son-in-law

Chapter 181 The Old Courtyard

Ning Yi, the house where Ning Yi lived in the past, is located in a hutong in the north of Jiangning City.The Gayin Ning family had already fallen in the generation of Ning Yi's father. The former big house had already been sold, and then it was demolished and a new house was built. When Ning Yi's father moved to live in this alley, Life has always been more difficult and embarrassing.

Ning Yi's grandfather up, the family is probably a good scholar, and it is said that they have had a small fame, which is why Su Yu was able to make friends with him. At that time, Su Yu, who was a businessman, was probably the one who climbed high.Ning Yi's father probably enjoyed a few days of lavishness, and he was relatively proud of himself. When placed on a literati, he could be regarded as having a strong character.

Since crossing over, Ning Yi has probably heard a few comments about Ning's father when he was alive. According to Su Tan'er, the respected father-in-law was generous when he was alive, and he made a lot of friends. It's a pity that it was not at the right time, and luck was not good. Failed to get a title, etc.Ning Yi has heard it a few times, and probably understands that the other party is playful by nature, ambitious and sparse, but has no knowledge and spends a lot of money.When I was young, I played around and played without restraint. Later, I was in embarrassment at home, and I was unhappy. I read some books again, and had a high self-esteem. Under the torment of both body and spirit, I finally ended up dying prematurely.

In the past, Ning Yi did not have a few days of beauty or happiness like his father.Since he was sensible, he has had a bad life at home. He is not smart. His father forced him to study, but he did not achieve much. He is a bitter child who has been suppressed by life. If it weren't for this, it would probably not have been possible to choose to join the Su family, and most of the things that followed would probably not have happened.

Now Ning Yi is not very interested in the life trajectory of that person in the past. After getting married, he has only returned to this house a few times.After he joined the Su family, with the financial resources of the Su family, he naturally disliked such a small courtyard, so speaking, this is still Ning Yi's property, and occasionally Chan'er or Juan'er will arrange for the servants below to come and clean it. some time.This afternoon, it was because Xiaochan was coming to clean up at Tan'er's order, and Ning Yi was fine, so he also came together.

There are still a few days before the Qingming Festival. Last night, Tan’er told him that he could come here during Qingming and burn some paper for his parents-in-law.Although Ning Yi has no memory of the blood relatives in this body, he always attaches great importance to the meaning of worshiping ancestors. Tan'er can consider these, after all, it is a friendship for him, so he nodded in response.

Behind this matter, there are naturally discussions between Su Yu, Su Boyong, and others. How can ordinary people who are married to have such treatment, just like a married woman, if she takes things from her mother's house, it is a kind of disobedience.In the era of the family world, after all, the family circle is strictly regarded.However, the Ning family no longer has any relatives. Su Yu also expressed the attitude that Ruo Ningyi and Tan'er's second son can be given the surname Ning. This little concession will not be too much. Big problem.

Of course, the time here, after all, has to be staggered from the ancestor worship of the Su family, and everything is dominated by the Su family.Since Tan'er had the intention to accompany him back to live for a day before Qingming, Xiaochan was tidying up the room inside and out, and Ning Yi also helped to move the table and chairs. There are only some tables, chairs, wooden cabinets and other items in the room. As for the bedding, fabrics, and other things that may return to the tide, I have not prepared at all. Xiaochan came here today, just to take a look at the general situation first. To the extent that it can live in people, I will definitely have to call some maids and servants to help tomorrow.

"Uncle, don't help. Those tables have been sitting for a long time, and they are all gray. If you move it, you will be dirty..."

Cleaning the old bed with a new broom and wrapping a headscarf on her head, Xiaochan who is at work occasionally turns her head to protest.Because Ning Yi had already moved out a few boxes that were originally in this bedroom during this time, he chose some chairs to move in, and then started to move the sandalwood table that was originally in another room. The table was also a little dirty because it was left for too long. Ning Yi was so strong at this time that it was not difficult to lift things, but Xiaochan would get angry when she saw it.

How can a master do things for the servants? Although they have been with him for a long time, he knows that Ning Yi has no air, and occasionally boils water and washes his face, so he doesn't need to be waited on by others, but now these messy efforts are also used, it is too much.

"After I went back, I saw that my uncle was dirty, and the lady was going to scold me again..."

After all, Xiaochan is used to doing things. At this time, she patted the room with a broom, and her hands and feet were fast, but she didn't get too much dust on her body. Ning Yi touched a lot of dust when she moved some things.When Xiaochan protested, he smiled and swiped his dusty finger on Xiaochan's face. The two were busy in this small courtyard, and the room that had been almost organized into a warehouse gradually took shape. .After the large items were moved, Xiaochan had to come to organize and clean the small places. He looked at the trivial objects in the boxes in the yard, and occasionally listened to Xiaochan's words.

"Uncle, why don't you agree to the young master of the Puyang family to help you write poems?"

"Isn't it worth it, I'm not very familiar with that Qilan, and I can't take any advantage of writing a poem, and the other party is Li Shishi, if I don't care about the situation and help me write poems, people will definitely hate me. Isn't it right? It's not worth it as a businessman, and it's not worth it here, right?"

The day before yesterday afternoon, Pu Yangyi came to ask him for poems, and Ning Yi's answer was probably the same.Of course, the joke is half-truth, and in the final analysis, Ning Yi didn't give a poem for the first time.Puyang Yi has always been good, he is a smart person, a poem is actually given, but in Ning Yi's opinion, the whole thing at the moment is probably a little unreliable, Qilan is held by the Puyang family. , The hype behind the matter, the Puyang family must be the big one. At the moment, whether Li Shishi will compete with others has not yet shown signs, and there is no need to enthusiastically participate in it.

Ning Yi probably didn't think it over complicatedly at the time, but for him, it was clear at a glance how to do various things better.At that time, Puyang Yi asked him to come over, Ning Yi made a few jokes, and then stated that if something really needs to be done by himself, if there is someone who can help, it is naturally obligatory. Now, as a smart person, there is no need to be in this embarrassing situation of beauties competing for the front. Too early to take a stand.

He said it in a funny way, but Puyang Yi knew his style of being young to a brothel, but since he got the promise, he left happily at that time.I just heard that after he returned, he repeated Ning Yi's original words to Qilan, making the other party feel aggrieved: "I don't know how many posts I have sent to Ning Gongzi, and Ning Gongzi never regards Qilan as a return. At this time, he said that he is not familiar with Qilan, which is really bullying."

These words seem to be aggrieved, but in fact they are shown intimacy, and they have a tacit understanding with Puyang Yi. When Ning Yi heard that, he could only shake his head and smile.The businessman is like this, as long as he is measured, it is not a big deal for everyone to hype it, and he will not be too concerned about it.

The afternoon gradually passed in this atmosphere. Xiaochan occasionally talked about gossip about Li Shishi, and occasionally in the cleaning room, she talked about the importance attached to his uncle in the Su family, and about the second son who will be born in the future. The rumors of his surname Ning also had some clues at this time.In this year and month, and in the situation of being married again, it is indeed a very important event. Xiaochan is also really happy for him. Ning Yi sat outside and said with a smile:

"Then...Xiaochan, you will marry me in the future. The child you give birth will be named Ning, and the child born by Tan'er will be named Su, how about that?"

After all, Xiaochan couldn't make jokes about "marriage" in this kind of situation in broad daylight, her face was red, and then she looked complicated: "Master, if anyone hears this, Xiaochan will was killed..."

It's really hard to say this, Ning Yi originally said it casually, but when he thinks about it now, he understands it and smiles to comfort a few words.After a while, Xiaochan sat next to Ning Yi with a rag, lowered her head and said:

"Chan'er knows that the uncle is good, but... don't keep saying these things that make Chan'er think a lot... Chan'er is the maid of the young lady's room, and she will stand with the young lady all her life, for example... For example, ah ...Uncle will marry the younger one in the future, and Chan'er will kill her together with the young lady. If the uncle has a good friend outside, Chan'er will also come to the door with the young lady to make trouble... Actually, Chan'er is very powerful. , I was taught by the young lady, and the average Hu Meizi will definitely not be able to fight Chan'er at home... Uncle, uncle, you have to be more careful..."

The little maid was a little proud and a little timid in protest, and Ning Yi laughed aside.He doesn't understand the abilities of the three maids in the family. In modern times, it is the quality of senior managers. It's just that they are maids here, and they appear to be well-behaved on the surface. Excellent.As she said, if there are other concubines in this family, she and Su Tan'er combine, the other party is really hard to have good fruit to eat.

"I know, I know, but you don't need to be so cruel..."

"For Uncle's sake, Xiaochan will beg Miss to give her half of her life..."

"Tsk..."

The two talked for a while in the yard.After cleaning, Xiaochan bought some incense to infuse it, and Ning Yi sorted out the things in the wooden boxes in the yard. There was nothing really interesting, and some gadgets might contain Ning Yi's life trajectory in previous years. , but most of them have become waste. Ning Yi watched it for a while, then took out some broken bottles and cans or moldy and scattered bamboo slips in the box and threw them away. The text is still good, and there are various handwriting annotations in it, probably written by Ning Yi when he was a child, and it has some commemorative value, so he took it back.

The sunshine this afternoon is good, and it is warmly sprinkled in this bluestone alley.When Ning Yi came back, he sat on the bluestone bench at the entrance. The alley was deep and quiet, with courtyards and doors lined up one by one, a few old trees dotted between the black tiles and green walls. Occasionally, pedestrians passed by. Nodding, Ning Yi didn't know if he knew him, so he nodded in return.In the distance, the sound of pedestrians and horses came from the street outside the alley.

Some of the residents in this alley know him, and some even know that he has gained a lot of fame recently, but Ning Yi has no impression of this alley, just sitting on the stone bench, he still feels a Tranquil atmosphere.He sat there and flipped through the dilapidated "Thousand Characters". Some of the pages were torn and fell off, so he had to put them in and clamp them. In the process, he found someone looking this way.

It was a woman in white Confucian clothes—although she dressed in men's clothes, it was easy to see her identity as a woman.In fact, this person has already appeared at the entrance of the alley since Ning Yi sat down here. Ordinary people have been going back and forth in the alley eight or nine times in such a long time. She stopped and walked all the way and didn't know what she was watching. It was only now that Ning Yi noticed her.The woman had a melon face, pointed chin, and small lips. She looked a little thin when she was dressed as a man.

Ning Yi held the tattered "Thousand Characters" in one hand and a fallen page in the other, and looked at her as well.The woman just nodded, turned her head down and turned to leave, then stopped, nodded again, and said, "Uh... Excuse me, sir, is the person who used to live here gone?"

"...How long ago?"

"There are... seven or eight years..."

Ning Yi looked back: "My parents and my parents should have been living here all the time...you are..."

The other party is not very old, and although he looks mature, he is probably not much older than Xiaochan, maybe he knows him before.He frowned slightly, the woman looked at him a few times, and a smile appeared at the corner of her mouth: "Ah, you are Xiao Ning..."

"We know each other?"

"It's... I think it's an acquaintance..." The woman was actually not quite sure, she pointed to a relatively beautiful courtyard at the other end of the alley, "I lived there for two years, er... My surname is Wang, I probably didn't say much..."

When the woman pointed to the yard over there, she lowered her head faintly, and there seemed to be something she didn't want to say in her eyes.But on the whole, the two sides probably lived in an alley before, and maybe they talked, but it is estimated that there is not much friendship.Ning Yi waited and saw her smiling, "You used to study here at that time. I still remember that I came to your house to borrow soy sauce once."

"Oh, so that's how it is..." Ning Yi smiled in agreement. Anyway, he was not a very familiar old friend. The other party said this excitedly. He didn't want to be too disappointing. Came here, but knew this woman: "Wang...Brother, you really came here..."

"Look back, the place hasn't changed much..."

"My house is over there, do you still remember, Brother Wang? I just sold it, and I can't go back to see it now."

The newcomer was a scholar in Qingpao, and he used to live in this alley. The woman surnamed Wang looked at it and said, "By the way, do you still know this gentleman in Hezhong?"

The two don't seem to be husband and wife, but because of their fellow villagers, they seem cordial.When the man named Hezhong came over, he glanced at Ning Yi a few times, but he pretended not to pay attention, but Ning Yi could easily sense that he cared about this woman. At this time, he glanced again, and even looked into the back yard. Look: "Could it be... stupid bookworm? Ah, no, it was called at that time, what was it called..."

The woman surnamed Wang frowned slightly: "Xiao Ning."

"Oh, yes, Xiaoning. It's me, Hezhong, Yu Hezhong, I used to live there, we used to play together when we were young, but unfortunately I went to Bianjing with my parents later. We called you at that time. When you come out to play, you are often punished for copying books and endorsing them. How about it? You are still reading books, you worked the most hard when you were young, and now...you should be famous, right?"

The man named Yu Hezhong appeared warm, and even patted Ning Yi's arm affectionately, but in fact the meaning in his eyes was obvious.Ning Yi had a broken book in his hand at this time. Although the clothes on his body were expensive to sell, after all, he moved some things and got a few stains. At first glance, he looked like a long-term downcast Silly and nerdy, so that the clothes are not neat and clean.Yu Hezhong's shot also just happened to highlight this image, like a reminder.

Ning Yi felt amused for a while, and looked down: "It's not even a name."

"Heh, it's okay, it's okay, like Brother Ning's hard work, there will be a day to win..."

Na Yu and Zhong Yuan saw the two chatting here, and noticed that Miss Wang seemed to be interested in this Xiao Ning. She was originally a little concerned. At this time, she took a closer look at the situation of this old friend, and she became happy for a while. .The sun was shining, and there was probably not much friendship at first, but at this time, the three people who had been reunited for a long time were talking in this alley...

(End of this chapter)