Chapter 100 Chapter 100
Shen Linfeng helped Yao Niang up, touched her belly carefully, and asked caringly: "My wife, are you feeling uncomfortable? How about I carry you over to eat?"
"No need, I'm just pregnant, not paralyzed. I'll change my clothes and go out, you wait for me outside." Yao Niang pushed him out.
Shen Linfeng then walked out, looking back every few steps. She changed into a gauze gown with a butterfly pattern on the collar, and her hair was casually tied up with a hairpin. The couple were in the flower hall outside, enjoying the cool breeze and a sumptuous feast. How happy they were!
"My dear, crabs are cold in nature, you can't eat them. You can eat beef and shark fins, but just eat this." Shen Linfeng picked up a piece of beef and put it in Yao Niang's bowl.
Yao Niang ate it with a smile on her face. Even when she heard Shen Linfeng mention that Ying Niang's husband's family was promoted from the assistant minister of the Ministry of Justice to the minister of the Ministry of Justice, and there was a possibility of even further advancement, she did not react much.
However, Yao Niang also said to him: "You want to invite me to dinner, but you don't ask me first. Sister Qing from the third room has had a miscarriage, and I am pregnant again. It's a bit embarrassing to say the least."
Shen Linfeng is a very kind person. He immediately said, "It's my fault for not being considerate enough. I only cared about my own happiness."
"Forget it. There's no need to carry someone else's coffin to your home and cry." Yao Niang comforted him. This sentence was said by her father, and it is very appropriate to use it here now.
Shen Linfeng nodded: "That's true. I heard that Brother Qing and his wife earned a thousand taels in the first half of this year."
Yao Niang was surprised: "I heard Grandma Qing complaining about her poverty a few days ago, but I didn't expect she actually made so much money. How did she make it?"
"My aunt originally deposited a sum of money in the bank before she died. She was quite good at managing the family finances. Before she died, she told my uncle about the money, but she forgot to take it out. It seems that they found this money and took it out secretly." Shen Linfeng said.
Yao Niang frowned: "Since he married her secretly, how did you know?"
Shen Linfeng smiled and said, "Because that is the Qin family's bank account. Uncle Qin told me."
So that's what happened. Yao Niang thought that Grandma Qing got such a large sum of money privately, but she kept complaining to Shao about her poverty. She heard that Shao was even sympathetic to Grandma Qing and didn't take away many of her belongings from the public purse. What a sinister person!
He also said that after giving birth, Grandma Qing was exhausted physically and mentally. Unexpectedly, she heard that Yao Niang was pregnant. She thought she had heard wrongly: "What did you say? She is pregnant?"
Shao nodded, "Yes, she's pregnant. Master Feng was very happy to hear about it. He asked the chef from Fanlou to come over to cook for us. He also asked the housekeeper to find someone to buy ginseng from Liaoning. He also gave double bonuses to each of the servants in the first house. It's very lively there."
"It has come to this..." Grandma Qing felt as if she had just had a dream, but when she heard the good news, she couldn't help but shiver with pain.
Seeing Grandma Qing like this, Shao's goal was achieved. Ever since Yan showed her skills before the Cold Food Festival, she heard Shen Linjiang privately envy Shen Linfeng and praise Yan for her extraordinary intelligence and talent. She also lamented that her child was not blessed and that if he was born in Yan's belly, he would be born under house arrest.
Shao was not convinced to begin with, thinking that her uncle was also a high-ranking official. Although he was not as prominent as the Yan family, he was still pretty good. Instead, she was secretly looked down upon.
It's just a chicken that can't lay eggs!
What's the big deal? Maybe the baby will be a girl.
The only advantage that the Shaw family has now is that they gave birth to the first child of their grandchildren. They have been proud of it for several years, but now the Yan family has caught up so quickly. Now she is also playing tricks on the Qingda grandmother, because the Qingda grandmother always praises the Yan family in front of her. Now look at what the Yan family has done.
Build your own happiness on the suffering of others.
"Sister-in-law, don't get too excited." Shao said with hypocritical concern.
Grandma Qing smiled bitterly: "My relatives may be sad, but others are already singing. I have already expected this, so my brother and sister-in-law don't need to worry about me."
Shaw comforted her again. Seeing that Shaw had no grudge against her, Grandma Qing remembered that she had once harmed Shaw's child, and now her own child was gone. Deep down, she was actually relieved.
But she also felt that she was not deserving of such punishment, that she was not wrong, and that she had never done anything to him, so why should she be punished?
That's how life is, it's hard to admit when you're wrong.
After Yao Niang finished her meal, she sat down and talked with Shen Linfeng. The couple decided to stay at home to take care of the baby and not go out if they could. Shen Linfeng also said, "Nothing is more important than your body and the child. You just need to take care of the house on weekdays and don't have to do anything else."
"I understand." Yao Niang is not stupid, nor is she someone who likes false reputation.
She knows exactly what is most important.
When the Bi family heard that Yao Niang was pregnant, they specially brought some fashionable cakes to the house. The person who came this time was Bi's aunt. Since her grandson had no breast milk, she bought a wet nurse. Little did she know that wet nurses are expensive nowadays. The monthly salary of a wet nurse is eight taels, which is like eating human flesh. The cheaper ones also charge five taels.
The wet nurse asked for twenty taels for the four-month leave, and she even pawned some of her own jewelry.
This time he is naturally here to ask for money, and since she is pregnant, she will not refuse him.
But Yao Niang refused to give it to her this time. Seeing her explain her purpose incessantly, Yao Niang just said that she didn't know: "It sounds really pitiful. Why not stop breastfeeding? I heard that the child is already over one year old."
The eldest aunt said anxiously, "How can you wean the baby when he is just over one year old? Grandma, you live in a house like this and your family is very rich, so you won't notice it."
"We only look glamorous. Look at how little my husband earns a month, and how many mouths to feed at home he has to support. He almost wants to borrow money to make ends meet. To be honest, our lives are not easy either." Yao Niang took a sip of water and said.
Bi Da's aunt smiled and said, "What are you talking about, Grandma? Everyone knows that your family is rich and powerful, and is a powerful family in Wu."
Yao Niang smiled faintly and said, "Aunt, what are you talking about? Hey, last time I asked you about the matter between cousin Bangxing and my elder brother Linyi, could you tell me about it?"
It's very simple. I won't give you money for free. Aunt Bi shook her head when she heard it: "I really don't know."
The more she talked about it, the more suspicious it seemed. Aunt Bi soon thought of selling the good things to Madam Shen Er. She walked past Yao Niang and said to Madam Shen Er, "The young wife next door seems to be investigating Shen Linyi's death. She has asked me several times. Sister, don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
After hearing what Aunt Bi said, Mrs. Shen asked again, "When I asked you to kill those two, did you see them die with your own eyes?"
My aunt Bi Da responded hesitantly.
Mrs. Shen snorted coldly: "You can't escape responsibility for this matter. Don't lose your life for some tiny profits." After that, she threw a bag of fifty taels of loose silver to her. Mrs. Bi took the silver and left in a hurry.
Because Yao Niang had someone guarding the door, someone soon informed her of the incident.
"It seems that the Bi family is very secretive about this matter. The second lady didn't give any money before, but now she has given a bag of silver." Yao Niang felt more and more suspicious.
She asked on purpose today, deliberately trying to scare the snake out of its hole.
Shen Linfeng was busy walking around in the inner cabinet, his calves were swollen from standing, and he couldn't force others. If he was outmaneuvered, it would be difficult for him to get promoted. They wanted to investigate this matter, but they also had to focus on their own affairs first.
Otherwise, once they lose their power, they themselves may be treated arbitrarily.
"Grandma, my aunt has sent over some top-quality blood swallows." The maid came in and said.
It turned out to be a bird's nest sent by Li. Yao Niang had it viewed by others and then looked at it herself. She found that the red swallow was indeed top-grade, so she asked Qing Dai to keep it. The third branch of the Yan family is now very prosperous. My mother gave birth to a son, and my sister-in-law gave birth to another son. No wonder my grandfather is now much more relaxed.
After Li's people left, the servants said that Grandma Wenqi had sent a pair of pillows with a picture of a hundred children.
Grandma Wenqi was of course Qianniang. When Mama Gu saw it, she said, "The second young lady usually boasts that she is the daughter-in-law of the prime minister, but she sent this to me. I can't even buy this for two cents outside. She really doesn't take me seriously."
"Isn't this how she always behaves? She flatters the powerful and looks down on the weak. It's just that when she was in the Yan family before, she loved to please everyone. Now, of course, all her good things are given to those who are willing to curry favor with her. Do you remember that when the eldest sister was going to marry into the Shen family, she instantly became good friends with the eldest sister. Later, when the eldest sister got into trouble, she became a different person again." Yao Niang shook her head.
Mother Gu said, "It's impossible for Wen to continue to be the chief minister forever. We don't know what the future will be like. At least our aunt is an official."
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Since ancient times, a lack of patience can lead to big plans. It's easier said than done."
Every time someone gave her a gift, she could see how important she was in other people's eyes. Yao Niang also asked people to register the gifts one by one. After that, she went to rest again. She only worked for one hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon every day, and rested the rest of the time.
If you do everything yourself, you will be exhausted and die.
Just assign the right things to the right people, that's all.
In fact, after the separation, they lived the same life as before, but they saved a lot of money. Yao Niang took out one-third or one-twenty percent of the money to give to Shen Linfeng for entertainment, which saved 20% more money than before. In addition, she and her husband had a lot of private savings, so their life was actually better than before.
After receiving the fifty taels, Aunt Bi lived a pretty comfortable life and she hadn't come to visit for a while.
窈娘卻開始害喜起來，吃什麽吐什麽，簡直是吐的昏天暗地的，人的身體不舒服，愈發懶得出門，要一心養身體。幾房的妯娌也都過來探望，王氏見窈娘躺在床上時梳着垂挂髻，後面的頭發都披散在腦後，特有一種年輕少婦的美感。
“你還好嗎？害喜可以多吃些梅子。”清大奶奶好心提着建議。
邵氏也跟着附和道：“是啊，吃些梅子就好了。”
窈娘笑道：“我們大爺已經找龍太醫要了不少害喜的吃食來，我這裏就有酸棗兒，只是我又不太愛吃酸的。還在太醫說，平日吃的清淡些，沒多久就會過了這個時間的。”
清大奶奶笑道：“原來你們是早就請大夫看了，我們就不多嘴多舌了。”
“話不能這麽說，你們能給這些建議我也是好的，說起來我母親也是在去年誕下孩兒，只不過她如今不在我身邊，你們的這些經驗對我而言實在是太重要了。”窈娘道。
邵氏驚訝：“顏夫人生了個孩子？”她是見過解氏的，雖然駐顏有術，但能生出顏景昭那麽大的兒子來，肯定年紀也不小了，沒想到還能生孩子。
“是啊，聽聞極其聰穎伶俐，我父親常常抱在膝蓋上教他讀書。其實我母親這個年紀生我弟弟也很好，我們小時候父親要走仕途，母親又是年輕的媳婦沒功夫帶我們，現下他們都能陪着我弟弟了。像我侄兒如今就是，我哥哥外放，嫂嫂一個人在家帶孩子。”窈娘道。
清大奶奶原本是極其嫉妒的，但聽了窈娘的話也是松了一口氣，那顏夫人都快四十了還能生孩子，自己不過二十歲，可是年輕的多，好好養身子以待來日。
人家顏夫人還只是兼祧之妻，自己還是正室呢。
韓若華道：“嫂嫂福氣好，你母親福氣也很好。”
“什麽福氣不福氣，凡事順其自然，我前兩年也沒有身孕，原本焦急如焚，後來不想了，反而懷上了。凡事不順應天時，總要幹預，未必是好。”窈娘笑。
韓若華聽出來這話說的是清大奶奶，可顏氏為何要敲打清大奶奶呢？
其中機鋒清大奶奶聽懂了，自己做的事情自以為瞞的很好，實際上窈娘是在告訴她，她做的事情自己都知道，只不過沒有侵犯到她的利益，她沒有說出來。
瞬間清大奶奶想起二夫人的親戚游大被射成篩子，整個人都清醒了，顏氏可不是好惹的。
窈娘見清大奶奶的神情，故作不知，反而道：“我這頭一胎什麽都不懂，所以平素就不怎麽出門，只管養胎，還請你們多擔待。”
那幾位自然都道好，但她們都是貴女出身，對窈娘的語氣略有不滿。
又聽外面的人的進來道：“大奶奶，今日親家老太爺要過來用飯，大爺說讓您吩咐廚房多添幾個菜。”
“好，我知道了。”窈娘笑着。
都說顏老尚書很寶貝他這個孫女，常常上門探望，如今一見果不其然。
除了顏邁之外，沈臨風特地讓人送上百香果來，下人切開來，窈娘一聞就心情好了許多，沒有反胃的感覺。她笑道：“這個比酸棗和梅子的味道還好，香香甜甜的。”
清大奶奶知道窈娘不僅背景深厚，且本人更是個硬茬兒，就不再多說什麽。說起來，她也不可能做無本的買賣，要知道偷雞不成蝕把米的事情她是很清楚的。
因為這個顏氏不像邵氏好糊弄，不管你說什麽，她總有許多說辭，仿佛說的比你還有道理。甚至有時候還引經據典，主打一個根本不聽，不管你輩分多高經驗多足，她過分的有主意，甚至某種程度完全把自己當女王看待。
這樣的人就很難被人說動，甚至她還反過來盯着你。
妯娌們紛紛離去，窈娘又閉目養神。
而沈二夫人這邊依舊沉的住氣，畢家卻已經突破了，沈臨風故意讓一個婦人在畢家附近賃了一間屋子，此人和畢大舅母相交一年多，常常請她喝酒。二人年紀差不多，那人常常假意在一起喝酒，抱怨兒子抱怨婆婆小姑子，甚至常常吐槽小姑子，這正好對了畢大舅母的心思。
就在今日，那人和畢大舅母一起又在一處吃酒，席間，那人道：“您那小姑子可是那麽高的高門，不像我那小姑子看着體面，其實不是個東西。以前我都沒跟你說呢，她們家發達了，就和人家争田，你可知道她們為了搶奪人家的田，把人家一家老小都逼死了，還讓我們夫妻替她擦屁股。壞事兒就想到我們了，好事卻是什麽都想不起我，去年災年，我就要點糧食，她還把我趕出來了？後來還是我家那個上門，讨了一袋米回來，跟我的小姑子比起來，你們什麽都沒做過，你那小姑子還賞點錢給你們，算是很好了。說實在的，你們也自覺一些，又沒幫她什麽，日後就別上門讨錢了。”
畢大舅母氣道：“你說什麽？我沒幫她什麽，不，你胡說。我那小姑子可狠了，自己兒子死了，就買通下人害大伯子家的兒子，那孩子又聰明人又好看，只不過日日兩個女人操，之後又開着窗戶，數九寒冬吹冷風，還吃助興之藥，小小年紀馬上風了。她還不是讓我們夫妻幫她把那兩個丫頭弄死，我們倆可不敢造孽，實在是下不了手……”
氣完還打了個嗝兒，那人笑道：“別說這些了，我們先喝酒，你這一回去，什麽兒媳婦孫子又纏着你。”
畢大舅母其實說完瞬間清醒，但想起這人只知道她們有個當官的小姑子，也不知道是誰？況且她一個小商人也不敢如何，因此又放下心來。
若說以前是猜測，沈臨風不好直接逼問，但現在她自己說出來了。
窈娘收到風之後，就告訴了沈臨風，現在沈臨風便把整件事情寫好寄回了吳興家中，還證實了那兩位丫頭沒死。
吳興
沈夫人這幾日悶悶的，前些時候接到京中來信暈倒了一場，沈老爺也不知道在忙些什麽。周媽媽端了胭脂粥進來道：“您總要吃些，老這麽下去，眼睛都苦瞎了。”
羿哥兒若是長大了絕對是那樣，帽插宮花打馬游街，那麽意氣風發鮮衣怒馬，就因為她一時不察，讓兒子死了。
“我不想吃，沒什麽胃口，你放在那兒吧。臨風這也是生我的氣呢？信中說送畫給我們夫妻，讓我們查查臨羿的死因，什麽死因？這是要丢臉的，我不想讓他哥哥死了都不得安寧。”沈夫人想兒子還是太年輕，不知道有些事情說出去，別人只記得馬上風，臨羿的名聲就會蕩然無存。
周媽媽道：“大公子哪裏有您知曉呢。”
主仆二人正說着，就見沈老爺走了進來，周媽媽趕緊退了出去。
沈夫人道：“你這幾日去哪裏了，也沒見到你的人？”
“我收到臨風的來信了，他說他偶然聽到畢大舅母說起咱們臨羿的死因。這是信，你看看吧。”沈老爺遞給沈夫人，臉色一直沉着。
當年他在外做官，聽聞大兒子死了，一夜鬓發都白了一半，但也只埋怨自己兒子慧極必傷，沒想到居然有如此內情。
“二弟妹？怎麽會是她呢？”沈夫人只覺得無法置信，“我記得有一年臨羿出水痘，她是唯一一個留下來和我一起照看的。”
沈老爺道：“那只能說明她對自己更狠，若不然你怎麽會事事都信任她呢？畢大舅母都說了，要不然臨風怎麽會無緣無故的來信。”
沈夫人還是不明白：“她為什麽要這麽做？她分明那般喜歡臨羿，我和她作為妯娌，從未紅過臉啊？”
沈老爺冷笑：“你還看不明白嗎？臨風信上說的很清楚，她兒子高燒死了，當年你請了不少大夫來府上，以至于她的兒子無人關心，她記恨于你。故而，就要害了臨羿，臨羿那麽年輕，正是我們家冉冉升起的一顆新星，卻毀于後宅女人的身上。”
沈夫人腦子已經反應不過來了，她的确有私心，對自己的兒子更關注一些，可是對侄兒們也是竭盡全力的照顧，從無慢待，邦興死了，她也跟着難過了好幾天。
“臨風以前小時候反應科沒有邦彥快，邦彥心眼子活泛，記性也好。若臨風沒有變化，你覺得我們家現在下一輩中最出色的人是誰呢？”沈老爺原本就是頗會斷案的人，稍加分析就能推測了。
沈夫人跌倒在地，沈老爺道：“上次臨風給我寫信就說要查臨羿的死因，我正在排查，沒想到現在确定了，那兩個丫鬟沒死，我們得盡快找到她們，查明真相，開祠堂，定畢氏的罪，我絕對不會放過她。”
“好。”沈夫人想起兒子，死的心都有了。
But Mr. Shen said, "But she is the second son's legal wife after all. It may not be easy to convict her. Moreover, it may not be possible to convict her based on the testimony of two maids. In fact, those two maids were once your maids in the same room. You chose them. She can say that you are slandering her."
Mr. Shen often judges cases and is very familiar with the process.
Mrs. Shen couldn't believe it: "It has come to this? How could I harm my son?"
"Yes, the reason why I said so much is because of the principle of protecting one's relatives, and also for the sake of the entire family. If you accuse this person, then all the dirty deeds of the Shen family will be blamed on the entire Shen family, and Lin Feng will have no prestige. His own brother was killed by his aunt, and his marriage was ruined by his cousin who deliberately let someone in? If you only deal with it according to family rules, I will also have to collect evidence, which may take a long time. During this period, you should not believe Bi anymore, and don't tell anyone else about this matter, so as not to alert the enemy." Old Master Shen warned.
Mrs. Shen often received letters from Qingda’s grandmother, who often greeted her in the letters. She was much closer to her than her own daughter-in-law, and would tell her about everything that happened in Beijing. She didn’t expect that her husband also knew about this. She shuddered and said, “I know.”
Seeing her like this, Mr. Shen also softened his heart. His wife was a little girl he had rescued before. She was naive and had been like this since she was a child, but she had no bad intentions towards others. For so many years, she was an official away from home, and she was the one who took care of the family, especially being respectful to her own parents.
"It's good that you know." Mr. Shen sighed.