Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Accusation
The second room had a rich meal, including a plate of fried chrysanthemum seedlings, a bowl of three kinds of crispy food from the Shan family, a small plate of minced amber melon, a small bowl of clam and rice jerky soup with a plate of big cake. These were the most delicious dishes on earth.
Especially the Danai cake, which is made by peeling large plums, removing the cores, adding crushed pine nuts, walnuts and melon seeds, and honey, putting them inside the plums and steaming them. It is really mouth-watering.
While eating, she looked around but didn't see Qin Shuang'er. Jinniang shook her head and called Si'er and Xiaohe in, giving them the half of the food she had reserved before: "You two can eat some first. I reserved it in advance. No one has touched their chopsticks yet."
Si'er and Xiaohe are both little maids, so there is no share for them in the second house. When they go to the kitchen of the first house later, there will be nothing there. Anyway, Jinniang cannot finish so much by herself.
The two little girls were very happy to hear this, and when they saw Fang Qiaolian, they said, "I have some here too, take some and eat them too."
Jinniang reminded them again: "There are a lot of people these days. When you finish eating, take the food boxes to the kitchen of the second room. Don't stay on the way. If something happens, we can't save you."
"Yes." Si'er and Xiaohe answered in unison.
The Second House is now managed by the Third Lady, and everything seems to be in order. However, when she thinks of what she heard from Miao Xiaoniang and that old woman last time, she always feels vaguely uneasy.
However, what she is most worried about now is whether Sister Shan can come back.
Madam Chen was talking to Madam Jiang, "We don't have enough staff in the sewing room. The clothes for Miao Xiaoniang and the future young master have not been made yet. Now for the funeral, I'm afraid we need to add another person. Let's see if we can let the child who was sent to the aunt come back to work for a few days, and then let her go back after the work is done."
"Well, then you can send someone to look for it." Jiang did not comment.
The needlework staff of the eldest house were invited to go there to make mourning clothes and set up the mourning hall. Wu gave a total of fifty taels, of which Jiang withheld thirty taels and gave twenty taels to Chen and the others. Chen herself got ten taels, and the remaining ten taels were divided among the people below. Everyone made a profit.
Madam Chen made some extra money, and remembering the entrustment from Jinniang and the others, she also wanted to help. Otherwise, it would be difficult for her to do her job as a manager in the future. If she couldn't even save her own people, who would trust you? Besides, she only said that she would borrow it for a few days. If the lady aunt didn't mention letting Shan Jie go over, then everyone would be happy. If the lady aunt still wanted Shan Jie to go over later, then she had helped and it would no longer be her problem.
It is said that Shan Jie was helping Mei Pan'er to bring medicine at this time. She went to the funeral yesterday and seemed to have been hit by the wind and evil spirits. She had a high fever in the evening, and her aunt asked her to come and take care of her. It must be said that this cousin is a hundred times easier to serve than her mother, and no one says much about it.
It's strange that there's such a huge gap between mother and daughter.
"Girl, it's time to take your medicine."
Mei Paner frowned slightly, and seemed to have made up her mind: "Okay, I know, you can bring it."
After saying that, she drank it all in one gulp, then picked up a piece of osmanthus candy and put it in her mouth. Only then did she feel better.
Sister Shan thought it would be great if she could serve her cousin, so she sighed slightly in her heart and went outside to put the tray. At this time, the aunt was in the second room. She didn't like the second wife and secretly said that the second wife was a concubine, just like Xi, who was lucky enough to marry into the Zhou family. But she said that, but she liked to go to the second room.
Just as I was thinking about it, I saw Xiao He. Sister Shan came out and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Xiao He smiled and said, "Sister Jinniang and Madam Chen asked me to find my sister. Just now in the second room, Madam Chen told Madam Aunt that they were too busy making mourning clothes for the funeral, and they have asked the eldest lady to borrow my sister for a few days. Madam Aunt also agreed, and they said they would let my sister go."
Shan Jie was overjoyed, so she went in and told Miss Mei something before coming out with Xiao He. As soon as she came out, she asked, "Why did Madam Gu agree so readily?"
It's really a bit unbelievable.
Xiao He walked to a deserted place and then said, "How could she be so straightforward? It just happened that the Second Master heard it and thought that the needlework room really sent someone. He also asked Auntie to give her some jewelry from Qinfangzhai as a thank-you gift."
When Jinniang heard about this, she also found it funny. They were originally bought by Jiang alone, but her aunt begged for them, so now it seemed as if she had bought them.
But everyone was very happy that Shan Jie could come back, and she was especially grateful to Jin Niang. Only Qin Shuang'er felt something was wrong. She took the opportunity to go to the toilet and said to Shan Jie: "The lady must know that you have an affair. It's better if you don't go back. I'm afraid that once you go back, she will be even stricter with you."
Others didn't understand this aunt. Sister Shan was the one who actually served her. Although she said, "No way?" she was still worried.
Seeing that she hadn't understood what she meant, Qin Shuang'er said, "That's right. I don't quite agree to let you out first. After all, the eldest girl is about to turn 15 this year, and her marriage is set, so you can come over. Can't we prepare her dowry for two or three years? By the time her dowry is ready, our employment period will have expired. Although they are kind, they don't understand the tricks. If you are really bullied by then, they have been good people before, but they just won't help you now. What else can you do?"
After she finished speaking, she saw the hesitation on Shanjie's face and snorted in her heart, wondering if Wei Jinniang would dare to pretend to be a good person in the future.
Jinniang didn't know all this yet. She was writing down what Chen Niang said. A good memory is not as good as a bad pen. After a person dies, there are rules for what the children and elders wear. When her grandfather died, of course she had to wear mourning clothes, but in the countryside, there weren't many rules.
In the future, she will be able to take on important responsibilities like Madam Chen.
No matter when, a person's business ability is more important than anything else. There are always people in this world who want to do practical things.
After finishing her notes, dinner was delivered. Sister Shan looked at the food and said, "Finally, I have time to sit down and eat."
"The food in the second room is delicious, not to mention lunch. The mutton soup steamed buns in the morning had no smell at all. I ate two big ones in total and drank a small pot of soy milk." When Jinniang came to Bian Jing, the thing she never got tired of was the northern meat steamed buns.
Sister Shan smiled, and the atmosphere seemed to have returned to the past.
At night she returned to the sewing room to rest, and even had a good sleep, waking up in the morning full of energy. When she was in the sewing room before, she didn't think it was so nice here, but now she always felt like she was dreaming.
She stretched herself and said, "It would be nice if I could stay here forever."
Qin Shuang'er, who shared the room with me, sighed, "Yeah, now that you're gone, I'm not used to sleeping alone in the outer room."
Fang Qiaolian in the inner room whispered to Jinniang, "Do you think the aunt will take the person back?"
Jinniang shook her head: "It's hard to say. Auntie has a very difficult personality. We can only take it one step at a time."
"I think so too. It would be nice if she could benefit from it for a few days." Fang Qiao Lian also felt a little sympathetic.
Today, Jinniang also met several young ladies from the second house. They were different from the young ladies from the first house. They always seemed not as respectful as those from the first house. Wu knew all this, and she was talking to Jiang at the moment, "The eldest grandmother volunteered to remain chaste, and our master agreed, but there are still a few of the eldest master's women in his room, and we're afraid they're too young to remain chaste, so we'll have to let them go when the time comes."
"Yes, we are still young, and we shouldn't waste our time. But you have to wait until after July 7th before leaving," Jiang instructed.
Wu smiled and said, "Of course, that's what Du's wife and I said." Then she said, "Why don't you bring Miss Yanhong here? I want to congratulate her in person."
A few days ago, Jiang placed Yanhong in the concubine room to serve the eldest master. If she was pregnant, she would be promoted to a concubine. If not, her status would be different from that of other girls. There is no other way. Lu Xiaoniang is useless and in poor health. The people in power need to know how to check and balance her. Yanhong is beautiful, gentle, and younger. Miao Xiaoniang is almost thirty years old, how can she compare with a young and fresh girl.
But in front of Mrs. Wu, she looked very virtuous: "She is just feeling uncomfortable, and I have something to tell her."
Of course, these things were related to Zhou Cunzhi's engagement, and Wu knew it very well, but it was not appropriate to say anything about Zhou Duzhi's funeral. She only praised her nephew: "We managed the funeral this time thanks to Cun'er. Although he is young, he can do better than those older people."
Jiang was very happy to hear this, and she even said, "You praise her so much, be careful not to spoil her."
The two sisters-in-law talked for a few words, and Jiang asked, "Have the midwife and wet nurse been prepared?"
"Not yet. My family is busy with this matter, so it's hard to say. I'll start looking after his funeral and the family affairs are settled." In fact, Mrs. Wu was afraid to bring him in too early, in case someone bribed her to harm her.
Last time, her brother died at the age of three. Everyone said that her son was weak, but she didn't think so. Some said it was Deng Xiaoniang, some said it was Zhou Duzhi, and there were all kinds of opinions.
But she needs to take good care of her body before giving birth to a son.
Just as they were thinking about it, someone outside said that the aunt was coming. The two sisters-in-law looked at each other and stood up to greet her. Wu saw it clearly. Although the lady seemed to be showing off her power, Jiang was just tolerating it temporarily for the sake of her son's marriage. When Wu withdrew her hands, she might not be able to let her get what she wanted.
The aunt came here just to say hello. If Mrs. Wu had an imperial decree, she would stay a little longer and would do her best to find a good marriage for her daughter.
But today, seeing that there were only the two sisters-in-law, she left, saying that the old lady had something to do, and Jiang also got up and left.
Suddenly, the second master pushed the door open. He was thirty-five years old, in the prime of his life, and had the appearance of Pan An. When he saw Wu, he smiled and asked, "How are you?"
"Not bad." Mrs. Wu sometimes felt that her husband was too romantic, and sometimes she felt that no one really loved him as a person, and most people only loved him for his money and status.
The second master stopped smiling, looked at her and said, "I shouldn't have alarmed you about this, but it is also about our son. Duzhi's concubine Song reported today that Deng had previously harmed our fourth brother."
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