Old things in Nancheng

Since returning to Yanguan County, Wang Zimo and Jiang Shangpei haven't seen each other a few times. It's not that their relationship has grown apart, but that they did it on purpose.

This internal matter is not known to outsiders. The brothers who were in distress have returned to their previous identities. One is a commoner, the other is an official, one is busy with his own business, and the other is dedicated to the well-being of the people.Wang Zimo never thought of relying on Jiang Shangpei, Jiang Shangpei knew very well that Wang Zimo was high-minded and would not deliberately pull him, but he tacitly allowed his younger brother Jiang Shanggui to be close to Wang Zimo, and the Jiang family and Wang Zimo have always maintained a close relationship.

Often when the Jiang family held banquets, Wang Zimo and Lin Zhilan would be invited. They did not attend as guests, but as the children and nephews of the Jiang family.Every time there is a banquet, Wang Zimo will ask Xianlai Pavilion to be closed for two days, and bring the cook's cooking utensils to help out one day in advance. Lin Zhilan is more favored by the old lady, and has a harmonious relationship with Jiang's sister-in-law.In the third generation of the Jiang family, only Jiang Shangyao, the second brother of Jiang Shangpei, gave birth to a son, and he brought him to the office, so whenever Bao'er went to the Jiang family, it was a star, and there was no dislike from top to bottom.

Jiang Shangpei came to the other courtyard in casual clothes and was promoted first to pay respects to his mother.Sitting in the hall, Mrs. Liu accepted Jiang Shangpei's salute with some embarrassment. For Mrs. Liu, the greatest honor in her life was at this moment, when a magistrate from the county saluted her. She didn't even dare to dream about it.

Afterwards, Jiang Shangpei held Bao'er and didn't let go. With his soft body, he pulled his carefully grown three strands of beard, and his big black eyes kept staring at him.

Shen Feng met Jiang Shangpei under the introduction of Wang Zimo, and when it came to reading the imperial examination, Jiang Shangpei must be the most educated person among the people Wang Zimo knew.Because he is the younger brother of Wang Zimo, Jiang Shangpei is extremely patient, asking carefully about everything from his daily knowledge to who he studied under, to reading and calligraphy.

Shen Feng was smart and hardworking, so he received a lot of praise. Jiang Shangpei heard that Lin Zhilan hired Shen Feng as Mr. Qin, so he was full of praise for Lin Zhilan.

"Master Qin is No. 1 among the elementary schools in our county. No matter how many aristocratic families want to invite him, they refuse to accept him. Mrs. Lin, you are very capable."

Lin Zhilan smiled shyly, and replied: "It's just a chance meeting, my concubine met Mr. Qin's wife, it happened that Mr. Qin was at home at that time, and my concubine had no advantages, so I just had a thick skin. Just come to my house."

"Hehe, it can be seen that good wives and husbands seldom cause misfortune, and the ancients never deceived me. The good brothers and sisters are also the period of a man in my generation. The Wang family has such a good woman, so why not prosper."

Looking at Jiang Shangpei, who was happily writing, Wang Zimo curled his lips and said, "Okay, big brother, don't think that you are the magistrate, I will treat you as an adult. Now that we have arrived at my house, let's eat, drink, have fun, and tease that sour what to do."

"Yes, yes, I was wrong." Jiang Shangpei couldn't help laughing when he heard the words: "I think back then, when we met for the first time, you were drunk, crying, and your eyes were full of worries about your younger siblings and Bao'er. , I took care of you for half the night."

"Brother, I also remember that you were also drunk the next day, talking about your wife, and I took care of you for half the night."

The two looked at each other and smiled, both because of the other's ugly behavior that day. Jiang Shangpei looked at Wang Zimo's wife and daughter, and said with emotion: "After all, a good brother is blessed. I am very envious of how I live this little life."

"Brother will have a new sister-in-law who will be considerate in the future, so I might as well be envious of you by then."

"I don't dare to count on a 16-year-old yellow-haired girl. It's just that as the eldest son, I have to think about the family. There are three unfilial acts, and having no offspring is the biggest. If I don't want to be born, my grandmother will cry like hell."

"My elder brother's affection for my sister-in-law is known to my younger brother. It has been five years since my sister-in-law passed away. I think my sister-in-law will also feel this kind of affection in the underground. It's just that a person is lonely after all, and I don't usually have one. The person who serves tea, pours water, adds clothes and warms quilts, the first sister-in-law knows, so why don’t you feel sorry for the elder brother. The elder brother is worried about government affairs. If there is a new understanding sister-in-law in the inner courtyard, the elder brother can feel at ease even if he is doing business outside. "Wang Zimo tried his best to comfort her. She had heard from Jiang Shanggui that Jiang Shangpei was not particularly keen on this marriage, and it was all decided by his family.

"You brat, now you dare to teach big brother a lesson." Jiang Shangpei smiled wryly when he heard the words: "Don't worry, since I'm married, I will treat her kindly. I'm here today to tell you something."

"Brother, please speak."

"The family originally planned to find four best bridesmaids to accompany me to welcome the bride. Later, I made up the county magistrate. The family wanted to make the wedding more lively, and added four more people. I came this time because I wanted you to be my best bridesmaid. Xiang, what do you think?" Jiang Shangpei said while teasing Bao'er.

Wang Zimo was taken aback when he heard the words, and turned his head to meet Lin Zhilan's gaze.Being Jiang Shangpei's best man is not something that a cat or a dog can do. For a rich family like the Jiang family, Jiang Shangpei is an official. The candidates are either his own children, friends of the family, or colleagues in the officialdom. A person of high status, Wang Zimo felt that he couldn't afford to climb high.

"Brother, it's not that I'm shirking and avoiding laziness. I'm just a white man, and the Wang family village is still on the cusp of the storm. If my new sister-in-law's family thinks that my brother has neglected them because of me, I will have to blame it." Wang Zimo considered it cautiously. said.

"It's okay, I mentioned it to my father, and my father has no objection. What does the Wang family have to do with you? You are my life and death brother, so why can't you be my bridesmaid. Grandma also said that in those few days, you will be with me It’s impossible to stay at home, and I have to work with my brothers and sisters to help with the management.”

Wang Zimo looked at the gentle and jade-like Jiang Shangpei in astonishment. This big brother is really a good big brother. He usually ignores Wang Zimo in order to avoid suspicion, but whenever Wang Zimo encounters danger, he will always appear in time, and he will not show off the mountain. Lushui tried his best to help.

At that time, the Xianlai Pavilion opened a gambling game, Jiang Shangpei came to sit for Wang Zimo himself, and tried to make Wang Zimo a good reputation as a good person, but now the Wangjiazhuang is in turmoil, and the friends who have a good relationship on weekdays are all indifferent to each other, only Jiang Shangpei, give charcoal in the snow, In this way, Wang Zimo was praised.

"Big Brother's kindness, I can't repay my younger brother."

Wang Zimo stood up, bowed respectfully to the end, Lin Zhilan also followed closely, Jiang Shangpei is indeed a respectable elder brother, Wang Zimo always has a very accurate eye for seeing people.

"Okay, my brother, there is no need to be like this. After all, you saved me twice, how should I thank you?"

"My younger brother can't study well, but I also know that the kindness of a drop of water should be repaid by the spring. I heard that the new grandpa will take office next month. If the eldest brother doesn't dislike it, why not book the reception banquet in Xianlai Pavilion, and the younger brother will definitely make it happen." It's beautiful."

"It's a good idea. I'll talk to Master Bo later, and you two will discuss it together."

Xianlai Pavilion is the best restaurant in Yanguan County. Its dishes, reputation, and service are all tops, but its heritage cannot compare to the century-old restaurant. Since Jiang Shangpei intends to help, the venue for the dinner is naturally agreed.

"My little brother will take care of me. I know that this winter is extremely cold. The county government has spent a lot of money for disaster relief, and the expenses of the banquet, so I don't have to worry about it." Speak up.

"How do you do that?" Jiang Shangpei shook his head again and again. Jiang Shangpei didn't know how much Xianlai Pavilion made in a day, but he had a certain amount of expenses for high-standard banquets.

"Zuo only earns less money for one day, what can I do? Didn't the elder brother think that I have a bad reputation in the past? Not to mention that the new grandfather has a strong background, but that the grandfather is the immediate boss of the elder brother, and the younger brother has to do his best for the elder brother. Heart. The treasury is empty, the grandpa’s face will not be good-looking, otherwise, if the younger brother agrees to this matter, his own business, some vegetables and meat, will not be worth much. When the big brother gets the face, the younger brother will naturally be honored.”

Wang Zimo is always very thoughtful in terms of strategy. She has such a relationship with Jiang Shangpei, so she doesn't need to beat around the bush. After Jiang Shangpei heard this, he naturally felt that Wang Zimo's idea was right.This is spending money to please and eliminate disasters. Given Wang Zimo's current situation, it is not bad to have the support and affection of the Jiang family. If he can still gain face with the new grandpa, he will be able to walk more smoothly in Yanguan County in the future.

Jiang Shangpei just likes Wang Zimo like this. Although he engages in some conspiracies and tricks, he can always save himself. This is the case in Xingyuan Mansion, and it is also the same in Yanguan County. If Wang Zimo wants to rely on the Jiang family, the Jiang family will not be like this I think highly of her.

"Every time I talk to you, I always feel that I am stupid in reading and reading. Since you have this heart, I will fulfill you for my brother, just for my brother's brazenness."

The business was settled, and the dinner was served. The dishes of Wang Zimo's family were always endless, and all of them were delicious. Jiang Shangpei sipped Lin Zhilan's newly brewed sweet-scented osmanthus wine, and ate very comfortably. From time to time, he talked with Wang Zimo about the past, But the two tacitly avoided the "red lady".

If you want to talk about why Lin Zhilan is so attractive, the two brothers in one side are delicious with wine and food, and the yamen servants who came with Jiang Shangpei in the other side are also well taken care of, and Wang Fulai and Zheng Daming come to accompany them. The banquets at Xianlai Pavilion were much better than those in other restaurants in the city, and they were even stuffed with a few taels of silver before they left.

The yamen servants were already close to the Wang family, but now they are eating and drinking, and the Wang family is doing things well. Why don’t these people look at them differently, and go back to the yamen and talk about the Wang family’s dishes, making the brothers who didn’t follow jealous endlessly.

Inadvertently, the yamen servants took more care of the Wang family's shop, and the rogues in the city no longer dared to go to the shop to fight the autumn wind. Especially under Wang Fulai's excellent public relations, many gangs became friendly with the Wang family.

Although this situation has not yet met Wang Zimo's requirements, on the whole it has barely reached the standard of having a strong relationship in the white world and being able to talk to the underworld.

As the official saying goes, "Shangguan's fourth day is not detailed, the 76th day is the most painful, and the 28th day is [-]th. If you don't believe it, you will suffer. It is inevitable that people will die when they are in office, and there must be one injury at the end of the term."

Xie Liangfu, the new grandpa who succeeded Chang Renzhi, arrived at the Yanguan post on the [-]th day of the second lunar month, stayed overnight, and entered the city on the morning of the [-]th to take up his post.