It was late at night and Xue Zhongfu was lying on his bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.
His mind kept echoing with his mother’s words today, especially the part about Shen Sanniang.
For some reason, he always felt that the change in his mother's attitude towards Shen Sanniang did not seem to be just because of her talent, but rather there was some deeper reason.
At the same time, Hong Yingrong did not rest immediately.
She sat in the inner room, gently stroking an exquisite jade pendant in her hand. This was the item Xue Yonghuai often wore during his lifetime. It was engraved with dragon and phoenix patterns, symbolizing harmony between husband and wife and a harmonious family.
Her thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the days when she was with her husband. At that time, they were like the dragon and phoenix on the jade pendant, inseparable and living in harmony.
"Madam, it's late, you should rest." Nanny Zhao walked in quietly and reminded.
Hong Yingrong smiled slightly, put away the jade pendant, and sighed: "Yes, it's late at night, it's time to rest."
However, when she lay on the bed and closed her eyes, the figure of her husband Xue Yonghuai appeared in her mind again, as vivid as if he were alive.
The next morning, Hong Yingrong got up early and went to the warehouse to select treasures to give to the Jiang family.
The Jiang family has been a family of scholars for generations. When visiting them in the past, the furnishings in their home always exuded an elegant and refined atmosphere. Naturally, Hong Yingrong had to carefully select the gifts she was sending to ensure that they were in line with the Jiang family's taste.
Now, my daughter-in-law Jiang Shuxiu's family, that is, her father's direct lineage, still lives in the capital.
The eldest master of the eldest house, Jiang Wensong, holds the position of chief academic officer of the Imperial College. His wife, Liu, also comes from a prominent family. The couple has only one daughter, Jiang Shuxiu, who has been the apple of everyone's eye since she was a child.
The second master, Jiang Wenbai, held an important position in the government silver office. He and his wife, Qiao, had a son, Jiang Lun.
The two branches of the Jiang family are friendly to each other and harmonious with each other. It was agreed several years ago that Jiang Lun would take on the responsibility of inheriting the two branches and carrying on the heirs.
"Old lady." Nanny Zhao greeted softly, and then directed several well-trained and steady maids to respectfully bring out a white glazed statue of Manjushri Bodhisattva.
Hong Yingrong's eyes showed satisfaction and she nodded slightly.
The Jiang family devoutly worships Manjushri Bodhisattva, and this statue is actually made of a whole piece of pure and flawless white glass, which is simply a rare treasure.
She was confident that even in the inner courtyard of the imperial palace, she would not be able to find a Bodhisattva statue of such exquisite quality.
"Please wrap it carefully and don't make any mistakes." Hong Yingrong warned solemnly.
"Yes, old lady." The maids answered in unison and began to carefully wrap the Bodhisattva statue with the most meticulous techniques.
The other gifts also catered to the preferences of each member of the Jiang family. Jiang Shuxiu's mother was quite accomplished in tea art. She ordered people to prepare a set of enameled rose and green bamboo tea sets with bright colors and elegant patterns.
For the second wife, Mrs. Qiao, Hong Yingrong chose a three-legged hibiscus stone incense burner and a pink cherry-colored double-ring ear box, both of which are exquisite and unique.
In addition, forty pieces of snow-white silk and purple cloud gauze were specially prepared. This kind of silk is as light as feather, feels cool and comfortable to the touch, and is extremely suitable for summer wear.
As for the two masters of the Jiang family, Jiang Wensong and Jiang Wenbai, Hong Yingrong did not neglect them either. She prepared the Duanshi landscape inkstone and Cao Sugong Hui ink, both of which are the best among the four treasures of the study.
In addition, there are twenty rolls of ribbed rice paper, which is delicate and flexible and absorbs ink evenly, making it an excellent choice for calligraphy and painting.
Nanny Zhao steadily placed the hibiscus stone incense burner into the exquisite gift box and said softly, "I remember that Madam Qiao is only two years younger than you, Old Madam, but she has always had a special liking for the color pink."
Upon hearing this, Hong Yingrong's face flickered with nostalgia. "That's true. She was born with a delicate and pretty appearance. Even with her age, her preferences never changed. Back then, when Qiao visited relatives and friends, or attended banquets hosted by the noble ladies of the capital, she always loved wearing pink clothes, which made her look particularly eye-catching."
As Madam Zhao sorted the gifts on the table, she muttered, "Because of this, I've been gossiped about a lot by the other women from the aristocratic families..."
After hearing this, Hong Yingrong sighed softly and smiled without saying anything.
In fact, those women in the deep house were not only dissatisfied with Mrs. Qiao's clothing because the color matching was not suitable for her age, but also because her family was a coroner who had repeatedly solved unsolved cases and was promoted to the position of Chief Justice.
Naturally, the civil and military officials in the court felt inferior and looked down upon her. Nowadays, Mrs. Qiao's clothes were more modest in color, but the furnishings in her home still couldn't hide her preference for pink.
Guanyan, the child, also followed Zhao Ma to the storeroom early in the morning and busily helped the old lady sort things out. He was nimble and quick-witted, and could tell at a glance which gifts needed to be handled with care and which needed to be carefully wrapped.
"Madam, this is the embroidered stool you mentioned yesterday," Guan Yan said briskly. "I'll help you move it to the Prajna Hall right away."
Aunt Zhao praised with a satisfied smile, "This child is really attentive. Yesterday, you just mentioned it casually, old lady, and he remembered it."
"You're quite clever," Hong Yingrong nodded in agreement. She saw Guan Yan steadily pick up the stool and prepare to leave. "You've been busy all morning. When you get home, have Han Qiao light the An Ningxiang. Go back to your room and have a good rest. Copy the calligraphy I gave you."
Hong Yingrong has already asked Guanyan to start learning to write. The child is smart and his progress is particularly obvious.
"Yes, old lady." Guan Yan replied, then picked up the stool steadily and walked out of the warehouse.
Although this embroidered stool is not big, it is carefully crafted from solid rosewood and feels quite heavy when held in the arms.
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