The carriage stopped, Xu Lingxiao opened the window, and Xu Sizhen and Brother Jin, who were sitting in the carriage, couldn't help but look out the window.

In April, the farm was lush and green, and half of the crops were growing. Several graves were protruding from the southeastern field ridge. Not long after the Qingming Festival, there were still flower petals scattered by the wind and rain beside the graves.

Dad, is this our farm? Brother Jin looked up at his father.

Xu Lingyi touched his youngest son's head: This is your fourth brother's farm.

Xu Sizhen looked at Xu Lingyi in surprise.

He knew that the farm his mother left him was in Daxing, but he had never been there.

Is it because he is getting married, so his father specially brought him here to see him?

Then I thought that things shouldn't be so simple.

Even if he wanted to hand over the farm to him, his father could just ask the steward to bring him over to take a look, and there was no need to rush to this place with his sixth brother and him early in the morning.

Father, he stopped talking.

Xu Lingyi glanced at Xu Sizhen meaningfully: Tao's mother was buried here. Xu Sizhen could not hide his surprise.

A strange and respectful voice came from outside: Lord Marquis, a neighbor is passing by. Xu Lingyi hummed and said, "Please go and ask questions."

The response from outside is yes, yes.

The people in the carriage couldn't help but become quiet, and the sounds from outside the carriage came clearly.

If you ask about the farm of Prince Yongping, it's all in this area. A slightly older voice said, "That's the grave of Guanshi Tao's mother. I've been here in the morning. I pass by here every day. How come I don't know? What's more, the Qingming Festival has just passed."

, their family came to visit the grave of Mrs. Tao again. They burned more paper money than during the Qingming Festival, and Xu Sizhen's face changed slightly.

He couldn't help but glance at Xu Lingyi from the corner of his eyes.

Xu Lingyi sat there quietly, with a serious look on his face and a majestic look on his brows. Xu Sizhen swallowed the words that reached his lips.

The steward thanked her. He stepped forward and whispered to Xu Lingyi: I asked clearly. Steward Tao did not come to tattoo Mother Tao today.

Xu Lingyi hummed and sat for a while. He estimated that the neighbor had gone far away and then stood up: "Let's get out of the car and have a look." Xu Sichen didn't dare to neglect and hurriedly got out of the car.

Brother Jin had been riding in the carriage for most of the day. Once the novelty wore off, he already felt that he was Wuqing. Now that he could get out of the car to get some fresh air, he happily jumped out of the carriage.

Outside there was a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing a green silk gown who was very smart. He stepped forward, saluted, and led them up to the field ridge.

Soon, they saw the grave with the tombstone of Mother Tao.

The tomb was clean and it could be seen that it had just been tidied up. There were still ashes of paper money in the pottery basin used to burn paper money in front of the tomb.

Xu Lingyi stood on the grave with his hands behind his back and asked Xu Sizhen: How did you think of rewarding Tao Cheng with one hundred taels of silver to offer incense in front of Tao's mother's grave?

Xu Sizhen just thought that he was getting married soon, which was a happy event, so he wanted to reward Tao Cheng more and let Tao Cheng burn more paper money on Tao's mother's grave, so that everyone in the world would also share in his happiness.

.

But in this case, he could not say it in front of Xu Lingyi.

Then do you know how much paper money can be bought with one hundred taels of silver? Fortunately, Xu Lingyi did not ask him to answer, and did not take his silence to heart.

Xu Sizhen didn't know. But he knew that for weddings and weddings at home, the first-class maids were only rewarded with five taels of silver to take home. One hundred taels was a very large amount.

It can pull an eighty-nine carriage. Xu Lingyi said calmly. After burning for most of the day, Xu Sizhen let out a sigh and looked at his father with his mouth open, his mind confused.

Xu Lingyi looked at him deeply, turned around and left Mother Tao's grave: Let's go back

The astute brother Jin had sensed the strangeness between his father and his brother. He stood aside quietly and obediently followed Xu Lingyi into the carriage.

Along the way, Xu Lingyi closed his eyes and rested his mind.

Brother Jin could still sit upright at first, but soon his upper eyelids and lower eyelids began to fight, and he fell crookedly into Xu Lingyi's arms and fell asleep.

Xu Sizhen was thinking about what he saw and heard today.

What is the father's intention in doing this?

Tell him that Tao Cheng and Fengyang are unreliable?

But Tao Cheng is my mother's roommate,

Thinking of this, he began to feel a little irritable.

This Tao Cheng usually does things very steadily, why did he make such a mistake this time?

Now that daddy knows, will he punish him severely?

Father Xu Sizhen spoke hesitantly, Tao Cheng seemed to be pleading for him not intentionally.

Xu Lingyi suddenly opened his eyes: Do you know why I want to go on this trip with you? Xu Sizhen shook his head subconsciously.

I asked you to go to the Foreign Affairs Bureau to learn how to manage general affairs, not because I expected you to be able to write and calculate, but because I wanted you to learn how to recognize and use people. Xu Lingyi stared at his eyes, but you saw that you were about to get married.

It's not an exaggeration to want to burn more paper money to give to Mother Tao. But you gave Tao Cheng a hundred taels of silver in one breath. If you say that you are grateful for the kindness of Mother Tao in feeding your mother, you rewarded Tao Cheng a hundred taels.

Two sons, it's okay, but you asked Tao Cheng to buy one hundred taels of paper money to burn to Tao's mother. Everyone has selfish motives. If Tao Cheng bought ninety taels and lost ten taels, it would be okay. But look at him,

I'm afraid that the ten taels of silver will not be used, and the rest will all fall into your own pocket. If you don't pursue it once or twice, Tao Cheng will develop a habit over time. When you have something important to entrust to him,

He will only think that you are so clumsy, so why would he try his best to help you? Brother Zhun, Xu Lingyi, was quite emotional. From now on, everything inside and outside Yongping Mansion will be left to you. You have to open your eyes wide.

Okay. Just because he is your mother's companion, you can't just do whatever you want. You must know that the people who will work for you in the future are not only your mother's people, but also the people I left for you, Mrs.

The people left to you, if you can’t carry a bowl of water, how can you convince the public?

Xu Sizhen felt all kinds of emotions in his heart.

How did he know that Tao Cheng would be like this? Moreover, he couldn't investigate everything like he did today.

Xu Sizhen naturally did not dare to refute his father, so he lowered his head and responded in a low voice.

Seeing that he didn't have any questions to ask herself, Xu Lingyi couldn't help but shook her head in disappointment.

What are you going to do about Tao Cheng? After a long while, he gently asked his son.

Xu Sizhen raised his head and opened his eyes wide, looking a little dumbfounded: "I'll tell him what to say." Xu Lingyi said, "You came to visit Mother Tao and found that he didn't burn paper money for Mother Tao as you asked."

No, no. This is definitely not possible. How can someone who leaves things to others and secretly investigates them has the demeanor of a descendant of aristocratic family. But otherwise, so what? He hesitated and said, "I, I, I, Xu Lingyi are not the same."

He is not here to embarrass his son.

"Do you know why I want to check on Tao Cheng?" he whispered, "because Tao Cheng is your most trusted steward. We have to trust a person, and usually we need to know something about this person. But you don't know anything about Tao Cheng."

Just because he is your mother's companion, you have unlimited trust in him. Not only do you leave the farm affairs to him, but you also give him dignity in front of other stewards, making him superior to other stewards, but you also treat him with dignity.

He knows nothing about him. This is very dangerous. In the future, there will be more people working under you. Whoever you want to use must understand him. Well, to understand a person, you must pay attention to the small things. Take this matter

Come on, Tao Cheng did what you asked him to do immediately. It shows that he still cares about you. But he only used one-tenth of the silver you gave him to buy paper money. This shows that this person is very greedy. He can do things and has the skills.

A greedy person, when you use him, be careful not to put large amounts of money into his hands.

Xu Sizhen's head was as big as a bucket when he heard it, and he remembered his father's words like he was swallowing jujube.

But Brother Jin, who was sleeping soundly, didn't know when he opened his eyes.

He stared at his father intently, with a thoughtful expression on his face.

They entered the city with a convoy going to Yuquan Mountain to fetch water.

In the carriage, Xu Sichen and Brother Jin were leaning on Xu Lingyi's shoulders, one on the right and the other on the left. They had already fallen asleep. But Xu Lingyi's eyes were wide open and shining brightly in the darkness.

The steward took Xu Lingyi's name card, and the officers and soldiers guarding the city immediately helped to drive the carriages in front aside to make way for them, not to mention stepping forward to check.

When I returned to Hehuāli, it was already Yinzheng.

Eleven Niang was so worried that she didn't sleep all night, so she put on her clothes and came out to welcome him.

Nothing happened. Xu Lingyi was in high spirits, hugging brother Jin who was sleeping soundly on his side. His demeanor was brisk and it was hard to tell that he was someone who had been riding in a carriage all day and night. We went out for a walk.

Perhaps feeling his mother's breath, Brother Jin squeezed his eyes sleepily and saw a familiar figure.

Mom, he twisted his body and rushed towards Eleven Niang. We went to see the fourth brother's farm, and hugged Eleven Niang's neck tightly with both hands.

Brother Jin, Xu Lingyi, said hurriedly, "Your mother can't hold you. Daddy can."

Brother Jin was licking his lips, humming and humming.

Eleven Niang had no choice but to let him be held by Xu Lingyi, then put her arms around her neck and gently carried her son back to the wing.

Xu Sizhen was completely awake.

He took three steps and two steps at a time, walked into Danbozhai with a solemn expression and quickly turned around and left Danbozhai.

When the fourth young master woke up, he went to Xu Sijie's place without asking questions.

How about we ask mother? Xu Sijie was woken up by Xu Sizhen. After listening for a long time, he still didn't understand what Xu Sizhen was going to say. He couldn't help but yawned. Mother is in charge of the general affairs of the inner courtyard. What do you have?

If you don’t understand, just ask your mother

My mother’s roommate did such a thing and asked my mother what to do

Forget it, Xu Sizhen was a little frustrated. It's better not to disturb his mother about this matter. You can go back to sleep for a while. I'm going back first. I didn't help my brother. Xu Sijie was very embarrassed.

He thought for a while: Do you still want to go to the study this morning? How about we discuss this matter in detail tonight?

It's a good thing Xu Sizhen thought about it, so as not to delay your homework.
Chapter completed!