The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 118
In March, the rice fields are green.

A carriage bypassed Zhongjia Village and drove this way, followed by several horsemen and horses. They arrived at the gate of Jiajia Manor and found out that Mr. Lin from Yan Ke was here.

When Jia Cong got the news, he hurriedly came out and bowed down, "Uncle Lin!"

Lin Ruhai had already known Jia Cong's name in the south of the Yangtze River. Now it seemed that Jia Cong's appearance was as handsome as a jade tree, and his demeanor was calm and calm.

"Cong'er, please get up!"

The two of them walked in, and Lin Ruhai hurriedly said, "I was supposed to come here three months ago, but I have been busy with official duties recently and really can't get away. Is Yu'er okay?"

"Everything is fine with Sister Lin!" Jia Cong said, "My nephew has sent someone to invite Sister Lin over. Uncle, sit down for a moment!"

The two chatted for a while in the study, and Daiyu hurried over, accompanied by her mother-in-law. She knelt down in front of Lin Ruhai, called "Father", and burst into tears.

Jia Cong said a few words of comfort before leaving the study, leaving the space for the father and daughter who had reunited after a long separation.

In the study room, Lin Ruhai could not help but ask Daiyu some things about Ning Rong's second house. The previous events had been widely circulated. In the officialdom, Lin Ruhai sometimes had to face inquiries from his colleagues, which made him very embarrassed.

There are also some false rumors.

In any case, now that the Jia family can no longer take refuge, Lin Ruhai is very embarrassed, "My father has no intention of remarrying. If you follow me back, you will have to be alone. I am afraid there will be no one at home to talk to."

Daiyu has been in this manor these days, with no one restraining her, and Jia Cong accompanying her. The two of them are either fishing in the long river nearby, or reading together by the window, doing elegant things like gambling on books and splashing tea. Or we can practice archery and rowing boats together, or we can run in the mountains, looking for wild fruits and the fragrance of flowers. The days are very comfortable and comfortable.

If she was asked to stay in the backyard all day, dealing with all the aunts, Daiyu just thought about it and felt that it was unacceptable.

"My father is busy with official duties. If my daughter goes back, I'm afraid she will put a lot of burden on her father. I am very happy here with the third brother. The third brother observes filial piety and is also a person. If I stay here, we can still keep each other company."

Lin Ruhai's eyes were wide open. He couldn't believe that this was said by his daughter who knew the rules and regulations. He wanted to rush out and ask Jia Cong what kind of ecstasy soup he had given his daughter, but he thought of an eight-year-old and a Seven years old, they are just two children. If he thinks about the love between children, he is overthinking.

Two little guesses!

"Did your journey go smoothly?" Lin Ruhai asked.

"It went very well. When we were in Huai'an, the third brother even asked his daughter to take her shopping for a whole day."

Lin Ruhai saw that her daughter's face was rosy, her breathing was smooth, and her cheeks seemed to have a little more flesh on her body. She was definitely not the weak, helpless and delicate look she had before. Instead, she looked a little more wild. She didn't know whether this was good or bad.

"You go back to the backyard first, and I will have a good discussion with Cong'er."

Daiyu hurriedly went out obediently. When she left the courtyard of the study, she happened to see Jia Cong standing under the crabapple tree in front of the door talking to Jia Ping. It was March, and there were actually refugees nearby who said they were from Henan. Came here.

"Are you finished?" Jia Cong asked with a smile.

Daiyu smiled and winked mischievously, "Third brother, I told my father that I want to stay here with you to observe filial piety. If my father asks, you are not allowed to say no."

Jia Cong was a little surprised and asked, "Why? Is it possible that you are still willing to stay in the countryside?"

"Why not? Is it possible that you are still willing to keep your mourning here alone without anyone to talk to?" She frowned, "Or is it that the third brother dislikes me and refuses to accept me here?"

"Sister, you are too worried, I would never dare!" Jia Cong bowed hurriedly, making Daiyu happy.

In the study, Lin Ruhai drank half a cup of tea when Jia Cong came in. After a few words of apology, Lin Ruhai talked about what he had just said to Daiyu, "The reason why I sent your cousin to your home is that there is no The elder brothers took care of and supported me, and secondly, the old lady sent a male and female boat to pick her up. I never thought that something like this would happen in your family."

Fortunately, the fact that her daughter was kicked back did not make her feel sad. If not, Lin Ruhai would become more and more dissatisfied with the Yue family.

"Ever since I was sent to Suzhou by the emperor to take charge of the salt class, I have been very busy every day, and I have no time to take care of Yu'er. This time she came back. It took me two or three months to come. Fortunately, she You have to take care of me, otherwise... alas!"

Lin Ruhai sighed.

Jia Cong was a little stunned and asked tentatively, "Is there something difficult for my uncle?"

Lin Ruhai looked at him, "Just now, I talked to Yu'er about taking her back, but she wanted to stay with you because she was afraid that you would be too lonely to observe filial piety alone. Besides, I also saw that she got along well with you. Got it!"

Speaking of this, Lin Ruhai didn't know what he thought of, and asked, "Cong'er, are you engaged?"

Jia Cong's heart skipped a beat and he didn't react. He shook his head and said, "Not yet!"

"That's good!" Lin Ruhai didn't know if he was too tired, and his mind kept jumping a little, which made Jia Cong a little unpredictable.

"Uncle, my nephew also knows a little bit about the salt class. What is the problem with the salt administration in Lianghuai now? My nephew seems to be much older when he looks at his uncle. Is he too tired every day?"

"As Yangzhou Salt Patrol Censor, I am not sent by the Ministry of Revenue, but appointed by the emperor. This is also the emperor's trust. The post of Salt Patrol Censor, responsible for the salt affairs of a district, was originally for one year. But the situation in Jiangnan has always been It’s complicated, and it’s rare to have a one-year term before you can leave smoothly.”

"The imperial court needs money everywhere, and the emperor... is in a dilemma. I heard that Cong'er came out with more than 50 taels of silver this time, and the Rongguo Mansion also sent out [-] million taels of silver. This only relieved the urgent need, and also Not the right way."

Only then did Jia Cong know that the Duke of Rongguo had spent four to five million taels of silver, which was not a small amount.

However, according to the financial resources of Duke Rongguo's government in the book, this amount of money accounts for one-third of its total assets.

I don’t know what the emperor in the palace would think, but four and a half million yuan is a large amount of assets for today’s emperor. Although the Jia family has lost money, it cannot eliminate the disaster.

"The annual income of the salt class is only 120 million taels of silver. If it is a good year, the annual income will be only 400 million taels of silver. Adding in other rice, flour, silk, cotton and silk cloth, the annual income will be more than 1000 million taels." Silver. But now, the Liaodong war costs 600 to [-] million taels of silver per year."

How anxious was Lin Ruhai to settle this account with Jia Cong.

When Jia Cong saw the white hair on his temples, he couldn't help but sigh in his heart, this is a typical scholar!

Scholar angry!

Lin Ruhai must have thought that Emperor Tai Qi was kind to him and put him in such an important position, so Lin Ruhai had the idea of ​​​​repaying the emperor's kindness. However, Lin Ruhai has not been outstanding in this position in recent years. However, Emperor Taiqi may not be satisfied with him.

"I heard that last winter, Zhao Zibi transported 30 taels of salt tax to the capital for the Emperor's Holy Birthday Festival this year. Since the imperial court's annual salt tax revenue is only 120 million taels, these 30 taels are Is it last year’s or this year’s?”

"Of course it's from this year! The 30 taels of silver are for pre-sale of salt for the coming year."

"Next year?" Jia Cong asked in shock, "Why is it the next year?"

"Yes, this year's Yanyin has been pre-sold last year. The 30 taels of silver are pre-sold for next year's Yanyin. There is nothing we can do about it." Lin Ruhai's thick eyebrows were locked together.

Jia Cong also took a breath. At this moment, even if Lin Ruhai wanted to take Daiyu away, Jia Cong had to find a way to retain her. A person who was fighting on a smoke-free battlefield did not even have the ability to protect himself. How can I protect my wife and children?
Jia Cong had an idea in mind that could help the court increase the income from the salt class, but if this plan was given to Lin Ruhai, it would not be helping him, but giving him a reminder.

Lin Ruhai, on the other hand, was obsessed with the emperor. If Jia Cong said something that was trivial to others, Lin Ruhai would not take it to heart, let alone listen to it.

"My uncle is involved in the country. If there is anything Cong can do to help, please speak up."

Lin Ruhai thought about it carefully, Jia Cong's stability, literary talent, and status were all worthy of Yu'er.At the beginning, Yu'er's grandmother took Yu'er back to the capital with the intention of promising Yu'er to Baoyu. There was no way she could go on this road.

But Yu'er can't live with him for a long time. He also knows his situation very well. Now he is in a dilemma.

The only way is to arrange a way out for Yu'er as soon as possible, so that no matter what happens to him in the future, he will have nothing to worry about.

"I fell in love with Cong'er as soon as I saw him. I only have one daughter, Yu'er, under my knees. Yu'er came from the capital and has a friendship with Cong'er. Living here with Cong'er under the same roof, I'm afraid of the future. It's because of Yu'er's reputation."

Jia Cong was confused and said anxiously, "Uncle, I am only eight years old, and my cousin is only seven years old. We are not seated at the age of seven, and my cousin is not old enough for men and women to guard against each other."

"Even so, if word spreads in the future, it will still be bad for Yu'er's reputation. The more aristocratic the family, the more they care about this." Lin Ruhai looked sad, leaving Jia Cong helpless.

He originally did good things, but now it seems that he has harmed Daiyu.

"What do you think of it according to uncle's wishes?"

Lin Ruhai said, "Cong'er is observing filial piety now, and I shouldn't talk about it originally. But, to tell you the truth, my uncle has such an errand, and I don't know if the shoes he took off today can be put on tomorrow. I am the only one with Yu'er. My daughter, she is my only concern in this life. Although she is young and you are my childhood sweetheart, we get along day and night. I have no other choice but to entrust her life to you!"

Jia Cong was so shocked that he almost jumped up and said in disbelief, "Uncle, is this what I thought?"

"I wonder what you mean?" Lin Ruhai did not dare to guess riddles about his daughter's life events.

"Uncle, do you want to promise Sister Lin to me as my wife?" Jia Cong asked.

Lin Ruhai nodded, "Yes, you should be a responsible person. I believe that the Holy One will not get it wrong!"

Jia Cong didn't even know what to say. Lin Ruhai's foolish loyalty really opened his eyes. Just relying on the emperor's trust, he felt that he was a good person and put his only daughter's life happiness on him. , this courage is really admirable.

Jia Cong would not refuse. If he said "no", he would force Daiyu to death.

She was just kicked out by her maternal grandfather, and was not taken back by her biological father for three months. As soon as her father came, she was hired out. If Jia Cong refused, she would be homeless.

Jia Cong no longer had any good impression of Lin Ruhai, and no longer wanted to care about his salt class. He nodded and said, "My uncle is also Cong's elder. He can also make some decisions about Cong's marriage. Besides, sister Lin and I are brothers and sisters." The love is deep, if my uncle can't take care of her, Cong will take care of her for the rest of his life."

However, after they became husband and wife, he had to take care of her more legitimately.

"That's the case, I'm relieved." Lin Ruhai said, "You are still observing filial piety. We only need to reach an agreement on this matter. Regarding the three letters and six etiquettes, I will talk to you again when your filial piety period is over. Master, let’s discuss.”

Xiong Bichen will return from the capital in the second half of the year. Before that, Jia Cong studied with his senior brother Xiong Tingyan. Xiong Tingyan would make a special trip here every ten days and stay here for two or three days to answer Jia Cong's questions.

His daily riding and shooting was guided by Uncle Kui, and he made rapid progress.

Jia Cong naturally had no objection.

After dinner, Lin Ruhai talked with Daiyu in detail for about a quarter of an hour. When Daiyu returned to her yard, her eyes were red. When she saw Jia Cong, her expression was complicated and sad, which made Jia Cong. Cong thought of the song "The Flower Burial Song" in "A Dream of Red Mansions", and inevitably felt pity for the little girl in his heart.

There was such a bond between them.

At this time, everything is superfluous.

In the room, Daiyu was leaning on the bedside and weeping. Zijuan brought hot water and twisted a handkerchief to clean Daiyu's face. "Why is the girl crying again? Even if she goes to the master's house tomorrow, it's not like she won't come back again." time. Besides, when the second master’s filial piety period is over, he will definitely go to the Lin family to see the girl, and it’s not like we won’t be able to see her. "

Daiyu let Zijuan apply the hot handkerchief on her face, and she said dullly, "What do you know, is this why I am here?"

I'm afraid she can only tell her third brother about the pain in her heart.

"Father has no intention of taking me back. He has been busy all the time. He just went home and didn't even have anyone to talk to. Is it possible that I have to follow my aunts every day?" She sighed, "No. If you go back, don’t go back!”

Zicuckoo was naturally happy. There was nothing bad in this countryside. "I wonder what the second master thinks?"

Daiyu's face turned red. Her father had just told her that he had discussed it with her third brother. When the period of filial piety was over, he would decide on her marriage to her third brother and asked her for her opinion.

For Daiyu, this was something she had never thought of. When she heard it, she was a little confused and her heartbeat was very fast. Her breathing, which had subsided for a long time, came up again. She couldn't say anything for a while.

And her father had no intention of listening to her opinion, so she simply came out.

In the Rongguo Mansion, the old lady took out the coffin book, which contained about one to two hundred thousand taels of silver, and then she became ill.

Once the old lady goes to Hexi, the second house has no title and is not qualified to live in Rongxi Hall. Jia She will definitely not allow the second house to occupy the magpie's nest. The Duke Kuang's mansion still has the dignity it has today, thanks to the old lady.

Therefore, Mrs. Wang did not dare to neglect, and she and Xifeng waited in Rongqing Hall every day.

"The old lady still wants to be more open-minded. If the money is gone, you can get it back again. What should you do if your body collapses? Besides, at least you can keep the title passed down by your ancestors." Mrs. Wang advised.

The old lady leaned on the big pillow, drank half of the bowl of medicine, and then pushed it away. "This medicine is too bitter. I feel better. Where is Baoyu? Is my Baoyu feeling better?"

After Daiyu left, Baoyu was very crazy for some time. The Rongguo Mansion was looking for doctors and medicine everywhere, thinking that Baoyu was in trouble, so a scabby monk and a lame Taoist came.

The monk asked for the precious jade, held it in his palm, and sighed: "Eight years have passed since we said goodbye to Qinggeng Peak! Time in this world flies so fast, and the world is full of dust, as if it were a snap of fingers!"

After a while of crazy talk, the monk took the jade mop again and handed it to Jia Zheng, saying: "This thing is already spiritual and cannot be desecrated. It is hung on the threshold of the bedroom. Except for one's own wife and mother, no one from the dark side can rush into it." Offense. After the 33rd day, I guarantee that I will recover from the illness and be as good as before."

This happened last winter, and now it's April. Baoyu is no longer crazy, but he has lost a lot of words compared to before.

"Baoyu was hanging out with his sisters. He ate an extra bowl of rice porridge this morning. He said he was going to form a poetry club with his third sister and they were making a lot of noise." Xifeng said.

"That's good, that's good. Let his naughty sisters stay together and tell him not to ask him to study or to restrain him." After the old lady said a few words, she lost her energy and returned. Trapped.

Sisters Baoyu and Yingchun Tanchun were sitting together. They had not spoken for a long time. Tanchun was extremely anxious, "What's the matter with second brother? You didn't say anything even when you came. If you want to be naughty, we'll just be naughty with you."

Yingchun has always been dull and talkative. At this time, she didn't know what to say to comfort Baoyu, and said, "Didn't you say that we wrote poems together?"

Baoyu shook her head and said, "It's boring! There used to be sisters Lin and Xichun, but now they have abandoned me. I originally thought that sooner or later the sisters would leave me when they grow up. Who knows, this will happen The day has come so early!”

As he spoke, he buried his head in his arms and started crying hard, scaring the two Yingchun sisters into panic.

Tanchun was more assertive at least. He pushed Baoyu's shoulders and said, "Second brother, Sister Lin is not from our family. When she came here, she only said she was staying in our home temporarily. Now the family has suffered such a big thing. , Sister Lin herself couldn’t live in our house, so she went back.”

"Where's sister Xichun? Can't she live in our house? What's wrong with our family? If we just need more money, is it possible that our food and accommodation will be reduced?"

"What the second brother said is wrong. It's just a matter of missing some money? The second brother doesn't look at the old lady. How anxious is the old lady?"

But Baoyu couldn't listen to a word, "I'm going to find the old lady. I want the old lady to take Sister Lin and Sister Xichun back."

(End of this chapter)