Yu Jiatang bit the straw rope on the firewood, dragged the firewood to the firewood room, and then put all the firewood scattered on the ground into the small firewood pile next to the kitchen.
Yao went to get the broom and came back. Seeing this scene, he rarely praised him: "Sure enough, what the older generation said is true. Black cats are much smarter than other cats."
Fang Xun met those golden leopard eyes and smiled: "Mother, I get money every year, and I usually help people copy books when I have time in the county school. I get a lot of money every month. You Don't be so frugal, otherwise, every time you come back, Xianniang will worry about your poor life, and then ask someone to bring something home... "
"It's not that you don't know her situation. She looks like a high-married woman, but she feels sad inside. If she doesn't say anything, others don't know, and we don't know? If you live a good life, she can worry less."
"It's not easy to be a daughter-in-law of a rich family. I went back to Meng's house to visit Fourth Master Meng. Fourth Master sent someone to invite Xianniang. I just met with Xianniang. It only took a few words. Fourth Master Meng Madame sent someone to call her three times, and finally even we, brother and sister, said something that was impolite and insulted the reputation of the Meng family."
When Yao Shi heard this, he threw away the broom, cursing: "That old hag of Shou Shi, raped my sweet girl again! Her son looks like a sick child, if it weren't for our Fang family's trustworthiness, who would be a good girl?" Will marry her son?"
When Fang's father was alive, he was a close classmate with the then fourth master Meng, but fourth master Meng was only mediocre in learning and had no ambitions in the imperial examination, while father Fang won the exam when he was in his twenties and became the only one in the town master.
In the Yan Dynasty, if a person did not want to continue to take the exam, he could directly apply for a job in the court, or be elected as an official. Those who had connections could find a good position.
The ranks of officials and concubines in the Yan Dynasty were strict. Although Fang's father did not enter the court as an official, Yuan Niang, as the daughter of Juren, was the first one in Liyang Town. People from other towns and even county towns heard the news and came to ask for marriage.
The ancestor of the Yao family had a fifth-rank official, who was a big family in Liyang Town. Fourth master Meng and Fang's father had a classmate friendship and a very good relationship, so they wanted to marry Fang's family with two surnames.
So, after Xianniang got older, the two buddies made a letter marriage contract behind their wives' backs.
The ancestors of the Fang family were all farming and studying families, and their family background was clean. Fang's father is now a Juren. Although his family background is not rich, at that time, the status of Xianniang was definitely worthy of being the eldest son of Fourth Master Meng.
The premise is that Fang's father is alive.
At that time, Mrs. Meng Si just thought that the Fang family's family background was weak, and because Fang's father had a future and Fang Xun was quite capable, she agreed.
Who would have thought that Fang's father, who was young and strong, would be killed by a wind and cold.
Then Fang Yuan kept his filial piety for three years, and when he came out, he reached the age of marriage. Mrs. Meng Si refused to admit this marriage at first, but was taught a lesson by Master Meng, and then she allowed Fang Yuan to enter the house as a kindness.
At that time, the two families had quarreled more than once because of the marriage contract. If the Yao family hadn't seen that the marriage contract was made by her deceased husband, she would not have married her daughter to the Meng family anyway.
I thought that Fang Yuan would marry and have her husband to protect her, so Mrs. Meng Si would not dare to overdo it, but that Young Master Meng was a sick child, even if he wanted to, he was powerless to protect his wife.
Before, when Xianniang came back to her natal family, she told Yao in private that her husband had not consummated the marriage with her so far. Mrs. Meng Si knew that her son was not in good health, but she still blamed Xianniang for not being able to live up to expectations. Words like not being able to hold the husband's heart, not being able to bring happiness to the husband.
Fang Xun made good friends with the second son of the uncle of the Meng family. Meng Ming'an's nickname was Yuntai, and there was an elder brother who was a concubine, but that elder brother was devoted to business and did not have Meng Ming'an's talent for reading.
Meng Ming'an had high hopes from the whole Meng family, and had a very high status in the Meng family. If he hadn't taken care of her, Xianniang's life in her husband's house would have been even more difficult. It's just that Meng Ming'an went to the capital the year before last, and even though he left a special message before leaving, after a long time, Fourth Mrs. Meng reverted to her old ways.
The Yao family is aggressive, but he has to worry about his son's reputation. Every time he hears that his daughter is not good, he can only swear a few words by himself.
If Fang Xun wants to take the road of imperial examination and become an official, he must use the word "fame". His sister and divorce will hinder his reputation. No matter how much Yao family loves his daughter, he can't surpass his son.
Fang Xun doesn't care about this reputation, now that the court is employing people, as long as he is knowledgeable and capable, who would care if he has a sister who is divorced, so he has been trying to get Xianniang out of the big pit of the Meng family. Get out.
It's just that my mother is always holding back. Turn an advantage into a disadvantage every time.
But this time it's different...
Fang Xun glanced at the little leopard lying on the side, pretending to be obedient, but actually listening to gossip.
"No, I have to go to Meng's house and talk to them. It just so happens that Xianniang is not feeling well, so I don't have to come back all the way to see her. I will go to Meng's house to see Xianniang in person. If it doesn't work, I will..." Speaking of Yao He paused, his eyes fell on his son, and he couldn't finish the following words.
"If it doesn't work, just make up and leave."
***
Fang Xun's family visit this time lasted ten days, and Yao yelled at home that he wanted to go to Meng's house to make trouble. He yelled for several days, but he still didn't make up his mind to go.
Meng Ming'an was much older than Fang Lai. He entered Beijing the year before last, and he passed away in Chunxi last year.
Shujishi can be said to be "near ministers of the emperor" to a certain extent. There is a saying that "non-jinshi does not enter the Hanlin, and non-hanlin does not enter the cabinet", so Shujishi is also called "Princess Minister".
Yao shi didn't know what a "shujishi" was, but only knew that with Meng Mingan around, she couldn't get into too much trouble with the Meng family. The son's future is the most important thing.
However, this time is different. The girl who had previously said that she would go back to her mother's house to see Yao Shi did not see anyone until the end of Fang Xun's vacation.
In the end, it was the maid beside her who went to marry as a dowry, and ran back in a mess to ask for help.
When Fang Xian got married, Fang Li insisted on giving all the valuables at home to his younger sister as a dowry, and even specially bought two little maids from Yazi, a townsman, as a dowry, so as not to lose the Meng family and have no one to take care of them.
There are two little maids named Jinru and Jinmian.
This time it was Jinmian who came back to report.
"Mr. Dalang, go and save our young mistress, she is about to be drowned by the Meng family!"
Not only Yao Shi, but even Fang Xun did not expect to hear this kind of news, his face changed drastically for a moment, and Yao Shi almost fainted.
Fang Xun lowered his face and asked in a cold voice: "What's going on, please tell me clearly!"
***
Yu Jiatang was on his way to rescue his sister, of course, he was taken away by force.
Recently, a friend of Meng Ming'an's lived in the Meng family. He was a man of similar age to Meng Ming'an. His surname was Wei.
Shanzhou is too far away from Luo County. Who knows if the prefect of Shanzhou really has such a son, but judging by his style of conversation, he must be from a wealthy family.
Wei Erlang is a good friend of Meng Mingan, and there is a token to prove it. Meng Ming'an sent a letter from home every half a month, asking the Meng family to entertain Wei Erlang.
He has his own entourage in the Meng family, and it's not for nothing. The Meng family has always prided itself on being hospitable and generous, and they will never drive people out.
In addition, Mr. Wei Erlang is very knowledgeable, and in his spare time, he can give pointers to the young men of the Meng family who have just entered school.
At first, the Meng family only thought that there was an extra "tenant" in the house. Once a thief came to the Meng family and happened to be caught by Mr. Wei Erlang, and everyone knew that he was actually good at kung fu.
Not only that, but the few attendants he brought with him also had extraordinary martial arts skills.
The Yan Dynasty emphasized literature over martial arts, and there were very few people who knew martial arts, and there were even fewer official young masters who could have so many young servants who could personally protect them.
Only then did the Meng family really believe in Wei Erlang's identity. respect it more and more.
This Wei Erlang seldom goes out on weekdays, and he doesn't have many hobbies. In fact, he really likes black cats very much.
There was a young lady in the Meng family who followed her mother to visit relatives at her ancestral home in Luo County, she followed the example of those ladies from rich families in Luo County and raised black cats. But it was seen by the servant woman under the Meng family, who fed the black cat.
Fang Xun also heard about it by chance when he went to Meng's house. He had met that Mr. Wei Erlang. Judging from the aura of him and his followers, he was not just the son of the magistrate.
This time I took the little leopard there, firstly, to take the opportunity to make friends with that Wei Erlang, and secondly, if the friendship is not good, for the sake of the black leopard, at least Wei Erlang can speak up and save Xianniang.
Ever since Fang Xun found this little black panther on the mountain, he had some thoughts in his heart.
Black panthers are much rarer than black cats. The last time they appeared in the Yan Dynasty was in the period of the first emperor.
Coincidentally, that person is also a scholar, and he also picked up the black panther on the mountain, but he didn't expect that he would have the luck to pick up the black panther, so he didn't recognize it right away. Feel wrong.
At first, someone wanted to spend a lot of money to buy the black panther from the scholar, but the scholar and the black panther had lived together for a while, and they had feelings for each other, so they refused.
Later, the scholar became a Jinshi, and the black panther grew into a big leopard. Due to various pressures, the scholar wanted to get a good official position with a nobleman, so he had to reluctantly give up the black panther who had been with him for many years.
After the black panther changed its owner, it has been unwilling to get close to other people and refuse to eat what others feed it.
The nobleman who bought the panther was afraid that the panther would really starve to death. Regardless of whether the black cat or the black panther really died in his own house, it would be a taboo against the gods. No matter how rich and noble they are, their blessings would be lost, and they would not even have a good death.
But he was not willing to send the black panther back, so he had to send those live animals to the scholar before each feeding, and let him pass them through his hands, so that they would be stained with the smell of the scholar, and when they were sent to the black panther's cage, they would will eat it.
This went on for several years, and one day, the black panther suddenly went berserk in the cage, screaming and charging non-stop, and finally broke the cage abruptly, and jumped out from inside.
At the beginning, everyone didn't know why, but later they heard that the scholar had committed a crime. The officers and soldiers ransacked the scholar's mansion. When the leader was about to kill him on the spot, a black panther rushed in over the wall. Even death must protect the old master.
The scholar has been in the court for many years, and he has close friends and sworn brothers of different surnames, but in the end, no one is willing to say a word or plead for him, but he doesn't want to be the one who can save his life when he is dying. The Black Panther that has been abandoned for many years...
Fang Xun also read this story in a book, because it was only a matter of the first emperor's time, and the time interval was not long, so he can be sure that it is true.
When others read this story, they were all moved by the black panther who was extremely loyal to the old master, but he saw that the scholar from a poor background only sold a black panther in exchange for a prosperous career in the future.