Tranquility

In the early morning, just as the first snow stopped, a loud suona pierced through the quiet small village, and the Tang family's wedding party began to set off.

At this time, the Tang family's door, windows, boxes and cabinets, the scarlet quilt, and even the chicken coop were all pasted with the Chinese character "囍" in red; There is a pile of ready-made cooked food on the table; under the eaves sit a group of older girls and younger daughters-in-law who help choose vegetables, shell them, and do some odd jobs.Everyone's face was full of joy, or they expressed their joy loudly, or whispered some gossips, or laughed into a mess, which set off the lively scene of the Tang family.

Tang Mu was full of spring breeze, dressed in a red robe, with a big red flower on his chest, stepped on the rented horse, followed by a small red sedan chair, surrounded by everyone, and walked towards Zhaojiaduo foolishly.

Tang Ning was also in the wedding reception team. He is now a scholar. It is very honorable for the bride's family to send a scholar to welcome the bride.

Zhangjiacun is not close to Zhaojiaduo, and it takes two hours to walk there. It is even slower to walk to welcome relatives. It was already noon when Tang Mu and his party arrived at Zhaojiaduo.Then the bride's brother guards the door and makes things difficult for the groom.Tang Yun helped Carpenter Tang greet the guests at home, and Tang Mu was so clumsy and honest that his face turned red when he was ridiculed by everyone in the Zhao family. At the critical moment, Tangning did his part and stood up to defend his elder brother.

Suddenly, a scholar with a face like a crown and clear eyes appeared from a group of black-faced peasants. People watching the excitement in Zhaojiaduo were very surprised. People who were not well-informed asked who this young man was. After the scholar, they all sighed and envied.

Finally, Tang Mu broke into the door of the house of the eldest daughter of the Zhao family, surrounded by a group of colorful young girls, probably the best friends of the eldest daughter of the Zhao family.Tang Ning's appearance once again overwhelmed Tang Mu's limelight. The girls' eyes lit up when they saw him. The bolder girls almost fixed their eyes on him, while the more reserved ones secretly gave him a glance.

Tangning had gradually gotten used to the gazes of the opposite sex and let them look at her graciously, but her heart became more and more anxious. It seemed that he had to make a decision on his marriage as soon as possible.

When Tang Mu passed the five barriers and entered the six generals, and finally welcomed the bride to the Tang family, the sky was already full of red clouds.

Tangning returned to the new house rebuilt from a firewood house, took a sip of cold water to suppress the heat in her heart, straightened her clothes, cheered herself up, and continued to go out to entertain guests and keep her brother from drinking.Although he is young, he is the only scholar in Zhangjia Village, besides Zhang Dehuai, he has the highest status, even the old village head should be polite when he sees him.After all, a scholar in the village would have more face than a village without a scholar. When encountering some disputes, others would give way. These were the intangible capital Tangning brought.It is precisely because of this huge difference in status that scholars in ancient times would desperately test for fame.

And Tangning also planned to take this opportunity to show his ability to stand up to others, so that he could be convincing and his words would have more weight.In this way, he can win a certain right to speak in his own marriage.

In general, Tangning performed well at the banquet. She stopped drinking when it was time to drink, persuaded people to drink when it was time to persuade them, and from time to time, paid attention to attracting people who were not good at words, and dealt with emergencies. , making it busier than Tang Mu, the righteous master.

Fortunately, hard work always pays off. He is finally no longer a symbol in the hearts of everyone in the hall, and has a stable and upright image.Everyone no longer regarded him as a child, but a serious scholar.

Finally, Tangning couldn't hold it anymore from drinking, so she found an excuse to go to the yard to enjoy the cool breeze.The men were drinking happily in the main room, some of the women were eating and gossiping in the kitchen, and some were crowded in the west room to watch the bride. In the courtyard, only Tangning and the bright moon hung in the sky.

Suddenly, the windows of the West Room opened, probably because there were too many people and the room was too stuffy.Through the back of the woman in the window, Tang Ning could vaguely see a smear of red sitting on the kang. He hesitated, should he find a chance to mention his sister-in-law a little bit, and tell her about the important relationship. Ever had a husband?

Just as he was hesitating for a moment, he saw a familiar figure by the window, he raised his eyebrows slightly, it was Niu Niu.It's not surprising that Niu Niu appeared in the new house, but Tangning caught her hand, and from time to time touched something from other people, and then stuffed it into a hidden pocket behind everyone's back, even stealing the dowry that her cousin put on the desk , like a pair of gold earrings.

Tangning frowned. If he remembered correctly, the gold pair of earrings were placed in a makeup box made of Tang wood. There was a lock on the makeup box, and Niuniu was able to pry it open without being discovered.Tangning suddenly realized that he had neglected Niu Niu for the past few years. He thought she was a hopelessly stupid person, but he never thought that God was fair. Instead of giving her a smart brain, he gave her a pair of dexterous hand.

There was a thief in the Tang family. Tang Ning felt a little bad. Although he and Niu Niu were not related by blood, in the eyes of outsiders, Niu Niu was a girl from the Tang family.

I don’t know when, Niu Niu fell in love with stealing things, it seems like an addiction, the Tang family is not short of her food, she is not short of money, the hairpin money that Aunt Tang sold is enough for her to prepare a A generous dowry.But she couldn't quit. She lived in someone else's house, and her hands would itch if she didn't touch something. But she really had the talent to be a thief, and she had never been caught.But if she can't catch it for a while, it doesn't mean she won't catch it for a lifetime. As long as she is still stealing, she will definitely be caught one day, and the Tang family will lose face by then. It's hard to marry well, Tangning doesn't want to keep Niuniu at home for the rest of her life.

Tangning was already upset about Sister Cheng, but now she was even more upset.When he first found out that Sister Cheng was an official slave, it would be a lie to say that he was not shocked, but he never thought of not marrying Sister Cheng, even if she was an official slave, he would marry her.However, the difficulties will not disappear because of his determination. He has thought of countless ways, but he can't implement them.

Redemption is not allowed. Dazhao stipulates that official slaves and their descendants shall not be redeemed forever; it is also impossible to reverse the case. The case of the Xu family is not an unjust case, and the evidence is solid. It's too big, even the chief assistant can't turn the case over.Of course, if he is like Mr. Cheng, if he lives in a remote place, does not serve as an official, and becomes a country gentleman, after two or three generations, his identity will gradually become blurred.But, can he be willing to live like this for the rest of his life?

Tangning shook her head, she was not in a hurry, the most important thing was to marry Sister Cheng into the family first.Thinking of this, Tang Ning suddenly had an idea in his heart. He frowned, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up.

Early in the morning on the second day of the wedding, Tang Mu took his new wife to the ancestral grave to kowtow, and then recognized relatives in the main hall.

The new sister-in-law's name is Zhao Huiniang, she has a round face and ordinary appearance, far worse than Aunt Tang (with the new Mrs. Tang, the original sister-in-law Tang will be directly promoted to Aunt Tang), and she has a somewhat husband and wife look with Tang Mu.

Zhao Huiniang looked a little unhappy today, and smiled forcedly when she greeted Tang Ning.Tangning knew that she must have discovered that the gold earrings were missing. Out of all her dowry, this pair of gold earrings was the most valuable. She probably planned to wear them when she met her relatives today.There is a custom here that the bride cannot wear too expensive jewelry on the day of her wedding, for fear of suppressing her luck, in fact, she is afraid of the long journey, if she accidentally loses it along the way, there is nowhere to cry.

Tang Ning took the purse calmly, thanked him with a smile, probably because he was a scholar, Zhao Huiniang was a little apprehensive towards him, but Tang Ning thought it was good, it was better to have scruples than to have no scruples.He touched the purse in his hand, pouted to himself, it was far worse than that made by Sister Cheng, let’s not talk about the embroidery work, just look at the fabric, it was rough and thin, he could feel that there was only a copper plate inside, Zhao’s so poor?

At this moment, Tangning didn't have the time to think about it. He had to cheer up and put on a big show.

After confirming the relatives, the family gathered around the table and began to eat.This breakfast made Tang Ning very uncomfortable, everyone was doing it, only Zhao Huiniang was busy inside and out, serving the food and passing the chopsticks, and did not serve the table, just serving Carpenter Tang and Aunt Tang beside her.Tang Ning knew that this was a rule, and it was a way for her husband's family to show off her new daughter-in-law, but he was still in a panic, secretly determined to build another yard, separated from Carpenter Tang after they got married, and never let Sister Cheng suffer.

After eating, Zhao Huiniang cleaned up the dishes, Niu Niu got up and went out, Tangning suddenly said, "Niu Niu, your earring fell off."

Niuniu reflexively pulled out her hidden pocket and touched the earrings. Before she could react, Tangning grabbed her wrist and pulled them out. Lying in her palm.

Zhao Huiniang's hand holding the bowl froze, she looked at the earring in disbelief, then moved her eyes up and shot at Niu Niu's blushing face.Aunt Tang, the carpenter of Tang, Tang Mu and Tang Yun were all stunned. They all knew how much dowry the sister-in-law had, and the earrings were the most expensive, so why didn't they recognize them? The room fell silent in an instant.

Tangning smiled inwardly, and he knew that Niu Niu hadn't hidden her things.Maybe it's because she stole too much from other people's houses, or maybe it's because she doesn't feel safe with the Tang family. Niu Niu never hides stolen things in her own house, and the trouble was so late yesterday that she never had time to go outside.

Tangning didn't avoid suspicion, she reached out and took out a handful of small things from Niuniu's pocket, and threw them on the table with a lot of momentum.

Everyone swept it away and found that it was something commonly used by neighbors and folks. They were not worth much, but they still felt very embarrassed. They were really embarrassed to return these things.

Tangning picked up the earrings and solemnly handed them to Zhao Huiniang, "Sister-in-law, I'm really sorry, Niuniu didn't do it on purpose. She has this problem since she was a child, and she can't change it no matter what."

At this moment, Aunt Tang also came to her senses, stepped forward, and slapped Niuniu twice on the head, gritting her teeth tightly: "You bastard, why can't you always change this stinky problem? Got sores? If you don’t steal, it will tickle you to death? It was because of you stealing money that I suffered from dystocia. Now it’s actually stolen from my own family, why don’t you kowtow to your sister-in-law?”

Aunt Tang's face was flushed, and veins were popping out of her forehead. She was thinking of marrying her niece, just thinking that she would have a family to help her, and her life would be easier. At least her niece would be able to get money and housekeeping in a legitimate way. When she gets old, There can also be someone to serve.Who would have thought that she would be completely offended by this idiot on the first day, stealing the new wife's dowry, or stealing it from her cousin, sister-in-law, or her own daughter, she was completely ashamed.If the niece doesn't kiss her anymore, or even has a grudge against her, how will she live in the future? Now she is pointing at her elder son and daughter-in-law to take care of her.

In fact, Aunt Tang hates Tang Ning who exposes everything even more. Tang Ning's actions really don't give any face. There is no room for change. He is ruthless. He is only 11 years old. Not only does he have the status of a scholar, but he is also so scheming. Think about it, Aunt Tang Everyone felt chilled, hating and fearing Tangning.

She couldn't do anything to Tangning, so she could only vent her anger on Niu Niu. In fact, what she said just now meant to excuse Niu Niu and herself: Niece, you see, Niu Niu has been stealing since she was a child, and she didn't mean to target you. , and the loss is even greater than yours.Besides, we are also our own family, if Niuniu steals things, your reputation as a cousin and sister-in-law will also be damaged.

Zhao Huiniang seemed to be a sensible person, she knew the truth very well, so she just took the earrings, lowered her head and silently endured this.

Zhao's aunt and nephew are shrewd and transparent, but Niuniu is a fool. She can't understand the meaning of Aunt Tang's words at all. Sitting on the ground and wailing: "Why do you beat me, I was not forced to steal money, this family is not mine, these Tang people are not good people, they must wait for me to grow up, just find someone A crooked man, married me with some broken things as a dowry, and earned a dowry money by the way! I can’t think more about myself? Since you have a younger brother, have you managed me for a day? After so many years, how come I was caught today, you lost face and came to teach me, where did you die earlier? Hey, why am I so miserable, my father died early, my stepfather ignored me, my brother was mean, my mother I don't love—"

Mrs. Tang was trembling with anger, and she didn't even have the strength to pull Niuniu up.Carpenter Tang was sitting by the side smoking a stuffy cigarette. He didn’t know when he fell in love with smoking. Tang Mu was in a dilemma. Dear cousin, Tang Mu is in a mess; Tang Yun has already received Tangning's orders, and today he has made up his mind not to show up and leave it to Tangning so that he can establish prestige in the family; .

Tangning looked at the girl rolling on the ground calmly. He had known Niu Niu's virtues for a long time, but he didn't expect her to have some brains and knew how to plan for herself. Although her ideas were rough, they were still reasonable. That's how she got married.

After tossing and tossing for a while, Tangning saw that the mother and daughter didn't have much strength anymore, so she looked at Aunt Tang with a smile and said, "Mother, Niuniu has been running around all these years, she is such a beautiful and well-behaved girl, she has lost her temper. Now she is 11 years old. At this age, other people’s daughters have already started to learn some female red cooking skills, ready to marry. I think Niuniu should also start preparing. She has dexterous fingers and is stuck at home. After a few years of sewing, you can cultivate your temperament and gain a good reputation as a proficient female celebrity. With these, it will be easy to marry a good man in the future, what do you think?"

Tangning had nothing to do with Niuniu who was unreasonable, but Aunt Tang could control Niuniu.And now Aunt Tang only has Niuniu as her own daughter. If Niuniu marries well, she will naturally be able to live well.What's more, their mother and daughter have offended their niece. If the niece becomes unreliable in the future, they can still count on their daughter and son-in-law.

It has to be said that Aunt Tang's mind was read by Tangning. She began to hesitate. It wasn't that she had any opinion on Tangning's proposal, but that she agreed to whatever she didn't want Tangning to say. She knew that she agreed. If there is one, there are two. If Tangning can be the master once, she can be the master twice or three times. Gradually, Tangning must be the master of the family.

Tangning's eyes flashed, and she added with a smile: "Furthermore, when I went out this time, I made some good friends from the same year, and my husband also has some old friends, and I have a good relationship with the county magistrate. When the time comes, I will find Niuniu a scholarly family. It shouldn't be difficult."

Mrs. Tang's heart skipped a beat when she heard "Scholarly Family", the temptation was too great for her to refuse, so the matter was settled like this.

All goals were achieved, and Tangning won a complete victory.

However, Tangning was not happy for long. Within a few days, he heard unexpected news.

"What, are you leaving?"