The Red Mansion Big Liar

"Oh my! My little ancestor, just be quiet! Your sister specifically told you not to run around everywhere, why didn't you listen? If you make her angry, we won't be able to live here anymore!"

Old Lady You hurriedly dropped the melon seeds in her hand, quickly walked to the door, looked around, and then closed the door.

You Erjie sucked on a candied fruit in her hand and whispered, "Yes! Little sister, just listen to mother! It's so lucky that eldest sister didn't urge us to leave as soon as she came. What if she wanted to keep us for a while longer and was annoyed by your noise, then we won't be able to eat these candied fruits."

Third Sister You said angrily, "Okay! I went out to find out with good intentions, but you blamed me instead. Since you don't want to know, I will pretend that I have never heard of this important event!"

She stamped her feet and was about to turn around and leave. Old Lady You hurried forward and grabbed her, urging her, "What's the big deal? Tell me quickly!"

Third Sister You ignored him and remained angry. She turned her back and said nothing.

Old Lady You hurriedly pulled her to the table, pressed her to sit on a stool, and moved the melon seeds that were originally piled in front of her in front of her. She glared at Second Sister You, and waited for the latter to reluctantly push the plate of candied fruit in front of her in front of Third Sister You.

Fang slowly said, "Your second sister and I are worried that you are too reckless. Since you have heard it, and there is no outsider here, why are you hiding it from us? Tell us so that we can consult with you."

After she finished speaking, she winked at You Erjie and shouted, "Hurry up and pour tea for your sister."

She grabbed a handful of melon seeds and said with a smile, "Just take your time talking, I'll peel them for you first."

Only then did Third Sister You calm down. She picked up a candied fruit and put it into her mouth. When Second Sister You brought her tea, she took a sip.

He spoke word by word: "Big sister is really rich this time!"

"Oh?" Old Lady You's eyes lit up and she asked in a trembling voice, "Could it be that your brother-in-law has handed over such a large family business to your sister..."

Before she could finish her words, Third Sister You interrupted her and said, "It has nothing to do with my brother-in-law!"

"Ah?" Old Lady You and Second Sister You were stunned and looked at each other.

From the servants' attitude when they entered the mansion and the situation that night, they had already determined that Youshi's status had changed because she had won Jia Zhen's favor.

But now, Third Sister You said that Youshi’s prosperity had nothing to do with Jia Zhen. Second Sister You was puzzled and had a lot of questions in her mind. Old Lady You had a lot of ideas but wanted to say something but didn’t dare to.

After hesitating for a while, Fang asked cautiously, "Could it be her father-in-law's intention?"

In Ningguo Mansion, the only one who can suppress Jia Zhen is Jia Jing.

"What? Master Jing is not at home, how can he care about these trivial matters!"

"Do you still remember the Master Yi who lived in Dengxian Pavilion?" Third Sister You muttered in a mysterious voice, "I heard from the maids in this mansion that he worked in the Tiangongyuan of the inner mansion and helped my eldest sister to start a snowflake cotton candy business, which made a profit of more than ten thousand taels of silver a year!"

Old Lady You and Second Sister You had no idea what the snowflake candy represented, but the tens of thousands of taels of silver stunned them.

Especially, according to Sister You San, this is only one year's income.

The mother and daughter were dumbfounded. It took a long time for Old Lady You to recover. She said with a look of surprise, "Your eldest sister asked us to come here. Could it be that the business is short of people to take care of it, and asked us to come and help?"

"Mother! You don't know that this business is not run by my eldest sister anymore. It has been entrusted to the concubine's family who are imperial merchants in the West Mansion. My eldest sister doesn't even have to pay for the shop and the employees. She just collects the money on time."

"Is there... such a good thing?" Old Lady You said in a trembling voice, "Who is this Master Yi?"

This time, before Third Sister You could answer, Second Sister You rushed to say, "I met him a few days ago. My eldest sister said he was my brother-in-law's cousin. Master Jing and my brother-in-law both praise him!"

After hearing this, Old Lady You quickly asked Third Sister You, "Is this business for the mansion, or just for your eldest sister?"

Third Sister You snorted and said disdainfully, "If it was given to the mansion, would I still say that it was my eldest sister who became rich? It was said that Master Yi knew that my eldest sister didn't have much dowry, so he subsidized her expenses, and even my brother-in-law didn't touch her!"

"This..." Old Lady You was suddenly speechless and hesitated to speak.

You Erjie, who was standing by, was puzzled and asked, "Why is that? Isn't he my brother-in-law's cousin? And he's staying in the mansion, so why didn't he give the business to the mansion, but only to my eldest sister?"

These words actually raised the question that Old Lady You wanted to ask but didn't dare to ask.

Although she had some guesses, as nothing had been confirmed, she listened attentively.

"According to the maids in the mansion, this Master Yi lost his father and both his parents a few years ago. He was taken in by Master Jing and his brother-in-law during the Chinese New Year. Since he had no one to rely on, his brother-in-law asked my eldest sister to take good care of him."

At this point, her eyes flickered with a hint of cunning, and she jokingly said, "Maybe the eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, who knows!"

Old Lady You quickly covered her mouth and shouted, "What are you talking about! Be careful or your elder sister will hear it!"

She walked quickly to the door, opened it, and looked out for a while before closing the door. She sat back on the stool, leaned over the table, and whispered, "Does your brother-in-law know about this?"

"Puchi!" This question made Third Sister You laugh. She said with a smile, "We all knew it when we just moved in. How could brother-in-law not know? But..."

At this point, she rolled her eyes, paused for a moment, and said in a pretentious tone: "However, it is hard to say how much my brother-in-law knows."

"Bah!" Old Lady You spat, "Don't ever mention this in front of your eldest sister."

"I'm not stupid!" Third Sister You said disapprovingly, "Eldest sister is really something. She got such a big deal but kept it a secret from us. We are sisters after all. My second sister and I don't even have a decent headgear!"

"Why are you so anxious? If she didn't care about this family relationship, why would she take the initiative to bring us here? Can you be left out?"

"That may not be the case! What if Big Sister hasn't considered these details?"

Old Lady You hesitated for a moment and said, "Then you must speak well!"

"Don't worry! How could my daughter not understand this? But I'll just mention it in front of my elder sister."

Hearing this, You Erjie blinked her peach blossom eyes and stared at her younger sister for a long time. Fang Nuonuo said, "Sister, you said you understood it in your heart, so why did you lose the watermelon and pick up the sesame seeds? The business of eldest sister was given by Master Yi. If you marry him, will you still worry about not having enough jewelry?"

When Old Lady You heard this, her pupils shrank and she looked at Third Sister You. Even her breathing became faster.

"Hmph!" Third Sister You snorted, "Sister, you are confused. Even if he is willing, he is just greedy for our bodies. It would be good enough if he can be a concubine. How can he marry her with three matchmakers and six betrothals?"

"Hey!" Old Lady You raised her hand and fanned her in front of her. "What's wrong with being a concubine? Your elder sister has been the legal wife for all these years. What's the point? Didn't she rely on outsiders to get to the top? After all, she and you were not born from the same mother. Even if she can help you, can you still expect her to help you for the rest of your life?"

"Since Second Sister said so, she must be willing. Go find Second Sister and stop targeting me!"

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 68 Favoring one and favoring another

"Mother is looking for me?"

Yu, who was pulled into Doufengxuan by Yu Sanjie, bowed slightly to Yu Lao Niang.

Old Lady You smiled widely, took her arm, and came to sit at the table.

"Child, why don't you just tell us about such a great thing and let us be happy for you too!"

"Good news?" You looked at her puzzledly.

Old Lady You flattered, "The snowflake candy business is indeed great in our eyes, but it is not big for the mansion. It is possible that you don't take it seriously."

"Uh……"

Yu Shi did not intend to conceal the truth. On the contrary, she knew her mother's character very well and planned to use this as a selling point to brag about Zhang Yunyi's ability.

However, she had already seen through the clues on the first night, and he was worried that if he let her know about the sugar business, she would be even more suspicious of their relationship.

So I plan to wait until things calm down.

Unexpectedly, before she could open her mouth, Old Lady You and the others got wind of it.

He quickly explained, "So that's what happened. To be honest with mother, Brother Yi started this business because the master and the eldest master asked him to take good care of it. He was grateful and wanted to help his daughter with some expenses. He also didn't want to spend more money from the mansion."

Her original intention was to tell Old Lady You and her two younger sisters that although the business was in her hands, it would still be mainly funded by Zhang Yunyi.

But to Old Lady You, she felt that the two of them didn't even divide the money, which showed that their relationship was extraordinary.

However, although he knew it clearly in his heart, he did not say a word.

He grasped You's hand tightly, patted it and said, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness. After you became rich, you still remember your family and brought me and your two sisters to enjoy the good life."

"Mother is seriously ill. We are all family. How can a daughter not take care of you?"

Money is a person's courage. With a business to back her up, Youshi has the confidence to speak.

After hearing this, Old Lady You immediately smiled happily and chatted with You for a long time.

Fang walked to the point and said, "From what you said, Master Yi is a thoughtful person. It would be fine if we didn't know about it, but now that we know about it, as your family, we should also express our gratitude. When he is free, please prepare a table in the courtyard, and your sister and I can thank him in person."

When Youshi heard this, she knew what she was planning, so she quickly agreed with a smile, "Then I'll have to trouble you, mother and sisters. I'll discuss this with Brother Yi and then tell mother."

She thought for a moment, pulled Second Sister You over, and asked with concern, "Has the Zhang family, who are engaged to Second Sister, ever come to propose marriage?"

"Oh! Don't mention it! The Zhang family got into a lawsuit, lost their fortune, and couldn't even afford food and clothing. How could they afford to marry a daughter-in-law?"

The smile on Old Lady You's face grew more intense.

Before this, she thought that Youshi's status had risen because of the support of her son-in-law Jia Zhen, so in order to consolidate his favor, she wanted to help him arrange to take a concubine.

Now, knowing that this son-in-law is not that son-in-law, and hearing her asking about You Erjie's marriage, how could I not understand what she meant?

Originally, You was worried that the Zhang family would not cancel the engagement, but after hearing what Old Lady You said, she was overjoyed.

"Although there are reasons for this, his family can't afford to marry a wife, and we can't let our second sister be delayed like this!"

"Who says it's not true? It's just that the Zhang family also made a deposit at the beginning. Although it's not much money, I'm afraid they will ask for too much."

At this point, she paused and said meaningfully, "Besides, if we take the initiative to cancel the engagement, it won't sound good if it gets out. I'm afraid it will affect your second sister's search for someone else..."

"Isn't this easy to do?" Yu Shi immediately took the responsibility, "If mother trusts me, just leave this matter to me, and I will definitely find a good marriage for your second sister."

"My eldest sister is like a mother, how could I not trust you?"

At this point, Old Lady You changed the subject and asked tentatively, "From what the eldest sister said, could it be that you already have a candidate in mind?"

After all, it was just speculation, and she was also worried about wishful thinking.

Seeing this, You Shi did not hide anything and looked at You Erjie, smiling, "You have also met Brother Yi. He is very young and is highly appreciated by the Emperor. He is also a relative of ours and knows everything about him. It's just that..."

Youshi paused for a moment, then said hesitantly, "But, Master intends to strengthen the relationship, and I'm afraid that will be unfair to my sister..."

"What's wronged? The most important thing is that he is a good person!" Old Lady You immediately exchanged glances with Second Sister You and said with a smile, "Why are you standing there like an idiot? Why don't you thank your eldest sister?"

You Erjie was hopeful, but also a little shy. She bowed her head, bowed deeply, and stammered, "Thank you, elder sister. Everything is up to you."

She hurriedly helped You Erjie up and said with a smile, "If that's the case, I'll go talk to Brother Yi tomorrow."

She thought for a moment and said, "I don't think we need to rush to invite you to dinner. It won't be too late to wait until my second sister breaks off the engagement. By then, good things will come in pairs, so we can settle the matter as soon as possible."

Last time, Old Lady You noticed something was wrong, and even though I tried to evade him with words, it was still not safe.

She knew her stepmother's character very well and she might not care much about her relationship with Zhang Yun逸. Moreover, there was a difference between close and distant relatives. Once You Erjie became Zhang Yun逸's concubine, even if she knew about it, she would not expose the scandal of her legitimate son-in-law because of Jia Zhen, the crooked son-in-law.

Therefore, it is urgent to settle things to avoid any further complications.

The reason why Old Lady You wanted to invite Zhang Yunyi was to arrange things for Second Sister You. Upon hearing this, she had no objection and agreed immediately.

Afterwards, Youshi asked about the address of the Zhang family. Although Old Lady You originally hoped to make a profit when canceling the engagement, she did not want to lose the big picture for the small, so she gave the address of the Zhang family to Youshi.

After discussing the important matters, Youshi pulled You Erjie to her front, turned her around in front of her, and said with a smile: "Sister, come over tomorrow with a set of headgear, and I will help you tidy it up. Then you will make Brother Yi stare at you."

Although You Erjie is counting on her to help mediate now, once the matter is accomplished, she will have to count on her sister to help cover it up, so she is willing to spend more money.

When Old Lady You and Second Sister You heard this, they were naturally delighted.

Third Sister You, who had been silent the whole time, finally got the chance and said with a smile, "Sister, you can't be partial to one and ignore the other. I haven't worn a full set of headgear yet!"

"Hey!" Youshi forced a smile and said, "I'll find two for you later."

It’s not that Youshi wanted to treat people differently, but she was a little troubled. Although she got the sugar business, she had no family background before.

Moreover, the profits from the sugar will not be delivered all at once. He also has to help Zhang Yunyi renovate the old house. Although there is a promising future, he does not have much spare money at the moment.

There are only two complete sets of head jewelry.

As Jia Zhen was the heir of the Ningguo Mansion, she was also considered a lady of honor and there was a set of jewelry that could not be touched under any circumstances.

If I gave another set to You Erjie, there would only be some odds and ends left.

When Third Sister You saw that she was treated differently, she felt a little unhappy.

However, seeing that Old Lady You and Second Sister You were both smiling and having a great time, he didn't want to bring bad luck to anyone, so he just pouted and sulked to himself.

……

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 69 Priorities

"What? How can the elder sister treat us as her own sisters? She has obviously kidnapped us to be concubines for her adulterer!"

As soon as Youshi left, Third Sister You could no longer hold back and spoke angrily.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Old Lady You immediately stopped her, "You ruined your sister's good deeds, I will beat your mouth to pieces!"

"Did I say something wrong? There's not even a maid in this courtyard. We have to send even our laundry to Dengxian Pavilion for washing. She's rich now, earning tens of thousands of taels of silver a year, but she insisted on waiting for my second sister to agree to be my concubine before buying her some jewelry. Seeing that I didn't accompany her to please the adulterer, she made excuses and said that I wasn't partial to one over the other."

"Little sister, stop talking!" You Erjie said with a shy look on her face, "What adulterer? He will be your brother-in-law in a while!"