The next day.

Qiuzhao Garden was bustling with activity.

The eldest son, who had been away from home for three years, returned home. Even though the news had not spread widely, the family could not help but become lively and festive.

Mrs. Zhao was the happiest and simply asked the steward to pay all the servants as they did during the holidays.

Everyone was very happy.

Breakfast was served in Qiuzhaoyuan.

Tan Ting first cared about his sister. When he left home, Tan Rong was only eleven years old. Three years later, she was already a fourteen-year-old girl.

Then Tan Ting called his second brother Tan Jian to come over. Without saying a word, he took a knowledge test and asked Tan Jian until he was sweating profusely. Tan Ting frowned.

After asking a few more questions that he couldn't answer, Tan Jian felt that he didn't need to eat today's meal...

He was extremely nervous. In the side room, Mrs. Zhao was talking to Tan Rong, and the servants were busy setting out the meal. People can help him miss this opportunity.

Until I saw the sister-in-law next to me.

My sister-in-law also saw him.

But under the nose of his elder brother, Tan Jian did not dare to ask for help.

But the sister-in-law seemed to be able to read people's hearts. She quickly asked the servants to bring the last meal, and then said something warm.

"Mom, uncle, it's time for breakfast."

Tan Ting paused his questioning and temporarily withdrew his dissatisfied eyes from Tan Jian.

Tan Jianda breathed a sigh of relief and gave Xiang Yi a look of gratitude again and again.

If it weren't for his sister-in-law, he would have died here today...

It's not easy for the whole family to get together, but it's also a lively meal.

Xiang Yi doesn't get along well with the excitement. He wonders if he got cold from sitting in the wind for a long time yesterday, and his head feels a little hot today.

However, Zhao's headache from yesterday had not gone away, so Xiang Yi waited on her for half of the meal before finally sitting down and eating half a bowl of porridge.

After the meal, Tan Ting stayed temporarily and had something to say to Zhao.

Mostly it's a matter between aristocratic families.

He didn't let Xiang Yi stay, and Xiang Yi had no intention of listening. He rubbed his swollen forehead and went to prepare the many things he brought back.

Three years ago, after Tan Ting won the imperial examination, he chose to enter the Imperial Academy and became a shujishi.

Those who are not Jinshi will not be admitted to the Hanlin, and those who are not Hanlin will not be admitted to the cabinet. Shujishi are just a type of Hanlin.

Tan Ting was awarded Jinshi at the age of nineteen, making him the youngest Jinshi in this dynasty. Later, he was successfully selected as a Shujishi. It can be said that he has a bright future.

Now that Tan Ting has finished observing politics in the Hanlin Academy, the next step is to officially become an official.

With the Lin family's prominent in-laws here, Tan Ting will be officially conferred an official post, which must be an important errand in the capital.

Therefore, I didn't bring much back when I returned home this time. It can be seen that I will continue to return to the capital in the future.

Calculated this way, the time they spent together at home was only two or three months.

Xiang Yi ordered people to pack the boxes and cages in an orderly manner and put Tan Ting's belongings into the room. The rest was brought back to everyone, such as bird's nests for Zhao, various gadgets for Tan Rong, and books for Tan Jian. and ink, as well as various wood spices and so on.

Qiao Yun found an unowned mahogany box.

When she opened it and took a look, she couldn't help but say "yeah".

"Madam, look, it's so bright!"

Xiang Yi walked over and saw that the box was filled with fine wool.

Especially the one placed on the top is a piece of dark red fox fur, which is bright and smooth, and looks extremely beautiful when reflecting the sun that has just emerged after the snowy day.

Under the red fox skin, there is pure white fox skin without variegation. There seems to be other fur under the white fox skin.

Qiao Yun was stunned and stroked the piece of red fox fur carefully, "Madam, this fur is so thick and smooth that it feels warm even if you dig into it with your fingertips. Is this also what the uncle brought back?"

Isn't Xiang Yi very good ? Knowing that, he called Tan Ting's servant Zhengji to come over.

"It belongs to the uncle too? What is it used for?"

Zhengji saluted her, "To Madam, this is a new product from Yanzhi Leather Goods Store in Jingli. It is very popular. I specially asked you to buy it and take it home. This is for you, masters. "

Yanzhi Leather Shop. "

Xiang Yi had heard of it when he followed his father as an official in Beijing. It was a time-honored brand that had stood for hundreds of years.

Qiao Yun touched the white fox fur underneath again, and couldn't help but ask Zhengji, "Is this really for your masters?"

Zhengji paused slightly, glanced at Xiang Yi quickly, and then nodded yes.

Qiao Yun didn't pay attention to his expression, and counted the leathers in the box, "This dark red one must be for the old lady, and the white one is for the eldest girl, right?" Next there is a shiny brown mink fur, "It must be for the second master..."

The fourth picture below must be for the madam.

Qiao Yun thought happily, if Madam had such good leather to make thick clothes, she would not be cold when she went out all day like yesterday.

But when she turned further down, her fingers touched the cold wooden board at the bottom.

There is no fourth one.

Qiao Yun was stunned, and the young man Zhengji's heart tightened and he knelt in front of Xiang Yi.

"Madam, please calm down. The uncle sent the villain to buy leather. Unexpectedly, the Yanzhi Leather Store has a weird rule. No matter how long the queue is, you can buy up to three skins at a time, so the villain only bought three pieces and came back... ..."

He explained like this, but before Xiang Yi said anything, Qiao Yun stared at him.

"You can only buy three at a time, so let's go again!"

Zhengji originally wanted to go again the next day, but when a letter from his family arrived in the capital and asked for other things to buy, Tan Ting said there was no need to go again. ...

Just as Zhengji was about to explain, the lady waved her hand to stop Qiao Yun, indicating that she didn’t need to ask any more questions.

But Qiao Yun was unwilling to give in. Looking at the three good furs that each had their own belongings, she couldn't help but say.

"Why shouldn't Madam have a piece of skin?"

The uncle was thinking about everyone in the family, but he did not take care of his mother, younger siblings, or the wife of his clan members.

Why?

Qiao Yun had a temper like burning coals, but Xiang Yi didn't want to get entangled in this matter and shook his head with her.

However, at this moment, Tan Ting arrived in front of the door.

Tan Ting heard Qiao Yun's words before entering the courtyard, but when he strode in, he immediately saw Zhengji kneeling on the ground in a panic, and also saw his wife standing high in the corridor.

His eyes darkened, Tan Ting signaled Zhengji not to kneel anymore and stood up.

He thought of the embankment that cracked on the Chaoyun River yesterday due to his father-in-law's cutting corners, and his gaze fell on Xiang Yi's face unbearably.

"There are many things going on in the capital, and it's hard to have everything planned when we return. It's just a few skins, and there are plenty of them in the Tan family's warehouse. You can pick them out if you want. There's no need to make a fuss here and make people laugh."

He didn't expect her to How to be gentle, knowledgeable and courteous, and don't make trouble for nothing and make the chickens and dogs in the house uneasy, that's all.

As soon as he finished speaking, he put his hands behind his back and staggered away from Xiang Yi, and strode into the room.

The withered grass in the corner of the courtyard was rustling in the wind, which made the courtyard feel eerily quiet.

Zhengji lowered his head and did not dare to speak.

Qiao Yun was shocked and opened her eyes in disbelief.

She couldn't help but defend Madam.

How could the lady be as good as the uncle said?

At this time, the wind in the courtyard blew up to the eaves, and the thick snow on the eaves slid down rustlingly and fell in chunks.

Qiao Yun saw that Madam was not angry at all, but a faint smile appeared on her lips.

"My uncle is right."

The snow melted a lot the next day, and Tan Ting went to Weiping Mansion.

He didn't explain where he went, and Xiang Yi didn't ask.

When he left, Qiao Yun breathed a sigh of relief.

"Uncle, it's better not to go home. Madam has become more and more uncomfortable in the past two days. She doesn't even have time to carve stones."

Xiang Yi sat in Qiao Yun's small room in the back room and polished the newly carved seal on his hand. I blew it once, blew the dust on it carefully, and smiled.

"It's better if you say less."

Qiao Yun was so angry that she forgot everything she wanted to say next.

Xiang Yi smiled and put the seal into a small palm-sized box.

"Send this to Jixiang Print Shop and say sorry to the shopkeeper for wasting two days of work."

Qiao Yun put the small box away, "Madam, you are too polite. With your current skills, I will wait for you for two more days. " Yue didn't dare to say anything."

She became happy again, "If it can be sold at a high price, Madam should also wear a decent set of hair and face. I saw that the old lady gave the eldest lady a new set of gold-studded emerald hair and face. Smart and dazzling. "

My wife has no dowry and very little jewelry. There are only a few silver hairpins and some hairpins. The box in front of the dressing table is empty, except for a few good-quality jade bracelets. Give away time.

Xiang Yi also saw Tan Rong's new look.

"I don't need it, but it would be nice if I could give Ning Ning a set. It would look beautiful in the dowry box."

Xiang Yi has a twin brother and sister, Xiang Ning and Xiang Yu. They are five years younger than Xiang Yi. He will only turn fifteen in the second half of the year.

Thinking of his younger siblings, Xiang Yi's eyes softened and he ordered Qiao Yun.

"Don't forget to ask if there is any letter from home."

Qiao Yun followed the instructions and quickly went to the Jixiang Seal Shop in the county.

When the shopkeeper saw her coming, he asked the waiter to make tea and asked in a low voice.

"I heard that Mr. Tan's family is back. Madam, won't she have to take some time off?"

Jixiang Print Shop originally had a normal business. While making and selling prints, it also introduced work for carpenters and masons. The money earned was just enough to maintain the store.

But after Xiang Yi got married, he often made commissioned seals for sale, and sometimes also received customized seal cuttings. Her printing is slow, but the quality is quite good. Especially in the past two years, she has become more proficient in making and can sell it at a higher price. Jixiang Printing Shop has also started to turn around.

Xiang Yi didn't want to be famous, he just wanted to change some money, so no one knew about it.

Qiao Yun snorted, "Indeed, Madam is getting more and more busy."

However, Qiao Yun thought that the uncle would not be at home for too long, so she said, "Although I am busy, if there is jade of good quality, I would like to ask the shopkeeper to give it to me." Our wife keeps it."

Everyone else is unreliable. Even the wife herself said that only her ability is reliable.

Qiao Yun asked the shopkeeper again if he had any letters from the Xiang family.

Xiang Yu didn't like the Tan family and was unwilling to send letters directly to the Tan family, so he sent letters to Jixiang Printing Shop every half month.

But this time, the shopkeeper actually took out two letters in one breath.

Two letters at a time, it can be seen that something else happened temporarily, so another one was added.

Qiao Yun didn't dare to stay any longer and quickly went home with the letter. However, she didn't pay attention and someone caught her eye on the street.

The man ate the melon seeds and spat the skins on the ground.

It was Tan Youliang's family who was wandering on the street.

At that moment, she saw Qiao Yun leaving Jixiang Seal Shop in a hurry, as if she smelled something unusual, and her eyes flashed.

Qiao Yun walked away with her front foot, and Tan Youliang's back foot entered the auspicious seal shop.

She wanted to ask something, but unfortunately the shopkeeper and the waiter were both tight-lipped and didn't ask anything.

But the more she thought about it, the more wrong she became.

The shopkeeper is so tight-lipped, it seems that Mr. Xiang really has something going on here.

What's going on?

She was very curious, but she couldn't figure it out by imagination, so she had to leave temporarily.

Two letters came one after another, and Xiang Yi looked a little strange.

However, if it were a more urgent matter, Xiang Yu would definitely endure his impatience and send it directly to Tan's house.

Xiang Yi opened the first letter first.

It was an ordinary letter from home, written by my sister Xiang Ning, and talked about the current situation of the two of them.

After their father died, the three siblings stayed in their hometown to observe mourning. After the period of filial piety, Xiang Yu had to register for the imperial examination.

He did not stop the imperial examination because of his father Xiang Zhiyuan's incident, but no one agreed to guarantee Xiang Yu's imperial examination.

In this dynasty, someone had to be a guarantor to register for the imperial examination. If Xiang Yu could not take the imperial examination, the Xiang family would never be able to stand up again.

It was under such circumstances that Xiang Yi married into the Tan family.

The Tan family is an aristocratic family with a resounding name. The Tan family does not even need to show up. As long as the name is there, Xiang Yu can enter the examination room.

He was very ambitious and took three child examinations in two years, and successfully became a scholar. After that, he and Xiang Ning moved to Qingzhou County, Weiping Prefecture, and are currently studying at Qingzhou Academy.

Qingzhou Academy was originally just a small private school in the mountains, inconspicuous in front of many aristocratic families. But it is the only place where helpless children from poor families can study.

When Xiang Zhiyuan was the prefect of Weiping, he single-handedly turned this small private school into a well-known academy.

The teachers in the academy are all familiar with the Xiang family. Xiang Ning lives very smoothly in Xiang's apartment, which is not far from Qingkan County where Xiang Yi lives. The siblings take care of each other.

Xiang Ning first talked about some trivial matters in daily life, and then Xiang Ning talked about Xiang Yu's study.

Xiang Yu had been a scholar for less than a year and wanted to take the provincial examination this fall. The teachers at the academy thought it was impossible for him to pass the exam at his age, so they were not prepared to let him go.

It's just that Xiang Yu has a stubborn temper and insists on answering the questions for his hometown exam. If he can answer the questions well, he will take the exam and try.

Unexpectedly, Xiang Yu actually handed in an article that surprised his husband. After discussion with several gentlemen, they approved it.

It doesn't matter if you fail the exam, just keep studying.

Xiang Yi's eyes lit up, and then he saw a line of flying and sharp words appearing under Xiang Ning's delicate and delicate handwriting.

"In this provincial examination, Yu is bound to win. It will add a little more luster to the eldest sister's face."

These were Xiang Yu's words.

Before he could hit the target, Xiang Yi couldn't help but curl up his lips.

Xiang Ning's neat and neat handwriting was still underneath. The little girl tactfully believed that although Xiang Yu was as proud as a rooster, it was not impossible to win the first place in one fell swoop.

Xiang Yi's eyes and eyebrows raised.

Qiao Yun looked around and suddenly asked a question.

"If our young master passes the exam, will he take his wife back?"

She always has some novel ideas. Xiang Yi smiled at her and said, "Why do you say that?"

Qiao Yun said, "Madam, what do you think? I love you so much, and I definitely can’t bear to have you suffer injustice in the Tan family. After passing the exam, no one will dare to hinder me in the imperial examination. I have a good background, and maybe I want you to do it. Heli is going home."

She said it seemed to be a matter of course.

My younger brother Xiang Yucai had just passed the examination to become a scholar, and no one had thought about what would happen after he won the examination.

Xiang Yi was stunned for a moment under Qiao Yun's words.

A gust of wind squeezed in from the window, swept the desk, and blew another unopened letter to the ground.

Qiao Yun quickly picked up the letter and said, "What are you thinking, madam? The letters have fallen out. Do you want to read them?"

It was the second letter.

Only then did Xiang Yi come back to his senses, calm down, and opened the second letter.