The Concubine's Survival Manual

Chapter 101

After all, the population is small. Although there are many things, but fortunately there are many capable people around the eldest wife. Mother Yao, Mother Wang, Mother Liang and Shuxia are all good helpers who can calm down and do things. The family settled down in the house of Yongfang when I was young, and a plaque of Baoxintang Yang was hung on the door of the house. While sending people to Jiangnan to report safety, the eldest wife sent someone to greet the uncle of the Qin family. The fifth lady, and even the sixth lady in the palace, also sent people to the door to say hello.

Relatives and friends in Beijing also sent letters of greetings, but because the eldest wife was still in filial piety and could not go to the banquet, no one came to invite them, but the elder had already received many invitations and greetings. It's just that he sent someone to register with the Ministry of Officials on the second day after he arrived in Beijing, and the emperor immediately summoned him. He has been busy these few days and has no time to meet with relatives and friends.

It's natural that men who are out on business don't have time, and women are often required to show up for diplomacy at this time. It's just that the eldest wife has just passed the filial piety, and relatives and friends are more or less unable to see each other because of Emperor Qin's funeral. Uncle Qin He is also an old-fashioned person. Although the housekeeper is often sent to ask for help, the whole family does not go out except for official business. The eldest wife also knows his temper well, and she dare not go out to see him casually. The inner house of the Yang family is abnormal. It calmed down.

"It's rare to go to Beijing. Who would have thought that your second sister would have to be filial piety, and the fifth sister is five or six months old, so it's hard to move around. Our family who takes filial piety can only treat guests at home, and there is no reason to visit." The eldest wife and seven The lady complained, "On the contrary, I feel deserted, as if I have no relatives in the capital!"

In fact, as a married woman of the eldest wife, although she has to undergo a one-year mourning period, after all, her husband's family is the main one, and after the first half year of filial piety, she can go out and walk around—although this etiquette is etiquette , but I haven’t seen any filial son who didn’t take a bath during the first year of mourning—if you really want to be so particular, the eldest wife should still be in mourning in Suzhou. After all, there are always various flexible ways to meet the needs of society.It's just that Uncle Qin is nearby, and the eldest wife dare not be presumptuous.Otherwise, Seventh Lady thought selfishly: with her old man's temperament, she would be impatient to visit Fifth Lady if she just went to Beijing.

Although it’s not easy to meet each other, but it’s in the capital after all. The second lady and the fifth lady will send people back to pay their respects from time to time. They will either send fresh fruits or seasonal vegetables. They will also help the eldest wife settle the family business, and contact the store to introduce reliable businessmen. ...At the end of October, when the hundred days of filial piety were over, the second room's good aunt, who had been favored in recent years, also came to pay her respects.

"Knowing that my wife is wearing a heavy filial piety, I dare not come to ask to see you." Aunt Liang was a beauty sent to Beijing by the old lady back then. When she talked to the old lady, she became closer unexpectedly. If you are out of filial piety, then you will rush to the door."

The eldest wife couldn't help but exchanged glances with Seventh Lady.

Both of them smiled a little: when a servant comes to the door, it doesn't matter whether he is filial or not. Aunt Liang said that because she has already regarded herself as the master.

Forget it, the water in the second room is muddy, and with a mistress like that, it's perfectly normal for an aunt to have thoughts in her heart. As the old master of a good aunt, the eldest wife will naturally not pour cold water on her head.

After a few homework, the eldest wife asked Aunt Liang, "Speaking of which, we didn't meet in Beijing when Brother Min and his daughter-in-law passed by, and now we will come to the door with you—"

Aunt Liang showed a little embarrassment on her face, "The eldest young mistress has always been at her mother's house to accompany the old lady of her in-laws. You also know that several daughters of this in-law's family died young, but the eldest young mistress is an only child, and the old lady is in pain. It's like heart. Before I came, I also sent a letter to my in-laws. The young lady said that the old lady of my in-laws has been seriously ill these few days, so she won't go out to say hello to you. Another day, I will come to make amends..."

My uncle and aunt went to Beijing, and they were promoted to be elders, so the elder and younger mistresses had the guts not to come to see her with excuses.How her relationship with Brother Min is, it's no wonder.

The eldest lady pondered slightly, "When I didn't go through the door, I heard in a daze that this one..."

Aunt Liang laughed, "This—after all, it is the young master's family affairs, and we as aunts don't want to inquire too much, but the young mistress has been here for almost a year, but she spends more time at her mother's house and less at her husband's house. The young master is also very happy. Don't go into her room, let alone take care of Grandma's affairs, but Tongfang Nanyin, who was brought from Suzhou, is more pampered, and she is also pregnant recently. Look at what Grandma means, and don't take it seriously."

It's been less than a year since they married each other. Speaking of which, the young couple should be happy, but they are so estranged...

Seventh Lady couldn't help thinking of the big wife's comment.

Xiao Xing is so big that he really can't get on the table. Whether it's a husband and wife who are estranged, or who loves to share the room alone, it is definitely not a way to live in daily life. It seems that the troubles of the second room are indeed still to come.

After inquiring about Brother Min's marriage, Aunt Liang asked the eldest wife attentively, "Although we are still in the filial piety, we shouldn't open our mouths about this happy event, but our master said that this marriage must be given to the wife, and the master will give it to you." Brother Da took a fancy to the third daughter of Wu's family, the servant of the Ministry of War..."

The eldest wife was neither hot nor cold, "I'm still in filial piety, so I can't walk around casually. If the second brother wants to, I'll invite Mrs. Wu to come to visit me when I'm filial piety..."

Aunt Liang immediately beamed with joy, "Madam can do it whenever it is convenient for her. Brother Da is still young after all, so there is no rush."

In terms of the current status gap between the eldest room and the second room, the second room has to bear whatever face the eldest room gives to the second room, not to mention that the first wife just wants to delay this matter, even if she flatly refuses, Aunt Liang Can't say anything.

Seventh Lady was sitting comfortably on the side, watching the eldest wife show off her prestige, she felt that she had lived a very comfortable life for more than a year.

The outer house is turbulent, but the inner house is calm. The eldest wife has no rivals, and the seventh lady has no role as a think tank. Although the elder thinks highly of the seventh lady, when it comes time to see the real chapter, he will naturally not count on a daughter who is only as good as Ji. Except for the two siblings, there are all the aunts who are dedicated to taking care of themselves... Ever since she returned to Suzhou in the northwest, she really hasn't had such a happy life for a few days.

Now in the capital city, with the respect of the old lady, only others beg the eldest lady, and when there is no eldest lady begging for help... The life of the eldest wife is smooth, and the life of Seventh Lady is also smooth.

After seeing Aunt Liang away, the second lady sent Qingming, who is now a daughter-in-law, as a dowry, to pay her respects to the eldest wife, and also sent fresh game and freshly harvested vegetables from Zhuangzi to the old man and the old lady. Seventh Lady changed her taste.

The eldest wife was aroused, and after dinner, she discussed with the elder about adding Zhuangzi in the capital.

The Yang family has lived in the south of the Yangtze River for many years, and most of their property is in the Suzhou area. Now that Gao Sheng has left, the tea is not cold, so the eldest wife has no intention of selling the property.It's just that the Yang family's food and use are all produced in the village and are of high quality. Now that they live in Beijing, not to mention the rice beads and osmanthus, the eldest wife also feels that everything is bought on the spot, which is really inconvenient.

"Although the family is short-handed for a while, there are still a few thousand taels of silver." There are only three people in the family, and it is more lively to eat dinner together. The back of Qin Niangzi's hand, while arguing with the old man, "There are many good hot spring villages in Xiaotangshan area, buy one, and you can live there in your spare time. The most important thing is that vegetables are also available in four seasons, so just save money." The heart is also good."

Although the Yang family left the position of governor of Jiangnan, they have accumulated a lot of money for many years. It is a big joke to say that they are short of money.It’s just that most of these family properties are not cash. Half a year ago, the Eldest Master exchanged 20 taels of silver to buy shares in the shipping business that Xu’s family is planning, and some gold, silver and jewelry are far away in the northwest. too much.

The old man glanced at Qinianzi, and discussed with the eldest wife, "Simply write a letter and ask Jiangnan to say hello to the Yichun bank, send out one or two Zhuangzi, and send some money over - Qinianzi is 16 years old during Chinese New Year. , this marriage cannot be delayed any longer, the money in hand is enough to live on, pointing at it to buy a dowry is a joke."

The eldest lady couldn't help but startled.

From what the Elder Master said, it seemed that the marriage of Qin Niangzi was finally finalized.

For more than a year, the court has been in turmoil. Naturally, the Quan family and the Gui family will not be rushing to propose marriage in such a time of chaos. It's not easy to talk about marriage after a funeral. It wasn't long after the meritorious service was made, and the Yang family went north together, and now they've settled down.It is true that it is only now that we have the opportunity to talk about Qin Niangzi's marriage.

I just don't know whether the elder is interested in the Quan family or the Gui family. It stands to reason that the next step is to choose the Quan family. After the new emperor ascended the throne, although there was no reward, he would invite Quan Zhongbai into the palace from time to time to diagnose the pulse and prescribe prescriptions. It can be seen that the Quan family's favor is not fading.Seventh Lady used to be the continuation of the second son, in terms of status is enough, besides, Quan Zhongbai now often lives in the villa at the foot of Xiangshan Mountain, and Seventh Lady will go back every now and then to ask for peace, and there is no need to set rules in front of her mother-in-law... It can be said that it is a good thing to have the best of both worlds to enjoy wealth and happiness while being able to add support to the mother's family.

Taking a step back, the Gui family is not bad. Although the family is a little poorer, it is not too bad. There have been many wars in northern Xinjiang these years, and they must be rich enough to fight. Lao Jiufang's family should gradually become rich.The second son's original partner - Han Chun has also risen to the position of deputy Qianhu from the fifth rank over the years, and Mrs. Qianhu can't be regarded as not famous.The Gui family has always been impartial, but their official career has been very stable. Marrying into the Gui family is not so beautiful, but it paves the way for the two elders to return to the Northwest to take care of themselves...

The eldest wife sighed, for a moment she only hated herself for not giving birth to two more daughters - comparing these two marriages in detail, neither one is worse than the sisters.With Qin Niangzi's temperament, she must be able to live a prosperous life in the capital and in the northwest.

Forget it, there has been hard work without credit for many years, and Qin Niangzi deserves this destination!

"I'll write a letter to Mama Tong when I get back." The eldest wife agreed calmly, glanced at Qin Niangzi, and asked the elder with a smile, "Master, the sons of these two families are all chosen for a while, but we There is only one Xiao Qi, so it depends on who you want."

The elder's eyes could not help turning to Qin Niangzi.

Seeing Qiniangzi's calm face and the blank look in her eyes, he couldn't help sighing slightly.

No matter how clever the daughter's family is, at this moment, they probably have no idea - after all, it's not like Feng Jia has been with the Yang family since she was a child, and Xiao Wu knew the child's temper before she got married.The last time Quan Zhongbai and Gui Hanchun went to Suzhou was four or five years ago. These years, neither family has been in peace, one widowed and the other disfigured...

"It's better for Mrs. Seven to read it by herself." The elder patted Mrs. Seven on the back of her hand, "Father said, you choose your husband and son-in-law yourself. Both families are good matches. It depends on how Xiao Qi is Think about it."

The eldest wife couldn't help being a little moved, she glanced at Qin Niangzi, and swallowed a trace of jealousy in her heart, "But Hanchun is in the northwest—"

"General Gui's letter just arrived this morning." The Elder's face was calm. "Hanchun wants to go to Beijing to receive rewards - this was originally a matter of last year, but at that time, he was in the army, and Hanchun missed the batch of commendations. It happens that after the Yuan Dynasty is changed next spring, the emperor will reward a group of young generals who have made meritorious service. The Gui family intends to find a position for Hanchun to select several navy generals to serve as the guards in Nanyang. However, General Gui also said that if the Yang family feels that the Nanyang Road is not safe enough, then it’s okay to let this matter go. of."

It seems that the Gui family is indeed very sincere about this marriage.

The eldest lady couldn't help smiling when she thought of the letters that Mrs. Gui had written over the years, "The Gui family keeps their word, well, let Xiaoqi take a look at Hanchun next spring, and then make plans."

Then he narrowed his eyes at Qiniangzi again, "Whenever you feel sick, just tell mother, mother is suffering from cough and asthma, and I have to ask the doctor Quan to come up with a new prescription!"

Qin Niangzi's heart moved, and she thought of the poison left on her body...

"Yes." She looked at the eldest wife, nodded naturally, and smiled lightly, "Even if you're not sick, it's best to be able to eat with Taifang, and plan ahead..."

The three of them were talking, but suddenly there were light footsteps outside the house.

Then there was the notification from Mama Liang, "Go back to Mrs. and Mrs. Pingguo's mansion sent a post just now, please take a look at Mrs. and Mrs."

Although there is a curfew now, as a dignitary above the third rank, the Xu family naturally still has this privilege.

Everyone was a little surprised: what time is this, the Xu family suddenly sent a post, is it a bit of a big deal?
The eldest lady turned pale with a swipe of the floor, "Isn't Xiao Wu——"

She stood up suddenly, snatched the letter from Mama Liang's hand, and opened it up for a closer look.

But he just glanced at it, and immediately breathed a sigh of relief, "Hey, it's a big deal... It was the Xu family who found out about the Tongzhou Wharf and wrote a letter to apologize."

She put the letter paper to the old man, rubbed her chest and sat back in her original position, "I was so scared that my heart ached... If something happens to this six- to seven-month-old child, it will be very dangerous——Li Dong took a pill The licorice balls for peace of mind come to me to swallow..."

The elder squinted his eyes to look at it, then handed it to Seventh Lady, and Seventh Lady understood, and read it aloud to the two elders. "... Mrs. Tai was furious when she found out about this matter. Madam Four's actions have offended her elders without a trace. She has a frivolous style that hurts relatives' affection, and is domineering and hurts the reputation of the family. She has been ordered to go to the Dahuguo Temple to clean up. Ten days. And please don’t have the same knowledge as the younger generation... and because the wife of the son misses her natal relatives, she is too heavy to move... Considering that the wife is filial and unable to go out, I specially invite the master and the lady to come in November Enjoy your face for five days..."

The reply from the Xu family was indeed urgent and heavy, and the reaction was finally considered decent. At least on the surface, Mrs. Ni strongly disapproved of the domineering fourth young lady.

But listen to the words, the Xu family's post is not so simple.Mrs. Xu, as the head of the house, has no voice at all on this matter.Mrs. Ni has all the power, and the whole post is her tone...

The eldest lady's brows were already stained with a little worry.

"Invitation from the Xu family is a must. Xiaoqi followed her father to see your fifth sister—you are both daughters, so it is easier to talk..." She didn't ask the old man, and she went straight to the seventh lady. , "Don't forget to visit your third aunt and ask about her condition..."

(End of this chapter)