The little girl of the landlord's house

Chapter 140

More than a month passed in the blink of an eye, Zhou Tianhao did not mention the matter of going to the Tangshan military camp, but he became more and more busy on weekdays, and sometimes he disappeared for a day or two in the blink of an eye. Xie Yujiao also knew that he couldn't let go of those trivial matters in the court I don't blame her, anyway, she usually reads the account books in her spare time, and goes to the store to have a look when the weather is cool. Now living in the city is naturally much more convenient than living in Xie's house before.

This day happened to be the [-]th day of the seventh lunar month, begging for a coincidence, a few days earlier, my aunt sent someone to the palace to deliver a post, asking her to come over today. It turned out that Mrs. Kang took their eldest mistress to the Xu family to propose marriage to Xu Huiru.

The eldest aunt also didn't know how to socialize with these people, so she counted on Xie Yujiao to go over, so that she wouldn't be too rude.

Speaking of which, Xie Yujiao had never seen Mrs. Kang. She entered the palace that day, although she knew that they had all come to the wedding banquet, but as a bride, she was in the room all day without seeing any guests.Even so, Master Youkang usually talked about himself in front of Mrs. Kang, so he would not be too unfamiliar.

Knowing that Xie Yujiao was going out today, Zhou Tianhao waited for her to go with him.After the two of them had breakfast, Xie Yujiao went into the room and changed her clothes again. After all, Mrs. Kang whom I met today is the second-ranked wife, so she must pay attention to it.

Seeing Xie Yujiao's radiant appearance, Zhou Tianhao only smiled and said, "Mrs. Kang is the best friend, you'll know it when you see it."

Xie Yujiao then smiled and said, "I'm afraid I'll lose your face, otherwise people will talk about it, how come this girl that Prince Rui wants to marry with all his heart looks like an ordinary girl?"

When Zhou Tianhao heard the words, he just kept talking, stepped forward and took Xie Yujiao's hand and went outside together.

Because Zhou Tianhao had to go elsewhere, he didn't sit in the carriage with her, but rode a hard-earned BMW and walked side by side with Xie Yujiao's carriage.Xie Yujiao rolled up the curtain, saw that the sun had come up outside, and only asked him, "Let the young man lead the horse, and you come up and sit down."

"No, it's good. You put down the curtains and watch out for the air-conditioning inside." The carriage in the palace is highly regulated, and the carriage is surrounded by ice pits. It's cool and refreshing inside, but it's scorching hot outside.Seeing that Zhou Tianhao was determined not to come in, Xie Yujiao let him go.

Not long after, I arrived at Xu's house in Kuutong Lane, and just passed the entrance of the alley, the doorman saw it sharp-eyed. He hurried in and opened the gate, moved the carriage mat and came out, waiting for the carriage to be stable. The mother-in-law came up to meet her and said, "My wife wants to come in person, but it's too hot outside, and she's fit again."

Xie Yujiao saw that it was Mother Zhao who was next to her aunt, and she also knew what she said was true, so she let her help her out of the carriage.Zhou Tianhao on the side also got off his horse, walked up to Xie Yujiao and said, "I won't come to pick you up in the afternoon, you go back earlier, I may be back later tonight, you don't have to wait for me."

Saying this in front of the servants, Xie Yujiao felt a little blushing, but also felt sweet in her heart, so she picked up the handkerchief, wiped the sweat from Zhou Tianhao's forehead, and said: "I see, you Go about your business."

Zhou Tianhao was happy for a moment, so he took Xie Yujiao's hand and kissed it, then happily got on his horse and left with Yun Song.Xie Yujiao stood at the door for a while, and seeing all the servants lowering their heads obediently, she felt blushing for a moment, not knowing how to get out of the siege, when she heard a voice coming from behind the shadow wall inside.

"Cousin, you are here. I wanted to go to the palace to see you a few days ago, but my mother refused to let me go." Because of the hot weather, Xu Huiru walked out all the way, her cheeks were a little rosy, she was wearing a dress There is a lavender orchid embroidered collar and a pink pair of breasts. On her head is a flying swallow hairpin with eight treasures holding pearls, and a little powder on her face. It looks like it has been specially dressed.

Seeing her sweating as she walked away, Xie Yujiao said, "Why did you come out in person? It's so hot outside. Let's go in first."

Xu Huiru nodded and said, "Mother still wanted to come out, but I stopped her." Xu Huiru paused as she spoke, her cheeks were slightly flushed, but her face was a little bit happy, her eyebrows and eyes were curved.

Seeing her like this, Xie Yujiao just patted the back of her hand and said, "Is this what you want? In the blink of an eye, you will become the number one lady."

When Xu Huiru heard this, her face became redder and her ears became redder. She lowered her head and didn't speak all the way, only pulling Xie Yujiao inside.

After arriving at the door of Chuihua, I saw my aunt waiting on the porch.She is showing her bosom now, although her clothes are loose, she can still see her round belly.

"Jiaojiao came early." The aunt just opened her mouth, and realized that she had said something wrong, she only smiled and said: "Look at me, it's hot, and I can't sleep in the morning."

Xie Yujiao didn't react for a while, but when she understood, she couldn't help but blushed, and the three of them entered the hall together, and they felt a little cooler.

Seeing that Baozhen and Baozhu were not inside, Xie Yujiao asked curiously, "Why are Baozhen and Baozhu not here? Could it be that they are still lazily sleeping at this time?"

When the eldest aunt heard the words, she just smiled and said: "Your uncle invited the embroiderer and Mr. to learn homework in the morning and needlework in the afternoon. They are very busy now!"

In the early years, Xu Yuxing had only one daughter, Xu Huiru, so she was very strict. Before she lived in Xie’s house, the two gentlemen took turns to attend. Later, when they came to Xie’s house, Xu’s family was spoiled. Fish and those who hang out on the net for two days are not as strict as before.

"It's true that girls should be able to read and write, not to mention others, if Hui Ru married Mrs. Kang now, how beautiful would she be with her red sleeves?"

Seeing that Xu Huiru was doing well, Xie Yujiao couldn't help but blush when she talked about herself again.For a while, the little maid came in again and said: "Mrs. Kang brought the young lady of the Kang family and the aunt of the Kang family together."

The aunt and grandma just hurriedly shouted for people to come in, and got up and went out by herself.Xu Huiru twisted her handkerchief nervously, raised her head and took a peek at Xie Yujiao, Xie Yujiao then smiled and pulled her along and said, "Let's go, mother-in-law, sister-in-law, and sister-in-law are all here, you still don't behave well."

Xu Huiru became more and more embarrassed when she heard the words, Xie Yujiao only joked: "Don't blush anymore, or Mrs. Kang will think you have too much rouge on, and it won't look good."

Seeing Xie Yujiao making fun of herself again, Xu Huiru hated her teeth, but she didn't dare to delay, and followed her aunt to the outside of the second door.

As for why Aunt Kang's family also came with her, there are some stories here.

It turned out that Zhou Tianhao was playful when he was a child, and many rich kids didn't want to get close to him. Mr. Kang was the only one who was honest and never disliked him. The two of them had a very deep relationship when they came and went, so Zhou Tianhao stayed at Kang's house for a few days from time to time. , So some brother-sister feelings also developed with Ms. Kang.

It's just that Zhou Tianhao is naughty and unrestrained, which is really not a good match for Ms. Kang.After the death of the first emperor, no one could be his master. Miss Kang could only indulge in infatuation and hate, obediently listen to the arrangement of the family, married her lover early, and now she is the mother of two children.But even so, young and first love is so easy to forget, so Aunt Kang heard that Princess Rui was coming, so she went back to her mother's house in advance, just waiting for the meeting today, so that she can see where she is The god of the road was able to subdue Zhou Tianhao, a monkey.

Xie Yujiao didn't know about these old things, but she just looked at Zhou Tianhao's skin, and knew that the other party's chances of making a wrong payment without knowing his nature were actually quite high.The three greeted them out of the second door, and saw that Mother Zhao had brought Mrs. Kang, the young lady of the Kang family, and the aunt of the Kang family.

Mrs. Kang is nearly half a hundred years old, and there are already a few strands of white hair on her sideburns, but she looks very energetic, her eyes are full of energy, and although she is thinner, she looks very kind.

The eldest grandma of the Kang family is supposed to be a few years younger than her great aunt, but she looks younger with proper maintenance.

Standing on the right side of Mrs. Kang, the eldest aunt of the Kang family is about 23 or [-] years old.

Mrs. Kang looked at the three people who came out to welcome her, she also recognized Xie Yujiao at a glance, she just stepped forward and saluted, "Greetings to Princess Rui."

Although Xie Yujiao has a noble status now, she is a junior after all, and she only paid back a full gift.When everyone came together one by one, the eldest aunt hurriedly invited them to sit in the living room.

In fact, according to Kang Guangshou's current conditions, even though Xu Huiru is going to do the continuation, the Xu family is now Baiding's family. Although there are relatives like the Xie family, it is actually a bit far away to be able to get close to Prince Rui's mansion.Kang Guangshou wanted to find a better family, but he may not be able to find it, because of the southward relocation, how many young girls who are waiting for a marriage are now worrying about not being able to get married!

It's just that Mrs. Kang is a person who loves her son very much. When Kang Guangshou fell in love with her, she liked her a little bit at first, and then sent someone to inquire around. Knowing that Xu Hui is such a dignified and quiet girl, she felt more at ease.

Today, when she came in from the outside, she took a look at her from a distance, and she only felt that Xu Huiru was quiet and gentle, with delicate features and a face of a goose egg, so she liked it even more.At this time, I sat down for a while, and my heart fell to the ground. I just cut straight to the point and said to my aunt: "My second child is not too young. Now that I can settle down, I feel relieved."

The eldest aunt's due date is at the end of the year, and it's only July now. She knew that Xu Huiru would be old enough to leave the court soon, so she had already started preparing various dowries.She is a stepmother and Xie Yujiao's aunt, and she only cares more about Xu Huiru. During the time Xu Huiru has lived here, she has always been courteous, fearing that something would make her unhappy, and the two of them are actually closer than their biological mother and daughter.

Hearing Mrs. Kang's words now, I am quite anxious to let Xu Huiru pass through, after all Mrs. Kang is indeed not young.The aunt thought for a while, and then said: "The girl's family is big, so she will naturally leave the cabinet, but I have only been in the house for half a year, and many things have not been fully prepared. According to our master, there are a few eclipses in October. Jiri, I wonder what Madam would like?"

Mrs. Kang lowered her eyebrows and thought about it for a long time, silently calculating in her heart, it is only July now, if she can get through the door in mid-October, there are still three months to go, and many things can indeed be arranged.It's just that now that she sees that Madam Xu is still pregnant, it would be a little embarrassing for her to worry about these things.

"October is really good, but..." Mrs. Kang glanced slightly at the aunt's belly, and she was still a little worried.

The aunt also noticed it a little bit, but she was too embarrassed to speak, so she heard Xie Yujiao say: "Madam Kang, don't worry, my uncle originally only had Huiru as a daughter, so the dowry has been prepared for many years, and now it's just a dowry." Some furniture and utensils are still available in two or three months. I will help my aunt more, and I will definitely not delay the good life of Mrs. Kang and my cousin. Now Mrs. Kang only needs to choose a good day, and wait for it to be decided. Get down, and follow the rules.”

Mrs. Kang has always heard Kang Guangshou praise Xie Yujiao for being smart and capable, she can be regarded as a heroine in the Jiangning area, and sometimes her words are more effective than that of the county magistrate.Now that what she said is well-founded, I felt more at ease, and nodded and said: "With Princess Rui's help, that would be the best. As for this day, I will go to Linggu Temple in two days After paying homage to Master Tianhong, I sent a message to my wife."

The great aunt who called the wife of the in-laws was so excited that she didn't know how to agree for a while, so she just kept saying yes.The aunt of the Kang family over there lingered on Xie Yujiao for a while, then finally lowered her head and took a sip from the cup of tea beside her.

Why didn't Xie Yujiao notice the scrutinizing eyes of the aunt of the Kang family.Ordinarily, they came to propose marriage to Xu Huiru, so Xu Huiru should be the one to be inspected, but the aunt of the Kang family only stared at Xie Yujiao, so it can be seen that she must have come to see her specially.

Xie Yujiao also bowed her head and took a sip of tea, remembering that Zhou Tianhao had never mentioned this person before, so she felt that it didn't matter to her.

Everyone changed another cup of tea and chatted for a while.The aunt brought out Xu Huiru's embroidery to show them, and everyone praised Xu Huiru again. Seeing that it was almost noon, they got up and left.

The eldest aunt, Xie Yujiao and Xu Huiru sent them outside the gate of Yi, watched them get into the carriage, and when the carriage reached the corner, they turned back to the yard together.

Inside the carriage, Mrs. Kang still had some joy on her brows, and said with a sigh of relief: "I heard that this girl has lived in the country for a year, and I was worried that she might have acquired the bad habits of those village girls. How could she know that she is so gentle and virtuous, and she has a rare good-looking appearance, and she is good at sewing."

The young lady of the Kang family on the side only smiled and said, "I really want to congratulate my mother-in-law. I finally found a daughter-in-law who suits me. The second child's vision is pretty good. I can't help but see Miss Xu." I like her, she has a very kind face, and she is easy to get along with at first glance." The eldest young mistress is now in charge of the middle school of the Kang family, if Xu Huiru is easy to handle, she will naturally like it the most.

"Thinking about your second younger brother who went away back then, if they weren't too stubborn and insisted on following your second brother on the road while pregnant, why would they end up with such a disease in the end? Now it seems that we owe them a daughter in the Yongchang Houfu It seems." When Kang Guangshou said this, he couldn't help but sighed, and continued: "But this is also fate. Speaking of which, the Xu family is also the third house of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, and the family affairs are not too bad. .”

After hearing this, Young Mistress Kang only smiled and nodded, and said: "I think Miss Xu and her stepmother are so close, it will definitely be good to the third young master in the future, even if they have their own children, they won't Treat the third young master harshly, in exchange for [-] sentences, even if she has her own child in the future and neglects the third young master a little, then the third young master still has you as a real grandmother! No matter what happens, she will not be pitiful."

After hearing this, Mrs. Kang felt a little more relieved. She raised her head and saw that her daughter, Aunt Kang, was silent, and knew what she was thinking. Her eyes immediately became more serious, and she just said, "You also saw This is Princess Rui, although she looks younger, she is very responsible, even your brother is full of praise for her, what else do you have to say."

Aunt Kang showed a bit of self-mockery on her face. After thinking about it, she said, "What can I say? I'm already a mother of two children. What else can I say... It's just that I didn't understand it at the time. Now Look, about this kind of girl is what he likes."

Mrs. Kang saw that Aunt Kang's words seemed to be filled with unrequited love, so she just lowered her face: "Prince Rui was so unrestrained when he was young. Although your father praised him as extremely smart, he never could be quiet for a moment. Otherwise..." There are some things that I really can't say, so Mrs. Kang can only press down the words and continue: "Okay, after you go back with me in a while, go back to your in-law's house earlier, it's nothing serious. It is not appropriate to say that the child has left behind and returned to her natal family."

"What's wrong with this? My elder brother is going to continue, so why don't I take a look at the newcomer?" Aunt Kang said, with a bit of relief on her face, she just gritted her teeth and said, "I'll listen to you, clean up in a while. go back."

In the main room of the Xu family, the eldest aunt had already ordered her servants to set up lunch, all of which were Xie Yujiao and Xu Huiru's favorite dishes.When Xu Yuxing lived alone, there was not even a cook at home. Later, after the eldest aunt passed through the house, she asked someone to find a chef in the city who had retired from a restaurant to cook at home. Because of this, Xu Yuxing now likes it more and more. Went home for dinner.He happened to go to Lin'an these few days, so he hasn't come back yet. Only his aunt and grandma brought a few children at home.Before Xu Yuxing left, he specially invited several reliable nursing homes to take care of his wife and children at home.

The cook of the palace is an imperial cook, and his skills are good, but in comparison, Xie Yujiao prefers Xu's home-cooked dishes. This fried stinky tofu is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. It smells stinky when asked, but it tastes amazing.But these dishes were eaten secretly when Xu Yuxing was not at home, because Xu Huiru told the eldest aunt that her father said that ladies should not eat this dish, otherwise it would be impolite to be asked about the smell.

It's just that my aunt knew that they both liked it, so she ordered the kitchen to prepare it today.

After lunch, Xie Yujiao drank a bowl of milk to get rid of the bad smell in her mouth, and then changed to tea.The aunt then ordered Mother Zhao to go to the accountant's side, and brought over Xu Huiru's dowry list that she had asked to transcribe a few days ago, and asked Xie Yujiao to have a look.

Although it is not yet known how much the Kang family's dowry is, it is always right for the Xu family to prepare first.Xu Huiru was used to being shy before, and would hide when encountering such things, and she is better now, but her face still couldn't help turning red.

Xie Yujiao looked through it, and found that Xu Yuxing was really willing to spend money. He bought a full twenty sets of gemstones alone, and he really looked like a local tyrant.In addition to the head and face, there are more than a dozen shops facing the street, a small courtyard in the first three lanes of the three alleys, and [-] mu of paddy fields in Jiangning County.I think these are all accumulated by Master Xu when he was working in the south, and Xu Yuhang also gave them to Xu Huiru.

Xie Yujiao closed the dowry booklet, thought for a moment before she said: "Master Kang married a young lady from the Marquis of Yongchang, so the betrothal gift is naturally not small, but now that Huiru is a continuation, it probably won't be less than that. It was more than the first time, so these dowries are probably enough."

After hearing this, the auntie nodded and said: "Your uncle said the same thing, just say enough, besides, it's not that Huiru is married to another place, everyone is in the same place, and I can usually take care of it, but I'm worried The dowry is less, if the mother-in-law, sister-in-law or something looks down on Huiru, she will be wronged."

Thinking back that she herself married into the Jiang family with a generous dowry, who knew what happened like that, so the great aunt still has lingering fears about it.

Xu Huiru was even more touched when she heard the words, she just pulled the sleeves of her aunt and whispered: "Mother, you just saw Mrs. Kang, I think she is very good."

Although the great aunt also thought Mrs. Kang was good, she was still worried, so she just said, "You haven't entered the door yet, of course she treats you well, and you won't know anything until you enter the door. Besides, Mrs. Kang has a son. You also need money to raise children."

Xie Yujiao couldn't help laughing when she heard this, and she didn't bother to persuade her aunt, she just smiled and said: "Auntie, if you want to do this, I won't stop you, I just ask you to leave a copy for Baozhen and Baozhu anyway." .”

When the eldest aunt heard the words, she only blushed and said: "They are still young, and they don't know what it will be like after the last ten or so years. They always have to take care of your sister first."

Since Xu Huiru lost her mother, she has been dependent on others everywhere. Although Xu Shi treated her very well, after all, there was Xie Yujiao in front of her. Seeing that her aunt treated her better than her own daughter, she felt even more dissatisfied. Sorry, I only hope that my aunt can give birth to a boy in this child, so that her father can have successors.

Xie Yujiao stayed at Xu's house for another half a day, seeing that it was getting late, and the sky outside was so overcast that it looked like it was going to rain, so she took her maid and went to the palace.

(End of this chapter)