Cheng Jing looked displeased and asked Cheng Chi: "Why didn't you discuss this with me?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "Isn't this just a discussion with you? Lord Song recommended me to join the government, and it's not something that happened today or yesterday!"
Cheng Jing was very angry.
He thought he had made himself very clear last time, but Cheng Chi didn't take it to heart at all and continued to do as he pleased.
Mrs. Guo couldn't bear to see Cheng Jing or Cheng Wei suppressing Cheng Chi.
If Cheng Chi had not been sacrificed, would they have been able to be successfully reinstated and have a smooth career
When she was still alive, Dalang was bossing Silang around and scolding him like a father scolding his son if he was not satisfied. If she died, would Dalang still care about this brother who sacrificed himself for his future
The thought flashed through her mind. Mrs. Guo originally did not agree with Cheng Chi going to Jining, Shandong to be an official, but she changed her mind immediately.
Silang not only wants to serve as an official, but also wants to serve in a high-profile manner, accepting the invitation of Song Jingran.
She immediately said unhappily, "Da Lang, what are you talking about? Others may not know, but don't you know too? Before, Si Lang didn't take up an official post because Cheng Xu insisted that he take care of the common affairs of Jiuru Lane. Now that we have separated from Jiuru Lane, the common affairs of the family are naturally managed by the stewards, and Si Lang should naturally take up an official post. When Si Lang told me that Song Jingran recommended him to become an official, I was still wondering. You are Si Lang's elder brother, and you should have made plans for Si Lang's affairs a long time ago. Now I know that you never considered Si Lang's affairs at all... What have you been doing these days? When you were clamoring to separate the clan, didn't you ever consider how to live after the separation? How dare you separate the clan like this? Are you crazy?"
Cheng Jing was scolded by his mother in front of his two younger brothers, his wife, and his sister-in-law. When he opened his mouth to explain, his wife gently kicked him twice.
He looked towards his wife.
But his wife signaled him not to be impulsive, not to say anything, and to quickly apologize to his mother and fourth brother.
He understood that a harmonious family brings prosperity, but his mother and younger brother had gone too far this time.
This time he ignored his wife's signal, and continued: "Mother, the Ministry of Personnel doesn't always have good vacancies. I wanted to find a good job for Silang, so I was picky and delayed. It's not that I didn't try my best. In fact, I picked the deputy envoy of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Bureau for Silang, but the deputy envoy is of the fifth rank. Silang has never been an official, so it's not easy to deal with the censor. So I thought about whether I should first find a judge, a sixth rank, to be low-key, which is also reasonable. After the job at the Salt Transport Bureau is finished, it's just right to return to Beijing, and then smoothly find a job of the fifth rank..."
Mrs. Guo spat at him before he could finish his words and said sternly, "Who doesn't know that our Cheng family got rich by transporting salt? At that time, the Lianghuai Salt Transport Bureau helped the governor of the river to pay back the money. Your younger brother ran around in Huai'an and Jinling for two years. I didn't sleep well during those two years, for fear that something would happen in the Lianghuai Salt Transport Bureau and implicate your brother. Even Xiang Zhiyong, the chief clerk of Huai'an who helped your brother at that time, your brother found a way to help him get transferred to Songjiang as a county magistrate. Xiang Zhiyong is still a magistrate today. "I sent someone to greet you every year. Do you think your brother went there with a bag to collect money in the past two years? Your brother was risking his life to make money for you? Are you still thinking about making some money from the salt transportation when you see that your family is in great decline? In the past, your brother was a merchant, and it is understandable that merchants seek profit. Now you let your brother become the judge of the Lianghuai Salt Transport Department and then take money from the family, that is embezzlement! Are you trying to find a future for your brother? I think you want your brother to die soon, right?"
At this point, not to mention Cheng Jing, even Cheng Wei who was listening on the side was shocked. Cheng Jing knelt down in front of Mrs. Guo with a plop and said anxiously: "Mom, don't be angry! Listen to me, there are three brothers in our family, how could I let Silang get into trouble? I just thought that Silang was familiar with salt transportation, so why not start with salt transportation..."
Cheng Jing knelt down, and Cheng Wei couldn't stand either, so he knelt down as well.
Seeing this, Yuan and Wei's second wife, Qiu, had no choice but to kneel down as well.
Mrs. Wei couldn't help but wipe the sweat from her forehead.
She had been in the capital for more than ten years and had little contact with the old lady. She only knew that the old lady was a strong person, but she didn't expect that the old lady would be so old and throw a tantrum like a child because of her fourth uncle's affairs.
It turns out that those old sayings make sense.
These parents just love their youngest child.
Old and young, old and young, when people get old, they become like children.
However, Yuan couldn't help but complain in her heart.
The old lady is too biased.
Dalang said nothing, but the old lady was still suicidal... She had experienced this before, but Dalang just wouldn't listen. Now everyone was embarrassed.
However, the old lady's words also reminded her.
The Cheng family made their fortune by transporting salt, what kind of business is that - it is said that the salt merchants in Yangzhou have silver piled up in their storehouses like small mountains... The Cheng family has been wealthy for so many years, no wonder the old lady gave Jiashan 20,000 taels of silver for the wedding... After the eldest daughter of the Min family marries in, she has to be reminded that the old lady cannot lack any etiquette!
Mrs. Guo felt better after scolding her son.
Cheng Chi saw his mother's face lighten up, and hurriedly poured a cup of tea and handed it to Madam Guo, advising: "Mom, my elder brother doesn't have as many thoughts as you say. Don't be angry, I'm not a child anymore, I have my own ideas about where to go. Don't force my elder brother to run around for me. He is now a cabinet elder, and I don't know how many people are watching him. It's better to avoid suspicion in some things. It's just right that Lord Song recommended me, so that others won't gossip, and I can adapt quickly even if I take up the post."
Madam Guo was still not satisfied, and said coldly: "I don't think he despises the job that Lord Song got for you, but he thinks that your job was recommended by Lord Song, which is a slap in his face, right?"
"How could that be, how could that be!" Cheng Jing explained awkwardly, "If I were concerned about my reputation, I would have forbidden Silang from interacting with the Song family. I was afraid that Silang's actions would be seen by someone with ulterior motives as being directed by me..."
After all, I'm still afraid of being misunderstood by others.
Madam Guo didn't want to talk to her eldest son anymore, so she interrupted Cheng Jing without any hesitation and said to her second son Cheng Wei, "Please keep an eye on Si Lang's affairs. What kind of personality does Yang Shoushan have, where is he from, what are his hobbies, who are the people in his family, and whether there are any in-laws who can get along with each other...Please help find out about all of this, so that Si Lang can live a better life when he goes there. I will go to Madam Song in person to thank her. Anyway, I am sorry that Madam Song has taken so much trouble!"
Cheng Chi was thinking about Song Mu.
Instead of waiting for him to find out about his marriage with Shao Jin from others, it would be better for him to tell him himself so that Song Mu would feel better.
The three brothers lingered in Madam Guo's room for a while, and when they saw that she was tired, they got up and said goodbye.
When leaving the house, Yuan pulled Cheng Jing's sleeve.
Cheng Jing understood, slowed down his pace, and fell behind Cheng Wei and Cheng Chi.
Cheng Wei didn't care and talked to Cheng Chi about the resumes of those officials of the sixth and seventh ranks in the court who held important positions of power.
Seeing that Yuan and his wife seemed to have something to say, Qiu was about to step forward a few steps to the front of Yuan and Cheng Jing to make room for them. On the opposite corridor, a group of maids and old women came over with a little girl of fifteen or sixteen.
Yuan paused.
Qiu almost bumped into her.
Then Yuan asked curiously, "Ah Xuan, why are you here?"
Cheng Jing and others couldn't help but look back.
The little girl came over briskly and knelt down to greet Yuan: "Aunt, my mother asked me to learn calligraphy from the old lady. I am here to hand in my homework!"
The Fang family is also a famous family of scholars and a century-old prestigious family. If they want to write, why do they have to ask Madam Guo for guidance
Yuan was surprised.
The Cheng Jing brothers had turned around and continued walking forward. The in-laws admired Madam Guo so much that they all wanted to send their daughters or nieces to her for guidance. However, Madam Guo rejected most of them, and only accepted two or three people... Even so, they were just used by their mother to kill time when she was bored, and the brothers did not take it seriously.
Yuan couldn't help but chat with her for a while: "Is your mother okay? I just came back from Jinling, and the house is not yet tidied. I can only visit your mother in a few days... But I haven't seen you for more than a year, and you have grown more beautiful..."
Fang Xuan responded generously.
Cheng Chi, who had already walked some distance, suddenly stopped, turned around and looked at Fang Xuan.
Yuan felt a little strange.
No matter what kind of temperament the brothers of the Cheng family have, they are all the same when it comes to women: they never show any interest in them. Why would it be so...
As soon as she thought of it, she remembered something.
Cheng Chi, not married yet!
Old Madam Guo has been so picky about him for so many years. I'm afraid she would feel that it was unfair to Cheng Chi if he were married to a princess.
But sometimes, our fate is beyond our control!
After all, Cheng Chi is a man who is in the second place and is looking forward to being married to a daughter. Even if the girl is good, after such a picky attitude, those families who love their daughters may not be willing to marry into the Cheng family.
Now, the old lady, who is so aloof, actually started to give advice to the unmarried girl of the Fang family!
Yuan's lips curled up. She was originally just standing and talking, but now she took Fang Xuan's hand and warmly and sincerely invited Fang Xuan and her mother to her home: "... When October comes, I will have to be busy with your cousin Jiashan's wedding, and I won't be able to get together even if I want to!"
Fang Xuan didn't notice anything strange about Yuan.
These officials' wives from Jiangnan who were living in the capital often got together.
Fang Xuan responded on behalf of her mother with a smile.
Only then did Yuan let go and looked towards Cheng Chi.
Cheng Chi turned around and left with Cheng Wei.
It was as if what happened just now had never happened.
He saw his brother and sister-in-law off, went back to the house to change his clothes, and decided to go to Yuqian Hutong.
If this mission really succeeds, he must tell Shao Jin.
And if he went, he would have to stay in Jining for at least four or five years. He couldn't bear to leave Shao Jin alone in the capital. He also couldn't bear to let Shao Jin follow him to Jining to suffer. But if he didn't serve as an official and make achievements in his official career, he would have a hard time explaining to Zhou Zhen.
For the first time in his life, Cheng Chi felt torn.
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Sisters, according to reliable information, you can now vote for the pink ballot!
Asking for the pink ticket for July!
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: I will leave for Lijiang early tomorrow morning to attend the annual meeting. Thank you all for your continued support, which has enabled me to qualify to attend the annual meeting. Thank you!
Thank you all for your pink votes. We are number one again in June!
I'll update more when I get back from Lijiang!
※(To be continued)