Chapter 99 Jiangnan News
May 20th is a good day for consecration, removal, foundation laying, groundbreaking and demolition.
Only then did the maids and old women in the Rongguo Mansion finally realize that the situation in the mansion had changed.
Since the 17th, the second house has been moving boxes from the public warehouse to Lixiangyuan without stopping, and now it is moving from Rongxi Hall to Lixiangyuan, so...
At 1 p.m., the auspicious time for moving, Jia Zheng and Mrs. Wang left Rong Xi Tang and headed for Li Xiang Yuan. At the same time, Jia She and Xing Shi also moved from the east wing to Rong Xi Tang in a low-key manner. The two brothers were in harmony and returned to their respective positions peacefully.
Yuanchun and Jia Zhu, who had been worried about their parents causing trouble, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Finally succeeded.
"Brother can go back to the Imperial College with peace of mind tomorrow."
"It is indeed time to return to the Imperial College."
Jia Zhu smiled, "However, brother wants to trouble sister for something."
"Tell me about it."
"When I'm not at home, please help take care of your sister-in-law."
Jia Zhu sighed, "Mother is upset, and Li... is like my aunt, she comes from a family of scholars, and I..."
"Didn't mother specially ask for my brother to marry my eldest sister-in-law?"
Yuanchun interrupted her brother and said, "Brother, instead of asking me to help take care of you, why don't you do it yourself?"
Ah? "But am I not going to the Imperial College?"
After going to the Imperial College, I could only come back once every half a month.
Jia Zhu was very puzzled.
He had no doubt that his sister didn't want to help.
"Brother, you have to understand that mother... is still angry with me."
Yesterday, her mother specially called her to talk alone and asked her how much of the 8,000 taels of silver that were sent to the palace during the New Year last year was left.
Yuanchun said it was gone.
At that time, she had two thousand taels in her hands, and she spent nearly six hundred taels. After she came back, she returned the rest to the public treasury.
At that time, her mother looked as if she wanted to eat her.
"Besides, my mother values my brother more than me."
Yuanchun gave Jia Zhu some advice, "Brother is studying at the Imperial College. It can be said that your future fortune and future all depend on Lord Li."
Jia Zhu: “…”
He was a little stunned.
Does my sister want him to use herself to threaten their mother?
"Brother, if you can't even clean your own room, how can you clean the world?"
Yuanchun said this with a smile and walked away leisurely.
Jia Zhu watched his sister walk away for a long time before he scratched his head. Unexpectedly, when he turned around, he saw his wife Li Wan coming towards him.
The moment she saw her husband, a happy smile broke out on Li Wan's face.
The family division went smoothly, and her husband finally stopped living in the ancestral hall.
She was so worried these days.
I often can't sleep at night.
"It's windy right now, why are you here?"
As he held his wife's hand, Jia Zhu's face showed a warm smile.
"What is Nuanfeng afraid of?"
Li Wan smiled and said, "Father and mother have already moved in. Should we go over and pay our respects?"
“…Let’s go together!”
Jia Zhu used a little force.
When others move, they should congratulate them, but when parents move...
He always felt that there was another storm coming.
"Then hurry up, I just came over there and saw Baoyu passing by."
"Baoyu?" Jia Zhu was puzzled. "Didn't he go to school?"
"It seems that the teacher is feeling unwell and has to leave school early."
“…”
Jia Zhu felt a little uneasy, "Then let's go quickly."
The two of them hurried towards Lixiangyuan, and before they arrived, they heard Baoyu reciting his lessons while crying.
"…In ancient times, those who wished to make the illustrious virtue known to the world first governed their country. Those who wished to govern their country first put their family in order. Those who wished to put their family in order first cultivated themselves. Those who wished to cultivate themselves first rectified their hearts. Those who wished to rectify their hearts first made their intentions sincere…"
The little fellow stood in the courtyard, choking with sobs while reciting this passage from The Great Learning in clear voice.
Jia Zhu wanted to touch his forehead.
My father is a sensitive person. If my younger brother learns to recite this passage, won’t he be beaten?
Sure enough, when I looked at my father again, his face had turned ashen.
Jia Zhu stepped forward and said, "Baoyu, what does it mean when the Doctrine of the Mean says that nature is the mandate of heaven, following nature is the way, and cultivating the way is teaching?"
Baoyu was stunned for a moment, but quickly said: "It means... following the original goodness of human nature is the way, the way is to follow one's nature, following one's nature is natural and ordinary, the ordinary principle is the routine and common sense, the natural routine and common sense is the middle, that is, harmony."
"Not a bad answer!"
Jia Zhu was not stingy with his praise. He bowed to his father and said, "Father, do you think Baoyu has learned the Doctrine of the Mean quite well? I have just learned the Great Learning and can only memorize it by rote. Can you check again in a few months?"
“…”
Jia Zheng's expression softened a little. "Never mind. The old lady loves you, but you can't be naughty all the time. Now is the best time. If you don't write a few big characters and go out to play, what will happen?"
"Yes...! My son will go back and write big characters now."
Baoyu took a furtive look at the storeroom.
He heard that his parents had moved away, so he came to visit his mother.
But his mother, who always spoke up for him when his father asked him to recite his lessons, heard him crying this time and hasn't even come out of the warehouse yet.
"My son, I'm leaving!"
As he retreated toward the courtyard gate, Baoyu glanced again in the direction of the storeroom, but his mother never looked up.
Baoyu wiped his tears, spread his legs, and ran towards Jia's grandmother's courtyard.
"Slow down, be careful not to fall."
Yuanchun was so happy that she saw two beautiful butterflies on her way back and chased them for a while. However, she didn't expect that when she was about to reach the grandmother's house, she would see her little brother looking as embarrassed as a little cat. "What's wrong? Did you fall?"
Her brother looked so pitiful that she checked his arms and legs anxiously, fearing that he might have fallen.
"Where are your maids and servants? Why did they let you run away alone?"
"Big sister~"
Baoyu threw himself into his sister's arms and burst into tears, "Wuwu, wuwuwu~~~~"
"…Tell me, what's going on?"
Yuanchun hugged her brother and touched his arms and legs. She felt no injuries, but her brother was crying so sadly. She suddenly thought of something, "Are you back from Lixiangyuan?"
"Hmm~"
Baoyu felt very aggrieved, "I didn't recite the book wrongly, but the master still scolded me."
Yuanchun: “…”
She hugged her brother tighter.
Recently, many people in the family have been saying behind my back that my brother's jade was prepared in advance by my mother in order to help him win favor in front of my grandmother.
She didn't know if it was prepared in advance, but it had been passed down for years...
Yuanchun sighed softly in her heart.
Her grandmother had already told her what her aunt had said about her mother.
She didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
My brother's spiritual jade looks like it's from Taoism and can only be used as a small accessory or a magical tool or something.
But during these years in the palace, Yuanchun has learned a lot, and now...
"Good boy, it was the master's fault."
Yuanchun said softly, "Master has been busy these days and is in a bad mood. He will be fine after a few days."
"Really?"
"real!"
Baoyu sobbed a little, "Then I will be a good boy and recite the book to you in a few days."
In the past, when he was reciting his lessons, his mother would stand beside him.
His parents have been living in the ancestral hall lately, and he was afraid that they would worry about him, so he has been much more well-behaved.
"Hmm~"
Yuanchun wiped her brother's tears and said, "Don't cry. I'll tell you a story later."
In fact, the younger brother is smarter and more talented than his older brother Jia Zhu.
But his father only taught him to study hard.
There is no guidance at all.
Yuanchun, who had been back for more than ten days, had already discovered that although her brother had read the book and could explain its meaning, it was still a little lacking in meaning. "Let's talk about it tonight. Confucius said: Do you use bricks in a fight?"
"real?"
Baoyu's eyes suddenly lit up.
His age is perfect for playing around.
Although I also like my sisters more, it's rare to hear something different after reading "Confucius said" every day.
"Of course it's true."
Yuanchun scratched her brother's nose and said, "Come on, let's clean our faces first, or else you'll have snot bubbles all over your face."
Baoyu: “…”
He sniffed quickly.
Avoid actually bubbling your nose.
When the siblings entered the courtyard, Grandmother Jia quietly disappeared.
It would be a lie to say I'm not sad.
How could her second son, whom she loved so much, become like this?
The old lady wanted to call Er'er over to give him a scolding, but she was afraid that Baoyu would be the one who suffered more in the end.
Among so many grandchildren, Baoyu is the most like the Duke.
The old lady stroked her chest and finally suppressed her anger.
…
Ningguo Mansion.
Shen Ning was looking at the little maid who had been training with Jiao Da for three months.
"From now on, you can call each other Xiaodong, Xiaonan, Xiaoxi, and Xiaobei!"
"Thank you, Madam, for the name."
This name sounds much better than their original names Da Ya, Er Ya, Pan Di and Deng Di.
The four little maids were very happy.
Shen Ning nodded.
But her daughter was still young, and she wasn't planning to go out now, so she looked at Jiao Da again and said, "I'll have to trouble you to train them for a while longer."
Summer is coming soon, and the old woman who taught them how to swim has already arrived, just waiting for the hottest time of June and July.
What Shen Ning wanted was a maid who could ride a horse, hold a sword, fish in the water, and take her master to escape in dire situations.
"It's fine for the slaves to teach, but they will eventually have to enter the inner house."
Jiao Dadao: "Madam, you should find a maid to teach them the rules."
"The maid who teaches etiquette in the mansion is Madam Jian." When her mother-in-law looked over, Youshi hurriedly said, "I'll let her go later."
"That's it."
Shen Ning nodded, "Jiao Da, have you tried the training plan I gave you last time?"
"……not yet."
There was something unnatural on Jiao Da's face.
"Is there any inconvenience?"
Shen Ning was not surprised and still asked the old man with a smile.
"Those obstacle drawings you drew are not easy to handle."
"Can't we ask a carpenter to make something according to the drawing?"
"Of course I can, but the people who take on the carpentry work in our mansion have recently been borrowed by Manager Lin from the West Mansion."
"…Are there no servants in our house who can do carpentry work?"
Shen Ning knew that the carpenters who could take on the carpentry work for the two mansions were real craftsmen.
Now that Jia Zheng has moved to the West Mansion, the Lixiang Courtyard must be renovated.
But her obstacles didn't require such delicate work. "The pictures I drew are simple, right?"
Jiao Da: “…”
He had no idea how his wife could come up with such weird things while staying in the inner house, and make the trainees climb and jump on them.
If you are used to crawling or jumping, you can do anything with your eyes closed.
The old man didn't think that kind of training was useful.
But this...
He couldn't tell his wife.
"Find a few carpenters to make it. As long as it's well polished and has no splinters, it doesn't matter if it's a little ugly."
Shen Ning simply said, "It's done. Let Zhen'er go over and have a look. Whoever can run over the fastest will be rewarded with twenty taels of silver."
Are there any rewards?
Jiao Da was stunned for a moment, "Yes, I will have someone do it right away."
"etc!"
Shen Ning called out, "I heard that you all had iron blocks tied to your bodies during training?"
"yes!"
When it comes to professional matters, Jiao Da nodded seriously, "The palace guards are also soldiers, and they have to wear armor during war."
"Have Xiaodong and the other four ever been tied up?"
"It's available now."
Jiao Da glanced at the little maid standing in the front, whose name should be Xiaodong.
The little maid stepped out, bent over and tapped her calf.
The metallic sound of Bang Bang surprised Shen Ning. "Can you take it off so I can see it?"
Xiaodong really untied one leg.
The two iron sheets were wrapped in cloth and when held in the hands, they felt like two or three pounds each.
"Thanks for your hard work."
Shen Ning handed it back to her and turned to Youshi and said, "From now on, I will add another dish of braised pork for everyone at noon."
"yes!"
You agreed.
She already knew that the eldest sister Yuanchun from the West Mansion would look for a strong and muscular woman as her dowry.
Wang Xifeng, the second brother's sister-in-law, specially trained a few of her mother-in-law's six strong maids, but they were all robbed.
Their family has the means, so what does a few bites of meat mean? "Thank you, Madam!"
The four little maids' eyes lit up with joy.
Who could have thought that after entering the mansion, they would have such a good life.
"Go ahead and train well with your Grandpa Jiao."
Shen Ning waved her hand and watched them leave before she said to Youshi, "From now on, all the servants and maids who come into the mansion will be trained for three months."
Those who are talented can be further cultivated.
"yes!"
Youshi nodded quickly.
But at this moment, Jia Zhen walked in hurriedly, "Mother, something happened in Jiangnan."
Shen Ning: “…”
She had guessed it long ago, "Is it the Li family?"
"yes!"
Jia Zhen's face was not good. "The Li family really colluded with the Japanese pirates and almost broke into Yangzhou."
"Have all the people in their family been arrested?"
This is what Shen Ning is concerned about.
"One escaped."
Shen Ning stood up suddenly, "Who escaped?"
"The seventh son of the Li family."
Jia Zhen was also worried about Jia Lian who had not returned yet. "The court has issued a warrant for his arrest. Anyone who went to welcome Aunt Min and Brother Lian may have already met them, as long as they did not miss it."
Aunt Min is an official's wife, and Lian Er is from the Rongguo Mansion. As long as there is an inn, they will normally rest at the inn.
After all, the post stations along the way from Beijing to Jiangnan are the best maintained.
"...After the Li family members were arrested, did the seventh brother of the Li family send anyone to rescue them?"
"No."
Jia Zhen shook his head, "The day after Li Haimu was arrested, he committed suicide."
What? Shen Ning frowned, "Where are the people who arrested the Li family from?"
"I don't know the details, I just know that the emperor sent someone else, and the local garrison didn't move at all."
Jia Zhen said: "It is said that nearly 10 million yuan of property was seized from the Li family. Several major salt merchants who were connected with the Li family may also be in trouble."
So it has to be bigger? But the bigger it gets…
"By the way, you haven't told me whether Jia Lian received the letter and whether he went to the Li family to cause trouble."
"There's trouble."
Jia Zhen's face turned pale. "I just received news that he not only beat Li Haimu, but also all the younger generations of the Li family. However, it is said that he beat them very well. It was because the Li family members had difficulty walking that they delayed their journey. Except for Li Laoqi who was not at home, they were all arrested in one fell swoop."
Thanks to the book friends Diandian Shuying, I am a good baby, Butterfly jojo, Kutengwu, I am a sister, Dongfang Shuhuang, Nannan Gege, 20210301105378881292, and Xueqinlumanman for their rewards. Thank you! Thank you! ! ! !
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
