The husband's son-in-law

The progress of road construction in the five prefectures and counties is as follows.

Sowing Lin Annan was the fastest, followed by Ji Ting. The magistrate of Rongguanfu County was too hip. Gu Zhaohuo was so angry that he received 3000 taels of road repair money, but he didn't dare to let the county magistrate arrange road repair guys. This county magistrate has caused disasters by enslaving the people, so Gu Zhao said that there is no rush, and he will talk about it after a year—he has to find a way to rule the county magistrate.

In the end, Minzhang went faster than Rongguanfu County.

The road in Minzhang is not easy to repair. Gu Zhaoxia’s order is to dig and cut down trees to make the foundation of the road. The terrain in Zhaozhou is flat, there are not many mountains, and they are all hills with gentle slopes. The roads to the five prefectures and counties are roughly The Internet is easy to repair, so Gu Zhao wants to start from Zhaozhou to repair, and it will be faster if he can connect.

The blueprints for road construction were all given, and they were also expanded on the official roads stepped on by the original five prefectures and counties. Even the stupid county magistrate should know how to repair them without making mistakes.

The lower city gate connects five prefectures and counties, and the upper north gate connects Mozhou and another state, Shaozhou. Shaozhou is not the same chief secretary as they are, but belongs to another chief secretary.The market in Mozhou is not big, and they always like to collect "tolls" and "borrowing tolls" from merchants in Zhaozhou City - because the roads are indeed built by the people of Mozhou, which is normal.

But peeling the skin layer by layer is too much.

Gu Zhao planned to open up a new road, and they built it themselves.The road leading to it has to deal with letters from the governors of the two prefectures, and the planned handover road is deserted because no one has walked it. Digging trees and clearing big rocks must be troublesome.

Write a letter first.

Gu Zhao wrote letters to the two magistrates of Wuzhou and Shaozhou, sealed them with sealant and stamped them, and handed them over to the yamen servants to deliver the letters, and then he had to write a report on his work to the chief secretary of Nanjun County—in short, he was always Written clerk work.

Li Fuzhong.

"Father, is Daddy going to come back today?" Fu Bao sat on the small stool with his face facing the direction of the Moon Gate, as soon as Daddy came back, he would be the first to see it.

Li Zhouzhou was looking at the account book and said, "What did your father say this morning?"

"Come back to have dinner together at noon." Fu Bao was happy, propped his face with his little hands and looked in the direction of the Moon Gate, and sighed a little bored.

Li Zhouzhou reads the books, but he also secretly pays attention to Fubao.

"What's the matter, Fufu?"

"Grandpa is not at home, Xiaoji is home, even Wang Wang is sleeping." Fu Bao is so boring.

Li Zhouzhou put down the account book in his hand and said, "When you were about the same age as Wang Wang when you were young, you also loved to sleep all day long."

"When will Fufu be as old as Wangwang?" Fubao looked at Dad with a whimper.

Li Zhouzhou: "When I was born, Fufu slept all day except eating."

"Father, I don't remember." Fu Bao ran to sit next to Father.

"You were still young at that time." Li Zhouzhou gestured to his son, "You are so small, a little bigger than Wang Wang."

Fu Bao was curious, and stretched out his hands to compare, exclaiming in disbelief, "Wow, I'm so small!"

"Fufu has grown up now, he likes to run around and play, and he is less sleepy." Li Zhouzhou sighed.

"Then Wangwang is bigger, and when he was the same as Fufu, didn't he also like to play and run around?"

Li Zhouzhou was not sure, so he said: "When your father comes back at noon, you can ask your father."

"it is good."

Before noon came, Fubao watched the Moon Gate all morning and there was a figure, and immediately ran fast, followed by Xiao Wangwang, who also ran with four short legs.

"father!"

Gu Zhao hugged the small cannonball that flew towards him with one hand, let Fu Bao sit on his arm, and said, "Small!"

"father!"

"Smash!"

The father and son got close for a while, Li Zhouzhou laughed and said, "The meal may take a while, I don't know you came back early."

"No hurry, just play with Wang Wang for a while, and wash your hands later." Gu Zhao let Fu Bao down, and Wang Wang followed him to kiss some more. After all, he was carried out from the bitch's den, and he was with him all the way. He ran in circles, jumping and jumping happily.

Fu Bao looked envious, Wang Wang really liked Daddy.

Wang Wang slept all morning before waking up to play with him for a while.Fu Bao looked at his father and Wang Wang enviously, and when he thought of something, he turned his head and ran into his room. Gu Zhao touched Wang Wang's head and said, "It's quite energetic."

After a while, there were footsteps and Fubao's voice: "Wow, here! There's a ball!" Holding a toy hollow wooden ball of his own in his arms, Fubao rolled on the ground, originally entangled Wang Wang, who was close to Gu Zhao, immediately followed the ball with his short legs.

Fubao is happy.

"Father, Wang Wang also likes Fufu."

"You take your own toy to play with Wang Wang. If you treat Wang Wang well, he will like to recognize you as his master." After Gu Zhao touched Wang Wang's hand, he touched his son and was seen by his wife next to him. The arm was slapped.

Gu Zhao said lazily, "It's not intentional, Zhou Zhou, I'm in pain!"

"I'll press it for you." Li Zhouzhou laughed helplessly.

Gu Zhao grabbed his wife's hand and said with a smile, "Wash your hands together, right? Daddy? Are you coming back for lunch?"

"Father left early in the morning, and breakfast was just casually eaten. I heard you said that you don't need to be an official. No one knows your identity. Dad is happy. You don't need to put on airs. The supervisor is just like a supervisor, and he has decided not to come back for dinner." Li Zhouzhou held hands with his husband and entered the side hall, and the two washed their hands together.

As for Fu Bao, who was playing with balls in the yard, the couple didn't bother, letting Fu Bao have a good time, and they hadn't eaten yet.

Just like what Li Zhouzhou said, the outside of Zhaozhou City is full of excitement.

Outside the city gate is the main road, which is estimated to be six meters wide. Because there are large and small village trees scattered outside the city, the main roads built to the five prefectures and counties are even built directly in front of the village entrance, which is very convenient.

Li Da is in charge of the official road to Bolinfu County, a total of ten villages of labored villagers.

Li Da got up before dawn in the morning. It doesn’t snow or be cold in Xiping Village in the winter here, but if it rains, it will be wet if you don’t do anything outside for a long time. It felt like the evil wind had penetrated into the body.

Li Da knew that he had to work, so he definitely wouldn't be an 'grandfather' like he was at home, so he immediately put on his sheepskin waistcoat, took the old water bottle he used before, and led the old man out of the mansion. Ma Hei, when the mules arrived at the gate, the city gate slowly opened.

When we arrived at the place, it was daylight, and the villagers crowded together. Li Da got off the mule and took the manager's badge to show it. Someone said, "You are in charge of Donglijia Village. If you don't have tools, you will send them out. If you send them, you must record them. If you take them, you must remember them. Every village who cooks will draw three women, children, and husbands. Find an open space and put them away first." The stove is set up, and the food will be sent out from the city in a while."

"Get to work quickly."

The yamen servant immediately agreed and went to pick people.

"What, what, the cook? Isn't it road construction?"

"Is there any money for cooking on the stove? It can't be for nothing, right?"

The yamen servant said loudly: "It's still the same price, three pennies a day, and the work of cooking is not easy. Whoever comes out with good craftsmanship will get three from one village. Hurry up."

Now they are scrambling to cook.

The yamen servants picked out two older women and children. Seeing that they have cooking experience, the yamen servants they serve also eat with the same pot. They can't go to the city to eat again, right?There is no money here, if you go to the city, you can pay for it yourself.

A husband who looks strong.

"It's done, let's set the stove first."

A village has 80 or 1000 fewer people, and more than [-] people. Ten villages add up to more than [-] people. Naturally, they eat on the spot and burn them in the open air. I grow beans, taro, and old rice, and I harvest vegetables from nearby villagers, so it's nearby.

Vegetables are a specialty of Zhaozhou, such as wild vegetables with green leaves and vines that can grow wildly if you sprinkle seeds in the ground without any care, that's all.

The villagers are quite happy, and some food is good.

Li Da is in charge of the logistics of ten villages, cooking food with grain and vegetables. At noon, the multigrain rice stewed in a big pot is continuously out of the pot. It starts to be eaten in batches at noon, and it is almost finished at the end of noon.

Rice with mixed grains is mixed with vegetables, put some seasonings, and made into fist-sized rice balls, and then wrapped in bamboo leaves, two rice balls per person.

After Li Da ate two, there was solid food in his stomach, but it was tasteless and tasteless.I can't help laughing at myself, it's been a good few years, and I forgot about the hard days.

But now that he is in charge of things, the money can't be spent indiscriminately, but he can't engrave the common people either.

After eating two rice balls, he said: "Tomorrow, I will bring my own bowls and chopsticks and put them under the stove. I have two meals a day, one meal at noon and one meal in the afternoon after work. The village eats a catty of meat a day, and puts it at noon."

It has a meaty smell.

Li Da explained to the yacha, the yacha grinned happily and said, "How are you, captain, can we still eat meat?"

"If it smells like meat, it will be enough. If there is more, you will have no money." Li Da also settled the score.

These miscellaneous grains and old rice are cheap, and Zhaoer coaxed some business masters to sell them. A liter of new rice in Zhaozhou costs twelve yuan, and this is three yuan. A large basket of wild vegetables and green stalks costs ten yuan. A catty of pork costs six cents, and every catty in a village is covered with meat at noon.

Food for ten villages in a month costs less than three taels of silver. If you eat well, you will have the strength to work and work hard. Li Da said: "If Moji is lazy, I won't ask for it next time."

The yamen servant turned his head back to say something, the villagers thought that they could eat two meals a day without mentioning the smell of meat, and still have money to pay.

So road construction is in full swing, and the villagers are enthusiastic.

Later, Li Da told the other captains, but I don't know if he heard it or not. Anyway, the road from Zhaozhou City to Bolin is the fastest and best way to build.Li Da really cared about it, and sometimes he did it himself. Every day before dawn, he went out after breakfast in the mansion. He was full of energy all day long, and when he went back in the afternoon, he sat at the dinner table and talked about road construction.

I met some clerks and servants, some of them had a child, and some of them had grandchildren.

Li Da had a lot of trouble with the low-level relationship between the soldiers guarding the city gate and the yamen servants in Zhaozhou City. At this time, the whole family listened seriously.

"Grandpa is so amazing, I have made a lot of friends." Fu Bao was full of envy and admiration for Grandpa.

Li Da laughed and said, "That's right, it's still good here. I wasn't used to the weather before, but now I think it's good. It doesn't snow in winter, and I can still work. How nice it is."

"No matter how long Fubao grows, he can meet many friends when he grows up."

The New Year is approaching soon, the work of road construction has slowed down, and the New Year has begun.This is the first year that the Li family lived in Zhaozhou. The Li family attaches great importance to it. Not to mention the purchases for the new year, they also hung red lanterns and posted couplets all over the mansion, making them very happy.

Gu Zhao held Fu Bao on his shoulders, and Fu Bao held a banner couplet, gesticulating with his small hands.

Li Zhouzhou stood in the middle of the yard, commanding: "Come to the left side, it's okay, it's okay, Fufu don't shake your hands, you can stick it."

Fu Bao slapped the banner and smoothed out the paste with his little hands.

Gu Zhao was supporting his son's legs. The boy was getting heavier and heavier. Except for losing some flesh on the way to Zhaozhou, he has grown back now.

"Are you ready? Let it go." Gu Zhao said.

Fubao really likes to sit on a high place, and said to his father: "Be flat, it's okay." He pressed it several times with his small hands.

Gu Zhao: ...Leaving his head to do foreign work.

He trotted with Fubao in his hand.

Fu Bao first yelled, grabbed his father's hair to stabilize, and then started giggling. He was not afraid at all, and bold enough to ask his father to do it again.

Gu Zhaochong's wife said: "The kid's daddy came to pick up coins, a kiss coin, and walked around."

"Little handsome boy, come and play!"

Li Zhouzhou was a little ashamed, although no one was watching in the yard, but in broad daylight——

Sitting on the 'shaking machine', Fu Bao eagerly urged Dad, fluttering his arms, "Dad, Dad, kiss money, Fufu wants to play again."

Gu Zhao: What a hit!

Li Zhouzhou kissed the husband-in-law, and Fu Bao covered his eyes happily, "Daddy is ashamed, Fufu wants it too."

"You're so ashamed, what more do you want?" Gu Zhao was not happy, and gave the little handsome boy Fufu a turnaround, Fufu immediately forgot to kiss him shyly, and giggled happily, waving his arms.

When the fuss was over, Gu Zhao came down from unloading, and Li Zhouzhou thumped his shoulders for his husband. Gu Zhao said, "Heavy boy, in a few years, his father won't be able to carry it."

So when they were children, Gu Zhao and Li Zhouzhou were happy to satisfy Fu Bao's little request for playfulness.

To celebrate the New Year this year, the Li family only needs to go to Mr. Chen's residence.

In the early morning of the New Year's Eve, several companies sent New Year's gift posts to their door, all of which were made by various merchants in the city. Jade jade from the family, cakes from the Lin family——

The Lin family is in the grain business, the largest grain merchant in Zhaozhou City.During the road construction in Zhaozhou City, the Lin family produced a wave of old rice and miscellaneous grains cheaply, and Gu Zhao picked up a wave of leaks, which is a win-win situation.

There was quite a lot of money raised last time, but the road has been repaired, and there are many places that need money to build factories and houses in the later stage, and the road going north ahead has not yet been repaired.The old rice and miscellaneous grains are not bad, but the taste is not as good as the new rice, so it's ok.

The Huang family gave a piece of Ping An Golden Lock.

Speaking of the Huang family, the last of the three families in Zhaozhou City, the business of the Huang family was good when Mr. Chen didn't come up, because there were so many tricks, and he could get involved in everything, running restaurants and inns, selling dried salted fish, and selling linen ready-made clothes , In the jewelry business, there are a lot of shops, and the Huang family has been involved in everything, and the business is good.

But then it gradually failed.

"Sir, this is so translucent and emerald green, it's pretty pretty." Li Zhouzhou opened the brocade box and registered the annual gift booklet.

Gu Zhao glanced, "Emerald." The water is so full.

"It's not expensive, you can wear it if you like."

In today's market, anyway, according to the popularity in Beijing, pearls, jade, gold, and emeralds are so-so. Unlike later generations, the prices are very high, and only the transparent ones are rare.But having said that, the ones just listed are top-notch, and the prices are not cheap.

Ordinary pearls cannot enter the eyes of kings and grandchildren. The palace is the east pearl, and the mansions in the inner circle of the imperial city like to value the south pearl.

The Chen family has Emerald Mountain, which can produce emeralds. It is not big, but it is enough for the market in the south.

Like the jadeite gourd pendant sent by the Chen family today, although it is a little smaller, it is already top-quality.

The Chen family is clever, they were cut off by him once, and now the gifts are not big, small, but the quality of the things is excellent.

"I don't want to wear it anymore. It's not good if I lose it and break it." Li Zhouzhou put it back into the brocade box and registered it in the register. These gifts, together with the gifts from the merchants last time, were stored in the warehouse at home.

Gu Zhao thought about it for a while and didn't force it, and then he said something else, "Everything that is missing in the bodyguard yard is covered, it's hard work for everyone to stay in Zhaozhou for the New Year, but if you can stay for half a year, wait for the first batch of goods to come out next year Just drop in and help us send it up."

"It's all arranged, and we won't lose money." Li Zhouzhou remembered things, and he couldn't help sighing when he said it: "When we came, fortunately, Brother Liang arranged for the escorts in the south in the old way, and the journey was much safer and smoother. Yes, I can still send some letters when I go back next year, and I don’t know what year to communicate with after that.”

Gu Zhao: "When the time comes, the goods will be delivered—"

Eh.

Li Zhouzhou stopped halfway through what Xianggong said, and couldn't help but look over, "What's wrong? Is there something wrong?"

"No, no, Zhou Zhou, you reminded me!" Gu Zhao rushed forward to hug Zhou Zhou, kissed him, and said, "Logistics and logistics, escorts are all veterans on the road, if you open a logistics point from south to north It’s much more convenient, and it’s more reassuring than merchants delivering goods by themselves.”

These bodyguards have traveled far and wide and know many people, and they also know a lot about the ways of the 'river and lake'.Some established merchants are actually most afraid of "breaking out". It is easy to miss the destination when delivering goods, get robbed and robbed on the way, and even hurt people's lives. You can make a big meal in Zhaozhou Why take the risk and go outside?

It would be nice if there is a professional logistics point.

From south to north, there is a logistics point for every two states, and the next party will take over, so that the delivery of things will be much faster, and the energy will be continuously exported to the north.Of course, worried merchants should send someone in charge to keep up.

Gu Zhao couldn't sit still when he thought about it, "I'll go to the bodyguard's yard to have a look."

It's just one afternoon.Li Zhouzhou put the registration book of annual ceremony into the warehouse, but the husband hadn't come back yet, but his father came back early, and he didn't come back until it was dark.

"The bodyguards didn't agree?" Otherwise, what happened all afternoon.Li Zhouzhou persuaded: "Don't worry, just speak slowly—"

Gu Zhao took out a brocade box from his arms, "I went out for a trip, New Year's gift, Zhou Zhou Happy New Year."

Li Zhou was stunned, took the brocade box and opened it, inside was an emerald hairpin, not as emerald green as today's emerald gourd, but more shiny and whitish, made in the style of auspicious clouds.

"Why do you think of buying this?" Li Zhouzhou touched the hairpin and spoke softly in a daze.

Gu Zhao hugged his wife with his legs slightly apart, and put his head on his wife's shoulders, "I bought it for you with my private money. It's a new year. I hope that Zhou Zhou will be safe and prosperous in the coming year."

"Master, put it on for me." Li Zhouzhou tilted his cheeks, their skins were touching, and their eyes were full of smiles and tenderness.

Gu Zhao personally combed Zhou Zhou's hair and put it on.Zhou Zhou's hair is black and thick, and he wears a hairpin beautifully.

After a short while of tenderness, Fu Bao came, secretly curious, hugged Wang Wang and said: "Fu Fu wants to hug too~"

In the end it became a family carnival.

Gu Zhao gritted his teeth secretly. Having a child would greatly reduce the couple's world. Fortunately, there was only one of them, so they couldn't fight.

Light the lamp for supper at night.

Li Zhouzhou just remembered what the bodyguard said, and Gu Zhao said: "The boss of the bodyguard said to think it over again, and asked the other brothers about it. Don't worry about your business, I think the six bodyguards I have persuaded are very moved. "

"What did Zhao'er say to bluff people?"

Gu Zhao: ...

What kind of image does he have in Dad's heart?

The bodyguard's roots are in the capital, a small bodyguard agency, and it needs to support a large family, there are almost sixty of them, because the six of them have been to the south, they were picked by Liang Zizhi to escort the younger brother to Zhaozhou.Now there is still a housekeeper in Beijing, who takes care of the elderly, weak, women and children.

Escorts travel all over the world to earn hard money, and the house is also a large courtyard.This time when he came to Zhaozhou, Mr. Liang gave him a lot of money. For such a trip, the whole family can live a stable life for two or three years.

Those who should marry a wife marry a wife, and those who should marry a man marry.

Gu Zhao: "...It was originally ten brothers who worshiped the master, but later they took the escort to deliver the goods, killed two lives one after another, seriously injured one, and now there are only seven left. For the family members of the brothers, those who are seriously injured also need to see a doctor and take medicine."

Although the prices in Beijing are high, there are many opportunities for escorting.

"I'm not bragging. I'm just asking them to stay for another half a year. I think it's a bit shaken." Relocating to another place to put down roots is no big deal for the bodyguard.

It would be nice to have a prosperous life.

But there is no rush now, let the bodyguards think about it first.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year in Zhaozhou City, they did not pay New Year greetings and did not move around. On the second day of the second year, Li’s family brought gifts to Mr. Chen’s mansion. This time, Mr. Chen did not close the door to thank the guests. The adults first said: "It's done, don't talk about messy and annoying official affairs."

"..." Gu Zhao smiled, and said, "Happy New Year Chen Weng, my family pickled Laba garlic during Laba, and brought a small jar here today, just in time for dinner, can you give it a try?"

Mr. Chen is from the Central Plains, and his eating habits are similar to those of Li’s family. When he arrived in Zhaozhou, his parents were still alive, and they also made Laba garlic Laba porridge. But later, Mr. Chen’s mother was not acclimatized, and died of a cold, leaving Mr. Chen’s father alone. , but the longer he stayed in Zhaozhou, the more Mr. Chen's father missed his hometown. He wanted to go back, and he didn't wait for his son to be transferred until he died.

His parents passed away, Mr. Chen was hit hard, he was down and out and didn't care about things for a long time, and later he also avoided the local accent and food of his hometown. Gradually, Mrs. Chen stopped doing it and spoke Zhaozhou dialect.

After many years, Mr. Chen was old, and when he loved to recall, he was surprised to find that most of the children in the family had something to do with Zhaozhou, and the wife who came with him also spoke Zhaozhou dialect. No one can speak Mandarin and dialect.

I avoided mentioning it at first, but now I think about it, even if Mrs. Chen cooks her hometown food herself, it will not taste the same.

Today's Master Chen didn't look at the other ceremony after listening to Xiao Gu, but said: "Where is it, let me see, first give me a small bowl of noodles, and I will eat it, and I will give it to your mother." Send a copy to the past." The latter said to Da Lang.

Chen Jiadalang was seven years old when he came to Zhaozhou with his father. Now he is almost forty, and he has long forgotten the taste of his hometown.

I don't know why my father is so anxious to have a jar of garlic, and it's not an expensive gift.Thinking about it, Chen Jiadalang still arranged for it, and took a small bowl of Laba garlic in a food box and delivered it to his mother's yard in person.

Mrs. Chen has her children and grandchildren around her knees, and she looks happy and happy. When she saw her eldest son coming, she asked what she was holding, and she brought it over herself. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"This smell, that's the smell." Mrs. Chen's eyes were red and wet.

The children were startled, Mrs. Chen waved her hand and said nothing happened, she was very happy.

Mr. Chen in the front was similar, he didn't eat a few bites of noodles, he ate Laba garlic, and cried after eating, and missed his mother. When he was in the village, he had a difficult year, and he failed to pass the exam. , the family couldn't afford him to study for the imperial examination, and the whole family was struggling, and there was no meat on the New Year's table, so my mother took out Laba garlic.

Said that she put too much sugar in the pickled garlic this time, sweet mouth, it will be fixed in the coming year...

Master Chen burst into tears, "... Mother, father, and son, I'm sorry for you. We agreed that when my son is admitted to the exam, mother and father will enjoy the blessings. But where is the blessing? I'm sorry for you, son..."

Gu Zhao retreated silently and closed the door for Master Chen.He stood outside for a long time, listening to the crying of the old man inside, like a child, Mr. Chen is the epitome of a poor scholar in this era.

Master Chen had struggled in Zhaozhou, and wanted to make political achievements, with the purpose of being transferred back.

When he went to Annan that day, the county magistrate of Annan was like Mr. Chen, he was moved when he heard that he could contribute to the government, his eyes lit up, and he was willing to do a good job.But Mr. Chen did a good job, but in the end he still didn't go back.

If the general political achievements are not successful, it must be great. Zhaozhou must be made into a state that everyone is eager to come to.