Chapter 025 Chapter 25
"Jing Zhao..." The third old lady was now speechless.
Yan Jingzhao suppressed his anger, lifted his robe and knelt on the ground: "Old lady, if my mother has made you unhappy in any way, just tell me. I will make amends for her, please don't blame her."
As Yan Jingzhao grew older, especially in the past two years of getting along with Xie, Xie respected him very much and would not treat him the same way as the third old lady. It was for his own good, but more because of his status as the adopted grandson of the third house. For example, when he was sick as a child, his grandmother was the most worried, but Yan Jingzhao knew that she was worried that the adopted grandson would die and that he did not bring glory to her.
But his mother was different. If he was sick, she would take care of him. Even if he might miss the imperial examination, it would be his mother and sister who would comfort him, saying that being alive was more important than anything else.
Including what happened today, if his sister hadn't told him that his mother was humiliated yesterday, he wouldn't have known anything about it! It was also his sister who said that the old lady would definitely blame his mother for this matter, and he was still skeptical. He didn't expect that it would come to the point where his mother had to kneel down.
But the old lady was the elder and he couldn't go against her, he just wanted to take the blame for his mother.
"Good boy, get up quickly." The third old lady tried to pull Yan Jingzhao up with her own hands. For the first time, she gave in and pretended to be very righteous and said to Yan Jingzhao, "I have wrongly blamed your mother for this matter. You should help your mother up quickly."
Yan Jingzhao heaved a sigh of relief and quickly helped Xie to stand up. Xie took out a handkerchief and wiped her tears, still respectful to the Third Old Lady: "It's all my daughter-in-law's fault."
"Forget it. It's over. Let's not talk about it anymore." The third old lady wanted to analyze the pros and cons. After all, Xie's identity could not be truly publicized. It also let Yan Jingzhao know who was the person who was truly beneficial to him.
Unexpectedly, Xie said, "Old lady, there is something I should have said long ago. Although I have been managing the household for these years, I have always been powerless. Now that my eldest brother's wife has come into the family, I can finally unload the heavy burden. It would be best if we teach the housekeeping work to the young people."
It turned out to be because of the housekeeper's matter. Yan Jingzhao then clearly understood why his grandmother threatened his mother and treated her like that. Now everything made sense.
Seeing that Jie had taken the initiative to bring it up, the Third Old Lady also smiled and said, "It's good that you think this way, but she is still young after all, and she still needs your care."
"That's natural." Xie smiled and didn't take it seriously.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were in harmony again. The third old lady felt that she had achieved her goal. Xie would never see the light of day again. Men should focus on their careers. Yan Jingzhao should be very clear about this, so he showed some kindness for his grandson. without any restraint, and had lofty ambitions. He could be called a man of iron and blood.
He is the kind of person who wants the ones he loves to live and the ones he hates to death. He cannot tolerate betrayal or control. The third old lady has already stepped on two landmines, but because she is used to being arrogant, she is still unaware of it at this moment.
Otherwise, it is said that one should not despise the poor young people!
"It's just that now it's almost the end of the year and the bride has just got married, so it's better to let the couple spend more time together." Xie said.
The third old lady also knew that Yan Jingzhao's offspring was the most important, so she nodded in agreement.
After coming out of her mother-in-law's room, Xie and Yan Jingzhao walked side by side. She seemed to know what Yan Jingzhao was thinking, and just said to him: "I'm fine. You just got married, so you should spend more time with your new bride, and you don't have to do anything for me. But sometimes you don't have to listen to your grandmother in everything. If you have any difficulties, I will find your father for you."
Yan Jingzhao suddenly burst into tears: "Mom, I don't know how to be filial to you."
"Silly child, why are you crying? Don't cry. Mother always wants you and your sister to be happy. Now that you are married, you should live your life well." Xie wiped his tears.
…
Of course, Zhen had heard about the turmoil in the third house. She had long expected that Xie would have a hard time, so she was in a good mood and even invited Yan Jingwen, Xin Wan and their two daughters to have dinner here.
When Yan Jingwen saw Xin Wan, he couldn't help but smile, and Xin Wan tried hard to remain calm.
Zhen wanted her son to improve himself, so she urged him in various ways: "You are already twelve years old. In Jiangnan, there are many scholars at the age of thirteen or fourteen. If you can go to school, I won't have to worry about it."
Yan Jingwen hated to hear these things. Seeing that Zhen was just perfunctory when she talked about it, Zhen said, "I heard that your elder brother is preparing to take part in the provincial examination next year. You should ask for more advice on weekdays, right?"
"Yes, son, I understand." Yan Jingwen didn't dare to act rashly in front of Zhen.
Yingniang smiled and said, "Brother, you really need to learn more about economics and officialdom, and go out and socialize more. I have seen that elder brother and Silang from the Gu family in Jinling are the two pillars of Jinling, and they are very famous among scholars."
Yan Jingwen was a little annoyed, but he couldn't get angry, so he just said, "I know. When can you make me a purse? My second and third sisters have done needlework for me, but you haven't given me anything?"
The brother and sister were arguing, and Zhen said to her daughter, "You should also put more effort into needlework."
"Cousin Xin can barely make one or two pieces in the whole year, why don't you say anything to her?" Yingniang pouted in dissatisfaction.
Xin Wan was a little embarrassed. She was in poor health and rarely used needlework, which was known to everyone in the palace. This was not her own daughter, so of course Zhen Shi would not care. Who would offend someone for no reason?
Therefore, Zhen just scolded her daughter: "You should learn some manners. In a few days, your second sister-in-law will also be married. You are still so coquettish and silly. I don't know what to do with you."
Yingniang stuck out her tongue and stopped talking, but she also found it very strange, because usually when her third sister went out with them, she was not the type to seek the limelight, and she would even let her go first if there was an advantage. But yesterday she came out directly to play the piano.
After dinner, Zhen went to prepare for Yan Jingzhang's marriage.
No one noticed Yan Jingwen quietly walking with Xin Wan. Yan Jingwen looked at her and said, "How are you, cousin? It was very busy in the mansion yesterday. It was hot inside but cold outside. I was always worried that you were freezing."
"I'm fine, but looking at your third daughter, it's true that 'a capsized boat reveals a good swimmer, a galloping horse reveals a good warrior'." Xin Wan sighed.
This means that a person's wisdom can only be truly seen when he or she is facing real challenges and difficulties.
Yan Jingwen also nodded: "Yes, the scene yesterday was really embarrassing, thanks to her playing the song "Yu Fei Yin". Normally, I have never seen her stand out like this."
"Don't worry about others. When we were reciting poems together before, I helped you check the rhymes. I also know that you have always disliked the darkness of officialdom and think that a career in politics is vain. I didn't want to advise you, but seeing that your aunt is so worried, you should pay more attention too." Xin Wan stood up holding the plum branch, and the red cloak on her body almost merged with the red plum.
Yan Jingwen nodded slowly, feeling sad.
**
Normally in the morning, Yao Niang would read after paying respects to her parents. Now that she didn't have to go to school, she could sleep a little longer in the morning. When she came in today, she found that there was another person sitting in the room. It turned out to be Guan.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law."
"Third sister." Guan stood up quickly.
Yao Niang said, "Sister-in-law, you are too polite. You are my sister-in-law, how can I let you come to greet me? I just saw you briefly yesterday, and I didn't even ask you what you like to eat? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Guan shook her head: "I can do anything."
"That would be great." Yao Niang smiled and said to Xie: "Mother, I want to send Qing'er to buy me some new books later. My hands are very cold in winter. It's hard to do needlework, writing or painting."
Xie agreed, "Of course you can, but you are not allowed to look at it for too long or it will hurt your mind."
A few people chatted for a while, and the maids came in to have breakfast. This was Guan's second day of dining at the Yan family. There were many kinds of noodles on the table, including mutton buns, three-fresh noodles, and fried chicken noodles.
But Xie's mother and daughter didn't eat much, just a few bites. Even she only ate a bowl of noodles and a small basket of buns and she was full.
The remaining dishes were almost all distributed to the servants, which was completely different from the Guan family. The Guan family thought that feeding the servants would only increase their appetites. Xie and Yao Niang obviously didn't eat much, so why did they waste so much? If this continued, they would run out of money and food in the future, and how would the family survive?
But she had just walked in, so it was difficult for her to say much.
After finishing the meal, Guan went to the Third Old Lady. The Third Old Lady certainly didn't want Xie to take credit for the job, so she said straight to the point, "Yesterday I told your mother-in-law that you will be the manager of the household from now on."
Guan had just entered the house and had no idea what was going on in this family. She was a little overwhelmed and said, "Madam, the grandson's daughter-in-law doesn't dare."
The third old lady said lovingly, "Don't be afraid. In our family, I am old, and your mother-in-law is weak. Who else can take care of us except you?"
Guan was a little nervous. She was going to be the housekeeper on the second day after she got married. This made her feel a little overwhelmed but also eager to try.
Apparently the third old lady also said, "You have to serve your father-in-law at your mother-in-law's place every day. It's inconvenient for you to go there all the time. Why don't you come here and have dinner with me?"
Guan was worried, but she had to listen to the Third Old Lady, so she said, "Thank you, Old Lady, for being the grandson's daughter-in-law."
"What are you thanking me for? I'll tell you more about Jingzhao. Jingzhao grew up by my side. I'm the only one who knows all his naughty things and hobbies." Old Mrs. Guan smiled.
This made Guan think that it was no wonder that Xie rarely mentioned Yan Jingzhao to her. It turned out that she was very unfamiliar with Yan Jingzhao. It seemed that in this family, the old lady was her supporter.
After Guan got the news from the old lady, she went back to her parents' home three days later and talked to her mother with great pride: "My mother-in-law is a simple person with a very gentle temperament. She never lets me behave myself and only knows how to serve and listen to the old man. She is definitely not good at managing the family, so the old lady wants to hand over the management to me."
"You can't be so complacent. You have to be careful. The women in this house have all been through a lot of trials and tribulations in the inner court. They are not ordinary people." Mrs. Guan warned, still a little worried about her daughter.
Guan smiled and said, "Don't worry about that. Our eldest master's wet nurse has told me that mother-in-law has never taken care of our eldest master personally. In the end, the old lady is still the one who makes the decisions at home."
Mrs. Guan was relieved and whispered, "How does the aunt treat you?"
"He had a roommate before he got married, and she was very respectful to me." But Guan felt uncomfortable. She had a pretty good relationship with Yan Jingzhao now, so of course she couldn't tolerate anyone else in her heart.
Madam Guan patted her daughter's hand and said, "All officials' sons have concubines. Why do you have to be jealous of them? The most important thing is to have a good relationship with your aunt. Having a child is better than anything else. Look at your mother-in-law. She can't compare to the eldest lady in everything, but she is good at giving birth. Your aunt is much better than his brothers."
The mother and daughter talked a lot in private. Guan talked about the second brother's wife who was about to marry in. "If the Yan family hadn't looked up to the old lady's family, how could they have married Yu? Yu's father is only a fifth-rank official now. Her grandmother was from a famous family, but she had fallen into poverty long ago. You have also seen her mother, a woman with a loud voice. Although her family background is good, how can she be educated?"
"Don't take it lightly. These private matters are just something we have discussed between mother and daughter. You must also be respectful to your mother-in-law and be kind to your sister-in-law, not to mention the old lady. As for these sisters-in-law, they are from different families anyway, so there is no need to harbor grudges against them." Mrs. Guan warned.
Guan nodded quickly, but still said quietly: "Mother, it would be great if my daughter was still at home."
Mrs. Guan almost burst into tears.
At noon, Mrs. Guan asked the elders of the clan to greet Yan Jingzhao. Yan Jingzhao was smiling even when he was forced to drink. He had a good alcohol tolerance and often went out with his father for social events. He had practiced to be able to drink ten cups without getting drunk, from not drinking at all.
After the return visit, Guan was officially integrated into the Yan family. Xie was a mother-in-law who didn't set rules very well. Yan Yingqi always lived with her and was afraid that his daughter-in-law would bump into him in the morning. So Guan happened to go to the third old lady's place.
One day, Guan came back from paying respects to the old lady. On the way, she suddenly heard the sound of a guqin. She stopped and asked, "Who is playing this?"
The people around her shook their heads, but Baohua, who had just followed her, smiled and said, "She is our third daughter."
"But doesn't she play the konghou?" Guan thought.
Baohua said, "The third girl plays the konghou and the guqin, but she doesn't practice much in winter. She used to practice for at least three hours a day, and she was very hardworking."
Guan secretly complained that she had been either reading or playing the piano for the past few days since she came, and she rarely did any housework. She said to the people around her, "I'll go see my third sister."
When she passed by, Yao Niang was playing "Autumn Moon over the Han Palace". After she finished playing the song, she saw Guan coming in and was a little surprised: "Sister-in-law, why are you here?"
Guan smiled and said, "I heard the piano music on the roadside, so I came to see my sister."
It's very strange to say, she is not afraid of her mother-in-law, and her mother-in-law is very kind to her. The old lady respects her very much, but this sister-in-law is a little different.
Yao Niang had no choice but to invite her in and sit down, and then said to the servants, "You go and serve tea."
Guan noticed that Yao Niang's room was very exquisite and elegantly decorated. She couldn't help but nod: "Sister, this room is really well decorated."
"Thank you for the compliment, sister-in-law. Where are you from?"
"From the old lady."
Yao Niang thought that everything she had thought before had come true. After her sister-in-law came into the family, she was indeed closer to the old lady. In this case, she could no longer be unprepared.
Although the two were sisters-in-law, they were not very familiar with each other. Guan found an excuse: "Last time I heard my sister said she wanted to learn needlework. I just happened to have a book of patterns. I can give one to my sister."
"Thank you very much, sister-in-law." Yao Niang also accepted it.
She also took the initiative to bring up the topic, "In a few days, my second sister-in-law will be coming home, and our house will be more and more lively. Sister-in-law, have you met the daughter of the Yu family?"
"I don't know much about it." Even if Guan knew about it, he would still say that he didn't know.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "It's okay. We are all one family now. Alas, if you ask me, there are happy events every day. Our two families are very busy. Otherwise, I will go and play with my second sister, and I don't have to play the piano when I have nothing to do."
Guan Shi of course praised Yao Niang's piano playing, but she also said, "I see that my sister is so smart. Besides playing the piano, what else is she good at?"
"Other things are just random learning and not very successful. Even learning the piano requires only a little hard work and the guidance of a famous teacher, otherwise it won't work. But sister-in-law, I see that you have been very well-behaved since you came to our house. Even my parents praise you and ask me to learn more from you." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Guan felt somewhat proud of being praised by Yao Niang, but was also slightly disappointed with the Yan family. In her imagination, the Yan family was now a prominent and famous family, but she did not expect that they were not as good as hers, and everyone treated her like a star.
She held such an idea, but she didn't expect to be slapped in the face soon.
The day before Yan Jingzhang's wedding, Xie brought Yao Niang to pay respects to the third old lady. Guan had also arrived early. In Guan's view, being filial to the grandmother-in-law was the right thing to do. As for Xie, since she had not set any rules, she did not need to go.
Generally speaking, Yao Niang's status in the Third Old Lady's office was not high, but when the Third Old Lady asked her, "Girls should focus on needlework and spinning. As for other things, put them aside for now. There will be so many elders coming this year, and your grandmother will have to take you out, so you must offer some needlework to them."
Yao Niang glanced at Guan and smiled, "Don't worry, I follow my mother to do needlework in my spare time. But yesterday I was observing the stars and saw the Pleiades in the west rising, which seems to be a bad omen. Since ancient times, the Pleiades represent the sun and the rooster. It is the fourth constellation in the west and is located in the center of the seven White Tiger constellations. The center and the west are from the rabbit, and the west is the autumn gate. Everything has been harvested and it is time to close the doors and windows. Therefore, the Pleiades are often ominous. As the saying goes, there will be disasters on the day when the Pleiades are on duty. It is unusual that there are more ominous things than good things. All work will be unfavorable, and there will be plague every morning and every day."
The older the third old lady got, the more she believed this. She asked again, "What does this mean? Is it possible that I will be in trouble today?"
"No, it means to close the door and stop it." Yao Niang said.
Xie said quickly, "Yao Niang, you are just a little kid, don't talk nonsense."
"Mom, I dare not talk nonsense. I was lighting lamps and embroidering flowers last night. I suddenly became interested and opened the window and saw it." Yao Niang said confidently.
Even the third old lady believed it and immediately said to Guan: "Let's close the doors and stay at home today. As the saying goes, it is better to believe it than not to believe it."
Guan nodded calmly. She had not expected that this third sister had such importance in the eyes of the old lady. She had thought that their relationship was just ordinary.
Therefore, when Guan returned to her room to have dinner with Yan Jingzhao, she mentioned Yao Niang and said, "I see that my sister seems to be very smart in studying. She even knows the twenty-eight constellations."
"That's right. She is knowledgeable, intelligent, and the apple of my parents' eyes. I'm afraid many men may not be able to compare to her." Speaking of his sister, Yan Jingzhao was full of praise.
Only then did Guan feel a little awe for Yao Niang. Even she was afraid of being picked on by such a person who had her own opinions, knowledge and the ability to make a name for herself.
During Guan's adaptation period, Yu came into the family. It seemed that Yu's dowry was larger than Guan's. The Yu family brought in 88 loads of dowry, while Guan's family brought in 64 loads. Furthermore, Yu was quite pretty and was probably married into a wealthy family. If she was not good-looking, the Yu family would not be able to present her to the public. Furthermore, as soon as Yu came into the family, she gave each of the sisters-in-law an exquisite dressing box.
Even Yao Niang received a dressing box with mother-of-pearl peony patterns on the east and west sides, and chrysanthemum and peach blossom patterns on the east and west sides. Naturally, she had to go to the eldest house to express her gratitude.
Yu is three years older than Yan Jingzhang. She is almost twenty years old now, at the age of plumpness and charm.
"Second sister-in-law." Yao Niang came in from outside the curtain and bowed.
Yu smiled and said, "It's the third sister. Isn't it cold to come here at this time? Nian'er, bring a bowl of the prepared pear soup to the third sister."
Regardless of whether it was sincere or not, Yu Shi did not have that kind of arrogance. She was very comfortable getting along with others and was very caring towards these sisters-in-law. She even saw that Yao Niang liked the pattern on a certain handkerchief, so she gave it directly to Yao Niang. You have to know that Yao Niang is the sister-in-law from the next room.
Therefore, Yao Niang praised Yu in front of Xie: "I think my second sister-in-law is a good person. Although small favors are not a big deal, we are not close friends, so it is good that she can be so generous."
"It's not easy to be a daughter-in-law. Are you still blaming your sister-in-law for saying in front of your grandmother that you don't do needlework?" Xie asked.
Yao Niang snorted coldly: "I think she is also a snob. Grandmother is right to praise her, but you are also my brother's biological mother. How can she look down on you? She is not a princess, so you still have to flatter her."
"In this life, I will be nice to those who are nice to me. And I will be mean to those who are mean to me."
Xie was helpless: "You!"
Guan was upset when she heard the servants' praises of Yu. She also heard that Yu was giving gifts everywhere, so she couldn't help but say, "It's a long journey to know a person's true character. What's the point of her giving these little gifts? When the real crisis comes, we will know who is the real one."
After Guan finished speaking, she looked at the account book again. This was sent by her mother-in-law so that she could familiarize herself with it in advance.
However, Guan was not stupid. She could not let anyone bribe her sister-in-law, so she said to the maid beside her, "Xi Que, give a pair of my Lantian jade cups to the third young lady."
Xi Que hesitated for a while and was about to go out to get it, but Guan stopped her and said, "Forget it. I don't have to do the same as others."
In Guan's view, her sister-in-law is a treasure before she gets married. After she gets married, she still has to look at her sister-in-law's face when she returns to her parents' home. For example, she has a very good relationship with her sister-in-law, unlike her sister-in-law. She was not angry when she stole her limelight at the wedding, which was already tolerant enough.
Magpie wanted to give some words of advice, but she didn't say them.
The girl was a very strong-willed person at home. After she came into the family, Mrs. Xie was gentle in temper and did not make things difficult for her. The third old lady also respected her granddaughter-in-law very much. However, the third girl was not very old, had a unique personality, and was arrogant, making her very difficult to get close to.
She even treated her own grandmother in a distant and even unfamiliar manner.
Maybe the grandmother also felt that since she would be the housekeeper soon and had all the power in her hands, why should she care about a little girl?
After Yu came into the family, it was almost the end of the year, and Yao Niang sent eight new sets of clothes and a box of newly made jewelry. The styles were all the most fashionable at the time.
Not to mention her, even Qianniang and Yingniang were very happy. When Yaoniang came over, Yingniang pulled her aside and asked, "Have your new clothes been delivered?"
"Of course, I asked them to help me fumigate my clothes because I wanted to ask you for a pair of pendant horns." Yao Niang said.
Yingniang was generous and took her to get the pendant. Qianniang followed and the three of them gathered here. Yaoniang suddenly thought of Yan Ningxin: "Why don't you see my elder sister?"
Qianniang said, "Eldest sister doesn't often stay with us."
"She's not with us often, but she drinks with the second brother and plays with the third brother more often." Ying Niang pouted.
That is to say, she likes to play with boys and doesn't like to play with girls.
Yao Niang also remembered one thing. She heard the manager of the flower room report to her mother that Yan Ningxin and Zhou Lingguang had also said a lot of things, but she would not say them out loud as it would also ruin their reputation.
It's normal to joke with your brothers, but it's not good if the news of talking with men outside your family gets out.
So she changed the subject and talked about the dressing box given by her second sister-in-law: "I see that flower is what I like, second sister, second sister-in-law seems to get along well."
Qianniang smiled but said nothing, while Yingniang said quickly, "Second sister-in-law doesn't look like a pushover either."
"Tsk, now you really say anything." Yao Niang pretended to cover her mouth.
Yingniang heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Look, your sister-in-law took charge as soon as she came in, squeezing you out like a cuckoo in the nest. As for our second sister-in-law, she seems to be very good at appearances, but in the end she orders my second brother around like a servant. In the middle of the night, she wanted to eat lamb skewers from the east of the city, and my second brother ran to buy them."
Yao Niang laughed and said, "Isn't this loving your wife like a treasure? When all of us get together, we look like a cunning sister-in-law. My mother also said that we should stop interfering in the affairs between husband and wife."
Qianniang also agreed with this point: "That's true. With my sisters-in-law marrying in, there are more people in the family, so it's normal for us to feel uncomfortable for a while. We will all be a family in the future, so we should be more considerate of each other."
"Second sister, didn't you complain that Second Sister-in-law's handwriting was ugly? Now you are exaggerating it." Yingniang exposed Qianniang without hesitation.
Although the three sisters were quarreling, their relationship was much better than before. Yao Niang smiled and said, "If you have nothing to do in the afternoon, come to my place and play double-sixes."
They both said it was cold and they were too lazy to move forward.
Yao Niang had no choice but to get up and visit Xin Wan again. Xin Wan and Yao Niang had a very good relationship. They could even share a lot of intimate conversations, and were closer than two sisters.
Originally Yao Niang was afraid that Xin Wan would be tempted by the scene, but she didn't expect that Xin Wan would advise her to relax.
After wandering around like this, Yao Niang felt sleepy and had half a bowl of rice more when she returned home.
Yan Yingqi also laughed and said, "Maybe the eel strips your mother made were so delicious today that you even ordered an extra bowl of rice."
"Dad, please don't laugh at me. I've been having so many banquets these days that my face has become round." Yao Niang was a little unhappy.
Yan Yingqi said, "I think girls look better when they are a little fatter."
"So what you mean is that my mother is not good-looking if she is so thin?" Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed.
Yan Yingqi panicked for a moment and tried to pull Xie's hand, but Xie glared at him.
After dinner, Yao Niang braved the snow and returned to her room. Yan Yingqi asked Xie: "Are you really going to give the housekeeping power to your daughter-in-law? Is the third aunt going to quit so soon?"
Xie smiled and said, "Why do you care about this? This is something that could have been expected a long time ago. Especially after Mrs. Xie said something about me last time, the old lady just quickened her pace."
She leaned against Yan Yingqi and said, "You are probably the only person I can rely on in this life."
"Don't worry, I will never let you feel disappointed or sad. Others rely on their sons to be a mother, but you only need to rely on your husband to be a wife." Yan Yingqi already had a plan in mind.
On New Year's Eve, the third old lady took Yan Jingzhao and others to the main house. Yan Jingzhao followed the elders to the ancestral hall. The two daughters-in-law, Guan and Yu, who came into the family, were also included in the family tree this year.
Yao Niang took a stick of incense and lit the firecrackers in front of her, then quickly ran back to Xie, who covered her ears for her. Everyone was laughing and talking.
Lian Zhen was also stunned for a while as she looked at the fireworks not far away.
Then the two houses each had their own opera and wine, and Guan acted like the hostess, because she could sense that Jie's identity seemed fine at home, because it was Yan Yingqi who promoted her, but to put it bluntly outside, she was a concubine.
Even after seeing Yao Niang change three crowns in one day, she said half-seriously, "Sister, even a princess may not be able to compare to the life you have. Many noble families are not as rich as ours."
The tone was not good, but Yao Niang smiled and said, "Look at what my sister-in-law said. If you like it, just ask my brother to buy it for you. Besides, if our family was not rich, how could you marry into our family?"
Guan was frustrated, but she didn't dare to make a big fuss.
Yao Niang counted the days until the Lantern Festival. Yan Yingqi came to pick her and her daughter up. The streets were already crowded with cars and people.
The lanterns standing everywhere seemed to illuminate the dark night into day.
The family abandoned the carriage and walked. Although Yan Yingqi was wearing casual clothes, he looked very imposing. The guards followed him not far away, and he protected Xie's mother and daughter.
Xie is over 30 years old, but her eyes are still as lively as a deer, and the watery light in her eyes is like a pool of autumn waves. She seems innocent, but is actually alluring. Moreover, her whole body has a temperament like orchid, her smile is radiant, her movements are graceful and elegant, and her figure is charming. It can be said that every point about her touches the weak spot of men.
Like Yao Niang, she would be excited when she saw the lanterns on the street, and the men passing by would all have looks of amazement in their eyes.
Yan Yingqi glanced at them coldly, and they looked away.
Yao Niang guessed a lantern riddle correctly and was very happy holding her lantern. There were also many snacks here. She was not very hungry at first, but she felt a little hungry after seeing these snack stalls.
"Mom, there are glutinous rice balls for sale there. Let's go and eat some."
"good."
Yan Yingqi naturally followed the mother and daughter. Just as the maid was about to pay, Yao Niang suddenly took out a wooden sign and said to the shop owner, "Can I still use my mother's wooden sign?"
The old shop owner examined it for a long time before saying incredulously, "Yes, yes, this is from many years ago, and it can still be used."
Yao Niang said, "We can't take advantage of you. I just want to see if this wooden sign is still usable." Then she pointed at Xie and said, "This belongs to my mother."
Xie is already in his thirties, and this is the first time he feels his face getting hot.
The old shop owner glanced at Lie and said, "No wonder."
What she meant was that her mother was good-looking, which made her happier than praising herself. Yao Niang pointed at Yan Yingqi and said, "My father has it, too."
Minister Yan, who originally thought he had escaped a disaster, stumbled and wished there was a crack in the ground for him to crawl into.
Xie had never seen such an embarrassing husband before, and she couldn't help laughing. The three of them ate glutinous rice balls and watched the variety show. They didn't have time to wander around the street any longer, and they had to go back. But even so, Xie and Yao Niang were very satisfied.
Because Yan Yingqi brought them out to play secretly, everyone knew about it. And with so many people coming out together, they had to be deployed in advance, which was very troublesome.
It wasn't that the lights were beautiful that night, nor that the food was delicious, but it was the atmosphere that made Yao Niang yearn for it.
After the new year, the court recommended Yan Yingqi, the Nanjing Ministry of Rites Vice Minister, as the Ministry of Personnel Vice Minister, which meant that Yan Yingqi would go to Beijing to take up the post immediately.
This was of course very good news for the Yan family. The six ministries in Nanjing were not as well-equipped as those in Beijing, and although the Vice Minister of Personnel and the Vice Minister of Personnel were both of the same rank, and only second to the Shangshu, the Ministry of Rites was generally responsible for the imperial examinations, rituals, and sacrifices, while the Ministry of Personnel was mainly responsible for the promotion, demotion, transfer, and examination of officials throughout the country. It was called the Heavenly Official or the Great Prime Minister, and was the head of the six ministries.
Of course, this made Guan very happy. Her father-in-law got promoted, her husband was making progress, and she just got the right cards yesterday. She was simply a winner in life.
Unexpectedly, Xie called her over and said, "Jing Zhao is going to change his nationality to Shuntianfu to take the provincial examination this year, so we all have to go to the capital. You should pack your luggage quickly. As for the cards, give them back to the old lady. When you go to the capital in the future, the housekeeper has the eldest lady with him."
Yan Jingzhao went to Beijing to prepare for the exam, so why would Guan follow him? How could a newlywed couple be separated?
Guan had no choice but to hand over the matching cards to the Third Old Lady, and when the Third Old Lady heard the news, she was also very upset. She had originally planned to sideline Xie, control her grandchildren and granddaughters-in-law, and become the ruler herself.
Now, Xie, Yan Jingzhao and his wife, and even Yao Niang are all going to the capital. She can't just play the empty city trick, right?
But wait, Yan Jingzhao was going to Beijing for the imperial examination, why didn't he tell her in advance? She thought of Xie's sudden weakness these days, which was completely paralyzing them. When they thought the plan was successful and were at their happiest, she directly hit them. This woman was really cruel!
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