Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 646 The heart of a slave in Rongguo Mansion
Wang Xifeng raised her eyebrows,
Looking at Ping'er who looked aggrieved, he was furious.

"I've wronged you. You can't do such a small thing well. Bring in some pastries and you can eat some too. We still need to go there today to arrange things and take a look at that girl Lin Daiyu."

Wang Xifeng didn't really blame Ping'er. Some of her own ideas were a bit risky after all. More importantly, she was really tired. She was busy all because of her enemy's affairs. But when she thought of the current situation, Jia Old relatives and old friends can be relied upon for a while, but not for a lifetime.
After all, Wang Xifeng couldn't help but put her hand on her stomach.
"Also, that's all, Girl Lin is not going to go there. Have you put away the prescription that Zixiang gave you last night?"

"Go back to grandma and put it away. I was afraid of losing it, so I copied it again. I put this in grandma's jewelry box."

Ping'er pointed at the jewelry box on the desk, took out a prescription from his purse, and handed it over. Wang Xifeng's expression changed and he hurriedly stopped her.

"Just remember. You should handle this matter in person. Don't let others see the medicine. Make arrangements for people in the hospital to prepare medicine every day. Don't make it public."

"I got it, grandma,"

Ping'er hurriedly put the prescription into her purse, went out to greet a few little girls, brought tea in, put the cakes and tea on the table, and asked the maids to leave.

Wang Xifeng got up, came to the table, and had a simple meal and drink.
"You also sit down and eat something during your free time. I'm thinking about it. I'm very busy today. The Xiyuan family has made arrangements first. I still need to report to the old lady about the matters in the house. Over there in the East House, There’s some movement today.”

Ping'er was not polite, and sat at the table with his grandma. He took a few bites of cakes and tea, and replied following the words;

"Oh, I'm just being polite. It's getting late. I'll go over here first. If you need anything, mama, don't be polite. It's the same with me and Heping'er."

Wang Xifeng's eyes narrowed. The coal mine is a golden pimple. It's a pity that the people who ransacked the house last night were people from the palace, and they couldn't take the words in.
"He was sent away, and you didn't even look at what happened. Last night's incident involved the palace. How can I, a woman, save him? Today, you can still do it as usual. The expenses paid by my sister-in-law are according to Miss Lin." The cost is the same, send someone to tell Sister-in-law Liu, don’t neglect it.”

The stewards paid their respects in unison, which gave Wang Xifeng enough power and put her in a good mood.
"Okay, now that we're all here, tell me if there are any problems,"

"Oh, that's right. What kind of reputation do I have? Just stop complaining in private. Nanny, let's go this way. My sister-in-law lives in the far west. Let's talk as we walk."

After seeing everyone leave,

When they saw the second grandma coming, they hurriedly gathered around and lined up to greet the second grandma.

"Xiandi, wait a moment, Xiandi, if this matter is really over, I will no longer be in charge of the house. Shouldn't we think of some solutions?"

"Manager Qian, Brother Yu really has something to do, so I'll be back soon."

"Grandma, don't worry. Lai Wang is watching over there personally. No one in the Dong Mansion can come in or out. Butler Lai only arranges for people to eat one dish of rice and drink gruel every day. I heard that the servants are all starving and thin."

The eldest man is really getting stronger with age. It seems that his majesty is still the same as before. After looking at the surroundings with vigilance and no one around, he calmed down and came to the door.
Carefully, he reached out and knocked on the door.
"Boom! Boom!"

Several stewards looked at each other and didn't say a word. Only Dai Liang at the front wanted to ask about the purchase of grain.
"Second Grandma, now the Ministry of Internal Affairs is selling grain. Is it necessary for the house to take out the money and buy some more to be prepared?"

Wang Xifeng didn't even look at Dai Liang and refused directly. Qian Hua, who was responsible for the purchase, was not here at all. Dai Liang was speechless and his face was startled.
"Second Grandma, this is low-priced food. This store disappears after passing this village. I heard that people outside are going crazy."

"Okay, we were talking about getting together just now, but now you run away first and leave me there, 豼."

The rest of the stewards seemed to have discussed it, and no one was talking to each other. They arranged their own personnel and went back. Dai Liang was stunned for a while, and he didn't even say a word.

"So be it."

Wang Xifeng's face was full of spring breeze, and her energy suddenly rose up. She greeted her out of the courtyard and walked west along the road. When she arrived at the front courtyard of the Duke's Mansion, there were many stewards there who did not dare to leave.

Wang Xifeng frowned, wondering why he had never heard of the Zhang family and the Li family. Ping'er knew something about it, so he leaned over and whispered,
"Grandma, the coal purchased by the East and West Prefectures is provided by the Zhang family. I heard that they have a small coal mine in the west mountain of the capital,"

He heard the sound of a woman gasping unbearably in the house, and the sound of crying at the end, which made Qian Hua outside the door swallow his saliva and stiffen.

After much deliberation, the title of Dongfu is still important. I have no chance here. But as long as Mrs. You is still here and seeks the title, I can't decide on the family property and other things. Lao Tantan said.

After saying that, he didn’t know whether he was really sad or crying, or just pretending. Qian Hua wiped his tears with his sleeves.
When Dai Liang saw him, it was hard to say anything.
"Let's put this matter aside. The purchase of food will not be completed. If there is nothing else, I will go back first."

He didn't go anywhere else and went straight to the Dongyuan Study Room, which was the room where the eldest master often stayed.
Arrived outside the study,

"Oh, that's nice to say. The monthly expenses of the house are fixed. There is no shortage of food in the house. If there is no food, there is still a lot in the village. Just go outside the city and bring some into the city. , no need to buy it.”

"My slave, please pay your respects to Second Grandma,"

Grandma Wang also lamented that the saint often praised this "niece", but it was a pity that such a good person entered the Jia family.

"I've met Second Grandma, and I want to say hello to Second Grandma."

"What the Second Grandma said is absolutely true. Last night I heard that the Royal Horse Guards raided the homes of many wealthy merchants because of the price of grain. Grandma, the Zhang family, who has some dealings with our Duke's mansion, opened a grain shop in the south of the city. That one, I wrote a letter today, saying that the master’s house was also ransacked, and he wanted to ask someone to come to the house to ask the second mistress for a way to save his life.”

"Hey, Steward Dai, the difference between these words is that you also know that I was the one who committed the crime before. If it weren't for the second wife's face, I might not be able to continue my job as a steward, so I can only hide."

All the stewards were left looking at each other in confusion. Dai Liangliang was a little unwilling. He felt that the Second Mistress was more strict than you were before. If you buy some of the grain and sell it at a high price, you will definitely make a lot of money.
Pity.

"Yes, grandma, slave is listening."

Ping'er said a little uncertainly, feeling that the servants in the house didn't speak very well in private.

Without giving those stewards a chance to speak, they led Ping'er and the others up to Xiyuan.

Dai Liang always felt that Qian Hua had bad intentions, and was afraid that something would really happen, so he kept pushing away, then turned around and left, leaving Qian Hua alone.
After watching people leave,
Qian Hua's eyes had a look of reluctance. After thinking for a moment, the housekeeper Lai Da didn't dare to say anything and could only rely on himself.
Then we followed the path and entered the residence of Jia She, the great master of Dongyuan.
After stopping at the entrance of the courtyard for a long time, I entered the courtyard.

Dai Liang wanted to persuade him again, but was pulled away by a steward next to him.

"Say what you say, there are some things in the house that can be hidden, and what can be hidden may not be hidden from the old lady. Whatever we do is not a big deal, just keep your mouth shut, Hou Don't talk nonsense, my aunt agrees, but we still need to plan, don't eat, and lead the people over first."

Wang Xifeng had never seen anyone acting like this before. She was overjoyed and became more polite.
"Second Grandma is still very grand. I have heard in the Marquis's Mansion that Second Grandma is a hero among women. When I saw her today, it turned out to be true. People in the father-in-law's house are spreading the word about Second Grandma's reputation, especially in the Chamber of Commerce."

He lost interest in being there and wanted to go back to the house in the backyard to catch up on some sleep. As soon as he walked around the corner, he saw Qian Hua sneaking around alone.
"Guanshi Dai, this way, this way,"

"It's grandma,"

"Grandma, do you want to talk to the old lady about this?"

Wang Xifeng put down the tea bowl, took another bite of pastry and put it into her mouth. She took a few bites and swallowed it. After thinking about it, it seemed that the people from the Imperial City Division were determined to seal the courtyard.
As for Lai Sheng, the dog slave did not know how much money Tan Mo had, but the Marquis took hundreds of thousands of taels. Where did these come from?
"At least he has some winks. In this way, I can survive for a few more days with the help of what I purchased before. I don't know what arrangements the palace will make."

Dai Liang came back to his senses and saw that it wasn't the manager Qian who was with him just now. He thought that he didn't stay there before and let himself talk alone. What if he was targeted by the second mistress? How would he live in the future? His expression Whenever Shen walks over, he will scold him.

Ping'er got up, went outside the house, asked the girl to come in and clean up, then found a cloak for grandma to put on, and dressed up in the same way, he left the house.
After receiving the letter, Grandma Wang and others sent by the Hou Mansion were waiting in the yard. When they saw Wang Xifeng coming out, they all saluted.

As a knock on the door rang inside the house, the joyful crying sounds inside stopped.

With an impatient look on his face, Jia She got up from the bed in the back room, sat there in a mess and cursed,
"Someone with no eyesight came over again and disturbed the fun."

"Oh, sir, I knocked on the door but I couldn't go over to take a look. It couldn't be that Second Master Lian is back!"

The person under her was no one else, but Qiu Tong, lying in the quilt with almost no clothes on her body, her hair disheveled, her face flushed with shame, her charming appearance full of charm. Since I obeyed Master Jia She and learned about the taste of food, I have relaxed my body. I have gained money and status, but I am not willing to give up all these.
But I still remember Mr. Lian’s handsome face and that fine body, especially that day when he looked at me as if he wanted to eat me.

Thinking that there was something strange underneath him, but with the majesty of the second mistress there, Qiu Tong was shocked, he might as well live a good life now.

Jia She hummed, and took his fingers back from the quilt. There was something inexplicable on his fingertips. He wiped it with his hands, took the clothes over, and got out of bed.

He went to the front room, sat behind the desk, and cursed,

"Whoever farts out, hurry up!"

Qian Hua looked stunned outside the door and didn't even open the door. This meant that he didn't want to let him in. He pondered for a moment and replied,

"Sir, this servant is Qian Hua, the steward in charge of purchasing in the house. If I have anything, I would like to report to the master."

Jia She was sitting in the room, still thinking about Qiu Tong in the room. He was already on horseback with his gun in hand. How could he hold back? What about Qian Hua and Wang Hua?

"What's the matter? Tell me quickly!"

"Back to the eldest master, the Ministry of Internal Affairs is selling grain at a low price outside. I am wondering if the government should spend some money to buy some. When the price goes up, I can make a profit by selling it. So I want to ask the eldest master for instructions. Don’t buy some.”

Qian Hua asked for instructions outside, feeling uneasy. After all, he had bypassed the second mistress. If the second mistress knew about it, she would definitely have taken precautions. But then she thought about it, if she didn't use the power of the elder, she might really I can't even get a stewardship position.

I have long heard that some people in the house may be moved. Although the servants are spreading the news, I'm sure it was the second mistress who caused the news.

Jia She was stunned. The Ministry of Internal Affairs actually sold grain at a low price. Why didn't he know when the price of grain would rise? The villages around the capital had good fields and there would never be a shortage of grain.

"Master, are you okay? It's been hard for me to endure it!"

With a coquettish call, Jia She's face turned red instantly and his body became hot. Why did he still think about these things?

"If you want to buy it, buy it. Tell the second grandma about this and let her take care of it. Go ahead!"

After saying that, he stood up hurriedly and went to the back room. When he saw Qiutong inside, he pounced and went in. Then he heard a labored breathing sound,
Qian Hua, who was waiting outside, was dumbfounded. What should we do?
This scene had been seen clearly by Mrs. ,
"Mrs. Fei, go over and call the money manager over and ask what's the rush for!"

The old man next to me, Mrs. Fei, nodded, opened the door and went out without walking too close. The boundary of the study room should not be too close. If the elder found out, he would at least get a meal and scold him.
"Steward Qian, the eldest lady calls you over."

When Qian Hua didn't know what to do, he heard his grandma calling him, and his heart moved. He quickly got up and left the study, and walked over.
"It turns out to be Aunt Fei, please lead the way."

Mrs. Fei didn't say much. After all, Madam was watching there. She turned around and walked to the main room. When she got to the door, Madam Xing asked first,
"Okay, let's just say it right there. What do you want to do with me?"

Qian Hua looked at the closed door and saw why Dongyuan now has a rule of asking questions behind closed doors. Without thinking too much, he repeated what he had just said in front of the study door, and also mentioned the second grandmother's question. side;

"Madam, look at the Second Mistress, who controls the treasury, and doesn't do this lucrative business. Isn't it just a waste of money?"

Mrs.

"Okay, since it's a huge profit, just go and say it properly and I'll get it for you. Come back."

When Mrs.

After the people left, Mrs. Fei asked;
"Grandma, why don't you take over this deal?"

"Hmph, if someone as smart as Wang Xifeng doesn't do it, why should we extend our hands? By the way, is there any movement in the caravan at home?"

Mrs. There is still no arrangement to purchase goods!
"Back to the eldest madam, the caravan has always been fine. It has been idle for almost a month now. I heard from the caravan manager Xu Chang that the second grandmother has never asked about this matter."

"Huh? Then she just doesn't want to ask, and she doesn't care about her own business,"

Mrs.

There is also Xu Chang, that dog slave, who keeps silent and leads the caravan people to the south of the Yangtze River every day, talking about buying rare things and bringing back some things from the old relative Zhen's house. I actually see this. I am not planning to buy some goods in the capital to prepare for this man's cheating. I want to think about what can be sold outside the customs and earn more money.
The more Mrs. Xing thought about it, the angrier she became.
asked;

"Mr. Fei, is Xu Chang at home?"

"Madam, this old slave doesn't know. I heard from my servant that the people in Xu Chang's caravan are very busy these days. They say that every time when summer comes, they need to go to Jiangnan to buy some things for summer. In the past, the Xue family would pay a sum of money in advance when they were there."

Mrs. Fei really knew about this matter. When she finished her work every day and took a break, she wandered over to Rongqing Hall with nothing to do. Not to mention helping, she found a few nannies and Mother-in-law, while the old lady was resting, she found a place where no one was around and started gossiping, and she learned a lot of things.

When Mrs.
"The money was advanced by the Xue family. Now that the Xue family has entered the capital and lived in our house, Xu Chang also went to Jiangnan. So who else will advance the money this time? There is a lot of goods in a ship , a trip to the south of the Yangtze River cannot be done alone, right?”

His words were obviously a bit sinister. The big house didn't care about the family, and there was no property income in the village or shop. Mrs.

After all, she just wants to cause some trouble. However, the second wife eats fast and chants Buddha's name every day. Although she doesn't know whether it is true or not, she does it flawlessly. As for Jia Lian's daughter-in-law, she is from the Wang family.

"Back to Madam, I really know something about this matter. When I was chatting there, the women said that this time Xu Chang took all the people away and took them to three boats, and it was the old slave who The second grandma doesn’t even know about the money my wife gave me.”

Mrs. Fei calmed down and thought for a moment. The old woman that day also overheard what Miss Yuanyang was talking about. However, Mrs. Fei dared to talk about Yuanyang. She could only pretend not to know. Mrs. Xing didn't know this. Her eyes lit up. , it turned out to be the old lady who told me. Is there some secret here? Jiangnan Jinling is the base of the Zhen family. Could it be that the old lady has some ideas?
"Since it was the old lady who told me and the money was paid, tell me, is there something else hidden?"

"My wife understands that I can't hide the affairs of Rongguo Mansion from my wife. There are some secrets. Enke is about to come to the capital. There is always hope for Mr. Bao to take the exam. Moreover, Mr. Bao is now older. , The old lady also has the idea of ​​​​proposing a kiss to Second Master Bao, but she is still a little unsure about the girl she wants to marry. "

After Mrs. Fei finished speaking, she hurriedly lowered her head. Who in the house didn't know that Second Master Bao was the old lady's favorite, and he would definitely get involved in the matter of the marriage. They also didn't know that the woman talking about the marriage was the official of that family. Miss.

Only Mrs. Xing's expression changed and her eyes lit up. Jia Baoyu proposed marriage. This was a big deal. Thinking of the second wife's arrogant face, no girl in the family could bear it. Fortunately, the Li family had already married Li Wan, the girl of the Li family. She has a good family background, otherwise, Jia Zhu may not be able to ask for someone to be her daughter-in-law. What's going on here is really,

Mrs. Xing turned her eyes and thought about how she could create trouble for the second wife without letting people notice it. This matter needs to be discussed in the long run. On the other hand, she remembered that she also had a niece in Jinling. Her name was Xing Xiyan. She looked like Ruhua is like jade, although the eldest brother has not been in contact for so many years, he is a mother after all. If he can show affection and reason to her, he may be able to let his brother and sister-in-law live in the capital directly.

The figure of Jia Baoyu flashed in his mind, then the figure of Jia Lian, and finally the figure of Marquis Luo Yun emerged.

"You have to keep an eye on this matter. I think the Second Wife must have discussed it with the old lady a long time ago. Jia Baoyu was born rich. How could she wrong him? How could she want to be the daughter-in-law of the Duke's Palace? I’m going to take a look,”

"What the madam said is that in our house, the old lady loves Master Bao the most. I think he will choose carefully. However, madam, there is also a young man named Jia Zong. Although he is a concubine, after all, She is also a direct descendant of the Duke's palace. It is the responsibility of the old slave to raise her in the yard. If my wife doesn't like it, I still have to find someone to support her. "

Mrs. Fei has been with Mrs. After all, he is the son of the Jia family,

"He, haven't he been raised in the yard, and he has not been treated badly? By the way, where is the Jia Zongren?"

Mrs.
Jia Zong is also a retreat.

"Madam, Master Zong has gone to Rongxi Hall to play with Master Huan."

"You useless thing, go fight that dog and call him back."

"Yes, ma'am."

(End of this chapter)