Time: Thirteen years since Wu was founded

Age: Li Ji is 33 years old, Er Gouzi is 35 years old

Background: Seclusion in the mountains

Li Ji was awakened by a crowing of chickens, and sat up and looked around a little irritably. He was in his early thirties, and most of his peers were grandfathers. Li Ji still feels that he is still young, but he gets more and more tempered every morning.

Er Gouzi would always get up before Li Ji, just got dressed and washed his face, and took a wet towel to wipe Li Ji's face. Li Ji just sobered his face and waited until he wiped it clean before he became more awake. See that Er Gouzi fell asleep and was about to fall asleep, and was lifted up directly by Er Gouzi from the bed.

"Don't sleep, go down the mountain and go to the carriage. Did you forget? Let's go to Beijing to see Dad. Xiao Tudou gets married, we must go."

Li Ji was sober now. Put on the clothes and sit in front of the mirror and comb her hair, but she can't hold down a dull hair on her head. Li Ji combed his head twice, wishing to smash the comb out. For the past two years, my temper has grown stronger every morning. If you ask others, they all say that this is old.

In the village, thirty years old is indeed regarded as an old man, and there are not many who have lived through forty. The old lady in my family has disappeared two years ago, and there are only two or three of Li Jiping's generation. Now that Li Ji is a senior in his family, I don't know when he started calling him the old man.

There are two wrinkles on Li Ji's face at the corners of his eyes, and the others are no different from those in his twenties.

When the wooden comb fell on the table, Li Ji pressed his anger and saw Er Gouzi through the mirror, feeling better: "Am I really old?"

Er Gouzi reached out and touched Li Ji's hair: "The hair is still black, no."

Many people of the same age have seen white hair on their heads. Li Ji eats well and raises well, and his hair is still dark until now.

"Really." Li Ji went smoothly and continued to comb his hair into a bun. Most people start to grow their beards when they are married. Li Ji and Er Gouzi have been married for so long, and they still insist on shave off the beards that grow out. In the past few years, I was often laughed at, saying that it was old and dishonest, and even pretending to be young when he was old.

But after a long time, Li Ji, who was clean and without a beard, looked like a twenty-three year old when he was thirty-three. Some also refused to accept the old, so they didn't grow their beards. Li Ji, the richest man, has followed many examples.

Except for the more pedantic scholars, the flat-headed people became pros and did not grow beards, which became a major feature of the local area.

He combed his hair, shaved his beard, and put on a sharp gown. After eating something and drinking a cup of refreshing tea, Li Ji finally became completely energetic.

Breathing the air on the mountain as he went down the mountain, Li Ji was in a better mood. He picked some fruits when he met on the road, and had a snack with Er Gouzi.

Little Tail died two years ago, just dead old. A dog can live longer than ten years. Songsong died a few years earlier, looking like he was dying of illness, but no one understood it, and went convulsively. Taotao just left last year and is dying.

The two have never raised anything since. When raising, the right is to raise a gadget, and when they get along with their own family for a long time, their short life span makes people caught off guard.

A child who has just reached the cardamom age for more than ten years is the beginning of his life, but it is the life of these pets.

There were two squirrels on the treetop holding nuts and gnawing. Seeing them flicking their tails, Li Ji looked up and saw it, and couldn't help but think of the two that had been there before. Reached out and waved. Obviously, the squirrel that didn't grow up with people didn't know what it meant. Seeing Li Ji looking back, he thought he was going to catch them, and disappeared into the tree with nuts in his mouth.

Li Ji tried his best not to think about Songsong and Taotao, but to chat with him with Er Gouzi.

"It will take more than half a month for us to go to the capital. Tsk, I really am not the one who can travel far. I start to feel homesick before I leave."

"You started talking about Daddy and Xiao Tudou two days ago." Er Gouzi said shortly.

Li Ji's lips twitched, and he insisted: "I want to think about both. I miss dad and them here, and my family there. We haven't been there for two years, dad must be as good as we thought."

I went there every year for the first two years, and then I went there every other year. Last year, Shen Tianzhan accompanied the emperor to the south of the Yangtze River to learn about the people's sentiments. After going there for a few months, he had accumulated a lot of official duties when he came back, so Li Ji and Er Gouzi did not go.

This time, Xiao Tudou was married, and Er Gouzi was the nominal father of Xiao Tudou and could not be absent. And the bride is of course Yingzi. But Li Jin and Erying helped them up and went to Beijing earlier as their father-in-law and mother-in-law. When the time comes, the bride will get married in the best inn in the capital, and the dowry is also from Li Ji, the fourth grandfather.

In fact, there is a family on the left and right, Shili Hongzhuang, for a family, it is just a pocket with the left pocket. As long as Xiao Tudou and Yingzi live well, the dowry will be a formality.

"You said that our father's heart is big enough. Xiao Tudou only remembered to marry him to his wife after being twenty-four this year. What we know is that our father let him study with great concentration. Those who don't know think what happened to our Xiao Tudou. Yingzi was approached to Jingli early, and I don't know how much gossip there is."

Speaking of studying with great concentration, Xiaotudou was admitted to Juren when he was eighteen, and first in the top two when he was twenty-two, and fourth in the overall rankings after Tanhua's Chuanxu. When he was twenty-three years old last year, the emperor took a second look and sealed the official secretary of the Qing Lisi Langzhong. Although the grade 5 is not high in Beijing, it is a good position with real power. Xiao Tudou has such achievements at such a young age, it can be described as young and promising.

This has been waiting for Xiao Tudou to join the job for more than a year, and after all the dust settled in his job, Shen Tianzhan began to help Xiao Tudou Zhang Luo in the marriage.

"Yingzi is already over there, why do you care about what others think? Xiao Tudou and Yingzi live in a house, they are husband and wife." Er Gouzi reached out and broke off the branch in front of him, letting Li Ji walk over to avoid being caught scrape. If you go up and down the mountain, there will be a narrow road. It's more convenient to walk.

"They are not the same as us." Li Ji said, "Xiao Tudou is Dad's eldest grandson, and the higher the status, the more important it is. In the capital, such a high family will not get married and marry a daughter-in-law. There are many places. My father and Xiao Tudou don't care, just wronged Yingzi's good little girl. But no matter how you say it, it's a good thing to get married. Now Xiao Tudou is promising, I don't know how many watching Xiao Tudou want to treat the girl. By marrying her, he can marry the girl he likes, which is also the good of our father's enlightenment."

Yingzi is a wild girl in the countryside, and Xiaotudou is the only grandson of Shen Tianci who is most used by the emperor in Beijing. Not to mention that there are a lot of criticisms in Beijing, and there are also many locals.

When no marriage letter came back, I don't know how many people were saying that Xiaotudou is prosperous, and she will definitely marry a famous lady in the future. In terms of identity alone, Yingzi is also worthy of doing chores in Xiao Tudou Mansion, even her aunt is not qualified.

At the beginning, Li Ji could help explain a few sentences. After a long time, Li Ji didn't bother to bother about it. Shen Tianci is not a messy mandarin duck book.

"It's a good thing to be able to get married." The tone of Er Gouzi's words sounds like Li Ji. The two have been together for a long time, and not only do they speak like each other, but their faces have become more and more married.

Now if you stand up and don't talk about the relationship between the two, just say that the two are brothers, some people believe it.

The two chatted freely all the way down the mountain. By the time the wagon under the mountain was already ready, the things needed for the continuation were also prepared. The carriage is of Yongan Houfu's specifications. It is so big that the trail in this village almost never came. Not only is the carriage, but there is also a team of guards, standing there like poles, it is not easy to look at it unsmilingly.

This is because I am afraid of what will happen to the two on the road, so I specially arranged for protection.

After drinking a cup of tea and resting for a while, he got on the carriage and headed straight to the capital. Ge Er gave it to him before leaving. My brother is now in his early sixties, his physique is not bad, and his hair is all white. Li Ji refused to keep him busy anymore, so he simply asked him to go to the courtyard to see that his child could be used for the aged.

Every year, the Dazayuan will bring in some children, and every year some children will go out. Some children embarked on the road of imperial examinations and got fame. Some of them couldn't learn, and most of them went to the store opened by Li Ji to help.

There were also those who left the most for their own lives when they grew up, and Li Ji didn't stop him either. Some people say that after spending so much energy to cultivate a person, they left with a pat on the bottom, which was Li Ji's loss. But for Li Ji, there are enough talents on his side, so why bother with those who are far away.

The horse-drawn carriage drives in the day, and rests at the nearest inn or inn at night. The two lived in the mountains farming porridge and small vegetables, and they had to go out to be rich and honorable.

Every time the local officials at the station listened, the higher-status invites to give a banquet, and the lower-status personally came to visit.

Neither Li Ji nor Er Gouzi were in officialdom. Ten years earlier, Li Ji was interested in thinking of them as snakes. Now Li Ji has a toothache when he mentions this.

I dismissed all the mess, rested quickly for the whole night, and set off early the next day, there are still people who are chasing up to give gifts.

Shen Tianzhan didn't make money, except for the filial piety every quarter, which caused many people to feel a headache. Even if it is the respect of the quarter, the extra will be returned.

The people who were willing to climb the relationship couldn't have the strength, and they gathered all the people who wanted to simply pull people down and had no ability to really make Shen Tianzhan step down. As long as the new emperor still fancy Shen Tianzhan for one day, Shen Tianzhan can be stable in position. It is precisely because of this importance that Shen Tianzhan is also more clean and self-conscious, no matter from the style or the official duties, he can't get rid of his faults.

On the day that was about to arrive, Shen Tianzhan woke up in the morning and arrived. Because there was a happy event at home, the emperor also opened a grace to give them a few days off for their grandparents and grandchildren. Shen Tianzhan is just a grandson. This grandson's marriage is naturally the top priority, because the emperor also pays attention to this. Everyone in the capital pays attention to it. Even the maidens in the palace thought of sending something to add makeup to the Yingzi, which is no different from the limelight. Up.

Li Ji and Er Gouzi arrived at Yong'an Houfu at noon, and Shen Tianzhan asked if anyone had arrived almost half an hour from morning to noon.

Xiao Tudou and Yingzi were surrounded by Shen Tianzhan. Seeing Shen Tianzhan's impatient appearance, they also looked at each other and laughed. Looking at the fifty-six Shen Tianzhan, he hadn't seen such a son for two or three years, no wonder he thought so.

It wasn't until noon that the carriage came faintly. The grandparents and grandchildren stood at the gate early and looked out. Li Ji couldn't help but open the carriage window, leaned out half of his body to look at the relatives he hadn't seen for a long time, and waved.

Er Gouzi was so scared that he hurriedly grabbed Li Ji for fear that he could not stand still and fall out.

When I got off the carriage, I also listened to Shen Tianzhan's training: "You are in your thirties, and you are still so unsafe. Seeing that the big day is coming, what if you have something to do." Shen Tianzhan looked at. Looking at Li Ji's face, I only feel that the picture is more mature than last time. The little wrinkle in the corner of the eye is a trace of time.

Looking at it this way, Shen Tianzhan really felt that he was old.

On Er Gouzi's side, the changes weren't great, they were still in a spirited state.

The two sons looked left and right, but they couldn't see enough. Shen Tianzhan held the hands of the two with red eyes and pulled them directly into the upper room through the door.

The door can only be opened when it is a major event. Er Gouzi is the uncle of the family, who suddenly came over after three years and walked through the gate.

The people lined up in two rows to greet the two masters who didn't come often, and went into the hall to offer fresh melon and fruit desserts. The ambergris burning in the incense burner was given by the emperor. I am happy that my son came here today. The ambergris burned in the incense burner is very pleasant.

I've been here several times, but Li Ji looked around and still felt like a fairyland.

The servant brought two futons, and Li Jiergouzi knelt in front of the futon and kowtowed Dad. Shen Tianci received the gift and screamed to get up and sit down for a good rest.

The two were seated, and the futon was placed in front of them. Xiao Tudou and Yingzi knelt on their heads, knocked their heads and called people separately. The name Er Gouzi is father, and Li Ji is still the fourth grandfather.

Li Ji was used to it, Dao didn't think it was weird, as long as they got up. Let Yingzi come, Li Ji took out a pair of heavy pure gold bracelets from his sleeves and handed them to Yingzi.

"I know there's nothing lacking here, and I gave you this tacky. You should be considerate of me. After all, I thought about it for a long time, but I still feel that gold and silver are the most real. This is because I asked someone to help design it. It's a pair of sculpted patterns. If you think it's vulgar, you don't need to carry it with you. You just use it as the bottom of the box, and it's worth some silver if you keep it in the future."

Yingzi studied in the courtyard for several years, and came to this Yong'an Houfu, and his vision was even more lofty. However, no matter how lofty the mind is, one has to admit the value of gold and silver.

Such a pair of heavy gold bracelets, let alone a gift for the bride, is in the dowry of the princess, so there are not many pure gold bracelets. This Jingli top girl is married. This pure gold bracelet is a standard item only available for prostitutes. The high-ranking girl from the concubine has a pair of pure gold earrings that are favored.

Yingzi received the bracelet, her face still shy. Er Gouzi looked at Xiao Tudou for a long while. Xiao Tudou became taller after he was thirteen years old. Now he is 23 years old, and he is a bit shorter than Er Gouzi, and he is taller than ordinary people.

Seeing is already indomitable. For such a son, Er Gouzi had never seen the opportunity, that is, he hung up such a name.

Er Gouzi watched for a long time, then turned to look at Li Ji, Li Ji only smiled at him, didn't say anything, just the heart was in one place, and there was no need to say more.

Er Gouzi stretched out his hand and took off the jade pendant that had been around his neck for 35 years. The color of this jade pendant is not good. In the early years, he followed Er Gouzi through the mountains, and there were a lot of scratches. No matter how you look at it, it's worthless.

Shen Tianzhan's eyes moved, and he didn't speak.

"I have nothing to give you. This is what my mother left to me. You are my son and I will give it to you. He is not good-looking, but very important."

Everything about Li Yan is a top priority. Xiao Tudou knew the importance of this jade pendant just by hearing it. He took the jade pendant with his hands and put it directly on his neck.

The father and son are neither familiar nor close. But with such a small jade pendant, the relationship between the two of them is also tightly connected.

The wedding day can be regarded as the most lively marriage in the capital in more than ten years.

All the maidens in the palace put makeup on the bride, and the other famous family members came to congratulate the bride.

People come and go in busy traffic. The Gaotang Shen Tianzhan who worships heaven and earth is a must, and Er Gouzi is also a must. Li Jiben didn't want to join in, but he was dragged away by Shen Tianzhan. Er Gouzi's habit of breaking sleeves was reported in Beijing. Originally male style is not uncommon, but Er Gouzi is willing to guard a man for a lifetime. The concubine is not willing to accept it, and it is the first time to force the father to adopt a grandson without staying.

Some people criticized him for making his family home for his own personal interests, while others admired his infatuation. It is a good story to guard a person in this way, and the love that has been like a day for more than ten years.

Li Ji was also dragged into the high hall. In this way, Shen Tianzhan blocked the famous family in Beijing and announced the identity of Li Ji. Not a natal relative, not a righteous son. It's a son-in-law. Halfway through his son's life.

Li Ji was thirty-three years old and was held in the position of Gaotang. Sweeping his gaze, he saw the person above the top of Da Wu without discomfort. At that moment, Li Ji actually had an illusion that he was getting married.

When he came, he was at ease. Li Ji sat upright, and listened to the courtesy officer with a bow to heaven and earth and two to Gaotang. After receiving the ceremony of two newcomers, Li Ji looked at Er Gouzi and found that Er Gouzi was also looking at him. They looked at each other and smiled, how Shen Tianzhan arranged, how they did it, they were not the protagonists of this marriage, but they were just a taller spectator.

After worshipping heaven and earth, there is a banquet behind. In order to set off the atmosphere, the troupe must also be invited to sing. The selections were all festive dramas, and the best troupes in the capital were invited.

At this time, the troupe was officially busy. This is Yong'an Houfu, let alone neglect, you can't get anything at all. The class owner remembered sweating profusely, shouting and commanding everyone.

This play is performed by a celebrity who has been famous for some years in Beijing, but there was an accident before the stage, and the protagonist Hua Dan fell into a panic. If he limped on the stage again, it would be unsightly, and he would easily be discouraged by the host.

At this moment, the troupe leader couldn't care about saving Jiaoer's face. He stood there yelling, and then he was busy arranging someone to replace it.

This is a big scene. If it were to be performed in the troupe, it would definitely be scalp up. But this time it was for Yong'an Hou. If there is a difference in tension, it is not as simple as being scolded.

At this time, a girl half-dressed came out of the crowd. She was able to play the female actor of the maid beside the hostess. She forced her composure and said, "Father! I'm coming!"

The theater troupe stared at her for a moment, and sighed heavily: "Okay, it's up to you! Try to relax for a while. It is not easy to make mistakes according to the rehearsal, remember?"

The actor was called Qing Lian, and she looked at the direction in front of the stage, with more ambition in her eyes.

The wedding was over, and the emperor's imperial decree also came down. Yingzi had just entered the bridal chamber, and was pulled out again to take the order.

This imperial decree is not small, and it is also a great gift from the new emperor. Shen Tianci was promoted to the title and became Lord Anguo. And Xiaotudou Shen Jie passed Er Gouzi and became the son of Anguo. And Er Gouzi, who was overtaken by him, was not forgotten, and was sealed as Yongle Bo. This title is not hereditary, but you can enjoy the treatment of a marquis, and you can enjoy the royal salary every month.

Without the position of the princely son, there is no right to inherit the duke in the future. But with an independent title, one can enjoy the royal salary independently. This Shen family enjoys two nobility salaries. On the face of it, Er Gouzi was insulted by his son, which actually took a big advantage.

Before the imperial decree, the bride can't cover her head either. He lifted his hijab in advance and followed a group of people to give thanks.

Shen Tianzhan took the imperial decree with both hands, feeling quite emotional in his heart.

The eunuch who passed the saint left, and everyone was seated and watched the show.

The bridegroom, Xiao Tudou, suddenly topped the name of the son. When others mature, they will be handed over to the son of Anguo, and Yingzi will also be the wife of the son. With this name, the status is upside down.

Qing Lian shook her sleeves and began to play music. The actor who had played her role as a maid opened the scene to invite the girl. Qing Lian picked up her worth and walked out, first with a few words about her little daughter's house, and then turned around with her sleeves. After one appearance, Qinglian slowly raised her eyebrows and looked at the noble family in the audience, but she suddenly trembled there.

The girl who played the role with her didn't look right, and Qinglian should go on singing at this time. Fortunately, she was quite agitated. She hurriedly covered her lips with a smile and called Miss Sheng. She thought that this mistake could pass. Why Chengxiang Qinglian suddenly put down her hands and stood up, shouting in surprise and surprise: "Fourth Grandpa!"

Li Ji heard this too much, raised his eyes to Qinglian's face that could no longer see the original appearance, not sure that it was calling himself.

"Grandfather Si! I'm Zhang Xue! Zhang Baihu's family! Do you remember me!" Qinglian saw that Li Ji was sitting next to Shen Tianzhan. Although she didn't know why, she was definitely a remarkable figure.

In a daze, Li Ji finally remembered that 15 years ago, in the middle of the night, a girl was dragged into the city by her father.

"Four grandfather, dad wants to sell me, dad wants to sell me."

Yingzi listened to the words and looked at the stage, and shouted in disbelief: "Sister!"

Zhang Xue, Zhang Ying.

The two sisters who were born in the same family looked at each other across the stage. The same is a hard-working actor who only earns the protagonist once, and the other is the newly married wife of Anguo Gongshizi that Man Jingcheng pays attention to.

Fifteen years have been vicissitudes of life. 

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