Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 761: Snow Viewing Banquet

Earl's Mansion, Dengxian Pavilion.

The roof of the pavilion is covered with new green glazed tiles and thick white snow. Auspicious beasts stand on the eaves and corners, leaving delicate silhouettes against the clear sky.

Following Yingchun's instructions, Musk Moon took the maids and old women to tidy up the attic inside and outside. She was busy walking up and down, mobilizing people and putting things in place one by one.

She wore a rose red satin collared long coat, a white cross-collared blouse, a white embroidered cotton skirt, and a dark green scented sweat towel tied around her slender waist. She looked neat and capable.

While assigning maids to wipe the tables and chairs and prepare tea and wine utensils, he went to the railing and instruct the maids and old women downstairs to sweep the snow and clear the road for easy walking.

As there were many guests this time, there were not enough tables and chairs, so she asked her maid to open the inner courtyard storehouse and move in a few high tables as backup.

Because of the snowy weather, there was not enough light in the attic, so they simply moved eight glazed palace lanterns out of the storeroom, hung them all on the beams, and lit them up when needed.

After all kinds of utensils were ready, she asked the maid to open the fumigation cages and place them in various places in the building. She replaced the charcoal with new ones for fumigation to dispel the cold air in the building, and asked someone to look after it.

Then send the stewardess to the kitchen to tell them to prepare the vegetables, fish and meat for lunch early and put them in the pot at the exact time so that they don't lose their fresh taste.

……

The maids and old women who worked with Musk Moon were all people purchased by the East Palace from the south of the Yangtze River. They were all smart and hardworking.

They seldom went to the West Palace on a daily basis, but the two palaces were adjacent to each other, and over time they had heard about things in the West Palace.

Everyone knows that this Miss Musk Moon was originally the head maid of Master Bao in the West Mansion. For some reason she offended the second wife and was about to be driven out.

The eldest lady here was kind-hearted, so she asked the girl to work in the East Palace.

Originally everyone thought that the maid who was driven out must be lazy and incompetent.

But I didn't expect that after this girl came to the East Palace, her daily words and deeds were completely different, and it was hard to find any slackness or fault in her.

This maid who was driven out of the West Mansion, upon arriving at the East Mansion, became the steward and maid of the eldest lady, surpassing many people.

There are also maids and servants in the East Palace who bully those who are new to them, either by showing off their qualifications or trying to seize power. Naturally, there are also some who want to destroy the prestige of others.

But I didn't expect that this new deacon girl was not only good-looking, but also had a clever tongue.

Her words were as sharp and sharp as a knife. She could leave people helpless in a matter of seconds. Before others could react, she had already thought of eighteen ideas in her mind and mouth.

There was a servant in the East Palace who wanted to test his prowess, but after just a few words with Musk Moon, he was quickly defeated and no one dared to provoke him easily since then.

But although Miss Musk Moon has a sharp tongue, she is polite in her words and actions, leaving room for maneuver and not making people feel too embarrassed. Her behavior is quite convincing.

After a period of time, the maids and servants in the East Palace had all heard of his reputation.

Everyone was curious about her, but they didn't expect that the second branch of the side house was so grand that they could even drive away such a powerful maid.

Otherwise, it could be that the second wife was so infatuated and blinded that the eldest lady here got a great advantage for nothing.

Some people also privately rumored that Miss Musk Moon was about to be expelled from the West Palace, but was able to turn things around in the East Palace. It was said that she was favored by the Lord...

In short, no matter whether the rumors were true or not, they did create some deterrence. Coupled with Musk Moon's cleverness and ability, she soon felt at home in the East Palace.

Yingchun has been paying close attention to Musk Moon since she entered the East Palace. After all, this girl has some "involvement" with her brothers.

Unexpectedly, not long after Musk Moon entered the East Palace, she established her foothold in the eyes of everyone, which made her feel quite satisfied.

……

After the Si hour, Jia Cong and his sisters went up to the Dengxian Pavilion and saw two tables set up inside and outside the three-story attic.

There were all kinds of utensils on the table, and the chairs were all covered with red brocade flower-patterned cushions. There were three black silver-engraved self-pouring pots on each table, and a ten-color enamel cup on each seat.

There were two small seats inside, where sat Jia Cong, Wang Xifeng, Yingchun, Daiyu and other sisters, as well as Miaoyu, Zhishao, Wu'er, Ping'er, Yinglian and others.

Because it was a small gathering in the inner house, Jia Cong asked Yingchun to sit in the main seat, and Yingchun asked him to sit on her left. Since Miaoyu was a foreign guest, she sat on Yingchun's right.

At another table inside, Wang Xifeng sat in the main seat, while the other sisters just sat casually.

Sitting at the two seats outside were the maids Qingwen, Lingguan, Xiaohong, Sheyue, Xiuju, Yuanyang, Amber, Zijuan, Jinchuan, Shishu and too many to mention.

Because Jia Cong did not like formalities and Yingchun was a gentle and amiable person, the sisters stayed together all year round and became very familiar with each other.

It was another gathering of peers; there were no elders at the table, and the atmosphere at each table in the pavilion was harmonious, casual and unrestrained.

Only five or six dishes were served, and each person had dessert and hot soup. Everyone was only half full and their minds were no longer on the meal.

Inside, they were reciting poems and couplets for fun, or chatting about ancient stories, while outside, people were guessing numbers, shaking dice, and fortune-telling, chatting and having fun.

After Xichun had filled her stomach a little, she went to draw on the desk by the window, while Daiyu and Tanchun gathered aside to watch.

Miaoyu, Zhishao, Xiuyan and others went to the terrace to enjoy the snow scene in the garden.

Xiangyun had already run to the table outside, where she first played guessing and dice with Qingwen and Yuanyang, and then played finger-guessing games and drank with Amber, Feicui and others.

……

Xiaohong and Sheyue were both stewards and maids, and they were close friends, so they didn't sit at the table for long.

He then stood up and started to arrange for the replacement of cups and plates, the serving of new dishes, the refilling of drinks, and the arrangement of firewood, charcoal, and candles in various places. He was much busier than anyone else.

When the two of them turned to the chairman's seat, they accompanied Jia Cong and Yingchun to drink two cups. After the banquet was over for a while, the two of them went to the window to enjoy the breeze and chat.

Xiao Hong said, "Sister Sheyue, I still remember what we said in Rongxi Hall. I hope you can get out of this trouble as soon as possible.

But my sister was concerned about our old friendship and was unwilling to move away even though there was a good opportunity. She never expected this day would come.

This time it was the Second Wife who wanted to chase people away and even promised my sister to someone else. No wonder my sister changed her mind. She left with a clear conscience."

Musk Moon said: "If the Madam is just tired of me, that's why she punishes me like this, then it's fine, but if she has other intentions, there will be a lot of trouble.

Master Bao has caused a lot of trouble in the past six months. I can see clearly that he is not able to bear the consequences. There will definitely be a lot of trouble in his room in the future. Now everyone is just suppressing him.

Even if my wife doesn't kick me out this time, if I stay there, I will probably end up in a bad way in the future.

Now it is better to suffer a short pain than a long one. I have done my best to be a master and servant, and I am quite clean.

I will remember my sister's kindness. If you hadn't said that to me, I wouldn't have survived."

Xiao Hong smiled charmingly and said, "Look at what you are saying, sister, are you going to pledge yourself to me?"

Sheyue smiled and pinched her, saying, "You are not a man, I will give you my body, you have to be able to bear it."

The two of them laughed and joked for a while, and Musk Moon said, "Little Sister Hong, we have all stayed in the Second Master's room before, and we have seen the masters' appearance.

Just like what is said in the opera, there is a world of difference between being foolish and being wise. Since ancient times, it is easy to add icing on the cake but difficult to provide timely assistance, let alone servants like us.

We have all received the kindness of the Third Master, which is a rare blessing in the mansion. Compared with people like Qianxue and Tanyun, we are much luckier. Since I left the Second Master's room, I have made up my mind to work hard. If I can repay the Third Master's kindness, I will not regret it in my life. "

At this time, it was past noon and the sun was rising high. The sky, which was originally slightly gloomy when it was snowing, seemed to have been torn open by a veil.

Under the sunshine, the garden is full of snow scenery, magnificent and translucent, shining brightly, magnificent and dazzling.

Someone shouted, and everyone at the table either crowded to the window or leaned against the railings of the balcony, gazing at the beautiful scenery of the garden covered in snow, and exclaimed in admiration from time to time.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

In the main hall, Aunt Xue was explaining matters to Mrs. Jiang. A few days ago, Baochai went through the accounts of various places in Jinling and found many loopholes.

Mrs. Jiang will be returning to Jinling tomorrow, so Aunt Xue will naturally give her some advice on how to convey the message when she returns.

It cannot be said to be a warning to scare the tigers, but at least it should be a warning so that the store owners and managers in Jinling will be aware of the situation and need to be more cautious in running their business.

Although these actions may seem ineffective from a distance, this is all we can do for now.

In short, the family business was in turmoil and her son was useless, which gave Aunt Xue a headache.

After sending Mrs. Jiang away, Baochai came in with her maid Jinchuan, holding a red plum blossom in her hand.

Aunt Xue smiled and said, "Didn't you go to the East Palace to enjoy the snow? This red plum blossom is very beautiful. Where did it come from?"

Baochai smiled and said, "Brother Cong cut these from the plum grove on the south slope of the East Palace and gave them to me to put in a vase in my room."

Aunt Xue was very pleased to see that her daughter would smile whenever she mentioned Jia Cong.

There seems to be no end in sight if this continues, and I really don’t know how the situation will end in the future.

Then the daughter asked Jinchuan to come into the room, took out the vase that was usually placed on the bedside, wiped it clean carefully, filled it with clean water, and inserted the plum blossoms into the vase and placed it in the right position.

When Aunt Xue saw that Baochai was reluctant to let go of the plum blossoms in the vase, she sighed in her heart and suddenly thought of something.

He said, "Mrs. Jiang will be returning to Jinling tomorrow. Last time you said that you would need Miss Qu's help for the business in Jinling in the future. What did you mean?"

……

Baochai was about to go into the house holding the plum blossoms. After hearing her mother's words, she was slightly startled and said, "How come you still remember this, mother? I just said it casually.

Although the business in Jinling is not going smoothly now, it is not out of control yet. The method I am thinking of is a last resort."

Aunt Xue said, "Even if it's not the right time yet, it won't hurt to tell it first."

Baochai put the vase back on the table and said, "Mom, I have thought about this many times. My brother will definitely inherit our family business in the future.

But given my brother's personality, it would be very difficult for him to manage the business in Jinling, and it would be difficult for him to subdue the old ministers in the family.

I said that only when there is someone of note among my brother's descendants, or when there is an official among the Xue family, will the ancestral business have a basis for prosperity.

But this kind of thing is bound to be a long-term process and cannot be achieved in a short period of time. If you want to ensure the stability of your family business, you have to think of other compromises.

Since the decline of the Zhen family in Jinling, the business of Xinchunhao has become increasingly prosperous. Not only does it have the title of imperial merchant, but it also has the protection of the official titles of the Cong brothers. It must be as stable as a rock.

As the business becomes more popular, it is necessary to add more stores and expand business channels. Brother Cong and Miss Qu are both smart people and they will definitely do so.

In the big cities of Jiangnan, every inch of land is worth a lot of money. The good places and shops have long been occupied by the rich. Sometimes, no matter how much money you have, you can't buy the good things you want.

Our Xue family’s business has been down in recent years, but the shops left by our ancestors are all located in the most prosperous streets in Jiangnan.

Even in the city of Jinling, almost all the important downtown streets have the Xue family's ancestral shops.

Originally, Mom wanted to discuss with the Cong brothers and allow the Xue family to distribute Xinchun’s products.

However, Xinchunhao has always been an exclusive seller, and it would be difficult to make an exception for the Xue family, otherwise business would become difficult in the future.

The Cong brothers are family members, so it is not appropriate to make things difficult for them.

The daughter thought of choosing a few prosperous ancestral shops and renting them to Xinchunhao at full price. The Xue family would not participate in the operation of the shops and would only collect full rent.

Doing this will not earn you more money than opening your own shop, but with Xinchunhao as a shield, the money you make is very stable.

By dividing up part of the ancestral property in this way, the control of the long-time shopkeepers and managers over the family business became much weaker.

We also have more basic support, so even if something unexpected happens in our family business, we have the confidence to fight back.

Because of my brother's murder lawsuit, our family had to move to the capital. At the moment, there was no one we could rely on to take charge, and if things went on for too long, something bad would surely happen.

My daughter was at her wits' end and came up with this stupid idea, so she never told her mother about it in detail, nor did she mention it to Brother Cong. "

……

Aunt Xue sighed: "This is not a stupid method, it is a very smart method.

I am the son I raised myself, and I know him best. Your brother is really not cut out for business. The fact that he can live a peaceful life is thanks to the blessing of our ancestors.

Your method sounds not as good as the original way of making money, but because of Cong Ge'er, this way of making money is very safe and you don't have to worry about it.

How much money can our family of three use? The rent of a few popular shops alone is enough for our daily living in Shenjing.

As long as we can preserve the Xue family's ancestral property and keep the green mountains, there will be no shortage of firewood. This is the long-term way.

I think this method is feasible. When your brother comes back, the three of us will discuss it. I think your brother will definitely agree.

Think about how to talk to Cong first. As long as he is willing to lend a hand, the rent issue can be discussed."

Baochai smiled and said, "Mom, you are too impatient. Even if Brother Cong is willing to do this, it will take more than a day or two to do it.

For example, when choosing which shops to rent, and before renting out the shops, how to deal with the inventory and staff in the shops.

I'm afraid the old shopkeeper and the sons of the manager will not remain indifferent and will most likely have something to say, because this will destroy their jobs.

These all require proper methods to deal with. I will talk to Brother Cong after I have thought carefully about the follow-up matters.

As long as this matter can be completed before the end of next spring, it will be convenient enough, and there is no need to rush. "

Baochai asked again, "Why can't I see my brother today? Could it be that he went out for a walk again?"

Aunt Xue sighed, "Your brother has been detained at home by me for a few days. How could he endure it? He just had lunch and hurried out.

He said he hadn’t been to the Duan Family Grain Shop for a long time, so today he went to talk to Duan Chunjiang about his business. I think he was probably looking for an excuse to go out and fool around…”

(End of this chapter)