Chapter 7 The sixth episode: the squire fell ill and the boatman's widow accused his uncle wrongly

It is said that when Yan Jiansheng was dying, he held out two fingers and refused to die. Several nephews and some family members came to ask questions; some said it was two people, some said it was two things, some said Those who said it was two fields differed, but they just shook their heads.Mrs. Zhao separated the crowd, stepped forward and said, "Master! Only I can know what's on your mind. You are lighting two stalks of light grass for that lamp. Don't worry, I'm afraid it will cost oil; I'll just pick out one stalk now." It's gone." After that, he hurriedly went to pick out a stem; when everyone looked at Yan Jiansheng, they nodded, lowered their hands, and lost their breath immediately.The whole family howled and prepared to be buried, and parked the coffin in the nave on the third floor.The next morning, I sent a few family members and Xiao Si to report the funeral all over the city.Yan Zhenxian, the head of the patriarch, led a group of people from the same clan to pay filial piety; they all saved food and wine, and took the filial cloth back.

The Zhao family has a brother, Zhao Lao Er, who is doing business in a rice store, and his nephew, Zhao Laohan, who is working in a silversmith's shop, making a silver furnace.The monks hung up the long □, chanting scriptures and recommending them; Zhao led his youngest son, and mourned in front of the coffin sooner or later.The clerks and servants, the maids and nurses, everyone is filial, and the inside and outside are all white.Look at the first seven, Wang De, Wang Ren, the imperial examinations are back, they all come to show filial piety, and stay for a day.Three or four days later, the old official Yan Da also came back from the imperial examination in the province.Several sons are in the funeral hall here.Big Daddy, who was sitting with his wife after unloading his luggage, ordered water to be brought to wash his face.Earlier, I saw a nanny in the second room, leading a Xiaosi, holding an end box and a felt bag in her hand, walking in and saying: "The second grandma worships the elder father. She knows that the elder master has returned home, but she is still filial. It's inconvenient to come over to see you; the two sets of clothes and the money were agreed by the second master when he was dying, and they will be given to the eldest father as a souvenir. Please ask the elder father to go over."

Yan Gongsheng opened it and looked at the two new sets of satin clothes, neatly packed with two hundred taels of silver, he was full of joy.Then he sealed the eight-cent silver reward to his wife, handed it to the nanny, and said, "Thank you, Second Mistress, I'll come right away." He sent the nanny and Xiaosi away, collected the clothes and money, and asked his wife carefully. , Knowing that he and his sons have received some respect from him, which is reserved only for the senior officials. After asking, I changed my filial scarf and tied a white cloth around my waist.Go over there, go to the coffin and call out "Second!" After a few chants, he made two obeisances; Mrs. Zhao, dressed in heavy filial piety, came out to thank her, and asked her son to kowtow to his uncle, crying and saying, "We are hard-working, His father left us halfway, and it is up to him to make decisions for us!" Yan Gongsheng said: "Second grandma, each life has its own life span; my second child has passed away, now you have this good son, slowly Take him to live, what are you worried about?" Mrs. Zhao thanked her a lot, and please set up a meal in the study, and invite the two uncles to accompany her.

After a while, my uncle arrived, bowed and sat down.Wang Dedao: "My brother is usually in a strong body, why can't he get up suddenly when he gets sick? Our dear relatives have never said goodbye face to face. It is very tragic." Yan Gongsheng said: "Not only the two relatives, but also our brother Even if you are in danger, you can't see each other. But since ancient times: 'Forget about private affairs in public affairs, forget about home in the country', our examination room is a grand ceremony of the court, and you and I work for the court, even if we don't care about our private relatives, we still feel that we have no shame in our hearts." Wang Dedao: "Mr. Da has been in the province for more than half a year?" Yan Gongsheng said: "Exactly. Because the former teacher Zhou of Xuetai praised my younger brother's merits, he also paid tribute for his younger brother; he has a family here. I live in the province, and I used to be in Yingtianchao County, so I went to meet him in the province. I didn't want to hit it off, so I stayed and lived for a few months; I wanted to marry me again, and I made a promise of my second Jinai to the second primary school again and again. I have a son." Wang Ren said: "Did you live in his house in the province?" Yan Gongsheng said: "Live in Zhang Jingqi's house; he was also a county magistrate, and he is the nephew of Tang's parents. Because he lived in Tang's parents' yamen We can recognize each other after eating and drinking at the same table. Mr. Jingzhai is the one who is doing the fighting at Zhou's relatives' house." Wang Ren said: "But the same Xiaolian named Fan came with him that year?" Yan Gongsheng said: "Exactly." Wang Ren gave him a wink Brother Yu Nai said: "Brother, do you remember that what happened to Hui Zi was caused?" Wang De sneered.

After a while, wine will be served, and we will eat and talk.Wang Dedao: "Didn't Tang's parents enter the Lian Lian this year?" Wang Ren said: "Brother, don't you know? Because Tang's parents entered the Lian Lian last time, they took some articles by old cats, ancient mice, and they were not current, so this I didn't come to hire this time. There are more than a dozen honest officials in this department, all of whom are young Jinshi, and they specialize in talented articles." Yan Gongsheng said: "That's not the case, there must be rules for talent; if you don't follow the title, write something random Can it be said that you are talented if you talk lively? Just like my teacher Zhou, he is Fayan. He is in the forefront of the first class, and he is a veteran with rules. This class must still be among these few people." Yan Gongsheng said this He said that because his two brothers were both second-class in the examination in the hands of Teacher Zhou; when they heard this, they understood in their hearts, and they stopped talking about the school examination.

The banquet was coming to an end, and when they talked about the official matter the day before yesterday, Tang's parents were really angry. Thanks to my younger brother, who saw through it, they calmed down.Yan Gongsheng said: "It's not good for a dead brother. If I were at home, I would have told Tang's parents; Wang Xiaoer and Huang Mengtong, two angry talents, would have their legs cut off. How can a country gentry allow the people to be so presumptuous? " Wang Ren said: "It's better to be honest in everything." Yan Gongsheng blushed for a while, and persuaded each other to have a few drinks.

The nanny came out with her son in her arms and said, "Grandma asks Daddy, when is the second master's funeral? I don't know if the mountain will be profitable this year? Can it be buried in the ancestral tomb, or do I need to find a place? It takes Daddy's heart, and the two Discuss with the uncles." Yan Gongsheng said: "You tell grandma, I will not stay at home for a long time, and I will go to the province with the second husband to go to the Zhou mansion to recruit relatives. Your father's business is entrusted to the two uncles. The ancestral tomb cannot be buried. , I want to find another place, and I will come back and consider it.” Finished.Called disturbance, got up and went over, the two also dispersed.

After a few days, the big daddy took his second son to the province.Mrs. Zhao is in charge of the housework at home. It is really a waste of money, rice rotten into warehouses, servants in groups, cattle and horses in droves, and enjoy life.I don't want the emperor to have no eyes and not to protect good people. The son had smallpox and had a fever all day. When the doctor came to see him, he said it was a dangerous disease.Rhinoceros horn and coptis were used in the medicine, and the grout could not be filled for a few days; it was useless to rush Zhao everywhere to ask God to make a wish.On the seventh day, a fat and white child ran away.Zhao shi's crying this time is not only inferior to crying aunt, but also inferior to crying second master, crying so hard that she can't even cry.I cried for three days and three nights.

Send the child out, ask the family to invite two uncles, and discuss the establishment of the fifth nephew in the big house as an heir.The two uncles hesitated and said: "We can't decide this matter. Besides, Mr. Da is not at home. The son belongs to him and he needs to make his own choice. How can we make the decision?" Zhao said: "Brother! Your brother-in-law has this The family belongings of a few taels of silver, now the serious master is gone, these family members have no one to rely on, and the matter of establishing an heir cannot be delayed. Do you know when his uncle will come back? The fifth nephew next door is only twelve years old. Li Si came here, are you afraid that I won't love him and teach him? When his aunt heard this, she wished to send her hands over; even if his uncle came back, there was nothing to say. As an uncle, how can you not be the master?"

Wang Dedao: "Forget it, let's go and talk for him." Wang Rendao: "Brother, where is this talking? How can we be the masters of our surnames when it comes to family and heir affairs? Now if my aunts and grandmothers are in a hurry, I have to write them together. A letter; he called a family member here, and he went to the province overnight to invite Mr. Da to come back to discuss." Wang Dedao: "This is the best thing, and Mr. Cook has nothing to say when he comes back." Wang Ren shook his head and smiled: "Brother, this Let's wait and see. But I have to do it this way." After hearing this, Mrs. Zhao didn't scratch her head; she had to write a letter according to her words, and sent her family to Laifu to go to the province overnight to pick up her eldest father.Lai Fu came to the provincial capital and asked Big Daddy where he was at Gaodi Street.When I arrived at the door of the apartment, I saw four men in red and black hats standing at the door with whips in their hands. They were so frightened that they dared not go in.After standing for a while, I saw Si Douzi coming out with Big Daddy, so I asked him to lead him in.On the open hall, there is a colorful sedan chair in the middle, and a sunshade is erected beside the colorful sedan chair. On the sunshade is a sticker: "That is the main hall of Jie County." Si Douzi went in and invited the big daddy to come out; Perfect streetwear, foundation soap boots.Laifu kowtowed and handed over the letter.The big daddy went on to look at it and said: "I see. Congratulations to my second-in-law, and you can wait here." Laifu came down, went to the kitchen, and saw the cook there.The bride and groom's room is upstairs, and they are so red and green that Laifu dare not go up there.Until the sun was in the west, there was no blower coming; Er Xianggong, wearing a new square scarf, red, and flowers, walked back and forth anxiously, asking why the blower didn't come?The big daddy yelled in the hall, telling Si Douzi to pass it on quickly!Si Douzi said: "Today is a good day. The class of eight renminbi silver can't be called by blowers; the father gave him two renminbi and four cents of silver, but also deducted two cents of his head, and asked Zhang's mansion to detain him." Come on, I don’t know how many families he has promised today? How can he come at this time?” The old man said angrily: “Fuck! Go for me! It’s too late, I’ll give you a good mouthful!” Si Douzi grumbled, Nagging all the way out, said: "From morning until now, no one will eat a bowl of rice, but there are such stinky scenes!"

When the lights were turned on, even Si Douzi did not come back, and the bearers who carried the new couple and those wearing red and black hats were in a hurry again.The guest in the hall said: "You don't have to wait for blowing hands. The auspicious time has come. Let's go to meet relatives." Holding up the palm fan, four people in red and black hats cleared the way, and Laifu followed the sedan chair until he came to Zhou's house.The open hall of Zhou's house was very large, and although a few lamps were lit, the courtyard was not lit; there was no musician here, so the four men in red and black hats kept shouting and shouting in the dark courtyard. non-stop.When Lai Fu saw it, he was sorry and told him not to shout.Someone in Zhou's family ordered: "I bow to Master Yan, and those who play will get sedan chairs; those who don't play will not be given sedan chairs." Just as there was a commotion, Si Douzi came with two musicians, one playing the flute and the other playing the drums. The tick-tock in the hall is always out of tune; the people listening on both sides can't stop laughing.There was a quarrel in the Zhou family, but they had no choice but to send the newcomer's sedan chair.When newcomers enter the door, there is no need to elaborate. After a few dynasties, Laifu and Si Douzi were called to hire two Gaoyao boats, and the boatmen were from Gaoyao County.Two big ships, twelve taels of silver, and a covenant to pay the silver up to high.One sits on the bride and groom, and the other Yan Gongsheng sits on his own. After choosing an auspicious day, he bid farewell to his in-laws.Borrowed a pair of gold plaques of "Nest County Main Hall", a pair of "Serenity and Avoidance" white foundation, four door wheels, and inserted them on the boat.Another group of blowers was called to open the gongs and hold the umbrellas, and blow the blows onto the boat.The boatman was very afraid and served carefully, without saying a word all the way. That day, when he was about to reach Gaoyao County, only twenty or thirty miles away, Yan Gongsheng was sitting in the cabin, and suddenly he became dizzy, his eyes were dim, and he felt sick in his mouth.Spit out a lot of clear phlegm.Lai Futong has four buckets, one on each side, crossing his arms, just about to fall.Yan Gongsheng shouted: "Not good! Not good".Tell Si Douzi to boil a pot of boiling water quickly.Si Douzi put him to sleep, humming one after another; Si Douzi hurriedly boiled water with the boatman and brought it into the cabin. Yan Gongsheng opened the box with the key, and took out a piece of Yunpian Cake, about a dozen pieces, peeled one by one, ate a few pieces, rubbed his stomach, and let out two big farts, and healed immediately.A few slices of cloud cake were left on the back goose plate, and they didn't come to check them for half a day; Gong Sheng just pretended not to see. After a short while when the boat was docked at the pier, Yan Gongsheng called Fu and quickly ordered two sedan chairs to take the two husbands and the bride home first; he also asked some wharf workers to move all the boxes and cages ashore, and put his own luggage and moved ashore.Boatmen and sailors all come to please money.Yan Gongsheng turned around and walked into the cabin. His eyes were lost, and he looked around; he asked Si Douzi, "Where did my medicine go?" Si Douzi said, "Where was there any medicine?" Yan Gongsheng said: " Didn’t I take medicine just now? It’s clearly on the boat.” The helmsman said, “I think it’s a few slices of cloud cake on the boat just now, that’s what the master didn’t want, so I just ate it.” Yan Gongsheng said: "Have you eaten? What a cheap cloud cake? Do you know what I have in it?" The helm said: "The cloud cake is just made of melon kernels, walnuts, foreign sugar, and flour. , what is there?" Yan Gongsheng said angrily: "Fuck you! I have a sickness in Yinshiri, and spent hundreds of taels of silver to combine this medicine; it is the ginseng brought by Mr. Zhang from the province when he was an official in Shangdang. Mr. Zhou Coptis chinensis brought here as an official in Sichuan. You slave! Zhu Bajie eats ginseng fruit and doesn’t know how to taste it. It’s so easy to say! It’s Yunpian Cake! Just a few slices, let’s not say it’s worth dozens of taels of silver?’ Disappeared in the middle of the night Luntouzi, put it in the belly of the thief!' It's just that I will suffer from sickness again in the future, but what medicine will I take to treat it? You slave, you have hurt me a lot!" Ask Si Douzi to open the prayer box and write a post. "Send this slave to Mr. Tang's yamen, beat him dozens of times before talking!" The helmsman was frightened, and said with a smile on his face, "I just ate something sweet. I didn't know it was medicine, but I thought it was Yunpian Cake!" Yan Gongsheng said, "I still said it was Yunpian Cake! Let's talk about Yunpian Cake, Slap you a few mouths first!" Then, he wrote the post and handed it to Si Douzi, who hurried ashore; those who carried the luggage helped the boatman stop him.The boatmen on both boats panicked, and they said together: "Master Yan, is he the one who should have taken Master Yan's medicine by mistake? But he is a poor man, even if he sells the boat, he can't pay the master the dozens of taels." Silver. If it is sent to the county, where can he stay? Now I just beg Master Yan for mercy, Gao Yi is so precious, please forgive him!" Yan Gongsheng became more and more irritable. The porter who carried the luggage walked over to the boat and said: "It turns out that you are on board. If you didn't ask Master Yan for wine and money just now, Master Yan has already boarded the sedan chair. You are the ones who stopped me , then Master Yan found out about this medicine. Now that I know I’m wrong, why don’t you come and kowtow to Master Yan to beg for mercy? Don’t tell me that if you don’t pay Master Yan for the medicine, Master Yan still has something for you?” Everyone forced the helm After kowtowing a few times, Yan Gongsheng turned around and said, "Since you all intercede, I have a lot of joys; let's leave this slave alone, and then settle accounts with him slowly, not afraid that he will fly to the sky!" After cursing, Yang Chang got on the sedan chair .Luggage and Stoudemire followed and coaxed away.The boatman watched him go. Yan Gongsheng went home and hurriedly brought his son, and his wife Baijiatang was busy inviting grandma to come to worship together.His wife was carrying things in the room, making a commotion. Yan Gongsheng came over and said, "What are you busy with?" His wife said, "Don't you know that the house at home is too narrow? There is only one room in the house; daughter-in-law Xinxin is another girl from the big family, you won’t let her live in?” Yan Gongsheng said: “Bah! I’ve already made up my mind, I want you to be busy! The second room is in a high-rise building, so it’s not easy to live in?” Mrs. "He has a house, why should he live in it for your son?" Yan Gongsheng said: "He has no children in the second house, so he doesn't want to have an heir?" He said: "Is it all up to him? What is he? What does it have to do with him if I raise an heir for the second wife?" His wife was puzzled after hearing this.I saw Zhao sent someone to say: "The second grandma heard that the old man came back and asked the old man to speak. Our two uncles are also there." Yan Gongsheng came over and saw Wang De and Wang Ren. After a pause, he called several people in charge to order: "clean out the main house, and the second son and the second wife will live in tomorrow." Hearing this, Mrs. Zhao thought he had adopted his second son, so he went Ask the uncle to say: "Brother, what did you say just now? When the daughter-in-law comes, she will naturally be on the back floor; I live in the front as usual, so I can take care of it in the morning and evening. Why do you ask me to move there? The daughter-in-law lives in the main house, and the mother-in-law is down." Living in a wing room, there is no such reason in the world!" Wang Ren said: "Don't panic, just let him talk, and there will naturally be a discussion." After finishing speaking, he went out.They exchanged a few words with each other and had another cup of tea.Wang Jiaxiaosi came and said, "Friends of my classmates are waiting for the writing meeting." The two said goodbye. Yan Gongsheng sent him back, pulled a chair and sat down; called more than a dozen family members who were in charge, and said: "My second husband, he will come over tomorrow to take over, he is your new master, you need to be careful. Mrs. Zhao He has no children, and the second husband only recognizes him as a father and concubine, and he has no right to occupy the main house; tell your daughter-in-law to clean the two rooms of the group house, move things there for him, and make room for the main room, so that Er Xianggong rests overnight. We also need to avoid suspicion. Er Xianggong calls him the bride, and he calls Er Xianggong Erniang the second master and second grandmother. In a few days, Erniang will come. It is Mrs. Zhao who came to visit first, and then Erxianggong will go over Bowing. We squires, these big gifts are not sloppy! The interest accounts of the farms that each of you are in charge of have been collected and cleared overnight. First, let me have a look at them one by one, so that they can be checked by the second minister; Don't let the second master live in Japan, and the little wife is in charge of the house, relying on you slaves to cheat! If there is a little deceit in the future, I will send you slaves, 30 boards a piece, to Mr. Zhao's yamen, and you will be paid for your work! "Everyone promised to go on, and the old man went over there. The daughters-in-law of these family members came to urge Mrs. Zhao to move the house after receiving the words from Mrs. Mrs. Zhao, but they dared not move immediately after being scolded by Mrs. Zhao.People who usually dislike Mrs. Zhao's pretentiousness and domineering, at this moment they want to invite a group of people into the room and say: "How dare we disobey what the elder father ordered? He is a serious master after all. If he takes it seriously What are we doing?" Zhao burst into tears, crying and cursing, cursing and crying, and made a fuss all night. The next day, I took a sedan chair and carried it to the gate of the county government office, just as the magistrate of Tang County was sitting in the morning hall, and he complained.The county magistrate called for Jinci, and immediately approved the "reply from the relatives of the Yang family". Zhao prepared a few tables of wine and invited them to the house.The head of the patriarch, Yan Zhenxian, is the covenant of the twelve capitals in the city. He is most afraid of the old official Yan; I have no choice but to tell my master this." The two uncles, Wang De and Wang Ren, sat like clay sculptures and woodcarvings, never saying yes or no. He couldn't see the scene, so he wanted to speak, but Yan Gongsheng stared at him, and he didn't dare to speak again.The two of them also said in their hearts: "My aunt usually only respects the two brothers of the Wang family and ignores us. We have no reason to offend Boss Yan for him today. What's the matter with 'the tiger catches flies on the tower'? Be a good sir." Mrs. Zhao was as anxious as ants on a hot pot behind the screen.Seeing that everyone is silent, I ask the uncle through the screen to talk about these things from the past.Counting and crying, crying and counting; beating the chest and feet, making a piece.Yan Gongsheng listened, and said impatiently: "Like this shrew, she is really from a small family! We gentry family, how do we have such rules? Don't get angry with me, pull my hair, beat me up, and call a matchmaker immediately Let's get married!" Mrs. Zhao cried out more and more, and she could hear it in the clouds for a long time, and wanted to rush out to grab him and tear him; it was a few family wives who persuaded her.Seeing that it was not a matter, everyone dragged Yan Gongsheng back.Now they are separated. The next day they negotiated and wrote a reply. Wang De and Wang Ren said: "You are in the palace, and a piece of paper cannot enter the public." They refused to be listed.Yan Zhenxian had no choice but to reply a few words in a jerk, saying: "The Zhao family is originally a concubine, and there is evidence for Fuzheng. It is also true that Yan Gongsheng said that it was against the law and refused to let his son recognize him as his mother. Let the Lord decide. "The magistrate of Tang County is also the son of a concubine. When he saw Fucheng, he said: "The law is established and the human relationship is straightened out. This Gongsheng is too troublesome!" You should not just say that you are a concubine; if Yan Gongsheng doesn't want to inherit his son, let the Zhao family choose by himself, it's okay to be a virtuous and loving one." Yan Gongsheng saw this group, and his head was on fire. More than ten feet; then write a letter to the mansion to sue.The Fu Zun also had a concubine, which seemed troublesome and ordered Gaoyao County to investigate the case.The county magistrate went to investigate and filed the case, and approved a "knowledge and detailed payment".Yan Gongsheng was even more anxious. He went to the province to press the case of the procuratorate;Thinking: "Zhou Xuedao is an in-law family. I rushed to Beijing and begged Zhou Xuedao to file a complaint in the ministry. I must correct my name."