Chapter 259 Teaching
During the time when the old lady was ill, Zhuang Yulan, pregnant, came three times accompanied by her husband Shi Songmao to visit her great-aunt. Every time, the fourth or sixth master would take over. After the housekeeper reported it, the maid from Jinhua Hall came out of the front hall to reply, saying that the old lady was resting and would not see any outsiders, and asked the great-aunt to go back and take good care of herself and not to worry. The gifts she brought were left behind. In consideration of her admirable filial piety, the Hou Mansion would return the gifts every time, all of which were top-grade silk and satin fabrics or precious ornaments made of gold, silver and jade, some of which were from the palace. Compared with the gifts brought by the couple, they were even more valuable.
Seeing this, Shi Songmao finally gave up, knowing that Xu Junying did not take him seriously. When they met in the court, they might chat a little, but he could not have a private visit to the mansion for a secret talk. He could only sigh in silence, thinking that his career had come to an end, and he had already entered the retirement stage? He was really unwilling to accept this.
Meimei couldn't help asking Xu Junying why he didn't see Shi Songmao, Xu Junying said: "If I don't want to see him, then I won't see him."
"Is it because he married your cousin Lan?"
"What are you thinking about?" Xu Junying glanced at her and said, "It's better for you to know less about the affairs of the court, especially the past... As officials in the same court, their political views must be the same, but everyone acts differently. The court only wants the result. I don't agree with what he did. If someone else did that thing, the outcome might be better and there would be no regrets."
"So what does the emperor think of him?"
"The emperor has achieved what he wanted. No matter what else, he has been given the rewards that should be given. Let's stop here and don't mention the past. He has now returned to the court as a second-rank scholar. Since he is in an idle position, he should know the emperor's will and be content with the status quo and cultivate himself. If he is unwilling to be lonely and shows off too much, which will make the emperor unhappy, then he will have to find another place to spend his old age."
Meimei listened and looked at the withered and curled lotus leaves in the pond, and couldn't help but sigh. Xu Junying smiled and said, "Why are you sighing? You don't look like the kind of person who would feel sad about the passing of time."
Meimei also smiled: "I don't mind the sadness in spring and autumn. Spring flowers and autumn fruits, how wonderful it is to enjoy the time. I asked Cuilian and Cuisi to pick the sweet-scented osmanthus in the east courtyard. How are we going to pick the lotus leaves in this pond?"
Xu Junying said: "Lotus leaves are there every year, what are we going to do with them?"
"It can be used in medicine and cooking. My wife takes a medicine every day that requires half a lotus leaf to be covered on the medicine pot and boiled. In the middle of winter, if you want to eat chicken wrapped in lotus leaves or steamed pork with lotus flavor, where can you find lotus leaves? The leaves in the pond have been hit by frost. If they are not collected in time, they will rot after an autumn rain. Collect them, dry them carefully and seal them. They will be convenient for use at any time."
"After what you said, all the dead leaves in the pond have become rare. Give them to Baoju and Baizhan. They will collect them all."
Xu Junying smiled and held Meimei's shoulders, walked back from the pool, and said softly: "Were you worried about me just now? Afraid that we would also be treated coldly? Don't worry, at least in the next few decades, the emperor still needs me as his left arm and right arm. In addition to the friendship between the monarch and his subject that we grew up with, and the friendship of life and death on the battlefield, he and I have a tacit understanding, that is, to protect and support each other, and never let each other down for the rest of our lives."
Meimei stopped and looked at him sideways: "That sounds weird."
Xu Junying was puzzled: "Why is it so strange?"
"In my imagination, the emperor and you...are a bit like another Prince Qi and Jian Yu."
Meimei finished speaking and ran away with a smile. Xu Junying was stunned for a long while, raised his hands, and pounced on her like an eagle catching a chick: "How dare you... How dare you think of Meimei like that, you are so mean!"
Fortunately, the willow trees beside the pond covered most of the two people's bodies, otherwise Heng'er, who was playing with the maids not far away, would have been able to open his eyes.
At the end of September, Xu Xiaorong got married. The Liang family of Yuzhou already had someone serving as an official in Beijing. He was Liang Guye's uncle, Liang Jinjiang, the Minister of the Honglu Temple. He was the one who took the lead in arranging this marriage for his nephew. Because he had no sons but only one daughter, he adopted Liang Yongzhi, the more ambitious of his nephews, as his own. The Liang family was originally just a well-off small family in the local area, not very famous, but Liang Jinjiang was a fourth-rank official in the Honglu Temple, and it was not objectionable for him to ask for the adopted son to marry the illegitimate daughter of the Hou family. The woman he was getting married to was the mother of his colleague and the cousin of the old lady of Anlehou's family. They had good reputation. At that time, the sad news of the seventh son's death in the battle had not yet reached the family, and the first wife was unwilling to make plans for a concubine's daughter. So Old Lady Xu took the initiative to agree to the marriage. After Xu Junying returned to Beijing, Liang Jinjiang brought his nephew to visit again. Xu Junying and his brothers talked with the father and son. Seeing that Liang Yongzhi was a good person with great knowledge, and was about to take the imperial examination at the same time as the sixth son Xu Junxuan, they agreed to this marriage and set a date for the wedding.
Liang Yongzhi was unable to take the exam because his mother suddenly became seriously ill and he had to rush back to his hometown, missing the exam. Liang Jinjiang was very broad-minded. After adopting his nephew, he married him and did not stop him from honoring his biological parents. Liang Yongzhi had already passed the imperial examination, so he had to take the exam again two years later. However, his biological mother was ill and his father was busy working outside. He had a younger brother and a younger sister. His younger brother was 18 years old and was also studying, and his younger sister was already an adult. Liang Yongzhi was worried about his family, so he begged his uncle to allow him to marry and return home. He would return to Beijing to take the exam two years later, and then he and his wife would serve his uncle and aunt.
When Aunt Zhou heard about this, she was reluctant to let her daughter go and burst into tears. Xu Junxuan felt sorry for his aunt and came to discuss with Meimei. Meimei said: Ask the young lady and the son-in-law. If they are willing, then let son-in-law Liang bring his parents, brothers and sisters to come. Both sons-in-law came to Beijing to study and take the exam. If he could give the house to Xu Xiaojuan, why not to Xu Xiaorong?
Xu Junying discussed with Xu Junting and Xu Junxuan that in addition to the gold, silver, farms, shops and other property that came as a dowry, they would also buy another house that was about the same size as Xu Xiaojuan's, and renovate it and give it to Xu Xiaorong. Liang Yongzhi and Xu Xiaorong did not have to return home after their wedding. The Hou Mansion sent an official ship and guards to pick up his family to reunite in Beijing. They were overjoyed and returned to their parents' home to thank their brother and sister-in-law for their kindness. While the men were drinking wine and tasting tea, the sisters-in-law sat in the compartment and chatted. Meimei took Xu Xiaorong's hand and said in front of the sisters-in-law and the other two girls: "Although you are a married girl, your parents' door is always open to you, and they will always support you when you have difficulties. But we still hope that you can give full play to your intelligence and talents, be virtuous and intelligent, devote yourself to your husband and children, manage your marriage and family well by yourself, and live a happy and fulfilling life, so that your life will not be in vain."
Xu Xiaorong nodded and said: "Sister will do it with all her heart and will definitely teach herself to live a good life, please rest assured, sisters-in-law"
After everyone left, she whispered in Meimei's ear: "Sister-in-law, don't worry about me. I have learned a lot in the past year of preparing for marriage, but I like to watch my eldest and second sisters-in-law manage the household. I may not be able to learn as well as them, but I will do as they say. I am not the eldest sister, and I don't want my life to be so chaotic."
Meimei smiled at her, "Girl, you must remember: your family is very complicated, you have two pairs of parents-in-law and three younger brothers and sisters-in-law. Your husband is a filial son. In addition to following his filial duty and treating his younger brothers and sisters well, you must teach him to distinguish clearly that Liang Jinjiang and his wife are the legal parents. He may not be able to abandon them, but he can't confuse the importance of them - it seems that this is not right, after all, he was born and raised... Then you can treat them equally in your heart, and even treat them the same secretly, but you have to pretend on the surface, right? Let others feel comfortable, after all, it was your uncle who helped him. Without your uncle, he would not have been able to get the title of a scholar so quickly, and he would not have been able to marry such a good wife?"
Xu Xiaorong blushed and shook her hand: "Sister-in-law..."
Meimei said: "This is the truth, I think you are very good. Hmm - let your brothers teach you how to act. You see, they are the best at pretending to be good grandsons in front of the old lady."
Meimei looked at Xu Xiaorong's head hanging down to her chest. Just when she felt something was wrong, Xu Junying's pretended calm voice came from behind:
"What?"
He quickly turned around and saw the three brothers from the first house and Liang Yongzhi standing by the door. Except for Xu Junying, the others all had a smile on their faces.
Meimei said, "Oh, this is a resting place for women, why didn't you let me know and come in?"
Xu Junxuan smiled and said, "Second brother from the West Mansion and the others have already gone back. We are all family here, so we just came in."
Xu Junying looked at her and said, "If you don't come in quickly, I don't know how you teach your sister."
Liang Yongzhi put on a dignified expression, took two steps forward, bowed to Meimei, and said:
"Brother-in-law, I have heard everything. My eldest uncle-in-law taught me that I must never let down my uncle and aunt, and I must support and serve them for the rest of my life. The same should be done for my biological parents. My husband and I only hope to do what the old people want."
Meimei looked at Liang Yongzhi, smiled and nodded: "Take your time, the elders are brothers, it should not be difficult to communicate and get along with each other, you two just need to do your best. It's just that these are family matters, and outsiders can't know. Our girl is used to being pampered at home, but she has to take on such tedious and complicated things when she comes to your house. No matter how smart and capable she is, there will always be times when she makes mistakes. You can't be impatient with her. If the elders blame you, you should be more considerate and think about your wife's difficulties."
"Don't worry, my family background is different from others, and I have many responsibilities. It is a great blessing for Xiaorong to marry me and share the joys and sorrows with me. I should cherish it."
After sending the person out of the house, Xu Junying came to settle accounts with Meimei: "How could you say such words to your sister? And let your brother-in-law hear it, this is too embarrassing."
"Who told you to come in without your mother-in-law's notice? Do you think it's unpleasant to hear? The previous words were even more interesting. It's a pity that you didn't come in time."
Meimei avoided him: "What's so shameful about it? I told you the truth, you see Liang Yongzhi agrees with it."
"Call me brother-in-law, don't call me by my name"
Xu Junying was unhappy: "What kind of look is that when you look at someone like that?"
Meimei laughed angrily: "I always look at people like that, could it be...it's really inexplicable"
"Do you think he's nice?"
"He is already very good. He is also a handsome and elegant scholar. Liang Yongzhi can be seen as a decent gentleman at first glance. He is full of bookish air and his behavior is steady and dignified..."
Xu Junying stopped and looked at her with a frown: "It's good, why do you have to praise other people's husbands to the sky?"
Meimei glanced at him and walked past him: "I haven't praised my husband yet, if I start to praise him..."
Xu Junying followed closely behind: "How is it?"
"That's the peach blossoms flying around"
It is made by】.
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