Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 513 Rongqing Hall Small Party

Rongguo Mansion,

The small courtyard on the west side,

Zhang Jinyu sat at the table, unceremoniously, throwing away her arms and holding vegetables. One person ate most of the breakfast on the table, and then sat there feeling full and touching her belly. Not to mention, Jia's house was not good at anything. , this is the food, it is simply amazing, not to mention the same thing, the food is no worse than the cooks at Zuixianlou and Youlai Inn, it is really good, what is the name of the cook in the back, Sister-in-law Liu? I don’t know where I learned the skill, or where the old lady abducted it from, I slandered it in my heart.

"Mr. Sir, you are full. Come on, have a sip of tea to relieve your appetite."

Lin Daiyu looked at Mr. Hou with a satisfied look on her face and a smile on her face. She drank an extra bowl of porridge today, all because of him. She ate so deliciously, so she poured a bowl of tea and handed it to him.

"Well, I need to praise you. The food in the Duke's Mansion is really good. The Rongguo Mansion is considerate. The old lady treats you well."

This is true. Even in the book, it was good for her. If it hadn't been for that second wife who had some mental disorder, Lin Daiyu would have been alive and well, and the Jia family would have been able to survive for a few more days, with several women working as paper framers. , although the paper was a little thinner, it couldn't be seen from the outside. But as soon as Lin Daiyu left, the hole appeared and it couldn't be glued back.

"Of course, there's no grandma who doesn't love her granddaughter."

Lin Daiyu still smiled with her eyes wide open, with that snow-white skin and beautiful face, Zhang Jinyu swallowed her saliva, glanced at it without saying a word, and thought to herself, if you didn't give me the money, and with the support of the Hou Mansion, you still don't know that you He was eaten to death in the book.

"That's good. I've eaten and drank enough. I have nothing to do today. Why don't I go out for a walk with Yu'er? Let me know where I want to go."

"Of course."

Of course Lin Daiyu was willing in her heart. Who doesn't want to go out for a stroll? When she came to the capital, she really didn't take a closer look. I heard that there were many lively places, including many temple fairs, markets, and even theaters. She wanted to go, but she just wanted to He said that he heard someone coming outside the house. He looked up and saw the mandarin duck next to the old lady running in.

"Miss Lin, the old lady is calling you over now. I'm here to see the Marquis."

Yuanyang ran into the inner hall. He wanted to send a message to Lin Daiyu, but suddenly he saw Marquis Luo Yun sitting on the side of the table. He suddenly blushed and hurriedly said hello.

Zhang Jinyu looked at the person who came wearing a light red skirt and thin coat. With her tall figure and plump figure, coupled with her oval face, she was the one who had been appointed. She almost forgot about her.

"Come, sit down, have a rest, and tell me slowly, what do you want the old lady to do?"

Although Zhang Jinyu was happy with this girl, she also knew that it was not the right place to talk. She was still thinking about why the old lady suddenly remembered to call her Lin Daiyu. After all, Daiyu had been alone in the yard for the past few days, and there was no one there. Others came over, except Xi Ren who was in Jia Baoyu's courtyard. By the way, isn't this Jia Baoyu's concubine? I don't know if Jia Baoyu and Xi Ren are on good terms, and whether they slept or not, I'm really curious.

"Come back, Lord Marquis, today the old concubine in the palace sent pastries and spring flowers, and just now the second mistress came first, so she came here with Mrs. You from Dongfu. I heard that she also brought Dongfang. I came over with the Thousand Layer Pancakes from Yao Ji's shop, saying that I had been waiting in line for a long time, so I brought them over to try them, and we chatted together when we had nothing to do."

Hearing what Yuanyang said, Zhang Jinyu also became interested. Mrs. You from Dongfu came. It was a good opportunity to find out what Jia Zhen was doing in the house now. She was so mysterious and had some Taoist self-cultivation. Could it be that She even gave up on womanizing, but although Mrs. You is older, she is a rare beauty who can put it aside and watch. Whether it is true or not, Jia Zhen's operation is also a mystery.

"That's fine. In that case, I will join in the fun and say hello to the old lady. I haven't seen him for a long time, but this thing..."

Zhang Jinyu looked around. She had just arrived and bought nothing. She had nothing to offer, so it was really hard to leave empty-handed. In the moment of embarrassment, Lin Daiyu knew what Lang Jun was thinking.

"Lang Jun, there are still cloud cakes sent by Lang Jun in the house. Then in the morning, I asked the boy to go out and buy the steamed cakes from Xipu. They have not been wrapped yet. These two things are enough."

After Lin Daiyu finished speaking, she got up and went into the east room, then took things and walked back. Although there was no trace of her actions, Zhang Jinyu felt her intentions. Daiyu's thoughts were delicate, and it was true.

"Thankfully, Yu'er has thought so much. If I had known earlier, I would have walked around the street and bought more snacks and returned. In this way, Yuanyang, you take Yu'er over first, and then wait in Rongqing Hall. I, I'll go out and buy some snacks, otherwise it would be really embarrassing to leave empty-handed,"

Especially for a house full of female relatives, if you really want to go there empty-handed to eat and drink, you might as well go out for a walk on horseback. When you get to the east market square, you will sweep across the area. It won't take long. When Yuanyang saw it, he wanted to persuade her again, but Lin Daiyu suddenly said,

"In this case, Lang Jun must go back quickly."

"Okay, then you go first, I will come back as soon as I go,"

After saying that, Zhang Jinyu took the sword placed on the table and walked out of the house. As soon as the person walked away, Yuanyang asked in confusion,

"Why didn't Miss Lin stop Mr. Hou? You don't have to buy anything,"

"Sister Yuanyang is right, but since the husband is going, let him go. Besides, my grandmother is looking for me to discuss something. After all, the Marquis has some unpleasantness with the Jia family, and I am afraid that if he is there, my grandmother will talk. If you don't talk to me well, wouldn't it be embarrassing my grandmother?"

Lin Daiyu explained with a smile, Yuanyang nodded slightly,

"Miss Lin is still thoughtful, but this slave is too talkative."

"Sister is polite, and she also means well. She feels sorry for Mr. Hou, but she just went to the old lady's place. Mr. Hou must also be a little uncomfortable."

Lin Daiyu remembered from the first day that the Marquis might not like the Duke's Mansion very much, especially Baoyu from his second aunt's house, and somehow it annoyed him. Could it be that Shuyu remembered it that time? Come to think of it, this is the only thing that keeps me from getting off the stage. Lang Jun is a little bit

Blushing secretly, Yuanyang didn't say much and simply chattered a few words.

The two made concessions again before getting up and going to Rongqing Hall together.

Zhang Jinyu led people out of the yard,

Then he stretched out and looked at the peaceful Duke Guo's Mansion, as well as the lazy servants. Not to mention, the servants in Rong Guo Mansion may have been blessed by cultivation, and all of them were just like the eldest and the young ladies. , master and slave, there is no distinction between high and low. If Wang Xifeng hadn't been more strict, I don't know what he would have been like. By the way, why did Wang Xifeng come yet? I couldn't see her for a while. I was still a little panicked, so I laughed at myself, This habit is not good.

"Let's go to Yingbian, go to Dongshifang, our old place, and come back after shopping."

"Yes, Lord Marquis, the carriage has been prepared for a long time."

"Ah."

In response, Zhang Jinyu raised her legs and left the mansion, got on the carriage and headed east.

And Lin Daiyu,

Then he took Zicuckoo, Xueyan and Qingwen and followed Yuanyang to Rongqing Hall. Yuanyang was walking in front, but his thoughts were still a little unsettled. The way the Marquis looked at him today was a bit "unscrupulous", his eyes seemed to be I have to see through myself and stare at myself, so uncomfortable.

And Miss Lin probably knew why Qingwen came back. After being taken away by the Marquis that day, the news spread to all the servants in the house. That girl Qingwen was so courageous that she even lost her master's face. She refused to refute her, but remained stubborn when she spoke. Of course, there are jealous people and envious people, but I know that there may be more people who are envious. People are spreading this news, and at least she will be the maid of the first marriage in the future.

After thinking about it, they can be regarded as sisters, so naturally there are no other thoughts in my heart. It's just that there are too many women in the Duke's Mansion.

After passing the central courtyard,

In a corner of the courtyard, Caiyun, who had been hiding behind the courtyard wall for a long time, saw the person coming, so he turned around and ran away in a hurry. He ran all the way to Rongxiang Hall, entered through the corner door, and went straight to the second wife's room in the east wing. It's gone inside,

into the house,

Caiyun shouted anxiously,

"Madam, madam, this servant just saw Yuanyang leading Miss Lin into Rongqing Hall. I guess it was the old lady who was thinking about that."

At this time, Mrs. Wang looked over with slight surprise, put down the tea bowl in her hand,

"Did you see clearly that Lin Daiyu is the only one? Marquis Luo Yun is not there?"

"Back to my wife, there are also the two girls serving beside Sister Yuanyang and Miss Lin. I haven't seen anyone else."

Caiyu replied carefully. When the second wife heard that Marquis Luo Yun did not follow, the smile on her face became even stronger.

Just because of the title, don't even think about the title in the Duke's Mansion. After all, the old Duke made it clear when he left. Jia Mu even rejected her idea of ​​letting Baoyu inherit the title, but Lin Daiyu had a If Lin Daiyu married Jia Baoyu, wouldn't it be the best of both worlds? So I thought about it for a long time and got two maids, Caiyun and Caifeng, last night.

In the middle of the night, I went to Rongqing Hall to discuss the matter with the old lady. Logically speaking, the old lady must agree, but thinking about the embarrassment on the old lady's face, I felt a little uneasy. The old lady didn't say whether she agreed or disagreed, she just asked herself to come back. , it will be done when the news is announced. Looking at the situation today, it is possible that it will be done.

But when she thought of Luo Yunhou, the second wife felt uneasy. This was a lawless master. If Lin Daiyu agreed, she didn't know if she could talk to her brother Wang Ziteng to reconcile the matter. If it was not possible, she would ask King Beijing to come forward.

The second wife suddenly ran out of ideas. She was afraid that the matter must have been a fantasy of her own. Regardless of whether others were willing or not, Marquis Luo Yun was afraid that he would not be able to pass this test. At that time, for the daughter of a small official, he could cause trouble in two princes' palaces. , showing no mercy at all, isn’t this just a form of love?

"That's it! Let's leave it as it is. Then you can go down and rest, and let me know when you have a reply."

Caiyun was suddenly at a loss. Just now, his wife was still smiling, but her expression suddenly changed. She didn't dare to ask anymore and replied.

"Yes, madam, this slave is going down."

After seeing the maid leave, the second wife took the brocade cloth and cleaned her hands.

"Cai Feng, follow me to the Buddhist hall. I'll put up the incense sticks and you'll stand guard outside the door."

"Yes, madam." Caifeng responded cautiously, followed the second wife out of the east wing and walked to the Buddhist hall. She did not dare to make a sound along the way and waited on her carefully.

When Lin Daiyu and his group entered the courtyard, their steps slowed down a bit.

Rongqing Hall is right in front. Several people walked around the pavilion, then entered from the back corridor on the left, went directly into the hall, bypassed the partition fence, and entered the inner hall.

"Old lady, Miss Lin is here."

Yuanyang came in first and replied.

I saw Jia Mu, Sanchun and sister-in-law Li Wan having fun here for a long time. As soon as Lin Daiyu came, Jia Mu shouted anxiously,

"My Yu'er, I haven't seen you in the past few days. Why do you feel so thin? Come on, come here and get on the kang to get warmer."

"Yu'er wants to say hello to her grandmother, her sister-in-law, and her three sisters."

Of course, Lin Daiyu couldn't lose her etiquette, and greeted her with a slightly joking greeting, which made Sanchun burst into laughter. Xichun even deliberately stood up, waved her hands, and replied like an adult,

"Nothing, just say hello."

Then Tanchun and Yingchun tickled her from behind, and they laughed and made a fuss for a while. Jia Mu was also amused by Xichun and shed tears. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and laughed and cursed,

"You damn girl, Yu'er is the one you dare to make fun of. You really deserve a beating."

Lin Daiyu, who was teased just now, was stunned. When she saw that it was Xichun who was naughty and made a joke, she also pursed her lips and smiled. The fairy-like look fascinated Sanchun who was still playing around. Not to mention, it was a woman who saw it. Like it too.

Li Wan felt a little sour in his heart. It was indeed the style of Miss Eunuch's family. The ladies could see it at a glance and quickly said,

"Okay, you three, stop making trouble. When Feng girl comes, we'll see if she talks about you."

Upon hearing that Wang Xifeng was coming, Sanchun each stuck out his tongue, straightened his clothes and sat back.

"The eldest sister-in-law is really always trying to scare us with the second sister-in-law. If you didn't know better, you would have thought that the second sister-in-law has a scary appearance. She looks scary just by looking at her."

Xichun was a little reluctant. She spoke back, made a face, and said,

"I am the second sister-in-law!"

After the others laughed, even Tanchun also echoed,

"Look, the second sister-in-law has been taken care of by the elder sister-in-law before she comes. I think if the second sister-in-law knew about it, she would be so happy because she would be remembered every day."

Yingchun, who had always been quiet, also spoke.

"That's right, eldest sister-in-law, the second sister-in-law is talking about you every day now, and you are also talking about her. It's really strange."

"Hey, the three of you have learned to talk back. That's it if Feng Yatou isn't around. I won't tell Feng Yatou when you come back."

Li Wan stared at the three of them, but he was also shocked in his heart. What was Feng Yatou looking at me for? She immediately thought of Mr. Hou and complained. If you want, you should find a chance to tell Mr. Hou that every time you come here, you will come in. In my own yard, how could I tell anyone about the secret of such a boudoir? Or was it because Feng Yatou didn't know how to be funny and didn't please the Marquis?

But looking at Feng Yatou's charming figure, it's a bit strange. Otherwise, I looked for an opportunity to ask her, but sighed again, Jia Lian must be there. It's better not to do this kind of thing, so Quit thinking.

A few people also made some noises, and the old lady was already enjoying herself on the kang. Mother Jia especially liked this kind of slapstick, and she felt relieved and in a better mood.

"Okay, you two, please stop talking and let me take a break. Come on, Yu'er, try this. It's a gift from the palace."

After saying that, he took out the star anise food box from the palace, opened the box and looked inside. There were several plates of pastries. Although they looked small, they had a unique taste. Lin Daiyu didn't know that these things were rare.

"Thank you grandma, Yu'er is blessed,"

Then he sat in a corner of the kang, took a piece, wrapped it in a handkerchief, and started to eat.

Seeing Yu'er eating, the smile on Jia Mu's face became even brighter.

Everyone else looked at it eagerly. When Jia Mu saw it, she clapped her hands.

"Look, I forgot about you. Come over here and have a taste. This one brought quite a lot."

After saying that, he took out an identical food box and placed it on the table. Li Wan stepped forward and opened the food box, holding a plate and placing it in front of the three girls. Then he took a piece of it and put it into his mouth.

"What are you doing here in a daze? You've already been served and you still haven't eaten."

Seeing the three girls staring at him, Li Wan thought there was something on his face, so he touched it with his hand. Although Xichun was small, she was also sharp-tongued, so she reached out and took a piece and put it into her mouth.

"Sister-in-law, I haven't seen you for a long time. Your complexion is getting better and better, and you are becoming more beautiful. What rouge and gouache did you use?"

"Yes, sister-in-law, you seem to have changed. Is it because Lan'er is good at reading?"

Tanchun couldn't see anything, but he felt that his sister-in-law was full of energy and energy. Although Yingchun wanted to say something, both sisters had already said it. She opened her mouth and said only one sentence,

"My sister-in-law is much younger."

Li Wan's expression remained unchanged, but he was shocked. The rouge and gouache were of no use at all. He thought about how diligent the Marquis had been these days. Could it be because of him, who deliberately kept a straight face and scolded softly?

"You are young and good-looking now, but you were not good-looking before. I think you three girls are trying to find trouble today, so I will take this pastry away."

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand to take it away. The three girls were always there to protect him. Li Wan returned to his seat and said nothing more. As expected, the three girls were eating cakes there without saying much.

There was a lot of fun in the hall. Lin Daiyu was sitting there with a smile on her face, admiring Sanchun very much. The old lady was even more smiling. She ate a few pieces with Yu'er.

After Lin Daiyu finished eating the cakes, Jia Mu asked Yuanyang to pour a bowl of tea for Daiyu. She also remembered that the second daughter-in-law came to the house in the middle of the night to discuss things with her, that is, after Baoyu, no matter how rich she is, she will be divided into After leaving the family without the protection of an official body, especially the protection of a noble title, what will I do with my life in the future? The road to the imperial examination is too difficult and not easy to follow.

Jia Mu returned to her by herself, and the family would not be separated for as long as one day, but she was gone.

But I can only ask this, looking at Daiyu beside me.

Jia Mu also leaned back on the kang, half leaning on the quilt, and asked,

"Yu'er, I've been getting used to living in this house for the past few days."

"As for grandma, the house has not neglected her living habits. Sister-in-law Liu in the kitchen cooks really delicious food. Yu'er has never tasted it in Jiangnan."

Lin Daiyu couldn't help but praise Sister-in-law Liu's cooking skills. No matter what, the three meals a day were sumptuous. She had never eaten such delicacies in the south of the Yangtze River.

Mother Jia's face became even happier. Sister-in-law Liu brought it from her own side.

"That's good. Grandma is afraid that you won't be used to living alone. The courtyard to the west has always been your mother's residence before she left the palace. It has never changed. It doesn't matter if you go there. As for other places in the house, you want to go , you can also go for a walk, which is better than staying in the house all the time. There is also a small lake in the backyard. You don’t have to go there by yourself, but you can take others to see it with you.”

"Yu'er knows."

Lin Daiyu nodded obediently. There were so many lakes in the south of the Yangtze River that she was tired of seeing them. However, the beauty of Jinling Mirror Lake was still fresh in her memory. She didn't know when she would see it again.

The more Jia Mu saw it, the more she liked it, and she couldn't help but have an idea in her heart. If she and Baoyu were together, wouldn't it be like a kiss? Besides, Lin Yatou also had a vacant earl title, which was the lifeblood of the noble. Now that he has entered the body, it is not a waste, but there is Luo Yunhou blocking him in the middle. This matter is difficult to handle. That evil star is like a hob.

A few days ago, Jia's mother followed the imperial edict and was also thinking about the matter to see if she could think about the future for the second family. To put it bluntly, it was for Baoyu's future. If Enke failed this time, what would happen in the future scientific examination? Difficult, what will Baoyu do if he is gone and the family is separated?

After thinking about it, the idea of ​​the second family is not unreasonable. Daiyu is now alone. Although she has an engagement, she has not yet married. She also has an earl title with her, which is very valuable. If she can Make peace with Marquis Luo Yun, break off the engagement, and bring Baoyu and Daiyu together. Wouldn't everyone be happy? Baoyu will not have a title, but the next generation of men will be the same as Baoyu. It's just that Marquis Luo Yun It's not easy to get through. Who should I talk to to make peace? Unless I discuss it with his mother, Mrs. Wang, but she will definitely not agree with this matter. Thinking of this is quite a headache, so I'd better ask Yu'er what she thinks first;

"Yu'er, grandma asked you, do you have any thoughts on this marriage?"

(End of this chapter)