Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

Bianjing

West Fruit Lane

in the middle of the night,

The sound of the carriage driving in the alley was extremely loud.

"Xu~"

Two carriages stopped in front of Kang's house.

Because the Kang family is also the oldest member of the Kang family who has been an official in the court for many years and is as powerful in the officialdom as the Wang family member who is worthy of the Ancestral Temple.

Therefore, the location of the Kang family's house in Bianjing is much better than that of the Sheng family.

In the past, the Kang family's courtyard had a large lintel and a solemn lintel.

But a few years after Mr. Kang passed away, the Kang family began to sell the surrounding yards one after another.

The outside view is to collect dowry for the daughter who is about to get married.

Nowadays, it is common for Dazhou to marry rich people, so this reason can be justified and can fool some people who don't know them.

Anyone who is married to the Kang family knows that the dowry for a daughter of the Kang family is not very generous.

In the past, Kang Haifeng, the head of the Kang family, was fine when he still had an official position thanks to Zu Yin.

Now Kang Haifeng no longer has any official position.

Not only does he not seek revenge,

He also likes to entertain guests at famous Bianjing restaurants such as Fanlou and Panlou, and is a frequent visitor to Qiyunlou and Feiyuntai.

The concubine paid an unknown amount and gave birth to a son and a daughter, Kang Haifeng, some of whom he did not recognize.

Those who can serve as officials in the court are all talented people. Seeing Kang Haifeng's appearance, he knows that the Kang family has been in decline, and some old friends have begun to drift away from the Kang family.

When the Kang family asked for help, most of the time no one would respond, and those who did would usually do it to make money.

Only Wang Ruo, Kang Haifeng's wife, and her natal Wang family, and her in-laws Sheng's family can help a lot because of their kinship.

In fact, among these relatives, there should be some relatives from the Kangwang family's eldest sister-in-law's natal family, the Feng family.

But...that is, the old lady of the Wang family is still alive!

As long as the old lady of the Wang family is gone, just relying on the fact that when Wang Ruoyu got married, she forced the mother of her sister-in-law, the eldest wife of the Feng family, to beg her to give her son Guanyin by kowtowing step by step.

The Wang family can contribute ten points, but they are probably only willing to contribute three points.

The Feng family, the Feng family, ever since that incident happened, they still try their best to help the Wang family, the Sheng family also does their best, the Kang family.

The outer courtyard of the Kang family,

There are two candlesticks standing in the front hall where guests are waiting.

All the candles on the menorah have been lit,

In the candlelight, on the Arhat chair in front of the screen sat Kang Haifeng with an angry face on one side, and Wang Ruoyu of Kang Wang's family on the other with a hateful look on his face and his eyes moving constantly.

"Master, madam, someone from the Sheng family is here!"

At the door, a well-dressed mother in charge said.

"Mother Qi, who is here in the Sheng family?" Mrs. Kang Wang stood up and asked quickly.

Kang Haifeng also looked over.

"Back to Madam, Madam Shanda and Madam Wang are here."

Kang Haifeng nodded and sat back.

After Kang Wangshifeng glanced at Kang Haifeng, he waved his sleeves angrily and walked out.

As soon as they walked out of the house, they saw the Kang family servant carrying a lantern in the darkness and walking over with Sheng Hong and his wife.

Sheng Hong and his wife were followed by Dong Rong and Liu's mother.

Wait for someone to come to you,

Wang Ruofu, who was wearing a heavy winter coat, took hold of Kang Wang's hand and said, "Sister, are you okay? Your servant said he beat someone to death?"

Mrs. Kang Wang glanced at Sheng Hong and said bitterly: "This foxy girl actually wants to seduce my son."

Sheng Hong beside the lantern shook his head, and Wang Ruofu said anxiously: "Sister, you just sold this lowly maid, how could you get human life on your hands?"

Sheng Hong glanced at Wang Ruofu with surprise in his eyes.

Kang Wang glared at Wang Ruofu and said, "I just wanted to punish her ten times. Who would have thought that bitch could not help but beat her?"

At this time,

Kang Haifeng in the front hall opened the door curtain and said, "Why don't you invite people in and start talking at the door?"

Seeing Kang Haifeng, Sheng Hong quickly bowed his hands and said, "Brother-in-law."

Kang Haifeng showed a rare smile to Sheng Hong, nodded and said, "Brother-in-law, come in and talk."

The four of them entered the front hall and took their seats.

After Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu handed over their cloaks to their personal servants, Sheng Hong first spoke: "Brother-in-law, where is the body of the female envoy?"

Kang Haifeng shook his head a little irritably and pointed at Kang Wang.

Mrs. Kang and Wang signaled to Mother Qi.

Mother Qi looked at Sheng Hong and said, "Sheng Shanda, why do you ask this?"

Hearing this, Sheng Hong glanced at Qi's mother in surprise and said nothing. He took a sip of the hot tea and glanced at Kang Haifeng while lowering his head to drink the tea.

Wang Ruofu also glanced at Qi's mother and said: "I said Qi's mother, why do you get in the way when the master is talking? In our Wang family, this is how your mother teaches you the rules?"

Qi's mother hurriedly gave her a blessing: "Third girl, this old woman is stupid. She only thinks about my girl, and I want to ask her for it."

Seeing that Kang Haifeng had no reaction, Sheng Hong put down the tea cup and glanced at Dong Rong.

Dongrong bowed and said: "This mother, the Lord wants me to see the situation so that I can help your house to speak and plan."

Hearing this,

After Kang Haifeng glanced at Sheng Hong, he stood up and motioned for Sheng Hong to follow him.

Not far away, Kang Haifeng whispered to Sheng Hong: "Brother-in-law, are you trustworthy?"

Sheng Hong lowered his head to hide the unhappiness in his eyes and whispered: "Don't worry, brother-in-law, my grandfather has been with me for more than ten years. My grandfather has been a jailer for many years. Not only is he good at making boards, but he also knows a little about the craftsmanship. One or two.”

After Kang Haifeng nodded, he returned to his seat, and Sheng Hong followed.

"Take him there!" Kang Haifeng said.

Mother Qi glanced at Mrs. Kang Wang and nodded: "Brother, let's go this way."

Qi’s mother and Dongrong have already left the hall,

Wang Ruofu glanced at Mrs. Kang Wang and said, "Sister, this female envoy was beaten to death by mistake. All you have to do is pay for her body. Why are you so aggressive?"

Kang Wang raised his head and opened his mouth to say something, but then shook his head angrily: "There are a lot of things going on here, and I can't explain them at the moment."

"That's it. The officials and I are here. I can't tell you anything." Wang Ruofu said carelessly.

Sheng Hong waved his hand and said, "If eldest sister doesn't want to say anything, then don't ask."

Wang Ruofu looked at Sheng Hong sarcastically.

"Madam, drink tea."

Behind Wang Ruofu, Mrs. Liu picked up a tea cup and came to the rescue.

Wang Ruofu quickly took it.

After a while,

Dongrong walked in and whispered in Sheng Hong's ear: "Master, I have been dead for several days, and the injuries are beyond repair."

Sheng Hong's eyes moved and he glanced at Dong Rong, who had stood up straight.

Dongrong understood, and leaned over again and whispered: "Look at this villain, there are at least thirty boards, just rushing to beat people to death."

Sheng Hong closed his eyes, frowned and nodded.

Seeing Sheng Hong's appearance, Wang Ruofu said: "Officer? Dongrong, what did you say to the master?"

Dongrong glanced at Wang Ruofu sheepishly and didn't reply.

"Brother-in-law, what's wrong? Can't this be done?" Kang Haifeng looked at Sheng Hong and said.

Sheng Hong shook his head, looked at Mrs. Kang and Wang and said, "Eldest sister asked me and the eldest lady to come over in the middle of the night, but you didn't tell me the truth. I don't know how big this matter is, so I can't help."

Hearing this, Mrs. Kang Wang forced out a smile and said: "Brother-in-law, you are a senior official in the Ministry of Civil Affairs. You are in charge of the performance evaluation of all officials. If you have any troubles, why can't you ask someone to help you?"

Wang Ruofu stood aside: "That's right!"

Sheng Hong glared at Wang Ruofu: "That's what it is? Do you know how many days have passed since a person died? Are you the one?"

Mother Qi, who followed Dong Rong into the front hall, looked at Dong Rong in surprise.

"Weren't you beaten to death during the day?"

Wang Ruofu said and looked at Kang Wang in confusion.

Kang Haifeng clenched his fists and looked at Kang Wang with a questioning look in his eyes.

Mrs. Kang Wang raised her eyes and looked at Sheng Hong. After meeting Sheng Hong's eyes, she waved her handkerchief and said, "I didn't want to hide anything from you, brother-in-law."

Sheng Hong nodded: "Sister, you'd better tell me the truth! With the power of the Kang family and the Wang family, how can you not deal with such a female envoy?"

"You were able to find my house in the middle of the night because you couldn't hide the matter?"

Kang Haifeng looked at Sheng Hong, patted the handle of the chair and said, "Brother-in-law, just tell me whether you can help me with this or not!"

Sheng Hong cupped his hands and said, "This is a favor, but if eldest sister doesn't explain the whole story, I don't know who to look for!"

"Hurry up and say it!"

Kang Haifeng scolded.

Kang Wang pursed her lips and said: "This little envoy is not very old. She has two sisters and one brother. Those two sisters are the close mothers of two powerful military attachés in Beijing. The brother joined the army two years ago. I heard that he was also in the army. The Western Army has made great contributions.”

"Years ago, I told the female envoy to go home to celebrate the New Year, but my family kept it secret. After the New Year, someone came from their family and said they must see her tomorrow. That's it."

After hearing these words,

Sheng Hong nodded: "Okay, then I have an idea."

Kang Haifeng said from the side: "Well, brother-in-law, can this matter be blocked? In fact, I have been seeking revenge these days. If something happens at this juncture, all my previous efforts will be wasted."

"I remember when you first became a Jinshi, I was the one who introduced you to the officials' children."

Sheng Hong nodded and cupped his hands and said: "Brother-in-law helped me, I remember it, so I will do my best in this matter."

Kang Haifeng said: "As for my brother-in-law, I will trust him for a while."

Sheng Hong stood up and said, "If anyone knows about the situation of this female envoy's family, please ask the eldest brother-in-law to have someone talk to my parents. I will ask someone to talk to my parents about this matter tomorrow morning."

"Okay, okay!"

Kang Haifeng nodded repeatedly.

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu got up and left.

After sending Sheng Hong and his wife out, when Sheng Hong and his wife got into the carriage, Kang Wang said at the side: "Brother-in-law, to make peace, it would be better to spend less money with you."

Wang Ruofu, who got on the carriage, opened the curtain and said, "Don't worry, big sister!"

Sheng Hong just nodded.

The Sheng family's carriage drove out.

Kang Haifeng, who was standing there, reprimanded: "Why do you say you don't have money? No matter how much money you spend, you still have to settle the matter!"

Mrs. Kang Wang rolled her eyes at Kang Haifeng: "The flowers you are wearing are my dowry, not your Kang family's money!"

"Shut up!"

Kang Haifeng flicked his sleeves, turned and left.

A small courtyard near the second gate of the Kang family,

In the courtyard house,

The red sparks in the charcoal basin were almost annihilated and could not provide much heat.

on the bed,

Four people, one large, three small, were covered with a quilt.

The two little ones closest to Su Xiaoniang are sleeping soundly.

Su Xiaoniang in the quilt tucked the eldest daughter who was farthest away from her. She was used to the darkness. Su Xiaoniang could see her eldest daughter's bright eyes in the darkness. The adult said: "Zhao'er, you're not asleep yet." ?”

"My dear, was the maid sister in my brother's house really beaten to death?"

"You're still young, don't ask this."

"Oh! But... that day I saw the maid sister being beaten. Does she want to be my brother's concubine? Does being a concubine mean that she can be clothed warmly and fed well?"

"well!"

Su Xiaoniang in the darkness sighed, rubbed Kang Zhaoer's cold little face and said: "Zhaoer, when you are a concubine, your life will be in the hands of the mistress. You can't control your life or death. You see, your mother and I can eat it." Are you full?"

The little girl shook her head: "That means I can eat enough during the two days of the New Year."

Then she continued: "I also heard the mistress scolding the maid sister. She is a despicable child. She is a born bitch just like those born to me. Mother, am I a born bitch?"

in darkness,

Su Xiaoniang was speechless for a long time.

When Kang Zhao'er was about to fall asleep, she heard her biological mother say: "Zhao'er, no one is born low, and no one wants to be a decent lady, but one must live first."

"Go to sleep."

Early the next morning,

It's still dark,

It was probably the time when Xu Zaijing had finished training.

Kang family courtyard

Someone got up, and the air conditioner got into the bed, allowing the two sleeping children to crawl into their mother's arms.

"Mom, I'm going to fetch water for the maid in my eldest sister's house."

"Sister, wait for me, I will go with you."

The little boy in Su Xiaoniang's arms said, getting up as she spoke.

"You are not needed, I will go by myself. If sister Yuan'er is in a bad mood, you will also be affected. Don't let me worry."

With that said, Kang Zhaoer left the house,

Feeling the cold on the morning of the second day of the Lunar New Year, Kang Zhaoer tightened his tight clothes.

As a concubine, Kang Zhao'er had to serve Kang Yuan'er, the second daughter of the Kang family.

Although it has the disadvantage of being beaten by Kang Yuan'er when he goes crazy, it also has the advantage of not being cold.

Kang Zhaoer managed to eat half of the cold meat buns in the morning, and then resisted until noon.

At noon, when the woman who helped the kitchen brought lunch to the small courtyard near the second gate where her mother was, Kang Zhaoer happened to see someone led by Qi's mother into the front hall where the guests were waiting. It seemed that they were going through the backyard. .

Antechamber for entertaining guests,

Two well-dressed women were sitting on chairs,

There are no wrinkles in the decent clothes, one light and one dark,

At first glance, it seems that I wear it frequently, not just put it at the bottom of the box and wear it when needed.

Both women had very unkind expressions, with anxious eyes and a hint of confidence.

Seeing the middle-aged man in low-key clothes who walked in under the leadership of Mother Qi, the two women stood up directly and said to Mother Qi: "I say Mother Qi, why don't you ladies still show up today?"

The middle-aged man who came after him bowed his hands and said, "Mama Qi, I'll tell you here, you go and do your work!"

"Who are you and why did you let her go! Let my little sister come out!"

The woman in dark clothes said.

"You two ladies, please listen to what I have to say. If what I say doesn't make sense, or if you feel that what I say is wrong, don't be in a hurry to find Mother Qi."

"Looking at your demeanor, you feel a little aggrieved when you call yourself 'villain'! I wonder who you are?"

Another woman in light clothes said.

"The eldest lady is ridiculous, the villain is the little steward of Master Liu's family in Dali Temple."

"Then, please tell me!"

The light-colored woman continued.

There was a sad look on the middle-aged man's face: "To be honest, the two sisters made a mistake when they were punished for seducing the young master of the Kang family, and they have already passed away."

"What!!!"

The two women looked horrified.

"You, you guys!!!"

"Okay! Now let's go to Kaifeng Mansion and ask the government to give us an explanation!"

The middle-aged man hurriedly said: "You two ladies, please listen to what I have to say."

"I know that you are a housekeeper mother beside the eldest lady of the Guo family outside Xishui Gate. You are a housekeeper mother next to the second eldest lady of the Fu family. You have some relationship with the old servant of the Feng family of Duke Cheng Guo."

"The two brothers are now also making contributions to the Western Army."

The two ladies looked at each other and seemed to have expected this.

The woman in dark clothes said: "Then let's talk to the government office about Mrs. Kang's loan sharking!"

Hearing this, the middle-aged man's eyes were shocked, and he seemed to have already known about this.

"Hey! You two eldest ladies, why bother to quarrel with each other! If you two know and can inquire about this matter, you must also know which family the eldest lady of the Kang family's biological sister is from."

"We know about the Sheng family!"

The woman in light-colored clothes said.

"Do you know which family the niece of the Kang family married to? Let me tell you, it is the Xu family of Yongyi Hou!"

"You two don't want your brother's hard work to be wasted, right?"

As he spoke, the middle-aged man took out a piece of paper.

"This is the amount of silver that the Kang family is prepared to compensate. From now on, I will still see a girl, so why not use these silver items to buy some properties so that we can discuss marriage easily?"