Water Margin official

Early the next morning, Zhang Zhengdao ordered his servants to go to Shuiyue Temple outside the city, and invited the eminent monks from the temple to come to Zhang's house to do water and land dojo to save Zhang Dahu.

The monks of Shuiyue Temple collected the money for incense, carried the scriptures and entered the city. Then they set up the monastery in the Zhang family hall, hung Buddha statues, shook the spiritual pestles, beat the drums and cymbals, chanted sutras and repented, and preached the Dharma.

Except for a few pregnant women who were unable to come out, the Zhang family members all dressed up and came to worship in front of the Buddha.

Zhang Zhengdao led a group of wives and concubines, burned incense in front of the Buddha, wrote some words, and then asked them to go back to their rooms.

In the hall, with the sound of Buddha filling the air and the smoke misty, Zhang Zhengdao, under the guidance of an eminent monk, kowtowed and offered incense from time to time as a sign of filial piety.

This ritual ceremony lasted for three days and then came to an end.

After the first seven days, Zhang Zhengdao decided to bury Zhang Dahu’s coffin.

In this era, there are no clear regulations on when a person should be buried after death. Most families usually bury the coffin after the first seven days.

After all, people cannot be resurrected after death, and those who are alive must continue to live.

On the morning of the eighth day, after the coffin of Zhang Dahu was sealed, the servants of the Zhang family worked together to carry the coffin onto a carriage and transport it outside the city, where they were buried in a treasure cave selected behind the Shuiyue Temple Mountain.

After Zhang Dahu's coffin fell into the treasure cave, Zhang Zhengdao picked up a handful of soil with both hands, sprinkled it on the coffin, and whispered: "Dad, rest in peace!"

Then everyone filled the earth to bury the coffin, built a tomb and erected a stone tablet, and that was it.

Zhang Liu placed the paper horses, paper figures, and a paper house that had been tied up in the longevity material store in front of the monument, and lit it with fire.

"Master, when you get there, with these maids at your service, you won't be lonely." Zhang Liu murmured, "If it's not enough, you can entrust your dream to a senior official."

The monks of Shuiyue Temple gathered around the tomb and recited the Purana Sutra. Zhang Zhengdao burned some money and poured several altars of libation. After paying homage, he returned to the city.

In the next few days, Zhang Zhengdao went to the county government office, informed the county magistrate Li Datian, went through the divorce procedures, and prepared to observe mourning at home for a hundred days.

He also ordered Zhang Liu to rush to the Inspection Department outside the city, summon Luan Tingfang, Zhao Boyan, Wu Bor and others to the Lion Tower, have a banquet, and inquire about what happened during this period.

The Inspection Department of Qinghe County oversees the rural areas of the three counties. Yanggu County has "Flying Tiger" Hu Cheng leading a hundred native soldiers, Shouzhang County has his uncle Wu Kai leading a hundred native soldiers, and Qinghe County has Luan Tingfang. , Zhao Boyan and others, in charge of one hundred thirty or forty soldiers, patrolled the countryside and hunted down thieves.

During the banquet, Luan Tingfang said: "In Zhizhai, everything is going well these days. I just heard that there is a group of grass bandits in Jizhou Prefecture, occupying Shuibo Liangshan, with great momentum."

Zhao Boyan also said: "I have also heard from people that the gangsters are recruiting strong men to go up the mountain. Some of the refugees in our county heard that Liangshan accepted everyone, and they all ran to the waterfront."

"We were patrolling the countryside, and we didn't even come across a single person." Luan Tingfang said with a smile.

Shuibo Liangshan has invisibly absorbed all the refugees from surrounding counties, so that local public security has improved, and the errands of these inspection departments have become much easier.

Zhang Zhengdao nodded and said: "As long as they don't come to invade the place, don't pay attention to that group of thieves."

"In the past few months while I, Ding You, am at home, I will leave the affairs of the Inspection Department to you. If you don't have enough money and food, you can look for me in the city." Zhang Zhengdao instructed.

Second uncle Wu Bor said: "Sister-in-law, the county government allocates money and food in a timely manner, so there is no need to worry about this."

Zhang Zhengdao thought of his unmarried wife and asked, "How are Yueniang these days?"

Wu Boring replied: "If you have time, just come and sit at home."

Zhang Zhengdao nodded and sighed: "My father has just passed away, and Yueniang's arrival will probably take a while longer."

Wu Bor smiled bitterly and said: "Good things come in hard times."

After a banquet and seeing off the three of them, Zhang Zhengdao returned to the Zhang family and kept his filial piety at ease.

After Zhang Dahu's death, the backbone of the Zhang family was Zhang Zhengdao, and all matters, big and small, fell on him.

After counting the business of the Zhang family, Zhang Zhengdao asked Uncle Zhang to sell off the remaining profitable medical clinics and drug stores, and the rest of the houses and shops.

After struggling for a few days, I finally sorted out the affairs of the Zhang family.

On this day, Zhang Zhengdao called a dozen masons to remodel some of the Zhang family's houses and build fire pits and fire walls.

The wives and concubines only slept for a while, and then they no longer wanted to sleep on the cold bed.

After renovating all the houses in the Zhang family, he remembered his unmarried daughter-in-law, so he took the masons and carried materials and ran to the Wu family to prepare to renovate Wu Yueniang's room and build a fire pit.

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The taciturn Wu Yueniang saw Zhang Zhengdao, whom she hadn't seen for several months, actually bringing some people to demolish the house. Her almond-shaped eyes widened, her gentle demeanor disappeared, and she stretched out her arms to stop Zhang Zhengdao from misbehaving in the Wu family.

Seeing this, Zhang Zhengdao had no choice but to pick her up on his back and ask the masons to bring the materials into the house to build a fire pit.

When Wu Yueniang came into contact with a man for the first time, she was so frightened that her face turned pale. When she remembered that this man was her husband, she just said shyly: "Put me down quickly."

Zhang Zhengdao slapped Wu Yueniang's buttocks with his big hand and shouted: "If you don't listen to your husband, you should be beaten."

After saying that, he took two shots with his big hand.

Wu Yueniang was very shy and replied: "I know I was wrong."

Zhang Zhengdao reached out and rubbed the soft part before putting her down.

Wu Yueniang's face turned red and she lowered her head and said nothing.

Zhang Zhengdao got down to business: "I have filial piety, and I'm afraid your date of marriage will have to be postponed for a few days."

Wu Yueniang raised her head and said: "The slave family is already nineteen years old."

Zhang Zhengdao smiled and said: "Don't worry, even if I are twenty-nine years old, I will marry you."

Wu Yueniang got the promise and felt a little at ease.

The yard was a little cold, so Zhang Zhengdao tightened his clothes and said, "Go inside and talk."

The masons were remodeling Wu Yueniang's boudoir, so they led him to sit down in the front hall.

While drinking the tea soup ordered by Wu Yueniang, Zhang Zhengdao joked with her for a while. By the time the mason finished his work, more than an hour had passed.

The newly built fire pit needed firewood to dry, so Zhang Zhengdao directed Wu Yueniang's maid to get the firewood, ignite it, and stuff it into the stove door.

After the moisture in the soil is gradually burned out, the heat of the fire bed comes up, and then a straw mat is put on and a quilt is spread, so that people can sleep.

Zhang Zhengdao introduced the benefits of this fire kang to Wu Yueniang, and she was half convinced when he told her.

Seeing that she didn't believe it, Zhang Zhengdao said, "This fire kang will have to be burned for a whole day before it can dry. You go to Zhang's house to sleep overnight first."

Wu Yueniang frowned and said: "It's not in line with etiquette!"

"Whatever is suitable or not will have to pass sooner or later. There is so much emphasis on it, it's decided like this."

Zhang Zhengdao is most bothered by these red tapes now. During this period of time, Zhang Dahu's funeral has already put him through a lot.

"By the way, let's get to know the sisters at home." Zhang Zhengdao added.

Wu Yueniang thought for a while, she would marry into the Zhang family sooner or later, and now she went to stay for one night. Although it was not in line with the etiquette, seeing Zhang Zhengdao's serious tone, she agreed.

Taking Wu Yueniang back to the Zhang family, Zhang Zhengdao called all the wives and concubines in the family together, introduced each other, and ordered the maids in the mansion to prepare dinner, sit together, and have a family dinner.

After all, she was Zhang Zhengdao's first wife. Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Wei, Pan Jinlian, Meng Yulou, Sun Erniang, Zhuo Diuer and others all came forward to greet Wu Yueniang.

Although all the women are treated equally by Zhang Zhengdao, etiquette and law are deeply rooted in people's hearts. A wife is a wife and a concubine is a concubine. There is a huge difference. The wife's status in the family is second only to the male master, while the concubine is half master and half slave.

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Fortunately, Wu Yueniang has a gentle temperament, a well-mannered manner, and she looks harmonious with the other girls. Her remarks about her family's shortcomings made all the women put aside their worries.

Seeing that all the wives and concubines could live in harmony, Zhang Zhengdao felt very happy and felt that life was like this and he was extremely happy.

A dinner that makes you feel happy.

That night, after getting drunk for the first time, Wu Yueniang slept in Zhang Zhengdao's room, feeling the warmth of the fire bed.

Zhang Zhengdao, on the other hand, took Pan Jinlian and Meng Yulou to sleep in Mrs. Wei's room. The four of them slept together, tossing around until very late, before falling asleep.

For a while, Zhang Zhengdao stayed at home and worked hard to sow and cultivate. In his spare time, he went to the yard behind the Lion House, soaked in rain and dew, and spreading branches and leaves for the Zhang family!