Chapter 108 Chapter 108
There were already quite a few people gathered around Shen Linfeng. Qin Shubai had already untied it and said, "Gong Ding, what's the benefit? Tell me quickly. I have already untied it in a moment."
"You have solved it, tell me about it." Shen Linfeng said with a smile.
Qin Shubai said, "Huang Jin's young wife, and Wai Sun's mortar, this is from the hand of Cai Yong of the Eastern Han Dynasty. I happened to have seen it before. The riddle is extremely wonderful. I wonder if I guessed it right?"
Shen Linfeng laughed loudly: "Brother Qin, you are indeed knowledgeable and talented. I'm afraid you don't like ordinary things. How about I treat you to a month's worth of drinks at the newly opened Yuemanlou?"
"As expected of the Wuxing Shen family, you are so wealthy. Thank you so much, I just like this kind of wine." Qin Shubai's family is in business, so of course he is also a connoisseur of goods.
Shen Bangyan was inspired when he heard this. Yuemanlou had only been in operation for half a year, but it was already on par with Fanlou, and people in Beijing were flocking to it.
Moreover, Yuemanlou only brews three batches of Peach Leaf Wine a year. His cousin is a very capable person. I wonder if the reward for guessing the riddle will include Peach Leaf Wine.
Just as he was thinking this, he saw Shen Linfeng's father-in-law had changed trains and came back. Shen Linfeng went to meet him again and couldn't help but praise him, "I never thought that the old Taishan got the riddle and figured it out."
Yan Yingqi said calmly: "Originally I didn't want to guess, but your mother-in-law insisted that I come back and tell you."
"Yes, yes, we are just playing a game. It would be great if we could dress up and entertain our parents." Shen Linfeng looked very humble.
Yan Yingqi thought to himself, "I don't know what my reward is yet?" But then he saw Shen Linfeng had someone bring out a jar of wine. Shen Linfeng explained, "This peach leaf wine, Yuemanlou only brews three jars a year. I got one jar by chance, so I'll honor my father-in-law with this."
It was indeed peach leaf wine. Everyone looked at the wine pot. Yan Yingqi smiled and said, "In the future, please come to my house to talk about wine."
Everyone was so respectful that they dared not even reply. Yan Yingqi asked someone to take the wine away. Then Shen Linfeng's classmate Zhu Gepeng also solved the riddle.
Shen Linfeng said, "Brother Zhuge has never liked wine, but he loves to drink ginseng soup. He often laments that there is no good ginseng. It just so happens that I got two high-quality ginseng from a businessman in Shangdang. I originally planned to use them for my wife's childbirth, but she gave birth smoothly and didn't use them. Now I'm offering flowers to Brother Zhuge."
Zhu Gepeng was already in tears. He was just a son now. His family was well off in his early years, but he failed the imperial examinations many times. His parents died one after another, and his wife became seriously ill. He once went to a pharmacy to buy ginseng and was cheated? His relatives kept a distance from him. This time when Shen Linfeng invited him to come, he was still hesitant, fearing that he would be looked down upon. Now Shen Linfeng used this method to help him.
Shen Linfeng just nodded at him and smiled without saying anything.
…
At night, Yao Niang smiled and said, "You have done a good thing. You are not close to Zhuge Peng, and his family background is average. I am afraid that he will not be able to pass the imperial examination. But you still have such a friend in your heart. I really admire you. In this world, people only look at whether a person is useful or not. It is rare."
"This is also because my virtuous wife is willing to support me. Really, if it were someone else, they would definitely say that I am stupid." Shen Linfeng held Yao Niang's hand with both hands to express his gratitude.
Yao Niang shook her head: "Since he is a true friend, not a servile person, why should I be stingy. The more he knows what is good for him, the more likely he will be the one to help you and me when we are in trouble in the future."
Actually, it doesn't matter if it's not the case. Everyone should just do what they want.
Sometimes the people at home are as cruel to you as the people outside.
After the baby's third birthday, Yao Niang began to recuperate after giving birth. She didn't dare to read books, as she heard that reading during confinement could easily hurt the eyes. So she devoted herself to taking care of the child and was amazed to see Ruofu's changes day by day.
During this month, Shen Linfeng rested in the study and came over to talk every day.
After she came out of confinement, Yao Niang changed her clothes again. She felt as if only seven days in the mountains had passed, but a thousand years in the world had passed.
As soon as she came out of confinement, she knew a lot of things, such as Wang's recent victory in playing polo with Princess Jianing and others, and she also successfully matched the daughter of Shen Linfeng's uncle Shen Xin to her brother from her natal family.
I heard that because of this, Wang received a lot of money as a thank you for being a matchmaker. Shen Xin was of course rich, and he gave a small 10% share to Wang and Shen Bangyan. The couple then had a lot of private wealth.
Wang was also surprised, "The eldest wife is very stingy with her relatives. She is not willing to give even a hundred taels of silver, but she gives the best ginseng to a poor person. And your eldest brother is so generous to outsiders. It's just a waste of money."
Shen Bangyan tossed the crystal ball in the water and couldn't help laughing: "Isn't this a way to buy fame? Everyone praises him for his generosity."
"You don't want to do the same, do you?" Wang was a little afraid that she would do the same.
Shen Bangyan smiled and said, "I'm not a sucker, don't worry."
Wang was relieved, and she continued, "Today is the full moon day of my eldest sister. The first house does not want to hold a ceremony, and only invites relatives to come. To be honest, my sister's family has relatives, and I want to go there."
Her elder sister married into the Fuguo Mansion as the Crown Prince's wife, so Shen Bangyan was of course more willing to go there. Although her cousin was not bad, the two of them became estranged after her elder brother got married. Besides, Shen Linfeng was only a sixth-rank Zhongyun now, and he had to consider his father-in-law's mood, let alone himself.
Speaking of father-in-law, after Yan Yingqi got the peach leaf wine, he drank a little every day, but Xie couldn't let him drink too much. Men would become alcoholics after drinking a little at first, and Xie knew it very well. The couple quarreled over this little thing, and Xie came over to Yao Niang and said, "Tell me about your father, he is addicted to wine now."
"Don't blame dad. It's mainly because the Peach Leaf Wine is so amazing that only three bottles are sold every year. Your son-in-law is so hard to get, so he must be extraordinary. If dad is an alcoholic, you can move the wine to my house. I will hide it carefully. Let's see if he still drinks it." Yao Niang knew how to deal with her father.
Xie was also pleased to hear her daughter say this: "You are the only one who has so many weird ideas."
At today's gathering, Xie saw that Yao Niang looked plumper than before, her spirits were better, and she seemed to have recovered from the confinement after giving birth, so she felt relieved.
The mother and daughter couldn't help but mention Yan Ningxin. Yao Niang asked, "How is she at home?"
"Your father has already written to Prince Qi, asking him to find a family in Shandong for Yan Ningxin. If she shows up in the capital, which of you girls will run away..." Yesterday, Xie heard Yan Ningxin crying in front of her, seeming to be very regretful, and said that her life was not easy. However, Xie was not a soft-hearted person, and of course she would not make excuses for her in front of Yan Yingqi.
Yao Niang nodded after hearing this: "Even though father has entered the imperial court, the reputation of an official should be spotless. If elder sister shows up in the capital, father will inevitably be known as a bad father. She thinks of her cousin, the Prince of Qi, in everything. Now it depends on whether her cousin is worthy of her."
Xie also agreed. She listened to Yao Niang talking about the complicated relationships within the Shen family. She heard that Shen Linfeng's brother was seduced by the Second Madam and became angry. Then she heard that everyone in the Shen family isolated her and how Madam Shen fought against her. She sighed endlessly.
"I originally thought that the Shen family only had one son, Shen Linfeng, but I didn't expect there would be so many things."
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Now we have finally come to a happy ending after all the hardships. You see, now we are living alone, and my parents-in-law are also in their hometown. This is better than anything else."
Xie held her daughter's hand and said, "You are much smarter than me, and you have a stronger character than me. You never torture yourself. I am just indecisive and always let myself think too much. Now that you two are together, it is really better than anything else."
However, Xie warned her daughter: "You and your aunt have a very good relationship, but you also need to take care of your body. In your position, if you don't give birth to a boy, will your huge family business be inherited by someone else in the future?"
"Don't worry, I will deal with it." Yao Niang kissed her daughter in her arms.
For the baby's full-month gift, Grandma Qing brought Aunt Chu over. She was officially the second wife, so naturally she had to be known by. Seeing that Chu was as charming and graceful as her name, Yao Niang asked someone to give her a pair of gold bracelets to everyone and a few feet of bright cloth, and said to Grandma Qing, "Bring Aunt Chu to our place more often in the future."
Grandma Qingda smiled and said, "We have a lot of people and a lot of things to do in our family. It's a good opportunity for her to come and help me with this."
Speaking of which, Shen Xunfu actually had a good eye. He chose Qing Da Nainai after he had met her once when the old lady of the Shen family was still alive. Shao was chosen by Madam Shen. As for the daughters-in-law he had his eyes on, the only ones he had his eyes on were himself and Lu Shaner.
Although Lu Shan'er was not from a prominent family, she was more reasonable than Grandma Qing. At least she could support the family and dared to delegate power.
This gift from Aunt Chu specifically for Shen Linqing must not be that simple!
Now when Grandma Qingda talked to her, she didn't show any displeasure at all. She kept her head down or smiled slightly, and her attitude was very good.
The two said goodbye and left. Yao Niang said to Mother Gu, "Grandma Qing's powerful enemy is here."
But as a woman, she still felt sad: "In this case, I have to take good care of myself and give birth again in two years. But Third Uncle seems so open-minded, why did he send Brother Qing a second wife?"
Qing Dai is young, but she knows a lot: "Miss, family succession is a big deal. Why is our wife not in a hurry? After all, besides Grandpa Zhao, we also have grandsons and Grandpa Ciwu. Grandma Qing has been married for six years. She finally got pregnant and had a small child. She is not young anymore. Grandpa Qing is dying. If there is a son, who knows, he will be successful and bring honor to the family in the future."
Yao Niang suddenly remembered a line from the story of Yugong moving mountains, which goes, "My descendants will have endless success." Since the imperial examination broke the nine-rank system of Wei and Jin dynasties, the imperial examination has become the foundation of a person's true success. Otherwise, after three generations, one would be nothing more than an ordinary country gentleman.
Outside, Grandma Qing was walking around the garden of the first house, preparing to go to the second house from the west corner gate. On the way, she introduced, "Only the couple live in the first house. They usually keep a tight watch here, and there are agencies everywhere. You must not run away casually. Someone ran to her house before, but was shot with poison needles and arrows, and died a few days after being sent to Shuntian Mansion."
"What the eldest lady said is right. I won't run around." Aunt Chu looked around cautiously. She had been to the mansion before and thought it was very grand. Then when she came to the house of the eldest branch of the Shen family, it could be called a paradise. And then there was the eldest lady she had just met. She was young and full of aura, noble and beautiful, with a rosy face. What kind of person was she?
Seeing that she was quite sensible, Grandma Qingda nodded slightly.
This incident was a great shock to Wang. She and Yao Niang entered the family at the same time, and Yao Niang had already given birth to a daughter. But Wang was still pregnant. If there were no sisters-in-law to compare with, she would not care. Now that her husband is the only son, you can imagine how she feels now. If everyone is not nervous about something, you will not be nervous. If everyone starts to be nervous, you will also be nervous.
Shen Bangyan had just finished reading late at night when Wang asked someone to bring him some soup. After that, Shen Bangyan returned to his room, and the two of them spent almost the entire night together.
The next morning, Shen Linfeng went out and happened to meet Shen Bangyan. Seeing his sunken eyes, he was shocked: "Second brother, what's wrong with you? You study too hard." After saying that, he thought that Shen Bangyan might want to study better than him so he worked so hard. He couldn't slack off, so he became a little nervous for a moment.
Of course Shen Bangyan couldn't tell Shen Linfeng about his sexual experience, so he just said, "It was too hot yesterday, and I didn't sleep well."
"Ask Auntie to get some more ice. I can't sleep without ice now."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Linfeng immediately got into the sedan chair. After getting in the sedan chair, he began to think about official business. His wife took care of the household affairs, so he didn't have to worry about them.
It is also said that since Yao Niang finished her confinement, she has received several invitations and she would drive there and prepare gifts, especially when the Fang and Qin families, who were very close to Shen Linfeng, held business.
She had just returned to her parents' home in early August. This time it was because her cousin Shen Xin had sent a lot of crabs and seafood. She knew that her parents loved to eat them, so she sent a lot.
Xie looked at the baskets and said quickly, "How can we eat so much? You should take some back with you."
"It's okay. My uncle shipped them here in an icy boat. There's no way we can finish them all. Just accept them with confidence. Especially since you love crabs the most, don't you?" Yao Niang said with a smile.
Xie was pleased to accept the gift and asked Li to order the kitchen to cook more dishes that Yao Niang liked. The mother and daughter had not seen each other for a few days and talked very little. Yao Niang said, "I have received too many invitations these days and I am tired of eating banquets every day."
"If you feel greasy, you can eat something light. I never give your brother anything heavy in taste." Xie is now mostly taking care of her younger son.
Yao Niang held her brother in her arms, and Jing Ci kissed her: "Sister, shall we go out and play hide-and-seek later? Okay, you come find me."
"Okay." The younger brother was taught by his mother to be very close to her. When she came back, the little guy would help him get snacks and force them into his hands.
Yao Niang took him out to play hide-and-seek for a while, and when he was tired, she asked the nurse to carry him back to rest. Unexpectedly, she ran into Yan Ningxin in the garden, and Yan Ningxin shrank when she saw her for the first time.
"Big sister." Yao Niang bowed.
Yan Ningxin saw Yaoniang wearing luxurious and elegant clothes, with pearls and jades adorning her black hair. Her temperament was completely different from that at home. She couldn't help but say, "Third sister, please rest assured. I didn't come back to snatch anything from you. I have been in the nunnery for a few years and I often reflect on myself. Most of the people there are not normal and are very strict with me. I'm afraid you have never suffered such pain for a day."
"Big sister, I didn't run away from my marriage, nor did I harm my family. How could I suffer?" Yao Niang said unhappily.
If it weren't for her, Yao Niang would have been very popular at that time.
Yan Ningxin quickly apologized again: "Third sister, it's all my fault. I just want you to rest assured."
"Okay, big sister, I won't hold any resentment towards you. If you get married in the future, I will also make up for you. Big sister, life is short. Since you have been reborn, there will definitely be bright days waiting for you in the future. There is no need to think about the past. The past is the past because your good days will come in the future." Yao Niang said sincerely.
There is no need to talk too much to someone like Yan Ningxin who has a confused mind. Anyway, the two of you will not have any intersection.
Yan Ningxin was a little dazed: "Sister, do you think I still have a future?"
"Of course there will be. If father really didn't want you to come, he would have sent someone to send you back. But you have a special status now, so you have to be more calm and trust father. He will definitely not harm you." Yao Niang said seriously.
Yan Ningxin looked at Yao Niang and grabbed her hand: "Do you think I will have a very good life in the future?"
Yao Niang nodded: "Of course, Buddha said that if you put down your butcher knife, you will become a Buddha immediately. What's more, I have made up for what you did. Although the Shen family excluded me because you broke off the engagement, many things have passed. Now I promise that the Shen family will not say anything, and the Yan family will not mention it. How can your life not be smooth sailing?"
These words were like a long-awaited rain after a long drought. Yan Ningxin smiled and said, "Thank you, third sister."
"However, I also want to remind you, elder sister, that the most important thing for your reputation right now is to be careful about the difference between men and women. Otherwise, no one will be able to save you in the future." Yao Niang instructed.
Yan Ningxin nodded heavily.
Then she heard the people around Xie calling Yao Niang over, but Yao Niang left first. When she got to Xie, Xie said, "I heard that you met her. Why did you talk so much to her? She is not a bad person, but she likes to make trouble. Don't have any contact with her."
"I know. I just don't want to provoke her." Yao Niang said.
When the meal was served, Xie asked Li to go downstairs to eat, while she and her daughter ate alone. She passed her a salted duck egg and said, "Try it. It's not salty at all. It's the best with rice."
Yao Niang ate happily. She didn't need to eat any delicacies from land or sea. As long as it suited her taste, she would think it was delicious. She didn't care whether it was expensive or cheap.
After lunch, she thought about her daughter and went back first. Xie was reluctant to leave her daughter, but she had to take care of her son now. The mother and daughter agreed to meet again at Shen's house in a few days. They got on the carriage, and halfway through the journey, the carriage was noisy and could not move. Yao Niang simply opened the curtain of the carriage. She was good at painting, so she was also good at observing others, especially she could remember people she had met once.
"Isn't that fourth brother-in-law?" Yao Niang saw a young man walking in a hurry, who looked very much like Xu Sijia.
Scholars are very particular about their manners. Why is he so hasty? She immediately said to the outsider, "Brother Xiaoqing, help me keep an eye on him and see what he is doing."
Xiaoqing immediately took the order and left.
After returning home, she washed her hands and changed her clothes. Seeing that her daughter had woken up, Yao Niang held her daughter and coaxed her for a while. She felt that her daughter looked so well-behaved.
Her black pupils were particularly bright, making her look different from other babies. She also had a well-shaped skull and a good temper. Every time Yao Niang held her, she rarely cried.
"My dear, you are really my daughter? I can't believe it." She made the child giggle.
After that, she handed the child to the wet nurse and slept on the couch for a while. When she woke up, she heard Xiao Qingge coming over and saying, "Grandma, I followed the young master of the Xu family as you ordered. Guess what? He actually went to an ordinary small merchant's house. I gave him some money and asked people around. It turned out that the young woman in that family was originally a maid of Mr. Xu. Later, she was released and married when she was old. I heard that every time Mr. Xu went there, the men of that family would wait at the door and wait for him to come out. That family had a feast of fish and meat and wine, just like a private nest."
Xu Sijia is one year older than Shen Linfeng and has been waiting for Yingniang to get married. This marriage was originally arranged quickly by Zhen Shi for the sake of face, and she was afraid that her father would not agree, so she made the decision first and then reported to him.
This Xu Sijia actually likes her maid, so why doesn't she keep her by her side?
Yao Niang kept this problem in her heart and asked Brother Xiao Qing to find out more about it when he had time. She only mentioned it to Shen Linfeng when he came back.
"If it was a maid, she would have just asked for it, but could it be that Madam Xu wouldn't give it to her? Why did she sneak out?" Yao Niang didn't understand.
Shen Linfeng smiled and said, "It must be my father's maid. If Madam Xu doesn't give it to me, my brother-in-law won't want it. He can only pretend to be a traitor. In this way, he can still make a good impression on your father. Your second brother-in-law had a drink with someone in Qinlou and Chuguan a few days ago, and your second sister sent someone to take your father's letter and seal the place in anger."
Yao Niang was surprised: "Why didn't you mention this to me?"
Father's maid, this explanation makes sense. Even if the father's concubine is released, it is impossible for her to be with his son, especially in a scholarly family where ethics are the most important. Yan Jingzhao is so arrogant that he has to treat Yan Yingqi's roommates, such as Aunt Feng, as elders.
"How can I tell you all this? If I tell you, you will definitely ask me how I know so much about the Qin Lou and Chu Guan. Even if I have ten mouths, I won't be able to explain it." Shen Linfeng looked aggrieved.
Yao Niang shook her head: "The eldest lady deliberately brought my eldest sister to the capital to play these ghost tricks. It's a pity that her own son-in-law is like this, but she didn't notice it. I really don't know if she is really smart?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
