After the Rebirth of the Red Chamber

Lin Ruhai was promoted to an official, and Lian Wensheng also took the opportunity to enter the Yushitai from the Imperial Academy, was promoted by half a rank, and became a seventh-rank Yushi.

After each of the two families set up wine, on a holiday, they made an appointment to go to the Lian family's Zhuangzi to play together.

It's early winter now, and on the day the two families agreed, a thin snow had just fallen.

Unlike the wet snow in the south that almost melts, the snow in the north, even if it is just a light snow in early winter, freezes into fine sand.

Whether it is on the treetops, on the roof, on the withered grass or on the ground, it is covered with a thin layer.

Lin Ying, who was born and grew up in the south, saw this kind of snow for the first time. He was very surprised. When he got off the carriage, he couldn't help but put on his small buckskin boots and "squeaked" on the ground.

Zhuangzi is no better than the courtyards in the inner city. It is paved with gravel and blue bricks inside and out. Under the thin snow is not only the ground, but also yellow dry grass and leaves that have not been swept away. It is soft to step on, and it is very fun. up.

Jia Min took the nanny and maid carefully to the side, and smiled apologetically at Wen from time to time: "The child is naughty, and Grandma Lian laughed."

"What's Mrs. Lin talking about?" Wen looked at Lin Ying enviously, "Children, the more lively you are, the smarter you will be."

But envy is envy, Wen Shi, who is only in her 20s now, would never agree to her mother-in-law Qin Shi's proposal to adopt or adopt a child.

Because once it is raised, it will be responsible. If it is not raised well, others may make irresponsible remarks.

Both the husband and wife have seen a doctor, and they are in good health, but their children are not available, so why bother to find happiness for themselves?

Ren Linying stepped on the snow for a while, and Jia Min stepped forward to coax him in.

Although Lin Ying was a little bit reluctant, she still obediently let the nanny hold her, and walked inside with her mother.

Over there, Lin Ruhai and Lian Wensheng had already gone in first, and the people sent by Lian's family early in the morning had already warmed the wine in an octagonal pavilion and set up a charcoal stove to roast the venison.

According to the head of the village who came to meet him, the deer was shot by the farmer in the village. He knew that the master's family was coming, so he specially dedicated it to the master's family.

After hearing this, Wen asked someone to take two taels of silver and rewarded it to the farmer.Zhuangtou thanked the farmer again and again, even hearing the sound impatiently, he waved him off.

"Come on, Brother Ruhai, let's have a full drink!"

"Brother Wensheng please."

The two men clinked a glass and drank it down.

Because the two families are good friends, there are not so many taboos, four adults and one child sit around the table.

There are two kinds of wine warmed on the stove, green plum wine for the two men, and non-intoxicating fruit wine for the two wives.

Wen Shi, as the host, offered a toast to Jia Min first.

Although Jia Min was weak since he was a child, he was born in a family of generals after all, so he drank it boldly.

Lin Ying was left alone holding a piece of venison, sitting eagerly, obviously very curious about what his parents were drinking.

Lian Wensheng saw him with big eyes open, obedient and cute, he loved him, and couldn't help teasing him: "Want to drink?" Holding a vermilion wine cup painted with gold glaze, he waved it in front of his eyes.

Lin Ying's eyes followed the wine glass, nodded repeatedly and swallowed heavily.

It's not his fault, whether it's green plum wine or fruit wine, it smells good, and it's understandable that children can't help but be tempted.

Seeing that he really dipped the tip of his chopsticks in wine and wanted to fill Lin Ying's mouth, Lin Ruhai stopped him quickly: "He's a kid, what kind of wine is he drinking?"

"Eh?" Lian Wensheng pushed his hand away with one hand, and stretched out the chopsticks dipped in wine towards Lin Ying, and said, "How can a good man not drink?"

Lin Ying quickly opened her mouth and swallowed it all at once.

Then, a spicy taste of wine spread in the mouth, and Lin Ying's chubby face suddenly wrinkled into a meat bun.

He stared at Lian Wensheng accusingly, sniffed, and forced back two tears.

Lian Wensheng laughed loudly: "Good boy, you have backbone!"

The three of Lin Ruhai couldn't help laughing too.Wen gave her husband an angry look: "How big of a man, you still go to coax a child!"

Lian Wensheng was not ashamed, and said plausibly: "I coaxed him when he was young, but when he grows up, he won't be able to coax him anymore."

Jia Min hurriedly took rice porridge to suppress the taste for Lin Ying, and taught him in a low voice: "See if you're still hungry!"

Lin Ying was very aggrieved, Chong Lian heard the sound of "hum", and ignored him.

But the kid didn't hold grudges after all, after Lian Wensheng gave him several cakes that he hadn't tried before, he smiled and let others knead them again.

After eating and drinking enough, Jia Min took Lin Ying and Wen Shi to the Nuan Pavilion.There are more than a dozen hundred-year-old plum trees outside this Nuan Pavilion, with zigzag branches and dots of yellow plums, and there is a faint fragrance in the distance.

Lin Ying poked half of her head out of the nurse's arms, sniffed vigorously, and exaggeratedly said, "It smells so good!"

Wen shi smiled and patted his head, and said softly: "Then auntie will take Ying'er to pick plum blossoms later, okay?"

"Not good." Lin Ying said in a childish voice, "Mother said that flowers should grow on the branches well, if you break it off, it will lose its vitality."

"Yo, our Ying'er is still a young scholar!" Wen Shi was surprised, and his heart was full of love.

Jia Min laughed and said, "I just said something not to let him pick flowers in the garden randomly, and he will remember it if he doesn't want to."

Wen said: "This is a natural elegant person."

Jia Min kept being humble on the lips, but she was flattered in her heart. She felt that this made her a hundred times happier than praising her.

The women and children were enjoying the plum blossoms in the Nuan Pavilion and gossiping, while Lin Ruhai, at the invitation of Lian Wensheng, went to the back of Zhuangzi to look for plum blossoms through the snow.

There is a large plum grove behind Zhuangzi, which is different from the purely ornamental ones in Zhuangzi, this plum grove bears fruit.

"Brother Ruhai, let me tell you, there is a green calyx plum in the south of this forest. Not only is it a rare variety, but it is more than 1000 years old."

"Can it still bloom?"

Lin Ruhai knows that trees, like people, have a lifespan, and when they reach a certain age, they will no longer be able to bloom and bear fruit.

Lian Wensheng said: "Originally, it has not bloomed for many years. But 100 years ago, it somehow bloomed for another year. After that, it will bloom again every three years or five years. This time, the reason why I invited Brother Ruhai is to hear from the head of the Zhuangzi that this thousand-year-old tree has budded again this year."

"Oh? Then I have to take a good look." Lin Ruhai was naturally interested in such a spectacle.

As expected, it is a thousand-year-old tree. The trunk of this green calyx plum is as thick as five people hugging each other. As for how tall it is, Lin Ruhai didn't know how tall it was even if it broke its neck.

Because no one has pruned it, the plum tree has scattered branches from top to bottom, and it has a different kind of wild charm that is naturally carved.

Many of the densely packed buds on the plum tree are already in full bloom, but more are still budding and about to bloom.The faint and cold fragrance of plum penetrated into the nostrils, making one feel like falling into a fairyland in a trance.

Lin Ruhai took a deep breath and sighed, "It would be a pity not to pick such good plums to make incense."

"Ha..." Lian Wensheng laughed, and was about to make fun of him, but suddenly his eyes narrowed, and he stared at the northeast direction.

"What's wrong?" Lin Ruhai asked while following his gaze.

The next moment, he couldn't help frowning, "Why are there so many people?"

However, a group of people suddenly appeared in the northeast direction. Judging by the reflection of the sun and snow, they all seemed to be armed with sharp knives.

Lian Wen said: "Look at them walking in a scattered formation, like a well-trained army."

Lin Ruhai said: "What's the place over there?"

Lian Wensheng said: "This area is full of other courtyards for dignitaries, and over there is Zhuangzi of the Hu family and the Bai family."

He thought about it again, "By the way, there is Wan Guyuan, the third prince's."

"Third prince?" Lin Ruhai frowned even deeper, "For some reason, I always have a bad feeling."

He intuitively felt that these people were related to the third prince, but how dare the third prince mobilize so many officers and troops?What did he want to do by bringing these people here?

In the blink of an eye, Lin Ruhai suddenly remembered the hunt in Xishan in his previous life.

That time, a crown prince died and a county king was encircled. The Zhongjing County King who had never been noticed suddenly stood out, and within two months he became the emperor above ten thousand people.

"Brother Wensheng."

"Ok?"

"Recently, does the saint have any plans to go on a tour or hunt?"

Even Wensheng was in the Hanlin Academy, and he was usually summoned by the saint to give lectures. He always wanted to be more informed about the news of the saint.

Lian Wensheng thought about it carefully, then shook his head: "There has never been such a sign."

This sage is notoriously restless, and almost every few years, he would make a southern tour.

Although it is playing the sign of patrolling the river, the main purpose is to linger in the gentle and prosperous south of the Yangtze River.

What's more, hunting in Xishan is almost every one or two years. The sign is not to forget the martial arts style of our ancestors.

In other words, I haven't seen the saint spend an extra penny on armaments.

For this reason, all the ministers of the household department have great opinions on this.

But the sage has been in power for many years, has accumulated a lot of power, and doesn't like to listen to harsh advice.Those who dare to risk their lives to meet him have not yet appeared.

But think about it, the saint spent money from the national treasury, and he didn't block the way of making money for the officials. Who would be full and offend the saint?

Not to mention being a saint, who among those officials has never borrowed money from the state treasury, or is it the kind that is not going to pay it back?

Therefore, apart from the head of the household department who is directly responsible for the worry and graying of his hair, few other officials are really willing to mention this matter.

"Did you go to Wan Guyuan?" Lin Ruhai asked.

Lian Wensheng nodded sullenly: "It is indeed Wan Guyuan."

The two looked at each other, and both realized the seriousness of the matter.

Lin Ruhai quickly weighed the pros and cons in his heart, and said to Lian Wensheng: "Brother Wensheng, please take care of your wife and dog, Lin decided to go back to Beijing."

He didn't want to involve Lian Wensheng, but he didn't want to turn a blind eye either.

Anyway, he had already lived enough, even if something happened to him, he would not be wronged.