Chapter 98
Chapter 98
He wanted to speak up earlier, but the way the two men looked when they came in didn't give him a chance to speak.
After moving to the Xie family, a servant was left in the yard. No one knew where he had gone. There was only a dim light hanging in front of the door. Wen Huai had just arrived. He came to the door according to the place Wen Shuse left at the dock. He knocked on the door for a while, but no one answered. He picked up a branch and poked it into the crack of the door, pulled out the bolt, and entered the house. It was pitch black inside. Just as he was about to call for help, he heard movement behind him.
He could understand that newlyweds had many tricks. His brother-in-law was not only strong, but also had night vision. He carried the person in his arms and walked so fast, and he didn't even slap him in the dark. After rushing all the way, Wen Huai was covered in dust. He straightened his clothes and came out from behind the hidden wall, hiding the embarrassment on his face, and said with a brother's attitude and a serious face: "No matter how tight the situation is, there must be someone and a light in the room. Look at this, what a shame."
It's a double entendre, and I don't know whether it refers to the lamp or the two people's behavior.
Wen Shu was too embarrassed to see anyone, and he sorted out his clothes behind his husband's back. Xie Shao took a deep breath and looked at the black face in front of him that blended into the night. If he stood here, only ghosts could see him. He paused and called out, "Brother."
When in Fengcheng, Wen Huai had never heard this noble young man call him brother. Suddenly, he was quite pleased and took out a fire starter from his pocket. The fire was slightly lit, and the black face appeared from the night. It was a little paler than before, "Brother-in-law, how are you these days?"
"Everything is fine." It would be better if he didn't come tonight.
The young lady behind him was still sorting out her clothes and asked again, "When did you arrive?"
"I just arrived not long ago." He looked up and glanced around the house. "This house is not small. I don't know how much money it costs a month. In my opinion, it's better to rent a smaller one for the two of you. With the remaining money, at least add a few lights to the yard and hire two people. Fortunately, I came tonight. If someone with bad intentions came in, I'm afraid everything in the yard would be lost. And the bolt, I can open it with one pick. A lock doesn't cost much money. Go to the blacksmith shop and find some unused pig iron. It only costs a few coins..."
After more than a month of poverty, the former rich young master also realized how expensive firewood, rice, oil and salt are. He became nagging and all he talked about was how his life was.
This look of fussing over every little thing seems strangely familiar.
The man opposite saw this, and the depression that had been blocking his chest today was completely dissipated.
Although he was miserable, there always seemed to be someone in this world who was more miserable than him. The dark face in front of him suddenly didn't bother him so much. He greeted him, "Brother, you just arrived. You must be tired from the journey. Come in first and we'll talk."
Wen Shuse finally tidied up her clothes and came out from behind her husband. She then asked Wen Huai, "Brother, are you here alone?"
"Grandma and father are worried about you, so they asked me to come and check on you first."
The group followed the tinder in Wen Huai's hand and entered the inner courtyard. The servant finally appeared from nowhere holding a lantern. When he came to the front, he apologized repeatedly, "I have a stomachache today. Please forgive me, madam and husband..."
There was only one servant in the house. Fortunately, the mattress in the previous room had not been removed in time. Wen Shuse settled Wen Huai in the room where Xie Pushe and the second wife had lived before, and then asked the servant to boil water and make tea. "Brother, have you eaten yet?"
Wen Huai nodded, opened his bag, and took out a few oil cakes. "I bought several in South City, but I haven't finished eating them yet. Are you hungry? I'll go heat them up. They smell pretty good..."
I just had a palace banquet today, and my stomach was full of delicacies from land and sea. In the evening, the second young master of the Ming family treated me to good wine and food. How could I be hungry?
The more he looked at her, the more pitiful she felt. Now she was probably the only one who was still in the dark. Wen Shuse shook his head, "I'm not hungry. My father didn't tell me..."
"It's getting late. Let's wait until tomorrow to get hotter."
Wen Shuse turned his head to look at the man beside him. The man looked calm and composed, and it was obvious that he was looking for someone to take the blame for him. He felt the same way.
He was in the wrong and kept silent.
Wen Huai saw that she was halfway through her words and asked, "What didn't my father tell me?"
She was soft-hearted and didn't dare to offend her husband, so she could only sacrifice her brother and asked, "Brother, are you still planning to go back?"
"Why don't you go back? There are a lot of cases piled up. I can't delay for a few days before I have to go back." He took out a purse from his sleeve and handed it to Wen Shuse. "The cost of living in Dongdu is high, and I don't have much money. This is last month's salary, a total of ten taels, you can use it to make ends meet first."
Wen Shuse didn't answer.
Xie Shao reached out and took it, "Thank you, brother."
Wen Huai nodded and asked Xie Shao, "Can my brother-in-law get a job in Dongdu? The prince has been named the crown prince, and my brother-in-law should also serve under His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." How come he can't even afford a lamp or a servant?
Xie Shao placed the silver in front of Wen Shuse and said with a smile, "You are just a military officer, you have no future."
At this time, the difference between the Eastern Capital and the local vassal states became apparent. The imperial edict appointing the Xie family to official positions had been issued for more than ten days, but my brother had not heard about it yet.
All the sins that I committed eventually came back to haunt my brother.
After asking about the situation of my grandmother and father, I knew that they were both fine, so I felt relieved. "It's getting late, brother, go take a shower and rest early. We can talk tomorrow if there is anything else."
It was getting late. There was a young couple living next door to the passenger ship. He hadn't slept well for several nights. "Okay, you should go to bed early too." He got up and followed the servant to the outer courtyard.
As soon as the person left, the young man closed the door, turned around to look at the young lady sitting on the high stool with a defensive look on her face, and untied his belt without any concealment, "It's still early in the morning, my lady, don't be disappointed."
Wen Shuse recalled the scene in the carriage and when he entered the house, and felt guilty, "My dear, my brother is outside. Let's do it another day. I will let you deal with me another day..."
If the king of heaven came, he would make the young lady cry and scream, and ask her whether she had been pricked by acupuncture or not.
He walked forward, grasped the young lady's waist, lifted her up, and sat her on the wooden table next to him. Ignoring her screams, he grabbed her ankles, put them on her shoulders, and whispered in her ear, "It won't be changed."
At night, a lotus in a water tank shed its leaves, leaving only the snow-white branches and a few bright red stamens. Unable to withstand the violent impact of the night wind, it kept swaying up and down, standing up and then bending. A petal was tottering, closing and opening. The creases soon seeped out of the flower juice, which dripped down. A few drops fell on the vermilion wooden table and slowly spread to the wooden board, the windowsill, the edge of the bed... Everywhere there were traces of wind and rain, and finally it was swept into the curtain, as if it had reached a whirlpool of wind, and the lotus was completely submerged.
The cat on the wall cried for half the night until its voice changed tone and became hoarse, and then it gradually calmed down.
The next day, when the husband went out, the young lady could not get up. She lay in a pile of freshly made mess, sleeping soundly, her limbs were sore, and she could not even open her eyes.
The man brought in some water and wiped the sticky parts of her body. The girl grumbled and when he touched her there, she subconsciously kicked him. Her tiny feet, only about the length of his palm, were placed on her chest, without any strength and it didn't hurt at all.
I got everything I should see, do and listen to yesterday, and I feel refreshed.
"Madam, take a rest first. I'm taking a day off today. I'll take my brother to the restaurant. Aunt Qing will come to pick you up later."
No matter where he went, she couldn't move, so she covered her head with the quilt and nodded, buzzing in response, "Yeah."
The young man got up, dressed, and went to Wen Huai's door in the outer courtyard. Just as he was about to raise his hand to knock on the door, his waist suddenly shook and he felt a sharp pain. It must be because he had indulged himself too much last night, and he couldn't help but hold on with his hand.
Wen Huai just opened the door, and the dark circles under his eyes were particularly obvious. He glanced at Xie Shao who was holding his waist outside the door, and his eyes showed sarcasm, "It's dry in Dongdu, not as rainy as Fengcheng. Brother-in-law should eat something to reduce internal heat, so as not to damage his body."
The noise last night could be heard across the yard. Although his sister had been strong since she was a child, she could not stand his torment.
It's normal for an older brother to feel sorry for his younger sister.
As men, some things don't need to be said explicitly. Xie Shao felt a little embarrassed. He glanced away, straightened his waist calmly, and pretended to be deaf and dumb. "Jiaoxian is still sleeping. I'll take my brother for a walk first."
When you come to Dongdu, you naturally have to take a look.
It was dark last night and I couldn't see clearly. When it got light, I looked at the house I lived in again. I started to wonder, and asked Xie Shao, "How much money did this house cost?"
"An acquaintance's house, half price, thirty strings of cash a month." He had experienced all the suffering himself, but he had no empathy at all.
"Thirty strings of cash..." That was his three months' salary. Wen Huai's heart was bleeding. "Two people living together don't need such a big house..." Just rent a small courtyard with two rooms.
Xie Shao didn't respond to him and took him to Mixian Tower.
Before, Wen Huai heard from the eldest wife of the Wen family that Mixianlou was one of the four major restaurants in Dongdu and a major institution in Dongdu. He did not know what kind of restaurant it was that had such a great reputation. Only today did he gain new insights.
Because of a palace banquet, the emperor gave Mixianlou a word "fresh" and hung it above the sign of Mixianlou, which greatly increased its fame. In one day, it surpassed the other three restaurants and ranked first. There was a constant stream of people in front of the building. There were too many people coming here to book a seat, and the supply could not meet the demand. Most of them were stopped outside the door.
Wen Huai stood outside the arch bridge, looking up for a long time at the magnificent restaurant opposite. Seeing Xie Shao walking straight in, he was a little afraid to go forward. "Brother-in-law, don't be polite. It's just a breakfast. Just eat something to fill your stomach. I still have a few cakes left last night..." He said as he followed him. According to this situation, let's not talk about whether he can get in. Even if he gets in, he will have to pay a few taels of silver. Moreover, the rebellion of the master of the Xie family has some impact on his Xie family. Xie Pushe's family has all arrived in the Eastern Capital, and life is getting harder and harder.
If the Wen family had not gone bankrupt before, he could have supported them all by himself, but now he is penniless.
Wen Huai advised again: "It's not easy for my brother-in-law to make money, and there are still several mouths to feed at home..."
"Thank you, Commander." The servant at the door interrupted and came forward.
Wen Huai didn't react, and even turned back to glance around. He saw that the boy's eyes were indeed on Xie Shao in front of him. Just as he was wondering, he saw Xie Shao nodded, turned around and glanced at him, and introduced: "My brother-in-law has come from afar, so I prepared a small pavilion for him."
The servant was also not able to come back to his senses after being led around by him. He looked at Wen Huai behind him and said with a smile, "Please come in, sir."
Wen Huai followed him in dumbfoundedly, pulled the servant beside him and asked in a low voice, "Did you just call him Commander Xie? Where is he on duty?"
The servant was stunned for a moment, but soon came to his senses. Commander Xie had only been in the Palace Front Department for about ten days, so it was understandable that his uncle's family didn't know about it. "Commander Xie is the commander of the Palace Front Department, so he is naturally on duty in the Palace Front Department."
Uncle's family... The servant suddenly had an idea and asked anxiously, "Sir, what's your name?"
"Your surname is Wen."
"But the third son of the Wen family?"
Wen Huai nodded, "That's right." He asked doubtfully, "How did you know?"
"The Second Lady always mentions you." The servant took a breath, feeling lucky that he finally took her to heart this time. "Third Young Master, please come in." As soon as the man left, he immediately called a waiter, "Hurry up and call Uncle Wen back. The Third Young Master of the Young Master's family is here."
Wen Huai didn't have the energy to care about what the servant said next. He was already confused by his words "the commander of the Palace Front Department".
A mere warrior.
It’s a pity he could make that up.
The commander of the Palace Front Department is at least a third-rank official, and his monthly salary must be over a hundred strings of cash.
Wen Huai's mouth twitched. Looking at the man in front of him who remained calm even after being exposed, he felt sorry for his ten taels of silver. How could a third-rank official who earned a hundred strings of coins a month have the nerve to take silver from him who only earned ten strings of coins a month.
"Congratulations, brother-in-law, on your promotion. Promotion is a good thing. Brother-in-law, there's no need to be so self-deprecating and keep it to yourself."
"My brother didn't ask me either." He went upstairs to the door of the elegant pavilion, stood outside the threshold, turned around to let the person in, then went into the house and told the servant, "Bring a pot of new tea."
The so-called new tea is Maojian tea that has just been picked within ten days.
Soon, the servant came in with a golden pot, filled the two with tea, and greeted them familiarly, "What would Commander Xie like to eat? Why didn't the Second Lady come today?"
"She has something to do today."
What could possibly happen? My brother-in-law is strong and capable, yet he is still lying in bed.
Wen Huai looked at the golden teapot on the table, and then at the several silver butterfly side dishes on the table. Her eyelids trembled. Her ancestors and old father at home were worried that she was not well fed and clothed, yet the two of them were living such a good life in Dongdu.
From the servant's tone, he knew that the two of them were coming. He also thought about the ten taels of silver he had received last night...
If I can't get it back, I can only eat up the ten taels of silver.
"Brother, order whatever you want." Xie Shao looked up and instructed the servant, "Tell him the names of the dishes."
Having been poor for too long, I didn't know how to start, so I started asking about prices. But when I heard that the cheapest dish would cost more than ten taels, I immediately lost hope.
The commander also gets a salary, so he can't waste it like this. "Well..."
Xie Shao took the initiative to say: "Special dishes, one serving each."
How much would that cost? Wen Huai's heart skipped a beat. "Brother-in-law, don't spend money. I have always had a small appetite. Two side dishes are enough..."
"Brother, this is your first time coming to Mixianlou, so you must treat me well and let me try the specialties here to see how they are different from those in Fengcheng. Don't worry about other things, brother."
He was so generous that he wanted to entertain him, so he would have to spend at least a hundred taels. But he was petty, so Wen Huai respectfully obeyed his order, "Thank you, brother-in-law."
Xie Shao filled his glass with wine, "Brother, please."
As soon as the wine was poured into the cup, a fragrance could be smelled. Wen Huai hadn't drunk wine of this quality for a long time. He took a sip and found it was indeed fragrant and sweet. He asked casually, "How much is this wine?"
"Two hundred taels a pot."
The treasures are here~ (hundreds of red envelopes~)
Wen Huai: Brother-in-law, have some shame, you treat me? You are not kind enough.
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