Lin'an City is surrounded by mountains on three sides. The Tiaoxi River slowly bypasses Lin'an City from east to west and flows into the Qiantang River, which has become the main road for the people of Lin'an to leave the city.
The Pei family mansion was built on Xiaomei Lane in the east of the city. The houses built along the mountain are patchwork, occupying the entire Xiaomei Lane. And the small river leading from the Tiaoxi River, meandering down from the backyard of the Pei family mansion, and merging into the Tiaoxi Wharf, is called Xiaomeixi by the people of Lin'an City. And because Xiaomeixi is the only river in the city that leads to the wharf and can be used by boats. After passing the government offices and schools in the city, there are many river houses and hawkers on both sides of the river, although it is not as good as Changxing Street in the west of the city. It is full of bustling shops, but it is also as lively as Changxing Street in the west of the city.
On a summer morning, before the sun has risen, the air is filled with the freshness of vegetation and dewdrops.
Wearing white silk flowers and a plain Xiabu skirt, Yu Tang helped his mother through the river houses on both sides of Xiaomeixi River.
Xiaomeixiang was still far away, and sweat was already breaking out on his forehead.
She took out a snow-green silk handkerchief and wiped her sweat, and then looked at her mother Chen Shi belatedly.
Seeing that her temples were also wet with sweat, Yu Tang hurriedly handed over the handkerchief, and said in a low voice, "Mom, wipe off your sweat too!"
Mrs. Chen shook her head, took out her handkerchief to wipe off her sweat, praised her as "Good", and said, "You don't have to worry about Mommy, just take care of yourself."
Yu Wen, who was walking in front of them, couldn't help complaining: "I said hire a sedan chair, but you said you were disrespectful to the dead. You have managed to get better, so don't fall down again. If you want me to say, you shouldn't Come on. I'll just bring A-Tang over here."
Mrs. Chen is thin and tall, with a pale complexion, and her delicate eyebrows and eyes always look like pear blossoms in the rain because of years of illness. She comforted Yu Wen with a smile: "Okay, okay, I know you care about me. I will do what I can, so that you and A-Tang won't be worried. The old lady of the Pei family is very kind to me. If I am in good health, I should give you three Going to the temple step by step to pray to the Bodhisattva to bless the old man to reach bliss early is the only way to go to offer incense to the old man without pain or itching, but to deceive the old man to be merciful and lazy." Speaking of this, Her eyes dimmed.
Ever since she learned the news of the old man of the Pei family's death, Mrs. Chen felt uneasy.
Yu Tang hurriedly comforted his mother: "Mom, you also said that the old man of the Pei family is merciful, and he doesn't care about these things. We will go to the temple to pray for the old man of the Pei family when we have a chance in the future."
Chen nodded.
Yu Wen told the mother and daughter: "The Pei family has a great business. Although the three branches have separated families, they have not divided into clans. The branch of the old man of the Pei family lives on the East Road, and the ancestral hall of the Pei family is also on the East Road. But the old man of the Pei family has stopped. There were too many people who came to pay homage, so they stopped in the side hall of the main entrance of the middle road. The male guests offered incense in the side hall, and the female guests set up two other places for offering incense on the east road. One was for relatives and old friends. Women's relatives, one is neighbors like us. When you go in, remember to follow the women in charge, and don't go to the wrong place."
After the three-day funeral, the mourning hall was opened to the neighbors.
Yu Wen had some contact with the Pei family because of Chen's medical treatment, and because he was a scholar, he went to greet him in advance. He has been helping the Pei family these days, and today he took his wife and daughter to pay homage to the old man of the Pei family.
Mrs. Chen had never seen such a large-scale funeral, and she was a little apprehensive, so she answered nervously.
Although Yu Tang was a human being in two lifetimes, she was detained by the Li family in the backyard of the inner house. She always came out in a sneaky way, and she never went through such a situation, but she felt that she had been trained in the Li family for all these years, and if she was strong, she would be strong. Even if something went wrong, the Pei family should still be very magnanimous, if there is something wrong, if there is something wrong, it will be better, it is not very worrying.
Maybe it's because there are many people in Lin'an City who have been favored by the Pei family, and today is the first day that the Pei family opened the mourning hall. Along the way, there are many hawkers beside Xiaomeixi that are not open, and there are not many people shopping. When she was studying, she found that the county school hadn't started classes, and even hung a white flag.
Yu Wen sighed: "If these children in the county school didn't have the support of the old lady of the Pei family, how could there be a few talented students every few years? Now that the old lady of the Pei family has gone, the Pei family doesn't know who is in charge. Everyone is very worried. Uneasy, most people are afraid that they have no intention of reading... "
After hearing this, Mrs. Chen said: "You don't believe Lu Xin's nonsense, do you? Overpass the long house and let the third house be in charge? Is something going to happen?"
It is the imperial court, and it is also the establishment of the emperor.
Yu Wen hesitated for a while, then whispered: "It's not surprising if there are such rumors. The old man died of illness in his prime, and neither of his two sons reached the crown. He has never had any contact with the general affairs of the Pei family before..."
Chen argued: "Isn't there still someone in charge in this family? Who is born with it? As long as you are willing to learn!"
Yu Wen hesitated and said: "But I heard those people discuss that the two young masters of the Pei family are relatives of their uncles, and the second master didn't know how to count since he was a child... Maybe this is the reason for the rumors to spread."
It's just that in this way, troubles will inevitably arise in the Pei family.
Brothers are of one heart, and their profits cut gold.
If internal disputes arise, no matter how big a tree is, it may fall down suddenly.
Both Yu Wen and Chen Shi fell silent simultaneously.
Seeing that the atmosphere was not very good, Yu Tang smiled and joked, "Father, why is the place where Pei's family lives called Xiaomei Lane? Xiaomei Lane doesn't even have plum blossoms, and there is nothing related to plums."
She wanted to ask this question in her previous life.
Just can't find anyone to ask.
Yu Wen smiled and said: "Of course you can't see it. I also heard from shopkeeper Tong last time. It is said that when the ancestor of the Pei family came to Anxi with his family, he found a wild plum tree and built a plum tree next to it. They lived in a house and named it Xiaomei Lane. However, the Pei family was thriving and slowly expanded outwards. The old plum tree had already belonged to the inner house, and it was difficult for ordinary guests to see it. It is the name of Xiaomei Lane. stayed."
The family of three climbed the slope unhurriedly and arrived at Pei's house.
There was a vast expanse of whiteness outside the gate.
Domestic servants shuttled among them, busy but not chaotic.
Seeing Yu Wen, someone who looked like a manager stepped forward to say hello: "Master Yu is here, please sit in the hall."
Yu Wen hurriedly pointed to the Chen family and Yu Tang: "Zhuojing and the young girl have received the old man's great kindness, so they will come to kowtow to the old man no matter what, and offer incense sticks."
There are too many such people.
The steward saluted Mrs. Chen and Yu Tang politely, and called a woman in charge who was dressed in sackcloth and mourning, and asked her to take Mrs. Chen and Yu Tang to worship Mrs. Pei.
Chen Shi and Yu Tang were polite, and followed the woman to the east.
Only now did Yu Tang have the time to look at the Pei family's mansion.
It is indeed a colossal monster entrenched in Lin'an City, but in Lin'an City, which has many mountains and little land, there is a courtyard that can park at least 20 carriages. , the welcoming pine is taller than a person, and its twisted twigs stretch out in circles, more than three feet. The green tiles and red railings of the cloister follow the trend, the top is painted with blue and green patterns, the pillars are all wrapped in white silk, and the green trees on both sides are decorated with bowl-sized white silk flowers.
How much money is this!
Yu Tang was speechless in his heart.
Then something even stranger was discovered.
Along the way, she didn't see a flower of any color other than white.
Wealthy people like to plant some flower trees that symbolize many children, many blessings, and endless melons, especially in this season, it is the time when pomegranate and jujube trees bloom, not to mention these flower trees, such as hibiscus, crape myrtle, and rose Such a common flower tree has not been seen.
Yu Tang's footsteps were slightly stagnant, and he carefully looked at the trees with branches protruding from the corridor.
The mother-in-law who had been paying attention to the guests immediately noticed the strangeness, she also slowed down, and said softly: "What are you looking at, little lady? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Chen also turned around in confusion.
Yu Tang hurriedly withdrew his gaze, and took a few steps forward to catch up with Mrs. Chen, fearing that the woman would misunderstand that she was peeping into the inner house, and she was less educated, so she explained: "I see this tree looks like a pomegranate tree, but it hasn't bloomed..."
The woman was taken aback.
Xu was afraid that Yu Tang would misunderstand that the pomegranate tree in Pei's family wasn't blooming, so he thought about it and said, "It was blooming, didn't the old man go? The masters and young masters at home looked uncomfortable, so they let them cut it off." .”
This is the reason.
Yu Tang was stunned.
Mrs. Chen was also very surprised, and said, "Have they all been cut?"
The Pei family has a large area at first glance, and a lot of flowers and trees are planted. If they are all cut, how much manpower will be spent!
The woman must have suffered a lot from it, and said with a wry smile: "Who says it's not! Since the third master disliked the flowers blooming too brightly, for two whole days, the three chief managers have been busy with funerals and instigating people To cut the flower tree, we followed up and down, and we couldn’t lift our hands.”
"It's really hard work for you!" Mrs. Chen said sympathetically, "I'll be fine after a while."
Probably because Mrs. Chen spoke very sincerely, and when her tone slowed down, there was a bit of gentleness that no one can match. The woman looked at Mrs. Chen carefully, and said: "My husband's family name is Ji, everyone Call me Mrs. Ji. If there is anything you need, someone can tell me."
Those who can be called "Mother" are not ordinary decent servants, most of them are servants who have served the Pei family for several generations, or they may be shrewd and capable, who are relied on by the owner of the house and take care of one's affairs mother-in-law.
Mrs. Chen politely called "Aunt Ji".
But Yu Tang's heart felt as if the river was overwhelmed.
Chen couldn't hear it, but she could.
The one who doesn't like safflower is the third master, and the one who is busy with funerals and ordering people to cut flowers and trees is the third chief steward, so what are the chief stewards and the second chief stewards doing
Is it true that the Pei family has changed its course and rearranged the order in a place where others can't see it, as Lu Xin said
She was calm and naive, and she was full of curiosity to plan the words of the aunt: "The Pei family is indeed the head of Lin'an City. There are three chief managers. How many general managers are there? My father knows shopkeeper Tong. He said Shopkeeper Tong's knowledge is very good and powerful. Is Shopkeeper Tong the steward or the chief manager of your house?"
Aunt Ji's eyes became gentle when she heard this, and she said, "Treasurer Tong is my in-law."
That is to say, Aunt Ji's daughter married shopkeeper Xiao Tong.
"Oh, what a coincidence!" Yu Tang and Mrs. Chen both exclaimed in low voices, and Yu Tang vividly told Aunt Ji how she got to know the father and son of the Tong family, and praised the shopkeeper Xiao Tong well. some.