng family, well, at least Sanjin Hospital. It is said that the monthly rent of Sanjin Hospital in Beijing is hundreds of taels..."
"Zhaoer's salary as an official can only support three or four people, so the others have to fend for themselves. If you don't have land, just do business. I don't know if business in the capital is easy... Don't think that you can do it in the capital. Acting in Zhao'er's name, there are first- and second-grade officials everywhere in the capital. If you accidentally offend a high-ranking official, it will affect Zhao'er's career..."
"Things in the capital are also expensive, and food and clothing are much more expensive than in the village. You can't save money by eating too poorly and wearing poor clothes. Wouldn't that be embarrassing for Zhao'er? If you think about it, a dozen or twenty people a day Living expenses cost three to four taels of silver, which is one hundred taels a month..."
She made a calculation and was so frightened that Old Mrs. Cheng stood up suddenly.
The Cheng family only had more than a thousand taels of silver in total. They spent a lot on the way to the capital. If they spent more on the wedding, how much would they have left to settle down?
The old lady looked back at the room full of people. Her sons were all farmers, her daughter-in-law was a farmer's wife, and although her grandchildren were literate, they didn't know how to do business. If they went to the capital, there would be no way to make a living. Twenty people. , relying on Zhaoer to support him alone?
Now that Zhaoer has not officially become an official, he needs to take care of everything. He has not yet figured out the path in the officialdom, and his spirit has been dragged down by people like them.
No, absolutely not!
Mrs. Cheng immediately spoke: "This time for Zhao'er's wedding, the old man and I and the people from the big house will go. The others will stay at home."
Sister-in-law Cheng had no objection to this. She was originally unwilling to have so many people stick to her son, but because her son had spent too much money from the Cheng family over the years for his studies, she had no position to refuse. Now that the old lady said this, she I felt relieved, and even looked at Cheng Wanwan with pleasure.
Cheng Er's sister-in-law immediately exploded: "We are Zhao'er's closest relatives. Why can't we go? We are all one family. Why should the eldest brother and sister-in-law go to the capital to enjoy their happiness? We have to stay in the village to farm. If I had known, Zhao'er would not be allowed to study in the first place. Got it!"
Uncle Cheng nodded vigorously: "Zhao'er said he wanted to repay our family, why should he only repay my grandparents? Aren't my uncles and aunts human beings?"
"It's not that I won't repay, isn't Zhao'er just starting out now?" Sister-in-law Cheng said with a smile, "When Zhao'er gets rich in the future, he will definitely repay everyone in the Cheng family..."
"No, who knows how long we have to wait!"
"You guys want to get rid of the second and third bedrooms, don't even think about it!"
"Either we go together or we don't go at all!"
"..."
"Shut up, everyone!" Old Mrs. Cheng slapped the table, "What, my mother-in-law's words are useless?"
