The Red Mansion is so charming

Chapter 202
The Xing family's garden is far from the style of the Grand View Garden, but because the owner is good at planting and arranging, the scenery is not inferior to any scenery in the palace.The Xing family has strict rules, a team of people will patrol the garden every half an hour, no matter the severe cold or hot summer.

Xiuyan passed by several women, although everyone was puzzled why the girl came out in such cold weather, but no one dared to ask, they just kept their duty and checked the garden for suspicious signs more carefully.

Song Chen took the purse, pretended to go to the toilet as an excuse, and slipped from the front yard into the back garden.Bypassing a mountain ridge, I saw Xing Xiuyan wearing a red cloak standing on the Jiuqu Bridge near the water puddle.The end of winter is coming to an end, and the water in the capital has already turned into a clear stream. The puddle is not big, it is just a tributary in the center of the lake in the garden, but it is also sparkling and rippling.

Song Chen was so engrossed in watching for a moment that he actually stood on the mountain ridge for an unknown amount of time.

Bai Fu's eyes were good, and she could see the figure on the high slope from a distance. She gently pulled La Cuime, and turned the corner of her mouth to the right.Seeing this, Cuimei's heart skipped a beat, she gave Xiuyan a light bow, took Baifu's hand down the Jiuqu Bridge, and stood tens of meters away to keep watch.

Song Chen took a steady breath, lifted his robe and strode down the hillside. He came straight to the Jiuqu Bridge and stood shoulder to shoulder with Xiuyan. One was tall and the other was petite. They were about the same age. They will all praise her, and want to help achieve this good relationship.

Xiuyan turned her head and looked at the other side playfully: "Did you receive the purse?"

Song Chen said with a smile, "If this is just a birthday present for me, I can't help complaining." Xiuyan spat softly, "What a greedy fellow, you think it's an ordinary purse! The peace inside The talisman was specially obtained from the Avalokitesvara Dojo, and it is most efficacious to have Master Ping'an of South Putuo personally offering it in front of the altar for 81 days. Master Ping'an only enlightens two or three in a year, and you have The one I begged for three years ago when I was in the south, and it’s only been a month since I’ve been here.”

After hearing these words, Song Chen felt as if a spring had opened in his heart, gurgling and bubbling sweet water, not to mention how satisfied he was.His hand automatically and consciously touched the purse at his waist, and said in his mouth: "I'm afraid this is the best gift I received this year!"

Xiuyan smiled: "Didn't you just dislike it just now? Why did you change your tone now? What if I lied to you with nonsense!"

Unexpectedly, Song Chen didn't smile this time, but looked at Xiuyan seriously, and suddenly took her by the hand.

Xiuyan was startled and wanted to withdraw.She didn't mind having a warm stove, but Bai Fu and Cui Mei were mostly watching her from behind, and Xiuyan didn't want to be surrounded by people as if she was a singer.

Song Chen's big hands are generous and powerful, no matter how Xiuyan pulls his hand, he uses skillful strength, neither will let Xiuyan escape from his control, nor will he hurt her.

Xiuyan spits secretly: This guy's domineering temperament is fully revealed.

Song Chen said in a deep voice, "I believe you will never lie to me."

Xiuyan let Song Chen pull her, and looked at him blankly.Song Chen's heart softened, and he held Xiuyan's cold little hand in his palm, bowed his head and whispered in her ear: "The emperor is very satisfied with me for eliminating the water bandits in the southeast this time, and will submit a petition for credit when the admiral comes to Beijing to report on his duties According to the memorial, the emperor will make me a hereditary captain of Qingqi, and at that time, he will also propose to our old man to ask me to live in a separate residence."

Xiuyan looked at Song Chen in disbelief: "I heard that right, right? How could such a thing be brought up by the emperor?"

Song Chen sneered: "Our old man's rights are gradually becoming uncontrollable. Although Cheng Zimo and others occupy high positions, they are still fledgling. The Supreme Emperor is ready to move. Everyone is unprepared for King Fu's ancestors. Long live can only be soft and hard , while flattering me, while depriving our old man of his rights in a disguised form."

Xiuyan nodded, thoughtfully: "This is like feeding a tiger caramel, while giving it a taste of the sweetness, while waiting for the tiger to eat all its teeth, so that it can sit and wait to die."

"That's exactly the reason. Our old man is not the kind of power minister who is greedy for power, but he has served three generations of emperors. The Song family has offended many dignitaries, not to mention those nobles who have long since fallen. If the Song family unfortunately dies, We have to arrange a way out."

Xiuyan sighed lightly: "You are the so-called back road?"

Song Chen didn't make a sound, which was acquiescence to Xiuyan's statement.

Song Lian, an old fox, has been in power for many years, and he has served in the bureaucracy with a lot of errands. Officials of all sizes in the capital were promoted and demoted. Regardless of Xiaozong, he had to listen.

Seeing Xiuyan's sad face, Song Chen smiled lightly and said, "It's just living in a separate mansion, not a separate family. Would you like to be Mrs. Song?"

little madam!It sounds so awkward.

Xiuyan frowned: "Could it be that you plan to get a lady to hold you down?" Song Chen was taken aback for a moment, and then became happy, laughing before he knew it, and the laughter quickly spread far away through the sound of water , Bai Fu and Cui Mei looked at the two of them curiously, seeing Mrs. Song's hand was holding on to their girl, the two little girls blushed, and turned their heads away.

The atmosphere between the two became lighter for a while, and Song Chen took the opportunity to ask what the rumors about the Rongguo Mansion were all about.Xiuyan smiled indifferently: "It's okay, it's all a trick played by Mrs. Wang, just trying to discredit me."

Song Chen's face was livid: "The Rongguo Mansion has been in decline for many years, and it has long been the laughing stock of noble families in the capital. I didn't expect to dare to use this kind of poisonous scheme to harm people! Don't bother, tell me to find a reason to clean up their house. .”

Xiuyan smiled and said, "Why do you need to do such a small thing! Right now, I'm half-focused on Ouyang's family and half on Sister Lin, and it won't be too late to clean up the Wang family after I'm done with these two important matters. Then There is only one weak spot in Wang's life, which is Jia Baoyu, instead of telling Wang to go away quickly, it is better to torture her slowly to relieve her anger!"

She also thought of the few things she asked Ma Tingyuan to do: "You have met Mr. Ma, but you must help me find out how the second master of the Ouyang family is doing! When will the net be closed?"

Ma Tingyuan took advantage of the most chaotic time in the capital a few years ago, and got acquainted with the second master of Ouyang's family through some people.This second master is not only beautiful, but also addicted to gambling.Ma Tingyuan led the other party to visit all the big and small gambling houses in the capital.Back then, Princess Zhaoyuan's son-in-law was not favored by the emperor, and it was mostly because of the big gambling houses owned by the son-in-law's family.The Supreme Emperor felt that marrying such a family would lose the royal majesty, but he couldn't bear Princess Zhaoyuan's liking.

Since the Ma family became a son-in-law, their power has grown even stronger. Several uncles and uncles of Ma Tingyuan have almost monopolized half of the gambling houses in the capital.The Ma family is not short of money, Ma Tingyuan is newly promoted, the second master of the Ouyang family can't wait to rush forward to flatter Ma Tingyuan, now seeing Ma Tingyuan taking the initiative to strike up a conversation, there is no reason for the second master Ouyang not to be active.

So in less than half a month, the second master Ouyang had already regarded Ma Tingyuan, who was very different in age, as a confidant in times of need.

The second master Ouyang was victorious in all battles in the early stage, and at the beginning he was still fighting a little, but he had already made the second master Ouyang very heartbroken by selling hundreds of taels of silver.But with a large amount of snowflake silver stuffed into his pocket, the second master Ouyang felt that the speed of collecting money was too slow, and he would never make a move unless it was a big gamble.

It's only the seventh day of the lunar new year, and the second master Ouyang's luck is somehow getting worse day by day. Seeing that the tens of thousands of taels of silver won are all sent back with him, how can the second master Ouyang be willing?So I had to borrow money from Ma Tingyuan to make up for it.At the beginning, it was two to 3000 taels, and later it was two to 3 taels.

Today, the silver supply owed by the second master Ouyang is 11 taels, and his own private collection of antique calligraphy and paintings has also been signed on paper.

Xiuyan couldn't help laughing when she heard the news: "Mr. Ma is indeed suitable for this job. Next, it's time to come to the door to press for debts, right?"

Song Chen sneered: "Master Ouyang is obsessed with his obsession, and he is still planning how to make money at the gambling table!"

Xiuyan quickly tugged on Song Chen's sleeve, "What is the gambling money he can afford now?" Song Chen thought for a while, and said in a deep voice, "What Ting Yuan means is that the second master Ouyang has long been at the end of his rope. Now he lives in the gambling house all day long, doesn't even go home, doesn't change his clothes, he looks like a beggar."

"Ask someone to force him to pay back the money. If he doesn't pay back, it's fine." Xiuyan said in a cold tone, "Tell him to take Ouyang's house in Fengwei Hutong as a mortgage."

If the second master Ouyang was not too weak, Xiuyan even wanted to ask the other party to steal the deed of Ouyang's ancestral property.There is nothing more stimulating to the old lady Ouyang than this!
Xiuyan's guess was right, the current old lady Ouyang is at the end of her battle, and there is no news of her favorite young son, and the old lady even thinks that the other party is in danger.But without definite news for a day, the old lady Ouyang had a glimmer of hope.

This is not the most irritating thing, the old lady only hates that her second son is having a good time outside, knowing that he has half his life left, but he still refuses to show up!
The old lady Ouyang had been strong all her life, but she was still tripped by her children when she was about to die.

On the second day Song Chen left the Xing family, Ma Tingyuan found the second master of the Ouyang family who had not closed his eyes for several days and nights in the corner of Tongcai Guangjin Gambling Hall, and was leaning against the wall and sleeping soundly.

At this moment, once this old man is pulled out, he will definitely be regarded as a beggar.Unkempt, ragged, and one of the boots on his feet was missing at some point.

Ma Tingyuan woke up the second master Ouyang with a smile: "Second master, wake up, I have a chance to make money here, I don't know if you are willing or not!"

The second master's muddy eyeballs rolled around, and when his chaotic head finally figured out what Mr. Ma was talking about.A dazzling brilliance burst out in the eyes of the second master Ouyang.

He knew that Mr. Ma was his lucky star!

Ma Tingyuan smiled lightly: "But you should always show some sincerity when you turn over the book."

"I don't know what brother Ma's sincerity refers to?"

"Second master still owes me 10,000+ taels of snowflake silver, why should he take out something of comparable value as collateral, otherwise I'm afraid that the gang of brothers under him will not accept it!"

(End of this chapter)