The second lady came out from the warm room.
The lady shook her head gently at her: "Old habits die hard. If he goes back, Gan will shed a few tears and change her mind again. I think my words will just go in one ear and out the other!"
The Second Madam smiled and sat down next to the Madam, comforting her: "But at least you have made your point clear. As for whether or not you listen, that is up to Third Uncle."
The lady nodded slightly.
The Second Madam smiled and changed the subject: "I heard from Madam Du that the Queen is going to give two jade ruyi to Zhenjie to add to her makeup, but when did she give them the things she said?"
The Madam was also annoyed by the Third House's affairs and didn't want to talk about it. She smiled and said, "Prepare to reward them on August 15th." As she spoke, her expression became a little melancholy, "This is the last Mid-Autumn Festival that Zhen Jie'er will spend at home."
"When a girl grows up, she will always leave home." The second wife picked up a piece of melon with a toothpick and handed it to the old lady. "Look at me, I live more comfortably than in my parents' home. Look at you, you have both sons and daughters, and a large house full of children and grandchildren... It can be seen that getting married is also a good thing."
The lady was delighted and supported her shoulders with a smile: "Let's go and see Zhenjie's dowry."
The Second Lady hurriedly helped the Lady Dowager put on her shoes and escorted her to Eleventh Lady.
"The fourth son first took 20,000 taels of silver to buy a dowry for Eleventh Lady." The old lady and the second lady walked leisurely on the corridor, while Zhihong and several maids and old women followed from a distance. "Eleventh Lady gave everything to Wenshi," the old lady smiled happily. "You also know Wenshi. If there is anything, she is afraid that she will be involved. After receiving the silver from Eleventh Lady, she not only worked hard to help Zhenjie'er buy a dowry, but also feared that someone would say that the dowry had flaws. She embezzled the silver, and not only kept the accounts clearly, but also put a lot of her own money into it. I think the best thing about Eleventh Lady is that she knows how to use people!"
The second wife smiled and said, "Everything in this world depends on people. Otherwise, how could there be the story of Yugong moving the mountain? There is no better skill than knowing how to use people."
The two of them chatted and laughed as they entered Eleventh Lady's yard.
Eleventh Lady had received the letter and came forward to meet him.
The lady smiled and looked around: "Where is Jin'er?"
Before she finished her words, Jing'er ran out in a small jacket: "Grandma, grandma, I want some ice!" and threw himself on the lady.
The lady laughed, pulled Jing'er's hand, and said angrily, "Who is serving him? Why did he run out in a short coat?"
Hong Wen and A Jin, who followed Jing'er quickly, stood there trembling with fear.
The lady didn't pursue the matter, but bent down and asked Jing'er, "What kind of ice do you want to eat?"
Jin Ge'er didn't say anything. He leaned closely beside the lady and looked at Shiyi Niang eagerly.
The lady asked Eleventh Lady, "What happened?"
Shiyi Niang looked at her son and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She said, "Mom, don't worry about him. He thinks the weather is too hot and wants Ah Jin and the others to knock down the ice cream in the house to eat!"
The lady heard the cry of "Ouch" and said hurriedly, "That won't do. I'll get a stomachache." Then she thought for a moment and said, "I think this is a better idea. I'll take Jing'er to the West Mountain Villa to escape the summer heat. The weather is really too hot!"
This year is not hotter than previous years, and in previous years, the Madam did not say that she would go to the West Hill Villa to escape the heat. It is clear that she is heartbroken for Jing'er.
Eleventh Lady looked at the bright sun and said with a smile, "Mother, it's been hot these past two days. We are sweating just sitting at home, let alone traveling. I think it won't be too late to go when the weather is a little cooler." Then she called out to Jin Ge'er, "Why don't you pay your respects to Second Aunt?"
When Jing'er saw his mother calling him with a stern face, he timidly called out "Second Aunt".
The Second Lady smiled and nodded, and also advised the Grand Lady: "What the Fourth Sister-in-law said makes sense. We don't want to go out when we see the sun like this, not to mention that you are old and can't stand the fatigue of traveling!"
Although Jing'er didn't know what was so good about the West Hill Villa, he could read the lady's eyes and knew that she was protecting him, while his mother and second aunt stood on the other side. He immediately pulled the lady's clothes.
The lady looked down and saw a pair of dark, clear eyes, staring at her intently, full of dependence and trust.
The old lady's heart, which had been convinced, was immediately shaken. She said to Eleventh Lady and Second Lady, "When the weather gets cooler, why bother to escape the heat? If you want to go, go in the next two days."
In this situation, Eleventh Lady couldn't say much, so she simply avoided the topic and smiled as she invited the lady to come in and sit down: "...it's cooler!"
The lady took Jing'er into the main room.
When Jing'er saw that his mother stopped talking about this, his eyes lit up and he happily sat down with the lady on the big kang by the window.
After drinking tea, the lady explained the purpose of their visit, and several people went to see Zhen Jie'er's dowry.
Looking at the things that filled the three rooms, the lady smiled with satisfaction: "Once the Queen's Jade Ruyi arrives, everything will be perfect." Then she asked Xu Lingyi, "...What are you doing?"
Before Eleventh Lady could answer, Jing'er shouted, "Daddy, draw!"
The first lady and the second lady were stunned.
Eleventh Lady regretted bringing this little ancestor along.
In June, Xu Lingyi began to draw a picture album for Jinger. In ancient times, people emphasized "holding grandchildren instead of children". The Taifu and the Second Madam knew about this, but they didn't know what to think!
She laughed and said, "Some shop owners have come to Beijing ahead of time. The Marquis has been busy meeting with the shop owners these days!"
When the fourth child is in a bad mood, he likes to draw in the Banyue Pavilion. Could it be that something happened and his son is hiding it from him because he is afraid that he will worry?
The lady remained calm, patted Jing'er's head lovingly, and said with a smile, "So Daddy is painting?"
Jinger knew that his father was drawing a picture book for him, and several times his father held him on his lap and gave him a pen to let him draw randomly. He liked it very much.
When my grandmother asked me about this, I couldn't help showing a proud look on my face, and I pulled the lady's hand and said, "Draw!"
The lady followed Jing'er to the study with a smile.
Jing'er let go of the lady's hand and quickly climbed onto the big kang next to the window. He pulled out a few pieces of drawing paper from under the kang table and gave them to the lady: "Daddy drew these, they are mine!"
The lady was stunned at first, then she took it and looked at it and couldn't help laughing.
"Yizhen! Look at it too!"
The second wife took the drawing paper, glanced at it, and smiled: "I didn't expect the Marquis to have time to draw these!"
I wonder if the Taifu and Second Madam will tease Xu Lingyi about this.
Thinking of how Xu Lingyi would always send his servants away whenever he drew these pictures for Jing'er...
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "It was I who asked the Marquis for help, and the Marquis really couldn't refuse, so he helped Jin Ge'er draw a few pictures."
The second wife put the drawing paper in her hand under the table on the kang, smiled faintly, and saw that the old lady held Jing'er in her arms.
"Your father used to lead thousands of troops. He was wise, brave, resolute and courageous. He was a man who could shake the ground when he frowned." The old man's tone was a little sighing. "Now he is trapped in Pingyang and can only stay at home and deal with those shopkeepers who manage the general affairs." As he said that, he laughed, "Luckily, you are here, otherwise, your father's life would be really hard." Then he kissed Jing'er on the cheek, "Our Jing'er is such a lucky man!" He carried Jing'er off the kang, took his hand and led him out, "Let's go drink mung bean soup."
Looking at the pine-like Taifu and the bouncing Jing'er, Shiyi Niang felt inexplicably sad. She was in a trance for a moment, then smiled and looked at the Second Madam, motioning her to go back to the main room to sit together. So she didn't notice that the Second Madam's eyes had been fixed on the drawing paper under the kang.
* * * * * *
The Third Master returned home with his head hung low. He saw the Third Madam sitting on the big kang by the window, holding an account book in her hand and muttering something in a low voice. Gan Laoquan's wife was sitting on a small stool beside the kang, using an abacus. Xingjiao was standing behind the Third Madam, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.
Seeing him come in, Xingjiao hurriedly helped the third lady get off the kang.
"What did your mother call you for?"
Things have been going wrong these days, and there was some resentment in the Third Lady's words.
The Third Master first said "Nothing" out of habit, then he remembered what the Madam said, and felt a little uncomfortable. He asked the Third Madam in a disguised way: "What are you doing?"
The Third Madam knew that her husband was avoiding the main point again, but she couldn't ask too much in front of Gan Laoquan. She was a little displeased and said, "I'm looking at the dowry list of the Jin family and calculating how much dowry the Jin family has this time!"
No matter how much dowry there is, it can never be more than Fang’s!
It would be unbecoming to do all this calculation in front of the maidservants.
My mother was right. I have always been thinking about how difficult it has been for my wife over the years, but I didn’t care whether she was right or wrong.
The thought flashed through his mind, and he straightened up and waved towards Gan Laoquan's family: "All of you, please leave! I have something to say to my wife!"
He Xingjiao from the Gan Laoquan family quickly bowed and retreated.
The third lady looked confused: "What happened?"
"It's nothing!" The Third Master sat on the kang and said, "The daughter of the Jin family hasn't married yet. If the dowry is rich, it's fine. But if it's not rich, won't the servants gossip about it behind your back? How can Jian Geer live like this? If you really want to settle this account, let's just do it behind closed doors!"
After hearing this, the Third Lady's face turned red and she muttered a few words, but in the end she felt she was in the wrong and did not say anything in rebuttal.
The Third Master looked refreshed.
I think there is some truth in what the lady said.
He coughed softly and told the story of how the lady asked the fourth room to accept the gift money: "...I think what mother said makes sense. Otherwise, shall we hand over the matter of accepting the gift money to the handling department of the mansion? Those who sent the gift money will know what the gift money is. Then it will be natural for us not to return the gift!"
The Third Madam listened and silently calculated the account in her heart, then nodded slightly: "Then let the people in the Relationship Office help collect the gift money when the time comes!"
I didn't expect that something that had troubled me for several days could be solved so easily.
The Third Master couldn't help but grin.
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Thank you everyone, first place for pink ticket in June!
O(∩_∩)O~
PS: I am still working overtime, and I got home a little late, so the update will be even later. Everyone should get up tomorrow morning and read it!