Chapter 92 Aunt Zhao Causes Trouble
Wang Xifeng savored it again, but still couldn't detect any fish in it, only a refreshing taste.
After eating the intensely flavorful shrimp hot pot, the slight lingering feeling she had was soothed by this bowl of soup.
"This is a secret recipe white jade fish soup. The tofu inside is actually stuffed with fish paste. After cooking for a while, it blends together with the tofu..."
Yuan Hongqu spoke slowly.
Wang Xifeng had dinner at Rongyue Courtyard, and not long after, Jia Lian came looking for her again.
It's common knowledge that Jia Lian comes here to see Wang Xifeng now.
Jia Lian wasn't afraid of being ridiculed by outsiders who teased him, saying he had a "tiger queen" at home. He didn't even enter Rongyue Courtyard; he just waited outside with his men. Only when he saw Wang Xifeng come out did he come over to greet Yuan Hongqu and take her away.
Tonight, when he returned home, he didn't see Wang Xifeng. As usual, he went to Rongyue Courtyard, but instead of waiting outside, he sent Ping'er over to tell her that he had something to discuss with Yuan Hongqu.
After the last broccoli craze subsided, the Prince Zhongshun's mansion took away the fruit radish.
Just when Jia Lian was eager to get things done, he suddenly found himself idle again, and he felt listless.
Since the question has come to this point, Yuan Hongqu remembered something.
"I asked you to help me find the rice seeds for Bijing rice a long time ago, but we still haven't found them. Now you're asking me what good stuff I have. My things aren't cheap, but even considering Second Madam's sake, it's about time. Second Master Lian, are you going to send me the rice seeds before we talk about anything else?"
Upon hearing this, Jia Lian's expression immediately changed.
"I don't know what happened this year, but after searching all over the capital, I couldn't find anyone with extra rice seeds. Teacher Yuan, how about I save you five catties... no, ten catties of rice next year when the harvest comes?"
“No matter what, I want it now! As you know, Master Lian, I’ve built a greenhouse on the estate, and this rice can be grown there. If we miss this month, and the weather gets even colder next month, the chances of it surviving will be even lower.” Yuan Hongqu deliberately used this matter to trap Jia Lian.
With these two incidents this year, Jia Lian has already made his name known to the Emperor. The Rongguo Mansion has already made its presence felt enough; there's no need to attract any more attention!
Some things are better left unsaid, especially matters concerning the imperial family!
Jia Lian remained silent. He was indeed in the wrong, but he truly couldn't find a single grain of rice!
Of course he couldn't find it, because all the remaining green rice seeds in the capital were with Yuan Hongqu.
Prince Zhongshun's mansion traded grain for radishes, and this time Prince Zhongshun finally won against Prince Xian.
Overjoyed, King Zhongshun did not forget who had brought him such glory. He immediately sent someone to the estate to give Wu Tian a bag, saying that he had heard that Mr. Yuan was looking for seeds of Bijing rice. His family happened to have some extra, and since the king was well-liked, he also collected some from other families, finally managing to gather enough for this bag, which he specially sent to Mr. Yuan.
Wu Tian was a cautious man, and asked where he got the information from.
The person delivering the rice seeds knew this question would inevitably come up, so they quickly said that they knew Jia Lian of the Rongguo Mansion had been searching all over the capital for anyone with extra Bijing rice seeds. Their prince had sent someone to inquire a little at the Rongguo Mansion, and that's how they found out why Jia Lian was looking for these seeds.
Upon hearing this, Yuan Hongqu was startled.
The Rongguo Mansion is now like a sieve, full of holes, and anyone can easily find out such information.
It seems that Rongyue Courtyard will need to be even more vigilant from now on, and we must be more cautious when there are unfamiliar old women or maids around.
However, she still cultivated the rice seedlings and planted some in the glass greenhouse and the space.
Jia Lian gave Wang Xifeng several meaningful glances, hoping she could help him out and put in a good word for Yuan Hongqu, but Wang Xifeng ignored him completely.
He was feeling awkward when he heard some noise at the door, like the sound of a woman arguing.
Before Jia Lian could move, Yuan Hongqu had already left the room.
The old women and maids who heard the noise inside the house also put on their clothes and came out.
At the entrance, the old woman guarding the gate was twisting a woman's hand, and someone was gag her. The light was dim, and the woman's appearance was not clearly visible.
However, this woman was very fierce. Even though she had been restrained, she kept kicking people and twisting her body, trying to break free of her restraints.
When the leading old woman saw Yuan Hongqu come out, she hurriedly replied,
"Granny Yuan, Aunt Zhao suddenly burst in, shouting and yelling. Before we could even announce her arrival, she tried to rush into the courtyard... We were afraid of disturbing the young lady's sleep, so we grabbed her and covered her mouth..."
"Very good, you did the right thing. No one is allowed to disturb the young lady. Go find Xiangtao tomorrow, and each of you will receive one string of cash and one foot of cloth." Yuan Hongqu's voice was cold and clear.
"Let her go."
The old women released her, and Aunt Zhao, freed from her grasp, pounced on them. Before she could get close, the old women grabbed her again, this time without covering her mouth.
She probably feared having her ears and mouth covered again, so her voice became much more normal; she stopped shouting and yelling, and only cursed.
"Who do you think you are? You're just staying at our house, what right do you have to act like a master? Bring Lin Daiyu out here, I want to see how a young girl can beat us men black and blue without saying a word!"
"Shut up! Ping'er, pull her back! Sister Yuan, you know best what kind of person she is, and you even ordered her to be released! Don't let her bite us!" Wang Xifeng also came out, anxiously saying.
Since they were all women, Jia Lian couldn't make a move at the moment, so he hurriedly went to the front to inform the Second Master that whoever's woman it was, should deal with her!
Upon hearing this, Yuan Hongqu chuckled to herself, thinking to herself, "I was just about to doze off when someone conveniently brought me a pillow."
The weather is getting colder day by day. If Rongyue Courtyard has a thousand good things about it, there is just one thing that is not so good.
There is a stream in front of the courtyard. When it's cold, the breeze blowing along the stream makes it even colder than other places.
She was just thinking of an excuse for them to move back to the Lin family's house when the pillow delivery guy arrived.
The Xue family mother and daughter were just guests last time; their actions and words did not represent the Rongguo Mansion. That fire was merely the trigger.
Aunt Zhao's fire, however, burned extremely brightly.
Aunt Zhao was Jia Zheng's concubine and the mother of Jia Tanchun and Jia Huan. Even though she wasn't a prominent figure, her words represented the views of a segment of the Rongguo Mansion.
"Second Madam Lian, don't you dare take sides with outsiders. You're Huan'er's sister-in-law, and you're quite a distance from the Lin family. What are you doing coming to Rongyue Courtyard every day with that Yuan fellow? Do you think no one else knows?" Aunt Zhao spoke without restraint, never missing a beat.
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