Take the farm down to earth

Chapter 165

Liu Taigong shook his head, "Perhaps Liu Yuangong doesn't know that since you were nominated by the Golden Palace and became the champion, the price of houses on this street has increased by 6% in an instant."

Shi Zhongkui frowned immediately.

Although the Liu family's yard also has three entrances, it is the same length as his own house, with the front entrance facing the street and the back entrance facing the street.

But the width is one-third smaller, and the size and layout of the house are also ordinary brick houses.

It is worth 5000 taels of silver, and it is already very fragrant.

Shi Zhongkui could only give up, and then thought, the big deal is to build a few more houses next to the house in the front yard.

"Liu Taigong, give the younger generation a few days to think about it, let's do it for today."

Liu Taigong understood Shi Zhongkui's rejection as soon as he heard it.

With a sigh, he got up and cupped his hands, and left with his little doll.

"Master," Yu Shun whispered, "Speaking of the house, I heard that the butler of the second wife's natal family is also building a garden."

When Shi Zhongkui heard it, he thought of Lai's yard.

The Jia family built the Grand View Garden. Although the Lai family's garden is not as grand as the Grand View Garden, it is full of springs, stones, forests, pavilions and pavilions. It is really spacious and tidy.

Even when Jia's mother went to the garden, she thought it was worth seeing.

There were even a few places that shocked Jia's mother.

Thinking of this, Shi Zhongkui smiled.

As for Shun Dao, "I heard that the grandson of Lai's patriarch, Lai Shangrong, has been released from slavery, you can find someone to test him out, test him out.

If he is motivated, then secretly instigate him to donate to the official. "

Yu Shun nodded quickly, "Yes, master, I know how to do it."

After Shi Shun left, Shi Zhongkui sneered, he couldn't take care of Lai Da and Lai Er, the servants of Ningrong and Rongfu.

But Lai Shangrong got out of slavery and became an official queen again.

As long as he dares to stretch out his hand, life and death are all in his own mind.

And when the Grand View Garden is completed, the Lai family's garden must be almost completed.
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As the grandson of Lai's parents, Lai Shangrong was treated the same as Jia Baoyu since he was a child.

The family has money but no status, so of course Lai Shangrong wants to compare the Jia family.

After being instigated for a few words, when I got home, I asked Madam Lai to donate to the official.

If you just want to be an official, as long as you find the right person, two or three thousand silver is enough to donate to a seventh-rank official.

As for being like Jia Rong, who got the official status of the fifth-rank dragon guard for only 1000 taels, that must be overthinking.

Dai Quan doesn't want anyone's money.

He had told Jia Zhen at the beginning that Feng Fatzi, the third brother of the Marquis of Xiangyang, the governor of Yongxing, was also seeking an official position.

No matter how much money Fatty Feng entrusted, Dai Quan ignored him, and made the two vacancies to Jia Rong and Xiangyang Hou's brother, the third.

In other words, this is wooing and gathering honorable forces.

Lai Shangrong, a gift from the Jia family, is an ordinary person who has just escaped from slavery. Let alone 5000 taels, even 10,000 taels will not be able to become a dragon guard.
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Grandma Lai couldn't help being troubled by her grandson, and at the same time, she hoped that her grandson would have a future, so she couldn't help finding Mother Jia.

When Jia Mu heard this, she was only willing to donate the seventh-rank official to Lai Shangrong.

Otherwise, it doesn't make sense for a child of servant background to have a higher official position than Jia Lian and Jia Rong.

Jia Lian, who accepted the task, was actually not very willing in his heart.

And unlike Jia Baoyu who doesn't care about anything, Jia Lian actually knows that the Lai family has made a lot of money from them over the years.

It's just that he himself kept making plans for the family's money before, so of course he didn't dare to take care of the Lai family's affairs.

Moreover, before Jia Yuanchun became a concubine, Rongguo Mansion only spent around 5000 to [-] taels of silver a year.

It's really corrupt, but in fact, there is not much money to be corrupt.

The Lai family focused more on the Jia family's fields and shops, so the farms and shops in Ningrong and Rongfu suffered losses every year.

Until the Yuanchun concubine, it was like a fire cooking oil.

In the past, under the banner of the Jia family, the business of Lai Da and Lai Er who were doing business outside was even bigger.

However, it is not easy for Lai Shangrong to donate an official.

He is not a Juren, and secondly, he is not a noble son, and he is not even qualified to donate an official.

Jia Lian thought about it, and finally remembered that Li Wan's father, Li Shouzhong, was a sacrificial wine for the Imperial College.

As soon as Lai Shangrong was accepted by the Imperial Academy, it was impossible for Shi Zhongkui, the third in command of the Imperial Academy, to know.

He even pretended to help Lai Shangrong with an idea, asking him to send money to the people in the Ministry of Rites.

Using the reason of donating money to renovate the Gongyuan, he finally got the qualification to supervise students.

As long as you can graduate, you can be qualified to be an official just like Juren.

As for the problem that the promotion ceiling of supervising students is bigger than that of juren, it is not within the scope of Lai Shangrong's consideration at all.

Anyway, in his opinion, as long as he is willing to spend money, being a county magistrate is enough to honor his ancestors.

If you are willing to spend more money, even if you can't be a magistrate, it's good to be a co-prefect or an official.

After Shi Zhongkui read Lai Shangrong's article, let alone, although this guy was raised pampered, he also knew that he was just a servant.

Even if talent and hard work are not enough, and there is a sense of crisis in my heart, after seven or eight years of reading, I can memorize at least four books.

If the Lai family's native place was in the north or northwest, Lai Shangrong would memorize the Four Books, so it's not difficult to be a scholar.

It's a pity that since the Lai family is a servant of the Jia family, their native place is of course in Jinling.

As a wealthy place in the south of the Yangtze River, it is as difficult as crossing a single-plank bridge if you want to test for talents in Jinling.

In other words, Jia Lian made the right way for Lai Shangrong to follow the Imperial College.

Moreover, the more money Lai Shangrong spends, the more eager he will be to make money when he really becomes an official in the future.

Corruption or breaking the law, whichever it is, is enough to sentence Lai Shangrong to exile for three thousand miles.
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After three days of marriage, it is reasonable to go back to her mother's house.

But Shi Zhongkui married two wives at a time, so it is impossible to run around in one day.

I can only take Xue Baochai back to Xue's house first.

For the new son-in-law and daughter to go home to visit relatives, the Xue family prepared a very honorable specification.

Not only the relatives from Jinling stayed in the capital all the time, just waiting for this return, even Wang Ziteng asked for leave and waited at Xue's house.

Xue Pan and Xue Biao went directly to the door and personally invited Shi Zhongkui and Baochai home.

That day after drinking spirit peach wine and sleeping for half an afternoon, when Baochai and Yingchun woke up one after another, they were startled at first, and then they found that their clothes were still there, and they were relieved.

Otherwise, serving her husband together would not only be contempt and humiliation to the two wives, but Baochai and Yingchun would really have no face to meet each other in the future.

Then the two realized that they felt a little sticky all over their bodies, and there was even a faint smell on their bodies.

Because Baochai drank it once, she knew it was normal, so she tried to appease the panicked Yingchun.

Yingchun heard Baochai say that she drank it once before because of a fever, but she didn't feel jealous or think too much about it.

After all, I was not sick before, and now my husband also drinks it for me, so it is not treated differently.

The two called the maid to prepare hot water for washing.

Moreover, the first day after marriage was the ninth day of junior high school. The two of them were embarrassed to invite Shi Zhongkui openly, but they slept soundly through the night.

But the next day Shi Zhongkui looked at the two charming daughters-in-law, who kept dangling in front of him, and couldn't help it.

So during the lunch break in Baochai's house, after Baochai's younger sister virtuously helped Shi Zhongkui untie his coat, Shi Zhongkui hugged him

As soon as Yingchun heard about returning home, she directly asked Shi Zhongkui to bring Baochai to Xue's house first, and then return to Jia's house on the sixth day after marriage.

Customs of returning to one’s mother’s home vary from place to place, such as three days, six days, nine days, or even a month later.

The purpose of going back to her natal family is not only to let my son-in-law and her family have more contact.

I also saved it to see if the newlyweds are sweet, and to let the bride have time to relax.

In order not to hurt the bride during the passion, but also to give the bride a chance to ask some private words.

Xue Pan and Xue Bian, who came to pick them up, immediately felt relieved when they saw Baochai coming to the main hall of the middle courtyard with a happy smile all over her body.

After returning to Xue's house, Baochai was still a little reluctant to part with Shi Zhongkui, and after being urged several times by Xue Baoqin and the housekeeper's wife, she reluctantly followed to Aunt Xue's house.

Walking into the backyard, Baoqin hugged Baochai's arm and said with a smile, "Sister, you have changed."

Although Baochai knew that what Baoqin was talking about was that she became cheerful, but thinking of Shi Zhongkui's embarrassing words on the bed, her face turned red.

When I was a girl before, let alone heard of it, I just never thought about it.

Therefore, in Shi Zhongkui's eyes, words between lovers are commonplace, but in Baochai's eyes, they are embarrassing nonsense.

But the more this happened, the more Baochai loved Shi Zhongkui in his heart.

In the past, all I thought about was how to maintain the Xue family's family business, how to persuade my brother to make progress, how to deal with the relationship between the sisters and the relatives of the Jia family.

Now it seems that only Xianggong is left in my heart.

I think about him during the day, and I also think about him at night, and even if I don't see him for an hour or two, I feel panicked.

Yingchun is not much better than her.

When Shi Zhongkui stayed in the room reading a book yesterday morning, he couldn't help leaning towards him several times.

And when he saw his throat move, he immediately got up to help him carry water.

After serving Shi Zhongkui to drink water, as long as Shi Zhongkui smiled at himself, Yingchun felt that doing anything for Xianggong was worthwhile.

So when Shi Zhongkui went to torment her at night, Yingchun was very obedient.
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Xue Baochai patted Baoqin's hand with a smile, "When you get married, you will miss your husband more than your sister. If you don't see him for a day, you won't think about food and drink, and your heart will be empty."

Where did Bao Qin hear such words, and she blushed in embarrassment.

Then he went back and said, "Sister, you are talking about yourself."

Baochai was taken aback for a moment, and her face turned even redder.

She stretched out her hand and scratched Baoqin's waist a few times, making Baoqin dodge in a hurry, and ran forward.

But in my heart I was very envious.

Thinking of some words hinted by Xue Biao, while feeling shy, he couldn't help thinking about it.

In the end, I comforted myself with the same thought, if my elder brother can really pass the exam and become an official, then he should repay that person.

"Miss, it looks like my uncle is really good to you."

When Baochai heard what the steward's wife said, her smile suddenly brightened.

Aunt Xue and the wives of her relatives, after seeing Baochai, also saw that her married life was very good.

Seeing that she looked very good, she immediately felt relieved.

After chatting all morning, Aunt Xue and a few aunts had the opportunity to ask Baochai about private matters while they were going to eat.

Baochai said with a blushing face that she couldn't make the master disarm, but she didn't realize at all that it took half an hour for the rain to hit the plantains, so how lethal it was to these middle-aged women.

Aunt Xue and the others couldn't explain it clearly, but they felt relieved. At least for now, they shouldn't have to worry about their children.

After arriving at the dining room, Baochai saw the jug on the table and couldn't help thinking of the gift he had brought.

Busily ordered to Ying'er and Xiangling, "Go and bring the nourishing wine prepared by the master, and give it to mother and aunts to taste."

The so-called nourishing wine is nothing more than a fruit wine made of Chenghuang medicinal wine mixed with pomegranate juice and sugarcane juice.

The taste is sour and sweet, and suppresses most of the tonic taste, which is several levels better than the taste of Babao wine.

Aunt Xue and the others heard that this kind of wine had at least [-]-year-old ginseng, ganoderma lucidum, notoginseng, Polygonum multiflorum and other medicinal materials, and immediately understood that this nourishing wine was probably the eight-treasure wine specially for women.

That is a joy in my heart.

"Girl Bao, doesn't that mean that this jar of five catties of wine costs several hundred taels of silver?"

Baochai grinned and thought, this is wine mixed with more fruit juice, otherwise the real medicinal wine would not be sold even if it costs 1000 taels a catty.

Not to mention that Xianggong still has treasures soaked with 500 years of ginseng, millennium ganoderma and 300 years of Polygonum multiflorum.

And these things were drunk by himself and Yingchun.

But what Baochai didn't know was that what he and Yingchun drank were only Chenghuang medicinal wine mixed with spirit peach wine.

Shi Zhongkui was not reluctant to part with the real pure spiritual peach wine, he was really worried that his two wives would not be able to bear the huge spiritual energy if they drank it.

"Auntie, this is to honor your mother and your elders. It doesn't matter how much money it is worth. Besides, you don't drink the good things yourself. It's a pity to exchange the money that you can't eat and drink."

Everyone laughed as soon as they heard it, and even said that Baochai and the uncle were filial, but they couldn't help but envy them in their hearts.

This is a few hundred taels of silver, and for a scholarly family with a small population, it is enough for one or two years of expenses.

In the spirit of not drinking for nothing, the nine women directly drank 9 catties, and Baochai basically didn't drink much, so it was a pleasure to eat this meal.

After drinking and eating, all the female relatives were basically a little drunk.

After all, one catty of fruit wine is mixed with one or two Chenghuang medicinal wines, and the strength is compared with beer.

But the whole body is warm, and some people whose hands and feet are cold feel that their feet are warm and their lower abdomen is also warm.

Only then did he believe that this nourishing wine was indeed a good thing, and his attitude towards Baochai was even better.

It's a pity that Baochai didn't know about this nourishing wine. For Shi Zhongkui, there was as much as he wanted.

I can only keep close to my own mother, so it's no problem to drink for relatives at the wine table, and it's unnecessary to send them off.

However, the sum of ordinary gifts, worth 30 taels, is enough to make the aunts of the Xue family have no reason to say that Baochai doesn't understand etiquette.
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The man in the front yard also drank eight-treasure wine.

But this time there is no need for Shi Zhongkui to provide it.

Xue Pan and Jia Lian took the eight-treasure wine from Shi Zhongkui, and the purchase price was 5 taels of silver, and each time they bought it for a thousand catties. They did not lack this kind of wine at all.

Moreover, Xue Pan withheld twenty jars of one hundred catties of wine, which was only 5000 taels of silver.

(End of this chapter)