[Caiyun Kingdom] The beginning of people

A few days later, I went to the prefect Xiao's mansion to congratulate the prefect's daughter Xiao Gui on his 15th birthday.

"Miss Zhangfu is here!" A servant from the Xiaofu shouted loudly at the second gate.

Even though my ears were shaken by the servant's loud voice, I still kept smiling and followed the maid who led the way into the bustling magistrate's mansion, followed by the maid Yan Tian.As soon as I arrived, many ladies from various prefectures who arrived first greeted me.After I responded one by one, I turned to Xiao Gui, the prefect lady who sat motionless at the head.I said some words of congratulations to her, and she nodded her chin reservedly, then waved and asked the maid to take me to a seat behind the middle.I glanced secretly, and found that besides the officials from the government, there was also a daughter of a businessman sitting at the top table. She should have had this "honor" because she had a good time with the prefect recently.

Well, she is the second miss of the Lu family, and she just came to my powder shop last month to buy expensive Hongzhou orange red rouge, probably to cater to the taste of the prefect.I have to remember to tell the shopkeeper and let him see Miss Lu Er's psychology to sell, and I will definitely make a small profit again, haha.I raised my glass and took a sip of the fruit wine, feeling bored at the banquet of the ladies and wives.Before the banquet was about to start, I saw the magistrate Xiao Jin walking towards us, so I winked at the maid Yan Tian who was standing behind me, and sneaked away.

If you can't provoke me, you can't hide.If you are entangled by this person, it will be an endless meal.

I avoided going to the garden of Xiao Mansion and hid behind the fake rock to hide quietly.It's not the first time to go out to a social occasion, everyone is used to it in a small county town, and it's not a problem if there is no social gathering for a while.I saw that the gurgling people in front of me made a stream very elegantly, so I squatted down, dipped my hand in some water and drew a small figure on the ground.

The villain is picking his nose.

Hahahaha.

"Miss Zhang." A deep male voice sounded from behind me.

I clapped my hands, stood up and turned to look at the person who came—Kui Huangyi.I smiled, and wiped the water marks on the ground with my right foot, "Excuse me. How are you doing these days?" I glanced at him, pursed my lips, and managed not to laugh out loud.He is now dressed as a servant, but his gestures and movements show traces of being taught how to behave. After the disguise, he is more conspicuous than when he was dressed as an ordinary scholar last time.Then what is he doing here in disguise?Fortunately, he can really sneak into the mansion.

Ah, no, it's because I can let him infiltrate the mansion.

Blind blind, everyone is blind.

He took a step sideways, letting the fake stone completely block his figure.

"Miss Zhang, do you know where Miss Xiao's principal room is?"

Xiao Gui's room?No wonder he didn't know the courtyard of the female family members in the inner house.I pursed my lips and pointed the way for him in a low voice without asking any further questions.I have visited the prefect's mansion from time to time when I was a child, and I may be more familiar with the route than the current prefect's family.He confirmed the direction to me once, and then stepped out of the garden.Looking at his back, I began to feel that the censor had become the same profession as Spiderman.Obviously this is just a speech officer, okay?

I rested in the garden for a while, and went back after reckoning the feast was over.I watched the excitement on the stage with the ladies from various houses, listened to their comments on the newly arrived rouge jewelry, and wondered what to buy more from the shop under the Zhang family.

"Miss Zhang," Xiao Gui, the magistrate's lady, spoke to me in a rare way, "what are you thinking about? Are you thinking about the homework Master Lin Mu and Master Li Wenxian have given you?"

I said honestly: "No, I was thinking about the goods I want to buy from my shop. I heard that Miss Xiao, you like orange red from Hongzhou? This is indeed a good color, but it is a bit rare and the supply is not stable. I thought it would be better to get another rouge."

Hearing that the rouge he liked was almost gone, Xiao Gui frowned.

Madam Zhifu said: "Last time I saw that you still have a box in your room. Can't even Zhang's family get Orange Red?" Saying this, Madam Zhifu, who is eager to love her daughter, asked the maid to go back to the room to check the stock of Orange Red .

...Kui Huangyi is still in Miss Zhifu's room...

I interjected and said, "Orange red is really hard to come by, there is not much in one box, it is only enough for half a month, and the goods come in every three months, and the goods are very small each time..."

Madam Zhifu's eyes flickered, she stopped calling for people, raised her hand and stroked her hair, "How many boxes are there in one order?"

"Not many, just three boxes." False.But among the ladies and wives present here, they only bought three boxes.Our Longqing County is not rich, and the Hongzhou Tangerine Red, which is worth a thousand dollars, is on loan, and I will sell it to branches in other counties.

The magistrate's wife and the young lady each bought a box, while the second young lady of the Lu family, who bought orange red, weakly raised her hand and donated her own box.In this way, the magistrate's wife lightly monopolized the orange red in the county—at least she thought she had done it.The second Miss Lu's eyes were as red as a bunny's, and her hands were tightly twisting her handkerchief.She didn't dare to stare at Miss Zhifu, so she secretly gouged me out.

I lowered my head to avoid her gaze, stopped talking, and sat quietly in my seat.

In the end, I intentionally made the atmosphere a bit stiff, so that I could excuse myself and leave the meeting first.Kui Huangyi should not cause any trouble, but just in case, Xiao Mansion is not a place to stay for a long time, so I'd better go first.I asked the maid Yan Tian to help me send a bead to the second miss of the Lu family who let the orange come out just now, as an apology, and I went to the sedan chair parked in the backyard first.As soon as the curtain was lifted, the four eyes met, which almost didn't scare me.

How could Kui Huangyi hide in my sedan chair?There is also a big bag in his hands, God knows how many things he rolled... The prefect must be mad with anger.

I hurried into the sedan chair and lowered the curtain.

He was the first to explain to me: "I can't get out with my stuff."

"You can do it if you can't get out?" The one who believes in you is Xiaobai.

"As soon as the stage closes in the evening, I can go out with the troupe."

I squatted halfway in the narrow sedan chair with difficulty, and looked at him from the side—then why did you come to me?

"To avoid long nights and many dreams." Kui Huangyi also seemed to understand the truth that walking is the best thing to do.

"I might be suspected." I was the only one who left early.

Kui Huangyi raised an eyebrow, "Zhang Fu intends to be a fool? Or is he a running dog of the Xiao family?" His words were quite blunt, and the good young people who met him for the first time really all disappeared now.

Blind, blind my dog's eyes.

"The world is not benevolent, all things are regarded as dogs, and everyone is a lackey of the world. But you, my lord, are you acting like a thief?" Who wouldn't?I also witnessed with my own eyes that you just stole something.

"The weather is fine today."

...Is there anyone who opens the topic openly like you?I thought for a while and said, "If suddenly there is another person, the bearer will definitely notice. Today I am looking after the sedan chair outside. I can't trust the bearer." I looked at his unsightly disguise, " You stay here, I'll go out by myself. Don't worry, my maid is Yan Tian, ​​she's trustworthy, just give her a token."

After finishing speaking, I stretched out my hand and pulled out the golden hairpins from my head, and tied an ordinary bun.I handed the golden hairpin to Kui Huangyi and asked him to put it away first. He weighed it and raised his eyebrows again.

"It's all fake." I didn't take it seriously, I just picked out one of the fake gold buds with shells, "This hairpin is my token, when Yan Tian comes, show it to her Let me explain the situation, and she will take you back to Zhangfu first."

Kui Huangyi nodded, and I turned around, carefully pressed the sedan chair curtain and got out of the sedan chair.After walking a few steps, I suddenly remembered something, turned around and opened the curtain to enter the sedan chair.

"Are you planning to never return to the Xiao Mansion?"

"Um."

When I got the answer, I lifted the curtain again and left.

Kui Huangyi slipped away without saying a word, the person who helped introduce him must be involved, I have to let that person run away as well, and find another place.After finishing everything, the people who were placed in Xiao's residence secretly sent me away, and I got out smoothly.After changing into ordinary clothes, I was walking in the streets and alleys, thinking that I would go home after eating a bunch of candied haws in my hand, but unexpectedly, I happened to encounter a farce of carrying a widow.

The so-called carrying a widow means forcing a widow to marry, ignoring the widow's wishes, and directly carrying the widow away and sending her into a new house.Most of the widow's relatives preside over such things, and most of the people who use this brutal method to force marriage are from the lower class, just for the few points of the bride price for selling the widow.

Seeing that the young and beautiful little widow was crying miserably, I inquired about the reason from the neighbors who were also watching.It is said that the husband's family forced the marriage. Because the widow's natal family had no money to repay the bride price given by the husband's family, the husband's family, who regarded the widow as their own property, wanted to sell her to save money and exchange money.

Looking at the people present, there are many people who feel sorry for the little widow, but none of them take it for granted.

I sighed in my heart and walked back home.

This is the time and space I am in.

"Miss." When I entered the mansion through the back door, the maid Yan Tian was already waiting for me behind the door, and even put a cloak on me.

"Before dark, send someone to give 20 taels to the widow of the Liu family on the [-]th Street West of the city."

"Yes."

Father walked out from the corner, followed by Kui Huangyi.

"What's the matter?" asked the father, "I thought you would go shopping a little longer before returning."

I glanced at my father—I thought my father would avoid Kui Huangyi, but they seemed to have already talked about it.I smiled, stepped forward to support my father's hand, and nodded to Kui Huangyi, "It's nothing, I just met someone who was carrying a widow, so I'm not in the mood to go shopping anymore."

Father led us back, "Is that all settled?"

"I just sent someone to send the money over."

"Remember to be early, otherwise it will be bad when it gets dark."

I bowed my head and replied, "Yes, I have already ordered everything." As soon as it got dark and the wedding night was over, the little widow was either forced to die or had to accept her fate.

"Master Kui," the father stroked his long white beard, turned his head with a smile, and looked at Kui Huangyi who was walking on the other side of him, "Do you not understand the bad habits of our small places?"

"It's really rare in other places." His voice was a little cold. "Those who are forced to marry can usually sue the officials. It shows that the officials in Longqing County are not good enough."

Father laughed loudly, "It shows that Aoi-sama is indeed a remote place."

I also bent the corner of my mouth.Father was playing tricks again.The emperor is far away from Shan Gao, so instead of hoping to have a good parent official, it is better to just give money to settle the matter directly.Government?Unexpectedly, when he was young, Kui Huangyi was innocent.

It doesn't matter whether you use money or have honest officials, anyway, neither of them can solve the fundamental problem.

Perhaps only time can change society.

Kui Huangyi asked: "If the censor's supervisory power is expanded and centralized power is implemented, then even in remote places, there will be no situation where people cannot complain?"

Father smiled and shook his head, but didn't answer.

I don't want to let the visitor be neglected, so I just continued, "Lord Kui, the daughter of the people thinks that the problem is not whether to sue or not. According to the current law, widows are not allowed to return to their natal home without the permission of their husband's family. Waiting for the dowry to be returned by the natal family can let the widow go and stay as he pleases. Even if there is a county magistrate, the most he can do is to order the husband’s family not to sell the widow again, and the widow from the poor family will be trapped in the husband’s house for the rest of his life.” There are still many problems in reality. But he didn't intend to have a deep talk with Kui Huangyi, and only said a few words.

Kui Huangyi followed us into the dining room, "Miss Zhang, do you mean practice?"

"Yes and no." is a social problem, and the laws and regulations are nothing but a reflection of society.I let go of the hand that supported my father, and bowed to them, "I'll go back and wash first, my lord, Aoi, excuse me."

As soon as I stepped out of the dining room, Yan Tian greeted me and followed me back to the room, "Miss, Wang Dali has already sent the money."

"Yeah. Yan Tian, ​​when did Aoi-sama arrive?"

"More than an hour ago." Yan Tian has been with me for many years, so she added without me asking again: "As soon as he arrived in Zhangfu, he used tricks to force the master out. Then they talked more and more happily, and they walked together just now. In the courtyard, just in time for Miss to come back.”

"What kind of trick?" I knew my father wouldn't want to deal with the censor directly, but it was funny enough that he would be forced out.I covered my mouth and laughed.

Yan Tian said expressionlessly: "It's nothing, Mr. Kui told the master that something happened to you. I didn't know your situation at the time, and Zhang's family was deceived by him."

I reached out and patted the back of Yan Tian's hand, "Are you angry?"

"No, I just feel that Aoi-sama is taking your safety as an issue, and I'm very upset."

"What else can he do if he doesn't talk about me? Even if he burns down the mansion, he may not be able to force Father." Father is not the smartest person, but he is very familiar with the trick of forbearance and pretending to be a turtle.

"Well, that's right." Yan Tiandian nodded, "Then I won't be upset, anyway, the lady often tells lies, and I'm used to seeing this kind of people. They all have their own difficulties."

This girl really dares to say anything.

I shook my head and laughed.

"That's right, just now the noble lady of the prefect Xiao's family sent a letter." Back in the room, Yan Tian picked up a flower note from the table and gave it to me, "I want to ask you to go to Wuliting with her the day after tomorrow outing."

outing?He wanted to get acquainted with Lin Mu and Li Wenxian, two celebrities.It is well known that they played chess at Wuliting, but if there is no invitation, few people will join them without knowing the interest.Xiao Gui wanted to use me as a hookup.

I took out a self-made flower note and wrote some compliments, politely rejected Xiao Gui's invitation, and then signed my name, Zhang Zelan, in correct lowercase letters.

"Miss, I left Master Kui for dinner today." A little maid said by the door.

"Understood." I looked at Yan Tian, ​​"Remember to let the people below not leak."

Yan Tian handed over a plate of water, "Don't worry, only the people in the inner courtyard and study room know about Mrs. Kui's arrival."

I nodded, reaching out to scoop up water on the plate to wash my face.

call.

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