Chapter 57: Fake Quarrel
Jiangnan, Sanzao Salt Field.
Jia Lian, who personally cooked and fried the salt with the salt workers, felt that he was almost soaked in salt.
This work is really not done by humans!
I don’t know if my aunt offended my uncle, so she tormented him like this.
Poor, he promised his uncle to make two hundred catties of salt.
Jia Lian really wanted to cry.
I really want to back off.
But no.
My aunt has been away from home for so many years, and he finally came to see her, but ended up betraying his promise in front of his uncle, and became a deserter out of fear...
Just thinking about the consequences of escaping home makes Jia Lian's calves tremble.
He gritted his teeth and held on day by day.
Fortunately, the two hundred pounds of salt that belongs to him are about to be successful.
Seeing the supervisor wandering over, Jia Lian grabbed a little from the finished product and greeted him, "Mr. Chen, my salt is basically ready," he said with a smile on his face, "Try it and see if it is qualified. "?"
"Hmm~"
Chen Jingtian tasted it carefully for a while and then said, "Fry it again and it will be called refined salt."
< br>It is rare that the eldest young master of the Duke's mansion can persist these days. "Do you want to fry it again?"
"...Fry it!"
Jia Lian gritted his teeth, and finally responded. .
He has been working hard personally for so long, and he must always strive for excellence to help his aunt earn some face with his uncle.
Faintly, Jia Lian felt that his uncle forced him to admit that he was interested in salt and to make salt himself, which had a deeper meaning.
It’s just that he is not at the level of an old fox like his uncle. He can’t guess and can only wait for his next instruction.
"Brother, you are the one!"
Chen Jingtian gave him a thumbs up and was about to compliment him a few more times when the sound of horse hooves came from the distance.
Looking up, a dozen big men and a carriage were coming this way.
......
In Yangzhou, Jia Min has helped her nephew to buy a sacrificial field. In two neighboring villages, Jia Lian’s money was not enough, so she even borrowed a thousand and eighty yuan. One hundred taels.
But the fields are gone, but the nephew is gone.
The situation in Jiangnan is complicated, and she is really afraid that her husband will trap her nephew here.
"Madam!"
When Lin Ruhai entered the room, he found her in a daze. He waved his hand to the maids and motioned for them to go down. Then he handed over the booklet he was holding, "Uncle Lin Shan asked me to give this to you before he left."< br>
The content inside is shocking.
He couldn't believe it, so he sent someone to check it again, "Let's take a look!"
Jia Min took it and turned the first page, her expression couldn't help but change. , "Husband...have you seen it?"
"Not only saw it, but also checked it."
Lin Ruhai sighed and sat next to her, "Min'er, right? "Shut up, it's me who has caused trouble for you."
Jia Min: "..."
She turned a little faster, but the more she turned down, the more scared and frightened she became.
Especially on the last page, they are all the people around my son Changan.
Jia Min stared at the names of the two people she was most reassured about, feeling short of breath.
On September 27th of the fifth year of Xiaomu, Tian Youlan and her husband Zhang Cheng received three thousand silver from the salt merchant Li Zhong, and on November 11th they received a 100-acre farm. On the fifteenth day of the first month of the sixth year of Xiaomu, they received gold. One hundred taels, a second-class house in Nancheng...
With so many things, why should they give them to two slaves?
And behind Li Zhong was Li Haimu, a big salt merchant. That man... When they first came to Yangzhou, they almost fell out.
Jia Min's hands couldn't help but tremble again when she thought of the two so-called Li girls she sold.
She never treated anyone harshly, especially those around her.
Thinking of everyone who followed her and left the wealthy nest of the Duke's Mansion, and left their hometowns. Except for Yue, the rewards during the New Year's Festival became more and more generous every year. I thought that after experiencing the wealth and honor of the Duke's Mansion, No matter what, they would never be confused by the flowers outside, but now... none of them are reliable.
Some people even want to be slaves of those three surnames, having eaten their own way.
No, connected with her, don’t some people have three different masters?
"Husband..., I can't help you."
Jia Min was struck down by shame, anger, and sadness, and was about to kneel down on the spot in front of her husband who had always trusted her.
"It's not your fault." Lin Ruhai hugged the trembling Jia Min and blamed herself, "It's my fault. It's because my identity is too sensitive that they were targeted."
Many officials in ancient times have been unable to control their own hearts when it comes to 'greed', let alone those servants.
It’s him, he’s too naive.
Unexpectedly, after so many years in the officialdom, he was still confused about family matters.
Lin Ruhai didn't dare to think about what those people outside would do if they suffered losses at his hands again. "Min'er, thank you very much. If you hadn't thought of it in advance..." Maybe they didn't even know how their family died. .
Many people have fallen into this position since ancient times.
"Husband...!"
Jia Min was in pain and angry, her tears wet his clothes. When she was about to say that Sister-in-law Dongfu reminded her of this, she suddenly thought of something. , "No, Daiyu and Chang'an..."
"I sent someone to look at it yesterday."
After checking, Lin Ruhai no longer dared to believe those minions of the Jia family. , "Don't be afraid, no one dares to touch our children."
His voice was extremely firm, "Min'er, it just so happened that Uncle Lin Shan went to Lian'er's place. Using his excuse, we pretended to have a quarrel and replaced the people around Daiyu and Chang'an."
It is also disrespectful to come and go without reciprocating.
This time, if he skinned several people, none of them would be named Lin.
"And around us..."
Everyone in the Jia family died, and around him...
Although Lin Ruhai had checked before, but after this incident, He felt it was better to check every three months.
After all, people’s hearts are fickle.
"For the sake of the children and ourselves, we should pay more attention to it, not to mention monthly checks."
"Hmm~"
At this time, where is Jia Min? Dare you respond?
The roommates that her parents personally selected for her, and the maids who grew up with her, were all bribed by outsiders using various means.
Who else can she trust? Who else dare to believe?
"Min'er!" Lin Ruhai hugged his wife who was scared but still worried about him, "When things happen with Lian'er, you can take your two children and follow him back to the capital!"< br>
"Husband..."
Jia Min looked at her husband with tears in her eyes. How could she be willing to give up?
"You and your two children will be safe when you go to Beijing."
Although the Duke's Mansion has declined, Yu Ze, the fourth Duke of Ning and Rong, is still there. All the lady and the two children need is a little attention.
Lin Ruhai's eyes were blazing, "And only after you leave can I let go."
Salt policy is related to the lifeblood of the country. A handful of good salt is also related to the lives of thousands of people. In good health.
As a salt inspector, Lin Ruhai knew very well that although those salts with a bitter taste are cheap, they also contain trace amounts of toxins.
It's fine if you eat it in small amounts, but if you eat it for a long time, it will have serious consequences for your body and lifespan.
But the salt can be detoxified by adding more frying and boiling processes.
But give up those toxic salts. The salt from other salt farms is not enough to supply the entire Jozhao.
Lin Ruhai and all previous salt officials are worried about this problem.
Originally, he thought that he could only help the emperor and the emperor to protect the country's salt tax in this life, but unexpectedly, the sister-in-law of Ningguo Mansion gave them unexpected hope.
One is a way to remove impurities as quickly as possible and possibly even reduce toxins, and the other is a way to increase sea salt production.
No matter which one of the two succeeds, it will be a major event that benefits the country and the people.
Lin Ruhai wanted to do it without any distractions, "Min'er, it's easy to hide from open guns, but hard to guard against hidden arrows." He didn't want to and couldn't bear for her to follow him in fear anymore, "You keep yourself safe, keep both of us safe. A child is my greatest support. "My wife's health is not as good as before.
He didn't want to worry about her either.
"Come on, let's think about how to quarrel..."
He wiped her tears, "Remember, we are pretending to quarrel. No matter what we say, it is all fake. I don't really want to You are sad."
"...Hmm!"
Jia Min wiped her tears, "Me too, no matter what you say, please don't take it seriously." At this point, her voice changed. He suddenly raised his head, "Lin Ruhai, what do you think I am? We have agreed for so many years that you are in charge of the outer courtyard and I am in charge of the inner courtyard. You listen to Lin Shan's instigation. Who does Lin Shan think he is?"
" You, you..."
Lin Ruhai stood up immediately and said, "He is the one I want to call uncle. What do you mean, what inner courtyard? What outer courtyard? This is my Lin family... ..."
His voice was filled with anger, "Chang'an and Daiyu are the children of my Lin family. You control them and don't let the Lin family get close. I haven't asked you yet, what do you want to do? "< br>
“I gave birth to them, so what do I want to do?”
Jia Min slammed a cup.
From a distance, Daiyu, who heard her father at her mother's place, was coming here with her younger brother Lin Changan.
Hearing the faint sound of quarrel, the two couldn't help but pause.
"Sister~"
"It's okay!"
Daiyu took her brother's hand, "Let's go and solve the Nine Links!"
Although She was worried about her father and mother, but the door over there was closed, obviously not wanting them to know.
And normally in the end of the quarrel, the father gives way to the mother, and then the mother gives way to the father, and the two admit their mistakes.
“…”
Lin Changan didn’t want to leave.
He heard something break again.
Lin Daiyu also heard it, and the worry in her eyes deepened, "Mommy!" She called her nanny, Mrs. Wang, and her younger brother's housekeeper: "Nanny Tian, you guys come there together. Go and take a look. If your father and mother notice you, just say, my brother and I are outside.”
"Yes!"
Tian Youlan and Grandma Wang looked at each other and went over together.
Both of them are Jia Min's dowry maids, and now they are by the young master's side, and they have always been embarrassed.
When the master and his wife quarrel, they lose ten times out of ten.
Even if the old lady was still there before, on the surface, the master would win, but later he would apologize to her and beg for mercy.
Now that there are two young masters, no matter how embarrassed Lin Shan is, he will still...
Their steps were a little heavy, but before they got there, they heard something break again.
“Stop smashing it.”
Lin Ruhai seemed to be out of breath and couldn’t do anything to deal with the mad lady, “Careful, my hand hurts.”
“I still want you to take care of... ”
Jia Min's voice was filled with tears.
"Madam, madam, just give me some face," Lin Ruhai seemed to be pleading, "Uncle Lin Shan is old. He has been with my grandfather and father, watched me grow up, and took care of me like this. For many years, I have wanted to have a few children from the Lin family around Daiyu and Chang'an, why can't I just do it for my sake?"
"No..."
"Madam~"
Lin Ruhai seemed extremely helpless, "Expedient, expedient, Uncle Lin Shan won't be able to survive for a few months, let's rely on him first. If we turn around, you'll have to switch back."< br>
The Jia family servants outside are a little serious.
It’s really not serious.
The outer courtyard has always been controlled by the Lin family's sons and daughters.
That old guy Lin Shan guarded the outer courtyard like an iron barrel.
Now I have to rely on my old age and force me to reach into the inner courtyard. How can this be done?
Everyone's ears couldn't help but perk up.
Although with my wife here, everyone can basically come back, but what if something happens?
Everyone has a ghost in their heart, and they know why they can get gifts from adults and masters outside.
The master and his wife are very good, as are the two young masters, but no matter how good they are, it is impossible to reward them with a hundred or two hundred taels.
And there are more than just a hundred taels.
That is wealth that cannot be earned in several lifetimes.
With the money, the village, and the yard, their families and descendants will not have to worry about it in the future.
"Madam~~~"
Lin Ruhai's voice was a little too long.
"Zhenzhen, you are my devil star."
Jia Min gritted his teeth, "Call your people here, I'll meet you first."
"Hey~"
Lin Ruhai agreed loudly.
Lin Daiyu and Lin Changan, who were leaning a little closer, heard this and were speechless.
Dad is indeed still the same.
The two looked at each other, Lin Changan smiled and pulled his sister back again.
Half a day later, Li Dayan, the merchant who paid the most attention to the Lin family, received the news that the maids and mothers-in-law in the Lin family's backyard were all replaced by children born in the Lin family's family, but the previous maids and mothers-in-law were not there either. Being idle, they were only given three months' leave by Jia Min.
It’s still a holiday with a monthly schedule.
It seems to be no problem.
But...
Li Haimu, a salt merchant, always felt that something was not right.
"Go, no matter how hard it is, find out why the Lin family did what they did."
He was too worried.
The master above wrote a letter, hoping that he would cause some trouble for Lin Ruhai again.
In fact, there is no need for the master to give orders, he also has this idea himself.
If Lin Ruhai doesn't find something to do, the batch of goods he hoarded before may be in danger.
But Yangzhou is different from other places. Behind Lin Ruhai are two government palaces. In an emergency, they can directly call in guards and dispatch troops without going through the Yamen.
This is the most troublesome.
Li Haimu went around the corner and tried his best to make friends with the Lin family's minions. It was Jia Min's idea from the Duke's mansion.
Although the risk is high, once it succeeds, everyone will have to thank him in the future.
"Master!"
The housekeeper was also anxious, "If Mr. Lin has already noticed..."
This?
Li Haimu’s brows were furrowed.
It’s not impossible.
Lin Ruhai is used to acting, if he notices something...
Sweat gradually breaks out on his back as he paces back and forth in circles.
"Notify seventh brother..."
After thinking for a long time, Li Haimu did not dare to take the risk. "Bring more people to the east, west and back streets. If you find something wrong, call the police immediately!"< br>
The fact that the Li family has come so far is certainly not as simple as it seems.
"Also, keep an eye on the Lin family. If you dare to attack my Li family, the Lin family... will never have peace."
"Yes!"
The housekeeper left to make arrangements, Li Haimu But he was still worried, so he sharpened the ink on the spot and wrote a eloquent letter.