Zhurou

As soon as the man came out of the restaurant, he didn't rush to his own food store, but asked people to find the shopkeeper Li, and then turned back home.

This person's surname is Xu, and his first name is Xu Qiong. His family is used to grain and grain business. His ancestors moved from Yanzhou to the capital. value.

The ancestor became a shopkeeper step by step from an apprentice, and later settled down in Beijing. After several generations, he was finally able to buy land and property.

By the time of Xu Qiong's generation, the roots had been deeply rooted, and he was even selected as the leader of the Jingzhong Grain and Valley Touring Group.

And after Xu Qiong arrived home, without any delay, he went straight to the inner courtyard to find his wife, Mrs. Liang.

Mrs. Liang was sitting in front of the case and looking at the account books. On the bed not far away, the nurse at home took the maid to amuse the two sons and daughters to play rattles.

The two children were about the same age, as soon as they heard the sound, they immediately started babbling, and then opened their hands towards the person who came.

Xu Qiong's face was serious at first, but when he saw the actions of the couple, he couldn't help but also smiled. He washed his hands with the water brought by the girl, wiped them briefly, and then went to hold the child.

After playing with each other for a while, Mrs. Liang simply pushed aside the account book and the abacus, and walked over with a smile to gossip.

Only Mrs. Liang was always careful, and the husband and wife had a good relationship. After sitting for a short time, she felt that something was wrong with her husband.

After the nanny and the girl took the child down, Liang asked, "Did you encounter some trouble outside, why do you look so ugly?"

Xu Qiong shook her head, originally wanted to defend herself, but in the end she sighed and said, "There is something..."

He just saw the current princess in the wing room, and briefly said what Zhao Mingzhi said, what Han Yuanwai and the other person meant, but when he was talking, he hesitated to speak and stopped slowly.

Mrs. Liang was surprised at first, but when she heard the latter, she had already reacted, and then asked: "What is the master's plan? Do you want to recognize the land?"

Xu Qiong was taken aback, touched his face, and said with a wry smile: "Did I do it so obviously?"

Liang said: "We've been married for so many years, can't you even see the master's intentions?"

He said again: "What's more, if the master wants to advance and retreat with Han Yuanwai and the others, there is no need to come back and discuss with me."

She didn't know what to think, she frowned and said: "It's just that the rumors outside are not good these days, and it is said that Di Ren will call in less than ten days and half a month. If the master recognizes Tian, ​​it may not be possible to get so many people out of the mansion and shop." Let's do some..."

Xu Qiong said: "I've already thought it over clearly. People in the shop and the mansion have long been unstable. It's meaningless to force them to stay. It's better to ask clearly. If there are people who want to go south as soon as possible, I won't force them to stay. You and your mother Let's take the eldest and the second to Caizhou together..."

As he spoke, he raised his head and said: "Since I have recognized the field, I still need someone to watch it. I also have some property at home. If there is no owner..."

Mrs. Liang didn't wait for her husband to finish speaking, she interrupted him and said, "Master, do you want me and mother to take our two children and flee south, leaving me to gamble my life in Beijing?"

She was still collecting the toys left by her children on the bed, but at this moment she followed Huo Ran and raised her head.

Xu Qiong looked at his wife with slightly dodged eyes, neither nodding nor shaking his head.

Mrs. Liang remained silent.

After a long while, she sighed, and said: "Boss and second are young, and I'm a mother, so I can't gamble with their lives. I may not be familiar with the affairs of the city. I was guarding the pier by myself back then, and my subordinates led When you have a dozen or so brothers, you don’t know which school you’re studying in while shaking your head.”

She paused and continued: "Since you want to go south, why don't you take my wife and two children with you? Although it's a bit embarrassing for you to say this, but if you stay here, it's really better for me to come..."

"This...how did this happen!" Xu Qiong was a little embarrassed and stunned, "If Di Ren really calls, you stay in the city..."

"I can still wield two big knives if I stay in the city, but the master may not be able to use a stick a few times if he stays in the city." Liang said solemnly, "My parents and all the brothers and sisters in the society are all there. If we really meet that day, Everyone can always find a way to escape, from the front, no matter what, they will pick me up, but the master may not."

Xu Qiong just shook his head and said: "I will not agree to this matter!"

Mrs. Liang was noncommittal, but asked again: "Master said he wanted to recognize the fields, how much did he want to recognize?"

Xu Qiong said: "I was thinking in my heart, set aside the money and grain that your mother took away in advance, and convert the rest. As many refugees as you can hire, you will recognize as many acres of land."

It happened that the account book was at hand, so Mrs. Liang took it and calculated it, and finally said: "Since the master has this idea, we can't just discuss it with you and me, we must first go to the mother's place to make an explanation, and talk about it together now. Alright."

Xu Qiong said: "Naturally."

The two went out together and turned to the inner courtyard.

Mrs. Xu was approaching her sixtieth year. After listening to her son's words and daughter-in-law's explanation, she frowned and said, "Why, do you two think I'm dead?"

He said again: "At my age, what things have not happened, and what blessings have not been enjoyed? If Di Ren really came in, if he killed him, he would kill him. He would have lived enough, but if you two asked me to take the child south , The journey is so far away, one or two children are two or three years old, and their parents and fathers don't follow, how can I, an old woman, move?"

"At that time, the climate in the south will be unsuitable, and the water and soil will not be acclimatized. What is the difference between forcing me to die? You two, don't you have any filial piety?"

Xu Qiong opened his mouth wide, but he didn't know how to respond.

Mrs. Xu said again: "It's such a big mansion, no one will give it to you, and Brother Qiong is helpless. It's useless to stay in the capital alone, and you won't be able to take root if you go to the south alone. You have to have a daughter-in-law who can stand to take it with you." Well, let’s talk about it again, how can a child be without the company of his parents? An old woman like me can’t take it with me, and I can’t even walk, but I still have a bit of dignity. When the old man wasn’t there, I supported the family for many years.”

After she finished speaking, she made a decision and said, "Okay, you don't have to fight anymore, let's go south together! I'll give you another old bone, the town house is still worth a lot!"

Liang said anxiously: "Mother, why are you joining in the fun here!"

Xu Qiong also hurriedly said: "Being filial piety is the first thing, so this is the end! If this is the case, it's better not to recognize those messy fields, and don't need to mother you..."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a loud "bang", and saw his old lady clapping her hands on the table next to her.

Mrs. Xu cut her son hard with the eye knife, and said angrily: "Others may not recognize it, but the person surnamed Xu has to recognize the field!"

He also said: "When your ancestors suffered a disaster, they came all the way from Yanzhou to beg. If it wasn't for the relief of kindhearted people in Beijing, and the imperial court hired envoys to give money, they survived those two years. Later, when they were old, they could sell them. Work hard, and finally stabilize your heels here, there is no chance of you being born!"

There was a cold look between her brows, scolding her son while going to see her daughter-in-law.

When looking at her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Xu's face softened a bit, and she said: "When the ancestors of the Xu family came to the capital, they made family rules. They built bridges and roads, and donated rice and porridge. Take in refugees, all of you are aware of this. If there is any particularity, it is not, but the word "do not forget the original" is nothing more. When you go to the south, no matter how your life is, you must pass on this word. Regardless of the rest, don't be sorry for doing things, the word 'conscience' means..."

But Liang said: "Mother's words are naturally reasonable, but I also have something to say."

She drew back her sleeves and said, "Although I married into the Xu family, my surname is Liang. My Liang family has practiced martial arts for generations, and I have always paid attention to the word 'righteousness'. People, as long as the imperial court still has a little back, once there is a war, it must use the pier, if the imperial court is shameless again—this is not the first time, there will always be ordinary people who have to escape by water, let alone use the pier.”

"My father and mother only have one daughter, and I can't leave at this time. The two children are not only the flesh that fell from my belly, but also the flesh and blood of the Xu family, but they can't be sent here together. The mother is old, and the master is weak. , I can't let go of anyone who takes them alone, why don't you two take the little one to the south..."

Mrs. Xu originally used reason to suppress others, but now her daughter-in-law also used reason to suppress her, and she couldn't refute it.

She opened her mouth for a long while, then said: "I'll ask my in-laws about this matter..."

It's just that when she sent someone to Liang's house, Liang's mother wrote back not long after, she was neither angry nor persuasive, she only said that the master of the family had gone to the pier, and Liang's mother was in charge of things in her own hands, and she couldn't go away for a while. She has always been in charge of the house, if there is no one to support her in the society, she must be asked to come back to take care of the situation, in fact, it is better to stay.

——I totally agree with Mrs. Liang's idea.

Mrs. Xu originally pointed to the Liang family to help persuade her, who would have been caught off guard by this one, but thinking about her grandchildren and the appearance of her daughter-in-law, she knew that she couldn't say anything.

She had no choice but to agree, but pointed to her son and said: "There is no reason in the world to keep your daughter-in-law behind and run away first. This is already the case in the city. Since your daughter-in-law has to stay, you should also stay behind." , no matter what, it is human strength, and it can lend a hand when encountering things."

Then he said to the Liang family: "The Liang family pays attention to 'righteousness', doesn't it mean that the Xu family doesn't talk about it? Even though I am old, I can stay with you for a few more years. I have to take two young ones to the south and wait for you in Caizhou." Just come."

In this way, the family of three finally reached a consensus. First, someone took the general ledger of the Fuzhong shop to count the amount of silver and grain properties and make two distributions. Because of this, the city was selling fields and properties everywhere, and it was difficult to sell them no matter how anxious they were. The left and right Xu Qiong and his wife also want to linger here, so they don't bother anymore, and leave it for others to use.