The people at home today are members of the Zheng family's family in Beijing. Zheng Hao pointed them out to her one by one along the way: "This is the pavilion my grandfather built when he was an official in Beijing. He is good at wine and sometimes eats here alone." liquor."
Li Shu saw that the pavilion had eight corners and was not the traditional vermilion one, but a blue-gray pavilion with white jade steps. It was very elegant. She smiled and said, "Then you can also invite your friends in the future." Come over for a drink.”
"I have no friends." Zheng Hao said lightly.
Li Shu tilted her head and looked at him, feeling a little incredible. It would be okay if she had few friends, but Zheng Hao had a very good character.
Seeing Li Shu's expression of disbelief, Zheng Hao said: "I have been studying in the temple for three years, where can I make friends?"
It turned out that she was asking for credit from herself. Li Shu lightly punched him: "It's true."
Zheng Hao felt relieved when he saw that she was much closer to him.
The elders of the Zheng family were also gathered together. Mrs. Zheng was sitting at the top. She was wearing a few strings of Buddhist beads in her hands, but she seemed very calm. Mrs. Zheng didn't lower her lips yesterday, and Mr. Zheng was sitting upright, not knowing what he was thinking.
In addition, Master Zheng's cousin Zheng Rong and Rong's second wife were occasionally whispering.
He went to the door and shouted: "Uncle and grandma are here."
Li Shu and Zheng Hao came in together. They probably said a few words on the way, and their expressions became quite intimate. Li Shu glanced at the people around her and had a rough idea.
The servant brought a futon and bowed to her. Lishu kowtowed several times respectfully. When she got up, someone brought tea. The new daughter-in-law wanted to serve tea, and after serving it to her parents-in-law, she gave it to Mrs. Zheng.
She was actually very happy, because before the Liu family, little Fu and she always seemed to have some unjust reputations because of their mother. Now everything is legitimate, she got married smoothly, and there was nothing bad.
It seemed like she was finally a normal person and could live a normal life.
The elders of the Zheng family all gave gifts. Mrs. Zheng gave her a phoenix with spread wings, six sides inlaid with jade and seven treasures and bright gold steps, and the filigree on it shone brightly.
"It's a little early for me to say this, but if Brother Hao succeeds in the palace examination, then you will be the wife of a Jinshi. This is an old thing we used to take out. Now we can't find anyone with such craftsmanship."
Lishu saw that the shining gold pieces were as thin as cicada wings and indeed looked very well made. She quickly felt blessed and said, "Thank you, grandma."
Mrs. Zheng handed her and Zheng Hao a red envelope, and gave her a pair of bracelets with a hundred sons' wishful thinking pattern. Li Shu didn't know how much money the red envelope contained.
Mrs. Rong'er gave her a pair of white jade fish rings, and Lishu thanked them one by one.
After the ceremony was completed, the men, including Zheng Hao, all went out, and Li Shu presented her needle and thread. What was given to Mrs. Zheng was a pair of forehead wipes, a four-color purse, and a suit of shirt and skirt made by herself. The Buddhist dharma and Bodhisattva embroidered on it were all embroidered by Li Shu herself.
She also gave eight pairs of shoes each to her parents-in-law. She did not install the soles of these shoes herself, because that would hurt her hands. But she made the uppers of the shoes, and she also embroidered the embroidery on the shoes. Otherwise, she wouldn't be so tired.
As for Mrs. Rong's second wife, she only had silk threads of several colors, and the same was true for her cousins and younger siblings, Mrs. Tan.
She is new here, the others like Cui and Tan are
It's been longer than her,
Li Shu sat down and didn't dare to talk rashly. The only person she is familiar with is Mrs. Zheng.
But it doesn't matter. The population of the Zheng family in Beijing is very simple, and it takes almost no effort to deal with it.
Mrs. Zheng introduced to Li Shu: "This is Brother Qing's daughter-in-law. You recognized her yesterday, right? Her father is the prefect of Changzhou and he is also very good at fine calligraphy. You and your sisters-in-law can keep in touch with each other more in the future."
"Yes." Li Shu smiled at Mr. Tan.
Tan was dressed very gorgeously and elegantly. She wore a pink spring shirt with a milky white tube top, and underneath was a stretch silk skirt of the same color with gold accents. Her hair was combed into a bun, and there were many flowers and green hairpins on her temples, which can be said to be full of pearls and greenery. She wore a few rings on her slender jade fingers, which made her look even more wealthy and romantic. She was a pretty person.
But Mrs. Tan also looked at Lishu. Yesterday there were many people, and the bride's face under the hijab was just white with powder. When she saw it today, it was really extraordinary. Mr. Liu is young, with glossy black hair. He is very energetic and intelligent. His eyebrows are as light as spring mountains, his eyes are like autumn waves, his appearance is like that of a king, and his face is like that of a Chunv. Noble and elegant.
She is different from the kind of beauty that is just gorgeous. She looks firm with eyebrows and is a very independent person.
Mrs. Tan stepped forward and called out again: "Sister-in-law."
Li Shu stood up and returned the greeting: "Brother and sister."
As a new daughter-in-law, you should keep quiet from the beginning, listen to what the elders are saying, and don't interrupt easily.
Mrs. Zheng then asked her daughter-in-law Mrs. Zheng Li: "After all, Brother Ze still hasn't caught up. It's just that the place where they live needs to be cleaned up. Your sixth uncle only has such a son under his knees. Your sixth uncle left early, and only the remaining The two of them are husband and wife. He is quite promising. He married one wife in his early years and then lost it. Now he has married another wife while he is in office. He always brings his grandmother and sister with him, which can be regarded as a sign of filial piety."
Of course Li Shu doesn't know who this Brother Ze is? In her previous life, she never married into the Zheng family and knew nothing about it.
But as a member of an aristocratic family, Lishu also knew that the entire family, some prominent and some not, had to take care of their clan members. The emperor had several poor relatives, let alone them.
Then I heard Mrs. Li say: "My daughter-in-law knows, and she will take Brother Hao's daughter-in-law and Brother Qing's daughter-in-law to clean up later. I don't know if it will suit their wishes."
Mr. Li has always been very cautious and does not speak easily. Mrs. Rong Er is a person with no scheming ideas. When she heard Zheng Ze's name, she couldn't help but said: "Sister-in-law, don't you know that the man Ze brother later married was a tea merchant in Datong Prefecture, Shanxi? He also ran a lot of North and South goods stores. , he is the richest man in Shanxi!"
Mrs. Zheng suddenly muttered: "Are you marrying a merchant girl?"
As soon as she said this, everyone curled their lips. A family like the Zheng family would rather marry a poor girl from the Cui family of sixth grade than a merchant girl.
Lishu was not so sectarian. Nowadays, the children of merchants could still gain fame through the imperial examination, and the imperial examination also allowed the children of poor merchants to come forward.
After hearing what her mother-in-law said, Ms. Li smiled and said, "Brother Ze still has two sons and one daughter left behind. He is always looking for a wife who can do more work."
Of course Li knew why Zheng Ze married a merchant girl. It was not for any other reason but simply because Zheng Ze loved luxury. Zheng Ze's father died suddenly while taking office. Zheng Ze won the imperial examination at the age of thirty-six. He was originally appointed as a county magistrate in Shanxi, but this time he also went to Beijing to wait for the post.
She wouldn't say these words out loud, she would only say them in a roundabout way, but she didn't feel it in her heart.
I don’t think it’s bad for Zheng Ze to do this.
Now Lishu and the other daughters-in-law could only listen. Anyway, it had nothing to do with them. Fortunately, Mrs. Zheng said a few words, and then said to Lishu and Tan: "After three months, the water on Jinmingchi has also melted. Then you young people should all go out and play. Don’t stay bored at home all the time. It’s not good if you get sick from being bored.”
Lishu and Tan both said they didn't dare and wanted to stay at home.
Mrs. Zheng nodded, very satisfied, and said that Qingming Festival was a big day and she had to go to the temple to do the Taoist temple.
Li said: "Old lady, I think you are old and don't need to travel hard. Let me take them this time. Aunt Six will be here in a few days. You and your sisters-in-law have not seen each other for several years. Well, why not talk more."
Mrs. Zheng agreed, and after a while, she felt sleepy. Li took Li Shu and Tan out, but she did not ask them to clean up Brother Ze's house. Instead, she said to them: "This year is the official inspection of Beijing, and many of our tribesmen will go to Beijing." , I won’t stop them if they have a house, but most of those who come to us, I will arrange them in the guest room in front. There are many people, and the old lady is used to being quiet there. If anything happens, don’t disturb her, just come back to me. That’s it.”
"Yes, mother." Lishu understood clearly that Zheng Ze's family was probably not a good person. Mrs. Zheng was old, and it would be bad if someone said something in her ear that made the chickens and dogs restless. Furthermore, after all, the Li family is the head of this family.
In the previous life, Mrs. Li agreed and Mrs. Zheng had some objections, but Zheng Hao still married him without hesitation.
For this reason, Li Shu also felt that her mother-in-law was a good person.
Tan also quickly expressed his position.
Mrs. Li smiled and said: "Brother Hao's daughter-in-law, you are a bride. There must be many things you don't understand. Mother Gong next to me has been sent to your place. You just need to ask her."
"Okay." Li Shu agreed.
Mrs. Tan was surprised because her mother-in-law said the same thing when she entered the house, but she rejected it. Of course, she refused very tactfully, even though she didn't dare to take away the people close to her elders, her mother-in-law certainly didn't force her.
Mother Gong is about fifty years old this year. She has a smile and seems to have a good temper.
After Lishu took her back to the courtyard, she asked Zhulan to give a first-class envelope to Gong's mother: "I am young and don't know how much reward is appropriate. I finally want to give you some joy. Don't be too dissatisfied."
"Look at what grandma said, who would dare to think that what you gave is too little?" Mother Gong pinched the red envelope, and there was two hundred dollars in it. This was a first-class envelope, and she knew it in her heart.
When the two of them came in together, Mother Gong wanted to say something without Li Shu talking about it. Only when she told her about the family affairs, would the eldest grandma trust her when she was new to the house.
Little did she know that Li Shu stood still: "It's the first day I've come here. I got up early in the morning and am no longer energetic. Tomorrow, Mother Gong will come to my place and we can talk properly."
Gong's mother was startled when she saw this, but she was an old servant, so she still knew this point of propriety, so she resigned first. It's just that she thought that this eldest grandma was a smart person and accepted me in front of my wife, but she beat herself up behind her back, which made her feel unhappy. If she wanted to hang out with her, she would have nothing but trouble.
When Li Shu came in, she first met several people who were serving in Zheng Hao's courtyard, and each of them had a reward.
It turns out that there are four girls serving Zheng Hao, two rough and two waiting in the room. Of course, these waiters are not
He is a roommate, but on weekdays his clothes need to be ironed and washed, and he needs someone to serve tea and water. There were two more attendants and two boys outside.
It is not wrong for a maid to have the desire to cling to her master, but the prerequisite is that the master is willing. If the master is not willing, it is a taboo for her to deliberately seduce and drug her.
Now Lishu has brought four girls as dowry, and two other families as companions, so she has no shortage of people to take care of her.
If they are responsible for their duties, they should be kept around to serve them. When the time comes, let them go out to mate and find a good husband for them. If they are not responsible, they should be kicked out first.
In the final analysis, if a man doesn't have the heart, it's useless to give him away. If the man has the heart, no matter how hard you try to prevent it, it will be in vain.
"Listen to the snow and watch the appreciation."
Li Shu said.
Tingxue took the prepared red envelopes and rewarded everyone who went up and down the yard. While they were kowtowing, Zheng Hao came back. Hearing that Lishu was giving rewards, he emphasized again: "In the future, when I am not at home, you Serve grandma just like you serve me."
Li Shu welcomed her in, and in just one day, Zheng Hao became very accustomed to the role of her husband.
For example, as soon as he sat down, tea was at hand. It was different from the tea he usually drank, but it tasted delicious after taking a sip.
"This is sweet-scented osmanthus, sesame and smoked bamboo shoots brewed into tea. "Shen Nong's Materia Medica" records: 'Injury is weak, it nourishes the five internal organs, strengthens strength, grows muscles, and fills the marrow and brain.' For people like you who use their brains, I will brew it without permission. When drinking such tea, Ge Hong of the Jin Dynasty said that sesame seeds can make the body shiny and make white hair black. If you don't like it, just say it and I will make something else for you." Li Shu looked at him and said.
Zheng Hao said: "It tastes very good. By the way, I went to the ancestral hall with my father just now to write your name on the family tree."
Li Shu felt relieved.
She asked again: "You are going to have your imperial examination in a few days. Do you want to go study?"
"It's okay. No matter how busy I am, I still want to spend time with you. Today is the first day of the wedding." Zheng Hao said seriously.
Li Shu was happy again: "You are so good at talking."
She was isolated at home, and she lived alone for a long time. At home, she was often criticized by Li Zhen, and everything she said was sarcastic. Li Rou silently sided with Li Zhen, but she didn't expect that Zheng Hao valued her so much.
Zheng Hao took a folding fan, put it against his chin, and asked her curiously: "How do you spend your time on weekdays?"
"Except for sleeping in the morning and dusk, life in Jining is easy. Whenever I take a break, my father will take my mother and our sisters out to enjoy the mountains and rivers. At home, I play the piano, write, and help my mother with housework. Back to Beijing , there are poetry gatherings and flower banquets, and we play on the swing at home on weekdays. In short, I envy your husband’s family very much, and I can go wherever I want.” Seeing that Zheng Hao was very easy-going, Li Shu said these words.
Zheng Hao said: "I'll just take you out from now on. In fact, I haven't been to too many places. I study every day. Once I sit down, I can't get up."
Who among young men doesn’t want the sky to be high enough for birds to fly and the sea to be wide enough for fish to jump?
Li Shu covered her mouth and smiled: "In the future, you will be busy with paperwork, and it will be inconvenient to go anywhere."
A few people can easily do it for officials.
The two talked about a few poems, Li Shu became interested again, played a piece of music, and the two had lunch together.
Li Shu just started talking about the business: "The old lady said that 'Brother Ze' is coming. Is he a relative of yours?"
Zheng
Hao smiled and said: "Brother Ze, the fourth brother, is the only son of Liufang. His grandfather once served as the Minister of the Ministry of Industry. Unfortunately, the old man of Liufang died too early. As soon as he was appointed as the chief minister, he disappeared. ()"
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Li Shu leaned on the couch, and Zheng Hao came over and hugged her directly. The two of them lay on the bed talking.
Zheng Hao smiled and said nothing: "What should I say?"
He was raised under Mrs. Zheng's knees, and of course he knew that Mrs. Zheng was a somewhat well-behaved person, not to mention her sixth uncle, who liked extravagance and enjoyment.
But he still said it, and Li Shu said: "No wonder I heard them say that your fourth brother Ze married the daughter of the richest man in Shanxi."
"This is not good. Merchants value profits. How can we, the descendants of the Zheng family in Xingyang, marry a merchant's daughter? It is not good to lower the family lintel in this way." Zheng Hao said.
Lishu knew very well that just like Liwan married the second wife of the Zeng family, although the second brother of the Zeng family was engaged in business, he was also from a scholarly family, and there were two high-ranking officials in the Zeng family, so her grandmother agreed to marry her. If they were just pure businessmen, even if they were as rich as the country, the Liu family would not marry their daughter.
This is also based on family status. I don’t know when I can break the stereotype.
The two of them whispered a few more words. During dinner, the meal was served at mother-in-law Li's place. She and Tan served Li Shi together. Li's body is cold, so he drinks tonic soup all year round. There are four soups on the table, and the dishes are also light, such as steamed lamb.
When she was at home, Mrs. Fu often asked her to help with bone removal and cooking, and now she is very familiar with everything.
Originally, Mrs. Tan came in first and did not do badly. She was as beautiful as a peach and plum, tall and literate, and was considered quite smart. But here comes Li Shu, whose family background is higher than hers, who is even smarter than her, who is better than her in acupuncture, chess, calligraphy and painting, and who is more considerate in serving her parents-in-law, but she is outclassed.
After the two of them served Li's meal and went back together, Mrs. Tan smiled and said, "I didn't expect that my sister-in-law could cook so well for the first time."
"Oh, I feel relieved if I can be praised by my siblings. But I think it may not be because I did well, but because my mother is generous." Li Shu smiled, not getting carried away, but very modest.
Mrs. Tan thought that Mrs. Liu was really impeccable. She glanced at Li Shu again and wanted to say something. The two of them were not very familiar with each other, so she finally shut up.
It's not that she and Li Shu are in love with each other, it's just that this is human nature. Whenever a good-looking woman sees someone who is better than her, she will inevitably start to compare in her heart.
The two broke up at the intersection, and Mrs. Tan took her servant back. When she saw Zheng Qing at the door, she quickly said, "Why did you come out? You can't blow the wind now."
Zheng Qing smiled and said: "Nothing, it's getting late, I want to wait for you."
His face wasn't bad, but he was a little pale due to illness all year round. Even with the use of bird's nest supplements, his body and bones had not improved much. Mrs. Tan was originally just a daughter of Tongpan. After she was chosen to be the daughter-in-law of the Zheng family, the family was very happy. The Zheng family also truthfully told the Tan family that Zheng Qing was not in good health.
Tan's father was proud to be a member of the Zheng family. She married into the family amidst the envy of all her sisters. Her father was promoted to the magistrate of a prosperous place like Changzhou within a few years after the trial was successful.
At first, the Tan family was very willing. The Tan family was just a small country squire, which was very different from the Zheng family. If the young master of the Zheng family didn't have some flaws, how could he possibly marry her? But since I entered the house, it’s not too much to have sex once a month.
(), she gradually became dissatisfied.
Living as a widow, seeing her new sister-in-law's face rosy and her eyes welling up today made her really feel envious.
This is the life a woman should live.
When night came, Zheng Hao tapped her nose: "We're going to have a rest."
Li Shu smiled and said, "Aren't you going to study? Why are you reading some books now?"
Zheng Hao pressed her down: "Let's see how I deal with you."
He knew that Li Shu slept for an hour or two from noon to afternoon today, otherwise if she was very tired, he would never touch her. A woman's body is like a delicate flower and must be taken care of.
As the saying goes, Zheng Hao was finally satisfied despite being turned upside down twice.
"I'm going to the study starting tomorrow. If you want anything, ask someone to find me in the study. You can have some rest yourself. I'll accompany you back to your parents' home in two days." Zheng Hao looked at her and said.
Li Shu liked to smell his scent, it didn't smell disgusting at all. Not to mention men, there are many women who smell pickled and oily, or girls who don’t rinse their mouths. Men don’t stick to trivial matters and go out and do their best to marinate their bodies with fragrant powder. There are also many.
Only Zheng Hao respects her. Even when kissing, he will take mint slices beforehand, and his body will always smell clean and good.
"You go and study. Although you already have a good idea, it's good to just take care of yourself temporarily." Li Shu said with a smile.
Zheng Hao also breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she understood the righteousness so well and didn't make trouble to let him accompany her.
But Li Shu would never think that she wanted to be the so-called "good wife and mother". She said: "You don't have to accompany me, but in your free time, you can only think about me."
"Okay, okay." Zheng Hao laughed.
The two fell asleep again.
When she got up the next day, Zheng Hao had already left. Today she had breakfast in her room. The Zheng family was originally from the north, but after so many years of official life, their tastes had long been mixed.
The breakfast here at the Zheng family consists of a bowl of japonica rice porridge boiled with milk and sugar, a plate of lily cakes, pickled fresh mandarin fish and steamed pig's trotters, and two kinds of seasonal vegetables, stir-fried sweet pickled melon, eggplant and celery. The aroma is dry, and then there are two dishes of bergamot and angelica.
Li Shu ate with gusto, and asked Gong's mother to come over. The two talked for a long time, and Li Shu understood the situation at home.
"Fourth Master Ze, you are not a bad person, but that lady is extremely extravagant. Grandma, there have been no officials in your family for generations like that old lady. You should wear damask stockings and tapestry clothes. It's very... It's easy to talk about pomp and circumstance, but I heard that the new Grandma Ze Si, the merchant girl, is very powerful. It was fine at first, but later I heard that she was chasing the chickens and chasing the dogs. This was because she couldn't stand the trouble during her tenure. Coming to Beijing." Mother Gong said.
Li Shu just listened to the gossip, which had nothing to do with her anyway, but she heard Gong's mother say: "You have to be careful, the sixth old lady is a famous troublemaker. She disturbs the family wherever she goes. She has disturbed the family several times. Home. Even the old lady and my wife have some differences, and she was the one who caused the discord."
Li Shu raised her eyebrows and then heard Zhulan come in from outside and say, "Grandma, someone from my wife's side said that Mrs. Six and Mr. Zesi are here."
Li Shu stood up quickly. She had never met such an old lady in her whole life. She had to get to know her well. !
