Chapter 224, Zheng Erguan
Gong Miaoer sat at home meditate, with leftover tea on the table next to her and soot on the ground beside her. He, who rarely smokes, held a jade cigarette holder in his hand. At this time, he frowned like a little old man, and the wrinkles on his forehead could not be described by the word "chuan".
"Shopkeeper, Miss Xiaochu can't lose this line," the stewer Zhuang came in and said it after a while, and he also sighed. These are businessmen, and Gong Miaoer is close to the Chu family. This is a person who calls himself "old rivers and lakes", and there is no "face" for family affairs.
When Manager Zhuang came back, Gong Miaoer frowned sadly: "You made my head dizzy." Manager Zhuang quickly said, "I'm dizzy too," and sat down on the small bench opposite. Manager Zhuang took out a cigarette bag from his arms. Gong Miaoer handed him a flint twist, and the two of them smoked relatively silently.
Another layer of fluttering soot spilled down, and Gong Miaoer suddenly thought of one thing: "After I left, has the surnamed Zheng come again?" Officer Zhuang laughed as soon as he heard it: "He did another money-breaking thing and made his uncle Zheng Erguan sick. I heard that he was dying. He hasn't come these days."
"What else did he do? Money-breaking things are not done every day. Gong Miaoer also laughed. The stew manager Zhuang couldn't breathe with a smile. When he came out of breath, he said, "He said that one of them helped him get a lawsuit and suffered losses. He sent a sum of money to heal others. After Zheng's second official knew it, he couldn't get sick."
It was Gong Miaoer who laughed so much this time: "Then Zheng Er, I would have done it once before. When I invited someone to the restaurant, I always only added one meat dish and ate the rest of the bones and took them away, saying that they were feeding the dogs at home. Someone was mean to him and said that he would take it home and keep it underneath. Zheng Caobao and Mrs. Zheng live together. There are more than a dozen servants in the family. Zheng Er's family is reluctant to use it. More than a dozen people, including his wife, son and daughter-in-law, only need two people to hold the door, one to the front door and the other to the back door. Thanks to the money he accumulated, I think he is dead, and the coffin is also thin-skinned.
The steward Zhuang laughed and said, "The day before yesterday, I went to the royal palace to inquire about you. Passing through Zheng's house, I saw the coffin being sent to rush in the coffin shop. It was really a thin-skinned coffin. I can't find you, and I'm very bored to have fun. I buttoned the plate with my hand, and it seemed to break with a pick. So that I wanted to knock loudly, but I didn't dare.
"Hahaha, if there is such a miser, there are scattered rich people like Zheng Yi. Zheng Er's sons, which sounds good to me, are all agents. How can they get used to living together like this? Gong Miaoer was also happy to hear that. It was certainly heartbreaking for Zheng Yi to scatter money like that. Zheng's officials cut out the coffin without thick plates, so that Gong Miaoer was just a poor Zheng Er's son.
Several leaves rustled on the tree, and the steward Zhuang said again, "Zheng Er's sons have daughters-in-law. The son has been patient since he was a child, and the daughters-in-law can't get through it. Their family is sewn and mended by their wives, which is all right. It's just that I don't see oil and water once a month. Several daughters-in-law can't stand it and discuss ideas behind their back. Send your husband to the shop to watch the night, then take care of him, and follow him to the shop to eat and live. However, there is a waiter at home to wait on Mr. Zheng and his family, which will be replaced in a few days. I heard from Lao Liu at the front door that their house is a neighbor, which should be good.
Gong Miaoer laughed so much that the cigarette bag in her mouth almost fell to the ground. The stewer Zhuang accompanied him with him and said, "Now that Zheng's second son has grown up, he has nothing else to do. He fights with his nephew Zheng Cao all day long and stares at him every day to spend money."
"This is also the reason why Zheng Yi loves to play outside. With such a pair of eyes staring at him at home, he is not free to spend." Gong Miaoer said that after contemplation, the steward Zhuang guessed, "This surname is Zheng, Xiaochu girl..."
Gong Miaoer didn't hide it from the stew manager and nodded and said, "Yes, if he comes again, I can run to the Chu family one more time." He didn't tell anyone in his family about meeting his face on the street. I'm afraid that they will worry, and I'm afraid that if there are many people who speculate too much, they will startle the grass. It was said that Gong Miaoer suddenly thought of standing up, and the stew manager Zhuang also happened to say, "Zheng Er is sick. Although we haven't moved for many years, now we are going out to visit."
"You said yes, I think so too. I have to get that straw bag out and do something again, so that I can go to the Chu family to report to the prince. Gong Miaoer didn't care that Zheng Yi could not harm Zheng Yi. If he was moved, he was still thinking about Xiaochu. Besides, this guy is not a good person. He didn't set up a situation to ruin Xiaochu's reputation. Gong Miaoer decided to be rude and said sideways to the stew manager, "Let the guys help me buy a few boxes of snacks. It's good afternoon. I'll go to Zheng's house."
On the street where Zheng's family is located, Zheng Yi and his uncle's house are adjacent. On the left is Zheng Yi and Mrs. Zheng's three-entry mansion. There are two family members in front of the door, and flowers and trees can also be seen in the door. Gong Miaoer stretched out her head to look. If it hadn't been for the accident at the beginning of the Spring Festival, Gong Miaoer would have taken down the Zheng family's yard quickly. He prepared a pile of "longevity pines and cypresses", but people did not slaughter them.
To the right is Zheng Erguan's house. The door is much deserted and the door is closed. The door is dilapidated, and several Spring Festival couplets on the door look like they were past the year before last. Gong Miaoer, who smiled secretly, stepped forward to pat the door. Someone replied for a long time: "Come in, the back door is often open."
With a snack box in his hand, people who come to visit the doctor have to enter through the back door. Fortunately, Gong Miaoer knew Zheng Er for a long time and turned to the back door to have a look. Sure enough, two small wooden doors were hidden. When I came in, I saw women sitting in the shoes and talking in front of the doors of the left and right wing rooms. Seeing the snack box in Gong Miaoer's hand, the woman was not afraid to avoid it. Instead, she pointed to it with her hand and said, "The landlord's house is going in."
Gong Miaoer couldn't help laughing: "Oh, thank you, sister. The landlord's house used to be inside. It turned out that Zheng Er saw that his son and daughter-in-law mostly lived in the shop and rented the vacant house to someone.
For this pair of uncles and nephews, Zheng Er is very good at saving money, and Zheng Yi is very good at spending money.
Zheng Er in the room was angry with his nephew Zheng Yi at this time. He was used to working and slept for a few days and his face was a little swollen. Because the epidemic came fiercely in spring, the eyes also sank, which was a little scary. In addition to these scary people, the fierce look in Zheng Er's eyes is even more scary. He is saying viciously, "This money is from my Zheng family. Whether it is a big house or two rooms, they are all surnamed Zheng. Big brother and my brother have worked hard all their lives, and you have given away a lot of people for nothing. Go! Get it back for me. Go and ask that Zhang, Zhang Heji wants to come back.
Zheng Yi bowed and bowed and said, "Uncle, when you are well, I will ask my second uncle to take care of the shopping. The money left by my parents will be made by my second uncle. It's just that this money was given to a friend. How can he come back for his friends? Zheng Erguan rolled his eyes when he was angry with his nephew's words. Zheng Yi said again, "No more." Zheng Erguan's throat was full of phlegm, and his eyes turned over with anger, and his black eyes couldn't turn over.
The uncle and nephew spoke, and there were only two of them in the room. Zheng Yi was so scared that he stepped forward to lift up his uncle, stroked him in front of his chest and patted him on his back, which made Zheng Erguan angry. Just recovered, Zheng Er pointed to Zheng Yi, regardless of his illness, and continued to be angry with his nephew: "This is not much. How much is it?"
"Second uncle, it's only 300 taels of silver." Zheng Yi said carefully, "Don't be angry. The snuff bottle you bought for me last time cost 1600 taels, and you earned more than 600 taels, didn't you?" Zheng Erguan gasped: "So you all know." Zheng Yi took a bowl of water from the table next to him and sat on the kang to help Zheng Erguan drink water. There were tears in his eyes: "Second uncle, you can't die. If you die, what can I do?"
Zheng Erguan shouted in a popular appeal: "I'm dead, you can spend money freely!" Bah, you can't think about it! When you went back the night before yesterday, I shouted up your brothers. I, I told them, if I didn't have time to speak before I died, that's my last word. If I die, let your brothers continue to make your money, cheat your money, or coax your money. I cheated you and coaxed you. Don't worry, they will take care of you to eat a bowl of food and won't let you live on the street. This is my Zheng family's money, my Zheng family. Zheng Erguan came up angrily. He didn't know where his strength came from. He twisted Zheng Yi's skirt and said over and over again: "It's my Zheng family's money."
"Uncle," Zheng Yi cried, "You can't die, you can't die. You're alive. I'll go out to buy things. If others want too high, I'll come back and ask my second uncle to buy them, and their price will drop a little. You can't die, you must live. Although you are alive and talk a lot, you can't die.
The number in the room began to cry. Zheng Yi cried and said, "For example, when I bought red sandalwood tables and chairs, it cost 3,000 taels at the beginning. I said I would let you handle it, so I lowered 500 taels; and the tailor asked for 500 taels of handmade money for my flowers this year. I said I asked my second uncle to do it, and he lowered 30%. The rest of the money is enough for me to drink wine. ..."
Zheng Yi is experiencing the benefits of Zheng's life. Zheng's second official was so angry that he trembling: "Your flower-appreciating clothes cost hundreds of taels of handmade money, and the broken wooden table cost 2,500 taels?" Zheng Yi corrected while crying, "It's red sandalwood." Zheng Erguan scolded fiercely, "You are a 250." With a kick of his legs, he fainted.
"Second uncle, wake up," Zheng Yi cried loudly. This time, the people outside rushed in. Gong Miaoer was talking to Zheng Er's son. Seeing that everyone had changed their faces, she also came in. Everyone is pinching people, pouring hot water. Zheng Erguan woke up leisurely and didn't look at his son first. It doesn't matter if he was his son's daughter-in-law and wife. He only stared at his eyes and looked coldly at his nephew and gasped, "My honest businessman is just a person who looks down on you. You... After I die, how can I see my eldest brother and my ancestors? Zheng Erguan pounded his chest and feet, and the sick man beat his body to a crack.
Of course, Zheng Er's sons in the room don't look good to Zheng Yi. His father's illness was angered by this cousin. In front of everyone, he almost pissed off his father Zheng Er, who had been infected with the epidemic. Zheng Yi looked at him with such accusations, of course, he was out of possession. I heard my uncle repeatedly accuse me of being looked down upon. Zheng Yi suddenly burst out, "Second uncle, you are alive. As long as you don't die, I will make people respect you. I went to school. When I was a child, people praised me for being smart. I went to be an official, and I rushed to take the exam!"
None of the people in these chat rooms believed it. Only Zheng Erguan stared straight and said to his nephew, "There is no basis for words!" Zheng Yi immediately followed: "If I say or don't do it, my second uncle will kill me."
"Good!" Zheng Erguan's voice was full of anger and shocked his sons. Looking at his father Zheng Er, he sat up straight with a red face and told his sons, "It's better to ask him to buy him a pen and paper and spend some money on it than going out to eat and drink."