Huang Zunsu sat down on the round table next to the dressing table, looking like he was ready to talk in detail, and asked: "You mean, concubinage? What kind of appearance do you like?"
Yao's chest tightened and he thought to himself, he really had this intention.
As the one who took the initiative to talk, she felt sad at first.
She then hesitated and said bluntly: "I think Miss Zheng from the Han Mansion is pretty good. She has a good appearance, and it sounds like she is literate and well-educated. Although she is a servant, she serves in the Han Mansion. The maid in charge of the eldest lady is not the same as the helper hired by the small family. Besides, I see that the master and her..."
Huang Zunsu suddenly stopped when he saw his wife talking endlessly, and immediately asked: "What happened between me and her?"
"My master and she had quite a chat, and I think he also likes her."
Huang Zunsu chuckled lightly, with a sneer in it, but it was not as irritating as it was during dinner just now.
"Master, why are you laughing?" Yao became more and more unable to conceal her grievances, "Master, you think I am being jealous and deliberately saying sarcastic things?"
Huang Zunsu shook his head: "No, I think you are sincere. This is how a husband and wife should be. If you are unhappy, don't hide it."
"Then if I give you some accurate words, can I be right with Miss Zheng?"
"Axin," Huang Zunsu leaned forward slightly, called his wife's maiden name, held her hand, sighed, and said slowly, "You are no longer an ignorant little girl in the boudoir. How can it be that you still see the world so easily?" There is only love and desire between men and women? To tell you the truth, Miss Zheng really impressed me. But I had no idea of taking her in as a concubine. I just sighed that she was not only a loyal servant, but also a caring woman. With some courage, he actually had the thoughts of a sage and looked at the solid world instead of the illusory world."
When Yao heard the words "solid heaven and earth, illusory world", he suddenly felt that they sounded familiar. He raised his head and asked cautiously: "Master, are you saying that she is not like the low-ranking scholar who you Donglin Academy despises?"
Huang Zunsu nodded: "Mr. Yangming's mind study is originally a superior knowledge. I, the people of Donglin Academy, do not have any sectarian opinions. What we object to is just some juniors who have taken the path of mind study astray. Don't criticize them, just say Go back to Miss Zheng. Today I am halfway back to the government. It is indeed about the safety of her master and servant, and I want her to report it to the Han government. I am an official in the first government, and she is personally accompanied by Miss Han. This matter is fair and aboveboard. You don’t have to worry about ghosts.”
Yao was startled, said "Hmm", and defended in a low voice: "I wasn't overly concerned, but my mother-in-law said that when I came back from the front hall with her, she stopped me, you guys, you said... We talked for quite a while.
Huang Zunsu said with a smile: "Yes, that's why I think of her as a sage. At that time, she told me that their aunt and nephew had gone through a lawsuit in Zhangzhou and decided to settle the house that was almost occupied by the clan. The title was sold and exchanged for seventy or eighty taels of silver. The aunt and nephew wanted to use the money to set up a kindergarten in Songjiang, specializing in children from poor families, regardless of gender. She reported this matter to Miss Han , Miss Han quite agreed, but told her to ask the officials first how to make it more appropriate."
I see.
The sadness and sorrow in Yao's eyes disappeared without a trace, and her brain seemed to have returned to normal operation.
Yao said with a sense of guilt: "Master, I asked Miss Zheng today at noon why she combed her hair. She said that she had seen too many women married in inhumane situations in her hometown, and she did not want to live in such a situation herself. If I had the spare time, I would like to help someone else. At that time, I just thought she was just pretending to be a fanciful person, but I was indeed intolerant."
Huang Zunsu waved his hand, indicating that his wife no longer had to blame herself, and said, "Miss Zheng is really serious about doing this. She even reported the amount of money. Her nephew, Zheng Shoukuan, will be thirteen next year. Her aunt The two nephews didn't sign a life contract, so she naturally didn't want her nephew to go to the Gu Mansion and continue to be a servant, so she just put the academy under his nephew's name, where he could also study and take exams. Miss Zheng just sighed. , the price of houses in Ming Dynasty is low, and the huge yard in Fujian can't be sold for a hundred taels of silver. I don't know how long it will be able to support the academy. Miss Han agrees with Miss Zheng's righteous deed, but she is not in charge of the middle school of the Han family. Even if she gets married next year There was a rich dowry in the Gu family, but there was already a literary and philosophical academy in the Gu family. She, the daughter-in-law of the Gu family, openly set up a separate school with the maid of her parents' family, fearing rumors. However, the two of them, the master and the servant, were also planning. Miss Han To teach embroidery skills, the school provides silk thread and embroidery fabric, so that the girls can make some needlework and sell it outside to continue the work of the gentlemen."
Mrs. Yao was originally a soft-hearted woman. Before, her thoughts were misguided because of her sensitivity and suspicion as a wife. Now that she heard the whole story, her grudge disappeared, and her chivalrous spirit of active participation and enthusiasm for making suggestions came to her. Come up.
With a hint of tenderness towards her, Huang Zunsu said: "If the academy really gets started, and if the master allows me, I can be a female teacher for once. My regular script and strong bones may not be as good as those of men."
Huang Zunsu smiled knowingly, stretched out his hand to hold the hair on his wife's temples, and said softly: "There is nothing forbidden. You still have some painting skills. You can teach the dolls to paint Buddha statues for temples and nunneries. Or teach them. Those who draw small frames of famous calligraphy will be sent to the calligraphy and calligraphy shop for consignment."
Mrs. Yao became even more happy after hearing this, as if she had seen the concrete achievements of her future good deeds in her husband's description.
Huang Zunsu saw his wife's bright eyes, flushed cheeks, and pleasant complexion under the light of the small glazed lamp. He couldn't help but be moved. He hugged her over and whispered sincerely and tenderly.
"You must stop thinking wildly. Every family has its own faults. I don't care about other families' three wives and four concubines. In my Huang Mansion, you are enough for me. A few months ago, I was robbed by bandits. I thought that if I died, , what should you and your two children do? It was like a thousand arrows piercing my heart at that time. Since God allowed me to escape, I must cherish the good fortune and be neither greedy nor angry nor have any delusional thoughts. No matter what I do in the future in the affairs of the country and the world No matter what, when it comes to family matters, staying with you until we grow old is the right thing to do."
The man in his arms moved his head obediently and snuggled into her husband's arms. After a while, he remembered something and said: "By the way, Miss Zheng also mentioned today that after the Double Ninth Festival, Mrs. Miao of the Gu family will lead all the female relatives. Climbing high to enjoy the autumn, Miss Han would like to invite me to go with you."
"Go, Liu Yuxi has said it before, I say autumn is better than spring. How can you stay in the house in such a good season."
…
The best time to enjoy autumn is around the time of frost.
According to the wishes of Miao, the old lady of the Gu family, firstly, it can avoid too many ordinary people who climb high during the Double Ninth Festival. Secondly, since it is so late for more than ten days, the wind will have a chilly feel. As the saying goes in the south of the Yangtze River, when the north wind blows, crabs' legs are itchy, the female crabs are full of yellow, and the male crabs are full of fat. After the trip of the female family members, they went to the food garden to enjoy a crab feast.
Songjiang Prefecture is located at the mouth of the Yangtze River, a land of vast plains.
There is only Sheshan Mountain, twenty to thirty feet high. Compared with the real famous mountains Dayue, it is only a small slope, but when placed at zero altitude in Songjiang Prefecture, it becomes very rare.
Looking from the ground, there are nine mountains in a row, surrounded by three rivers and ponds, hence the name "Nine Peaks and Three Pools".
Sheshan has lush forests, with red maples and yellow cotoneaster in autumn. On a clear day, there are sometimes sika deer playing in the forest, and Huating cranes flying up into the clouds, which lead to poetic feelings reaching into the blue sky. The mountain scenery is thus gorgeous and pleasing to the eye, adding to the wild interest.
As mentioned before, although Mrs. Miao is a concubine, she has a distinguished status. She is not a mother-in-law, but better than a mother-in-law. Today, the three daughters-in-law of the second generation of the Gu family, the eldest grandmother Shen, the second grandmother, Gu Shouqian's mother Lu, the third grandmother Li, and several aunts all accompanied Miao when she went out.
The eldest son, Mrs. Shen, and her two aunts all gave birth to four daughters, all of whom were married. The second wife only has an only son, Shouqian. The three most popular girls are Li and her aunt, who have two sons and two daughters. The two girls are twins. They are only five or six years old this year. Yuxue is cute.
Relying on the popularity of her third wife, Mrs. Li regards herself as a hero of the Gu family, and usually speaks according to her temperament.
This morning, the Gu family, the female members of the Han family, the Dong family, and the Huang family met outside the city, and headed to Sheshan together under the protection of the servants. Mrs. Li didn't stay quiet in the sedan for long before she took the initiative to start a conversation and went to pick two people. Grandma Lu: "Sister, why are there two little girls coming to the Han Mansion? It's so hard to invite your in-laws."
Gu Shouqian's Lu family has always had a good temper. After hearing this, she just smiled gently and said, "It would be nice to see my daughter-in-law who is about to pass away. I like that child."
On the other hand, Ms. Shen, the eldest daughter sitting opposite, had a calm expression, but her words were straight and straightforward: "Third wife, why do you always find faults and find faults whenever you have free time? It's not like you don't do this. You know, ever since the third son of the Han family went with the foreign monk to teach Lao Shizi's foreign religion, the third grandma of the Han family has hated the foreign religion. We and the Dong family all interacted with Xu Hanlin (referring to Xu Guangqi) who believed in foreign religions, and the third grandma of the Han family also Will you be happy to play with us? If the third grandma doesn’t come, the second grandma in charge shouldn’t be too enthusiastic, otherwise, she won’t be slapping my sister-in-law in the face?”
The eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Shen, is now in charge of the Gu family. Mrs. Miao and the other masters are very satisfied with her. Although the younger daughter-in-law, Mrs. Li, has a bad mouth but no actual fighting ability, she still obeys the eldest sister-in-law's control.
Mrs. Li curled her lips and said with a smile: "We are close friends in the Gu family, so naturally I can't think of all the twists and turns in the Han family."
Mrs. Lu also smiled at Mrs. Shen, with unspoken gratitude deep in her smile.
Half an hour later, the huge procession of sedan chairs finally reached the foot of Sheshan Mountain.
The young tenants who rented the Gu family's property were already waiting to invite the old lady and the grandmothers and ladies to sit on the bamboo palanquin and let them carry it up the mountain.
Zheng Haizhu, like the other maids and women, followed the bamboo sedan up the stairs.
In front of Han Ximeng is Huang Zunsu's wife Yao. Along the way, Zheng Haizhu often passed by and introduced a few words to Yao about the scenery of Songjiang that caught his eye.
But at the same time, she was always distracted by the person behind Han Ximeng.
Han Xiying.
Zheng Haizhu had already bluntly reminded Han Ximeng that her cousin was not as innocent as she appeared on the surface, and showed signs of secret admiration for the second son of the Gu family.
After Han Ximeng and Zheng Haizhu had gone through difficulties together, he actually trusted the vision of this loyal servant. However, when it came to a girl who had grown up in the same place, he could not help but be more tolerant. He smiled at Zheng Haizhu and said that he admired her secretly, and it was not an open robbery. Anyway, when it came to Next year, the Han family will also find Xiying's in-laws, so this won't be a problem.
Yesterday, Han Xiying ignored her mother's anger and went to play coquettishly with her second aunt Qian, insisting that they come to Sheshan to play together. Han Ximeng also agreed.
When changing sedan chairs at the foot of the mountain just now, Zheng Haizhu noticed that this little green tea was quite capable of making a presence in front of the three grandmothers of the Gu family.
After a while, he raised his silk fan to block the sun from Mr. Shen, and asked innocently and endearingly, "Which shop does grandma usually use for rouge? It's so beautiful." Then she called Mr. Li, "Grandma, be careful of the mud pits."
He was even more careful with Gu Shouqian's mother and second grandmother, Mrs. Lu. Unless the bamboo chair on Mrs. Lu's sedan chair was crooked and it was hurting her waist, she asked Madam Lu to sit in her sedan chair.
Zheng Haizhu was sneering to herself when she heard old Mrs. Miao say loudly: "A Ying is a good kid. When she helped me mix the paint last time, it was so messy. I said she was careless and needed to change. As expected, Shibie You should be impressed by how careful and cautious you are today. Third daughter-in-law, it’s a pity that the eldest son of yours is only ten years old..."
All the women laughed in amusement. Han Xiying hurriedly pretended to be shy and hid behind her sister Ximeng.
After being stabbed so meaningfully by Mrs. Miao, Han Xiying restrained herself a little, and only called Zheng Haizhu from time to time on the mountain road, ordering her to send the candied fruit she prepared to the old lady and several grandmothers.
Finally reaching the top of the mountain, Miao wanted to go to Wusheng Temple first.
Zheng Haizhu is very familiar with the Sheshan area in Shanghai in later generations. Modern Sheshan has an observatory, a church, a six-star hotel, and top-notch mansions with a market value of three to four billion. But Zheng Haizhu has never heard of it. What Wusheng Temple?
When I entered the temple, I saw that the person offering the sacrifice was Yue Fei.
Zheng Haizhu recalled his experience from Fujian to Jiangnan after time travel, and he roughly understood.
At this time, the Manchu invasion had not yet gained power. There were many temples and ancestral halls in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, especially in the south of the Yangtze River, to worship Grandpa Yue. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty and the rise of the Qing Dynasty, Yue Fei was a famous general who fought against the Jin Dynasty, and the Manchu people also had Jin Dynasty. The Qing court could not see that Grandpa Yue, who had defeated his ancestors, was enshrined by the Han people, so naturally they either destroyed the temple or destroyed the temple. Wu Sheng was replaced by Guan Yu.
However, Zheng Haizhu did not expect that Mrs. Miao would be so serious about worshiping Yue Fei. She even ordered the servants of the Gu family to prepare all kinds of decent snacks and place them at the feet of Yue Fei's statue. She also donated a bagful of them to the temple. Incense and silver.
"Give me my rivers and mountains, give me my rivers and mountains." Old Mrs. Miao raised her head, looked at the hanging plaque, and repeated the four words engraved on it.
Zheng Haizhu stood behind a group of women, looking at Mrs. Miao's appearance, and gently asked the maid who was caring for the house next to her: "Does the old lady often come to worship Grandpa Yue?"
The maid replied: "Well, Spring and Autumn are coming. In the past, the Winter Solstice also came, but now that I am getting older, I will ask Grandma to come after winter."
Zheng Haizhu was inevitably confused.
The old lady was born on the coast of Fujian, far away from the sites of several brutal battles against the Jin and Mongolian armies in the Southern Song Dynasty, such as Ningbo, Zhejiang and Xinhui, Guangdong.
Moreover, she was originally a palace servant of the emperor and his empress. The Ming Dynasty's culture of advocating literature and suppressing martial arts was deeply rooted. It was impossible for her to get the influence of martial arts from Emperor Wanli and Queen Wang.
So, why does Miao have such feelings for a warrior like Yue Fei and the words "Give me back my land and my country" so much more than an ordinary old woman of this era?
After the worship, everyone visited several pavilions, leaned on the railings to overlook, looked for the large farmland of each family near Sanmao, commented and discussed, and then it was lunch time.
The crab feast was arranged in a restaurant in the back mountain that was specially designed to accommodate officials. Because there were many cranes in Sheshan, it was called "Heming Tower".
Heming Tower is located on the bank of Cuntou River.
Han Ximeng saw the beautiful autumn orchids at the gurgling stream. She had recently been embroidering a picture of orchids, and she took Zheng Haizhu to see the real orchids in nature.
Unexpectedly, behind the stone, there was already sitting a little girl of eight or nine years old, with pretty features, holding a round embroidery booth in her hand, and sewing seriously.
Han and Zheng looked closely, but what they embroidered was a cross.
