As the saying goes, the New Year comes after Laba. During this year's New Year, Yu brought Luo Jingrou with her and taught her how to manage the household and perform sacrifices. After Luo Jingrou gets married, she will be the mistress of the Wang family, so Yu's requirements for her will be higher.
From a very early stage, the dowries of the three sisters in the family were all gathered together, sixty-four pieces of dowry for each sister, without any partiality.
This was something Luo Jingrou could not find fault with, because Yu had been very fair on the surface. Even her biological mother Wang's dowry was now managed by her father, and a portion of it would be given to her after she got married. These stepmothers had nothing to do with it.
Luo Jingrou was very enthusiastic about housekeeping. She found that although Yu was not as strict as the second wife's sister-in-law, everything was in order and the home was more humane.
Shouting for war and killing may indeed shock people, but being too harsh will only lead to complaints from your subordinates.
"This is the indenture of a servant. This is a living indenture. No matter what, the fingerprints must be pressed. This is a dead contract and must be approved by a broker. In addition, these slaves are also human beings. They have no choice but to sell themselves into slavery. They can be punished, but they cannot be killed, and they must not be beaten or scolded at will. We come from a family of scholars and should be kind and benevolent." Yu warned.
Luo Jingrou nodded: "Madam is right."
Yu said sternly, "It's not that I'm soft-hearted. Don't you know that in years of disaster, farmers with a little land can't afford to eat and have to sell their children. Our lives are much better than theirs. Things in this world are hard to say. Good deeds may not bring good rewards, but not doing good deeds will definitely bring retribution. There are people in the capital who treat servants harshly. Even kind-hearted old ladies have lives on their hands and don't take it seriously. But as long as one thing is exposed, it will be a disaster that will destroy the top."
She knew this stepdaughter quite well. She had never had good intentions towards her own daughter in the past, but Yu couldn't really let her harm the Wang family in the future. If one girl in this family had problems, the other girls would also be suspected of having problems.
Luo Jingrou thought to herself that when she was in the Marquis of Yanping's Mansion, there were a lot of dirty things there. After all, her family was a scholarly family, and the children focused on studying. People like Ren who were somewhat abnormal were kept under strict supervision.
Besides, her father, who is the clan leader, is very strict with the clan members. Even her brother has been keeping a very strict watch on him recently.
On the 24th, during the Little New Year's Eve dinner, Luo Zhizheng asked Wang Zongmu to come specially to attend the family dinner. Yao Niang and Shi Yu sat aside holding hands, also waiting to see what their future brother-in-law would be like. Instead, it was Luo Jingrou whose face was blushing.
"Third sister, listen, there are footsteps outside. It's my third brother-in-law coming." Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed.
"You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about." Jingrou rarely showed her girlish shyness.
Yao Niang thought, I wonder what kind of person this Wang Zongmu is. From time to time, a young man wearing a royal blue collar came in from outside. He was about sixteen or seventeen years old. He was shy, cheerful and clear, and bowed.
Luo Jingxi stood up and introduced him: "Zong Mu, today is a family dinner. Now that everyone in our family is here, I will introduce you to a few people."
Wang Zongmu has gotten to know everyone in the Luo family's eldest branch today. Luo Jingxi first introduced the men in the family. In fact, apart from him, there are only two younger brothers, Luo Jingyuan and Luo Jinghao.
Jing Yuan looked like a teenager, and Jing Hao was just a child, but seeing the two of them performing the ceremony, Wang Zongmu couldn't help but nod.
There was only one beautiful girl in the room, Luo Jingrou. She had a beautiful sitting posture and was elegant and pretty. Wang Zongmu was secretly glad. Of course, he knew that Xiaoruo was a mediocre girl from the Luo family, but the two families had already agreed that he would marry her no matter what. However, Luo Jingrou completely exceeded his expectations, which made Wang Zongmu very happy.
Luo Jingrou glanced at him quietly again and was secretly satisfied. He did not have the slightest dandy air at all. He had the elegance of a famous scholar from the Wei and Jin dynasties and looked quite distinguished.
Seeing that they were attracted to each other, Luo Jingxi introduced Yao Niang: "This is my younger sister, the fifth child in the family, and this one is the sixth child in the family."
Luo Jingrou knew that her two younger sisters, although younger, were better looking than her. Wang Zongmu looked at them intently and immediately took a liking to them.
Seeing that he was polite and well-behaved, other people looked up to him. During the time Wang Zongmu stayed at the Luo family, he did not even look away when he saw a beautiful maid. This is what a gentleman does.
Of course, it is not unforgivable for a young man to be romantic and have affairs in brothels. Occasionally sleeping with prostitutes is enough to show his romanticism, but he should be sensible at home.
Although it was a family dinner, after they met, they were still separated by a screen. Fan stood behind them and served the dishes. Yao Niang, her two sisters, and the little child Jinghao all ate here.
The women spoke little during the dinner, but the men talked a lot. Wang Zongmu spoke eloquently and insightfully, and even Luo Zhizheng couldn't help but praise him, which made Luo Jingrou feel proud.
Wang Zongmu also found out the situations of several future brothers-in-law of the Luo family. His eldest brother-in-law was a typical yamen son without much talent. The second brother-in-law was in his teens, had some talent, and was quite courageous. This boy might have great ups and downs in the future. As for the youngest one, he was still very young, so it was hard to tell for the time being.
After eating this meal, Yao Niang thought that this life was different from the previous one. Luo Jingrou would no longer marry into the Zhongjing Marquis's Mansion. Not only that, she might marry far away in the future and stay away from them completely. Yao Niang no longer cared about Luo Jingrou.
After the Little New Year, Yao Niang sent Wei Feng a wedding invitation, but Wei Feng sent a letter saying that she couldn't come because of something at home. She could only feel regretful.
The Lin family of the Marquis Zhongjing's Mansion also arranged a marriage, and the person chosen was Wei Feng, Yao Niang's friend.
"No wonder Sister Wei said she had something to do. It turns out she went back to get engaged." Yao Niang and Yu said with a smile.
Yu thought to herself, is the Wei family giving up so quickly?
Wei Feng is the granddaughter of the Minister of Personnel, and her family background is no worse than Xu Qingrong's. Why did she quit so quickly?
Given the relationship between Yu and the Lin family, and Yu Yan was going to marry into the Lin family, Yu would have to take someone to the Marquis Zhongjing's mansion for an engagement. Yao Niang thought that it was no wonder that Wei Feng spoke so casually that time and even made herself fat. Perhaps from that time on, she no longer had any hope of marrying into the palace.
In the evening, Yu mentioned Wei Feng to Luo Zhizheng: "I once heard that the Wei family was not even in the Lin family's choice range, how could I have known that they would suddenly get engaged."
"This is also normal. The Lin family is the maiden family of the Crown Prince's wife."
Luo Zhizheng knew in his heart that the Minister of Personnel was now on the side of the eldest prince, and marrying into such a noble family would also be a first-rank imperial decree, which was not a bad thing.
Wei Feng is a girl who wants to leave her home all the time. She even thinks that being in the palace is better than being at home. Now she has got engaged so quickly.
In Shangjing, the marriage of Marquis Zhongjing was also a very prominent one. When Yu brought Yao Niang to celebrate, the place was already crowded with people and cars, and everyone was praising this good marriage.
But Yao Niang felt that this marriage was arranged very hastily. However, she remembered that Luo Jingrou's marriage in her previous life was also arranged very quickly, which was different from the time it took for other people to get engaged.
Just like the Wang family and the Luo family have already sent their invitations, but the engagement ceremony is next year, and both sides need to prepare for the date, and even time, but the Lin family and the Wei family are in a hurry to get married. Mrs. Lin started to choose a man very early, but she only has this one son, so she wanted to choose a fairy from heaven. Every time she chooses a good candidate, she will find faults in others and then choose the next one.
With these thoughts in mind, Yao Niang entered the Marquis' Mansion and found Mudan to ask, "How come your family has decided on the Crown Prince's wife so quickly?"
Mudan had a lot of dealings with Yaoniang and they had a good relationship. When she heard Yaoniang's confusion, she smiled and said, "This marriage was told by our princess, who said that Miss Wei was good, and our wife was also very happy when she saw her. They both said it was fate, so the marriage was settled."
"So that's how it is. Do you know what kind of person this Miss Wei Xiao is?" Yao Niang asked.
Mudan said, "To be chosen to study with you in the palace, you must be extremely talented. Moreover, you are favored by our prince's wife. They are truly a perfect match."
Mudan not only had no aversion to the new young lady, but was very much looking forward to it.
Wei Feng's opinion is quite different.
Yao Niang complained, "Sister told me nicely that she wanted to come over to play, and I begged my mother to send me an invitation, but you said something was going on at home. What did I say? It turned out to be our sister Wei's marriage."
"Everyone, it's my fault. When I came here this time, my family decided that it would be his family. The marriages of my eldest sister and second sister were not as good as the ones I arranged, so they kept complaining. If you had come to our house on that day, you would have heard a lot of gossip." Wei Feng was also helpless.
Cheng Shaojin said: "I heard that the son of the Marquis of Zhongjing is a rare nobleman who is not a playboy. This marriage is really good for you."
Lin Weinan, the son of the Marquis of Zhongjing, was also Yaoniang's first husband. He was a man with deep thoughts. He clearly hated her body and obesity, so he didn't want to touch her, but he said he missed his late wife. Also, it was said that he had a confidante when he was in the army, and she was a good girl, and even had a son, but he never brought the child home, let alone taking a concubine into the mansion.
Such men like women who are virtuous and kind, and who have the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children and the superior and inferior of society engraved in their bones.
Once upon a time, Yao Niang felt inferior because of her obesity, but later she realized that when she got married, her father was already the Minister of Rites. According to her status, she was taller than Wei Feng is now.
After all, Wei Feng was only the granddaughter of the Minister of Personnel.
But she still felt that although she was framed after marrying into the family, perhaps it was Luo Jingrou's good intention. She also accepted her fate and prepared to lose weight so that she could be intimate again.
由此可見，林緯南表面上仿佛都是羅家算計，他委委屈屈，還說什麽林夫人原來要讓她娘家侄女什麽的嫁過的，說的和唱的一樣，可現在想想，林夫人的娘家爵位傳到她侄兒那一帶，早已經是空殼子了，怎麽和禮部尚書甚至風傳要入閣的羅至正比。
如今，想來自己真是單純。
“你們倆和我好，我永遠都記着咱們一處讀書，一處吃飯的日子，只是現在我不能夠再進宮了。”魏鳳也頗為遺憾。
但凡定親後，新娘子就有繡不完的繡件，羅敬柔現在家裏已經開始籌備嫁妝了，這需要一兩年的功夫呢。
瑤娘和成少謹表示理解，走出魏府，成少謹皺眉：“這事兒來的太急了，仿佛跟做夢似的。”
瑤娘也點頭：“誰說不是呢。”
而成少謹還在永慶郡主那裏做伴讀，記得前世皇長子上位後，衡王帶妻妾自刎，也不知道将來成少謹如何。
可偏偏自己是無法提醒的，甚至成家也許投靠了三皇子也說不定。
她不過是個八歲女童，因家中母親開明，能出門就已經不錯了，若和外人說什麽奪嫡的話，被錦衣衛聽到就不好了。
京中看似躲藏在繁華之下的暗潮湧動，最先反應在戲酒上，羅家去年請過戲酒，今年卻都取消了，連窦老太君都沒再去汾陽王府去。
羅敬柔和羅時貞渾然不覺，她們正一處做針線，羅時貞心想我原本以為單家家底厚，單玉京上進，哪裏知道再看羅敬柔說親的人家，那才是真的好人家，王家不僅仕宦名門，王公子更是才華橫溢。
因此，她頗為嫉妒道：“三妹妹，我聽說你們小年辦了家宴？”
“是啊。”羅敬柔覺得十分甜蜜，丈夫出挑，難得的芝蘭玉樹般的人，她有什麽不滿意的。
羅時貞就道：“真是羨慕你日後就能去湖廣了，不是去湖廣也是去江西吧，像我這般想出去走走的人都不成。”
王家本籍山西，後因為避禍搬去江夏，即便王老爺子日後遷官在湖廣做了巡撫，這王老爺子雖然籍貫都不在湖廣，但王家幾代人都定居于此。羅時貞的意思當然是說羅敬柔也別得意，你也是一個遠嫁的份兒。
自古姑娘遠嫁，娘家照拂不到，此時是好，日後尚未可知。
羅敬柔聽了則大笑道：“二姐姐，本來我們閨閣女兒不該說這些的，但是，你既然提了，我就不能不說了。這但凡做官的，哪個不是四海為家，除非一開始就是翰林，這翰林也有貶官的時候。除非考不中，才一輩子在京中。”
一個諷刺對方遠嫁，一個諷刺對方一輩子平民，面上還要親親熱熱的。
皇長子府邸
洪側妃那裏正和三兒子提起一件事：“這魏鳳原本我同你父王說過要許給你二哥的，她年歲比你二哥大一歲，相貌雖然普通，但是人端方，家世都不錯，我這才剛提，哪裏知曉就被支去林家了。”
她這個做側妃的，見的官眷不多，娘家也沒什麽可心的姑娘，難得覺得魏鳳還不錯，還沒打算真的定呢，就被支出去了，這個林正妃，看着老實，實際上到處都是她的人手，那幾年端妃還在的時候，她仗着管家，不知道埋了多少暗釘子。
高玄策心道前世林家娶的不是大羅氏和小羅氏姐妹嗎？
這輩子怎麽娶的是魏鳳，這就有意思了。難道随着他的重生，許多事情都改變了麽？
他安慰洪側妃道：“您急什麽，大哥的婚事尚且還未定下，九叔他也沒定下呢？您就是說給父王聽，父王也沒辦法。不如放寬心，也許好的還在後面呢。”
洪側妃果然心情也舒暢了些，她笑着對兒子道：“每次你和母妃我說完話，我總是心情舒暢幾分。”
“是母妃心裏記挂兒子，昨兒兒子從外頭弄來一只鹦鹉來，比以前飛了的那只更會說話，他們調教的很好。”
“你有心了。”
高玄策很有耐心的讓人拿了鹦鹉過來，擺弄一二，見洪側妃高興了，就準備離開，卻說二哥周玄穆過來了。
高玄穆進門時，分明聽到母妃在笑，又吩咐下人道：“三爺喜歡吃醬拌蘿蔔絲，他不喜食肉，再弄一道青菜來。”
“母妃，兒子不在這兒吃。”
“胡說，你回去能有何事？我那日送的赤砂饅頭，怎麽你不吃呢？”
……
這些絮叨讓高玄穆聽在耳朵裏，更覺得母親十分偏心。
洪側妃見老二過來，只笑道：“這幾日年節下，你在忙什麽？不必多禮，先坐着說話。”
高玄穆淡笑：“兒子這些日子和大哥一起跟九叔讀書，皇祖父還問起玄策呢。”他覺得娘簡直就是婦人之仁，只知道妻妾相争的小事情。
這自古非嫡非長，人就要認命，不要奢望不屬于你的東西，老三年紀不大，心思過分活泛，不走正道。
偏偏母妃又寵愛他。
不知道是個怎樣的孽根之人，日後要惹出多少禍患出來。
只聽高玄策道：“二哥，我是個憊懶不過的人，你也不是不清楚？既然上書房都歇了，我又何必再去。”
二哥自己處處以正嫡為主，把自己當大哥的伴讀一般，他卻不會如此。
聞言，洪側妃就道：“是啊，還有兩日就要過年，怎麽不好生歇歇。”
傻小子，連門第好一點的媳婦都被人拆了，還跟在別人屁股後面，真當林正妃是什麽好人了。若真是好人，會裝神弄鬼說自己是祥瑞之人嗎？
人家可會争的很。
“也無甚事，就多讀書，也能靜心。”高玄穆意味深長的道。
高玄策則笑道：“二哥說的是，小弟受教了。”
一幅無可奈何的模樣，洪側妃覺得長子也太陰陽怪氣了，既然沒有一定要去讀，何必說這個呢。
“見教沒有，大哥那裏也說咱們一道過去。你若去，我們一起過去就是了。”他覺得弟弟總跟着一個側妃的生母有何用？
側妃的見識到底是不如正妃的，人要走正道，這是他的道理。
高玄策笑道：“這幾天二哥就讓弟弟我多歇歇吧，等上書房能去了，我們再去就是了。”他可忘不了林正妃高玄湛母子給他送的數不勝數的毒藥。
高玄穆不禁覺得沒趣兒。
……
除夕夜，今年家中添了新丁，範氏也覺得自己有了依靠，整個人把心思都放在兒子身上，在這個府裏也沒有那麽彷徨失措了。
瑤娘想，也許範氏不是真的喜歡兒子，而是找了依靠。
這世上能夠靠丈夫的少，丈夫容易始亂終棄，但是兒子遺棄母親的少，反而礙于孝道都得敬着。
也許會有一日，她們也會迎來一個女子不必只生活在內宅的時代，即便瑤娘看不到，但是有人可以享受這一切也是好的。
除夕之後，難得有東陽侯府的戲酒，羅府兩房人一起過去，窦老太君也帶了時芳過去，過了個年，時芳的臉就更圓了。
她分明只比瑤娘和時雨大一歲，卻是她們的兩倍大，身高還矮一些。
如此，瑤娘提醒她道：“四姐姐，我見你點心和肉吃的太多了，這樣不僅會發胖，就是你橫着長了，豎着就長不高了，還是少吃些吧。”
這話本是說給時芳聽的，羅敬柔卻聽了心裏一驚，她以往常常覺得自己算無遺策，不管做什麽事情都不會讓人抓到把柄，有些計劃，她甚至連心腹都不會透露。
可瑤娘的話表示她分明是知道的。
羅敬柔突然本能的感覺到恐懼，如果別人完全知道你的計劃，還高高在上看你在耍花招，甚至人家都想好了怎麽對付你，只有你還傻乎乎的不知道怎麽辦是好？
就比如這樁婚事。
這樁婚事好嗎？十分好。
男方祖父是巡撫，父親是名儒，母親是鄉君，家資豐厚，人才了得。可是他們家在湖廣啊，湖廣離京中多遠啊。
将來就是想回來做官，哪裏有這麽容易。
而且王宗沐是家中長子，她是宗婦，興許很多年都要待在家中，夫妻還要分離。
瞬間，羅敬柔就仿佛大冬天被澆了一盆涼水似的，這門親事就和郁氏這個人看起來是一樣，你挑不出任何錯來，但是你就知道她對你絕對不是真心，甚至還有坑。
“五妹妹，你說的是，我也不知道怎麽的，就是想吃甜食，就是喝粥，我都要放蜂蜜或者糖霜，我已經吃成習慣了，幾乎是嗜甜如命了。”時芳當然知曉自己比同齡人胖。
所謂的有福相，是肌膚微豐，不是癡肥肥胖，以時芳這個嗜甜如命的樣子，日後絕對會和前世的自己差不多。
現在還只是胖，再胖一點，胸口，大腿，小腿都會有肥胖紋路，甚至于成為凹陷，仿佛皮開肉綻似的。
前世，她就是這般原因才自我厭棄。
“四姐姐，你還不如就跟着老太太那裏用膳，太保養，太甜的你就放在一邊，否則，你會越來越嚴重的。”瑤娘叮囑道。
It was only after she finished speaking that she realized that Luo Jingrou's expression was not right. Yao Niang also knew that Luo Jingrou liked to think a lot and was full of conspiracy. Normally, she would want to pick out and think about what others said. Today, she said in front of everyone that it was not good to eat snacks. There was no need to guess to know that Luo Jingrou must have thought of it.
But it was useless for her to think about it. She had cut off the source of the problem. In the future, she would marry far away. No matter if she deliberately gave her snacks and storybooks to make her fat and stop studying, or she had cheated herself in the marriage and was too far away in the future, it would be difficult for such a thing to happen.