[Red House] The First Imperial Merchant

Chapter 24 Brother Pan, please help me pick up my brother

After getting out of the yamen and out of the palace gate, Xue Qing arrived early today, greeted Xue Pan, Xue Pan got into the carriage, Xue Qing jumped into the carriage, Wang Bin at the gate of the palace quickened his pace, "Brother Pan, wait---- -"

Xue Pan in the carriage heard it and said, "Xue Qing, wait a minute." He lifted the curtain to see that it was Wang Bin, a Gongsheng student of the same class, who got out of the carriage, bowed his hands and said, "Brother Wang, why is he in such a hurry? But Is something wrong?"

After the palace examination, Wang Bin ranked No. [-] and No. [-]. Except for the top three jobs that were personally arranged by Emperor Pingkang, the rest of the No. [-] and No. [-] classes were found during this period by themselves. Those who are rich and powerful can stay. In the capital, those who have no money depend on how they are distributed, and Wang Bin belongs to the one who has no money. These days, he has been running errands for work, and the original book's business-like heart to scold Fang Qiu for showing off his fists has become much smoother during this time. , after waiting for a long time, he was finally appointed as the county magistrate in a small county in the south. Classification.

Xue Pan didn't know Wang Bin very well, but they all came out of the first class. In the future, they will be more friendly than others in their official career. He greeted Wang Bin and got into the carriage. Xue Pan said to Xue Qing: "The teahouse was very quiet last time. Yes, where can we talk?" The last sentence was directed at Wang Bin.

Xue Qing got the order to drive the carriage to the teahouse.In the car, Wang Bin nodded naturally and was speechless for a moment.When they arrived at the teahouse, Xue Qing guarded the carriage and drank tea outside. The waiter in the shop saw Xue Pan wearing an official uniform, and greeted Xue Pan and Wang Bin with a smile, and went to the private seat behind the screen, so that it would be quieter.

After ordering tea and cakes, Xue Pan saw Wang Bin's complexion was not good, so he didn't take the initiative to ask questions. When Xiaoer served the tea and cakes, Xue Pan raised his teacup and said with a smile: "Brother Wang, this teahouse is small, but the tea tastes special. Brother Wang try?"

Wang Bin's heart was as bitter as if he had been drinking strong tea. How could there be leisurely and elegant tea tasting?But he still couldn't say this because of his backbone as a scholar, so he nodded and took two sips of tea absent-mindedly. The tea was too hot, and Wang Bin's hot tongue felt uncomfortable, which made him feel even more bitter.

Xue Pan and Wang Bin have not had much contact since they chatted a few words on the day of the palace examination. Now that Wang Bin can take the initiative to come to ask for help, it can be seen that people are really embarrassed now. Xue Pan put down his teacup and smiled gently, "Brother Wang, what's the matter? We are a family, not to mention that you and I are the disciples of the first emperor, brother Wang will be straightforward if he has difficulties, and if he can help, he will never refuse."

Wang Bin touched the teacup with trembling hands, lowered his head, sighed for a long time, and said: "Just now the court issued an order, and I will leave in three days to go to Nan'an County to serve as the county magistrate----"

Nan'an County.Xue Pan finally knew why Wang Bin sighed. Nan'an is located in the Yunnan area. Nan'an is really a poor place at this moment. In short, the climate, geography, climate and folk customs there are really afraid of the other.

"Brother Wang, you have to take care of the remote areas of the prefecture and county. Although the conditions are a bit tough, they are at least the sixth grade. If you do well, you can be promoted." Xue Pan comforted.

Wang Bin showed a wry smile, and said: "I know this, but---" He paused, his face showing a bit of trouble, "I'm leaving in three days, and I can bring my family members there if I serve as a county magistrate. Don’t worry, my old parents, wife and children went with me to endure hardships, and left a letter to let them feel at ease in my hometown. It’s just my reckless younger brother. I received a letter from my family two days ago, saying that my younger brother left home and came to Beijing to find me, and the itinerary was forgotten. I'm afraid I'll be able to reach the capital in five days, but I've already left at that time, and I have no foundation in Beijing to think about it, so I can only trouble Brother Xue." All the people he knew and made friends with were from other places, and now they each found a job. After calculations, apart from Xue Pan, Yuan Xiujin and Li Ji are the only ones who have a good foundation. Yuan Xiujin and Li Ji can't be trusted by him, but Xue Pan who had a good chat while waiting for the palace examination that day.

When Xue Pan heard that this was the case, it seemed trivial to him, but it seemed difficult to see Wang Bin's expression, so Xue Pan nodded and asked Wang Bin to continue.

"The days when my brother and I sent the letter to my home happened to be different. He didn't know that I was going to take office. According to the original words of my parents, my brother was going to Beijing to make a living. My brother has a bad temper..." See ran away Wang Bin wiped off his sweat, and then continued: "Brother Pan is here today to trouble Brother Pan to pay more attention in a few days. He may come to the small courtyard I rent to find me. I have some money here, but Pan Brother gave me that younger brother, and let him go back to his hometown early."

Embarrassed, Wang Bin fished out a dime of silver from his purse, more than five taels, Xue Pan's calm subordinates, this money was probably the most that Wang Bin could give out.Seeing that Xue Pan accepted it, Wang Bin's uneasy heart was much more at ease, and he cupped his hands in thanks, "Brother Laopan is all right."

"Brother Wang, you're welcome, it's just a small effort, don't take it to heart." Xue Pan laughed.

After Wang Bin told his brother's name, height and appearance, they chatted for a few words. It was getting late yesterday. Xue Pan came back late yesterday and asked everyone to wait, so he offered to leave. He was shy in the middle of the night, originally he asked Xue Pan, and this tea was naturally his treat, but he looked embarrassed, Xue Pan understood, paid the bill, and said with a smile: "We haven't touched these cakes yet, so we packed them back Don't waste it." Wang Bin naturally agreed, thinking that Xue Pan, who is so frugal, really deserves to be the champion picked by Emperor Pingkang.

When the two went out, Xue Pan wanted to give it away, but Wang Bin refused to give it away. Xue Pan had no choice but to stuff the pastry in Wang Bin's hand, and said, "Brother Wang, don't dislike it. It's early, these people hold pads to pad their stomachs, don't be hungry."

Wang Bin was grateful.

When he arrived at the gate of Xue's mansion, Xue Pan went back to his yard first, changed his clothes and washed his hands. The house was clean and he didn't see Jia Huan. Only after asking around did he know that Jia Huan was at Xue Wang's.Mrs. Xue heard that her son was released from the Yamen, so she hurriedly ordered the meal to be served. The family has a small population, and the eating rules are loose. They usually eat at Mrs. Xue's place, and they have a good appetite.When Xue Pan entered the dining room, he saw Bao Dai and Jia Huan talking to Jia Huan on the couch. When he walked in, it turned out that his sister, Lin Daiyu, was teaching Jia Huan to compose poems.

Jia Huan was holding on to the brush, and the tip of his nose was black. His face had turned pale when he was seriously ill. At this moment, there was a simple smile on his face, and his eyes were crescent-shaped. He was very cute. The ink shrugged his nose, making Xue Baochai very happy, and called Jia Huan cute, and wanted to recognize his younger brother, Daiyu covered her mouth and smiled, and Xue Wang smiled when she saw it, and the atmosphere was just right.

When Xue Pan came into the room, everyone looked at it, and Wang Xue waved his hands again and again, "My son, come and see, brother Huan is painting for Baochai!"

"My sister is beautiful, but I want to appreciate Huan Geer's masterpiece!" Xue Pan joked.Taking a closer look, there is a black and white drawing of a gold hairpin on the paper, the appearance is simple and elegant, and the details are beautifully handled, no wonder it pleases his sister. "It's not bad."

Baochai got up, and said coquettishly to her brother: "Brother Huan, I like the style of this painting. Tomorrow, I will go to Dangdang to make it. Brother, can you come with me?"

"What are you bothering your brother for? Just take Brother Huan's drawing paper and give it to the boy." Xue Wangshi only knows that Dangdang is a formidable jewelry master.

Xue Pan said teasingly: "I think my sister is flustered at home and wants to go out in a different way." Speaking of this, he was a little out of thought, and said to Xue Wang: "Mom, let's move in." Come to the new mansion, I am busy with the affairs of the yamen, you and your sister are idle all day at the mansion, and find an excuse to invite acquaintances in the capital to walk around, now that Xue's mansion is settled in the capital, we have to move around a lot."

"That's the reason." Xue Wang said.The son is now promising, and their Xue family is no longer a lowly merchant. The family of Mrs. Gaoming in Beijing should move around.

At the dinner table, Jia Huan was very well-behaved. Seeing that Xue Wangshi liked to eat the crab powder yellow in front of him, he picked up a lot with his serving chopsticks. Seeing that Xue Wangshi loved it, he rubbed Jia Huan's little head, "Really You are likable, how about Brother Huan staying with Auntie for a few more days?"

Jia Huan naturally nodded happily, Xue Pan looked at it and sneered, this is hard but soft, but it is wise to make soft towards his mother and sister.

After dinner, they parted ways. Mrs. Xue kept her son to sit for a while. Xue Pan knew that Mrs. Xue had something to say, so she waited quietly.

"Pan'er, you are not young now, it's time to get married, and I will mention the banquet if you don't mention the guests today. You won the first prize at the age of seventeen, and you have to teach the third prince to study with the favor of Emperor Kang. It can be regarded as respectable, a few days ago, many wives asked for information about you openly and secretly, and your mother is not forcing you, but it is time for you to choose." Xue Wang looked at his son's handsome appearance under the lamp , I felt relieved, "We have survived, your father went away back then, and later you decided to go to the imperial business, let alone Jinling is the capital city, your aunt also looked down on us..."

"Mother, don't worry about me about the marriage." Xue Pan moved closer to Xue Wang, and deliberately said mysteriously: "Mom, don't spread the word about me today——"

Upon hearing this, Wang Xue became nervous, and whispered, "What's wrong?"

"Now the court is not stable, don't worry about my marriage, it may be useful to the Holy One." Xue Pan mysteriously coaxed Xue Wang, how could Emperor Pingkang intervene in his marriage!But Mrs. Xue didn't know, upon hearing about the court affairs, it was a man's country's business, and immediately let go of her son's marriage, for fear of ruining his son's future.

Seeing that the effect was achieved, Xue Pan didn't want to scare Xue Wang any more. The two of them drank tea and ate cakes, and Xue Pan was about to leave. Brother Huan is also my own sister and your own aunt. Now I feel sorry for Brother Huan's body. He lives in your yard. You should take care of him on weekdays. I won't say more if you don't get along with Baoyu , Brother Huan is a self-motivated and eager to learn, if you read books, you can give more pointers, which can be regarded as eliminating sins for my sister."

Jia Baoyu was born nice and used to being able to speak, but Xue Wang also loved him very much before, wishing his son would play with Jia Baoyu more, after all, they are relatives, so following Jia Huan, a bastard, is nothing.But now that Xue Pan has grown up, Xue Wang's top priority is to fear that his son will become as playful as before, and naturally he will not be able to follow Jia Baoyu. Seeing that Jia Huan is studious and pitiful, he wants to help. Xue Wang is a merchant and has lived in Jinling for a long time. Although the name of the concubine is looked down upon, he is not stubborn and unflexible. As long as he is good, Zhong Ling likes him, such as Jia Huan who can put on airs.

The author has something to say: Good night.