Chapter 392 Extra 2

Gu Xi often walked around the Pei residence, so the servant knew who she was and naturally told her everything: "The old lady is coming to the capital to celebrate the New Year, and the second master asked us to clean up the west yard."

As soon as Pei Xuan was promoted, he requested a title for Pei Laoan, and Gu Xi didn't even know that the imperial edict had been issued.

The people in Pei Mansion have changed their titles.

Gu Xi felt her heart beating even faster, but she suppressed her inner feelings and said happily, "This is really a great event. I just don't know when the old lady will arrive in the capital? Who will accompany her?"

That year, Pei Laoan and his first wife went to Beijing together, planning to spend the New Year in Beijing, then go to Mount Tai and return to Lin'an. As a result, Yu Tang was pregnant, and Pei Laoan was overjoyed. She left Yu Tang in Beijing and went to Mount Tai alone, saying that she wanted to ask for a lucky charm for Yu Tang. After returning to Beijing, she helped Yu Tang with the confinement period. When Yu Tang's eldest son was one year old and Pei Dan was married, she returned to Lin'an.

Thinking of this, Gu Xi tightened his grip around the child.

The servant shook his head and said with a smile, "I don't know when the old lady will arrive in the capital, nor do I know who will accompany her. The steward just asked us to clean up the house overnight in the next two days."

It's only mid-October.

Gu Xi asked a few more questions, but the servant knew nothing about them. She was afraid that asking too many questions would attract other people's attention, so she smiled and said, "Thank you, young man," and gestured to He Xiang to give the servant a few coins, and then she and He Xiang continued to go to the second wife.

Seeing that Gu Xi looked unhappy, He Xiang couldn't help but whisper, "Madam, the old lady is coming over. Should we get ready?"

In addition to going to greet them together with the people from the Pei residence, we also have to prepare some unusual things to honor Old Madam Pei. It would be even better if we could invite Old Madam Pei to our home for a meal or something.

Gu Xi said "hmm" absentmindedly, wondering whether Yu Tang would go to Beijing with Old Madam Pei.

She didn't know how the Pei family's business was doing in the past two years, but the Yu family's business was getting bigger and bigger. At the beginning of the year, Yu Yuan and a fellow villager named Yao San opened a grocery store in Beijing. She went there on purpose to take a look.

The shop is located in the most prosperous area of ​​West Street. It has five rooms and sells lacquerware as well as imported goods. However, unlike the extravagant goods of the Tao family, the imported goods in the Yu family's grocery store are relatively cheap. It is obvious that they are prepared for those who are looking for something new and buy them for fun.

However, there are still many people buying it.

I wonder how much the Pei family contributed?

As Gu Xi was thinking, the two of them soon arrived at the second wife's main room.

The little maid went to report to the Second Madam, and Nanny Jin personally welcomed them in with a smile on her face.

The second wife was sitting on the couch, talking to a few maids. When they came in, they interrupted the conversation. The second wife even stood up and clapped her hands towards Yuan Ge'er, saying, "Hey, our Yuan Ge'er is here!"

Yuan Ge'er came here often and was not shy. He would always rush towards the second wife with a smile.

The second wife happily hugged Yuan'er.

The maidservant beside him was busy helping Yuan Ge'er take off his hat, scarf and cloak.

Several maids in charge bowed to Gu Xi.

Gu Xi said a few polite words and walked forward to greet the second wife.

The second wife put Yuan Ge'er, who had become more agile after taking off his clothes, on the Luohan couch. She gave Yuan Ge'er a kumquat to chew and said to Gu Xi with a smile, "It's not somewhere else. You don't have to be so polite."

That being said, Gu Xi couldn't really be ignorant of the rules.

The second wife said to the maid in charge, "That's all for today. You guys should do as I tell you first. If there's anything wrong, come back to me."

Several women in charge said "yes", and Yu Guan retreated.

Gu Xi asked He Xiang to give the pear paste to the maidservant beside the Second Madam, and said to her with a smile: "The pears this time are not as good as last time, so I added some dried tangerine peel. If Second Aunt finds it not good after eating it, let the maidservants tell He Xiang and I will make some more."

The second wife smiled and thanked him, and said with some emotion: "Thank you for your trouble. You are even more attentive than our Ah Dan."

Gu Xi didn't dare to respond, and hurriedly said with a smile: "A Dan is young, and the child is at the age of being naughty, so she is also powerless." After answering this sentence, she immediately changed the subject and talked about the scene she saw when she entered the mansion: "It is said that grandma is going to Beijing. I didn't know that the imperial edict had been issued, and we must celebrate." She added, "When will she go to Beijing? You must tell me when the time comes. Last time, she made a special trip to visit Atong, and we all remember it in our hearts!"

The second wife laughed.

Although Mr. Pei didn't like his eldest daughter-in-law, he felt sorry for his eldest grandson.

The last time I came to Beijing, I went to see where they lived and gave Pei Tong some instructions for a long time.

The Second Wife thought for a moment and said to Gu Xi, "It's not your grandmother who is coming, but your third uncle. The Emperor ascended the throne, and announced the first year of the reign. Your third uncle wants to visit the capital. Your third aunt will definitely come with him. The old lady couldn't bear to leave her two young grandsons, so she came with them."

Ever since Gu Xi saw the servants tidying up the yard, he had been wondering whether Yu Tang would come.

Now that the news has been confirmed, people have calmed down.

She smiled and said, "Third Aunt and Third Uncle are still so kind. They always take me with them wherever they go. It's really troublesome for the old lady to follow them."

After all, we are divided into different sects. Some things can be said, but some things are not convenient to say.

The second wife smiled and said, "After all, they are a young couple, so it is normal for them to like to stick together. From what your second uncle said, they are expected to arrive at the end of the month. I will have someone tell you when the time comes, and you can come and kowtow to the old lady."

Gu Xi responded with a smile and asked about Yu Tang's two sons: "Jiang'er and Qian'er are both going to have their birthdays, right?"

Yu Tang had two sons. The eldest son, Jiang Ge'er, was born on November 2nd, and the second son, was born on December 6th.

It would have been fine if he was not in the capital before, but now that he is coming to the capital, his cousins ​​have to send him a birthday present no matter what.

The second wife was surprised: "You still remember it!"

Gu Xi nodded with a smile and used a handkerchief to wipe his son's chin which was covered with fruit juice.

How could she forget!

Yu Tang's eldest son Pei Jiang was four years older than her Yuan Ge'er. When Pei Jiang was three years old, Yu Tang gave birth to her second son Pei Qian. For this, the first wife often gave her a cold shoulder. She was irritated by the first wife, but she had to pretend that nothing had happened and send a gift to Lin'an.

She remembered it all her life.

The second wife wrapped a handkerchief around Yuan'er and said with a smile, "So your second uncle said that this opportunity is rare, and you must celebrate Jiang'er and Qian'er's birthdays well."

If nothing unexpected happens, Pei Xuan will have to stay in the capital for at least twenty years, and he will not have many opportunities to see Pei Jiang and Pei Qian.

Gu Xi had no choice but to pretend to be cheerful and said with a smile: "I'll help you when the time comes."

"Of course." The second wife said, thinking of Pei Fei's marriage, "Hasn't it been settled yet? What does your mother-in-law mean?"

Pei Fei has reached adulthood this year, but there is still no sign of marriage.

Gu Xi sneered in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face, and her tone was a bit softer than usual: "It's not like there are no good people who are willing to marry our family, but my mother-in-law wants to find someone who can help her wholeheartedly. But my brother-in-law has been here all these years. , I haven’t even passed the college entrance examination, so getting married is a bit difficult.”

It’s more than just a little difficult!

According to the standards of the first wife, only a family would be crazy to marry their daughter to Pei Fei.

After all is said and done, this matter still has the Yang family to blame.

When they got 150,000 taels of silver, the second and third masters of the Yang family still had to rely on the Pei family for help. After the eldest wife arrived in the capital, they proposed to let Pei Fei be their son-in-law.

The first wife was feeling empty-headed because of the division of the family line, so she agreed as soon as she heard about it, and even asked Gu Xi to give five thousand taels of silver to the Yang family as a betrothal gift.

Who knew that Pei Fei was not ambitious enough and failed several provincial examinations. The Yang family might not have thought highly of him. In addition, after the seventh daughter of the Song family married the nephew of the Jiangsu governor, the Song family secretly gained a lot of benefits. The girls of the Yang family were good-looking, so it was easy for them to get married. Several girls of the Yang family were betrothed to good families, but they never decided which girl in the family would be betrothed to Pei Tong.

This matter was delayed again and again until Pei Tong failed the imperial examination for the second time. The Yang family never mentioned the marriage again, but Pei Fei was getting older and it was not easy to find a partner.

The second wife had advised the first wife to lower her standards and find a daughter from a farming and scholarly family, even if it was just a scholar. However, the first wife thought that the second wife was mocking her and took it to heart. She was determined to find a daughter of a third-rank official for Pei Fei. Some of them were willing to agree for Pei Xuan's sake, but the girl they wanted to marry was a concubine's daughter, which made the first wife so angry that she fell ill again.

Now Pei Fei's marriage is neither high nor low. On the contrary, because he has been seen so many times and his reputation has spread, it has become even more difficult for him to find a suitable one.

The second wife also thought of this case. After several years, she was still angry and dissatisfied. She said, "I still regarded her as my sister-in-law, so I could say whatever I wanted. But she only believed in the people of the Yang family." At this point, thinking that Gu Xi was a junior, she was embarrassed to continue complaining, but asked about the Yang family, "Didn't the emperor grant amnesty when he ascended the throne? I don't remember clearly, the third or fifth lady of the Yang family married a junior official of the Dali Temple as a daughter-in-law. Their second and third masters should be coming back soon, right?"

"It's their fifth daughter." Gu Xi came here this time, originally thinking about whether he could find an opportunity to talk to the second wife about this matter. The second wife took the initiative to bring it up, and she was secretly happy, but her face showed an angry look, and said, "If you don't mention this matter, I won't mention it either. You don't know how dirty the people in their family are. They arranged for the second and third masters to come to our house to borrow money, and asked for 50,000 taels.

“My mother-in-law actually wanted to lend it to them!

"I had no choice but to ask my mother-in-law, to whom does the fifty thousand taels of silver belong? Where did it come from?

"My mother-in-law brought up the 150,000 taels of silver that the old lady gave us.

"I told her that of the 150,000 taels of silver, 50,000 taels were given by my second uncle and belonged to the public. Of that, 100,000 taels were what we deserved. The two brothers should each get 50,000 taels. I also calculated the various expenses of the family in the past few years for my mother-in-law, and then called my uncle to ask if he agreed. If he agreed, I would take 25,000 taels from his name and add it to the 5,000 taels given to the Yang family. When he gets married, I would give him his 20,000 taels of silver.

"I just hope he doesn't end up saying I stole his money."

Dear friends, let's continue this time tomorrow^O^

(End of this chapter)