Chapter 294: Family from Home

this stir-fried vegetable so bland"Zhuier was surprised, "Bland I thought it would be salty because the pickled vegetables they give us servants are particularly salty. The servant girl ate three mou...The same words, Jun Tao has heard many times.

She knew this was Old Madam's way of keeping her in check, making sure she did things properly and kept her mouth shut, not uttering a single word out of line. 。Actually, she understood in her heart that the old lady's favoritism was also a way of keeping her in check. 。Because she knew too much, the old woman never let her out of her sight until her death. 。She couldn't escape either, following this old woman deeper and deeper. Now she wanted to pull away but couldn't. 。But she also had to leave a way out for herself. Firstly, to protect herself in case the old lady decided to silence her one day. Secondly, to prevent the elder house from relentlessly pursuing her after the old lady passed away years later. 。That Fourth Sister, just thinking about her is terrifying. 。Jun Tao nodded vigorously, agreeing with the old lady's words, her face filled with gratitude. "Don't worry, Madam, Jun Tao has no other thoughts, just wants to stay by your side." 。As for dowry or no dowry, it doesn't matter to me. I don't care about those things. I only hope that in the future, I can find a good husband. I sincerely hope that Madam can help me find a suitable match and make plans for my future. 。The old lady was very satisfied. As long as she had her own agenda, she could do whatever she wanted and listen to the old lady's words. This kind of maidservant was easy to control. 。"What time is it Has the fourth young lady returned" she asked Jun Tao, "Since Lady Gui Yue left, she probably won't be coming back, right"Jun Tao went outside to look and then told the old madam: "It's almost noon, and the fourth sister should be back." 。As for Lady Returning Moon, rest assured, Old Madam. She is a person from the Returning Moon country and it's impossible for her to travel between the two countries casually. 。Forget about the restaurant matter, Grandma. It seems that Princess Guiyue was just standing up for Fourth Sister. Now that the deed has been returned, there won't be any more trouble. 。“That’s good, that’s good,” the old lady sighed in relief. “As long as there’s no trouble, no trouble at all.” 。By the time the inner city is rebuilt, our First Rank General's Mansion's hundred-day mourning period will also be over. Then it's time to properly tidy things up, host a grand banquet for the head of the house, and establish some rules and regulations. 。The second brother has been wronged for so many years, it's time to raise his eyebrows and show his prowess. 。It's important to let everyone know who is currently in charge of the General's Mansion. 。“ Two people were talking when a maidservant’s voice came from outside the door: “Elder Madam, someone is visiting the mansion. They are from Xiushan County.” 。"

"Hmm" The old madam was taken aback, "Xiushan County Aren't those two back again" This had angered her to no end. While she cursed at thin air, they arrived right at the door. Wasn't this looking for a fight

As the old madam's anger flared up again and she was about to get up and confront them, Jun Tao quickly soothed, "Old Madam, please don't rush. They might not be back. I'll go take a look. Old Madam, please stay hidden for now."

"

It's not letting me see the surface, but waiting for news in this process is really more torturous than going to see it myself. " 。Although Jun Tao had only been away for a short while, in that time, the old matriarch had already thought of many things. 。> After much deliberation, if it really were those two who had returned, it would still be the best possible outcome. 。Anyway, her nephew and niece-in-law aren't very capable. They still rely on her for food even in Lin'an City. She can control them more easily. 。But what if they weren't the two people She got up, supporting her aching lower back as she paced the room, getting more and more uneasy. 。If it wasn't those two, then whoever came had only one purpose: to get money from her. 。It's been years, everyone in Xiushan's hometown doesn't farm or work, and no descendants are willing to take the imperial examinations. They just know how to reach out to her for money... 。And she, at first, in order to save face, to make her family think that she was also influential in the capital and had standing at home, sent back the money little by little. 。Later, she changed her mind about giving it away. She started inquiring about how people in her hometown were living, asking them why they weren't ambitious and didn't want to cultivate the land or have their descendants take civil service exams. 。What did they say back to her They said, "Why didn't you take the imperial examinations Don't you think you have what it takes It's because your family has a lot of power and influence. The court favors your family, but they also fear your power." 。

Our Jiang family and the Ye family are in-laws, so we naturally followed suit and ate Gua La'er (a type of Chinese pancake). The children and grandchildren don't want to take the imperial examinations; they just haven't found any use for them. The court simply wouldn't give the Jiang family a chance to hold office, so we can only stay in this Xiu Shan County for our entire lives.

You caused all of this, so you have to take responsibility and be accountable for our lives. 。She had been responsible for decades, and now that she was this old, the Chiang family still wouldn't let her go! Jun Tao finally came back. The old lady immediately saw the seriousness in her expression and couldn't help but sigh, "Here we go again, asking for money"Jun Tao arrived before her and said: "It was the old master and madam who came personally..." 。"Huh" The old lady was taken aback, "Who are you" "The master and mistress, that is, your own brother and sister-in-law" 。" The Jiang family in Xiushan County is now run by her younger brother, with his wife managing the household affairs. " 。Although people have always come to her for handouts over the years, her brother and sister-in-law have never visited in person. 。After all, she is the head of the household; she can't afford to lose face. 。 But this time why suddenly came "Why did you come" she asked Jun Tao, "Besides these two, are there anyone else who came with you" Jun Tao shook her head, "There's nothing important people, just brought a servant and a maidservant" 。As for what it was about, they didn't tell the maidservant, only that they had to meet with the old mistress; there was something important. 。"Madam, shall we go to the Xuming Hall, or bring them here" The old madam pondered for a moment. "Bring them here! We should also have the servants prepare guest rooms. They've traveled so far, they should stay for a few days before leaving." 。Just as Lao Er's (the second brother) host banquet was also ready, let them stay and watch the ceremony before leaving. 。“ Jun Tao went out to call people and soon brought a couple in. 。The man was in his fifties and, like the old lady, was very thin and had rather dark skin. 。The woman was fair and clean, dressed elegantly and with grace. Her figure was plump and voluptuous, seeming even more refined than the old lady's. 。The old matriarch was a little unhappy. Women from the county were all fairer than her, wouldn't that put her to shameHowever, no matter how upset she was, she couldn't show it openly. After all, these were her in-laws and her own flesh and blood brother. In her heart, she would still lean towards them a little bit. 。"Sister!" As soon as the two entered, they began to wipe their tears, the woman wiping the man's and the man wiping the woman's, leaving the old lady completely confused. 。She got up and personally greeted them, pulling one over with each hand. She asked with concern, "What's wrong Why are you crying Did something happen at home Jiang Shuo, you are the head of the family. No matter what happens, you shouldn't leave Xiushan County and come all this way to Beijing!" She asked a series of questions, but seeing her younger brother cry so heartbrokenly, she couldn't help it. She had no choice but to push him down into a chair and then asked his wife, Tang Shi, "You, what exactly happened" Tang Shi's emotions were a little better. Although she was still wiping tears, fortunately, she managed to stop crying. 。There was just a hint of panic and fear in her eyes, which the old lady immediately caught. 。Then the old lady panicked as well, "Could something have happened back home Who is missing" As she asked this, she thought of the nephew and his wife who had just been sent away yesterday. They weren't her younger brother's children, but her half-brother's son and daughter-in-law, so she hadn't cared much for them. 。They were in charge of the wine shop because they couldn't spare anyone else from their half-company at that time. 。So she wasn't worried about those two, but was a little worried about her younger brother's children. 。"Did Jiang Hang have an accident, or did Yu'er have an accident" The old lady's eyes widened. 。That's the Jiang family's root! Chiang Hang is the only son of her brother Chiang Shuo, who is twenty-nine this year. 。 。Looking at the expressions of these two, could it be that something happened to the child Hearing the old madam ask this, Mrs. Tang finally reacted, hurriedly shaking her head, "No no no, not Jiang Hang, nor Yu Ge'er" 。Sister, the reason I came to the capital with my grandfather this time is that there has been a major incident at home, and we are unable to handle it. 。"Sister, our ancestral tomb collapsed!" "What" The old lady almost thought her ears were malfunctioning. An ancestral tomb collapsing "How could the ancestral tomb possibly collapse"Jiang Shuo finally stopped crying and began to recount how the ancestral tomb collapsed. 。Of course, these stories were told to him by the tomb keepers. 。It is said that several years ago, there was a sudden loud booming sound. The largest tomb in Xiushan County, the ancestral tomb of the Jiang family, inexplicably collapsed. 。And it got heavier and heavier, with a rumbling sound that kept getting louder and louder. In no time at all, the entire tomb collapsed, burying the coffin completely. 。Jiang Shuo also said, "It was supposed to come a long time ago, but we still have to travel from Xiushan to Lin'an for some days. If you calculate it, we will arrive in Lin'an right before the New Year." 。You can't come looking for trouble with your ancestors' graves during the New Year, that's too inauspicious! So this matter was suppressed. It wasn't until after the sixth day of the Lunar New Year that we came here, but unexpectedly, it coincided with the dragon turning over in Lin'an... 。Sister, this is a big deal. We don't trust anyone else to handle it. After much deliberation, we decided that only the two of us could come. 。Sister, analyze this for me and give me some advice. What should we do Should we repair the tomb or move it Do we need to hold another ceremony or something…

The General's Mansion received news that the Jiang family ancestral tomb had collapsed. At the same time, Empress Dowager Li in the palace also received a message from He Jin, the left minister of rites, who was a third-rank official. Their ancestral tomb had also collapsed before the New Year... 。The reason this news reached Empress Li's ears was simply because He Jin was from the same hometown as Empress Li, both hailing from Lixian County. Moreover, the ancestral tomb of the Li family had recently collapsed, so people from their hometown naturally treated it as a major event and reported it upstream. 。When Empress Dowager Li heard this news, her first reaction was not to analyze whether there was a problem with the land in Li County, but to ponder whether Minister of Rites Left Servant had offended Ye Wen...shook his head, “This king has no preference, just cater to the honored guest’s taste.” 。“Thinking again, she added, ‘Or maybe make some flower wine. She also likes floral scents; she once even tried...