Bright Moonlit Night

On Zhou Chengsheng's birthday, almost all the master and sons of the Jin family, except the old lady, went to congratulate him.

Jin Yi and Fu Ming walked side by side, Ren Lan took Zhao Yan and the two of them in a carriage and followed behind, and the attendants branched out to the left and right.

Zhou Chengyan and several cousins ​​greeted the distinguished guests outside the gate of the mansion. Seeing Jin Yi and Fu Ming coming, Zhou Chengyan hurriedly stepped forward to hold the reins, helped Fu Ming off the horse himself, and accepted their blessings with a smile on his face.Ren Lan and Zhao Yan entered the inner courtyard through the corner door.

The current momentum of the Zhou family is like a raging fire cooking oil, so there are many visitors, including high-ranking officials and nobles.In the lobby at the front, there is a lively scene of pushing cups and changing cups, while in the courtyard at the back, there is the fragrance of melons and fruits, and the sounds of warblers and swallows are constantly singing.

Among the many young women, girls and young children who came with their father, brother or husband, Zhou Haoqing treated Renlan and Zhaoyan with the most enthusiasm, except for the powerful ones in the family.Because of the former in-laws, although Ren Lan and Zhou Haoqing didn't get along very well, they were kind to each other.Zhou Haoqing asked about the current situation of Jin Mansion of Renlan, and Renlan thought it was out of concern, so she also patiently and carefully told her.Zhou Haoqing heard the words, but his face was a little faint.Although Ren Lan felt a little weird in her heart, she didn't ask.

It was almost time for the guests to arrive, and Zhou Chengyan's coronation ceremony officially began.

Noble children and crowns, the ostentation is not insignificant, and the ceremony is not insignificant and solemn.

Sitting very close to the chairman, Jin Yi and Fu Ming watched the ceremony and the coronation ceremony very clearly.

After the big guest finished reading a round of congratulatory speeches, and there was a slight pause in the middle, Fu Ming tilted his head slightly and said to Jin Yi: "My lord won the crown that day, but it was also such a hundred witnesses and thousands of blessings?"

Fu Ming was just asking casually, but Jin Yi thought about the situation when Fu Ming told him that he had a watch word "Ye Xin", feeling a little sore in his heart, took Fu Ming's hand under the table, put it on his lap and kept rubbing it .Fu Ming was puzzled at first, and then felt Jin Yi's consolation, and said with a smile: "I am also a person who has performed the crown ceremony. Although it is not the same as today, I think it is good enough. You don't have to feel sorry for me."

"You did it too? When? Who hosted it?" Jin Yi asked in surprise.

Fu Mingdao: "After returning to the mansion, let's talk to Master in detail, Master Zhou will soon get the words for Cheng Yan."

When Master Zhou read out the words that he had already chosen, everyone praised him one after another. The elders and peers all rushed to call Chengyan by words, and Zhou Chengyan responded with a smile.Fu Ming also called out "Xifu" with the same smile as others, Zhou Chengyan answered loudly with a brighter smile, and drank a cup, Jin Yi patted him on the shoulder and said: "When Sirou was alive, I was looking forward to I want you to grow up so that you can share the burden for your parents. You have grown into the good man you are today, and she must be pleased with the spirit in heaven."

Zhou Chengyan nodded and said: "I understand, brother-in-law. In a few days, I will go to your house to worship my sister and tell her about it myself."

"Okay." Jin Yi smiled back.

After the banquet was over, Jin Yiwei and Fu Ming waited in the front hall for the time being because it was reported later that Miss Zhou and Miss Jin had something to say.The guests dispersed one after another, Fu Ming had some free time, only then did he realize that apart from him and Jin Yi, there were several other men and sons-in-law who came to congratulate today.Looking at the behavior of these people, some seem to be loving and loving like ordinary couples, while others are polite and alienated, or even dislike each other so much that they stare at each other regardless of others.

When a son-in-law left with his husband, he looked back at Fu Ming with envy in his eyes.Fu Ming nodded back with a smile.

When returning home from Zhou's house, in the carriage, Zhao Yan saw that Ren Lan was always looking at the curtains that had not been raised, without saying a word, so he wondered: "little aunt, why are you upset? I'm the one to go Did someone bully you while playing? You tell Yan'er, and Yan'er will ask Daddy to help you get justice."

Ren Lan heard the words, came back to her senses, stroked Yan'er's soft black hair, but just shook her head, and said later: "No one bullies me."

"Then why is little aunt unhappy?"

Ren Lan smiled, although the smile was shallow, but it still comforted the naive child, "Little aunt is just a little tired, just go back and have a rest."

"Oh, since that's the case, Yan'er is relieved."

Looking at Zhao Yan's serious face, Ren Lan couldn't help laughing, "You!" The smile faded away, and the brows became sad again.

After today's banquet, Zhou Haoqing took her into the inner room and said a lot of words. She was shocked after hearing this, and tried to persuade her but couldn't persuade her. …

I hope she is just talking, Ren Lan hopes so.

In deep autumn, the fragrance of cinnamon in the courtyard is full of fragrance.Not long ago the old lady asked whether the sweet-scented osmanthus had bloomed. Fu Ming remembered the old lady's concern, got up early in the morning and picked the best branch, picked out a porcelain bottle, and sent it to the old lady's house.

The old man got up early, and when Fu Ming arrived, he had already had breakfast and was sitting on the kang studying.

Fu Ming put the osmanthus twigs still covered with dew on the table in the middle of the kang of the old lady. The old lady put down the book, went up to smell it, and watched it carefully for a while, then said with a smile: "Sure enough, the water and soil in Fangman Court are good, you Well taken care of."

The old lady seldom read books, so Fu Ming asked with a smile: "The old lady is in a good mood today, what book are you reading?"

The old lady replied: "I am a woman from a Taoist family. What books can I read are just a few articles that my family took with me when I was young. Now I just turn them out and read them again. It's just that I am old and dim-sighted. It is really hard to read these words. Since you Here you go, read it to me."

"Okay." Fu Ming picked up the book that the old lady had put down, and started reading while standing up without sitting down.

The article the old lady was reading just now was "Chen Qing Biao", Fu Ming read it from the beginning:

Chen Mi said: "Chen is aggressive, but he has been beaten by Min."When the child was born in June, the loving father saw his back; when he was four years old, his uncle took over his mother's will.Grandmother Liu Minchen is lonely and weak, and she raised her by herself... The minister will die when he is alive, and weed when he dies.The minister is overwhelmed by the fear of dogs and horses, and I would like to ask you to hear about it.

After reading, Fu Ming asked: "Do you want to continue reading?"

The old lady shook her head and replied, "No need." Then she asked him, "What do you think of this article?"

Fu Mingdao: "This statement expresses the true feelings of human relations, which makes people feel the same way."

The old lady asked again: "Then do you think Changju is quite similar to this writer?"

Fu Ming replied: "Although there are similarities, they are ultimately different."

The old lady shook her head and said: "You are still young, you don't understand! Our Fu family seems to be big, but after counting it, how many of our own people are there? It is the same as the article mentioned in this article, "the relatives who are close to each other with infinite merit outside, and the relatives who are close to each other inside." There is no big difference between the five-foot boy of Wuyingmen. It is because the family is poor. Chang borrowing one person to prop up the country's government is far more than the bitterness and suffering mentioned in the article. "

Fu Ming put down the book, "The old lady has something to say, please speak clearly."

The old lady sighed, "You are a sensible person, maybe you have already guessed what I mean. Back then, I was deeply in love with Chang Tzu's grandfather and his wife. After I married into Jin's house, I gave birth to Chang Tzu's uncle and his father successively. Then At that time, my mother-in-law wanted to take a concubine for my husband, but I didn't want to, and my husband was very accommodating to me, and because I already had two sons, she postponed this matter. Unexpectedly, after my mother-in-law passed away, my husband and I I kept my filial piety, and no children were born in the Jin family. Not long after the filial piety period, my husband fell ill again and passed away. I sent away my mother-in-law first, and then my husband. Later, the eldest son was bedridden, and the younger The son is even more..., one of the two daughters-in-law is willing to escape into Buddhism, and the other died of depression... Now that I think back on the past, and look at the current situation of the Jin family, I feel ashamed of the Jin family and my husband, suffering day and night, and regretting endlessly .”

Hearing this, Fu Ming also felt grief in his heart. He walked up to the old lady, stroked her back, and persuaded him gently: "There are unpredictable things in the sky. It is really not easy for you to take care of the Jin family all your life, so don't blame yourself too much."

The old lady shook her head and said: "Brother Ming, you are still young, and you don't understand what is the most important thing for a family. If we had more families, we would be taken care of from both inside and outside, and it wouldn't be the situation we are in today. The burden can be lightened."

After a moment of silence, Fu Ming asked: "I think I have understood what the old lady means. Do you want to take a concubine for your master?"

The old lady said: "You have not been in Jin's house for a long time, and now you have finally connected with Chang Tzu. I understand your feelings, and you definitely don't want him to take a concubine at this time. But I have learned from the past, and many things cannot be taken together. Procrastinate and procrastinate." The old lady paused, and continued, "Ningxue was a good person before, but these years have become more and more unseemly, and Chang Juan definitely doesn't like her. Xinyue is good, but Chang Juan can't get over that. Kan, it's also a matter of fate. The reason why I didn't bring this up is that I haven't found a good one, but now, some people are willing to wrong their status as a young lady of the family and are willing to lend to the elder to be a concubine. Maybe, this It was God's intentional arrangement."

Fu Ming was surprised when he heard the words, and after he stabilized his mind, he pondered for a moment and asked, "The one you mentioned is the sister of the late wife?"

The old lady nodded and said: "It is the child of Zhuqing. You may not know about some past events. If... Forget it, we should not hide what you should know. Before the Holy Majesty gave you a marriage with the elder, the Jin family The Zhou family originally intended to remarry. Of course, because of the kindness of the sage, Changju finally married you, which is also good. You are an excellent person, and it is not a loss to marry him. But Zhuang Qing has a stubborn temper and refuses to remarry Others, I don't know how the Fu family thinks about it, and they are willing to accommodate her. They have sent someone to make a kiss two days ago. In terms of affection, we shouldn't refuse; in terms of logic, they are even more condescending. I thought about it For two days, I felt that it was disrespectful, and after all, apart from being a bit unfair to Zhu Qing, it was also a happy event, so I talked to you first, if you can figure it out, agree, and borrow it for a long time, it will make sense."

Fu Ming's mind was turbulent, and he said after a long time: "Old lady, are you here to ask me what I think, or..."

Before Fu Ming could finish speaking, the old lady said again: "I know Brother Ming, you must find it difficult to accept this at first. But it is common for a man to have three wives and four concubines, either this year or next year, or one or the other. What's more Regarding the matter of Miss Lan, I have already told me that I was originally interested in the Wang family in Hedong. After all, the marriage with the Wang family will help the Jin family. But Miss Lan is a woman, and the Jin family will never sacrifice the girl's marriage happiness The reason. My husband has repeatedly condemned the imperial court for burying his good daughter outside the Great Wall to appease Hu Yi. When I come here, I will never do such a thing. But the reason is different. He is a man, and he is the only one in the Jin Mansion But the person who bears heavy responsibilities, whether it is to carry on the family line or revive the family business, he is duty-bound. You have always been reasonable, and you should understand that as his wife, this is also your responsibility."

First he spoke with emotion, then with reason, and finally, with the last sentence of "duty to shirk", Fu Ming deeply understood that this matter has come to a conclusion, and no matter how he thinks, it is impossible to change the facts.

In the end, Fu Ming just replied softly: "I see, don't worry."