Lao Tao and Tao Mo have been together for many years and have never been separated. This parting is inevitable.
The two spent a long time exhorting each other. After that, Lao Tao reluctantly set out on the road.
Seeing that Tao Mo's eyes were red, Mu Chun comforted him, "Lu...although the journey is long, but Lao Tao is going back to reunite with his old friends. It's a happy event, so don't worry too much about it."
Tao Mo said: "Since Old Tao came to my house, this is the first time we parted. Without him, maybe I wouldn't be where I am today."
Mu Chundao: "It's a good thing for people to be attached to each other. If we just rely on them blindly, I'm afraid it will be self-defeating."
Tao Mo said sullenly: "I know. I will try my best to be a good official and not disappoint Lao Tao's expectations of me."
Mu Chun smiled and said nothing.
Master Jin hurried over suddenly.
Tao Mo said, "Master Jin, are you here to see off Lao Tao?"
Master Jin was taken aback by what he said, "Send Lao Tao?"
Without waiting for Tao Mo to speak, Mu Chun took up the topic and said, "This is Master Jin, the master of punishment?"
Master Jin was taken aback again, "This is..."
"Under Mu Chun." Mu Chun cupped his fists and said, "I don't know what Master Jin is talking about in a hurry?"
Master Jin came to his senses and hurriedly said: "The people from the Qiu family and the Liang family are fighting. Now they are at the gate of Tong's residence."
Tao Mo asked suspiciously, "Who is the Qiu Mansion? Who is the Liang Mansion?"
Master Jin waved his hand and said, "I'll talk about it on the way."
Due to the large number of passengers, Hao Guozi drove out the carriage that Lao Tao insisted on keeping.
Tao Mo, Mu Chun and Master Jin boarded the car one after another.
Master Jin took a breath, and just came together one by one, "This second Miss Qiu of the Qiu family and Liang Wenwu of the Liang family made a marriage contract two years ago, and Hong Geng was the proof. After the Liang family moved, the agreement must be in the same place. Marry the second Miss Qiu within two years. Unexpectedly, after two years, the Liang family's sedan chair has not arrived. It happened that the youngest of the Qiu family owed a huge amount of gambling debts and was in dire straits. It is decided to promise Second Miss Qiu to Master Tong who is going to take a concubine."
Tao Mo asked in surprise, "Master Tong?"
Master Jin nodded and said, "It's Tong Yinghong's father."
Tao Mo said: "But doesn't he already have Madam Tong?"
"This is a private matter of Tong's family, I shouldn't discuss it privately," Master Jin paused, and said, "But since my master asked, I naturally knew everything. Then Master Tong and Mrs. Tong have been depressed since Miss Tong passed away. Mrs. Tong has nothing to do for decades, and the only heir of the Tong family hanged himself, so Master Tong decided to remarry. Although he is a concubine, I heard that there are no shortage of three books and six rituals, and he said yes You have to carry it in through the main gate."
Mu Chun said: "But the Liang family got the news, don't you agree?"
Master Jin nodded and said: "That's right. I don't know where the Liang family got the news, but they stopped outside the door when the Qiu family went to Tong's house to discuss, making the three families feel ashamed."
Tao Mo said, "Where's Cui Dianshi?"
Master Jin said: "As soon as he got the news, he rushed away with the yamen servant."
Only then did Tao Mo feel relieved.
At the gate of Tong's mansion, the Qiu family had already gone back. After all, they are women, if there is too much trouble, the man will be fine, but the reputation with the woman will be greatly damaged.
The Liang family was still guarding the gate of Tong's residence, looking at their appearance, they were still not convinced.
Seeing Tao Mo getting off the car, Cui Jiong hurried over and said, "My lord."
Tao Mo always felt that the way he looked at him today seemed different from the past, but he couldn't tell the difference, so he had to blame it on himself. "What did the Liang family say?"
Cui Jiong said: "The Liang family wants the Qiu family to keep their daughter for another year."
"Stay for another year?" Tao Mo asked, thinking of Tong Yinghong, "Do you know the age of Miss Qiu's family?"
Cui Jiong said: "Nine out of ten."
Tao Mo frowned and said, "It's really not small."
Cui Jiong said: "That's why the Qiu family refused to agree no matter what. They said that unless the Liang family married within three days, otherwise the marriage contract on that day would be void as agreed."
Mu Chun asked: "Do you know why the Liang Mansion delayed for a year?"
Cui Jiong took a look at him, saw that he was of extraordinary appearance, and came with Tao Mo, and then replied: "The Liang family said that Liang Wenwu committed the Tai Sui this year, so he cannot get married."
Tao Mo said, "Just for this reason?"
Seeing him, Cui Jiong didn't take it seriously, and said, "Many people in Tanyang County really believe it."
Mu Chun smiled and said, "I believe it too."
"Oh? Where is your son from?" Cui Jiong took the opportunity to ask.
Mu Chun said: "Master Tao and I are fellow villagers."
Tao Mo asked in surprise, "Really?"
Mu Chun calmly said: "Of course. Huh? This is Master Tong?"
Tao Mo and Cui Jiong turned their heads at the same time, and sure enough they saw Master Tong coming out from inside.
After Tong Yinghong's incident, Master Tong was disgusted with the guards and the county magistrate from the bottom of his heart, not to mention that this happened in front of his house, which was extremely embarrassing, so even though he came out, he had a dark face.
Knowing the relationship between the Tong family and Mr. Yichui, Cui Jiong hurriedly apologized and said with a smile: "Master Tong, I don't want to disturb you."
Master Tong said: "It's easy to say. It's the old man's trivial matter that alarmed everyone?"
Cui Jiong said: "Master Tong, what's the matter? What does this matter have to do with you? It just happened to happen in front of your house."
This is what Master Tong wanted, and the corners of his mouth finally rose a little, "Then please take care of Cui Dianshi."
"Definitely." Cui Jiong hurriedly agreed.
When Master Tong saw Tao Mo, he hesitated for a while, but still came over and said, "Master Tao."
"Master Tong." Tao Mo asked straight to the point, "Master Tong really wants to marry Miss Qiu?"
Master Tong's expression that had cleared up just now suddenly fell, and he said in a deep voice, "I don't know what Master Tao means by that?"
When Mu Chun heard about Tao Mo's various deeds before, he thought the rumors were exaggerated, but now seeing it with his own eyes, he was amazed. In terms of the prestige of a single word, among the people he knows, only the master of the Brilliant Sect can compare with him. But the rare thing is that he didn't even notice it.
Tao Mo said: "Second Miss Qiu only has one, so I can't give it to two families. I want to ask about the situation of the two families before making a decision."
"Don't dare to trouble your lord." Master Tong said forcefully, "We will resolve this matter ourselves."
"Who said you don't bother me?" A member of the Liang family came out, "I want to take this matter to court, and I ask the magistrate to make a decision!"
Master Tong frowned. The Tong family was full of turmoil because of Tong Yinghong's incident before. At this juncture, he didn't want to cause trouble again, but Second Miss Qiu... He thought of the beautiful face on the portrait, and felt reluctant to let it go. His heart wavered for a while.
From the other side of the alley, there was the sound of rolling rollers.
Cui Jiong, who was arguing with the Liang family, ran over suddenly, tugged on Tao Mo's sleeve, and said in a low voice, "It's the carriage of the Yang family."
"Yang Mansion?" Tao Mo didn't react for a while.
"Mr. One Hammer." Cui Jiong lowered his voice.
Tao Mo was stunned. Mr. Yichui's daughter's surname is Yang, so Mr. Yichui's surname is also Yang.
The carriage stopped, but it was Gu She who got off.
It's just that he hasn't seen him for a day, but Tao Mo looks at him with a kind of yearning like three autumns away.
Gu She also saw him, his eyes swept over Mu Chun very quickly, and finally fell on Master Tong.
Master Tong felt a headache seeing Gu She now, and because he didn't dare to offend him, he forced himself to smile and went up to him. "Young Master Gu."
Gu She said: "Master heard that you want to take a concubine, so she specially asked me to send a few things over."
Master Tong knew that his sister's personality was wild and carefree, and he was afraid that she would come up with something that would make it harder for him to step down, so he said, "It's better to talk about it inside."
Gu She nodded and said, "Alright."
"My lord, wait for me." Gu Xiaojia jumped off the carriage, and said with a sad face, "What should I do with the tiger whip and bullwhip in this cart?"
Gu She said: "Listen to Master Tong, go inside and talk about it."
Master Tong's old face was flushed red. Do we still need to talk about it? Everything was clearly stated in his call just now.
Seeing that Tao Mo's eyes followed Gu She and Master Tong's entry, Mu Chun suggested, "Why don't we go in and listen to what they have to say?"
"This is not for you to enter..."
"Just asking questions." Mu Chun helped him find an excuse.
Tao Mo immediately nodded and said, "It should be." He raised his foot to leave, but a man from the Liang family called him, "My lord!"