Could the loyal servant named Qin be the ancestor of General Qin
Zhou Shaojin thought about it and felt very sad.
Because of her own experience, she likes children very much and can't stand hearing this kind of thing the most.
Zhou Zhen said: "Cheng Lie was young, and his wife became pregnant not long after they got married. He had to go to the capital to study, so his wife stayed in her hometown. The next year, she gave birth to a son, Cheng Xu. Because she stayed in her hometown, she escaped the disaster.
"When Cheng Lie died, Cheng Xu was only three years old."
Cheng Xu, the ancestor of the Cheng family.
Zhou Shaojin was stunned and asked, "How old is Cheng Bei?"
Zhou Zhen smiled bitterly and said, "Less than two years old."
The second wife's children are older than the first wife's children...
Zhou Shaojin asked: "Who raised them?"
"She is Cheng Xu's mother, the old lady from the second house."
After Cheng Xu was promoted to the first rank, he asked for a first rank imperial decree for his mother, and the family would respectfully call her "Old Lady."
Zhou Shaojin was surprised: "Shouldn't the third wife raise them? Why is it the old lady from the second wife?"
Zhou Zhen hesitated for a while and said, "I shouldn't tell you these things, but you are living in the Cheng family now, so I'll tell you some things so you can act accordingly." He considered, "Speaking of which, this matter is quite strange, but the Cheng family didn't say anything, and it's not easy for others to talk about it.
"The third son of the eldest son, Cheng Ze, is only three months younger than the second son, Cheng Lie. When Cheng Lie went to the capital, Cheng Fu had passed away, and Cheng Ze was in charge of the household affairs. Not long after Qin Da returned to Jinling with Cheng Bei, Cheng Zhi and Cheng Lie passed away. Cheng Ze became the head of the Cheng family. During this period, Qin Da had a dispute with Cheng Ze, and Qin Da was almost kicked out of the Cheng family. In the end, it was Cheng Bi who came forward to quell the storm. Everyone guessed that it might be Cheng Ze who was stingy with the eldest son's money. But what surprised everyone was that when Cheng Bei and Cheng Xu came of age, the third son not only returned the sacrificial land to Cheng Bei of the eldest son, but also divided the family property equally according to the rules of the clan."
Zhou Shaojin thought about the delicate relationship between the first, second and third houses, and felt that something must have happened that outsiders didn't know about.
She realized it belatedly and said, "Doesn't the Cheng family have a high reputation and status among the scholars in Jiangnan?"
"Of course." Zhou Zhen smiled, "Otherwise, Jiangnan is a place of outstanding people, with many famous scholars and numerous families that pass down poetry, books and etiquette. How come the Cheng family in Jiuru Lane, Jinling is the leader? The Cheng family relies on the reputation of their ancestors' loyalty!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled embarrassedly.
Zhou Zhen said: "The Cheng family is not only famous, but your uncle Jing is a helpful man. That's why I kept you and your sister in the Cheng family. Otherwise, how could your sister have said such a good marriage? I have seen Liao Shaotang in person. He is not only well-educated, but also has excellent character and appearance. He is a good match for your sister."
Zhou Shaojin thought of his sister’s face, which was as rosy as the morning glow.
Did my father tell me about my brother-in-law as frankly as he did to me
"I have also considered your matter carefully." Zhou Zhen said, "I was worried that your sister would get married and leave you alone in the Cheng family. Now your brother-in-law has to observe mourning, and your sister's wedding date has been postponed to the year after next. By then, you will be almost 15 years old, and you have won the favor of Mrs. Guo from the eldest house, and you are copying scriptures in Hanbi Mountain House. It's a good opportunity to ask Mrs. Guo and Mrs. Yuan to find a good marriage for you. When your sister gets married, you should also set a date..."
In other words, her father had never thought of taking her to the post!
Zhou Shaojin was very surprised and shouted "Daddy".
Zhou Zhen didn't expect that his youngest daughter would not blush or get nervous when talking about her marriage, unlike his elder daughter who was too embarrassed to say a word. But he thought it was natural.
Since the younger daughter was able to find out the grudge between the Cheng and Zhuang families through just a few words from Cheng Lu, she must be a bold and careful person. Marriage is related to her happiness in the second half of her life, so it is in line with her character for her to take the initiative to plan for herself.
"Shao Jin," Zhou Zhen became more and more tolerant and indulgent towards his daughter, and he pondered, "Do you think that since our family has a house and land, and I am a fourth-rank official, you are at least a legitimate daughter in the Zhou family, but you are a cousin who lives under someone else's roof in the Cheng family. Instead of having to look at other people's eyes, it would be better for you to stay at home?"
Zhou Shaojin indeed thought so.
Zhou Zhen said: "I wonder if you have noticed the background of Mrs. Yuan from the eldest house?"
"I know." Zhou Shaojin said, "She is a daughter of the Yuan family in Tongxiang. Her father was a minister, and many of her brothers are officials."
Zhou Zhen nodded and said, "Not only that, Madam Yuan's mother is from the Fang family of Shucheng, and her aunt is from the Li family of Lujiang. The Fang family of Shucheng not only produced loyal men and chaste women in the previous dynasty, but also produced many sons in this dynasty. Every few years, someone passes the imperial examination, and they are also a well-known family in the north. The Li family of Lujiang has only risen in this dynasty, but they are very powerful. The Grand Secretary of Baohe Hall and the Minister of Works are the brothers of Madam Yuan's aunt.
"Although the second wife's family only produced Hong Xiu, their mother is from the Saiyang Huang family. The Saiyang Huang family has produced two Imperial College priests in this dynasty alone. They are well-known among officials from Jiangxi. And Jiangxi is one of the provinces with the most officials."
Having said that, Zhou Zhen looked at Zhou Shaojin meaningfully.
Zhou Shaojin understood.
Their Zhou family has only produced two Jinshi scholars, grandfather and father, since they had a family tree. Grandfather was a fourth-rank prefect, and father is currently only a fourth-rank official... If it is the same as in the previous life, he will stop at the third rank.
Compared with these families, the Zhou family is a poor family!
But why did my father say this
She shifted uneasily.
Zhou Zhen looked at it a little funny.
Although he is very smart, he likes to hide.
The younger daughter looks like Zhuang, but her temperament is nothing like her. On the contrary, the older daughter looks like Cheng, but her temperament is the same as Zhuang.
He couldn't help but sigh in his heart, and said: "Girls, if they don't have a good family background, they must have a good reputation in order to marry into a good family. If your biological mother were still alive, why would I put you sisters in the Cheng family? With your mother and I, we can definitely find a good husband for you sisters. Unfortunately, your mother passed away early... Guan Laoan has been faithful for many years. If she were a merchant family, she would have asked the court to commend her long ago. However, the Cheng family is a serious scholar family, and they disdain to use such a reputation to add icing on the cake for the family. You sisters follow her, and I will be at ease when I am an official outside."
Zhou Shaojin was silent.
The Cheng family was known for its loyalty and righteousness, and their grandmother was a chaste woman. Growing up in such a family, no one would doubt their character. There were few girls in the Cheng family, so although the elder sister was the granddaughter of the Cheng family and her mother died young, she grew up with her grandmother and Cheng Jing made the decision, so she could marry into a family like the Liao family in Zhenjiang and become a clan wife.
And my father's plan has been made very clear.
Seeing her frightened look, Zhou Zhen couldn't help but stand up and touch her head, saying softly, "Why? Do you still want to follow your father to take up his post?"
"Yeah!" Zhou Shaojin nodded hurriedly and said, "I'm not like my sister... If I marry into a family like the Liao family, I won't be able to cope with it!"
You have to try everything to know the truth. Why say you can't do it before you even start
Seeing that his daughter's clear eyes were filled with melancholy, Zhou Zhen swallowed the words that were about to come out of his mouth.
Everyone is different. Maybe Shaojin really doesn't have Chujin's personality and is more suited to marrying into an ordinary family.
A hero does not judge by his origin.
Not every son of an aristocratic family can eventually become a prime minister. Not every son of a poor family has no chance of becoming the prime minister.
Perhaps, it would be more suitable for my younger daughter to find a scholar who comes from a humble family and has a simple background!
Zhou Zhen's heart softened, and he said gently, "Isn't there still two years? If you still want to follow me to take up your post, I will send someone to take you over after your sister gets married."
Zhou Shaojin was overjoyed.
Zhou Zhen couldn't help but feel happy when he saw this.
Zhou Shaojin wanted to make a pinky promise with his father: "It's settled!"
"Okay!" Zhou Zhen and his little daughter shook hands, "It's settled."
Zhou Shaojin left the study happily.
Zhou Chujin asked her: "What did Daddy say to you?"
"I won't tell you." Zhou Shaojin was rarely lively and playful, and said, "You don't want to tell me."
"You little girl!" Zhou Chujin wanted to pinch Zhou Shaojin's nose.
Zhou Shaojin dodged with a grin and said, "Tell me what your father said to you, and I'll tell you what your father said to me."
"You wish!" Zhou Chujin refused and continued to twist Zhou Shaojin's nose. "Even if you don't tell me, I have a way to get Daddy to tell me."
"Then go and say hello to your father!" Zhou Shaojin was not afraid at all and ran away with a smile.
Zhou Chujin stamped her foot angrily.
Zhou Shaojin's laughter echoed in the yard like a silver bell.
Li, who was doing needlework in the study, seemed to be lost in thought.
The next day, Zhou Zhen was invited by his classmates to go to Qinhuai River. Li took the child's clothes and came to find Zhou Shaojin.
"From what the Second Miss said yesterday, I know you are an expert in needlework," she showed Zhou Shaojin a pattern, "What do you think of me putting this kind of embroidery on the sleeves and hem?"
Zhou Shaojin thought it looked pretty good and said with a smile, "Madam, you might as well give it a try."
Li nodded with a smile and talked about Lan Ting: "… She was very happy when she heard that we were going back to Jinling. She never thought that the master would keep her and let her go to Baoding with our luggage. Otherwise, she could have met the eldest and second young ladies and kowtowed to Sister Zhuang at her grave!"
If it weren't for those things in her past life, Zhou Shaojin would definitely not think too much about it. But with those things in her past life, Li's words made her think too much.
She was alert and said with a smile: "It won't be too late to bring my wife back to worship our ancestors after she gives birth to a younger brother. She will be able to see us then."
"I thought so too." Li smiled, "I'm just afraid that Lanting will feel uncomfortable. She often tells the master how Sister Zhuang treated her in the past. I think that now that Sister Zhuang is gone, she must be very upset over the years. I want to tell the master that when we get to Baoding, we can have someone escort her back to sweep Sister Zhuang's grave, so that she can fulfill her filial piety. I wonder if the second young lady thinks it's okay?"
In other words, Lan Ting was competing for favor with Li in the name of his mother. Since Lan Ting was the person left by his mother to his father and she couldn't do anything with him, she wanted to use her own hands to deal with Lan Ting
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "I don't care about anything at home. You have to ask my sister."
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I didn't expect someone would reward me with spirit beast eggs, two at once. Thanks to "Cadyss" and "Zixiao1", I seem to rarely receive spirit beast eggs. In the past, I would just type silently when I saw others', but today I also got one... O(∩_∩)O... However, it is said that there will be more updates from eggs to spirit beast eggs... According to the time order, I will update the spirit beast eggs of "Cadyss" first today... It will definitely take until midnight, don't wait...
※(To be continued)