Xiaoyao Nongjiazi

Xing Wu took the man to a small courtyard, left a sign for Zhong Qingran, and after explaining the purpose, he took his leave and left.There was no sign of taking the carriage back, and it seemed that it was going to be sent to Zhong Qingran.

Zhong Qingran played with the signboard in his hand, a little interest flashed in his eyes.This brand does not seem to be as precious as the one given to him the first time, and it has a different purpose.

"Mingyu, let's go and see where we are temporarily staying."

On the plaque on the door of the house, the words "Xiaoyuan" are written in flying and flying, which is quite imposing.

Xiaoyuan looks small and exquisite, but it has everything it should have, and the environment is not bad, there are some students and small officials nearby.There was no one in the house, which was exactly what Zhong Qingran wanted, since there were strangers occupying the house, it was always uncomfortable.

After washing off the dust, Zhong Qingran and Jian Mingyu ate something briefly, and then planned to take Dianbai and Minglei out to find Zhong Zhengyi.This was also a last resort decision for the two of them. They had no choice but to let them not know which inn Zhong Zhengyi was staying at, and the two young eagles could take them to find someone.Unexpectedly, before they even left the door, someone came to tell them the address of Zhong Zhengyi's accommodation, which saved them a lot of trouble.

Now that he knew the address, Zhong Qingran didn't plan to take Bai and Minglei out, they were too conspicuous.

For Zhong Qingran's dishonesty, the two young eagles were very dissatisfied.Zhong Qingran was pecked several times by them before he escaped from their clutches.Fortunately, they were very measured, they just pecked out light red marks on his skin, but after a while, they didn't even leave any marks.

These two little things are always so arrogant towards Zhong Qingran, but much gentler towards Jian Mingyu, they have been like this since childhood.Every time he was attacked by two young eagles, Zhong Qingran couldn't avoid it, and complained in his heart that they favored each other.

The same goes for the two eagles, who lost their temper on the spot, and then made out with Zhong Qingran as if nothing had happened.This kind of thing happened every three to five times, and both parties never got tired of it.

After the laughter, Zhong Qingran straightened his face. He was trapped in the mid-mountain village by the epidemic before, and it was delayed for too long. It was only more than a month before the New Year. He had to go back before the auspicious day of marriage, and there was not much time left for him to do things. Gotta hurry up.

After telling the second uncle where he lived, Zhong Qingran took Jian Mingyu for a stroll on the street.

Shangjing is worthy of being the capital of a country, there are a lot of people in silk and satin on any street that looks a little bit interesting.The two looked and walked aimlessly, until they got close to the Zhong Mansion, where the eldest son of the Zhong family was located, and then stopped to find a teahouse. , but actually pricked up his ears, and carefully collected the chatter of tea guests around him.

The teahouse is a distribution center for news, most recent events can be heard here.Unfortunately, that's all. It doesn't have the function of storing information. It can be said that Zhong Qingran didn't hear the news he wanted.He wasn't in a hurry, he thought that he would be able to visit him the day after tomorrow by submitting the post, and if people came from his hometown, the Dachangfang couldn't keep them out, right?

Just before the curfew, Zhong Qingran and Jian Mingyu returned to Xiaoyuan.

In the house, the laundry items are all new, and they can move in directly, saving the two of them a lot of trouble.The convoy has been busy these days, and Zhong Qingran has been tossed about by the carriage. Seeing that it was getting late, he washed up and fell asleep.

Silent all night.

Early the next morning, Jian Mingyu woke up, dressed in twos and twos, and walked out of the room lightly.At this time, Zhong Qingran was still soundly asleep, his expression was very relaxed, obviously the quality of sleep was good.

Manager Lin arranged it very well. In the kitchen, there was a lot of firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar and tea, and even some seasonings and ingredients that were hard to find in the farmhouse.

Before this year, Jian Mingyu was good at cooking, but because of his poor family, he was limited to a few kinds of food.This is not the case at present, as long as the dishes are not too rare and precious, he will try to cook them.Even so, there is still a part of the kitchen that Qing Ran doesn't know.From this point alone, one can roughly guess that the forces behind Steward Lin must not be underestimated.

Jian Mingyu roughly flipped through, picked out a few items at random, washed the rice and put it in the pot, cooked porridge and made dumplings without delay.After the porridge boiled and the fire was switched to a low fire, Jian Mingyu put all his thoughts on processing the flour.

Kneading, pinching and grinding, the movements are crisp and neat, without any sense of sloppy.

When Zhong Qingran entered the kitchen, what he saw was such a picturesque scene as flowing clouds and flowing water.

"Are you awake? Do you want to pack a few?" Jian Mingyu said casually without raising his head.

Jian Mingyu has a keen sense, even if his footsteps are light, as soon as Zhong Qingran approaches the kitchen, he will notice it.Jian Mingyu is a person who can enter the mountain alone. If he can't even hear the movement to such a degree, he might lose his skin if he doesn't die.

Zhong Qingran did not refuse. His culinary talent is above average, but his ability to arrange dishes is very strong. Similarly, this ability is also reflected in making dumplings.

Jian Mingyu made the dumplings quickly and well, while Zhong Qingran made the dumplings beautifully.Seeing that he was having fun, Jian Mingyu didn't bother him, and left some for him.It didn't take much time for Jian Mingyu to make the remaining parts into finished products.

Jian Mingyu calculated that Qingran should be able to complete his masterpiece before the water boiled, and immediately got into the stove and started cooking the pot.

Winter in Shangjing is very cold, although the stove is filled with curling heat, the temperature is not too high.

Zhong Qingran put down the last dumpling, ha ha long lost his warm hands, admiring his masterpiece with crooked eyes.Take a look at my work, and then look at the side, it is neatly placed, as if it came out of the same mold, the finished product of Jian Mingyubao, I think both are good, with different styles, but both have their own beauty, I feel very good about myself Liked for both of them.

What Jian Mingyu saw when he came out of the stove was Zhong Qingran's narcissistic appearance. He shook his head amusedly. Seeing that the water had boiled very badly, he was afraid that it would burn dry, so he simply removed some firewood and replaced it with a small fire. snuggle.

When Zhong Qingran came back to his senses, he saw Jian Mingyu looking at him with a smile.He was thick-skinned, he didn't feel embarrassed at all, and he graciously helped Jian Mingyu put the steamer on the pot.

Soon, the unique aroma of dumplings diffused in the kitchen, accompanied by the aroma of porridge. The two aromas permeated and intertwined with each other while maintaining their own characteristics, causing Zhong Qingran to swallow his saliva unconsciously.

Can make simple breakfast so attractive, Jian Mingyu's craftsmanship can be seen.

Zhong Qingran twitched his index finger. Served with side dishes, he had a mouthful of porridge and then a mouthful of dumplings. It was a joy in life.

"Hic!" Zhong Qingran put down his chopsticks regretfully, but he still wanted to eat, but unfortunately his stomach failed, so he could only watch Jian Mingyu enviously as he continued to eat.Most of the time, he couldn't resist the temptation of delicious food, and he ate until his stomach became full. He only thought of the way to keep in good health afterwards, and he could only lament that he lacked self-control.Fortunately, it was limited to what Jian Mingyu did, so there was no need to worry about him causing trouble.

In terms of food intake, Zhong Qingran was obviously inferior to Jian Mingyu.Every time the two of them dined alone, Jian Mingyu would wait until Zhong Qingran was used up before speeding up his eating, lest Zhong Qingran not be full.Although Jian Mingyu is rich now, he will not waste food unless necessary.

After a meal, Zhong Qingran went out with Jian Mingyu and was about to go to Zhong's house in Shangjing to deliver the post.

As soon as the carriage came out of the gate, Jian Mingyu saw three strong men standing in front of the gate. He glanced at it and saw that it was the three guards Wang who had sent them to Beijing before, so he hurriedly stopped to greet him.

Zhong Qingran lifted the curtain of the car, with surprise in his eyes, he asked, "Brother Wang, why are you here?"

"Isn't this matter unfinished? Since we sent you here, we naturally have to send you back whole. Before the task is completed, our three brothers will be at your disposal." Wang Huwei said as if he did this Of course.

Jiang Huwei, who was the groom, didn't talk much. He jumped directly onto the shaft of the chariot and took over Jian Mingyu's work. Wang Huwei and Chen Huwei rode on horseback to guard him.

Zhong Qingran opened his mouth, but closed it in a timely manner.What can he say, can he still refuse?Zhong Qingran would not be so stupid if the ready-made manpower was not used.There are too many high-ranking officials and dignitaries in the capital, and with them, safety is more guaranteed.After calculating the pros and cons, Zhong Qingran readily accepted Wang Huwei's words.

Shangjing Zhong's family is located on Rongxing Street, and their family alone occupies half of the street. Although it is not comparable to the big family with bells and lanterns, it is not comparable to ordinary small families.

This is a residential area, there are only a few houses on the street, and there are not many pedestrians, most of them are servants. Zhong Qingran and his party appear here, not to mention how conspicuous they are, at least they have attracted the attention of some people.

The appearance of the carriage was very ordinary, and the three Wang Huwei were also dressed as ordinary servants. The only difference was that Wang Huwei and Chen Huwei were riding horses.This difference is just that people look at it twice, and then do what they should do, just like throwing a stone into the sea, it can't make any waves at all.

With Wang Huwei and the three of them present, Zhong Qingran would not be able to do such things as handing over greeting cards.

Seeing Wang Huwei approaching to negotiate with the concierge, Zhong Qingran let out a smile. He didn't expect that after coming to the Great Zhou Dynasty for so long, he would experience the feeling of being a big family here.

In fact, Zhong Qingran didn't need to come here in person this time, it was just a post, just send someone to deliver it.The reason why he appeared here was just to take a closer look at what Shangjing Zhong's house looked like.Who told them that when they came here yesterday, it was too late to see clearly.

After a while, Wang Huwei finished his work and returned.

The carriage continued to creak and creak forward.

"Old Liu, which family was that just now? I just saw it." The doorman's eyes were full of curiosity.

"Old family relatives in Hewan Village, from the fifth house, come to see the third young master." Old Liu curled his lips, his tone very contemptuous.

"Little fifth room? Didn't they say that none of them are promising, why don't I look like that?"

"As long as you have shallow eyesight, get a carriage, and bring a few servants, it's so difficult that you can pretend to be a rich family?"

The concierge boy shrank his neck, didn't dare to argue anymore, and asked about other things: "The third young master fell ill as soon as he came to Beijing, he was sick all day, and he didn't even go out once. Miss is even more delicate, I haven't seen him yet, Lao Liu, have you seen him?"

"No."

The boy approached Old Liu and said softly: "Tell me, what is the purpose of the eldest lady to bring the third young master back?"

"Who knows, if you don't care about this matter, you won't be afraid of being caught gossiping about your master?" Old Liu gave him a sideways look.

The gatekeeper shook his shoulders, and immediately fell silent, thinking, the third young master stayed well in his hometown, but fell ill as soon as he was brought back to Shangjing, if there is nothing wrong with it, who would believe it?Anyway, he didn't believe it, alas, the third young master is really pitiful, he lost his mother when he was young, and still has to make a living in the hands of the eldest lady, he is not as comfortable as a servant.

"What are you thinking about? You're so lost in the sky? Hurry up and send the post to Da Furen." Old Liu slapped him with a slap, and the guard's shoulders collapsed, showing his strength.

In the main courtyard, after going through several checkpoints, Zhong Qingran's greeting card appeared in the hands of Mrs. Ma.She opened it with disgust and glanced at it, Xiao Wufang Zhong Qingran, what kind of person is this?After thinking for a while to no avail, Mrs. Ma called someone directly: "Mother Wang, go and ask the two daughter-in-laws from their hometown to find out exactly where Zhong Qingran came from."

"Yes, ma'am, this old slave will do it now."

After a short meeting, Wang Ma returned to the main courtyard, and gave all the information about Zhong Qingran in a few words.

Mrs. Ma pondered for a moment, but didn't think about it. It's the end of the year. What is Zhong Qingran doing in Shangjing at this time?Do you want to open Qinghefang to Beijing?This is impossible, if this is the case, then the one who came here would not be a brat like Zhong Qingran.Unable to figure it out, she put this idea aside, and if two and a half kids get together, can they still find out?

"Wang Ma, someone will send it to him in the afternoon." Madam Ma wrote the reply, and after ordering the matter, he called Hongshi again and explained a few words.

If a worker wants to do a good job, he must first sharpen his tools. Zhong Qingran asked Jiang Huwei to go back to Xiaoyuan to wait for the reply, and he took the other three people to fight in various teahouses.At the end of the day, there were some moderate gains, but unfortunately, Yu Zhong Qingshu was of little help in this matter.For wasting a day in the tea house, Zhong Qingran didn't feel that it was worthless.These seemingly insignificant news may one day be able to play a role.

Big families are troublesome, even if they go to the door, they have to send a post first, and only after receiving a reply can they come to visit.Zhong Qingran misses Hewan Village very much, there are not so many rules there, just to find someone to play with, just say hello.

Zhong Qingran didn't need to curry favor with Jing Zhong's family, the selection ceremony was just so-so, he didn't want to take advantage of them.

Fengyuan, the inner room of the main house.

"Master, there is good news. I am glad that Master will come to see you tomorrow." Xingping no longer frowns, he is very happy. This is a servant girl who can't even see outsiders, which makes him very uncomfortable after living in Hewan Village for many years.

Zhong Qingshu raised his head suddenly, a ray of light seemed to flash across his somewhat gloomy face.Xingping blinked, it was really an illusion, the young master was still the same young master, he had been gloomy all day long since he left Hewan Village.

"Qing Ran coming over tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Xingping kept nodding his head.

"Let the small kitchen prepare some ingredients that Qingran likes to eat."

"Yes, young master, I'll go right now." Xingping ran so fast that he even forgot the rules of the Zhong family. He must have been scolded by the steward Liu Ma when he came back.

Zhong Qingshu stared at the book for a long time, but didn't read a single word, so he simply put it away.Thinking about his life this year, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.I don't know what the family's plan is to put him under house arrest in disguise.Because of his weak health, he was trapped in the small courtyard, and even the few servants who brought him with him suffered the same.

How is his body?Why doesn't he know?Didn't someone drug him?If it weren't for the medicine he gave Qingran, I'm afraid they would really have their wish now.

A cold light flashed in Zhong Qingshu's eyes. He and Qingran had thought very well before, and when they arrived in Shangjing, they bought a small yard to house the newly acquired staff.Unexpectedly, the family's attack would be so fast, he just entered the door with his front foot, and they moved their hands and feet with his back foot.People can't get out, let alone talk about other things?

Qingran and Qingzhu were the only ones who could think of him, and Zhong Qingshu felt warm in his heart.He won't sit still, this is just a stopgap measure now, pretending to be sick can avoid more troubles, and after a while, Mama Liu will let her go. Although he can't be let out, at least the outside news can come in in time.

This is also thanks to the medicine given by Qingran, which cured Mama Liu's little grandson's illness. Otherwise, how could a mother in charge treat him, the third young master who was neglected by his family and had no name at all?

In terms of expenses, the family did not treat him harshly. The problem is that the villain is difficult to deal with. After deducting layer by layer, not even half of the share in his hands.That's not enough, what's more, the things that are better in the small kitchen are divided up by the servants in the yard.He is a dignified young master, but he has fallen into the situation of eating vegetable leaves that others don't want. Even when he takes a bath, he has to spend money to buy hot water. It really made him see the greed and evil of the human heart. I should sigh.

Zhong Qingshu knew that his situation was extremely bad. Throwing money would not solve any problems, and might attract more covetousness. He had been secretly accumulating strength until he found Liu Ma as a breakthrough.

Since then, Zhong Qingshu's life has improved.It's a pity that the servants who can be sent to serve him know what they are, most of them can't even see the face of their former master.

Mama Liu is better, but not much better than them. The best she can do is to take good care of the yard, especially the small kitchen. Zhong Qingshu's role as a cook can't be taken, but she can't do anything outside.Even if Mama Liu was in charge, she still had to give some of the sweetness that should be given to the maid, otherwise, if Mama Liu was removed, Zhong Qingshu would have to suffer from the previous crimes again, how could he be willing?

I don't know if Qingran has a solution, if not, he can only move forward slowly by himself.

If you want to visit Shangjing Zhong's house, you can't dress too poorly.Before departure, Zhong Qingran and Jian Mingyu each ordered a few sets of clothes, and they just took them out at this time.

Zhong Qingran is used to wearing cotton clothes, and this day he wore a brocade gown for the first time, which is a bit awkward for new clothes, and he got used to it after a while.

Not to mention Jian Mingyu, he has money in his hands, but he never thought of buying these flashy items. If he wants to wear these to go to the ground, isn't it a joke?He didn't have any relatives to leave, so he didn't need to deliberately keep such decent clothes.

Like Zhong Qingran, Jian Mingyu is also dressed in brocade, but his suit is light blue, while Zhong Qingran's is lotus root color, both are jacquard brocade, the quality is excellent, and it is difficult to buy in Pingyang County.Naturally, it was impossible for Zhong Qingran, in order to save face for himself, he spent a lot of money to get this purposely. This was a congratulatory gift from shopkeeper Fu when he and Jian Mingyu got engaged.

Jian Mingyu has always been mature and prudent, but after wearing such a brocade robe, he is worse than Zhong Qingran.It's no wonder that Jian Mingyu has never worn a robe since he was a child, and it's a kind of fabric that he never thought about before. If he is not used to it, he can be seen through at a glance.

Fortunately, Zhong Qingran had the foresight to try it on last night, otherwise, it would be too late to realize it before going out. If so, they would have to change into cotton clothes.Zhong Qingran himself didn't think so, he was afraid that even his family would be looked down upon.These days, don't have too many people who look down on people with a dog's eyes!

Thinking that they knew what Zhong Qingran was thinking, the three of Wang Huwei also changed their clothes, looking much more stylish than yesterday.

The people are still the same people as yesterday, but with new clothes, Menzi Lao Liu is a little more enthusiastic.

This world is so realistic.

Zhong Qingran and his party were led by a servant and passed through several courtyards before arriving at their destination.He thought he would be taken to meet Jian Mingyu's elders, but it seemed that this step was omitted.Zhong Qingran pondered for a moment, then offered the gift anyway, as for what to do with it after accepting it, that was out of his control.

"An Zi, who was that just now? Does the Zhong family have such a relative?"

"It's the third young master's guest. He came from his hometown. I heard it's from the fifth room."

"Xiao Wufang? Didn't they say that they have no family background? Those who can afford such clothes are not far behind. If I'm not mistaken, it's a high-grade Yang brocade, which ordinary people can't buy."

"I don't understand these things like you, but I saw these two young gentlemen with handsome faces, walking through the corridors, not at all afraid of hands and feet, they don't look like they have swollen faces to pretend to be fat, could it be that Xiao Wufang is on the rise ?What do you think?"

"Xiao Wufang is not an official, so he must have spent a lot of money to buy the high-grade Yang brocade. So Qinghefang really makes so much money?"

"How do I know that."

……

These two are just servants of Zhong's family in Shangjing. Even Qinghefang knows about it. Obviously, the gossip of Hewan Village has been spread in the mansion for a long time, probably from the servants who followed Zhong Qingshu to Beijing.

Zhong Qingshu had been pretending to be sick for so long, so he couldn't give up all his previous efforts.No matter how desperately he wanted to see Zhong Qingran, he still remembered this, so he could only lean on the head of the bed, crackling the book in his hand. He maintained this position for a long time, but he still couldn't calm down.

The time of visiting is very particular. If you come early in the morning, few people will wait to see you. Usually, everyone will choose to visit after Chenzheng.

Zhong Qingran arrived at the Zhong family at this point, but when he saw Zhong Qingshu, it was already a quarter of an hour later.

"Miss Hongshi, young master and young master Qingran have something to say, look?" Xingping was a little anxious, Mrs. Ma's management was too lenient, what's the matter with sending someone over here?

"What are you in a hurry for? My wife is also kind. She is afraid that you will be careless and unable to greet guests from far away, so she asked me to come and help you. With you, you still treat my wife's kindness as a donkey's liver and lungs?" Hong Shi's mouth was sharp, How can he be afraid of a third young master who has no future at all if he loses face in front of the eldest lady?Xingping, the servant in front of the third young master, was even less of a concern to her.

"I don't need your help here, go out." Zhong Qingshu said without mercy.He has figured it out a long time ago that no one in this family wants his life, and giving him medicine will only make him weaker and will not hurt his fundamentals.He didn't know what their plans were, but as long as he knew this, things would be much easier.

Hong Shi's face turned red for a while, and turned pale for a while, and she endured and endured, so she didn't jump.As the eldest maid in front of the eldest lady, she is always the target of fawning wherever she goes. Even the young master in the mansion treats her kindly. When has she ever been angered like this?

But no matter what, Hong Shi also remembered her identity. She could suppress Zhong Qingshu with her status as the eldest lady, but she herself could not.Since he came here to help, he should at least obey the third young master's orders on the surface, but there are still two guests standing beside him.

Hong Shi reluctantly backed out of the door, wanting to lean against the door to hear what was going on inside, but was blocked by Xing Ping who stepped out later.Hong Shi's complexion became even uglier, thinking that it was meaningless to stay here any longer, she resigned with Zhong Qingshu and left in a hurry.

Halfway there, Hong Shi felt that something was wrong. After thinking about it carefully, it suddenly dawned on her, and then she walked even more hastily.

"Why did you come back so soon?" A look of surprise flashed in Ma Shi's eyes.

"Ma'am, the two guests of the third young master seem a bit strange. They should be wearing high-grade Yang brocade. Even not every master in our house can wear it. Does Xiao Wufang have this ability?" Hong Shi said herself doubts.