Xie Daoyong wanted to set up a banquet in the three halls to entertain the male guests, and Mrs. Qin entertained Mrs. Chen in the tearoom of the inner house, and the three daughters of the Xie family were invited to accompany the guests in the inner garden. When Wantian and Wanxian sisters passed, Mrs. Chen was talking to Mrs. Qin about Chen Ji: "My lord has also devoted a lot of effort to Yuji, since he was a child, whether he was in a foreign country or returning to Beijing to report on his work, the child has been very assertive since he was a child, and he took the initiative to go out to stay abroad." ”

Mrs. Qin was very interested and asked, "Which subject do you not know?"

"I was at the Army Academy, and then I took a degree, like what...... My lord mentioned it once, but I was stupid and couldn't understand it," Mrs. Chen said: "I should have come back early, but it was because I took another subject that I delayed." To tell you the truth, my grandson was originally very opposed to him taking a second degree, but in the East, we couldn't reach him, so we had to let him go. ”

"At present, it has gradually become a trend to stay abroad," Mrs. Qin said: "I heard that the second son of the family did not go out, but he still took it with him in China?"

"Yes," Mrs. Chen said with a smile, "there must always be someone left, and besides, Yuan Chu was filial and willing to stay in the country." ”

When Wan Tian and Wan Xian heard this, they couldn't help but glance at each other, and then they lifted their skirts and crossed the threshold to greet the two ladies. Mrs. Chen naturally praised her again, and asked, "Why don't you see Miss Lan?"

Mrs. Qin was stunned, as if she was wondering why she asked this question, and after a pause, she suddenly realized: "Oh, it's our family's rules that are strange, forget to explain to Mrs. that before every meal, Ah Lan has to personally set the dishes, chopsticks and utensils before sending a girl to invite the elders to the table, which is the rule set by the old lady and has been used until now." ”

Mrs. Chen relieved her heart slightly, and smiled at Mrs. Qin: "I have long heard that Xie Fu has a strict family education, no wonder the children can be raised so well, look at the second and third misses are so magnificent, and the idle people can't raise such children." ”

She dressed up carefully, and changed into a new phoenix tail dark moon white trimmed stone blue cardigan gown, and put on a beige pleated skirt, and a group of butterflies with different postures flew on the skirt, flashing with her steps, smart and exquisite.

Mrs. Chen had a smile in her eyes from the moment she saw her, until she walked up to her and curtsied, her good voice was as crisp as the first cry of a yellow warbler, and it was indescribably comfortable in her ears. Mrs. Chen hurriedly stretched out her hand to help her up, her eyes were fixed on Wanlan's face, and her smile became deeper and deeper: "The eyebrows are like distant mountains with daisies, the skin is like peach blossoms with a smile, the hair is like floating clouds, and the eyes are like stars, what a beautiful woman is really a fairy descending from earth." ”

As she spoke, she turned her head to look at Mrs. Qin again, with a smile on her face: "I want to thank Madame, such a good girl, thank you for being willing to give it to Xiao'er." ”

Mrs. Qin followed her to look at her daughter, who was about to get married, and she was also full of smiles: "You have a good reputation." ”

Mrs. Chen took off a Dushan jade bracelet from her wrist and put it on Wanlan's hand: "It's not a meeting gift, it's just a gadget, please take it to the eldest lady to enjoy." ”

Wanlan respectfully bowed her knees and thanked her, and exchanged a few more words with her, and then said: "The meal has been set up in the flower hall, and I invite my mother and wife to move." ”

Mrs. Qin made a gesture of invitation to Mrs. Chen: "The small family from the poor family has coarse tea and light rice, and I hope that Mrs. will not dislike it." ”

Mrs. Chen happily followed Mrs. Qin to the flower hall, and after being led by Wanlan to sit down, she saw Yangzhou Wuting Bridge, a famous dish of her hometown, in front of her, and couldn't help but be surprised: "This ...... Could it be that the house is also good for this one?"

Wanlan explained with a smile: "I heard that Mrs. has not been back to her homeland for a long time, so she specially invited a cook from Yangzhou to come, but I don't know if it is the taste that Mrs. is used to." ”

Mrs. Chen sighed softly, her expression was a little mixed: "I don't have a good life as my wife, I have never had a daughter under my knees, and I have always been envious of those who have both children and daughters. Today's TOEFL can be regarded as having a taste of a caring little padded jacket, but I hate that Yuji is far away in the ocean, and I can't get married immediately. ”

Mrs. Qin said with a smile: "You have come here for a while, you are about to praise Ah Lan to the sky, she is just a little girl, how can she deserve such praise from you, Ah Lan is not quick to thank Mrs. Chen." ”

Wanlan folded her hands on her lower abdomen again, and bent her knees slightly under her eyes: "Alan, thank you, Mrs. Alan." ”

This meal was eaten for half an hour, laughter and laughter all the way, Wanlan has been paying attention to the movements of the two ladies on the seat, the soup and water surface are thoughtful, but she failed to eat a few bites, but after the meal, Mrs. Qin took Mrs. Chen to visit the library in the house, Wanlan accompanied the whole process, until the Chen family and his party were sent away, tired and almost out of strength, busy sending her personal maid Lixia to the kitchen to get snacks to satisfy hunger.

Wan Tian looked at her face and sighed with infinite worry: "It's just to look at each other, but you have worked like this, if it were me, I am afraid that I will not be able to hold it halfway." ”

Wanlan waved her hand: "That lady is not a good talker. ”

Wan Tian was taken aback, raised her eyebrows and said, "I see that she has a kind and kind attitude, and I like you very much, how can you see that she is not good at talking?"

Wanlan snorted: "Lord Chen's mansion has two concubines, one of whom has a daughter under her knees, but she said today that she has never had a daughter, and I heard that Lord Chen went to Yueyang to take office, took all his family members with him, but left those two concubines alone in Yangzhou, don't you think there is something wrong with this?"

Wan Tian said, "Why did you inquire about this? Where did you hear about it?"

Wanlan said: "When Lord Chen was an official in Zhenjiang, the master's staff in the government were all from Zhenjiang, as long as he had a heart, he could always ask something. ”

Wan Tian frowned slightly, thought for a while, and asked, "Then what do you think about the fact that the Chen family proposed marriage but did not bring the eldest son this time?"

"Chen Ji ......" Wanlan muttered: "I'm afraid that Lord Chen and his wife won't be able to be the master of the eldest son of the Chen family, so they hurriedly came over to set the marriage. ”

Wan Tian was shocked: "With all her efforts to make up such a pair of resentful couples, she is not afraid that her son will resent her in the future because of this?"

Wanlan sneered: "Where will her son complain about her, even if he marries a wife who doesn't like him, he can still accept many concubines after marriage, it's me who should blame her. ”

"This ......" Wan Tian frowned deeply and said worriedly: "Sister, do you really want to marry such a family for a trip to the capital?"

"I don't know," Wanlan raised her hand and rubbed the corners of her forehead, and said tiredly: "Even if I regret it now, how can I explain to my parents and persuade them to change their minds? I heard that the Chen family's Geng Ti Cai Li has come over together, even if my parents agree, how can I explain to the Chen family? I thought that everything was too simple, and it would lead to this dilemma. ”

"Just now when you were setting up the meal, Ah Xian and I went to the inner tea room to meet the guests, and I happened to hear Mrs. Chen tell her mother about this Chen Ji, saying that he was quite assertive, and he took the initiative to study in the East, and he also took two degrees. ”

"Normal," Wanlan smiled bitterly: "Only by having an assertive opinion can Lord Chen and Mrs. Chen make decisions for his marriage without telling him, if he is an obedient and obedient son, why should he make his own decisions when he can't wait for someone to come back." ”

"Oh, sister," Wan Tian sighed, "It's really hard to get married, can you tell your father all these things and never marry again?"

Wanlan glanced at her: "Do you think my father will agree?" This is a slap in the face, and it will also have a great impact on the reputation of the Xie family. ”

Wan Tian said unrelentingly: "Father has always loved us, maybe he agreed? Back then, your foot was injured due to foot binding, didn't he immediately stop it, and now the name of Miss Tianzu of our Xie family is still spread in Zhenjiang, and I haven't seen my father order you to re-bind your feet because of your false name." ”

"Okay, Ah Tian," Wanlan let out a long sigh and said, "My father can step back and allow me to go to the capital with my uncle, it is already the result of my step-by-step pressing, how can you let me force him again?"

Wan Tian was surprised: "It's really not like something you can do like this, so you plan to marry like this?"

Wanlan said: "Hengzhu Chen Ji hasn't come back yet, look at the meaning of Mrs. Chen's words, I'm afraid that I won't be able to come back in the near future, so I can have a chance to breathe, these things, let me think about them in the future." ”