Aunt Zhao's happy life

Sure enough, Jia Zheng was right. After Tanchun went ashore, he spent many days socializing before he was able to ask to go home to visit his parents.So early in the morning, the eunuch in the palace sent a message to the Jia family to prepare.

In the evening, Tanchun came in a sedan chair, followed by a mighty guard of honor, and the most gratifying thing was that Tanchun's eight-month-old son was accompanying him.

Tanchun said to his entourage: "It's enough to leave only the servants. Our family can't accommodate so many people now, so you just follow the arrangement of the palace. I will stay at my mother's house for a few days and talk quietly."

Aunt Zhao saw from a distance that Tanchun looked much better than before, looking forward to the sky, graceful and elegant, beside her was the nanny holding the child, and Tanchun was supported by the bookkeeper, smiling all over her face.

After entering the house, Aunt Zhao and Tanchun embraced each other and cried, while Jia Zheng hugged his grandson and couldn't take his eyes off him.Tanchun burst into tears and said, "How could our family be like this in such a short period of time? I've heard about it in Qianxiang country, but I didn't expect it to be so miserable! Where's your wife?" Aunt Zhao choked up and said, "My wife swallowed last year. Angry, Lian's second grandma is gone, and everyone in our family is dying and scattered!"

Tanchun asked, "Where's Brother Bao?"

Aunt Zhao said: "He followed a monk and left!"

Tanchun asked: "Where is Sister Yingchun? Where is Sister Xichun?" Aunt Zhao said with red and swollen eyes: "Yingchun was tortured to death by the Sun family. Xichun has gone to be a sister-in-law. Only Sister Qiao is better off. The rich man's house."

Tanchun couldn't help crying when he heard this, but Jia Zheng comforted him for a long time.

Tanchun said: "Our king has no time to come this time. I brought my child. His name is Ruan Si. Even though this happened to our family, when I met the Holy One, he was also very interested in asking about the affairs of Qianxiang Kingdom. I feel sorry for our family!"

Jia Zheng said: "I am already very grateful to the Holy Majesty Long En for leaving so many alive. Tanchun, how did you survive when you got there?"

Tanchun said: "Suffering? Apart from missing my hometown and relatives, there is nothing to suffer! I thought to myself that there is no way out anyway, and the mission on my body is heavy, so let's move forward! It is also thanks to the loyalty of the people I brought with me. , guarding me with all my heart on the road, and stabbed me in both sides when I got there, working tirelessly and risking their lives. They are all my friends in need. Now that I am in Qianxiang Country, they are all my confidantes. You see Book, I can't do without her even a moment now!"

Jia Zheng said, "I heard that you are flexing your muscles there!"

Tanchun smiled and said: "I officially became a princess in the past. The king is very considerate and respectful to me. I want to do something, and he is very supportive. At the beginning, I went all the way south. I really couldn't stand the hot and humid climate. I had a lot of food. I didn’t get used to the habits, and I didn’t understand the language, but it got better slowly. I quickly straightened out the many etiquettes, systems, and interpersonal relationships in the front and back palaces. How can I gain a firm foothold if I don’t straighten them out! Thinking, how can our country waste so much material and manpower? Besides, if I do more things, maybe our Jia family will have more peace, and I will have more capital to settle down!"

Jia Zhengdao: "As expected of the most outstanding daughter in our family! Back when you were the housekeeper at home, you would make good and eliminate bad. You knew that a grass root or a broken lotus leaf is valuable. Now we have expected to accomplish a lot."

Tanchun smiled and said: "They are very interested in our country's products. Qianxiang country has many mountains and is very humid everywhere. There is very little land to grow crops. It is very hot when it is hot and extremely cold when it is cold. They eat betel nuts. There are a lot of them. The folk people there like to use rattan to make their houses, and they like to use bamboo mats at home. Of course, the royal family is similar to us.”

Aunt Zhao became excited and asked, "What are you wearing?"

Tanchun said: "People in the royal family like to wrap their heads with white cloth. When men are hot, they like to wear no clothes on their upper body and wrap them with towels. They like to ride elephants when they go out. Some people like to take sedan chairs and use umbrellas made of leaves. They are very strong. By the way, they have a lot of monks, and the temples are the same as ours. Whether it is the royal family or ordinary people, the housework is in charge of the wife, and the status of women is still very high."

Aunt Zhao asked: "Then what did you teach them?"

Tanchun said: "So many things I brought as a dowry back then, as well as the skilled craftsmen I brought with me, have all come in handy! We taught them how to grow rice, open up fields, grow flowers, grow trees, grow lotus roots, grow tea, and so on. Raising silkworms and weaving silk. After the child was born, I just arranged a lot of things. I taught women embroidery in the palace, made clothes and shoes, and discussed political affairs with the king from time to time, and assisted him in government, so I didn’t feel difficult at all. There is no leisure every day."

Aunt Zhao said: "Not long after you got married, our house was ransacked. Fortunately, after listening to your words, your father bought some land and a house in advance, plus the share of Jia's house sale, we can still live in the future. "

Tanchun said: "I heard about our family, and I was very anxious. Later, I heard that the King of Beijing was pleading for mercy, and I was relieved."

Aunt Zhao said: "Knowing that you have a good life, let's not mention how happy we are! In fact, it is very good to be safe and self-sufficient like this. It doesn't have to be impressive. It's just that your father, your brother and I often miss you, or we are married too much. Far!"

Tanchun said: "Yes, I am so busy every day that I don't touch the ground. When I suddenly calm down, I will think of home and our garden. I will look at all the things I brought home and recall them. The poems written by the sisters in the poetry club, thinking about every plant and tree at home, every time the king saw me crying for homesickness, he promised me and agreed to visit my relatives."

The time when relatives get together is always so happy, Tanchun has forgotten her identity, and just wants to be with her parents and Cheng Huan with her children.The scattered relatives of Jia's family also gathered around, chatting and laughing like ordinary people, as if the prosperity and humiliation of the past had become history together.

At five o'clock that day, it was still dark, and someone knocked on the door outside. Jia Zheng didn't know what was going on, so he hurriedly ordered someone to protect Tanchun and Aunt Zhao, and asked through the door, "Who is it? What's the matter?"

The people outside said: "We are here to announce the good news! The imperial examination results have come out!"

Jia Zheng hurriedly opened the door, only to see someone coming: "The 130 candidates in the Jiahuan Township Examination, and the No. 7 applicants in the Jialan Township Examination, all can participate in the general examination next spring."

For a while, the family members had heard it, and they were all very happy. They sent the reporter away, and Aunt Zhao asked, "Why is Brother Lan reporting here?" Jia Zheng said, "I think it's all under my family. , tell Changsheng to tell Lang Geer!"

When Li Wan heard that Jia Lan's grades were so good, she hugged Jia Lan and wept with joy, then knelt in front of her husband's memorial tablet and said, "Pearl! Did you hear that? Our son has won the Juren! You can rest in peace!"

Aunt Zhao was so happy that she put her arms around Jia Huan and chattered: "Who knew you could win! I just say that you are not this material, just try your best, who knows that I underestimated you!"

Baochai and Aunt Xue were the only ones who were sad and unable to express it, so they were silent and speechless.

Tanchun laughed and said, "So it's not a blessing, it's a blessing. When I come back, I have such a happy event. I can go back in a few days! There is hope for our family's revival!"

After Tanchun returned to Qianxiang Country, it was winter soon again. Jia Zheng thought about building a shelter for Jiamu's tomb, so he took Changsheng and Fugui and got busy for several days.It was snowing that day, just as the shed was finished, Jia Zheng was walking back when he suddenly heard Chang Sheng say, "Who is that? Kowtow to our old lady?"

Jia Zheng looked back, and in the distance, there was a man standing in the thick snow, bald and barefoot, wearing a red cloak, worshiping in front of Jiamu's grave.Jia Zheng was startled, and he already had the answer in his heart, so he rushed up to have a look, and it was Baoyu!

Jia Zheng kept shouting, "Baoyu! You're back! Baoyu!"

Without saying a word, Jia Baoyu bowed down to Jia Zheng and kowtowed a few times.

Jia Zheng wanted to reach out to hold him, but he saw Baoyu get up by himself, with tears in his eyes, and said, "The common fate is over, I'm leaving!" As he spoke, he walked quickly to the river bank not far away to board the boat, and a monk on the boat went together , three people floated away.

Jia Zheng stood on the snow for a long time, only to see a vast expanse of whiteness and no one else.He knew in his heart that his Baoyu had left forever this time!

When Baochai heard that Baoyu had appeared, she couldn't help crying out of the window: "He refused to say goodbye to me before he left. I have no place in his heart."

Jia Lan and Jia Huan were buried in their studies for the spring exam, and they didn't hear anything outside the window.

It was a rare time for the family to chat around the stove at night. Jia Zheng said to Jia Huan and Jia Lan: "I have failed in my official career. My own incompetence is also part of the reason. Another reason is that I am not a Jinshi. I suffered a great loss. Jia Yucun was recommended by me, and he made his way to the top. He is a Jinshi! At the beginning, the Holy Spirit gave me an official position, which seemed to be a great grace. It’s a good thing, but my future has been ruined. So from my father to me, I hope that someone in my family will be admitted to Jinshi to save my family luck. The hereditary title is passed down from generation to generation. It is impossible to go up. Now that the Jia family is in decline, I didn't expect you to be there, luck in the misfortune!"

Jia Huan said: "Didn't you say that you have already seen it? Didn't you say that it doesn't matter how we study, and safety is the most important thing?"

Jia Zheng smiled and said, "That's what I said, but you guys gave me such a big surprise, of course I'm looking forward to you all!"

Jia Lan said: "The test will be held in February, and I don't have much time to prepare. Then I will have a showdown with Uncle Huan!"

Jia Huan said: "I don't dare to compare with you. My current grades are already blessed by my ancestors! I hope you are here!"

Aunt Zhao didn't dare to have more extravagant hopes, she felt that her son became a Juren, it was just a dream.Even if it stops here, she is content.