Chapter 401: hope

Midsummer afternoon.
The leaves curled up, as if to be absorbed by the sun.
The cicadas cried one after another, and they felt hot when listening.
There seems to be a circle of light in the sky, making people unable to open their eyes.
In the small study room of the east courtyard, there is an ice basin, which is full of coolness. But it is not enough to suppress the heat in people's hearts.
The summer of the 37th year of Kaiyao was extremely hot and came very early.
I haven't felt the warmth of spring, but the weather suddenly entered the barbecue mode.
Gu Jiu held his stomach for more than five months and moved very flexibly.
She was pregnant with this child, very relaxed.
No morning sickness, no sleeplessness all night, and normal appetite. The taste has not changed from before pregnancy.
I don’t want to eat spicy food in particular, nor do I want to eat sour, it just tastes normal.
There is no backache, and I sleep well at night.
Fetal movement is also normal.
Everything is normal, which is the greatest good news.
In the hot weather, she ate two slices of frozen watermelon. She still wanted to eat it, but Qingmei took the watermelon away.
It is also famously said, "Watermelon is cold in nature, madam cannot eat more."
Gu Jiu had a snack stuffed, "Go and peel a cucumber, I'll eat it."
"Cucumbers are also cold. If you eat watermelon today, you can no longer eat cucumbers. Let's eat cucumbers tomorrow."
Gu Jiu was a little irritable, "Then what can I eat?"
"Madam, have soup. Drink soup to keep yourself healthy."
"Don't drink!"
Gu Jiu refused completely.
In fact, she didn't want to eat watermelon and cucumber too much. It means that you have anger in your heart, commonly known as getting angry, and want to eat something cold to suppress your anger.
To say that the biggest impact of pregnancy on Gu Jiu is emotional ups and downs, unpredictable.
The last one is still happy, because Liu Zhao's words and eyes will turn her face in the next one.
In fact, Liu Zhao speaks normally.
She stood up and walked around the house.
From the small study to the bedroom, and back from the bedroom.
She asked Qingmei, "Where did Xiaocui go?"
"Madam Qi, Xiao Cui is talking to some sisters in Xi Le Tang."
Xi Le Tang is a courtyard with two bedrooms.
In the first month, Ouyang Fu gave birth as scheduled, a girl, five catties and six taels.
Gu Jiu didn't go there when Ouyang Fu gave birth. I didn't see how disappointed and scary the second son was when he learned that he was a girl.
She still heard what Xiao Cui said, saying that it was Wen Po holding the child to the second son. The second son swept his eyes, gave a few words, and then flung his sleeves and left.
From beginning to end, I didn't want to see Ouyang Fu, nor did he ask whether his wife Ouyang Fu was doing well. It seems that Ouyang Fu doesn't care whether he is alive or dead.
Xiaocui also said that when Ouyang Fu learned that he was a girl, he had already cried before coming out of the delivery room.
All in all, the scene was embarrassing and embarrassing.
The Ouyang family was there at the time, but because Ouyang Fu gave birth to a girl, he was guilty and didn't even dare to say a word, let alone support Ouyang Fu.
When the child was washing three, Gu Jiu went to visit the child.
The child is quite good, and only a few days after birth, you can tell that he is a pretty little girl.
Ouyang Fu walked through the ghost gate, and he was very haggard. It seems that since the child was born, he has not had a good rest.
Gu Jiu deliberately asked, but Ouyang Fu didn't want to expose his miserable side to others.
Gu Jiu can only give up.
The second son's dislike for her niece can be seen by anyone with eyes.
I heard that during Ouyang Fu's confinement, the second son only stepped into the bedroom twice, staying for less than half an hour each time.
He didn't take the child's name either, as if he had completely forgotten about it.
After Ouyang Fu was out of confinement, he begged the princess Pei to call the child Liu Nian according to seniority.
In the line of Wang Ning, the girls of this generation are the generations of heart.
After taking her name, she went to Shao's house and published her genealogy, and the little girl finally got her identity.
Although Pei was very sorry that Ouyang Fu failed to give birth to a son, he did not criticize her. He also gave a gift to celebrate the full moon.
As for the second son, Pei didn't bother to bother.
Concubine Shen has always had no good expressions on her because Ouyang Fu gave birth to a daughter.
Several times, Gu Jiu heard Concubine Shen scolding Ouyang Fu with his own ears. What he said was that he disliked Ouyang Fu's stomach and didn't live up to it.
The original mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were very harmonious. Concubine Shen has treated Ouyang Fu well for many years.
Once a daughter was born, everything changed.
After Gu Jiu saw it, he was really dissatisfied. Is it so disgusting to have a girl? Without a girl, your son can take a wife and have offspring?
After enduring her, she finally held back her violent temper.
Because Ouyang Fu gave birth to a girl, the second son had even more reason to spoil the two concubines. It seems that the hope of having a son is pinned on the concubine room.
Gu Jiu had nothing to do, so she pulsed herself and had a birth check.
The pulse is strong and everything is normal. Just feel very upset.
Liu Zhao went to work as an errand at Yamen, but Gu Jiu couldn't find a target to hit someone.
Because of her pregnancy, she is not even interested in doing business to make money.
Everything is left to the people below. Gu Jiu will come forward only when the people below cannot decide.
The first phase of the project outside Nanchengmen started construction last month.
Those tens of thousands of refugees gathered outside the city gate are not so easy to pass.
If you want the first, second and third phases to start at the same time, you have to move people out first.
No way, Gu Jiu could only set aside a special area on the periphery first, and build the cheapest resettlement house first.
So that the refugees see hope, which is conducive to the follow-up work.
After walking around a cup of tea, Xiao Cui came back under the scorching sun.
The ice basin placed in the house made Xiao Cui feel comfortable. She simply picked up a piece of ice and put it in her hand.
Qiaomei asked her: "Where did she go wild again, she's all sweaty."
Approaching Xiaocui, I can smell a scent of sunshine.
Xiaocui smiled, "I went to Xiiletang, and then to the West Yard. Chatting with my sisters."
Gu Jiu smiled and asked her, "Have you heard any gossip?"
"Yes, yes." Xiaocui's eyes were round, very excited.
Gu Jiu casually said: "Let's listen, whose gossip is?"
Xiao Cui said with a smile: "The second lady will make rules for the two concubine rooms today."
Huh?
This is surprising.
Since the second son took up a concubine, Ouyang Fu's attitude has always been that he doesn't care about it. Why did he suddenly think of making rules for the concubine room?
"Is there any reason?"
"The slave servants heard from the sisters of Xi Le Tang, they said bad things about sister Nian'er behind their backs, and it also reached the second lady's ears. So the second lady asked them to follow the rules."
"Second Young Master doesn't know about this, right?"
"I don't know yet."
Gu Jiu nodded clearly.
Qingmei was a little worried, "Second Young Master won't quarrel with Second Wife."
Gu Jiu thought for a while, and finally shook his head, "Probably not."
The second son Mianli hid the knife, and would not directly tear his face with Ouyang Fu for the two concubines.
And he also counted on Ouyang Fu to give birth to a son for him.
Yes, my son.
My son, but if it's not a son, it's not beautiful.
Qingmei said: "It's good if you don't quarrel. In the past few months, the second wife has been suffering from a lot of consultations. We are inferior to the eyes and feel worthless for the second wife."
Gu Jiu smiled and said nothing.
Xiao Cui is very direct, "What if the lady is a girl in this child? How about the son? Will the son be like the second son, treat the wife coldly."
"Don't talk if you can't speak." Qingmei was angry. Xiao Cui didn't keep the door open.
She was worried that Gu Jiu would think more after hearing this.
Gu Jiu laughed, "Don't worry, the second son is the second son, and the son is different from him. As long as it is born to me, the son will like it."
Gu Jiu is so confident.
Qingmei laughed, "The son doesn't have to say to his wife, he loves the house and the black, naturally it is very rare for the little baby in his stomach."
Gu Jiu leaned on the soft couch, planning to squint for a while.
The next person reported that Deng Cunli wanted to see him.
Gu Jiu opened his eyes, "Call him in."
When Deng Cunli came over at this time, something must have happened.
Deng Cunli washed away the stinky sweat on his body and changed into a thin gown before entering the cool small study room.
Really comfortable!
He bowed and saluted, "The old slave greets the lady."
"Free! Sit and talk."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Deng Cunli sat down on the stool. Without waiting for Gu Jiu's question, he said first: "The old slave is here today. There is something that requires his wife to call the shots."
"You said!"
"Today, the Children's and Children's Government sends someone to ask, do you want the remaining loan? I wonder what the madam plans to do?"
When it comes to money, Gu Jiu has a toothache.
Not because of the lack of money, but because of the large amount of money.
In the beginning of the spring, the Royal Family Order first sent her one hundred thousand taels of silver, saying that it was something that Ning Wang told her when he left Beijing.
One hundred thousand taels, fifty thousand went to public accounts, and the remaining fifty thousand was King Ning’s private money. Pei didn't know that King Ning still had so much private money on hand.
The Royal Family Order also specifically instructed Gu Jiu to keep quiet and not let Pei know about the existence of fifty thousand taels of private money. When doing the billing, make a separate copy.
Gu Jiu reluctantly accepted the silver.
Coupled with the fact that the sisters' money has been sent one after another, and the construction has not yet started, Gu Jiu already has nearly 200,000 taels of start-up capital on hand.
When she was about to find the young man to loan out the remaining 800,000 taels, Chen Dachang sent someone to send the money.
The good name is that the emperor is optimistic about her project, so he has to invest some money and earn some pocket money.
One shot is one million taels.
He almost scared Gu Jiu to death.
Not being scared to death by money, but being scared to death by the emperor.
Originally one million taels of plates, the emperor made one million when he shot it. What do you mean?
Is this trying to take away the project halfway?
One more thing, the project outside Nancheng Gate is not as profitable as expected.
Her positioning from the beginning was a small profit project.
Therefore, Gu Jiu simply rejected the Tianzidi one million, with a good name, "Can't bear it."
Because of this, the emperor told her to enter the palace.
When you arrive at Xingqing Palace, you come and go again, all kinds of bargaining.
In the end, Gu Jiu reluctantly collected 300,000 taels from the emperor.
The emperor is depressed.
Pointing to Gu Jiu and said, "A hundred times more treacherous than Liu Zhao."
Gu Jiu's mouth twitched and wanted to go back. The most treacherous person in the world is your Majesty.
Gu Jiu didn't borrow from the Shaofu. She already had 600,000 to 700,000 start-up funds on hand, so she simply postponed the loan time.
The first phase of the project does not cost much, and the start-up capital on hand is sufficient for turnover.
She said to Deng Cunli: "You tell Shaofu that I must take a loan. But because the relocation of the refugees outside Nancheng Gate is slower than the original plan, and the amount of money needed for the time being is not much, I told them to wait."
Deng Cunli bowed slightly, "The Shaofu also considered this issue. They asked when they would wait?"
Gu Jiu asked him in turn, "When do you think you have to wait?"
Deng Cunli said: "According to the plan, someone will take the initiative to relocate in half a month."
"Will it go smoothly?" Although Gu Jiu didn't worry much about the project outside Nancheng Gate because of her pregnancy, she knew it well.
Relocation is a big project, and any accident may happen.
Deng Cunli said: "The old slave estimated that, at the very least, he would be able to give up the land for the second phase of the project. If it goes well, at least 10,000 or 20,000 people can be relocated."
"It seems that the first batch of houses will be built soon."
"Exactly."
Gu Jiu became interested, "I'm going to have a look at the scene another day."
When Qingmei heard it, she was anxious.
"Madam is pregnant, but she can't go to that kind of place. What if there is an accident if you are hit by someone."
Deng Cunli nodded frequently, "Madam still wants to get involved easily. Although no one has been found among the refugees, the place is still unsafe. Where the wife appears, I am afraid that a large number of people will be onlookers and accidents will occur."
"Fine, I won't go."
Gu Jiu is good at being good. In fact, she was also a counselor, not thinking about herself but also thinking about her children.
There are tens of thousands of mu of land outside the Nancheng Gate. This year alone, it will definitely not be completed.
It’s not too late to go after she has given birth to a baby and is well.
After Deng Cunli got the quasi-trust, he got up and said goodbye.
There are still many things waiting for him to decide on the construction site, and he cannot leave for a long time.
...
early morning.
The east side had just vomited, and the refugees’ shack outside the South City Gate was full of voices. It is as lively as a bazaar.
Looking around, one by one, thatched shacks are low and small. Except for children, adults must bend over to get in and out.
The shack was so dark that no light could penetrate.
Not only that, but it also exudes a weird smell, which can smash people.
Human and animal feces are piled up in the alley outside the shack. The flies had already started work in the morning, buzzing and lingering.
Here is a collection of darkness, filth, and poverty.
In the past, everyone’s face was numb, and life was a day.
No one cares about how dirty the environment is.
People can't live anymore, so who cares if others are pulling on the street.
But in recent months, the faces of these refugees, especially the young and strong labors, have gradually become bloody.
There was light in their numb eyes.
People who didn't even have a shack in the past have spare time to build a shack for themselves.
From a low shack not far from the garbage and excrement, a 17-year-old teenager walked out of it.
He was very thin, with a bare upper body, and his ribs were clearly visible.
"root……"
Immediately afterwards, a short black woman walked out of the shack, still holding a wowotou in her hand.
Wowotou hey, tough.
The woman gave him Wowotou, "Take it and eat it.
Wang Jiangen waved his hand, "I don't need it. The construction site will provide food."
"The construction site only includes lunch and dinner. If you don't eat and work so much in the morning, can you bear it? Take it!"
Wang Jiangen grinned, "I can bear it. There is tartary buckwheat tea at the construction site, and you can drink tea to fill it up. Mother, you can give Wowotou to the younger brothers and sisters."
At the door of the shack, there were several pairs of bright black eyes. They all stared at the Wowotou in the woman's hands.
The woman looked back at the children, and suddenly wiped her tears, "If you are still alive, our family won't need to be supported by you alone. You don't need to..."
"Mother, don't talk about it. Now I have wowotou to eat every day, and I still have money to get it, how great."
The woman Wang Lianshi nodded repeatedly, "You are right. It's a pity that your brothers are too young to be on the construction site."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three gongs and drums rang.
The whole shack area heard these three noises and was silent.
Then, the whole shack area boiled.
Because this is a signal for recruitment.
The shack area was already turbulent, as if adding a drop of oil, people all ran under the big locust tree. I'm afraid I'm going to be late, and my job will be taken away.
The woman Wang Lian looked at the direction of the big locust tree, "I don't know what kind of person to recruit this time, I will also go and see."
"Mother, your health is still not well, don't go." Wang Jiangen blocked.
Wang Lian's waved his hand, "I'm fine. The medicinal soup you brought back is very good. I didn't have a cough after drinking it. You can eat Wowotou as soon as possible. Don't be late. I'll go over there first, in case it is a light job. , It can also relieve you."
Wang Lian rushed to the big locust tree with a few half-old children.
There are already three floors inside and the three outer floors are enclosed.
Everyone looked at the people on the earth platform with eyesight.