Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 536 Meeting Jia Mu in Rongqingtang

Rongqing Hall of Rongguo Mansion,

In the inner hall, Mrs. Wang led the people into the house together. The guards behind her surrounded the front yard of Rongqing Hall. The young servants and maids around saw them, their heads were silent, and their eyes were quite full. With a look of fear, the old women on duty at the door stopped making the usual noise and stood waiting at the corner door. Wang Xifeng naturally saw all this and was even more envious in his heart. Although Jia Lian also had more than a dozen soldiers, he was still the Duke of the country. There are young and strong people left by the old villagers in the mansion, but although those people wear leather armor, they still look like servants of the villagers.

She was really envious, and she held Mrs. Wang's arm even more carefully.

"Aunt, I haven't been here for a while. My niece misses you so much. I was thinking that if I'm not busy these days, I'll go to the Marquis's Mansion to see you."

"Look, Feng Yatou's mouth is like honey. What she says is pleasant to the ears, and I feel happy when I hear it. By the way, what have you been busy with these days? I didn't ask about the Chamber of Commerce. , how’s it going?”

Mrs. Wang gently patted Wang Xifeng's sleeve. Not only was she decent-looking, but she also had a clear mind. She was really likeable.

Wang Xifeng smiled, her face full of spring breeze. It was better to hear her aunt's praise than anything else, and she spoke in a low voice,

"Everything is fine. The Chamber of Commerce is still receiving goods. My niece has been there a few times and everything is in order. Now more than half a month has passed and I don't know where the Chamber of Commerce has gone. My niece is afraid that the Jurchens will be knocked down outside the customs. The descendants of the clan in the house are following me. It is a small thing to lose money, but my family and life are all there, and I feel really uneasy."

Having said this, Wang Xifeng is still a little worried. If something happens, it will be troublesome if he loses both his people and money. Money is all his own. If it is gone, how will he be able to gain a foothold in the house? But Jia Huan and others are all If a member of the clan had an accident and couldn't come back, how could he make it clear? After all, Xu Chang, the manager of the Rongguo Mansion's caravan, was an old man doing business. If he didn't care about it, others would have gossip, which was wrong, the eldest master said. We are planning to organize a caravan, but why has there been no movement?

When Mrs. Wang saw that this girl still looked anxious, she smiled and said, "Pingliao City has been captured by Jurchens. Unless they are people from Wu Yayu's tribe, I don't know what they are like now."

"Don't worry, it's all your own family outside the customs. It's okay. Just keep your heart in your stomach. Shang University has also told me about this trip. The profit from this trip is quite a lot, almost 60,000 taels of silver. After all, this is the first Once you go outside the customs, be more hasty and cautious. I make the decision. Your share will be 20,000 taels. When you come back, you will use a big ship. The starting price will be 100,000 taels. Your share will not be less than 40,000 taels. Two taels of silver, with which I can make a stable living in the future."

Mrs. Wang really meant what she said. She wanted to let Feng Yatou come into the house to help her in those days, especially Jin Yu’s wedding. It was beautifully held. However, in the Rongguo Mansion, she suffered a lot of grievances. She also knew The second lady did something improper. They are both sisters of the Wang family. Why is Aunt Xue so loyal and so eager for quick success? In the Kunning Palace in the harem, Jia Yuanchun has not been seen several times. There must be news.

"Aunt, I."

Wang Xifeng's eyes were red at this time and she couldn't speak. She never thought that the distant Wang family could care about her so much, but her "real aunt" would plot against her like this. How can I put it this way? She lowered her head and finally shed tears.

"Oh, look at you, what a big deal it is, wipe it."

Mrs. Wang took out the handkerchief and handed it over, comforting her.

Wang Xifeng quickly took it in her hand, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and nodded, saying nothing, but there was a quiet change in her heart.

After everyone finished talking, they entered the corner door and greeted the old lady Jia Mu. The happy old lady smiled happily, sat on the kang and ordered the maid to bring tea and water.

"Oh, I'm in a good mood today. It turns out that Mrs. Wang is here. Why do you have time to come to the house of an old woman like me? Counting the days, I haven't seen you for many days. I'm still thinking of you."

"Who says it's not the case? I just came back from Jiangnan some time ago. There are already a lot of things in the house, but these days I have been busy with trivial matters and have no peace of mind. Today I have some free time, so I brought Keqing and the two girls over. Look at the old lady, she’s okay.”

Mrs. Wang took Qin Keqing to the kang where the old lady was sitting, and sat down next to each other. When Jia Mu saw it, she hurriedly said,

"Yuanyang, hurry up, let someone bring some quilts over, so that Madam and the County Lord can lean on them and feel more comfortable."

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang naturally did not dare to neglect, so he took several maids into the back room, took out a few new quilts from the closet in the back room, placed them on the wall behind Mrs. Wang and Qin Keqing as backrests, and then placed a layer of An apricot-yellow quilt was spread on the bed. Mrs. Wang and Qin Keqing got up and sat down again. They felt much more comfortable. It can be seen that this girl Yuanyang is considerate and praised with a smile.

"Old lady, this is Yuanyang. I didn't take a good look at it before, but when I saw him today, he was really considerate. No wonder the old lady is reluctant to part with it. If it were me, I wouldn't agree, but the old lady feels sorry for that boy. By giving it to him, Jin Yu got an advantage, and he kept talking about the old lady's benefit."

After saying that, Yuanyang stepped aside obediently, his face slightly red, and there was still a smile on Goudan's face, which made him feel relieved.

Jia Mu lightly patted her thigh with her hand and shook her head.

"Who says it's not the case? Yuanyang has been with my old lady for so long. She is a good hand both inside and outside. She is willing to give up even if Marquis Luo Yun asks for it. If it were someone else, don't even think about it. But this girl is following you, madam. No matter what, you will always be someone to rely on in the future. You can’t just be good today. When you can no longer see me in the future, it will be too late. Marquis Luo Yun, please don’t worry about me. As long as you can remember my old lady in the future.”

She said it with some emotion, and I don’t know if it was true or false, but Yuanyang looked sad, and she must have thought of the bad things. Mrs. Wang pursed her lips and smiled. After saying this, she sat closer and comforted,

"Look at what the old lady said, I don't know if Jin Yu's child is good or not. Yuanyanghou Mansion has accepted it, and it will be her home from now on. As for this, I have the final say. Yuanyang can run in both directions, as long as the old lady takes good care of her. , she can come to help. We people outside the customs don't have so many etiquettes. Once we arrive in the capital, the girls in our house are no worse than those of high-ranking families or the ladies of the scholarly family. They are all well-educated and sensible. They are so lovable. Overjoyed."

Then, Mrs. Wang turned around and held Qin Keqing's hand in her palm. She couldn't be more satisfied like that. Qin Keqing didn't say anything and just sat with him with a smile on his lips.

Mother Jia also knew that it was Qin Keqing that Mrs. Wang praised. Seeing that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along so harmoniously, she was impressed by Mrs. Wang. It was indeed not simple.

"Madam, what you said makes sense. Look at the county master. He is so gentle and pleasant. The Marquis must like him very much. How can he be like that shabby man who will come to me to complain in a few days? Tell me, what happened to these two couples? Does an old lady care or not?"

Almost everyone sitting here knew that the old lady was talking about Wang Xifeng, and she was the only one who dared to make trouble. How could anyone else dare to cause trouble like this? Speaking of her, he just sent Mrs. Wang outside the door, and she left without knowing it. Where did it go?

suddenly,

Outside the screen, Wang Xifeng's passionate voice was heard,

"Oh, old lady, in just a moment, you arranged for me in front of my aunt. How can I be shameless? I have been waiting for you for so long and I still haven't done well."

I saw Wang Xifeng, put on an apricot-yellow skirt, carrying a gold hairpin, a handkerchief in her hand, and led Ping'er around the screen to come in. By coincidence, her sister-in-law Li Wan followed behind her, and she walked away with Miss Sanchun. They came in, greeted each other, saluted Mrs. Wang and Qin Keqing, and then found their seats and sat down.

Later, more than a dozen little girls came in carrying food boxes. Someone moved the table and placed plates of pastries, fruits, etc., as well as many snacks.

After the arrangements were made, the maids all bowed and left.

When Jia Mu saw more people coming, she became more energetic and said with a smile,

"You're a shabby guy. Just talk about the ones you have and don't have them. You don't know whether they are there or not. That's good. I haven't said who it is, and you admitted it yourself."

Wang Xifeng was stunned. Thinking about it, the old lady did not mention her name, but she was the only one who could do this in the Duke's Mansion. She was speechless for a while, making Li Wan and Sanchun laugh out loud.

"Old lady, you didn't mention your name, but in the Duke's Mansion, it's not obvious who you are talking about. Girl Feng, please take it easy. Besides, who would dare to make such a fuss?" The eldest sister-in-law Li Wan was not polite and said a few words to Feng Yatou. It was rare that Wang Xifeng's face turned red and she was not polite.

"How can you live your life without making a fuss? It's only when you make a fuss that you feel warmer. My sister-in-law talks so rudely,"

I wanted to say more, but the situation was not right and I really couldn't, so I kept silent. However, Li Wan glanced at Wang Xifeng sideways, as if he had a deep meaning, and said no more.

"Look, Mrs. Wang, what are you talking about? She is the only one in the house who dares to talk like that, and I can't control it."

Mrs. Wang was quite happy. Feng Yatou was indeed thoughtful, and she had some calculations in her heart. Even her temper was indeed a bit excessive, but thinking about it, if there were no such things in the Duke's Mansion, those dogs would see I'm afraid I can't control a lowly slave.

"Looking at what the old lady said, I think Feng girl's temperament is to my liking. She is a hundred times better than those people who seem quiet and have many evil intentions. If you want to be a housekeeper, you can't do it without a little temper."

Jia Mu sighed and murmured,

"Who says it's not the case? I'm just saying that, if it's really so quiet, how can we take care of this family? It's not the master who gets offended when he encounters a naughty slave."

"Oh, look, I kept talking about these things. Come on, these are the snacks I asked my servants to buy outside. I don't know when. When the Marquis comes, he always brings these. Every time We feel uncomfortable talking together and eating without snacks."

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit dull, Wang Xifeng changed the topic and pointed to the table full of cakes and snacks, dried fruits, etc. The atmosphere in the hall relaxed. Then when she saw Mrs. Wang and Jia Mu moving their hands, they also gathered around and each took theirs. Eat what you like.

Jia Mu took a piece of sweet-scented osmanthus cake and put it into her mouth. It had some flavor. Although it was not as good as the one in the palace, it had a different taste. She asked,

"Girl Feng, where did you buy this sweet-scented osmanthus cake? It's really delicious."

"Hi, this is from Dongbian Market, Yao Ji's time-honored brand. His family has always made pastries. Last time, Mr. Marquis bought it and sent it to Miss Lin. Miss Lin made another pack for each of us. It tasted really sweet."

Wang Xifeng also picked up one and tasted it. Speaking of Lin Daiyu, of course Mrs. Wang wanted to meet her.

"Look, after being here for a while, you still don't go find Yu'er. You still want to keep these things to yourself."

Mrs. Wang complained deliberately, Wang Xifeng puffed up her cheeks and replied,

"How can I forget that I just sent a girl to deliver a message, and she will be here soon. By the way, Aunt Xue also sent someone,"

"You're talking about my concubine. I haven't seen her for several days now, but what are you busy with?"

When Mrs. Jia heard Wang Xifeng talking about her concubine, she asked. A few days ago, she heard that the eldest son of the Xue family also bought food for the Jia family. In any case, it also brought face to the head of the Jia family, but these days No one was seen, especially the girl from the Xue family, who did not show up.

"this,"

Wang Xifeng was stunned and thought for a moment. It was indeed the case. She really hadn’t seen Aunt Xue in the past few days. In other words, she had seen Xue Pan, the boss of the Xue family, leading a group of clan members to eat and drink, but she hadn’t seen Bao. What Chai and his aunt were doing, but I heard they were busy with some business, the details were unknown.

"Old lady, I was negligent. I really haven't gone over to take a look these days. I don't know what Aunt Xue is busy with. But a few days ago, I met the boss of the Xue family. He led many students in the family to a banquet and also helped It is kind and righteous to help them buy food."

But Mrs. Wang, who was sitting aside, knew that the Xue family's mother and daughter were busy with bank affairs these days, and everyone in the Hou family was helping them, and the plaques were hung up. It was a big thank you to them, mother and daughter.

"Okay, old lady, let's not talk about Feng Yatou. I know that my concubine has to deliver goods from the Ministry of Internal Affairs when she comes back from Jiangnan in the past few days, and then the property in the capital also needs to be taken care of. It's not easy for my concubine either. A woman shows her face."

Mrs. Wang also couldn't see that Aunt Xue was working too hard, so she sent a steward to follow her. If there was a problem, the Marquis Mansion would come forward. Moreover, this business was the business of the Prime Minister Dai Quan and Marquis Luo Yun, and even the people from Sihai Bank did not dare to cause trouble. , I can only watch Yunhai Bank open, but fortunately, it only accepts business from outside the customs, otherwise many banks in the capital will not be able to sustain it.

"Hey, it's really hard on her. At this age, hey"

Jia Mu sighed and had to sigh. If she hadn't left behind a son and a daughter, her life would have been really difficult. She was widowed at such a young age.

Especially in the Rongguo Mansion, the Zhu family's daughter-in-law seems to be happy, but in fact, there is no one who is not bitter in her heart. Only Wang Xifeng still does not know the importance, and she talks about the things in the house, saying that she is not aware of the blessings in the midst of blessings.

And in the courtyard of the small courtyard to the west,

Lin Daiyu changed into green clothes and stood in the yard, turned around and urged anxiously,

"Hurry up, Xue Yan, the old lady has entered the house, what are you still talking about?"

Xue Yan took an embroidered handkerchief from the house, folded it, held it in her arms, and ran over.

"Miss, I found it. The asparagus you embroidered. Come here, old lady. Didn't you want to give it to me?"

"You are quite well-behaved,"

Lin Daiyu put away the handkerchief and entered the middle courtyard.

Turning a corner, I bumped into the Xue family's mother and daughter. They looked at each other, and Aunt Xue immediately walked over with a smile on her face.

"Oh, isn't this Yu'er? What a coincidence. We met her as soon as we arrived here. Come here quickly."

Lin Daiyu didn't expect to meet them here. She took a look at Xue Baochai, with her plump figure, slender arms, and aura of wealth on her face. She also liked it when she saw it.

"It turns out to be Aunt Xue and Sister Hebao. Yu'er is so polite here,"

"What a courtesy. We walked together. When Mrs. Wang came, she didn't say anything in advance and didn't go to greet her."

As he spoke, he walked over without seeing anyone else.

Taking Lin Daiyu's hand, she walked towards Rongqing Hall. When she arrived at the concierge, she held Xue Baochai with her other hand, then she collapsed in and shouted,

"My good sister, why did you come here!"

(End of this chapter)