Jia Min's Counterattack

On the 26th of the twelfth lunar month, Lin Ruhai took Jia Min and his eldest son Lin Lang to visit the home of the head of the Lin clan.

There is no evidence to test when the Lin family settled in Suzhou, but the Lin family has developed into a very large family in the local area.Strictly speaking, Lin Ruhai's branch has no blood relationship with the Suzhou branches.Lin Ruhai's ancestor was Bigan, a famous minister respected by the people as "Wenquxing" in the late Shang Dynasty.After Bigan was killed by King Zhou, his wife, Chen, fled into the forest while pregnant, and later gave birth to a son named Quan.After Zhou destroyed Shang, King Wu of Zhou gave the surname Lin because Quan was born in the forest and felt that his father Bigan was unyielding, that is, Lin Jian, the ancestor of Lin Ruhai.Later, the Central Plains was in turmoil, and the Lin family was involved in the struggle for the throne. In desperation, they gave up their ancestral land, went down to the south of the Yangtze River, and finally settled in Suzhou.The original people surnamed Lin in Suzhou also escaped the war from the north and came here, but their ancestors were Xianbei people.After Lin Ruhai's ancestors arrived in Suzhou, they were appreciated by the head of the Lin family in Suzhou because of their outstanding literary talents. Being able to settle down in Suzhou and have shelter, he agreed to record it in the genealogy of the Lin family in Suzhou and became a branch of the Lin family in Suzhou. Because he bought a house and land in the east of Suzhou, he was also called the Lin family in Dongjie.In fact, no one knew that Lin Ruhai and the others would pay homage to the tablet of their ancestor Lin Jian at home every year.

In addition to Lin Ruhai, there are four other branches of the Lin family.One is the patriarch of the Lin family, and it is also the most prosperous one.The other three branches are all side branches and common branches of the Lin family, and their prosperity cannot be compared with that of the patriarch.But in Suzhou, because Lin Ruhai's branch has been a high-ranking official in the capital for several generations, no one dared to trouble Lin's, so the other three branches of Lin's backed by big trees could barely get by.

The head of the Lin clan lives in the south of Suzhong City, and one of the other three lives next to the head's house, and the other two live outside the city.

Lin Ruhai handed over the greeting card to the patriarch in advance, and the patriarch's family came to welcome Lin Ruhai's family outside the gate today.Lin Ruhai got off the carriage first, and the patriarch and his descendants were about to bow down, Lin Ruhai hurriedly stopped the patriarch.

"What is the patriarch doing? I'm here today, just as a member of the Lin family to visit relatives at the clan's brother's house. This great gift must never be allowed!"

Lin Ruhai is now the parent official in Suzhou, and he is of the same generation as the patriarch, so the patriarch does not need to kneel, but the descendants of the patriarch must kneel to salute Lin Ruhai.

Lin Ruhai raised his hand and said, "All nephews and grandnephews please hurry up!"

Hearing Wen Lin Ruhai's voice, all the talents kneeling behind the patriarch stood up one after another.

"Seventh cousin, let the carriage take the siblings directly to the second gate, your cousin and the female relatives are already waiting there!" the patriarch said.Lin Ruhai was ranked seventh in the family tree, the last of their generation, so the patriarch called Lin Ruhai the seventh cousin.

"Third cousin arranges it!"

Jia Min and Lin Lang rode in the carriage and stopped after another incense stick.Mo Lan and Wei Zi got out of the car first, turned around and helped Jia Min down, and Mother Lu got out of the car behind Jia Min, holding Lin Lang in her arms.

After Jia Min stood still, she saw an old woman with white hair knelt down and saluted to herself under the support of two middle-aged women, and quickly walked over to support her, "No, I'm young, so I don't dare to be such a great gift." !"

The old woman showed a kind smile on her face and said: "You deserve it, you are the county lord and a noble lady with a command, so you can naturally worship as an old man!"

"I first arrived in Suzhou, and I have never met any relatives in the family. I don't know how to call them?"

"I am Lin Zhou, the wife of the 19th generation patriarch of the Lin family in Suzhou." The old woman introduced herself, pointing to the two middle-aged women beside her and said: "The one on the left is the eldest daughter-in-law Lu, and the one on the right is My fourth daughter-in-law, Mrs. Fang. There are three other daughter-in-laws behind me!"

First stepped forward to help Lu Shi and Fang Shi get up, and then said to the female relatives kneeling behind Lin Zhou Shi: "Get up, everyone, it's not as polite as this!"

Jia Min looked at Lin Zhou again, and said with a smile: "Sister-in-law Santang is too polite. My husband and I came here to visit relatives. It's a shame that brother-in-law and sister-in-law Santang made such a big fight. It makes us feel uncomfortable, and I still hope that the third sister-in-law will remind me more and take care of me in the future!"

"Seventh brother and sister, don't worry, the old man will never refuse if he can help! It's cold outside, and the seventh brother and sister are pregnant, so hurry up and go inside to warm up, so we can sit and talk slowly."

"Okay! Third sister-in-law, please!"

"Seventh brother and sister, please!" Mrs. Lin Zhou, supported by Mrs. Lu, went to the backyard with Jia Min.

Jia Min followed Lin Zhou into a large courtyard named Mingfang Hall. After a group of people entered the main hall, Lin Zhou let Jia Min take the main seat and sat on the other side. The other female relatives They all sat down according to their status, several young girls and daughters-in-law stood behind their elders, and Mother Lu stood beside Jia Min holding Lin Lang.

The maids served tea, Jia Min took two sips and said slowly, "Sister-in-law Santang, this is my eldest son Lin Lang, who will be one year old on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month next year."

Mother Lu hugged Lin Lang who had just taken off her cloak and went forward to salute Lin Zhou. Lin Zhou recruited and said, "Hurry up and let me take a closer look!" Mother Lu approached Lin Lang a few steps in her arms.Xiao Linlang saw a kind-hearted old lady smiling at him, and giggled too, and stretched out her little hand for Lin Zhou to hug him.

"Oh! This child looks really good, he is very cute, come and give me a hug from my third aunt!" Lu's mother glanced at Jia Min, saw Jia Min nodded slightly, and put Lin Lang carefully on the bed. into Lin Zhou's arms.

Lin Lang smiled at Lin Zhou with disbelief, and Lin Zhou asked the maid to bring a beautiful brocade box, and took out a gourd of excellent suet white jade from it and handed it to Lin Lang.

"Ah... ah!" Lin Lang raised his little hand to show Jia Min, and Jia Min smiled and said, "The third aunt gave it to you, so you can keep it! Be careful not to drop it!" Lin Lang nodded his little head, two hands Holding the white jade gourd in her small hands, she gave another big smile to Mrs. Lin Zhou: "Thank you...thank you!"

Lin Zhou yelled heartily as if holding something Lin Lang liked, and the other female relatives also laughed when they saw Lin Lang's cute appearance.

"This fourteenth brother is really lovable. Our old lady hasn't laughed so much for a long time!" The one who spoke was a woman in her 30s. She was fair-looking, but her eyes were calculating. .