5. Fugui Township
◎Selling my brother for money brings me good fortune◎
Although Ruiyang County is far away from the capital, it is surrounded by mountains and rivers and has beautiful scenery. Many retired ministers from the previous dynasty chose to spend their twilight years here. In addition, many famous talents have emerged in the county in recent years. It is considered by the people of Yan Dynasty to be a good place with outstanding people and beautiful scenery.
Therefore, although it is a county town, it is quite famous in Yanchao.
The county seat of Ruiyang County is divided into two parts by a large river, which the people of Ruiyang County call Changning River.
The Changning River flows from west to east, passing through three counties and eighteen counties in Yanchao. It can be said to be an indispensable part of Yanchao's river transportation, and Ruiyang County is the center of it.
In recent years, the people have lived in peace and prosperity, with few incidents of river bandits and pirates. River transportation in Ruiyang County has also developed, the economy has been growing, and the county town has expanded from three streets to nine streets.
In the middle of Ruiyang County, there is a six-courtyard building facing north and south, which is the Ruiyang County Government Office.
There are two stone lions with bared fangs and claws standing on both sides of the county government gate, and a plaque in the middle with the words "Ruiyang County Government" on it, which looks majestic.
Two yamen runners in gray-black official uniforms stood at the door, each holding a long wooden stick placed on the ground. From a distance, they looked motionless, no different from stone lions.
Next to the yamen runner was a drum about the height of a person. The drum surface was smooth and shiny. The drumstick tied with a thick rope was placed on a mahogany frame with a thin layer of dust on it.
In order to prevent the phenomenon of "all government offices face south, and no one can come in if you have a reason but no money" as in the previous dynasty, Yan Dynasty established special regulations. Anyone who beats the drum must be tried by the county magistrate himself within three days, and those who are truly wronged shall not be convicted without reason.
Over the years, extremely evil things gradually disappeared, and the drum for reporting crimes was no longer of any use.
Early that morning, the drumstick of the Dengwen drum, which had been silent for a long time, was picked up by a girl with rosy cheeks and almond-shaped face. Seeing that the deafening drum sound was about to ring the bells of the people in Ruiyang County, Hu Zi, who was guarding the door, quickly suppressed a yawn and pretended to go in to report.
Before he got close, someone stepped over the threshold before him.
The wind blew gently, ruffling the man's clothes, and the air was filled with the smell of cedar mixed with coldness.
Hu Zi stared at the man's crescent-shaped white back in a daze. He stopped his colleague who was about to move and whispered, "Whose young master do you think he is? Do you want to save your head?"
Tian Nongxi watched from the corner of his eye, feeling very proud of himself for gritting his teeth and buying a second-hand brocade robe from the clothing store.
"Hey - you girl..." A rough and anxious voice came from far away. Li Kangbo hurried and finally caught up with the two young people.
He rested his hands on his thighs, panting uncontrollably, "Didn't you...say...we agreed to discuss this?"
He is a village chief. It would be disastrous if he was reported to the county government by a young girl.
Tian Nongxi shook the drumstick in his hand, shook his head and smiled mysteriously, "It's not that I don't want to discuss it. You saw that Lord Jing is impartial and selfless. He just went in to inform the county magistrate."
“You…you…”
Li Kangbo took a few steps forward and took out a few coins from his pocket to give to Hu Zi. "Master, please be kind. Did the top scholar come in?"
"Ah, what? Yes, Chief Clerk Jing has already signed the 'Mourning'." Hu Zi had just finished yawning when a man who looked like a drought-stricken crop field suddenly came up to him. He knocked on the wooden stick and said impatiently, "Get out of the way. I won't wrongly accuse you."
Li Kangbo stamped his foot, snatched the drumstick from Tian Nongxi's hand, and slammed it back onto the wooden frame. "Okay, okay, I'll do as you say, Auntie. Please ask Lord Jing to forgive me."
-
A hundred meters east of the Ruiyang County Government Office is a century-old stone bridge with lifelike carvings of mythical beasts. Boats frequently come and go under the bridge.
Along the bridge, restaurants and music halls have sprung up like mushrooms after a rain, countless of them.
The world-famous Linqing Pavilion, the first restaurant in Jiangnan, is located here.
It was not yet noon, but a long line had already formed in front of Linqing Pavilion.
Of course, this has nothing to do with Tian Nongxi, who has just received the start-up capital for farming.
There is a wonton stall about 20 to 30 meters diagonally opposite Linqing Pavilion. The stall owner is an old woman in her 40s or 50s.
She was carrying two small bowls of wontons to the two young men sitting at the innermost seat.
"Thank you." Tian Nongxi took it with both hands, looked up and smiled at the woman.
She took the opportunity to look at the people around her, moved the wontons to the edge of the table, took out a dusty purse from under the table and put it on the table.
Seeing Lin Luan looking over, Tian Nongxi smiled cunningly, "He gave me two taels of silver and promised me the deed to one acre of land."
"Congratulations." Lin Luan curled his eyes and smiled gently.
Tian Nongxi thought for a moment, then took out a hundred coins from his purse and handed them to Lin Luan, "Thank you, you may leave now."
From the way he entered the county government office today as if he were entering his own bedroom, Tian Nongxi could tell that the guy in front of him was definitely not a simple person.
Although she needed help, she knew she couldn't keep him.
"I don't know where to go." Lin Luan looked lonely.
"Where are your parents?" Tian Nongxi tilted his head, his eyes full of disbelief.
"He passed away many years ago." Lin Luan lowered his eyes and fell into memories, his voice choked with sobs, "Miss Tian, if you don't mind, could you allow me to stay at your house? Of course, I won't stay for free, you can call me if you have any errands."
Tian Nongxi didn't care whether it was true or false, his eyes and heart were filled with desire for labor.
She nodded rapidly, handed the vinegar dish to Lin Luan, and said with a genuine smile, "Follow me and work hard, and you'll definitely have good food and drinks."
She had discovered a bug. This damn system only said she had to earn 20 million gold, but it didn't say she couldn't spend it! She had to spend it all before going home.
Half an hour later, Tian Nongxi, who had already finished eating for twenty minutes, finally heard the sound of Lin Luan putting down the spoon when his upper eyelid was about to overtake his lower eyelid.
"Let's go buy some seeds."
Tian Nongxi immediately regained his energy and gave orders in a sonorous and forceful voice.
Just as the two were about to stand up, they saw a girl in a light blue skirt, about sixteen or seventeen, walking straight towards them. She bowed to Tian Nongxi and asked, "Are you the second wife of the Tianniu family in Tianjia Village? My master wants to see you."
The two looked at each other, both feeling a little puzzled.
Lin Luan took a step back calmly.
"Excuse me, young lady, who is your master?" Tian Nongxi asked.
The girl still looked dignified and said coldly, "Banker."
Tian Nongxi smiled and said, "So it was my uncle who was looking for me."
-
The girl led them into an exquisite carriage and drove slowly for half an incense stick of time. When the number of pedestrians on the street gradually decreased, she said, "We're here. Miss, please follow me out of the carriage."
She led them through a red gate and across a winding corridor. The servants passing by stopped what they were doing and saluted when they saw the three people coming.
Tian Nongxi listened and it seemed that the young girl in front of him had a high status in the Zhuang Mansion.
Only when they saw a pond full of flowers did the girl stop and bow to Tian Nongxi, saying, "The young lady is waiting for you in the pavilion."
Tian Nongxi looked up.
There was an octagonal pavilion in the middle of the pond. Inside the pavilion, a woman was sitting with her back to them, propping up her head, as if taking a nap.
In the fleeting glimpse, the pearls and jade on the woman's head were so dazzling that one could not take their eyes off.
It must be Zhuang Xueling, the most favored youngest daughter of the Zhuang family and Tian Erniang's aunt.
The original owner didn't have many memories of her, having only seen her during festivals. At that time, this aunt had always been away from the Tian family, isolated from the crowd.
The maid standing beside Zhuang Xueling saw someone coming, stopped fanning herself, and gently woke her up.
Zhuang Xueling was stunned for a moment, looked over here, but did not stand up.
It's too far to see clearly.
Zhuang Xueling didn't stand up until Tian Nongxi and the other person had half stepped into the pavilion. Her eyes first lingered on Lin Luan behind Tian Nongxi for a while, and then she walked straight towards Tian Nongxi.
"Second Mother, you've grown so big." Zhuang Xueling smiled and pulled Tian Nongxi over, bringing her to the table. "Sit down."
"Hello, aunt." Tian Nongxi smiled shyly and observed the woman in front of him calmly.
It was cold and deserted. If there was any difference from the original owner's memory, it was the poor complexion that even heavy makeup couldn't hide.
Zhuang Xueling pushed a plate of exquisite pine nut and milk pastry on the table to Tian Nongxi, "Here, try it. Yuejun said you like sweet food, so he asked the kitchen to make it specially for you."
Yuejun is the pen name of my uncle Tian Nongle.
"Thank you, Auntie." Tian Nongxi picked up a piece of it and it melted in his mouth. "Auntie, is there anything I can help you with?"
"This..." Zhuang Xueling looked at Lin Luan, who was standing aside with his arms folded, admiring the scenery, with a hesitant expression.
"Don't worry, auntie. This person is my friend. He keeps his mouth shut and won't say anything nonsense." Tian Nongxi talked nonsense.
"Forget it. If this goes through, everyone in Ruiyang County will know about it." Zhuang Xueling twisted her handkerchief, sighed, and continued, "Your uncle and I have been married for many years, but we have no children. As I'm getting older, I'm afraid..."
Tian Nongxi raised his eyebrows, the answer in his mind was about to come out, but he did not interrupt her, but just smiled more sincerely.
"I'm afraid I won't have that blessing." Zhuang Xueling made up her mind and told him everything. My parents doted on me, and Yuejun loved me and didn't want to take a concubine. But lately, every time I thought about Yuejun being left without a successor because of my incompetence, I felt heartbroken. Your uncle and I are not as good as your brother. We have three sensible children like you..."
Tian Nongxi interrupted her, her tone full of disbelief, "Aunt, are you trying to snatch my little ancestor away? My eldest brother's life or death is uncertain, and my little ancestor is the only male in my family!"
Zhuang Xueling looked at the hurt in the child's eyes and felt bad. She sighed heavily, "Second Mother, don't be angry. Guangzong is still alive."
After saying this, she winked at the maid standing beside her, "Fu Lian, go and get Guangzong's letter."
The only brother who was kind to the original owner was still alive? The amount of information was too much, and Tian Nongxi was still confused until he received the letter.
…
…
…
Tian Nongxi looked at the letter in his hand and blinked blankly.
"Look at me, I forgot that Er Niang can't read." Zhuang Xueling quickly took the letter back, "Let me read it."
"Second Uncle, I'm writing to you: The war is intense, and I... I've been forced to stay away from home for a long time. I'm writing this letter to express my condolences and to tell you that you're safe. Please let Grandpa, Grandma, and Second Mother know that you're safe. Don't worry! Signed: Tian Guangzong."
Tian Nongxi recalled the farm lease certificate he had just seen, covering his face with his hands and twitching the corners of his mouth.
Who said she is illiterate? She is very literate.
It seems they are too lazy to even fool people.
"Second Mother, don't be too excited." Zhuang Xueling hurriedly handed the letter to Fu Lian and gently patted Tian Nongxi's back to comfort her.
"Brother, at least you're still alive. My parents in heaven can rest in peace." Tian Nongxi's muffled voice came.
"Yes, it's good to be alive..." Zhuang Xueling sighed.
"But I still can't make the decision on this matter." Tian Nongxi raised his head, with tears still hanging on his eyelashes.
"Aunt knows you love my little ancestor, and I'm not forcing you to give up your brother. I just wanted to ask for your opinion." Zhuang Xueling smiled slightly. "After all, my little ancestor will take the imperial examination in the future, and the education in the Zhuang Mansion will definitely be better than in the countryside. Besides, we are already a family. How about just treating him as my adopted brother?"
His father favored Yuejun, so much so that not only did he not own the child, but even the Tian family's ancestral home had long been in Yuejun's name. He was only worried that Tian Erniang would cry, make a scene, or even commit suicide, so he resorted to this roundabout method.
Tian Nongxi did not answer.
Zhuang Xueling was not annoyed. She simply took off the golden lotus hairpin on her head and placed it in her hand. "Look at it, it's beautiful. This is what my father got when he was traveling. I heard there are only two in the entire Yan Dynasty, and one is on the Empress's head."
Tian Nongxi looked indeed dazzling, as if her heart was captivated. She couldn't help crying and stared blankly.
Zhuang Xueling understood, stood up and put it on Tian Nongxi's head, a trace of imperceptible heartache flashed in his eyes.
"But... what do I, a daughter from a poor family, need this for?"
"Silly girl, this will be enough to cover your dowry when you get married."
"Thank you, auntie. I don't want this." Tian Nongxi shook his head. "I want the land."
"land?"
"If Xiao Zu stays with my aunt and my eldest brother doesn't come back often, it will just be me and my grandparents at home. I want some land so I can grow some crops and fruits and be self-sufficient."
"That's easy. Fu Lian, go and get me a copy of the land deed in Tianjia Village." Seeing that Tian Nongxi only wanted land, Zhuang Xueling smiled and naturally agreed.
She was about to take the hairpin that Tian Nongxi had returned to her, but she saw Tian Nongxi stand up suddenly and had no intention of returning it to her.
Tian Nongxi was anxious, "Have grandpa, grandma and grandpa known?"
"Yuejun has prepared a carriage to pick up the two elders and the young ancestor."
"Then you must be sincere to him! Otherwise, Big Brother will beat you up."
Zhuang Xueling was amused by the childish words, sighed and sat back in her seat, "Of course, she must love me as if I were her own child."
The two sat in silence for a while until a noise came from the corridor in the distance.
Tian Nong Le was walking in front holding Tian Yaozu, while Tian Nai was supporting Tian Ye a few meters behind, crying with her hands covering her face.
Zhuang Xueling hurried forward, looked Tian Yaozu up and down calmly, and looked at Tian Nongle with some blame in her eyes.
"My child, from now on you have no brothers to help you." Grandma Tian, who had just walked into the pavilion, suddenly shook off Grandpa Tian's hand, rushed to Tian Nongxi who was sitting on the side, and covered her face and cried.
Upon hearing this, Tian Nongxi also started crying. She squatted down, took Tian Yaozu into her arms, and buried her head in his shoulder and sobbed.
"No way, we are all family."
Tian Nong Le and Zhuang Xue Ling, who had a child, also shed tears.
Several people had tears on their faces, but their thoughts were different.
Lin Luan watched from a distance, coldly observing what was happening, and also found it somewhat amusing.
He originally wanted to be an outsider watching the show, but suddenly he saw that when Tian Nongxi looked up, he was just howling, making faces but without a single tear.
Lin Luan took a few steps forward without hesitation, putting himself in the farce. With one hand, he took out a handkerchief from his arms and handed it to Tian Nongxi. With the other hand, he quietly placed his hand on Tian Nongxi's lower back and twisted it with some skillful force.
Half a second later, Tian Nongxi's wailing sound echoed throughout the manor, startling the others so much that they quickly wiped their tears and went over to comfort her.
【Author’s words】
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