On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Hou Ye, who had not officially appeared since the first day of the new year, finally packed up his profits and came over to greet the old lady after half a month, and then went to the palace together to congratulate him. The old lady had been worried about this matter, and she was so happy to see that the Hou Ye had finally packed up and appeared. didn't ask much, as if nothing had happened, and a group of people went to Xuanwu Gate.

Sitting in the carriage, the third lady Huang Zhilan couldn't help but look at the old lady's expression, maybe she had seen too much, the old lady opened her eyes and looked at her, her eyebrows were cold, and she said in a low voice: "Don't mention anything when you enter the palace, you know the measure." ”

Huang Zhilan hung her head busily, but there was a sense of irritability in her heart.

It's just a Su Ke, if he is still in the palace in front of the sixth grade, it is common sense that everyone will be jealous. Now he is just a subordinate in the Hou Mansion, and the most prominent person in his mother's family is at most a Furui. If it weren't for Master Hou who fell in love with Su Ke, Furui would still be just a nominal housekeeper and would not have any real power. Such a person is dead, and look at the secretive appearance.

Sure enough, it's all useless. I don't blame her heart for being higher than the sky.

There was a hint of inadvertent ridicule at the corner of Huang Zhilan's mouth, which flashed in a flash, and she may not have noticed it. But the old lady's slightly closed eyes actually kept looking at her. The straight back seemed to the old lady to be nothing more than a stake that had been inserted into the bone.

During the Lantern Festival, the palace is lit up with lights, which is even more lively than on Chinese New Year's Eve.

Shunzhenmen met a few ladies of the family, greeting the New Year, and deliberately swept his eyes behind the old lady, except for Wushuang, he didn't see Su Keqi, others looked at him at most, but no one would ask.

Huang Zhilan raised her eyebrows, followed behind the old lady, and began to talk to other fates.

There is no banquet for ministers during the Lantern Festival, and everyone can come back after congratulating and saying a few words to the queen mother and the concubine. The old lady and Mrs. Zheng Guogong Xue were talking and leaving the palace without a match, but the third lady was chatting happily with Mrs. Hou Shi of Beining.

Mrs. Xue walked slowly, glanced at it, and whispered to the old lady: "Your family is here to start saying kiss to your son." Are you so sure that you will be able to play this year? ”

The old lady's face was faint, "Those two children are smart, and the Xixi who the third child invited back does have some ability." ”

Mrs. Xue disagreed, and asked Hou Ye again, "I heard that these days of the Chinese New Year, Hou Ye is not happy?" Seeing that you have been closed to customers, I don't want to bother. Now look, you have to be careful. She walked closer to the old lady, and her voice was lowered, "How many things have we seen in the past few decades, and if we go back ten years, then Zhongjingbo is an example." Your family has a big business, so it's important to hurry up and marry a wife for the Hou Ye. ”

"It's not like you don't know my family's temper." It seems to be said in the heart, and the relationship between the two is not extraordinary, and the old lady has been saving bitter water for many days and also wants to find someone to complain, so she said bluntly: "The one in my family who is not angry has fallen in love with Su Ke." ”

Mrs. Xue didn't show too much surprise, but just glanced at the corner of her mouth, "When I saw you taking her into the palace, I saw it." ”

The old lady sighed and agreed.

Mrs. Xue said: "It looks very cute, so I married Hou Ye and put it in the room, it's not too much, why bother with Hou Ye." This kind of thing, it's better to be more obedient, how old is Master Hou, he has been delayed in the military camp for so many years, and now is the time to be greedy. ”

The old lady smacked her tongue, "If I only ask for people in the room, I still have to worry about it so much?" ”

Mrs. Xue came back to her senses for a while, and opened her mouth to be a little surprised, but as soon as she weighed it in her heart, all her words turned into a helpless laugh, "What's going on now?" ”

"I was sent away, Xiao Wu knew about making trouble with me, and the house was not peaceful, so I closed the door."

Most of the princely families are these problems, and the families have their own scriptures that are difficult to read, but they are always changing. Mrs. Xue could understand that she had some emotion at this time, but she sighed, "If you want to say that there is no foundation in the family, it is true." A dignified lord can't marry a woman in the market. If she still Si Yan, it would be easier to do it, and the female official of the sixth grade would beg the concubine for a favor. Your family is now cooking oil on fire, and it makes sense to marry an ordinary family. But now ......"

As Mrs. Xue spoke, there were a few laughs behind her, and she glanced back and found that the third lady was holding Mrs. Shi's arm and talking about it.

"There's something you have to know in your mind." Mrs. Xue also took the old lady's arm, "A few years ago, someone played a song saying that her father embezzled the money for the construction of the embankment. The emperor pressed it down, but he was also displeased when he heard it. The year is over, and her father's squire in the Ministry of Works will probably not be able to keep it. She's definitely going to be jumping these days, you should press it or press it, and if you don't, something will happen again. I was going to take advantage of the Chinese New Year to go to your place to talk about it, but who knew that you were closed again. ”

The old lady has been doing things for a month, and the rumors outside have been heard less, so she is busy thanking her after hearing this.

Coming out of the palace and getting into the carriage, the third lady talked to the old lady about what she had just said to Mrs. Shi, "Wen Qi will be fourteen after the New Year, and she just chatted with Mrs. Beining Hou, and mentioned this matter, saying that the eldest daughter of Shaoqing of Dali Temple is exactly twelve this year, demure and gentle, but she is very compatible with Wen Qi." ”

The son of a concubine from the six-rank Tuntian clerk Wailang, married to the daughter of Shaoqing of the Sipin Dali Temple-

With a sleepy face, the old lady leaned on the small pillow on the side, and her voice was lazy, "Your son, you are in charge, Mrs. Shi is good at talking, you can ask her to move around." It's just that if it doesn't work out, I think don't hurt the face of the Hou Mansion. ”

Huang Zhilan's face was a little ugly for a moment, and the old lady meant that she felt that their family Wen Qi was definitely not qualified.

The handkerchief in her hand was a mess, her face was not very exposed, but her heart was extremely depressed.

I'm afraid that in the future, it will be the daughter of Shaoqing of Dali Temple who is not qualified for her Wen Qi.

Huang Zhilan responded in a low voice, and said with a false smile that she just asked Mrs. Shi to help her probe her eyebrows. The old lady didn't say anything more, and the two of them didn't say anything for a while. When she returned to the Hou Mansion and waited for the old lady to take off her makeup, she left quickly by taking advantage of the Lantern Festival banquet in the evening.

When she returned to her Yuexin Garden, Huang Zhilan's face collapsed instantly. asked where the third master of Chongfang was beside him, and Chongfang said that the third master came back from the palace with the Hou Ye, and he is still accompanying the guests in the outer courtyard.

Huang Zhilan sat in front of the dressing table and looked at herself in the bronze mirror, she was thirty-four years old, her youth was not there, no matter how carefully she maintained, she could not go back to her cardamom years. Although the third master treats her well, when the day comes, she will stay in her aunt's room for five days before she comes back. She is the fourth among the daughters of her mother's family, and whether it is her sister or sister, she is better married than her. She was not loved by her parents, married a concubine, and did not have much to dowry. After so many years of hard work, in the end it is always inferior.

She is unwilling, she is not as good as others at the moment, but she still has two sons. The road is walked by itself, and who can say what will happen in the future.

……

When eating at night, Huang Zhilan's face is always light, anyway, everyone is forcing a smile, and there is no shortage of her. This year is about a bad year, and there has not been a single peaceful day since the beginning of the new year. But it's always the troubled times that produce heroes, isn't it, maybe this chess game that has been played for many years may be able to win this year.

She thought a lot in her heart, and her eyes inadvertently looked at Aunt Zheng, and her eyes collided between the steaming heat of the hot pot.

Each has a tacit understanding, and each has a ghost.

A reunion dinner was tasteless like this, and it ended abruptly when Hou Ye wanted to keep pouring wine.

On the sixteenth day of the first month, the third master went out to meet guests. Huang Zhilan had just returned to Yuexinyuan after taking care of the affairs in the house, and before she could sit down and drink two sips of hot tea, the fourth wife, Shen Yuechen, came to the door in person with a few brocade boxes and a few satins.

I can't look at it in my heart, and I can't show it too obviously on my face.

The two concubines sat separately on the big kang, one smiling and the other silent.

Shen Yuechen asked the girl to put the things on the side of the kang, "My brother at home sent them, I picked out some fresh styles and brought one to each of the three sisters-in-law, as well as some inkstones and pen and paper, which were for Wen Qi and Wen Xun." This year is coming to an end, and I asked someone to make two champions and the first wolf, which is also a good meaning. ”

"Thank you brother and sister for remembering, those two children are just superficial skills, in fact, they don't have much ability. Whether he can be a student or not is another matter. ”

"The third sister-in-law is humble." Shen Yuechen's delicate face was full of smiles, "Who doesn't know that Wen Qi has the first place in everything in Jincai Academy, what kind of place is Jincai Academy, and eight out of ten protégés in Guozi Prison came out there." Wen Qi is so good, can he still give birth to a member? is the third sister-in-law, and there will be more places for Wen Qi to buy in the future. That Guozijian is also a place to watch people put down dishes, although we have the Hou Mansion to support it, it is not authentic in the end. People will look at it, but they will say that we are stained with the light of the Hou Mansion. ”

No matter what Shen Yuechen's purpose is, these words are very useful to Huang Zhilan.

She looked at Shen Yuechen's outfit, the emerald hairpin, the jewel plate flower the size of a fingernail, the red gold pearl rice earrings with the lantern ball on her ears, and the green bracelet on her hand. On weekdays, she has always been plain, but today she came to her and dressed up so gorgeously.

Huang Zhilan's enthusiasm just got up, and she cautiously withdrew it.

"Brother and sister are here, not just to deliver things. Our concubine has also been young for ten years, so it is better to open the skylight and say something bright. ”

Shen Yuechen squinted and smiled for a long time, then licked her lips, her eyes lit up a little, "I plan to do some medicinal herb business, the third sister-in-law knows that my mother's family has a lot of business and a lot of medicinal materials." How can I make my little dowry to withstand the fourth master, and now I can't collect much land rent, so I thought about it horizontally, relying on my brother's relationship and doing some medicinal herb business, it is a million profits. ”

Huang Zhilan remembered the crude medicine shop she opened in Nanshi, and her face instantly felt a little hostile.

Shen Yuechen saw it in her eyes and continued: "But the third sister-in-law also understands my situation, the old lady and the Hou Ye are all looking at my family, and they think that I am opening a shop under the banner of the Hou Mansion." They don't want to have much to do with my mother's family, I understand, but I also have to worry about my own food and clothing. So I thought, the third sister-in-law might as well transfer the crude medicine shop to me privately, and between us, I will definitely be indispensable to the third sister-in-law's money. ”

Such a blatant attempt to snatch food, that is, Shen Yuechen, dare not think about it at all.

Huang Zhilan's breath was a little chaotic, she tried her best to suppress her temper, and continued to circulate with kind words, "I only have two food shops and a crude medicine shop under my hands. The business of the grain shop is not good, at most I can protect my capital, all my livelihood depends on the crude medicine shop, my younger brother and sister are leaving, I am here...... It's not good for my brother and sister to be so excessive. ”

"Look at what the third sister-in-law said, I still don't know what to do." Shen Yuechen leaned over, his arm pressed on the kang table, and a pair of smart eyes flickered, "There was a snow disaster in Cangzhou, does the third sister-in-law know?" There was no grain in the granary of the imperial court, so they allocated money to buy it everywhere. This part of North China can afford so much food, and my father is second to none. With my father's arrival and a few squires' shops, the food was sufficient. The official has already negotiated with my father, and several percent of the profits are too obvious. At this time, it is easy to add one or two grain shops to it. The third sister-in-law can hang the shop under our door, and if there is any other business in the future, she will definitely call the third sister-in-law. ”

Saying that, Shen Yuechen snorted, "It's just because my father hasn't been in charge of the grain business much recently, and it's all handed over to my second brother." I have always been at odds with my second sister-in-law, letting her know that I used this to make money, and I had to talk about me behind my back. The third sister-in-law is okay, I'll pull a line, this cup of soup will be distributed to the third sister-in-law, and I'll go to do my medicinal herb business. Let's take advantage of each other, wouldn't we have the best of both worlds? ”

Sifang has never made a living, and it is indeed the old lady and the Hou Ye who are suppressing it. Huang Zhilan didn't dare to have anything to do with the Shen family before, for fear of putting herself in.

But now the shape is different, Shen Yuechen is right, in the future, Wen Qi's façade will have to be supported by her, and everything is a place to spend money.

gave up a crude medicine shop in exchange for continuing business with the Shen family. How many people can't find this way if they want to, and now they are sent to the door, if she pushes it, whether there will be anything else in the future will have to be said.

used to be afraid of the old lady and the marquis, but now there is Su Ke's affairs involved, and there are rumors outside, she can steal it. Coupled with the layout of the mansion over the years, she really can't say that she doesn't plan for her money.

"If the third sister-in-law has concerns, this can be assured. The crude medicine shop is still nominally the third sister-in-law's, and the grain business in Cangzhou is mine. Let's drop one by one in private, the old lady and the Hou Ye won't know. ”

Huang Zhilan's heart was moved. She looked at Shen Yuechen's sworn appearance, although she still had concerns, but she was also scattered by a few cars of words. She secretly pondered, and finally said, "Let me think about it again, this is not something that we can settle with a slap on the table." Give me a few days, and I'll ask the roommate to bring the account books to count and count, so that I can give you an accurate word. ”

"The third sister-in-law should hurry up, the heavy snow over there in Cangzhou doesn't wait for anyone, just say it." Shen Yuechen spared no effort.

Huang Zhilan responded with a good voice, personally sent Shen Yuechen to the door, watched the people go away, and after a while, she went directly to Aunt Zheng.

Over there, Shen Yuechen returned to Lanxinyuan, and Aunt Ying asked her how her situation was, she pouted and sighed, "It's done, I'll definitely talk back in less than half a day." Alas, when this man becomes greedy, he doesn't use any brains. ”

Aunt Ying breathed a sigh of relief and helped Shen Yuechen take off the jewelry on her body one by one and put them in the brocade box.

Shen Yuechen couldn't help but laugh and said, "This Su Ke is really a powerful person, he thinks comprehensively enough. Later, I will send someone to the Taoju Inn to send her some silver and let her turn around. She is dead this time, and there must be a shortage of money around her. At this time, it also means a lot to find us. I don't lack this money, so she can plan outside. ”

Aunt Ying inserted the horn buckle on the brocade box, and looked at Shen Yuechen from the bronze mirror, "Don't show this eye, she has the Hou Ye to support, can she shorten the money?" ”

Shen Yuechen sneered, "You didn't see the sluggishness of Master Hou last night, it was really in place." ”

Just as he was talking and laughing, the fourth master came in from outside, his face was murderous. It just so happened that there was no one in the house, so he walked over directly, pushed Aunt Ying away, and directly lifted Shen Yuechen on the pestle.

"What did you do to Rouge? Say! ”