The Red Mansion Big Liar

After Lady Wang and Jin Chuan left, there were only Caiyun and Caixia. These two had always been on good terms with Aunt Zhao and her son, so how could she feel at ease leaving them with her son?

In addition, Xiren was also worried that after she sent Qingwen away, another challenger would come, so she advised Mrs. Wang not to be too concerned about status and just need to be obedient and capable.

She is Lady Jia's person, and Lady Wang trusts her quite a bit. Therefore, if she wants to go to Yihong Courtyard, she cannot avoid her.

Originally, Xiren came to Rongfu halfway, and she had no relationship with the Jia family like the Liu family because they had children.

But she was quite thoughtful and established a relationship with the Xue family when she was at Lixiangyuan.

Miss Bao had a good reputation in the mansion for being helpful, and it was thanks to her help that the job of the small kitchen fell on Mrs. Liu's shoulders.

The Liu family in Rongfu does not have a very deep background and is not as powerful as Qian Huai's family.

So he thought of sending Liu Wu'er to Yihongyuan.

Firstly, it could avoid Qian Huai's entanglement. Secondly, Liu Wu'er was weak, and Yihongyuan was idle, but the treatment was first-class. Not only could it supplement the family income, but it could also save the money for hiring a doctor.

Because Miss Bao helped her last time, this time the thought came to my mind, I thought of her again.

Now, Baochai has not yet reached a conclusion, but she has heard the news here. How can she not be excited?

As they were talking, they heard an old woman calling out from inside the door: "Little monkeys, stop gossiping and ask Aunt Liu to go. If she doesn't come, you'll miss the girls' dinner."

After hearing this, Liu Jia decided not to ask any more questions and hurriedly pushed the door open and went in.

When they arrived at the kitchen, although there were several companions with them, none of them dared to act on their own and just waited for her to mediate and distribute the tasks. After preparing dinner and sending it to each place, they just stopped and saw Chunyan come in.

He smiled and said, "Sister Xiren wants to eat artemisia selengensis, please prepare some for her."

Hearing that it was Xiren's order, Sister Liu immediately smiled and asked, "Stir-fry meat or chicken?"

"The meat one is not good, so I asked you to stir-fry the gluten one. It would be better if you use less oil."

"I lost my temper!" Sister Liu slapped herself and said with a smile, "Miss Xi has eaten all kinds of meat. You should eat something light to relieve the greasiness! The kitchen is full of smoke. Yan'er, go back first and don't keep Miss Xi waiting for too long. Just tell her that I'll cook it and deliver it to her in person!"

She raised her hand, wiped it on the apron in front of her, and was about to send Chunyan away.

Suddenly, I saw Xiao Lianhua in Yingchun's room leaning against the door.

Seeing her looking over, Fang said, "Sister Siqi asked for a bowl of eggs, the kind that are stewed until tender."

Liu's family sent Chunyan out the door and ignored her, preparing for Xiren's instructions.

He just said indifferently: "Can't you see I'm busy? Besides, for some reason, eggs are very short this year. Ten cents a piece is not enough. Four or five compradors went out and finally collected two thousand. Where can I find them? You tell her and eat them another day."

Little Lotus said indignantly, "What good stuff? I don't believe there's not even any eggs left. Don't ask me to dig them out."

As he said this, he walked in, opened the vegetable box, and saw that there were indeed a dozen eggs inside.

She pointed at the eggs in the vegetable box and said indignantly, "Isn't this it? Are you so arrogant? They are the master's food, our share, why do you feel bad? It's not your eggs, are you afraid that someone will eat them?"

Liu Jia's busy work dropped her hands and came up to say: "Your mother just laid eggs! The common people kept these eggs to prepare as toppings for dishes. The girls didn't want them and refused to cook them, so they were prepared for emergencies. You have a big house with water and food, and you only know that eggs are common items, but you don't know the market price outside.

I advise you to make do with the fine rice, fat chickens and big ducks every day. If you get tired of eating them, you will start making trouble every day. I will not serve the first-level masters, but only prepare for you second-level masters."

When Lianhua heard this, her face turned red and she asked, "Chunyan was just brought in, saying 'Sister Xiren wants to eat reed wormwood'. Why are you so busy asking about stir-fried meat or chicken?"

"Whenever the rooms need to add something, everyone comes with money to buy it. The other day, Miss San and Miss Bao decided to have some fried wolfberry sprouts with oil and salt. They sent a girl to give me five hundred coins. I laughed and said, 'Even if you two girls are as big as Maitreya Buddha, you can't afford five hundred coins. We can still prepare these thirty or twenty coins.'

I hurriedly sent it back. But she refused to accept it, saying that it was a reward for me to buy wine. She also said, "Now that the kitchen is inside, I can't guarantee that the people in the house won't complain. Salt and sauce are not bought with money. It's not good if you don't give it, but you won't be able to compensate if you give it. You take this money and treat it as a subsidy for them. This is a girl who understands the situation. We only pray for her in our hearts."

Her words were full of indirect criticism and sarcasm, making little Lotus blush.

He stomped his feet and walked away angrily.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 295 Extreme joy leads to sorrow

There was a confrontation between the two sides just now, and the kitchen helpers didn't dare to get into trouble. When they saw Xiao Lianhua leaving in anger, they came up to persuade her.

"Why are you doing this? It's just two eggs. If you don't have any, just go ask for more."

"Yes! Haven't you heard? The eldest master intends to marry the second young lady to Master Yi next door. It's a small matter to offend the second young lady, but it's no joke to offend Master Yi."

"Although Master Yi may not care about these trivial matters, but Butler Lai's son is now under his patronage. If Butler Lai knew..."

It is easy to meet the King of Hell, but it is difficult to deal with little ghosts. The servants in the mansion naturally understand this.

"Snapped!"

Sister Liu slapped herself again and said regretfully, "Look at me! How could I have forgotten this!"

He quickly ordered: "Quickly beat two eggs, stew them and send them over!"

It's not that she didn't hear the rumor, but when she heard Xiren's instructions, she rushed to show her courtesy and had no time to pay attention to Xiao Lianhua.

Although he had heard of it, it was still nothing like it. After all, his daughter's task was more important. After the fried gluten with artemisia was ready, he happily sent it to Xiren.

After the dishes were served, she was in no hurry to leave. She smiled and said, "Miss, please taste the saltiness. If there is anything lacking, please tell me now so that I can have an idea later. I am Liu Wuer's mother, and I am in charge of the kitchen in the garden. Miss, you are in a precious state. If you have any questions, just tell me."

"Oh!" Xiren pretended to be surprised, "So you are Wu'er's mother!"

Hearing the hidden meaning of Xiren's words, Sister Liu clutched her apron, rubbed it nervously, and said cryptically: "Thank you for your care, young lady!"

.; Xiren picked up a piece of reed grass, chewed it for a while, and then said: "It's not that I care about you, but your fifth child is pretty."

Since it is to fill the vacancy left by Qingwen, it cannot be completely useless.

Now that the quality is insufficient, we naturally have to make up for it from other places.

In particular, her appearance must not be bad, otherwise, she won’t be able to pass Jia Baoyu’s test.

Since this red line cannot be crossed, she has to find someone who suits her own interests.

She didn't care whether Jia Baoyu would fall in love with someone else. The key was that her position as aunt should not be shaken.

With the precedent of Qingwen as a lesson, naturally they don’t want to choose someone with a strong background.

Therefore, even though Xiaohong from Yihong Courtyard was outstanding in appearance, character and work ability, she turned a blind eye to her.

And Liu Wuer just meets this condition.

Moreover, Liu Wu'er is weak and it is unclear whether she can survive until that time. She can be said to be born with congenital deficiencies, so it is perfect.

Now that I have made up my mind, I will naturally not let go of this favor.

Asking Chunyan to serve dishes today is also like an interview to see whether the Liu family knows how to judge the situation.

Mrs. Liu's attitude made her quite satisfied, so she simply explained what she wanted to say.

This was undoubtedly confirmed. Sister Liu felt that the trip was worthwhile. She was already smiling widely and quickly flattered, "That's all thanks to the young lady's kind words. With her body, she would be exhausted even if she carried your shoes. I hope you can take care of her in the future! Then... Then I'll come back..."

"Aunt, that's too much. We are all serving the Second Master, so who is more valuable than who? Although I think your Fifth is good in every way, it is not a small matter for someone to enter the Second Master's room. We have to ask the old lady and the mistress for their opinions."

Xiren is used to being cautious and prudent. She is good at doing favors and her words are always watertight.

Sister Liu quickly flattered: "Isn't this just a matter of your words, young lady? Everyone knows that you are now..."

Xiren raised her hand to interrupt, "Okay! Auntie, go back and wait for the letter!"

"Hey! Hey!" Sister Liu heard that Xiren didn't want to give way to criticism, so she didn't dare to say anything more and bowed quickly and walked out.

However, since even He San had heard the rumor, and now Xiren had confirmed it herself, it was almost certain, although not set in stone.

She hurried to the small kitchen with joy.

However, unexpectedly, the small kitchen was already in an uproar.

Siqi, who had heard the news, stood with her hands on her waist and shouted to Xiuju, Xiaolianhua and other maids, "Since the dog looks down on people, all the vegetables, chickens, ducks, fish and meat in the boxes and cabinets can be thrown out to feed the dogs. After all, they belong to her family, so it's not a waste!"

The little girls couldn't wait to grab the things and started to throw them around.

Everyone tried to persuade her and begged Siqi, "Young lady, don't listen to the child's words. Sister Liu has eight heads, but she wouldn't dare to offend you. She said it's true that eggs are hard to buy. We just said she didn't know what's good for her. No matter who she is, she has to change her ways. She has realized it and is steaming it right away. If you don't believe me, look at the fire."

Their words were not so much to defend Mrs. Liu, but more like an attempt to please themselves.

Siqi was intending to take advantage of the situation to make a fuss, so how could she be willing to listen to advice?

When Mrs. Liu returned to the kitchen, the room was already in a mess.

When Siqi saw her return, she smashed the steamed eggs and the bowl in front of her.

Still not satisfied, she sneered, "I'd like to ask if people in this mansion are not allowed to eat even an egg!"

After leaving these harsh words, she left with her maids in a haughty manner.

Seeing her arrogant attitude, Mrs. Liu dared not say a word. After she left, she threw bowls and plates and muttered a few words to herself.

I originally thought Siqi was just saying harsh words and would let off some steam after that.

But before she could clean up the mess in the kitchen, she saw Lin Zhixiao's family and Qin Xian's family rushing over.

As soon as he entered the house, he said, "You have finished your work in the small kitchen. Hurry up and take out the key and the pair of cards!"

Mrs. Liu was stunned. When she came to her senses, she said calmly, "What did you say? Siqi brought people to smash the kitchen and destroyed so many things. I accepted it. This job was ordered by the wives and grandmothers. Even if they think I am not thorough enough, there must be a rule for transfer or punishment. At least the manager should be informed!"

She knew about the relationship between Lin Zhixiao's family and the Qin family. Plus, she was only in charge of night patrol and had no control over the assignments. She just thought of this as finding a way out for Siqi.

Lin Zhixiao's wife sneered, "Who said there was no notification? Just so you know, this is exactly what Steward Lai meant. This matter is, at the very least, neglecting the girls. At the most, it is possible that you deceived your superiors and subordinates, withheld the girls' expenses, and enriched yourself! Now that I have only taken away your job, it is considered a light punishment!"

When Mrs. Liu heard that she still wanted to rely on everyone, she had no choice but to hand over the keys and the cards.

But when she packed up her things and left the small kitchen, the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.

It’s not that she suspected that Lin Zhixiao’s family was deceiving her.

However, there are many servants in the mansion who use their connections to compete for lucrative positions.

Lai Da nodded only because of those rumors, but in the end it was not a big deal.

Besides, everything in the backyard and the garden was handled by Second Mistress Lian, so there might be room for easing the situation.

As she reached the entrance of Hengwuyuan, she hesitated for a moment and knocked on the door.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 296 Betting

The small courtyard in the northeast corner of Rongguo Mansion.

Xue Baochai and Aunt Xue sat facing each other across the table on the kang and narrated the story of Sister Liu.

"Since there is trouble, it is not convenient for my daughter to speak up. I don't think my aunt will care about such trivial matters. I have to trouble my mother to tell Feng girl. This Liu family has served us in Lixiangyuan for several years. It is reasonable for my mother to plead for her."

"Oh! You have always kept quiet about things that do not concern you, so why are you meddling in these matters now? Besides, didn't you say last time that you heard some rumors that the eldest master intended to marry the second girl to him? We couldn't even avoid it, so why did we get into trouble?"

Aunt Xue looked at her daughter opposite her and shook her head like a rattle, causing her body to shake as well.

Xue Baochai smiled helplessly and said confidently, "Mother, don't you think about it? Marriage is always about family background. With Brother Yi's status and behavior, how could he be interested in someone like the eldest master?"

"You mean?"

Aunt Xue supported herself with a pair of jade-like arms, leaned forward, and leaned against the kang table, pressing down heavily on the two huge mountains.

"We can't just believe everything we hear. Tell our daughter that Yun girl, Sister Lin, or even the third sister, all have better hope than the second sister."

"Hmm?" Aunt Xue blinked when she heard that. After thinking for a moment, she asked in confusion, "What you said makes sense, but what does it have to do with this matter?"

"Mother, you don't know! Last time, Yun's two aunts suggested a marriage for her. Although she didn't say it, from my observation, she was quite fond of it in her heart. A while ago, I heard a few maids discussing the second sister in private in the garden. She was a little depressed when she went back. A few days ago, Brother Yi went to Xiaoxiang Pavilion and heard that the second sister had asked for a long vacation. I saw that she was quite excited."

Baochai took a sip of tea and said, "After all, the third sister is from the mansion. It seems that she has heard the rumors for a long time. She has slandered the second sister in front of Brother Yi many times. I didn't pay much attention to it before, but I just came to my senses after hearing the rumors recently. I'm afraid they are secretly competing with each other!"

"What about Miss Lin?" Aunt Xue was still more concerned about her daughter's rival.

"Brother Yi not only asked for medical advice, but also asked Xiangling to become his disciple, and treated her closer than others..."

Hearing that Xue Baochai only talked about how Zhang Yunyi treated Lin Daiyu but did not mention Lin Daiyu's reaction, Aunt Xue sighed with regret.

As if she understood the meaning of this sigh, Xue Baochai smiled and said, "Marriage is a big matter. It is always decided by parents and matchmakers. Although the old lady may not agree, if auntie can bring it up, considering Brother Yi's current status, the old lady may not be able to refuse."

She paused, then continued, "The last time the emperor bestowed rewards, he promised Brother Yi the title of Duke. Although Sister Yun proposed earlier, she is not the daughter of a proper marquisate after all. Moreover, the Shi family is the eighteenth branch in the capital, and she is an orphan. How can she compare to Sister Lin, who is not only from a wealthy family, but also has a father who won the third place in the imperial examination?"

Aunt Xue nodded heavily: "You are really thoughtful. According to you, should we bet on Lin girl?"

Xue Baochai shook her head and said with some disinterest, "Who can be sure of such things? It's nothing more than casting a wide net to catch more fish!"

She paused, then sighed, "Sister Lin is fine, but I see that Miss Yun and Third Sister are competing with Second Sister! Nowadays, people believe everything they hear, and Siqi opens a dyeing factory as soon as she gets a hint of favor, trying every possible way to get a lucrative job for her aunt. Even Lai Da is no exception and is meddling in the mix. We don't have to place our bets on anyone, we just need to do the opposite and not flatter them, and those who are interested will remember it."

"That's right! Since the second girl has no chance, it's just a false alarm. We won't lose anything even if we take the initiative!"