Time flies, and in a blink of an eye, it’s been more than a year.
It was the twelfth lunar month of winter, and there was heavy snowfall.
In the yard, a figure stood in the wind and snow, with a large gun in his hand turning into countless gun shadows.
When practicing martial arts has become a habit engraved in your bones, you will feel uncomfortable if you don't practice for a day. This is the case for Wang Qier now.
Daily martial arts training has become part of her daily life.
Wearing an elegant outfit and tying up his hair with a green scarf, he looks very heroic, and the big gun in his hand is as graceful as a swimming dragon!
In the main room next to the yard, there is a charcoal fire burning in the brazier, and the kettle on the stove has white steam rising up continuously. There are wooden railings around it, and on the spacious kang bed wrapped in cotton cloth, there are two little guys with tiger heads and tiger brains, one. He was pulling on the guardrail with great interest, holding a rattle in one hand, and staggering towards the kang table in the middle.
Danju and Cuiwei, who had already pulled up their long hair and had a somewhat feminine charm between their brows, carefully looked after the two little ones beside the kang.
In the middle of the room to the north, Minglan, who was dressed in a moon-white fur coat, was looking through the account books, and from time to time she would pick up the abacus and compare it carefully.
Cui Wei and Dan Ju got married one after another two years ago under Minglan's arrangement. However, there were almost no people around Minglan who were as considerate as the two sisters. After they got married and had children, the two sisters started raising families one after another. He walked back to Minglan.
One of their men became the steward of the outer courtyard, and the other helped Minglan run errands outside and was also a close confidant.
All the property of the Wang family, Mrs. Sheng, had long been handed over to Minglan, including the restaurants, farms, and academies in Yangzhou, the spinning mills and weaving factories in Jinling, and several villages, restaurants, and shops in Bianjing.
A small summary every month, a big section every quarter, year-end accounting, rewards, etc., all added up to the livelihood of nearly ten thousand people.
Wang Li is only proficient in writing and arithmetic, so she can't be of much help. Danju and Cuiwei are also very limited in their abilities. Wang Qier has a carefree temperament. She has studied with Minglan for several years, and she can barely manage a princess's mansion. .
Shulan, on the other hand, has some true inheritance from her parents, and is quite talented as a housekeeper. She helps Minglan share the pressure of Quanzhou and Jinling, as well as the restaurant management in Bianjing, which saves Minglan a lot of trouble.
"Madam, Miss Shu has been away for almost three months. Are you coming back soon?" Xiao Tao sat on the edge of the rocking bed not far from the big kang, holding a rattle in her hand and lying down in the rocking bed to sleep. A sweet little doll carved from pink and jade.
The little baby was fully clothed and wore a tiger-head hat on its head. It was about seven or eight months old. Only its little face was exposed, making it difficult to tell whether it was male or female.
"First we go to Yangzhou, then Jinling, and we have to go to Quanzhou. How can we come back so soon." Minglan said calmly.
"Ah?" A slightly bitter expression suddenly appeared on Xiao Tao's face, and she looked down at the cute little baby in the crib with a pink and jade face, a look of helplessness on her face.
The little baby in the crib is Shulan's daughter, whose nickname is Xiujieer. Unlike Brother Ping and Brother An, this little girl loves to cry since she was a child. The key is that every time this girl cries, Brother Ping and An will cry. My brother also started to cry loudly.
When Shulan was here, it was okay for Shulan to take her with her, but now Shulan has gone to the south to inspect the family property on behalf of Minglan. Sister Xiu is too young, so naturally it is not easy to deal with, so she left it to Minglan. Help take care of it.
But since Sister Xiu moved into Minglan Courtyard, she took the lead in making trouble at night.
This is also thanks to the fact that Minglan is now the head mother of the family and there is no shortage of people to serve her. Otherwise, she would have been kept awake all night by these three little guys.
"Sister Cuiwei, why is your girl so well-behaved?" Xiao Tao asked curiously.
Cuiwei's first child is a girl, almost two years old. She has been obedient since she was a child. Now Cuiwei's mother-in-law is carrying her. Cuiwei is still pregnant with one child, and her belly is already slightly bulging. However, she wears thick clothes in winter, so it is still possible. Not very visible.
Cui smiled and said: "Thousands of people have different personalities, and everyone's temperament is different. Brother Ping and Brother An are very well-behaved."
Dan Ju said: "My boy is very noisy. He wakes up several times every night and howls whenever he has something to do. He is much more noisy than Sister Xiu."
A few women were sitting together, talking about things that were trivial between their parents.
Among Minglan's three confidants, only Xiaotao, the youngest, is not yet married. Now, in addition to taking care of everything inside and outside the home, Minglan is busy helping Xiaotao choose a suitable marriage.
At night, lying on the kang and in Wang Zhong's arms, Minglan couldn't help but talk about this matter to Wang Zhong.
Wang Zhong joked: "Xiao Tao has been with you since she was a child. She is the most trusted person around you. Even Dan Ju and Cui Wei are slightly inferior. Are you willing to marry her off like this?"
Minglan said: "I can't bear to leave, but I can't bear to leave, but Xiaotao is not too young now, so we can't put off this life-long event any longer."
Wang Zhongdao: "Xiao Tao has a straightforward temperament. She doesn't have much power, but she also doesn't have any opinions. It's not easy to find a suitable one."
Marrying a man and starting a family depends not only on whether the man is promising and what his family conditions are like, but more importantly, whether he is a good match. In today's society, most of the men are in charge of the outside world and the women are in charge of the house, with a clear division of labor.
And once you're married, it's not that easy to divorce.
Xiao Tao has always been a person with no independent opinions. She always bases her actions on Minglan's words. If she really wants to choose a husband, she has to choose one that doesn't require her to be the master of the family. Moreover, her parents-in-law, sister-in-law, and sister-in-law are all easy to get along with. .
For a while, Wang Zhong didn't have any good candidates.
"In recent days, there may be some changes in the court. If nothing happens, Madam, why not call Sister Qian and the old lady, and go to the village to stay for a while to avoid the limelight."
"There will be changes in the court?" Minglan looked stern, her eyes flickered, and she subconsciously asked: "Is there some movement in the official family?"
"I hope I'm overthinking it!" Wang Zhong sighed.
Minglan nodded and did not ask any more questions, but said: "The situation in the DPRK is changing rapidly and is turbulent. Officials must be careful and take care of themselves first!"
"Don't worry, madam!" Wang Zhong held Minglan's hand tightly and said with a smile: "Now your official is a third-rank official of the court. He is in charge of the Salt and Iron Department and holds the court's money bag. Even if the official If there is any dispute between my family and the Queen Mother, they will only try to win over me instead of targeting me."
Minglan said: "As the saying goes, if a tree is as beautiful as the forest, the wind will destroy it. I'm just worried that the official is too young, the official rank is too high, and the power in his hands is too great. I'm afraid that he will arouse the jealousy of those who are interested and secretly target the official." people."
As he spoke, Minglan, who was lying on Wang Zhong's chest, suddenly stood up, leaned over and looked into Wang Zhong's eyes and said: "Actually, I have been thinking a lot, if the official is just a seventh or eighth grade official, We are not in the turbulent city of Tokyo, will our life be more peaceful and comfortable?"
Wang Zhong met Minglan's gaze and said softly: "How can everything in this world go as planned? There is a cause and a result. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Since we have enjoyed the glory and wealth we have now, Naturally, we should take corresponding risks and fulfill our due obligations and responsibilities.”
"Although our family is full of flowers now, no one can predict that one day I will not be abandoned by the official family and demoted to Guilin, Lingnan, or the northwest and other bitter and cold places."
"Wherever the official is, the children and I will follow the official!" Minglan's beautiful eyes were full of determination.
"My lady's belly must be more than three months old, right?" Wang Zhong suddenly changed his words. Minglan was stunned at first, and then her pretty face turned red.
"I'm telling you something serious!"
Looking at Minglan's charming appearance, Wang Zhong couldn't help but feel hot in his heart. Today's Minglan is only twenty years old. She is at her most brilliant when a woman has the charm of a girl and a mature woman. In addition, she looks like a mature woman. Her skin, which is as white and smooth as gelatin, is comparable to the exquisite looks of Xi Shi and Yang Fei. How can a layman like Wang Zhong hold it?
"I am serious about this!" Wang Zhong said seriously: "The love between a man and a woman, the harmony of yin and yang, the harmony of water and milk, the reproduction of children, and the inheritance of incense are the principles of heaven and earth!"
"Here's nonsense!"
Ming Lan's fair face was stained with a blush. She lowered her head and lay in Wang Zhong's arms, avoiding Wang Zhong's gaze. Her heartbeat could not help but beat a little faster, and her cheeks also became hot.
"Tomorrow, a good night is short, every inch of time is worth an inch of gold, let's hurry up!"
After a night of tenderness, when Minglan woke up, Wang Zhong was no longer around.
Call Xiao Tao, wash up, change clothes, and have a meal. By the time you finish packing and go out, it's already time.
Wang Qian'er took her younger brothers and sisters and rushed to Zhuangzi outside the city first. Minglan only took Xiao Tao and a few female envoys to escort her to the Sheng family.
Ever since the incident with the Kangwang family, Wang Ruofu has no good feelings towards Minglan and his wife. It was okay when Wang Zhong was around. After all, Wang Zhong is now in a high and powerful position. Even if Wang Ruofu doesn't like it, he doesn't dare to show it. But when Minglan is alone, she can't help but show off a bit.
Moreover, after Lin Sushuang was defeated and sent to Zhuangzi to be fed with two bowls of lard rice every day, although Wang Ruofu let out a strong breath of anger in her heart, she was old and had a bad temper. Like Minglan's biological mother, Wei Shuyi, who is so considerate and gentle.
Although Wei Shuyi has lost his youth, his beauty is far better than that of Wang Ruofu. He is also considerate, gentle and considerate. The most important thing is that he is well-educated and well-educated. In addition to raising a family in these years, Wei Shuyi has not been idle in his free time. To study embroidery needlework is to read books.
Although he is not as proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting as Lin Sushuang, he can do anything and do anything overly stimulating according to Sheng Hong.
But I couldn't bear to have Wang Ruofu for comparison. Apart from the colleague who sent the beautiful girl, Sheng Hong went to Wei Shuyi's place the most. In the past, there was Lin Sushuang, a common enemy. Wang Ruofu and Wei Shu Wei Shuyi and Wang Ruofu are naturally on opposite sides.
Now that Minglan heard that Wang Ruofu was coming to visit, Wang Ruofu didn't bother to see him. He said that he was unwell and had caught wind and cold, so it was inconvenient to see guests. As soon as Minglan heard that Wang Ruofu was sick, she said that she was a daughter, and now her mother was sick. How could I not visit? I just refused to leave.
Wang Ruofu had no choice but to meet Minglan with a dark face. He watched Minglan humble herself in front of him, which gave him enough face. She was not arrogant at all because her husband had ascended to a high position, and she was still caring and caring. The sullenness in Wang Ruofu's heart was relieved a lot, and he did not embarrass Minglan.
After meeting Wang Ruofu, Minglan went straight to Shou'an Hall. In Shou'an Hall, she happened to meet her sister-in-law Hai Shi, who had just returned to Beijing from Haozhou, and her two nephews.
"Grandma Jin An, sister-in-law Zhuang An!"
"Why did Sixth Sister come here by herself? Where are Brother Ping and Brother An?" He looked behind Minglan and saw Minglan alone, so he couldn't help but ask curiously.
Minglan didn't mince words and said directly: "Sister Qian took her two brothers and Sister Xiu to the village in the morning. The official also specially sent me to invite my grandmother to stay for a while and help me along the way. Please look after Brother Ping and the others."
"What are you doing in the village in such a cold winter?" Old Mrs. Sheng asked in confusion.
Minglan said bluntly: "The officials are worried about any changes in the court situation and are afraid of any troubles. Let us go to the village to take shelter."
"There has been a change in the court situation? Although the sixth brother-in-law has offended many people because of the salt affairs, it has been so long, and I have not heard from officials that anyone in the court has impeached the sixth brother-in-law?" Hai asked in confusion. .
Changbai was transferred back to Bianjing after Wang Zhong took charge of the Salt and Iron Division. It was the Salt and Iron Division that he joined. Wang Zhong was not afraid of others saying that he was nepotistic. Changbai was well-informed and had a strong memory. With his help, Wang Zhong had completed most of the three-year plan he had formulated in the past just over a year after taking over the Salt and Iron Division.
Officials in the DPRK who had complained about this matter also shut up.
But Mrs. Sheng shook her head and said: "If someone is just impeaching someone, why bother to go to Zhuangzi outside the city?"
Heidegger asked in confusion: "What's the reason?"
Mrs. Sheng's eyes lit up, she already had a guess in her mind, and she looked at Minglan in shock.
I only heard Minglan say: "Now the Queen Mother has been behind the curtain to listen to the government for several years. All the power of the government is in her hands. All matters in the court must be discussed with the Queen Mother's opinion. Many guests have been born in the court." The voice of the eldest empress returning power to the officials.
At first, the official family and the eldest lady were fighting fiercely. It was only because King Huan was assassinated that the official family was heartbroken, so they took a step back. Now two years have passed, and the official family is at the peak of its spring and autumn period, and they are not ignorant children. , how can I be willing to have the Queen Mother pressing on my head all the time? "
A look of shock immediately appeared on Heidegger's face.
Mrs. Sheng said: "Now that Zihou is in an important position, if the fight between the officials and the Queen Mother breaks out again, they will inevitably win over the courtiers. Naturally, Zihou will not be missed. If he is still in the city tomorrow, there will inevitably be a lot of trouble." .
It would be better to use the excuse of raising a baby and go live in Zhuangzi. Their Zhuangzi is dozens of miles away from the city and they can live a quiet life. "
Mrs. Sheng was indeed Mrs. Sheng, and she hit the nail on the head and thought of the key to the matter.
Minglan said: "Grandma is indeed a grandmother. She has clever calculations and a sharp gaze. You should not stay in this back house. You should go and lead the troops to fight."
"Stinky girl! Stop flattering me!" Old Mrs. Sheng gave Minglan a doting look and said, "Well, I've been staying at home for a while, and my bones are almost rusty. It's okay to go to the village with you to stay for a while. It's not impossible, it just so happens that I can take a look at my great-grandchildren."
"Brother Ping and Brother An always talk about you a lot!" Minglan stopped drafting any lies. Brother Ping and Brother An had just walked on the ground for a short time, and they were just learning to talk, so they could complete a sentence. How could he talk about Old Mrs. Sheng if he couldn't even finish his words.
"Look, this girl knows how to coax me!" Mrs. Sheng said with a hearty laugh.
"How about you give her a few blows?" Haishi covered his mouth and said with a chuckle.
"It's time to fight a few times!" Old Mrs. Sheng nodded and said with a look of approval: "Ever since she married into the Wang family and became the eldest daughter of the Wang family, this girl has become more and more lawless."
"Grandma!" Minglan hurriedly stood up and walked to sit down next to Mrs. Sheng. She held the old lady's hand and shook her hand and said coquettishly, "I don't have a granddaughter. Don't accuse me unjustly!"
"Look at her, she is already a mother, and she is still acting like a child!" The smile on Mrs. Sheng's face became brighter and brighter.
"A granddaughter will never grow up in front of her grandmother." Minglan used the shameless technique she learned from Wang Zhong to coax Old Mrs. Sheng into a happy mood.
Seeing this, Haishi envied the admiration of his grandfather and grandson, but was also happy for them: "It would be boring if all the officials in my family kept a straight face all day long."
Minglan suddenly turned to look at Haishi and said, "Sister-in-law, why don't you take Brother Quan and Brother Le to stay with you for a few days, so that we can have some fun together?"
(End of chapter)
