Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 729 How Jia Zhu Got
Rongguo Mansion,
In Rongqing Hall,

Old Lady Shi was still sitting on the kang with a solemn look on her face, thinking a lot in her heart. Was there someone trying to make trouble for the Rongguo Mansion again? Who could it be? Wasn't the Ningguo Mansion enough? Did they want to involve the Rongguo Mansion as well? After thinking about it, it was impossible. After all, at critical moments, even the people in the royal family needed stability.

I thought someone would come in faster, but after waiting for a long time, no one came in, and I asked anxiously;
"How come he has been gone for so long and hasn't come back yet?"

The person she was asking about was Wang Xifeng. She had called someone to take care of something, but now she couldn't even see anyone. Yuanyang was also a little surprised. She had been waiting at the door for a long time. When she heard the old lady asking, she walked out of the house and looked into the yard. Indeed, she hadn't found the Second Madam yet.

He turned around and went back into the house, answering the question in the inner hall.
"Don't worry, old lady. I think it's Second Grandma who is having trouble. After all, there are many people outside, and some things need to be explained clearly."

Following Yuanyang's words of consolation, everyone should have followed suit, but now no one spoke. Sanchun and Lin Daiyu were talking about something in private, and Li Wan kept silent. The second wife had an unpleasant look on her face. Only the first wife, Mrs. Xing, had a ruddy face and a desire to see what was going on. Seeing that no one was talking, she spoke.

"Oh, old lady, just wait patiently. This girl Feng went out alone, so we must ask her clearly. There are so many people, and they are talking at the same time. Shouldn't we listen carefully? Instead of complaining, we should find a way to deal with it. By the way, who came up with the bad idea of ​​not allowing the children of the family to participate in the special examination? Is there any selfish motive behind it, deliberately tarnishing the reputation of the Jia family?"

Ben was speaking in a good tone, except for the last sentence, which made the second wife look stiff and hateful.
Not to mention the old lady, the host was in the wrong, how could she listen to it?

"Old lady, don't just sit there and watch the joke. The titles of the Rongguo Mansion are all in the eldest house. You are not the one who has been tainted by the infamy. Now we just want to get over it."

Grandmother Jia had never liked Lady Xing in the first place. Although Lady Xing's words just now were not sarcastic, they were sarcastic. She was implicitly blaming the Second Madam, and everyone understood. Grandmother Jia had been holding back her anger, thinking that her repeated warnings in the past had been in vain.

Mrs. Xing didn't know if she was determined to not give in tonight, so she put down the handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile;

"Yes, what the old lady said is right, but Rong Xi Tang is inhabited by the second son's family. When it comes to the housekeeper, it is not the eldest son's business. There are selfish people inside and outside. The person who planted the disaster is not solved, and others are implicated in the disaster. What kind of logic is this?

Besides, haven't you heard that for this special examination, as long as you register and hold the examination ticket, you can get two taels of silver? There is also a saying among the people that to cut off someone's financial resources is like killing their parents, and to block someone's future is even worse than that. I don't know who came up with the idea to let her solve it, but I can't let this person ruin the reputation of the Jia family."

Mrs. Xing's words were well-reasoned. Although she was not well prepared, she was good at talking, and I don't know where she learned it from.

Upon hearing this, the Second Wife looked at him fiercely, stopped spinning the Buddhist beads in her hand, and snorted coldly.
"Hmph, that sounds nice. If you don't know me, I would think you are the head lady of Rongguo Mansion. According to what you said, everyone has their own business to deal with. But your eldest wife has committed so many crimes in the past, especially the woman you found from the Jiaofang Bureau, which involved many civil servants. Even so, you still can't forget other people's wives and daughters. If it weren't for the old lady's help, the Jia family would have lost all their dignity over the years."

"you,"

Mrs. Xing was immediately furious. What the Second Madam said was all because Jia She was possessed by a ghost. He went to the Jiaofangsi specifically to look for the families of officials who had committed crimes. Although he couldn't buy them, it was good to have fun for a few nights. From then on, Jia She could often be found in the Jiaofangsi. The key point was that every time there was a new person coming to the Jiaofangsi, he could be seen.
gradually,
Jia She of Rongguo Mansion had a reputation for liking other people's wives and daughters, which aroused the disgust of many civil officials. As a result, many people came to make trouble, especially the censors, who wanted to report Jia She for a few mistakes. If the old lady had not intervened and confined Jia She, he would have been reprimanded by the emperor long ago.
The key point is that, at that time, it was the Second Wife who went out to speak and inquire about the news. In this way, it was Mrs. Xing who was being silenced.

Seeing the two of them exposing each other's shortcomings in front of the younger generation, how could Grandmother Jia still bear it?

"Shut up, everyone. Do you still have any dignity left?"

The two men saw that the old lady was really angry, and they knew what was good for them. Their faces turned red and they snorted in anger. The others also looked unhappy.
Just at this time,

Wang Xifeng brought Ping'er in with a sullen look on her face. She had just called for help, but no one came. Instead, they all dispersed. It was not that the matter had been resolved, but that she was worried about her own children. She went back to check first. She didn't know what would happen next.
Just entered the house,
around the screen,

The inner hall was completely silent, and everyone looked unhappy. It was obvious that something had happened. Wang Xifeng didn't know what it was, so she looked towards Li Wan, only to see that her eldest sister-in-law also had a serious expression on her face.

Wang Xifeng did not speak, but sat down in her seat. As soon as she sat down, she heard Jia Mu ask:
"Feng girl, what's going on outside? Where are the people?"

"Oh, old lady, everyone has gone back for the time being. After all, Jia Rui and Jia Qin were seriously injured and in the government office, so the two elders were worried and left first. Although they have dispersed, judging from the looks of the two elders, they will definitely not let it go. If they cause a commotion in the Shuntian government office, it will be difficult to deal with!"

Wang Xifeng was not worried about them causing trouble in her house. It would only bring shame to the Jia family. But if they went to the government, it would not be a shameful matter.

Grandmother Jia also knew the seriousness of the situation. After thinking about it, she decided that she also needed to stabilize them.
"In Shuntian Prefecture, Feng girl, you take a visiting card and ask someone to go there to bring the Jia family's children back, and ask Lord Xu to suppress the matter. As for the special examination, it's not that the old woman looks down on them, but none of them is suitable for studying. She just wants the two taels of silver. You can give 20 taels of silver to all the students in the school, and say some good words, and it will be done. Give 50 taels of silver to Rui Ge's family and Qin Ge's family to use for their recovery. You can go and talk to the clan elders in person."

As expected of an old lady, she managed to make such a difficult matter clear in just a few words. The old lady was still very experienced. Everyone in the hall was secretly shocked, especially Madam Xing and the Second Madam. They lost their tit-for-tat attitude and did not speak.
Wang Xifeng didn't dare to say anything more. She hadn't expected that the matter could be resolved by the old lady in just a few words. She was stunned for a moment, nodded, but there was still one thing she didn't know whether she should say. She glanced at the second wife and hesitated for a moment.
How could the old and experienced Lady Jia not know this?

"Feng girl, do you have anything else to say?"

"Madam, there is one more thing."

Wang Xifeng didn't know whether she had made up her mind or not. After all, it would be troublesome if those concubines in Ningguo Mansion kept harping on this matter.

"Tell me all at once. I want to see what other talented people the Jia family can produce."

It's not that Grandmother Jia looks down on the people of the Jia family. Except for the two dukes, the rest are mediocre and just wait for death. Even if they are the children of the master's family, if her two sons are like this, what future can they have?

"Yes, old lady, this matter is a bit strange. The elders of the Ningguo Mansion and the concubines are all saying that Brother Zhu's death is strange. How could he be gone all of a sudden on the day of passing the imperial examination? And it's not just one person who is talking about it, so."

Seeing the faces of the people in the hall becoming increasingly grim, Wang Xifeng gradually stopped talking.

The first one to react violently was the second wife, her eyes immediately turned red and she burst into tears.

"My poor son!"

That wailing sound chilled the hearts of everyone in the hall, and Grandmother Jia's face was also filled with sadness.
"That's all I have to say. Is there anything else strange? Why didn't anyone say anything when the tribe was holding the funeral? Huh?"

The slightly angry words also made Wang Xifeng at a loss for words. She could only pass on the outside talk, "Old Madam, they all said that before the announcement of the results, Brother Zhu was fine. Some people even saw him. He didn't look sick. As for what happened later, since we are not the main family, no one dares to ask."

"Humph, who dares to ask? I didn't dare to ask before, but now I dare to ask. Second brother, tell me, what happened at that time?"

Unexpectedly, the second wife just cried, wiped her eyes with a handkerchief, and replied with a sobbing voice;

"I just caught a cold and couldn't stand it. The medicine didn't help. During those days, the old lady was by my side, so if there was anything wrong, how could she not know?"

The second wife's words roughly explained the situation. In addition, Li Wan was Jia Zhu's wife and had always been serving him. She knew everything.

Everyone looked at the eldest sister-in-law Li Wan, who looked pale and had no idea what she was thinking. She smiled and asked with tears in her eyes;
"What the Second Madam said is ridiculous. My husband had caught a cold during those days, and his condition has improved a lot. Two days before the results were announced, the Second Madam led two maids into my husband's room. In the afternoon, when my daughter-in-law came back, she saw my husband's face was not right in the yard. I don't know why, but his condition got worse at night. The day the results were announced was supposed to be a happy day, but things did not go as planned, and my husband passed away. Woo woo."

A burst of sobbing made the atmosphere in the hall even colder. The second wife couldn't believe that the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family would have such thoughts in her heart. She didn't even have time to wipe away her tears, let alone other people.

Wang Xifeng had no idea what was going on. She thought that the elders were deliberately finding fault and pointing out some of her mistakes, but she didn't expect that what they said was true. In this case, "Sister-in-law, you really dare to say anything."

Seeing that the occasion was over, Jia's mother's expression changed again and again, and she ordered:

"Everyone, go back and rest. Don't talk too much about anything. Zhu's daughter-in-law, the dead cannot be resurrected. It's good to lean against a big tree to enjoy the shade. Some things and some words should be said carefully. Feng girl, send her back to rest first."

"Yes, old lady,"

In other words, the old lady said so. All the women in the room left, leaving only the second wife who was still a little surprised and Mrs. Xing who looked relieved sitting there, unmoved.
Grandmother Jia saw the expressions of the two people. She suddenly felt tired in her heart and couldn't help but think of the folk saying that wealth cannot last for more than three generations. Could it be that the Jia family's huge family business could not be passed down?

"You two are both daughters-in-law of the Jia family, both with the surname Jia. If something really happened to Rongguo Mansion, you can still sit here safely. Look at Ningguo Mansion, the plaque is still there. If something happened to the master's family, Madam You would have nowhere to go."

Then he was not relieved and spoke more harshly.
"Let's not talk about others. For the eldest family, if Rongguo Mansion is really gone, you still have your mother's family to go back to? For the second family, although the Wang family is rich, if it really comes to this, can you go back to the Wang family? Isn't your sister a ready-made example? Think about it carefully. Should this matter be suppressed? You two give your opinions and go back to think about it. Do it yourselves."

After saying this, Jia's mother felt dizzy. Seeing this, Yuanyang hurried over and helped the old lady into the east room to rest, leaving the two ladies sitting in the inner hall, looking at each other in silence.
Only Wang Xifeng,
With a bitter face, he supported his eldest sister-in-law and returned to the West Garden, complaining;

"My dear sister-in-law, what's wrong with you tonight? How dare you say such things? What about the second wife?"

She also didn't want Feng girl to complain. There were already a lot of things to do, and the old lady was in a bad mood. If this happened, the eldest sister-in-law would be blamed by the old lady in the future, and she didn't know what would happen. However, the old lady wouldn't say much, but the second wife might not say the same.

Li Wan was walking in front, wiped her tears, stopped, and replied with a firm face;

"Whatever happens, it's just that I can't stay any longer, so I'm going back to the old house. I'm sorry to Jia Zhu. His death may not have been caused by the second wife. He was almost getting better, but that day he went out for a walk and caught a cold again. No medicine could save him. I don't know what the second wife said to him that made him want to die like that. This matter has been in my heart for a long time. Now that I've told you, I can finally let go of the knot in my heart. Alas."

Looking at her sister-in-law's expression, she felt angry and it didn't seem like she was lying. When she saw that she wanted to go back to the Li family's old house, Wang Xifeng immediately became angry. How could she let her sister-in-law go? Not to mention what the Marquis would think, even if Aunt Wang in the Marquis's Mansion knew about it, she would definitely be in trouble. It would be fine if these things were suppressed. It would only make the ladies feel unhappy for a few days after hearing about it. At most, they would not go there to pay their respects.

"Oh, my dear sister-in-law, you can talk and complain, but don't be too anxious about some things. You should stay at home and take care of yourself first, and then wait until Lang Ge'er is through with his exams. You must take care of yourself first. Don't you still have me for everything?"

Wang Xifeng almost pointed out directly that you don’t need to worry about these things, she has taken care of them all. As for those gossips, wait until the elders are settled. As the old lady said, if the men of the Jia family are really promising, how could there be the situation today? Those people from Ningguo Mansion came to Rongguo Mansion to cause trouble because something happened to the head of Ningguo Mansion, and that branch of the clan was worried about the future, so they came to beg for food.

The two walked along the bluestone path in the west. Li Wan couldn't help but touch her belly with a complicated expression. Especially today, she mentioned Jia Zhu again, which made her embarrassed. She didn't say that she felt unfair. There was indeed something strange about Jia Zhu's death due to illness. It had been buried in her heart for many years.

"Feng girl, whether it is true or not, only the Second Madam knows clearly. Although so many years have passed, it seems like yesterday to me. Lang Ge'er is my only thought. If there is no room for us mother and son, just let us go."

Li Wan expressed her deep affection and made up her mind that if she really couldn't stay in the mansion any longer, she would take Lang'er and Suyun back to the old house to live together. Leaving this deep mansion would be a relief. She thought that when her father was still alive, he would support her. Unfortunately, she had no brothers to support her, only two unmarried sisters.
Wang Xifeng opened her mouth, and seeing that her eldest sister-in-law had spoken like this, she knew that she had made up her mind.
"Sister-in-law, if that's the case, then that's the last resort. As the saying goes, don't fight for bread, fight for face. I think the things we discussed before won't be too far away. No one can do anything about it as it's stuck at the Enke level. But after the Enke, it won't be delayed for too long. There must be an explanation for the Ningguo Mansion. I think it's time for Master Jing to come back. It all depends on what Brother Lang can do this time and what his fate is."

Wang Xifeng suddenly understood a lot today. She had to make some plans for herself. In the past, she felt a little guilty when she thought of these plans. However, it was not necessarily that someone deliberately did this to put her sister-in-law in this situation. Not to mention the death of Brother Zhu, she had seen it with her own eyes since his death. How could she say that her sister-in-law had fallen from the wife of a housekeeper to this?

"Fate is predetermined. Since Lang'er is lucky enough to enter the special examination, it means that there is still hope. As for how he will do, it is useless for me to worry. As a woman, I can only do this for him. Whether he succeeds or not is his own business. As for what you said, I think it is right, so I will wait."

After Li Wan finished speaking, she felt exhausted. She stopped at the courtyard gate and continued:
"Feng girl, be careful."

After leaving some words, he and Suyun went into the courtyard, leaving Wang Xifeng and Ping'er standing there in a daze.

a long time,

Ping'er asked carefully with mixed feelings;

"Grandma, shall we go back?"

"Of course I'm going back. I'm busy with a lot of things. I just thought about it. Why did I make trouble at this time? The one who led the trouble at Ningguo Mansion was Jia Qiang.

I also heard that Jia Qiang has a good reputation in Ningguo Mansion. In this case, his intentions are obvious!"

Wang Xifeng had a cold face and thought about it carefully. Who would stir up these things for no reason? She thought it was really Jia Rui and Jia Qin, but the person who cared the least was ignored and was the most suspicious. The title of Ningguo Mansion was not just her, but many people were eyeing it.
(End of this chapter)