Chapter 110 Chapter 110
It was already afternoon when Shen Linfeng and his friend came back from climbing the mountain. Hearing that Yao Niang had returned to her parents' home, he changed his clothes and went back to Yan's house.
At this time, Yao Niang was doing needlework with Jie. Jie wanted to sew a hat for her son. Yao Niang was also very good at needlework, so she just grabbed the hat and helped sew. She also felt that her mother's vision was a little old.
Mrs. Xie put baby Ruofu in a stroller nearby and took care of her. She liked this kind of warmth very much and started to joke with her daughter, laughing non-stop.
"My second sister-in-law Jiang said bad things about me behind my back, but pretended to be affectionate with me on the surface. She wanted my Yurong Powder and Rose Saltpeter, but I would rather throw them away and feed them to the dogs than give them to her. She still thinks she is very smart." Yao Niang said.
Because she found that all parents like to hear that their daughters are better, and Xie was the same: "Yes, if it were me, I wouldn't give it to you either. It's not easy for you to make so many every year, why give it to such a person?"
Yao Niang nodded: "That's right, and there's that sister-in-law Qing. I think she's up to no good, just like the old lady. She bought a skinny horse to show off her favor. After all, our father was still an assistant minister at that time, and brother Qing was just a nobody. I don't know why she spent seven or eight hundred taels to buy a skinny horse for such a man? I think he deserves only two cents to drink a of bowl of noodle soup."
"Hahaha." Xie covered her mouth and laughed.
Just hearing outside that Aunt Shen is here, Yao Niang stood up and said, "He's here? But he went to Dad's place."
"Yes, the third aunt went to see the old master, and the old master asked Madam when to serve the meal?" said the servant.
Xie said, "Your father said that he wants to set the table for dinner. I'll go and tell everyone to eat at the same table. We're all family, so there's no need to be so formal."
After going to the front hall, Shen Linfeng was talking to Yan Yingqi about officials. He had been in the inner cabinet for several years and had his own judgment, while Yan Yingqi had been an official for many years. The father-in-law and son-in-law were always talking. Yao Niang and Jie Shi were sitting beside them, listening to them and finding it boring. They just ate nothing.
"Mom, did you add green plums to the meat? It's more refreshing and delicious than sweet and sour pork." Yao Niang took a bite of the green plum pork ribs and couldn't help but sigh in praise.
Xie smiled and said, "I guessed that you would like to eat it. I made a lot. You can take some back later and eat it tomorrow."
Yao Niang said: "Then I won't be polite."
Then Shen Linfeng said, "My wife, you can have lunch at home tomorrow, and we will go to Fang's house tonight. The Fang family is hosting a Qushui Liushang banquet, which is very interesting."
"But I'm worried about Fu'er being at home, so you go by yourself." Yao Niang said.
Yan Yingqi said, "If you are asked to go, then go with me. The child has so many wet nurses and maids to take care of him at home, why does he still need you? Besides, the child will probably sleep at night. If you are really worried, then send him to your mother."
Xie was speechless. He wanted to interfere in the affairs between a couple.
Pian Yao Niang continued, "With my father here, I can handle everything. When I was pregnant with Sister Fu, Mrs. Fan of Zuodu Yushi suddenly asked Aunt Ping to tell me about my grandfather and use this to target me. I don't know why."
Shen Linfeng thought that Yao Niang would never let anyone go. She had been tolerant of Madam Fan's affairs before, and now that her father was in Beijing, she would get back at him herself.
"Oh, as the wife of Zuodu Yushi, she also knows that the emperor's orders cannot be disobeyed. Why did she ask you to go to her to appease the emperor? Does she want money or something else?" Yan Yingqi knew it was a scam as soon as he heard it.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "That's hard to say, Daddy, I'll just tell you."
Yan Yingqi nodded slightly.
Mrs. Fan's son-in-law Zhou Lingguang actually brought Fan Ruhui to visit Yan Yingqi when he returned to Beijing. He originally grew up in the Yan family, and now Yan Yingqi is a bachelor of the Dongge University, so it is natural for him to pay a visit.
Yan Yingqi always felt that Zhou Lingguang was too scheming. Now he married the daughter of the Fan family. He had heard that the reputation of the daughter of the Fan family was similar to that of Yan Ningxin. Just like Yan Ningxin, unless he married an unknown person, those with a little family background would stay away from her when they heard of her reputation, unless they were the kind of people who climbed up the power and wealth.
The couple went back. In the carriage, Shen Linfeng looked at Yao Niang and asked, "Why did Madam Fan do this?"
Yao Niang shook her head: "I don't know about that."
No matter what Yao Niang thought, she probably wouldn't think that Mrs. Fan wanted her to leave the palace on her own accord.
But after returning from the Double Ninth Festival, something big happened. After Grandma Qing went to visit Aunt Chu, Aunt Chu went into labor. The doctor said that it seemed that she had eaten something that was incompatible with her, and her meals were all cold, and even the water she drank had safflower in it.
Madam Qing was speechless and Aunt Chu also kept crying.
"Could it be Sister-in-law Qing who did it? It's unacceptable to harm the offspring." Shen Linfeng frowned.
"Was your first reaction also Sister-in-law Qing?" Yao Niang asked.
Shen Linfeng nodded: "Most likely."
Yao Niang said, "She is just an aunt, it is not convenient for us to visit her in person, I will send someone to go over there to take a look."
Qingyi Garden was also in turmoil. Aunt Chu lay on the bed with a pale face. She knew very well that everything Grandmother Qing did was aimed at her belly. In that case, it would be better to go all out and make a scene than to be tortured by a soft knife. The love of men is like the passing clouds and smoke, and it is very unreliable. She must use a big move to make a scene for her.
"Could these red flowers have grown legs and run into my teacup? You have arranged everything inside and outside me, including the people who serve me. Since I entered your mansion, I have been obedient to you and never said a word. Why do you have to do this?" Aunt Chu's tears never stopped.
Grandma Qing was speechless: "Mrs. Chu, I have so many concubines in my family. Do they know what I am like?"
Aunt Chu said, "Madam, you don't have to explain anything to a lowly concubine like me. I have nothing else to ask for now. I am all alone, and all I ask for is your mercy." She then pulled Shen Linqing and said, "Master, please let me go back to Henan. I have a miserable life, but no matter how miserable it is, it is still a human life..."
Shen Linqing had been childless for many years, and many people had suspected that he had a problem. He was very happy that Aunt Chu was pregnant, but he didn't expect such a thing to happen. He glanced at Grandma Qing and slapped her in the face, "Evil woman."
This slap stunned Grandma Qing. In the past, Shen Linqing and she treated each other with respect, and the couple complemented each other. Now she didn't expect that he would hit her.
Shen Linqing seemed to have endured her for a long time and said, "Offspring are the most important thing now. Dad personally chose the Chu family for this purpose. I didn't expect you to be so mean. You are in charge of every aspect of this family, and you pretend not to know."
"Master, are you trying to kill me?" Grandma Qing knew that she was different from the Yan and Wang families. Her family was impoverished, and she was in power after dividing the family and controlling the third branch. She almost felt that the overall situation was under her control. She had no idea that Chu was pretending to be honest, but dared to make trouble for her.
This person completely messed up his own plans because Shen Linqing trusted Aunt Chu more.
…
Yao Niang was not surprised at all that Shen Linqing and his wife were quarreling, but Second Madam Shen came to ask Yao Niang to mediate between them, and said, "Speaking of which, Linfeng and Linqing used to have a good relationship, and we can't just watch them turn against each other. You are the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family, so you have to go and mediate between them."
How could Yao Niang be held hostage by others? She said, "I heard that too, but you are the elder, and they only listen to you. I am young, and they would not listen even if I said it."
Moreover, Yao Niang looked at Second Madam Shen. She always felt that Mr. Shen should have found out something, but he kept it secret. Maybe it was because he wanted to wait until Second Uncle and the others were no longer in office before he could tell anyone.
Madam Shen sighed and lamented, and Yao Niang also sighed: "Second Aunt, how did Chu's child disappear?"
"I don't know about that." Mrs. Shen didn't want to delve into this topic. She also didn't want to persuade the third room and didn't want to take care of these things at all.
Yao Niang knew that these people were serious and no one would dare to promise, so she deliberately brought up these dangerous topics. Shao Shi, who had a good relationship with Grandma Qing, privately said to her maid Wang Gu: "Sister-in-law is really something. Why don't you wait until the child is born? You are doing this so early."
Who doesn't know the tricks of the wives? Especially the Qingda grandmother, who had been childless for several years. She was already out of her job and her family was in decline. To be honest, if the eldest house was still childless, who knows what would happen in the future? She even dared to take action so quickly against the concubine sent by her father-in-law. She was too impatient.
It is better to have a son than to have no son at all.
"I think so too. However, the Second Madam doesn't come to see us." The servants in the mansion were also puzzled.
Shao snorted coldly: "Second aunt is very smart, why would she care about such things? I have seen through it. If the eldest aunt was in Beijing, she would have come to mediate long ago. Second aunt is a person who would not be involved in such things."
"Yes, it would be nice if the first lady was here. When you first got married, you had a quarrel with the second master, and it was the first lady who mediated between them."
Although she is no longer here, everyone misses her kindness.
Aunt Chu recovered from this battle and rested for a month. Although she looked weak, she was loved much more than before. When Yao Niang saw her in the winter moon, Aunt Chu was even prettier than before. Grandma Qing had schemed against others before, and now she was being schemed against again. Although Grandma Qing was still the housekeeper, her authority was no longer as strong as before.
It just so happened that Wang was found to be pregnant at this time. After a long period of hard work, Wang finally got pregnant. Madam Shen Er made an exception and gave the servants more bonuses, and Yao Niang also sent some supplements over.
After the winter solstice, Ruofu is almost half a year old. The little girl is different from before when she only knew how to sleep and eat. She has become much more lively.
Every day when Shen Linfeng came back from the government office, his favorite thing was to accompany his daughter. He would feel very happy when he heard her babbling voice. His relationship with Yao Niang became even deeper because of the birth of their child. At the end of the year, Gu Silang and Zhou Lingguang were both in Beijing, preparing for the next year's imperial examination. Shen Bangyan was originally a scholar, but his father was the chief academician of the Imperial College, so it was still possible for his son to participate in the imperial examination as a student.
Yingniang also heard that Xu Sijia was going to get married, so she naturally hoped that her future husband would win the prize and get married at the end of the year. If he won the prize at the beginning of next year, it would prove that she was indeed blessed.
Then Zhen said, "I have inquired about it. Master Xu has only one concubine who is one year older than your third brother-in-law. This is enough to show that he is sincere to you."
"It is said that he has no concubines, but he may have quite a few concubines in other mansions." Yingniang didn't believe it. Xu Sijia didn't care about her at all. If she didn't have her brothers-in-law for comparison, she naturally wouldn't think it was a big deal. But with Shen Linfeng and Wen Qillang for comparison, it was different.
Zhen smiled and said, "You are the wife of the first wife. Your father-in-law will probably be promoted to the Minister of Justice soon. Why do you care about these things? Look at me. Your father has many concubines and even a second wife, but I am still the legitimate wife. A man's love is the most unreliable thing in this world."
But Yingniang felt that Xie's life was obviously better. Her father was a senior scholar in the East Pavilion, and the shads and things made by the emperor were all moved to the third room. Xie was accompanied by her father all day long, and her father also supported her third sister. She often went to the Shen Mansion and treated Shen Linfeng as her own son. She doted on her younger brother Jingci in every way. It was much better than her mother's.
She couldn't say these words, because she had secretly sensed that something was wrong, so she secretly observed Xie's daily behavior. Xie seemed very calm, almost without desires, and she just stayed with her husband and children every day. When her father was angry, she would talk and be decisive when doing business.
Be soft when you need to be soft, and be hard when you need to be hard.
Xie is actually stronger than the third sister. The third sister is a particularly arrogant person, but fortunately her third brother-in-law is open-minded and dotes on her very much.
When Yao Niang got married in Layue, she went back to her parents' home with Shen Linfeng to put on makeup for him. It was strange that Yan Yingqi originally said that he wanted to marry Yan Ningxin to Shandong, but later he hesitated. According to Xie, it seemed that he had fallen in love with someone.
Yingniang dressed very beautifully today. Her temperament has changed a lot. Yaoniang always felt that her voice was much softer than before. She pointed at the snacks in front of her and said, "Third sister, try it. This is the jade belt cake I made myself."
Yao Niang was surprised: "Did you make this yourself?"
"Yes, I had nothing to do yesterday, so I made Suzhou's jade belt cake myself and asked the kitchen staff to teach me how to make it." Ying Niang said with a smile.
Yao Niang took two bites and said, "Not bad."
Ying Niang was happy: "You are such a picky person, if you think it's good, then it's definitely good. I want to cook some dishes for my parents-in-law on the first day of the wedding, this is also my intention."
"You are so virtuous, the Xu family will definitely like you as a daughter-in-law more." Yao Niang said.
Nowadays, women are required to be respectful, virtuous and taciturn. Yao Niang thought she could not do any of these things and naturally gave up. However, Ying Niang was not that kind of person. Just like Wang Shi, she was not a gentle person to begin with. But she insisted on doing this. Now she would look like a weird person.
But Yao Niang would definitely not say these words out loud. Even Qian Niang, who came late, praised the jade belt cake highly but did not say anything about anyone else. Everyone knew what Zhen Shi and Ying Niang were doing.
Of course there was a maid in Xu Sijia's room. Mrs. Xu didn't care about the people around him at first, but after Yan Yingqi was appointed as the Grand Academician of Dongge, she sent away the dishonest ones. Besides, Xu Sijia was not a lustful person. If he really couldn't control himself, he would not seek pleasure and would be content with just being with one person.
Minister Xu told him, "The bride is the daughter of the prime minister. The daughters of the Yan family are both talented and beautiful. You must not let them down."
"Yes, Dad." Xu Sijia said.
Minister Xu said, "After Wen Shoufu passed away, I am still able to hold the position of Minister. It is also thanks to your help. But I am afraid I will not be in this position for long. You should see how the other sons-in-law of the Yan family are doing. Don't fall behind."
Xu Sijia said, "When the Yan family was in trouble, Shen Gongding was able to enter the inner cabinet on his own. If his son can pass the imperial examination, why would he need to ask others for help?"
"That being said, not everyone is Shen Gongding. Your father knows that you have always been a proud and arrogant person. And you have always disliked the arrogance of the Yan family, but a ready-made network of contacts is better than anything else." Minister Xu did not get this position for nothing, he is very good at being an official.
Yan Yingqi's temper was indeed not very good, but he was better than others at understanding the emperor's thoughts, and there were many outstanding people in the Yan family. With a son-in-law like Shen Linfeng, who shared the same aspirations, he could at least cover the sky and the sun for a few decades.
Xu Sijia nodded secretly.
When they got married, he had already gotten used to it after the veil was lifted. Yingniang was young and beautiful, seven or eight years younger than him. Although she was a little restrained, they spent the night in harmony overall.
Xu Sijia was not very good to her, but she was not bad either. In short, she was a bit boring. Yingniang was angry, but she did not learn the way of Zhen's mistress, who was always virtuous. Instead, she thought she should be as gentle and considerate as Jie, so she was very considerate to Xu Sijia, even to the point of paying for her.
Madam Xu said to the people around her secretly, "I originally thought that Fourth Sister Yan was the youngest daughter in the family, and I was afraid that she would be arrogant, so I sent everyone away. I didn't expect that she turned out to be a good-tempered person."
At one point, he thought that it might be because his son was so popular that he was able to control Fourth Sister Yan, and he naturally felt a little proud. If his son could control his daughter-in-law, he would be able to get whatever he wanted in the future.
Almost all mothers-in-law have this mentality. They can't stand a daughter-in-law who is too powerful, but they think a daughter-in-law who is gentle is easy to control.
But Fan Ruhui did not have these worries. She and Zhou Lingguang lived in her parents' home and there was no so-called mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conflict at all.
Even in February of the following year, Zhou Lingguang passed the imperial examination, and in March he won the third place in the palace examination.
Zhou Lingguang was already very handsome, and he won the third place in the imperial examination. When he was paraded through the streets, many women offered him handkerchiefs. Fan Ruhui was even more proud because she was pregnant and felt that she was extremely lucky.
Madam Fan said happily, "I heard that the fourth son-in-law of the Yan family ranked tenth in the second class. He is the son-in-law of the prime minister and the son of the minister. He may have passed the imperial examination. But our aunt is a real winner."
Fan Ruhui said, "Mother, there is no need to say this. Now my daughter is just waiting for the baby in her belly to be born, and she doesn't want to think about anything else."
Mrs. Fan thought to herself that it was a good thing that she did not want Shen Linfeng. Although this child was good, her son-in-law was better. Just as she was thinking about it, Fan Ruhui shouted that she was about to give birth, so she hurriedly asked the mother-in-law to come over.
She gave birth to a boy that day, and Mrs. Fan was overjoyed. She thought that the girls from the Yan family all gave birth to daughters when they got married, which was not a sign of good fortune. Her daughter, on the other hand, would rarely have such a sign of good fortune.
Yao Niang has been busy these days. Her daughter is getting older and sticking to her, so she doesn't have as much time as before. Shen Linfeng is still busy with official duties, and she has to take care of the family, so there are more things to do.
It just so happened that the Xu family had invited her to a banquet, so Yao Niang had to go to the Xu family first.
It has been several months since Yingniang got married. Yaoniang met her once during the Chinese New Year. She completely put her husband first, which was completely different from what she had imagined.
Today, when I went to the Xu family, I saw Yingniang standing in front of Madam Xu, always at her beck and call, smiling and behaved respectfully. It seemed that she had been like this for a few days.
When they met in private, Yao Niang said, "When my sister was at home, she didn't pour tea, massage my father's legs, and serve dishes every day. Now she is very docile at her husband's house."
"Third sister, isn't this what being a daughter-in-law is like? If I'm nicer to my mother-in-law, my husband will definitely be grateful to me. If a daughter-in-law humiliates her mother-in-law, even if I'm the prime minister's daughter, people will probably gossip about me. When I was at home, the third old lady was stubborn and Second Mother got over it." Ying Niang said.
Yao Niang thought to herself, "Aren't you just being unreasonable? The Xu family was originally of lower status than the Yan family. When they should have been in charge of the family and controlled their husbands, they started to please their mother-in-law. In the end, the mother-in-law still listened to her son."
But she was willing to endure the hardship, so she didn't say anything. She just said, "My brother-in-law has passed the imperial examination and has been assigned to the Ministry of War to observe government affairs. You are now an official's wife. This is a sign of good fortune."
"Third sister, it is a blessing to enter the Hanlin Academy, so please stop slandering me. However, Zhou Lingguang won the third place in the imperial examination at once, which is better than anyone else." Ying Niang also wanted to use Zhou Lingguang to satirize Shen Linfeng.
Yao Niang smiled and said, "Yes, isn't it said that the Fan family has a keen eye for talent?"
Ying Niang added, "Yes, I heard that Madam Fan gave birth to a boy, and I am pregnant too. It would be great if I could have this blessing as well."
The daughters of the Yan family are not good at giving birth, and Yingniang has heard about it. Now she is pregnant, if she gives birth to a son, it will be the first among the sisters. The third sister is not on good terms with the Shen family, and it is said that she has a bad relationship with Mrs. Shen. She is filial to her mother-in-law and considerate to her husband. If she gives birth to a son in the future, she will be...
As she thought so, Yao Niang felt that she was naive. Just like the Fan family who tried their best to fan the flames in order to make the case of Duke Wei's Mansion bigger, their grandfather was demoted to a commoner. Now that the flood season of the Yellow River is approaching, problems have arisen again. Some people in the court want to retaliate, so naturally they brought up the matter of General Fan's deliberate expansion of the matter.
When the Fan family was enjoying their success, General Fan was impeached by the Ministry of Justice. During the interrogation, the Jinyi Guards received a blackmail letter saying that the Fan family had colluded with others when they were in the local area and made a lot of ill-gotten gains. They even dug up how the Fan family had a nepotism relationship with their in-laws and how they were tyrannical in the local area.
God has mercy on us. General Fan was dismissed from office. Mrs. Fan cried as if she had lost her parents. When Fan Ruhui heard about this during her confinement, she had a hemorrhage and died.
Yan Mai was recommended by the officials of the Imperial Academy and was directly reinstated as the Governor of the River and concurrently in charge of military affairs. Yao Niang was naturally happy about these things. However, afterwards, Yan Yingqi wanted to recruit Zhou Lingguang as his son-in-law and marry his eldest daughter Yan Ningxin, which made Yao Niang dumbfounded.
When Mrs. Fan heard about this, she cursed the Yan family for stealing someone else's husband and wished them a miserable death...
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