Clam Pearl

Gu's fourth grandma, Mrs. Gao, from Yaotang Road, is a famous person in Shangjing. Earlier, when King Mi made a rebellion, Gu's elder brother, Gu Xian, died escorting him. His Majesty took pity on him and gave his family a high-class house on Yaotang Road, Shangjing. The fertile land was also given to Ji Baiqing, and the eldest son born in the family was released.

If you want to say, don't worry about the effortless old lady doing it, you can enjoy yourself!No, the Gao family has been widowed ever since, and she no longer wears silk and gold hairpins, that's right, she is a widow.But after the filial piety period came out, Gao did something that no one in Beijing had expected.

She wears Ge, not only wearing Ge Pao, she also wears Jingzan, isn't this a slap in the face of the royal family?Who abused her?

Gao loves to cry, she starts crying every morning and stops at sunset.Crying is an art, and what we pay attention to is talking, learning and singing. Really, speaking of sadness, learn from the past, and make the onlookers cry together. Singing and crying is an art form that is difficult to control.

Cry well. People all over the world sympathize with you, help you, and understand you, but Gao’s tears are worthless. She cries too much. Not to mention living frugally, the children and grandchildren in the family wore very simple clothes, and even when they came to visit the palace on important festivals, she entered the palace wearing heavy makeup with patches on it.

There are a lot of poor people in the capital, and there are also people who make up patches, but anyone can make up patches, except Gao.The queen didn't like her, so she was never allowed to enter the palace again.

If the royal family doesn't like it, the descendants will be affected. The rewards during the festivals and festivals are gone, and the warm inquiries from above are gone. The eldest son was doing a good job in Fu County below, but he was squeezed out for no reason. Arrived in the poor county.

It stands to reason that anyone with a discerning eye would know that it should be changed, but Gao is a weirdo. She still doesn't know where she is wrong. She still cries when she meets everyone, telling her misfortunes everywhere, and soon went to the upper class in Beijing. She rejected her, and her eldest daughter was almost [-], and no one asked to marry her. Now Gao Shi really became the one who should cry, but it was a pity that no one would listen to her cry anymore.

Mrs. Gao came in from the side door of Gu's mansion, she sat in the sedan chair all the way, she was not quiet, she looked around, it was October, there were chrysanthemums for the occasion everywhere in Mr. Gu's house, the servants were neatly dressed, standing with their hands down, very well-behaved.

Their house is bigger than Mr. Gu's, but in order to save money, the whole family huddled together in one yard, and the other houses were left a lot deserted because they were not well repaired.The children don't like her, and they stay far away from her. The son who is an official outside has no intention of coming back at all.

Gao's heart is very sad...

Pass through the second gate, pass the flower hall, the small garden, the sedan chair stopped, Gao did not bring many slaves, but brought a housekeeper who had followed her since childhood into the sister-in-law's room, when the servant girl below opened the room, The door curtain, Gao's tears fell down.

Gao Shi hated herself, in fact she didn't want to cry, but it was her habit.

Lu Shi was very depressed. He covered his forehead and glanced at Gao Shi, who was wrapped in a cloth handkerchief, and said, "Sisters, don't cry. If you have something to say, people will think that I am a poor sister-in-law and bully your widow to be unemployed."

In the past, Mrs. Lu was very polite to Mrs. Gao, but she is a person who doesn't know how to look at the height of her eyebrows and eyes. Some things must be told to her clearly, if she doesn't understand, she doesn't understand.

Gao wiped away her tears, and came in to pay her respects. A girl below set up a seat for her to sit on.

"Sister-in-law..." Gao choked up a few times, and Lu's heart twitched.

"Don't cry, just speak well."

"Hey, sister-in-law, Mao Jia wrote a letter yesterday and blamed me. You shouldn't have stopped my uncle at the door. You know me, sister-in-law. My widow is unemployed and heartless. I'm sorry for my uncle's matter." I don't know, the concierges don't have eyes, so they blame me anyway, oh..."

Lu Shi was completely agitated, and shouted out in a shrill voice: "Shaoyao, send someone to invite the Seventh Master, you have to come if you say it, or you have to come if you don't come!"

Gao Shi was startled, closed his mouth, and looked out the door anxiously.

After a while, Hong Dan, a girl in the room, called back: "Master Qi said, don't come!"

"Woo..." Gao Shi cried again.

Since ancient times, there have been rules in the backyard. Gu Zhao and Gu Yan have similar minds, so they shouldn't care about it. They don't like to take care of things, and they don't extend their hands. It's not that he wants to stay out of contact forever, nor is he small-minded, he is just afraid of trouble.

Ever since he came to Beijing, Mr. Gu wrote letters to his four younger brothers. Not long after, the second brother Gu Shan, the third brother Gu Xiang, the fifth brother Gu Rong, and the sixth brother Gu Xiang all sent people to bring them food and flowers. Yes, no matter what you think in your heart, a family is a family, and they are all able to live well in terms of face. When they received gifts, Gu Zhao also prepared gifts, and the doubled four families went back in exactly the same way. I bought two pieces of money and two bolts of silk, which is doubled, right?He was right!

He felt that what he had done was alright, what trouble did the fourth sister-in-law come here every day?In other words, guessing women is a science. He didn't understand it in his previous life, and he won't understand it in this life either.

Gu Zhao was afraid that his sister-in-law would bother him, so he quickly packed up and went out. He didn't have any friends in Shangjing, and he didn't have a place to go, so he just ran back and forth in the inner city in a mule cart, looking at the street scene and so on.

A few months ago, His Majesty wanted to hold the imperial examinations, and the capital became more and more lively. Take their Pingzhou Alley as an example, many people went to their homes to submit papers every day.Now the examination is still in accordance with the rules of the previous court. If you want to become an official, you have to go three ways: the examination, the recommendation, the imperial examination, and the examination. The officials below see talents and are obliged to recommend them to the top. For recommendation, there are Zhongzheng officials in the imperial court. It is self-evident to sort out the talents from all over the country and recommend them to the top according to the grades.Of course, in addition to these three ways of wanting to be an official, there are also miscellaneous ways, and this is also the case in modern society. Anyway, all roads lead to Beijing, and it was similar in that era.

Nowadays, the climate is getting colder, and the branches and leaves of all kinds of trees in Shangjing City are turning yellow, making the whole city a bit bleak.Gu Zhao looked out through the window of the mule cart, and could see many scholars in Confucian shirts holding heavy books or walking on the road, or talking in the downtown area, or piled up in some simple restaurants to eat three big money. Hard pancakes, bone broth for a buck.

It's only October and then the cold winter, these scholars who come from afar will have a more difficult life, right?

Gu Zhao stepped on the pedals with his feet, and the driver stopped the car. Sitting behind the car, Xizai and Xinzai moved the pedals, and stretched out their hands.

After getting off the car, the groom went to the nearby horse gallery to deposit the car, and Gu Zhao walked nine miles along the main street of Shangjing.

There are more than 100 lifangs in Shangjing, and the urban planning is quite standardized. The common people, the common people, the nobles, and the royal family each have their own places. The three temples and nine cities are scattered and orderly.

The old street that Gu Zhao randomly arrived at was Minjie, and his eldest brother would not allow him to come here.

"Qi Ye." Someone behind him called out loudly.

Gu Zhao was surprised that there was someone in Shangjing who knew him. He saw Liao Beilai, Mr. Yu Geng, at the beginning of the chapter.

"Hello Qi Ye." Liao Bei came to salute.

Gu Zhao saw that he was running profusely, and the straw shoes under his feet were a little loose, so he returned the salute and asked with a smile, "Sir, you are running so fast, where did you come from?"

Mr. Yu Geng wiped off his sweat, and answered very frankly: "It's in the mansion, Madam is worried, so she told me to come here."

Gu Zhao nodded: "I'm sorry to trouble you." After speaking, he looked at the old street, then turned to Mr. Yu Geng and asked, "Can I go in?"

Mr. Yu Geng smiled: "This street is called Xia Sima, and there is Shang Sima over there. Most of the people who live here are craftsmen. In the past, they were service craftsmen who lived here. They were engaged in wine making, salt industry, and bronze wares. Si Nong is in charge, and Sima stays. Over there, those who are superior to Sima are managed by the Shaofu, and those who live there are imperial craftsmen, and the craftsmen who are subordinate to Sima are a little looser. This side is indeed more lively than the superior Sima."

The two were gossiping, while walking, while strolling in, the Simali now live in common people, as long as they go to Beijing University, the people will become more and more mixed, many craftsmen's houses used to be big, and they will be cleaned up Lease it to scholars and officials in the capital, and my family moved to the suburbs, and the natural workshop also moved to the suburbs.

As soon as you enter Sima, the shops are full of the style of the craftsmen of this era. The ancients are too awkward to open a shop. Those who sell needles only sell needles. , Ding, bowls, urns, water utensils only sell Jian, pans, and agricultural utensils are naturally plowshares, and the hoes are displayed there.

Along the way, Mr. Yu Geng was eloquent. He knew the history of some shops better than the shopkeeper, but Gu Zhao seldom spoke. After all, looking at these things made him feel awe. The scientific productivity of this generation of ancients.

They walked for a while, but they didn't buy anything, but Gu Zhao stopped in front of a shoe stall. Mr. Yu Geng looked at him strangely, and wanted to remind him that there were shoe-making slaves in the mansion, but he closed it again. mouthed.

Gu Zhao chose two kinds of shoes, one with a square head, and one pair of leather shoes. He picked out a good look and said to Mr. Yu Geng, "Try it, sir. The square-toed ones are for a few days, and the leather ones are for winter."

Why?Did you buy this for yourself?Mr. Yu Geng was so surprised that his jaw dropped. In this year, no, look at the history. Unless the master, gentleman, and nobleman see the talents of the scholar, they will treat him intimately, but those things are called bestowals, rewards... Master Buying shoes for someone yourself?really?

Gu Zhao didn't know how inappropriate his behavior was, but he turned around and stared at a bunch of beautiful beaded shoes. The beads may not be valuable, but there are beautiful petal beads on the shoes. This must look good for a girl to wear.

Therefore, Gu Zhao bought shoes for his little grandniece that ordinary children would wear out of season.

After paying the money, Gu Zhao turned his face away, only to see Mr. Yu Geng holding the shoes and crying, he was startled.

"What's the matter, sir?"

Mr. Yu Geng didn't speak, but cherished the two pairs of shoes he had chosen in his arms, lowered his head, stopped talking, and just followed.

Gu Zhao felt awkward, so he talked more.

"Mr. Yu Geng, how many people are there in the family?"

Mr. Yu Geng raised his head, with an extremely sincere expression on his face: "There is only one old wife, two sons, both of whom are married, and six grandchildren... In the past, there were also daughters, but unfortunately they died young, and now they live in the outer city The house was built with the help of the master a few years ago. Hey, Liao’s incompetence caused his wife and children to suffer in the farm.”

Gu Zhao was embarrassed, I didn't ask you so much, did I?So he was out of time again: "The farm is good, the air is good! It's good for your health!"

Yu Geng wondered: "Hey? Qi...how angry."

Gu Zhao stood there with his hips crossed, took a sharp breath and said, "This is...breathe! Let's go, let's go! I'm so worried!"

As soon as the two of them left, they walked to the street, where there was a people's market, a horse market, where people and livestock were sold.

Cows and horses are driven to the stables, and people are also driven to the stables.Gu Zhao looked at it very unhappily. He also had slaves and bought people. In fact, he knew that when he arrived in this society and followed the rules, it was a serious crime to rebel against the society, so he was at most alone and never participated in such things. , but it was the first time to watch a seller like this.

Some of the driven slaves suddenly fell down, and a few soldiers came over immediately, waving whips, yelling and threatening to whip them. The slaves didn't cry, but all lowered their heads, standing side by side honestly. Squat over there.

There is a wooden platform by the side of the people's market, and there are buyers standing under it. These buyers are all craftsmen from Sima Street. They bought people and went back to work as slaves.

Gu Zhao glanced around, pointed to a group of slaves at the edge of the market and asked, "Why the tattoo?"

There was a trace of disdain on Yu Geng's face: "They were all free citizens of Ukang. The Holy One kindly led them to a place with fertile land, but they ran away. Now, the treasury is empty, and there are 500 people in a cluster. I don’t know how much it cost Wukang to travel through mountains and rivers, but these dogs escaped halfway, so they became slaves with tattoos, Qi Ye don’t want to look at them, no one will buy these people, I’m afraid they won’t last for a few days.”

Yu Geng is a scholar, so he couldn't bear to see him and dragged Gu Zhao away.

Gu Zhao shook his head lightly, and sighed: "Ding didn't move like this."

Yu Geng's eyes lit up, he wanted to ask, touched the shoes in his arms again, and held back.