"Brother Hua, it is the fault of the gentlemen in the city that the later generations failed to protect what was created by the predecessors. You and I, as Xinyang's gentry, are the leaders of the four people. We cannot just sit back and do nothing! "
"Brother Yu is right. The butchers are on strike right after the New Year. There is no more meat to be sold in the market. We cannot just sit back and do nothing. Tomorrow, I am willing to go with Brother Yu to the magistrate's office to discuss a plan to resolve this dispute. "
The person who was talking to Hua Qingfeng was called Yu An. He was a local gentry. After receiving Hua Qingfeng's reply, Yu An said happily, "Brother Hua is so considerate of the people. It is the fortune of this place! As gentry and the bridge between the government and the people, it is time for us to show ourselves. Then it is settled. I will not disturb you any longer. I still have a few comrades to contact. "
"Brother Yu, please!"
"Brother Hua, there is no need to send me off." Yu An saluted Hua Qingfeng and left in a hurry, accompanied by the Hua family's housekeeper. Hua Qingfeng stood in the corridor and watched his silhouette pass the screen wall. He then returned to the hall.
Hua Qingfeng was now roaming freely in the forest, having a great time. He spent most of his time with his wives and concubines, teased his children, or went sightseeing. It was a very comfortable life. As a local gentry, he was very concerned about local affairs. He was actively involved in business, water conservancy, and social studies.
The incident today was because the local government came up with a new tax to increase the butchers' taxes. The butchers felt that the tax was too heavy and refused to increase it. The conflict between the two parties became more and more intense. In the end, the local butchers collectively went on strike. There was no meat to buy in the market. The gentry then decided to step in and mediate.
Hua Qingfeng returned to the hall and sat down. He asked the servant girl who was serving tea, "Where is the second wife?"
The servant girl answered, "The second wife is setting off fireworks with the young master in the back garden."
When Hua Qing Feng heard this, he could not help but laugh. His precious son was still young, and he was very cute. On New Year's Eve, when he saw his family set off fireworks, the tightly wrapped little fellow stared at them with a pair of round eyes, entranced.
He didn't dare to touch fireworks, but he liked to watch them. Now that it was the first lunar month, he still pestered his mother to let him play with fireworks. However, the fireworks that the children liked were the stick-shaped fireworks that they held in their hands. They were not worth much, or else the Hua family's income would not be able to support their expenses.
Hua Qingfeng was a carefree player. He still had a chance to make a comeback, but before that, his income was very limited. The Ming Dynasty was not like the Song Dynasty. The treatment of the officials was not high, and the treatment of the retired officials was even lower. In the early Ming Dynasty, if there was no special reward, the officials would not receive a single cent of salary after retirement. Even if there was a special reward, it would only be half a salary.
It was not until nearly a hundred years ago that the imperial court changed the rules. Officials who retired could receive the "Lunar Granary" and "Sui Fu", which meant that they could receive a portion of rations from the yamen every month. Every year, the government would send some servants to their homes to help clean up.
Hua Qingfeng retired as a sixth-ranked official, so he could receive two stone meters of rice every month. Based on the standard of consumption during the Wanli period, it was equivalent to one tael of silver. Of course, it was not enough to maintain the dignity of his official position. His father-in-law's family was in the silk business. Su Ya had the intention to let her husband do some silk business. With her father's support, they would not lose money.
However, Hua Qingfeng was worried that doing business would lose his official position, so he insisted on not doing it. Fortunately, he was an official and had the privilege of being exempted from taxes. Some local people "donated" their land to his name. Relying on this income, he could compensate for his family's expenses.
It was not easy for Hua Qingfeng to have this son, so he naturally cherished him. Now that his concubine, Zi Yu, was pregnant again, it was unknown whether it was a boy or a girl. However, he already had a son, so he was not as anxious. At the moment, his second child had not yet been born, and all of his attention was still focused on his eldest son. It was as if he had lost his soul after not seeing him for a day.
Hearing that his precious son was in the back garden watching the fireworks, Hua Qingfeng could not help but smile knowingly. He picked up a cup of tea and was about to moisten his throat when he went to the back garden to take a look. The steward who had seen Yu An out rushed in. As soon as he saw Hua Qingfeng, he said, "Master, Master Uncle is here!"
Hearing this, Hua Qingfeng was overjoyed. "You say Xuntian has come to Xinyang? Aiya, you old bastard, Xuntian is not an outsider. Do you want me to welcome him? Why don't you invite him in! "As he spoke, Hua Qingfeng had already stood up happily.
The steward said, "Master, you may not know, but there is another official who has come with Master Uncle. That official's surname is Ye. According to him, he is an old subordinate of Master, and he has brought many people with him!"
Crack!
Hua Qingfeng, who had already developed a "phobia," was at a loss when he heard that there was an old subordinate surnamed Ye. His hand trembled, and a teacup slipped out of his hand. "Surnamed Ye? Ye Xiaotian? He … what is he doing in Xinyang? "
The steward replied, "Master, Master Ye said that he came to the capital to see you. Now that he is returning to Guizhou, he passed by here and specially came to visit Master."
"Oh? Oh, oh! " Hua Qingfeng suddenly came to his senses. In his heart, he mocked himself, "Ye Xiaotian is not some scourge or fierce beast. You have already let bygones be bygones. Now that there is no harm, what is there to be afraid of?" Hua Qingfeng composed himself and said, "Quick, quick, invite him in!"
Hua Qingfeng had retired as an old superior. Even if Ye Xiaotian's current position was higher than his, there was no need for him to welcome him at the door. Furthermore, he did not know that Ye Xiaotian was like a monkey that had burrowed into the heavens. In these two years, he had actually worked hard to become a local chieftain.
But although he did not need to welcome him at the door, he could not just sit in the hall and wait. Hua Qingfeng went to the screen wall and waited. In a moment, he saw Ye Xiaotian, Su Xuntian, Li Qiuchi, and a large group of people walk in. Hua Qingfeng glanced over and saw Ye Xiaotian's appearance. His heart immediately thumped.
But Hua Qingfeng's heart only jumped for a moment. His gaze shifted again, and he was dumbfounded. "How can there be two Ye Xiaotian?"
…
There were three courtyards in Hua Qingfeng's house. It sounded big, but in fact, it was not big. It was just that although it was small, it had all the internal organs. There were nearly two hundred people in Ye Xiaotian's group. The Hua Family could not accommodate all of them. But Ye Xiaotian did not intend to live in other people's house. When he came to see Hua Qingfeng, he asked someone to find a place to live.
On this side, Hua Qingfeng heard that Ye Xiaotian's Old Master and Old Madam also came. He hurriedly went forward to greet them. Because Madam Dou was sick, she did not get out of the car. After hurriedly greeting Hua Qingfeng, she went to the inn they had booked with Duo Ni.
Hearing that Su Xuntian explained the situation, Hua Qingfeng hurriedly sent his servants to drive a car to pick up a skilled doctor in the city and go to the inn to treat Madam Ye.
Ye Xiaotian was worried about his mother's illness. He wanted to stay for a while and then leave. But Su Xuntian was Hua Qingfeng's brother-in-law and his subordinate at the same time. He did not want these two people to always have a grudge in their hearts. This opportunity was rare. No matter what, they had to have a drink together. So, Su Xuntian tried his best to persuade them to stay.
It was difficult for Ye Xiaotian to refuse his kindness. Ye Xiao 'an, who was sitting uncomfortably to the side, saw this and volunteered to go back to accompany his mother. Seeing that his eldest brother was taking care of him, Ye Xiaotian was relieved and agreed to stay with Su Xuntian for the time being.
The Hua Family only had one cook, so they could not prepare a sumptuous banquet. Su Xuntian often corresponded with his sister and knew that his brother-in-law's family situation was not very good. So, he took out his private money and asked the steward to go to a restaurant and order a table of top quality banquet. When the banquet arrived, Hua Qingfeng accompanied Ye Xiaotian to drink. Su Xuntian and Li Qiuchi sat at the end of the table.
There were too many people in the Ye Family. Although Xinyang was the crossroads between the north and the south and was prosperous and affluent, it could not compare to the capital. There was no inn here that could accommodate so many people. Helplessly, Ye Xiaotian's attendants stayed in four different inns. Father Ye, Mother Ye, and his brother and sister-in-law naturally stayed in the best one.
This inn was called the "Xian Yin Inn." Not far from Xinyang was the Xian Yin Mountain, which was probably where the inn's name came from. But putting aside the reason, the name was also very elegant.
The famous doctor that Hua Qingfeng had helped the Ye Family find went to the inn to examine the Ye Madame. In reality, she had been frightened and had caught a cold from the long journey. But the old had a weak constitution, and even with medicine, she was not well.
According to her current situation, the old doctor prescribed her a few more doses of medicine, and also gave a few nourishing foods to Ye Da Sao and Du Ni, the two sisters-in-law. The two noted it down, and then immediately went to prepare. Ye Xiao 'an sat at the side, waiting for his mother to sleep, then went alone to the front hall.
Ye Xiao 'an ordered four dishes to go with the wine and a pot of wine. He poured and drank by himself. Thinking of his clumsy performance at the Hua Manor, Ye Xiao 'an was embarrassed. His face burned, and he wished he could find a hole in the ground to hide in.
He and Ye Xiaotian looked exactly the same, and he was the older brother. But now, the difference between the two brothers was like the difference between heaven and earth. When Little Tian introduced him to Hua Qingfeng, he heard that he had once been a district magistrate. He unconsciously wanted to go forward and kneel. Fortunately, his second brother had quick eyes and quick hands and pulled him back. Otherwise, he would have lost a great deal of face.
When Master Hua had spoken to him, he had exchanged a few polite words. He didn't quite understand, and didn't know how to respond. He could only smile awkwardly. Sitting in the hall, he was even more restrained. If someone asked him to take the initiative to interrupt, he couldn't think of a reason. If someone talked to him, he was afraid that he would be left out. If someone didn't talk to him, he would feel especially disappointed.
They had the same background and similar looks, but he was still the older brother. The more it was like this, the more he felt the difference between him and his younger brother was like the difference between clouds and mud. When he was young, my younger brother often went to the Heavenly Prison to listen to the criminals tell stories and teach him how to read. Why didn't I go? My second brother used to be a jailer, and my business had just collapsed. If I had taken over my brother's job, and I had been the one to deliver letters to Lin Yang, then I would have been the one to become the Chieftain of this area. Am I right?
"Sigh … who asked me to be so useless? Like an umbrella, different handles, different fates. This is all my own choice!" Ye Xiao 'an felt sorry for himself. Thinking of the reproachful look his wife and father gave him, he felt ashamed.
Before he knew it, he had drunk more than half of the pot of wine. At this moment, a large hand suddenly landed heavily on his shoulder. A loud and clear voice rang out, "Haha, old brother, you're really comfortable. You didn't even call me when you were drinking alone?"
Ye Xiao 'an raised his head with drunken eyes and saw Yan Shiwei walking to his side. Yan Shiwei originally wanted to go to Tongren to do business. It just so happened that Ye Xiao 'an was also moving his family to Tongren, so he hitched a ride with the Ye family.
Along the way, Yan Shiwei and Ye Xiao 'an communicated more than the two brothers. It wasn't that Ye Xiaotian wanted to alienate his older brother, but they couldn't talk about family matters every day. Once they left these topics, the two of them weren't on the same level and couldn't communicate at all.
Ye Xiao 'an was a little drunk and smiled foolishly, "Oh! Brother Yan, sit, sit, let's drink together! Waiter, bring another pot of good wine. "
Yan Shiwei sat opposite him and said with a smile, "Brother Xiao 'an, we're not strangers. I hope you don't mind what I say from the bottom of my heart. Haha, just now at the Hua Manor, old brother, you made your brother lose face."
Ye Xiao 'an blushed at his words.
Yan Shiwei hurriedly said, "Old brother, don't be embarrassed. I was born a commoner and have never interacted with these old officials. How can my speech and behavior match up to them? But it'll be different in the future. Your brother is a chieftain, and the brother of a chieftain can be conferred the title of a chieftain. That's a high position second only to the chieftain. "
Ye Xiao 'an's eyes lit up, "Really?"
Yan Shiwei said, "Of course. You'll still have a great future in the future. At least ordinary officials and officials can't compare to you. But there are some things you have to learn. Otherwise, even your subordinates will laugh at you in secret. How can that be? You should pay more attention to how your brother walks, how he talks, and his expressions. Do you think he won't be able to be a chieftain? "
Ye Xiao 'an agreed and said sincerely, "Thank you for your advice, Brother Yan. You're right. I also feel that I'm too far away from second brother. I have to learn from him! I don't believe that if second brother can do it, I can't! "
Yan Shiwei raised his thumb and praised, "You have ambition! Come, let's drink, cheers! "
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