The eldest brother of the Lin family in the Red Chamber

Baoyu already had several sets of clothes at Jiamu's place, and he dressed finely, except for those made by Xiren Qingwen and a few big maids, he only wore clothes and shoes made by his sisters. with effort.The pair Xiren brought was brocade and satin shoes with a thousand layers of soles that she had no time to make, so she entrusted Xiangyun to rush to make them overnight.Baoyu herself hadn't worn it yet, so she was quite reluctant, but fortunately Lin Mo took off the clogs on the soles of her feet when she came in.

Ping Ai, Que'er, Wen Ge and other big girls hurriedly surrounded him, wanting to help him tidy up his clothes, he waved his hands, "What does it look like?" He tidied up by himself, but luckily it wasn't raining too much, Daiyu said with a smile : "The clogs look novel, haven't you seen my brother wearing them before?"

"Shatang wooden clogs. When I came here, I met the King of Beijing. He said that it was going to rain, and I didn't take a carriage. He gave me a set of fisherman's outfit. I don't know where there is such a complete set. There is also a coir raincoat. The bamboo hat is exquisitely made, I don’t think it’s raining too much, I’m too lazy to put it on, if you like it, ask your family to make one for fun, but you’re not allowed to run in the rain.”

Daiyu pursed her lips: "I'm not allowed to run in the rain, what do I want that for? Be a fisherman!"

Lin Mo saluted Jia's mother first, and then met You Shi and others. Jingxian stood up and waited for him to sit down. The husband and wife did not talk much, but now they are more polite when they are in other people's homes. Besides, Jingxian has something on her mind today. The two sat down and avoided each other's sight. Lin Bai looked into her eyes and said with a smile: "I just said that the old lady and their wives, grandma, and girls are invited to come to the house for a small gathering. Listen to the opera and drink, when do you think it will be good?"

"Master, it's up to you." Lin Mo lowered his eyelids, picked up the teacup, and stared at the tea leaves floating up and down for a long time. He didn't like the smell of Junshan Silver Needle very much, but he didn't know how to say it, so he blew on it lightly. , took a sip and put it down.

Lin Bai said: "A few days ago, the people from Zhuangzi brought some wild game, nothing else, but those fish were fresh. I thought I would invite the old lady here while it was fresh, but I was afraid that you would not be able to invite me. false."

"Let's take advantage of it. It doesn't matter if I'm free or not. I don't have anything to do. My cousins ​​are getting older, so it's inconvenient for me to be here. Last autumn, my sister saved some sweet-scented osmanthus in the cellar. My wife can take it. Come out and enjoy the smell of fish." Lin Mo smiled, "I'll go to the imperial hospital tomorrow to see my third brother, Jing Ning and Yu'er made a thin quilt for my third brother, what can I bring, my wife, today After returning home, Sister Ping Ai will be sent over."

Lin Bai said: "Is there anything wrong with him staying in the imperial hospital? I want Xian'er and Yu'er to be troubled to do this, and you have to send them there in person." As he said this, his smile became brighter.

"Brother, what's the matter? It's good that the things there are as good as those at home?" Lin Mo smiled and turned the topic back, "Where is the second cousin going to school recently?"

Baoyu didn't like to talk about going to school, but in front of so many people, he had to answer: "Yes, at home school." But Jia's mother became interested: "Originally, my father wanted to send him to Bai Nian Academy. I said that the gentleman there is good, but I don’t want to come back every day after studying there, I can’t bear it, so I just have to.”

Jingxian sneered invisibly, and Lin Mo patted her hand: "Benian Academy is a good place. The third son of Cao Shangshu, our household department, used to study in the Imperial College. Later, I heard that Mr. Song took the As for the position of the chief officer of the academy, I hastily prepared Shu Xiu and sent the third young master to go."

When Jiamu heard this, she couldn't help sighing. She also heard from the housekeeper that a great Confucian came to the Bainian Academy, but she also heard that although the gentleman was good at learning, he had a weird temper. After thinking about it, and being reluctant to let Baoyu go to the academy to suffer, he asked him to go to the family school to spend time.Now when I heard that even the son of the Minister of the Household Department went there, I don't feel it's a pity, even if it's the same year as the son of the Cao family, that's all.

"Mr. Song used to travel all over the world. He stayed in Shandong for two days. He was invited by his father-in-law to teach us "Erya" at Kong's family. Every word was reasonable and he benefited a lot. Brother Jing Luo even gave him a ruler. " Lin Mo seemed to think of something funny, "It seems that Mr. Song saw it because I handed him a piece of peach cake."

Kong Jingxian also remembered: "My brother was punished by Mr. Song, which made my father very angry. He punished him to kneel in the ancestral hall for three days."

"It's my fault. I'll see my brother-in-law some other day and I'll be guilty." Lin Mo said, "I went to visit Mr. Song a few days ago, but unfortunately he can't remember the naughty student that day. But I said it, if I have What kind of nephew, since the article I won the first prize is not too ugly, I can recommend him to study in the Imperial College. I said what kind of nephew can I have, and how old am I? Lan'er from my sister-in-law's family is here, he has reached the age of school, I remember he is a little younger than my sister?"

Jia's mother was quite disappointed. The name of Rongguo Mansion to study in the Imperial College was given to Jia Zhu. Zhu'er was also a hard worker, but unfortunately she didn't have much luck. It's not easy, but seeing that he is not as good as Baoyu, he sighed in his heart, and still smiled on his face: "This is really a great thing, Yuanyang, why don't you ask grandma to bring Lan'er to kowtow to Uncle Lin."

"It's all relatives, it's nothing, I don't need to kowtow or anything. I have time today, but I haven't had time to prepare a gift for Lan'er." Lin Mo rubbed the corners of his eyes, "By the way, grandma, I have something to do. The Third Highness said that it is not suitable for people to know, but I always think that the relationship between the Rongguo Mansion and the Zhen family is close, and they have been friends for decades. If I don't say it in advance, my grandmother will find out from other places later, I am afraid that she will be sad. .”

Mother Jia's heart skipped a beat when she heard "Zhen's family", Lin Mo was too gentle and obedient today, really abnormal!

"There is a piece of silver engraved with the old sage's imperial pen. Somehow it flowed into the market. After checking, the source turned out to be the Zhen family, and it can't be suppressed." Lin Mo tapped lightly on the seat with his fingers. After a few clicks, he seemed to be in a good mood. As anyone said, he had no friendship with the Zhen family, and even Zhen Yingjia's reinstatement had brought him a lot of trouble.So now he was literally beaming with joy.

Shi Taijun is already 80 years old, she is used to meeting too many people, it is true that Lin Mo's sophistication is considered top-notch, but she can't hide her happy face now, she knows what it means.

The Zhen family really has something in their hands.

And the Wenyin with the engraved words on the bottom she trembled.

On the way back, the rain stopped, and it was not too late. Lin Mo personally helped his mistress, wife and younger sister into the carriages, and then climbed onto his own horse. Jia Lian was busy looking for a carriage to take him off. Waving: "No, I can see that someone is holding a lantern in front."

Before leaving, he glanced back at the plaque that read "Zao Rongguo Mansion", and suddenly lowered his head and said to Wang'er who was helping him pull the horse: "Tell you Er Ye, if the old lady has any letters and asks him to run errands, please be careful first." Once stable, make up your own mind. Just say what I said, there are hundreds of lives in the Rongguo Mansion."

Wang'er was taken aback by his tone, he couldn't make up his mind, so he went to whisper to Wang Xifeng first.Sister Feng has been jealous and grateful to Lin Mo for a long time, but the fact is that the husband and wife together with Sister Qiao and their newborn brother are living under the hands of the old lady. Don’t worry about it, listen, what Uncle Lin said today, if people know about it.”

"The young one knows that if the young one dares to speak out, even if the skin is exposed by the second grandma, she will not dare to say a word." Wang'er said repeatedly.

Wang Xifeng told Jia Lian when he was teasing his elder brother at night, and said, "Cousin Lin, what does this mean? The second master is now working in the yamen. It's not like the ancestors didn't know about it, not even the second wife." Here you go to work, didn't the old ancestor say that the second master should be busy in the yamen? Why does cousin Lin look like the old lady wants you to do something again?"

Jia Lian has also been in the officialdom for half a year now, knowing Lin Mo's current status, he is doing big things, so he could only say: "Let's just watch! Cousin Lin, in other words, it's not a good year, What can the old lady ask me to do? Didn't you say that they are very polite to Lin's guests today?"

"Now the Lin family is regarded as the royal family. What can the old lady do if you are not polite? I think the ancestor has not let go of his mind and wants to beg sister Lin for Baoyu. But it's really not me who poured cold water on him. He has no honor and no fame. Why does the Lin family think highly of our family's devil king?" Sister Feng sighed, "In the early years, I still sighed that Sister Lin lost her mother and had a miserable life experience. I am afraid that the second wife will not allow her to start. Fortunately, if she is not here, now she has a good brother, it will be a turn of events. Baoyu has been raised by the second wife on the tip of her heart for so many years, if you ask me, she is not as good as Big Brother Zhu."

"Our family's title will soon be lost with my brother." Jia Lian sighed, "If he is willing to study, I will not worry about it."

Sister Feng also sighed, and took out the jade that Kong Jingxian had given to her brother. The couple planned to make plans for their son. She said: "Aunt Lin asked my second sister's birthday today."

"Isn't the one in their family in Taiyuan Hospital still young?" Jia Lian was in a state of confusion, Yingchun was dispensable in his heart, not much more important than other sisters, so he just said casually, "Our family's Ermu I don’t know what will happen in the future.”

Sister Feng said: "I can't talk about this in the future. Usually when people talk about it, it's always Miss Bao and the third girl, but when it comes to speaking, aren't they all from the second room? It didn't do us any good, but it was used by people to look down on us. Our eldest house only welcomes a girl, and if she is married well, is there any harm to us?"

Jia Lian changed his mind, and immediately said: "Let's talk about it, the old lady looks like she will keep the girls for a few more years."

The couple both understood that the other girls might be kept, and their second sister might simply be forgotten.

Lin Mo went to be on duty the next day, but he didn't look at the Third Highness.When Cao Shangshu came back from court, he was summoned into the Imperial Study Room to mutter. He heard that the Minister of Punishment and the Minister of Officials were also there, and several His Royal Highnesses gathered together.The people from the household department gathered together and murmured, watching the servant minister come back alone - with a smile on his face, taking his time.

Finally, a Yuanwai Lang boldly approached him and asked, "My lord, where did Master Cao go?"

"Your Majesty's summons are either important or urgent." Lin Mo smiled and seemed to be in a good mood.

So the rumors about his falling out of favor were gradually suppressed by the people in the household department, and they failed to erupt.

Before Cao Shangshu came back, the carriage of His Highness the Third Highness arrived. As soon as Shui Fu entered the household department, he stepped into his room. After a while, a servant from Prince Qin's Mansion came to Lin Mo: "Your Majesty, please come over."

Lin Mo opened the drawer by his left leg, took out a dozen thin sheets of paper, and smiled at the boy: "Let's go."

There is no doubt that King Beijing Jing did not agree to the Third Highness.

He pondered Shui Fu's thoughts, put on a suitable expression, then bowed his head in, bowed and saluted, and Shui Fu pulled him over: "Don't be too polite, Father said, give us two more about the salt case." Yue, if nothing can be found out, he told the two of us to go to Jinling to apologize to Zhen Yingjia!"

Lin Mo said: "Your Highness, don't be impatient. The officials think that His Majesty's move is more meaningful. We close our eyes and listen in the imperial capital. It would be great if we can go to Jiangnan. Why don't you take a look at this, Your Highness?"

Shui Fu took the paper in his hand, flipped through it for a while, his expression calmed down: "Where did this come from?"

"Yesterday I went to Rongguo Mansion, and my servants chatted with the second uncle's attendants. The servants in their family are not reliable, and the master doesn't care about things, and the servants are happy to talk about these things. There are a lot of things to show off, so you might as well hand over these things first, and check it out, the Zhen family only covers the sky with one hand, and they can shut up one family, but they can't make the whole city listen to them There is always something to do." Lin Mo thought for a while, then smiled, "Besides, if His Highness is willing to wait for a while, maybe the Rongguo Mansion can tell about the bigger troubles of the Zhen family."

Shui Fu looked at him in surprise: "I've known Tai Yin for so many years, and I never knew you had such a skill."

"It's just because of the convenience of having a relationship, and the Jia family wants to climb up. The virtuous concubine has lived in the deep palace for a long time, so naturally she doesn't know the situation outside. The Duke's mansion is said to be solid and strict, but that's all." Shui What Fuxiang asked Shui Rong's hidden guards to do was nothing more than these things. The so-called dark guards were actually any different from those boys under his hands?

He thought of those young people who came to him with Shui Rong on their backs that night, and he couldn't help but think that Shui Rong, who is so bad and a rascal, could find something worth admiring, and let those young people take care of him in a daze. For those few days, I worked hard and hung my head on the waistband of my trousers.Shui Fu looked at the papers: "I'm afraid it's these tongue-twisting things. They can't be used as evidence, but Zhen Yingjia should take a bite."

"It's nothing, anyway, there will be real things to come. The Jia family and the Zhen family are considered to be of the same branch, and if there is something that only one family knows about. The so-called four families in Jinling, now only the Wang family is decent, but the others I don't know it, but the score is bigger than anyone else. I went to Rongguo Mansion yesterday, and their precious grandson was followed by more than a dozen maids. Even a shameless little girl still thinks this or that when she eats something. Yes, we are paid in front of the household department, and we only have four dishes and one soup every day."

Shui Fu said: "After all, it is also your grandmother's house, and you can really do it."

Lin Mo narrowed his eyes slightly: "If I really want to even worry about these things, I'll stop doing things, and just go back to my hometown and go for a walk, just to dawdle."

"It's very angry to kill relatives in a righteous way." Shui Fu said.

Since ancient times, the four words "great righteousness destroys relatives" has been a double-edged sword, a deep pit waiting for others to jump into, and once you enter it, you will never lose your reputation forever.Lin Mo is a person who cares about reputation, he is not even afraid of others saying that he is a cruel official, but after all, it is very important for him to study and become an official, what others say about him.

He tilted his head, thought for a long time, and then said with a smile: "I don't dare to kill my relatives righteously. If I really want to do this, maybe I will kill myself first?"

Shui Fu's heart trembled, and he looked into his eyes. Hou Jingyuan, who was recognized by the entire court as a handsome man, had a pair of dark eyes with deep pupils. Just kidding.

If the reputation is ruined, the official career will be ruined, and the grand plans and hegemony will come to naught, so what's the point of that.Thinking of this, Lin Mo suddenly felt sad.Loyalty to the monarch and patriotism are just four words, but they are as important as heaven and earth.And these four words seem to be unable to accommodate his little thoughts.