concubine leisurely

Chapter 8

"I won't go! The second room's family banquet, why are we going to join in the fun! I don't want to look at people's eyes!" In the main room of the pear courtyard in the small courtyard on the west side of the Meng Mansion, there were two official hats in their early years beside the long table made of yellow pear wood. Hu and Meng Yiran were sitting on the chair respectively. Meng Yiran was making needle money with her head bowed. She was wearing a homely and half-worn thin padded jacket.

Hu's makeup is exquisite, and the rain-colored brocade thin padded jacket is very luxurious. Looking at her daughter who doesn't wear makeup, she frowned and scolded, "Damn girl, are you talking to your mother?! You're getting used to it, don't you?" Looks good!"

Yi Ran ignored it and embroidered a plum blossom with broken branches. The stretched plum branch was shaped like a beauty stretching out her slender hands to pick up a plum blossom.

The maids serving outside were quiet, and there was no sound.

Hu looked as if he hated iron and steel, "Silly boy, how could you not go to the family banquet for your second uncle? For us orphans and widows, we rely on your grandmother and your second uncle."

"I don't rely on them! Dad left me fields, houses and shops, so I don't need to rely on others!" Yi Ran's self-esteem was hurt.Why rely on the second uncle?Never!
"Silly boy, how can we live so comfortably with the few Zhuangzi shops left by your father? In this mansion, clothes for the four seasons, fashionable jewelry, snacks and tea, maids and maids are all ready-made. How comfortable it is to have money every month! If you rely solely on our wealth, I'm afraid you won't even be able to add a new dress!"

Hu gritted her teeth and said, "You idiot, I didn't see how many boxes and cages your second uncle brought back! The little concubine was released with your second uncle, and her appearance became better and better, and she was wearing gold and silver. Better than you, a prostitute! You haven’t got your spirits up yet, you’ve cleaned up, and went to your second uncle’s place to ask questions about your health and do your part as a niece, but you lay on the bed and pretended to be sick! Good luck!”

Thinking of the cage that Erfang brought in like running water, Hu sighed in distress, how many good things there are, and they are cheaper than Erfang's gang!

Cousin, it should be hers, and these should be hers!

The more Mr. Hu thought about it, the more angry he got, he grabbed the money thread in Yiran's hand and threw it aside, and shouted to Yiran sharply, "How much can you do by being a female worker all day long! Pack up and go out with your mother! Be good, or be careful with your skin." !"

Yiran shook her head with tears in her eyes, "Mother, this is not our home, why don't we go back to our own home? We have houses in Tai'an and Jinan, two shops in Jinan, and two villages in Tai'an. Zizi, what are you doing here to see people's faces?"

Seeing her daughter crying sadly, Mrs. Hu felt a little soft-hearted. He stroked her daughter's head, took out a gold and silver thread embroidered peony cocoon silk handkerchief to wipe her tears, and said softly, "Yi'er, it's not that mother wants to stay here. , it’s really hard for us to go back to Tai’an. In the countryside of Tai’an, we live by guarding a piece of land, and the annual rent is only 500 taels. Keep your dowry money and your mother’s pension money, how can you live a good life! The two shops don’t make money! Now you have two big girls and four young girls to serve, there are nuns for education, and teachers who teach women workers. A master who can read and write, where can he be in Tai'an! We really have to live frugally in Tai'an, how can we be willing to wear brocade clothes and cocoon silk veils like we are now!"

"I'd rather live a life of rough tea and light food, thorns and sarongs, than live under the fence like this!" Yi Ran grabbed the handkerchief and wiped her tears by herself, with a look of determination on her face.

Hu looked at her daughter's pretty face lovingly, reached out and pinned a strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear, and said sadly, "Do you think it's just that the food is bad and the clothes are bad? Your uncle is in Renzhi County, Xing County. , your second uncle is in the capital, and there is no close branch of us in the Tai'an clan. If the orphans and widows go back, you will have a good life? Without a man to support the family, even if the tribe sees your uncle and the second uncle, they dare not bully you openly We, can we be less angry in the dark? Why don't you live in your second uncle's house and depend on your grandmother, who can always protect us. My son, you are young and ignorant, have you listened to your mother? Wrong. Mother knows that you have been wronged, mother is not wronged? I can only endure when I should bear it, and I can only blame your father for leaving too early, leaving us mother and son helpless."

Yiran heard "It's only your father's fault that he left too early", and remembering that she had lost her father since she was a child, and her life was pitiful, she couldn't help crying in Hu's arms, and Hu also hugged her daughter and wept.

After a long time, Mrs. Hu suppressed her tears and forced a smile, "Don't cry, my son. Your father will be happy to see my son grow into such a flower-like talent. After a few days, my mother and grandmother will be happy for you." You choose a good son-in-law, my son will get married in a good manner, and your father will be the one with a smile on his face."

Yiran smiled wryly when she heard the words, mother always said that she wanted to choose a good son-in-law for herself, she sharpened her head and wanted to get into a rich family, but she didn't know that the wife of a wealthy family would let her son marry a fatherless orphan, let alone Even if his father is still alive, he is still in vain, why should he marry into a noble family?
Her daughter's bitter smile made Mrs. Hu feel sore, and she hurriedly held her daughter's hands to comfort her affectionately, "My son is such a talented person. I don't know how many wives and wives in Beijing want to marry as daughter-in-laws. Don't worry, my son doesn't care about Sun Shilang's wishes." The fourth son is still the second grandson of Lu Shaoqing, they are all from a famous family, so I won't insult my daughter."

Yiran wanted to roll her eyes at her mother, but Mrs. Sun Shilang just praised herself a few times when she came to visit Mrs. Meng and gave her a jade bracelet as a gift, so her mother began to dream.Sun Shilang's fourth son is the youngest son of the Sun family. He is already a young man at a young age and has a great reputation. His mother-in-law, Mrs. Sun Shilang, is the daughter of the Zuo family of Jinzhou, a wealthy family, and married the eldest son of the Jingxi Sun family who has been famous for generations. , has always had a high eye, and the youngest son's marriage is pick and choose, but Mrs. Sun Shilang refuses to nod if there is something bad about it. Can you hire an orphan like yourself to be a son-in-law?What a dream!

Not to mention the second grandson of Lu Shaoqing. The Lu family is the successor of the founding hero Wen Xiaogong, who has had hairpin tassels for generations. arrive?

Mrs. Hu was thinking about it, "Sun Shilang's fourth son has already made a name for himself, but Lu Shaoqing's second grandson is just a scholar. Well, Sun Shilang's fourth son is better, and Mrs. Sun also likes it." you."

Yi Ran tiredly closed her eyes.

These people are simply not what I can think of!

"Second aunt of you, since you are from a big family, you should act like a big family. You only care about your daughter, and your niece doesn't care about it! You are only one year younger than Yue Ran, can she plan for you? It's useless to cry She called her second aunt!" Hu said angrily.

Sitting up happily, she said angrily, "You always compare me with Yueran, can I compare with Yueran? Yueran has a father who was born as a fourth-rank official, do I have one? Yueran has a father Uncle Hou who holds military power, do I have one? Yueran has a rich dowry mother, do I have one?!" She was just telling the truth that year, Yueran's embroidery skills were really bad, which made Yueran cry The next day, the second uncle sent Yueran to Xishan Boudoir School, where famous teachers gathered, and all the students who entered the school were noble girls from famous families. Children with fathers are not angry, can those without fathers compare?
"It's just the father", the father has gone and will never come back!
In a hurry, the words were meant to be harsh. Looking at Hu Shi who was trembling with anger, Yi Ran regretted it in her heart, and let Hu Shi curse angrily, bowed her head and said nothing.

Hu scolded for a while, cried for a while, lamented his hard life, and worked so hard to bring up his daughter to grow up, but the daughter despised her mother!

Biyu, the big girl who was doing needlework outside the door, frowned, the mother and daughter made too much noise, alas, such a master is really difficult to serve.A gust of wind blew by, and there was a hint of floral fragrance in the wind. Biyu felt a little sad for a moment. It has been two years since she came to the Liyuan, so is she still lucky enough to return to her wife's courtyard?What future can there be with the third wife and Miss Yi?

Listening intently to the movement in the room, Biyu lowered her head and continued her sewing.

Intermittent crying and cursing came from the room, and I could vaguely hear "﹍﹍It's not all because of you﹍﹍ Besides mother, who else loves you﹍﹍"

Isn't it bothersome to always be like this?Jasper shook his head.

After making a fuss for a while, Mrs. Hu calmed down, thinking that he only gave birth to her, so why should he be angry with her?I couldn't help but feel soft-hearted, and began to confide in my daughter, "Mother thought about Brother Jixian at the beginning, it was because he was born very good and smart, your second uncle and aunt loved him very much, and Lord Ji'an and Mrs. Tai were also sympathetic. There must be a good future in the future. With him as an heir, not only will I be able to rely on me when I grow old, but my son will also have a more noble status when discussing marriage. Who would have thought that your second aunt would buy a Taoist priest to raise him in your grandfather's house, so that your mother's plan will fall through. Come to think of it, this woman is really a snake and a scorpion!"

Thinking of the past, Mrs. Hu gritted her teeth in hatred of Mrs. Zhong. If she could adopt brother Xian as she wished, and Yiran had such a brother to protect her, why would this be the case!

"Although the adoption is good if you have close family members, it also requires the consent of the biological parents. It's human nature for the second aunt to be reluctant to have a child, so don't complain, mother. It's proper to raise Brother Yu well." Meng Yiran persuaded.

"Brother Yu's mother gets angry when she mentions it. She is ill and doesn't read well. She was also born by your second uncle. Why is Brother Yu so worthless!" Hu's anger didn't stop.

"Brother Yu is still young, let's teach it slowly." Meng Yiran frowned again, any child is born capable of everything, so parents and teachers should teach him slowly!

"Today is a day of great joy, and he is sick again!" Mrs. Hu resented, she was really dissatisfied with this heir.

Could it be like me, also pretending to be sick?Meng Yiran thought to herself.Brother Yu is the biological son of the second room, adopted by the third room, but still lives in the second room, isn't he more embarrassing than himself?The second uncle is usually very polite to Brother Yu, but not affectionate, alas, it's all caused by adoptives.

"In the end, it's mother's support, it's better to love him more." Meng Yiran deeply felt that her own mother was very picky about Brother Yu.

Hu smiled and shook his hand, "Come on, it didn't crawl out of my own intestines, how can I rely on it! Mother should plan for you."

Meng Yiran thought over and over again, gritted her teeth and said, "Mother, don't be too high-minded, as long as the family is upright and the children can live up to it, it doesn't matter if they are poor."

Meng Yiran is a practical woman.

Mrs. Hu looked at her strangely as if she didn't know her, "It's okay to be poor? My daughter is so outstanding, and the children of other families are not worthy of her! There is an uncle Tanhua, can my daughter marry into a poor family? What a joke! Yi'er doesn't need it. Don't worry, mother will worry about you, marriage is the order of parents."

Meng Yiran wanted to speak again, but Hu blocked her back, "How can a girl propose marriage by herself? I'm ashamed to death for you."

Biyu knocked on the door and came in, and replied with a smile, "Madam sent someone to ask brother and sister how are you? If it's all right, please invite brother, sister and the third wife to Xuanrui Hall for a family banquet."

Hu frowned and said, "Brother Yu is sick, let him rest well."

Mrs. Hu ordered, "Bring water and help the girl to freshen up." Biyu hurriedly ordered the little girl to fetch two basins of water to serve Mrs. Hu and Meng Yiran to wash up, and then took out clothes and jewelry to choose carefully. After dressing up, Biyu and Two little maids were serving, and the mother and daughter came to Xuan Ruitang.

(End of this chapter)