When the Zhu family left, the sky became dark. Lishu sat in front of the window, and the dim light shone on her face, making her look unpredictable.
Zhulan stood aside quietly. She thought that with the temper of the eldest lady, now that she knew the clues about Mrs. Ju, she would definitely investigate and uncover the clues, and at least eliminate the clan just like she did with the Shu family.
Unexpectedly, Li Shu had no intention of making a comeback on her own this time. She even thought more about it. It was precisely because she liked to take precautions before things happened, so in the eyes of Mrs. Zheng, she did things by deliberately provoking trouble and causing trouble on purpose. Her opinion is huge.
In this case, let her handle it by herself this time.
For three years, the housekeeper hated cats and dogs, but Lishu managed to keep the clan prosperous, but in the eyes of her mother-in-law, she liked to be in the limelight and cause trouble. This time, she just didn't show up.
If she takes the initiative to check on the second wife, then Mrs. Zheng will definitely say, what are you doing to check on others when you have nothing to do? Why do you think about causing trouble every day, but this is what Aunt Dong said, and Li Shu just followed the trend.
But before that, she had to talk to Zheng Hao first and let Zheng Hao talk to Master Zheng. Otherwise, if Mrs. Zheng pretends to be deaf and dumb, Master Zheng will still be here.
During dinner, Li Shu accompanied Zheng Hao to drink it. Zheng Hao couldn't drink wine, so Li Shu had people bring several kinds of drinks, especially the appetizing citrus drink: "Drink some to appetize first, and then watch." Are there any dishes you like? If you don’t like them, I’ll cook and cook you two more side dishes.”
Because he didn't like to eat, Li Shu tried her best.
But this is not what Zheng Hao wants. His appetite is too picky, and after all, Xingzhou is not a big place like Beijing, you can always find what you like to eat.
When Zheng Hao saw Li Shu looking at him with concern, he shook his head: "It's okay, I think the food today is very good."
He sometimes felt as if he and Li Shu had swapped genders. Li Shu looked weak but was actually very healthy. She was never picky about food, had no special likes or dislikes in dressing, and was very open-minded and willful in her work. The ability of things. But he is a bit squeamish, likes to be picky about food, likes beautiful clothes, often cries, and is not that strong-tempered.
But he likes her so much, Zheng Hao thought.
Lishu felt relieved when she saw that there was indeed no embarrassment on his face. After the two of them finished eating, she told what happened today: "You said that this matter was caused by the discord between the wives and concubines in their house. But if the story about Mrs. Ju Er's loan sharking is really true, she is afraid that it will affect the family. Her family is all white, but they often walk on the roadside, so how can they not get their shoes wet? The family was forced to die, and if word spread, the reputation of the Zheng family for so many years would be ruined."
"Usury loans? Why is she so greedy?" Zheng Hao actually knew that there were many loan sharks in Beijing, just like Prime Minister Bai Xing's servants also loan sharks.
But no matter what, the Zheng family can't do it. The most powerful thing about the Zheng family is not that his grandfather, father and he are all officials, but the reputation that comes from the Zheng family in Xingyang.
Especially since Mrs. Gu's second wife is Bai, she will even implicate the Zong family after the accident. Even the Bai family is secretive. If he hadn't wanted to catch Bai Xingzhong, he wouldn't have discovered it.
But Bai Xingzhong was protected by Emperor Yongchu, but where was Mrs. Gu?
After listening to what Zheng Hao said, Li Shu smiled and said: "Jiangshan's nature is easy to change but hard to change. You see how ruthlessly she manages family affairs and is greedy. What kind of good person can she be? It's just that she does it very secretly. If it weren't for Aunt Dong, Say, I really don’t know.”
"I went outside to inquire about this matter, and I also went to check on Zhu Tongzhi. I saw that Zhu Tongzhi was not that greedy, and he was quite diligent in the past few years since he came to Xingzhou. However, that Mrs. Zhu is very low-key on the one hand, and on the other hand, everyone knows that she is from the Liu family in Jinghu, but you, a real one, rarely mention her." Zheng Hao smiled.
Li Shu waved her hand: "I didn't like mentioning my identity when I was not married. What about these so-called identities? In the future, these so-called identities will be just one sentence in the genealogy. Liu Chengxu's second daughter is Zheng Hao, and they don't even have names. And in your family, Unless you are very powerful in the future or my son is very powerful, and I ask someone to write an epitaph, maybe I will be praised by others, but so what in reality? After all, I am not myself."
"So, when I was young, I was better than others at playing piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. I even specialized in calligraphy after I got married, just because unlike you men, I can do something outside."
Of course Zheng Hao knew that Li Shu had actually read a lot of books and had a very fast brain. If she really took part in the imperial examination, she might not fail. While he felt sorry for her, he added: "This officialdom is not easy to navigate. Just like you are not good at drinking, but you have to drink a lot when socializing, and even go to the Qin Lou Chu Pavilion. Of course I won't go. Your temperament I am upright, but it is difficult to move forward in the officialdom if you are not in the same league. I am a Hanlin, and there are very few such social activities and official articles, but those who work outside have to bribe officials in the capital to advance."
Lishu sighed: "At least you have a choice, but we don't have much choice."
After saying that, she spread her hands and said, "It's meaningless to say this."
"No way, as long as you are willing to say it, I can accompany you." Zheng Hao was very patient with her.
Lishu said: "You should also talk to the master about what I told you today. Your father can still handle it after we leave. I see that he handles things with both discretion and means."
Zheng Hao didn't know why, but when he heard her speak, he felt dumbfounded: "You girl, even my father-in-law commented on it."
"This is a compliment, not a comment." Li Shu snorted.
After the couple said this and a lot of love words, Lishu went to Mrs. Zheng to talk about the matter the next day. Of course, Mrs. Zheng had another story.
"I don't know whether this Aunt Dong is slandering or deliberately trying to cause trouble, but she said it categorically. My daughter-in-law thinks that Mrs. Gu is an elder after all. I have told her about her housekeeping before, so I can't take care of it anymore." "Troublemaker, please keep an eye on us. If she really lends loan money, how to deal with it is up to my wife. If not, it's just a misunderstanding, and this matter is just a storm in a teapot." Li Shu didn't have the slightest desire to do so. What makes people excited is actually very calming.
Mrs. Zheng frowned: "How come a concubine from the Zhu family dares to talk nonsense? There is no distinction between wives and concubines, and there is no dignity. For Brother Miao, it is not a good relationship."
However, Li Shu thought that there was a difference between the children of the Zheng family and the children of the Zheng family. It seemed that Zheng Qing had no fame and was not in good health, so he could marry a great beauty like Tan, and he was the daughter of an official family. Tan's father was now Even though Mrs. Zheng was a third-level member of the government, she didn't think highly of Mr. Tan.
Zheng Miao has no parents. His brother has already established his own business, and he has no ability to take care of him. He just relies on his uncle to live. On the outside, he is said to be a son of an official, but everyone knows inside.
But once he gains fame, the clan will naturally support him, and it will be different.
The Zhu family was able to marry off their daughter regardless of money, obviously because they felt that Zheng Miao had potential, and she had also seen Zhu Lingxuan, who was indeed outstanding in appearance, and the housekeeper was not bad either. Otherwise, it is difficult to say about the imperial examination. Some people may look smart now, but they may not be able to win the Jinshi in the future. Moreover, the scholars who win the Jinshi are generally in their thirties, so Zheng Miao cannot be allowed to be thirty years old. Get married again.
And if you can marry in the middle, you have to marry someone from a similar family background. You can only marry someone like Cui, who has a good surname but may not have a strong family background.
Now Zheng Miao's marriage to Zhu Lingxuan is actually very appropriate.
Therefore, Li Shu said: "The uncle of the fifth house has already agreed, and the marriage has been decided. I plan to have someone tell Zhu Tongzhi about this matter. Even here, we have to trouble mother."
When you took the lead, everyone still felt that you were harsh, now you are asked to try it too?
Mrs. Zheng was relieved to see that Lishu didn't go to get the utensils in a big way. Mrs. Zheng was relieved that Lishu always opened the lid, which was really not good. If something happens to a family like them, if they see it, they should just pretend that they didn't see it and solve it slowly.
"Okay, I will take care of this matter." Mrs. Zheng agreed.
Li Shu smiled and said: "Then I'll trouble you, madam."
Mrs. Zheng nodded.
Although Li Shu handed over the matter to Mrs. Zheng, she did not relax her supervision of Mrs. Ju Er because she knew that although she could not find any clues now, greedy people may not really be able to endure for a long time.
When Mrs. Zheng dealt with Tan's affairs, it was actually very risky. If she had dealt with the source from the beginning, there wouldn't have been any mess like Qiu Rulong's. Li Shu had also felt that Mrs. Zheng had handled it perfectly.
But later, she felt that the risk was too great. If her uncle hadn't been in Jinyiwei, it would have been difficult to cover up the matter.
In fact, there is no need to make a game like this at all. It can be solved from the source.
People are always greedy and often think of killing two birds with one stone, but in fact everything cannot be wrapped up in paper. Even Li Shu can't guarantee that what she does is foolproof.
Zhulan stood at Mrs. Zheng's door for a while, and she called out: "Grandma."
"Let's go back." Li Shu nodded.
Lamei asked curiously: "When Aunt Dong sent things to the Zhu family, I heard that she was very favored and a cautious person. How could she expose such a thing in front of you? I really feel strangeness."
Li Shu had not thought much about this matter before, after all, it had little to do with her.
But now she heard Lamei talk about it, and she also felt weird. An aunt who knew clearly that loan sharking would cause trouble, heard that she had a son, and that her son was good at studying at a young age, and she was favored, even more favored than the main wife. too much. If the family scandal is brought out in this way, if Zhu Tongzhi's official position is in jeopardy, and her concubine is clinging to her husband, will there be a good end?
I wonder what happened to the Zhu family if Zheng Hao revealed this to the Zhu family?
Zhu Tongzhi had a good reputation as an official. After his sister married into Wuyanghou's house, Wuyanghou supported his brother-in-law very much. Mrs. Zhu was also good at business, so the Zhu family was prosperous from then on, and Zhu Tongzhi was not greedy.
He came to Xingyang to serve as an official, and his relationship with the Zheng family became increasingly smooth.
Now he is writing, and Aunt Dong is wearing red sleeves and black ink next to him, adding a sense of liveliness. But Zhu Tongzhi was a little worried about the daytime, and he didn't dare to show off his sex in the daytime. When he was looking pretty, Aunt Dong accidentally put ink spots on him.
"I'm sorry, Master." Aunt Dong took a deep breath.
In the past few days, Aunt Dong has been in a state of confusion. She does not want this marriage to happen. Isn't it said that aristocratic families value reputation the most? Why haven't you come to cancel the engagement yet? At the same time, she also regretted that she had told the story about the loan sharking. What would she do if the Zheng family exposed it and something happened to the Zhu family?
Even though Zhu Tongzhi said that there were guests outside, Aunt Dong was not as smart as before. She even wanted to see her nanny, but she didn't expect to meet Zhu Lingxuan on the road. Zhu Lingxuan had no good impression of Aunt Dong, a foxy girl. Aunt Dong was happy to see this before. She knew that the older Zhu Lingxuan grew, the more beautiful he became, completely different from the mediocre lady.
Therefore, every time Zhu Lingxuan saw her nostrils turned upward, showing extreme disgust, Aunt Dong became happier, so that no one would doubt her practice of changing children.
On the surface, Aunt Dong had a falling out with Mama Dong. In fact, ever since she became an aunt, the Dong family has been much better off than before. It's just that the mother and daughter have a tacit understanding of their discord.
In the hut, Mother Dong was very shocked when she heard what Aunt Dong said: "In this matter, the old lady also said that she was deceived by lard. Once she saw Wuyang Hou died, she didn't recognize anyone, but now she has recognized the Zheng family." Dear, why are you like this?"
"Mother, Zheng Miao said he was the nephew of the scholar, and he was the disciple of Bachelor Zheng, but now he is just a scholar. It is difficult for a scholar to pass the imperial examination, and it is even more difficult for him to pass the imperial examination. If he is thirty years old, Doesn't Lingxuan have to pay for more than ten years of dowry? It's no better than Wuyang Marquis Mansion, and the skinny camel is bigger than a horse. He is a distinguished person, and his life is much better than those ordinary people. At least the Chi family is rich." Aunt Dong is still rich. He wants his daughter to marry into the Chi family and then recognize his daughter.
Mother Dong always felt uneasy: "But you shouldn't talk about loan sharking."
Aunt Dong said: "My daughter met Grandma Zheng first. She was such an angry person, and she looked like she couldn't tolerate the sand in her eyes. Didn't the second Mrs. Gu have her power taken away by her? ? Now I am giving her a clue. Firstly, she will slap the second wife in the face, and secondly, I will let these wealthy families know who the madam is. It is best not to get into this marriage, and just ask my mother to play drums next to the old lady."
…
The two little maids were about to deliver the fruit plate to the old lady's room. When they saw Aunt Dong coming out crying, Mother Dong threw out a lot of snacks and she was very disdainful.
"Look, Aunt Dong has been scolded again. After all these years, Mother Dong still doesn't seem to have forgiven Aunt Dong."
"Isn't it true? If you ask me, Aunt Dong has given birth to two sons, and my brothers are now grown up, so just accept them."
"Mama Dong is too selfless."
…
After Zhu Tongzhi went to the front hall to meet someone, he went to see Mrs. Zhu. Mrs. Zhu was still busy with her daughter's marriage.
It is said that Zheng Miao will go to Beijing with Zheng Hao and others, and the wedding will have to be held at least by the end of the year. Next year, the Zheng family will go to Beijing, otherwise he will not be able to make it.
As soon as Zhu Tongzhi came in, he said: "You actually collaborated with others to make loan sharks? You are really brave."
Mrs. Zhu refused to admit it at first: "Where did you hear this from? You still rely on me. I have never let go of any loan money. Our Yang family is not short of money. When you did everything, I used the dowry money." I prepared some for you, have you forgotten all this?"
"If you didn't, that's fine. If I knew, it would be easy for me to divorce you." Zhu Tongzhi warned.
Mrs. Zhu yelled that she was wronged again. In fact, she had not loaned loan money for more than half a year. Her sister said she was afraid of being discovered, so she wanted to give up. Anyway, marrying Zheng Miao now does not require marrying into the Hou family like before. Mansion, desperately saving dowry.
Zhu Tongzhi glanced at her with a cold snort. This woman didn't have any evil intentions. He knew it was true at a glance. His heart was far from as peaceful as he imagined. His wife knew very well that she was not a deep-minded person, but Aunt Dong...
He quickly went to Mrs. Zhu's place, and Zhu Tongzhi quickly explained his purpose.
Mrs. Zhu put down the string of beads in her hand, with a look of disgust in her eyes: "I have said before that Mrs. Dong has an impure mind. If it weren't for the fact that you favored her over the years, she would have given birth to two more brothers. I She will never be tolerated spending time in the inner house. But now she has touched the root of the matter. She is fighting for wives and concubines, so she will say everything to the outside world. Fortunately, this is the Zheng family, and people only remind her privately, what if she is a political opponent? "
Zhu Tongzhi has always been very fond of Aunt Dong's small kindness and tenderness. He has been very affectionate for so many years. Therefore, when he thought of this matter, he just said: "Aunt Dong did something wrong this time. Please, old lady, teach her a lesson for her son. In the future, she will I definitely wouldn’t dare.”
"Don't you dare?" Mrs. Zhu laughed at her son because he was too partial: "You think this is a trivial matter. You are very good now and your official career is very smooth. Now you are a colleague and will be the official seal officer sooner or later. Now we and Zheng We got married. The Zheng family may have told you on purpose, just to see how you are doing. If you are a concubine, regardless of right and wrong, what do you think the Zheng family will think of you? Aunt Zheng and I There are some relatives. At that time, I was using the banner of the Jinghu Liu family, and she was afraid that someone was pretending to be someone else. It can be seen that what people like them are most afraid of is ruining the family tradition." In fact, Mrs. Zhu didn't like Li Shu very much. This person seemed too He is aloof, not at all soft as a woman, very sharp, and seems to be able to see through everyone.
Zhu Tongzhi was shocked after hearing this: "My son heard that Qingyang Temple is very good, why not send Aunt Dong to Qingyang Temple to reflect on it."
Mrs. Zhu nodded: "It's good if you know how to do it."
Aunt Dong, who was waiting wholeheartedly to break off the engagement, did not expect that as a result of her waiting, she would be sent to Qingyang Temple.
On this day, the weather was fine, and Zheng Miao and Zhu Ling announced their wedding date. The young couple also met once, and Mrs. Zheng also met Zhu Lingxuan once, and she was very satisfied.
"Mrs. Zhu looks ordinary and has a bad temper, but she does have a loving mother's heart. Since ancient times, she has liked to marry her daughter up, but marrying up is not always good. Brother Miao has a good appearance and a good temperament. , the talent is better, if his parents are gone, this marriage may not be her turn."
Li Shu nodded: "My daughter-in-law said the same thing. Yes, the aunt who said the usury was sent to Qingyang Temple by the Zhu family, which shows that what she said is true."
Mrs. Zheng said: "Recently, I sent someone to observe Mrs. Yang, and she doesn't seem to have usury money."
Lishu also knew very well that Mrs. Ju Er was very tolerant, which was why she couldn't find any clues. It seemed that Mrs. Zheng couldn't find out either. But she pretended not to know that Mrs. Zheng was not planning to go to Beijing, so she said: "If not, it means that Mrs. Gu Er has stopped, so that would be great. When we go to Beijing next year, we can rest assured that the uncle knows about this." I gave it to you and said that I would be at ease."
Mrs. Zheng suddenly felt that the burden on her body was heavier.
But Li Shu put aside her thoughts. In the future, as long as Zheng Hao is affected by Mrs. Ju's affairs, it will be Mrs. Zheng's problem.
Soon at the end of the year, Zheng Miao and Zhu Lingxuan got married. Although the wedding was not grand, it was still grand, especially since Zheng Miao's aunt also came back to host the wedding. Lishu also sent a pair of mandarin duck lacquer boxes, which were simple and festive. Although she could not watch the ceremony, everyone knew that Zheng Miao's marriage was arranged by her.
Mrs. Ju Er was watching the ceremony. She came as a matchmaker. The wife from the fifth room held her hand and said, "Thank you for worrying about Brother Miao's marriage. I have already sealed the matchmaker's money."
"Why are you so polite, Mrs. Fifth? Ling Xuan is also my niece. If she wasn't a talented man and a beautiful woman, I wouldn't take the initiative to propose marriage." Although Mrs. Gu Er smiled, she also endured it and couldn't loan usury. The whole family We have to rest on our laurels. This year's harvest is not good, and our son's business will suffer losses.
But even so, she had to endure it until Liu Lishu went to the capital.
When it comes to patience, no one is as strong as her. The stupid sister also reminded herself to be careful, saying that she had been discovered. Mrs. Ju Er was just glad that she stopped early, otherwise, she would be caught today and might be expelled from the clan. inside.
At this time, it becomes more difficult for people to grasp the handle.
If Liu Lishu could stay in Xingyang for the rest of her life, she would admit defeat, but the Liu family would leave soon. Xingyang was her world after all, and the Tan family had nothing to fear.
Soon after the New Year, in early spring, the ice and snow will melt, and the Zheng family is preparing to go to Beijing.
At this time, Master Zheng and Mrs. Zheng told them that they could no longer go to Beijing. Lishu expressed "surprise" and was very shocked. Mr. Zheng said: "I am getting older, and your mother is also suffering from constant ailments. How can she survive the hard work of travelling? You and your wife should support each other from now on."
Li Shu and Zheng Hao kowtowed together and agreed, and they said many parting words.
Before leaving, she took her private property to the capital. Mrs. Zheng also handed over two pawnshops in the capital to Lishu, and Lishu divided the family affairs among the three of them, and handed over the family science and righteous fields to Zheng Qing and his wife. It is still Mrs. Zheng who handles the matter and does not need to be handed over to others. As for the rest of the Qingyang Temple and the sacrificial field, Tingxue and Siyu, the couple left by Lishu, take care of it themselves and no longer hand it over to the clan members.
Mrs. Tan never thought that Li Shu would leave it directly to the servant instead of handing it over to her, and she would show it on her face. However, Li Shu had known for a long time that Mrs. Tan was not a bad person, but she could not withstand the temptation.
Because of this matter, Mrs. Tan and Mrs. Zheng were unhappy when they were saying goodbye, but Mrs. Zheng was reluctant to leave. Although her daughter-in-law was occasionally a bit discordant, she was always by her side, and she also had sons and grandsons. .
It was Zheng Hao who stopped Mrs. Zheng from sending her off again: "We must say goodbye after a long journey. Mother, please go back. We will definitely find time to come back to see you when we are free."
Mrs. Zheng pulled Qi Ge'er and Shu Ge'er very reluctantly. She cried a few more times and hit Li Shu a few times, hoping that she would not be too sharp.
After finally getting back, I heard Cheng Xin reported: "Madam, Mrs. Ju Er has packed a large bag of silver and sent it out. It seems that she has gone to put usury money."
Mrs. Zheng was exhausted today. She didn't know that Mrs. Ju Er really didn't take her seriously. Suddenly, she missed her daughter-in-law again. If Lishu was still there, Mrs. Ju Er would be like a mouse meeting a cat. :,,
