Xiuyan Ancient Town is about five miles long from north to south and three miles wide from east to west. The town is surrounded by undulating mountains and beautiful scenery. A wide river flows from the north and west of the city around the mountains and slowly flows along the east side of the town...
Because this place is located in a corner of a mountainous area with simple folk customs and no wars have occurred in the area since ancient times, it is called Daning Town.
In the old streets of the ancient town, the roads paved with sand and stone slabs are not very wide. The streets --- extend along the scattered ancient houses, like naturally flowing rivers, some are wide and narrow, and are not straight.
In the center of the ancient town, on the east side of a road that runs from north to south, stands a tall temple. The temple faces north and faces south. The four corners of the temple eaves are slightly upward. The bricks and tiles on the door wall are all in Chu red color. A pair of large stone lions sit quietly on both sides of the temple door.
In the temple, a tall statue of the God of Wealth is enshrined. The God of Wealth wears a red robe and stands majestically on the shrine. The rectangular red table in front of the niche was already peeling off, and it was filled with offerings. In front of the offering table is a large copper incense burner. It was filled with burning bunches of incense. Smoke curled up, filling the entire temple, and the yellow curtains on both sides of the shrine were stained gray and black. People come to the temple to offer incense and worship God all day long. They hold burning incense sticks in their hands, kneel down in front of the shrine and worship! It adds divine power and energy, and also gives people a gloomy and solemn feeling.
In front of the temple, there is a large square. There is an endless stream of people coming to the temple to offer incense, and the square is where small businessmen gather. Over time, this has become the largest commercial market in the ancient town.
In the second year of Tongzhi. One morning in early summer, the sun shone for a long time in the mountain city, and the weather was extremely hot. A carriage with a canopy drove along this old street that ran from north to south, from the south of the town to the center of the ancient town...
The coachman sitting in front is holding a whip and looks about fifty years old. He has dark skin, slightly thick lips, a stocky build, and is dressed in simple black and gray clothing. While driving the carriage, the old man occasionally shook the whip pole and flicked it gently, and the long whip would bend and spin in a circle, making a crisp sound of "rattling" in the air.
Passing through bustling areas of the city. There are many shops on both sides of the street, and the flags are like a wall. There are many pedestrians on the street, and the road becomes more and more narrow. The coachman stared straight ahead and spoke fluent horse language. Every "Yu Yu" and "Oooh" he said could be heard clearly by almost everyone in the street. His voice was high and low, slow and clear, and the ending sound contained a long charm. Even if the carriage drove far away, the lingering lingering sound was still left behind.
The horse driving the shaft in front is also well trained. It is tall, vigorous, and all red in color. Following the old man's eloquent words and the sound of the whip, its four hooves galloped, and its nose snorted and spurted. The vehicle is driving on uneven streets, dodging pedestrians or dodging obstacles. The speed of the vehicle does not increase or decrease, and the journey is extremely smooth...
Arriving in front of the Temple of Wealth, the carriage suddenly stopped. The old man, the coachman, easily moved the brake, jumped off the carriage neatly and said, "Old lady, we have come to Temple Street."
Immediately, the car curtain was opened, and a tall, slightly fat old lady wearing an egg white half-length silk gown with embroidered edges and blue embroidered trousers leaned out from the car curtain. With a girl accompanying them, the two of them slowly got out of the carriage and walked towards the market...
Inside the market, there is a bustling flow of people, busy buying and selling. Fruits and vegetables, poultry and meat, various snacks, storytellers, medicine sellers, and fortune tellers all gathered here, filling the place to the brim. In the meantime, the cries of the vendors could be heard endlessly. One side yelled in a long voice, "Roast chicken, five-spice smoked chicken." The other side yelled at the top of his voice, "Melon seeds, five-spice melon seeds."
Entering the busy city, the old lady frowned and felt quite upset. The girl Chunhua was very considerate. She helped the old man avoid the crowd, walked through the street stalls and vendors, passed in front of the temple, then turned around to the back of the temple, and found a fortune teller's divination stall.
The Gua booth is a small square table with a yellow flag raised on it. The Bagua image and the word "divine calculation" are marked on the flag. The tabletop is covered with a yellow tablecloth printed with Tai Chi graphics, and a round bamboo pot the size of a fist is placed on the tablecloth.
Sitting on the chair of the Gua stall was an old man with a half-white beard on his chest. The old man has a broad and protruding forehead, a somewhat thin face, and bright eyes. He was wearing a dark green gown, a drab half-length mandarin jacket, and a Taoist priest's round hat. He looked mature and dignified.
The old lady walked closer without waiting to speak. The old divination man stroked his beard and asked casually, "Old lady, look at your face, you must be in trouble and want to ask for a divination to see what the bad luck is."
The old lady has a dignified face, gray hair, and her bun is neatly combed. At this time, she frowned and nodded a little hesitantly and said, "Oh---that's it; my son has been married for many years and his wife has never been pregnant with a child. I want to predict how long it will take to wait. How can I hope for a grandson?"
"Divination and fortune-telling are all accurate. Are you just going to make a prediction here? I can only answer it after I predict it for you." After saying this, the old man picked up the bamboo jar on the table, opened the lid, and put The three antique copper coins contained inside were placed upside down on the table of the hexagram booth. Then, he smiled slightly and motioned to the old lady to ask for money.
Immediately, the old lady picked up the copper coin, held it close to her chest, and clasped her hands together in her palms. Immediately, she closed her eyes, took a breath of pious silence, then folded her hands, raised her arms to shake the money, and the money made a "squeaking" sound in her palms. After shaking it, he threw the three copper coins solemnly and carefully on the table.
Shake the Yao six times to get the hexagram. The old hexagram master carefully monitors and analyzes the hexagrams according to the context of the hexagrams. Then, every word of the hexagram was thrown into gold and said: "Take a Concub!ne and have a son."
The old lady's eyes lit up when she heard this, and her eyebrows suddenly relaxed. For a moment, she seemed a little unsure, and asked nervously, "Mr. Gua Weng, are you saying that as long as my son marries a second wife, he will be able to conceive and have a child?"
The old man nodded and replied clearly: "That's right. If you marry a second wife for your son, don't worry about the future generations."
The old lady's serious face showed a joyful look that she had never seen before, and she couldn't help but want to get to the bottom of it; "Mr. Gua, do you think my son will give birth to a boy or a girl after he marries his second wife?" ? "
Old Gua Weng looked calm and looked straight, but did not answer directly: "Old lady, the birth of a boy or a girl is your destiny."
The old lady was overjoyed, smiled broadly, and started chatting casually, "Oh, to tell you the truth--my son is not old, has a promising career, and there are quite a few people who come to propose marriage. In terms of his family background, , I want to marry three wives and two Concub!nes for my son---it is not difficult, but not long after I moved to the city, there were too many gifts sent to me, and I didn’t know how to choose so that I could give birth to a son for my disciple as soon as possible. Raising a daughter?"
The old man twirled his beard with his hand, smiled leisurely, and said casually: "Ahem---Old lady, there is no need to be in trouble if there are too many Geng Tie. As long as there are children and grandchildren in your life, you just let your son If you choose a Concub!ne by drawing lots, you can rest assured that the daughter-in-law you marry will also give birth to children and leave descendants for the family. "
"Oh, after you said that, things will be much simpler." At this time, the old lady thought that Gua Weng was still giving pointers. Her eyes flashed suddenly, and she immediately opened her mind and made up her mind and said, "Yes, I might as well just let my son choose the Concub!ne by drawing lots. This method--- It can obey the destiny, save energy, and avoid delays and delays." Then, the old man thought that he had not paid for the fortune, so he turned around and said: "Chunhua, please give the old gentleman double the fortune."
The girl Chunhua has a medium figure and straight eyebrows. She is wearing a light purple trimmed top and dark purple plain trousers. She is in her twenties. She agreed quickly, took out a large ingot of silver reward from a small package in her hand, and placed it on the divination table.
After leaving the Gua stall, the old lady's face was filled with joy. It was rare that the master was happy, Chunhua was also in a relaxed mood, and her words seemed a little more casual. Her face was reddish, with a hint of shyness, and she couldn't help asking slowly: "Old lady, it seems---you really want to follow what Mr. Gua said and let the master choose your Concub!ne by drawing lots." ah?"
This old lady surnamed Zheng came from a wealthy Han family. Although she married into a Manchu family, she never believed in shamans without temples and teachings. Instead, she believed in the Zhouyi divination based on the Han scriptures. For a long time, she has regarded divination and fortune-telling as a god. Whenever she encounters difficulties, she must rely on divination and fortune-telling. When she heard the question, she glanced at Chunhua with a smile, without any ambiguity at all, and continued very persistently: "Huh---Is this even necessary? I believe Mr. Gua Weng is right; this time , we must choose a daughter-in-law by drawing lots, who will definitely bring descendants to the Zheng family. "
Chunhua said "Oh" in response, lowered her head and said no more.
I feel happy and the downtown area feels warm and pleasant. The two slowed down, watching the market scene, and inadvertently approached an artist playing the huqin.
This blind luthier, sitting on a wooden bench, with his eyes sunken, holding a huqin in his hand, is very skilled. I saw him gently tuning the strings, holding the bow with his right hand, and supplementing the music with his left hand. Then, he bent his neck and took a silent breath, leaned forward slightly, and with a flicker of his right hand, the bow was pulled open, and a string of crisp and sweet piano sounds spurted out from the bottom of the bow; the sound was like the sound of a mountain stream. The quiet spring, with infinite thoughts, flows melodiously into the distance...
Following the sound of the piano, Mrs. Zheng's expression melted into the rhythm of the music. She stood there silently, her eyes slightly closed, unaware that she was in the bustling city, her lips unconsciously moving in pursuit of the music. The sound flows like water, rising and falling rapidly, and the reverie in her mind is gradually sublimating; in the beautiful thoughts, she is having fun with a group of innocent children. In an ideal state, she is enjoying her family life beautifully with her children and grandchildren.
The sound of the piano played one song after another, and the old lady was still dreaming and her thoughts were still awake.
Chunhua stood nearby and wanted to laugh when she saw the old lady's intoxicated look. For a moment, she didn't want to disturb the old man's mood, so she quickly covered her mouth to avoid laughing. However, no matter how I endured it--I couldn't hold back the laughter. In the end, I took a puff and burst out a string of "hee hee" laughter.
The old lady was suddenly awakened from her intoxication. She opened her eyes, calmed down her emotions, and then realized that she had lost her composure. He looked around, fearing that others would laugh, then he tightened his expression, shyly poked the spring flowers, and whispered in a low voice, "Hurry up and give me some money?"
Chunhua knew that the master was feigning anger, so she pointed at the violinist and asked in confusion: "Old lady, are you going to reward this violinist?"
"Well, after listening to the music, you have to reward people with money." The old lady emphasized her tone and repeated it.
At this time, Chunhua took out a few copper coins from her clothes and wanted to reward them. When the old lady saw this, she quickly stopped her and said, "Oh---I should reward you more."
Immediately, Chunhua turned back and took out a lot of copper coins. Then, he stepped forward and put it into a large copper-colored coarse porcelain bowl in front of the blind man.
Turning around and walking away, Chunhua smiled and cheered, Lekou joked: "Old lady, you usually listen to some elegant tunes when you go to the teahouse, and you have never been interested in these little songs on the street. However, you just listened to this vulgar music "Why are you so attracted to this tune?"
The old lady raised her eyebrows and said with a relieved smile, "Usually, I go to the teahouse to listen to those elegant tunes, just to relieve my sorrow and boredom, and I don't feel anything special. But, after listening to this just now, The few tunes played by the violinist are like the sounds of nature, with beautiful artistic conception and refreshing feeling. This is probably: the state of mind comes from the heart. "
There was a hint of helplessness on Chunhua's face, and she responded quietly; "Oh, I understand, as long as the old lady is in a good mood, any song will be good to listen to."
"That's right. Needless to say, the current wife in the family is knowledgeable, courteous, and has an elegant tone of voice. She is good at everything, but she has not given birth to a child for the Zheng family." This Mr. Zheng If you are too old-fashioned, your thinking and concepts have long been influenced by the consciousness of passing on the family line. In order to continue the family tradition, she was often worried and full of complaints, placing all the blame on her daughter-in-law. At this time, she felt that there was hope in her heart. She looked solemn and continued word by word: "This time, I have made up my mind that I must ask my son to arrange the marriage according to the method of setting up an altar and drawing lots, no matter what kind of fate he gets." As long as my "rough porcelain" daughter-in-law can conceive and bear children for the Zheng family, I will be satisfied. "
Chunhua understands the old man's temper. I can only smile and speak calmly; "Of course I understand what the old lady is thinking. Now, no matter how high or low your daughter-in-law is, as long as you marry a daughter-in-law, the old lady can have her grandson as soon as possible. That is; the auspicious stars are shining brightly, and everything will be fine." "
Mrs. Zheng's eyes widened and she was filled with contentment. She said in a long nasal voice, "You are right about this."
On the way home, Mrs. Zheng sat steadily and leisurely on the carriage. Hearing the sound of horse hoofbeats, which was like a rhythm in her heart, her face was always full of smiles.
The Zheng family's new house compound is located at the southern end of the ancient town. In front of the gate of the courtyard, facing a street intersection, there is a purple-brown tung lacquered door, with two round and shining copper door knockers on the door leaf, and is surrounded by a green brick wall.
The courtyard of the mansion is rectangular, and the houses are all made of blue bricks and tiles. Facing north and south, there are five upper rooms and seven wing rooms on the east and west sides. The door frames and window edges are brownish red and decorated with carved patterns. There is a concierge in front of the yard, and there are corresponding bathrooms and suites on both sides of the wing. In front of and behind the house, there are flowers, plants and trees, and the green flowers are blooming, adding a bit of vitality and color to the clean courtyard.
There are five upper rooms, the middle and left are the main room and living room of the home. The two rooms on the right are Mrs. Zheng's living quarters.
Mrs. Zheng is over sixty years old. She has fasted, chanted Buddha's name, and done many good deeds throughout her life. Not long after the Zheng family moved into the city from their old country house, she funded the digging of a large water well for the neighbors. Moreover, a single piece of marble is used to carve a unique double-head wellhead in the area. Therefore, the area around the square is called "double well". However, the old man is stubborn and conservative, and even the furnishings and arrangements in the house give people a feeling of stagnation and heavyness.
On the wall facing the room, there is a large and colorful watercolor picture of "Hundred Sons Playing in Spring". On the picture, the sun is shining brightly, the spring air is full, and a group of innocent and lively children are playing happily. They have different expressions and are lively; some are chasing and having fun under the spring willow trees, some are playing freely beside the stream, some are smiling and fluttering among the flowers, and some are gathering together to play with crickets happily.
On both sides of the picture, there is a couplet in block letters and couplets with thick fonts and rich pen and ink;
Guanyin bestows brilliance on the stone
Qilin sends Sun Yu to present good fortune
Below the mural is a large smoke-brown table and two chairs. The corners of the table and the backs of the chairs are decorated with simple cloud hook patterns. In the middle of the table, there are two fat and white ceramic dolls. The innocent smiling faces of the porcelain dolls, as well as their childish postures and expressions, are all very endearing.
On both sides of the porcelain doll, there are a pair of flat, round blue and white porcelain vases more than two feet high. The pattern on the bottle is even more interesting: a heroic boy riding on the back of an auspicious unicorn, flying through the clouds and mist, riding the wind. The inscription is; Qilin sends his son.
An overview of the old man's interior decoration can be said to be: everything makes people think. It can be seen from this that Mrs. Zheng is eager for her grandchildren and has good intentions.
In the evening, Mrs. Zheng summoned her son and daughter-in-law to the upper room.
The son Xavier Zheng is in his early thirties, tall and burly, with a rectangular face, thick black eyebrows, bright eyes, and a long, thick black braid on the back of his neck. He wears a dark blue silk gown, a short red sandalwood mandarin jacket, a green satin six-tile melon skin hat, and a pair of round-mouthed cloth shoes with ridged faces. Although this man is not handsome in appearance, he still has a majestic air of a man.
Mrs. Yu, who is not too tall, is wearing a navy blue cheongsam with an egg-green waistcoat and a pair of navy blue round-top embroidered shoes. She is also in her late thirties. She has a beautiful face, delicate eyebrows, very delicate complexion, and soft green hair tied behind her head. Although her figure is slightly thinner, she looks gentle and virtuous, very quiet and handsome.
The two walked into the house and stood respectfully in front of the old lady. The old man sat upright on the chair, with a solemn face, and announced: "Xavier Zheng, today - for your Concub!ne, I went to the temple street divination stall to test the divination. After the prediction , Mr. Gua clearly pointed out: If my son takes a Concub!ne as soon as possible, the daughter-in-law he marries will definitely provide children for the Zheng family, and I will no longer have to worry about continuing the family line. "
The couple had been married for many years, but Yu had never been pregnant. She often heard sarcastic remarks from her mother-in-law, and was even blamed and complained about. For this reason, she felt sad and apologetic, so she submissively catered to her and said, "Ne Niang, for the sake of taking Concub!nes first, no matter how you arrange them, your daughter-in-law is beyond reproach."
Xavier Zheng also didn't know his mother's intentions for a while, so he could only let it go; "Ne Niang, how do you deal with concubinage as you see fit?"
The old lady always said the same thing and always had the air of a superior elder. At this time, his face was majestic, as if he was giving instructions to the two of them; "As for the selection of Xavier Zheng's Concub!ne, I plan to use the plan provided by Mr. Gua Weng; I want Xavier Zheng to set up an altar and draw lots--- --Determine the candidate for the Concub!ne. This time, Ne Niang wants to arrange the matter for her son as soon as possible to save you from being undecided, delaying and wasting time. "
Xavier Zheng is a filial son and has always been obedient to his mother. However, now---my mother is actually forcing herself to draw lots to determine the Concub!ne. Is this awkward and difficult to accept? At this time, his face was startled, he hesitated for a long time, and then suddenly asked in a confused tone: "Ne Niang, I don't think it is appropriate to use this method of drawing lots to select a Concub!ne?"
The old lady is opinionated and almost inhumane. Her eyes widened, a sullen look appeared on her face, and she emphasized sternly, "What's wrong with drawing lots to take a Concub!ne? I think it's not a bad idea. This time, you must arrange your marriage according to the plan pointed out by Mr. Gua. It is necessary to call for candidates widely and set up an open forum to draw lots."
"Ne Niang, this method of drawing lots to choose a Concub!ne is very stupid and absurd. Are you just letting a blind cat kill a mouse?" Unfavorable wife, you will regret it for the rest of your life?"
The old lady always regarded herself as an elder, so how could she listen to the dissuasion from the younger generation? In her subconscious mind, carrying on the family lineage is the top priority of the family. Moreover, for several generations of the Zheng family, although they were prosperous in wealth, they never had a large number of people. In Xavier Zheng's generation, he was still a single male. After her son had been married for several years, she never saw her daughter-in-law pregnant. The long-term expectation and waiting had long exceeded her inner limit. The old man's thoughts were very conservative, his face was as stern as a stone statue, he glanced at his daughter-in-law with disdain, and continued in a stiff tone: "The purpose of giving you a house and a Concub!ne is to breed future generations of the family, and it is not just for show at home. What does it look like? What kind of foolishness and absurdity, a blind cat meets a dead rat? This wife is not the original wife, so stop being picky and making excuses to delay time."
Mother said it was true and the decision could not be changed. The couple could only lower their heads and remain silent.
Look, the two of them were silent and didn't respond? The old lady was old-fashioned and stubborn. She rebuked angrily, "When you two got engaged, Xavier Zheng just screened and picked. My wife is good in every way, but she has never been pregnant and has not given birth." Will the Zheng family have offspring?" At this time, her eyes were sharp, her voice raised an octave, and she gave an ultimatum; "This time, are you right to listen to me? If you want to leave descendants for the Zheng family, you must follow the fortune telling. The husband decided on the plan to arrange the marriage, and the matter was settled."
With my mother-in-law on top, the situation cannot be reversed. Mrs. Yu could only obey the order and responded with a gloomy tone: "Ne Niang, it's okay to set up an altar to draw lots. We just follow the arrangement."
At this time, the old lady's face softened a little, but she still made her own decision, "As long as you follow Ne Niang's arrangements. Our Zheng family is also a decent family, so we must make this matter more festive and grand!"
Immediately, Xavier Zheng wanted to divert the old man's thinking and deliberately shirk it; "Ne Niang, in this altar setting ceremony, I think it is better for you to "win the lot" yourself? As long as the mother is satisfied, the son will completely obey."
The old lady looked disdainful, glared at her son fiercely, and immediately gave instructions: "Xavier Zheng, this concubinage is a top priority related to the prosperity of the family. We must set up a public platform to draw lots, and handle the matter in a lively and dramatic manner. . In order to make it more proper and complete, I would like to invite a distinguished person to preside over this ceremony."
A wry smile appeared on Xavier Zheng's face, and he politely put forward his different opinions: "Ne Niang, there is no need to invite someone else to host this matter. The ceremony should be simple, there is no need to make a big show of it."
The old lady paid no attention to her son's feelings. Instead, he maintained his opinion and his tone became stronger; "Of course, for this matter, a noble person must be invited to preside over the ceremony. Whenever a happy event is held, if a noble person is present, the event will be even more joyful and auspicious."
Xavier Zheng looked helpless and asked in a frustrated voice, "Ne Niang, according to your wishes, which noble person do you want to invite to host the scene?"
It turned out that the old lady already had someone in mind. She blinked her eyelids and said it immediately; "The great nobleman of our Zheng family is Zhuang Kuiyi, who saved your Ama's life that year. It would be great if Mr. Zhuang was invited to preside over this altar setting ceremony. But that's it."
Xavier Zheng felt conflicted and was still making excuses; "Ne Niang, Mr. Zhuang treated the Zheng family with great kindness, and we will never forget it! But now, Mr. Zhuang is already over sixty, old and frail, and his health is not as good as before. He has to go back and forth across the mountains and wading. "Water, how can I do such a great job for you so lightly?"
After hearing this, the old lady thought about it calmly and then changed her words: "If I don't have to thank my benefactor, I might as well invite Mr. Zhuang's son, Zhuang Fengshan, to preside over the ceremony of setting up the altar. As long as I have the kindness to do so. The presence of noble family members will make people feel happy and auspicious, and the good news is coming! "
Xavier Zheng didn't want to disturb his benefactor's family, so he made an excuse to postpone it; "Ne Niang, since the death of his father, the Zhuang and Zheng families haven't moved around for two or three years?"
At this time, Mrs. Zheng's face was solemn, as if she was deep in thought, and she continued in a slow tone: "Well, the banker's living situation has not been very prosperous over the years. Zhuang Kuiyi is a kind man and has a strong personality. He intends to be with our Zheng." "The family is estranged." At this point, she recalled a past event that was etched in her heart, and then she raised her eyebrows and asked seriously, "Xavier Zheng, when your Ama was still alive, you established the relationship between the Zhuang and Zheng families. Do you still remember the engagement?"
Xavier Zheng took up the topic and answered solemnly: "Ne Niang, my father's entrustment - I will always remember it in my heart. If there is a chance for the Zhuang and Zheng families to get married, we will definitely fulfill my father's last wish and repay the Zhuang family for their kindness." "Great kindness."
The old lady frowned slightly, as if she was thinking very far. She let out a long sigh and said, "Now, Zhuang Fengshan's family has both sons and daughters, and only our Zheng family members are left. This time, we will set up lots to draw Concub!nes. It is not only related to the important matter of passing on the family lineage, but also to fulfill your father’s last wish and repay Mr. Zhuang’s great kindness! In the dark, I always have a firm belief; with the blessing of your Amma, If we invite a family member named Zhuang to add honor and happiness, the marriage contract sworn by the Zhuang and Zheng families will bring blessings to both sides, and we can look forward to it. "
When Xavier Zheng heard this, he felt that he had a mission and a heavy responsibility. He had no reason and no way to refuse, so he could only promise obediently, "Ne Niang, don't worry, we will set up an altar to draw lots, and I will send someone to Zhuang Fengshan to preside over the ceremony."
The old lady then pursed her lips and smiled, then nodded. As everyone knows, it was the old man's decision to draw lots and marry a Concub!ne that brought endless regrets and troubles to the family's subsequent life. The business he ran for his son caused serious disasters and fatal blows. This is the rest of the story.
Zhuang Fengshan, whom Mrs. Zheng wants to invite, is nearly forty years old and his ancestral home is Muping, Shandong. During the Daoguang period, due to successive years of famine in his hometown, Fengshan's grandfather carried a burden and fled all the way to the Northeast, settling in Huling Village in Chengdonggou.
The deep friendship between the Zhuang and Zheng families can be traced back to an incident more than 20 years ago. At that time, Xavier Zheng's father, Zheng Shiqing, was only in his thirties.
It was during the summer of one year that Zheng Shiqing rode a tall horse from the mining area to the city for business. On the way back, when passing through the intersection of Pioling River and Hada River, a section of Gunma Ridge with high and steep mountains, a group of funeral processions bypassed the hill and suddenly came from the opposite direction. Horse hooves galloping, meeting each other on a narrow road, there was a mournful sound of trumpets, mixed with the howls of the funeral crowd, which shook the sky. The fierce horse under Zheng Shiqing's crotch was suddenly frightened, and it suddenly kicked up its legs, raised its mane, spread its hooves, and galloped and neighed... Due to the dangerous terrain, he was caught off guard. Before Zheng Shiqing could recover, he was thrown into the river below the cliff by the frightened horse.
The disaster comes suddenly, as if it is falling from the sky. The depth of the river was unpredictable and the water was turbulent. Zheng Shiqing didn't know the nature of water, so he fell into the river. After struggling a few times, he couldn't help himself and lost his center of gravity.
The people on the shore looked at the water, shouting in panic and at a loss. At the right time, Zhuang Kuiyi was helping his relatives and friends cut firewood on a nearby hillside. Saw someone fall into the river, the situation is urgent and very dangerous? He immediately ran down the hill and rushed to the front. Without taking off his clothes, he made a fish leap from the cliff and jumped into the river.
Zhuang Kuiyi is short, agile and good at water. After a brave struggle, the tall Zheng Shiqing was lifted out of the water. At that time, the drowning man was rescued to the shore and the water in his belly was emptied. Only then did Zheng Shiqing slowly wake up.
Zheng Shiqing was naturally grateful for the life-saving grace. When he found out how old Zhuang Kuiyi was, he recognized him as his elder brother. After that, Zheng Shiqing visited Chengdonggou many times and thanked his benefactor with a lot of money and property. However, although Zhuang Kuiyi's family situation is not very wealthy, he is hardworking and frugal, broad-minded, and upright. He always says: do good without seeking fame, and show kindness without seeking repayment. And repeatedly refused.
Zheng Shiqing was affectionate and righteous, and he valued his brother's morality and conduct, so he wanted to marry Zhuang Kuiyi and have a good relationship for a hundred years. He hoped that the blood of the Zhuang and Zheng families could be passed down from generation to generation. However, at that time, each of the Zhuang and Zheng families had a son, that is, Zhuang Fengshan and Xavier Zheng were both boys, so this wish was never realized. For this reason, before Zheng Shiqing died, he left a request to his wife and children; all descendants of the Zheng family, regardless of gender, who had the opportunity to marry the banker, must fulfill this last wish.
Now, Zhuang Kuiyi's family has all his grandchildren, and he can only hope that the Zheng family's grandchildren will come out. The deceased's instructions were always engraved in Mrs. Zheng's heart. As time went by, they actually became a worry for the old lady. This vow was not fulfilled, and she always felt guilty and resentful about it. Even in the underworld, she felt that she had no face to confess to her husband and ancestors.
If you want to know what happens next, listen to the explanation next time.
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