Ordinary clear day

Chapter 103 Afternoon
Tong Shi covered the sun with a round fan, and stepped into the bamboo courtyard against the heat wave.It was just after noon at this time, and a few little girls were sitting on the pillars in the corridor, all dozing off groggyly.Tong Shi frowned, but didn't wake them up, and led Suyun directly to the main room.

As soon as he walked to the door, he heard Nala's angry voice from inside: "What? Dead?! Why are you so careless?!" Tong stopped, and winked at Suyun, Suyun Then he raised his voice and shouted: "Is the eldest lady at home? Our third wife sees you coming." Only a woman came out of the room in a hurry, but it was Nala's accompanying room, Jin's mother.

Tong said with a smile: "I have nothing to do in the afternoon, so I came to talk to your wife, didn't you disturb her rest?"

Jin's mother laughed, and Nala also came to greet her at the door: "Where is this? You know that I'm not used to sleeping at noon, but it's just too hot and I'm just resting my mind. I'm bored, you Here it is, it’s great, it’s hot outside, come in and sit down.”

Tong Shi followed her into the room with a smile, and seeing that there was no abnormal expression on her face, she didn't ask what she had just heard, but only talked about some household affairs.She said: "In two days, it will be Qiqi of the old lady. My sister-in-law invited someone to break her fast. It's just that the weather is muggy and I'm afraid it will rain. If I do things in the yard, I'm afraid it will be inconvenient."

Nala said: "I've thought about it. When the old lady was here, she lived and acted in Rongqingtang all the year round. It's a big place, with buildings on both sides and front and back. It's better to move the rituals there, so you don't have to worry about going down." It's raining."

Tong clapped her hands: "Wonderful, in this way, even if the weather is sunny and there is no rain, those nuns and monks can also be protected from the scorching sun. My sister-in-law has accumulated a lot of virtue for the old lady."

Nala smiled and said nothing, and the two talked about some small things. Jin Ma stayed with her for a while, then she said she was going to take care of De Geer and left.

As if remembering it suddenly, Mrs. Tong asked Nala, "I heard from Ermo that she seemed to see Lao Xu from her sister's house at the second door before lunch. Could it be that Jiangnan sent a letter back?" She saw Nala's face seemed a little unnatural, and he felt bad in his heart, and hurriedly said: "Could it be that Ermo misread it? Or is there something inconvenient..."

Nalashi paused and smiled: "What's the inconvenience? In fact, it's okay to tell the third sibling. I didn't intend to say anything. It was my brother-in-law who wrote a letter to our father to inquire about the affairs of the court. He said in the letter We have confessed that we have to act in private, and it is not easy for us to tell people to go."

Tong Shi said: "So that's the case. This is also a trivial matter. Why should my brother-in-law avoid people?"

Nalashi suddenly remembered: "Speaking of what he asked in the letter, maybe the third brother has heard of it. It is that Mr. Chen Liangben, didn't he come to our house to look for the third brother? You have a good relationship with him, right?"

"I can't say we have friendship, but we just met a few times. The time Mr. Chen was willing to come, he actually came for the old man. What does brother-in-law want to know about him?"

"It's nothing. I don't know where he heard the news. It is said that the emperor will appoint Mr. Chen as the governor of Jiangnan at the end of the year, and he will be in charge of the affairs of the three provinces in the south of the Yangtze River. He and his colleagues and friends couldn't figure out the meaning of the above, so they wrote back. Ask."

Tong said "Oh", lowered his head and took a sip of tea, wondering: "Why have I never heard of this? Isn't there still someone on the governor's seat of the three provinces? But I have always been responsible for these major events in the court." It doesn't matter, it's all about their men outside, maybe our master will know something about it?" She smiled apologetically at Nalashi.

Nalashi didn't care: "That's right, let their men bother with these things. We just need to take care of the housework." She then changed the subject: "Speaking of which, my sister also sent a letter , It is said that next spring, they will be able to return to Beijing at the end of their term, and it is very likely that they will stay in Beijing to serve."

"This is a good thing." Tong twitched her lips reluctantly, "Speaking of which, we haven't seen my sister's family for a long time. I thought they would come back to Beijing this year for the draft of Xu Xu's child, but who knew they were sick again Yes, I missed a class."

Nala pretended not to see Tong's expression, and said, "It's said that Xu Xu is seriously ill, but it's not really a serious illness." Seeing that there was no one outside, she approached Tong and whispered, "I heard that Xu Xu is infected. I don't know what strange disease, the child's whole face is covered with red bumps, and he really can't see people."

Tong covered her mouth: "How could this be? I haven't heard of it at all." Nala nodded slightly: "My younger sister's family told outsiders that Xu Xu was seriously ill and couldn't see the light, so I begged them Zuo Ling in Qili reported a serious illness and was able to postpone the postponement. My sister has always been strong, and she was afraid of being laughed at by her relatives, so she didn't tell her family. This was revealed by Lao Xu."

Tong sighed and said: "It's a pity. Although I have never seen that child Xuxu, I heard that he is very good. Who would have thought that he would have such a strange disease." Nala said: "You don't have to feel sorry for him She, I heard that my brother-in-law invited a famous doctor, and after more than half a year of treatment, she is almost healed. I'm afraid that when they come home next year, there will be no traces at all."

Tong Shi also heaved a sigh of relief after hearing this: "Fortunately, otherwise, wouldn't my sister's family be too pitiful?" She and Nala Shi looked at each other, then smiled and bowed their heads to drink tea.

Nala sighed, and said: "Thinking about it, the three younger siblings are the most blessed. Among the children of our sisters-in-law and aunts, only Duanning and Shuning in your family are the most sensible and capable, even the youngest Xianning is also well-behaved." It hurts. We all worry about our children."

Tong quickly comforted her and said: "Sister-in-law, how do you say such a thing? I saw that after Brother Qing and Brother Shun got married, they became more sensible and motivated. The longer Wanning is, the better. Although she missed a draft this year , I think there will be good fortune waiting for her three years later. Sister-in-law doesn't have to worry about it."

Nala smiled wryly: "You also come to coax me. Wanning is good-looking, but her temperament can't be changed. I thought she had grown up, but the old lady had only been gone for a few days, and she revealed her past. Look at her. Look at her a few days ago..." After a pause, I still didn't say: "In short, I can't do anything about her. I thought she could have a good marriage, but I didn't know she was No matter what you think, you forcefully push away the good marriage."

Tong's said softly: "The child is ignorant, and my sister-in-law is the mother to teach her well. However, if the marriage can be successful, it is better to succeed. Decent and noble is second, and the rarest thing is that the one who loves Wanning mind."

Nala nodded slightly: "I think so too. Although Wanning has never been close to me, she is my own son. How can any mother not want her children to be good? It doesn't matter if she has a rough temper, as long as she It is enough to know the rules and not lose face at home."

Tong's echoed, but in fact he was somewhat disapproving.As if nothing had happened, she chatted a few more gossips with Nala, then she left and went back to Huaiyuan.

As soon as she left, Jin Ma turned back into the main room from the back door and said to Nala, "Tell Madam, it has already been buried, and it can be quietly sent out of the city when it is dark."

When Nala was interrupted by Tong, the original anger had almost disappeared, and she finally calmed down and thought about the problem: "Forget it, if we are too sneaky, it will seem that we are guilty. It would be bad if we asked the second room to hold the handle." You ask someone to buy an ordinary coffin. Be low-key, but don't avoid people too much. If someone asks, just say that Aunt Qiu in Brother Qing's room has a relapse and died."

Jin Ma was a little worried: "What if someone finds out?"

Nala sneered: "How could anyone find out? When the old man went to the funeral, Qiu Ju had already had a miscarriage. Many people knew about it. She was also sick all the time. She said she had a bloody collapse. Do you believe it? Other than you and me, the only people who know that she is pregnant are her close maids and doctors. You spend some money to seal the mouths of those people, and then transfer that girl away from a distance. Who would fail to check the corpse? Hurry up and send it out of the city to burn it, so as not to have long nights and dreams."

Jin Ma took the order and left, leaving only Nalashi in the room, and sulked again.After a while, Qing Ning entered the room, knelt down in front of her mother, and began to cry without saying anything.

Nala was furious, and scolded: "Look at your worthless appearance! You are still wearing a filial piety, that girl Qiu Ju had a miscarriage a few months ago, you really feel bad, and Why are you so anxious and rushing to her bed?! Now that someone is dead, why are you crying?!"

Qing Ning cried out of breath: "Emiang, my son knows that he is wrong, Qiu Ju... She should wait for her son anyway, beg Emiang to give her a place to bury her?"

Nala spat at him: "Who are you as a mother? I have asked someone to buy a coffin. It is impossible to have a grand burial. A few bundles of paper money for a coffin can still afford it. It's just that you are in the middle of filial piety." Let the concubine get pregnant and have a miscarriage, and if you tell it, you will be imprisoned by the imperial envoy, and you will not be allowed to speak out! It is only said that she died of a relapse after a small postpartum illness. Do you hear me clearly? ?”

Qing Ning was a little pleasantly surprised, and hurriedly hugged her mother's thigh: "Thank you, Er Niang...my son is grateful for your great kindness for the rest of his life!"

Nala smiled back angrily: "I actually have to rely on a girl to get my son's gratitude. I really can't think of it." Seeing that Qing Ning blushed and wanted to argue, she interrupted him and said, "That's enough, you Needless to say, as long as you are more sensible in the future."

Qing Ning bowed her head in disbelief, Nala sighed and said, "Your daughter-in-law is not easy, you should treat her better in the future. That Qiu Ju is also unlucky, she has been pregnant several times, You can't keep it, but you don't know how to control it. You must never do this again in the future."

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Zhang Bao listened to Mrs. Tong finish talking about the news he received from Mrs. Nala, thought for a moment, and realized something: "Although I haven't heard about the governor of Jiangnan, I have heard from Yuheng that the emperor treated Ge Er a few years ago. Dan used his troops, but he was ready to fight again. Therefore, in recent years, the customs of various places have to transport silver to Beijing. For example, General Wu Dan, he does not care about local political affairs. Except for the army, he only collects silver. The emperor prepares military funds. The richest place in the world is none other than Jiangnan. The emperor intends to place his trusted ministers in that place so that the treasury can get richer, right?"

Tong said in amazement: "However, several provinces in the south of the Yangtze River have their own governors, and if there is a general commander, this authority is... such a heavy responsibility, why did the emperor entrust it to Mr. Chen?"

Zhang Baoruo thought: "I once heard that the salt merchants in the south of the Yangtze River are the richest, but they sell private salt every year, and the tax evasion is extremely serious. Officials have nothing to do with them, and there are even many people who work with those profiteers. The magistrate of Yangzhou alone I don't know how many heads were lost during his tenure. If Master Chen is sent, firstly, he has been in the bureaucracy for many years and has accumulated a lot of prestige, so he can speak to the officials in the south of the Yangtze River; secondly, he is tactful and loyal to the emperor. I expected that I would not act recklessly, nor would I be bribed easily." He thought for a while, then smiled and said, "It's all other people's business, we are still worrying about it now, what do we care about so much?"

But Tong was a little anxious: "If Mr. Chen is going to Jiangnan, what will happen to your official position?" Zhang Bao said: "This is a matter for the future. Let's talk about it in a few years of peace of mind. This battle will be fought sooner or later. , will Mr. Chen still be the governor in the south of the Yangtze River for the rest of his life?"

Tong Shi thought about it and felt that it made sense, so she also felt relieved.

Two days later, the seven-seven ceremony for the old lady began in Rongqing Hall.It was only half done, and it started to rain.After the ceremony was finished, Jin Bao asked Nala to greet the fasting meal, and he and his brothers went to receive a few acquaintances who came to burn incense.After Shen's time, the sky got darker, the rain intensified, and there were no guests outside.Jin Bao asked the monks and nuns to pack up their belongings outside, spread out to several big houses to rest for a while, and leave after the rain stopped.

Zhang Bao and Rong Bao helped the elder brother with some chores, Xing Bao went back to the courtyard early.Nala, Tong and other sisters-in-law were sitting in the room in the main courtyard talking, when suddenly Wu Xinda, the manager, rushed in from outside and reported that a distinguished guest had come to offer incense to the old lady.

It's the fourth elder brother.

(End of this chapter)