The Concubine's Survival Manual

Chapter 133

Mama Liang's eyes suddenly went dark, and there was a thin humming sound in her ears.

"D-Drawing is really good!" She forced a smile, "The girl's hand-painting is really more and more accomplished."

Seventh Lady just smiled. "Where, there aren't many things going on at home recently, and my mother is also watching. She is bored in the Mingde Hall all day long, and can only write and draw for self-entertainment."

She changed the topic again, and said casually, "Brother Jiu is going to get married in a few days!"

Mama Liang felt cold all over.

She couldn't understand the meaning of Seventh Lady's words.

To start a family and start a business, unless there are special circumstances, males from high families always start a family first and then start a business. Only when they have a family can they be treated as adults.

Although Brother Nine is eighteen or nineteen years old, the Elder sees him closely and only allows him to concentrate on his studies. He has never been able to talk about family matters.But it will be different after getting married... Not to mention that next year will be Chunwei. If Brother Jiu wins the Jinshi, it is a safe thing to enter the Imperial Academy.Even the elder, I am afraid that he has to face up to the fact that brother Jiu has grown up.

The eldest wife has complained about the heavy family affairs for many years, and she just waited for her daughter-in-law to come through the door and hand over the burden... In the next few decades, she will have to live by the face of the fourth young lady!
Over the years, although the pair of twin siblings seemed to be inseparable, their private contacts could not be hidden from Mama Liang's eyes and ears.

Qin Niangzi can trample her to the ground with just one word, and it is difficult to turn her back!
Mother Liang only felt itchy cheeks, and when she stretched out her hand to wipe it, she realized that her face was covered in cold sweat.

"Young Madam..." Before she knew it, she had changed her address.

Look at the outside of the house in a glass box, enshrined in bright yellow brocade, shining like gold and jade.Mama Liang only felt that the round stool under her was suddenly filled with small nails, making Mama Liang unable to sit still. Slowly, the whole person got off the stool, fell to the ground with her knees, and knelt on the floor of Qin Niangzi. in front of.

The room fell silent for a moment.

Qin Niangzi looked down at the small portrait she drew carefully, and after a long time, she sighed slowly.

"Actually, in Mama Liang's heart, how can there be so many things?" Her tone was as quiet as a meandering brook, with only the soft ding-dong sound of falling stones. "Speaking of which, I would also like to thank you for your pity, your high hand, and the convenience of the batch of tonics I wanted to take."

Mama Liang was shaking all over, as if she was sifting chaff, her heart was going back and forth, and she only yelled a word.

I am finally coming!
This pair of twin siblings have been cautious in the Yang family for many years, especially the seventh lady, who was wiped as smooth as a wall from top to bottom, so it's easy to save trouble.In front of the eldest wife, there are only four words 'obedient and filial'.

Little by little over the past ten years, from a concubine to a concubine, from a concubine to a concubine, the second wife, the fourth concubine... disappeared one by one in the years, but the seventh lady and the ninth brother unknowingly lost their wings. Plump to such an extent!

The eldest master Chunqiu put it there, as long as Brother Jiu can get on the list in this subject, he will eventually hand over the family business to his son.In other words, the Elder Master will probably just wait for his daughter-in-law to step in and take over the housework in the inner courtyard all his life...

Seventh Lady got married in a beautiful way, holding a pair of grandchildren of the eldest wife in her hands. Mrs. Xu looked after her, and her natal family supported her fully. There are noble people.At this moment, she just wants to pick the bright moon in the sky, and the eldest wife will probably try her best to pick it for her!
The day of the counterattack is finally coming!
She took a deep breath and tried to force herself to calm down, but her voice was still trembling.

"Young Madam, let the past be the past!" She raised her head to look at Qin Niangzi, and said earnestly, "Right now, Madam Madam is enjoying herself, but Madam... Madam has already been half buried in the loess. Madam can gain a firm foothold in the Xu family..."

"But Jiu Yiniang has been lying under the loess for 11 years." Seventh Lady's voice sounded like a soft sigh. "Could it be that my biological mother's life must be three points lower than that of my aunt's? Mama Liang, that's not what she said."

Although she didn't get angry, and even had a slight, happy smile on her face, Mama Liang only felt that from the bottom of her feet to the top, she was slowly freezing.

She couldn't help it, and let out a long, weary sigh.

I thought of the more than 20 years of serving the eldest wife.

Although the eldest wife has many faults, she has never treated her and Mama Wang badly.

"Young madam, please think about your wife," she heard her own voice, low and hoarse. "It's not easy for a wife. Young Madam has served her for many years... Please take care of Madam's heartache. You have been married to the Yang family for more than 20 years, and you have developed such a large family business... There is no male, such a big The family business, isn’t it going to be handed over to Nine Brothers in the future? My wife really, really has unspeakable suffering!”

Qin Niangzi followed what Liang's mother said, and sighed softly.

"Mother Liang is worrying too much."

Her voice was soft and shallow, as if she had even masked her voice, "Tell the truth to Mama Liang, I know how she treats me in the past ten years with my wife."

She paused and didn't explain anything further. "It's just that there are some things, as a child, you have to ask."

But Mother Liang held back her breath because of the disdain in this meal.

It's November, and the capital city is already freezing cold. The cold wind outside the house should have made the warmth inside the house even better.But every word and every word that Qiniangzi said made her tremble, as if she was wearing single clothes and kneeling on the frozen bluestone slab outside the house.

11 years, 11 years...

Qin Niangzi has buried this concern in her heart for 11 years!

How can someone be so scheming at such a young age?In these 11 years, without revealing any flaws?
With this thought, how can you not understand how the eldest wife treated her in the past 11 years?
No matter how much you argue, it's useless!

She glanced at Seventh Lady again.

Seventh Lady was wearing a homely lotus-colored jacket, and she was sitting under the lamp, with a slight smile on her beautiful face, and a peaceful expression, as if she was chatting with Mother Liang about the family affairs, and there was nothing wrong with it.

Mother Liang's heart sank to the bluestone slab.

Even now, pressing step by step, asking about the past, Qin Niangzi is still so impeccable, such an understatement!
Haven't you seen Qiniangzi's methods before?Over the years, she watched Seventh Lady climb up to her current position little by little!If she concealed a little bit, how would Qin Niangzi deal with her—Mother Liang dared not even think about it!

At this moment, Mama Liang suddenly put on a wry smile.

This is the real master. He didn't say a single word of impoliteness, just gossip like this... His own defenses have been peeled off piece by piece.

She immediately thought of the face of the eldest lady.

Since she entered Qin's family to serve at the age of 13, for more than 30 years, the two of them have been like sisters. The eldest wife scolded her and punished her, but she also single-handedly pulled her to where she is today...

Say or don't say?

The silence in the room suddenly became very compelling.

Seventh Lady was also looking at Mother Liang.

She frowned slightly.

It is not without reason that Liang's mother will remain silent.

It's like if Li Xia was forced to ask about her privacy, she would definitely react like this: Mama Liang is the eldest wife's Li Xia.

But because of this, the information obtained from her must be the most accurate and detailed.

She couldn't help sighing.

After living in a deep house for a long time, the boundaries between right and wrong, good and evil tend to become blurred.She has been working hard to be an upright person, confining all her calculations to self-protection.

In the past, this may have been a very simple principle. After all, she didn't ask for much, she just hoped to live a safe life with Brother Nine.However, when she has plans and aspirations, her hands will definitely not be able to keep clean.Today may be the first time she has threatened, but it will definitely not be the last time she used improper means to achieve her goal.

"Mother Liang." She spoke slowly. "You also have a wife."

Mama Liang trembled again.

In an instant, this middle-aged woman who was well-dressed and well-dressed was ashamed.

"What do you want to know, Young Madam?" There was no trace of kindness in her tone, but indescribable helplessness. "As long as the old slave knows, he must have endless words."

Qin Niangzi let out a long breath of cold air.

"Mama Liang might as well start talking about it when Jiu Yiniang entered Xianxiufang to work." She paused, and then added, "It's better to get up and talk, although the ground is warm, it's not comfortable to kneel for a long time."

Mother Liang didn't move, she stubbornly looked at Qiniangzi's toes, and calmly began to tell her story.

"It's been more than 20 years since Yiniang Jiu entered Xianxiufang to work. At that time, she was about your age."

"At that time, the master was promoted to the chief minister of Jiangsu. In the past few years, he had to be wary of the official reputation, and his wife's dowry was used for food. After so many years, it was almost used up. The wife thought of the two embroidery rooms that were used as a dowry at that time. At that time, Xianxiufang only had two branch offices in the capital, managed by family members, with a yearly income of only one or two thousand. My wife thought that the land of fish and rice in the south of the Yangtze River was the most prosperous, and there were many embroiderers. It’s very smart.”

"So I searched for a lot of embroiderers in Suzhou. Jiu Yiniang and Huang embroiderer were the two outstanding embroiders at that time. Feng Xiuniang's family was richer, and her ancestors also had fame, so she never worked in the embroidery room. His wife opened it for a year. For the price of 60 taels, I promised to intercede for the uncle of the Feng family and let him go to the provincial school to study. Only then did Fengxiu Niang let go of her mouth and went to Xianxiufang to make offerings. Learning crafts. Huang Xiuniang is much simpler. She wins the workmanship in the north and thinks in Qiaoshang in the south. She has been working in Siqiaoshang, but she can't get along with the worship of Siqiaoshang. , The two sides hit it off, and not long after, the two embroiderers entered Xianxiufang, and recruited a group of apprentices and waiting embroiderers, and within a year, Xianxiufang became famous in the south of the Yangtze River."

"The honor that Xiu Niang enshrines is unimaginable for Seventh Lady, especially at that time when the family was not well-off. Although the master has not asked his wife for money for many years, his position has not yet been secured. There are many benefits, but they can be seen, not necessarily returned. To the mouth. In the past two years, the profit of Xianxiufang has been the lifeblood of our family. My wife thinks highly of the two embroiderers, and she will give them face when they are free. When I was there, there was a mold in my heart."

"Unexpectedly, it took only a year and a half before Xianxiufang gained a firm foothold in the south of the Yangtze River. Someone from the Feng family came to tell his wife that they wanted Jiu Yiniang to go home and get married. They said it was the family's original several hundred taels of silver. I have lost everything in business, and now it is difficult to eat. Now there is a wealthy family who wants to marry Jiu Yiniang as a concubine, and the dowry is too much. I ask my wife to be kind and let Jiu Yiniang go home. I am willing to double the compensation for this year and a half The offering silver comes out."

"My wife was very angry when she heard that. Although Jiu Yiniang didn't sign the death contract, you also know that the relationship between this offering and the master's family is morality. Fengxiu Niang was the pillar of Xianxiu Square at that time, and she put it aside. Hand, Xianxiufang must be unstable. At that time, we did not get angry after persuading, and inquired in private, that family and the shopkeeper of Siqiaoshang were actually relatives who turned a corner... How could my wife swallow this tone? Gotta go down?"

"At that moment, the wife asked Feng Xiuniang's horoscope, and then asked about the family's betrothal gift, but it was only 400 taels of silver. So she doubled the betrothal gift of 800 taels, and gave the Feng family a great deal of face, and asked a matchmaker to make the betrothal , wrote the concubine-taking document, and carried Feng Xiuniang into the door to become Jiu Yiniang. The Feng family was still a little reluctant at first, but the wife inquired that they were going to send Uncle Feng to Beijing to rush for the exam, and they were short of money, so they simply wrote to the uncle. , ask uncle's housekeeper to take care of him. The uncle of the Feng family immediately agreed, and then married Jiu Yiniang into the house."

"It's just that I didn't expect that Jiu Yiniang came in crying on the day she came in... the crying made the master very upset, and he didn't rest in the new house, and went directly into the fourth aunt's room. It made the fourth aunt very proud. The wife always felt that the Feng family I don't do things properly, and now I am getting more and more angry with Jiu Yiniang, so I sent someone to scold Jiu Yiniang, saying that Jiu Yiniang has no conscience, and it is not right to be a concubine for someone's family. Is it true that our master's character is not better than that family's? Besides, our family has issued a concubine document, why is it not better than selling yourself to be a concubine? And let Jiu Yiniang live in Xianxiufang to work, don't wipe tears all day long, if you want to blame, blame Uncle Feng for having no conscience. "

"At that time, my wife asked me and Ms. Wang to reprimand Jiu Yiniang. As soon as Jiu Yiniang heard it, she cried, but Huang Xiuniang was fine. She kept reassuring Jiu Yiniang, "This is your life." I worked in Xianxiufang for half a year, and helped my wife run Xianxiufang, and expanded Xianxiufang into five branches in the south of the Yangtze River. My wife was very happy, and she became more and more fond of Jiu Yiniang, who was at home at that time Very proud. The wife then flattered Jiu Yiniang and wanted to overwhelm Fourth Yiniang."

"I don't think that Jiu Yiniang is a good one. The master didn't like her very much, but Jiu Yiniang became pregnant in one night. At that time, the master was also worried about children, especially the second room already had three males, but our family still had one. There are no male dolls. I still have high expectations for Jiu Yiniang's belly."

"This way, Jiu Yiniang has face at home, not only suppressing Fourth Yiniang to death, but even his wife is a bit... unable to suppress her arrogance. She has a handicraft, and the embroiderer of Xianxiufang All under her control, the tens of thousands of taels earned by Xianxiufang for the family in a year, seven or eight percent is due to Jiu Yiniang's contribution. Of course the master values ​​her, and after coming and going, the wife thinks Jiu Yiniang...is a difficult person to discipline people."

Mother Liang's voice faded away, as if she was just talking about a past event many years ago.

"At that time, Si Yiniang was also kind to Jiu Yiniang, and the master was also kind to Jiu Yiniang. Jiu Yiniang was very proud of it for a few months. The wife was uncomfortable, but Jiu Yiniang was fooling around. The money from Xianxiufang, that is It can be seen. Besides, we can’t count how much money the protruding embroidery method could earn in a year. In the north, Jiu Yiniang’s handkerchief was sold at a sky-high price. This kung fu is her unique skill. , the wife is also reluctant to part with the money."

"At that time, Huang Xiuniang had reached the age of marriage. She and his wife had written documents for three years, and they were about to return to their hometown. Jiu Yiniang and his wife were very worried. What would happen if Huang Xiuniang was missing in Xianxiufang? Although the family had money, the wife's dowry was not much to spend—the wife was afraid that Jiu Yiniang would have a child of her own, so she would not care about the affairs of Xianxiu Fang. So she discussed with Jiu Yiniang about hiring Huang Xiuniang to marry her. She keeps company."

"Huang Xiuniang was very angry when she heard about it, so she taught several embroiderers how to embroider the next day... Seventh lady, you are a sober person, Jiu Yiniang offended his wife, lost the foundation of standing, and gave birth to a son... ... On the day Brother Jiu was born, the master took Brother Jiu to his wife's room and let his wife take care of him. Aunt Jiu was very reluctant, and his wife was afraid that something would happen to her, so she simply asked for a dose of medicine... It was Huang Xiuniang who came in to say hello When it comes to the protruding embroidery method, she just learned the superficial, the real essence is still in Jiu Yiniang's hands..."

"For the sake of money, my wife was reluctant to do it, and she was unwilling to let it go. So she ordered me to prescribe half the medicine and send Jiu Yiniang to the northwest. After a year and a half, when Brother Jiu recognized it I'll pick you up when you're a wife. She originally wanted to leave you, Seventh Lady, to be raised by Seventh Lady, but Jiu Yiniang went to ask Master to let her take Seventh Lady to the northwest..."

Mother Liang slowly closed her mouth, and looked at Qiniangzi cautiously.

Qiniangzi pursed her lips tightly and her expression was dull. Looking under the lamp, she looked like a jade portrait.

(End of this chapter)