Tranquility

"Uncle De Zhu, is there any other happy event?" Tangning asked.

"It's your elder brother. We're engaged today. I just sent the dowry over."

"Engagement? Which girl is the engagement?"

"It's your mother's niece, so to speak, she's a cousin. It's a perfect marriage."

Tang Ning was stunned. Rural men get married late, and they usually get married. This year is exactly what happened to my eldest brother.But just got married like this, not to mention that the girl has never been seen before, even Mrs. Tang's niece is enough to make people worry.

It would be fine if she was a soft-tempered and clear-headed girl, but if she had a temperament like Wang Xifeng's, she had the ability, but she couldn't figure it out. She didn't care about her husband's life and only lived with her aunt. Didn't this kind of girl cheat her elder brother all her life?

However, since ancient times, major marriages have been ordered by parents and spoken by matchmakers.As a younger brother, he has no place to intervene at all. This niece has to marry if she doesn't want to.

Then, he suddenly realized that his own marriage was also decided by his parents.He always thought that it was logical for him to marry sister Cheng, as long as he passed the test of Mr., nothing else would be a problem.Therefore, he dared to make a promise in front of his husband. At that time, he never thought about his parents.What's more, at that time he was only the son of a carpenter, without any fame, and marrying a scholar's daughter, even if the daughter was in poor health, would still be high-ranking, and his parents had no reason to object.But now it is different, he is a scholar, with the same status as Mr., when he arrives, he may have been admitted to Juren, what kind of girl do you want to find at that time, why marry a sick and weak scholar girl who has no brothers to support her? , parents will definitely not agree.

Tangning forced a smile at Zhang Dezhu, and walked in with a muffled head. She planned to talk to her elder brother first, but she didn't want to be entangled by a room full of people, laughing until her face cramped, and then sent the guest away.

When everyone was gone and only the family members were left in the room, Carpenter Tang's blissful face gradually turned into embarrassment. Facing this son who was getting better and better, he was not proud, but he was even more at a loss. Close, not seeing each other for more than half a year, he was admitted to the scholar again, Tang Carpenter felt that his son was getting farther and farther away from him, and he had already reached the point where he needed to look up to.

Tang Ning also noticed that the atmosphere at home was not right, it was a bit weird, Carpenter Tang was not the usual Carpenter Tang, the expression on his face reminded him of the time when he took himself to apprentice with his husband.Mrs. Tang was not the usual Mrs. Tang, she didn't even look at him, but her soft eyebrows showed that she was in a good mood at the moment.

Fortunately, the other three treated him as before, the eldest brother still looked at him so tenderly, and the second brother still pampered him pamperingly.Even Niuniu, she hated him from beginning to end, and never changed because of his identity. This kind of temperament is simple at best, but just stupid and brainless at worst.

The West House where they live has long been changed beyond recognition. The walls have been repainted, the roof has been patched up, the floor has been specially ground a lot, and many small things for women have been added. The whole house has a new look all of a sudden.

Tang Ning was sitting on the kang, which was still the same kang, but he felt that what he was sitting on was no longer the same kang as before.Soon, a woman will come in. She is the owner here, and this kang is also hers. Due to the relationship between uncle and sister-in-law, he can't even enter this house.

Tang Ning touched every corner of the room inch by inch with her eyes. The small broken bowl that had been cleaned, he used it to drink water on the first day of traveling; The hole was poked in by the elder brother when he was installing the crossbow; there was also the desk on which he wrote countless numbers on his stomach, and he and the second elder brother used to steal lard around it.

The door opened quietly, and Tang Mu walked in without a sound.Tang Ning put away her thoughts and smiled at Tang Mu, "Congratulations, big brother, time flies, big brother is getting married soon, big brother don't forget me and second brother just because you have a sister-in-law."

Tang Mu felt embarrassed, "Well, I don't know where Gouzi and Xiaoyin went. He was still there just now. Since you left, these two good brothers have been wandering in the mountains all day like brothers. I don't know where they are. Do something."

Tangning frowned, "Second brother is not a child, he knows a lot, so don't worry about him. Big brother, have you seen your sister-in-law, how is it?"

Tang Mu rubbed his head and sat on the kang, "I see, I met her a few times when I went to work in Zhaojia Village a few years ago. She is very nice, she can live a good life, and she is also a nice person."

Tang Ning was relieved a bit. Eldest brother is a stable person. If he said it was good, then sister-in-law should be good.Moreover, according to the eldest brother, he is very happy with this marriage, so that's fine, as long as it is not forced and willing to work together, the days to come will always be smoother and smoother.

"San'er, don't worry. You're already a talented scholar. The elder brother has followed suit. The people in the village have treated our family a lot better. As long as you do well, our family will have a good life." Ever since Tangning protested against her nickname Afterwards, Tang Mu kept calling him San'er.

Just as he was talking, Tang Yun came in with Xiao Yin.As expected of a wolf dog, Little Silver has grown from a soft ball into a majestic big wolf dog in just half a year. It actually recognizes Tangning, so it pounces on it and licks it, while Tang Yun booed after him, "Oh, you're such a hard worker! Little thing, I have fed you for more than half a year, and I have never seen you so affectionate."

Tangning put her arms around Xiaoyin, turned her head sideways, and said cheerfully to Tang Yun, "Second Brother, I miss you so much."

Tang Yun's heart immediately softened into a ball, and he rushed forward and hugged Xiao Yin together. They laughed and laughed together, and the room was full of warmth.

The next day, Tangning resumed her usual routine. She got up early, finished painting on the mountaintop, went to Mr. Cheng's house for breakfast, and accepted Mr. Cheng's first lecture in half a year.

"Your test scores this time are not bad, the county test and the government test are passable, the articles in the college test are not what you can usually achieve, and the limelight is too much, so you don't have to take the township test next year. With your usual Judging from the article, the results of the township examination will not be very good. Although the future after entering an official position depends on hard work, but without a good foundation, you can't succeed. Look at Minzhi County, understanding people and being able to do practical things, is the best material for an official, but The imperial court pays the most attention to the results of the imperial examination. He is excellent in the examinations every year, but he cannot be promoted because he is a small juren and his ranking is not high. On the contrary, if you can win three yuan in a row, as long as you don’t make big mistakes, your official career will be smooth. It is stipulated that a scholar has to study in the county for two years. Only after passing the annual examination can he be eligible to take the provincial examination. I have already agreed with Min Zhi County that you do not need to enter the county school in the future, as long as you take the annual examination at the end of the year. In your situation, there is no need to go to The county school is a waste of time, and those who don't pay in the same year are all worthless scum, a confidant is enough, I think Zhao Qian is good."

Tang Ning bowed his head in a respectful gesture. In fact, when he heard "one bosom friend is enough", he immediately thought of the words of Mr. Xuezheng, feeling a little guilty for some reason, and hoped that the husband would never know that he had betrayed him.But there are some things that I have to say, "Sir, my tutor for this year's college exam is Mr. Shuiming Xuanshui. He wanted to give me a name, but I refused."

I don't know if it was his illusion, but he felt that the husband was in a trance for a moment.

"Oh, why did you refuse?"

For some reason, seeing her calm expression, Tangning was a little disappointed, "I want to ask my husband to pick me up."

The gentleman was silent for a moment, and said: "Alright, although you are young, you have achieved fame after all, and it will be very inconvenient to go out to make friends in the future without a sign, so I will give you one."

The gentleman's tone sounded very casual, but this time he was silent for a longer time.

Although it is in the west wing, the rising sun stubbornly pushed open the south-facing window, tiny dust particles played and joked in the orange sunlight, and even the "Book of Songs" opened on the table was stained with vitality.

The husband picked up the "Book of Songs" on the table, rubbed it for a long time, and finally put it down.

It was already bright outside, but the husband frowned even more.Tangning's legs and feet ached from standing, but he didn't complain.The word "to show his virtue" has the meaning of the elders' expectations and praise for him. He is very curious about what the husband expects of him, which makes him think for so long.

In the end, the husband raised his head and let out a long sigh: "Ning, An Ye. From now on, you can be called Zi An. I don't ask for anything, just the word 'An'."

The proud gentleman never said a word of begging in his life, but for the sake of his students, he begged for the most simple word "an" to the sky that he never looked down upon.

From then on, "I don't ask for anything, I just ask for the word 'safety'" was etched in the deepest part of Tangning's heart.Whenever he was in a desperate situation, this sentence became the only sunshine in his heart, because it was the most humble prayer for his closest relatives to let go of their dignity.

Tangning was choked with sobs and couldn't speak, she could only bow deeply.

"By the way, have you mentioned me to Shui Mingxuan?"

Tangning was taken aback. His emotions and entanglements disappeared immediately. He bit the bullet and said, "Master Shui asked about you, and I told you about your recent situation."

Cheng Xiucai turned her face, looked at Tangning, and said with a half-smile, "Oh, what did you say about my recent situation?" Seeing that Tangning didn't answer, she asked again, "Did you tell me everything?"

Tangning lowered her head, "Yes".

Seeing Tang Ning's deceitful behavior, the corners of his mouth widened, "I heard that your eldest brother is getting married, I guess you will be busy recently, after you finish your work, you can bring an antique or calligraphy and painting over every day, and I will teach you how to identify them. For antique calligraphy and paintings, remember, there are fakes, but not too many."

The corners of Tangning's mouth twitched as she wailed in her heart, "My family is a carpenter, carpenter, where can I find antique calligraphy and paintings, and even genuine ones. Since I came to this world, I haven't even seen a washbasin for more than 20 years."

"By the way, it's time for you to learn figure painting. Although the homework is important, you can't just learn it, or you will become a nerd. Don't worry, we have four years, take your time."

Tang Ning looked up in a daze. He had just been figuring out how to sell his flesh and blood to buy calligraphy and paintings. He didn't pay much attention to what Mr. said, but he didn't dare to ask any more. Facing Mr.'s suspicious eyes, he suddenly said in a strange way: "Mr. Do you know Master Shui?"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he knew it was bad. Mr. and Shui Mingxuan were obviously old acquaintances, but he had already given himself a piece of advice, that is, never ask about Mr.'s past affairs, otherwise you will bear the consequences.

However, the husband sighed again, "I know some things can't be kept from you forever, it's better to talk about it earlier."

After speaking, he motioned for Tangning to sit down.

Tangning bought a cup of tea for her husband, put it on the desk, and then went back, found a chair to sit down, and listened intently.

The gentleman held the teacup, but didn't drink it, he just rubbed the rim of the cup carefully: "Since ancient times, Jiangnan has a strong literary style, and there are many official families, but there are only four families that can really be called scholarly families, Lin, Cheng, Xu, and Shui. They have been passed down from generation to generation, and the least Shui family has a history of more than a hundred years. It is less than a hundred years since the founding of Dazhao. Decades ago, I was the only eldest son of the Cheng family, and Shui Mingxuan was the eldest son of the Shui family. These four families Generations of marriage, there are more or less relatives. Shui Mingxuan and I grew up studying together and have a very good relationship. Originally, I would study, become an official, get promoted, inherit the family business, and cultivate The new heir will live a peaceful life."

Speaking of this, Mr. paused, took a sip of tea, and said in a heavy and lonely voice, "It's just that when I was 15 years old, my father arranged a marriage for me. I was the eldest daughter of the Xu family. I can be picky. At that time, I was at the age of a teenager, I had no idea about getting married, and I was even slightly dissatisfied because I was about to be restrained by others. Until I went to a flower viewing party, many children from aristocratic families and young ladies attended On the way, I was led into a remote peach blossom forest, where I met the eldest daughter of the Xu family."

The husband's eyes were in a trance, as if he had returned to the time when the flowers were blooming.

"You don't have to avoid suspicion. I sent someone to lure you here on purpose. I came to you just to tell you that I have suffered from heart disease since I was a child. The doctor said I would not live to be 25, and I would not be able to contribute to my husband's family. Originally My father wanted to hide my illness, but I felt that it was unfair to you. Now that I have said it, if you want to divorce, I have nothing to say. If your parents disagree, you can tell them that my illness is cured. Never blame you."

The corner of Mr. Cheng's mouth curled up in a gentle arc: "She was not tall and thin at that time, and she tried to look up and stare at me, as if she could hold on to anything I said, and she was so stubborn. Don't think that Yu'er is usually good. In fact, she is very stubborn like her mother. But at that time, I laughed. She said that she spoke fluently, as if she didn't care. In fact, her face was more beautiful than the peach blossom on her head at that time. Still red."

After finishing speaking, Mr. Cheng came back to his senses and found that he had talked too much and was a little embarrassed. He took a sip of tea, calmed down, and continued: "It's a pity that the good times don't last long. Soon, the largest and most influential imperial examination fraud case in Dazhao was arrested. However, her father was the chief examiner of the imperial examination. The witnesses and material evidence were all indisputable, and he was sentenced to be executed. No adult male in the Xu family was spared, and all the families were executed. Only the female relatives and a young son were executed. Act as an official slave."

Tangning's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and she asked unconsciously, "And then?"

"After I heard the news, I disregarded my father's dissuasion and quietly bought her deed of sale. I promised to marry her and I would marry her. Unfortunately, the family will never let the eldest son marry an official slave. My father said he would let her To be a concubine, but I don't want to, as long as I have one wife in my life, that's enough. So, I left everything behind and brought her here to live in seclusion."

Mr. Cheng fixed his gaze on Tangning, "Do you think it's unfilial for me to abandon my family, relatives and friends for the sake of a woman?"

Tangning didn't shake her head and looked back at Mr. Cheng.

Mr. Cheng smiled and nodded: "This is the first time you have refuted me. I am very relieved that you finally know how to stick to your position. This is a dilemma. I chose one, but I must be sorry for the other. At that time, she What's more, a family like the Cheng family doesn't need a Fengrui heir. What he needs is a low-key and steady man. With my temperament, if I become the patriarch, it will definitely bring greater disaster to the family than the Xu family. And my younger brother has a forbearing and firm personality, and is more suitable to be the head of the clan than me. If I don't leave, he will never be able to get ahead. It's just that my father has suffered because he raised me since I was a child. My mother died early, but he Fearing that my stepmother would oppress me, I insisted on not remarrying, and in the end, I let him down."

After finishing speaking, Mr. Cheng fell silent again, and Tangning also fell into deep thought. After a long time, Mr. suddenly looked at Tangning, "Zian, you should know that no matter who the father is, the descendants of official slaves will always be official slaves. Now that you know Yu'er She is an official slave, will you still marry her? If you marry her, your descendants will always be official slaves, you may accept it? Moreover, Yu'er has a heart disease, if she insists on having children, her children are likely to There will also be heart disease, you may accept it?"