After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 620 Tu Family Gossip
After that day, the Hai family's life returned to normal.

At least that's how it looks on the surface.

Hai Chang'an still goes to Chang'an Weiwei School every day to teach students archery in preparation for the upcoming year-end exams. He also urges his nephew Haijiao to review his lessons and practice harder, as if "if Haijiao doesn't get good grades, he will have to accept punishment from his second uncle."

Haijiao obviously had a lot of questions in his mind, but he couldn't help his calm appearance. Fortunately, the New Year was approaching, and when the school was on holiday in December, he would have plenty of time to study these questions, so he put aside his doubts for the time being and concentrated on reviewing.

Haitang had some free time, so she took her needlework and went to visit her second aunt, Mrs. Hu, to make a new bodice for Ma Shangyi while trying to find out what Mrs. Hu had to say.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Hu probably didn't know the specific details. Hai Chang'an only told her the general situation. As long as her husband was safe and her son's future was not affected, she would be satisfied and had no intention of asking for more details. Haitang stayed in her room for three days, and when she was sure that she couldn't tell her more information, she had to move away with her sewing basket.

There is no way to avoid transfer. Little Shitou is getting better and more energetic now. Because of the cold weather, his mother, Mrs. Hu, does not allow him to leave the house. When he is impatient to learn words or practice calligraphy with his books, he will ask questions to the people around him. When his parents are around, he will ask his parents; when his parents are not around, he will ask Grape, the maid he spends the most time with; but if Haitang comes to the second courtyard, he will turn to ask his cousin Haitang. Although Haitang can answer every question, she has her own things to do and is not here to be a robot answering questions. After enduring for three days, she still couldn't bear it any longer and left quickly.

Grape later told her sister Pomegranate that after Haitang left, Shitou was still sad for a long time. He often hugged his mother, Mrs. Hu, and acted like a spoiled child, wanting his sister to come back. Compared to others, Haitang knew everything. She could answer whatever he asked, and she always answered in detail and patiently. She never thought he was annoying. He really didn't want her to leave!

After Haitang heard Shiliu's retelling, her scalp was numb. She thought to herself, Shitou was so cute when he was little, why did he become more and more nagging as he grew older? It seemed that she had nothing to do recently, so it would be better for her not to go to Second Aunt's place again. If she was pestered again, she would not be able to get away easily.

Haitang returned to the upper room in the main courtyard. However, recently Ma went to the Jin family to talk to Ma Shangyi from time to time, and there was often no one in the upper room. She stayed here just to waste some firewood and candles, and she couldn't find anyone to ask for information.

Fortunately, Ma had been to Ma Shangyi for a few days, and the family had to start preparing for the New Year. Ma Shangyi also had to prepare for her first New Year after returning to Chang'an, and she had to prepare for Jin Jiashu and Lin Shiwei as well, so she was quite busy. Ma couldn't stay there any longer and disturb others from doing their work, so she sat for a while and then said goodbye and went home - she also had to prepare to ask her subordinates to go out and buy things.

Ma was stuck at home with household chores. Although her granddaughter Haitang accompanied her in the upper room every day, she was busy making new clothes for Ma Shangyi and could only squeeze out a little time to help her grandmother. The rest of the time, she had to rely on the elders and housekeepers to worry about her. This busy schedule made Ma no longer want to visit her brothers and sisters or visit neighbors to chat. In her spare time, she could only chat with her granddaughter or maid to relieve her boredom. Sometimes, she would accidentally leak some news, letting Haitang know a lot of information that she didn't know or was not clear about in the past.

For example, Haijiao had completely persuaded his grandmother Ma to postpone the marriage of the two siblings. This was all for the sake of the children's future. They were afraid that if they settled down in Chang'an, they would be separated from their relatives who returned home. They were also afraid that if they settled down in Chang'an, they would be separated from their relatives who returned home. They were also afraid that if they married low-profile people too early, when their elders were promoted, it would seem that the two sides were not a good match, which would easily lead to resentment.

For example, Ma Shangyi recommended a marriage she favored to Ma, suggesting that Hai Xiya and Ma ask for a daughter of a branch of the Zhou family to marry for Hai Jiao. At present, the Zhou family all agree that their children should go to places other than the northwest to serve, preferably in the capital, so that they can look after each other with the Cheng'en Marquis Mansion and General Zhou Si. Relatively speaking, it is easier for the Zhou family's branch to go to the capital than the direct descendants of the Zhenguo Mansion. It is respectable enough to marry the daughter of such a branch family, and there is no need to worry about the pain of separation from flesh and blood when the Hai family returns to Zhili in the future - the Zhou family will only do their best to help their son-in-law go to the capital to serve, and even save the effort of making arrangements. For another example, Ma Shangyi introduced the situation of Tu Rong's family to Ma, and specifically pointed out that his eldest son has not yet been engaged, and it is highly likely that he will not find a daughter of a wealthy family. If the Hai family is willing, they can let Hai Tang take advantage of this opportunity. Once Haitang marries into the Tu family, Haijiao won't have to worry about her future, as she will have the emperor's confidant Tu Rong to help her with matters, and she can also become related to the Yingchuan Marquisate, and so on.

When Haitang heard about this, she was completely stunned: "Me? I'm only a few years old. Do I need to start thinking about getting married so early?!"

Besides, who is Tu Rong? He is the emperor's confidant and a second-rank commander. Even the Tang family, a military family with deep roots in Chang'an, dare not say that their daughter can marry his eldest son. How can Haitang, a granddaughter of a seventh-rank official, dream of marrying into the Tu family? ! Ma Shangyi is from the Cining Palace. She has the queen mother behind her. She said that this marriage can be considered. Does the Hai family really think they can do it?

Ma also said, "I felt like I was dreaming when I heard it, and I suspected that Sister Ma had gone insane. Later, she told me about the Tu family, and I realized that this marriage might not be impossible for our family, but it was just not worth it."

Tu Rong was born in an ordinary family. He married two wives. His first wife died early, leaving behind a son who was raised by his widowed mother. He made military achievements on the battlefield and was promoted rapidly. His old boss took a fancy to him and betrothed his beloved daughter to him as his second wife. His current wife is the aunt of the Marquis of Yingchuan. However, she is about the same age as the Marquis of Yingchuan, but there is a difference in generation. This wife gave birth to several children for him and brought them up very strictly. She is also a well-known young talent and a lady of a famous family in the capital.

In this way, it seems that the eldest son of the original wife, who was raised by his mother, is not as outstanding as his younger brothers and sisters in all aspects. This child has been spoiled since he was a child. Tu Rong was busy with official duties and had no time to educate him. His wife did not want to intervene in order to avoid suspicion from her mother-in-law. In the end, the child was raised by Tu's mother. He could not learn anything and could not do anything. His future was obviously bleak.

Tu Rong didn't want to give up on his eldest son, he just hoped that he could learn some skills and stand on his own in the future without relying on his father's favor. He persuaded his mother to bring the eldest son to Beijing, intending to personally take care of his son's upbringing, but at this time he received an order from the emperor to take a post in Chang'an, 2,000 miles away.

Although Tu Rong only brought a few personal soldiers to Chang'an, in fact, his family and luggage were behind him. After Madam Ma was executed, Chang'an City settled down, and he cleaned his official residence and welcomed his family, luggage, and a group of personal soldiers and servants.

He kept a low profile throughout the whole process, without holding a housewarming party or entertaining guests. No one knew whether the Duke of Zhenguo knew about this, but even Ma Shangyi, who was from the capital like him, had only heard about his family's situation not long ago.

He came to Chang'an without his mother and wife, only an old concubine who was not too young to help with the household affairs, and then his eldest son. He planned to let his eldest son have some experience under the command of the Northwest Frontier Army. If he couldn't learn, he would just leave him in Chang'an, so that this mediocre child would not be schemed against in the capital and achieve nothing.

(End of this chapter)