in spring

Chapter 294
On the second day after returning from the Hou Mansion, the Third Young Mistress Fan Xiru made a list of the ancestor worship procedures, the rules of the clan assembly and all the expenses, and sent the big girl beside her to the East Mansion for the second old lady and the second wife. Take a look.Zhuo found that some of them had been revised, and it was a little more detailed than what was discussed before, so she couldn't help but look up at the railing, and saw that she was calm and smiling, waiting for her to speak, Then he turned to ask his mother-in-law, "What does mother think?"

The second old lady leaned on the couch, listening to Chunying read the contents of the list in a low voice, she naturally heard the changes, without raising her eyelids: "You old lady has already seen it? What does your wife say? "

Diaolan replied with a smile: "Our third young mistress has already returned to our old lady. The old lady said that we can do it according to the regulations discussed earlier. Our third young mistress went to ask our wife for instructions. Our wife said that she is not good. I told our three young mistresses to just do their best, even if there is something that is not well thought out, the elders will correct it, even if something is really wrong, the people of the clan know that our third young mistress is a new wife, and it is the first time to do such an errand We will not be surprised. Our three young mistresses did not dare to take the big ones, so we went to ask the eldest young mistress for advice, and the eldest young mistress went to ask the eldest young mistress of the patriarch's family. Finally, the two young mistresses revised the charter together. I am here to ask the second old lady and the second wife for their guidance, and ask the second old lady and the second wife to correct me a lot, and I will not hesitate to teach you."

Chunying's head was almost dizzy when she heard this string of wives and grandmas, and the second wife laughed a long time ago: "Brother You and his daughter-in-law brought you to our house as a guest, but I didn't notice you You have such a clever mouth. Who are these grandmas and wives talking about? But anyone who turns their minds slowly will be stumped by you."

Diaolan hurriedly laughed and said: "If you are answering someone else, the servant should speak slowly, break a sentence into three paragraphs, and make sure that people can hear each word clearly. The master was still moaning like this, even if the second old lady and the second wife didn't speak, the sisters in the room would beat the servants out first, and they answered for a long time without explaining the matter clearly, and asked the second old lady to talk to the second wife. The second wife is anxious to hear that!"

Everyone in the room couldn't help laughing, Chunying pulled the corners of her mouth and said: "I have never seen you pretending to be a young lady in the past and speaking in a gentle manner. When did you not speak quickly and urgently like pouring beans? Our wife is boasting You speak clearly and clearly, who praised you for speaking fast? You even arranged us. How many times have we beaten you out? It’s so boring. Now that’s the case, I really want to beat you out once, so as not to Bearing a false name." After saying that, he really got up and wanted to push the railing.

Diaolan smiled and begged for mercy, and the second old lady said cheerfully: "Forget it, Chunying please forgive her. I can't bear to see her speak so pitifully." Then she asked Zhuo to leave the list, "Go back and tell you Third Young Mistress, we know what to do, let her just let her go. With her talent, this kind of thing will not trouble her. If there is anything you don’t understand, ask your old lady. We still have a lot of things to do at home. It may not be free, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you, I just have to wait until the day to go to the ancestral hall."

Diailan hurriedly bowed his knees to agree, and left respectfully.Chunying sent it to the gate of the courtyard, and said with a smile: "The third young lady has just passed the door and took over such an important matter. She is really capable. I heard from other girls that not only the Hou Mansion and our Dong Mansion, but also several other members of the clan Fangdu has heard about the virtuous name of the Third Young Mistress. Last night, a few girls in our courtyard were still saying in private that the Third Young Mistress of the Hou Mansion is a good and generous master."

Diaolan quickly turned his head, a strange look flashed across his face, but soon he smiled and took Chunying's arm, and said angrily: "Good sister, we have known each other for so long, what can we say? I have done something wrong Good place, you can teach me more."

Chunying smiled: "You are so capable, how can you not do it well? I dare not tell you what I want to teach you, if people hear it, I might have to pay you one, two or five cents each."

Diaolan's face changed, and he quickly glanced around. Seeing that the others were far away, he lowered his head and spoke in a low voice, as if humbly, but the actual tone was completely different: "What do you mean? We have always It's all right, but it's just borrowing the mouth of the girl in your house. You heard it in it just now. With my sister's cleverness, you can't understand? Is it easy for you to be us?! How did our lady marry into that house? Li, I don’t believe you don’t know, how can you live with such a mother-in-law?! Anyway, it’s not harmful to you people in the East Mansion, just turn a blind eye and close your eyes!”

Chunying said indifferently: "No matter how difficult it is for you, you can only make trouble in your own house. The girls under my command are not very old, and they haven't seen the world yet. They asked a few liang of silver to be taken away, so what if they can't be taught well in the future?" What to do? If I just say a few good words, I will really lose sight, but who is the unlucky one who arranges for the head of another house to be found out?"

Diao Lan rolled his eyes and made a decisive decision: "I see, don't worry, we will never provoke people in your house again!"

Chunying smiled and took her hand, and said in a low voice, "Don't worry, the higher-ups don't know about it yet, so I'll just pretend it's nothing. Thank you, Third Young Mistress, for rewarding those little girls with money. They will be grateful." Then she raised her voice "My good sister, remember to come and see us when you have time!" Diaolan also nodded affectionately, and left with a smile on his face.

Chunying sent the man away with a smile, returned to the house and returned to the house, served in front of the second old lady for half a day, returned to her own room, saw Qiu Yan sitting by the window doing needlework, as if she was waiting for her, and asked: "Is there any?" What's up?"

Qiu Yan hurriedly got up and said: "I asked a few more girls, and found two more, and they all promised not to spread bad words about Mrs. Xifu. It's just that one of them revealed that there might be some women in the courtyard. What should I do if I get silver?"

Chunying said: "I have already said hello to Diaolan, they won't come to provoke our people anymore, let's just take the money, now there are many people who are secretly scolding Mrs Xifu, let's just watch coldly and take the money away. The restless people should bring it up, beat it, so as not to have this kind of thing happen again. I will mention it to Qingluan later, and tell her to pay attention to the people in the wife's courtyard."

Qiuyan nodded, sat down with a frown, and sighed: "When we were in the south, we often heard jokes about mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fighting in other houses. I didn't expect to see such things around me when I entered Beijing. Fortunately, we There is none in the house, but I don't know what kind of woman the Fourth Young Master will marry in the future?"

Chunying is not worried: "There are old ladies and wives who are personally checking the gate, what are you afraid of? Even if it is really bad, is it possible that she dares to provoke you? Let's take care of our own affairs first. I suspect this time with Jin Yu has something to do with it, but there is no evidence, so it's hard to say her. You usually pay more attention to some second-class girls. I blocked their money, I'm afraid they don't want it. If Bai Ling goes, I'm afraid The news spread."

Qiuyan went in response.Chunying sat on the edge of the kang, thought about it, sighed, and put the matter aside.

Next came New Year's Eve, New Year's Eve, ancestor worship, reunion dinner, and fireworks.Because there is a custom in the East Mansion, no knives, needles, and threads are used during the first month. The second master and the second wife are busy visiting New Year's greetings, and sometimes they bring their children. The mother-in-law or the younger daughter-in-law will come to talk, and sometimes they will call a group of girls to accompany them to relieve boredom.The magpie who had already been promoted to be an aunt became a frequent visitor of Songyiyuan. On the spur of the moment, the second old lady ordered someone to call back a few older girls who were married.

Chunying only stayed with her once, and she didn't participate in this kind of gathering again.They have all known each other for many years, and even the second and third class girls and women in the Songyi Courtyard, many of them went to the south with them, or spent a few months with each other when they returned to Beijing last time. Experience, that is slip by slip.Chunying couldn't insert her mouth, but felt boring, as if she had become an outsider.Besides, in this room, there are many former girls who are gentle and considerate, each of them eager to serve the second old lady attentively, so why is she pouring tea at the front?So she simply put on big clothes, wandered around the mansion, visited the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law on duty, inspected the lamp oil and candles everywhere, and when the second wife came home to say hello, she could still remind a few words, but let the two big bosses And Miss Si, the little boss, thinks she is considerate.

After the tenth day of the lunar new year, the second door uploaded a letter from home and came in.Chunying went back to the house with her arms in her arms, and looked closely at the snow light.The letter said that her parents had been taken home by brother-in-law Lu, and they were temporarily placed in the back room. The family gathered together during the New Year, not to mention how happy they were, but worried about whether she was doing well in Dongfu.The parents had already kowtowed to the mansion at the end of the year, but the master was busy with family affairs, Manager Xu quickly let them go, so they didn't find a chance to see her.After the spring, when the government opens the government office to run errands and come back to pick up the paperwork, I will find a way to see her again. I have a lot to say.Brother-in-law Lu has already agreed that when the paperwork comes and the household registration is completed, the transfer of ownership will be done immediately.The new house is near my brother-in-law's house. It is a small courtyard with two entrances. I have already visited it. After the first month, I will start repairing and building furniture.He specially reserved a room in the west wing for her, which was about the same size as the room in the courtyard before, for her to live alone, and asked her what kind of furniture she wanted to make...

This letter was written on more than ten sheets of paper. The handwriting on it was the size of an egg. It was written by his younger brother Xiaohu. .Chunying smiled and her nose felt sour, but she felt a faint joy in her heart, wishing to go to her new home in the future to see it immediately.It was a house that really belonged to their family, it was not assigned by the owner's family, nor was it in someone else's name.After so many years of hard work, they finally grasped something substantial.

The letter was passed around, and there is no guarantee that no one will take a peek at it, so some secret things are not mentioned in the letter, such as the disposal of those properties, future livelihood, and so on.Chunying only waited for the government to open the office in the next year, and after the housekeeper completed the paperwork for her parents, she could see them, and then she would speak clearly.

After re-reading the letter several times, Chunying carefully put the letter away, wrapped it in cloth, and stuffed it into the mirror case.At this time the door knocked, she got up to open the door, but Qiu Yan was outside, whispering displeasedly: "It's too noisy over there, let me take your place to sit."

Chunying hurriedly welcomed her in, and asked with a smile: "It's Chinese New Year, you put on such a face, be careful that the old lady is not happy."

"The old lady can't see it!" Qiuyan sat down on the edge of the kang, "Yesterday, the old lady was tired and was taking a nap in the room. I don't want us. I'm only worried about that Aunt Xi, who obviously told her that she didn't have to come today, but she still wanted to run over. Knowing that the old lady had fallen asleep, she went to Jin Yu's room, called a bunch of maids to talk, and said I was so happy, I brought my jewelry to them to try on. Noisy, I can’t sleep next door! The theory is that it’s a good thing that she doesn’t forget, but it upsets the little girls, why do I think Don't you feel good?!"

Chunying frowned, then said with a smile: "Forget it, let them play for Chinese New Year now. That is the master's aunt, just don't offend her."

"Who wants to offend Auntie?" Qingluan came in from the door, and handed over a cloth bag with a smile, "The fruit box sent by Prince Jing's mansion yesterday, my wife doesn't like sweets, so I gave some to the young master and young lady, and the rest We made rounds. I picked a few of each and brought them for you to try."

Chunying and Qiuyan thanked them, opened the bag and put them on thin plates, and arranged half a table in colorful ways.Chunying ordered hot tea again, and the three of them sat at the table talking while eating tea.Qiu Yan said what he said just now, and Qingluan knew what was going on, so she pursed her lips and gave Chunying a sideways look, and said with a smile: "I still think it's something. Speaking of which, I heard something from my wife. One thing, it turns out that your marriage has already been fixed, and you are still an extraordinary family. What a blessing!"

Chunying smiled embarrassedly, and Qiuyan hurriedly asked: "Which family is it? Do we know each other?" Qingluan just chewed a chestnut and smiled without saying a word. Qiuyan was in a hurry, so she whispered: "Although not I recognize them, but I heard that they are from a very well-known family. Yesterday, some of the older sisters in the room were married to stewards, or people from outside. Everyone said they were blessed. According to me, they are not as good as Chunying. What is a small family and a small family? Marrying into a big family is a prestige!"

Seeing that her words were getting more and more outrageous, Chun Ying hurriedly pushed her: "What nonsense! When am I going to marry a rich family?"

"Who lied to you? I heard the master..." Qingluan suddenly stopped talking, looked outside, then turned around and continued in a low voice, "I heard the master and wife say it themselves. Don't coax Me, my sister, what are you doing to hide such a good thing from me?!"

Qiuyan hurriedly pulled Chunying to question, Chunying's face was hot, and she only reasoned that Qingluan was unreliable, the three of them made a fuss, and suddenly heard the sound of hurried footsteps from outside, followed by the exclamation of the girls, busy Run out to see what's going on.

Mr. Xu was standing in the corridor wiping his sweat, panting heavily, and spinning around in a hurry, when he saw Chunying coming out, he hurriedly said to her: "Please get up the old lady, there is something urgent, the master and wife are not at home, so I can only invite you The old lady's instruction is given!" She also called Qingluan, "Go back and ask someone to send a message to the old lady, asking them to return home immediately!"

Chunying was taken aback, and hurriedly dragged Qiuyan into the house to help the second old lady get up, and Qingluan also left in a hurry.The second old lady also heard the noise outside, hurriedly got up to wash and wash, came to the hall, didn't care to sit down, and asked: "What happened?!"

Director Xu hurriedly said: "The Prince Jing's Mansion sent someone to tell us not to go out for the time being, saying that something will happen in Beijing at the earliest this evening and at the latest tomorrow morning, maybe it's a catastrophe of family raiding , tell the master to be careful, don't ask others to plot!"

The old lady's expression changed immediately.Chunying only felt a weight in the crook of her arms, and hurriedly supported her with all her strength, feeling anxious in her heart.

(End of this chapter)