Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 709: First come, first served, understand?
"Where are all the people?"

Rongxi Hall, in the central courtyard,
The second wife was dressed in white, like the clothes of a cicada in a temple, with a solemn face, and was obviously in a bad mood. She stood under the eaves of Langfang and shouted into the yard.

I heard my wife's cry.

After a while,
The maids Caiyun, Caifeng, Jinchuan, Yuchuan and other maids who were busy in the house ran out quickly and stood in a row in the yard, standing there with their heads lowered and their hands hanging down, not daring to speak. No one knew what was going on. The second wife had been a little angry these days.

Seeing that no one spoke, Cai Feng, the leader, hesitated for a moment. Knowing that the mistress had been in a bad mood these days, she was very dignified.

As a last resort, he stepped out and replied;
"Madam, everyone in the room is here. We were in the main hall just now, cleaning the room, so we came out a little late. Please punish us, Madam."

Caifeng and the others were all panting, some of them were holding rags in their hands, and they were obviously cleaning the house and ran out in a hurry. Yuchuan and the other girls who came later lowered their heads and dared not say a word. It seemed that the Second Madam was in a bad mood these days. She would curse at them at the slightest provocation and sometimes even fight. This never happened in the past. They just didn't know what was going on!
"Hmph, what are you cleaning up? There are only a few things in the main room. You guys haven't finished cleaning up after a whole morning. What are you doing? You are so clumsy and unworthy of being used. Caifeng, tell me, can you make sure that robe is clean?"

The Second Wife was already upset because Baoyu had made a fool of himself in public in Rongqing Hall that day, and was ridiculed by those ignorant maids, especially the girls from the same family. Also, because of the blind date with Miss Meng, such an important matter, there was still no response, not even a word.

I think it won't work. She is just a girl from a civil servant's family, why is she so arrogant? She even blames the old lady for not informing her daughter-in-law about such an important matter in advance. How could there not be mistakes in such a hurry?

In the hall, Baoyu lost face. When he thought of this, he felt resentful and everything went wrong. Moreover, the special examination would start the day after tomorrow and time was too tight. Baoyu did not have enough time to review his lessons. If he failed the exam, he would lose face as well. So he lost his sense of proportion during this period.

"Madam, the fox fur robes I got from the eldest lady have been washed and dried. They have been brought back to the house today and are neatly folded, waiting for Master Bao to use them to get his name on the imperial examination. At that time, Master Zhu used them and got his name on the imperial examination the first time. I think they still have a literary touch to them."

It was originally a nice thing to say, but Caifeng accidentally brought up the matter of Uncle Zhu's imperial examination. Unfortunately, Jia Zhu had passed away long ago, so how could she bring it up?

The second wife's face darkened, and she felt unhappy. She wanted to scold her, but when she thought of the word "literary", it was a good omen, so she didn't think about it. This girl's words should be a good start. It's just a pity for Zhu'er.

"If you can't speak in the future, then don't speak. Focus on the affairs of the mansion. The rest of you, go to the master's study and prepare the four treasures of the study. Bring all the ink-grinding materials. You will need them the day after tomorrow. Do not bring any other irrelevant things. Be careful."

"Yes, ma'am."

Caifeng quickly agreed and waved her hand, asking Caiyun beside her to go to the study to pack up. Since everything had been prepared in advance, they could just pack it up.

The Second Wife thought about the special examination and realized that the things she had prepared were far from enough. She frowned and thought again. During the examination, she had to prepare her own meals and didn't even make naan. Although there were pickles, how could they be eaten? When had Baoyu ever suffered such an injustice?

"Yuchuan, go to the kitchen and ask Sister Liu to make some pancakes for Bao Erye to take with him for the exam. Also, pack the eight-treasure pickles in a pottery jar. Also, take the master's water bag, clean it, and prepare some water. By the way, ask Sister Liu to prepare some dried meat and cakes for Bao Yu to take with him."

"Yes, ma'am, I'll go right away."

Following the Second Madam's orders, several maids left one by one, their steps much faster than usual, as if they were eager to escape from this place.

After watching the maids leave one by one, she thought of Caifeng's words again. Although the fox fur coat had an elegant air, it might not be without Jia Zhu's resentment. What if it delayed Baoyu's future? However, the only people in Rongguo Mansion who had a complete set of fox fur coats were the old lady and herself. Unfortunately, the one she had was a little small and would not fit Baoyu. Only this one would be suitable.
Therefore,
A few days ago, she deliberately asked Jin Chuan to go to Li Wan's courtyard, and without telling them, she went to the warehouse in the west wing where Jia Zhu's belongings were kept, and found the fox fur coat. She did not inform Li Wan either, thinking in her heart that it was just a piece of clothing, so she just took it.

Now that I think about it, there is something wrong with my idea, so I immediately shouted;
"Jinchuan, go and bring that robe over here. I'm thinking about taking a look at it."

"Yes, ma'am,"

Jin Chuan, who had just walked a few steps away, stopped immediately when she heard the lady's instructions, bowed and agreed. Although she was puzzled, she did not dare to be negligent and returned to the main hall alone.

She took out the fox fur coat that had been hung out to dry and folded. This fox fur coat had a history. It was a dowry of Old Lady Shi. It was very rare at that time. The collar and cuffs were made of fox tails, with brocade lining and fur on the outside. Ordinary people had never seen such a good one, and even servants like them had never seen such a good one.

It was just that in his early years, Uncle Jia Zhu passed the provincial examination, but unfortunately he caught a cold during the examination and was left with a chronic illness. Upon seeing this, the old lady gave this piece of clothing to Uncle Zhu so that he could prepare for the autumn examination. Unfortunately, fate was cruel and after the autumn examination, although his name was on the list, he did not survive and passed away. The fox fur coat was then kept by Grandma Li Wan, and the old lady did not take it back, as if she had forgotten about it.

unfortunately,

Now the Second Wife was thinking about it again and took it away, but she still had some shadow in her heart. After all, it was Grandpa Zhu's relic, and she might as well feel some literary and resentment.

Seeing Jin Chuan hesitating and holding the robe over, the Second Wife was reminded of her father by the sight of the robe and her eyes gradually turned red. If only Zhu'er was still there, it would be great. There was no need to expect Baoyu to go out and make a living. It would be better to keep him in the mansion and let him live a leisurely life.

But now, Baoyu has to go through the hardship of taking the imperial examination, which is not something that everyone can endure.
"Follow me into the house, place this robe on the altar, and put some incense ash on it."

"Yes, ma'am."

Jin Chuan did not dare to think too much, so she followed the second wife into the Buddhist hall. When they entered the house, they found that it was filled with antique furniture. There was a bookcase on the west side, which was filled with Buddhist scriptures.
After walking around the screen and entering the inner room, it was empty except for a large altar table placed at the east end, on which were enshrined the Buddha and Guanyin Bodhisattva.

She took a secret glance and quickly retracted her gaze, silently chanted "Amitabha", lowered her head and did not dare to look around. When she came to the altar, she put her robe on the side of the altar, grabbed a handful of incense ash from the incense burner, gently sprinkled it on the fox fur coat, wiped it with her hand, and then slowly stepped back and waited.

"Madam, it's done!"

"Well, that's enough, you can go back to work,"

"Yes, ma'am, I'll take my leave."

Jin Chuan lowered her head, bowed to the second wife, slowly stepped back, went to the outer room, hurried out of the room, and when she was outside, she turned around and closed the door, leaving the second wife alone, kneeling on the cushion in the Buddhist hall.

The second wife was worried. She lit a bunch of incense, knelt down and kowtowed sincerely, muttering "Buddha may bless you" and so on.

But in Jia Baoyu's yard,
The room is much quieter now. There are no more fights between Jia Baoyu and his maids. The west room, in particular, has been cleaned up and turned into a study room in accordance with Master Zheng's instructions, specifically for Master Bao to read. In the yard in front of the window, the servants were asked to move a rockery and put it there, saying that it is to block some evil spirits. Therefore, once you enter the yard, you cannot see the layout of the yard directly.

Musk Moon and Xiren were in the inner hall, rummaging through boxes and cabinets, each preparing clothes for Master Bao to take with them. They kept picking and choosing, not knowing which one to choose. Only Jia Baoyu was sitting listlessly in the study, lying on a chair in boredom, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind, and he couldn't muster up any energy all day.
He was still thinking about the figure of the girl from the Meng family that day. He didn't know if he had never seen her before, she was so tall, with a plump breast and a big butt. He always felt that this girl was attractive to him. But when he thought of Lin Daiyu's beautiful face and elegant expression, his heart ached. Why didn't Sister Lin look at him straight in the eye? She was so determined to do that. What's the point of being a concubine in the marquis's mansion? Isn't that living under someone else's roof? Marquis Luo Yun was a strong man. How could he bear it?

He glanced at the scriptures on the desk again and felt even more annoyed. The exam would start the day after tomorrow and would last for another three days. How torturous it would be.

Just thinking,

In the inner room, Sheyue and Xiren also packed their clothes. After all, it was an exam, so they couldn't bring too many clothes. They could only wear a thin jacket and a long gown.
Then they took the cakes and tea that had been prepared long ago from the table outside, each of them carrying a tray, and they tiptoed to the study.

Just walked in the door,

Seeing that Master Bao was in a bad mood, Musk Moon looked at Xiren and felt a little worried. Master Bao had been unhappy these days. Could it be because of the imperial examination?

Xiren came over and asked with a smile;
"Oh, my dear Master Bao, what worries you? Why are you so unhappy? I just brought some steamed cakes from the kitchen. They are your favorite. Please try them first."

Regardless of whether Jia Baoyu was willing or not, she reached out and pinched one and handed it to Jia Baoyu's mouth. Although Jia Baoyu, who was lying on the chair, was a little reluctant, he did not stop her. He opened his mouth and took a bite. It was soft, sticky and sweet. It was really the work of Sister Liu.

Seeing that he had eaten, Xiren heaved a sigh of relief, and Sheyue also smiled. She poured a bowl of tea and leaned behind Master Bao.

"Master Bao, if you have any troubles, please tell us two sisters. Maybe we can find a good way to make you happy," Jia Baoyu said listlessly, still half lying there. He felt weak all over when he thought about participating in the imperial examination.
"What can I be worried about? It's all about the Enke exam. It's over so soon, and I haven't even finished reviewing the Jingyi Book and Strategy yet."

After glancing at it, Jia Baoyu saw that there was still half of the book left. He swallowed the steamed cake in one gulp, sat up, drank a sip of tea, and then picked up the book and started reading it carefully. If he passed the imperial examination, would Sister Lin look at him more?
But this made the two girls who served him a little surprised. Master Bao had changed so much, wasn't it too fast? Musk Moon wanted to ask, but Xiren pulled her sleeve to stop her. She glared at her and pulled Musk Moon out of the study.

When she got outside the study, Musk Moon pouted, somewhat reluctantly.
"Sister Xiren, you dragged me out before I even finished talking. Why didn't you ask more questions?"

"Why are you asking? Didn't you see Master Bao reviewing his lessons? There are only two days left. If you linger there and are seen by the Madam, you will be in trouble."

Xiren had nothing nice to say. Among the people in the room, Sheyue was the most troubled. Now was a critical moment for Master Bao, and she could no longer give in like she usually did. So, she had a rare serious look on her face.
When Musk Moon saw this, she pursed her lips but did not dare to refute.

"Good sister, don't be angry, aren't you just feeling sorry for the Second Master?"

"Okay, clean up the table in the inner room. I'll go to the kitchen to see if Master Bao has prepared the meal."

Seeing that Musk Moon had surrendered, Xiren didn't say anything more. They were all from the same courtyard, so the better for her to help out more. After giving the instructions, she took the two maids, left the courtyard, and headed for the kitchen.

Musk Moon just stomped her feet twice in anger, and had no choice but to go into the house alone and put away the messy clothes. After all, Xiren's words still carried some weight in the courtyard.

Ningrong Street,

Zhang Jinyu was riding on a horse, with the sun above his head, looking helpless. As a marquis, he had become an invigilator. Who could he complain to?
Looking back, I saw several large cars following me. I didn't have to worry about the previous incident, so I just treated it as a vacation.
"My Lord, what about the five carts of wine? The brothers in front reported that the more than one hundred personal soldiers prepared by the Marquis' Mansion have already gone to the palace with the things, and the brother who just delivered the message has also followed them."

Ning Bian's face turned red. Just now, only one wave of personal soldiers were sent to deliver the message. When they were in the East Market, no one was sent to deliver the message, so the people in the Marquis' Mansion went first.

Zhang Jinyu paused. It was just a coincidence today. Forget it. He would not go back home.

"Then don't go north, go directly to Chongwen Gate, and when they enter Hanyuan Hall, immediately set up tents. All personal soldiers will sleep in the tents. No one is allowed to enter the hall without reason. Ningbian, go inside and give the brothers some advice."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

Ning Bian clasped his fists and responded seriously.

As for the wine sent by Her Royal Highness the Princess, it was said to be five carts, but there was not much. One cart had six jars of good wine, which was only thirty jars. Just take it with you, in case it can quench your thirst.

"Take all the wine and drinks, there aren't many. Also, send someone to tell Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang, to go to Hanyuan Palace tonight. Don't wait until tomorrow, because Master Chu Nian is here."

"Well, yes, sir, but sir, isn't it a bit bad to rush them like this? It's only been noon and we're already going to their house to deliver a message."

Ning Bian felt something was not right. It was not a good idea to be so anxious when it was not the time yet.

Zhang Jinyu hummed, it seemed that it was indeed not a good idea. He was not here to collect debts, and it was not right to block someone's door while they were having a meal. It was really rude.

"Yeah, that's true. Let's wait until everything is settled and then send someone over later. Anyway, we have to find him tonight, otherwise I'll be unhappy."

Zhang Jinyu yelled a lot. She was not only unhappy. Ever since she went to the Prime Minister's residence to attend the wedding banquet and met him once a few days ago, this person has disappeared without a trace. There is no news from him. No one knows what he is busy with day after day.

Looking at the streets again, there were not many people around, so I waved my hand.
"Brothers, go directly to Chongwenmen, hurry up, it's so hot,"

immediately,

The convoy speeded up a bit.

The squeaking sound of the carriage wheels made people feel a little irritated, but then they saw the tavern on the corner, which was very lively. They didn't know what kind of meat was being stewed, but the aroma wafted over and whetted their appetite.

Zhang Jinyu swallowed his saliva and glanced at the sky. Damn, isn't this torture?

But if I stayed to eat, these things would be a bit eye-catching, and the key point was that there were people waiting at the palace gate. Well, I had to bear with it.
"Ningbian, go to the tavern at the corner of the street and see the owner. See what kind of meat he is cooking. Buy some and come back. See how much is available and buy more."

"Uh, yes, Lord Marquis,"

Following the direction pointed by the Marquis, as expected, the aroma of meat wafted from the tavern on the corner of the street.
"My Lord, if you are hungry, why don't you eat before leaving?"

Ningbian also tried to comfort him with good intentions.
Although Zhang Jinyu was tempted, she had so much to do, so how could she waste time?
"There's no time. The palace is still waiting."

"I've said too much. I'll go now."

Ning Bian also knew that the Marquis had a hard time, so he pulled the reins, turned the horse's head, and galloped over.

Then he rolled off his horse,

Entered the tavern,

"Boss, what kind of meat do you cook in your house?"

entered the door,
Ning Bian was in a hurry, so he shouted to the shopkeeper,
The shopkeeper turned around and saw that it was a military officer. He did not dare to neglect him.

"Sir, you came at the right time. It happened to be the young master's turn. When I opened the door in the morning, I collected two deer legs from the hunter. I have been stewing them for the whole morning. The heat is just right."

Squinting,
The old shopkeeper replied with a smile, this kind of high-quality flesh color is not common.

When Ning Bian heard that it was venison, his eyes lit up. It just so happened that the Marquis had been a little tired recently, and venison could help him replenish his body. Without thinking, he slammed ten taels of silver on the table.

"Boss, I will pack all the venison in lunch boxes. Just pack as much as you have."

"Uh, this."

I thought the shopkeeper would agree immediately, but he looked a little embarrassed and hesitated.

Just wanted to ask,
Suddenly a voice came from the stairs.
"Who is so blind that he doesn't understand the first come first served rule!"

(End of this chapter)