Siheyuan: Pretend to be a Pig and Eat the Tiger

The deaf old lady was not calm at this time. She thought of the past and smiled bitterly.
Her real name was Xu Mei, and she was the daughter of a county official. When the Qing Dynasty fell, her family's livelihood became a problem.

She had no choice but to marry a wealthy businessman named Li. She was a daughter of a scholarly family and should have found a husband of equal status, but fate played tricks on her.

Only after joining the Li family did I realize how dangerous the backyard was. Even though he was just a businessman, the intrigues in his backyard were no worse than those in Wang Gonghou's mansion.

The concubine relied on flirting to compete for favors day by day, the head of the family was ambiguous, and she was at a disadvantage because she had no children. After some arrangements and tea art;

In the end, he won the victory and gained power, but how many people knew the dangers involved?
After that, the head of the family went to the northeast for business and never returned. When the pigtail army approached Beijing, the Li family was robbed by the rebels. She faked her death to escape and got a new life.
The fighting in the harem is so dangerous, how could she not leave a way out for herself?
Long before the intrigues in the back house, she had quietly bought an outer house and accumulated gold and silver;
After escaping, she lived in a two-story courtyard in Chaodou Hutong. Although she had not learned other things as a housekeeper, she knew that she should not participate in state affairs.
Therefore, during the war-torn years, she had always stayed at home and rarely went out. Of course, she would not do any work herself, so she bought a maid. This maid was Yi Zhonghai's wife, Yi Li!
Yi Zhonghai, whose parents had both passed away, fled to the capital and happened to meet her and Yi Lishi who were out shopping. By chance, they became an employer and employee.
Yi Zhonghai was a refugee, of clean family background, rustic and unworldly, which was the real reason why the deaf old lady hired him;

As for Liu Haizhong, he was just out of compassion. He had no money to pay for his father's medical treatment, so lending a helping hand at this time was a great favor.
Having experienced being a daughter of an official family and a wife of a wealthy merchant, he naturally knew how to win people's hearts, so he generously paid for the medicine and left his address;

It was stated that if he needed anything, he could come to her house for help. When Liu Haizhong was desperate, he saw a kind-hearted woman with connections, so he naturally bowed down to her.
Not long after, a man was added to the front yard, and since then, the deaf old lady has become much more settled;

It's no wonder. In troubled times, without a man to support you, wouldn't you feel uneasy?

The two young men, Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong, were the sense of security for her and the maid;
"Alas... Life is difficult, and things change dramatically. Forget it. You can't bring it with you when you are born, and you can't take it with you when you die. Why bother so much?"

The deaf old lady said to herself that she could not give these things to Yi Zhonghai to deal with. This was her last resort, and she could not give them to Liu Haizhong either;

The biggest reason why she cannot be given to Yi Zhonghai is that Yi Zhonghai and his wife have been thinking about her for so many years. Will they ignore her after their wish comes true?

Thinking of this, the deaf old lady stood up and walked outside. She wanted to hand the things over to He Yuzhu. Although their relationship was not very good, she had high hopes for He Yuzhu!

He Yuzhu had just arrived home and was about to go to bed when there was a knock on the door. The knock was slight, and the person knocking probably didn't want the neighbors to know!

"Who?"

I came here with great expectations, but ended up being just a spectator. I didn’t expect that Hou Kuiwen and Yan Bugui had the same ancestor, but their fates were completely different!
"Zhu Zi, come to my house for a chat!"

Listening to the footsteps gradually fading away, He Yuzhu was confused. They hadn't spoken for seven or eight years, right? What happened? Could it be related to Liu Haizhong?

The mysterious daughter of an official and the wife of a wealthy businessman, he also wanted to see what this girl thought, and he was still a little looking forward to it!
"Old lady, if you have something to say, please tell me. I'm listening!"

He Yuzhu looked at the deaf old lady expressionlessly, not knowing what to say for a moment. Although this person planned to leave a trace of blood to the original body;
However, the ultimate goal is still for herself. In the play, Lou Xiao'e is stupid and rich, and her cooking skills match Sha Zhu's. Only then can the greedy deaf old lady live a life of luxury. Otherwise, would she guard the door? Would a good person lock the door? You have to know that Xu Damao and Lou Xiao'e haven't divorced yet. If they are found out, they will be thrown into jail.

"Zhu Zi, so many years have passed. I don't have many years left to live. No matter what, let's let the past grudges go!"

The deaf old lady sighed. It’s not that she hasn’t tried hard over the years, but unfortunately there is still no effect. How could she, who is so shrewd, not guess this?
I'm afraid that He Yuzhu knew about their plan back then, otherwise, no matter how big the anger is, it should be resolved. It is said that time is the best medicine. Unfortunately, no matter how good the medicine is, it can't cure deep hatred!

"Old lady, you asked me to come here in the middle of the night, are you here to chat?"

Before he figured out the old man's purpose, he really didn't dare to say anything. Asking him to come here in the middle of the night must not be as simple as chatting!

"Come on, Zhuzi, please help me and move the cupboard away!"

Seeing that He Yuzhu's expression didn't change at all, the deaf old lady knew that it was useless to say more, as he probably wouldn't change his mind.
He Yuzhu moved the cupboard but found nothing. He was confused. Why did he move a cupboard in the middle of the night? Or was there a secret compartment underneath?
"The floor tile in the middle of the wall is tilted up!"

The deaf old lady handed him the stove poker while she was talking. The answer was obvious. In this era, people who had something at home would have a secret compartment.
After He Yuzhu pried it open, he found a box inside, which was as big as a medium-sized suitcase in his previous life, and a small wooden box of the same length!
"Zhu Zi, this box of treasure is all I have. Liu Haizhong knows some information, and I'm afraid I can't keep it tomorrow, so I'm giving it all to you.

This is the imperial edict of Emperor Kangxi. It is his fifth trip to Jiangnan. He arranged for my ancestor, who was from Qinghe County, to be the magistrate of Changqing County. This is the only heirloom that I have!"

The deaf old lady's face was flushed, as if she was proud of having such an ancestor. Her eyes were wandering, as if she was thinking about something!

He Yuzhu was shocked. An imperial edict from Kangxi? Damn, this is a good thing. Changqing should be from Qilu. I guess he was just passing by.

He took the imperial edict and opened it. If he hadn't known that it was an item from the reign of Emperor Kangxi, he would have thought it was printed.

The content is as follows:

I have heard that the land south of the Yangtze River is rich in resources and has many talented people. I have long wanted to visit it in person to understand the people's sufferings and see the beautiful mountains and rivers.
Today, I will start my southern tour and pass through your county. I ask your county magistrate Xu Qing to make careful preparations for the reception.

Make sure my journey is safe and smooth. All supplies must be provided frugally and not wastefully, and the security along the way must be careful and thorough.
Ensure the safety of me and my entourage. At the same time, I want to know the local administration and people's livelihood in detail. You should report it truthfully and not conceal anything.
You should work hard and perform your duties conscientiously. If you are successful in receiving guests, I will reward you. If you are negligent or careless, I will punish you severely.
February of the 44th year of the Kangxi reign!
Looking at the majestic seal, I am unable to identify it, mainly because I have no knowledge in this area. However, the possibility that it is authentic is still very high!

He didn't expect that the deaf old lady's ancestors had received the imperial edict. Don't judge a person by appearance! (End of this chapter)