Chapter 048
It took half an hour to listen to Manager Zhao's words, and less than a cup of tea to deal with it. After that, Shen Jin went to play with the little one. I don't know if it was because of the weather or because his little snow rabbits were not brought along, but the little one was not as lively as when he was in the border town. But to be honest, the Yongning Earl's Mansion in the capital is really not as comfortable as the General's Mansion in the border town.
Shen Jin sat on a small stool, brushing the little one's fur with a brush. It turned over from time to time so that Shen Jin could take care of its whole body. Shen Jin touched the little one's fur and sighed, "You miss home too, right?"
The little one rubbed Shen Jin's leg with his head, panting with his tongue out. Shen Jin pinched his ears and said, "We will go back in a while. I will take you to meet my mother some other day. My mother can make big hydrangeas. They are so beautiful. I will make one for you then."
Nanny Zhao sat aside, listening to Shen Jin and Xiao Bitian talking, with a smile in her eyes.
"I don't like my fourth sister anymore." Shen Jin said while combing the little one's hair. "She likes to snatch things from me. Every time she does it in front of my father, he says that I am the elder sister and should give in to my younger sister. But my mother always gives me better things later, and I never let her see."
The little one licked Shen Jin's finger, turned over and exposed his belly. Shen Jin rubbed his belly a few times, "But I won't give it to her this time. Next time I take you to the palace, if you see the fourth sister, you must scare her."
Madam Zhao narrowed her eyes and said with a smile, "Madam, I don't go out on weekdays. Please tell me some interesting things in the palace."
Shen Jin looked at Aunt Zhao and said with a smile, "Okay."
"Madam has a good relationship with the eldest princess?" Nanny Zhao did not immediately ask about Concubine Xu's daughters, but started with the people closest to Shen Jin.
Shen Jin nodded and continued combing Little Bit's hair. Then she gathered up the hair balls that fell off Little Bit. An Ning sat aside and collected the hair balls. Shen Jin said last time that she wanted to make a small mattress with Little Bit's hair, so every time they combed Little Bit's hair, they would collect the hair balls that fell off.
An Ping was also sitting next to them. She was busy giving Shen Jinxiu a sachet. Shen Jinxiu didn't have the right accessories for her new lavender Yuehua brocade dress.
"Well, elder sister is a very nice person." Shen Jin smiled and told a few interesting stories before her marriage. Aunt Zhao had an understanding of Shen Qi's personality.
Nanny Zhao also smiled and said, "Yes, the eldest princess is so good to the lady." If she wasn't really good to her, why would she control Shen Jin's food? She was not allowed to use ice before and after the wedding, and she was not allowed to eat spicy food on weekdays. These are all good things for women.
Shen Jin nodded, "But... no, my brother-in-law is not good to my eldest sister."
Madam Zhao also remembered and frowned, saying, "Does this old servant still remember that the eldest princess had a miscarriage?"
Shen Jin bit her lip, feeling a little uncomfortable. That was her little nephew, who told her roughly what happened today, "My cousins are so annoying."
Nanny Zhao suddenly thought of Chu Xiuming's cousin. Madam knew about this matter. This hate was not just directed at the Yongle Marquis and his cousin...
"Actually, big sister is very awesome." Shen Jin combed the little one's tail, then patted the big dog's head. The little one stood up and shook his fur, making him look even more fluffy.
Nanny Zhao also thought of the things Shen Jin said. Logically speaking, the eldest princess had good methods and ideas, but she didn't expect that she would capsize in the ditch and be plotted against in Yongle Marquis' Mansion. In fact, it all came down to it. Because she cared about her husband, she tolerated him everywhere, and because she liked her husband, she tried to please her parents-in-law.
Shen Jin hugged the little one and rubbed him and said, "It doesn't matter. Big sister just fainted and has been woken up by mother. It's a pity for my nephew..."
Zhao Mama narrowed her eyes and understood what Shen Jin meant. Thinking of Princess Rui, she felt that her nephew, the Yongle Marquis, would have a lot of fun in the future. If he didn't want to live a good life, he would never think of turning things around in the future. "I heard that the second princess married the eldest son of the Zheng family. The eldest son of the Zheng family is very talented and has attracted many girls."
Shen Jin also wanted to talk about these things. She looked around first, and seeing that there were no outsiders, she took off her shoes and socks, revealing her white and tender little feet, and stepped on the little one. The little one was not annoyed, but changed his position and lay under her feet. Zhao Ma took a look and wanted to say something, but seeing Shen Jin's comfortable and expectant expression, she did not speak in the end. Instead, she asked An Ning and the others to sit over and block Shen Jin. Even if servants came in, it would be enough for her to scold them.
"Mammy is the best." Shen Jin stuck out her tongue and said coquettishly when she saw it.
Madam Zhao sighed and said, "If Madam likes, you can cover the room with fur when the weather gets cold."
Shen Jin's eyes narrowed as she smiled, and she said with a bit of boasting and shyness, "My husband also said that."
Nanny Zhao saw Shen Jin's expression and smiled a little. The relationship between the general and his wife became closer.
Shen Jin moved his toes. He felt extremely happy being surrounded by the fur, but it was a little hot...
"By the way, I heard that my second brother-in-law wrote a collection of poems about flowers and songs, which is widely circulated." Shen Jin actually doesn't like reading poetry collections. She prefers travel notes, so she quickly forgot the name. "I heard that the prince sent someone to buy it, and the palace found out, and scolded my second brother-in-law."
"Madam, it's 'Song of Flowers'." Anping looked up and smiled, "I remember it all."
Shen Jin nodded, "That's it."
"Why do I feel confused?" Madam Zhao looked at Shen Jin with a puzzled look.
Shen Jin blinked and said, "Where?"
"How about I tell Madam?" Anping asked with a smile.
Shen Jin nodded, "Okay."
An Ping told the general story, from how the Third Princess started to scream with her two sisters before she even entered the house, how the cup was smashed by Prince Rui, how she blushed with shame, and also talked about the "Flower Song" and Shen Jing's behavior when she left. Aunt Zhao listened expressionlessly, nodded, and said, "Really... Hum."
Shen Jin also nodded, "Fourth sister is annoying, right?"
Madam Zhao sneered, "Madam did a great job today."
Shen Jin also felt it was a good idea. She got in touch with her elder sister, spoke for her, pleased Princess Rui, and praised her second brother-in-law. In the future, those upright people like her would be embarrassed to say that their husbands were reckless. Shen Jin and Aunt Zhao were particularly happy to hear that they were talking at cross purposes.
"I didn't expect that Madam actually discovered the fourth lady's delusion." Nanny Zhao praised with a smile, feeling a lot more relieved. However, she felt that Shen Jin might not understand. She had put pressure on Shen Zi, fearing that Zheng Jiaqu and Shen Zi would make a scene when they returned. But what did it have to do with them?
Shen Jin wrinkled his nose, "How annoying!" He emphasized his feelings again, "Of course I can find out, I'm smart."
It is said that small animals all have a kind of intuition, and rabbits' intuition is even sharper, especially their possessiveness of territory. Zhao Ma glanced at Shen Jin and found that not only did the leopard enclose a territory to raise rabbits, but the rabbit also enclosed a territory to raise rabbits... and was raised by the leopard.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, Shen Jin did not mention Chu Xiuming's actions against Prince Rui and the others. She just said, "My husband said that he doesn't need to see Fourth Sister anymore. Madam, do you think I can still bring the little one to scare her?"
"Why do you have to do this, Madam?" Madam Zhao smiled kindly. This kind of thing really should be handled by her. "Leave it to me, I will help you vent your anger."
Shen Jin scratched his face, took Madam Zhao's hand and said coquettishly, "Madam is the best."
Madam Zhao patted Shen Jin's hand. Those people overestimated their own abilities. A cold light flashed in her eyes. She looked at Shen Jin more gently and said, "As long as Madam is happy, that's all."
Shen Jin nodded, thinking that the matter had been handed over again, so he stepped on the little guy and said, "Okay, you are useless now, and Nanny will help me vent my anger."
The little guy raised his black and moist eyes and looked at Shen Jin, then stuck out his tongue and licked Shen Jin's fingers, making Shen Jin laugh.
At night, Shen Jin lay in Chu Xiuming's arms with red eyes. It was obvious that she had just cried. She had no strength in her body. Because of Chu Xiuming's guarantee, she now had the courage to bite Chu Xiuming's face a few times. "It hurts..." Her voice was a little hoarse, and she sounded particularly delicate.
Chu Xiuming also knew that he had gone too far just now, but who could blame Shen Jin for being so enthusiastic today? He had always had excellent self-control, but in front of his own young lady, he was completely defeated. He reached out his hand and gently pressed her waist and said, "I'm afraid you won't be able to see your second sister's family tomorrow."
"Hmm?" Shen Jin was a little dazed. He felt comfortable with the massage and started to moan with his eyes closed.
Chu Xiuming's voice was full of laughter and a kind of laziness after satisfaction, which was particularly eye-catching. "The two of them started fighting on the way back."
"Ah?" Shen Jin perked up a little, "Aren't they taking a car?"
“Yes.” Chu Xiuming also found it incredible, but many people knew about it. “Your second brother-in-law rolled off the carriage with blood all over his face. Fortunately, the carriage was not moving very fast, so he was not injured.”
Rolled down...rolled down...
"Second sister is so amazing." Shen Jin exclaimed.
"Then your second sister also chased out." Chu Xiuming continued, "She didn't have any injuries on her face, but she looked very embarrassed. She snatched the whip from the driver and jumped out of the car to beat your second brother-in-law."
Chased out... pumped...
Shen Jin didn't know what to say, "It's not good to fight in the car. I'm afraid Concubine Xu will cry again."
There was a smile in Chu Xiuming's eyes. He understood what Shen Jin meant. It was not good for a couple to fight outside. It was better to fight behind closed doors when they got home. Of course Concubine Xu would cry, but she had no other ability but to go to Prince Rui without crying. What else could she do?
"Mother will be angry." Shen Jin shuddered at the thought of Princess Rui being angry. Fortunately, she was already married. "Father will be in trouble."
When Princess Rui gets angry, she will not only punish Concubine Xu, but also Prince Rui, because she thinks Prince Rui is the root of all the trouble. Unfortunately, Prince Rui has never discovered it.
Chu Xiuming responded, and reached out to stroke Shen Jin's smooth and tender back, "Go to sleep."
"Yeah." Shen Jin yawned slightly. These were other people's affairs and she could just listen to them and forget about them. It was not worth it to delay her sleep over them. Shen Jin turned over and got off Chu Xiuming, then rolled into his arms, hugged her husband's waist, closed her eyes and fell asleep.
However, plans could not keep up with changes. Unexpectedly, Chu Xiuming was called away by people in the palace early the next morning. No one knew why Emperor Cheng remembered him, so Shen Jin had to go to Yongle Marquis Mansion alone. However, Nanny Zhao went with him this time. After all, if Chu Xiuming was not there, she had to watch over her to prevent the lady from being bullied.
When Shen Jin arrived, Shen Qi came out to greet him personally. When Shen Qi saw that Chu Xiuming had not come, he asked a question, but knowing that it was Emperor Cheng who summoned him to the palace, he did not ask any more questions. Smilingly, he took Shen Jin's arm and walked towards the main courtyard. After all, he had to pay his respects to the wife of Marquis Yongle, but Marquis Yongle had already attended the court and was not in the mansion.
The wife of Marquis Yongle was about the same age as Princess Rui, but looked a little older than Princess Rui. She had no legitimate daughter, and she did not allow concubines to come out of the house.
"Madam." Shen Jin bowed to the wife of Marquis Yongle.
Chu Xiuming's title is lower than that of Yongle Marquis, and the wife of Yongle Marquis is also an elder, so she will be able to accept Shen Jin's gift.
Madam Yongle stood up and helped Shen Jin up, then held her hand and looked her up and down before turning to Shen Qi and smiling, "You can tell at first glance that she's a good child, someone who's lovable."
Shen Qi also smiled and said, "My mother-in-law doesn't like me anymore after she saw my sister."
"Haha." Madam Yongle laughed and let go of Shen Jin's hand, "That's right, I really want to take Jin girl to my house to be my daughter."
Shen Jin blushed and lowered her head shyly.
Madam Yongle said with a smile, "Please sit down. Let the kitchen bring some cakes to sweeten your mouths."
Shen Qi took Shen Jin's hand and sat beside him, saying, "The snacks in grandma's kitchen are delicious. You should eat more later."
"Okay." Shen Jin said with a bright smile, "Thank you, Madam."
"Why call me Madam? Just call me Aunt." The wife of Marquis Yongle said with a smile.
Shen Jin nodded, "Aunt."
"Hey." Madam Yongle replied, "I also heard about the barbarians besieging the city. Is your sister injured?"
"No." Shen Jin smiled sweetly, her curved eyes were particularly pleasing.
Madam Yonglehou said, "That's good."
Just now, the wife of Marquis Yongle asked her maid to go to the kitchen to bring some snacks, but who would have thought that a beautiful woman would come in. She was wearing a pink gauze skirt, with only a bird-shaped hairpin on her head and a pink pearl dotted in her hair. Her hair swayed gently as she walked, giving people a feeling of fragility. Her belly had a round curve, and it was obvious that she was pregnant. Her face was a little pale, which made her even more adorable.
Shen Jin's eyes moved from her hair to her belly and then to Madam Yongle. Madam Yongle looked a little embarrassed and said, "Yunniang, why did you come out?"
Nanny Zhao, who was standing behind Shen Jin, already knew the woman's identity. She also knew that the woman came today just to show off her favor and to embarrass Shen Qi in front of his family. If it was someone like Princess Rui, she would not dare to do so. And Shen Jin was just Shen Qi's half-sister. In her opinion, she was not very close to Shen Qi. She might even be happy to see such a situation, and would never stand up for Shen Qi.
Such a person is just spoiled too much, and Shen Qi has always been kind-hearted, so she relies on her status as a relative of the wife of Marquis Yongle and the cousin of the prince of Marquis Yongle to act arrogantly. Nanny Zhao glanced at Shen Qi and saw that Shen Qi's face did not change at all. He took a sip of the tea. Nanny Zhao didn't know whether to feel sorry for Shen Qi or to be happy for her. She was afraid that Shen Qi had seen through it. Just as Madam said, Shen Qi had come to his senses, but the price was a bit high.
Yunniang's voice was soft and mellow, holding the cakes in her hands, she smiled and said, "Aunt, I thought my sister's relatives would come, so I made cakes by myself." Then she looked at Shen Jin, "This must be the wife of the Earl of Yongning, I don't have anything to show off, so I can only make cakes from the south. I don't know if they will suit your taste."
"Then why did you bring it up?" Shen Jin looked at the woman with some confusion and asked.
Yunniang was stunned for a moment, and Shen Qi's mouth corners slightly raised.
Madam Yongle didn't know what to say. Yunniang was just being polite. Usually people would say "try it" or something. But was Shen Jin wrong? No, you didn't know my taste and brought me some snacks. Why?
Yunniang bit her lip, her eyes turned red, and she said as if she was trying hard to hold back her sadness, "It was Yunniang who was rude."
Madam Yongle sighed in her heart and glanced at Shen Qi. Seeing that Shen Qi had no intention of speaking, she was a relative of hers after all, so she said, "Yunniang, this child... bring the cakes to me."
Yunniang responded and brought the snacks to the wife of Yongle Marquis. The maid also brought the snacks and placed them in front of Shen Qi and Shen Jin. Shen Jin smiled and said, "Thank you, auntie. My sister must have told you that I like these."
Shen Qi said, "Try it quickly."
Shen Jin agreed with a smile, took a piece, covered her mouth with a handkerchief and started to eat. The taste was exactly what she liked before she got married, but then Aunt Zhao made her too pampered.
Yunniang reached out and touched her belly, lowered her eyes slightly and said, "The Lady of Yongning Earl and my sister really have a deep sisterly love."
Shen Jin just swallowed the last mouthful of tea, took a sip, and then put the teacup aside. She felt that this woman was a little strange. "We are sisters, so naturally we have a deep sisterly love. Who are you? Why do you keep calling my sister "sister"? I don't remember that my sister has other sisters."
Before Yunniang could say anything, Shen Jin continued, "Where is your husband? Why are you still doing maid work when you are pregnant? Aunt, doesn't she call you aunt?" Although it was not said explicitly, Shen Jin's face showed that since they are relatives, why is it that such a good cousin is being wasted by you and is now being worked as a maid while she is pregnant? "This... is not good..." This was said in a tactful way, but it is better not to say it.
The wife of Marquis Yongle's face changed. She didn't want to bear the reputation of abusing her niece. Just as she was about to explain, she heard Yunniang said anxiously with tears in her eyes, "Madam, you misunderstood. It wasn't my aunt who asked me to do this. My aunt is so good to me... I..." In the end, she didn't say that the child in her belly was the son of Marquis Yongle.
Shen Jin felt that the people in the capital were a little strange, like the queen mother who didn't enjoy herself but chose to be a vegetarian and chant Buddhist scriptures, and the good cousin who insisted on doing the work of a maid. She looked at Yunniang with surprise, such a strange personality... Shen Jin turned her head to look at Zhao Ma, then looked at Yunniang, and suddenly said, "Oh, I understand."
What do you understand?
Not only Lady Yongle and Yunniang, but also Shen Qi and Aunt Zhao were very curious.
Shen Qi's eyes flickered, and she asked with a smile, "Sister, don't talk halfway, I haven't understood yet."
Shen Jin looked down at the plate, picked out another cake shaped like a plum blossom, and asked, "Is this a plum?"
"Yes." Shen Qi resisted the urge and said, "There are also plum blossoms, but they are dried plum blossoms."
Shen Jin nodded and started to eat. Nanny Zhao was already used to Shen Jin, so she was not too anxious. Lady Yongle had seen a lot of the world, so she could hold it in. Yunniang almost grabbed Shen Jin and shook him hard.
After Shen Jin finished eating, she took a sip of tea and said, "Huh..." Seeing everyone staring at her, Shen Jin blinked and turned to look at Aunt Zhao.
Madam Zhao said with a strong smile, "Madam, they are waiting for you to explain why you understand that this cousin has taken the maid's job."
"Oh." Shen Jin nodded and said, "It's very simple. Some people like poetry and songs, some people like calligraphy and painting, some people like sword dancing and tea, and some people like... I can't think of it. It's personal preference. The wife of Marquis Yongle is just a cousin, not a biological mother. How can you interfere? Although my cousin's preference is a little... well, it's okay in our own family." She said the last sentence to Yunniang, with some comforting meaning. After all, she is a relative of her eldest sister's mother-in-law. It would be bad if she got angry.
Yunniang's face changed, and the wife of the Yongle Marquis was also full of embarrassment and awkwardness. Although Shen Jin did not say it explicitly, the meaning was very clear. Yunniang just liked to do the work of a maid and was born to serve others. They did not believe that Shen Jin did not know Yunniang's identity. They all thought that he came to vent Shen Qi's anger. However, no one expected that Shen Qi had such a good relationship with a concubine sister. Therefore, not only Yunniang but also the wife of the Yongle Marquis did not care, otherwise they would have scolded Yunniang out as soon as she came in.
Shen Jin had no idea what they were thinking. Even if she knew, she wouldn't care. It wasn't her mother-in-law's house. Shen Jin wanted to take another piece of dessert to try, but suddenly she remembered that Princess Rui had asked her to come over. She looked around at the pastry, and then her eyes fell on Yunniang's belly. She had guessed Yunniang's identity from the look in Zhao Ma's eyes. She decided to vent her anger for her elder sister, embarrass her a little, and then embarrass Yongle Hou Shizi severely. Well, she hadn't embarrassed anyone yet. Thinking about it actually made her feel a little excited! Could it be that she was a bad guy by nature! She was also a good match for her husband.
"Who is your husband? Why did he let you come out even though you were pregnant?" Although Shen Jin had planned to make things difficult for Yunniang, he really had no experience.
Shen Qi wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, then smiled and said, "This is my husband's cousin, and also my husband's concubine."
Shen Jin glanced at Yun Niang for a few seconds and said, "Oh."
Yunniang blushed and bowed to Shen Jinfu as if she was extremely shy, and said, "Sister, you can just call me Yunniang."
"..." Shen Jin looked at Yunniang with a dazed expression. When did she get a sister?
Zhao Mama's face changed, and she angrily shouted, "How dare you." As expected, she was right to follow. "Madam Yongle, are you insulting our Yongning Marquis's Mansion?"
Shen Qi's face was also very ugly, and he looked at the wife of Yongle Marquis, "Mother-in-law, I think my cousin is sick and confused, so let's send her down to rest."
"Although the Crown Prince's wife is our wife's sister." Nanny Zhao looked at Shen Qi with sharp eyes, "Now that this involves the Yongning Earl's Mansion, we can't just let it go like this."
Shen Qi decisively stopped talking, looked at the wife of Marquis Yongle with some apology, and felt extremely satisfied in her heart. She had been annoyed by this bitch calling her sister for a long time.
Shen Jin was a little worried that Shen Qi would be angry, so she reached out to touch Shen Qi's hand. Shen Qi gently pinched her fingers. This was a small hint they had agreed on before getting married. As expected, Shen Jin felt relieved. "Mammy, this is my elder sister's husband's family after all. Forget it. I'll tell my husband when I get back."
This is even more terrifying! Thinking of the rumors about Earl Yongning, even if she knew that the rumors might not be true, they were not groundless! The wife of Marquis Yongle turned pale. She wished she could go back to the time just now... No, to yesterday when she knew Shen Jin was coming. She must have someone lock Yunniang in the yard and not let her out.
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