dressed as a scholar

Fang Yu went back to his study and checked the accounts. Last month, Fang's family spent the most money. Not only did they arrange a wedding banquet, but even the original owner spent tens of taels of silver when he went out to meet poetry friends.

He wasn't surprised how he was able to spend so much, after all, he had also seen who the original owner's poet friends were. Today's Qionghua Building and tomorrow's Huaboat Theater are all paid for by showing off their wealth, so naturally they spend a lot of money.

In addition, Mrs. Chen will also enjoy it very much. The bird's nest, ginseng, black chicken soup, pastries and sweet cakes are eaten every now and then... In just three or two months after moving to the city, she has grown from a skinny old woman to a radiant one. The old lady has gained no less than twenty catties.

After winter came, silver bone charcoal was burned in the house all day and night, and opera and storytellers were invited to perform in the house to pass the time.Thanks to my short-sightedness now, I don't know what else I can make a fuss about if I have a wider field of vision.

The Fang family is very willing to spend money on treating themselves, and uses the best in everything, but treats the servants very tightly.

Fang Yu looked at the expenses of his servants. Apart from the fixed monthly money, there was no other expenses. A total of more than a dozen servants spent a total of ten taels a month. Fang Yu didn't know much about the monthly money of this servant. The matter, this matter was also decided by the Chen family, but I also felt that there must be something wrong with it, one or two of which can be seen in the matter of winter clothes.

"Xue Zhu, go and invite Young Master Qiao over."

The servant guarding one side looked up at Fang Yu, although the master didn't like the husband before, but usually when he asked the servants to find the husband, he also said my husband, and so on. Recently, the relationship between the master and the husband is visible to the naked eye. In peace, I don't know how to call the son again.But Xue Zhu felt that Fang Yu's temper had changed a lot since Fang Yu fell into the water, and it was obviously a very natural name, so it didn't taste a little bit out of the master's mouth.

"Yes. I just saw that Miss Siyu called all the servants in charge of each house. The husband must be measuring the house and registering the clothes size of the servants. It is not far from here, so he will come here soon."

As Xuezhu expected, Qiao Hezhi finished recording the measurements of his servant's clothes in the side room, and just now ordered Si Yu to harness the carriage and go out to the tailor shop, when this Xuezhu came calling.

"But what happened?"

Qiao Hezhi was a little worried. I heard that Fang Yu and his mother-in-law had a quarrel this morning because of the matter of asking for peace. In the afternoon, they punished two of her mother-in-law's maidservants. Right now, he has given him some housework, so don't make a fuss. .

Xuezhu couldn't answer, and Fang Yu didn't ask Qiao Hezhi to do anything when he came here, Qiao Hezhi came to the study with concern and realized that he was a false alarm.

"Brew some tea for the young master." Seeing someone coming, Fang Yu stood up from the table with a smile: "I invite you to come here for some family advice."

Qiao Hezhi was flattered: "If you have anything to do, just ask the lord."

Fang Yu pulled a stool in front of the long table: "Come and sit here."

Qiao Hezhi hesitated for a moment, then picked up the hem of his clothes and carefully sat down beside Fang Yu. He was nervous, and saw that Fang Yu, who was only a few inches away from him, spread out the account book, pointed to the servant's expenses and asked, "Your family How does the servant distribute the monthly money? Let's see if there is anything wrong with this end?"

Qiao Hezhi actually knew how miserable the Fang family's servants were, but after all, it was the Chen family who made the decisions, so he didn't like to talk too much. Now when Fang Yu asked, he also said: "Our Qiao family has more servants than here. , Different servants have different monthly money for different people."

"Like the maids and servants by the master's side, they have followed the master's house all the year round and have been close and powerful for decades. There are two or three taels a month. There are more than one or two first-class servants, one or two for the second-class servants, and five for the last-class servants." About a hundred words."

Fang Yu said: "In this way, the monthly payment of our family is too low. Even the first-class ones are only six or seven hundred Wen, and the last-class ones are only one or two hundred Wen."

Qiao Hezhi comforted: "It's not the lowest. There are also families in the city with less monthly income than ours, but if the lord is willing, he can give the servants a little more. After all, winter expenses are also higher."

"Then how much do you think is appropriate?"

Qiao Hezhi pursed his lips, not daring to talk about such things lightly: "The monthly money increase is a happy event, no matter how much it is, everyone will be grateful to the lord."

Fang Yu laughed, knowing that the young master was practicing Tai Chi with him, he pushed the tea brought by Xuezhu towards Qiao Hezhi, and said sincerely: "I'll take care of the matter, you just need to give me some advice."

Qiao Hezhi lowered his head and smiled a little embarrassedly. It was all over, and he couldn't shirk Fang Yu: "Our family is not rich and powerful now, so let's just calculate according to the monthly income of ordinary households. The first class is one tael, the second class is [-] Wen, and the last class is [-] Wen. On weekdays, the Lord is rewarding some scattered silver, cloth and clothes, etc. are more appropriate."

"After all, you are proficient in these things."

Fang Yu wrote down the new rules for distributing monthly money to servants, and asked about the purchase of charcoal, firewood, rice, oil and salt at home. Qiao Hezhi knew everything about it, so he listened to the suggestions and revised some of them.

"It couldn't be better like this." Fang Yu showed Xue Zhu the account book and the newly written rules: "Order it."

"Yes."

Fang Yu lamented that the child from this rich family is the governor who understands etiquette, but it is a pity that he is unlucky to marry the original owner.

Seeing that the matter was settled, Qiao Hezhi said with great interest: "If I have nothing else to do, I won't bother the lord to read the book. It's still early and I'll go out to the tailor shop to order winter clothes. Today, I'm accepting the servant's body size." , I heard that the lord is going to buy winter clothes with them, everyone is very happy, I got things done earlier, and the lord has one less thing to worry about."

Fang Yu put away his pen and ink, and Qiao Hezhi's thoughtfulness made him feel embarrassed and lazy: "Since I'm going out, I'll go with you, and I don't want to live up to my servant's gratitude. And bring back the ledger."

"With...with me?" Qiao Hezhi raised his eyebrows and asked again in disbelief.

"What's the matter? Is there any inconvenience?"

"No, no." Qiao Hezhi shook his head quickly, and stood up as if afraid of Fang Yu's repentance: "I'm going to clean up now."

Fang Yu nodded with a smile: "Go, go straight to the door after packing up, I'll wait for you there."

Qiao Hezhi turned around and went out, paused at the gate of the courtyard, couldn't hold back the smile on his face, he had never gone out with Fang Yu before, and he never dreamed of being able to visit the shop together today.

"Si Yu, hurry up, don't keep the lord waiting."

Men always save trouble, so Fang Yu put on a thick cloak and went to the door of the house.

At this time, a small carriage had already been set up at the gate, made of log color, and there was only a cushion in the carriage, the furnishings were very simple, standing in front of the main entrance of the Fang family's big red lantern, it looked even more shabby.

Seeing this, Xuezhu immediately reprimanded the people: "How can the lord go out easily after using this carriage? You are so stupid! Why don't you hurry up and change to the big carriage at home."

The boy who was leading the horse felt wronged: "The little one didn't know that the lord was going out, but it was Miss Siyu who said that her husband was going out to get this carriage, so the little one went to change it right away."

Fang Yu raised his eyebrows: "Since it's already arranged, let's take this car, and it will save you trouble."

Xuezhu persuaded: "This carriage is usually used for people traveling far away. It is hard and cold. In summer, it is still cool to ride, but in winter, it will suffer. The big carriage at home is spacious, and there is a heating stove on it. Zhengfu is not in good health, so I can feel more comfortable sitting."

"It's still your thoughtfulness." Fang Yu turned and smiled: "Then hurry up and put on the big carriage, and the young master will come over later."

The coachman pulled the small carriage and turned back. Fang Yu looked at the carriage and shook his head: "Young master is too simple, how can you use such a carriage."

Xue Zhu said in a low voice: "My lord forgot, the husband is from a merchant family, and he has registered as a merchant, so he is not allowed to enter the city in a luxurious carriage."

Fang Yu suddenly realized that the current suppression of businessmen is not just talking about it, but restricting it everywhere. Although Qiao Hezhi is already a member of Fang's family, it is reasonable to say that he has followed her husband's family, but she will have to leave after two years. The lord of the family can only be changed into a scholar by taking him to the government. Before that, he could only ride in a large carriage with the lord.

Of course, as long as he is supported by his husband's family, even if it's not time to change his business registration, he can actually take the ride, but Qiao Hezhi's current status in his husband's family doesn't make it worthwhile for him to take the risk of being detained by the government. Will the husband's family protect him?

At the beginning, the Fang family was actually a farmer, and their status was not as it is now. It was only after the imperial examination that they became children in the imperial examination that they became a scholar in the government.

If it weren't for the children of merchants who were not allowed to take the scientific examination and did not have the right to study and change their household registration, there would not be so many people who would change their household registration through marriage and suffer a lot of embarrassment.

"My lord has been waiting for a long time."

Fang Yu was interrupted by the voice, and turned around to see Qiao Hezhi wearing a thick white-haired cloak. It was the same one that he paid his respects to in Chen's courtyard this morning. Perhaps he came over in a hurry, and two red spots appeared on his face. .

"You just come here slowly, just go to the carriage, there is still a while."

As soon as the words fell, the family's big carriage came over. Fang Yu saw that it was really spacious, with carved wood, and the roof and curtains were all good and new windshields in winter. Going up the ladder, five or six people can sit inside, and a charcoal fire is placed in the middle to warm the stove, which is no worse than the warmth in the house, and the cushions are also sewn soft and warm.

Fang Yu sat down on the cushion and said to Qiao Hezhi: "This carriage at home is really good. It doesn't feel cold at all when you go out in such a cold day. If you go out in the future, you can take this carriage. It is more comfortable than that small carriage. There are too many of them. You too, even if you are not allowed to ride in a decorated carriage, you will not be so honest as to sit in such a simple one."

Qiao Hezhi lived a prosperous life, but he was not qualified to be a good carriage. After looking at the big carriage at home, he explained to Fang Yu: "Back then, my family was falsely accused by the government because of the carriage, and the family paid hundreds of taels of silver. It was only then that the matter was smoothed out, and after that, my father taught the family to go out easily, and simply took the clean water carriage, so as to save people from having to bring something up, and I got used to it."

"The past is the past. In the past, the conditions were not allowed, so there is no need to worry about it now." Fang Yu pulled the stove in a bit: "Come and warm your hands."

Qiao Hezhi nodded lightly, stretched out both hands in front of the stove, and moved closer to the person next to him: "Thank you, my lord."

"Thank you for what I do, it's all due."