Chapter 029 Chapter 29
"I never thought that Xie was so slippery and could endure it." Zhen's originally forbearing heart also wavered a little.
Of course she couldn't deal with Xie as she did before, because Yan Jingzhao had grown up. If a conflict really arose, Yan Jingzhao might hate his own son.
Then she would have to wait for Xie to come out on her own. Based on Zhen's understanding of Xie, Xie would not ask for help from her because she was stubborn. Then it was very likely that the same thing would happen as in Nanjing, with two ladies present. However, the officials in the capital would be moved by the news, and even the officials in the Imperial Academy would be the same, as well as Yan Yingqi's political enemies.
Those people are looking for trouble when they have nothing to do, not to mention that Xie is now out socializing openly.
Mother Wei was also puzzled: "The Third Miss is not the type to swallow her anger, but when our Fourth Miss said it in the school, she reacted calmly."
"I can't go too far in this matter. If I do, I'm afraid the master will have something against me." Zhen said.
Mother Wei was puzzled: "What's the matter with that? The old man still respects you very much. Besides, you didn't deliberately suppress the second wife."
"I made Mrs. Xie unhappy. When she's in a bad mood, the master is in a bad mood too, and of course he won't treat me the same way as before. My life depends on the master, and if the master is in a bad mood, I'm the one who suffers." said Mrs. Zhen.
Many people think that being the legal wife means they can maintain their rights as a wife by ignoring their husband, but they never consider that if your husband treats you badly, you don't even have the right to give orders in this house.
Especially since Yan Yingqi has a strong character, he is definitely not an ordinary man.
Why does Qianniang work so hard to socialize and gain fame? Isn't it because she wants to marry into a wealthy family?
But if Yan Yingqi is willing to give the best son-in-law to Yao Niang, what's the point of Qian Niang doing all this?
"Let's let the third young lady go to the flower banquet at Gong Ci Fu's house tomorrow. You should go to the third room in person and tell them about it." Zhen said calmly.
Mother Wei was worried: "What if they ask why you didn't take her with you before? How should I explain it?"
Zhen shook her head: "The third girl is a very sensible and intelligent person, she won't ask. If someone else asks, you can say that I didn't know whether the second lady had other arrangements, so I didn't come to ask."
Mother Wei took the order and left.
At this time, Xie was looking at the account book, which was the account of the shop outside. After she finished reading it, she asked Yao Niang to help her calculate. Originally, Yao Niang was not very familiar with the abacus at first, but after helping Xie with the abacus every day for a month, she had become very good at it, and even Xie was not as fast as her.
"Mom, there are two problems here." After Yao Niang finished the calculation, she felt that there were some discrepancies in the account book, so she circled them with charcoal.
Xie's teahouse was very successful, especially among scholars and young people. Some people even waited for the teahouse to open early in the morning with their chess boards in hand to play chess, and no waiter would chase them away.
The snacks are sweet and the tea is fragrant. What's even better is that the toilets in the teahouse are very clean and tidy.
Don’t forget to use the wax paper or gift boxes used to pack snacks.
I have a fixed income of thirty to fifty taels every month. Although it is not a lot, it is also income.
"A shop like this is designed to make a long-term profit. Normally, you sisters will receive two taels of silver per month, and the servants will receive one tael of silver for the first-class maids, and the rest will receive lower ranks accordingly. If you go to someone else's house in the future, and have two or three shops and rent from the land, and you are good at managing money, don't you think your life will be much better?" Xie said.
Yao Niang nodded slightly.
When they heard that Mother Wei was coming, the mother and daughter calmly put their account books and abacus aside and waited for her to come in. Sure enough, after Mother Wei finished speaking, Xie and Yao Niang did not ask any questions or anything, but just smiled and said, "Thank you very much, Madam."
Mother Wei breathed a sigh of relief and retreated.
Yao Niang was puzzled: "Why did the Madam agree to take me there again?"
"She wants Zheng Bo Ke to kill Duan Yuyan, and I have seen through her thoughts. You have also been obedient, so she cannot do it. You have to agree even if you don't want to." Xie said with a smile.
Yao Niang looked at Xie: "Is it because of Daddy?"
"There is this reason, but it's more about gossip. If your brother passes the provincial examination, you and I will be exposed to the public sooner or later. How will others look at her then?" Xie knew Zhen's thoughts very well.
Yao Niang glanced at Lie and suddenly asked, "Mom, Dad likes you more, is it because you are more beautiful?"
But Xie smiled and waved her hands: "Of course not, your grandfather's original favorite concubine was an ordinary woman. I heard from your grandmother that the woman was really very ordinary, just pretty. Different people have different preferences. Of course, beautiful people have some advantages, but it is not absolute. Some people have good personalities, some people wait for the clouds to clear and the moon to appear, and some people are very interesting. These are the fundamentals of attraction."
"Now I understand what you said. Just like the eldest sister, although she is not a lady, she is straightforward, unpretentious, unconventional, and values friendship and loyalty. The Prince of Qi's Mansion was not good to her. The Prince of Qi left her in a hurry last time, but she didn't have any grudges when he came to Beijing this time. No wonder she can get along well with Master Wu after just going to the Minister Wu's Mansion a few times. The fourth sister is indeed willful and spoiled, and sometimes says hurtful things, but if she can live like this all her life without any hesitation, it's nothing. Maybe someone will like her willfulness." Yao Niang smiled.
Xie glanced at her daughter and asked, "Why don't you talk about your second sister?"
Yao Niang smiled and said, "My daughter finds it hard to say. My second sister always looks calm and indifferent, but she is actually very ambitious. She is always praised as a talented woman, but now her paintings, calligraphy and even piano playing are not as good as my daughter's. On the Dragon Boat Festival, my father asked my brothers and sisters to write poems to celebrate, but my daughter's was better. I think she doesn't live up to her reputation. Everything she does is just conventional, and her personality is always depressed and a bit boring."
In fact, Yao Niang's words were spot on, but Xie said, "Keep these words in mind from now on, and be careful that there are ears on the other side of the wall."
"Okay." Yao Niang smiled.
Yu, who had been in Beijing for two months, was pregnant. This was a great joyous event for the Yan family. Guan was originally paying her respects to Xie, but when she heard the news, she couldn't help but touch her belly.
Xie comforted her, saying, "You are still young. Take care of yourself first. You will have a child eventually."
"Yes." Guan was quite grateful after hearing what Li said.
In fact, Guan had never expected that her weak mother-in-law would actually be so good at managing business. It was said that she opened a teahouse in just two months. Everything in the house was in order and no servant dared to act rashly.
As for her younger sister Yao Niang, she was also talkative and cheerful on weekdays, but she was not a talkative person. She was very good at needlework, music, chess, calligraphy and painting.
The most important thing is that she has a first-class ability to read people's expressions. It seems that for every step someone takes, she can think of three steps.
So Guan gradually assimilated into the group and dared not have any other ideas. After all, her mother-in-law and sister-in-law did not have any deep hatred against her.
Therefore, Guan took the initiative to talk to Jie: "Isn't your sister learning painting? I have a few ancient paintings. They are just sitting there. Why not send them to your sister so that she can see them? It's better than hiding them at the bottom of a box."
Xie nodded: "Go ask your sister what she likes."
This was Guan's intention to bring the relationship closer, because her sister-in-law, who married later than her, was already pregnant, and her in-laws did not blame her at all. But then again, her in-laws did not look down on her, but they would not help her much either.
If Guan wanted her mother-in-law and sister-in-law to help her, she had to please them. Xi Que beside her also breathed a sigh of relief: "It's good that you think so. When you asked the third girl to come over that time, she never wandered around and asked questions. It can be seen that she was brought up very strictly and usually doesn't bother others. Besides, she is the sweetheart of the second wife. If you treat her well, the second wife will also treat you well."
"I hope so too." Guan said.
But Yao Niang already knew what kind of person Guan was. She would rather serve people who are helpful to her than to those who are not helpful to her. Although she appeared to be amiable on the surface, she was not very close to Guan.
Besides, when Yu was pregnant, Zhen immediately asked the kitchen to stew a tonic for her. However, Yu was not happy at all. She said that Yan Jingzhao was taking the Shuntianfu County Examination. In fact, Yan Jingzhao also took the County Examination in Shuntianfu. He came to Beijing at the end of February for the County Examination and passed the examination as soon as he arrived. It was said that others also accepted him for his father's sake, but it didn't work for the Prefecture Examination in April.
He failed the provincial examination and was not even a student.
How could Yu not be anxious?
"Second sister-in-law, are you okay?" Yao Niang asked.
Yu smiled and hid her thoughts: "It's just a little bit annoying, the rest is fine."
After visiting Mrs. Yu, Yan Ningxin smiled and invited them to come over for tea. Only Yao Niang went over happily, while the rest said they had something to do. They didn't realize that since they hadn't paid much attention to their elder sister for some days, she made good tea.
"The tea flavor is light and the tea color is clear, very good." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Yan Ningxin thought that this was all thanks to the several books on the Tea Classic that Wu Xian gave her. She was not proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and she was not good at needlework from the beginning. She only learned it because she heard that Yan Yingqi liked to drink tea.
Therefore, she was somewhat proud: "If Third Sister wants to have tea in the future, just come to me."
"That's great." Yao Niang took another sip and thought it tasted good.
Yan Ningxin had eaten the cakes sent by the third wife several times. She and Xie's Yao Niang had not had much interaction, so this was just a way of returning the favor. Seeing Yao Niang praising her, she said, "I heard that the fourth sister said that the third sister would also go to the Gong family this time. If you don't understand anything, just ask me."
窈娘道：“我也沒什麽好問的，不過是跟着姐姐們罷了，你們如何行事，我就如何行事。”
顏寧馨一想也是。
而窈娘初次出門，解氏比她還緊張，“京中的閨秀們都素來豪放些，不比我們江南人更斯文，她們這裏的女孩子們還多會馬球，若是有人欺負你了，你可一定要回來告訴我。”
“好了娘，我頭一次和她們出去，便是坐冷板凳也很正常的，我可不是瑩娘，一個人如廁都不成，還非得要人陪，我本來就是個獨行俠，您就別擔心我了。”窈娘自己常常一個人習慣了，她在金陵的時候偶爾跟着甄氏出去見面，也從來不會搶瑩娘的風頭。
解氏卻只是覺得女兒可憐，嫡不嫡，庶不庶的，也虧得這個孩子堅強。
“都是娘害了你。”解氏喃喃。
窈娘倒是比她娘堅強：“娘，別說這些老話了，自古貧賤出良才，更何況我好歹也是吏部侍郎的女兒，祖父是河南布政使，哥哥大有可為，娘親呢人美心善還會做生意，對我更是無微不至，若是連我也成日作怨婦狀，那這世上的人還活不活了？”
當年她就見過那些比她小多了的小女孩，衣衫褴褛，背上背着弟弟或者是妹妹，手上提着瓦罐，罐子裏稀薄的一點米粥。
和這些孩子們比起來，她的日子已經是非常好過了。
何必自怨自艾？
解氏聽她說完也是一怔：“也是哦。”
窈娘其實也是為了讓解氏放心，顧媽媽提前幫她把衣服熨燙好，青黛和紅袖兩個也是滿是雀躍，小姐能夠出去玩兒，她們也能跟着出去，總比老是憋在家裏好。
只有關氏聽說窈娘和大房的姑娘們一起出去交際，認定了是解氏對公公說了什麽，故而才如此，心中又不平起來：“我成日關在家中，倒不能出去見人，那個嫁了個庶出的，倒常常以吏部侍郎的兒媳婦自居。”
偏偏她還啞巴吃黃連，有苦說不出。
這話若是對丈夫哭訴，那就是指着和尚罵禿驢，她還沒那麽傻？
本來三房的人都被打壓也罷了，如今小姑子開開心心的出去赴宴，她反倒是還能委委屈屈伺候個妾婆婆。
自己倒是成了見不得光的人了，如何讓她不憋悶？
喜鵲勸道：“您別生氣，等日後咱們大爺有了功名，可不就什麽都有了。她倒是得意，但二爺連個童生試都沒過。”
“這倒也是，但我總覺得我這婆婆什麽都沒有為自己兒子兒媳操心。我相公是靠自己的才幹才得以看中，兒媳婦進門也跟窩囊廢見不得光似的。”關氏越說嘴越毒。
若非是親耳聽到，誰也不曾想到看起來最為規矩的關氏居然是這樣的人。
喜鵲立馬讓盯梢的人把風，免得被人聽到，那可是大逆不道。
事實證明，人的身份并不代表一個人的本質，名門貴女，未必就是賢良淑德教養好。關氏就是最好的例子，她只是外表符合所有人夢寐以求的，完美無缺的家世，挑不出錯的禮儀，還擅長管家，很會管下人。
可實際上她就是個以自我為中心，尊自己為菩薩，看他人如穢泥的人。
**
馬車一路行使平緩，窈娘和瑩娘同一輛馬車，瑩娘正在炫耀：“我和龔家四姐兒關系別提多好了，上次我的那把傘就是她送給我的。還有龔家六太太的小兒子也別提多可愛了，三姐姐你說奇不奇怪，她別的人都不要，就要我抱，說我最好看呢。”
“聽起來還挺好的。”窈娘笑笑，她知道瑩娘在顯擺。
瑩娘果然很得意：“三姐姐，你也不能老是待在家中，也要多出來走走。”
“是啊，我會的。”窈娘淡淡的道。
二人尬聊了一路，窈娘懶得聽她多說，只是閉目養神。
龔次輔家中人丁興旺，只不過聽聞龔家持家很儉省，并不似顏家那般，亭臺樓榭金堆玉砌，這也是窈娘很少會抱怨自己的理由。
甄氏還真是做的挑不出一絲錯來，當着龔老夫人的面介紹道：“前些日子我們三姑娘在家中陪伴她母親，今日我也特地帶着她過來給您請安。”
窈娘今年六月的生辰，也就是馬上就要十二歲了，她結合了解氏和顏應祁的優點，沒有南方女子的嬌小玲珑，反而身形高挑苗條，和大姐顏寧馨個頭相似。雖然和姐妹們梳着同樣的頭發，但很明顯她的相貌要出衆許多。
說她如月中姮娥，旱地蓮花，讓人實在是難以忘記的美貌。
“你們家這位三姑娘倒是生的很标致。”龔老夫人笑道。
甄氏含笑應是，“多謝您誇獎。”
大人們敘話之後，龔家大姑娘是主人家，她是龔老夫人的大孫女兒，一派端莊之像，她一路上倒是跟顏家姐妹介紹：“我們家裏旁的不說，池塘一旁的睡蓮生的極好，正好戲臺子也擺在附近，因為有水聲，故而在很遠處也能聽到回聲。”
窈娘稀奇的發現，她在家中那些姐妹們在這裏似乎都變了個樣，一貫嘴毒的瑩娘立馬拉着龔大姑娘的手臂，很是親昵道：“龔大姐姐，莫說這麽多了，我不是單純來賞花兒的，我是來和你還有四姐兒一起玩兒的。上次咱們投壺，你可是咱們這些人裏的狀元，你可要帶着我玩兒啊。”
“那是當然，你的小嘴這麽甜，我怎麽可能不管你呢。”龔大姑娘見瑩娘生的圓圓臉兒，又十分可愛，就像鄰家小妹似的，天真爛漫，不知怎麽就想照顧她。
瑩娘爽朗一笑，一股子被寵愛小妹妹的模樣。
龔大姑娘帶她們到目的地後，倩娘參過過幾次詩會也會相熟的人，顏寧馨陪了窈娘一會兒，便被個丫頭叫走，還有些歉意道：“三妹妹，我有事先離開一會兒。”
“姐姐快去吧，別管我，我在這兒逛會。”窈娘生怕耽誤了顏寧馨。
顏寧馨仿佛真的有事，就先離開了。
這裏來的大多數的閨秀們都是互相熟識，她錯過了第一次跟姐妹們一起來介紹的機會，現在龔家以為顏家兩位姐姐會介紹，也就不會多嘴。
哪裏知道是這般境況，窈娘倒也沉得住氣，只帶着兩個丫頭一起賞花：“這是繡球花，咱們家裏也有。”
“姑娘，您平日和二姑娘關系不錯，怎麽現在她只顧着自己交朋友，都不和您說話的？”青黛略微有些不滿。
窈娘卻笑道：“人家又不欠我們的，幹嘛這麽幫我們呢？”
“可是你們不是姐妹嗎？”
明明在金陵的時候，二姑娘和三姑娘關系算是很不錯的。
窈娘莞爾：“但這裏是京城，以前那都是小孩子的時候，現在我們慢慢長大了，每個人都要有自己的打算。”
顏家四個女兒，年齡差距并不大，同行即冤家，這個道理也是現在的窈娘才懂的。
想要融入一個圈子，就不能猛然谄媚進去，這樣日後人家提到你也是一幅谄媚相，會被人恥笑。
說是花宴，其實也就是讓大家一起聚聚，賞心悅事罷了。
姑娘們三三兩兩投壺，或者在一旁池塘喂鯉魚，甚至是在一起說笑話，尤其是瑩娘笑的前仰後合，和大家打打鬧鬧。
其實窈娘也是有點羨慕的，交際能力也是一種能力。
是不是自己太故步自封了呢？要去四處低聲下氣求別人和自己做朋友嗎？似乎沒有這個必要，窈娘并非是什麽低聲下氣的人。
這般還不如在一旁畫畫呢，她找人要了一幅筆墨紙硯，畫了一幅衆女賞花圖。原本她只是随意作畫當作消遣，畢竟她勤筆不辍，每日畫人物，連生病的時候都會起身畫畫，但總覺得有所不足。沒想到快畫完的時候，龔大姑娘看到了，滿目驚豔之色。
“顏三姑娘，你這畫藝真好，尤其是人物神态抓的很準，即便是一個背影我都能認出誰是誰了。”
“大姑娘謬贊了，我不過是見這滿園春色，姐妹們賞花之意，故而一時技癢，想做了紀念。”窈娘絲毫不覺得自己畫技多麽出衆。
龔大姑娘誇獎她，她身後跟着的幾位姑娘都是她相熟的人，自然也跟着附和起來。窈娘這才順勢和她們重新介紹自己，都是年齡相仿的姑娘，她們互敘了年齒。
有人問起窈娘：“你的畫兒畫的真好，學了幾年啊？”
“我哪裏畫的好了，才學了四年多而已，倒是我見姐姐這帕子上的花兒繡的好，可是你親手繡的？”窈娘開始引導話題。
那姑娘腼腆笑道：“是啊，是我繡的。”
“你真厲害。”窈娘拿着她的帕子欣賞起來，繼續引導話題：“只是這上面的木槿花讓我想起了幾首詩詞，诶，大家既然聚在一處，不如玩個游戲。”
龔大姑娘笑道：“什麽游戲，只管說來？”
“咱們身上佩戴的香囊帕子總有花紋，若以此為飛花令，若是有人說不出就罰誰給大家簪花，如何？”窈娘提議。
Everyone thought this was a good idea, and Miss Gong also agreed.
Suddenly everyone here started talking.
…
When Yan Ningxin returned to the garden, she thought she would see Yao Niang sitting there alone, but unexpectedly, Yao Niang mingled with everyone and started talking and laughing.
She turned to Jinli beside her and said, "I never thought that Third Sister would have such a good time the first time she came. These girls who grew up in the inner chambers really don't need my sympathy. They have taken to it so quickly."
Jin Li smiled and said, "Miss, you have nothing to worry about. Didn't Master Wu say there will be a polo match next time? The other girls in the Yan family are completely clueless, so this is a good opportunity for you to show off your skills."
Yin Dan also nodded: "Yes, young lady. The young ladies of the Yan family are all from the south. They always suppress you because they have studied a few more years. You should let them see your power soon. In this way, the master will look at you differently."
Yan Ningxin nodded secretly. She could only help her cousin if her father valued her. In this world, only her cousin was truly related to her by blood and was the best person to her.