Chapter 279: Garden Tour (Part 2)

Fang Jieer laughed softly: "Even if Hui Jieer didn't tell me, I know it. It must be someone from the Shao family who wants to take someone from the Lin family back..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Hui Jie'er went to grab Fang Jie'er, "It's for my fifth aunt..."

Fang Jie'er clapped her hands after hearing this: "Isn't this the answer?" Then she pressed Zhen Jie'er, "You go ahead, it's your turn to speak."

Hui Jie Er pulled Fang Jie Er's arm and said, "Zhen Jie Er, don't tell her. Let her guess."

Fang Jie'er rolled her eyes and said, "If you don't want to tell me, don't tell me. I'll go ask the Fourth Madam!" After saying that, she turned around and was about to leave.

Sister Zhen felt a little unnatural.

Hui Jie'er saw it clearly, and thinking that Zhen Jie'er was a concubine's daughter...she pulled Fang Jie'er and said with a smile: "You always like to play tricks like this. If you do this again, I won't play with you anymore!" and winked at her.

Fang Jie'er understood immediately. She smiled and joked to herself, "I just like to bluff people. How dare I really complain?" She was speechless for a while, so she asked Hui Jie'er's aunt Lin Mingyuan, "Is your fifth aunt going to get married this time?"

Hui Jie'er didn't want to say it, but if she didn't say it, she would definitely ask Zhen Jie'er.

"I don't know." She thought for a moment and said, "Anyway, she is not satisfied with this or that. However, my grandmother said this time that it is not up to Fifth Aunt to decide. Whether she is willing or not, the marriage must be arranged this year."

Fang Jie'er felt very bored. She leaned on the noble couch in the warm pavilion, propped her chin on her elbows and sighed, "It's no fun to be married!"

For a moment, the three of them looked dazed. There was a chirping sound of birds outside.

Sister Zhen came back to her senses and said with a smile, "Let's go sit by the lake! Otherwise, Sister Xian will be left alone there." The two nodded.

The joy she had before she came was gone, and she went to the lake with a faint smile. Xian Jie'er was sitting there watching the floating fish on the water, and when she saw them coming over, she waved, "I've already caught seven or eight fish." The three of them went over to see that the fish were jumping around in the bamboo basket.

"The fish here are accustomed." Fang Jie'er sat down in front of her fishing rod: "As long as you bait it, they will bite. Catching seven or eight fish is nothing, just watch me!" She looked eager to give it a try.

Hui Jie'er just sat there and looked at Twelve Lady and Miss Li boating on the lake without saying a word. When the Xu family's maid reminded her quietly that the fish had been caught, she said idly, "It's just to kill time. I'm not in a hurry whether I catch it or not."

Seeing that she had the demeanor of a scholar, the mother was afraid that she would lose her foundation, so she kept silent about fishing and only helped her set the bait.

Sister Zhen, who was sitting next to her, felt that she looked worried, so she whispered, "Do you want to go to the warm pavilion to rest?" Sister Hui looked at Sister Fang, who was happily pulling the rod next to her, and shook her head gently, "So as not to provoke her again." She sighed softly, "I wanted to talk to you..."

After hearing this, Zhenjie moved the armchair, asked the servants to step back a few steps, and said softly, "It will be the same if we keep our voices down." Huijie bit her lip and said, "My mother wants to marry me to Cangzhou!"

Zhen Jie'er was shocked: "How could this happen?" Hui Jie'er was very frustrated: "My mother said that I have a bad temper. I married to Cangzhou with the reputation of Weibei Marquis Mansion. I also have my grandfather and uncle to help take care of me. Their family must be respectful to me and dare not be careless..."

"Has it been decided?" Zhen Jie'er's eyes dimmed. "Eight or nine out of ten!" Hui Jie'er hung her head in dejection, "Yesterday I saw my father write my birth date on a red and gold-speckled paper... My mother also urged my grandmother to let my fifth aunt get married quickly." She sighed, "I don't want to marry in Cangzhou. I don't know anyone there. It's cold there. There's no Ma Pozi's pastry cakes, no Duobao Pavilion, Jinshizhai..." Her voice was very sad. Zhen Jie'er was silent.

Fang Jie'er suddenly jumped out and said, "What are you two talking about? You sound so happy!" Hui Jie'er looked at her heartless face, glared at her and said, "When are you going to get married?"

Fang Jie Er laughed out loud: "You are really trying to cover up the truth." Hui Jie Er knew that these words could not calm her down, so she simply changed the subject: "Come to my house on the ninth day of the third lunar month! I will hold a spring banquet at home."

"What's so fun about your house?" Fang Jie'er said disapprovingly, "Your uncles are afraid that your grandfather will only give the family property to your father, so they all stay at home. It's so crowded that there's no place to stand..."

Hui Jieer glared at Fang Jieer and asked, "Are you going or not?"

Sister Zhen knew a little bit about what Sister Hui was thinking. If she really married to Cangzhou, she would live as long as she could in Yanjing.

She said hurriedly, "Of course we have to go!" Fang Jie'er was just joking. Seeing her frown, she felt that Hui Jie'er was in a bad mood. She smiled and said, "Of course we have to go. Otherwise, you wouldn't want to play with me!" Then she joked, "But I can go, but I have to order the fish lips from Chunxilou. Otherwise, I won't go."

Hui Jie'er was a little sad at first, but she couldn't help laughing when she heard this: "I'm just thinking about eating." Fang Jie'er was not annoyed, and turned to ask Xian Jie'er: "Hui Jie'er is holding a spring banquet on the ninth day of the first lunar month, are you going?"

"Sister Hui, please post a message for me when the time comes!" Sister Xian was generous. "Post a message? Post what message?"

Several people turned their heads. They didn't know when Sister Li and Twelve Niang had already landed. Sister Fang curled her lips and turned to go fishing.

Zhen Jie'er didn't know how to answer. Hui Jie'er, however, thought of the saying "Meeting is fate" and said with a smile: "I will hold a spring banquet on the ninth day of the first lunar month. Miss Li and Twelve Niang can also come to my house to join in the fun!" Miss Li nodded repeatedly in approval, and Twelve Niang smiled but did not give a clear answer.

Madam Wen saw that it was getting late, so she invited the ladies to have lunch in the flower hall.

Everyone was led up the corridor by their maids, smiling, out of the back garden, and into the flower hall.

It was already dusk, and the big red lanterns on the eaves had been lit, shining down on the bluestone floor tiles, glowing red and full of festive atmosphere.

Eleventh Lady was standing on the steps at the entrance of the flower hall, talking to the housekeeper's mother. She had a ginkgo flower hairpin in her temples. Unlike the usual hairpins with only one ginkgo flower, this one had small ginkgo flowers hanging down one after another, overlapping and clustering together to form a ginkgo flower the size of a wine cup. It trembled with every move, like the wind blowing through the flower, very beautiful.

"Mrs. Xu is very good at dressing up." Sister Xian sighed as she watched. Sister Fang's suppressed curiosity was rekindled.

She pulled Zhen Jie'er aside and said, "I promise not to tell anyone - what happened when you went to pay respects to the fourth aunt of the Xu family?"

The title changed from Mrs. Xu to the Fourth Aunt of the Xu Family.

Zhen Jieer couldn't resist her clinging and whispered, "One time when I went to pay my respects, my mother was clearing out her boxes. She took out some old clothes and showed them to people. Among them was a black coarse cloth double-breasted small jacket with 26 pairs of colorful bat-shaped buttons. From a distance, it looked like colorful flowers. I wonder how beautiful it was."

"Oh my, using colorful bats as buttons!" Fang Jie'er exclaimed, "What an idea!"

As they talked, a group of little girls over there quieted down and listened.

"That's right." Zhen Jieer laughed, "I don't know how much effort it took. I thought it was a pity to give it to the maid, so I asked my mother for it. But my mother said that this bat was originally a piece she didn't knit well when she was practicing knitting, so she used it to make a button. If I like it, she can make me a new one."

Twelve Lady lowered her head.

She knew that little blouse.

The dark coarse cloth was used to wrap the silk when the shop gave away the material for spring clothes. In the end, it was taken by Shiyi Niang and made into a small jacket to wear next to the body. Binju even complained that the small jacket was so beautiful that it dyed the lining of the jacket...

Fang Jie'er was very interested: "Really, really! Show me the little shirt later. I will make one like you."

Sister Zhen pursed her lips and smiled.

Fang Jie'er ate a few bites quickly and then took Zhen Jie'er to her room, then returned to the flower hall in a mysterious manner.

The next day, he got up early and urged Mrs. Zhou to go to Xu's house to listen to the opera. Mrs. Zhou was confused: "The opera will not start until after lunch."

Fang Jie'er rolled her eyes and said, "Didn't you say that it's really boring for everyone to bring their daughters to visit? If we go earlier, we can avoid running into those people. We can also pay tribute to the wife of the Marquis of Yongping. Why not do this, which kills two birds with one stone?"

Mrs. Zhou laughed when she heard this: "You are looking at Hui girl there, and you want to make a scene with her in the palace!"

"How could that be?" Fang Jie'er said seriously, "Jie Zhen is very gentle and virtuous. We are too embarrassed to tease her."

The eldest prince was going to choose a concubine, and everyone showed off their talents. Madam Zhou was also afraid of those who came to her for connections. She had already planned to go to Xu's house earlier, and just in accordance with her daughter's wishes, the mother and daughter rushed in front of Madam Huang and became the first guests to arrive.

Eleventh Lady apologized to Madam Zhou: "...Today is the third day of Fifth Sister's baby's birth. I can only drink with Sister tonight."

Mrs. Zhou smiled and said, "You said you would drink with me then."

Jinhua wine has a low alcohol content. Shiyi Niang has tried it before and has a rough idea of ​​her alcohol tolerance.

"Only my sister doesn't mind."

The two of them chatted and laughed as they went to the lady's place.

But Fang Jie'er's eyes kept turning to Shiyi Niang.

Eleventh Lady didn't understand.

Coming out of the lady's room, he asked her with a smile, "Does Sister Fang have anything to say to me?"

"No, no!" Fang Jieer denied repeatedly. She felt a little petty after saying it, so she smiled and said, "It's just because of the clothes Fourth Auntie was wearing."

Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "Fang Jie'er is also dressed very beautifully!"

Fang Jie'er was wearing a plum-red jacket with gold all over it today, but for some reason, it made her look a little bloated.

Naturally, Eleventh Lady couldn't say anything.

Fang Jie'er came forward and took her arm: "Auntie Four, I think the ginkgo flower hairpin you wore yesterday was also very beautiful. I wonder which master made it for you?"

Eleventh Lady was a little surprised.

This was only the second time she and Fang Jie'er had met, and Fang Jie'er seemed very friendly to her. Seeing that Mrs. Zhou beside her did not say anything, she thought that she had received instructions from Mrs. Zhou, and smiled and replied, "Ask Master Huang, the master of Old Jixiang, to make it. His craftsmanship is not bad."

Fang Jie'er frowned slightly.

She knew all the well-known masters in Lao Jixiang, but she had never heard of anyone with the surname Huang.

Mrs. Zhou was secretly amazed.

The Zhou family had three princesses. The princes were all gentle, but the princesses were more flamboyant. This daughter of hers was the favorite of Princess Fucheng. Although she was smart, she acted in a rather unscrupulous way. Why was she suddenly so intimate with Shiyi Niang?

Just as I was thinking about it, Mrs. Huang and Grandma Huang San came.

Eleventh Lady smiled and asked Fang Jie'er if she wanted to go sit with Zhen Jie'er first.

Fang Jie'er knew that she had to entertain guests, so she smiled and nodded, saying, "Fourth Aunt, you go ahead and do your thing. I know the way. Just ask the sister to take me there."

Eleventh Lady asked Humber to take Fang Jie'er to Zhen Jie'er's place.

Fang Jie'er took a deep breath and took off her jacket, revealing a small black coarse cloth jacket with colorful bat patterns on it. "I asked my aunt from the Shanggong Bureau to help me make an identical one."

Zhen Jie'er hurriedly helped her take off the little bra: "If it's not your mother's, I won't hurt you if I give it to you."

She was taller than Shiyi Niang at the time, so she couldn't wear it. But it fit Fang Jie'er perfectly.

The two were putting away the small jacket when Hui Jieer came.