Chapter 043 Chapter 43

Birds were chirping outside the window. Xie had woken up a long time ago and was leaning on the bed reading a book. She watched her daughter wake up with a moan, and looked at Yao Niang with full expectation. She was so beautiful, more beautiful than herself, and also smarter, more clever and more carefree than herself.

"Mother, I slept so well last night. Do you see that my eyes are red? I always can't sleep well in a carriage." Yao Niang yawned after she said this.

Xie looked at her daughter's eyes carefully and said, "They are a little red."

Yao Niang smiled and said, "Then apply a hot towel to it later, mother, I have no other plans. The Luoyang peony will bloom in April next year. This time, everything will be handled by your daughter. I will take you to play and paint a few more pictures for you."

Taking the first step bravely is the real growth.

After the mother and daughter got up, the old concubine sent someone to deliver breakfast. Magistrate Xie always brought his own cook and servants with him wherever he went, so the taste would not change much.

After having breakfast of rice balls, wontons, steamed buns, two kinds of porridge and a few side dishes, Yao Niang and Jie stood up and stretched.

The prices in Henan are much cheaper than those in Beijing and Nanjing. Kaifeng is known as the ancient capital of eight dynasties, and of course it is also a place with rich cultural heritage. When Jie Zhifu first took office, he was in a mess. Kaifeng Prefecture governed four states and 28 counties, and he had to make a good handover with the people left behind by his predecessor.

Even during lunch, he had to review cases. Fortunately, Mr. Wang, who was by Prefect Xie's side, was very good at criminal law, and Mr. Xu was a famous assistant, and he also had to follow Prefect Xie to contact high-ranking officials in the province.

Master Xu and Yao Niang had the same idea. He said to Prefect Jie, "Dong Weng, we don't know if Master Zhu (the Third Old Master) has any enemies while in office. We should hold back now and reveal it slowly in the future."

Although it is said that it is easy to be an official if you have connections in the court, if you happen to meet a political enemy, you will be like a sheep walking into a tiger's mouth.

At dinner, the family ate together, but the old concubine refused to sit down. She was a stubborn old lady and only wanted to sit at the small table beside them to eat. Yao Niang then realized why Xie had always been so polite, and it was actually because of the old concubine.

"Grandpa, what do you think is the most difficult thing these days?" Yao Niang asked casually.

Prefect Xie had a very good temper. When Yao Niang asked him about it, he did not scold her. Instead, he patiently replied, "The vassal kings are asking for rice. There are many vassal kings in Henan. This year is also a disaster year. The rice has not been replenished. The previous prefect's office was demolished. It was only repaired before I came."

When it comes to the issue of the royal family and vassal states, Prefect Jie is also very eloquent. Yao Niang suddenly feels that those who can become officials are actually not bad, and are even much better than ordinary people. But why do many people say that they are mediocre? It's still the same old saying, the first bird to be shot is the one that is afraid of being shot.

It is also said that Chen Tongzhi's wife asked Xie to go to the silver shop to make hairpins. She wanted to ask Xie what she meant by that and then act as a bridge. Otherwise, even if she did a good deed, others might not appreciate it.

But Susan Chan was genuinely happy.

Yao Niang actually had enough jewelry. When she was in the capital, her sisters would buy new ones every now and then, and her father would also give her jewelry on her birthday every year. After she started to grow her hair, she felt it was new at first, but later, all those jar-hairpins and buns that looked so gorgeous with pearls, jade, gold and silver gave her a headache when she wore them on her head.

Therefore, she usually decorated her hair with silk or gauze flowers or real flowers instead of embroidering it with pearls and jade.

Xie also wanted to take her daughter out to see the local customs. Yao Niang and Chen Shuyi rode in the same carriage. Chen Shuyi boldly introduced them, "Mother said that we should go to the silver shop to look at the styles later, and then go to the Yuelai Restaurant for dinner. Their peach steamed buns are absolutely amazing."

"That's great. I was wondering what Kaifeng has to offer, and I'm grateful for your introduction." Yao Niang said with a smile. She opened the carriage curtain again and saw the notice posted on the street. She couldn't help but frown: "How can we catch the criminal with a painting like this? I don't think we can catch the fugitive even if we spend a hundred years."

Chen Shuyi carefully leaned over to take a look and couldn't help but say, "It's scary."

Yao Niang laughed and said, "It won't be scary if we catch the bad guys."

Then, she asked Chen Shuyi: "Sister Chen, have you ever been to Kaifeng Mansion?"

Susan Chan shook her head: "I seldom go out and I am too lazy to go out."

Unlike her, Yao Niang wanted to go wandering around the Xie family. The scenery of mountains and famous peaks was too far away, but it would be unacceptable if she hadn't even been to Kaifeng Prefecture.

In another carriage, Madam Chen quietly inquired about Xie's past, "Madam Yan, do you have only one daughter?"

Xie smiled and said, "Of course not. I have an eldest son who is an official in the capital."

"He's an official now?" Mrs. Chen was a little skeptical. Could he be a stepson?

Seeing that she didn't believe him, Xie said, "Yes, my son has been successful in the imperial examinations. Before he was 20 years old, he was already ranked second in the imperial examinations. He is now serving as a scholar in the Hanlin Academy."

How should I put it? Be a little more modest with people you know, but don't be shy with people you don't know.

Mrs. Chen was surprised: "Oh, your son is really a dragon and a phoenix. Unfortunately, I only have one daughter, Shuyi. This child is honest and I want to find a live-in son-in-law in the future. If you know anyone, you must introduce one to me."

"Recruiting a son-in-law? That's great. Now a son-in-law can also take part in the imperial examinations, and there's a smart person like you." Xie said.

Why didn't Mrs. Chen ask about Xie's husband again? The reason is that as a woman, if she has daughters or children, she has to rely on men for a living. But if her son is already an official, then she will become an old lady in the future. Why should she serve others?

Mrs. Chen was amazing. She came from a small merchant family. She fell in love with her husband, who was a junior high school scholar and came from a farming family, at first sight. She brought two shops as a dowry and managed the business to support her husband. Later, relying on her ability to get along with people, when her husband was still a scholar, she established good relationships with the wives of the Yujian students in the provincial capital and even helped her husband get a recommendation from the Gongjian.

Later, when her husband went to the Imperial College, she simply sold her shop and went to study with him. She was more concerned than her husband about poetry gatherings and lectures. She even went to the Imperial College's director's wife because she knew she loved playing mahjong, and often played mahjong with her. Later, she learned that the director's wife was most worried about her son's homosexuality, so she spent a lot of effort to find a stunning woman for him. He changed his old ways, and now the couple is very happy.

This made the Director of the Imperial College take good care of her husband, and Chen Tongzhi certainly did not disappoint her expectations, and he finally passed the imperial examination and became a Jinshi at the age of 35.

Because she was only a top-three scholar and had no connections, others who had connections were forced to stay in Beijing, so her husband had to be sent out. Mrs. Chen used her superb skills and later found a job while her husband was currently serving as the Tongzhi of Kaifeng Prefecture.

Therefore, Mrs. Chen's eyes were very bright.

"If you are staying here for a long time, you have to make some income for yourself. I have invested 20% in the local Peng family. I can introduce you to them when the time comes." Mrs. Chen was very sincere.

This is how she is. If she wants to please others, she has to be sincere to them, be concerned about others' concerns, and think about what they think. If 10% of the people she treats sincerely are good people, she will be rewarded.

Of course, this sincerity also depends on the person you are trying to please.

Xie is not averse to dealing with smart people. Smart people generally know current affairs and are much better than stupid people.

Soon they arrived at the jewelry store. Kaifeng Prefecture was not as prosperous as the capital, but the style was down-to-earth and not fancy. Yao Niang took out a box of jewelry sent by Yan Yingqi and placed it on the counter and said, "I happen to have a ruby, so I'll inlay it on the boudoir and the cat's eye stone will be made into a ring."

The shopkeeper took them in his hands and looked at them for a long time: "These gems are really one in a million, and they are worth a fortune."

Yao Niang smiled and said, "This is a birthday present my father gave me, so it is naturally very good."

Mrs. Chen thought that it was a good thing that she didn't say it out loud, otherwise, it would be really embarrassing. Besides, this little girl from the Yan family would casually spend money on such valuable jewelry, so she must not be from an ordinary family.

She wanted to tell her daughter to get closer to Yao Niang, but she thought of Shuyi's personality and how difficult it was to have a friend. If she really said that, it would be mean-spirited and her daughter would definitely be unhappy.

After ordering the jewelry, they agreed to go to a teahouse for dinner. Mrs. Chen smiled and said, "Since I invited you out today, I will be the host. Don't try to steal the meal from me."

Yao Niang thought that this Mrs. Chen was indeed an important person. Chen Shuyi was a very honest person. When she heard on the road that Yao Niang's ancestral home was in Jinling, she told her all her background. Her father was born in a peasant family, but because of his intelligence, he studied in a community school for a few years, and worked as a book boy for others. Later, he passed the examination and became a scholar. Their family was largely thanks to her mother's management.

For a moment, she felt that such people were real and alive. They had desires, dared to think and act, and did not wait for others to rescue them.

Later, after the hairpin arrived, Xie invited Mrs. Chen again. Yao Niang and Chen Shuyi interacted quite frequently, and she even painted a picture of Chen Shuyi smiling while holding a flower.

The girl in the picture is infinitely shy and tender, which perfectly captures the beauty of Chen Shuyi.

Chen Shuyi was of course very fond of it. When Mrs. Chen saw it, she also came to explain to Xie: "That little shadow is really well drawn. Yao Niang is really knowledgeable."

"Stop praising her, or she'll be in big trouble."

“那有什麽，好孩子就得誇。對了，按察使家的女兒邵惜惜及笄之宴，她呢，是個好熱鬧的姑娘，原本只請了我們淑怡過去，你們才過來，她可能還不知曉，偏我想窈娘和我們淑怡關系好，不如一同去觀禮，也算是多認得一個朋友，所以，讓她補了一張帖子給我。”陳夫人算是為女兒操碎了心，她是個喜歡鑽營的人，沒有縫都能開辟一條縫去鑽，可生的女兒卻是那般老實，也不愛湊熱鬧，又怕人。

解氏心想女兒常常和自己一處，當然很好，可是她也更需要同齡朋友說話玩耍，這遠比什麽都強。

如此，也就答應了。

窈娘頭一次不是和自己家中姐妹一起出去，她問起陳淑怡：“姐姐和這位按察使的女兒熟不熟？”

陳淑怡搖搖頭：“我只見過她一次，還是她祖父到任時，我娘帶我過去過。只不過，我聽彭姑娘同我說起，說她和布政使的孫女關系很好。”

有陳夫人這樣長袖善舞的娘，即便陳淑怡常常不出門，也會耳濡目染。

“陳姐姐，咱們倆觀禮之後就坐在一處說話吧，這樣也自在。”窈娘也不認識誰，和陳淑怡在一起還自在些。

陳淑怡正巴不得如此：“好。”

二人來到按察使後衙，讓仆婦遞了帖子，又跟着大人們一起進去。熟料今日這位要及笄的主角邵惜惜卻是個非常熱情活潑的姑娘，她拉着陳淑怡和窈娘的手一齊進去，嘴裏還佯裝抱怨道：“沒想到今日來了兩位好姐妹，快些進來吧，我姓邵，閨名惜惜，你們就叫我惜惜好了。”

窈娘也笑着介紹自己：“我是解知府的外孫女，這位是陳同知的女兒，我叫窈娘，她叫淑怡。”

邵惜惜親切的喊了一聲她們的閨名，又領着她們到一處小花廳，裏面已經坐了兩位少女，一位身材高挑，肌膚微豐，俨然仕女圖中的仕女，另一位則生的圓圓胖胖的，看起來着實喜慶，

幾人相互見禮，身材高挑的姑娘叫葉淨婉，是河南左布政使的孫女，也就是窈娘祖父升任河道總督之後，原本的右布政使升任左布政使了。另一位胖胖的姑娘叫俞慶兒，她是總兵官的女兒。

幾人之中，沒想到娃娃臉的俞慶兒年紀最大，邵惜惜次子，葉淨婉和陳淑怡都十四歲，窈娘反而年紀最小了。

“顏姑娘是從京中來的嗎？”俞慶兒問道。

窈娘點頭：“是啊。”

“我聽說京城的女子都時興打馬球？”

“對。”

“那你會嗎？”

窈娘搖頭：“我并不會，我也沒去京裏多久。”

二人不鹹不淡的說了幾句，葉淨婉性子有些高傲，并不怎麽搭理人，陳淑怡就更不必說了，那是個能不多說話就不多說話的，窈娘初來乍到也不想給大家留下話多的印象。

正好說前院要行及笄禮，窈娘和陳淑怡一起過去，及笄禮上有邵惜惜的父母俱在，其餘正賓、贊者、贊禮、擯者和執事由女性擔任，三個托盤分別由三位執事托着，盛發笄、發簪、釵冠，只不過這個時候請來彈琴的樂者卻不見了。

按察使夫人攤手道：“這叫什麽事兒啊？我可是專門請的大家來的。上次惜惜做十周歲的生辰，老爺專門做了那麽大的壽桃饅頭，偏偏從中間裂開，現在又發生這樣的事情。”

窈娘覺得這位按察使夫人很奇怪，正常的母親一般都會立馬再請個人來就是，哪裏會在及笄宴上訴說自己女兒不吉利。

果然，按察使眉頭擰了一下：“再去找一位大家過來吧？”

“哪裏那麽容易找，這些人出身不能低，琴藝還要好……”

衆人都知道，如今世道女子讀書識字只要家中有幾個錢的，都識字，但是彈唱的少，多是樂籍女子，要不就是名家子弟。

窈娘看向邵惜惜，見她眼淚都要迸出來，站在窈娘身畔方才還有些清高的葉淨婉道：“準是她這位後母搗鬼？”

“葉姑娘，這是什麽意思？”窈娘忍不住問道。

葉淨婉冷哼道：“她繼母平日視她為眼中釘，沒事兒還要磋磨于她，怎麽好讓她專美于前？顏姑娘，你別看惜惜平時笑呵呵的，日子可是不好過呢。”說完，又立馬去安慰邵惜惜。

按察使夫人這個時候一幅無事忙的樣子。

眼見按察使一幅不耐煩，随時準備拂袖而去的樣子，窈娘深吸一口氣，站了出來。

“邵夫人，《高山流水》的曲子不如我來吧。”

按察使夫人眉心不由得跳了一下，又幹笑道：“小姑娘，你成嗎？”

窈娘胸有成竹道：“晚輩師從弘興四十六年的榜眼黃顯之學箜篌，又從餘大家習古琴，如何不會？現下事急從權，不如讓晚輩一試。”

“父親，就讓顏姑娘試試吧。”邵惜惜不想讓自己的成人禮失敗。

如此，按察使才點頭：“好，就讓她試試吧。”

窈娘鎮定自若的坐在古琴前面，調好了琴弦，立馬琴聲傳來，流暢自然，一時如同聽潺潺溪流之聲，一時又仿佛瀑布之響，甚至能從琴聲中看到延綿不絕的高山。

真正好的琴藝絕對不是炫技，而是琴聲能讓人沉浸其中，如此才是真的琴藝。

一曲作罷，窈娘準備功成身退，卻被邵惜惜拉住，說她專門在裏屋設宴，只請她們幾位親近之人。

因為有了這一遭，大家再坐在一起時就不那麽尴尬了，邵惜惜對窈娘道：“方才讓你們見笑了，我母親為了我父親的仕途變賣嫁妝，後來母親病去，父親仕途大好，又娶了名門出身的繼母，她又生了兩個妹妹，嫌棄我占着長女的名分，父親不得不為我找一門好親事，因此繼母對我自然是眼中釘肉中刺。”

“好歹你爹無論是礙于名聲還是如何，還要為你找一門好親事，我就慘了。”

衆人聽到說這話的人居然是俞慶兒，都有些詫異，俞慶兒為自己斟了一杯酒，一飲而盡，才苦笑道：“我自小在祖父祖母身邊長大，記事了才回到爹娘身邊，妹妹比我生的好看，又比我會說話，父母本來就偏心。好在我祖父母疼我，祖母又是鄉君出身，願意給一份私房給我，并不讓我爹媽給我出嫁妝。可今年，我父親因為交了罰銀，連帶着把我母親的陪嫁都陪送進去了。我和妹妹只相差一歲，她們嫌棄我癡肥又傻，只恨不得我立時死了，把祖母的私房都給我妹妹。”

窈娘勸道：“這恐怕不可能吧，父母怎麽會待兒女如此？”

俞慶兒紅着眼圈抹淚：“任是誰也不會信，現下我在家中，她們是橫挑鼻子豎挑眼，若我能回老家和祖父母一起就好了。”

“你好歹還有祖父母，我卻是祖父母都不疼的。”一貫沉默的陳淑怡，也傾吐苦水：“我父親出身農家，一路及第做官，母親卻只生了我一個。我母親剛強，祖母和祖父卻常常在家打雞攆狗說我娘是不下蛋的母雞，就連我因為性子木讷，我父親也常常嫌棄我，說即便我做叫花子讨飯也沒本事。父親常常對我的堂兄弟們比我關心多了，就連俸祿都送一半回去給她們，我若做了新襖新裙，父親必定說我染上奢靡之風，我若是穿的簡樸一些，父親又說我小家子氣。”

衆人聽了又很沉默，窈娘撫着她的肩膀，感嘆道：“真是家家都有一本難念的經。”

葉淨婉笑着看陳淑怡：“我雖然常常冷眼旁觀，可到底知曉你母親很是疼你，對你視若掌上明珠。我親娘是續弦，進門後一心想生個兒子，卻沒想到生我的時候難産，怎麽調理也無法再有身孕，故而對我冷淡至極。甚至，她還找了算命先生算命，說是我妨礙了她，把我在襁褓中送給人家做童養媳，改了人家的姓，說如此母女二人方才平安。後來，是那家的男丁死了，母親又嫌棄我是克夫命，說我妨礙全家，無法，我才跟着祖父到任上。”

聽完大家的故事，窈娘道：“我爹娘都對我極好，兄長也是年紀輕輕就仕途極好，祖母雖然偏心我兄長，可是對我也頂多就是冷淡一些，祖父見我受到冷落，還會帶我去榷場玩兒。”

葉淨婉不悅道：“你這麽說是來氣我們的嗎？”

窈娘搖頭：“只是可惜我父親兼祧兩房，偏我母親不是大房的房頭，若不住在一起倒好，住在一處時，我母親身份尴尬，我的身份也尴尬。我祖母呢，只願意讓我哥哥過繼，又不想要我娘，即便我哥哥成婚時，對我母親都毫不尊重，當下人似的。”

大家猜到窈娘如此氣度不凡，肯定出身極佳，沒想到都還有這樣的往事。

邵惜惜舉杯：“我本以為我的日子苦，沒想法諸位都是，能夠有幸認識幾位朋友，這是我邵惜惜的福分。”

"It's also my honor." Yao Niang rarely shared so many of her inner thoughts with anyone other than her mother and brother.

Ye Jingwan also raised her glass: "People outside probably think we are all rich ladies, wearing silk and satin, as if we are already in the best of times. Little do they know how many troubles we have that outsiders don't know about?"

"Let's not talk too much, just continue to enjoy your food and drinks." Shao Xixi invited everyone to eat.

People talked to each other and exchanged their opinions, discussing everything under the sun.

At this time, it was——

Mountains and rivers are not important; what is important is to meet a close friend.

Yao Niang took a sip of the drink and felt that it was really nice to come to Henan. It was also good to be able to make friends.