The husband's son-in-law

On that day, the Silk Ma Merchants Meeting ended with green plum wine. The eight merchants were interested. After the matter was settled, the money was also given away, and the business plan was also negotiated. How to sell it is up to Boss Li to arrange.

Everyone is naturally 1 willing.

If they had let them sell the coconuts back then, they would not have had the guts to sell them for a hundred yuan.

It's time to say goodbye.

Everyone smiled and started to leave, Li Zhouzhou said: "Boss Chen, take a step slowly, I have something to tell you."

The others who were about to leave with smiles on their faces immediately looked at Boss Chen, seeing that Boss Li just had something to say to Boss Chen, and did not keep them. Although they were curious, they still left with smiles. Just after leaving the gate of Li Mansion, he muttered in a low voice: "What do you think Boss Li is staying at Chen's house?"

"I don't know, I can't help but ask Master Wang, his brother is now in charge of Boss Li."

Master Wang sneered in his heart, this man dug a hole for him to jump, he didn't show it on his face, he still said cheerfully: "All the children are sent to Boss Li to be educated, Boss Li is generous and kind, how can he teach four?" Brother, I don’t intervene but ask questions.”

If the fourth brother sends him a message, saying something about Boss Li, Master Gu of the Li Mansion, I am afraid that Boss Li will be bored, and he will definitely not use his children in the future.

Master Wang had a plan in his mind, he just wanted to hug Master Gu and Boss Li's thigh, now that he finally showed his face in front of Master Gu and Boss Li, how could he be fooled by others.If the fourth brother comes down, let's just wait and see, the merchants in Zhaozhou City don't have a biological brother now, so it's possible that they don't have any distant relatives?

"Don't talk, don't talk, I'll go back and do what Boss Li told me." Master Wang happily waved his hands and got on the carriage. He was also curious about why Boss Li left Boss Chen alone, but he didn't ask any questions. Fourth brother.

He can tell the difference.

So what if I heard about it?What hurt was the credit of the fourth brother with Boss Li.

"This old Wang is an old slicker."

"What kind of old cunning, just see the needles. I didn't expect that Lao Wang has been dormant all these years. No one has noticed it. He has such great eyesight."

"you do not say."

Several people spoke sourly, and they got into the carriages of each family one after another.

Why did Boss Li leave Boss Chen behind?

In fact, it's no big deal.Li Zhouzhou asked Boss Chen to relax, "It's not about a cooperative business, it's a matter of your thought and money, and you may not get half of the money, let me tell you first, you make your own decision .”

The more Boss Chen listened, the more curious he became. This sounds like a loss-making business, so why did Boss Li specifically stop him from talking about it?

"In summer, I went to Tangzhou to deliver goods. I took Mr. Gu's hand letter and sent a greeting card to Tangzhou magistrate's mansion. The fifth lady in the mansion will get married in June next year. She will marry the salt transport envoy of Zhejiang and Zhejiang provinces. In addition, a single pile, the dowry of Miss Fifth next year."

Boss Chen was stunned by the pressure of the officials in this circle. He knew that Zhizhou was one level higher than Mr. Gu. Although he didn't know about the luck of salt, he definitely didn't dare to underestimate those who had anything to do with salt. Those who are married to the magistrate must be of the fifth rank as well as the fourth rank.

God.

"Could it be that our family will make the dowry?" Master Chen said with numb hands and legs.

Li Zhouzhou: "No. I'm asking if you want to give me a gift? That's why I said that the sale and purchase on the sticks cost a lot of thought and money, and you may not get a good one."

"Jade and pearls are mostly seen in the northern Central Plains, and jadeite is rare, and there is no reputation. If your family wants to do business in the future and sell it outside, this time giving the dowry jewelry to Fifth Miss is also a chance to show your face."

"I've told you everything. You decide whether to do it or not. If you want to do it, you have to do it as soon as possible. You can't rush it. April is fine."

Once it was over, there was nothing else to say.

Boss Chen is an idiot when he comes out of the house, so he naturally knows that this is an opportunity to show his face. There is a mountain in his house with a lot of emeralds.There may not be many opportunities to show his face in front of the officials of the Central Plains and Zhejiang Provinces.

Boss Li told him such good news because he praised him and remembered him.

To do, to do.Boss Chen got into the carriage and rubbed his face. He recovered and made up his mind.Lifting the curtain, when he looked at the plaque of Li Mansion again, his eyes were full of gratitude.

When I went back, I asked the servants to carry the rough stones, and then asked the master to start the work.

"Marriage dowry? Then do it, carve some auspicious things for hundreds of sons and grandchildren." The master craftsman has been doing it for half his life, and he is familiar with these auspicious words, auspicious patterns, hairpins and hairpins, so what's the matter.

Unexpectedly, Master Chen hesitated, "Wait a minute, I don't know what styles the girls in the Central Plains use, I'm just asking, don't waste the material, draw the pattern first and then talk about it."

This is not sold to some wealthy businessman and country gentry to marry a wife and concubine, this is for a serious daughter to marry, and it is also to show the emerald in the Central Plains, how can it be done casually?

But after asking around, the wives and concubines in the mansion didn't know how to know the preferences of women in the Central Plains, they have never been to the Central Plains.

The stone material has been selected and the water head is excellent, but it is left to dry, Master Chen does not speak, and the masters below dare not carve.

"Why don't you ask Mr. Gu, Boss Li? Both of you are from Beijing, so you must have seen the world." The old master of the Chen family gave an idea.

It's almost the end of the year.Boss Chen thought that it would be a good time for his wife to bring the child to see Boss Li, and to ask about the preferences of this woman in Beijing in the Central Plains when gossip-although Boss Li is not a woman, no one else asks now.

New Year's Eve.

The Li family is busier than before during Chinese New Year, especially this year.It used to be lively in the village, but it was all villagers visiting each other, not counting serious New Year greetings. In Beijing, there were only a few serious New Year greetings.Now in Zhaozhou, it should be easier.

After all, I only need to pay New Year's greetings to Mr. Chen, and only leave the family.

But posting posts in the mansion, there are too many people to meet.

People from five prefectures and counties, even the rough Han Minzhang county magistrate sent someone to send greeting cards this year. It is not difficult for Gu Zhao to imagine that the Minzhang county magistrate is a bit rough, but he really loves the people and loves Minzhang. The people in other prefectures and counties have jobs, and even if they are in a hurry, the tough guy will be soft and flatter him for the new year.

As long as there are enough people to reach the official rank, Qiqi will send posts, lest they fall behind.

There are officials, and naturally there are local gentry and merchants who are well-known in the local area.There were postings during Laba, and now more than ten days have passed, and there is a box of greeting posts.

Why was there simply not so much last year?

of course.Last year, Mr. Gu was on the job, but he hadn't shown his power yet. At least the magistrates of five prefectures and counties only sent New Year greeting posts and said some superficially auspicious words, but they didn't intend to go to Zhaozhou City to give Shangfeng New Year greetings. .

This year is different, the county magistrates are fawning on, let alone others.

"There are so many receptions this year?" Li Da was shocked when he saw the thick box of posts, "When I was in the village, no one held so many weddings, right?"

The family sat in the side hall, around a large table.

Gu Zhao said, "It's probably all here."

It is impossible to send New Year's greeting posts until the end of the new year. Usually, they are sent half a month in advance, and they are sent back and forth, leaving time for others to prepare for the New Year's gift.Naturally, those who care about it are also prepared in advance.

"Come and read it Zhou Zhou. I'll draw a table and make a tree diagram first." Gu Zhao felt a headache looking at the post. "This year, let's take a look at it first, and let the people around me learn the characters."

Li Zhouzhou smiled and opened the post.Fu Bao was sitting on the side playing ball with Wang Wang, but after hearing what he said, Baba came over, with a fleshy face, he seemed to say, "Father, Li Zhaoxi is getting old, I will come to study next year."

"How many words do you know?" Gu Zhao finished laughing at Fu Bao, and then felt that his father's attitude was wrong, and immediately became serious again, "Thank you Li Zhaoxi for your help."

Li Zhouzhou picked out a post with a simple surname and handed it over, "Look at Li Zhaoxi, don't get dirty."

Fu Bao was very happy, accepted the post, patted Wang Wang's head, and said happily: "Wang Wang, come and watch with me."

Gu Zhao and Li Zhouzhou are too busy, like the second generation of officials, they were enlightened at the age of four or five, and earlier at the age of three-this is actually two years old.When it was Fu Bao's turn, Gu Zhao and Li Zhouzhou were free for more than a month, so Gu Zhao began to teach Fu Bao calligraphy.

After the new year, Fubao is six years old.

Thinking about it this way, Gu Zhao sometimes feels guilty for not being able to enlighten Fu Bao early. Seeing Wang Wang playing with Fu Bao's legs under the table, Fu Bao wrinkled his fleshy face while reading the post, while touching Wang Wang with one hand. head.

Forget it, let's pretend we didn't go to kindergarten, and we went directly to primary school.

"The official school has also been built, and I don't know if my brother understands my misery. This official school is short of a master, and the luxurious teacher's dormitory has been settled." Gu Zhao muttered while pulling the form.

The form was typed out one by one with twine dipped in ink, with the names of the five prefectures and counties at the front, and the family after that, because there are too many of the four major surnames in Zhaozhou, and the names of the family business must also be recorded. .

So is Zhaozhou City.

Make a note like this, the New Year's gifts that are waiting for New Year's greetings must also be registered one by one, and the Li Mansion will prepare gifts in return.Of course, it doesn’t mean that you have to come to the door after sending greetings, that is, you can’t finish seeing them for 30 days a year, and some of them just write a reply. It probably means that you are happy New Year, and you have a heart. I've made a trip, I've made a note of my thoughts, and I wish you and your family a happy life.

Li Zhouzhou first opened up a bunch of greeting cards by prefecture and county, and said: "If it really doesn't work, I will go to Tangzhou early in the spring and see if I can spend money to invite some masters."

"It's okay." Gu Zhao responded, thinking what else is there to do with him?Zhu Xiucai from Shili Village is average in knowledge, but it is not a problem to teach him to be enlightened. There is also Zhao Ze, the grandson of Mr. Zhao from Dongping Village, who has passed the exam as a scholar?Can this be dug out?

Zhaozhou gave money.

The official school hires a wife, and the money is naturally from the public account.Now the figures in Zhaozhou's public accounts are much better, and even the grain and tax warehouses in the yamen are full.

The husband and wife chatted while working, Gu Zhao typed up the form, turned to Li Zhaoxi who was still frowning, "Whose post is it for?"

Li Zhaoxi: "... the king's?" He put his chin on the table pitifully, crying, "Father, it's too difficult, I can't understand any of the words Fufu after it."

Li Zhaoxi is gone now?

Gu Zhao took a look, snoring Fubao's head, just like Fubao touching his bark, with the same technique, and boasted: "I know one of five characters, which is not bad. The Wang character I taught you a few days ago is still recognizable now. good."

"Hey!" Fu Bao laughed immediately, "Father, what are you reading next?"

"The Wang Family of the Silk and Satin Village."

Gu Zhao saw the word 'silk and satin' after reading, and then thought of the word 'Li Zhaoxi', and looked at Fu Bao's eyes with a little bit of sympathy. The other children had already answered the third question in the paper. Write big names on the starting line.

This……

As long as the name sounds nice.

Besides, he is the second in command of Zhaozhou, the number one person in real power, and his Jia Fubao, as the second generation of officials, still has no privileges?

"In the future, when we write papers, we will first write the word Fubao." Gu Shiquan No. [-] gave Fubao the privilege.

Fubao made a sound?what do you mean?

"Go and play with Wang Wang, Wang Wang is in a hurry, he will rub you with the ball." Li Zhouzhou coaxed Fu Bao to play.

Fu Bao looked down at Wang Wang, who had a wooden ball in his mouth and wagged his tail.

"Woof, you are so cute, let's play ball!"

One person and one dog went to play ball in the small yard in front of the hall.After Gu Zhao finished typing the form, Li Zhouzhou also sorted it into categories. The husband and wife copied it quickly together. Li Da felt bored after reading it, so he got up and went to the yard to tease Fu Bao and Wang Wang.

This year has indeed been bustling and bustling.

Except for Gu Zhao’s family visiting Lord Chen’s house on New Year’s Eve, it’s still the same as last year, talking and drinking, Gu Zhao played a few games of chess with Chen Weng, because the loss was too bad, and finally shamelessly proposed to play backgammon , except that Chen Weng was not used to losing two games at the beginning, and then he started to win.

Gu Zhao saw it, and immediately said that he would not play anymore, it was getting late and another day.

Weng Chen: ...

How could Xiao Gu not be able to afford it?

Chen Weng didn't want to finish it, but he saw that it was indeed dark, so he just let it go. When seeing off the guests, he hesitated for a while, Gu Zhao saw it and asked Chen Weng what was the matter.

"I thought about how busy you are now. If there is a shortage of manpower, my Dalang will go over and help." Chen Weng finished speaking, and then said: "Forget it, he is a ignorant person, don't get tired when he comes to you." thing."

Gu Zhao knew that Mr. Chen wanted to find an errand for his son, but after speaking, he must be afraid that he would think that there would be people around him who wanted to monitor him.This Gu Zhao didn't think much about it, and said, "Brother Chen is better at reading and writing. I'm short of people here. If Brother Chen doesn't dislike my place, come to the yamen."

"The official school is completed, but there is a lack of a director who meddles in miscellaneous affairs."

Chen Weng and Chen Dalang:?

"There is a shortage of people who can read and manage the internal affairs of government schools, books, paper and pens." It is almost the chief executive of government schools.Gu Zhao explained.

Chen Weng then asked if the master has recruited?If there is really no one, he can teach a thing or two.Gu Zhao wrote down his thoughts and said that he would look at it in a year.

After that, from the first day of the Lunar New Year to the Lantern Festival on the 15th, Li Mansion was free for three days.

The first ones in the queue are of course the officials who come to pay New Year's greetings. This is the sixth day of the new year, and after that are the merchants and country gentry...

When the work was over, Gu Zhao squeezed Zhou Zhou's shoulders and said, "Next year, let's get together and hold a banquet. It will be done in two or three days."

This year, the Le Mansion is still not stable, and some of them are going to be diverged, some are more important and some are less important, and the order is particular.

"A few days ago, Mrs. Chen came to chat with me, and asked about the jewelry that women in the Central Plains in Beijing loved when they got married. How could I know this." He said that Mr. Chen has not dared to start work on the good raw material he got.

Gu Zhao: "Then we have nothing to do, I have never seen a wealthy wedding."

I have seen rich weddings on TV, and that is a big diamond ring.Now women’s dowry is different, it’s a set, it’s called head and face jewelry, which can be read clearly, the face and head, it must be a set, not a single item.

"I told them Miss Fifth's preferences. Miss Fifth is young and lively, and she is also more courageous. I definitely don't like the old-fashioned tricks. Besides, we are not familiar with the preferences of Beijing, Central Plains, so it's better to choose some. Zhaozhou's characteristic tricks are made younger and more lively, and blended together..." Li Zhouzhou said slowly.

Gu Zhao felt that the sculptors in Zhaozhou would not be able to learn the aesthetic techniques of the masters in the north if they learned them temporarily, and it would be too late. It would be better to make local ones in Zhaozhou and improve them. It is still a novelty for outsiders and has never seen it.

No matter how busy you are, the year is finally over.

During this period, there were two things. One, the fourth brother was going to name himself.

The fourth brother was not favored at home, so after he was born, he was called according to the sequence of teeth, and he continued to call the fourth brother.It was also this year that Mrs. Wang brought her children to pay New Year's greetings, and she talked about her family's Liu Niang choosing a relative——

Liu Niang is 14 years old.

Li Zhouzhou thought it was too young to wait another two years.Mrs. Wang has heard about it, and maybe she has a different idea in her heart. Wait a little longer, and Liu Niang will be too old to pick them. Now it's their family who picks others, and when Liu Niang is sixteen or seventeen, others will pick them.

It is impossible.

But Mrs. Wang would not refute Mrs. Gu's words, even if she had a different opinion, she nodded and said yes, "Liu Niang is not in a hurry, there is a fourth brother in front, and the fourth brother is going to be sixteen. "

The fourth brother almost said sixteen, clearly fifteen, but when the words came to his mouth, he remembered that this was his mother, and now she was away as a guest, so there was no room for him to talk.

It was related to the fourth brother's marriage, Li Zhouzhou wanted to get a feel for Mrs. Wang's thoughts, so he asked if he liked anyone?whose family?

"It's also a very good family, Liulang from the Huang family in Zhaozhou City." Mrs. Wang said.

Huang Liulang is also a concubine, crawling out of his aunt's stomach. In the past, according to her family's family name, being married to the fourth brother was considered a bit higher for her family, but now it's different, the Wang family has risen.

"However, it is said that the fourth brother's teeth are bad and unlucky. I think people are not in a hurry, and my family is not in a hurry, so let's take a look." Mrs. Wang felt that the Huang family's teeth were talking, but in fact there was nothing wrong with it. Look at the fourth brother.

That's right, the fourth brother has to be reused if he has face in front of Boss Li, but the Huang family employs a husband in the house, and the fourth brother shows his face outside all day long, and even went out with the caravan twice. I'm afraid the Huang family cares about this , just took the serial teeth to pick the thorn.

"Isn't fourth brother famous?" Li Zhouzhou asked directly.It can be heard that Mrs. Wang is secretly giving eye drops to the Huang family in front of him, but isn't the marriage still unfinished?

Mrs. Wang said: "No, master was too busy and forgot, and I forgot to remind."

In fact, the children of the Wang family are only healthy and raised by a few boys. When they are eight or nine years old, Master Wang will give them a big name.When it's the girl's turn, they are kept in the back yard, and they all call out with preface.

no name.

But Boss Li asked like this, Mrs. Wang went back and told the master, so Master Wang named the fourth brother, but he used to choose the name for the boy, and now it is the same for the brother, what? Jin Xiang, Jin Bao, it's the fourth brother's turn, and Master Wang is still thinking of a slightly more elegant name.

"Osmanthus fragrans are not bad, but those with flowers and plants are called Wang Jingui."

The fourth brother didn't want it at the time, he thought it was ugly.

Master Wang got angry and said that you are capable enough to get it yourself, and it would be better if Boss Li could get it for you.Take the words to deliberately block the fourth brother.The fourth brother really asked the boss.

"...Jingui really doesn't sound good." When Li Zhouzhou taught Xianggong.When Gu Zhao heard it for the first time, he really spit out a sip of tea and coughed chokingly, "I said I couldn't name it, and this is even worse for Mr. Wang. It doesn't sound good, it sounds bad."

It's not as good as the fourth brother.

"Tell me to take it." Li Zhouzhou was a little bit embarrassed, after all, his parents had to come up with the naming, and the Wang family was not like Brother Yu, whose parents were illiterate, and in the mountains, they would bark like dogs.

After Gu Zhao finished coughing, he wiped the water off his body with a handkerchief, and said, "It sounds better than Wang Jingui if you take it casually, just follow Su Jiaying and Su Jiayu's good words, it's a matter of convenience."

In the end, Li Zhouzhou asked the fourth brother what name he wanted.

"Don't worry, you choose slowly, you decide on the name, just say I chose it, don't be afraid."

Fourth Brother doesn’t make many decisions for himself in his life. In the past, he couldn’t even dress up and comb his hair. He had to listen to his aunt’s mother. Now such a big matter is in the hands of Fourth Brother. Fourth Brother There was an inexplicable excitement in my heart.

Take the name you like to hear, and this is yourself.

The fourth brother whispered to Brother Lin, and Brother Lin was in a daze, "It's not all about you."

"You don't understand. Anyway, it's my own name. What do you say?"

"Then you should take it yourself. If I take it, it will belong to Brother Lin." Brother Lin said with a smile.

The fourth brother really thought about it by himself, just asked Brother Lin what the name meant, and Brother Lin said: "My name is given by grandma. When I was born, it rained and the crops were dry for a long time. Finally, it was raining, so it brought rainwater, and there was a forest of forests underneath."

After a long drought and cold rain, the Li family was all men at the time, and they had never seen a girl brother, and finally got a younger brother, the family was happy.That's why Brother Lin was born, so he took the name.

The fourth brother thought about it for a few days, and then went back to ask his aunt if anything happened when he was born.

The aunt said: "It's nothing, it's going well, it didn't take long after the pain, I thought it was a boy, and it was very fussy in the stomach, but I didn't expect..." It's a brother.

"The day your sister was born was sunny. It rained for a long time, and it stopped when Qiniang came down..."

When the fourth brother returned to Li Mansion, Li Zhouzhou found that the fourth brother was in a low mood, so he asked what was wrong.

"Boss, there is a big difference between people. Brother Lin's family likes him, he was born with a name, and his family will remember what happened when he was born..." The fourth brother said his eyes were red and wanted to cry .

Li Zhouzhou handed the fourth brother a handkerchief, and said: "People are different, don't compare yourself to others, you have to live by yourself, even when it's bad, choose between the worst and the second worst, Slowly, things will get better."

Later, the fourth brother wiped away his tears, sucked his nose, and said that his name was Wang Jian.

be strong.

After hearing this, Gu Zhao said the name seriously.

But outside the factory, Wang's family, and servants in the mansion are all called Si Geer, and the Si Zhang is used to it, and there are few people who are called by their first names.

Li Zhouzhou is called Brother Jian, but Wang Jian.

Another thing is that the silk and hemp threads have come out. There is no big problem with silk thread dyeing, but the ramie thread is not easy to dye. Once it is light-colored and dried, the color will be mottled and light. nice.

Now there are two kinds of dyeing pigments, mineral and plant.

This problem has to be solved.Of the eight people who did business together that day, five of them dealt with fabrics, and immediately invited people to a meeting to ask how the dyers did their jobs.

Seeing the year, if you don't speed up, it will be too late.

At the junction of Wuzhou and Shaozhou, more than 20 carriages staggered and listened to the directions to the 'new road'.

"Are you going to Zhaozhou? I heard that there is a new road built between Zhaozhou and Zhaozhou. It is very flat and easy to walk. You can go there. It's very close and directly leads to Zhaozhou."

"I heard that the road was built in Zhaozhou. What kind of cement road is it called?"

"Have you been there?" Juren from Chuzhou asked.

The old man who showed the way shook his head, "It's so far there, old man, what am I going to do there? I heard it. Every caravan came out of that road before."

"It's true. Zhaozhou merchants delivered goods last year. I met them twice in a few rounds. When I asked why it was so far away, why did I go to the Central Plains? The caravan said it was not too far away, and the road was easy many..."

This person is sure, the writers have never seen any "concrete road", so they immediately decided to go over and have a look. If it is fake, the road is blocked, so they will take a detour there and delay for a few days.

The dirt road was bumpy, and there were two more rains on the road, making it even more difficult to walk.

All the Juren and Scholars who went to Zhaozhou, all of them looked bitter, and could only grit their teeth and persevere, and they all obeyed Master Sun's words. If they backtracked because of this little suffering, how could they stand upright.

What face do you have to live on?

a man of his words.

All of you, relying on your beliefs, were vomited by the bumps all the way. If the carriage got stuck, you had to get out of the carriage—of course they didn't need to push it, but they stood aside in the rain, with mud on their feet.

Alas, not to mention it.

"It's really a long way to Zhaozhou."

"It's not too far away, it's too far away. No wonder you can't even run a government school." The speaker thought in his heart that after going there and then returning after three years, he was repaying everyone's favor.

Almost everyone thinks so.

Finally on this day, the coachman who drove the carriage said outside the carriage, "Here we are."

"Has Zhaozhou arrived?"

"No, sir, it's the cement road. Is this the cement road? It should be right?" The coachman was also in doubt. He jumped off the frame and felt it with his feet. When he stepped on it, he couldn't be happier. Yes, there really is such a way.”

How to God?

The Jinshi in the car opened the curtain, and in front of him was a long and wide road leading to the invisible edge in the distance...

The author has something to say:

Chuzhou Wenhao: Don't make a fuss about a road that is called out of order.

Get out of the car and have a look.

My God, what kind of divine way is this!