Originally, Wan Songbai and Cheng Shi thought that Li Hao's banquet would be arranged in the army, or at a restaurant in the county.
Unexpectedly, they were finally notified that they were visiting Li Hao's private house, which made the two of them very strange.
After all, if the Yuan family had a house in Tancheng, why did Yuan Pei stay in the camp before? Wouldn't it be more comfortable to live in his own house?
After further questioning, they learned that this house was acquired after Li Hao came over, and their faces twitched involuntarily.
After the visitor from the Yuan family left, Cheng Shi couldn't help but sigh: "This Young Master Yuan is really arrogant. The better houses in Tan County cost at least a hundred gold, and he will buy them if he wants.
Logically speaking, no matter how wealthy the Yuan family is, they should not be so wealthy at this age. Could it be that the Yuan family regards him as the future head of the family and has now taken over some of the resources. "
Wan Songbai shook his head and said: "It shouldn't be the case. You must know that Yuan's eldest son is famous far and wide. Now that he has joined Huang Fuyi's family at Bailu Mountain Gate, he will have a bright future.
Although Li Hao has some talents and has gained some reputation with His Majesty through the Quyuanli incident, the Yuan family is the heir of poetry and calligraphy after all, and Li Hao is not the eldest son. I am afraid that the Yuan family will not agree to abolish Li Hao. The one who grows up establishes the young.
Maybe it's just that Yuan Zhoumu and his wife like their young son, so they have a lot of money. "
After hearing this, Cheng Shi also felt that this statement was reasonable. After all, Li Hao used to use the Yuan family's name when doing business, and usually never directly came forward on his own.
Therefore, many people within the clan know about Li Hao, but outside the world, Li Hao's reputation is not very great. Only some aristocratic families who have good relations with the Yuan family know about it, such as the Liang family and the Qu family; or those who are related to the Yuan family Li Hao had personally participated in large business transactions and knew about them, such as the Cui family and the Yue family.
As for the Wan family and Cheng family, they are naturally not included in this list. They don't know Li Hao's situation, so this guess is inevitably a bit off.
Of course, the two of them had no intention of intervening in the Yuan family's affairs anyway. After talking, they left and started discussing what gifts to prepare.
Originally, if you were in a military camp or a restaurant, you would just have to prepare a few things casually, without being too formal.
But now that the banquet is held at the Yuan family's house, it is regarded as a formal visit. It would be too rude if this gift is not prepared.
However, Li Hao didn't know all this. He was still talking to the tribesmen who came with Yuan Pei to understand the situation in Xuzhou as soon as possible.
It wasn't until the day of the banquet that Li Hao deliberately spared time to stay in the house to receive the Wan and Cheng families who were about to arrive. It happened to be a day of rest and a lie-in.
The result was unexpected. The two families seemed to be a little too active and arrived outside the house before they arrived.
At that time, Li Hao had just finished dressing up, and breakfast had just been served, and it had not been used yet.
After hearing this, I had no choice but to quickly put down the bowl and go to the door of the mansion to greet him in person, whereupon I saw a bunch of people standing at the door.
The first ones leading the way were Wan Songbai and his wife, Cheng Shi and his wife. Behind Xiao Yuanyi stood Qing Cong, followed by three familiar faces: Wan Zhishu, Cheng Song, and Cheng Shaogong. There was also an unfamiliar face that should be Cheng Shi's eldest son Cheng Yong Lao, the person who only lives in other people's mouths in the play.
Behind this group of juniors were a group of servants, each of whom was carrying a bunch of things, large and small.
Seeing this situation, Li Hao couldn't help but said: "The two generals are too polite. They are just having a simple meal, why is it so grand?"
Wan Songbai replied: "When I first come to your mansion, it's hard to come empty-handed, and most of them are Xuzhou's specialties, which are not valuable items.
There was only one undamaged tiger skin that was pretty good. It was made from a tiger I hunted myself. The arrow killed the tiger from its eye, so there was no flaw in the entire tiger skin.
In addition, my brother Cheng Xian also prepared "Emergency Chapter" and "Arithmetic Book" and sent them. He said they were some ancient pre-Qin books that he had accidentally obtained before, but I didn't understand them.
Anyway, your Yuan family is the heirloom of poetry and calligraphy, so it just happens to be given to you, so it can be regarded as making the best use of it. "
Li Hao heard this and smiled and said: "General Wan is very brave. Not everyone has the ability to shoot a tiger's eye with an arrow. This thing is indeed rare. I have to thank General Wan for his love."
In addition, I would like to thank General Cheng. I have mentioned the names of "Jijiu Zhang" and "Book of Arithmetic" to my elders in the past, but the Yuan family has never kept this book, so I have always regretted it.
Unexpectedly, I got it from General Cheng and his wife today. I really got what I wanted. "
Seeing that Li Hao was so satisfied, Cheng Shi and Wan Songbai were naturally very happy. Finally, they did not lose face. Wan Songbai also told Li Hao about his tiger hunting deeds.
Li Hao also echoed a few times as he listened, and with Cheng Shi's compliments, Wan Songbai became more and more energetic as he talked and couldn't stop for a while.
Naturally, Li Hao was unwilling. After all, it was too rude to let people stand outside the house all the time, so he thought of interrupting Wan Songbai and inviting them into the house first.
As a result, out of the corner of his eye, Li Hao spotted Xiao Yuanyi quietly hitting Cheng Shi on the shoulder, and motioning Cheng Shi to look behind him.
Then Li Hao realized that he seemed to have forgotten to ask Wan Qiu Qiu about their identities. Because Li Hao actually knew each other, he subconsciously ignored the matter.
But Li Hao's understanding was based on what he saw on TV, and there was no way anyone could explain this.
Originally, it would be okay if Li Hao simply forgot. As long as Wan Songbai and Cheng Shi were normal, they would take the initiative to introduce them to Li Hao.
But who would have thought that Li Haode's words aroused Wan Songbai's interest in telling stories, and by the way, Cheng Shi got involved and forgot about it for a while.
It's not okay to go on like this. Don't go into the house at the end. Li Hao doesn't know who these people are. It would be too rude.
So taking advantage of the pause between Wan Songbai, Li Hao took the initiative to ask: "By the way, these are..."
Hearing Li Hao's words, Xiao Yuanyi also breathed a sigh of relief, hurriedly slapped Cheng Shi hard, and then motioned for him to introduce with his eyes.
Now Cheng Shide's tacit understanding finally came back, so he started with Wan Qiu and his wife, and then introduced several sons from eldest to youngest.
After hearing this, Li Hao greeted everyone one by one, and then said: "Everyone, please stop standing outside and come into the house to sit and chat."
After saying that, he stepped aside and led everyone into the house. Of course, the servants would be taken to the warehouse, so they didn't have to follow Li Hao and his party.
Returning to the main hall, Li Hao naturally sat on the main seat, and then the Wan family and the Cheng family sat on the left and right sides, with Wan Songbai and Cheng Shi at the head.
As soon as he sat down, Wan Songbai's conversational nature got up again for some reason, and he planned to continue talking about his glorious deeds.
Of course, Li Hao was not willing to listen. At this time, Li Hao's hunger came up again, so he said: "By the way, I have some glutinous rice cakes and Hu cakes, which are newly produced in Jiaodong in recent years. They taste very good." That’s right, why don’t I have someone bring some out for you to try.”
Wan Songbai was obviously not very interested in these, but still wanted to continue speaking and praise himself.
As a result, before he opened his mouth, his intention was discovered by Wan Zuzuzi. To say that Wan Zuzuzi's character was really the same since he was a child.
In her eyes, Wan Songbai was afraid that he was really not a deterrent, so he interrupted directly: "Father, you have told this story so many times, and the more you tell it, the more exaggerated it becomes.
When you fought that big tiger, you obviously went with a group of soldiers. When you came back, many of them were still injured, which is not what you said. "
As soon as these words came out, Wan Songbai was obviously a little helpless, and turned around to glare at Wan Tzu's wife, but Wan Tzu's wife was not afraid at all, so the two people turned into big eyes and small eyes.
Li Hao laughed while watching from above. At this time, the slaves outside brought the pastries. Li Hao said: "Come, let's all try our Jiaodong specialties, especially the silver rolls and candied dates. They are really delicious." Not bad.”
After saying that, he picked up the silver roll and tasted it. After all, he was indeed hungry.
On the other side, smelling the fragrance, Wan Zuzhi felt that this food was very delicious, and she no longer wanted to stare at Wan Songbai.
And since the host, Li Hao, had eaten all the food, the others naturally took advantage of the situation and started eating.
I couldn't stop eating this. The silver rolls were soft and sweet in the mouth, soft and oily, with an endless aftertaste. The candied dates were thin and crispy, fragrant and sweet, and not greasy. Everyone felt that these two things were better than they had ever tasted before. Any pastry must be delicious.
Of course, this is also appropriate. After all, these two things should not have been products of the Han Dynasty, but were made by Li Hao in order to satisfy his own appetite and instructed the cooks to make them according to the methods of later generations.
For a while, it was very quiet in the hall, and the only sound was the sound of people eating.
Of course, not everyone was so silent. For example, Xiao Yuanyi, Qing Cong, and Mrs. Wan started to eat it for a while, but soon came back to their senses, and then looked at their husbands and children with helpless expressions. .
It's just that Mrs. Wan has become accustomed to this kind of helplessness, while Xiao Yuanyi can't get angry because Li Hao is here.
It is estimated that after leaving here, Cheng Shi and the rest of the family will be taught a lesson.
Li Hao padded his stomach and stopped. Seeing this situation, in order to relieve the embarrassment, he said to Xiao Yuanyi: "By the way, are you and General Cheng from Hanoi County?"
Hearing Li Hao's question, Xiao Yuanyi was stunned and replied: "It is indeed true. My husband and I are indeed from the same county in Hanoi County, but why did Mr. Yuan suddenly ask about this?"
Li Hao replied: "When I heard the name of Ling Gongzi Shaogong just now, I felt a little familiar, as if I had heard it somewhere, but I didn't think of it immediately.
Only then did I remember that I had been to the capital two years ago. I heard a rumor in the city at that time, which involved a little girl named Cheng Shaoshang, whose family also moved to the capital from Hanoi County. .
Moreover, there are rumors that the little girl's parents are also leading the army. The more I think about it, the more I feel that it is consistent with the Cheng family's situation, so I ask this question. "
Hearing this, Cheng Shi immediately stopped eating and said, "Yuan Yi and I do have a daughter staying in the capital, named Cheng Shaoshang, and Shaogong is a twin brother and sister.
When she was born, Yuan Yi and I had to lead the army to rescue the isolated city. Due to the military emergency, we had no choice but to leave her in the capital and give her to my mother to raise.
Yuan Yi and I have been away from home these years and have never returned to the capital. We are not very well informed. I wonder what kind of rumors Mr. Yuan has heard. Can you tell me. "
Li Hao heard this and replied: "It turns out that she is really General Cheng's daughter. This is really beyond my expectation. It must be that the rumors are wrong.
After all, the current wealth of the Cheng family was due to the general, so the family should not treat the general's daughter so harshly. "
When Cheng Shi heard that his daughter had been treated harshly, his expression immediately changed, because he knew what kind of person his second brother's bride was, and she could really do such a thing.
So I wanted to ask about the whole story, but Xiao Yuanyi was the first to say: "Folk rumors are mostly based on rumors, and there are many untrue things in them. Some of them are exaggerated and alarmist, which is normal.
Now that my aunt is in charge of the house, I don't think she will treat my granddaughter harshly. "
Hearing this, Cheng Shi had something to ask, but he knew that his wife must have a reason for saying this, so he didn't speak again.
As for Li Hao, he didn't even bother to refute it. The words had already been brought to him anyway, and with Cheng Shi's character of loving his daughter, he would never let it go.
At that time, as long as he sends people back to the capital to inquire, he will naturally know that what he said is true, which will make the authenticity even higher.
When he suddenly said this today, Xiao Yuanyi probably had some doubts in his heart, so it would be better to go to the trouble and wait for them to find out the situation by themselves.
So next, Li Hao skipped this topic and told Wan Songbai and others some interesting things about Jiaodong.
In the past two years, under the leadership of Li Hao, Jiaodong has developed rapidly.
Xuzhou happened to be close to Jiaodong, and when Wan Songbai and Cheng Shi led the army to suppress the rebellion, they could often hear these things, and naturally they felt something about it.
At the end of the chat, a servant came to announce that lunch was ready and invited everyone to come and have a meal.
So everyone moved over. The dishes for lunch were even richer, including fried chicken fillets, simmered fish fillets, crispy chicken, and all kinds of seafood. The tables in front of everyone were full, and it was very exciting. Just looking at it will whet your appetite.
However, the people enjoying the meal did not include members of the Cheng family. Without Cheng Shi's conversation, Wan Songbai's story would lose its atmosphere.
So after finishing the meal, Cheng Shi and Wang Songbai came to say goodbye together, and Li Hao also enthusiastically sent them outside the courtyard gate.
After Cheng Shi and the others returned to their residence and sent their three sons away, Cheng Shi said: "With Ge Shi's stupid and mean temper, it is absolutely possible that she will bully Niao Niao. , we can’t ignore it.”
Xiao Yuanyi replied: "Of course I understand this, but with Jun Gu at home and the two of us unable to return to the capital, there really isn't much we can do.
And Yuan Ang suddenly said this today, which also makes me feel strange. Did he really do it unintentionally? This is also the reason why I answered like that to Yuan Ang in Yuan Mansion.
No matter what happens next, we should first send people back to the capital to inquire about the situation. Anyway, I think even if the Ge family is oppressive, they won't dare to go too far. We have time to plan. "
