Jia Zhen, Uncle of the Red House

　　Jia Zhen took it suspiciously, "What the hell is Ni Er doing?"

　　After reading it in three lines, he couldn't help being furious, and slapped heavily on the table: "It's the other way around! I was going to let him go, but I actually wanted to beat him up, so no wonder I'm cruel!"

　　It turned out that Ni Er said in the letter that Lai Er privately transferred a few boxes left over from previous years, thinking that there should be something unfavorable to Jia Zhen. Lai Er has been in contact with people from the Zhongshun Palace in the past few days, but the price is not negotiable. Only when they gathered together they parted unhappily.Ni Er was watching, so he sent Wang Jian to report in advance, asking Jia Zhen to show how to deal with it.

　　Jia Zhen put her hands behind her back, lost in thought.

　　He had already made up his mind to get rid of Lai Er, but he just did it directly. His own suspicion was the biggest, but he wanted to hide it and he would not be able to escape.Thinking left and right is difficult.

　　It seems that the only way to kill is to kill with a knife.However, this knife is not so easy to borrow.

　　While Jia Zhen was contemplating, Jiao Da chased all the people in the lobby out and let them guard from a distance.Then he asked, "But what happened?"

　　Jia Zhen saw that Jiao Da asked, and handed the letter to Jiao Da.

　　After Jiao Da read it, he was immediately furious: "This piece of shit that has no conscience, actually eats the inside and the outside! Don't worry, sir, just leave this matter to me!" After saying that, he made a wiping gesture behind Wang Jian's neck.

　　Jia Zhen pondered silently, wondering if this Wang Jian was reliable.

　　Unexpectedly, this Wang Jian volunteered and said: "Master Jia, if you want to deal with Lai Er, Wang dares to die!"

　　Jia Zhen asked how Wang Jian hated Lai Er.

　　It turned out that Wang Jian was originally a tenant outside the capital, and there was only his mother in the family. Although his life was poor, he was still able to live.It's just that this year, his mother has been suffering from a cold, so he can't afford it when he is sick, and some of the savings in the past have long been spent.As a last resort, I found Lai Erjia and borrowed Yinzi money.After two months, Wang Jian could not pay back the money, and Lai Er came to collect the bill every day. Wang Jian accidentally beat Lai Er, so he was taken into prison.By the time they returned home, the house had been burnt down, and the old mother had passed away without being taken care of.

　　While Wang Jian was sad, he learned that Ni Er had redeemed him and helped him take care of his old mother's funeral.Only then did he follow Ni Er with determination.

　　Jia Zhen listened quietly and motioned to Jiao Da.Jiao Da nodded and immediately went out to investigate.

　　"How are you going to help me?"

　　Wang Jian cupped his hands and said, "But according to Master Jia's orders!"

　　Jia Zhen was noncommittal and knew what Ni Er sent Wang Jian to come.He smiled and said, "You rest here first, and I'll talk to you later!" After that, a servant led Wang Jian to the guest room.

　　With such an important matter, Jia Zhen naturally couldn't let someone who didn't know the basics do it.

　　Wait until Jiao Da's investigation comes back, let's talk about it!

　　In a word, Lai Er is determined to survive tomorrow.

Chapter [-] Tianxiang Upstairs Gathering

　　When Jiao Da came back, he brought Ni Eryi back together.So Ni Er explained the situation to Jia Zhen in detail, while Jiao Da nodded and said yes.

　　Jia Zhen pondered for a while, only staring at Ni Er.

　　This made Ni Er feel that Jia Zhen didn't believe in him, he suddenly stood up and said loudly: "Master Jia, although Ni Er is just a rogue, he also knows the importance of it. I have already figured out Lai Er's whereabouts. There is an outer room in Huazhi Lane, and he will go home in the middle of the night every two or three days. As long as Master Jia has made up his mind, he will not survive tomorrow!"

　　Seeing Ni Er's promise, Jia Zhen smiled and said, "Of course I believe in you. It's just that I'm thinking whether it's worth taking the risk for him. To get rid of him, it's not just about killing him. Row."

　　Jiao Da and Ni Er looked at each other, wondering what better way Jia Zhen could do.

　　Jia Zhen smiled slightly and said: "Lai Er usually worships the Buddha when he sees it, and prays when he encounters a god. If he is not determined, he must have a ghost in his heart. It's just that Lai Er is not a devout person no matter how you look at it. If you do too much, you will inevitably encounter ghosts on the road. We all know that when we come from Huazhi Alley, there is a section of the road at night where no one is determined. We just need to scare him on this section of the road and pretend to be real, and we are afraid that he will not understand? "

　　After hearing this, Jiao Da smiled and said, "I can't get used to this guy who eats inside and outside for a long time. This time, Uncle Jiao will call him a dead body."

　　Ni Er quietly breathed a sigh of relief, after all, there is a big difference between killing people and scaring people.He also laughed and said: "I'm familiar with scaring people, so I can do everything, and tonight I can gather my brothers to do it!"

　　Jia Zhen waved her hand and said, "No, only you and Mr. Jiao know about this matter. No one else can be trusted."

　　Jiao Da disagreed and objected: "Brother Zhen, you are the master, you must not be involved in it. Me and Ni Er, plus that Wang Jian and Lai Er have hatred, they are also one. Deal with Lai Er. Second, that idiot, the three of us are enough. If there is an accident, the old slave will bear it alone."

　　Seeing Jiao Da's insistence, Jia Zhen sighed, "In that case, I'll leave it to you."

　　Jiao Da nodded cautiously, and took Ni Er out to discuss in detail.

　　Until the sun was already sloping westward, Jia Zhen gradually became flustered, and he had no choice but to sit on the Tianxiang Upstairs alone and pour himself a drink.

　　It is said that Tianxianglou was the place where Ning Gong listened to the opera in his later years, and even during the day, few people came.Jia Zhen looked up at the lonely night sky, the moon, silver and stars were rare, and everything was shrouded in pure darkness.The flickering candles struggled in the wind and seemed to be extinguished soon.Jia Zhen protected the candle with her hands, thinking that although the Rongning Second House was splendid, it finally fell completely.There is a saying that the past is like smoke, and the world is impermanent, which makes Jia Zhen sad for a while.

　　After a long sigh, Jia Zhen raised his glass and wished: "How glorious and glorious the ancestors were in those days, but today they are gradually withering, and the buildings that I see will collapse.

　　At this time, footsteps were heard downstairs.The lights slowly floated up.

　　Yindie was carrying a lantern in front of her, but Ke Ren supported You and walked up the stairs carefully. The creaking sound of the wooden ladder could be heard far away in the silent night.

　　Yindie was too frightened to go forward, and looked back at You Shi in panic.

　　You Shi scolded: "It's a blessing that the master loves you so much. Now that he is upstairs alone, you don't care? Keren, you go and play the lantern."

　　Ke Ren agreed, and then came up to pick up the lantern.

　　Although the silver butterfly was extremely frightened, she stubbornly grabbed the lantern and did not let go, and bravely walked forward.

　　The three walked upstairs to the corner, and suddenly a figure appeared.

　　"Ah!" Yindie screamed, and hurriedly threw the lantern, covering her face with her hands, but was hugged by someone.In the fright of Yindie, she struggled desperately.

　　"Yindie, it's me!" Jia Zhen smiled bitterly to appease the timid Yindie.

　　When Yindie heard Jia Zhen's voice, she dared to open her eyes. Seeing that it was really Jia Zhen, she threw herself into Jia Zhen's arms and sobbed.

　　Jia Zhen was comforting Yindie when You Shi came up, pulled Yindie out of Jia Zhen's arms, and scolded, "Why are you crying, pay attention to your skin!"

　　Seeing that both You and Keren are here, Jia Zhen hugged You involuntarily, "Why is Madam here?"

　　You Shi was not used to being intimate with Jia Zhen in front of the two concubines, and her body was a little stiff, "Master is so late, and I haven't rested while drinking in Tianxianglou, so my concubine had to bring them to persuade her."

　　Jia Zhen smiled, let go of You Shi, hugged Ke Ren again, and said with concern, "It's cold at night, why did you guys come out?"

　　Keren cuddled in Jia Zhen's arms and said with a smile, "I know you are not happy, how about Keren sing a song for you?"

　　Jia Zhen nodded "um", then let go of Ke Ren, held You Shi's hand, and entered the building.

　　Ke Ren was the top card of Jinxiangyuan at the beginning, and he was known as the top three in talent, beauty and art, otherwise he wouldn't have asked for [-] taels of redemption money.You know, based on the market price, buying a maid is only about [-] taels. After a certain period of time, Jia She bought a [-]-year-old girl, Yanhong, for only [-] taels.It is well documented that Dong Xiaowan redeemed [-] taels of silver and Chen Yuanyuan [-] taels back then.Furthermore, Li Xu, a Suzhou weaving company, bought five Suzhou women for Yinsi in those years, and only spent [-] taels.Who is Li Xu?His brother-in-law is Cao Yin, Cao Xueqin's grandfather.　　

　　Keren served Jia Zhen and sat down, and Yindie waited behind You Shi.

　　So Ke Ren stood in the middle and sang a cappella.That tune is nothing but ordinary, but the singing is like the sound of birdsong, tactful and crisp.Jia Zhen was fascinated by what she heard, perhaps her own woman sang it, and she became more and more happy, feeling relaxed and happy.

　　He stepped forward to hold Keren's hand and said with a smile, "You've been here for more than a month, but I didn't know Keren could sing. My wife and I saw it today."

　　Since this person entered the Ningguo Mansion, he put away his old brothel style, and he was always reserved and humble, and only served Jia Zhen and his wife.I don't know the details, but I think it is the same as the lady of the official family.As for Jia Zhen, who spent the first month of the month in various government offices, and then went to supervise the construction outside the city, she seldom got together with her, and she was a little apologetic on her face.

　　Ke Ren Yanran said: "These are all songs that I used to know. Can I sing a more cheerful one for the master and wife?"

　　Youshi smiled, noncommittal.

　　Jia Zhen looked at a guqin in the corner, covered with a curtain.He stepped forward to move it over, Yindie hurriedly went to the curtain, and moved another Jindun.Jia Zhen reached out and plucked a string, and the crisp sound of "clang" brought back many memories.

　　"Madame still remember this piano?"

　　You stepped forward and said, "Is this Songhe? It was passed down by the old man, and when I was young, I heard him play it."

　　Ke Ren said in surprise, "Does Master still play the piano?"

　　Jia Zhen smiled.

　　You said: "At that time, the father-in-law had not yet gone to Xuanzhen Temple to practice Taoism, and the control of the family was very strict. If the father made a mistake, he would be fined to play the piano for an hour."

　　Jia Zhen said: "How can I play the qin? This is the biggest punishment my father has given me. So, when he went to Xuanzhen Temple, the first thing I did was to throw the qin far away. saw it."

　　Ke Ren stepped forward and looked at it carefully, touched and touched, his eyes were full of sparkles: "This is indeed a good piano!"

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "I can play the piano at home. Apart from me, you should be the only one. You move her back, and I can go to your place to listen to the piano when I have spare time."

　　Ke Ren stroked the strings and couldn't help but say, "Thank you, sir!"

　　Jia Zhen waved her hand and said, "Don't be busy, thank you, play a song for my wife and me! At least let me know that your skills have not humiliated it."

　　Ke Ren said happily, "Then please ask Mrs. and Mrs. to order some tunes!"

　　Jia Zhen said to You, "Madam please!"

　　You Shi thought for a while and said, "I heard you play "Pingsha Luoyan" before, why don't you just use this song?"

　　Jia Zhen agrees: "Just Mrs. Yi!"

　　Ke Ren sat upright and fiddled with the strings with ten fingers.The sound of the piano is light and clear, the melody is melodious and smooth, the melody rises and falls, and it is continuous and beautiful.Jia Zhen savoured it carefully, just as he said in the "Guyin Zhengzong": "Gai Chu plays like a swan geese as a guest, and the sky is very vague. The sequenced geese walk in harmony, and they appear in a hurry. If they come and go, they come and go. Looking back and looking around, the sky hovers; it will fall. The sound of silence swept across the island three times, and when it fell, one echoed each other, three or five groups, flying and squatting, and getting what they were suitable for: the mother and the child followed. Male and female give way, and it can also be tasted.”

　　You Shi, who was on the side, saw Jia Zhen indulging in it, and she felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.Back then, Jia Zhen was really a handsome young man, but it has only gradually changed a lot in recent years.In the past, I didn't know how many times I said it, but it never worked.Originally, he gave up, until a few months ago, he suddenly woke up and did a lot of great things.Not to mention having married several concubines at home, and now buying a brothel woman at home, You Shi vaguely felt that it was because she had no children.What's more, Jia Zhen treats her with respect and consideration. Although You Shi is not happy, she can't do anything about it.

　　It's just that Yindie on one side was upset, and she was not in the mood to listen to the music at all.Although she is also a concubine, the Ke Ren in front of her is obviously better than herself in everything. The most important thing is that the master is completely fascinated by her, and he has not even looked at him until now.Yindie felt sorry for herself here, twisting her hands together with a handkerchief, and unknowingly burst into tears.

　　She hurriedly wiped away her tears, but was seen by Jia Zhen.Jia Zhen sighed and said nothing.

　　When Keren finished playing the piano, Jia Zhen stood up and praised: "Keren's playing is really exquisite! I will be blessed in the future."

　　Ke Ren blushed slightly, "Master is wrong." Jia Zhen laughed, poured herself a drink and drank another cup, in high spirits.

　　Seeing that Jia Zhen was no longer lonely, You Shi asked, "What's the matter with you today? Drinking wine alone here?"

　　Just now Jia Zhen put down the wine glass and smiled, "It's just a feeling." He let Keren sit beside him and Yindie sat next to You, "It's beyond my expectations that you guys can come here. ."

　　You grabbed the jug in Jia Zhen's hand and prevented him from pouring more wine, and persuaded: "If you have something to do, just tell your concubine, even if you don't want to, tell them both, don't keep it in your heart. "

　　Jia Zhen paused for a while and sighed: "Well, I'll tell you to listen to me. Madam, you know that although our family is also a noble family, I'm only a third-rank general Weilie. I'm really inconspicuous in the capital. Okay. It's easy to make some money a few days ago, and there are countless people staring at it, but I didn't immediately start because of my feelings. If I hadn't acted decisively and gave the shares to King Bei Jing, maybe the business of this soap would have been taken away by someone now. already."

　　You Shi looked sad and persuaded: "After all, King Beijing is our family friend, and his reputation is good, so he should be reliable."

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said: "Madam is right, the title is too low, so it has to be like this. But the days of relying on people to give alms and snorting are not the end of the game."

　　You've persuaded again: "You don't have to do this. You must know that the large and small officials in the capital really do not rely on people to give alms, and I am afraid that only the emperor is the only one? Your requirements are too high!"

　　Jia Zhen laughed and said, "Madam's right, but I think too much. I will punish myself for a cup!" Then she reached out and grabbed the jug.

　　You miss momentarily and was snatched by Jia Zhen.

　　Jia Zhen smiled and was about to pour the wine, but the silver butterfly flashed out, but took the wine glass away. "Master, you can't drink any more."

　　Jia Zhen was about to step forward to grab it, but Ke Ren grabbed her hand again, so she smiled and said, "You three, are you deliberately not letting me drink the bar?" Then she stopped grabbing, and after thinking about it, she asked, "I still have money at home now. How much money do you have left?"

　　You Shi summed it up and said: "The soap business at Yindie's place should have [-] taels of silver, excluding the raw materials purchased and the wages paid. , this inflow and outflow just offset. You are going to expand a new factory recently, and you have spent thousands of taels. The daily household expenses, including the pleasant redemption money, are all calculated to be thousands of taels. In addition to the accumulation over the years, it will be more than two thousand taels. The money that the family moved back was about seventy-eight thousand taels, right? The exact number can only be asked by Brother Rong's daughter-in-law." You stopped and asked, "Why are you asking this?"

　　Jia Zhen thought for a while and said, "A few days ago, I read the imperial court's newspaper, and because of the huge cost of the war in the southwest, and the expenses of the river workers, the emperor's special order has temporarily opened donations. ; Thousands of military positions, generals and generals can all be donated. I thought of donating a five-grade Tongzhi for Brother Rong. If the title is false, about [-] taels is enough. If there is a shortage of donations, I am afraid that Seven or eight thousand taels. After the New Year, let Brother Rong go to the Ministry of Household to donate to the real shortage."

　　You said hesitantly: "This is a good thing, but after all, Brother Rong is young, so he can't donate a langzhong in the capital, even a foreign clerk!"

　　Jia Zhen shook her head and said: "Is it so easy to be a Beijing official? Mr. Xibianzheng is still only a foreigner! In fact, I would like to donate a general, which is also a third rank, which is commensurate with my title, but the price is too high. At least [-] taels, if there is a real shortage, I am afraid it will be even higher. Therefore, we can only wait for two years to see. I am afraid that the purpose of the donation will change again. "

　　Yindie on the side suddenly said: "Master, our family is not short of money now! A mere [-] taels is a matter of a few months. I heard that the old lady's family, Shijia, spent all the money in the family. Marquis come, we may not be worse than them!"

　　Jia Zhen smiled dumbly and said: "You girl, it's fine if you don't talk, but when you talk, you talk nonsense. You don't even think about it, the marquis of the Shi family spent [-] taels of silver. The emperor still refused. Grace, you have to be extra generous. But then again, anything that can be solved with money is not a problem. If there is a problem, it is definitely not enough money."

　　While he was talking, a non-human scream was faintly heard outside.The little girl Yindie was so frightened that she squatted on the ground and shivered.Ke Ren grabbed Jia Zhen's arm tightly.And Jia Zhen held You Shi's hand and comforted: "Don't be afraid, maybe the wind is blowing something, if you don't worry, let people see it tomorrow."