Maid of a wealthy family

Chapter 15
On the morning when Chrysanthemum entered the Lan Mansion, the real owner of the Lan Mansion, Master Lan Hongen, did not show up, but he was not idle.At that time, he was holding the foundation stone laying ceremony of a primary school in Liujiang field.He funded the construction of the elementary school, which is another move of Lan Mansion to benefit the village and Shi Renyi.The name of the school is "Hong En Primary School".

Lan Hongen went to Liujiang field with the butler after breakfast.When they arrived at the arena, they went straight to Tiema Street Wenchangfu's head of the Liu Tuan, and there they saw two members of the folk training regiment standing at the door, wearing soil-dyed coarse cloth uniforms that said they were black or gray. , with an old-fashioned Mauser slung across his shoulders, looked at the peasants coming to the market with a high air.Seeing Lan Hongen and the butler, he immediately "snap" to attention, and then smiled again.One said: "Master is here, hehe."

The other said, "Hey, Mr. Tuan Zong, Mr. Zhang, and Mr. Li are waiting!"

Lan Horn and the butler ignored them, and walked straight in swaggeringly.The two townspeople waited for them to enter the yard before turning their heads to look at each other, revealing an embarrassed self-deprecating look.

Lan Hongen and the butler walked into Mr. Liu Tuanzong's "Qinzheng Hall", and sure enough, he saw Mr. Liu Tuanzong and a group of gentry waiting there.Liu Tuanzong was in his fifties. He was fat and wrapped in a nondescript uniform. An old-fashioned German-made single-shot pistol was pinned to his waist, and the waistband of his trousers was pulled down diagonally as if to show off.

As soon as Lan Hongen and the butler entered the room, the country gentry in Liujiangchang stood up one after another, gave up their seats, bowed and said, "Master Lan is here." "Hong En, we are waiting for you."

Mr. Liu Tuan also seemed extraordinarily considerate today. He came over and bowed to Lan Hongen, saying: "Liu didn't know Mr. Lan, no, Brother Lan came and didn't greet him from afar. It's really offending! Brother Lan please take a seat!"

Lan Hongen gave the head of the group a sideways look, and he was not polite, went straight to the front, lifted his long gown, sat down, and slowly waved a folding fan.

The head of the group hastily drank inside: "Serve tea!"

Following the words, a group member hurriedly came out and poured tea for Lan Hongen.

Lan Hongen put down the folding fan, picked up the teacup, and gently brushed off the floating leaves and foam on the tea soup with the tea cover, took a sip, then put down the tea bowl, and said dissatisfied with President Tuan: "President Liu Tuan, I am here today. The construction of Hong En Primary School in Liujiangchang is really a righteous act for the convenience of the people, so you use the two regiments at the gate to welcome me?"

The head of the regiment hastily said: "Liu did not dare! Liu was just following orders to keep one side safe and to prevent bandits from causing trouble."

Lan Hongen said: "How can there be such rampant bandits in broad daylight?"

Mr. Liu Tuan said patiently: "Brother Lan Xian doesn't know something. Recently, the governor's office is clearing the countryside with a large army. The bandits everywhere often avoid the truth, or change their clothes, or store guns in kilns, or fake Vendors, or farmers mixed in, waited for an opportunity to rob the good family. There have been many robbery cases in Longhui, Wenzhong, Heya, and Shuikou. Therefore, Liu has ordered each battalion, each armor, and each brand to strictly enforce the law. Take precautions. When there are bandits and policemen, bang the gong as a signal, communicate with each other, and attack from all sides."

After hearing this, Lan Hongen quickly said sarcastically: "Okay! Okay! Mr. Liu Tuan took great precautions. Lan thought that although the bandits were cunning, they could not escape the eyes of Mr. Tuan, right?"

Liu Tuan didn't hear the sarcasm in Lan Hongen's words, but said triumphantly: "Of course! We use ten households as cards, ten cards as armor, ten armors as guarantee, and ten guarantees as group. And one person teaches a family, one family teaches one card, one card teaches one armor, one armor teaches one guard, and one guard teaches one regiment. Everyone knows the soldiers, the family fights for itself, and the soldiers are self-sufficient without needing to be recruited. If you don't wait for preparations but prepare yourself, how can the bandits not be afraid..."

At this moment, a member of the regiment came in to report that the preparations for the foundation laying of "Hong En Elementary School" had been completed, and President Liu Tuan stopped his eloquent speech.

A group of people stood up and walked towards the school construction site.

The west end of the construction site happened to have to walk through a whole street, and this day, the site was already crowded with people from all walks of life who went to the market.

As soon as they came out, they met a little beggar, who came up from the slanted thorns and beat them "Lotus Falling", entangled them, and said while beating:

"A bamboo is tender and long,

It grows in the deep mountains and old forests.

Three thousand pieces of silver are in hand,
Make a pair of bamboo boards and swim outside.

Nanjing is easy to play in Nanjing,

Beijing is fun to play Beijing tour.

The two capitals of the north and the south have passed by,
The cheap foot came to your pier.

I worship the front and back of the street,

Two thanks to the township covenant and the guest,
Three salutes to the military officer and general,
Four worship leaders of the Nine Halls of Benevolence and Righteousness..."

Still wanting to sing, Mr. Liu Tuan was already impatient, took out the gun in his waist and stared at him and said: "Little beggar, get out of here, or I will be rude."

The little beggar was not afraid, and continued to sing:
"Five thanks to the old and the young who open the night and sit in the shop,
Six worship civil servants are leaders,
Seven bows to the green dragon and walks on its back,
My best friend, who is very savage..."

Before he finished singing, President Liu Tuan shouted to the Tuan Ding beside him: "Call me."

The two regiments rushed over immediately, raising their gun butts and were about to strike. Lan Hongen hurried over to stop them and said, "Langlang Qiankun, how can you treat poor and weak people like this?" Hastily took out a few coins and handed them to Little beggar: "Go! Go!"

The little beggar took the money, bowed to Lan Hongen overjoyed, and ran away happily.

Going forward, there are two entertainers, one old and one young, performing arts.The old man is over sixty, with a thin face.The youngest one was a girl in her teens, standing in the middle of the crowd with a plate in her hand, and the old man was singing "Sichuan Bamboo Qin".

After singing, the little girl came to collect money in front of everyone with a tray.When Lan Hongen saw it, he took out another silver coin and put it on the little girl's plate.When the little girl saw it, she hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed to Lan Hongen.

Lan Hongen hurriedly helped the little girl up and said, "Excuse me! Excuse me!" Saying this, he left in a hurry.

After finally squeezing through a street, I was about to enter the west construction site, when I heard shouts coming from the cross street again, and a group of people stopped again.When Lan Hongen heard it, he heard people's shouts clearly: "Don't hit people." "Don't play rough."

Lan Hongen immediately looked back at the regimental president and asked, "What's going on?"

Mr. Liu Tuan said disdainfully: "Brother Lan Xian makes troubles and fights, don't worry about it."

Lan Hongen said: "President Tuan's words are wrong. As a parent of Yi, how can I not care?"

Mr. Liu Tuan said: "That's it, that's the responsibility of the humble job! Let's go and have a look."

As they said that, a group of people walked over again, and when they took a closer look, they found that two regiments were beating a poor old woman.The old woman was dressed in rags and had gray hair all over her head. She was crying on the ground holding a tuan Ding's thigh.A trampled bamboo basket lay beside the old woman, and the groceries in the bamboo basket were scattered all over the place.

Lan Hongen immediately darkened his face, and shouted loudly: "Stop! With everyone staring at you, how dare you be so bold to do such a thing of bullying the weak and hurting nature?"

The two regiment members stopped, not afraid of Lan Hongen, but looked at the head of the regiment and said, "She bullied us!"

Another said, "Yes, it was her basket that hit us."

The old woman was still crying on the ground, but the crowd yelled: "No, they were unreasonable, they knocked the old lady down and beat her!" "Yes, they even trampled on her basket! "

Lan Hongen's eyes fell on the faces of the two regiment members, and he asked sternly, "Is that so?"

The two regiments still wanted to quibble, but the president walked over, slapped the regiment twice, and cursed:
"You bastard! If you don't know Taishan, why don't you hurry up and apologize to Master Lan."

Only then did the two regiment members realize that they were in front of the famous Master Lan Hongen, and immediately clasped their hands together, respectfully said to Lan Hongen, "Hey, it's Master Lan? I don't know, Master Lan, please don't blame me!"

Still angry, Lan Hongen pointed to the old man on the ground and said: "The old is as old as the old, and the young is as young as the young. Are you born of your parents? Hurry up and help the old man up."

The two regiments immediately nodded their heads like chickens pecking at rice, and went to help the old woman up.

The old woman stood up, looked at the trampled bamboo baskets and the groceries everywhere with blurred eyes, and cried again, saying, "My God, my groceries! The old man and I still depend on them for a living."

When Lan Hongen heard this, his eyebrows frowned immediately, and he took out a few silver coins in his bosom again, and handed them to the old woman, saying, "Old man, don't be sad! Take this little money, and buy some more later." goods!"

The old woman took the silver yuan to her dim eyes and looked at it, then she also knelt down towards Lan Hongen and called out: "Master..."

Lan Hongen didn't wait for the old woman to speak, he hurriedly pulled her up, and said guiltily: "Old man, you kneel down to me at such an age, isn't it my life?"

The onlookers also said: "Old man, you have met a nobleman today." "Yes, Mr. Lan is a benevolent and righteous person."

The old woman saluted Lan Hongen again, and then squatted down to pick up the groceries on the ground.

After a while, everyone dispersed, and Lan Hongen came to the school construction site with the head of the regiment and a group of squires.The school was chosen in an open space on the west side of the field, and the craftsmen who built the school, the chiefs of the cards, the chiefs of the armors, and the chiefs of the security guards waited there long ago.Seeing Lan Hongen and the head of the regiment, they all nodded and bowed.The head of the regiment and Lan Hongen stopped in front of the earth pit where the foundation was to be laid.The head of the regiment looked at the crowd and said: "Dear township party members, today we are about to start construction of the 'Hong En Primary School' in Liujiangchang. Although I am a martial artist and a rough man, I also know the principle of education to prosper the country! Hongen Elementary School was built with the funds of Mr. Lan Hongen in Liujiangchang. Mr. Lan is willing to do good things. It is an honor for the people of our field to practice benevolence and righteousness and be unremitting throughout his life! Now, everyone welcomes Mr. Lan to give us a speech." Come on.

Lan Hongen bowed to everyone, and then said generously: "Father and brother, Lan is very grateful for your kindness! My farm has been a country of propriety and righteousness since ancient times, and everyone abides by the teachings of sages. It is really my farm that was created by sages The glory. But among the Qucang Pengmen, there are still Mengtong who have not yet entered school. Jade is not polished, and it is not a weapon. Lan was also born as a scholar for generations. Organize the rural school. Lan just wants to benefit the hometown, and has nothing else to ask..." At this point, Lan Hongen paused, glanced at the crowd, and then said: "From now on, I hope that all brothers and sisters will work together to make our The wind of benevolence arises one after another, and everyone becomes a man of propriety and righteousness!"

After hearing this, everyone clapped together again and shouted: "We will never forget Master Lan's benevolence."

Lan Hongen looked at the crowd again and said: "Brothers, please work together to build this township school as soon as possible! When the work is completed, Lan will decorate the lanterns and invite the juggling troupe to have fun with everyone!"

Everyone shouted joyfully again: "Okay."

After Lan Hongen finished speaking, the butler handed him a shovel.Lan Hongen held the shovel, shoveled some shovel soil into the pit, and buried the foundation stone below.Then, the head of the group and the squire who followed him also shoveled a few shovels of soil to fill in the pit, and the foundation laying ceremony came to an end.Lan Hongen returned the shovel to the chief steward, and just as he was about to leave, the head of the regiment suddenly walked up to him and said flatteringly, "Brother Lan, I have prepared a little wine for my brother at the house, please show me your favor!"

Lan Hongen was taken aback when he heard this, and said, "Lan won't be rewarded for nothing, so how dare the leader of the regiment spend money?"

The head of the regiment hastily said: "Where is it! My good brother benefits the village and also wins glory for me. I am just expressing my gratitude!"

The squires also said: "Brother Lan, since the head of the regiment has this intention, let's take it."

After Lan Hongen heard this, he had no choice but to say: "Okay, Lan Mou is respectful and obeys orders!"

After finishing speaking, he followed Mr. Liu Tuanzong back to Mr. Tuanzong's home.Sure enough, Mr. Liu Tuan's family had already prepared it, but it was the eight treasures such as dragon liver, phoenix marrow, leopard fetus, carp tail, magpie roast, scarlet lips, bear's paw, and crispy cicada.Lan Hongen saw it, and said with a smile: "Brother Tuan, you said it's bouillon, why is it all delicacies from mountains and seas?"

The head of the regiment also smiled: "I admire you the most, how dare you neglect? Brother, please sit down!"

(End of this chapter)