After that, Wang Xueyan would come to Liu's house to find Yu Jiao every day. Although there were many criticisms about divorced women like Wang Xueyan in the outside world, Mrs. Liu did not care about it and never restricted the relationship between Yu Jiao and Wang Xueyan.
On New Year's Eve, Wang Xueyan never came back. During the New Year's Day, many fruits, sweets and cakes were added to each room, and lights were hung for decoration. The servants also changed into new clothes, and the atmosphere was very festive.
Counting the days, she and Yu Qizhe had been in a cold war for seven or eight days. Yu Jiao had already lowered her head once, and now she was feeling sullen, so she asked Bai Lu to send some New Year gifts to Kanjing Hutong, but she did not go there in person.
There was a maid in the East Garden who was betrothed by Madam Liu to a servant in the mansion. The wedding was happening today, and the maids all wanted to go and see the fun. There was nothing to do in the courtyard, so Yu Jiao gave all the maids a day off and asked Jianjia to bring a gift of red envelope as a gift for the newlyweds.
As soon as the maids left, the courtyard became deserted. Yu Jiao sat on the soft couch and wrapped silver coins for the servants. These silver coins were given to Yu Jiao by the old lady at her request, Mama Liu. Madam Liu reminded Yu Jiao to give some red envelopes to the servants during the New Year. Although the Liu family had never treated the servants harshly and they were rewarded with silver coins during the New Year, the masters of each courtyard still had to prepare some red envelopes, as a token of their appreciation, as the purpose of the New Year was to bring joy and happiness.
Just as Yu Jiao had wrapped the silver nude, Liu Yaoyu came looking for her and insisted that Yu Jiao paint plum blossom makeup for her, saying that tomorrow, the first day of the new year, many of Liu Yu's disciples would come to the mansion with their wives and children to pay New Year's greetings. She made a red jacket and skirt, which would look beautiful if she matched it with the plum blossom makeup.
Yu Jiao found some red paper-cuts, cut out plum blossom-shaped ornaments for Liu Yaoyu, and glued them on the center of Liu Yaoyu's eyebrows. This embellishment indeed made Liu Yaoyu's face look more charming.
Liu Yaoyu admired herself in the bronze mirror for a long time, with the corners of her lips curled up almost never. She asked Yu Jiao to cut more flower hairpins for her to use later.
Yu Jiao agreed with a smile, picked up the paper cutting, and cut several new patterns for Liu Yaoyu.
"I have agreed with mother that we will go to big brother's yard to stay up all night. We don't have to stay in grandmother's room. Grandmother is old and can't stay up for too long. We just need to sit there and chat with her." Liu Yaoyu lay on the soft low table, watching Yu Jiao cutting flower hairpins, and said with a smile.
Yu Jiao nodded. Marquis Annan had returned to the capital. These days, Liu Ziqi went out early and came back late. He was rarely in the mansion. He only came to see Yu Jiao occasionally, and after a few words, he would leave again.
Previously, Liu Ziqi told Yu Jiao about the current situation of the Annan Marquisate. Those who supported Emperor Mingzheng to ascend the throne in the past all had a bad end now. When the cunning rabbit dies, the running dog is cooked, and only the Annan Marquisate is left. If it weren't for the fact that the Annan Marquis held the power of 300,000 troops in Lingnan, the Annan Marquisate would probably no longer be among the royal mansions.
Marquis Annan has been staying in Lingnan for many years, separated from his wife and children, in order to protect the Marquis Annan's mansion.
Now that Emperor Mingzheng has called his men back to the capital, if the military power is taken away, the Marquis of Annan’s Mansion will be in great danger.
Yu Jiao looked up at the cockatoo in the white marble cage. She had originally planned to return the bird and the cage to Gu Yun, but Gu Yun was still under house arrest in the mansion, so she couldn't go to the Annan Marquis's mansion again and again.
Yu Jiao didn't know the situation in the capital before, but now that she knows, she can understand why Madam Liu went to the Annan Marquis's Mansion and said such words, and even deliberately asked people to spread them.
There are both the Shen Party and the corrupt eunuchs in the court, so a clean minister like my father Liu Yu naturally has to be cautious in everything. If there is any sign of a marriage with the Annan Marquisate, it will surely displease the emperor, and then the villain will try to trip him up, which will be hard to guard against.
People who are in high positions and have great power may seem glorious to others, but if they are not in those positions, they do not know how difficult their lives are.
At night, all the lanterns in the mansion were lit up, filling the entire yard. The warm red color was festive and auspicious.
After going to the ancestral hall to worship their ancestors, the whole family gathered in Baoshou Hall to have the New Year's Eve dinner. Mrs. Liu also brought Tao Ge'er with her. With someone like Tao Ge'er, who has a childlike nature, the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping at the dinner table was no longer necessary. No one blamed him. Instead, there was constant laughter and the atmosphere was warm.
After the meal, Old Madam Liu gave them red envelopes one by one. Yu Jiao hadn't received a red envelope from her elders for many years. Looking at the old madam's kind face, she couldn't help but think of her grandfather.
She was not sad in her heart. If the old lady in the underworld knew that she was living such a good life now and was still cared for by her elders, she would feel at ease.
Madam Liu and Liu Yu also gave them red envelopes. They had a lively time in Baoshou Hall and talked with the old lady for a while. Then Liu Yu and Madam Liu returned to the East Garden, while Yu Jiao and the others went to Liu Ziqi's Fufeng Pavilion.
As soon as he entered the house, Tao Ge'er ran to the soft couch and opened the several red envelopes he had received. Inside were silver notes worth hundreds of taels and some gold beans. Tao Ge'er only kept the gold beans to play with and threw all the silver notes aside.
Liu Ziqi also took out a red envelope from his sleeve and gave one to each of them. Liu Yaoyu took the red envelope and also took out two red envelopes from his sleeve, one for Yu Jiao and one for Tao Ge'er.
"Look, I, the second sister, am no worse than the big brother. I'm thinking about you too!" Liu Yaoyu said with a smile.
"Thank you, second sister." Yu Jiao said sweetly.
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