Chapter 128 Chapter 128 Two Chapters in One
Although Sister Yun was a little angry, she was definitely an open-minded person. She would not tease anyone or exclude anyone. She just thought that this person was so likable.
Because Ding Ge'er was born with a snow-white skin, he was nicknamed Snow Boy. He was very well behaved. He sat in the bathtub. Jiang Xian helped wash his hair and Wei Qilang helped wash his body. He always felt that his little cousin's flesh felt so good to touch.
Jiang Xian smiled and said to Wei Qilang, "Your aunt usually likes to bathe Ding'er, but she is always worried about getting wet. When she heard that you wanted to help, she was worried and relieved at the same time."
"I've never seen a child as obedient as my cousin Ding. I'm the youngest in the family, and I wish I had a younger brother." Wei Qilang said with a smile.
When Jinniang was about to come in, she heard the two of them talking and thought to herself, this is truly a battle between two masters.
Lifting the curtain and coming in, Jinniang smiled and asked, "Have you finished washing? We can't let the baby catch a cold."
Jiang Xian said, "It will be done soon. Look how much our son loves playing with water."
After saying that, she picked up the child and wiped his body dry. Jinniang applied anti-prickly heat powder on the child and helped him put on his clothes before handing him to Bai Yangniang who was guarding outside. Due to years of needlework, Jinniang suffered from severe lumbar muscle strain. It was fine when she was young, but after having children and growing older, she could no longer lift heavy objects and could not even hold a child for a long time.
"Thank you so much, Qilang, for being so sensible today. I don't know how to thank you." Jinniang said with a smile.
Wei Qilang shook his head: "My nephew likes Ding cousin, he is not happy at all, he even thinks it's fun."
Jinniang said, "That's good. When your cousin grows up, he will be so happy if he knows about this."
A few people laughed and talked, and Wei Qilang said that he was going back to study. Jinniang did not dare to disturb him and let him go. She said to Jiang Xian, "It's getting late. Let's go home early after dinner."
Not to mention how the couple rested, Jinniang rested at home for several days in a row, and only took her daughter with her when the polo match came. It was called a polo match, but the princess saw that the weather was getting dark and invited them to a banquet by the lake. This was more than ten times more grand than the one held by Madam Qian before, but Jiang Xian's official position was limited, so Jinniang and Yun Jie'er had to sit at the end of the table.
Neither the mother nor the daughter was the type to argue, so they ate and drank for a while and even drank a kind of rose wine.
"Mom, this wine is chilled and tastes so good." Sister Yun said in a low voice.
"Junjie, crispy pigeon is also delicious." Jinniang signaled to her daughter with her eyes.
The foodie mother and daughter came back from a satisfying meal, and they were very grateful to Wei Qilang. They thought they would faint from the heat and play a game of polo, but they didn't expect that they were here for a feast today.
As for the servants of the Wei family, they were a little uncomfortable at first after arriving at the Jiang family. For example, the food is not as exquisite as that of the Wei family, the rules are not so strict, and the place is naturally not as big as that of the Wei family. But there are other advantages, such as the master is generous but also has rules, and the rewards are quite abundant.
The most important thing is that Wei Qillang has made a lot of progress in his studies.
But some servants felt that Wei Qilang was too close to Jinniang and the others, so they inevitably gossiped about him. For example, when Wei Qilang was helping Ding Ge'er take a bath, even though he was just doing it for fun, they went on to tell on him that Jinniang's family had sent Wei Qilang to do something. They went on to tell on him behind his back, but in public they were as affectionate to Jinniang as possible.
Jinniang didn't care. After all, he was a guest and would leave after a few days. He wouldn't stay for long. She just wanted to keep Wei Qilang around. As for the servants of the Wei family, it might not be a good thing to have more contact with them.
She also considered the target when bribing. Mama You was Madam Wei's confidante, so of course Jinniang was willing to spend a lot of money. But as for Wei Qilang's foster mother and maids, to put it bluntly, Wei Qilang's personality is a bit similar to Jiang Xian's. They seem easy to talk to, but they are actually very opinionated. Besides, these maids will be released sooner or later, it will only take three to five years.
Ah Ying's belly was big now, so Qing Rong was the one who took care of some things. She came in from outside and said, "Madam, the Shen family sent an invitation. It's the birthday of the eldest lady of the Shen family."
"Well, we have had dealings with the Shen family before. If we give them expensive gifts, they may not accept them. So, it's just right for me to do some needlework myself and send them over. It's fine to give them some longevity peaches and noodles."
She thought so and discussed it with Jiang Xian, who said, "That's it, my lady, it's up to you to decide."
Jinniang smiled and said, "If what I said is consistent with your idea, you can just say that it's my decision. If you disagree, you will definitely say that my idea is right, but I think it would be better this way or that."
Jiang Xian was not annoyed when he was exposed, and he even scratched Jin Niang's nose: "Oh, my little trick has been seen through by my wife."
The birthday day soon arrived, and since Madam Wei was still in Luoyang, Jinniang went there with Fan.
Fan was also very concerned about her younger brother-in-law: "Qi Lang is studying with his uncle now, and he always needs your aunt to worry about him. And your mother is in Luoyang. If there is anything that is not cheap, please tell me, aunt."
"Qilang is a very sensible child studying with me, don't worry." Jinniang said with a smile.
Fan was afraid that Jinniang would misunderstand, so she hurriedly said, "I just gave you a useless instruction."
Jinniang just smiled and passed it by.
The two of them sat in a sedan chair and soon arrived at the Shen family. Although Mrs. Shen was not as brisk as Mrs. Wang, she was still in good health. Madam Shen was a different person, she was dressed very elegantly and was accompanied by Shen Wuniang, who was already a married woman.
Jinniang sighed a little. The little girl she had met in the past has now become a mother. Time really flies.
Shen Wuniang was also surprised to see Jinniang and Yunjie'er. When she saw Yunjie'er before, she was still a very young girl, but now she has grown into a graceful and elegant lady, like a grown-up girl.
"Sister Jiang, you are such a beautiful person." Shen Wuniang pulled Yun Jie'er and looked her up and down.
Sister Yun didn't shy away and smiled generously, "Sister Shen Wu, long time no see."
Madam Shen looked at Yun Jie'er and knew that a girl like Yun Jie'er was the kind of girl that many men wanted to marry. First, her father was young and had a promising future, and her uncle was also a Jinshi. Second, her family was said to be wealthy. This girl was dignified, beautiful, well-educated and well-mannered. Finally, her mother had given birth to two sons and a daughter, and looked healthy, so there should be no problem with having more offspring.
However, the Jiang family has high requirements, and not just anyone can be successful in getting a marriage. I heard that her family didn't even like the son of Cheng Daizhi.
Thinking of this, another lady came over and Mrs. Shen perked up and started to socialize with others.
Jinniang followed the servants to pay respects to Old Madam Shen. Old Madam Shen smiled and said, "It's not often that you come here. I want to go to the temple to worship the gods in a few days. Let's go together."
"Madam, you'd better wait until the weather is better before going over. You don't know that when I went over there a few days ago, my arms were sunburned and peeling." Jinniang knew that Madam Shen was very keen on worshiping Buddha. Although she might be a half-baked person, she was very enthusiastic in her actions. She didn't expose it, after all, the other person had such a hobby.
Madam Shen also nodded slightly: "Yes, I don't know why, the weather has been getting hotter recently."
Jinniang said, "I just saw your fifth sister. She was so generous. I heard that she organized the birthday banquet. She is really capable."
Perhaps at Madam Shen's age, she and Jinniang had known each other for many years, so she waved her hand and said, "In the past, Wuniang lived the most wantonly in our family. Now, alas, it's better not to mention it."
Old Madam Shen could say this, but Jinniang could not make any comments. She said, "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Fifth Lady is still young."
"It's better for this woman not to read too many books." Old Madam Shen said quietly.
Jinniang disagreed. She didn't understand why Shen Wuniang had such a blind marriage in ancient times, it was rare for couples to be able to love each other, and most of them couldn't even respect each other. But with poetry and books as companions, at least there is some entertainment, which is always better than a boring life.
But it's hard to argue when someone says this to you.
Coming out from Old Madam Shen's place, Yun Jie'er asked, "Mother, why do you think Old Madam Shen said that?"
"Madam Shen is old. What she wants to say is that women who read too many books will not be easily fooled. To put it bluntly, she hopes that women will not think too much and just stay in the inner house to raise children and take care of housework. If they know too much, they will be too clear-headed and too painful. It is better for them to live their lives in a muddle." Jinniang said to her daughter.
Yun Jie'er didn't understand and asked, "Mother, what if my daughter marries the wrong person? Should we pretend to be confused?"
Jinniang shook her head: "That's impossible. Dad and mom will definitely take you home. It doesn't matter whether you divorce and remarry, or you don't want to get married. I didn't tell you these things before because you were too young. Now you are not young anymore. When I was your age, I had been working for several years."
"Divorce?" Such words were too unfamiliar to a little girl like her.
Jinniang smiled and said, "If you can't live together, then we can separate. It's no big deal. Sister Yun, I will give you a dowry when the time comes. It will definitely not be less than your aunt's. But you have to remember that your family will have to provide for you. If you don't have the ability to make a living, let alone having a hard time living in your husband's family, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to gain a foothold in your own family."
Sister Yun seemed to understand what her mother said, but she knew that what her mother said was definitely for her own good.
At Mrs. Shen's birthday party, there was a lady named Su. Her husband was an official in the Censorate, and her daughter married the second son of the Shen family. She first held Yun Jie'er's hand and looked at her for a long time, praising her and looking at her, which made Yun Jie'er feel uncomfortable.
It was Jinniang who pulled her daughter over and said with a smile, "Madam Su is praising a little girl like me."
Madam Su smiled and said, "Your daughter is really well-born."
"You're too kind. I think your daughter is well raised. Look how capable Second Madam Shen is." Jinniang said.
…
When they got home, Jinniang and Jiang Xian talked about it and felt annoyed: "Our daughter hasn't been engaged yet, but it's really annoying to be stared at by others."
"The Su family? The Su family and the Shen family are from the same hometown, otherwise they wouldn't have proposed marriage. But the boys haven't achieved much. Look at our Ning brother, he is still young, but his poem Xijiangyue has been passed on to everyone." Jiang Xian said.
"Hehe, didn't you spread this news yourself?" Jinniang glanced at him.
Jiang Xian smiled and said, "If it were mediocre, people wouldn't spread the word. I think the Su family is just average, so it's good enough as long as they can get by on the surface."
"Yeah, I think so too." Jinniang nodded.
Her and her husband's requirements were not high. At least she had to be good-looking. After all, their daughter had to be beautiful. She also had to be talented, have furniture, and have a better character. All four were indispensable.
Jinniang's birthday passed so quickly this year, and in July, it was Dingge'er's first birthday party. Jinniang asked her daughter Yunjie to arrange it, which was also to train her to manage the household. Although this matter was not a big deal, how the shops and fields outside would be allocated in the future would also depend on this.
Just like this time she sent Liu Doer to Wu County to collect rent and lease money, and by the way, investigate whether Fan Zhuangtou and Manager Yao had anything hidden. However, she would personally inspect the farms in Beijing in the autumn to prevent their subordinates from playing tricks.
Of course, this year there is also the rent of 300 acres in Luoyang, which can also bring in income.
When Yun Jie'er entertained her classmates in the past, her mother often asked her to draw up a list. Now that she wants to go it alone, she asked Xi Qiu, "Mother Rong, where do you think I should start? Mother asked me to draw up a list first."
Xi Qiu thought for a moment and said, "Why not find out the precedents? How did the ladies hold birthday parties for the eldest son in the past? And the past years."
Sister Yun shook her head: "Not really, the seasons are different, we can't generalize."
Xi Qiu said: "Sister is right."
Although Xi Qiu is not particularly smart, she is loyal and not too opinionated. Jinniang has trained Yun Jie'er to make decisions since she was a child, so if she becomes a servant who is too strong, she probably won't be able to stay with her for long.
While Yunjie was busy here, Jinniang focused on teaching Dingge'er how to walk. Now he could stand for a while by holding on to a chair. Jinniang held the rattan ball and asked her son to come over barefoot. She clapped her hands and said, "Ding'er, come to me quickly."
Ding'er glanced at Jinniang, but sat down and played with the small piece of wood in his hand. After coaxing her for a while, he finally came over tremblingly. Jinniang hugged her son.
"Erlang, look at yourself, you are so lazy." Jinniang said with a smile.
The mother and child kissed each other for a while, then Jinniang asked Bai Yangniang to take the child away, and she began to embroider a water lotus picture. The Purple-robed Guanyin is something she must embroider every day, but she will also choose one that interests her.
While she was embroidering, she saw someone coming to the door.
It turned out to be Mrs. Shi next door. Her son-in-law, a child prodigy, had passed the test and had been granted the same status as a Jinshi by the government. It seemed that they had to hurry up and get married. But what was she doing here at this time? Jinniang stood up to greet her.
"Mrs. Jiang, I want to ask you to give up." Mrs. Shi said.
Jinniang understood immediately that it was probably for the embroidered portrait of Guanyin, but she pretended to be confused and said, "Madam, what are you talking about? Given the friendship between our two families, I will naturally give you whatever you want if I have it."
Madam Shi pointed to the fertility-giving Guanyin statue hanging in her hall and said, "The others are fine, but your embroidered Guanyin statue is so lifelike. I want to give it as a dowry for my daughter. I'm afraid she will have difficulty giving birth like me."
It is really pitiful to see the love of parents all over the world. Sometimes it is not the woman’s fault if she is unable to bear children, but everyone will project their malice onto her.
If it's just given for free, Jinniang will naturally not give it, no matter how much sympathy she has.
Therefore, Jinniang was the first to speak up: "We are all people with children, and we all care about our children, but..."
If Madam Shi really wants it, she will naturally respond. If she wants to get it for free, Jinniang will certainly not give it to her.
Sure enough, after hearing what Jinniang said, Madam Shi smiled and said, "Madam Jiang, I have a white jade Ruyi, can you give it to my sister as a dowry?"
Jinniang was reluctant to give in. She didn't care much about those jade pieces. Besides, they were embroidered by her herself. Any money she sold would be her private money, which she would definitely save for herself and would not be embellished for the public.
The two of them talked it out later, and Jinniang had received 200 strings of cash from her private account.
She has seen through the current officialdom. Unless everyone has the same interests, once something goes wrong, no one will speak for you no matter how many benefits you have received. Therefore, Jinniang likes to do things where money is paid in exchange for goods, so that neither party owes the other anything and they can still have normal dealings.
Jinniang also told Jiang Xian about this: "I haven't finished embroidering the Purple-robed Guanyin yet, but the Fertility-Giving Guanyin has been sold out so quickly. So, I have to embroider it again."
"Madam, are you going to sell it for 200 strings of cash?" Jiang Xian asked.
Jinniang nodded: "That's right. I don't know how to identify jade articles. Besides, the fashion changes every year. If I take it now, I don't know what will happen to it in the future. So, I'll just pay for it."
Jiang Xian also agreed: "My lady, that's what you said."
Especially in Beijing, fashions change very quickly, and so do materials. What was popular before may look too old-fashioned when worn now.
Now that they had the money, Jinniang invited everyone to have a meal at Huixianlou. The owner of Huixianlou and Jinniang were old acquaintances, and he had reserved a private room early.
Wei Qillang calculated that he had only been at the Jiang family for a little over a month, but he had been dining out quite often. They would go to places like Huixianlou and Panlou, and he would just enjoy the big meals with them. Those days were so happy.
During the banquet, he, Ning Ge'er and Yun Jie'er composed poems together, drew lots and drank drinks, the three of them played tossing pots, and listened to the singing outside. They were so happy.
When he returned home, his uncle had a friend who wanted to go out for a night out, so his uncle took him and Ning Ge'er out with him.
Wei Qillang was originally a child of an aristocratic family. Now that he often followed Jiang Xian and went out, he suddenly became much more mature.
Jinniang knew that she didn't know when Jiang Xian would be back tonight, so she went to bed first. She got up early in the morning and asked the kitchen to cook some plum blossom soup noodles, for fear that they would be hungry when they came back in the morning.
As expected, Jiang Xian came back with the two boys in the morning. Ning Ge'er was very excited: "Uncle Xiao had someone grill fish for us last night. After we got off the boat, we slept in a cool house. It was very cool there at night."
"There is also Liangzhuang? Are you lying to me?" Jinniang didn't believe it.
Wei Qilang was taking a bite of plum blossom soup cake when he smiled and said, "Aunt, it's true. I can see magnolia flowers through the glazed tiles of the small house I live in. They look like stars and are very cool."
Jinniang looked at the two of them and asked: "Are there a lot of mosquitoes too?"
"Hehe, my lady, it's okay. They used mugwort to fumigate us, so there are not many mosquitoes. I just got bitten by one on my arm." Jiang Xian said hurriedly.
The two children also said that people would invite them to go for a night tour during the Lantern Festival, and they were eager to try it, but Jinniang shook her head.
Wei Qilang returned to the cross courtyard after finishing his plum blossom soup cake. His foster mother said, "My little ancestor, you are back. We were all so anxious."
"It's just going out to visit famous people, what's the big deal?" Wei Qilang didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
After he gets out, his uncle will teach him how to identify true celebrities. True celebrities are those who are indifferent to fame and fortune, but they are definitely very capable. Those who have some talent and reputation but live a miserable life are generally fake celebrities.
Scholars want fame. For example, if someone wrote a poem last night and wrote both himself and Ning Ge'er into it, wouldn't they become famous?
When Wei's foster mother saw his sleeves exposed and bitten by mosquitoes, she felt very distressed. Wei Qilang said impatiently, "Don't make a fuss. People will laugh at you if you tell others about it. Ning Ge'er was bitten by a mosquito. Do you think your aunt is like that?"
These old ladies are really too nosy and treat him like a little kid.
Of course, Jinniang had heard about it, and after Wei Qilang came over, she said, "Don't worry, your uncle has discussed this with your father, and your father is very supportive of it."
Jiang Xian would definitely not do this without a purpose, otherwise Jinniang would not have let the two children go at night.
In the past, when they did not have the conditions, they might have to take an extra five to ten years of detours on their own. Some of them were not bad at learning, but they passed the imperial examinations in their thirties or forties. Some of them passed the imperial examinations at a young age and were only in their thirties after serving as officials for more than twenty years.
"Aunt, my old mothers are always like this and treat me like a child." Wei Qillang complained to Jinniang.
Jinniang smiled and said, "They care about you, too. Not to mention the servants around me, they don't allow us to do this or that. But we have to have our own opinions. Otherwise, one person says this is the best way to do it, and another person says that is the best way to do it tomorrow, and we have no judgment of our own."
"What my aunt taught me is true." Wei Qilang also benefited a lot from it.
Someone outside said that Yun Jie'er was coming over, so Wei Qilang said goodbye again. When Yun Jie'er came in, she said, "Seventh cousin comes to your place more often than your daughter."
"He came here for something too. How's your thing going?" Jinniang asked.
Yunjieer repeated the charter she had prepared, and Jinniang revised a few places with a different colored pen, and Yunjieer went back to coordinate the details.
At this moment, she realized that there were always unexpected things happening.
Just like Xiaoyun, who can cook "Ting'er", suddenly fell ill, she had to order snacks from an outside restaurant. The budget was limited, and ordering snacks required another budget.
It looks simple, but it is actually very complicated.
Jinniang gave her instructions only when necessary and left her to handle everything else. Fortunately, the ceremony went smoothly and Yunjie breathed a sigh of relief.
But she also said to Jinniang: "Mother, I really don't like to be in charge of things."
"I used to be the same as you, but the more we fear something, the more we should overcome it, then we won't be afraid anymore." Jinniang encouraged her daughter.
Sister Yun looked at Jinniang and said, "Will mother be afraid too?"
Jinniang said as a matter of course: "I am most afraid of these things. I didn't want to visit relatives before, but now everything is going smoothly. The more you fear something, the more it will come. It is better to make up your mind, so that no one can trouble us in the future."
Sister Yun seemed to be thinking about something.
He also said that after July, Madam Wei came back from Luoyang. Before she had a chance to talk to Jinniang, the foster mother beside Wei Qilang rushed to reply.
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