In the evening, Chen Ahfu took the older children and the old marquis to Luyuan for dinner. Lechen couldn't go, so she asked the two younger brothers to accompany her. Wang Shi was very disappointed to see that she didn't bring her grandson. Chen Ahfu whispered to her the reason, and Wang Shi had to give up.
After that, the two brothers became addicted to playing in Fuyuan. They never got tired of it and didn't even want to go home at night. They would grumble and groan when asked to go home. Liaochen accompanied the two brothers to play here every day and also lived in Tangyuan.
A few days later, Liaochen wanted to go back to Yingxue Temple to take a look, so Chen Afu deliberately said to the two brothers, "What should we do? Grandma is leaving and doesn't want us anymore."
The two little brothers were very smart, and burst into tears when they heard it. Liaochen felt so distressed that he sighed, "Okay, okay, stop crying, grandma will accompany your grandchildren."
Chen Afu was content to leave Lechen in Tangyuan.
However, there was one thing that puzzled her greatly. It turned out that Old Lady Chen would come to Lu Garden for a meal every day. She had been back for several days and had seen Hu Laowu, Wu the Carpenter, and Gao Lizheng come to Lu Garden, but she had not seen Old Lady Chen and Chen Ye come here, let alone other people from the first house.
When Chen Ming was away, Wang quietly told Chen Afu that last month, Old Lady Chen came to discuss with Chen Ming again, wanting Chen Ming and Chen Shi to pay money to build a courtyard like Luyuan for the eldest son at the north end of the village.
Chen Ming had been hoping that as long as the eldest wife had a yard in the city, she would not ask for money from her brothers. Unexpectedly, not long after, she asked for money again through the old lady.
He finally realized that Ah Fu was right. If he didn't refuse, the eldest wife would keep asking for more. This would not only harm the hardworking eldest brother, but also ruin the relationship between the three brothers.
He sent someone to take the letter to Chen Shi. When Chen Shi came back, he did not live in the main house, but in Luyuan. The next day, he called Old Lady Chen over, and the two brothers talked with her behind closed doors for most of the day. When they came out, Old Lady Chen's eyes were red from crying, and she cursed Chen Ming, Chen Shi for being ungrateful, and for being sorry for the eldest brother.
After Old Lady Chen returned, she never came to Luyuan again, and neither did Chen Ye. Only Chen Agui came secretly once and gave Chen Ming an apology.
In those days, rumors spread in the village that Chen Ming and Chen Shi had forgotten their origins and were only partial to their daughter-in-law's family. As soon as these rumors spread, some people said that if the two brothers had forgotten their origins and were not grateful, how could Chen Ye and Chen Agui, two peasants, become landlords and shopkeepers, and how could they buy a house in the capital. People gave them so much, and they still said this, it was really unkind, etc.
Chen Ming was furious when he heard the rumors. Even outsiders knew what was going on, but they still said those things against their conscience. He thought again and again and said that he would ignore them and let them calm down first. He also said that Chen Ye was a smart man and he would think clearly about what would benefit him. If he couldn't figure it out for the time being, he would keep thinking about it and he would figure it out one day. When he figured it out, they would still be good brothers.
Later, Hu Laowu came to Luyuan and said that his sister and brother-in-law were confused. He also went to the Chen family compound and scolded them.
However, Chen Ming felt that he should show filial piety when it was due, so every ten days, he would ask Shanzi to bring two catties of meat and two catties of snacks to Old Lady Chen. Old Lady Chen refused to accept the first and second times, but she accepted it after the third time. Every month, the old lady was given one or two taels of silver as pension money, and she always accepted it.
Chen Ahfu was slightly stunned, then smiled and said, "My father is a scholar after all, and he has a brilliant mind."
Wang smiled and said, "It's not entirely because your father is a student, but also because he thinks it's right to listen to his daughter."
Chen Afu was very happy when he heard this.
Wang also said that Ding was taken to the capital as a witness by Chu Lingxuan, and she was so frightened that she fell ill and could not get out of bed when she returned home. Wang Cai not only did not call a doctor, but also took away all her silver and jewelry. Ding was angry and anxious, and her condition worsened. The villagers hated her in the first place, and seeing that her son and old man Wang did not care about her, they ignored her. She died a few days later.
After Ding died, Wang Cai and Ding's family fought over the five mu of land she left behind. Later, after mediation by the head of the village, Wang Cai got three mu and Ding's family got two mu.
Ding, who sold Wang twice and caused Wang Cheng to suffer for half his life, died just like that.
Wang spoke calmly about those things, "I wished Ding would die at first, but when I heard that she was really dead, I wasn't as happy as I thought... Alas."
When Chen Ahfu told her about Chen Shiying's mother being divorced, she had the same expression. She said, "That old lady Zhao, because she is Yingdi's mother, no matter how she treated me, I never really hated her before. But after she tried to harm you, I hated her to death. I can't understand how there can be such a vicious person in the world, who can even harm her own granddaughter in such a sinister way... She has ended up like this, God has punished her, and I don't need to hate her anymore."
When she talked about being included in the Chen family tree, her reaction was a little bigger. She was stunned for a moment, then laughed. She said, "Brother Ying and I are now considered siblings. I don't value that status. But because my mother's name was cleared, Ah Fu no longer has to live with the name of an illegitimate daughter and no longer suffers injustice, so I am still happy."
Life in the countryside was pleasant and peaceful. Chen Ahfu's belly was gradually showing. She was puzzled. The last time she was pregnant, she had a strong reaction and wanted to eat sour and spicy food every day, but this time she didn't seem to have any reaction. If it weren't for her gradually growing belly and someone reminding her from time to time, she would often forget that she was pregnant.
In addition to taking care of the children, she would also take care of the crops when she had nothing to do, mainly the crispy cucumbers.
She didn't dare to use the cucumber seeds she brought into the space, but used the seeds left by the cucumbers, saying that the seeds of the foreigners had been used up. Although the cucumbers grown from these seeds were not as delicious as the previous cucumbers, they were still crisper, sweeter and smaller than ordinary cucumbers. Chen Afu called them "crisp little cucumbers."
Crispy cucumbers are now her favorite. Pickled cucumbers, refreshing cucumbers, spicy cucumbers, sweet and sour cucumbers, etc. are indispensable for every meal.
On June 15, she received a letter from Chu Lingxuan. Master Chu San had been appointed as the Left Commander of the Left Army Commander's Office, a first-rank official. He was also the youngest first-rank official since the founding of the Dashun Dynasty, and he was only 38 years old this year.
Wang Cheng has been rehabilitated, and the emperor even summoned Wang Cheng to the Golden Palace to commend him, saying that it was a humiliation for the court to let such a hero who was loyal to the country suffer.
The emperor rewarded Wang Cheng with 500 taels of silver, a box of oriental pearls, and ten pieces of imperial forging, and appointed him as a fifth-rank official in the Zuojun Dudufu. An official was a civilian official in the army, and because Wang Cheng was disabled, the emperor sympathized with him and appointed him as such.
Afterwards, the emperor asked Wang Cheng if he had any other requests. Wang Cheng, who was so frightened that he could not even speak fluently, unexpectedly asked for an imperial decree for his sister Wang.
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