The husband's son-in-law

The front courtyard of Loei Mansion.

Lao Zhong waited on the young master for dinner and cleaned up the dishes. Rong Ye sat in the same place and touched the teacup with his hand. Lao Zhong immediately put down the plate, bowed his waist and asked, "Master, I'll change the tea for you." , this is cold."

"...No need." Rong Ye put down the cup, turned his head and glanced at the door.

The sunshine in Zhaozhou is very good.

"You ask Xiao Qi to come over." Rong Ye opened his mouth.

"Hey, master." Old Zhong didn't care about the plate, he went out first to call his grandson in, the master's orders came first, and other chores were put aside.

Zhong Qi ran in a hurry, and when he was about to reach the door, he slowed down his pace, straightened his clothes, changed to walking, entered the hall according to the rules, knelt down and saluted, and waited for the young master without asking a word. Order errands.

This is the rule of the Rong family.

"You go outside the city to watch the Cuju competition." Rong Ye said in an unhurried voice, "Go and play. Old Zhong, give Xiao Qi the silver."

Old Zhong is unwilling, the young master is running out of money, and he doesn't know what to do in the future. Even if he settles down in Zhaozhou, he will need to buy a house for his servants. It's nothing to give it to his grandson. He will go out to play, watch some games , where do you need silver flowers?It's not the young master.

"Master doesn't need it either, he's going to watch some games, and he won't need money." Lao Zhong said earnestly.

If he had been in the Rong Mansion before, Lao Zhong would not have said such a thing, the master has already spoken, so how can there be any reason for the servants to refute?Besides, what is one or two taels of silver?

"Then I'll give you less, you and Xiao Qi are just in time to see him." After Rong Ye finished speaking, his face was cold and tired, "Go."

Old Zhong didn't dare to persuade anymore, he packed up the bowls, chopsticks and plates and went out, Zhong Qi responded, and got up to close the door for the young master, but the young master said that there is no need to close the door, just open it.

The sun in Zhaozhou is good, it's a pity to close the door.

The grandparent and grandson are loyal servants, and under the orders of the master and son, even though Lao Zhong was 1 unwilling to go, he still took his grandson to quickly pack up and go to the Cuju competition field.

"The young master is probably curious. Look carefully, and I will teach the young master later." Old Zhong speculated about the young master's thoughts.

"Hey, I know Grandpa, but where is this Cuju field? Outside the city?"

"What's the use of having a mouth? Ask."

Lao Zhong walked quickly with his grandson, and happened to meet Steward Zhou when they left the yard. The servants of Li's mansion can speak some official language, either they can understand it, or they speak it awkwardly, but it is already very good.

"Are you going to watch the Cuju competition? Go south, three miles to the southwest outside the South City Gate, by the main road, or I'll let someone set up a car to take you there." Zhou Guanjia said.

Old Zhong waved his hand first, "I'm a servant, so I don't dare to work for your mansion's carriage, Xiao Qi and I will just walk."

"If you leave, I'm afraid it's too late. Wait a minute. I happened to send some ice and water there, and I'll take them all the way." Zhou Guanjia said.

Old Zhong thought that he was being polite, but he didn't realize that Steward Zhou really had already set up the cart. Even if he didn't refuse again, he was afraid that he would miss him if he went too late. When the young master came back and asked, they didn't know.

The grandparents and grandchildren got on the board of the carriage, which was driven by housekeeper Zhou himself.

Old Zhong thought to himself, this Li Mansion has a large family, but the rules are mixed, why does a housekeeper drive the car himself?In the previous Rong Mansion, it would definitely not be like this.

It is said that the seven-rank official in front of the prime minister's gate, let alone the housekeeper Rong.

Butler Zhou thought, it's a good job to deliver ice and water, just to see the heroic appearance of young master Fubao playing football. He was snatched by him as a butler, so how could he be cheaper for others?Of course he went.

The first Cuju competition in Zhaozhou was very lively.

Jade Chen’s house was also started early in the morning before dawn, and the Chen’s mansion was activated. Those who lit the lamps, those who delivered hot water, and those who delivered breakfast, were brought to the dining room like flowing water. There were all kinds of patterns, steamed, fried, and fried. Baked or baked.

Master Chen rested in the main courtyard yesterday. After his wife washed and dressed him, she first asked: "Is Qing En awake? Don't forget to call him."

"Qing En is the most important thing, it will not be too late." Mrs. Chen said.

Chen Qingen is the youngest grandson of Mrs. Chen, Mrs. Chen, who was intelligent since she was a child. Mr. Chen loved him very much. At the age of three or four, he invited a scholar from Zhaozhou City to teach the children to be enlightened. sigh.

No matter how smart it is, what's the use of being born in the merchant Chen's family, three generations passed the imperial examination, but there is not even a useful teacher, and this life is the life of a merchant.

Needless to say later, Mr. Gu arrived in Zhaozhou. Mr. Chen was still stubborn at the beginning, not to mention fighting against Mr. Gu, but he always wanted to stretch the new official, but in the end——

Master Chen is now in admiration for Mr. Gu.

The youngest and brightest grandson of his family went to a government school, and the masters all praised him. Last month, Qing En won the first place in silent books. Master Chen was very happy. At the beginning of this month, Qing En said that Li Zhaoxi was going to form a Cuju team. Wanting to participate, the small face said to him seriously: "Grandpa, please rest assured, grandson will not miss his homework when he goes to play football."

This is to get him to agree.

Although Mr. Chen wanted his grandson to make progress and passed the imperial examination early, but he played football with Li Zhaoxi, that's naturally good, so he agreed.A few days later, the grandson came back and said that Mr. Gu was going to hold a Cuju competition.

This is good.

His grandson is about to show off his prestige in Zhaozhou City.

"Our Qing'en family is good at homework and playing football. I can rest assured that the master will overwhelm the Huang family." Mrs. Chen said.

These words reached Master Chen's heart, he smiled and ate his breakfast, and hurriedly brought all the sons from Cuihe's mansion with him, regardless of whether he was a concubine or a concubine, men and women, all of them went out of the mansion today to go to the Cuju competition. Cheers to Qing En.

Not to mention Chen Qing'en and Chen's family, the other small teams from the government school accounted for more than half of the merchants, and today they all put on a show, because Mr. Gu said that there are so many people, cheer for the children.

That naturally responded.

Cuju competition is a confrontation between two teams, one team has nine players.On the other side of the school is a team made up of girls, brothers, and boys, and there are two substitutes.The school's Cuju players, whose family conditions are not as good as those of government schools, and some of them are poor, may send their children to school, but most of the parents still love their children.

If the child wants to play football on the field, or against Mr. Gu's young master, then of course he has to go and see it.

There is a small courtyard in the east corner of Zhaozhou City. The owner of the small courtyard is surnamed Zhou. A family of seven people huddled together in one place. Today, it was also packed before dawn and had breakfast.

"Come on, hurry up, don't be late, old lady." Old man Zhou yelled in the yard, "Don't be late for our young man's Cuju game."

"It's coming, old man, don't rush."

"Don't worry, I'll be there." The elder brother cheered up my younger brother, and joked, "You are usually very strong, and you run around all day, and you are stronger than a man. This time, you will have some glory." .”

Zhou Xiaolang laughed happily. He used to make jokes about him all the time, saying that he is a little brother who eats a lot and has a lot of strength. When he grows up, he is afraid that no man will want him. Hmph, he was selected for the Cuju team because of his strength and his ability to run fast. .

"You'll know as soon as you arrive on the field. Parents, you want to see me."

"Okay, I'll lock the door, don't forget everything."

In the villages outside Zhaozhou city, the number of villagers sending their children to school is less, but it is not none.Not long after the beginning of May, a girl doll in the village came back and said she wanted to play cuju. The school formed a small team to play with Li Zhaoxi.

When the parents heard this, they were not happy but frightened. After asking about the situation, they urged you to stay away from Li Zhaoxi, and even if you want to kick any Cuju, let it go, don't kick it badly.

The girl said she knew.

In the end, he came back within two days and said, "Li Zhaoxi said, you can't let him go. If you let him go, then he won't play. If he doesn't play, go to the government school to play. What should our team do?"

The parents were dumbfounded and didn't know what to say.

In the hearts of the common people, the young masters of the officials' families are all precious, and they, the common people, dare not bump into each other, they are afraid of causing some disaster if they are rubbed against each other.Although Mr. Gu is not that kind of bad official, he still respects him a little.

So I told my daughter to give in.

But now the husband and wife are both confused and don't know what to say, because they have never encountered such a situation, and they have never gone to school to eat and play football with the officials' children. self-abasement.

"What should I do?"

"Then, then you listen to the young master, you can do whatever the young master says." Finally the man said.

The girl nodded and said, "Actually, I don't need to give way, Li Zhaoxi is very good, but he praised me for my endurance."

"What kind of milk, milk power?" The man murmured in his heart, if he knew that the young master was a brother, he would have thought he was saying something obscene.His mother-in-law poked him, meaning it would be embarrassing for him to say such obscene words in front of the baby.

The girl ate the stewed dry rice with miscellaneous grains, and didn't see her parents' faces clearly, and said, "It's endurance, that is, although I'm not the fastest runner, but after running for a long time, everyone is tired, and I don't feel too tired. endurance."

It was this.

The dolls in the village work in the fields all year round, and they have been trained, so what's the matter.The father thought, if he plays Cuju, he must have a long endurance.

The girl in the village went to school because a girl from the same village joined the factory to work. The family used to be poor, but now, a new house was built last year, and her brother and daughter-in-law are both married.

This is like a golden egg, who in ten miles and eight villages would not stare and want to marry?

This family is also envious. Looking at his thirteen-year-old daughter, she gritted her teeth and scraped together [-] Wen to send to a school in the city. She would be brought back every five days to live for two days. Naturally, there were fewer people in the house at first. I was too busy with work, and when my daughter came back, she would use a wooden stick to write her name on the ground, and then she would embroider a small flower and grass, which was much more beautiful than the one she sewed before.

Two hundred texts are not in vain.

The parents of this family were afraid before, the daughters were all thirteen, so it was time to see their in-laws, and they were sent to school for four years, and they were 17 years old when they came out, so it was impossible to find a husband’s family, so they sent them to school After more than half a year, a matchmaker first stepped into their house, intending to set the marriage first.

Pooh!

It's beautiful!His family spent [-] Wen a year just to send his daughter to school to learn skills, knowing that she can work in a factory to make money, this will be fixed, so who will earn him the money he spent for the past four years?

Therefore, the couple sent all the matchmakers away, and it was also at this time that the girls who entered the school had no worries about getting married, and they might be able to choose a good one in the future.

The money has been spent, but the husband and wife are even more ambitious. They always think about the happy life when their daughter will enter the factory after four years. Naturally, the daughter is better than before, so as to save her eccentricity in the future.

Cuju competition set a date.

The girl said, "Parents, are you coming to see me? It's a bit far from our house, but not very far. The cement road is easy to walk..." This is to let my parents visit her.

"Go!" Dad said, "not only let's go, I'll also call your grandparents and uncle's family to see how my daughter plays football."

On the day of the match, the whole village knew that the daughter of Dingtou Laolin's school was going to have a cuju match. I heard that playing football with Mr. Gu's young master was a new and lively event, so the big guys were not busy—anyway Tian Li has nothing to do recently.

Go see them all.

At 06:30 in the morning, the Cuju field three miles outside the south city of Zhaozhou is already full of people and traffic. There are a series of horse-drawn carriages in this family, and a series of horse-drawn carriage teams in that family. They greet each other by name, men and men drill each other. As soon as it comes out, let's compare it first. The wives talk and greet with the wives.

The ladies who were kept in the mansion and rarely went out were completely ventilated, and it was even more lively than before when the elder brother took them out for shopping.

There is no need to be secretive.

The Cuju field will be arranged by someone. The players' homes are in the front row, next to the best viewing area, the official school is on the side, and the school is on the side.Everyone is seated one after another.After a while, Mr. Chen arrived, Mr. Gu arrived, and Mr. Liang also arrived.

Everyone quickly got up and knelt down to salute.

Master Chen came first and said no need, Gu Zhao followed not far behind, and said with a smile: "Today's cuju competition, we are all relatives and elders of the cuju team, call me Li Zhaoxi's father, I love to hear this."

"Haha, Xiao Gu, it just so happens that my family also has a grandson on the stage. Did you see, Chen Chen is my grandson, then I am Grandpa Chen Chen. This name sounds good in this Cuju field." Lord Chen laughed.

The two officials said so, and the merchants seemed to be fine people, how could they not understand, so they changed their words one after another.

Master Chen also took a seat for Xiao Gu, and when Liang Jiang was a step behind, he saw Master Chen and Master Gu sitting next to each other, and immediately: ...

Fortunately, Li Zhaoxi's father smiled and said: "I just had a conversation with my eldest brother, and I will go back to sit down in a while. How are you, Master Liang, this is Aunt Liang, right?"

Liang's mother didn't know anyone yet, she only saw that the person in front of her was handsome, personable and kind, so she nodded, she saw that there were all kinds of people on the cuju field, men and women, old and young, she was really not used to it.

She has been a housewife for a long time, where did she live like this before?publicity.

"Yes, this is my mother, and my first wife, my aunt Erlang." Mr. Liang introduced them one by one.

Gu Zhao said hello one by one, seeing the voice of the children was even more kind, and said: "How are you, my Li Zhaoxi is about the same age as my aunt? Zhou Zhou took Li Zhaoxi to prepare later, and we will do the second one in Zhaozhou next year. Then, the aunt will also come to play."

"Children are only beautiful if they run and dance healthy." Gu Zhao's words were not unreasonable. He saw that the aunt of Liang Jiang's family was not bad. The size of an ordinary eight-year-old child is the pair of feet hidden under the skirt. He didn't look carefully, but it seemed smaller?

The Dali didn't have the dross of binding the little feet of the female brother, there was in the previous dynasty, but that was all two generations of emperors ago.

Liang Jiang agreed with Master Gu's words very much, and said with a smile: "Yes, I want to send them to school for government studies after they get used to it."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they each found a place to sit.

"The young and good-looking man just now is from Zhaozhou? I heard that he still speaks official language." Liang's mother was a little curious, "He looks good, but he doesn't have any rules when he speaks. It's too close."

Although Mrs. Liang didn't say it clearly, she agreed with what her mother-in-law said. She didn't say anything. Just now when the man was talking, he kept looking at the aunt's skirt. .

In broad daylight, the aunt is only eight years old, and the man looks like a 27-eight man, and he has no manners.

Liang Jiang didn't know what his mother and wife were thinking, and didn't pay attention to the small details just now. He sat down and said happily, "The one just now is Mr. Gu. He has been in the Imperial Academy in Beijing for a few years, so he can say Mandarin, but Tanhua came from a family background, so the looks are naturally the same."

Mrs. Liang, Mrs. Liang: ...

This, this is Lord Gu?

Who is Mr. Gu who made her son/husband become a fifth-rank official? !

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law looked at each other in dismay, thinking and muttering about Mrs. Gu for a while.

At [-]:[-] in the morning, people arrived one after another and sat firmly. The four viewing platforms with four arcs and four steps were full of seats. Some of them were not enough, so they stood aside or sat on the edge. on the grass.

The host is here. This is not a serious host. He is the shopkeeper of a shop in the Huang family. Because he has a good tongue and a quick mind, Mr. Gu said that he should find a host. The conditions were stated. Boss Huang was quick to speak and recommended himself. Own shopkeeper.

After Mr. Gu saw it, he commented very sincerely, he is smooth but not slick, and he will shake his burden a bit when he speaks, and he will not be annoying or boring when he flatters you.

This is the ability of low-level people to discuss life, observe words, and speak.

After the people are decided, the process comes.Because it was the first Cuju competition, Zhaozhou people were inexperienced, Mr. Gu was idle and idle, so he went to the battle in person, drew up the procedure list, and personally confronted the manager two days ago—and the cheerleaders , Lion dance rehearsal.

It officially started at 10 o'clock. First, the cheerleaders warmed up and danced. It was estimated to be [-] minutes. After that, the host talked about the teams, government schools, schools, and the rules of the game. After that, the players were invited to play, and the lottery began to decide which team Li Zhaoxi would go to in the first half.

Yes, for the sake of fairness, Li Zhaoxi decided to go to different teams for the first and second games.

Mr. Gu held the Cuju competition because he was so hotheaded that he organized it for his own children. This small matter is naturally okay.After the introduction, the team members are ready to warm up, and then there will be a lion dance to have fun, and then the official start.

That's pretty much it.

For the sake of viewing and speeding up the pace, there are a total of six nets in this game, which are located in the positions of the two teams, and each has three nets. The nets are divided into first-class balls, second-class balls and second-class balls according to their positions. The position of the first-class ball is the most tricky and difficult to score. If you score one, you will add three points, and the others will be pushed in turn.

The big drums on the edge of the venue started beating, and it was still very powerful.

The viewing platform was quite quiet all of a sudden, the host and shopkeeper started to speak with a loudspeaker, and the opening speech was also a routine. It’s a good day at the end of May. Welcome everyone to come to our first Cuju competition in Zhaozhou, which contributed to the completion of the competition. Let us thank Master Gu.

Gu Zhao: ... If you say so, this person will flatter you.

In the opening speech, he said that you can play freely, just don't talk too much.

I used to have sports meetings at school, and I was the most impatient to listen to the leaders' speeches.Now that Gu Zhao is the leader, he can make his own decisions.

The audience was still blindfolded and didn't know how to applaud.When the shopkeeper and the host said thank you to Boss Li for providing the venue, Mr. Gu applauded first, and said, "Okay!"

It's really a small supporter.

Now the people next to him understood and applauded.

After the two words of thanks, I would like to thank Mr. Chen and Mr. Liang for being present. Then he cut to the point and said that today's competition is between school students and government students, and he explained the rules.

The school cheerleaders are nervous.

The drums and trumpets sounded, and it was time for them to play.

The onlookers listened to the sound of trumpets and drums, and when they stopped, they wondered what is called a "cheering team"-the official name of the cheerleading team, and the cheering team is obviously more obvious at a glance.

Then he watched the two sides of the presiding platform start to move, and many people poured out from both sides at once.

These students were lined up according to their height, and they wore uniform clothes, pink or green, or they were holding fans or flowers made of ribbons, and they began to jump up on the grass, or lined up. , arranged in flowers, birds...

Gu Zhao watched the square fan dance performed by a medium-sized group from above——

Not to mention, the children were young and energetic, and they danced cheerfully and rhythmically. In addition, there were a lot of people, so they looked really good from a distance, beautiful and neat!

Perhaps it is not a dance that is recognized nowadays, but it is indeed very 'lively' and 'impact'.

Accompanied by the drumbeat, it is sonorous and powerful, bright and brisk, and somewhat coercive. No one would think about the aspect of going dirty for fun, only positive.Anyway, in Gu Zhao's eyes, he was very sunny.

The sky in Zhaozhou is blue and bright, and the people on the field can also smile.

The villagers didn't dare to blink their eyes, and they waited until the cheering dance was over before they spoke, "Hey, did you see that just now? How did the flowers arrange themselves, changing from one shape to another? I've never seen a pretty one."

"It's not in vain, it's not in vain, it's free to watch, this dance is really good."

"That fan is opened and closed neatly and beautifully."

"See, the one on the far side who just took the flowers is my second mother."

"Oh, your child is so beautiful, so lucky." In fact, from a distance, this person didn't see his appearance at all, but he just came out, dressed nicely and danced well, so naturally he felt human. It also looks good.

The parents who were praised were naturally proud. His second mother was born with a good appearance and danced well.

"The following invites contestants from schools and government schools to enter the arena—"

"The first one to appear is Li Zhaoxi."

Li Zhaoxi's father, who had just finished watching the show, stood up and shouted, "Li Zhaoxi! Li Zhaoxi!"

"Come on! Come on!" Li Zhaoxi and his father also cooperated and shouted.

Although Li Da loved Fu Bao, he gritted his teeth and prepared again. After all, he didn't go all out and shout this, so he waved his fist reservedly on the spot.

Naturally, the other viewers also watched, feeling that there were novelties and strange ones, and the embarrassment was even worse—everyone is restrained, and besides, fathers and elders are all coercive nowadays, so why would they be like this in front of the younger generation? Shout out?

But if there is one, there are two, Mr. Gu took the lead, and when the game officially started, he started kicking, and Li Zhaoxi's father was cheering and cheering by the side, shouting hoarsely——

"Li Zhaoxi, hurry up!!!"

"Pass the ball!"

"Good job! Into the first net, in! in! in—"

The reserved Mrs. Li can't sit still for a while now, his Jiafubao is so talented, hey, hey, he really scored into the No. [-] net——

"Okay, okay, come on! Li Zhaoxi, come on!"

Old Master Li shouted at the top of his voice.