On the first day of May, the day of the summer solstice, Wang Qingxiu arrived in Luoyang.
Wang Xiaolie spent his own money to buy a house not far from the Henan government office as his home. The arrival of Wang Qingxiu added life to the family.
Take Wang Qingxiu home. Wang Xiaolie said: "Over the years, I have not advocated hiring servants at home, and of course I am no exception. After buying this house, Cui Qing only brought a few people to clean it up, and it was very simple. My sister is here, Clean up well."
Wang Qingxiu said nothing. He walked into the house and walked around from front to back, left to right. Finally, he stood under a pomegranate tree in the garden and said to Wang Xiaolie who was following him: "After my brother became an official, he was very strict with himself. I am your sister. I don't want to embarrass you. I have always strictly abided by the rules you set. This This house, I just looked at it, I'm afraid it's not more than three acres. The building is very good, and there are pavilions and pavilions, it's not an ordinary house. If I live here, will it cause people to gossip? "
Wang Xiaolie said with a smile: "Sister, I have the highest official position and the richest salary in the west of Beijing. I can afford this house with my salary alone. What do you say if you are afraid of others?"
Wang Qingxiu sighed: "In the past few years, I have been really afraid of you. I am afraid that if you fight life and death in the front, I will do something to ruin your reputation in the back. Since you said it's okay, I will live here. This way How can I take care of this big house if I am the only one living there?"
Wang Xiaolie said: "So if you don't live in the house, seal it up or open it into a garden. By the way, my soldiers can help take care of it."
Wang Qingxiu shook his head: "If you are not allowed to hire people, who will live in a big house in the future? I don't know what you are thinking."
Wang Xiaolie said: "It's just that we are not allowed to hire people like before. Really rich families with big houses still have ways to do it."
What Wang Xiaolie forbids is that servants no longer live with their masters and share wealth, but become separate households. Of course, the relationship between the master and the servant is simply to spend money to purchase labor, and there is no other power. This was a trend in the Song Dynasty. Although the rich were inconvenienced, they did not object fiercely.
However, for safety reasons, Wang Xiaolie was not allowed to hire Wang Qingxiu because he was not a clean person. In Xiangyang over the past few years, Wang Qingxiu has gradually gotten used to it. Now that I have just arrived in Luoyang, I don’t have a suitable family for a while, so I can only work hard on my own first.
At noon, Wang Xiaoxue said: "Sister is here, I will prepare a banquet and wine to wash away the dust for you. We officials can buy ready-made meals from the government office, and Cui Qing will deliver them in a while. Sister, don't dislike it. Let’s have a couple of drinks and chat.”
Wang Qingxiu said: "This is the best. We haven't seen you for many days, and I have many things to say to you."
Wang Xiaolie has a dedicated chef. However, he has been living in the government office, and there is no one to cook at home. Wang Qingxiu's status is different now. Occasionally cooking a side dish is a way to adjust her life. How can she cook every day?
Not long after, Cui Qing brought two soldiers and delivered the food cooked by the government's chef. He placed it on the table and retreated with his soldiers.
After pouring wine for Wang Qingxiu, Wang Xiaolie said: "I heard from Wang's father a few days ago that my sister fell in love with a family in Xiangyang. Is this true? Why haven't you told me? It's not that I interfered in my sister's marriage. You can check to see how this family is doing.”…
Wang Qingxiu said: "Da Lang, we are not young anymore, it's time to get married. These years you have led soldiers to fight, and you have been afraid to find someone else for fear of hurting others. This year you occupied Luoyang, and it seems that everyone has settled down. You should think about your own business.”
Wang Xiaolie said: "That's what my sister said. What kind of family did my sister decide?"
Wang Qingxiu said: "He also comes from a family of officials. This person's name is Zhang Qi, and his father used to be an official in the court. After Jingkang, he moved to several places and finally settled in Xiangyang. Because his mother was sick and did not go out to find work. I opened a calligraphy and painting shop in Xiangyang City. I met him by chance because I was buying calligraphy and paintings. I heard that he had been married before, but before the wedding, the bride passed away. I thought he was a good person, and after going back and forth, he slowly became more and more interested. We became familiar with him. Thinking that he was not too young, we discussed getting married to him."
Wang Xiaolie wrote down the name. Said: "In the past few years, there was a war and chaos, and the news told by many people was not very accurate. I know the name and asked someone to check it out."
Wang Qingxiu said: "Counsel Chen is familiar with his father. I have asked him about it. It's not like there are no old friends of theirs in Xiangyang City."
"That's it." Wang Xiaolie nodded. "When is sister going to get married?"
Wang Qingxiu said: "I can't wait any longer. Just this autumn."
Wang Xiaolie thought for a while. Said: "In a few days, I will go to Hedong and I will come back before July. If I can't wait, I can choose a good day in July or August and get married in a lively way. My sister is getting married, and I Most of my worries have gone away."
Wang Qingxiu smiled and said: "That's right. I'm not married, and it's not easy for you to get married. Speaking of which, you are also twenty-three years old. Although many people got married at an older age after Jingkang, twenty-three is too old. Some. Let me ask you, is there anyone you like?"
Wang Xiaolie said with a smile: "I have been fighting in the past few years, where do I have free time?"
Wang Qingxiu said: "This kind of thing doesn't have to be done in your free time. - If you don't like the family, it's best. When I was in Xiangyang, I fell in love with the daughter of a family. The little lady was nineteen. At the age of 18, he also followed his father to live in Xiangyang. She was very charming and charming. I have never seen anyone as beautiful as her. She was also clever and good-tempered. No one would not praise her. If she were to be his wife, no one would It’s your fault!”
Wang Xiaolie listened and said nothing for a while.
When he came to this world, Wang Xiaolie always felt that there was a pair of eyes looking at him. It seemed like I was in another world, it seemed like it was my previous life, it seemed like I was in love from an unknown life, and it seemed like it was my own illusion. This feeling is very strange, I can't explain it, I can't explain it.
In this world, Wang Xiaolie has seen all kinds of women, some beautiful, some ordinary, and some ugly. But after seeing it, there was no one whom Wang Xiaolie wanted to spend her life with.
Perhaps, my love is in another world? In this world, I always want to find a woman, get married to her, have children with her, and form a happy family with her. As long as she is not particularly ugly or difficult to get along with, Wang Xiaolie will not reject her.
Listening to his sister telling him about the family he found, Wang Xiaolie smiled, as if he was listening to someone else's story. …
After Wang Qingxiu finished speaking, she asked Wang Xiaolie: "What do you think of this little lady?"
Wang Xiaolie said: "If my sister says yes, then it will definitely be excellent."
Wang Qingxiu was stunned for a moment. Said: "The person who spends her life with her is you, not me. It's up to you to decide whether it's okay or not!"
Wang Xiaolie said: "I have been either fighting in the war or busy with political affairs these years. How can I have any free time? As I get older, I always have to find a woman to get married. My sister must have put a lot of thought into finding it for me. She is not better than myself. well played?"
Wang Qingxiu thought for a while and couldn't help but nodded: "That's right. I have seen many women in Xiangyang City over the years, and I have never been better than this one. However, a life-long event cannot be careless. In a few days, I’ll find a way for you to meet me.”
Wang Xiaolie asked: "Has this woman arrived in Luoyang?"
Wang Qingxiu said: "We're here. The little lady didn't comment or say anything. Her father was very willing and hurried over."
Wang Xiaolie said: "Okay, sister has made arrangements. Just let me know when you have set the time."
The way people in the Song Dynasty went about dating was not much different from that in later generations. There were many methods. Sometimes they make an appointment, and the man and woman meet directly either in a teahouse or at a convenient place. Success or failure depends on one word in person. Some people only tell one party and ask the other party to meet him somewhere. If we agree, we will get married. If we disagree, we will pretend we have never met.
If it is the latter method, the matchmaker will have many tricks and endless stories.
With Wang Xiaolie's status, of course it was the latter method. Wang Xiaolie invited the woman to the teahouse and took a look. If you fall in love with her, the marriage will be done.
(Today the book club group has been blocked and there is only one update. The four owed updates will be made up in the second half of the month. Also, I will notify everyone when a new book club group is established.)
