Shuntian Prefecture , Xianghe County , there is an old man named Ni. The family has a lot of wealth and good food and clothing. His wife Chen gave birth to a son named Ni Shan. After his son married and started a family, his wife Chen died.
Old man Ni resigned from his job to recuperate at home. Although he is very old, he is still in good health. Everything about the business at home has to be done by myself. Until he was seventy-nine years old, his son Ni Shan said to him: "Dad, you are seventy-nine this year and eighty next year. Why don't you let me take care of the business affairs? You can stay at home." Enjoy the happiness!”
Old Man Ni He shook his head and said: "I will take care of one day while I am alive. I can help you share the burden every day. When one day I can't walk anymore, there will be nothing I can do."
Every year in October, Old Man Ni will go to the village to collect rent. I stayed there for a month. People in the village gave him chickens, ducks, wine and meat.
One year, he went to the village to collect rent and took a walk in the village after dinner. Suddenly, I saw a girl and an old lady washing clothes by the river. The girl was quite pretty.
Old man Ni was immediately attracted by the girl's beauty and stood there staring blankly for a long time. When they finished washing their clothes and were about to go home, Old Man Ni followed them quietly. After a while, I saw them walking into a walled yard.
Old Man Ni immediately went home and called the housekeeper to inquire about the girl's family situation. He told the housekeeper what he thought and asked him to come and ask the girl if she had a husband. If not, would she be willing to marry him as a concubine? After hearing this, the housekeeper immediately came to inquire.
It turns out that the girl is called Xiaomei, and her father turns out to be a scholar. Xiaomei's parents died when she was very young, and she grew up with her grandmother. Xiaomei is seventeen years old and has no husband yet.
After the housekeeper found out the situation, he went to ask the old woman and said, "My master fell in love with your girl and wanted to marry her as a concubine. The old lady passed away long ago, and the girl's life would be easier if she married her." If the girl is willing, you will have no worries about food and clothing, and we will take good care of your life as an old man. A hundred years later, we can still provide for you until you die." The housekeeper's words made the old woman laugh from ear to ear.
She thought for a moment and immediately agreed. The housekeeper immediately went back and reported it to Old Man Ni. Old Man Ni was overjoyed and immediately arranged for the bride price to be sent to the girl's house. However, he was worried that his son would hinder the marriage, so the two held a wedding in the village.
Two months later, Old Man Ni arranged for a sedan to take Xiaomei back home. Servants from all over the house came out to greet her and shouted happily: "Welcome home, young lady." Only Ni Shan and his wife were unhappy, although they didn't say anything in front of everyone. But people behind the scenes were talking: "This old man is not serious at his age. He is almost 80 years old. How long can he be alive? Isn't this a disaster for my little girl?"
After talking, Old Man Ni started to talk again. Xiaomei: "This girl is not a good person. She is just trying to make money. Everyone calls her Mistress, so why should we call her Niang?" This discussion is getting worse every time! Although these words reached Old Man Ni's ears, he pretended not to hear them. Fortunately, Xiaomei is also a tolerant person and doesn't take it easy, so the family still lives together in harmony on the surface.
Three months later, Xiaomei was pregnant. No one knew it, only Old Man Ni knew. Until September 9th, when a child was born, everyone was shocked! Because the child was born on September 9th, he was named Chong'er. It just so happened that the eleventh day was Old Man Ni's eightieth birthday.
On this day, the door is full. Old Man Ni held a big banquet to celebrate his birthday and the birth of a son. A guest at the banquet praised: "The old man is really amazing. He is still in good health after such a long life, and now he has a little son. What a joy to congratulate him!" Old Man Ni was overjoyed after hearing this, but Ni Shan was unhappy again. He underestimated others and said, "Men lose their fertility at sixty. This child is definitely not his father's. I will never recognize him as my brother." Old Man Ni heard this but remained silent.
Time passed by, and before he knew it, Zhong'er turned one year old, and Old Man Ni once again served him wine to celebrate his birthday. Relatives and friends came to congratulate him, but Ni Shan did not come. Old Man Ni knew what he was thinking, so he didn't invite the guests and received the guests alone.
Although he didn't say it, Old Man Ni was a little worried. Ni Shan was usually a narrow-minded person. He was afraid that Chong'er would share his property with him when he grew up, so he didn't recognize him as his brother. Old Man Ni is worried that he will inevitably be bullied by his brother and sister-in-law in the future as he is old and Zhong'er is still young. And Xiaomei is so young, she can't defeat them. Thinking that their mother and son would be pitiful in the future, they were full of worry.
Just like that, another four years passed and Chong'er was 5 years old. Old Man Ni thought he was lively, cute, and smart. So, a gentleman was invited to the house to teach his son and grandson how to read and write, so that his son and grandson could go to school together. Unexpectedly, Ni Shan was unhappy and asked his son to go to school with his brother-in-law. He would definitely be bullied by his brother-in-law in the future. So, he hired another gentleman to teach his son in person.
That day, he called his son out and lied that his son was unwell and unfit to go to school. At first, Mr. Ni thought that his grandson was really unwell, but later he heard from the teacher that he had hired another teacher to teach his grandson. Old Man Ni was furious and wanted to ask his son why he did this. However, I also thought that my son's nature was like this. Even if he said too much, he would not listen.
So, I went back to my room with a sigh of relief in my heart. As soon as I walked to the door of the room, I suddenly felt a little unsteady. His feet were paralyzed and he fell to the ground. Xiaomei hurriedly ran up and helped him lie down on the bed. Seeing that he was unconscious, he immediately called a doctor for treatment.
The doctor said that he was so angry that had a stroke , so he immediately ordered his servants to bring ginger soup to clear his brain. After a while, Old Man Ni woke up, but his limbs were still numb and unable to move.
Xiaomei sat by the bed and waited on her every day, but after taking medicine for several days, she still didn't get better. So, the doctor was called again. The doctor took 's pulse and said, "I'm old, I guess this is the only way I can get better." Ni Shan was overjoyed after hearing the news.
When he saw that his father was finally sick, he began to show off his power at home, calling around to his servants, completely acting like a master. When Old Man Ni found out, he was very worried. Xiaomei cried in her room all day, and even Zhonger didn't go to school. Old Man Ni really saw it in his eyes and was anxious in his heart.
He called his eldest son Ni Shan, took out the account book, and said: "I am seriously ill now, and I don't think I have much time left. It's just that this Zhong son is only five years old and still needs someone to take care of him. Xiaomei is so young that he can't run the family." I will hand over all my family's property to you. For the sake of my father, can you take good care of Chong'er and grow him up so that he can get a wife in the future? , you must give him some property. And if Xiaomei is willing to marry, you must not stop her, and if she is willing to stay, you must treat her well. In this way, I can rest in peace even if I am under the influence of Jiuquan."
Ni Shanting. I was overjoyed and said, "Don't worry, dad, I will do as you say in the future." After that, he took the account book and left happily.
After he left, Xiaomei hugged her son and cried sadly, complaining: "Isn't Chong'er your biological flesh and blood? You gave all the family property to him, and Chong'er is still so young, what do you call us mother and daughter? "Where's the living?" Old Man Ni comforted him and said, "You should also understand Ni Shan. A narrow-minded person will not give up until his goal is achieved. If the family property is divided equally, I'm afraid you and Zhong'er will have no way to survive in the future." Give it all to him, like this He no longer has any jealousy."
Then, Old Man Ni said: "You are still so young. After I die and the filial piety period is over, you should remarry someone else, otherwise you will be very angry when you come to them. "Xiaomei said: "Since I married you, I should be a woman, and the child is still so young." Old man Ni asked her again: "Are you really not going to remarry in the rest of your life?" After that, Xiaomei immediately swore to God.
Old man Ni said: "If you really want to stay here, you don't have to worry about the future lives of your mother and son.After saying that, he took something out from under the pillow and handed it to Xiaomei, saying: "This is my pleasure map. Its role cannot be underestimated. If Ni Shan and others treat you mother and son badly in the future, you can take it to find her." local county magistrate. "Xiaomei took the carnival picture and hid it quietly. After a few days, old man Ni still couldn't resist and passed away.
And since Ni Shan got the property bill, he asked for the keys to each warehouse. He had to go to the warehouse every day. After checking the property, there was no time to visit the old father until Old Man Ni passed away. Xiaomei told the maid to call the couple, and the couple hurried over and left after crying a few times.
Xiaomei and Zhonger were left in the room to pay their respects. Fortunately, there were coffins and shrouds. It was all done in advance. On the day of the burial, only Xiaomei and Chong'er stayed in the Xiaotang to mourn. Shan was just responsible for entertaining the guests, and there was no sign of sadness on his part.
After the burial, Ni Shan immediately ran to Xiaomei's room and rummaged through the cabinets, fearing that his father had hidden some private money in Xiaomei's place. Hidden in the box she brought as a dowry, she had already I opened the box early and took out a few pieces of tattered clothes to show to the couple. The couple searched the room for a long time and found nothing, so they left with peace of mind and never came back again.
The next morning, Ni Shan called the carpenter to look at the house again, and wanted to renovate the house. In order to find a wife for his son, he drove Xiaomei and her son into a utility room. There was only a bed and a table in it, and there was not even any better furniture. Only the two maids who served her were left. The next one is younger.
This little maid comes to pick up food every day. But when they finally finished eating, they had no choice but to go to the house to ask for some rice and vegetables, and started cooking for themselves. When they had time, they would help others with sewing. Chong'er's education expenses were all earned by doing needlework.
After a while. During this time, Ni Shan had another bad idea. He asked his wife to persuade Xiaomei to remarry as soon as possible, and asked a matchmaker to help her find someone. However, Xiaomei refused, and Ni Shan and his wife had no choice.
In a blink of an eye, Zhonger was fifteen. Years old. Xiaomei never told Zhong'er about her family affairs, for fear that her son would not Be careful to let things slip, which will lead to trouble. However, now that Chong'er has grown up, he can understand some things.
One day, Chong'er asked his mother for money and said he wanted to buy a new dress, but his mother told him that he had no money to buy it. He got angry and said, "My father was a prefect when he was alive and his family was extremely wealthy. He only had two brothers, us. Why is my brother so rich but I am so poor that I can't even afford a piece of clothing? "After that, he angrily went to his brother to argue. No matter how much Xiaomei tried to persuade him, he couldn't persuade him.
Chong'er came to the house and saw his brother saying hello. Ni Shan was shocked and asked: "Why are you here today? What's the matter? Chong'er said: "I am also a child of a wealthy family. My clothes are in rags. It's really a joke when I go out. I came here today just to ask you for some money to buy new clothes." "Ni Shan asked him to ask his mother for money.
Chong'er said: "My father's property has been handed over to my brother, not my mother. "When Ni Shan heard the word "property", he immediately felt that this matter was serious. He was furious: "Who told you? Are you here to care about me asking for money to buy clothes, or to fight for family property? Even if my father has a huge fortune, he still leaves it to his children and grandchildren. What does it have to do with a bastard like you? "
Chong'er became angry when he heard that he was a "bastard" and said, "I was born from my father. How can you say that I am a bastard?" What, do you want to murder our mother and son, and then seize the family property by yourself? When Ni Shan heard this, he became furious. He grabbed his sleeve, raised his fist and beat him severely. Poor Chong'er was beaten until his nose was bruised and his face was swollen. He cried and went home to find his mother.
Xiaomei said with some distress: "You really deserve it. I told you not to go but you insisted on going." After saying that, she helped him apply some swelling medicine. Xiaomei was worried that Ni Shan was looking for trouble, so she asked her maid to send a message, saying: "It was Chong'er who was ignorant and contradicted his brother, please forgive him."
Early in the morning, Ni Shan was still angry.Invited several dignified people in the village and Xiaomei's mother and son. He took out his father's family property book and said: "Today I will explain it in front of all the neighbors and folks. It's not that I don't want to raise my brother. Yesterday my brother came to me to fight for the family property. I'm afraid there will be more when he grows up. Today, I will take the one on the east side. A house and 50 acres of fertile land should be given to mother and son. This was also my father’s last wish.”
Several people in the village knew what kind of person Ni Shan was, but now they didn’t dare to see Old Man Ni’s will with their own eyes. Talkative. Xiaomei was overjoyed when she heard this, thinking how many rich people started from scratch. As long as they have a house and land, they will not have to worry about having food to eat in the future. Xiaomei stood up emphatically, thanked everyone, and said goodbye to Ni Shan and his wife. Then, he moved the boxes of his dowry to the house on the east side.
When they came to the east courtyard, they saw weeds all over the ground and sparse roof tiles. How could they live here on a rainy day? Helpless, they had no choice but to clean up and move in temporarily. Then, they called the village chief and asked where the fifty acres of fertile land were. The village chief took them to check, only to find that the fifty acres of so-called fertile land were completely barren of weeds. How could people live like this?
Xiaomei was so angry that she cried bitterly. Chong'er said to her mother: "We are also sons, how could dad be so partial? Could it be that the will was not true? Why didn't mother sue the government?" After hearing what her son said, Xiaomei remembered That carnival picture finally revealed the secret of that year to his son.
Xiaomei opened the box and took out the carnival picture. She saw a girl holding a baby in the picture. The girl pointed to the ground with one hand, and the mother and son looked at it for a long time without understanding the mystery.
They went to the county magistrate with the carnival map. The county magistrate saw that they had no paper, only a picture, and he was puzzled. Xiaomei told him the reason for this happy picture: "This was left by the master during his lifetime. He said that when mother and son are desperate, they can give this picture to you." When the county magistrate heard this, he was even more curious. So, he accepted the carnival picture and told them to go home first.
At night, the county magistrate was studying the carnival map. He thought: "A girl is holding a baby and pointing to the ground. The baby should be Chong'er, and the girl should be Xiaomei. So what does pointing to the ground mean?" After thinking for a long time, I couldn't figure out why.
At this time, the maid came to deliver tea. The county magistrate was engrossed in thinking. When receiving the tea, he accidentally held it unsteadily and spilled water on the carnival map. Suddenly, a few lines of words were faintly seen on the pleasure map, and the county magistrate was overjoyed.
picked up the carnival picture and looked at it again and again, and saw clearly written on it: "I am eighty-four years old and have a lot of wealth, but I still have a son and a young wife. The older son is narrow-minded and may cause trouble in the future because of the family property. This house is dedicated to For the child, although he is small, there are five thousand taels of gold buried in the ground. Please ask the upright officials to resolve the case clearly, and I will give you three hundred taels of gold as a reward."
I have to admire Old Man Ni's wit in arranging the funeral arrangements so well. The county magistrate was also a man who was greedy for money. He had a plan in mind and sent someone to call Ni Shan over.
Ni Shan has been very satisfied since he monopolized the family property and lived happily every day. Today I learned that the county magistrate invited me to go, and I didn't dare to neglect it. The county magistrate asked: "Are you Old Man Ni's eldest son?" Ni Shan replied yes.
The county magistrate asked again: "Is it true that your mother is suing you today for monopolizing the family property and driving away your mother and brother?" Ni Shan explained that they themselves proposed to separate the family first, and took his father's suicide note. Come out and show it to the county magistrate. The county magistrate looked at the suicide note and didn't know whether it was true or not, so he asked him to go back first and then call Xiaomei and her son over tomorrow.
Ni Shan felt so scared when he heard the county magistrate's tone. When it comes to the family property, there is actually no real equal division, it is all owned by him alone. At this critical moment, he had no choice but to spend money to bribe his relatives and elders so that they could speak for him in court.
The county magistrate sent someone to call Xiaomei's mother and son over, and said, "It's really pitiful that you, an orphan and a widower, have ended up in such a plight." Xiaomei said, "The master's suicide note was written, but Chong'er was still young at that time. It was just to save the lives of my mother and son, it was not his intention. "The county magistrate said: "Since ancient times, it is difficult for upright officials to deal with family affairs. I will give justice to your mother and son, so don't worry." Xiaomei thanked the magistrate.
So, the county magistrate took Xiaomei and her son to Ni Shan's house. In fact, Ni Shan had already made arrangements and cleaned the hall early. And he cut a pot of fine tea and called all the relatives and elders over.
thought that when the county magistrate and Xiaomei arrived, the elders would inevitably say a few nice words for him. Although Ni Shan was angry, he still pretended to be polite on the surface.
After a while, he heard shouting from a distance outside the door. Thinking that it must be the county magistrate, Ni Shan and his elders hurriedly went out to take a look. When he arrived at the door of his house, Ni Shan knelt down to greet him along with his elders. The county magistrate calmly stepped down from the sedan chair, and suddenly, he was alone in a deserted place and bowed respectfully, as if there was a host greeting him on the other side.
Everyone was very surprised to see him look like this. Immediately afterwards, the county magistrate, as if someone was inviting him, bowed all the way to the living room and sat down. Everyone felt like he had seen a ghost and did not dare to approach him. They just watched blankly.
At this time, the county magistrate spoke: "Today, my wife reported your distribution of family property to me. You gave all the property to the eldest son, how can the second son live?" After saying this, a long time passed. Then I heard the county magistrate say: "How can the small house in the east survive?" After saying that, I saw him salute and say: "Okay, I understand."
paused for a while, clasped his hands and said, "How can I accept such a generous gift? !" After saying that, the county magistrate hesitated for a while, and then said: "Okay, then I can't refuse you, I will do what you want." Everyone saw the county magistrate talking to himself. Stunned.
At this time, the county magistrate immediately stood up, looked around, and asked: "Where has the master gone?" Everyone said they had not seen the master. The county magistrate had a strange expression and said to Ni Shan: "Just now It was your father who greeted me at the door, entered the room and sat down with me. I have been talking for a long time, you all heard it!"
Everyone shook their heads, looked at the county magistrate blankly, and said in unison: "I didn't hear it." The county magistrate began to describe the appearance of old man Ni, with a thin face and a white face. With his colorful beard and red waist and gold belt, is this what Old Man Ni looks like? When everyone heard this, they all knelt down and said: "This is exactly what the master looked like when he was alive."
The county magistrate said: "Then why did the master suddenly disappear? He said that there were two houses in his family, one here and another to the east. Really?" Ni Shan was so frightened that he had no choice but to tell the truth about his family property when he saw the magistrate's behavior.
Immediately afterwards, Ni Shan led everyone to the east house and said, "This was our old house. Later, a new house was built, and it was used as a warehouse." The county magistrate walked around the house and said: "Your father is indeed In the sky, you have told me everything about your family. This house is for Chong'er. You can't fight for it in the future. What do you think?"
Ni Shan thought, "Isn't it just a dilapidated house?" What other gold and silver jewelry can there be? So, he took out his father's will and handed it to the county magistrate and said: "This house and fifty acres of fertile land belong to my brother. This is what my father meant during his lifetime. I will not fight for it." The county magistrate saw that he agreed.
Now many relatives, friends and elders are present, the county magistrate said: "Okay, in front of many elders, I will tell everything the master told me. He said that there are five thousand taels of gold buried underground in this house, all of which were given to the second young master. "Everyone was shocked when they heard this.
The county magistrate asked someone to bring a hoe and dug out two jars of silver in the east. Everyone was stunned when they saw it. Ni Shan finally spoke: "Could it be that dad really showed up? There is so much money hidden here, we really don't know! I dare to ask the county magistrate how he knew."
The county magistrate ignored him and asked someone to be there. Three jars of silver were dug out in the west, adding up to five jars of silver, a total of five thousand taels of gold. The county magistrate said to Xiaomei: "The master said that one of the altars should be given to me as a reward. I couldn't accept it, but the master kept insisting on giving it away, so I had no choice but to accept it." After hearing this, Xiaomei immediately knelt down with Zhong'er to thank him.
So, the county magistrate issued a document on the spot, asking the brothers to sign and pledge their signatures to each other, and stated that there should be no fighting in the future. Helpless, no matter how dissatisfied Ni Shan was, he could only obey.
I have to admire the county magistrate’s skill in solving the case! If Ni Shan hadn't been greedy for money and petty, this silver wouldn't have fallen into the hands of others.
Later, Xiaomei used the money to buy a lot of fields and run them. Within a few years, she became a well-known rich man in the village. When Chong'er grew up, he married a wife and had children. He became famous and his life became more and more prosperous.
And Ni Shan gave birth to two sons, both of whom were lazy and idle. In less than a few years, all the family property was ruined by them. Later, their houses were sold to their uncle Chong'er for management.
(pictures and texts come from the Internet, infringement and deletion)
