"Madam, this is the gift list sent by Chen Guanlou. Please take a look at it." The butler presented the gift list. Liu Wanshi took the gift sheet, looked at it, and chuckled, "He is willing to give it up." Naturally, Liu Wanshi looked down upon the gift of a mere ten taels of silver. But given Chen Guanlou's current situation, he must have tried his best to give a gift of ten taels of silver, which can be said to be full of sincerity. "Do you want to help him, madam?" the little maid Xiujuan asked cautiously. Liu Wanshi glanced at Xiujuan, half-smiling but not smiling, "What's the matter, I've fallen in love with him." Xiujuan admitted openly, "Look what my wife said, who wouldn't like such a handsome husband? But it's not because of his appearance that this slave likes him, but because it's rare that there are people in the Chen family who are willing to make progress and don't despise Tianlao." Shit. Could it be that my wife thinks he is ignorant?" Liu Wanshi chuckled twice, with a sneer on her face, "Xiujuan, has anyone resisted my wife's attacks in the past?" "It's never happened before. All those people are like hungry ghosts, and they are unsightly. The only exception is Chen Guanlou." "It just so happened that he remained unmoved in the face of my wife's attack. This boy will definitely not be a thing in the pond in the future. Do you think I should help him?"
Xiujuan suddenly became cautious. You can't directly say to help, but if you don't help, it would be against your will. She could tell that Chen Guanlou really cared about his job in Tianlao. She then considered it and said, "Since I accepted his gift, I should let the master know about it." Liu Wanshi nodded, "That makes sense! It's the master's rule to accept money to do things. It's just that the ten taels are a little less. This matter..." She smiled, "Let's wait until the master comes back." … In the evening, Manager Liu returned home after a busy day. Liu Wanshi greeted him enthusiastically, twisted a hot towel with his own hands, washed his face and body, and rubbed his shoulders. After they felt comfortable, a delicate table was placed on the table, and the couple sat next to each other, eating and drinking together. "Master will be back very late today." "Those mean-spirited women in the house were lazy and talking nonsense all day long. This reached the ears of the eldest brother. The eldest man also knew about it and lost his temper. I was busy appeasing the eldest man and told him Those gossips were betrayed and time was wasted." When Mrs. Liu Wan heard this, she was very surprised, "The Hou Mansion is a house that has accumulated good fortune, how can it be willing to betray its servants? Aren't you afraid of damaging your reputation?" "The eldest master is really angry, and no one can dissuade him. A family of good deeds, it's just talk." Butler Liu sneered, picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. Liu Wanshi hurriedly poured wine and filled the glass, "I have something to do today. Guess who is here today." "Who is it?" Manager Liu asked nonchalantly. "Chen Chengzong, master, do you still remember? He is the one who works in Tianlao and is a bit dull." "He must have been dead for many years." Manager Liu remembered. "He has a son who has grown up in a blink of an eye. His name is Chen Guanlou. He came to the door today, carrying dried duck, dried chicken with sauce, and an envelope of money. He is sincere. He said he wanted to work in Tianlao. ” Mrs. Liu Wan pretended to talk about it casually, without stopping with the chopsticks in her hand, busy picking up food for Manager Liu. It seems that picking up food is a serious matter, and Chen Guanlou just mentioned it in passing. Manager Liu was drinking, "How about this Chen Guanlou?" "There are few motivated people in the Chen family. However, his family and the Hou Mansion have already released the fifth service. If you ask me, I just won't help him. If I help him, I won't get any benefits." Liu Wanshi made a splash.
Manager Liu didn't want to help at first, but when Liu Wanshi said this, he changed his mind. "It's not impossible to help him. It's just a matter of words." "But I have to say hello to the Marquis Mansion." Mrs. Liu Wan muttered, "I'm not happy to flatter the Second Young Mistress. I only received a mere gift of ten taels of silver, and I was so tired that I had to go all the way. It would be a huge loss. ” Liu Wanshi looked disgusted and impatient, as she thought Manager Liu was looking for things for her to do. Stern-faced, unhappy. But Manager Liu hugged her happily and said with a smile: "You all said that Chen Guanlou is one of the few progressive people in the Chen family. It's just a matter of a word, so I can help." "What's the point of being a servant in Tianlao?" "It's hard to say. If one day someone falls into trouble and ends up in a prison, with him in there, he will at least have someone to take care of him." "Bah, bah, bah! The Hou Mansion has been rich and prosperous for hundreds of years, so don't talk nonsense." "Madam is right. Please go to the Second Young Madam and report this to the Second Young Madam. We have helped the children of the Chen family, and we must let the Marquis remember our good deeds." Liu Wanshi glanced at him sideways and snorted, "That's all, I'll just follow you. I'm interested in a set of headgear..." "Buy, buy, buy, buy them all." … A few days later, Chen Guanlou learned that Tianlao's errand was decided, and a big stone finally fell to the ground. He specially rushed to Liu's house to express his gratitude. This time he saw neither Manager Liu nor Mrs. Liu Wan, only the little maid Xiujuan. Xiujuan refused to accept his gift and only said: "When you have money, buy a more decent gift to express your gratitude and show your sincerity." When Chen Guanlou heard this and thought about it, he felt that it made sense. But he didn't take the gift back either. There's no point in giving a gift and then taking it back. Xiujuan couldn't resist him, so she had to accept the gift. The eldest sister learned that he had completed the errand of Tianlao and called Bodhisattva for blessing. On the same day, he returned to Chen's house with meat and vegetables. When Chen Chengzong passed away, he left behind little money, but a small house with a courtyard, two alleys away from the Marquis's Mansion, and only a few streets away from the major government offices of the court. It is comparable to the prime location within the third ring road of the capital in later generations. When the family was in the most difficult time, they were reluctant to sell this small house. This was a wise move. Otherwise, Chen Guanlou would have to rent a house to live in. The eldest sister of the Chen family was named Chen Xiaolan. She was in her twenties and looked like a typical little girl, suitable for home and family. She married the youngest son of Su Dacheng, a minor official at the city gate. She lived a good life and could always eat meat every three or five days, but she didn't have much money. When Chen Xiaolan took out a letter of silver and gave it to Chen Guanlou, Chen Guanlou refused to take it. Others didn't know what kind of life Chen Xiaolan lived in the Su family, but he knew it clearly. When Chen Xiaolan got married, he was still a kid and lived with his eldest sister in the Su family for two years. He saw and remembered how his elder sister behaved in the Su family, how she was bullied by her mother-in-law and sisters-in-law. The two brothers of the Su family did not separate, and all the money they earned was given to Su Dacheng's wife, and then distributed uniformly. Chen Xiaolan, as the youngest daughter-in-law of the Su family, could not get any money at all. Thanks to her brother-in-law being the youngest and favored, he was relatively well-off, so the elder sister had money to spend. The money was taken from her brother-in-law with great difficulty, and he had to be very thick-skinned to ask for it. "Sister, don't worry about me. I work for the government, eat three meals a day in the government, and wear uniforms for all four seasons. I have no place to spend money." "Nonsense! Even if food and clothing don't cost money, socializing always costs money. When you work for the government, you can't be too independent. Back then, my father acted too independently, and no one helped him when he encountered problems." "Sister, don't worry about me about socializing. When I get my salary, I will treat my colleagues in the government to dinner, and I will not be stingy. Besides, the situation at home has not been concealed from others. People in the government must have inquired clearly and know that I have no money now, so they won't ask me to treat them at this time. Sister, take the money back quickly. If your old lady knows, she will make a fuss again." Chen Xiaolan hesitated for a moment, "Really?" Chen Guanlou shook his head repeatedly and refused. He had planned it all. Before getting his salary, he would stay in Tianlao and refuse to spend a penny.
