Love of Friends in the Red Chamber

Since Daiyu went south, walking with Jia Cong and his wife, they are like wild cranes in the clouds, without any restraint.Although Jia Cong had no intention of reforming the economic system at that time, as a feudal official of one side, holding the constitution of heaven in his hand, he still didn't want to die as a professional bureaucrat, and he still had to do something within his ability.

Therefore, although the government's policy has always been to emphasize agriculture and suppress business, the area in the south of the Yangtze River is a small-scale peasant economy with intensive cultivation. It only relies on growing food to make ends meet and protect the family from starvation.Jia Cong adopted a gentle gradual improvement, gradually promoted the commercialization of crops, and led the urban population to the expansion of handicraft workshops.

Especially the weaving households in Suzhou and Hangzhou have become small and large-scale.What Jia Cong did was to formulate orders that were more beneficial to weavers, to increase wages, reduce working hours, and improve the working environment...

His own family runs the largest weaving house in the south of the Yangtze River, raising hundreds of weavers, so when this policy was proposed, other small weavers all stared at the actions of his own weaving house, but he did it deliberately. Show it to people, and the effect is remarkable.Because the weavers were better paid, theft and scrap rates were also reduced, and the resulting profits far exceeded the wage increases for the weavers.

It has been the same since ancient times, so quietly, an improvement movement was carried out.Jiangnan has been a prosperous place for business since ancient times. However, although merchants are rich, their status is low. As long as they can study and take exams, they quickly abandon business and agriculture. It gave merchants greater autonomy and status, allowed them to build their own manors and villas, allowed them to go beyond the restrictions of their status, ride horses, take sedan chairs, and wear silk...

Although these measures aroused the resentment of some conservative bureaucrats, because these measures only reduced Jia Cong's reputation among the scholar-bureaucrats, they brought tangible benefits to Jiangnan's finances, so the emperor could tolerate them.

The national treasury has been empty year after year, especially after using troops in the west. Although the battles have been won, military expenditures and post-war rewards and pensions for soldiers have also overwhelmed the entire country's economy.Therefore, the emperor acquiesced to Jia Cong's improvement measures, but within a few years, the national treasury was full, and the south of the Yangtze River was the richest place in the world. Even if there were occasional famines in the Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan areas, they could provide relief nearby.

Jia Cong adjusted his thinking at the right time, and began to publicize Taoism's quiet and inaction, which is nothing more than simple administration.He often does not work in the government office for half a month, dressed in commoner clothes, travels leisurely in the mountains and rivers, and travels all over the south and north of the Yangtze River. Even the common people know that the governor cannot be found in the governor's mansion on a good spring and autumn day, and it happens to be the busy season of farming at that time , without orders to disturb the people, the people can live and work in peace and contentment.

Jia Cong did not seek fame, and although he devoted himself to administration, he seldom did things to win the praise of the officials and the people. Most of the lower-level officials and the people did not know who was in charge of the Liangjiang Governor's Mansion. This was another thing he reassured the emperor.Therefore, the occasional censor official impeached him for being lazy and lazy, but he was often reprimanded by the emperor and ignored.

He served as the governor of Liangjiang for ten years, until his cheap father Jia She finally took advantage of all the advantages and died immediately, Jia Cong was able to Ding You.This time he was really relieved of all his burdens, and went to Beijing for the funeral refreshed.

Before helping the coffin back to his hometown for burial, he and Jia Lian performed a good brotherhood show.It turned out that Jia Lian also felt that he was really useless. It seemed that he had not brought any benefits to the family except causing trouble in half his life. Therefore, his conscience realized that he must give up the position of Duke to his younger brother. Jia Cong would not take this Huo Huo Zao, more sincerely than Jia Lian, made a statement about the eldest brother being a father, and resolutely resigned his post to his elder brother.

The emperor was very satisfied with these two brothers, and of course he was very satisfied with Jia Cong's willingness to give up the position of Duke.So Jia Lian inherited the post of Rong Guogong, but he was only demoted from the first class to the third class. It is estimated that his son will be demoted two more ranks and become a first class general. Of course, the premise is that if he has a son.

Because he handed over his official position, Jia Cong only cared about being the second son, that is to say, he pushed all the troubles to Jia Lian.Jia Lian was already good at these matters, and with such a big deal on his head, he was naturally very busy.

Compared with Jia Cong's leisure, Daiyu is a little troublesome, because Jia Lian has no wife in the house, so it is Daiyu who always follows Mrs. Xing in the mourning hall to fulfill the etiquette of a son-in-law.Fortunately, Daiyu's status is noble, and relatives welcome and see her off. Mrs. Xing dare not bother her when she is free, and Ping'er is there to make arrangements for her. Only Daiyu was needed to come out to socialize, and the rest of the time was just resting in the quiet room behind the mourning hall.

On such occasions, Daiyu inevitably met Baoyu.It has been six or seven years since the two of them met each other. In Daiyu's memory, Baoyu is still the handsome young man, "with a face like the moon in the Mid-Autumn Festival, and a color like flowers in the dawn of spring", but when she really saw Baoyu, Daiyu I didn't recognize him at first.

Baoyu has just passed through his mother's funeral, and he hasn't shaved his hair or shave for half a year. In addition, his behavior is sloppy and his expression is infatuated. He looks like a down-and-out country school teacher. Become mediocre.

Daiyu saw Baoyu's desolate situation through the crack of the curtain, but she didn't feel much in her heart. She retreated silently, thinking: that person was so radiant before, why did he suddenly become dim?At this time, Daiyu tried her best to think about Baoyu's appearance back then, but she couldn't remember it anymore.It was only later that she realized that maybe what she saw back then was just herself in Baoyu's eyes.

Now that Jia Lian has become the head of the family, Mrs. Xing is the only stepmother on his head.Mrs. Xing has always been a person who adapts to the wind. She is well versed in the connotation of "a husband dies and obeys a son". In addition, she is a stepmother. Naturally, she dare not be too arrogant in front of Jia Lian. Even Ping'er, she is also They treat each other kindly in order to protect themselves.

After the funeral was over, Jia Cong discussed with Jia Lian that he wanted to support Jia Amnesty's coffin to return to his hometown for burial, and he would guard his father's tomb in Jinling for three years to fulfill his filial piety, while Jia Lian would support the family in Beijing and take care of his clansmen.Jia Lian was naturally willing to do so, and the discussion was finalized, so Jia Cong set off to the south.

It's just that before leaving, he received two groups of relatives successively, and it was hard to shirk.One is Jia Huan. Jia Huan's mother, Aunt Zhao, fought with Mrs. Wang all her life, and finally won a big victory in the last few years, but this victory came too late and too fast, so it lost its meaning.

With the death of Mrs. Wang, Aunt Zhao became a de facto housewife. However, Jia Zheng was old and unable to make a living, and their family's livelihood fell into a predicament. Tian's ration can also get some firewood and rice, but it is not enough to eat enough for the time being.However, Jia Huan failed several times in the exams, so he lost his mind, so he came to discuss with Jia Cong, wanting to find a job.

Jia Cong knew that he was raised by Aunt Zhao so that he couldn't bear the burden and couldn't carry the basket in his hands. After thinking about it for a long time, he asked Lin Jiarui to find him a job in the household department. The Ministry is a very rich yamen, Jia Huan is not stupid, he can always support his father and Aunt Zhao.

The second house of Jia's mansion fell apart like this, and even the large courtyard house rented out by the separated family was unable to maintain, so Jia Huan moved out with Jia Zheng and Aunt Zhao and rented another house.Poor Aunt Zhou is old and homeless, how could Aunt Zhao let her son support him to eat like this.Aunt Zhou went to ask Jia Zheng, although Jia Zheng couldn't bear it, but he couldn't take care of her now, how could he take care of her?

Aunt Zhou also had an idea, so she took advantage of the opportunity of Jia Amnesty's funeral to see Daiyu, crying and complaining about the difficulties. Daiyu took pity on her and gave her 200 taels of silver, and Aunt Zhou went back to her mother's house to live. .

The second person who came to Jia Cong was Jia Lan.It is said that Jia Lan is the most promising child of the second household of the Jia family, but unfortunately, his life is ordinary. These years, he studied and took the exam, but it went smoothly. He took Jia Cong as an example, and he followed the same path as Jia Cong: Exam for talent , Zhongjuren, Bagong, will try to get a Jinshi background. Originally, the smooth road has been followed, and a smooth rise is just around the corner.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Wang passed away, and Jia Lan wanted Ding You before he was appointed an official position. The Ministry of Officials took this opportunity to put him in another book, which means that after three years of service, he can only be an alternate official.

Li Wan was suffering a lot, but when she talked to Daiyu, Daiyu evaded and said that she never intervened in Jia Cong's official affairs.Li Wan secretly blamed Daiyu for not remembering her old love, and at first she refused to help, but she didn't think it was because she refused to help her in the matter of Qiaojie, which chilled Daiyu's heart.

Li Wan couldn't, so he sent Jia Lan to find Jia Cong, knelt down and kowtowed when they met, begged Jia Cong to clear up with the officials, and if he was satisfied, he would be given a county magistrate. As long as he was granted, he could support his mother.

Jia Cong was terrified when he heard what he said, so he agreed. After all, he had a high position and power all these years. Although he didn't manage it specially, he also sold a lot of favors. In the officialdom, the most important thing is to reciprocate, and the official minister will still buy him. This face.

Only then did Jia Lan and Li Wan feel relieved, they went home, guarded their small property, lived cautiously, and complained that Mrs. Wang's death was not at the right time, and that their mother and son had never been exposed, but suffered a lot. up.Therefore, although Jia Zheng's life was very difficult, the two of them didn't care about it. Jia Zheng was exhausted, so naturally he didn't count on his only grandson.

Two years later, Jia Lan has been studying hard every day for the past two years, hoping to make achievements like Jia Cong and become famous all over the world.