Chapter 277 Dragon Boat Festival
The old lady was already very annoyed by Meimei's rebuttal, and she was even more furious after hearing her last sentence. Without thinking twice, she pointed at Meimei and scolded her in front of the housekeepers in the hall. Meimei was furious and wanted to say a few more provocative words, or even drive the old lady out of Ziyun Hall to make her angry. But on second thought, she decided to endure it. It was easy to talk back in a moment of anger, and she would feel good, but if the consequences were serious, Xu Junying would have to deal with it. What's more, it involved the sixth brother and his wife, who were newlyweds. If they had unhappiness because of their affairs, it would definitely affect the sweetness and happiness of the newlyweds. Forget it, let her scold to her heart's content and she should leave.
He gritted his teeth and let the old lady throw a tantrum, regretting a little what he had said just now. The old lady was not without consideration. Seeing that Meimei just lowered her head and said nothing, he felt satisfied and found a way to come down, humming angrily. With the advice of Gan, Fang and the girls, everyone supported them and they left Ziyun Hall and went to Wenhua Courtyard to see Xu Junxuan's new house.
As soon as the old lady left, Meimei couldn't help but rub her forehead and sigh. The self-cultivation of the wealthy and senior lady was just like this. She couldn't afford to offend her!
Fortunately, the people in the Hou Mansion were used to this situation. Everyone knew that the eldest young lady would not be liked by the old lady as soon as she married into the Hou Mansion. But she couldn't understand why the old lady was so stubborn. She used to dislike the eldest young lady because she was not from a high family, not likable and had no ability. But now it is different. The uncle passed the imperial examination, received the emperor's grace, entered the government and was awarded an official position. The Qin family is glorious, and the eldest young lady also gave birth to the eldest grandson. She has grown from a weak and immature girl to a mistress who can stand on her own and manage the Hou Mansion. What reason does the old lady have to look down on the eldest young lady? The housekeepers saw that the eldest young lady lowered her head and listened to the old lady's loud scolding without saying a word. The appearance of the bullied young wife made everyone sigh in their hearts.
The so-called seventy-two dowries for the new house in Wenhua Courtyard were naturally prepared long ago. The contracts and documents of the shops and embroidery shops in the city and the farms outside the city were also there. The bride's family background did not need to be fabricated, as it was originally like that. Although there was a flood, if she was not told, could the old lady go thousands of miles away to investigate in person? As for Changle Hou, it must have been taken care of. The whole mansion had the same caliber. The old lady could go and inquire at any time, and the response she got would only satisfy her and she would not find fault.
Xu Junxuan happily married Liu Jingyun. The couple treated each other with respect and were in love and harmony. Liu Jingyun was a hit with the old lady. She looked virtuous and graceful, gentle and taciturn, but she was very good at communicating with others, and was very diligent and self-disciplined. She was always greeted by Jinhua Hall and Qiuhua Courtyard. She was filial and humble to Aunt Zhou and Aunt Lin, respected her brother and sister-in-law, and cherished her sister. She served Aunt Zhou, Xu Junxuan's biological mother, very carefully and attentively. Xu Junxuan also kept his promise. He accompanied Liu Jingyun to her mother's house every few days to visit her stepmother and brother, and went to the embroidery shop to inspect the business. The shop and workshop basically became a climate, with its own unique characteristics and a fixed customer base. It would not go wrong to leave it to her stepmother to take care of it on a daily basis. But just as Meimei couldn't bear to give up her cyclamen, Liu Jingyun also cherished and valued the embroidery shop she had created, and was reluctant to abandon it.
After arranging a marriage for his sixth brother, Xu Junying felt a lot more relaxed. There were still two younger sisters who had reached marriage age and were still waiting to be married. The Second Wife would not bother about the marriages of concubines' daughters. Matchmakers would come to the mansion to propose marriages from time to time, and the old lady would privately make inquiries and start choosing a husband for her granddaughter.
After the weather became sunny and warm, Mrs. Zheng's condition improved greatly. She could be carried out in a recliner and sit in the yard to bask in the sun for a long time. When playing with Heng'er, she could say a few simple words and laugh. She was in good spirits. Every time Meimei saw her like this, she was happy for her but also inexplicably worried.
Everything has cause and effect. Those who play with fire often get burned. Mrs. Zheng's illness was caused by herself. She didn't know much about herbs and she mixed medicine randomly. She also had Zheng Meiyu, a scheming woman who was always causing trouble but not accomplishing anything. If Zheng Meiyu hadn't died, Mrs. Zheng would probably have been killed by her own family one day.
At the beginning, Madam Zheng forced Heng'er to be raised by her side. In order to take care of her son and prevent him from forgetting his mother, Meimei had to go to Qiuhua Courtyard every day. During those days, she listened to the training and teachings of Madam Zheng, and was a little scared. The old woman trusted her for all kinds of dark and cruel methods among the women in the deep house, because she was Heng'er's mother, and it was obvious that she was not favored by Xu Junying. When she was old, she could only rely on Heng'er, so she didn't hesitate to say those words to her. As the eldest son, if Heng'er wanted to secure the position of the prince, the most direct way was to prevent other women from getting pregnant with Xu Junying's son. Madam Zheng said: "You have just recovered from a serious illness, and Junying is now a little cold to you. You don't have to rush to give birth. Wait until you recover!"
At that time, she was just surprised, but not panicked. She was curious about how to prevent the concubines from giving birth to Xu Junying's children, so she asked. Madam Zheng replied calmly: "I'll make my own arrangements. You don't have to worry about it!"
Those words, that secret, had been suppressed deep in her heart. She dared not reveal a single bit. She felt that she and Xu Junying would not have any intersection. She did not want to pay attention to him, nor did she tell him. The thing had already been done. Revealing it would only make Xu Junying angry, and maybe he would commit murder, involving Heng'er's safety. She would never take that risk. Anyway, when the time comes, he will have what he deserves. The crime was left unresolved, like a stone thrown into the water, sinking, leaving no trace.
However, he refused to let her go and forced her to be his wife. She set a barrier for him by saying that she would not have a child for three years. That was not just a random remark, but a conscious one with reasons. It was both a difficult matter and a way to amuse herself. Of course, she was just laughing at it. Later, after thinking about it, she felt that she had no chance of getting away with it, so she had to take the matter seriously and asked Zhang Jingyun for help. Zhang Jingyun was a smart man. He would do what he promised and would not ask any extra questions. Meimei felt bad for herself, so she thought of a reasonable reason that seemed to cover up the lie and lied to Xu Jingyun.
I have managed to get Xu Junying to take the medicine, and Meimei will be in charge of what happens next.
As for that secret, it is better to keep it to yourself than to mention it again.
In a blink of an eye, it was May again. On the Dragon Boat Festival, Meimei went to Shicaotang and brought back a carriage full of medicinal herbs. She asked the young and old in Qinghua Court to boil water for bathing. She also distributed it to the courtyards of the two prefectures with children, teaching them how to boil water for the children to bathe. It could remove evil and dampness and prevent rashes and boils. Afraid that her mother would not believe her, she explained that the herbs were ordered from Qiancaotang a few days ago and picked by the pharmacists themselves. She did not pick them randomly in the wild. The Dragon Boat Festival is the best time of the year for taking a medicinal bath. It would be a pity not to take a bath and miss the solar term.
Bai Jingyu and Ning Rulan happily did as they were told. Gan and Fang had never heard of such a thing before, but they also took the herbs and waited for the soup to be cooked with great interest. The fragrance of the herbs was refreshing, and the adults could not help but add water and boil it again to take a bath. For a while, the house was filled with the aroma of medicine. Adults and children took a bath, changed clothes, and then sat together to eat rice dumplings and drink sweet wine. The festive atmosphere was joyful and rich.
The sweet wine sent to each courtyard by the kitchen of Houfu was brewed a few days in advance, and the sweet and mellow wine aroma was fragrant. There are two kinds of zongzi, the small triangular ones are cold zongzi, and the small pillow-like ones are meat zongzi. They are all wrapped in fragrant bamboo leaves, tied with straw, and then tied into a string with red ropes, twelve in a string. Peel off the palm leaves, the cold zongzi is crystal white, dipped in white sugar and eaten, sweet, soft and chewy, while the meat zongzi is golden all over, with an attractive aroma. Take a hot bite, and your mouth is full of soft and fragrant. The filling contains large pieces of meat, chestnuts, mung beans, sesame, etc. It is impossible to count how many kinds of things are put in it. I only know that this sweet and delicious zongzi is so delicious that after eating one, I want to eat another one.
After Meimei and the maids bathed Heng'er, they grabbed Xu Junying from the study to take a bath. Xu Junying smiled and said, "You are free, right? We can just bathe by ourselves. Why are the people from the two mansions stirring up trouble and insisting that we follow the customs of your hometown?"
"Isn't it good? Everyone is happy to have something to do during the festival. The Dragon Boat Festival in my hometown is very lively. It's not like here in the capital, where it's so cold and quiet, without any festive atmosphere at all!"
"What's in your hometown?"
"There are a lot of fun and delicious things! You've just eaten the food. Have you heard of dragon boat racing? "There are also dragon boat races in the Jiangnan area and Lingxuzi's hometown... Do you miss your father-in-law and mother-in-law?"
Meimei undressed him, but Xu Junying hugged Meimei into his arms: "Just think about it, don't be sad, you have me and Heng'er!"
Meimei leaned against him and smiled: "Yes, I have you here, I am fine, and I also pray that my parents and family are safe and happy, and I hope they don't feel sad for me!"
Xu Junying gently stroked her: "I heard that dreams can communicate. Have a dream at night and tell your father-in-law and mother-in-law that you married me and our family is very good and happy!"
Meimei sighed, "Since I came here, I haven't dreamed of my parents, let alone my hometown! It's so strange, why?"
Xu Junying comforted her: "Take your time, you will dream about it eventually! When you dream of returning to your hometown one day, remember to take me with you..."
Meimei was amused by him: "You think you are going out to play, you can bring it if you want - come and take a bath, it's not good if the medicine gets cold."
Xu Juying took off her clothes and soaked in a large tub filled with warm medicinal soup. She smiled and said, "It feels so good. Meimei, come too!"
"I can't come. I have to go to the kitchen. My medicine soup is cooking. I will wash it later."
Meimei smiled and drew water towards him: "Comfortable, right? Since childhood, my mother has forced my father and me to soak this every Dragon Boat Festival. Last year I only washed Heng'er, but this year I also brought you along..."
Xu Junying held her hand and looked at her with sparkling eyes: "Then let's catch another little one next year, okay?"
"Not good!" Meimei lowered her eyes and broke free from him: "You stay in the bath and you can get out when the water cools down. I have to go!"
After being disappointed so many times, Xu Junying didn't care anymore: "Go watch Mama Cai cook again? Do you really want to teach them how to cook all the food from your hometown?"
"Yes! Xiankelai started preparing a few days ago. As soon as the Dragon Boat Festival snacks from my hometown were launched, they were surrounded by people before they opened this morning. Fortunately, they made enough and sold out in half a day. I just heard Bai Jingyu sighing that she couldn't buy Xiankelai's cold dishes and sour plum crispy duck. She was craving for them. Cuixi brought two portions back from the store and will send them to her later. Mother Cai also made some other festival dishes, and she will share some with them to try!"
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