Chapter 121

"Xu Yi, Xinyao and I are very happy that you can come to pick us up at the city gate. Unfortunately, we haven't been home for many days, so we have to go home first." After Tao Qinghao said this, he glanced towards his home to pick us up. His servants.

It's Butler Tao.

He just stood there at a distance, without moving or coming over. Perhaps when he saw Tao Qinghao's sideways glance, he smiled the best he could.

Tao Qinghao's eyes looked unhappy and he looked away.

He said to Xu Yi: "When we are done, Xinyao and I will go find you."

Xin Shengyuan felt very reluctant to give up, and there were other reasons. He did not get a rank in the exam, so he went home. After that, in addition to his mother, all the other seven aunts and eight wives came to his house to watch over him, saying they were looking after him.

Who doesn't know, it's just for teaching.

"Xu Yi, if not, please leave me a post after you go back. I can take your post and run away in good faith." Xin Shengyuan came over and said in a low voice.

The corners of Xu Yi's eyes curled up, and a smile flashed across his eyes as he said, "Although I want to sit down and have a nice chat with you, unfortunately, I have to be busy with Brother Zhang's affairs these days, so I can't be distracted."

"Brother Zhang. " ? "Your Orion friend?" Tao Qinghao suddenly thought of who it was.

They got together several times, but because Zhang Tiegou looked a bit fierce, Tao Qinghao and Xin Shengyuan didn't have much contact with him.

Xin Shengyuan's eyes lit up: "What is it? If you are short of people, you can ask me for help."

Xu Yi paused, this is about Zhang Tiegou, and about the reputation of the young lady of the Li family, they have nothing to do with it. It has not been decided yet, and if I say it rashly, I am worried that it will affect both of them.

Thinking of this, Xu Yi shook his head: "It's a private matter that I can't tell my friends. But next time you come, if you meet him, you can ask him in person."

"Okay." The curiosity in Xin Shengyuan's eyes disappeared.

...

Zhang Tiegou looked at Xu Yi who came back alone, and asked in confusion: "Didn't you go to pick them up? Why are you coming back alone?"

"I just went to see them and came back after seeing them." Xu Yi sat down. , drank a cup of tea to soothe my throat.

He raised his eyes and looked at Zhang Tiegou's face. After applying facial grease for a few days, he felt that his face was not as dark as before.

However, the facial oil made from natural medicinal materials is not miraculous. Its effect is gradual. Only with long-term use can you experience the changes that penetrate into the skin, thereby moisturizing and improving the skin.

When Zhang Tiegou saw his expression, he knew what Xu Yi was thinking about again.

He waited and saw Xu Yi retracting his gaze, so he asked with a smile: "Brother Xu, I have been applying facial makeup for several days. Do you think I can go see Miss Li now?"

Xu Yi was surprised: "You haven't been there these days?"

He remembered that Zhang Tiegou used to go there every day.

Zhang Tiegou scratched his head: "I wanted to, but I haven't made any arrangements. I'm afraid that if I go, Mrs. Li will dislike me."

Xu Yi: "..."

He pinched his eyebrows and said seriously: "You have to go. Hearing this

, Zhang Tiegou looked at him with blank eyes.

Xu Yi asked back: "Aren't you afraid? If you haven't been there for the past few days, then Storekeeper Li mistakenly thought that you had given up and didn't want to marry his sister, so he betrothed Mrs. Li to someone else?"

Zhang Tiegou stood up from his chair. Jumped up suddenly: "No, I have to go. Thanks to my good brother for reminding me, I'll go right away..."

"Wait." Xu Yi called to him.

"It's good for you to go, but you can't go directly." "Why?" Zhang Tiegou said, "Does this young lady have so much knowledge in her? What would I do if I didn't have you?" He sighed with emotion

.

After that, he urged Xu Yi to speak quickly.

Xu Yi said: "Bring two boxes of snacks to the snack shop at the end of Dongjie Shijing Alley. They have a snack called Peach Blossom Crispy, and Miss Li likes it very much."

Although Zhang Tiegou is a rough man, he also It's not that he is stupid. After hearing this, he felt a little guilty and a little grateful.

Feeling guilty that even though he was so eager to marry Miss Li, he never asked about her preferences.

I am grateful that Xu Yi did this for him.

"Good brother, how can I thank you?" He held his fists and shouted gratefully, "If my good brother needs me in the future, I will never refuse. I will serve you wholeheartedly."

Xu Yi couldn't laugh or cry, saying that he was exaggerating. .

He was just a bystander, and it was not him who inquired about this matter, but Ah Jin.

Xu Yi specially sent A Jin to buy sake at Li's wine shop, and then he saw Li Mengniang. Although his father didn't want her to come to the wine shop, Li Mengniang still came a few times, but she didn't see Zhang Tiegou. She didn't come for the past two days.

By chance, Ah Jin saw her going to a snack shop to buy snacks.

It happened that Xu Yi also liked dim sum, but he didn't eat much, but he had to have some at home. Ah Jin would go to the dim sum shop to buy them every day. He met Li Mengniang by chance a few times. Every time he saw Li Mengniang, all she bought were peach blossom cakes.

Peach Blossom Cake is crispy and delicious, shaped like peach blossoms, and many women in the boudoir love to eat it.

Zhang Tiegou didn't expect this. Ajin was from a girl's family, so he quickly thought of it and informed Xu Yi about it.

Although Xu Yi has never been in love in his entire life, he has seen his brother do it.

"Let Ah Jin go buy it. You can change your clothes first before going." Xu Yi suggested.

Zhang Tiegou ran back to his house quickly, changed into new clothes and came out. On the way, he thought of the saying in the opera about buying hairpins for the woman he loved, so he turned back, took the jiaozi and stuffed it into his arms.

Xu Yi shook his head silently. If he bought a hairpin as a gift now, he would probably be kicked out by the owner of the wine shop.

The owner of the wine shop is also worried. The family has lost money on the dowry. Sister Meng wants to marry into a good family, but she doesn't have a dowry to support her face. She is afraid that she will be bullied.

But she waited and waited, but she couldn't wait for a good husband to come to ask for her hand in marriage.

However, in the past few days, a student who failed the exam returned and sent his mother-in-law to speak.

The owner of the wine shop rarely met a scholar who came to ask for marriage, and he was busy serving tea and snacks. Unexpectedly, this lion family asked them to support each other to study for the imperial examination.

Such a big thing as studying and taking the imperial examination will not end in ten or eight years. If we really supported such a scholar, it would be okay if he passed the exam, but what if he failed?

Then wouldn’t their efforts be in vain?

In the Li family's house.

Living in the main house was the matron, who was over sixty years old. Her hair was styled into a high bun, and she only wore a headscarf and a sandalwood-colored hair comb.

The clothes she wore were not gorgeous, just more decent than those of ordinary people. She looked at her son kneeling on the ground and sighed silently.

"Get up, there's no point in kneeling." After the old lady said this, she sent the mother-in-law who was taking care of her to bring a chair to her son who staggered up.

"Your kneeling for three days and two days is of little use. If you are sincere, just make up for the lost money. Don't let Sister Meng suffer the injustice."

"Mom, my son is wrong, and he shouldn't speak nonsense. ." Li Jiaerlang wiped his face with his sleeves and wanted to kneel down again.

This time, he was given a sharp look by his old mother and did not dare to really kneel down.

The second man of the Li family said: "Mom, please ask your eldest brother... to lend me some money. I will definitely earn back the money I lost this time."

"Confused!" The old lady's chest heaved with anger, and she wanted to throw the tea cup away. he.

But when he thought that all the things in the house were purchased by his eldest son, he reluctantly put them down, holding back his anger and said: "You can save my worries. If you can really make money, I will still respect you." I'm afraid that you don't have the ability,

but you insist on trying to get better." "Erlang, Erlang, can you please save my worries and stop harming the peace of the family? If you lose Sister Meng's dowry now, will you do it tomorrow? Are you going to lose Brother Ming's education money? Or are you still thinking about my coffin book?"

Erlang of the Li family knelt down in horror: "Mom, I never thought about it like this. You have wronged your son, and my son also thought about it. Let me share the burden with my eldest brother. We only have a wine shop at home. This is not a long-term matter. I am doing it for our family."

"Go back to the house. I don't want to hear what you say anymore." The old lady didn't know that he had such sweet talk. If he really had this ability, he would not have lost more than a hundred silver coins in total.

Erlang of the Li family wanted to say something else, but the woman next to him couldn't stand it and pulled him up: "Mr. Erlang, please go back first. Don't make the old lady angry."

Erlang of the Li family opened his mouth and wanted to say something else. , but seeing the old mother’s pale face with anger, she didn’t dare to talk any more.

He was afraid that if he was really angry, his elder brother would really fall out with him.

Not long after he left, the eldest son of the Li family, the owner of the wine shop, came to see his mother worriedly.

But he saw his mother rubbing her chest, sighing and taking some soothing pills under the service of her mother-in-law.

"Mom, what's wrong?" The elder of the Li family asked worriedly.

The old lady waved her hand: "Nothing, why do you have time to come to my place? You don't need to watch over at the wine shop?"

The eldest son of the Li family sighed silently and said: "I can't make up my mind about something, so I wanted to come and listen to my mother's opinion.

The old lady looked at him: "Is it about Sister Meng?" "Yes. "

The elder man of the Li family told the old lady about the families who came to their house to propose marriage in the past few days. After speaking, he said, "These two families." , one of the families wanted my sister to be their second wife, but the other party was already in her thirties. Once my sister got married, she would directly become the stepmother of their three children..."

How could he resist his daughter's temperament? There were two more gold cakes on the post about the betrothal gift sent by the other party, and the elder man of the Li family was also hesitant.

The old lady frowned: "Sister Meng is not ready to marry such a widower. You should push her away."

"Yes, my son thinks so too." The eldest son of the Li family said hurriedly.

Then, he mentioned the other two families before mentioning Zhang Tiegou.

He hesitated, but still said to the old lady: "This Orion brought a matchmaker and gave him two gifts, but..."

"Zhang Orion? Why haven't I heard you say this before?" The old lady immediately noticed it. Something is wrong, "You don't like her?"

The elder man of the Li family smiled coquettishly: "Mom, I'm not bad, I won't marry a hunter. I don't want to find someone better."

The old lady said, "Huh." He groaned, but he didn't know in his heart that he wanted to climb a high tree, but he didn't have the ability. Otherwise, he would have rejected the other party long ago.

"Tell me carefully, what is this Zhang Orion like?"

The elder man of the Li family did not dare to hide the truth from the old lady, so he could only tell the truth.

After hearing this, the old lady asked thoughtfully: "What did you give me? Let me see."

The Li family was not from the city before. When the old lady was young, he had an opportunity and earned a lot of money. Only then did he settle down in the county town. Later, he opened a wine shop on East Street. The wine shop was inherited by his eldest son, and the younger son became a man with nothing to do.

The old lady is also worried. If this continues, the Li family may collapse.

Soon, the mother-in-law brought the things given by Zhang Tiegou.

There are eight pieces of tea cakes, which are made of red silk paper. They are the best tea. There are also two pairs of clear oil, four plates of dried fruits, and two pairs of candles.

Then, the elder man of the Li family also included the two boxes of snacks he brought over.

He coughed twice and said, "There are peach blossom cakes here. I didn't want to take them, but the guy put them down and ran away."

The old lady's eyes passed over these items one by one, and each item was picked out. After she asked who the matchmaker was, she found out that the matchmaker had also invited the matchmaker with the best reputation in the county.

It seems that Orion really wants to marry his sister Meng in this picture.

Thinking that Sister Meng had not gone to the wine shop to help in the past few days, the old lady moved her eyes slightly and asked her eldest son to put down his things and go out first.

"Mom, you haven't given me an idea yet?" the elder man of the Li family reminded.

The old lady said, "We'll discuss this matter tomorrow. I'll ask someone to call you tomorrow."

...

Three days later, the Xing family will open the flowing water banquet.

Zhang Tiegou actually received an invitation from Xing Yuesen. He looked at the exquisite gold paper over and over again and asked Xu Yi if he would use this paper to write invitations on the day he got married.

Xu Yi: "..."

He couldn't bear it and patted him on the head: "Be clear, this paper is worth thousands of gold. It's hard to find even a single piece of paper. You can't even buy it in a bookstore."

"How expensive is it?" Zhang Tie Hook clicked his tongue.

Xu Yi counted the numbers in front of him. Zhang Tiegou thought for a moment and said, "Fifty cents per card?"

"It's five cents." Xu Yi said coldly.

Zhang Tiegou was so surprised: "!" He almost threw out the post in his hand.

This gold paper is too expensive.

Xu Yi told him that it was expensive because of the addition of gold foil, and the workmanship was so exquisite that even a modern person couldn't help but marvel.

They didn't continue chatting for long. Soon, they got into Uncle Liu's car and arrived outside Xing's house.

Today's Xing family is very lively. When parking, you can see the huge vermilion gate of Xing family, with many smiling people coming in and out.

Xu Yi took Zhang Tiegou through the running water mat in the front yard. The food was served quickly and the people eating it were quick. Looking over, they saw that they were all civilians in the city who came to join in the fun.

They drank wine and ate banquets, praising the Xing family's wealth and generosity loudly, and Xing Wulang's talent, intelligence, and bright future.

Among the friends he knows now, Xing Yuesen is indeed a very outstanding person. He has profound insights into reading and has unique ideas about writing policy papers.

Xu Yi put a smile on his face and said: "It's really good to see Brother Xing's family like this."

After a while, Zhang Tiegou said hesitantly: "Good brother, do you think the gift I brought today is too light?" Come on."

As soon as they came in from the front yard, there were waiting servants leading them to this place, surrounded by quiet and elegant places, rockeries, and thousands of bonsais.

Looking around, he could only see a few tables, each of which was separated by a distance and quite private.

They were sitting here and couldn't hear what other people were talking about.

Xu Yi said: "The courtesy is light but the affection is heavy. It's fine if the gift is delivered to you."

This time, the Xing family invited none other than Chef Lu to cook the banquet.

This time, Chef Lu did not show her face at the table. She brought a group of people, all of whom she had adopted before.

Everyone learns one or two special dishes from Chef Lu, and when there is a big banquet, they can divide the work and cooperate, which comes in handy.

The closer one got to the Xing family, the closer the banquet was to the host's house. Xu Yi saw that Pan County Lieutenant had also arrived, sitting at the head table, and Xing Yuesen was also there.

"Xu Yi!"

"Are you here?" Xu Yi turned around, looked at the two people dressed in colorful clothes, and smiled.

Tao Qinghao and Xin Shengyuan sat down next to him, waving their fans and saying, "We were here early. We went to play with Brother Yuan for a while before we came."

Brother Yuan is Xing Yuesen's son, named Xing Luyuan. Xu Yi has met him once before. .

He asked in surprise: "Why didn't he come with you?"

"He is still young, and Xing Wu doesn't want Brother Yuan to be exposed to this so early." After Xin Shengyuan finished speaking, he asked Xu Yi why he didn't come in the Xing family's vehicle.

"If you come in the Xing family's vehicle, you can follow us to tease Brother Yuan."

After Xin Shengyuan said that, his eyes finally fell on Zhang Tiegou next to Xu Yi. When he saw him, he was stunned.

"You...Brother Zhang?"

Zhang Tiegou nodded: "It's me. Don't you recognize me?"

"No, that's not it." Xin Shengyuan looked at him up and down, curiously, "Why do I remember that you weren't there before? Like this."

"Did you have some adventure? Why are you dressed so unusually?" Tao Qinghao was also surprised.

After they asked, their eyes fell back on Xu Yi.

Xu Yi smiled: "Brother Zhang must tell me this matter himself."

Zhang Tiegou laughed naively, drank a glass of wine and said: "I have fallen in love with a young lady, and I want to go to her house to propose marriage, but the matchmaker mother said that I have to arrange it. This is what I am doing myself."

Tao Qinghao spat out a mouthful of wine and said, "No, you have fallen in love with some young lady."

Xin Shengyuan glared at Tao Qinghao with disgust.

He moved his position and got closer to Xu Yi. He didn't want to talk to two people who only knew about love and love. He thought these were boring anyway.

Xin Shengyuan is different.

At present, he is only interested in food. In order to get a bite of his favorite food, he can even sneak out of the back door at night. He has been caught by the family servants several times.

If not, he couldn't stand Tao Qinghao's former president, so why would he still be friends with him? It's not because Tao Qinghao can always find a lot of market snacks that he has never eaten before.

Xin Shengyuan said to Xu Yi, "Are you still making mint and loquat drinks this summer?"

"Want to drink it?" Xu Yi looked at him.

Xin Shengyuan nodded heavily: "Other drinks are either boring or not as delicious. The one you made is ice cold and magical. There is always a refreshing taste in your mouth after drinking it. "

Xu Yi said with a smile: "That's the reason for the mint."

Because Mrs. Chen has her own business, only part of the loquats sent by the neighbors on South Street this year were made by Mrs. Chen.

Later, the neighbor who sent loquats sent two more baskets.

After Xu Yi bought it with money, he asked Fang Liuniang to peel it and make it into candied loquats.

It's a pity that the taste she made is different from Mrs. Chen's. Using this candied loquat to make mint loquat drink is not as delicious as last year's.

Xin Shengyuan's eyes widened: "How about I invite Mrs. Chen to make candied loquats."

He really couldn't bear to take this bite.

Xu Yi heard his suggestion and thought it was quite wonderful. Maybe he could get some extra money for Mrs. Chen.

The two of them discussed that after the banquet was over, they would go to the northern suburbs to find Mrs. Chen.

On the other side, Tao Qinghao and Zhang Tiegou were almost chatting. Tao Qinghao was very interested in this matter and decided to join them.

Xu Yi: "???"

Tao Qinghao said: "This is the beauty of adulthood. How could I miss such a good thing? Besides, Xu Yi, you have already spent a lot of thought on Brother Zhang. Let's do it next ."

After he finished speaking, he made a gesture towards Xu Yi.

Xu Yi was speechless.

Xin Shengyuan shook his head.

Xu Yi asked him what he planned to do.

Tao Qinghao didn't have any idea at all. He simply didn't want to be detained at home, especially when he saw Butler Tao's hypocritical smile at home, he became very angry.

It's better to find something fun to do. The Xu family is very nice. It's quiet there and there are no outsiders to disturb you.

At most, he would occasionally be pulled into being a young man by Xu Yi.

But there are benefits to being a strong man. Although Xu Yi can't cook, he can think of ways to eat that others can't think of.

You can even use medicinal materials to make delicious medicinal meals.

Why not.

As soon as they came back, the Xu family became very lively.

Tao Qinghao asked Zhang Tiegou to come up with ideas, but before he could think of a good idea, the matchmaker's mother first sent good news. She came to the Xu family to congratulate her, saying that the Li family had agreed to the marriage.

In this case, Zhang Tiegou can go to propose marriage with the wedding ceremony.

This turn of events happened so quickly that Zhang Tiegou was overjoyed, but after feeling so happy, he didn't know what to do.

Fortunately, the matchmaker's mother took over everything, made him a list of wedding gifts, and asked him to buy them one by one.

At that time, you can have a good time and hire a few idle men to carry gifts and knock on Li's door.

Zhang Tiegou had been planning for so long, but he had to take it out to meet someone. On the day of the proposal, he would go there in person.

Early the next morning, everyone in the Xu family was preparing for this matter.

"Brother, I'm nervous." Zhang Tiegou, a man with eight feet, was holding his hands trembling, not knowing how to place them.

Xu Yi patted him on the shoulder: "Don't be afraid. If the Li family agrees, there is no reason to regret the marriage. Don't be too hasty and let the matchmaker arrange everything."

In this regard, the matchmaker is the professional.

After the wedding ceremony, three letters and six betrothal letters must be made, but ordinary people do not have so many rules. As long as they pass the door ceremony and hand over letters of engagement to each other, they can choose a date to get married.

The date of the wedding was quickly decided, it was August 18th.

There is still more than a month of preparation time. By then, Zhang Tiegou will have a family.

Xing family.

Officer Xing was holding a wooden box and pacing back and forth in the study.

Xing Yuesen, who was standing next to him, lowered his eyes and did not look at him.

Officer Xing stopped, looked at his son and said, "This gift is from Dr. Xu. Do you know what it contains?"

Xing Yuesen said calmly, "It's agarwood pills."

"Not an ordinary agarwood pill!" The member opened the wooden box excitedly and looked at it with fondness, but was reluctant to touch it for fear of getting sweat stains and contaminating the smell.

"This is an agarwood pill made from the best agarwood. How many times have your father and I asked Manager Li about it, but we have never been able to buy another piece of such good agarwood in Yanting."

Mr. Xing was confused, where did Xu Yi come from? The agarwood you got?

It was not that he had ever suspected that Xu Yi was hiding something, but he was a noble member of their family, and it was he who cured the old man's illness. If he asked rashly, he would be disrespectful of etiquette.

But if he didn't ask, he would be itchy and unable to sleep.

He called Xing Yuesen because he wanted his son to come forward and ask Xu Yi if he still had the best agarwood.

"Dad, this is inappropriate." Xing Yuesen's eyes changed.

Mr. Xing sighed: "You know, this is my only hobby. Now that I have found an opportunity, I can't bear to ask."

"If he really has it, can you ask for me if I can part with it?" Mr. Xing said. Don't give up yet.

Xing Yuesen was silent for a moment and then responded.

When he came to look for Xu Yi, Xu Yi was making facial butter in the pharmacy.

This noodle soup was not for Zhang Tiegou, but when Mrs. He and Mrs. Chen came to the door, they heard about this noodle soup, so they asked Xu Yi to make some for them.

Women's love for beauty has nothing to do with age.

Since her reconciliation with Chen Erwang, Mrs. Chen has kept all the money she earned in her own hands. Now that she has spare money, she wants to treat herself better.

Mrs. He is because her family has become richer and her life is not as tight as before, so she also has to pay for other expenses.

The face cream sold in rouge shops in the city can only have the effect of smearing the face. The facial oil made by Xu Yi can nourish the skin, whiten and beautify the face.

Xu Yi heard Xing Yuesen's arrival and came out of the pharmacy wiping his hands.

He hasn't spoken yet.

Xing Yuesen said first: "Brother Yi, the thing you gave me is in my father's hands."