Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 376: Green Jade Tastes Beauty

Xuan Tomb Mountain, Panxiang Temple, and the back hall.

In Master Xiushan's room, Zhishao was chatting with her master, talking about the past two years in Shenjing.

When Miaoyu saw that her master's smile softened and his spirits improved after seeing Zhishao, she was very happy and quietly left the room.

He entered his room, took out his collection of tea trays and tea utensils, and washed them with clean water.

He opened the blue and white porcelain jar with a ghost face on the bottom shelf, took out the collected snow water from it, boiled the water on the stove, and made a pot of tea.

……

In the VIP guest room, Xing Xiuyun and Jia Cong showed a tacit understanding after just a few words, and the vague barrier between them was removed.

Xing Xiuyun has a simple nature, indifferent interests, is still young and innocent, and she chats very harmoniously with Jia Cong.

After a while, Jingxuan came out from the inner hall with an extremely exquisite tea tray. On the tray were carved golden crabapple flowers and intricate images of clouds and dragons offering longevity. It looked simple, delicate, noble and elegant.

Jia Cong came from a wealthy family and there were many precious daily utensils in his house, but this was the first time he had seen such an exquisite tea tray.

On the tea tray was a square iron kettle with a pattern of plum blossoms, auspicious snow and welcoming pine trees, and two teacups of different styles, both exquisitely crafted and in a simple and elegant shape.

Jingxuan smiled and said, "Just now when I went into the inner hall to prepare tea, Junior Sister Miaoyu had already made tea herself, using the snow she collected from the plum blossoms in the back mountain four years ago as a courtesy to the guests."

Xing Xiuyan laughed and said, "That's rare. Four years ago, there was a heavy snowfall on Xuanmu Mountain, and the plum blossoms bloomed exceptionally well that year.

I remember that Sister Miaoyu collected a jar of plum blossom snow and buried it deep underground for several years. She was reluctant to eat it. This time, she heard that Sister Jinghui had returned, so she took it out from underground.

I didn't expect that I would treat my cousin first. I was lucky enough to have a good meal, and I benefited from it."

Jingxuan picked up the square iron kettle on the tea tray and poured tea into two exquisite teacups.

Jing Xuan picked up one of the cups and handed it to Xing Xiuyan. The cup was small in shape, shaped like a bowl, with a soft and elegant yellow color. There were three characters in seal script inscribed on the wall of the cup: Dianxi Cup.

Jing Xuan said: "Junior sister said that you have used this rhino cup before, so let you use it."

He then brought another square green jade cup from the tea tray and presented it to Jia Cong for a taste.

Xing Xiuyan looked at the green jade bowl in Jia Cong's hand with her beautiful eyes, with surprise in her eyes.

She has always known that Miaoyu is a noble and aloof person who is not used to being close to others.

This green jade bowl is Miaoyu's own teacup and has never been given to outsiders. Even when he drinks tea with her, he only uses the Dianxi cup in his hand.

However, she was willing to give her green jade bowl to her cousin. Although it was a little strange, it seemed that her cousin had sent Jinghui back, and Miaoyu was grateful to him, so she treated him with such courtesy.

Jia Cong naturally knew the value of these two teacups, and the green jade bowl in his hand, which was soft and smooth to the touch, was an extraordinary treasure that belonged to Miaoyu for her own use.

The tea in the cup tastes light, but the water is soft and gentle, with a hint of plum fragrance in the tea aroma, refreshing and refreshing.

A cup of tea can actually bring out such a wonderful flavor.

Jia Cong knew that Miaoyu was proficient in the tea ceremony, but only by experiencing it personally could he realize to what extent she was proficient.

Master Xiushan was a Buddhist nun of high moral character. Her spirit was beyond the five elements, meaning that the four elements were empty and her mind was not attached to material things.

It was impossible for her to teach Miaoyu such a refined and sophisticated tea ceremony, as this was inconsistent with the Buddhist principle of emptiness and inaction.

The snow from plum blossoms is the water, the jade antiques are the utensils, and even the tea tray for the cups is a treasure. Even with the luxury of the Ning and Rong mansions, Jia Cong has never seen such precious tea sets.

Rumor has it that Miaoyu came from a family of officials. Because she was weak and sickly when she was young, she found many substitutes and entered Buddhism, but none of them could resolve the problem.

Later, only by becoming a monk with his hair untied was he able to get rid of his illness, disasters, and worldly sins.

In the past two years, during her free time, Zhishao would often mention Miaoyu to Jia Cong.

Therefore, Jia Cong knew many details that he had not known before, such as the fact that Miaoyu followed Master Xiushan to become a nun at the age of five.

Before the age of twelve, relatives would visit during every festival and bring many valuable daily necessities.

Although Miaoyu was just a nun who practiced Buddhism with her hair uncut, her life was no different from that of other wealthy and powerful ladies.

After the age of twelve, perhaps because family members died one after another or for some other reason, no relatives came to visit me anymore.

The only reason she could master tea drinking to such an extreme was due to the influence of her original family.

What kind of family could raise a person like Miaoyu, whose priceless tea set was turned into just an ordinary personal belonging... ?
……

That night, Jia Cong moved into the courtyard where he had lived two years ago, which had been cleaned by Miaoyu and Xing Xiuyun in advance and looked as good as new.

Zhishao was helping him make the bed and fold the quilt in the room.

This courtyard left a deep impression on Zhishao. Jia Cong had lived in Xuanmu for a long time and tried different ways to please her every day.

Not only did he find opportunities to talk to her every day to relieve her boredom, but Jia Cong also bought all the clothes, hairpins, jewelry, sweets and snacks in Gusu City.

Zhishao, who had forgotten the past, was deeply moved, but it was not yet to the point of being together through life and death.

It was in the early morning of that day that Zhishao was abducted by the assassin hired by Cui Bowang. Jia Cong risked his life to rescue her, which made Zhishao fall in love with him forever.

This small courtyard means a lot to them and is full of ups and downs and warm memories.

Zhishao helped Jia Cong make his bed, boiled some hot water and filled a teapot with it, then placed it in a ventilated place to cool so that Jia Cong could have some when he was thirsty at night.

She also picked a lot of wild flowers from behind the mountain, tied them into a bundle with a hairband, and inserted them in a porcelain jar by the window. The whole room then became bright and lively.

She also took Jia Cong's clothes to wash, and went to the yard to wash them, humming a little tune, and it was obvious that she was in a very happy mood.

……

Seeing her busying around in the room, Jia Cong smiled and said, "You look so happy. What good news have you got? Tell me about it."

Zhishao looked at him and smiled, saying, "Third Master, could it be that you are as proficient in the innate divine numbers as our master, and that you can predict them so accurately?

I talked with my master and my senior sister this morning. My master said that she had a wish to go to the Muni Temple in the capital to study the ancient palm leaf scriptures. She also said that when you return from Jinling, she will bring my senior sister to go with us.

How wonderful is this? No wonder the master said that you have a precious destiny. If I follow you, I will be able to turn good fortune into good fortune and everything will be satisfactory. It really is true."

What Zhishao saw as an unexpected surprise was just the original context of the matter to Jia Cong.

He also knew that after Master Xiushan arrived in Shenjing, she eventually passed away in Muni Temple.

Before his death, he left a will, saying that Miaoyu was facing a great calamity in her life and that she needed to stay in Shenjing to resolve it, and she could not return to Panxiang Temple.

After that, Miaoyu lived in the capital forever, which is why she later received an invitation from Mrs. Wang and moved into the Rongcui Temple in the Grand View Garden.

Later, as the Rongguo Jia family gradually declined, Miaoyu's ending became confusing, with many different opinions and no clear conclusion.

But now with the appearance of Jia Cong, he believes that the original situation will definitely change.

Of course, these are all later stories for Jia Cong.

He and Zhishao were both revisiting their old place. Returning to this familiar courtyard, they felt deeply moved and were both happy.

They sat together and talked for a long time, then Zhishao returned to the inner courtyard of Panxiang Temple.

Now that she is back in the temple, she naturally can't keep watch at night or stay by the bedside like she did at home.

After Jia Cong stayed in Xuanmu Mountain for one night, he said goodbye to Zhishao, Master Xiushan, Miaoyu, Xing Xiuyun and others early the next morning.

One person returned to Tielingguan Ferry and hired a boat to go to Jinling. …

Jinling, Hongwen Street, Sihai Money House.

Hongwen Street is located in the core district of Jinling City. It is bustling with people and is dotted with various luxuriously decorated restaurants, tile houses, teahouses, and brothels.

Sihai Money House is located on the left side of the center of Hongwen Street. It is not the most expensive location, but it is the store with the largest storefront.

Sihai Money House is one of the largest money houses in Jinling. It has been in business for fifteen years. It has a large amount of silver in its vaults and a good reputation for deposits and exchanges.

In recent years, the maritime trade business in Jinling City has flourished, giving rise to many local wealthy maritime traders.

Moreover, foreign merchants from various coastal states of the Great Zhou and from various countries in the East and West all gathered in the great city of Nanjing, and the amount of trade and silver flowing in every day was innumerable.

No wealthy businessman would carry half a cart of silver to do business, so in recent years, the business of the famous money houses in Jinling City has been very booming.

The Sihai Money House located on Hongwen Street not only has a long history, but also has an owner with a strong background.

The major shareholder of the money house is the famous Jinling Zhen family, and the other small shareholders are also well-known figures in Jinling City.

Therefore, many sea merchants like to deposit and exchange silver here.

……

On this day, just like every other day, the Sihai Money House was bustling with people and business was booming.

There were many merchants who came to deposit and exchange silver, and there were also many customers who went to the money shops to store their items.

Because, in addition to its main business of depositing and exchanging silver, Sihai Money House also provided archiving services that were popular in the Jiangnan region.

Many families choose to deposit valuables in the safekeeping files of well-known large banks for the purpose of theft prevention or because it is inconvenient to collect them at home.

Among the crowds of people coming in and out of the front hall of the money shop, a fifty-year-old man with pale hair walked out of the shop with a disappointed look on his face.

He crossed the street and walked a few dozen steps before stopping at a nearby street corner where a carriage was already parked.

He got on the carriage, in which sat a handsome young man with bright eyes that could not be looked at directly, and a slightly delicate demeanor.

The young man saw the old man coming back empty-handed and asked, "Uncle Wei, didn't you get your things back?"

The young man was none other than Zou Miner, who had changed her hairpins into a hat, and the fifty-year-old man was her old family member Wei Bo.

Last month, Wei Bo, a close family member of the Zou family, was being hunted by the Magistrates' Court and fled all the way to Shenjing to find Zou Miner.

He also gave Zou Min'er the secret box that her father had asked him to keep. The secret box contained the savings file of Sihai Money House.

When Zou Min'er went to Nanjing on business, she took this loyal old family member with her.

The Imperial Chariot Division was an inner court agency specially authorized by the imperial power. When she went to Nanjing on business, she held the Imperial Chariot Division's inspection token in her hand. All the clerks in the government offices along the way had to give way to her. Naturally, she was not afraid that anyone would embarrass Wei Bo again.

Moreover, her old man had been a fierce soldier in the army when he was young. He was accustomed to the outside world and knew how to keep his tracks. He did not cause any trouble along the way.

Wei Bo said, "Miss, I took the deposit slip to the counter to pick up my things, but the clerk looked at the slip and checked the account book and said that there was a contract for this deposit.

The depositor needs to be present to confirm that it is him/her before the deposited items can be retrieved. Moreover, the depositor was not the master, but a middle-aged woman. Naturally, I couldn’t get the items when I went there.”

Zou Miner turned her gaze and asked, "If we find a middle-aged woman to pretend to be the victim, can we get the things?"

Zou Min'er used to be the daughter of an official and had never been to a money shop, so naturally she knew very little about the rules and regulations of a money shop.

Wei Bo smiled bitterly and said, "It's not that easy. I have found out everything. The deposit and withdrawal contract requires not only the depositor to be present to withdraw the item, but also the signature and seal must be verified. It is extremely difficult to impersonate someone else.

Because it is a contractual deposit, in order to ensure the safety of deposit withdrawal, the bank will describe the depositor's appearance in detail in writing in advance, and it is very easy to find someone pretending to be someone else. "

When Zou Miner heard this, he felt a little troubled. He didn't expect that his father's deposit ticket had so many requirements and he couldn't take things out easily.

Wei Bo added: "Later I told the clerk at the bank that there were many women in my family and I didn't know which one had come to deposit the things.

I gave him another five taels of silver as a reward, and he told me that the woman who deposited the items was called Gu Yanzhen, and that she had paid the five-year deposit fee in one lump sum, so there were only three years left.

"Miss, I have never heard of Gu Yanzhen. Why would the master give her such an important thing to keep? Could it be... could it be that she is the master's mistress?"

……

Zou Miner glared at Wei Bo after hearing this and said, "What concubine? Don't talk nonsense. Gu Yanzhen is my mother's maiden name. It's my mother who stored the things."

Wei Bo was stunned when he heard this and said, "Miss, I know the wife's name, but it's not this name?"

Zou Min'er sighed, "I now understand a little bit. My father must have asked my mother to store things under this name to hide it from others!"

Seeing Wei Bo's puzzled expression, she continued, "My mother was given this name by my grandfather when she was born, but she has been weak since she was young and often suffers from long-term illnesses.

Later, a lame Taoist priest with great Taoist skills came from Jinling and said that my mother's name was not a good one, as it conflicted with her horoscope and had the effect of bringing bad luck.

He just needs to prescribe a few doses of herbal medicine and ask the family to change their names, and the illness will be cured.

My maternal grandfather has always believed in these Taoist teachings, so he changed my mother's name and asked her to take the medicine prescribed by the lame Taoist priest. As expected, my mother's illness was cured, and she became healthier from then on.

So my mother was called Gu Yanzhen before she was five years old. After that, she changed her name and never used this name again.

Because it happened so long ago, no one except my grandparents knew that my mother had this name.

And because the lame Taoist was so magical, my grandfather was in awe of him and never mentioned my mother's original name to anyone, for fear of bringing illness to her.

Now, my grandparents have passed away for many years, and even if someone has heard of this, they would not know my mother's old name. However, one time when we were free, my mother and I mentioned this old story to my father.

So only my father and I know my mother's old name!"

Wei Bo was somewhat stunned, and then said, "But the wife has passed away, so the things that the master has stored away can no longer be taken out, right?"

Zou Miner said: "My mother was a rich girl before she got married, but after she got married she became a lady in the inner house, not a relative of the family, and few people recognized her appearance.

My father asked my mother to deposit some money in a bank and used an old name that was little known. Others would never have thought that the deposit was actually related to the Zou family.

Father has paid five years of deposit fees, so there are still three years left. There is no need to rush. The item will not disappear. It will be safer if it is kept in Sihai Bank, where no one will know about it."

Then he asked, "Uncle Wei, you are always by your father's side. What do you think he keeps?"

Wei Bo replied: "Although I am the master's follower, the master does not allow me to interfere in official affairs, so I don't know much about it."

At this point, Wei Bo's tone was a little hesitant: "Miss, there is something I don't know whether I should say or not..."

Zou Miner glanced at him and said, "There are only two of us left in the Zou family now. If there is anything that should not be said, please go ahead, Uncle Wei."

Wei Bo said: "After the master passed away, people outside were saying that the water inspectors under the master colluded with the Japanese wanderers and looted 20 to 30 ocean-going ships in the open sea.

The looted gold, silver and foreign goods piled up like mountains, but until now, the government has not been able to find these treasures. When the Zou family was searched, although they also had a lot of wealth, it was far less than what was looted.

So, will the master deposit some of his wealth in a bank to prepare for a rainy day?"

Zou Miner turned pale when she heard this and said, "If my father only saved some gold and silver, what use would it be to me? It's completely meaningless!"

Now, no matter how much gold, silver and other valuables she has, it cannot wash away the shame of being a slave in the Jiaofangsi.

Moreover, Zou Min'er had read the documents of the China Railway Corporation. Each of the foreign ships that were robbed under the order of her father had dozens of crew members, which added up to nearly a thousand lives. She didn't dare to think about it anymore...

However, Zou Min'er thought again that although her father had committed numerous blood debts, he was not a mediocre person. He was a scheming and resourceful person, not a simple miser.

He solemnly handed the storage vouchers to his trusted family members for safekeeping, just in case. Could it be that only a pile of gold and silver would be left behind?
(End of this chapter)