Yutai Bi

Chapter 53
The old lady Cen said: "Isn't that what I'm worried about? I just got engaged to the Fang family. There is no reason to give Sanniang to someone else to be a concubine. If the Fang family finds out and sues the yamen, we will still Want fame?"

The eldest lady persuaded: "Third brother also doesn't know that we have engaged Sanniang. Maybe he wanted to relieve mother's worries, thinking that firstly it was a girl from the Cen family, and secondly he also wanted to get rid of her early. I think Well, Liu Niang is the most suitable."

The old lady Cen thought for a while and said: "Maybe it's really what you said. The third child said that many people in Hongzhou Mansion are now thinking of sending someone to that noble man, wanting to strike while the iron is hot, so let Cen Fang run away in person. Let’s go. Why don’t we let Sanniang and Liuniang go with Cen Fang.”

"Mother, Sanniang and Liuniang are only 13 years old, and they are not yet young. Even if they want to serve the nobles, they are too young. I don't think it is so urgent. Why don't you write and ask the third brother before making a decision." The eldest lady whispered Persuade.

The old lady Cen gave her a strange look: "Why do you want to keep San Niang today?"

The eldest lady showed a flattering smile on her face: "The daughter-in-law is worrying about what birthday gift to give to her in-laws, Mrs. Tai. I happen to have a screen with Suzhou embroidery peonies in my hand, and I want to make a pair. Sanniang is letting her nanny embroider it. Do the math." Time, just a few days to complete the work. The daughter-in-law thought about sending another letter to Hongzhou, and asked the third brother carefully. If it wasn't for Sanniang, we would have saved us trouble, wouldn't we?"

"Her nanny knows Suzhou embroidery? That's a strange thing." Mrs. Cen didn't believe it.

The eldest lady pestered her: "I really don't know if it will happen or not. But Sanniang promises that within half a month, she will find a suitable screen for her daughter-in-law."

"You're right. It's understandable for the third child to be anxious. San Niang and Liu Niang are not yet ready, and they are a bit younger. Write a letter to the third child first to ask. If Liu Niang can do it, she won't have to withdraw from the Fang family." Dear." Mrs. Cen made a decision.

Cen Sanniang didn't know all this.Counting the days, Baicao took the screen to visit the eldest lady.

The two screens are lined up together.The same style and size, the same colorful embroidered peonies, only the flower shape and color are different, a clever pair.

The eldest lady smiled, held it in her hand and praised: "Sanniang, I didn't expect your nanny to have such skills!"

Cen Sanniang pursed her lips and said with a smile: "Nurse doesn't know Su embroidery skills. I asked the brocade workshop to find this screen."

"Isn't the brocade workshop selling fabrics? How could there be such a screen?" The lady felt strange.

Cen Sanniang smiled and said, "Didn't that mother Xu say that when she came to deliver the materials last time? Her shopkeeper's goods came from Chang'an. Chang'an is the capital city, so it is not difficult to find Suzhou embroidery screens. I just drew the shape, how much?" Promised some money and let me find a similar screen."

As soon as the money was mentioned, the eldest lady immediately asked: "Auntie is in need of this screen, and it really touched my heart. How much money did I spend, I will give it to you."

Cen Sanniang shot her a look: "Sanniang has to be taken care of by the aunt in the lobby, and wants to honor you, so if you give me back the money, isn't Sanniang wasting her time in vain?"

Now that the birthday gift has been settled, and it is pleasant to hear, the eldest lady is happy: "Okay, my aunt will take care of you. What's wrong with you in the mansion, the servant doesn't obey, just come and find my aunt."

Cen Sanniang smiled Mimi and said: "Don't even mention it, Sanniang is asking the aunt in the lobby for help."

"What's the matter?" The eldest lady asked with concern.

Cen Sanniang showed shyness: "Brother Jiu's birthday is at the end of this month. I heard from Aunt Sitang that we will hold a banquet in the garden. Next month, on the Qiqiao Festival, Liu Niang and Qiniang are discussing to invite girls from the Fang family and girls from the Wang family to come to the garden. Playing. Then there will be Mid-Autumn Festival, and there will be treats in the mansion. I have already engaged. After all, the waterside pavilion is in the garden, and there are many people coming and going to entertain guests in the mansion, so it is not convenient. Sanniang wants to move back to the original yard, close The dowry is embroidered on the door. There are two floors above and below the waterside pavilion, and Liu Niang and Qi Niang also live in a more spacious room. Originally, I should report to my grandma, but firstly, it was just a trivial matter, and secondly, the housekeeper was the hall aunt, so I just came to beg you."

The eldest lady heard this, and responded with a smile: "There is some truth in what you said. How about it, I will order someone to clean up the original yard, and you can move it back."

Moving back has less eyeliner, and it is much more convenient to go out to do errands.Cen Sanniang was overjoyed, she got up and saluted the eldest lady to thank her.

The eldest lady supported her and said with a smile: "It's just a trivial matter. Even though we are engaged, it is too boring for Guan to embroider the dowry in the yard. If there is a chance, it would be good to go out for a walk."

Cen Sanniang was afraid of leaving Cen's house now, so she shook her head resolutely: "Auntie in the hall kindly accepted Sanniang's kindness. When her father passed away, Sanniang suffered a serious illness. She got better in the past few years, but she finally hurt her roots. I went back to Fangfang At home, I was struggling outside, and fell asleep when I got home. It took two or three days to recover. I am still comfortable at home. Doing some embroidery, reading and practicing calligraphy is also fun. To tell you the truth, I moved back to the original yard and tea room It’s also convenient to cook something here.”

The eldest lady does not doubt that she has it: "Not to mention, my aunt is in charge of the house, and the meals delivered by the big kitchen in the public house are still not as good as the small stove in my own yard. Okay, if you don't want to go out for a walk, if there are invitations, auntie will block them for you." That's it."

Cen Sanniang looked at her gratefully, and took out a 1000 tael bank note from her sleeve and put it on the case table: "It's not convenient for the nanny and Baicao to go out to buy, please ask the kitchen to buy some rice noodles."

"What are you doing? Do you still think I'm your own aunt?" The eldest lady showed concern, thinking to herself that Cen Sanniang really still has private money in her hands.

Cen Sanniang pushed the silver ticket over again: "To be honest, except for the dowry for my cousin, Sanniang still has a few thousand taels of silver in her hand. There is a small stove in the yard, and you can't use the money from the public. The aunt in the hall is in front of the house, so she can't break the rules. Besides..." She blushed again, and said in a low voice, "Nurse wants to make up for San Niang..."

When she entered the mansion, she almost died of illness, so it is reasonable to want to recuperate before getting married.The lady took the bank note.

For two years, it would not cost 200 taels of silver to stew a chicken every day.Cen Sanniang is willing to spend money, and she will still have time to ask for herself in the future.Most of the thousands of taels of silver can be put into his own purse.The eldest lady is in a good mood.

Cen Sanniang did not move back to the original yard as she wished.

The third master's letter arrived two days later.

The old lady Cen was puzzled: "The letter was only sent out, and it took seven or eight days to come and go. Why did the letter come and reply so quickly?"

After reading the letter, Mrs. Cen didn't invite the eldest lady to discuss with her again, and quietly brewed a pot of tea by herself, and sipped it slowly.After drinking the tea, I made up my mind.

The fourth madam entered the inner hall, first looked left and right, bowed and sat down, and said with an apologetic smile: "Mother, where is sister-in-law?"

"I called you here today because I wanted to discuss something with you. It has nothing to do with your sister-in-law, so I didn't call her here." Old Madam Cen said leisurely.

In the past, when the eldest lady was called to discuss matters, the fourth lady became a little pantothenic.Today, she was the only one called, and the fourth lady was a little panicked: "Mother, what did my daughter-in-law do wrong?"

The old lady Cen rolled her eyes impatiently and reprimanded her: "Look at you, you don't look like a grandma from a wealthy family! You look like an angry little daughter-in-law, why are you guilty?"

The fourth lady lowered her head aggrieved.

The fourth lady's father is a gentleman who sits in the library, and he is also considered to be from a scholarly family.The old lady Cen knew her son's temperament, and became a well-known playboy in the city at the age of 15. He was good at playing with insects, birds and prostitutes.Although he is a legitimate son, the girls from everyone look down on him, so he can only marry at a low price.The fourth wife was beautiful when she was young. Although she was a bit petty, the fourth master also liked it. After marriage, she lived happily and beautifully for a long time, and gave birth to two sons one after another.

Aesthetics can be tiring.Especially someone like the fourth master who is single-minded and does not follow the right path.One after another, the concubines brought up the house, and the fourth wife gave birth to the ninth brother.There were three sons by his side, and the fourth wife broke the cans, guarding the sons and not caring about the fourth master.

What can Mrs. Cen say?It is impossible to expect the fourth wife to control her son.She could only plan as best she could.For example, the adoptive brother Jiu went to Sifang, inherited the incense and got the property of Sifang.For example, ordering the fourth wife of the church to treat the concubine kindly, to raise Liuniang and Qiniang under her knees, hold them in the palm of her hand, and find a good home for the two of them.

After a few reprimands, Old Madam Cen softened her tone and said, "I only called you here to discuss with you about Liu Niang's marriage."

The fourth lady breathed a sigh of relief immediately, and smiled: "Mother has someone she likes? The beauty of our six mothers is not what I said, but the girl from a wealthy family in Longzhou City is really incomparable." Could it be the eldest grandson of the Wang family? I remember Mrs. Fang desperately wanted to marry the Wang family. Not to mention, the eldest son of the Wang family is only 17 years old and has already passed the Mingjing test. Now the Wang family is trying their best to find an official for him. Hey, but our Liu Niang is only 13 years old, and the eldest son of the Wang family is the eldest grandson, with a difference of five years, can we wait for Liu Niang and Ji?"

Old lady Cen opened her mouth several times to interrupt her.As a result, the fourth lady didn't look at the old lady's face at all, and she just finished speaking in one breath before looking at the old lady with a full smile.

The old lady Cen was full of helplessness: "The eldest son of the Wang family is the eldest grandson!"

The word "first eldest grandson" was pronounced emphatically, but the fourth lady's eyes widened, and she said unconvinced: "Liu Niang was born so beautiful, and it will be even worse in two years. Mother, I still think it is a loss for Liu Niang to marry the eldest son of the Wang family." Woolen cloth."

"Women are wise!" Mrs. Cen was annoyed.Thinking that in the future, after a hundred years, the Cen family will be divided, and the fourth wife will be the master of the family, so I have to patiently explain to her, "My cousin is the mistress of the Wang family, and the two families of Cen and Wang are already relatives. The eldest son of the Wang family In the future, he will inherit the family business, and after passing the Ming Jing Division, what the Wang family is looking for is an in-law who can help the eldest son. What's the use of asking a girl from the Cen family to get married? Why don't you find a girl from another family, and you can get more copies? Help. I see that the Wang family wants Empress Baolin to choose a family of officials and eunuchs in Chang'an as a marriage partner for their eldest son. Don't think too much about it."

(End of this chapter)