Even though Xu Qinyu had already made plans for the death of her great-grandmother, but when her fourth brother said that the old lady had passed away, she still sighed in her heart and felt very tight in her chest. Brother Cheng and the others said, Mu Shi has no more guests at this moment, so I will not accept it, I will go to Guihua Lane with my fourth brother first."

Pei Weixuan nodded and waited for Yu Niang at the door of the restaurant.

Xu Qinyu went back to the backyard and said to everyone, "I wish the old lady passed away just now, I want to go to Guihua Alley, Dongqian, there is still a table of guests in front of you, you can cook all the dishes you ordered, so help me receive it. , I'll go to Osmanthus Lane first."

Dong Qian said sternly: "Okay, Master, then you go first, you don't have to worry about the restaurant, and us."

Wen Shi was still in the restaurant at the moment. Hearing that his grandmother passed away, his eyes were already red, but he still held back tears and stood at the door with his son waiting for Yu Niang.

Everyone in the Xu Ji restaurant knew Mrs. Zhu. It was a little uncomfortable to hear that the lady had just passed away, and she planned to visit the old lady later.

Pei Weixuan had already passed down the book to Prefect Zhu by flying pigeons. He raised a flying pigeon to give credit to Prefect Zhu.

When Yuniang came out, Pei Weixuan drove the donkey cart and took Wen and Yuniang to Osmanthus Lane.

Along the way, Wen Shi couldn't hold back, and tears fell.

Xu Qinyu knew that her mother-in-law had a delicate mind and a soft personality. The passing of the old lady must be the saddest thing for Wen and Zhu.

After arriving at Osmanthus Lane, the three entered the courtyard.

The old lady was still lying in the room. She left in her sleep, and Mrs. Zhu was standing beside her. Before her death, Mrs. Zhu suddenly felt much better. She asked Mrs. Zhu to come over and put the suitcase by the bedside. He gave it to Mrs. Zhu and smiled: "This is a little thing I have accumulated in my life, and I will leave it to Shu Niang. Your brother is an official and has his own family business, so I don't need to give him anything, but Shu Niang, you are different. Mother owes you all her life."

At that time, Mrs. Zhu had already anticipated something, and said with a smile with red eyes, "Mother, you don't owe me anything. In fact, I have been very contented these years. Not only did I have Yanniang, but I also found you and my brother."

Although she was sold to be a maid, and she was raised as a concubine by the mistress, but she had a sweet girl, and when the end came, she could still find her own blood relatives, so she did not blame anyone, she was only grateful, she shared the same I wish the old lady the same, there will be no regrets in this life.

Mrs. Zhu wiped away her tears and handed the box to Mrs. Zhu, "You have put away that thing."

"Okay, I'll keep it all and leave it to Yanniang and Yuniang in the future." Mrs. Zhu took the wooden box, Mrs. Zhu patted the back of her daughter's hand, and told her a lot of things, all of which were five when she was a child. Before the age of 10, she was white and tender when she was born, and she didn't like to cry. She liked to laugh. She liked to laugh at her parents most, and she was babbling, and she looked cute as a toddler.

Zhu Shi didn't remember these things at first, but when the old lady mentioned it, she seemed to see the little bits and pieces of her childhood before her eyes, drawing pictures in her mind, and couldn't help laughing with the old lady.

Mrs. Zhu took Mrs. Zhu to talk for about an hour, and then called Pei Weixuan to come in.

In the past few days, knowing that the old lady was going to prepare for the funeral, Pei Weixuan did not go to the island and continued to stay in Yuanbao Town, intending to accompany his great-grandmother for a while, so he has been staying with the Zhu family these days. On Osmanthus Lane.

Seeing that Mrs. Zhu suddenly returned to the light and regained her spirits, Pei Weixuan knew that her great-grandmother was about to pass away. She watched her great-grandmother call her grandmother in and chat for a long time, and then called him in again, and also spoke to him, He asked him to take good care of the women and children in the family, and also said that Yu Niang was very good, let him treat Yu Niang well, and then called Zhu Shi again, she said to Zhu Shi: "Shu Niang, I am a little sleepy, I will go to bed first. Will you stay by my side for a while?"

"Okay." Zhu Shi smiled, but there were tears in his eyes.

Pei Weixuan went outside and wrote a biography of flying pigeons to Zhu Prefect.

About an hour later, the cry of the grandmother came from the room. Pei Weixuan entered the room and saw the great-grandmother lying on the bed with a peaceful face.

...

Arriving at Osmanthus Lane and entering the room, Xu Qinyu saw her great-grandmother.

The old lady walked very peacefully, with a smile on her face, and her face was very peaceful and kind.

Zhu's eyes were so red that they were already swollen, and it seemed that he had been crying for a long time.

Wen shi also knelt in front of the bed.

It didn't take much time for the meeting, and Prefect Zhu came quickly. Prefect Zhu turned pale, entered the house, and saw the peaceful face of the old lady. Even if she knew that she had no regrets in her heart, she had to be taken care of by Pei's family these days, and the old lady was raised again. The body has lived for more than a year, but still can't help the sadness coming from my heart, tears rolling down my eyes.

It will take at least an hour for Zhu Shi and the other descendants of the Zhu family to come over by carriage.

At this hour, the prefect Zhu and Mrs. Zhu washed the old lady's body and changed into clothes. Mrs. Zhu, Mrs. Wen, Xu Qinyu and other descendants of the Pei family, including sister Ning, sister Xian, and brother Feng, all When they returned, they all knelt in front of the old lady and kept their filial piety.

Now the relationship between Zhu and Pei's blood relatives cannot be made public, so the Zhu family can only keep filial piety for the old lady in this way. When the other descendants of the Zhu family come, the old lady will be transported back to Raozhou City. His coffin was transported to Zhu's hometown and buried with his father.

According to the laws of the Dasheng Dynasty, officials do not need to worry about Ding, but they need to observe three years of filial piety for their deceased parents. During these three years, they are not allowed to eat meat and fish, wear plain clothes every day, and are not allowed to eat banquets and drink alcohol, etc. There is no need to resign and go to the grave to observe filial piety for three years.

So wish the prefect didn't have to go back to his hometown, Ding You, for the next three years.

Xu Qinyu and the others knelt in front of the old lady for an hour, and the Pei family didn't get up until the Zhu family and other descendants of the Zhu family arrived.

The other descendants of Zhu's family saw that Zhu's, Wen's, and Pei's family's eyes were all red, so they didn't think about it for a moment, they just thought that it was their grandmother and great-grandmother who had stayed in Yuanbao Town for more than a year, and the Pei family took care of her, so they naturally got along better. Feelings, so they will be sad when the old lady passes away.

The descendants of Zhu's family came and went into the house to cry for mourning, and there was another burst of crying. These descendants of Zhu Taishou are actually filial, and the elders in the family passed away, and they felt really sad.

Governor Zhu went to talk to Mrs. Zhu and Pei Weixuan, then carried the old lady into the carriage and set off for Raozhou City.

The coffin for the old lady has already been prepared in Raozhou City.

They are going back to Raozhou City for the funeral.

Seeing Zhu's family leave, Zhu's is not bad.

Mrs. Zhu and Mrs. Zhu didn't care about these rules after death. They had enjoyed family happiness for more than a year before they were alive, and they had no regrets. Apart from sadness, other emotions are calm at this moment.

It was Haishi when Zhu's family left, and everyone cleaned up the yard where Mrs. Zhu had lived for more than a year, and they all returned to the house on the other side of Laixi Lane.

Xu Qinyu was a little bored along the way.

Birth, old age, sickness and death are the normal state of the world, but other than birth, old age, sickness and death, these three things are not easily accepted by the world.

She is an ordinary person, and she couldn't resist the shock of seeing her relatives and friends pass away, so she was naturally very depressed.

Back in Laixi Lane, Pei Weixuan saw that Yuniang was sad, but he didn't know how to comfort him.

When his great-grandmother passed away, he should feel uncomfortable, but his mood is calm, neither sad nor happy, and he just does everything he should do.

It was Yu Niang who patted him, "Fourth brother, don't feel bad. Great-grandmother's funeral is a good thing. Fourth brother, go back to bed early."

Pei Weixuan hesitated, nodded and said, "So does Yuniang, you should go back to your room early to rest."

Xu Qinyu didn't feel sad for a few days, because as she said, the great-grandmother's funeral was a happy event.

At the end of life, children and grandchildren are filial, and in the end there are children by my side, and they are not seriously ill, and they leave peacefully in their sleep. What is so sad about it? She also hopes that she can die like this in the future!

So Xu Qinyu quickly thought about it, her mentality improved, and she started busy with Xu Ji's affairs again.

As the weather got warmer, Xu Ji added three ham dishes.

One pickled Du Xian, one vegetable stir-fried ham, and one steamed sliced ​​ham.

Sure enough, the new food is also very popular.

But even these new dishes are limited in supply every day, because there are not many hams, she asked Mrs. Lu's caravan to bring ten pieces to the capital, and she has to keep 30 pieces to eat raw next year, and eat it during the New Year. After buying two, there are more than 50 left, so they can only be supplied in limited quantities.

Also, the bean paste, pickled vegetables, fermented bean curd, and preserved eggs in the restaurant were almost used up, so Xu Qinyu hurriedly pickled another batch.

The bean paste is stuffed with dogwood, which is not really authentic. Xu Qinyu can't wait to hope that the peppers from the fourth brother's side can be grown and sold on a large scale, so that he can eat authentic Sichuan cuisine, spicy dishes such as bean paste.

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Pei Weixuan told his family that the caravan was about to leave, so it was time for him to go out.

In fact, in the past on the island, the glass-making workshop was still short of the last important process. He had to go back to supervise, and when the workshop was built, the glass-making workshop could start.

Pei Weixuan left on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month.

Needless to say, Xu Qinyu prepared another big bag of food for him. This time, he made sauced pig's trotters. It happened that Xu Ji also added sauced pig's trotters, so he made more sauce and asked the fourth brother to take it with him on the road.

Pei Weixuan ate one of these sauced pig's trotters by himself, and brought the rest back to the island.

The children on the island couldn't help cheering when they saw him, "Brother Pei is back!"

"Brother Pei is back with delicious food."

Pei Weixuan was startled, a little helpless.

When the people left, Xu Qinyu suddenly remembered that she seemed to plan to discuss the reconciliation with the fourth brother and Wen Shi after the year. After all, the two were forced to marry when they got married. The fourth brother can also be regarded as a brother and sister, or she recognizes Wen as a godmother, but even so, she does not plan to stay in Pei's house, and plans to buy a house outside and move out by herself.

This is also for the sake of the fourth brother getting married in the future.

The two are not related by blood, even if they are brothers and sisters, they are still not related by blood. No girl can accept that her husband's family has a sister who she recognizes and lives all the time.

So after talking about it, she will definitely move out, and she will walk around as a relative during the New Year and holidays on weekdays.

Now that the fourth brother is going out again, there is no time to say.

Forget it, let's talk about it when the fourth brother comes back.

...

On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, Yue Weimin finally returned from Raozhou City.

After returning to Dong's house, he was still absent-minded and didn't notice anything unusual about Dong's family.

Looking at her husband in front of her, Dong's heart felt cold, and her face was also icy.

Yue Weimin didn't notice his wife's abnormality, but asked, "Brother Qian? It's almost the end of the year, why hasn't he come back yet? Then Xu Ji's boss is going to treat him like a mule, saying that he is a teacher. He cooks, but we don’t see him cook a few dishes learned from Xu Ji for us to try. I don’t know if the little cook is teaching him sincerely, or is she fooling him and us, and let him wait for Brother Qian to come back? In the small kitchen, I will test him to see how he has learned in Xu Ji."

After he finished speaking, Dongshi didn't speak, but when he looked up, his wife looked at him strangely.

"Ma'am?" Yue Weimin was a little surprised, he didn't think about it for a while, he didn't know that his family already knew about his situation outside.

"Well, let's talk about it when Brother Qian comes back." Dong's tone was also light.

Yue Weiminen said nothing, lay down on the imperial concubine's couch and prepared to rest.

Dong Shi suddenly said: "You just came back, why don't you go and see Brother Xi, he misses you very much too."

Yue Weimin muttered, "What's so interesting, brother Xi is so old, I just came back and I'm too tired, let me take a rest."

Dong Shi sneered, sure enough, he didn't even really love Xi Ge'er who took his surname, he felt that Xi Ge'er also had her blood, as long as he was contaminated with her blood, he would never forget that he was married The fact of Dong's family made him feel inferior. The only thing he loves is the child Liu Niang gave him.

Dong Shi said softly again, "Since you are so tired, don't go back to pay homage to the two elders next year, or let your son and daughter go with you. Both sons are grown up, and they can help you a lot."

"No, no need." Yue Weimin froze, and said, "The distance is long, especially sister Yu, who was spoiled and spoiled since she was a child, how can she bear this hardship."

Dong Shi didn't continue to speak, but just sneered again.

Not long after, Dongqian came back from Xu Ji and saw Yue Weimin, his mood was very complicated.

Seeing the eldest son, Yue Weimin said: "Brother Qian is back, let's go, now go to the small kitchen, you cook two dishes that Xu Dong's family taught you, and show me, let Dad see if she taught you sincerely, we They are your relatives, and they won't cheat you, if the little chef Xu Ji just wants to find a laborer, and doesn't teach you well, father will not let her go."

No wonder he was in a hurry. He originally planned to reconcile with the Dong family at the end of last year, but he didn't expect his son to go to Xu Ji, and he was thinking about Xu Ji's recipes and recipes, so he was delayed. Now he just wants to hurry up. Get the recipes of Xu Ji's several seasonings to enhance freshness. It's fine if you don't have the recipes for those recipes. You only need to get a few seasonings to enhance freshness. Relationship, when he gets the recipe for a few seasonings, he will be able to reconcile with the Dong family. He doesn't want to wait any longer. After two years, Brother Qian will leave Xu Ji before he can get the recipe. It's been too long, he just wants to Take Liu Niang and his children to the capital as soon as possible and start a new life again.

After staying in Yuanbao Town and Donglai Residence for a day, he remembered that he was in the Dong family, full of humiliation.

Dong Qian looked complicated and asked, "Father, how can you treat me and my mother like this?"

Yue Weimin looked blank, "Brother Qian, what are you talking about? I just asked you to learn from Xu Ji's little cook..."

At this time, he was still thinking about the master's formula, Dong Qian laughed bitterly, interrupting Yue Weimin, "Father, my mother and I already know about your raising the outer room in Raozhou City, and you and me. Liu Niang's blood, that child named Ji Ge'er is almost thirteen years old, father, why do you do such a thing?"

Yue Weimin's face changed dramatically. He sat up on the couch of the imperial concubine and stared at Dong Qian. He didn't expect that his wife and son already knew about him and Liu Niang.

He gritted his teeth: "When did you know?"

Dong Qian turned his face away, "A few years ago, someone I knew happened to bump into you in Raozhou City."

Yue Weimin sneered and turned to look at the Dong family, "Since you all know it, then I won't hide it. Over the years, I have done my best for Donglaiju and your Dong family. Treat me? You have to check accounts every month, and even Donglaiju’s monthly profit is in your hands. Without me, Donglaiju would have collapsed long ago, Dong Yonglan, do you really think you don’t owe me?”

Dongshi said indifferently: "Without you, my father would also recruit another son-in-law for me, and let him inherit our owner's recipes and Donglaiju, you are still just a poor boy from the countryside who studied with my father, Yue Weimin, You made a mistake, it was our Dong family that treated you with all kindness and righteousness, and even Brother Xi took your surname, it was you who betrayed me and betrayed your own family."

Yue Weimin stared at his wife and eldest son, and suddenly sneered, "Well, since this is the case, we hate each other, let's reconcile, I know that Donglaiju is the family business of your Dong family, I can't take it away, you Give me 50,000 taels of silver. Over the years, the money I have earned for the owner will be divided equally. After giving me 50,000 taels of silver, we will reconcile. I will take Liu Niang and Ji Geer out of Yuanbao Town and go to In the capital, Donglaiju is still yours, and now there are other cooks in Donglaiju, even after I leave, Donglaiju can still open as usual, you are not at a loss.”

Hearing this, Dong Shi suddenly laughed, she looked at Yue Weimin with some pity, "You mean, you have done something sorry for me, and you still want to continue to take 50,000 taels of silver from me, and take your The concubine and the wild species left for the capital to start a new life?"

"Dong Yonglan! How did you talk!" Yue Weimin became angry.

It was also the first time he knew that his wife's mouth was so poisonous.

In the past, Dong Yonglan was very gentle, and she was meticulous towards him. In fact, to be honest, Dong Yonglan was pretty good, but he felt that it was a great shame to be in the marriage. If Dong Yonglan really loved him back then, she should not have let him in, she should be persuaded. Father Dong passed on his cooking skills to him and asked him to marry the Dong family according to the normal marriage.

Dongshi said: "Yue Weimin, it's very simple for you to leave the capital with your concubine and wild species, take out the money you have taken from Donglaiju over the years, I know the Donglaiju you gave me over the years. The ledgers are all fake, there is half of the profit on it, spit it out to me, otherwise, you will never want to meet your concubine and wild seed."

Yue Weimin said angrily: "Why, you still want to imprison Liu Niang and Ji Ge'er?"

Dong Yonglan smiled strangely, "You guessed wrong, I don't care about her, if you don't spit out these profits, you don't want to leave Dong's house!"

When Dong Shi said this, he immediately shouted: "Come on, come in."

Immediately, a few old women and servants rushed in, and they came up and tied Yue Weimin.

These are the servants of the Dong family, and they are also the words of the Dong family.

Yue Weimin is of average height and stature, and several people rushed up. He resisted unceasingly, and he was so angry that he almost fainted, "Dong Yonglan, how dare you! Hurry up and let me go." , I don't want the 50,000 taels of silver, the big deal, as for the profit you said I made, there's no such thing at all, the accounts given to you are all true."

Dongshi said: "You lied to me for more than ten years, why would I dare not to leave Dong's house if you don't spit out the money, if the account book you gave me is true, you have raised that concubine and wild seed all these years. Where does the money come from?"

In fact, she is not bad for these tens of thousands of taels of silver, but since she dares to do such a thing, she will not make Yue Weimin feel better. If she wants to leave, she will always return the things she took from Dong's house all these years.

Yue Weimin was speechless and stared at Dong Shi.

Dong Shi waved his hand and asked the servants to take people to the wing to be locked up and guarded. On weekdays, no one except her is allowed to open the door of the wing.

Dongqian watched his father being dragged out, and he was not uncomfortable. It was fake. When the servants dragged him out, Yue Weimin's curses were heard outside.

"Mother, this will let Brother Xi and Sister Yu know." Dong Qian was a little worried.

Dongshi said: "It's okay, this matter itself can't be hidden, they know it when they know it."

I didn't tell Brother Xi before, because I was afraid that he would go to Raozhou City to report to Yue Weimin in a moment of confusion towards his father.

Dongqian hesitated for a while, and then asked, "Mother, do you really want father to spit out that half of the profit?" He felt that this matter should be resolved as soon as possible, and parents and mothers should reconcile and leave, and see if he is willing to take the money from there. It doesn't matter whether people go to the capital or where.

Dong Shi said: "Naturally..."

She looks weak, but she is not really weak and easy to deceive, otherwise she would have been coaxed by Yue Weimin all these years ago, and transferred all the land deeds of Donglaiju to him.

She said: "Since the first ten years, your father has coaxed me frequently, wanting me to transfer the land deed of Donglaiju to him, as well as some other shops under my name, guess what he will do if he wants these things? Is it for you or is it for the other side?"

So Yue Weimin didn't think about Brother Qian, Brother Xi and Sister Yu at all, he just wanted to completely turn the Dong family's family business into his own, and leave it to Liu Niang and the children over there.

Dongqian stopped talking.

The Dong family really locked up Yue Weiming.

But Yue Weimin is a big living person who can shout and shout, so Brother Xi and Sister Yu must not be able to hide it.

The two naturally came to ask Mrs. Dong, and Mrs. Dong told them the truth about the matter, and the matter about Yue Weimin's attempt to coax the Dong family's business away, and the matter about coaxing Dongqian into the recipes and seasoning formulas he learned from Xu Ji. Did not hide the truth from the two children.

Sister Yu was fine. After hearing what her mother said, she also cried a lot, but she understood her mother and let her deal with it.

But Brother Xi didn't believe it at all, and clamored to let his father go, so he went to ask in person.

Of course Dong would not let him ask. If he asked at this time, Yue Weimin would only coax Brother Xi.

The Dong family also sent people to Raozhou City to find out clearly that Yue Weimin didn't buy them a lot of family property in Raozhou City, just a second-entry house, obviously he didn't plan to stay in Raozhou City in the future.

In the past, he lied about the Dong family's family business, and he probably wanted to take the Dong family's family business and sell it before going to the capital.

Also, the woman and the child always wear gold and silver and silk when they go out, and eat delicious food. The monthly expenses for food and drink alone start at least two hundred taels of silver. The jewelry and clothes that Liu Niang bought, it can be seen that she really treats them as treasures.

This matter can't be kept secret, it is still spread in Yuanbao Town, everyone is shocked, some feel that Yue Weimin is too much, and Dong's family is still raising children outside, not to mention that Dong's family let the youngest son take his surname , he is not satisfied. There are also people who think that Dong's actions are too extreme, it is better to let him go away, so that they can get together and relax, there is no need to make such an embarrassing scene.

Xu Qinyu also heard about this, and knew that the Dong family had locked up Yue Weimin and forced Yue Weimin to spit out the profits he had made from living in the east. She still admired the Dong family. Take every penny!

Xu Qinyu also guessed that Yue Weimin would definitely not be able to bear it, and would compromise within a few days.

She also guessed right, within ten days, Yue Weimin compromised, and was willing to spit out all the profits of Donglaiju that he had previously ignorant of.

Because he figured it out, Mrs. Dong was really moving. If he didn't take out the money, Mrs. Dong would really dare to imprison him for the rest of his life.