Chapter 48 Mrs. Ouyang's standards for choosing a son-in-law are different from those of her husband

Under the planning and supervision of Li Hongzhang and Ma Xinyi, the rebuilt Liangjiang governor's yamen has been built in a grand scale and style after five years of operation.Restricted by etiquette, it is of course impossible to compare with the previous Tianwang Palace, but compared with the Governor's Yamen in the second year of Xianfeng, it is three times larger and ten times more luxurious.Especially the West Garden basically maintained the specifications of Hong Xiuquan's Imperial Garden.In order to please Zeng Guofan, hundreds of bamboos, large and small, were recently moved from Zijin Mountain.The bamboo branches are beautiful and the bamboo leaves are green, adding infinite vitality and infinite elegance to the garden full of pavilions, pavilions, winding paths and rockeries.

Wang Jingqi whispered to the superintendent of construction: "Old Zhongtang loves bamboo, especially the mottled bamboo on Junshan in Dongting Lake. When he visited Junshan that year, he stroked the mottled bamboo full of black spots and was fascinated for a long time." After hearing this, the manager hurriedly sent people to Hunan to purchase, and ordered a boatload of Junshan soil to be brought so that the mottled bamboo could survive and take root in the West Garden more smoothly. On the surface of the rippling artificial lake, the stone boat that was the king's favorite was moored.

The surface of the lake was greatly widened, and the stone boat was naturally moved into the lake.So from the shore to the stone boat, another Jiuqu bridge was built, and the railings of the bridge were decorated with colorful paintings.There is a roof on the bridge, which is covered with sky blue glazed tiles.The sun shines on the tiles, reflecting clear and bright brilliance, blending with the blue sky and clear water, harmonious and magnificent, showing the architect's ingenuity. Zeng Guofan sighed more than once: "It's too ingenious, too luxurious! The way of heaven avoids coincidence, and the way of heaven avoids extravagance. It's better to be simple. Only simplicity can last forever in the world." In the next spring, we will plant green vegetables, peppers, eggplants, beans and other farm vegetables in order to offset some extravagance, and to show our staff not to forget the roots of farming.

Mrs. Ouyang has been sick for three months, and she has always been weak.Since the eighth year of Tongzhi, she has suffered from the same disease as her husband: the right eye is blind, and the left eye only sees a faint light.The weather is cold, and it has been half a month since she moved into the supervisor's office, but she hasn't stepped out of the door.Today the sun came out and the weather was warm. Accompanied by the girl Ji Fen, the two old men came to the West Garden and walked slowly along the Jiuqu Bridge to Shifang. "Mangu, you are twenty years old this year. Your mother and I haven't decided on a husband's family for you. Do you feel resentful?" After the family of three sat down on the wooden bench in the stone boat, Zeng Guofan looked at the thick-haired man. Thick and honest, a full girl who resembles her mother, asked lovingly.

"Father, see what you keep saying! I will never marry in my life, and I will serve the two old people at home." Ji Fen blushed with shame, turned her face away, and looked at the withered black and yellow lotus leaves outside the stone boat.Actually, how could Ji Fen not be in a hurry?But what's the use of being anxious, you can't find your in-laws by yourself!She is cheerful by nature and considerate. It is not a lie to say that she is willing to serve her parents at home.She was very happy to see that her father was at ease today, and he took the initiative to talk about her marriage.

Ever since she was sensible, she had never seen her father be free and comfortable.She never heard her father mention the marriages of her older sisters, and she just married off one by one like that.Other high-ranking officials married their daughters, and there was a lot of excitement, hundreds of tables were set up at the banquet, and the dowry boxes stretched for a mile or two.They all said that her father was the biggest official in Hunan. In Ji Fen's eyes, the marriages of the older sisters were not only unglamorous, but also very miserable. On the day of sending off their parents, there was no father present as usual!My father was too busy and tired all his life, and it was hard for him to have such a moment for the family to chat.Daughters all have such emotions, and even more emotions as a wife.

During the thirty-six years of marriage, Mrs. Ouyang has always respected and loved her husband.In the past in the capital, the husband was busy, but the family was not separated.After the birth of Ji Fen, the family split up in the past twenty years. The husband and wife spent less time together and more time apart.Mrs. Ouyang is not only proud of her husband's achievements, but also has deep expectations that the husband and wife will not be able to reunite for a long time.She was both happy and slightly surprised that her husband had such an interest today. "Silly girl, there's no reason why you won't get married for the rest of your life! Are we two elders dead?" Mrs. Ouyang smiled and said to her daughter, "Mangu, you don't know, your father is very anxious about your marriage! He I have been paying attention to it five years ago, and I have been thinking about finding the best husband for you."

Ji Fen lowered her head in shame.Mrs. Ouyang stroked her daughter's soft black hair, and said lovingly: "My parents-in-law love their grandchildren, and my parents love their sons. You are your parents' Man Jiaojiao. Among the seven siblings, I think your father loves you the most. It is often said that if you look like Amitabha Buddha, you will have the best fortune and longevity in the future, so I want to find a husband with good character, good knowledge, good family background, good in-laws, and good physique for you." "Where can I find such a person who is good in everything!" Ji Fen burst out laughing, looking sweetly at her mother.

Knowing a husband is better than a wife.What Mrs. Ouyang said was exactly what Zeng Guofan was thinking.Over the years, he has been deeply guilty of the marriages of his four married daughters.The four sons-in-law are all decided by him, and the families of the four daughters are not happy.The eldest son-in-law Yuan Bingzhen was dissolute and violent, causing the eldest daughter to die at the age of 30, adding another tragic example of a white-haired man sending a black-haired man.The second son-in-law, Chen Yuanji, was smart when he was young, but he became mediocre and unmotivated when he grew up. The second daughter, Ji Yao, was depressed all the year round.The third son-in-law, Luo Yunji, is a playboy who doesn't do business properly, and his mother is tough and mean. The third daughter, Ji Chen, always wants to live in her mother's house all year round.The fourth son-in-law, Guo Gangji, was good in character and education, but weak in health. He died of illness at the age of 21, leaving Ji Chun with his two sons to guard the vacant house.In view of the misfortune of the four daughters, Zeng Guofan summed up the "five good" criteria for choosing a son-in-law.It is precisely because it is hard to find a "five good" husband and son-in-law, so the twenty-year-old girl is still waiting in her boudoir.This time I inspected the Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau, but unexpectedly saw a young phoenix and a thousand-mile horse.He was sure, but this time he had to seek the opinions of his wife and daughter, the lessons from the past really frightened him.He thought: Even if the wife agrees and the daughter does not agree, this matter will never be forced.

"I found one, so I don't know what your two daughters think?" Zeng Guofan said while paying attention to the reactions of his wife and daughter: the mother was smiling, and the daughter's face was flushed. "What kind of person is he?" Mrs. Ouyang hurriedly answered. "Do you remember Nie Yifeng?" Zeng Guofan asked his wife. "You mean the eldest son of Hengshan Nie, the one who failed several times in the test?" Mrs. Ouyang has a very good memory, especially when she lived in the capital, as a virtuous wife, she remembers her husband's friends who visited her house Clearly.That Nie Yifeng, who is also from Hunan, lived in her house for half a year, and the impression was even more profound.

"Exactly." "He is a good man, knowledgeable, and a good person, but he was unlucky in the examination room. I remember that he failed the exam three times." Mrs. Ouyang raised her head and said slowly, as if recalling the sweet life of the capital in the past. "In the second year of Xianfeng, he passed the exam, and because of a typo, he was not selected for Hanlin. As a result, he was assigned to Dangzhi County in Guangdong, and now he is the prefect of Gaozhou." "The person you are talking about is Yifeng's son?" Madam already guessed. "His fifth son is now a member of the Jiangnan Machinery Manufacturing Bureau. He is nineteen years old this year." Then he recounted the process of Nie Jitsu coming to Shanghai. "Can I still go to the Imperial Academy in the future?" Her husband was born in the Imperial Academy, and Mrs. Ouyang hoped that her two sons and four sons-in-law would all be admitted to the Imperial Academy, but there was no second person.Sometimes she became cruel and decided to find a man from the Golden Horse Gate for Mannu.Abandoning her parents, Ji Fen walked to the bow of the boat by herself, quietly watching the fish coming and going by the stone boat, but she didn't let go of every word of the elders in the cabin. "Of course you can take the exam." Zeng Guofan answered his wife's question in the affirmative. "However, you don't necessarily have to be a Jinshi and enter the Imperial Academy to be successful. When I was young, I told Chenghou and Yuanfu not to indulge in the imperial examination. There are many mistakes in it. The key is to have real knowledge and real knowledge. Ability. Now making guns and boats is the most important thing for the country. The fifth son of the Nie family has the talent in this area. Are you still worried that he will not be successful in the future? His mother said it well, maybe he can also be a vassal in the future! I Look at that child's dignified manner and good conversation, maybe he will be blessed with the seal of borders in the future." "Master, you are well-informed, and I have always listened to you, but you are not satisfied with the four sons-in-law from the eldest aunt to the fourth aunt, so I have to ask a few more questions." The daughter is the flesh of the mother, Ouyang The wife's love for her five daughters was deeper than that of her husband. She didn't know how many tears she shed behind her back for the eldest daughter who died young, the fourth daughter who was widowed, and the third daughter who was angered. Both eyes were crying like this. "It's true that the four son-in-laws are not selected well. Others say that I can judge people, but the son-in-law has not been selected well. I feel ashamed." Zeng Guofan bowed his head heavily, and for a long time He also said, "I've made it clear. In the past, choosing a son-in-law was not choosing the person himself, but the father. A good father does not guarantee that the son will be good. Also, in the past, children were chosen, and they did not grow up. Clever and cute, he may not be successful when he grows up. This time is different, the fifth child of the Nie family has already been established, and will only become more sensible and better in the future. I believe that Mangu's life is much better than the four sisters .” "I believe that the master is good at judging people, but we still need to let our mother and daughter meet him, and I also have to take a small test." "You also want to take an exam! How do you test?" Zeng Guofan found it interesting. "I have a solution. Man Gu!" Mrs. Ouyang shouted to her daughter sitting on the bow, "Do you want it?" Ji Fen turned her face away and smiled coyly at her mother. Mrs. Ouyang has her own way of testing her son-in-law, which is different from her husband.When Nie Jitsu was ordered to come to Liangjiang Governor's Yamen, the Zeng family had already made careful arrangements.In the living room, Zeng Guofan and Nie Jitsu continued to talk about the management of the Jiangnan Machinery Bureau: Behind the screen, Mrs. Ouyang and her daughter listened with sharp ears, and through the gap in the screen, they saw Nie Jitsu from head to toe. carefulness.From appearance to conversation, Mrs. Ouyang was satisfied, and asked her daughter, Ji Fen nodded gently. In the evening, Zeng Guofan left Nie Jitsu behind and invited him to dinner.The extraordinary courtesy surprised Nie Jiyue.He remembered that Lao Zhongtang once asked him if he was engaged. "Do you want to fight for me? Is there really such a good fate?" Thinking of this, the young member of the Jiangnan General Administration suddenly became emotional.He knew that Lao Zhongtang didn't like literati who drank a lot, so he didn't drink at all, and ate three bowls of rice with relish.Mrs. Ouyang, who was behind the screen, looked right in her arms.Yuan Bingzhen and Luo Yunji, who were greedy for drinking and bad things, broke her heart, and Guo Gangji, who was weak, made her suffer even more.The young man in the living room does not drink, but can eat, which is a symbol of integrity and good health in Mrs. Ouyang's eyes.After eating and drinking tea, Nie Jitsu got up to take his leave.The family took out ten pieces of foreign cloth with various colors and patterns and put them on the table.Zeng Guofan pointed to the foreign cloth and said, "Ji Zeniang used to know your mother well and met your two elder sisters. She wants to give each of them a piece of cloth. I don't know what color they like. You can choose a piece for each of them!" Hearing this, Nie Jiyue was overjoyed. He carefully looked at and felt the ten pieces of fabric, one by one, and picked out a black one first, and said: "My mother never liked flowers and plants. She usually likes to make men's clothes at home. This piece of black cloth is good for making clothes for her." Picking up a piece of beige checked velvet cloth with small flowers, he said: "My eldest sister is thirty years old and has two children. She loves beauty and is quite stable. This piece of cloth is the best for her." Shiny satin with green leaves and pink peach blossoms on the bottom, grinned and said with a smile: "Second sister will get married next year, and she is also pretty, this satin is the most suitable dowry for her." When Zeng Guofan told his wife about Nie Jitsu's selection of cloth, Ouyang was completely relieved: this child is careful and caring about women, and he will definitely take good care of his wife in the future.Such a son-in-law is hard to find even with a lantern!She urged her husband to send a letter to Nie Yifeng immediately, confirming the marriage and marrying a daughter next year.Girls who have passed the age of twenty can no longer stay in their natal family. "You are wishful thinking. We fell in love with his son, what if he doesn't like our Mangu?" Zeng Guofan laughed happily. "How can there be such a thing!" Mrs. Ouyang seemed to have been wronged, "My Mangu is beautiful and capable, whoever sees her will love her, and there are still people who don't like it? There is no such reason!" Just as he was talking, Ji Fen came in and said to his father: "The messenger sent a big package, please go to the lobby to pick it up." Zeng Guofan put on court clothes, came to the lobby, burned incense and bowed to the north, and took the envelope.When I opened it, it turned out that it was an annual gift from the Queen Mother and the Emperor.This has been the case every year since the Tongzhi period, no matter whether he was commanding the war on the front line or serving as governor of Taiping in Anqing, Jiangning, Baoding, etc., a large package of gifts was sent to him every early December, and the same items were sent to him every year. This year is no exception: three and a half catties of lotus root powder, three and a half catties of white lotus seeds, one and a half catties of lily powder, three and a half catties of southern dates, one and a half catties of orange cakes, five catties of milk cakes, and ten handfuls of dried noodles.Every year when he received this package of gifts, he also received a bit of warmth. He was grateful from the bottom of his heart for the empress dowager and the emperor's support.Today, this mood seems not as strong as in the past, but I just silently recited in my heart: "It's New Year's Eve again!" This is the first New Year's Eve when we moved into the new government office, and the whole office was full of joy, discussing how to decorate the new government office with lanterns and festoons, red and green, to make the new office even more beautiful.Mrs. Ouyang is much better these days.Ji Hong and his wife came to Jiangning from Changsha with their three sons and one daughter. Ji Chen and her two sons, Ji Yao and her husband Chen Yuanji were also on the same boat.Ji Hong also told his father that Uncle Jiu would also come to Jiangning for the New Year.The empty yamen suddenly became lively. When Zeng Guofan and his wife saw a boatload of juniors, they were both happy and sad.The joy is that the house is full of children and grandchildren, and the sorrow is the eldest daughter who died young and the third daughter who is newly widowed.Zeng Guofan is most gratified that the second room is prosperous.It was only seven years since Ji Hong became a family, and he had three grandchildren for him. In comparison, the long house is much deserted.Jize and Liu Rong's daughter had been married for thirteen years, and they had two sons, both of whom died before their first birthday, and now they only have two sons and daughters. Jize is thirty-three years old this year, and he is very anxious, and Zeng Guofan and his wife are also very anxious. Mrs. Guo knows how to be a man. When she entered the yamen, she saw her sister-in-law's face was unhappy, and knowing that she was jealous, she discussed with her husband and asked her brother and sister-in-law to choose one of their three sons to take care of them temporarily.Because Zeng Guofan's first-class marquis is hereditary, it is obvious that Ji Ze's eldest son will inherit it in the future. Ji Hong and his wife are afraid that their brother and sister-in-law will misunderstand and think it is to seize the power of the marquis, so they explain it first, and don't use the small clan to confuse the big clan.Seeing how virtuous their brother and sister-in-law are, Ji Ze and his wife were very grateful, so they chose Guang Quan, who was about to turn one year old.Zeng Guofan greatly appreciated this matter, and personally held a grand ceremony for his grandson's room-sharing, and said to his sons: "Having a room is a good thing, if you do activities, it will easily cause trouble in the future. Ziping, there is a lawsuit due to the activities. You brothers should learn from Shaoquan to care for the son of Youquan, and do not do activities and be stupid. From now on, no matter how many sons Ji Ze has, Guangquan will always be in the eldest room and will not return to the second room. Only in this way can we prevent future troubles. Do you brothers agree?" "Agreed." Ji Ze and Ji Hong spoke in unison. "Then you brothers, let's make an appointment in front of the ancestral tablet!" Ji Ze and Ji Hong knelt down at the tablets of their great-grandfather Xinggang and grandfather Zhuting, and they agreed to obey their father's orders and never change their relationship.