Chapter 152 Chapter 152 Two Chapters Combined into One
After Ning Ge'er came over, Jinniang personally instructed Aunt Bai to prepare a table of delicious food. Aying had been with Jinniang from a little girl of twelve or thirteen years old to where she is today, and she was filled with emotion.
After leaving the room, both the master and the servant were very sad.
Ah Ying smiled and said, "When you married the Sixteenth Prince, I was very nervous. I wished you would give birth to a son soon so that I could stand up straight. Now that I see our eldest prince is smart and ambitious, and has even passed the imperial examination, I am really happy for you."
"It's also a surprise to me. I didn't expect that he could pass the exam at such a young age. But it's not perfect now. Being an official is a new challenge and a new beginning." Jinniang said.
After the meal was ready, the family of four gathered together again. Jinniang raised her glass and said, "Our family is finally reunited. I am relieved now."
Ning Ge'er patted his brother's head and said to Jinniang and Jiang Xian, "My son thought the same thing. He rushed here almost as soon as he finished dealing with the affairs in Bianjing."
Although it was difficult for Jiang Xian to be sincere, he liked this kind of atmosphere very much. He couldn't help looking at this and that, and he didn't even realize that he had a smile on his face.
The eldest son is most like his wife, he must be filial and affectionate. He is really very happy!
Several people talked about their sorrows of separation, and Ding Geer even put his hands on his waist and said, "When I have a rest, I will go to visit my brother."
"If you're not going to visit anyone, just go and sleep at your brother's place, okay?" Jinniang glared at her younger son.
Speaking of the government office, Jiang Xian looked at his eldest son and said, "I have found you a criminal lawyer named Cheng. He is very experienced. You should ask him for advice. He also knows some techniques of coroner."
Ning Ge'er sighed, "My son was not good at studying before, but he passed the imperial examination. Now I don't know how to judge a case, but you want me to be a prosecutor. This is really a difficult road to Shu, as difficult as climbing to the sky."
"You are too modest." Jinniang thought that her son loved Versailles too much. He was very good at judging cases when he was young, and the servants would go to him to argue in cases of theft.
Jiang Xian smiled: "Dad is here, if you don't understand anything, just ask me. By the way, if you are short of money, ask your mother to withdraw some money from the account for you."
Ning Ge'er waved his hand and said, "I spent 300 of the 1,000 strings of cash that my mother left in Beijing, leaving me with 700 strings of cash. Before I came here, I disposed of the cloth and tea leaves in the east wing that my mother mentioned, as well as the gifts from others. Now I still have 1,000 strings of cash in my hand. I haven't slept well because of all this money."
He was very sensible and only asked for one hundred strings of cash, leaving the rest for Jinniang.
Jinniang said, "You just started your new job and need money everywhere. How can you only take these?"
"Really, there's no need. One hundred strings of cash is already a lot. I still have a salary. I will use my salary in the future. I've already entered the government. It's ok for me to be unfilial to my parents, but how can I ask for your money? There's really no need." Ning Ge'er was really ashamed and didn't want to ask for money.
Jiang Xian, who was standing aside, rested his chin on his hand and wondered why he had not been so self-aware before. He often asks his wife for this and that.
However, after the meal, he also taught his son many tips on officialdom. Both father and son fell asleep in the study. The next morning, Ning Ge'er went to the yamen of Henan Prefecture and did not have time to eat breakfast. He said he would buy breakfast outside.
Jinniang and Jiang Xian had breakfast together. She said, "These are wontons made with bone broth. Although your waist looks better, you still need to maintain it."
Jiang Xian nodded and ate the bowl of wontons, then sighed, "It's a pity that my son-in-law didn't win."
Somehow when Jinniang heard him mention Wei Qilang, she smiled and said, "Son-in-law is only 21 years old. Besides, to be in such a wealthy family, one has to work hard. Many people fail in the imperial examinations. Just talk about our Ding'er, we don't know what he will be like in the future."
"If Ding'er fails the exam, he can be promoted to a small official and stay with us to take care of our children." Jiang Xian said.
Jinniang said affectionately, "Don't even think about honoring us. It's better for us to be strong on our own. Don't you think so? We are husband and wife together, and we are not afraid of any difficulties."
After breakfast, Jinniang looked at the posts that were sent to her, picked out two, and told Aying that she would go over so that she could be prepared by then.
There is no other way. If she wants to find a daughter-in-law, she has to observe more.
Mrs. Sui had the same idea as Jinniang. She also had a son who was sixteen years old and was her eldest son. Mrs. Sui wanted to find a virtuous daughter-in-law for her son, who had a generous dowry, because there were many aristocratic families and royal families in Luoyang.
However, she said to Nanny Yang: "Forget about those royal women. My son will go to college in the future, and marrying a royal woman will not help his future."
Nanny Yang smiled and said, "Madam, if it were me, it would be more cost-effective to marry a girl from an aristocratic family. But you can't be too anxious. Marriage is something that needs to be carefully chosen."
Madam Sui waved her round fan and said nonchalantly, "That's right. I'm afraid of those arrogant girls who take advantage of their good family background to bully our little boy."
Soon, it was the coming-of-age ceremony for the fourth daughter of the Fan family. Her father was currently the Transport Commissioner of Shaanxi. Jinniang came to the Fan family first. She had some good feelings for the girl from the Fan family. They had met last time during the Dragon Boat Festival. She felt that the girl was dignified and polite, so naturally she came here first today.
Mrs. Fan came to greet her personally: "Mrs. Jiang, I have been waiting for you to come."
"Madam, you are so polite." Jinniang said.
The Fan family is a large local family, and the clan members live together as a clan. There are currently six branches in Luoyang. Jinniang came into a place called Yihua Hall, and the fourth and sixth daughters of the Fan family came up to pay their respects.
Jinniang smiled and said, "Today your fourth daughter is the protagonist, so why should she come to pay respects?"
Mrs. Fan said a few humble words, and Jinniang rewarded the two girls with a gold and jade ring and a pearl necklace respectively.
Fourth Miss Fan and her sister hurried forward to thank them, and Jinniang pulled them aside and asked, "You girls all look so smart and beautiful, are you studying now?"
"I only know a few words and haven't read much." Fourth Miss Fan said with her head down.
Jinniang nodded slightly and asked a few questions. Then Mrs. Fan asked, "How many children do you have?"
"Oh, my eldest daughter got married a few years ago, and I have two sons." Jinniang smiled.
Mrs. Fan spoke slowly and steadily as many guests came in one after another. Jinniang was observing how Mrs. Fan and Fourth Miss Fan responded and gave Aying a wink.
After the coming-of-age ceremony was over and Jinniang returned, she heard Ah Ying say, "You can't get anything out of this kind of inquiry. I don't dare to believe anything said by the maids, except for those who serve me personally."
However, what Ah Ying failed to find out was all found out by her son Xiao Liu. The child originally studied with Ding Ge'er, but Jinniang also asked him to do some errands. Today he came with the coachman Zhang Laoshi. The Fan family entertained the servants of the Transport Commissioner's Mansion in the courtyard in front, and Liu Quan ate with the servant of the Fan family. The two chatted about all sorts of things, and Liu Quan knew a lot of inside information.
When he came back, he replied: "This fourth girl has a calm temperament. Everyone says she is virtuous, but in fact she is quite self-centered. They also say that the maids around her are very powerful and quarrel all day long."
"Okay, I understand. Ah Ying, show the reward to Quan'er." Jinniang kept it in mind.
Ah Ying was also very happy to see her son making progress. Chen Xiaolang got married first, and Chen Tong, born to Minzhi, was Ning Ge'er's servant, so of course he had a bright future. It is not bad for her son to follow Ding Ge'er, but now that he has won the favor of his wife, he will definitely be entrusted with more tasks in the future.
After Liu Quan left, Jinniang said, "We can't just listen to one side of the story. We still need to learn more."
"I think so too. By the way, are you still going to the Lu family? It's the hundredth day since the young lady of the Lu family gave birth to her baby." Aying asked.
Jinniang smiled and said, "I will definitely go."
You can’t just look at one and decide.
Ah Ying asked again, "That Madam Sui seems to be eyeing Fourth Miss Fan covetously?"
"Then you are wrong. Mrs. Fan did this on purpose for me to see. She wanted to make me anxious and finalize it as soon as possible." Jinniang also has a daughter, so of course she knew this trick.
Why is this so? Of course, Ning Ge'er is now the most popular among the popular people.
Madam Sui didn't understand these things. She just thought that the Fan family was a noble family. She even said happily to Madam Yang: "I think the fourth girl is very lucky and is the best match for our young man. Madam Fan treated me very well today."
Nanny Yang was also happy.
Little did she know that Fourth Miss Fan had always been an ambitious person and would never look down upon someone like Young Master Sui. In her heart, she admired Young Master Jiang more.
It was a pity that Mrs. Jiang didn't seem to feel very warm towards her.
However, after Ning Ge'er arrived at the yamen, he spent the first month looking through files and asking for advice from his legal advisors. He simply didn't express any opinions easily. For him, the most important thing is to familiarize himself with the process first, and not to make a lot of noise at the beginning and let others see through him.
The first case he handled was the case of the headless female corpse in Cao's gold and silver shop.
He was actually a little scared when he heard about this kind of case, but he still overcame his fear and began to unravel the case. He would often come to Jiang Xian for advice. In fact, he knew what his father said, but he always listened carefully.
Just like my mother said, when you ask others for advice, you must not be complacent, but listen to others' teachings with an open mind.
After hearing this, Jinniang urged him several times before he came to eat.
"I think the fish balls are cooked very well, you should try it." Jinniang helped her son serve the fish ball soup.
Ning Geer agreed with a smile, and then asked, "Mom, my son will be eighteen soon. How are you going to spend this year?"
Jinniang thought for a moment and said, "Your father and I have found a garden. It is very quiet and the dishes there are not available outside. We will go there to eat as a family, and then we will go for a walk in the street. You and your son are both officials in Luoyang. You can't just be officials in the city and not care about the people under your rule."
People will understand this place better only if they experience it in person.
Ning Ge clapped his hands: "Okay, that's great, my son wants to go out with you."
"Okay, let's eat first. Juxiang said at noon that you didn't eat well, so you should have a good meal now. Look at this beef, it's steamed with rice flour. It's made with ground rice flour and fermented bean curd. It's delicious. Eating beef makes you energetic." Jinniang pointed at the dish and asked him to pick it up.
Ning Ge'er thought it was better to be at home, where he could eat whatever he wanted and say whatever he wanted. He also wanted to drink osmanthus yogurt: "Mom, can you make me osmanthus yogurt tomorrow?"
"I'll ask your father to do it, and then blast it with ice." Jinniang said with a smile.
Jiang Xian shook his head: "You finally remembered me, didn't you? Fortunately, I know your mother likes to eat this. I keep the dried osmanthus flowers every year and will make it tomorrow."
"Thank you very much, Dad." Ning Ge'er felt that he was so happy.
He returned to the yamen after dinner. If he was not afraid of gossip, he would have wanted to live with his parents.
After the eldest son left, Ding Ge'er began to yawn. Jinniang asked Liu Quan to help him rest first, and then have some tea with Jiang Xian to help digest the food. She sighed slightly and said, "If the two of us were still in Bianjing, we would definitely be walking in the garden at this time."
After Ning Ge'er came, he brought Chen Xiaolang's family and Juxiang over. Jinniang asked them to serve him in the magistrate's office and they didn't need to come over. Bian Jing left Luo Da to look after the house. Luo Da's son Hutou was with Jiang Xian, and Jinniang was planning to arrange a marriage for him this year.
Jinniang has of course been keeping an eye on Ning'er's marriage, but she cannot choose an inappropriate family just because it's going to happen soon.
"That's right, but it's also good in Luoyang." Jiang Xian said.
Jinniang added, "I always feel that the fourth daughter of the Fan family is a bit too special. I've read the poems she wrote, and I can tell that she is not an ordinary woman. She is probably as smart as Wu Zetian. But others may not understand Ning Ge'er, but you do. She loves her family the most, so this girl is not suitable for us."
Jiang Xian thought that this might not be the case. His son was often overly modest. He clearly stayed up late to do his homework, with the curtains smoked yellow and black, but he insisted that he never did his homework in private. He is obviously a child prodigy, but he keeps saying that he is useless and that Wei Qilang and so on are smarter than him. He keeps saying that he is homesick, but when he is working on a case he is too lazy to even eat. How can he have the time to meet his parents?
I don’t know who this child’s personality resembles, but it’s definitely not like him.
The Fan family was unaware of Jinniang's idea. Mrs. Fan was writing a letter to her husband in Shaanxi, saying that she wanted to find the eldest son of the Jiang family for her daughter. The letter said that Jiang Ning was eighteen years old, handsome and heroic, and now he was the prosecutor of Xijing. His father was the transport commissioner of Jingxi, and his uncle was the Shangshu Zuocheng.
He is a typical official family and the man himself is particularly capable. If my daughter could marry him as a son-in-law, she would have no regrets for the rest of her life.
Little did she know that the Lu family also thought so, so when Jinniang came to celebrate the 100th day of Grandma Lu's son's birth, she was treated very warmly. Jinniang thought that she was really benefiting from her son.
She and Jiang Xian both have no relatives to rely on, and have relied on themselves to make their living outside. Now, watching their family grow stronger and stronger, they always have a sense of security.
Mrs. Lu's maiden name was Shangguan, and she also came from a large family. She had only one daughter, who was slender and graceful, and was a real beauty. The head of the Lu family serves as the deputy privy councilor in the court. Overall, they do not look as wealthy as the Fan family, but they are also very noble.
Others are very concerned about fertility, but Jinniang does not take it that seriously. In her opinion, being unable to have children is not a woman’s problem. As long as a woman's menstruation is normal, there is almost no big problem. She used to be very deficient in qi and blood and was in poor health, but because Jiang Xian was in good health, she still got pregnant quickly.
Of course, this cannot be decided immediately.
"Are you fourteen this year? Oh, you are so beautiful. I was stunned just now." Jinniang said.
Miss Lu was originally planning to marry her husband, but the other party disliked her frail health, so the marriage fell through. In fact, she was born a little thin, but it wasn't a big problem.
Mrs. Lu was very fond of Jinniang because she didn't seem to look at her daughter as she did at others. Many women in families would look at other people's young girls as if they were selecting goods.
After Miss Lu paid her respects and went downstairs, Jinniang talked to Madam Lu and everything seemed normal.
After leaving Lu's house, Jinniang went to Liu's house again, because she wanted to buy some land, so she went to Mrs. Liu Si and bought a thousand acres of top-quality land. The two had business dealings and a good relationship, so Jinniang asked her about the situation of the Lu family.
Madam Liu Si said, "Madam Lu originally had a son and a daughter, but unfortunately the son died young. Fortunately, Madam Lu was virtuous and had two illegitimate sons. In fact, if we talk about talent, this Miss Lu is really full of talent and has a smart personality."
After leaving Madam Liu Si's place, Aying came over again. They went to the local beggar leader to inquire about the actual situation of Lu and Fan, and even asked the matchmaker and middleman.
The result was quite unexpected. Ah Ying said, "The Fan family looks like a fortune teller, but they are not very generous. They look rich, but they are actually very frugal. Although Madam Fan has two sons, they only care about love and sex and spend money like water. One of them is a frequent visitor to brothels and a prostitute. The Lu family is not as rich as the Fan family. They are always very generous to their servants. Even the two prostitutes in the middle street say that the Lu family gives more rewards."
"Okay, I understand. In fact, when it comes to marriage, I can only try to choose someone who looks good at the moment. If Ning'er is not good at studying, it would be good for him to find a young man from the family who can help him. Now that Ning'er is promising, we should find someone who is both talented and beautiful and has a good personality, so that the couple can get along well with each other." Jinniang said.
Ah Ying thought for a long time before saying, "But my lady, Miss Lu doesn't look very well after all."
"I have asked Imperial Doctor Hu and Imperial Doctor Song, who often treat her. I have also made a copy of the prescription. The master looked at it and said it was nothing serious, just a little deficiency of qi and blood, but it would not affect her offspring." Jinniang said.
Of course, Jinniang also received a letter from Mr. Ning Ge'er, who recommended his little daughter. Jinniang shook her head as soon as she saw it: "People raised in a widowed family have very sensitive temperaments."
As the eldest son's daughter-in-law, you can't be too sensitive, otherwise people don't know how they have offended her.
Now that it was confirmed that it was the Lu family, Jinniang still wanted to put the relevant information she had collected in front of her son, "If you agree, I will first consult with Madam Lu. Anyway, the girl is still young, and you can wait three years before getting married, which is a good opportunity for your future."
"My son thinks so too. When my sister got married, there were a lot of red tape." Ning Ge'er shook his head.
Jinniang smiled and said, "That's right, just handle your case well."
In Jinniang's opinion, love affairs can spice up life, but the most important thing is to have one's own career. The future is very important for men, and the same is true for women.
The Fan family and the Lu family have a good relationship. The fourth Miss Fan came to visit the eldest Miss Lu and said, "Qionghua, I was wondering why I didn't see you a few days ago. What are you doing at home now?"
Lu Qionghua pointed to the rouge in front of her: "I just made some new rouge paste."
"The rouge you mix is always excellent." After saying that, Fan Si Niang picked it up, picked up some with the hairpin on her head, and applied it on her lips.
Although the two little girls were born in such a family, they also had their own troubles. Lu Qionghua's two brothers were both born out of wedlock and not from the same mother, so there was a gap between them. Fourth Miss Fan has two older brothers and a younger sister, all of whom are from the same family, but her two brothers have no hope of passing the imperial examinations.
"If you like it, just take some back." Lu Qionghua said with a smile.
Fourth Miss Fan nodded and said, "When I came in just now, I heard that your aunt was here."
Generally, Fourth Miss Fan seldom talks about other people's pain. Originally, Lv Qionghua was planning to propose marriage to her cousin, but her aunt said that their horoscopes were incompatible. Later, she learned that she was worried that Lv Qionghua was in poor health and had difficulty giving birth like her mother. Even her mother was so angry that she almost fainted, and Lv Qionghua felt upset too.
So when Lady Fan Si asked, her eyes turned red: "Alas, many things are fine with me, but you insist on talking about my mother."
"This matter has nothing to do with you and your mother. In the end, it's those people who are responsible. Don't take it to heart. Uncle Lu is now the Deputy Envoy of the Privy Council, so he will naturally have a good marriage." Fourth Miss Fan comforted her.
Lu Qionghua pointed at her and said, "How can a girl like you who lives in the boudoir talk so much about marriage?"
Fourth Miss Fan felt that she was much better than Lu Qionghua. At least she was born with a blessed appearance. In the eyes of men, Lu Qionghua had a face as beautiful as Xi Shi and a graceful figure, but in the eyes of mothers-in-law, that might not be the case.
But no one expected that a month later, the Jiang family actually sent a matchmaker wearing a purple jacket to the Lu family.
Jinniang was reading Yunjie'er's reply at home. She told her daughter the whole process of how she chose the Lu family. Yunjie'er said in the letter that the Lu family was also an enduring family in the court, and she agreed with it. She also said that she was doing them a favor by recognizing their talent and so on.
Mrs. Lu from the Lu family was not reserved at all and agreed directly. She also said to her daughter, "Mrs. Jiang said that she has seen many girls, but it is rare to meet someone as clear-minded as you. I met Mr. Jiang a few days ago. He is really handsome and heroic when riding a horse. He is a rare young talent."
Lu Qionghua herself had not expected that Mrs. Jiang would actually propose marriage to her. She asked in confusion, "Didn't she say that she wanted to marry the Fan family?"
Mrs. Lu smiled and said, "The Fan family is certainly not bad, but the girl from the Fan family is full of ambitions, and I'm afraid she will need the support of the Jiang family in the future. Besides, they just like you, they fell in love with you at first sight."
Lu Qionghua thought to herself that Mrs. Jiang was a very smart and capable person, but she treated her differently. If she really married her in the future, she should be filial and respectful to the elders.
Seeing her daughter's appearance, Madam Lu smiled and said, "You will be a wife of a clan leader in someone else's family in the future. You should learn how to manage the household from me then."
"The housekeeper is secondary. He works as a prosecutor in Luoyang Prefecture. I remember we have a book called 'Secret Cases of Lu Gong' at home. Why not send it to him?" Lu Qionghua said shyly.
Mrs. Lu pointed at her daughter and said, "She hasn't married yet, but her heart has already moved on. It's good this way. She thinks about you in every way, and you think about her in every way, too."
…
When Jinniang received the reply from the Lu family, she was surprised to find that the girl from the Lu family had a dowry of 30,000 strings of cash.
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