Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

in the night sky,

The bright moon hangs high,

A piece of clear light is shed,

This allows people to see clearly the flowers and trees in the yard even without lighting a lantern at night.

Jiying Lane,

Sheng family,

The main hall in the backyard where guests used to be entertained in the past has its doors wide open tonight.

From time to time, maids carrying dishes came in and out.

Looking from the outside, you can see that the hall is very bright with candles lit around it.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, my children and grandchildren pass the exam.

There is also the married Hualan who returns to the Sheng family with the officials who passed the imperial examination.

This made the atmosphere in the backyard hall of the Sheng family very happy and relaxing.

On the big dining table in the middle of the hall,

The old lady and the eldest lady's sister-in-law sat side by side on the main seat with smiles on their faces, and talked with each other with smiles on their faces from time to time.

Sitting below the two old men were two cousins, Sheng Wei and Sheng Hong, who were accompanying the eldest lady.

The next ones are Zai Zhang, Changbai/Wu/Feng, and the six orchids of Shengjia after adding Hualan.

Since Quanzhou, Lin Sushuang, who had rarely appeared at the table attended by the old lady, stood at the last table with Wei Shuyi for the first time today.

Mrs. Li, Chang Wu's mother, who was sitting opposite Wang Ruofu, looked at Wang Ruofu and Hua Lan who was holding Chang Zhu and had just finished speaking. She took the opportunity to say: "Brothers and sisters, why didn't Zhuang Xuexue come to the banquet tonight?" ?”

Wang Ruofu smiled: "Sister-in-law, Zhuang Xuexu was invited by the same year to have a moonlit party in a restaurant in the city today, so he didn't come."

Madam Li nodded slowly and said, "Oh!"

Then he said thoughtfully: "I wonder how my two nephews from my mother's side will fare in this provincial examination!"

Hua Lan, who was on the opposite side, heard this and laughed and said, "Don't worry, aunt! I heard that the two younger brothers from the Li family study hard and will definitely win the exam!"

"Then let's borrow Hualan Jiyan!"

Hua Lan smiled and continued: "If the two brothers have any doubts about their studies, they can also write to me, and my father and Zhuang Xuexue can answer them!"

Madam Li smiled even more.

On the main position,

The old lady raised her wine glass and said to the old lady in the first room: "Sister-in-law, come here, let's have another drink."

The old lady in the first house raised her glass and nodded, and after the two elderly people touched each other, they both drank happily.

Putting down the wine glass, the old lady in the first room looked at the lively scene in the hall,

Maybe he is getting older,

Maybe the new wine I drank several glasses of is a little too strong.

The old lady in the big house was full of emotions,

I vaguely seem to see the Sheng family from decades ago.

At that time, her eldest daughter Sheng Shu had died of illness, and the man who spoiled his concubine, destroyed his wife, and lost all his family property was also dead.

And my sister-in-law, who was born in the Hou Mansion, also lost her officials and biological son.

Of their two sisters-in-law, one was taking Sheng Wei and their young daughter, and the other was taking their concubine Sheng Hong.

The entire Sheng family has withered away,

During the Chinese New Year and festivals, the dining table was very deserted.

Decades passed in the blink of an eye,

The Sheng family business is booming.

At this Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, the two houses were full of people and children.

No matter what she thought, she never expected such a lively scene.

"Sanlang, come, let's have a drink together."

Sheng Wei stood up as usual, raised his glass to Zai Zhang and said.

Zai Zhang stood up quickly: "Uncle, sit down quickly! You are an elder, how can you stand up while drinking with younger people."

Sheng Hong was looking sideways at Hua Lan, who was taking care of his brother's meal.

Listening to the words of my son-in-law who was born well and knows etiquette,

He laughed heartily, revealing the dimples on his face.

Seeing Hua Lan's happy look, Sheng Hong looked at the old lady above him with emotion, raised his glass and said, "Auntie, mother, my dear, here's a toast to you two."

On the table, cups are pushed to change cups,

After the old lady and her sister-in-law had a few more toasts, they got up and left the table and went to Shou'an Hall.

Sheng Hong, who was feeling a little better after drinking, glanced at the two people standing at the bottom of the table and said a few words to Wang Ruofu.

Wang Ruofu, who was talking happily to Hua Lan, suddenly stopped smiling and said to the last table: "You two, sit down too!"

"Thank you, madam!"

Wei Shuyi and Lin Sushuang hurriedly bowed to express their thanks.

Then,

In Wei Shu's surprised eyes,

Lin Sushuang walked to Hua Lan and said softly: "Miss, you have been taking care of Brother Zhu for so long. Please come and take care of me."

Hearing this,

Wang Ruofu's eyes almost rolled to the sky, but he couldn't say much because there were guests around.

Sheng Hong, who was holding a wine glass above his head, saw this scene and nodded with admiration, the look of "good frost" in his eyes almost overflowing.

"No, I only have a short stay with Brother Zhu, so I just want to take this opportunity to get acquainted with him." Hua Lan hugged Chang Zhu and said with a smile, while also giving a warning look at Ru Lan, who had the same expression as Wang Ruofu.

"Yes, big girl!"

Lin Sushuang replied softly, turned around and walked towards the last table.

Hualan turned her head and glanced at Lin Sushuang's leaving figure, then looked at Cuichan standing by.

Cuichan came over and said, "Madam, what's wrong?"

"Go and ask the kitchen if the fish soup is ready."

"yes."

Wang Ruofu also looked at Liu's mother and said, "You should also go and have a look."

"Yes, madam."

When the two of them walked out, Wei Shuyi followed, but Lin Sushuang sat comfortably in her seat, smiling and using serving chopsticks to pick up vegetables for the younger Pinlan and Minglan.

After a while,

Wei Shuyi, Liu's mother and others walked in carrying a big fish bowl.

Place the fish bowl on the table,

Pinlan, who was sitting opposite Minglan, looked curiously at the steaming fish bowl, smelled the aroma wafting from it, and smacked her lips.

Then Shulan pulled Pinlan's clothes and asked her to pay attention to her manners.

Minglan and Rulan also had their throats slide, obviously attracted by the fragrance.

Looking away from Mother Liu who was serving her a bowl, Ru Lan asked, "Sister, what kind of fish soup is this? It smells so good!"

"Hua Lan, is this the Jia Catfish?"

Mrs. Li asked tentatively.

Hua Lan smiled and nodded: "Yes, mother-in-law! Because the official and the fifth man were elected, the Qiao family specially gave it to me. My mother-in-law asked me to bring it here before I came."

Zai Zhang, who was drinking, waved his hands in a drunken manner: "This has nothing to do with me! They are looking at Xiao Wu."

Hua Lan glanced angrily at Sheng Hong, who was still trying to persuade him to drink.

Wang Ruofu and Mrs. Li smiled and nodded, saying with great satisfaction: "My good son-in-law is humble."

Everyone drank fish soup,

Zai Zhang was pulled by Sheng Hong and others, and he and Chang Bai continued to drink at the table.

The women moved aside.

Looking at Lin Sushuang who was following him, Wang Ruofu curled his lips and said in disgust: "Okay, you have nothing to do here. Go back to your own courtyard."

"Yes, madam!"

Lin Sushuang gave a gentle blessing and walked towards Lin Qige with Mo Lan, Zhou Xueniang and the female envoys.

on the road,

"The moonlight is so bright, please put out the lantern." "Yes, little girl!"

After standing on the roadside and looking at the moonlight,

Lin Sushuang led Mo Lan and continued walking.

When Lu Zhong and Yun Zai, the female servants beside Mo Lan, wanted to follow, they were stopped by Zhou Xueniang: "Let's catch up later!"

Lin Sushuang led Mo Lan forward: "Mo'er, how do you like the fish soup tonight?"

"Yeah! It tastes delicious!"

"Then do you know how much these large bowls of fish soup cost?"

Mo Lan shook her head: "Mom, my daughter doesn't know."

"There are always thirty or forty guan."

"Ah? Mom, is it so expensive?"

"Hmm! I haven't eaten much of this live sea fish in Yangzhou before."

Seeing Mo Lan nodding, Lin Sushuang touched her bun and said: "If you want to drink such good fish soup in the future, you must be like your eldest sister and marry into a wealthy family."

"It has to be someone like Mr. Qi, Erlang of the Gu family, and Wulang of the Xu family."

Mo Lan shook her head and said: "Mom, I don't dare to look for Xu Jiajing's brother and daughter! The three female envoys who often come to our school with him, I heard that there are quite a lot of dowry private houses!"

Lin Sushuang grabbed Mo Lan's shoulders and said as she walked: "How ambitious you are! If you can marry into the Xu family, you will be the wife of the main wife! Those little hooves are just common concubines! What kind of dowry do they have? ? That’s all in your hands!”

Mo Lan nodded in understanding.

"However, I think the other two families are better than the Xu family. The second son of the Gu family is a salt merchant, and they are rich in gold and silver. Not to mention the Duke of Qi!"

"Auntie, can I enter these high-end gates?"

"Why not? Your grandfather is Tanhualang, your grandmother is the daughter of the Hou family, your father is a Jinshi, and your sister is the second eldest daughter of the Hou family. The two brothers in the family are looking to become Jinshis in the future! The Hai family has one family and five Hanlins. This Sheng family From now on, you will be a fourth-ranked scholar! Why can’t you get in?”

"Besides, the Hai family has a rule that only those who are over 40 years old can take concubines, but the Sheng family does not!"

After hearing this, Mo Lan nodded in approval.

At this time,

The mother and daughter also returned to Linqige,

Looking at Mo Lan under the lantern light, Lin Sushuang sighed with regret and said: "The twin girls next to Brother Xu Jiajing are indeed incomparable in appearance, but they don't understand poetry either!"

"Auntie, brother Jing seldom talks to his daughter, but Erlang Gu and brother Qi Heng talk to his daughter more. Brother Qi Heng often praises his daughter's handwriting and her appreciation of poetry."

Lin Sushuang smiled and nodded: "Well, Mo'er, you have to work harder in the future. I learned some things about burning incense and arranging flowers from the old lady in Shou'an Hall, and I will teach you all about it in the future!"

"Um!"

The main hall in the backyard,

On the Arhat bed in the side room of the house,

Wang Ruofu was sitting there with his sister-in-law, daughter, nieces and children.

Mother Liu stood aside and gave her a blessing: "Madam, the hangover soup has been served."

Wang Ruofu nodded and said to Hua Lan, "Hua'er, please continue."

"When His Majesty's birthday has passed, the mansion will find a way to invite those young lieutenants to come into the mansion for a chat. Then I will see you from behind the screen."

Hua Lan said 'aunt', but what she was looking at was Shu Lan, who wanted to get into the cracks in the ground.

"This is really troublesome for relatives!"

Mrs. Li said with emotion.

"Auntie, if you can find a woman as good as your sister for your lieutenant commander, how can it be troublesome?"

After listening to what Hua Lan said, Mrs. Li smiled and nodded.

Hua Lan is not talking nonsense.

Who can get engaged to Shulan? Although they are not biological sisters, they are also Zai Zhang's brother-in-law.

From now on, the civil servants will be the Sheng Hong and Wang families, the nobles will be the Xu family, and the shopping malls will be the Sheng Wei.

Among his peers, there are cousins ​​who passed the national examination (Changbai Changfeng) and cousins ​​who studied (Li Yu and Li Du), etc. Family support is not something that just any family can have.

Side door,

Wei Shuyi stood there with his son in his arms and whispered: "Zhang'er, you must study hard in the future! When you win the exam in the future, there will be such excitement."

Sheng Changzhu raised his head and said seriously: "Mom, will there be the fish soup you like tonight as well?"

Wei Shu thought for a moment and said, "Yes! There will be!"

The young Sheng Changzhu nodded heavily.

In the evening, Yongyi Hou Mansion.

An official in the palace sent an order: The Queen will go to watch a polo match outside the city the next day, and please invite all the relatives of the Marquis to go.

The results of the rural examination have been released.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, there are also birthdays for today’s officials.

Bianjing is always full of joy in August.

There are more and more colorful stages for performances on the roadside in the city every day.

Panlouzheng Street is bustling and lively,

The autumn sun is bright in the afternoon,

A carriage with a wooden sign with the word "Tan" parked outside Sibaozhai facing the street.

Listening to the faint sound of pipa playing from the second floor,

A woman holding a round fan opened the curtain and looked at the plaque hanging at the door of the wooden building.

The woman stepped on the carriage stool and supported the hand of the mother who was in charge of the carriage beside the carriage. After getting out of the carriage, she turned towards the carriage and stretched out her hand to hug a girl.

The woman held her daughter's hand, and the steward's mother at the same side said: "Ji'an, the orphan copy you heard about was collected in this shop?"

"Yes, girl! My man saw many capable guards at the door of the store, so he guessed that the owner of the store was here."

The boy at the shop at the door,

Looking at the condition of the carriage, he quickly turned around and ran into the store.

Before the three women could reach the door, the store manager came out and said, "Two distinguished guests, what do you want?"

The second floor of Sibaozhai,

The steward who had just welcomed the guests walked upstairs under the leadership of the female maid Ziteng, bowed and cupped his hands and said:

"My boss, there is a lady downstairs who calls herself the fourth roommate of Anguo Gong Tan's family. She said she has something to ask for."

"please."

The steward probably retreated.

Chai Zhengzheng looked at Yunmu in confusion. After Yunmu's thoughts changed, he bowed and whispered in his ear: "Girl, this eldest lady is the sister of the Marquis of Dongchang. She made a second string for the fourth room of Anguo Gong Tan's family."

Chai Zhengzheng nodded.

Yunmu hesitated for a moment and then continued: "Sister is the first eldest wife of Marquis Ningyuan."

"Are you sister Pingmei, an official, and brother Yu's biological aunt?"

"Yes girl."

When Yun Mu said a few words in Chai Zhengzheng's ear, words that the two princes had not exchanged much in these years, the person they spoke to had already led someone up.

"I've met Mrs. Qin!"

"I've met Miss Zhengzheng. The young lady came to visit me rashly. Please forgive me for disturbing you, Miss Zhengzheng."

The two of them blessed each other and said.

The little girl who followed Mrs. Qin also gave her a decent blessing.

"Mrs. Qin, what are you talking about? Please sit down!"

Chai Zhengzheng stretched out his hand behind the table and said.

After the two of them sat down,

Chai Zhengzheng looked at the guest who was looking straight at her, and she asked doubtfully: "Ms. Qin, what's wrong?"

Mrs. Qin, who was also the little Qin family in the original story, smiled and said: "Forgive me, Miss Zhengzheng, I have seen many noble ladies in Beijing, but this is the first time I have seen one with such a beautiful appearance. "

Being recognized and praised,

The corners of Chai Zhengzheng's mouth raised slightly and he said, "Madam, you are so flattering! Sister Feiyan of the Rong family is even prettier than me! The sister next to you is also very beautiful."

The girl next to Mrs. Qin leaned towards her mother shyly.

Chai Zhengzheng is not just talking about the situation.

The little girl next to Xiao Qin does have an indifferent temperament.

After taking another sip of tea and saying a few words, Mrs. Qin smiled and said, "I heard that Miss Zhengzheng's shop has collected the only copy of "Guang Ji of Nanyue"?"

Chai Zhengzheng thought for a moment and shook his head: "There are quite a lot of unique copies collected. I'll ask someone to ask."