The Concubine's Survival Manual

Chapter 12

It was the first time for Seventh Lady to participate in a banquet held by the female family members of the Yang Mansion.

She behaved well, according to the ranking, she sat down next to the sixth lady, and left the seat closest to the second wife to the second lady.

The third lady sits on the right side of the second wife, and the second lady sits on the left of the second wife. The eighth lady has to sit opposite to the seventh lady. The second wife usually sits with the eldest wife. If the eldest wife is not there, she will be generous. Sitting comfortably on the horizontal position above.

The daughters of the Yang family winked at each other.

This is the eldest room, and the eldest wife is only leaving temporarily. The second house mistress, who is a guest, has to leave an empty seat for the eldest wife, which shows that although the eldest wife is out of town, the sister-in-law still respects her very much.

Every year when the Yang family had New Year's Eve dinner, they would reserve a place for the second master at the hands of the first master, that's why.

The second wife is also from a scholarly family, why is she acting so haphazardly?

After everyone was seated, Ms. Wang and Lichun started to serve the dishes. The fourth aunt entered the main hall from the side hall with a smile, and bowed to the second wife, "Greetings to the second wife."

The second wife quickly smiled and nodded, her attitude was also very enthusiastic, "The elder sister is not here these days, thank you for your hard work."

Fourth Yiniang hurriedly gave in, "It's hard work, and there's not much to worry about." She then asked, "Second Madam has few people to accompany her today, so do you want some storytellers to come over to relieve the boredom?"

The eldest wife never listened to books in front of the ladies. She was busy with housework, and it was rare for two days a year to think of the storytellers raised by the Yang family.The second lady showed displeasure, but said nothing.

The second wife smiled very politely, "No need, I got up early today, I'm a little sleepy, I want to finish eating earlier and take a rest at Jubaxian."

While speaking, she nodded to Fourth Aunt, as if thanking her for her kindness.

Seventh Lady felt something was wrong.

She is good at observing words and expressions. In her previous life, she lived in an office with complicated interpersonal relationships for more than three years, and she actually flattered everyone.

The second wife and the fourth aunt should have had a lot of contacts in the past few years. In the past few years, the fourth aunt was in charge of the housework, and the two families always had daily contacts. Why do they look like strangers now?They are polite to each other, without any human touch.

Pretending too much is a bit fake.Especially Fourth Aunt, who is very affectionate when they meet, even if the Second Wife doesn't take her seriously, she will come up to her to get close.

Seventh Lady paid attention.

The fourth aunt didn't say any more polite words, and went back to the side hall where the aunts had dinner.

Nothing like her usual behavior.

The meal was uneventful, because the second wife complained that she was tired, so no one spoke, just ate something silently and left.The good idea that Qin Niangzi came up with, but because Brother Nine was not around, it didn't work.

After the meal, the second wife did not leave immediately, she really went to rest on the beauties' couch in the hall of Jubaxian, and asked the eighth lady to follow her sisters to walk around Jubaxian to digest food.

In March, the weather warmed up, and everyone did not leave, gossiping in twos and threes in Jubaxian, admiring Qionghua.

Seventh Lady and Sixth Lady stood beside the most luxuriant Qionghua, chatting one after another about the embroidery. Sixth Lady had already made a purse for Second Lady, but felt that it was too flimsy to give away. , I was worrying about what to embroider, at one moment I thought the embroidery screen was too ostentatious, and at the other I thought the handkerchief was too delicate.

The third lady and the fourth lady stood far away on the side of the road, picking the azaleas blooming along the road, and the second lady took the eighth lady to nowhere.

It became deserted near Jubaxian, and the serving maids and wives also went to eat separately, and those who were still on duty also stayed far away from Jubaxian, standing on the side of the road talking and laughing—the second wife is so quiet .

The aunts left early, their identities are awkward, and with the second wife around, they are very restrained, it is better to separate and be at ease.

Qin Niangzi saw the water-red clothes flash by the side door of Jubaxian.

Fourth Aunt is wearing a water red long trousers today.

Sixth Lady continued to talk endlessly, Seventh Lady looked at her and laughed awkwardly.

"Sixth sister, I'm going to clean the room." She whispered, a little embarrassed.

Sixth Lady laughed, "What's so embarrassing?" She didn't say to go with Seventh Lady.

Qin Niangzi greeted Bai Lu, and together they entered the clean room in the east side hall of the Eight Immortals.

Faintly, the second wife's voice could be heard from the back hall.

Qiniang pricked up her ears and listened, but she couldn't hear it, so she whispered to Bai Lu, "Help me get out of the window!"

Behind the cleaning room is a large clump of viburnum, which obscures the sight of those who are interested. When she opens the window, she can walk around to the window in the back hall and listen to what the second wife and fourth aunt are discussing.

If it was only the fourth aunt alone, the seventh lady would of course be happy to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, but now that the eldest wife is not here... the second wife's concern is all on the ninth brother alone.

She couldn't help listening to what the second wife and fourth aunt were discussing!
Bai Lu's face turned pale immediately, and she looked at Qin Niangzi hesitantly, without saying a word.

Seventh Lady also looked back at her calmly.

Whether Bai Lu can become her confidant depends on this moment.

She didn't have time to explain the cause and effect, and she didn't want to explain... If Bai Lu still cared about the eldest wife and didn't take herself seriously as her master, she might not help herself by doing such deviant and unruly things.

But if Bai Lu had herself in her heart, it would be different. Among the women living in the mansion, which one didn't have some shameful things in private?Don't talk about eavesdropping through the window, even when lying on the ground!
There was a flash of hesitation on Bai Lu's face. She looked at Qiniangzi's calm expression, bit her lip, and said decisively, "I'll go for you! You just wait here!"

Seventh Lady relaxed all of a sudden, her heart softened.

After all, Bai Lu was towards her.

"You are too tall." She said with a smile, "It doesn't matter, when I was in the northwest, I was wilder than this!" When living in the northwest, she was able to get together with relatives in Yangjia Village a few times , the children were naughty, and the adults didn't take it seriously. Although Qin Niangzi could not be said to be agile, it was not difficult to climb through the small window of Jubaxian.

Bai Lu helped Qiniangzi climb out of the window.

Her small figure was covered by viburnum bushes, even a caring person like Bai Lu could only vaguely see the top of her head.

Seventh Lady quickly slipped under the window of the back hall.

The side where the Eight Immortals gather is leaning against the rockery and surrounded by viburnum flowers. When there is nothing to do, no one will come over.

Perhaps because of this, the window was only ajar, not closed, and the faint human voice floated out from the window.

The fourth aunt seemed to be very emotional, "That's right, but who knows what their family's situation is like, last time I talked with their thirteenth aunt at the Jin's house, I just said that although their wife has been indifferent in recent years, But it got even more chaotic, and the new aunts in charge are not very useful."

The second wife seemed a little displeased, "That's what you say, after all, you are also a chief minister! If you don't like it, I have nothing to say. It depends on how my sister-in-law arranges it."

Seventh Lady felt a little boring: it must be about Third Lady's marriage.

Jiangsu chief envoy Li Wenqing has been the elder's subordinate for many years. The elder is the governor of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian provinces. He is busy with military and political affairs. Li Wenqing is in charge of all the things in Jiangsu that the elder doesn't want to worry about. He is his right-hand man. He came to talk twice in three days, and even the eldest wife had a particularly kind face towards Mrs. Li.

It's not surprising that the Li family deliberately said that the third lady is his wife for the legitimate son.The Li family was different from the Yang family in that they had many heirs, more than a dozen sons had been born, it was not uncommon for Mr. Li to remarry three times, and his sons ran around the house.

If San Niangzi said that she would be the legitimate wife of her own son in the past, that person would naturally be willing. With the Yang family as the backer, when the family is divided in the future, it will always be more beneficial... On San Niangzi's side, it depends on Master Yang's In terms of face, no one will make San Niangzi unhappy, and it can be called a close relative.

Fourth Yiniang hesitated, "I made you worry about it! It's just this matter... please allow me to think about it again!"

The second wife snorted, but did not answer.

Seventh Lady sighed silently, she had no interest in Third Lady's marriage.Although she doesn't like this elder sister, she is not like the eldest wife, she is trying her best to trip up the fourth aunt in the marriage of the third lady... This is related to the life of the third lady.

Fourth Aunt spoke again, with a more tactful tone, "It's rare for you to come here, so go out and enjoy the flowers, so I'll take my leave first!"

The second wife seemed a little puzzled, "Leaving in such a hurry? It's not easy for our sister and son to get together—the matter at hand—"

"The third lady didn't mention her last good relationship, so how can I think about anything else?" The fourth aunt was a little sad, "The eldest wife is about to come back, it's only been a few months, and she has chosen someone, and she still has to marry her." The master is grinding..."

The second wife sighed heavily, and her tone became a little impatient, "I know, the Li family, you don't like it!"

Fourth Yiniang was still talking, but Seventh Lady had already retreated quietly outside the clean room, stretched out her hand to let Bai Lu pull her, turned into the room, straightened the wrinkled dress, and combed her hair.

Eavesdropping also requires skill.

Even if others didn't notice, Liu Niangzi definitely knew how long she had been gone.

It took half an hour to clean the room last time, it was a big joke... Besides, knowing what they were talking about, Qin Niangzi lost the interest in listening.

Seventh Lady left the clean room while talking to Bai Lu.

It happened that he bumped into Shuang Jiang who was next to Si Yiniang head-on.

Both sides froze.

It was Seventh Lady who came back to her senses first, nodded to Shuangjiang, and turned Jubaxian out from the east side hall.

Sixth Lady and Eighth Lady were sitting on the stone pier outside the Eight Immortals, chatting and laughing. Under the dazzling sunlight, Eighth Lady's complexion seemed to look a lot better. Seeing Seventh Lady, they greeted her at the same time.

Seventh Lady quickly suppressed the thoughts in her heart, smiled cordially at Eighth Lady, and thanked her for the clothes she gave her.

Compared with the second wife, the eighth lady is much more shy. The second wife has always been kind, generous and graceful to others, but the eighth lady just smiled and said that you are welcome, and shrank shyly behind the sixth lady.

The door of the back hall was suddenly opened, and two or three maidservants came out to fetch water and brought it in to wash the second wife. After a while, the second wife smiled and talked to the sisters, and then took the eighth lady out to gather the eight immortals, and Ms. Wang He and Si Yiniang came out from nowhere, and sent her out of Baifang Garden from left to right.

Everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

#
When Seventh Lady returned to the West Side Courtyard, Brother Nine had already taken a nap, and Xiaoxue was busy helping him wash up inside and out.Lichun and Wang's mother hurriedly gathered around to show their courtesy, and Qin Niangzi took Bailu into the east room.

The few words I heard in Jubaxian are still lingering in my mind, refusing to dissipate.

Fourth Yiniang's words are always very mysterious, and this time is no exception, the more she recalled the few words she said to the second wife, the more strange it became for Seventh Lady.

If two people want to join forces, there must always be some common goals or interests that can be exchanged.

According to Fourth Auntie's words, she wants to find someone she likes within five months, let the second wife act as a matchmaker, and then she will work hard on the Eldest Master. There is no other way.

The strategy is good, but why did the second wife help the fourth aunt?If you talk about marriage for the third lady, the second wife will definitely offend the eldest wife.

She has nothing to ask of Fourth Aunt.Since Fourth Aunt was kicked out of the position of housekeeper by the eldest wife a few years ago, she has always relied on the favor of the elder to maintain her dignity.

Could it be that the fourth aunt held the handle of the second wife?

The Second Wife has been trying to get Brother Nine's idea for so many years. If she doesn't pay attention to her actions, it is not impossible for her to fall into the hands of Fourth Aunt.

What kind of excuse made the second wife work so hard for the fourth aunt?
Seventh Lady thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out. Fourth Aunt's actions have always been so light and there are infinite deep meanings in her understatement.

Take one step at a time!She let it go.

What the second wife wants to do, as long as the third wife's marriage is really done, I'm not afraid that I don't know.

What Fourth Aunt is going to do will definitely show her clues.Although she is favored, she can't cover the sky with one hand. Even if the eldest wife is not around, Ms. Wang and Li Chun can still contend with her.As long as Brother Jiu can be protected, it's not her turn to take care of other matters.

Qin Niangzi put the matter aside, invited Lichun to Donglijian to talk and laughed for a while, and asked about Brother Jiu's situation on the sidelines.

Although Brother Nine is the only son of the Eldest Master, the Eldest Wife takes him very seriously and seldom goes to the outer courtyard. This time it was a very novel experience for him to go to the outer courtyard with the Elder Master for dinner.

It is said that the old man asked Brother Nine about some things in the books, and Brother Nine answered some of them, but he couldn't answer some. The old man didn't say anything, and asked Brother Nine to come back to rest after dinner.

The Eldest Master was a first-timer at the time, and he always attached great importance to the education of his children. Among the few children, the second wife and the third wife who he especially loved were all hardworking in their studies. I don't like reading very much, so the old man's reading is a little worse.

Although Jiu Ge is the only son now, no matter what he is loved by thousands of people, but if he has a younger brother in the future, he will have to spend more time studying.

Seventh Lady was thinking about Eighth Auntie's belly.

This time, Auntie Ba did not participate in the Qingming ancestor worship. She rested in her Qilixiang. In the past few days, she invited doctors several times, and asked Dahan to ask for Lichun. praying for children.

Naturally, Lichun would not be such a villain, Fourth Aunt not only agreed, but also took Dahan to Hanshan Temple herself, and she didn't know where she turned on the way.

Perhaps Eighth Aunt had no intention of paving the way for Fourth Aunt, but a real master can always take advantage of every opportunity to achieve his goal and sell well in front of his boss.Knowing that Fourth Aunt cares so much for Eight Aunt, the Eldest Master went to Xi Kefang to sit for a long time.

Seventh Lady had a premonition that Fourth Aunt would go out frequently in the next few months.

(End of this chapter)