Chapter 193: Nanny Chang arrives and discusses in the front hall

Bianjing Wharf.

This is a shipping port at the feet of the emperor, and it is spring now, so it is extremely lively.

There was an endless stream of porters and traveling merchants coming and going, one after another, and the noise was endless.

At one of the ferry crossings, there were two noblemen in gorgeous clothes standing.

The man on the left is strong and sturdy, while the man on the right looks a bit scholarly.

It turned out to be Gu Tingye and Changbai.

This time, Nanny Chang came over from her hometown Haining.

And Sheng Changwu started from Youyang.

One was from Liangzhe Road and the other was from Jiangnan East Road, both of which were adjacent regions.

Therefore, the two of them came to Bian Jing by the same waterway.

They all arrived today, so they were probably on the same passenger ship.

Soon, a large passenger ship arrived at the dock.

When the sails were lowered and the passenger ship came to a steady stop, two thick and long pedals were lowered heavily from the ship and placed on the dock, and the passengers inside immediately filed out.

Gu Tingye is not afraid of being embarrassed or attracting attention.

Without the help of the stone or the servants behind him, he shouted loudly to the crowd that followed:

"Madame Chang, Madame Chang!"

Changbai on the side looked helpless.

Seeing that Gu Tingye wanted to show off so much, she was not prepared to give him the banner with "Gu Mansion Madam Chang" engraved on it that she had prepared in advance. She just let Gu Tingye shout at the top of his lungs, and she asked the servants behind her to hold up a banner with "Sheng Changwu" written on it.

Gu Tingye stared blankly at the flag raised behind Changbai, and was stunned for some reason.

But he didn't care and continued to speak:
"Madame Chang, Madame Chang...!"

With Gu Tingye as the "loudspeaker broadcasting all the time", the "ship pick-up sign" that Changbai specially asked the maid to make overnight didn't seem to be of much use.

Not long after, an old woman with half-white hair and a kind face came over.

This is Nanny Chang.

She was dressed decently, and it was obvious that her family lived well, but at the moment she was carrying a lot of packages around her waist.

"Mammy, I invited you here and told you that everything is ready. Why do you still bring so many things?" Gu Tingye hurried forward and took the big package. He seemed to be blaming her, but in fact he was moved.

"No need to buy more."

Nanny Chang said kindly:

"I have my own clothes to wear, so I don't need to buy any."

Nanny Chang is so frugal and simple. She considers Gu Tingye in everything, even her clothes.

After Gu Tingye's mother Bai passed away when he was a child, Nanny Chang raised Gu Tingye almost hand in hand. When Gu Tingye grew up and had the ability to take care of himself and gained more knowledge, she quietly retired and returned to her hometown in Haining without asking for anything in return.

For the sake of her future generations, Nanny Chang has already freed herself from slavery.

If it weren't for Gu Tingye's letter, Nanny Chang would not have come to find her on her own initiative.

"Thank you for your hard work, mama."

"It's not hard."

Nanny Chang smiled and said:
"Fortunately, your letter came at the right time, otherwise I would not have been able to come."

Gu Tingye asked doubtfully:
"Mammy, why is this?"

"My family has given birth to another granddaughter!"

Nanny Chang was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling.
"I already have a son and a daughter, and now I have a grandchild, so I can't stay busy at home. Now it's all right. My little granddaughter is old enough. As soon as she heard your letter, my daughter-in-law urged me to come over."

"Now you are also going to get married, that's great news!"

"Madam, this fate has not even started yet..." Gu Tingye was still somewhat honest in front of Madam Chang, and he felt embarrassed for once.

"Is this the second young master of the Sheng family?" After the two finished chatting, Gu Tingye brought Nanny Chang to Changbai.

"My brother always mentioned how good you are in his letters to me. Now that I see you, I can see that you are indeed a gentleman."

Changbai and Gu Tingye talked about everything, so he naturally knew the position of Nanny Chang in Gu Tingye's heart. He bowed slightly and replied:
"Thank you for your compliment, elder."

While he was talking, a young man stood in front of him.

He was about the same age as Changbai, but unlike Changbai's scholarly look, he had a strong physique, a resolute face, long hands and feet, and walked forward with a hearty smile on his face.

"Brother Bai!"

Changbai also immediately showed a warm smile, and said with joy:
"Long Wu!"

The two haven't seen each other for a long time since Changbai went to Beijing.

Now they meet again, but one is preparing for the spring examination and the other is preparing for his wedding. When they look into each other's eyes, they are filled with many feelings.

Then Changbai introduced Changwu to Gu Tingye.

When Gu Tingye saw Changwu's appearance, his eyes lit up immediately and he couldn't help but say:
"Changbai, I've been at your house for a long time, and I thought everyone in your Sheng family was a scholar, but I didn't expect there would be a man like Brother Changwu!"

Gu Tingye always talks about everything when talking to his acquaintances, so what he said at the moment could be easily misunderstood.

Chang Wu's face immediately darkened.

I thought Gu Tingye was teasing that his family was from a merchant family and was secretly belittling me as a "vulgar warrior". It was not until Changbai introduced Gu Tingye that the expression on my face instantly changed from gloomy to bright.

He also knew what kind of person Gu Tingye was from Changbai, and judging from his current look and words, he also had a rough idea of ​​Gu Tingye's temper.

"Second Brother Gu, I am not good at studying, and I don't like doing business, so I can only practice martial arts in my spare time."

The eldest branch of the Sheng family, Youyang, did not pursue a career in politics like Sheng Hong's family, but has always been engaged in business. In addition, they have already had the eldest son Sheng Changsong to inherit the family business, so Sheng Wei and others are very tolerant of Sheng Changwu's martial arts training.

If it were Sheng Hong's family, the situation would be completely different...

"That's great!"

When Gu Tingye heard that Changwu liked to practice martial arts, his face became even happier.

"Changwu, have you been living in Jiying Lane recently?"

Chang Wu nodded and said:
"Of course it is."

"That's easy to say!"

With such a close relationship with Changbai, Gu Tingye immediately said with chest pain:
"Changwu, since you like to practice martial arts, then the Sheng family will definitely not be able to display it. If you don't mind, you can come to my house when you are free!"

Gu Tingye was almost about to say to Changwu, "Awu, my house is quite big..."

"Alright, alright."

The dock was bustling with people, and the flow of people was increasing. The next passenger ship was about to arrive, but Gu Tingye and Chang Wu were getting more and more excited. Chang Bai hurriedly said:
“This is not the place to talk.

Nanny Chang has been traveling for such a long time, she must be tired. Zhong Huai, you should take her home to rest first.

My parents at home are also waiting for Changwu to come.

Tomorrow you will come to my house for class, so you will have plenty of time to talk."

Only then did Gu Tingye leave with a feeling of unfulfilled desire.

He was interested in Changwu not only because Changwu also practiced martial arts, nor because of Changbai's face, but mainly because Changwu came to Bian Jing to get married!
Moreover, it took less than two months from the proposal to the betrothal payment and the request for the marriage period!

This is what Gu Tingye, who recently joined the "eager to get married" group, values ​​the most!
Gu Tingye: Brother, how did you do this? I want to learn it too!

...Jiying Lane.

Sheng family.

The gate of Sheng Mansion was opened early, waiting for Changwu to come.

In the front hall.

Wang Ruofu and Sheng Hong sat at the top.

Today is the day when his nephew Changwu comes to visit, and he comes to form a marriage alliance. It is reasonable for Sheng Hong to meet him at home, so even though time is tight, Sheng Hong still took a day off.

Sheng Hong still has some status in the Ministry of Chancellery.

After all, there were so many sons of noble families studying in his family's school. No matter how much consideration was given to which family's relationship, Shangguan would not make things difficult for Sheng Hong. Instead, he gave him a lot of support and the official duties assigned to him were all the easiest ones.

Although the status of warriors in the Great Zhou was low, that was relative to generals who came from ordinary backgrounds and were suddenly promoted.

As for the noble families like Yang family, Qi family, and Gu family, which are as close to the country as they are in history, their status is very high.

So even though Sheng Hong asked for leave at the last minute, his superior readily approved it and even asked Sheng Hong if he needed a few more days off, which was extremely considerate.

Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu sat on each side, but their expressions were different.

When Sheng Hong knew that his nephew Changwu was about to get married, his face was full of relief.

Although the girl he was about to marry was Wang Ruoyu's daughter, Sheng Hong knew that Kang Yuner did not inherit Wang Kang's temperament at all. She was a gentle and family-oriented girl who could make a living.

It's always good to have one of the following: starting a family and a career.

Compared with Sheng Hong's cheerful face, Wang Ruofu looked worried, and even the comparison between the two made her look even more gloomy.

Sheng Hong didn't understand why Wang Ruoyu came to Youyang in person and almost sent his eldest daughter Kang Yuner to the Sheng family, but how could Wang Ruofu not know the truth?

It's just that he feels that he can't get through here, so he wants to take a detour.

But Wang Ruofu couldn't say this to Sheng Hong.

Wang Ruofu was very angry at first about the fact that Old Lady Sheng had such a big handle on her, and she even felt that her daughter Hualan did not care about her biological mother.

This matter has been suppressed by son-in-law Yang Wenyuan.

Then why not make a big deal out of a small matter, and just let it go?
After this incident, I will definitely not contact Wang Ruoyu again. Why does she have to make a fuss to the old lady and let her hold her against me, making me controlled by her?

But now, after a long time.

Wang Ruofu, however, felt somewhat relieved.

Not only has the relationship with the old lady improved, but even the conflicts between him and Sheng Hong have become much less than before, and the couple rarely quarrels now.

After this shift, Wang Ruofu felt more relaxed than ever in the past few decades.

After lying down, Wang Ruofu felt much lighter.

Although she always felt that she was at a disadvantage, Wang Ruofu's resentment gradually subsided as she saw her children becoming more and more successful and her family's life getting better and better, without the bitch Lin Qinshuang coming out to cause trouble.

Wang Ruofu is no longer the Wang Bangchui who "put aside personal qualities and enjoyed a bad life". Instead, because she has been with Old Lady Sheng for a long time, she has acquired some Buddhist tastes.

Of course, the premise is not to touch on the two flash points of children and Lin Qinshuang.

Sheng Hong was an astute official, so he could clearly see the expression on Wang Ruofu's face.

However, he did not know about Wang Ruoyu's affairs and the twists and turns involved. He just thought that Wang Ruofu was not satisfied with this marriage. She felt uneasy that her niece Kang Yuner, the eldest daughter of a scholarly family, was marrying a merchant like the eldest wife, and that Changwu was a rough and crude warrior.

Normally, this speculation is very reasonable.

After all, considering Wang Ruofu's previous enthusiasm for Wang Ruoyu, Sheng Hong's explanation was completely in line with Wang Ruofu's character.

If it were any other time, Sheng Hong would have definitely quarreled with Wang Ruofu at this time. After all, Changwu was his nephew after all, and Wang Ruofu's behavior clearly showed that she looked down on the Sheng family.

But now Wang Ruofu's temper has improved a lot, and the relationship between the two is still good, so Sheng Hong just reminded softly:

"Madam, your sister has agreed to this marriage, and she herself went to Youyang to propose it. Don't be unhappy about it."

Wang Ruofu nodded perfunctorily, turned to look at Sheng Hong and said:

"How come the news of the Kang family and the eldest family getting married came so suddenly? We didn't receive any news at all before!"

Wang Ruofu had a vague guess in her heart that Wang Ruoyu must have done it on purpose, and she was afraid that this would get to her ears and she would interfere.

Wang Ruoyu previously wanted to seek benefits by influencing the Sheng family through himself, and now Kang Yuner has a weak temper, so it is possible that he has a similar idea.

"Who knows what your sister is thinking?"

Sheng Hong disagreed and said:
"I guess you're considering your niece? You think Yun'er is old, so you want to find her a man from a lower family, so that she can have an easier life after marriage?"

Wang Ruofu pursed her lips.

At this time, Changbai led Changwu from outside the house into the front hall.

"Be careful." Sheng Hong hurriedly whispered to Wang Ruofu.

He immediately sat up straight and assumed the attitude of an elder.

"Second uncle, second aunt!" Chang Wu bowed.

Wang Ruofu looked down on the business practices of the eldest branch of the Sheng family, and Changwu, who practiced martial arts, was at the bottom of Wang Ruofu's contempt chain.

However, since Wang Ruofu's own son-in-law Yang Wenyuan came from a family of military honors, and her nephew Wang Ye also practiced martial arts and joined the Five Cities Military Department, Wang Ruofu's opinion of her family members practicing martial arts has changed a lot, and she no longer looks down on it as before.

But it is still limited to family members.

So Wang Ruofu still forced a smile in return.

"Okay, okay!"

Seeing Wang Ruofu give in, Sheng Hong did not show his disdain as usual, but instead gave her a good look. He was even happier in his heart, and smiled happily at Chang Wu:
"It's only been over a year since I last saw you, but I didn't expect that you, Wu'er, are getting married! I was originally thinking that after Changbai passed the imperial examination, I would ask someone to arrange a marriage for the two of you, but now it seems that it's not necessary."

"Thank you, second uncle, for your concern!"

Chang Wu was very respectful to Sheng Hong, the most powerful person in the Sheng family, and quickly replied:
"My nephew is not as good at studying as Brother Bai, so I have to get married first to avoid disturbing the elders."

"Start a family and live in harmony with nature!"

After a while of greeting, Sheng Hong said:
"Wu'er, your courtyard has been cleaned up. If you are tired from traveling, you can go and rest for a while, have lunch, and then go to pay your respects to the old lady."

Chang Wu quickly shook his head and said:
"To reply to Second Uncle, nephew is not tired."

Sheng Hong nodded slightly, then said:

"In that case, let Changbai take you to the old lady in the back. Your brothers and sisters are waiting there. Your sister Hua and brother-in-law are also there. You can greet them."

"A man must start a family and establish a career. Your marriage is already on the agenda. Do you have any plans for the future?"

The relationship between Sheng Hong and Sheng Wei is better than that of brothers.

The question now naturally is what Changwu is going to do next.

Chang Wu nodded and replied:

"Now that the imperial court has announced the matter to the world, my nephew is thinking of taking the military examination this year and getting the title of military scholar."

After the beginning of spring, the imperial court began to gradually release news about the military examination, which was scheduled for early April.

It is now common knowledge.

However, the Sheng family had information about Yang Wenyuan, so they knew that the martial arts exam was a life-threatening job, so Sheng Hong's face darkened a little.

Chang Wu was confused for a moment when he saw Sheng Hong's strange expression.

"Second uncle has connections in Beijing. Is there any hidden secret?"

Sure enough, the next moment Chang Wu heard Sheng Hong say:
"The sudden mention of the martial arts exam is of great importance. It is a matter that will cost you your life. Changwu, have you figured it out?"

(End of this chapter)