Chapter 137 Siqi is cured. "You want to be Lian's second wife?"...
Mu Chuan wore the undergarment that Lin Daiyu had carefully sewn, but Lin Daiyu took it away after he had only worn it a few times.
The reason is simple: Lin Daiyu discovered that the person wearing the clothes was her third brother, and the person having the nightmare was herself—a pattern that never failed her.
Where can you reason with this?
Fortunately, it was already December, and sending New Year's gifts was on the agenda, so her third brother didn't worry too much about the clothes here.
For close elders, gifts should be personally selected and delivered in person. For more distant relatives, or peers or juniors, standard gifts should be given and delivered by servants.
For example, Lin Daiyu and Mu Chuan personally visited Mu Chuan's adoptive father's house, as well as the noble ladies whom Lin Daiyu had met through the Empress. They sent their stewards to deliver New Year's gifts. Similarly, the Rongguo Mansion and the Sun family sent standard gifts delivered by servants.
Spring Festival couplets, door gods, a box of snacks, a jar of wine, and finally a sheep or a deer, etc.
The Rongguo Mansion gave Mu Chuan the same gift last year.
When the Rongguo Mansion received this gift, Lady Wang even offered her congratulations in front of Grandmother Jia: "Although Lin's gift is not very thoughtful, it won't go wrong."
Before Grandmother Jia could speak, Aunt Xue, who felt she also needed to get some interest by shaking herself up, laughed and said, "Actually, this way of giving gifts is quite good. The more you do, the more mistakes you make. Giving gifts this way will definitely not go wrong."
What could Grandmother Jia do?
She used to be able to control people because she had a large amount of wealth, but now that the Rongguo Mansion has been demolished and is in ruins, no one is afraid of her anymore.
"Not making mistakes is the most difficult thing to achieve," Grandmother Jia said with a smile. "Last year, your Xue family wrote invitations for a whole month. Why didn't you write a single one this year? Have all your Xue family's relatives and friends..."
Madam Wang's expression changed; her eldest brother was dead.
Now Madam Xing is on Jia Mu's side. She laughed and said, "Old Madam, you have a bad memory. Prince Teng just died. It hasn't even been seventy-nine days yet."
Although Madam Xing was actually trying to rebuke Madam Wang, Grandmother Jia couldn't care less. She now found her eldest daughter-in-law agreeable and said, "Give her two bowls of my Rouge Rice."
Madam Wang wanted to say, disregarding everything, "Where do you have any rouge rice? That's all red rice."
Madam Xing thanked her and then smiled at Madam Wang, saying, "Don't be sad. Look at me, I'm just like you, I didn't get anything. Madam Lin's list says it's a gift for my maternal grandmother."
Madam Wang was furious, but Madam Xing was rude and blunt. When Madam Wang confronted Madam Xing, it was like a scholar encountering a soldier. Unless Madam Wang was extremely angry, she usually wouldn't pay much attention to her.
So Madam Wang just gave a fake laugh and said indifferently, "You've been her aunt for many years, and now she's forgotten you. You should be sad, but why are you so proud?"
New Year's gifts are usually delivered in the morning. Even though the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence is now in the north of the city, they are usually delivered before lunchtime.
However, it wasn't until a few days later that people discovered the items sent to the Sun family were actually from the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
Yingchun had only been married for a month when the Sun family discovered that this grandmother was easy to fool and didn't care about anything. They could make decisions on their own without asking her, but once they asked her, she would say she didn't know and tell them to ask someone else or check past precedents. In the end, they couldn't get anything done.
In short, regarding her affairs, if you can find Siqi, then find Siqi; if you can't find Siqi, then handle it yourself. You shouldn't ask too many questions.
Now that Siqi is ill, the gift sent is addressed to her cousin. The Sun family is also seeking official positions in the capital. Although they are not as snobbish as the Jia family, they have nothing to do with treating everyone equally.
Moreover, the gifts Lin Daiyu gave were all standard-issue gifts.
Spring Festival couplets, door gods, and the character "福" (fortune) were produced by the Imperial Household Department and were more expensive than those sold in ordinary shops selling writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, or general merchandise, but they were still items that could be bought with money.
The dim sum was from Deng Dechun; although it was expensive, it wasn't impossible to buy.
The wine is from the long-established Luo family, and the mutton is even more so. Although Sun Shaozu doesn't hold a proper official position, he has a family fortune, so how could he not afford to eat mutton?
In short, the items were of good quality, but they did not conform to the Sun family's perception of what a superior family like the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion should have.
So the accountant processed everything according to procedure, and then sent the letter to Siqi, saying they would deal with it after she recovered.
Siqi was sick for a month, and finally recovered just before the New Year. The first thing she saw was this gift list sent by her "cousin".
Just seeing the words "cousin" on the cover made Siqi's heart start pounding. She instinctively felt that there could only be Madam Lin.
Her mistress only had a few cousins, Tan Chun and Xi Chun—Siqi knew perfectly well what kind of life the Jia family was living. Not to mention them, even Bao Er Ye, whether he had the intention or not, absolutely did not have the ability.
Further away are Miss Shi and Madam Lin—now Miss Shi is also Madam Shi.
Mrs. Shi lost contact with them after moving out at the beginning of the year. Even after getting married and having some autonomy, she didn't think of her cousins.
Who else could it be besides Madam Lin?
Siqi's heart pounded, and her eyes could barely focus. Only after the rush of hot blood subsided did she see the handwriting clearly; it was indeed Madam Lin's.
Siqi couldn't help but smile. Having accompanied the lady into the Sun family for so long, this was the best news she could hear.
Siqi took the gift list and went to Yingchun's room: "Madam Lin sent these gifts, why didn't you write a reply to thank her?"
After saying this, she noticed that Yingchun's eyes were red and she was secretly shedding tears.
Siqi frowned: "What's wrong? Is the maid in the room being disobedient?"
She and Yingchun are very different. Originally, she was a maid in the Jia family, with a lot of masters above her. The young lady was also the kind of person who would just let things slide. If something happened, you should not only speak up, but also advise her to be patient.
Now that she's in the Sun family and has become a steward, thanks to her relationship with Madam Lin and the fact that she can stay in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion for a while, even the master has to give her some face. As a result, she's become even more intolerant of any wrongdoing.
"It's all your fault," Yingchun complained. "Master told me to take someone to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, how could I possibly do that? I tried to make up an excuse like you suggested… but how could I possibly do that? The person I sent was sent straight back. Master isn't stupid; he came drunk this morning and gave me a good scolding, look—"
Yingchun stretched out her foot, revealing tea stains on her skirt: "He broke two cups and said that the master had taken 10,000 taels of silver from him, saying that he wanted to establish a relationship with the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion. Now that the silver has been paid, what about the relationship? He said that the Jia family owes him 5,000 taels of silver, and the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion also owes him 5,000 taels of silver, and he wants to pin it all on me."
As she spoke, she started sobbing again.
Siqi frowned, thought for a moment, and then suddenly sighed, "It's better to be frank... Write a letter, and I'll send it to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence."
Yingchun was not willing to accept this. She had been wronged, and besides, she could endure it. She was also a mistress. Before, when she was in the Jia family, she said she was unwilling, but no one could force her. Now, how many times has Siqi forced her?
“It’s all your fault for causing trouble. If it were up to me, I would have talked to him about it long ago, and there wouldn’t be so much trouble,” Yingchun said while wiping away her tears.
“How could Lin Daiyu and I be that close? Besides, if you want an official position, you should go to the Marquis of Zhongyong. How could she possibly control the Marquis of Zhongyong? We should have just talked things out from the start. Why force me? Do you think forcing me will make things work? I know your family is full of people in charge. Your maternal grandfather is Wang Shanbao, but I am not. I am not that kind of person. If you want to be in charge, you should find someone higher up as soon as possible, so you don’t have to work so hard for me. It’s making us both miserable.”
Siqi took a deep breath, but her throat and chest felt uncomfortable.
After a long pause, she said, "Madam is right, I do want to be a steward." Siqi turned and left after saying that, while Yingchun was still sobbing.
Siqi rushed out of her blood, but after leaving Yingchun's courtyard, she calmed down a bit.
She has been ill for a month. Her wife sent someone to inquire about her, saying, "You'll just have to rest and recover. You don't need to worry about things here."
The master inquired about her condition, invited a doctor, and even sent someone to deliver Tongxuan Lifeng Pills, fearing that she might develop a chronic illness.
Now it seems that the lady thinks it's good that she left, because after she left, no one will force her to be ambitious or to make connections outside.
The master only showed these favors because of Madam Lin.
Siqi was originally intelligent. She had been sick for a month and for a few days she was so sad that she wished she could die. She had some ideas at that time. Now, seeing the lady's behavior, what else could she not understand?
Actually, she's been recovering for the past few days and has been thinking about what to do next.
Especially after receiving this list of gifts that wasn't very intimate, she finally understood.
Madam Lin could not possibly have much contact with them. Just look at this gift; it's said to be one of the four major festivals, but only the New Year has a gift. Doesn't that explain her intention?
They could offer some protection and acknowledge them as distant relatives, but they would never find a job for the master.
She had originally intended to advise Yingchun: Marquis Zhongyong is a capable man; he was ennobled at a young age and became the General of the Northern Camp. In contrast, consider the men of the Jia and Sun families—
Jia Baoyu was nearly twenty-one and had accomplished nothing; Jia Lian was over thirty-one and had accomplished nothing; Sun Shaozu was over thirty-one and had accomplished nothing.
However, the experience of the Marquis of Zhongyong shows that family background and social status are not so important. As long as you have real skills, even a farmer can be ennobled.
Therefore, Sun Shaozu really has no ability at all.
How could the Marquis of Zhongyong befriend such a person?
Besides, how could she expect Madam Lin to help her? Should she ask Marquis Zhongyong to find a job for Sun Shaozu? And then, should she give him a high-ranking official position, and also want merit, preferably a title?
So some protection would be enough, enough to ensure they could live comfortably in the Sun family.
Besides, what is Madam Lin's relationship with them? Her parents don't care about her, so do you expect a distant cousin to grant her every wish and let her live a comfortable life?
Siqi sighed again. Since the lady herself was unwilling anyway, she had already secured protection. She took the invitation to Sun Shaozu's study, bowed first, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, sir. I have taken the medicine you sent and I am much better now."
Sun Shaozu had just lost his temper with Yingchun that morning, and his face was not in a good mood, especially regarding the ten thousand taels of silver. Now it seems that—in fact, it was obvious from the beginning—that the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion had never received it; the Jia family had embezzled it all.
But what could he do? He had to think about the consequences even before he could slap Yingchun twice.
Siqi didn't care whether Sun Shaozu was in a good mood or not. In any case, she had a trump card up her sleeve, and only she could sit in the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion for an entire afternoon.
“Madam has been a bit negligent. I only saw the gift list after I recovered from my illness. Since Madam has delayed for some time, I thought it would be better not to have her write a reply. I would just say that Madam is ill and have the clerk write a reply with two small gifts, and I will send the gifts over.”
Upon hearing this, Sun Shaozu's mind was filled with the idea that sincerity can move mountains, and a smile immediately appeared on his face: "You've been sick for so long, you need to nourish yourself properly. I'll have them tell the kitchen to make you a special month's worth of red date chicken soup."
Sun Shaozu was satisfied, and Siqi was also satisfied. Early the next morning, she took the things Sun Shaozu had prepared and went to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence again. On the way, she bought two storybooks and said to the driver, "The maid who was with me before likes to read these. I think these are newly published, so I'll give them to her to keep her entertained."
Siqi entered the gatehouse with the items, nodded with a smile to the gatekeepers, and handed them over, as usual, with the standard greeting: "Our lady is your esteemed lady's cousin..." and so on.
After saying this, Siqi didn't need anyone to invite her. She took a small stool, sat by the window, and started reading her newly bought storybook. After more than half an hour, she put the book down, didn't take it with her, said goodbye again, and left the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence.
Through this test, she probably figured out that Madam Lin was indeed kind-hearted, could guess their situation, and had even left them some options.
Siqi thought for a moment, what two books should she buy next time?
Why not try the "Treatise on Response and Retribution" that Madam likes? She really didn't know what was so special about the "Treatise on Response and Retribution" that Madam read every day, and why it suited Madam's temperament.
“In my opinion, Grandma should also read books on self-cultivation, or at the very least, read a couple of books like ‘Women’s Instructions’ and ‘Women’s Admonitions’. Why does she have to argue with Second Master all day long? When Second Master is angry, Grandma is also unhappy.”
Wang Xifeng looked at You Erjie, who was standing in front of her and bowing. You Erjie could barely stand up straight and seemed to want to twist herself into a pretzel. She had to tilt her head and cover her mouth when she spoke. Who was she trying to seduce from here?
Wang Xifeng couldn't tolerate her bad temper, and besides, they had already broken off all pretense of civility. She stepped forward and slapped You Erjie across the face: "You dare to talk about 'Women's Instructions' and 'Women's Admonitions'? Does 'Women's Instructions' teach you to serve four husbands? Or does 'Women's Admonitions' teach you to get pregnant with another man's child and then blame it on Second Master?"
Sister You was stunned by the slap. She had indeed intended to keep a low profile, but then she thought that once the Second Master divorced the Second Mistress, they would probably never see each other again. What would become of all the grievances she had suffered?
So after enduring it for a while, Sister You Er couldn't hold back any longer. Taking advantage of the opportunity to pay her respects, she made a few sarcastic remarks.
As a result, the slap made her cry. Sister You covered her face and sobbed, whispering, "There weren't four men."
"You're quite proud of yourself?" Wang Xifeng sneered. "Save your energy. There are no men in this room. Who are you going to cry to?"
"That child belongs to Second Master, you know that perfectly well!"
Wang Xifeng glanced at her and said sarcastically, "I don't know. I didn't see you doing anything."
Second Sister You covered her face and ran out. Qiu Tong said smugly, "That's how Second Madam should be treated. I've disliked her for a long time."
"Get out of here too!" Wang Xifeng shouted angrily, pointing to the door.
Qiu Tong was stunned for a moment, mumbled a couple of "uh-huhs" and then followed them out.
After the outsiders left, Wang Xifeng suddenly took a deep breath and glanced at Ping'er: "I'm afraid we can't stay in Rongguo Mansion any longer. Second Master wants to divorce me."
Ping'er was startled and instinctively said, "No way, Second Master—"
Wang Xifeng sneered, "Look at the smug look on You Erjie's face. Does she really think she can become the second mistress? What a pipe dream! Does she really think the second master doesn't care that she's served so many men? The second master may not care, but look at how many people have to wait in line to find Bao Er's wife. She's not even as good as Bao Er's wife! At least Bao Er's wife received a lot of good things and a lot of money. What has she lost? The empty promises the second master made? Isn't she afraid of starving to death?"
Ping'er was about to speak when Wang Xifeng stood up: "I won't let him have an easy time either! I'll make the whole Jia family suffer! Prepare the carriage, let's go to the master's house."
When Jia She received the news, he was a little surprised. Usually, when his good son and daughter-in-law came to pay their respects morning and evening, he would usually not show up. He would just pay his respects to Madam Xing and that would be the end of it. What was going on today? Why did they want to see him? And it was just his good daughter-in-law who came to see him.
The Jia family's rules were probably learned from the former clan head Jia Zhen. Daughters-in-law never meet their fathers-in-law in private. But Wang Xifeng didn't care, so why would Jia She care about this?
He quickly tidied himself up and came out, only to see Wang Xifeng rushing up to him anxiously: "Master, I heard news from over there—"
She lowered her voice: "The old lady and the second lady want Baoyu to inherit both the family line and the title!"
Jia She's eyes widened immediately, and he slammed his hand on the table, cursing, "How dare they! Do they really want to force me into this situation?"
Wang Xifeng was relieved. Although it was a provocation, according to the Jia family's usual style, the eldest master had been driven out of Rongxi Hall decades ago, Madam Xing was constantly scolded, and the eldest son's family was never treated like human beings.
In addition, Jia Lian had just been stripped of his inheritance rights and was over thirty years old without a son. Even the eldest master felt that the old lady and the second wife were indeed capable of doing such a thing.
She felt smug inside, but her face showed sorrow: "Second Master is useless, Master. As a woman, all I can think of is finding two more clean concubines for Second Master so that he can give birth to a son as soon as possible. I don't know what other way is there."
Jia She sneered twice: "Go back first, let me think about it carefully."
After Wang Xifeng left, Jia She suddenly smashed a cup: "You are unjust, so I will be unjust too. I will make sure you all come away empty-handed!"
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