swear not to be concubine

Chapter 20

Not long after Xu Zhongxuan returned to his study, Cuiping, the eldest maid next to Mrs. Ji, brought a younger maid over to deliver the gift brought by Mrs. Jane.

Qi Sang took it, and immediately bowed slightly, raised the camphorwood box in his hands with both hands, and handed it to Xu Zhongxuan.

Xu Zhongxuan opened it and saw that inside was a red silk inkstone, two boxes of pine smoke ink, and a white jade paperweight.

The red silk inkstone and pine smoke ink are fine, but the white jade paperweight is made of top-grade red sandalwood wood, carved into the shape of an auspicious beast with a Ganoderma lucidum in its mouth, the jade is warm and soft, very precious.

Xu Zhongxuan casually placed the white jade paperweight on the desk.

Years ago, he received a letter from Longxing Mansion. Although the wording in the letter was evasive, the intention of flattery was still vivid on the paper.The county magistrate only said how he was so decisive and cleared up the grievances of his relatives, but in fact he didn't even know that he had a relative named Jane.After thinking about it carefully, he suddenly realized that his fifth aunt seemed to have an older sister who married into Longxing Jian's family.

Then instead of being angry, he smiled.

Such a circle of relationships can still be used by caring people as relatives.

So he took a pen and wrote down the words "handle it impartially", and sent it in the form of an official document, just to let the county magistrate handle it impartially, without worrying about his relatives or other relations.

But now, he is looking down at the white jade paperweight on the table, thinking about what Cuiping said just now, this is given to you by Mrs. Jian's family, so this Jian's family must be the Jian's family in Longxing Mansion Bar.

"Qisang," he ordered, "Jane's family, go and find out what's going on."

Qi Sang agreed, bowed and was about to retreat.But suddenly another servant came to report outside, saying that Caizhu, the maid beside the old lady, had come.

Caizhu had a duck-egg face, with a wasp waist and shoulders, and delicate eyebrows and eyes.She is the most powerful maid beside the old lady Wu.

"Eldest son," Caizhu bowed to Xu Zhongxuan shortly, and said, "The old lady sent her servants to tell you that the fifth wife's natal sister's family is here today, and the old lady will hold a banquet in the flower hall tonight. They pick up the wind and wash away the dust, please be sure to go."

Xu Zhongxuan pondered for a moment, and then said: "Got it." "

Caizhu bowed to him again, and then backed out.

It turned out that when Xu Miaoning took Jian Yan to go out, Mrs. Ji was talking to Mother Tao: "Since my sister has brought gifts for this big family, we must send them to her one by one. Brother For sister-in-law, let Cui Xiao and Cuiping lead the little maids to send them there one by one, and for sister-in-laws, Nanny Tao, you can take the two little maids for a while. As for the old lady, I will Just send it over in person.”

When she arrived at the old lady Wu's place, Wu was wearing glass glasses, leaning on the wooden kang by the south window and reading a thick booklet, a little maid was kneeling in front of her, holding a beauty fist in her hand. Give her a light tap on her leg.

"Mother." Mrs. Ji stood three steps away from Mrs. Wu, with a smile on her face, and called out.

Mrs. Wu closed the booklet in her hand and placed it on the rosewood kang table at hand, then reached out to pick off the glass glasses on her nose, and asked Mrs. Ji to sit down.

Nanny Zhu, who was waiting beside her, hurriedly brought the embroidered piers over.

Nanny Zhu is Wu's dowry maid, and later married a shopkeeper of a restaurant in Xu's family. Now she doesn't always serve Wu's side, but she just comes over when she has time.

Mrs. Ji thanked Mrs. Wu first, and then she sat down. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the words "account book" on the booklet on the Kang table.But she just pretended she didn't see it, and the smile on her face remained undiminished, and she signaled to the two servant girls who followed her to come forward with Mrs. Jane's gift, and said, "This is my sister's kindness to my mother. I must bring it to you personally."

Mrs. Ji took a look, and saw that a servant girl was holding a piece of turmeric woven gold silk with peacock and cloud patterns, and a piece of gold silk with pea green makeup and four seasons flowers everywhere.The other maid was holding two boxes in her hand.Although I can't see what's in the box, but seeing that the box is made of mahogany, I think the things inside are pretty much the same.

Wu's face was full of smiles, and she asked, "When did my sister-in-law arrive?"

"It won't be long before we arrive." Ji replied respectfully, "My sister originally wanted to come to say hello to my mother right away, but I thought about my sister's long and bumpy journey, so I decided to let my sister rest for a while. Yes, I will visit my mother later. I also hope that my mother will not blame my daughter-in-law for arbitrarily asserting it."

Wu Shi nodded and praised: "Your idea is very good. My sister-in-law came all the way, so I should rest first."

Ji listened with a smile on his face.Mrs. Wu said again: "What I mean is, let the kitchen prepare a few tables of banquets in the evening. This is to clean up your sister's family. Second, since the Lantern Festival, our big family We haven't even got together for a proper meal yet. So I took advantage of today's time to call the whole family together, and we all sat together for a reunion dinner."

At this moment, Nanny Zhu smiled and said: "According to what the old lady said, our family has borrowed the light of Mrs. Jian's family."

Both Wu Shi and Ji Shi laughed.

"Look at this old guy's mouth, he's used to making up people." Mrs. Wu pointed at Nanny Zhu and cursed with a smile.

Ji Shi followed suit with a few words, then got up to say goodbye and left.

In the evening, Mrs. Ji led Mrs. Jane and the others to the front yard.

Jian Yan walked behind Mrs. Ji and Mrs. Jian, looking around unobtrusively.

It turned out that except Ji and the unmarried girls of the Xu family who lived in the garden, Wu and her other daughters-in-law and all the brothers of the Xu family lived in the front yard.

The place where Wu lived was called Songhetang.There are three small halls in the front, five main rooms in the back, and two side rooms on the left and right.

After entering the courtyard, there is a pine tree taller than a person in each of the four corners of the white stone cross road, and there are other bonsai flowers and trees, which look infinitely green.

The main room was already brightly lit, and the little maid guarding the door drew up the curtain. Mrs. Ji and Mrs. Jian walked in first, and Jian Yan followed.

Mrs. Wu was sitting on the Luohan bed, holding a girl in a big red coat and skirt in her arms, with a kind smile on her face.There are also several women and boys and girls around.

Seeing Mrs. Ji and Mrs. Jian coming in, Mrs. Wu let go of the girl in her arms.

At this time, Mrs. Ji and Mrs. Jian had already walked three steps away from Mrs. Wu.

"Mother," Ji said with a smile on his face, called Wu, "this is my sister."

Then she turned to Mrs. Jane and said, "Sister, this is my mother."

In terms of seniority, Mrs. Wu was originally Mrs. Jian's elder, and after all, she would live here. Mrs. Jian did not dare to neglect her, so she greeted Mrs. Wu politely and said hello.Mrs. Wu yelled one by one in-laws and sisters, saying that Mrs. Jane is too polite, she welcomes their family to her as guests, why did she bring gifts for them all?It shouldn't be so expensive.

Mrs. Jian laughed and said: "It's not something valuable, it's just my poor heart. Don't be disgusted with it, old lady."

Jian Yan thought in her heart, Mrs. Jian's modesty is really a rich man who wants someone to beat her up.

At this time, Ji called Jian Qing and Jian Yan to meet Wu again.

Jian Qing and Jian Yan also bowed to Mrs. Wu respectively, and said: "I have seen the old lady."

Wu looked at Jian Qing, then at Jian Yan, and said with a smile, "Both of these brothers and sisters look good, just like the people in the painting."

On the one hand, he handed over the meeting gift.

Jian Qing still wanted to decline, but Jian Yan had already reached out her hand to take it in a graceful manner, then bent down and saluted, and said: "Thank you, old lady."

Jian Qing also took it and bowed to thank Mrs. Wu.

Ji led them to meet other people in the room.

Among the elders, one is Ji's second sister-in-law Feng, and the other is Ji's third sister-in-law Yu.In the same generation, the girl's side is what Xu Miaoning said earlier, the eldest sister Xu Miaohua in the second room, the second sister Xu Miaolan, and Wu's niece Wu Jingxuan.On my brother's side, there are Xu Zhongze from the second room and Xu Zhongjing from the third room.

Feng's and Yu's both gave meeting gifts, but between the same generation, everyone just met each other.

After everyone sat down and chatted with each other, a maid came up and whispered in Madam Zhu's ear, saying that the food in the kitchen was ready early in the morning, should I serve it now? vegetable?
Nanny Zhu waved her hand, telling her to go down first and talk later.

The servant girl agreed in a low voice, and before she went out, the curtain over the door was lifted again, and the little servant girl at the door announced: "The eldest son is here."

Immediately after, Jian Yan saw Xu Zhongxuan walking in.

He was still wearing the straight body that she saw him at the gate of Ningcui Xuan Courtyard during the day.In the candlelight, he was tall and tall, with a face like jade.

"The grandson met the grandmother."

He saluted Mrs. Wu, who waved his hand and said with a smile on his face, "I know you are busy. It's just that your fifth aunt's sister and her family are here today, so they called you. Everyone It's also good to have a meal together and see each other."

Jian Yan felt a little surprised when she heard it from the side.

Logically speaking, this Wu family is Xu Zhongxuan's grandmother, but why did she listen to Wu's words as if she was explaining to Xu Zhongxuan?Moreover, when Mrs. Wu spoke to Xu Zhongxuan, she was a little cautious and flattering, but she didn't have the intimacy that grandparents had with grandchildren.

But at the moment when Jian Yan was surprised, Mrs. Ji had already led Xu Zhongxuan to meet Mrs. Jian, and called Jian Qing and Jian Yan to come over.

Jian Qing must have been popularized about Xu Daxue's powerful deeds. Looking at Xu Zhongxuan's eyes is like a child seeing a gorilla for the first time in the zoo. He is in awe, but he can't help but want to get closer Let's see clearly and say a few words.

It was Jian Yan's turn, but she lowered her eyes slightly, not looking at Xu Zhongxuan, then bowed her skirt and called the eldest son succinctly.

Xu Zhongxuan also bowed back, and called Miss Jian in the same concise way, even if they had met each other.

The two sat down, and although Mrs. Wu was talking to Mrs. Jian over there, Jian Yan still noticed that her brows were slightly frowned.Just when he didn't understand what it meant, he suddenly heard the little maid outside announcing: "The eldest lady is here."

Wu's brows furrowed even more tightly.

(End of this chapter)