Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

Bianjing

To the south outside Nanxun Gate, the southernmost city gate, is Yujin Garden, also known as Nanyu Garden.

Previously, Xu Zaijing and Zhang Jiasilang accompanied the Northern Liao envoys here to shoot arrows.

There was also some tacit understanding between the two major countries.

There is a large courtyard in the northeast corner of Yujin Garden.

A plaque reading ‘Elephant House’ hangs at the door.

In the elephant sanctuary, which is rarely crowded on weekdays, a group of noble men riding horses and wearing luxurious clothes arrived.

Entering the gate of the elephant sanctuary,

Qin Chihan skillfully greeted the soldiers in the elephant house, while several Kunlun slaves with dark faces knelt on both sides of the gate.

Behind him, the crown prince of Prince Yong, the princes of Ling Guo Gong, Han Guo Gong, Zhongshan Marquis and others looked at the surroundings with some curiosity.

From the roof of the tall shack, there was green smoke from burning charcoal, which made the tall shack somewhat warm.

In the yard not far away,

From time to time there is the cry of elephants.

Qin Chihan got off his horse and bowed:

"Your Highness, brothers, please leave the horses here. They may be frightened if you go in."

Everyone followed the good example, and after getting off their horses, they led a group of servants and carried two handfuls of things covered with cloth into the yard.

After entering the yard,

Everyone went up to a wooden building in the courtyard.

From the wooden building, you can see a deep pit in the middle of the yard for about one and a half people.

"Your Majesty, this elephant is strong and powerful. It has a name called Xu Wu. It should be what you like, right?"

Prince Yong nodded and said:

"Strong? Xu Wu?"

"Okay! What a good name! Just what I want!"

After receiving the answer from Prince Yong, Qin Chihan raised his chin towards the steward of the elephant sanctuary.

Soon an elephant with very wrinkled ears was ridden out by a dark-faced rider. When he reached the edge of the pit, the rider got off the elephant.

Qin Chihan on the side said: "Your Majesty, there are 'elephant shoes' in this deep pit, which can make the elephant stay in the pit."

Looking at Prince Yong's puzzled look, someone brought something over. Looking at the sharp iron thorns on it, the elephant would definitely be in pain and unable to move if it stepped on it.

Prince Yong nodded with satisfaction.

In the courtyard, the old elephant was driven into a deep pit. Halfway there, he was okay, but when they all walked in,

The old elephant let out a high-pitched cry.

The entrance to the pit was then sealed with a fence covered with sharp iron spikes.

At this time, the thing carried by the servants on the wooden floor was unwrapped, and it turned out to be a divine arm crossbow from the Zhou army.

After the followers strung up the divine arm crossbow, Qin Chihan stretched out his hand to ask Prince Yong to shoot.

Prince Yong nodded with a smile and took the crossbow arrow. Under the guidance of his followers, he buckled the hanging knife under the crossbow arm.

"collapse!"

An unusually sharp crossbow arrow shot into the elephant in the pit.

“Moo~~~~”

The old elephant screamed and neighed.

"You are very strong, aren't you? You are good at hitting people, aren't you? Shoot you to death!"

"."

Muttering curse words, Crown Prince Yong handed the crossbow to his entourage, and another divine arm crossbow had been loaded.

The elephant was being shot here, and the Sha family disciples on the other side said, "Brother Han, are you okay if you shoot this elephant to death?"

Qin Chihan said: "It's okay. This elephant has given birth to six cubs. It has been unable to have children for a long time. It has reached its age. The elephant breeding station is supposed to kill them."

"Oh~ I see!"

Prince Yong, who had shot seven or eight times, was also a little tired, so he handed over the divine arm crossbow in his hand.

Amid Han Chengyun's muttering, Sha Bo, the eldest son of the Sha family of Zhongshan Hou, took over the crossbow.

The sharp crossbow arrows of the powerful crossbow were aimed at Han Chengyun and Lu Sanlang. They were frightened and they dodged for a while. After they all begged for mercy, Shabo raised the crossbow and took aim.

"collapse"

Elephants bray.

This group of Zixun noble disciples brought a lot of crossbows. They didn't have two crossbows per person like Prince Yong just now. Instead, they just played with one crossbow and continued shooting.

When Nashabo shot the elephant, he laughed especially heartily, as if someone was tied there.

I don’t know how long it took, but the elephant was stabbed several times with a spear again.

These people came closer and shot a few more arrows.

Finally, the trunk of the dying elephant was hooked out with a hook gun, and it was spread flat in front of the pit.

Prince Yong raised a long-handled sword and waved it vigorously.

Killing a giant beast with swords and arrows made Prince Yong and others feel happy.

He laughed and galloped away on his horse.

After everyone left, the steward at the entrance of the elephant sanctuary held a bag of silver in his hand and clicked his tongue contentedly. He looked at the people next to him and said, "Let's go to the city and have fun!"

"Steward, are these guys still here?"

"When they come, don't we still have a few old elephants?"

"What the manager said is that the Qin family brother is still smart enough to find such a profitable job."

"Tsk, tsk, beautiful."

Soon, the elephant sanctuary fell into darkness, and the whining sounds of several elephants could be heard from inside, as if they were calling for something.

Outside Bianjing City

southeast direction

After leaving Chenzhou Gate, there is Xiaoyu Village, a farm less than five miles away.

Sitting in the courtyard, I could vaguely hear the noisy sounds coming from Bianjing City.

Even if you listen carefully, you can't tell whether it's the sound of cries, trumpets, or the neighing of animals.

The tenant farmers on the farm had just paid homage to the old lady.

At this time, in the yard, Cui, the manager of Xiaoyu Village, was talking to Cui Ruan, Cui's mother. Both of them were named Cui but they were husband and wife. Cui Ruan, Cui's mother, was the child bride of Cui Zhuangtou's family when she was a child.

The two grew up as childhood sweethearts, but later the village suffered a disaster and the two separated.

When I saw each other again, one was already in Yongyihou's house, and the other was in a civil servant's house.

Mrs. Sheng, who learned about this at that time, also went through a lot of trouble to get Cui Ruan and Cui's mother to the Xu family, thus making the marriage between the two successful.

In addition, Xu Zaijing's wet nurse Cui Sister-in-law is also from the same branch as Cui Zhuangtou.

On the other side, the old lady was accompanied by Fang's mother and the three Lans from the Sheng family.

Looking at the spacious wheat field surrounded by adobe walls, the three Lans' eyes were full of surprise.

Cui Zhuangtou, who had finished talking to his wife, also came over and said:

"Old madam, knowing that you are riding horses, I specially moved a few stacks in the middle of the wheat field to one side. It looks spacious to you, right?"

"I'm ready. Are you ready?"

Cui Zhuangtou said: "We are ready, we are in the stable! Please wait."

After a while, in Sanlan's surprised eyes, three cute little donkeys were led over.

The little donkey still had a saddle on its back.

“Go try it!”

Then the three orchids approached the little donkey and rode on it one after another.

The happy laughter of the three girls came from the yard.

in the afternoon,

Mo Lan and Ru Lan even put on new dresses and rode their donkeys for a stroll in the yard.

Minglan, on the other hand, was still wearing old clothes, holding a polo club that had been tied with a non-slip rope, and was practicing swinging on the back of a little donkey.

Ming Lan, who was riding an animal for the first time, naturally lost her center of gravity and fell to the ground. Fortunately, there were several older ladies around her to protect her, so it was nothing.

When Mo Lan and Ru Lan joined in practicing polo swing, things got worse.

The two of them fell down one after another, their skirts covered with mud as they staggered.

Ru Lan frowned and complained: "Ah! It's so dirty. This is my favorite skirt!"

The magpie on the side said: "Girl, it's okay. If it's dirty, it's dirty. You can try another swing."

Rulan: "Huh! I'm so annoyed!"

As he said that, he stood up and wanted to throw the polo pole on the ground, but he accidentally saw the sight of the old lady at the window in the house and could only give up.

Then he got on the donkey's back again and practiced his movements feebly.

On the other side, Mo Lan was about the same. With the help of Lu Zhong and Yunzai, she could barely sit on the back of the donkey.

As a result, the little donkey rushed forward for some reason, and Mo Lan fell down. Lu Zhong and Yunzai ran a few steps quickly, but they still couldn't catch themselves.

Mo Lan fell heavily on the ground, and his whole body was stained by mud.

Rulan's ruthless ridicule came from the side:

"Hahahaha, fourth sister, what's wrong with you!!! Hahaha"

"Ah! It's so dirty! What are you two doing for food!"

Mo Lan was lying on the ground, frowning and scolding, Lu Zhong and Yunzai hurriedly helped Mo Lan up.

Mo Lan stood up and saw that not far away, Ming Lan was feeding her little donkey with a pear. Mo Lan's mount was hooked by the pear!

Xiao Xiaotao pushed Mo Lan's little donkey beside Minglan and said, "Go, go, find your own girl!"

Fang's mother, who was walking towards the house with a stack of account books in the village, looked at this scene with a smile.

Before the sun goes down, three orchids are playing in the yard.

In the next few days, Mo Lan and Ru Lan came to the yard less and less.

One is sitting in the room practicing calligraphy, and the other is lying at the table reading a book.

Only Minglan himself rode a donkey on the wheat field and waved the polo club.

Although it was in Zhuangzi, I brought all the items from my home in Jiying Lane.

This morning,

When everyone in Xiaoyuzhuang was having breakfast, the old lady was sitting at the dining table and saw that there was an orchid missing:

"Where's the fourth girl?"

"Old lady, the fourth girl said she went to the mountains behind to see the autumn scenery."

The old lady nodded while holding the spoon.

Ru Lan, who was at the dinner table, curled her lips in disgust and rolled her eyes, while Ming Lan ate with a sigh of relief. After she was full, she said:

"Grandma, I'm going to practice polo!"

The old lady frowned and said:

"Stop! What are you practicing after eating just now? Take a rest."

"oh"

When the two Lans were eating, Mo Lan was wearing a brocade cloak.

Already standing on the hill accompanied by the female ambassador and two healthy women,

Under the fruit trees with fallen leaves,

The maid was holding the tray, and Mo Lan was holding a brush and writing something on the paper on the tray.

After finishing writing, Mo Lan nodded quite proudly, looked into the distance again and said:

"Why is that land different from the land here?"

The strong woman in Xiaoyu Village on the side looked over and said:

"Back to Miss Fourth, that's a paddy field, not one from our village. It's different because no one is taking care of it."

Another fitness woman said:

"I met the tenants of that paddy field in the spring. I heard that the owner is very ridiculous, treats others mean, and doesn't know how to run a business!"

"In the second half of the year, the tenants went to other places, and the fields became deserted."

The strong woman who spoke just now said: "That is a good paddy field, it is a pity."

Mo Lan was stunned and said: "Do you know which company it is from?"

"I heard that his surname is Chi, and he is from a wealthy family in the city."

Mo Lan nodded.

Back to Xiaoyu Village,

Mo Lan cautiously handed the paper in his hand to the old lady.

The old lady smiled and took it, read it once and then whispered:

"The fields are all in autumn colors, and the trees are glowing with the morning light."

"Good sentence, good sentence! Very good."

Hearing the compliment, Mo Lan's eyes lit up and she smiled and looked at the old lady who nodded in praise.

She happily bowed and said:

"Thank you grandma for the compliment."

"Don't go without breakfast in the future, do you understand?"

"Yes, Grandma."

"Eat something."

Mo Lan sat at the dining table and ate very gracefully.

Ru Lan had disappeared by this time, and Ming Lan was sitting on the edge of the heated kang, leaning on the cotton mattress spread on the edge of the kang.

Mother Cui on the side was holding an account book and talking about things in Zhuangzi.

After reporting for a while, Cui’s mother continued:

"Old lady, ten hectares of cotton in the village this year yielded 11,640 kilograms of seed cotton. After drying and removing seeds, the yield of lint cotton was 3,720 kilograms."

The old lady nodded as she listened to Cui’s mother’s words.

"There are still ninety-seven households in Zhuangzi today?"

"yes."

"Notify your family that we will round up three thousand and use the remaining cotton to make a cotton coat for each household in the village."

Mother Cui bowed her head gratefully.

When Mo Lan, who was eating with his back to the old lady, heard this, his eyes were noncommittal, he curled his lips and stood up and said:

"Grandma, my granddaughter is full."

"Go ahead."

Mo Lan left here,

But Ming Lan, who was beside the old lady, did not follow her out. Her big eyes rolled around, and then she looked at the old lady with some understanding.

"What's wrong tomorrow?"

"Grandma, my granddaughter knows this is a favor, but it weighs more than 700 pounds. Grandma, don't you feel sad?"

After hearing this, the old lady smiled and looked at Fang's mother beside her, and Fang's mother explained:

"Miss Six, do you know the cotton output in other villages?"

Minglan looked at Fang's mother and shook her head.

Fang's mother said: "The old lady of the Yu family came to our house before and said that fifteen hectares of cotton were planted in the Yu family's village, and thirteen thousand catties of seed cotton were obtained."

Hearing this number, Minglan looked at the old lady in surprise.

"Tomorrow, do you know why our village has such a production volume?"

Looking at Minglan's confused look, Fang's mother saw the old lady's eyes and said:

"Sixth girl, it was Cui Zhuangtou who led the tenants who worked diligently day and night to catch insects, weed, fertilize and water, which resulted in such a yield."

The old lady looked at Minglan and said:

"Tomorrow, merit should be rewarded, and mistakes should be punished. It is right to have clear rewards and punishments."

"It's like sending troops to fight. Soldiers who have made great achievements will not be rewarded. Who will fight for you?"

Seeing that Minglan understood, the old lady smiled and nodded and said, "Let's go play."

Minglan walked to the door and opened the curtain before going out. She looked back at the old lady with a smile, as if she was happy because she knew the new truth.

Looking at the old lady's smile, Fang's mother also felt something in her heart.

Including the parent and child who died young, Miss Six is ​​the sixth child raised by the old lady.

Starting from Hua Lan, the eldest daughter of the Sheng family, every child raised by the old lady is very good.

As for Lin Xiaoniang, who was born in a poor family and always showed her weakness, and learned some mental skills from the old lady, she had nothing to say.

Nowadays, the Yongyi Hou Mansion has gradually taken on the appearance of the former Hou Mansion.

Although the old lady wanted to be low-key and invisible, her strength did not allow it.

Fang's mother sometimes looked at the old lady in the way Lord Sheng Hong looked at her, which was quite similar to when she had not yet won the Jinshi.

Minglan left the old lady's house,

When I came to the yard,

Ru Lan was hitting the ball with a hammer stick, frowning and looking rather depressed. When she saw Ming Lan, Ru Lan said:

"Xiao Liu, was the fourth sister's poem really praised by grandma just now?"

Minglan straightened her sleeves and said:

"Well, grandma said that the fourth sister's poems were very good."

"Huh? Really?"

Ru Lan sighed in frustration.

Minglan took the polo club from Xiaotao and said:

"However, I think this poem is somewhat similar to the previous dynasty's poem 'The trees are all in autumn colors, and the mountains are only covered by the setting sun'."

Ru Lan heard this and said happily:

"I see!"

The setting sun slants down,

When the old lady's motorcade returned to Jiying Lane,

Xu Zaijing and his brother happened to be finishing school.

We met the old lady's motorcade at the entrance of the alley.

Seeing the son of the Xu family, the old lady's carriage slowly stopped.

Xu Zaijing, who was wearing a big cloak, leaned on the base of the horse's neck and was now flush with the window of the old lady's carriage.

Looking at the old lady in the carriage with a smile, Xu Zaijing said:

"Auntie, please come into the courtyard quickly, there is great news waiting for you!"

"Fifth cousin, what good news is this?"

When Rulan asked, Minglan and Molan also curiously looked at Xu Zaijing outside the car.

"Well, it's not that."

Seeing Xu Zaijing's deep thinking, Sanlan listened with wide eyes.

"Good news I didn't want to tell you."

"Ha ha ha ha"

Seeing Sanlan's angry look, Xu Zaijing laughed.

The old lady smiled in the car and said, "Naughty!"

Xu Zaijing chuckled.

After the old lady finished speaking, she glanced at Xu Zaizhang, who was smiling stupidly next to Xu Zaijing, with a look of happiness and understanding in his eyes.

Then the old lady gave a few more instructions,

The servants of the Sheng family carried two large bundles of red dates on their horses.

It is said to be produced in Zhuangzi outside the city and has a very sweet taste.

When the old lady entered Shou'an Hall,

The ground dragon in the hall has already been warmed,

Many female nuns are arranging things,

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu came over to pay their respects to the old lady. When Sanlan paid their respects to Wang Ruofu, Wang Ruofu nodded with a smile on his face.

took a seat,

Although there were already speculations in her mind, when she heard what Wang Ruofu said that Hua Lan was pregnant, the old lady still sighed happily:

"well!"

Wang Ruofu said: "It's true that this girl had to wait until the second month of pregnancy to sit firmly before telling her mother-in-law! It's true!"

She said angry words, but her face was full of arrogance.

Sheng Hong on the side was smiling from ear to ear.