After the Double Ninth Festival, the family studies were on the right track, and Zheng Qing took over with full authority. In his own heart, of course he felt that his strategy was not inferior to that of his elder brother. It was just that he was in poor health and failed to take the imperial examination, so he was looked down upon.
Some things look easy, but are not easy to do.
Just like every time they see failed princes, generals and ministers in history, many people will feel that they did something bad, beat their heads and chests, and wish they could replace them with their own bodies. But in the same situation, you may not really do well.
Of course, Zheng Qing was also very clever. He established a reward system as soon as he came to power. If a disciple brought out by a gentleman in the clan school passed the county examination, government examination, or college examination, each examination would be rewarded according to the ladder. If you pass the county examination, you will be awarded 10 taels. If you pass the government examination, you will be awarded 20 taels. If you are a scholar, you will receive thirty taels.
If you have been unable to bring out a meritorious student, then only two taels and one stone of food per month will not be less. However, if you recruit some unskilled students privately, the cultivator will order corrections as soon as he finds out. , if you repeatedly refuse to listen, you will be dismissed.
Of course, Zheng Ze still stayed in the clan to teach. Now the sixth old lady didn't even believe the maids around her. She said that they wanted to harm her, and asked Zheng Ze to buy a few servants for her to patrol. Zheng Ze was also bitter.
But Zheng Hao came out at this time and said to Zheng Ze: "The sixth old lady is old, and people are inevitably confused. If she continues to make trouble like this, I am afraid that the chickens and dogs will be uneasy. I think it is better to send the sixth old lady out to rest, and Qingyang Temple has hired a famous doctor, so you can So you can do things with peace of mind. Otherwise, you won’t even be able to guarantee your position as a teacher in the clan."
Zheng Ze looked at Zheng Hao. Zheng Hao was actually much younger than him. Now he was not doing well. He lost his official position and was dismissed from office. There are old ladies and wives to support me, and there are many children below me, and there are several weddings that have not been taken care of, so I am not short of money. He thought that everyone was understanding of him, but now it seems that they just want to warn you directly.
After all, Zheng Ze has also been an official for several years, so how could he not hear the implication of Zheng Hao's words.
"Okay, I'll discuss it with my grandmother," Zheng Ze said.
Zheng Hao nodded: "Then you have to hurry up. Since the old man is always afraid, it means that her yin energy is too strong. It will definitely be better if she changes to a family temple and has the blessing of her ancestors."
Zheng Ze always felt that Zheng Hao was forcing her to make a choice, so he discussed it with his mother first, but both his mother and his wife agreed. In fact, these two people were also annoyed by the sixth old lady. This old lady was as stingy as a rooster to others, but she treated herself like abalone and sea cucumber every day. Her grandchildren had no money to go to the academy, but she used the money to buy jewelry.
It's just that sometimes, you can give so much kindness and expect others to burst into tears of gratitude.
Of course it would be great to be able to send away this god of plague, but the sixth old lady would not agree to it. She scolded Zheng Ze every day for having no conscience and wanted to get rid of her as a lonely old woman. She said that Zheng Ze had forgotten his roots and was so noisy that the neighbors could not sleep peacefully.
It was Zheng Ze's mother who said, "Let me accompany her."
Poor Zheng Ze's mother is very old and has to serve her mother-in-law. The sixth old lady also asked Wang to go with her, saying she was afraid that if she stayed at home and people would steal her things, Wang would be angry for no reason. But filial piety was too great, so she and her mother-in-law had to accompany the six old ladies to Qingyang Temple.
Zheng Ze was not used to seeing off the sixth old lady at first, but apparently when he received a month's monthly salary and the rent income from his family, he actually lived a very prosperous life and was able to eat high-quality tobacco leaves. He had never Thinking that two taels of silver are actually very easy to spend.
He likes to eat plum-flavored melon seeds, walnuts, and snacks from Shunyi Zhai. In the past, he could only choose one of the three, but now he buys them together and eats them together. He can also go to the theater after school. Not to mention how moisturizing it is. Even his colleagues who were teaching together looked at him and said, "What elixir have you taken recently? Why do you look younger than before?"
Of course you are young. You don’t have to worry about raising money to buy jewelry for the six old ladies as soon as you open your eyes. How can you not feel comfortable? When you feel comfortable, don’t you look much younger?
Zheng Ze even had a secret thought in his heart for the first time, how great it would be if the Sixth Old Lady did not come back.
Of course, Lishu knew about the situation in the Sixth Fang. She asked Zhulan to give some hints and asked the Sixth Old Lady to rest in Qingyang Temple. The abbot there naturally said so.
Therefore, after the sixth old lady said that she wanted to stay in the temple, Zheng Ze agreed for the first time and even picked up all the clothes that the old lady liked to wear.
The sixth old lady is not stupid. If she had been like this before, Zheng Ze would have become anxious and knelt in front of him and begged her to go back, but now he was treating her like this. In particular, the Wang family was also very shrewd in noticing Zheng Ze's changes, and rarely gave the abbot of Qingyang Temple twenty taels to allow the six old ladies to stay here.
The sixth old lady who had always been domineering in the clan because of her age, the old man who was oppressing Zheng Ze left his home and went to the Taoist temple. The sixth room was instantly quiet.
Because of this, someone asked Zheng Ze to bribe him privately and wanted to study in the Zheng family. Zheng Ze tested his knowledge and saw that this person was completely uneducated in writing. Even if he offered twenty-four taels to his heart, Zheng Ze refused the offer without any burden. pen of money.
Without the sixth old lady, Mrs. Wang started to take care of the house. She may not be willing to give money to the sixth old lady, but it is still normal for Zheng Ze. She also hopes that Zheng Ze will recover one day, and she will still be an official wife.
In Zheng Ze's purse every day, there are more than ten taels of scattered silver given by the Wang family, as well as the salary given by the clan school, and the rewards set by Zheng Qing. Zheng Ze devotes himself to learning in order to get the rewards.
Zheng Qing was still watching the family study. He made various rules, especially the rules on punishment, which made Li Shu dumbfounded.
"If you are late and leave early once, you will run ten laps on the racecourse without being beaten or scolded. But scholars are not diligent in their limbs, do not distinguish between grains, and sit for long periods of time. Running in circles will kill them, so they do not Dare to be late."
After listening to Zheng Hao's words, Li Shu laughed loudly: "It seems that Brother Qing is also very narrow-minded. That's fine. With him in charge, you don't have to worry about him."
A big tree needs branches, a people's congress needs to separate families, Zheng Hao's parents are already very old, and even Zheng Hao himself can't go against his conscience and tell Li Shu that he wants to support Zheng Qing for the rest of his life. After all, Brother Qi and Brother Shu have to grow up. They also have to marry and have children. It may not be a good thing if they have to live together in the future.
Therefore, it is very good for Zheng Qing to stand up on his own and do something.
"Yes, that's what I said. Hey, Shu'er, I see that you have already asked people to prepare new glutinous rice. There are still two days before the Chinese New Year. Do you need to prepare it so far in advance?" Zheng Hao saw Li Shu I have been busy in and out these past few days.
Li Shu smiled and said: "Your mother used to be like this when she was a housekeeper. She once used Dingsheng cakes for sacrifices, but later Mrs. Ju changed it to flower buns. This should be related to everyone's taste. I want to go back to what your mother made at that time. Dingsheng cake, but Dingsheng cake is made by mixing japonica rice flour and glutinous rice flour and adding red yeast rice powder and white sugar, so you think I should prepare it first!"
Zheng Hao knew that Li Shu hated Mrs. Ju Er and felt that she and Brother Qing were colluding with each other, which was too evil-hearted, so he did not want to be like her.
Therefore, he said: "I'm just asking for nothing. It happens to be the county exam next year. Many of the children in the clan are going to take the exam. It would be good to eat Dingsheng cake."
Just as the couple was preparing for the sacrifice, Li Shu heard something. Zhu Tongzhi's in-law, Wuyang Marquis, died suddenly on the battlefield, and his title was passed on to his younger brother.
This is very strange, Mrs. Tan also said: "Sister-in-law said how could this title be passed on to his younger brother instead of his eldest son?"
"I heard that Wuyang Hou's younger brother is only one year younger than him and is also a military commander, while Wuyang Hou's son is only a teenager. It is said that he has been studying essays, and even if he is given the title, he will not be able to go to the battlefield. "Actually, Li Shu also knew that this was because the emperor wanted to use the Chi family now. Obviously, experienced people in their thirties and forties are more useful than young children.
The emperor was very courteous to the Chi family, because Lishu knew a little bit about the relationship between her and the Chi family when she was a child. She thought that as long as the children of the Wuyang Hou Mansion were promising, the emperor would definitely give them a chance.
Therefore, Li Shu said again: "We can't look at this moment. The Chi family has always been favored."
But the Zhu family was unwilling, especially Mrs. Zhu. Although she was born in the Hongnong Yang family, she was not a knowledgeable person. She immediately told her daughter Zhu Ling: "I think it's better to leave your marriage to your aunt. She is marrying the Zheng family in Xingyang. I also took you to see the Zheng family a few months ago. Such a high lintel, that kind of The magnificence is better than these military attachés. You may be high today, but you may be gone at a young age tomorrow. Who wouldn’t envy your aunt? What about now?"
Mrs. Zhu didn't want her daughter to marry into a wealthy family, as long as she was safe and the couple were in harmony.
Zhu Lingxuan nodded: "Actually, I always feel that although the old lady dotes on me, she always makes me humble and tolerant. Only when my daughter met Grandma Zheng did she know what a real noble daughter is, and she doesn't need to be so humble and petty. Besides, if the Wuyang Marquis family really likes me, they won’t keep delaying it because I know everything.”
"Hey, in that case, I'll come and talk to your aunt." Mrs. Zhu made a decision immediately and was unwilling to discuss it with the old lady and her husband.
Zhu Lingxuan agreed shyly.
Just at the end of the year, Mrs. Zhu came to ask for loan sharks, so she took this opportunity to come to the door. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Ju Er was angry because this time a real member of the clan was officiating, and Mrs. Ju Er stood aside. Of course, the steamed buns she used to serve before were ordered at a pastry shop all year round. When someone came to ask about it this year, they found out that Mrs. Ju Er couldn't decide.
Mrs. Ju Er was very angry. She didn't expect that Li Shu would change her tune as soon as she came up. Moreover, she was going to make Dingsheng cakes herself, and even changed the pastries for sacrifices.
"Sister, what's going on?" Mrs. Zhu saw Mrs. Ju's anger and asked quickly.
It's hard for Mrs. Gu Er to talk about these things to her sister too much. The wife of the eldest daughter-in-law was already demoted. If something like this happens again, it will make people feel that she is no longer powerful. She can't be like this.
Therefore, Mrs. Ju Er only said: "It's nothing, there are a lot of things at the end of the year, and they just sent the wrong things. That's right, sister, please come over and I will give you the money."
Mrs. Zhu didn't even look at the money, she just said: "Sister, I have something to ask you to do?"
Mrs. Ju Er looked her up and down: "What's the matter?"
If it was to help her deal with Aunt Dong, she could give her advice, and she would have nothing to do anyway.
But she didn't expect that Mrs. Zhu was talking about Zhu Lingxuan's marriage: "Lingxuan is not young anymore. You see, her marriage is not settled. When I first came to this place, I didn't recognize anyone. Sister, please help me. My niece is planning to get married, so I will definitely give her a lot of money to thank the matchmaker."
Mrs. Ju Er looked at her: "Didn't you say that Ling Xuan was promised to Marquis Wuyang?" The news in her official circles was not very good, because her husband and son were both white, and they were living off the shadow of their family.
Mrs. Zhu told the story about Wuyang Hou Mansion. Mrs. Gu Er thought the girl was really stupid. That was the Chi family. No matter how bad it was, how bad could it be? Maybe if you go to Releng Zao now, there will be no limit in the future.
But how could she remind her sister that she originally thought she was smart, beautiful and talented, but her sister was ugly and untalented, but her husband was a progressive man, her husband was white, her son was not as good as her nephew, and her daughter was just married to a local squire. .
Therefore, Mrs. Ju Er agreed immediately: "If you want Ling Xuan to marry into our Zheng family, that would be great. In any case, with me taking care of her, no one has ever bullied her. I already have a few good ones." As for the candidate, I remember there was a man named Zheng Miao, he seemed to be Xingliu from the fifth house, he was very knowledgeable, his uncle studied politics, and although Lingxuan was three years old, he had a rare good appearance."
Mrs. Zhu was very excited after hearing this, but she was even more willing when she heard that his parents were both dead. She was different from the other women. This Zheng Miao is the youngest, so when the daughter is married, she will be a little daughter-in-law.
It happened that school was over today, and when Mrs. Ju was sending Mrs. Zhu out, she saw Zheng Miao. He was indeed a handsome young man, and he had the charm and charm of a son of the Zheng family. She was already somewhat satisfied in her heart.
Mrs. Ju Er felt that although Zheng Miao was somewhat talented, he had many brothers. He had an uncle who was an official, but his uncle also had children of his own, so his help was limited. But she knew that her sister had always been stupid, and she didn't remind her.
…
"Grandma, I sent someone to inquire about it. Every time Mrs. Zhu comes over, she will bring out a box." Zhulan whispered.
Li Shu nodded. She knew that every time Mrs. Ju Er talked to Mrs. Zhu, she would always shut down, making it difficult to pry. But two times when Mrs. Zhu went out, she just took a mahogany box, and no one knew what was inside.
This Mrs. Ju Er hid her real tail very well, so Li Shu said to Zhu Lan: "We have to be patient. Next time her sister comes again, you must send someone to listen."
Zhulan nodded: "Don't worry."
As soon as the master and servant finished speaking, Zheng Hao's servant came in and said, "My grandma is not good, my uncle suddenly fainted.":,,
