Chapter 68: Jinshi (Part 1)
Chapter 61, 66 and 67 have been overhauled. If you feel that they are a little out of tune, please turn to the front and have a look. . . . Chapter 61, 66 and 67 have been overhauled. If you feel that they are a little out of tune, please turn to the front and have a look. . . . Chapter 61, 66 and 67 have been overhauled. If you feel that they are a little out of tune, please turn to the front and have a look. . . .
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The next day was Yuanniang's funeral. According to the rules, the Luo family should send three sacrificial animals to the mourning hall to burn paper money for Yuanniang. Who knew that the first wife vomited all over the body when she woke up in the morning. The eldest master was so scared that his face turned pale and he hurriedly sent someone to call a doctor. Luo Zhenxing hurried over to visit the patient. The first wife was afraid of delaying Yuanniang's time, so she urged her son to go quickly: "... There is Xu's mother, your father and the sixth aunt at home, what do you have to worry about?"
Luo Zhenren was hesitant.
The eldest wife said that she wanted to keep Eleventh Lady as well: "Your sister has always been calm, you should be relieved, right?"
As they were talking, the third master Luo Zhenda and the fourth uncle Yu Yiqing, the third grandmother, the fourth mother, and the seventh mother from the second house arrived.
"Go quickly!" said the first wife. "I'm fine. I just caught a cold. Don't let everyone wait for you."
Luo Zhenxing thought about it, gave some instructions to Shiyi Niang, and then went to the bedroom.
Qian Ming and Yu Yiqing were already talking happily. Luo Zhenda, 20 years old, was still a student, while Luo Zhensheng was not even a student. The two stood there in silence, naturally not daring to say a word. Seeing Luo Zhenxing coming, Yu Yiqing smiled and asked him about the imperial examination.
Luo Zhenxing felt that he had done well in the exam, but this kind of thing cannot be passed by feeling alone, so he did not dare to brag. He responded vaguely with a few words and asked the servant to wait at the door: "See why the fifth and sixth masters haven't come yet?"
"These two guys only know how to play." Yu Yiqing is not tall, but he looks handsome and gentle. His small eyes are bright and full of spirit.
Qian Ming smiled and said, "They are still young and just love to play!"
Yu Yiqing smiled and was about to say something when a childish voice came from outside the door: "Fifth sister's wife is still the best. Unlike fourth brother-in-law, he always pretends to be an adult."
Everyone looked over. Who else was there besides Fifth Master Luo Zhenkai?
Yu Yiqing burst into laughter: "I am an adult, how can I pretend to be one?"
Luo Zhenkai puffed up his cheeks and was about to say something, but Luo Zhenyu pulled his brother's collar and said, "Mom told you to listen to your eldest brother when you go out." He was so angry that he glared at his younger brother.
When Luo Zhenxing saw them, he said, "Since everyone is here, let's go over there quickly!"
Everyone stopped smiling and went to Xu's house with Luo Zhenxing.
The front of Xu's residence was covered in white, with people coming and going. A row of black lacquered flat-topped carriages with green curtains and silver dragon embroidery, which were only available to officials above the third rank, were parked.
Qian Ming clicked his tongue: "Have all the officials from Yanjing come?"
Yu Yiqing was also quite excited: "It seems that the Marquis is only one year older than me."
"Yeah." Luo Zhenxing smiled bitterly, "Mr. Hou is 26 years old this year."
As they were talking, a sharp-eyed steward saw them, hurried over, and enthusiastically led them in.
From a distance, Luo Zhenxing saw Xu Lingyi, dressed in white clothes and white socks, standing in front of the mourning shed and talking to two men in their forties.
Seeing Luo Zhenxing, he whispered a few words to the two men and came forward: "You are here!"
When he got closer, Luo Zhenxing realized that Xu Lingyi looked a little haggard.
Everyone hurriedly greeted Xu Lingyi, and Qian Ming introduced himself: "I am Qian Zichun from Yichun, and I have met my brother-in-law."
Xu Lingyi was slightly stunned.
Luo Zhenxing explained hurriedly, "He is Fifth Sister's fiancé, who just got engaged."
Xu Lingyi nodded to Qian Ming and then greeted Yu Yiqing: "Did you come here during the Chinese New Year? Have you been preparing for the imperial examination?"
Yu Yiqing nodded: "It's an opportunity that only comes once every three years."
Xu Lingyi nodded slightly, and Qian Ming smiled and said, "I am also going to the same exam this year with my elder uncle and my brother-in-law Yu, but I am not very educated, so I wonder if I can pass the exam?"
"How do you know if there is a chance if you don't try!" Xu Lingyi said calmly, and then personally led them to the mourning shed. As for the grandmother and the fourth daughter, they were already taken to the inner courtyard where Yuanniang's coffin was placed to burn incense and mourn.
However, just as Luo Zhenxing and others entered the mourning shed, the steward came to report: "The funeral for the Empress has arrived."
Xu Lingyi asked the steward to greet Luo Zhenxing and others, and went to the main hall himself.
. . . . .
Eleventh Lady was relieved to be left at home.
She was really afraid that Chun Ge would say something in the funeral hall that would make the scene awkward.
After helping the eldest lady lie down, Eleventh Lady brought a brocade stool and did needlework by her bed.
After a while, the doctor came.
Eleventh Lady retreated to the east room and returned to the inner room only after the doctor left.
"What did the doctor say?"
"It is said that there is heat in the chest and cold in the stomach, and the stomach is out of harmony and descending, so vomiting occurs." Mother Xu showed the prescription to Shiyi Niang, "She prescribed Huanglian Decoction."
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I don't quite understand these things, but I think what the doctor said is correct. Have you sent someone to get the medicine? Otherwise, I can light a small stove so that I can boil the medicine in time when it comes back."
Mother Xu heard him speak so well and said with a smile: "How can I let you light the stove? Just tell the little maid to do it."
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "This is my job. You are welcome, mother."
The two chatted for a while, and then the man who got the medicine came back.
Eleventh Lady showed the medicine to Mother Xu, took one of the packets and went to the side room, lit a small stove and boiled a dose of medicine for the First Lady.
When it was brought in, the eldest wife was talking to Mother Xu: "...We can't let her be in the dark..."
Seeing Eleventh Lady coming in, the eldest wife stopped talking.
“We can’t let her be in the dark.” Who is this “she” referring to? What does being in the dark mean?
Eleventh Lady did not dare to reveal her confusion and served the First Madam medicine with a smile.
The eldest wife fell asleep after taking the medicine, so Eleventh Lady and Mother Xu sat in front of the bed doing needlework. Seeing that it was getting late, they went to the kitchen to make a bowl of white porridge for the eldest wife using a mixture of yellow sorghum rice and white rice. When they brought it in, the eldest wife had just woken up.
"Miss Eleven is so thoughtful!" Mother Xu praised Eleventh Lady in front of the First Lady.
Eleventh Lady smiled and said, "I watched my mother serve my mother like this every day, so I followed her and learned from her."
"Oh, it turns out it's all my credit!" Mother Xu laughed.
The eldest wife looked at him and nodded slightly.
After dinner, Luo Zhenxing and others came back and hurried over to ask about the first wife's condition.
Knowing that the first wife was fine, the fourth, fifth, and seventh wives gathered around to talk about Yuanniang's sacrifice: "…The Empress's was not that rare, it was just three animals and six gifts, and there was a man named Yang Wenxiong who directed it, and the things sent were really rich. There were pig and sheep sacrifices, gold and silver mountains, satin and colored silk, paper money, candles and incense, more than a hundred loads!"
The first wife asked, "Do you know what kind of offerings the Wen family sent?"
Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. But the grandmother said calmly, "It was just some pigs and sheep sacrifices, and nine platforms were carried."
The eldest wife nodded.
Now that Yuanniang is gone, my aunt must be wary of the Wen family, right?
Si Niang felt that she seemed to have caught the eye of the eldest wife, so she smiled and stood up to say goodbye: "It's getting late today, I'll come to see my aunt tomorrow."
The eldest wife didn't stay, and the eldest grandmother sent her out. Then she said to the Eleventh Lady who stayed in the room: "The Wen family of Yangzhou has directly connected with the Xu family, relying on the Xu family to do business in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and is involved in the weaving in the south and the horse farm in the north...but they can still be so low-key, which is very rare." As she said, she looked at the Eleventh Lady thoughtfully, "You know, the offerings sent are all superficial things, and the ones sent to the account office are real money."
Eleventh Lady was stunned.
The first wife...is she teaching me how to handle things?
She thought again of the first wife's words "completely in the dark"... Was she referring to herself?
From then on, the eldest wife often asked Eleventh Lady to serve her, and she would talk about the Xu family's affairs from time to time.
Although Shiyi Niang listened very seriously, she did not regard it as the only standard. After all, everyone has their own perspective and way of understanding things.
From the first seven days to the fifth seven days, the three aunts and six relatives had to go to pay homage again. So on March 25th, the Luo family went to Xu's house again.
Eleventh Lady was still left behind to take care of the First Lady - her vomiting had improved a lot, but she was always listless. Maybe her body was fine, but Yuanniang's death had dealt her too great a blow mentally!
Eleventh Lady was pondering in her heart when she received a letter sent by the Seventh Miss of the Gan family.
In the letter, she first thanked Shiyi Niang for the handkerchief and purse she had given her last time. Then she talked about Yuanniang's death, asking her to mourn and take care of herself. She said that she would come to see Shiyi Niang when she had the chance, and asked her to read more Buddhist scriptures when she had nothing to do, saying that there were great truths in the Buddhist scriptures. Her stepmother, Madam Gan, liked to read Buddhist scriptures very much.
Eleventh Lady couldn't help but laugh when holding the letter, but she felt more grateful.
Thank you Miss Qi for your kind comments.
The Third Madam was her cousin, and she probably knew better than herself what had happened to the Xu family and why she had said that. Yet she could still comfort herself in this veiled way...
So not only did Eleventh Lady write her back a letter, saying that she was fine, she also asked the messenger to bring two five-bat ropes that she had made herself to the Seventh Miss of the Gan family.
. , , . , ,
On March 28, Luo Zhenxing, Luo Zhensheng and Wu Xiaoquan went to check the list early in the morning, but they hadn't come back by noon. The eldest wife was anxious, worried that her son would be discouraged and unwilling to come back after failing the exam, and also worried that her son would be dragged out to drink after passing the exam. . . So she sent Hang Mama's son Hang Xincai to look for him, but Hang Xincai got the job and ran back: "...Grandpa won, Grandpa won!"
After hearing this, the eldest wife hurriedly got up and went out, and ran into Luo Zhenxing.
"Mom, I won, I won." Luo Zhenxing was very excited, "No. 66."
"Quick, quick, quick," the first wife said with a joyful face, "offer sacrifices to the ancestors." She added, "Go and tell the eldest master quickly."
The house suddenly became joyful.
Luo Zhenxing added: "Fourth brother-in-law also won, ninth place."
The first wife was startled and asked hurriedly, "Where is Mr. Qian?"
Luo Zhenxing hesitated for a moment and said, "We can only wait a few years."
The eldest wife's joy was reduced a little, but she still said, "There's nothing we can do about it. Your third uncle also took the exam several times."
"Yes!" Luo Zhenxing was afraid that his mother would be disappointed, so he hurriedly said, "He has too many things to do. If he can concentrate on studying, he will definitely be able to get the first or second place in the imperial examination..."
The eldest wife thought for a moment and said, "Invite him over for a drink later! First, it can comfort him, and second, if he is willing, our family will pay for his three-year study in the Imperial College."
Luo Zhenxing was startled.
The eldest lady already said: "Luo Zhensheng is no longer a person who can be helped up. You must have someone to help you!"
Luo Zhenxing thought about it and did not refuse. He immediately sent someone to invite Qian Minglai.
Qian Ming no longer had the high spirits he once had, but after hearing that the Luo family was willing to sponsor his studies, he excitedly stood up and bowed to Luo Zhenxing: "Brother, I cannot thank you enough for your kindness!"
Seeing that he was not jealous and was quite happy, Luo Zhenxing put his arm around his shoulders and said, "Drink, drink!"