Prequel to the Red Chamber: I Am the Second Wife

At Wang's house in the capital, Mrs. Tang was packing things for her daughter. Wang Dingqian came in and picked up a pair of delicate and lovely tiger-toed shoes and said, "In a few months, the second girl is due to give birth?"

"Birth is due at the end of next month. Why did you find such a place for your son-in-law as a father? What should I do if there is something in that place? I heard there are robbers over there! This The child is really stubborn, and she refused even after I said several times that I would bring her back." Mrs. Tang glanced at her husband complainingly, and complained angrily to her in-laws: "The Jia family is also, even if they don't feel sorry for their daughter-in-law, they should Think about your own grandson. It turns out that it doesn't matter if He Zili's grandson is not his family's grandson."

"You will only blame me. Your son-in-law asked for that job. Originally, I wanted to find him a good place and a kind boss. After a few years of local experience, I was promoted to the capital. Originally, I planned to Good. Who knows that your son-in-law is so obsessed with going to the hell Shanyin County. He followed His Royal Highness Taisun to beg, what can I say? And you said that your in-laws are not these words, you just whispered in your heart Now, don't tell people that we are bullying others. I think their family is busy marrying their daughters now. It should be good for sons to raise them extensively, but for daughters to raise them carefully. You should also pay attention In the long run, Zili is working harder, but working hard now is for better life in the future." Wang Dingqian praised his son-in-law to his wife with an approving smile: "Your son-in-law is still a little bit capable, and now the bandits in his place have calmed down. Yes. The memorial was submitted yesterday to build water conservancy, and the Holy One was very happy to read the memorial, and said that he never thought that a son of a family would not be afraid of hardships and be loyal and willing to do things."

After hearing her husband's words, Mrs. Tang became a little happier: "The Lin family has already sent us invitations to the banquet. I think they are relatives who turned around after all, so I asked people to prepare more generously. I'll call you after you have a look." Send them over there." Mrs. Tang paused and said in a low voice, "I heard that the girl from the Lin family has a rich dowry, which can't even match the average royal relatives in the capital."

Wang Dingqian frowned immediately after hearing this: "It's natural for them to feel sorry for their daughter. But there is the example of Hu Qizhong before. It is too public at this time. Although the emperor did not pursue it, he should be careful. They are Well, I thought I could sit back and relax without any worries. My vision is still too short-sighted.” Wang Dingqian expressed his dislike for the political acumen of Jia Daishan, the head of the Jia family.

Mrs. Tang rejoiced: "Thanks to the son-in-law who is used to going out, it's actually good to go out, broaden your horizons and don't follow the small family style."

"Tsk tsk, this will change you. Who was complaining about the world and the earth just now." Wang Dingqian looked at his wife sideways and joked.

The smile on Mrs. Tang's face was only fleeting, and she began to worry again Zili: "Actually, I don't really care about my son-in-law's job well, I just hope that they can live in peace. Is that place remote? Desolate, I'm worried what if there is something wrong with Zili's current appearance! The last time Zhou Ruilai sent a letter saying that the county government was worse than the private houses in Zhuangzi when I first went there, and the grass in the yard was as tall as a person, so I burst into tears " Thinking of Zili's hardships when he first arrived in Shanyin County, his heart suddenly became sad.

"Okay, don't cry. At this time, your daughter doesn't know how happy she is. I think she has become a real housekeeper and grandma. There is no mother-in-law making noise or troubles from sister-in-law and uncle. She is not in the county office yet. One person has the final say. She can just say anything about things outside the county office. The son-in-law has grown a lot these days, and apart from the guidance of the two masters, your daughter has not taken care. Seeing that the family's one-acre-three-tenths of land can't make a fortune, on the contrary, they have learned to be petty. This is very good!" Wang Dingqian made a final decision, and Mrs. Tang stopped being entangled.

"How can I know so much as a woman? If you want to care about your daughter and son-in-law, you should also care about your own family. Although Ziji and Zisheng are not our own, but we also have nephews who have grown up with us, especially Ziji who just got married. I was let go of a foreign post. It’s not like you haven’t been to that place in Liaodong. It’s freezing cold, and it’s always worrying that he brought his wife and mother there. My younger siblings are getting old, so we still bring her back in the capital. It’s a good place to live. Zisheng doesn’t need to worry about everything in Fujian.” Mrs. Tang thought about her siblings who were young and widowed, and went to Liaodong after her son survived.It is not suitable to live in that place for a long time.

"Don't worry about other people's affairs. Ziji and his younger siblings are conscientious. You can tell by looking at the things they sent. The younger siblings have been guarding their sons all these years. You told her to separate her mother from her son. No matter how good you were in the capital, you didn't follow her." Hello, son. I thought you should buy some gifts for the two masters. They were planning to go home and enjoy family happiness, but they were invited by the old man to help the son-in-law. Since you have accepted the favor from others, you should remember it Don't act like you're nothing." Although Mr. Wang said nothing to Jia Zheng, the next day he received Zili's letter, he asked someone to invite two famous aides with his name cards.A Mr. Shan and a Mr. Zhou, all have been masters for decades.Mr. Shan is especially good at money accounts. He knows all kinds of accounts of the tax collection, land rent local treasury, and household department.Mr. Zhou is a knife and pen official, and he has been steeped in official documents, memorials, and official rules for decades. He can be called an old fritter.

At present, some people could not invite these two people with 2 taels of silver a year. Mr. Wang has face, and the two of them came to pay a visit immediately after receiving Mr. Wang's letter.Wang Changchun invited the two of them to have a drink and didn't know what to say. The two super masters who had been clamoring to go home immediately packed their bags and went to Jia Zheng's Shanyin County.Mrs. Tang said with a smile: "I have already asked people to send the gift and silver to their hometown, you just need to rest assured."

Wang Dingqian nodded in satisfaction, and he suddenly thought of something and smiled: "You don't know that many people are staring at me and the old man. They think that my son-in-law has gone to such a place, how can we sit idly by, once I intervene in the local affairs?" Some people impeached me immediately! Hmph, I didn’t expect the old man to be so convincing. He not only trained his son-in-law’s ability, but also blocked the mouth of that villain. The emperor praised your son-in-law, saying that although he is a The son of the family has no arrogance, he is not afraid of hard work and willing to do things for the country, very good!"

Wang Dingqian's eyes sparkled as he waved his hand vigorously in the air.

In Shanyin County, thousands of miles away, Zili's life is much easier.The most difficult days have passed, and now, not to mention other things, at least the county government where Zili lives is no longer the decaying style of painting.The wild grass that was as tall as a person in the yard disappeared, and the house was completely renovated. The windows and doors were brand new and exuded the aroma of wood.

Leaning against the window, looking out to a lush vegetable garden.A few white butterflies flutter among the green vegetables.The warm sun shines on the body, bringing a moist breath to the face, and it is also mixed with the fragrance of fir.Zili put down her needle and thread, only feeling a little thirsty, and before she could say anything, she brought tea after the rain.

"Grandma has been sewing for half a day and she should take a break. No wonder the second master said this place was good a few days ago. At that time, I thought that the second master was really stupid in reading. There are good places in this place too? But these days I carefully After experiencing it, it turned out to be really refreshing. Now our family has a simple population and there are no messy troubles. Grandma no longer has to think about this and that. She only feels wronged by herself. Those vegetables are all grown by myself. What do you think? You can make it yourself. This is the Peach Blossom Spring that the second master talked about when he was studying." After the rain, these girls gradually adapted to the quiet and ordinary life. Although there is no prosperity here in Jinling City, they can't pamper them. Many things have to be done by themselves I did it myself.But after a few months of casual life, they all felt peaceful in their hearts, which was more beneficial than wearing brocade and eating chicken and duck.

"Well, how come you have become a village woman after a few months. When you came here, someone cried at night. You can ask someone to fix the chicken coop later, and ask you to buy some chickens to feed. ?” After all, this place is still remote, and many daily foods in Jinling and Beijing have become luxury goods here.In order to ensure the nutrition of the child in his belly, Zili always has to find a way by himself.Seeing that the baby will be born next month, I must have a bowl of chicken soup.

"Speaking of buying chickens, I remembered that before the second master left, he ordered someone to find a reliable family on the mountain behind to raise a few sheep, saying that they were preparing the goat milk for grandma every day. When I was in Jinling, I used it every day. There is * to drink. It has become a rare thing here. Although it is not as good as home, but the second master knows how to love people." After the rain, he took a playful look at Zili, sat down and took over the needlework from Zili's hands stand up.Jia Zheng was more considerate of Zili than before. In fact, except for a few particularly perverted top grades, most people knew good or bad, and had to change people's hearts. Jia Zheng knew how Zili treated Jia Zheng in the past few months. well aware.From the attitudes of the Wang family and the Jia family towards him after Shanyin County, and the days when Zili and him shared weal and woe, Jia Zheng's heart had slowly begun to shift.

Thinking of Jia Zhenglin's caring attitude before he left for the grassroots, Zili smiled slightly with the corners of his mouth curled up.Jia Zheng's sassy temperament is actually very funny, the thick layer of camouflage on his body has gradually peeled off, showing a funny nature in front of Zili's eyes.

"You are getting more and more unruly, and even made fun of me. I know you miss Zhou Rui, and I will marry you when he comes back, so that you won't be angry with me all day long. It's a pity that there is nothing wrong with this place Okay, I can't prepare a generous dowry for you. You have served me for many years, but you have been treated badly." Yuhou has reached the age of starting a family, and Zili asked her what she meant by marrying Yuhou to him as a dowry Zhou Rui from the family.

"It's my duty to serve my grandma, and grandma treats me with great kindness. For so many years, grandma is not willing to say a word, let alone flick my finger. If I still care about rewards, what will happen? I'm just sad and can't repay Grandma's grace. Grandma is about to give birth, and I still think about marrying myself. Isn't it worse than a dog! I am willing to never marry for the rest of my life and just serve grandma." After hearing Zili's words, Yu Hou stood up in a panic, Next to Zili, she knelt down and begged not to marry.

"You silly girl, get up, you've been with me for many years and you should understand my intentions. You and Zhou Rui are my capable people. This place is already stable, but I can't just focus on this side and ask others to copy the old den. After you and Zhou Rui got married, you went back to Jinling. I went out with the second master and didn’t bring much. You see, the county government’s house and many expenses all depend on the money brought by the family. How much is a year’s salary for a county magistrate? Here Ordinary people go up to the mountains to become bandits, how much money do they have for collecting fire and energy consumption? I’m afraid it’s going to be uneasy if they have to scrape the land. They have to take out their own money to make up for it. The Zhuangzi I married as a dowry has shops in Jinling and the south Well. You and Zhou Rui went back to help me manage some property. Moreover, everyone in that mansion is full of people who only value money. There are still things that are burnt red and nailed to the wall. Besides, I am so far away from Jinling. It's far away, I should send a confidant over there to look at things." Zili brought a few dowry family members over, and Jinling's things were left there for nothing.Of course Zili wasn't worried that Mother Jia would take her things, but Jia She and Zhang's character Zili still had reservations.

After the rain, he immediately understood what Zili meant. Hearing Zili praise their husband and wife so much, the rain broke through his tears and wiped the tears from his face: "Since grandma entrusted us with such a heavy responsibility, Zhou Rui and I will do our best Take care of the master's things." Zili stretched out his hand to wake her up: "Get up, go out and wash your face and cry like a cat, it's a joke."

At this time, Ming Qian came in with a bowl of soup: "I personally stewed a bowl of chicken soup with mushrooms. There are a lot of mountain products in this place, and grandma doesn't have a good meal at noon, so I have a bowl of soup at this time. People come out to be officials to get rich It's just that the second master of our family is different from others. He took the money to pay for it. And it's all grandma's private money. Their family is ashamed to say that they are a big family, and the son of a direct relative is unwilling to be an official in such a place. Give money."

When Jia Zheng first arrived in Shanyin County, he faced a mess. There was no money in the county government, and many servants ran back home to farm because they couldn't get their pay.Jia Zheng and Zili want to build a house and have a place to live, and they need to organize a team.These all cost money. Before Zili set off, he thought that Shanyin County was definitely not a good place with beautiful mountains and clear waters and simple folk customs.The soldiers and horses went ahead without using food and grass, but she brought a lot of money.

Zili took out the money to repair the house and pay wages, and gradually he calmed down so that Jia Zheng could start working.Soon, the old man of the Wang family sent two masters to help the inexperienced Jia Zheng get on the right track, and then slowly recovered.Zili was holding a bowl of soup and suddenly came in with a face of embarrassment after the rain and said, "Mr. Shan is here. He said he wants to see grandma. I looked at Mr. Shan as if he was angry." Zili was a little surprised, Mr. Shan Why did you suddenly get angry?Jia Zheng admired the two gentlemen, and he was not a bullying person.Zili hurriedly said, "Quickly ask Mr. Shan to come in."

Mr. Shan is a skinny old man in his fifties. His face is dark and he always wears a blue dress that will turn black. He wears a black satin square scarf on his head and black satin shoes with white laminated bottoms. No sound like a cat.From the moment Mr. Shan entered the door, she saw that Mr. Shan's mustache was raised like two mouse tails.Seeing Mr. Zi Lidan, he bowed and said: "Ma'am, I'm here to say goodbye. I originally came here to see Mr. Wang Ge's face. I will do my best to repay Dong Weng and his wife for their courtesy. Now I have checked the accounts. Yes, and the tax collection has gradually been collected. Even if my errand is over, I came here to say goodbye today."

Hearing Mr. Shan's words, Zili immediately realized that Mr. Shan must be angry with someone.She hurriedly said to Yu Hou: "Mr. Shan is getting old, you should quickly move the chair for him, and go and make the second master's good tea. Don't be angry, sir. If you have something to say, speak slowly. If the second master If you collide with me, sir, I will first make amends for the second master. If someone in this county office collides with you, I, sir, will make the decision."

Mr. Shan drank the tea from the front of the mouth, and his complexion improved a little.Sitting on the chair, Mr. Shan sighed and said: "I have been a teacher for 30 years since I came out, and there are no less than a dozen Dongwengs with me, but there are only a handful of people who can treat people with sincerity like the second master and the second mistress." Counting. On the one hand, I am grateful for the kindness of the old man Wang Ge, and on the other hand, I treat the second master as my own child. I want to help him with all my heart. It's just that I, an outsider, can't keep up with his foundation. Although I do for others Master’s did not sell himself into slavery, and I am also a scholar who disdains to be with them!"

Mr. Shan sighed deeply, and Zili immediately guessed what was going on. She winked at Yu Hou, and Yu Hou took the little girl who served her out. "I understand what you mean, sir. It must be that the people who followed the second master were dishonest. They did something bad to embarrass the husband. If you have any dissatisfaction, you can tell me. I will definitely not favoritism. The second master is also the most I hate the villains who bully my superiors and my subordinates. Even if he is back now, he must hate those villains more than I do."

"Second Mistress Bingxue is smart, so she should understand who I'm talking about. Now that the place has been initially decided, the number of merchants coming and going is gradually increasing. That is to say, grandma doesn't go out easily. If you go out and have a look, you will know that there is a new shop on the street in this town. Many restaurants and wine shops, they all have to pay taxes. It’s just that the second master just issued a notice to exempt the newly opened shop from tax for one year. Unexpectedly, someone used the reputation of the county magistrate to blackmail the shop. In fact It’s not a big deal for the family members around the magistrate to go out and earn some extra money. It’s just that it’s different from the past, and it’s also different from other places. The second grandma thought, what was this place like back then. Hunger everywhere, really debilitating! It’s because the second master tried his best to maintain the current situation. It’s like a person who is so sick that he has only one breath left. We managed to save him with ginseng soup but refused to cry He wanted to rest and recuperate, but he was forced to work as a coolie when he recovered a little bit. The patient would surely die if things went on like this. How could the common people know what the magistrate thought? , There are still bandits on the mountain that have not been wiped out. If the people who have just settled down are forced into a hurry, there will be 100 guards in our county government. They can be eaten at any time. The one next to Dong Weng Brother Nai, hey, second grandma should tell second master." Mr. Shan poured bitterness on Zili, knowing that Wu Qing was scratching the ground outside under the banner of Jia Zheng, so he said a few words about Wu Qing, but was rejected. Wu Qing was ridiculed, and Wu Qing relied on being Jia Zheng's nanny's son, so he didn't take others seriously.

Zili was furious when he heard this: "Come here, tie Wu Qing up immediately. I'm going to send this lawless slave down today!"