Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

The end of the hour (11 a.m.)

Panlouzheng Street is already lively.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the street is full of people coming and going.

There were especially many people outside a wooden building on the street.

Under the plaque with the name "Four Treasures House", people gathered around the inside and outside on the three floors.

The people watching were chattering.

"Why aren't you allowed in?"

"Are things still sold at a 100% discount?"

"Rang, what are you doing here if you don't know how to read or write?"

"You can make money by buying this and changing hands!"

At this time,

A middle-aged man dressed as a manager shouted at the door of the store: "Everyone, everything in the store is sold out! Let's leave! Leave!"

"ah?"

"It's too late!"

"Why so fast!"

Seeing the last few people walking out of the shop, the people around them sighed in disappointment.

"Let's break up! Let's break up!"

The store manager continued to say goodbye.

When everyone gradually dispersed,

The steward then turned around and walked in.

"well!"

Looking at the empty shop, the manager sighed and waved his hand: "Close!"

Before the last few people who came out just walked far away, an idle man came up and cupped his hands and asked: "Do you want to sell the things in your hands?"

The well-dressed people shook their heads with their hands full of shopping.

Sibaozhai is not far away.

On the third floor of Pan Building,

On the verandah outside the private room,

A few young men who were descendants of officials looked at the excitement and talked.

One of them looked puzzled and said: "I heard that it is the Chai family's shop. I know the Chai family brothers. They did not participate in the imperial examination. What is the Chai family's shop celebrating?!"

After finishing speaking, the man looked at the other people: "Do any of your brothers know?"

Hearing this, several people on the verandah all turned their attention to one person.

"Brother Wu, your aunt is Mrs. Wu, she must know it!"

One person said complimentarily.

The young man known as Brother Wu closed the paper fan and patted it in his hand. A smile appeared on his face that was somewhat similar to Liang Han. He pointed at the person who complimented him and said: "Haha! Brother Lu, actually I know a little bit about it! "

This ‘Brother Wu’ is the cousin of Liang Han’s uncle who serves in the household department;

‘Brother Lu’ is the son of Lord Lu Xingjun of Yushitai.

Seeing that the excitement in the street had dispersed, 'Brother Lu' stretched out his hand to signal everyone to go back to the private room, and said with a smile: "Brother Wu, tell me?"

Talking

Everyone returned to the private room and sat down.

Cousin Liang Han said with a smile: "You have been in Beijing not long ago, so I don't know. The late wife of the Marquis of Xiangyang and the mother of Princess Pingning came from the Chai family! She is the aunt of the current head of the Chai family! The Chai family came to Bianjing before. It’s time to have a banquet at the Duke’s Mansion of Qi!”

"oh"

Everyone in the private room suddenly understood and nodded.

"I heard that Qi Heng, the young prince of the Duke of Qi, won the imperial examination at a young age. Are you celebrating this?"

Someone spoke up.

Cousin Liang Han smiled approvingly and nodded.

"Thank you, Brother Wu, for clearing up our doubts!"

Everyone raised their wine glasses and said.

A few people drank their glasses of wine while eating the food.

"Sir, I'm back soon!"

The door of the private room,

A few boys holding a lot of stationery supplies spoke out.

"Quick, bring it to me to see."

Cousin Liang Han said with a smile.

soon,

The boy brought the brush in a long wooden box.

"Hey! Brother Wu, this is the best green silk rosewood wolf hair pen! Did you really buy it at a discount?"

The last words were said to the young man of the Wu family.

"Back to Mr. Lu, yes! When we were buying it, the store manager felt very distressed when he saw it!"

"Hahahaha! This thing usually costs more than ninety taels, but now you can buy it for less than ten taels. Doesn't the manager feel distressed?"

The wolf brush is not the hair of a wild wolf, but the hair on the tail of a weasel, which is hard and elastic.

In the history of calligraphy, most people used this kind of brush.

In the Sibaozhai named by Chai Zhengzheng,

The materials used for this kind of brush are expensive, even at 10% off the original price it costs nearly ten taels of silver.

As for ordinary brushes, a good one only costs two to three hundred yuan, so even if such brushes are sold at a discount, they are not something ordinary people can buy. If you really want to buy it, you will make a fortune!

Talking

Several people in the private room looked outside the screen at the many good things their respective boys had bought, and their faces became even more smiling.

After everyone admired the good ink, paper and pens they bought, cousin Liang Han sighed:

"It's a pity that my family didn't hire a gentleman as good as Zhuang Xuexue, otherwise I would have passed the provincial examination earlier!"

Hearing this,

Everyone in the private room nodded.

All six students of Shengjia Academy took the provincial examination for the first time and all passed it. This is also rare in Bianjing.

"Brother Wu, do you know how the Sheng family hired a famous teacher like Zhuang Xuexue?"

Xingguofang,

Ningyuan Hou Mansion,

The front yard,

Some of the servants were cleaning the debris from the firecrackers in the courtyard, while others were checking the money in the purses given by their masters.

In the backyard hall,

Bai stood at the table with a smile on her face, took the dinner plate from Ping Mei and Grandma Chang and placed it on the table.

"Mother, let me do it!"

Pingmei said with a smile.

Bai Shi shook her head with a smile: "I remember when I was a girl in my boudoir, whenever there was a happy event in the family, my mother would arrange it herself. I am very happy today."

Nanny Chang next to Bai smiled and nodded in affirmation.

Ping Mei also nodded and took another plate of dishes brought by the maid.

"Mother, I'm coming too!"

Ting Yi smiled and took the dishes from Ping Mei.

After Bai Shi smiled, she looked sideways at the door and said, "Why hasn't the Marquis come back yet?"

Before the words fell,

Gu Yankai walked in with the smell of incense, followed by Gu Tingye who had a sultry look on his face and couldn't keep his mouth shut.

Everyone in the hall hurriedly bowed to each other.

Gu Yan sat at the table with his big horse sword open and said, "Can't those from the fourth or fifth bedroom come over?"

Bai continued to arrange the dishes, her smiling expression did not change, and she nodded: "Yes! We said we would get together again in the evening!"

Gu Yankai nodded.

Pingmei and Tingyi looked at each other and then looked at Bai with admiration.

Gu Yan opened his eyes and looked at Gu Tingye, raised his chin and said, "Everyone, sit down! Madam, sit down too!"

Everyone took their seats,

Ting Yi, who was sitting under Ping Mei, glanced at Gu Yankai and said, "Father, the eldest brother said he has a letter for the second brother."

"Yeah! Give it to him!"

Gu Tingye took the envelope from Ting Yi and looked at his sister in confusion: 'Why so fast? ’

"Second brother, the eldest brother stayed here before he went to take office." Gu Tingyi said with a smile. “Brother, he. He thought I could win the election from the beginning?”

Gu Tingye put away his smile and looked at his sister-in-law Pingmei, and asked hesitantly.

Pingmei smiled and nodded in affirmation.

Gu Tingye lowered his head and opened the letter quickly.

After Ting Yi sat down and saw that her second brother didn't pay attention to her, she looked at Ping Mei nervously. Ping Mei leaned close to Ting Yi's ear and said in a very low voice: "Don't worry, the other letter that failed to win has been burned." ”

Ting Yi nodded happily.

Mrs. Bai helped Gu Yan pour the wine. She looked at Gu Tingye who was reading the letter, his eyes widened and his expression gradually became serious, and he asked with concern: "Ye'er, what's wrong?"

Gu Tingye solemnly took the envelope into his arms, shook his head and said, "It's okay, mother!"

Gu Yan on the side said: "Have you finished reading?"

Gu Tingye nodded.

Gu Yankai raised his wine glass with a straight face.

Bai walked up to Gu Tingye, filled up his wine glass, and said with a smile, "Have a drink with your father."

Gu Tingye stood up and raised his glass.

Gu Yan said: "Winning the examination is just the first step! There will be examinations and palace examinations later! Don't be complacent and slack off!"

"Yes, father!"

"In the future, I will be busy with military affairs in the north, and your brother is in the northwest, so the Gu family wants you to support me. Don't let your father and your brother down."

As he spoke, Gu Yan opened the wine glass and moved it toward Gu Tingye, and the father and son drank a toast.

"Brother, let me toast you too!"

Ting Yi smiled and raised his glass.

The Duke's Mansion of Qi State,

Backyard,

The courtyard is filled with gift boxes.

The banquet in the house,

The person sitting on the main seat was not the Duke of Qi, but the Marquis of Xiangyang with a smile on his face.

On one side of the Marquis of Xiangyang is Qi Guogong, on the other side is Qi Heng, and under Qi Heng is Princess Pingning.

"Brother Heng! What a good boy! You are much better than the youngest of the Xu family today! Come, have another drink with me!"

The Marquis of Xiangyang raised his wine glass and said.

Qi Heng hurriedly put the sweet wine glass over: "Grandpa, how can my grandson compare to Brother Jing? He is number one!"

After the Marquis of Xiangyang drank a glass of wine, he looked at Qi Guogong and said: "Xianxiang, you have read the article about the youngest son of the Xu family. How is the article? Can he be ranked first?"

Duke Qi nodded and said: "Father-in-law, Brother Jing's writing is so beautiful that all the adults who reviewed the papers praised him. He is on par with the second-placed man from the Sheng family. He deserves to be ranked first!"

Qi Heng pursed his lips in envy and did not drink the wine in the glass.

"Brother Heng, drink up! I said you are better than him, so I have my reasons." said the Marquis of Xiangyang.

After Qi Heng finished drinking, the Marquis of Xiangyang looked at Qi Guogong and said, "Brother Heng, he won the prize at a young age. The youngest of the Xu family is not even a scholar at his age!"

Duke Qi and Princess Ning looked at Qi Heng with admiration. Duke Qi patted Qi Heng on the shoulder with a smile and said, "Father-in-law, that's right."

Princess Pingning gave Qi Heng some food with chopsticks and said, "Heng'er, you have to work harder in the future and win the Jinshi in one go!"

Qi Heng looked at the expectant eyes of the three elders and nodded heavily.

Yong Yi Hou Mansion,

In the ancestral hall,

The green smoke from the incense sticks in the incense burner curls up,

Paper money and yellow watches are burning in the brazier in front of the offering table.

Xu Minghua, the Marquis of Yongyi, knelt on the futon and whispered with joy on his face:

"Ancestors, grandparents, father and mother! The youngest son Zai Jing won the first place in the township examination this year; the third son Zai Zhang won the fiftieth place."

As Xu Minghua spoke in a low voice,

The yellow paper money in the brazier in front of him was burning fiercely, and the gray-black paper ashes floated into the air, floating above the forest-like memorial tablets, and some were spinning around Xu Zaijing and Zai Zhang.

"My ancestors bless me, I hope I can try it later and my two children can"

After speaking, Xu Minghua kowtowed solemnly in front of Ru Lin's tablet, and Xu Zaijing and Zai Zhang hurriedly followed.

After Xu Minghua stood up, he looked at the ancestral hall of Yongyi Hou Mansion with emotion.

Facing the ancestral tablets, Xu Minghua felt quite proud!

When he is buried in the earth in the future, if he can talk to his ancestors in the ethereal world, he can pat his chest and boast about his achievements with a smile:

‘It is his credit that allowed the somewhat defeated Hou Mansion to gradually gain momentum! Since the Xu family became a marquis, his son has won the first place in the provincial examination. after.'

"Let's go."

Xu Minghua said.

Then, the father and son turned around and walked to the door, each lifted up the hem of their robes and stepped over the threshold and walked out.

The ancestral hall became quiet,

A breeze blew by,

Among Rulin's tablets, the incense candle in front of the tablet with the inscription "Grandfather's Taboo" burst out with lights that were not obvious in the daytime.

Back to the backyard,

The table has been set.

With a happy face, Mrs. Sun greeted everyone and took their seats.

Looking at Xu Zaijing's personal maids Qing Cao and Yun Xiang, who were standing by the side, Sun waved her hand behind her.

Mother Zhu held a tray and walked up to the three confused female envoys with a smile.

"It's been hard work these days accompanying your son to exercise and go to school! The longer the grass lasts, the bigger the wallet will be; the two of you will be smaller!"

Mother Zhu was holding the tray and said with a smile: "Don't be stunned, just take it!"

Qingcao saw Xu Zaijing at the table smiling and nodding to them, and then saluted Sun Shifu: "Thank you, Madam, for the reward!"

After taking the purse and feeling the weight inside, Qingcao, Yun Xiang and Hua Xiang looked at each other in surprise.

Later, Sun rewarded Cuichan and others around Hua Lan.

Not long after the banquet started,

A female envoy walked into the hall, bowed to everyone, and said, "Madam, several relatives have brought gifts."

Mrs. Sun stood up and looked at everyone. She smiled and said to Xu Minghua, "It seems we can't help but treat our relatives to a meal." Xu Minghua nodded with a smile.

"Mother, please rest! I'll go take a look!" Hua Lan stood up and said with a smile.

Mrs. Sun smiled and nodded, and said, "Okay! Don't forget to ask Zai Zhang to accompany you back to Sheng's house in the afternoon."

Hua Lan smiled and bowed: "Yes, mother."

After saying that, Hua Lan took the female envoy and walked out.

When Hualan returned from rewarding the servants who brought gifts and gave the gift list to Mrs. Sun, Hualan whispered a few words into Mrs. Sun's ear.

After finishing speaking,

Hua Lan returned to his seat.

Zai Zhang looked at Sun and Hua Lan curiously and said, "Mother, why is this so mysterious?"

Xu Minghua also looked at the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law curiously.

Sun smiled, glanced at Hua Lan, and said, "It's the Qiao family who sent a cart of the rare Jiajiang carp (real sea bream) in Beijing!"

After speaking, Sun also glanced at Xu Zaijing.

Zai Zhang said: "Hey! This fish needs more than ten fish to survive! It's because of Qiao Jiulang before."

Sun smiled and nodded.

After this interlude, I drank another drink for digestion after the meal.

After the children and wives left, Xu Minghua and Sun sat in the hall.

"What did Hualan say to you just now? Did you wink at Hualan?" Xu Minghua asked doubtfully.

Sun didn't say anything, but waved her hand towards Zhu's mother.

This action made Xu Minghua a little confused.

When the hall is clear,

Mrs. Sun whispered: "Both the Chai family and the Rong family have sent congratulatory gifts."

"Yeah! It's just a courtesy, why are you so mysterious?"

Sun curled her lips helplessly, took out the gift slip from her sleeve, patted it in Xu Minghua's hand, and said, "You can see for yourself."

When Xu Minghua saw the details on the gift list clearly, he raised his head in confusion and said, "Hey! This gift is too heavy. Could it be that Mrs. Chai heard about Jing'er's miraculous power and wanted to have another child?"

Mrs. Sun angrily took the gift sheet out of Xu Minghua's hand: "Officer, what are you thinking! You're talking nonsense!"

"What Mrs. Chai wants is not a child, but a son-in-law!"

Xu Minghua looked suddenly enlightened, raised his eyebrows proudly, and asked tentatively: "What about the Rong family?"

Mrs. Sun rolled her eyes at Xu Minghua: "Yeah!"

The corners of Xu Minghua's mouth rose: "Tsk, tsk, tsk! I have seen both children! Our son is really!"