Chapter 066 Chapter 66
Yao Niang lives in a large family like the Yan family, with many brothers and sisters, and even more relatives and clansmen. She certainly understands some social etiquette, so when Shen Linfeng did this, she certainly didn't want to refuse his kindness, but she still smiled and held his hand: "Today is the first day of marriage. According to the rules, I should serve my mother and husband, so let me do it."
Shen Linfeng also reacted. He even heard the Goddess's sister calling him husband. He couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion in his heart. He looked at Yao Niang getting up and said to Madam Shen, "She asked me what you like to eat this morning. I was afraid that something might go wrong."
"Oh, this child is indeed filial." Mrs. Shen's compliment was of course not heartfelt. She didn't even understand why Shen Linfeng had such a special liking for Concubine Yan.
But now that her son is married, she can no longer be at odds with him and act like a bad person like before. It would be bad if her son hated her.
The Shen family had a very light breakfast. There were several kinds of porridge, such as peanut porridge, lily porridge, milk porridge, chestnut porridge, almond porridge, and fresh fruits such as cherries, kumquats, candied dates, etc. There were layers of cakes and vegetables stacked up. Yao Niang could only barely see a few of the ones in front of her, such as sesame cakes, lamb liver cakes, and crystal dragon and pheasant cakes, not to mention venison and cabbage, braised lamb, and three-fresh duck.
Yao Niang certainly couldn't just serve the dishes casually. She saw Mrs. Shen's maid serve her a bowl of chestnut porridge, and there was salted duck on the plate. She thought that Mrs. Shen probably had the taste of Jinling, and people in Jinling loved to eat salted duck.
So, she picked up a piece of bamboo shoots and baked vegetarian ham with chopsticks and put it on Mrs. Shen's plate, then picked up the knife on the table, broke it in half with chopsticks, and cut a piece of fried eel for Shen Linfeng.
Although Yao Niang couldn't cook, she was good at serving dishes. Xie had been a daughter-in-law for many years and had a powerful mother-in-law like the Third Old Lady. Therefore, Yao Niang had been very experienced in eating crabs, peeling shrimps and removing fish bones since she was a child.
Mrs. Shen wanted to eat a piece of vegetarian ham, but she didn't expect her daughter-in-law to have it in her mouth. She also saw that the child was serving dishes to Lin Feng, and she was very serious and didn't even look at her son. She knew some sense of propriety. She said, "Brother Feng, daughter-in-law, you should sit down and eat with us. The rules in our family are not that strict."
Only then did Yao Niang sit down to eat. She was not a picky eater, so she finished the peanut porridge and ate the braised mutton. Mutton was the best for replenishing qi and blood. The sesame cake was also crispy and fragrant. She looked at Shen Linfeng with a frown: "It's delicious."
Shen Linfeng didn't dare to help like he did just now, but seeing Yao Niang's smile, he felt his heart melt. He had a good impression of her at first because Yao Niang helped her mother to fight for the imperial edict. Shen Linfeng was of course aware of Xie's identity, but most people just resigned themselves to fate, and even felt that the Xie family had benefited from the Yan family. Otherwise, if they really had the status of the Xie family, they might not be able to marry Yan Yingqi. They had all gotten it.
It was Yao Niang who told him with practical actions that a son will not despise his mother’s ugliness, and a dog will not despise his family’s poverty. No matter what your status is, you are my family, and I will always fight for you.
Therefore, he admired her very much, and along the way, Yao Niang felt very comfortable getting along with him.
He was worried that Yao Niang was neglected and miserable at home, but he didn't expect that she had such a good appetite.
He is pretending to be cheerful, but she is genuinely bright.
After the three of them finished their meal, Shen Linfeng left first, saying that men should not stay in the inner house for too long. Madam Shen took Yao Niang's hand and said, "Your second brother's wedding will be in a few days, so there are many relatives living in our house. You should also pay a visit to the elders."
"Yes, it is my duty. However, I am young and cannot speak well. I am afraid of offending others. I hope you can help me." Yao Niang said with a smile.
Whether she is a master or not can be known after just a few words. When Mrs. Shen saw that Yan Ningxin had run away and came to apologize, causing the father and son of the Yan family to lose everything, she knew that she was a big swindler. And this Miss Yan San has always been the proud daughter of Minister Yan, and she is always flawless in what she says and does.
Mrs. Shen couldn't refuse, of course: "Okay, you are my daughter-in-law, I always treat you as my own daughter."
"My mother also said that Madam is kind and asked me to be more filial to you after I get married. I also know that these filial piety cannot be said just by words, but time will reveal a person's true heart." Yao Niang is the best at talking pretty words. Anyway, as long as you don't catch any handle on her, she won't believe any nonsense that you treat her as a daughter.
Mrs. Shen held her hand and sat down. Yao Niang was actually a little uncomfortable, but she still sat there with a smile on her face. After a while, several relatives of the Shen family came over.
Although there were some disagreements with the second aunt yesterday, Yao Niang looked the same as when they first met, without any grudges. She even heard the eldest aunt of the Shen family say, "I think the bride's forehead is white, smooth and full, she must be a blessed person."
This eldest aunt was already a grandmother, with white hair on her temples. Because Yao Niang got married in a hurry, she was not very familiar with the relatives and relationships of the Shen family. Seeing her complimenting her, Yao Niang bowed and thanked her.
Aunt Gan looked at the needle and thread that Yao Niang brought over, picked up the headband and said, "When we were young, we also liked to embroider some complicated patterns on this headband. Now that we are older, we just want it to be windproof. This headband looks good, but it is a little too narrow."
In fact, this is just picking bones in eggs. Yao Niang thought that she didn't know how long she had been doing these headbands. Now that people said this, she didn't think it was her headband's fault. This is just like Ying Niang. She has met many people. Now Aunt Gan is the elder. Anyway, she will leave in a few days. Yao Niang endured it: "Aunt taught me right."
Then, Mrs. Shen Er said to Mrs. Shen: "Sister-in-law, Linfeng finally got married. I envy you for having many children in the future."
Mrs. Shen smiled and agreed, but she thought that her daughter-in-law would not agree to consummate the marriage until she was fifteen years old, so she would have to wait until next year! Thinking of this, she felt unhappy.
Yao Niang is now in a stage where she is not familiar with anyone. No matter what they say or do, she will listen first and then watch, and will not express her opinion. Fortunately, the people in the Shen family are really not wild women, so they will not say anything no matter how unpleasant it is.
Shen Mo also took the initiative to say: "Sister-in-law, you just got here, if there is anything you don't understand, just ask me."
"Thank you, sister. By the way, I have something I want to give you. You are so beautiful and charming. I am afraid that no one else can resist you." If you want to give an expensive gift, you must give it in front of everyone.
Shen Mo didn't expect Yao Niang to give her something. She was a little surprised. When she opened the box, she found a pair of bracelets inlaid with rubies. The bracelets were inlaid with rubies. They were heavy and heavy. They were inlaid with gold inside and outside. They were definitely a pair of treasures. Shen Mo was a little flattered and surprised: "Sister-in-law, these are too expensive."
Yao Niang said, "If you like it, it doesn't matter if it's expensive. I felt it suited you the first time I saw it. I just want to tell you that the ruby on it comes from Zhen. My father bought it from a wax merchant when he was the Minister of Rites. Please keep it well, it won't change color in ten years."
She herself had been a sister-in-law, and no matter whether Yu Shi had done a small favor or not, giving a dressing box to these sisters-in-law as a present when they came into the family was really a way to win their favor, and Yao Niang should have given something big. Even if the daughter of the newly arrived Marquis Xinning came into the family in the future, she would also learn from Yu Shi to give gifts, but the value of the gifts would definitely not be as valuable as this pair of bracelets.
Instead of attacking separately and giving gifts to this and that, which would make it easy to be regarded as a sucker, Shen Mo is definitely the target to be conquered first. Even if she can't win her over, if Shen Mo speaks ill of her in public, outsiders will know that she accepted such a valuable gift from her, and they will definitely think that there is something wrong with Shen Mo.
Shen Mo was delighted to get the pair of bracelets. The second aunt, who had wanted to push Yao Niang yesterday, looked at the pair of purses she had received and curled her lips slightly.
"Sister-in-law, I will keep it well. By the way, sister-in-law, I will go to play polo in a few days, will you come with me? I will teach you then." Shen Mo said.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Thank you very much, sister."
Shen Mo introduced Han Ruhua to her again: "This is my cousin from my uncle's family. Her nickname is Ruhua. She is from Jinling like my sister-in-law."
Han Ruohua stepped forward to pay her respects, and Yaoniang quickly helped her up: "Sister Han, why are you being so polite? Get up quickly. I don't know you, so I didn't have time to prepare a gift. If you don't mind, I'll give you this pair of bracelets as a gift for meeting you."
After saying that, he took off the white jade bracelet on his hand and put it on Han Ruohua's hand.
Mrs. Shen was sitting above watching and couldn't help but nod.
The women were talking about their children and gossip in Beijing, and Yao Niang was listening carefully. Mrs. Shen was just asking the Third Aunt's wife, "Why didn't you bring Song'er with you this time?"
"How can a pregnant woman walk? But the period is not obvious yet, so I can't say for sure." The third aunt was very happy when she mentioned her daughter.
Mrs. Shen glanced at Shen Mo. Song'er was the same age as her daughter and was already pregnant. How could she not be anxious?
…
After coming out from her mother-in-law's place, Yao Niang felt a thin layer of sweat on her forehead unconsciously. There were too many people inside and it was too hot.
Because Shen Mo got Yao Niang's bracelet, he also wanted to care about Yao Niang, so he walked with her and introduced her, "Now our family lives with the second and third wives, but the third wife has divided the property but not the family. The second wife has only one son, Second Brother Yan, and Second Aunt is usually the kindest to us young people."
"Why isn't the third wife ranked together with the first and second wives?" Yao Niang asked with a smile.
沈陌道：“三嬸之前一直跟着三叔在任上，是前些年三嬸去世了，我那兩位堂兄弟才過來京中，由我母親照拂，所以她們家就按照她們自己的排。”
“原來如此，還多虧妹妹告訴我呢，我就怕哪裏一時不對，得罪了誰。”窈娘手放胸口，似乎很擔心。
沈陌笑道：“嫂嫂不必擔心，三房那兩位嫂子平日也常過來我們這裏玩，都好相處。”
這話窈娘也不信，嫂子對待小姑子，和嫂子們互相之間的關系也是不同的，窈娘從小生活在比較複雜的環境中，天然對什麽誰誰誰很好，誰人淡如菊一概不信，只要是人就有七情六欲，就會争這争那，除非這個人不是人。
但她肯定不會和沈陌說出口，反而看着她道：“這就好了。”
二人把臂一起到新房來，窈娘有些不好意思道：“還好好些東西都沒有收拾妥當，等日後拾掇好了，再請妹妹上門。”
沈陌也識趣的道：“是我太喜歡大嫂了，下次我再過來。”
“好，我們還有好些話要說呢。”窈娘也作親熱狀。
待沈陌離開之後，沈臨風的奶母還有親近之人都過來請安，顧媽媽帶着一位四十多歲上下，穿着湖藍色比甲的媽媽進來，她頭上插着兩支金釵，看起來油光水滑的。
她的臉上一絲皺紋也沒有，圓圓胖胖的，一看就是個好脾氣的婦人。
“給大奶奶請安，想昨日就過來看看新婦的，但又想昨日是大日子，只好這個時候過來給您請安。”
“朱媽媽這麽客氣做甚，您既然是自小奶大了大爺，說起來，也算是長輩了。”窈娘言笑晏晏，又對青黛紅袖道：“快些上新茶來。”
朱媽媽沒想到這位新奶奶雖然年輕，但人倒是很親熱，她連道：“我不過是來看看大奶奶，怎麽好吃大奶奶的茶。”
又聽窈娘道：“您和我客氣什麽，我才新來，正愁沒個人陪着說話，您過來了，我們也好好說話。”
期間丫鬟們上了茶水，但是沒上點心，窈娘眼睛閃了一下，就道：“我記得那個匣子裏裝了玫瑰糕，你們揀兩碟出來給朱媽媽嘗嘗。”
剛到沈家對什麽也不熟悉，點心也不知道往哪兒去要，只好先拿自家帶來的湊數。
她也是在看這個朱媽媽會不會貼心貼肝的為她們好，若真的為她好，應該多告訴她這裏的規矩，卻沒想到朱媽媽一語不發，只是見到這玫瑰糕才多問了幾句。
素來對她沒什麽用，不是真心的人，窈娘對她們也不會真的用心，但要得到的消息總是要打探的。
“朱媽媽，大爺小時候也和現在一樣嗎？我也想啊，好好伺候他。”窈娘笑道。
朱媽媽臉色有些古怪，但一瞬間恢複如初：“哥兒自小就是個聰明的孩子。”
“那他平日愛吃什麽？有沒有喜歡做的事情？”窈娘放下茶盞道。
朱媽媽這個倒是說的很清楚：“以前在吳興的時候，哥兒口味和許多人都不同，愛吃炙烤之物，來到京中更甚。我記得有一年吃的太多了，臉上長那些小豆子，他才戒口了。”
窈娘聽了直笑：“真的啊？還能這般呢，那他能戒掉口腹之欲，也說明他這個人很有毅力。朱媽媽，我對別的事情都不感興趣，您就多和我說說大爺吧。”
朱媽媽見窈娘的确對沈臨風很感興趣，也略微挑了幾件事情說了：“大爺平日很講究，衣裳配飾儀容都不能出一點錯漏。小時候還好，越長大，越是講究，平日也不吃豆子、粉團兒、南瓜，就連豆腐和豆腐腦兒也不吃。”
“真的呀？可是為何呢？是容易脹氣嗎？”窈娘好奇。
朱媽媽笑着搖頭：“這我就不知道了，後來哥兒大了，我就不在身邊伺候了。說起來，有一年哥兒發燒，高燒不止，我們老爺太太請了好多大夫們都是退不了燒，還是我想起一個土方子，我不敢嘗試啊，最後就是用酒精擦拭才擦拭退燒的……”
這個故事她好像在開封的陳同知的夫人那裏聽過，沒什麽新意，窈娘打斷道：“朱媽媽，我家夫君以前性格如何啊？”
“看到誰都笑，特別開朗，性格很好，沒有人不喜歡他的。說實在的，當初我都擔心他被欺負呢，為人太好了。一些壞小子們騙他，他也不和人生氣，都是我擋在身前。”朱媽媽又在說自己勞苦功高。
窈娘立馬捧了她一句：“媽媽您真的是為夫君操碎了心，青黛，裁兩匹彩緞，把這一匣子玫瑰糕都賞媽媽了。”
朱媽媽道：“哪裏好意思要您的東西？”
“您別嫌少才是，我和您剛認得，也不知道您喜歡什麽，将來我們若是更熟了，日子久了您就知道我的好了。”窈娘笑着。
朱媽媽不知道怎麽，是聽出了弦外之音，這大奶奶的意思是，你有更多的情報告訴我，我給你的就越多。本來她還想着顏氏是新媳婦，她的那些嫁妝多如膏梁，庫房都裝不下，應該是極其大方的，沒想到才給了兩匹彩緞。
其實窈娘也在想自己到底要成為什麽樣的兒媳婦？她家裏就現成有好幾個，于氏屬于扮豬吃老虎，後期逐漸露出獠牙的，關氏屬于上來就像作威作福的，李氏呢屬于仰慕夫婿很溫順的賢妻良母類型。
上一輩的甄氏和解氏并不算很好的參考對象。
她是一個也參考不了，最後決定還是做自己吧。
朱媽媽這種讨賞說話不痛快的人，她随意打發了就是，她可不是那種随意散錢的人，否則每個月的月例銀子都打點不了下人的。
正想着，沈臨風回來了，窈娘忙起身上前：“沈哥哥。”
沈臨風打趣道：“三妹妹，你不是喊我夫君的嗎？”
“那是對外人的時候這般稱呼，要我對着你喊，有點兒喊不出來。”窈娘其實也是有點害羞的。
沈臨風看了她一眼：“可我們總要定一個稱呼才是。”
這倒也是，窈娘就道：“不如叫名字吧，我大名神妃，小名窈娘，我家裏人都叫我窈娘。”
“那我叫你窈窈好不好？”
“嗯，聽起來頗為可愛，那我就叫你臨風，對外還是喊你大爺或者夫君。”窈娘笑。
如此，沈臨風也同意。
窈娘又和他說起朱媽媽剛剛過來的事情，還道：“這位媽媽和我說了好些話，我送了些彩緞，賞了一匣子玫瑰糕給她，這樣妥不妥當？”
見窈娘問他的時候，似乳燕一般，很怕做錯的樣子，他握住她的手：“很好，非常妥當，沒關系的，你賜下的東西，誰還敢說什麽不是？”
“我自個兒什麽閑言碎語我巋然不動，就怕丢你的臉。”窈娘覺得他好像很喜歡握住自己的手，也就由着他了。
沈臨風不愛聽這些家務之事，特地問窈娘平日在家的愛好，窈娘則笑道：“以前是彈琴畫畫，後來因為親事提前，就成日在家做針線活。”說完，她又道：“原本打算學廚藝的，也沒功夫學了。”
“不用學了。”沈臨風趕緊道。
窈娘卻道：“那咱們倆都不會可怎麽辦呢？總要有一個人會做飯啊。你還記得我們從開封回來的時候，漁公在前面撐船，漁婆就在後面燒飯，炊煙袅袅的。”
她說的這一幕，沈臨風也想起來了，他笑道：“急什麽？我會做飯啊？”
“君子遠庖廚，你怎麽可能會做飯呢？”窈娘不信。
沈臨風解釋道：“我們每次科舉，一進去就好幾天，每次都是我自己做的。熬桂圓粥，煮面條，還有一次鄉試，我還帶雞翅膀進去了，一進去就烤上了，因為實在是太香了，我吃完之後竟然睡着了。”
“真的嗎？太好笑了，有沒有你臨近的考生也被香迷糊了。”窈娘真的覺得沈臨風太有意思了。
沈臨風想了想：“好像真的有人這麽說，說是哪個傻子跑來考場來了……”
窈娘笑的前仰後俯。
沈臨風看她這般，心想她真的很好，如果是別人肯定會說你這麽胡鬧，也難怪你鄉試沒考好了。
外面站着的下人，聽到裏面的笑聲，都想大爺和大奶奶倒是脾性相投。
二人又在一處欣賞畫作，窈娘把朱媽媽誇他的話說了：“說你小時候人見人愛的，老實說是不是特別多的小姑娘喜歡你啊？”
“不會，我小時候長得挺喜氣的，你知道的，每個家族大概都有個開心果似的人，我就是那個開心果。後來長到十歲左右，人就突然變好看了，不管走到哪裏都一大群人看我，吃飯也看，走路也看，就連讀書也有人看，其實還有點困擾的。”沈臨風道。
一開始別人都說他漂亮英俊好看，還是有些高興的，實際上因為相貌英俊也會有很多優待，但後來困擾還是很多的。
窈娘安慰他道：“這樣的煩惱我也有啊，可是長的好看，總比歪瓜裂棗強吧。”
Fearing that he would be bored, Yao Niang drew the fisherman and fisherwoman she had described earlier. She also added a little orange cat on the chopping board, jumping around to try to eat the fish in the bowl.
Shen Linfeng liked this painting very much. The setting sun was shining on the river, and smoke was rising from the couple's boat in the middle of the golden light. However, he pointed at the orange cat and asked, "I remember there were no cats here?"
Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed, "I have a habit. Whenever I draw, I like to add a little cat. It's very cute, right?"
Shen Linfeng recalled a painting he had received from the Prince of Qi. There was also a cat like this in that painting, and the style of painting was exactly the same. His heart suddenly sank.