The bamboo in the northern winter has no fallen leaves, but the color is also verdant and verdant, looking solemn and quiet, without the vigorous verdant dripping in spring and summer. A corner of the eaves is half-hidden in the bamboo forest, and the place where Mrs. Zheng's Niu family entertains guests is in this attic.

There is no lake, only a few stacks of stones, half-hidden and half-hidden among the flowers and trees, in this late winter season, when everything has not yet grown, the only landscape that can be seen in such a garden is probably a bamboo forest in the east of the garden.

The head of the household department, who is in charge of the world's wealth, should not be short of money, but the Zheng family's house is extremely inconspicuous in the capital, and the house is crowded with rules and regulations, and the back garden is very small, not to mention that the scary back garden of the Jingbei Hou Mansion cannot be compared, it is the back garden of the Liang Guogong Mansion, which is several times larger than the Zheng family.

In a word, a group of young girls and daughters-in-law all laughed and laughed.

Qiu Chen smiled, turned back to Wang Jingshu and Zheng Hehuan and said: "This is a person who is used to pleasing and selling well, you are young, but you should be more vigilant, don't follow her sweet words!" ”

Chang Jiayi watched Qiu Chen hold Qiu's hand, took Qiu's hand, and said with a smile: "Sister Qiu is not as lazy as you and me, don't frighten her!" ”

Qiu Shi moved over dignifiedly, respectfully bowed to Hao's and confessed his sin, Qiu Chen stepped forward to hold Qiu's family, smiled at Hao's and bent his knees, and pulled Qiu Shi to the group of young people behind.

Hao Shi smiled and nodded, looked back at his daughter-in-law, and said with a smile: "You don't have to be detained by me, you young people go and joke and make fun." ”

In addition to the right attendant of the household, Mrs. Hao and her daughter-in-law, Qiu Chen is also familiar with other people, especially Wang Jingshu, who just talked about sisterhood the day before yesterday, and naturally and affectionately followed her when she saw her again this time. Zheng Hehuan may be because of the string of bracelets that he likes very much, and he is also close to Qiu Chen as if he has known each other for a long time, and he is familiar with Wang Jingshu, so he naturally followed Qiu Chen's side. Chang Jiayi was naturally with Qiu Chen, and she didn't want to ignore Tang Jingzhi, the third girl of the Tang family, so that a group of young people got together, Qiu Chen saw the daughter-in-law of Lord Wang, the right servant of the household, following closely by her mother-in-law, very restrained, and walked over with a smile, and said with a smile to Mrs. Wang's Hao: "It's rare for us to get together today, so I will be cheeky and come over to ask Mrs. for a favor, and pull Sister Qiu over to laugh and play together, and I hope Mrs. won't blame me!" ”

At this time, Qiu Chen realized that Mrs. Zheng was not like other nobles, who invited guests to a large number of guests, and every banquet was full of friends. The Zheng family only invited these dozen or so guests, and when they were subdivided, there were only five.

As soon as the two families arrived, after the greetings, Mrs. Niu greeted with a smile: "Since everyone is here, let's go to the back garden for a banquet. ”

Just after saying a few words, the eldest lady of the Tang family arrived with her daughter, Tang Jingzhi, the third girl of the Tang family, who was two years younger than Tang Lanzhi, and Chang Jiayi. Everyone got up to greet them, and after a while, they came to two families one after another, namely Ning Shi, the wife of Wang Yi, the secretary of the Criminal Department, and Jingshu, the second queen; The wife of Wang Wenchang, the right attendant of the household, Hao and his daughter-in-law Qiu.

Seeing that her mother agreed, Zheng Hewan thanked Qiu Chen with infinite joy, and Qiu Chen pulled her to sit beside him by the way.

When Niu heard this, he couldn't say anything about letting his daughter go back, so he could only smile and nod his head.

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Qiu Chen, and said with a smile: "Madame is polite to me, this thing can regulate qi and blood, protect peace, and it is the most suitable for my sister!" ”

Zheng Hewan didn't know that this thing was valuable, but Niu Shi understood it very well, and immediately said: "This thing is too valuable......

Jing'an Temple is located in the eastern suburbs of the capital, is the largest nun temple in the capital, the host Master Miao Zhen is eighty years old, but still light and healthy, eyes are not dazzling and deaf, it looks only fifty, many noble officials and eunuchs in the capital The wives and wives of the family worship Jing'an Temple and Miao Allah, it is not easy to get a peace charm held by Miao Allah, not to mention a string of personal things that have been blessed for more than ten years, and those who are not destined for fear do not have this luck.

Niu also saw the handicap handed over by Qiu Chen, the clams and beeswax are the seven treasures of Buddhism, this string of handpieces does not seem to be finely crafted, but it is a flat abacus bead, but the color is excellent, the pulp is warm and full, and there is a faint and bright halo from the inside out, and at a glance, you can see that what Qiu Chen said is true, this thing has a history.

Zheng Hehuan didn't say much when she saw the bracelet given by Mrs. Li just now, but as soon as she saw the thing handed over by Qiu Chen, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Qiu Chen's eyes and said happily: "It's so beautiful, thank you, madam!" ”

Zheng Hewan thanked Mrs. Li with a smile and bent her knees, then turned around and saluted in front of Qiu Chen. Qiu Chen didn't wait for her to bow down, then reached out to hold her, took out a string of clams beeswax bracelet from his sleeve, handed it to Zheng Hehuan, and said with a smile: "This is something that has been blessed by the host of Jing'an Temple for more than ten years, sister take it and play with it!" ”

Niu nodded with a smile, and said to his daughter, "I haven't thanked Mrs. Li yet!" ”

Mrs. Li took out a jasper bracelet with a good color, put it on Zheng Hehuan's wrist, looked at it for a moment, patted Zheng Hehuan's hand, turned around and smiled at Niu's family: "It's still the little girls who look good wearing these jewelry, this blue color is really beautiful against this wrist!" ”

The four of them sat down, the girls rushed forward, sent hot cloths, tea and other things, after some placement, the girls retreated to the corner and waited, Zheng Hewan got up and gave Mrs. Li and Qiu Chen a salute again.

Qiu Chen bent his knees slightly towards the two of them, and obediently sat down on the chair that Li had started.

Mrs. Li also raised her eyes to look over, as if she had just remembered, and nodded with a smile.

There was a smoke cage in the house, and it was warm. In addition to the cloaks on the four of them, Niu beckoned Mrs. Li to sit on the Luohan couch at the top, and Hehuan was pulled by Li to sit beside her. Qiu Chen was thinking about whether to go to the Li family to serve, but the Niu family greeted with a smile: "There are not so many rules in my place, you can relax and relax today, don't be restrained, sit, sit!" ”

Listening to her mother's description, Zheng Hehuan's eyes lit up again. The faint lips moved and he wanted to say something, but Niu had already beckoned Li and Qiu Chen to take their seats.

Hearing this, Niu Shi smiled and said, "What you said is too wronged by Xiaojie's girl." I look at that girl and I am happy, she is refreshing and generous, smart and clever, and the etiquette is also thoughtful, how can it be so unbearable as you say! ”

Qiu Chen blinked his eyes, and his eyes were slightly moistened with incomparably clear eyes, and his heart involuntarily softened, and his voice became softer and softer: "Yes, the one in my family is like a wild boy when he is young, he doesn't love female red needlework, he loves to go to school with her brother." In order to save my worries, I simply let her go, I can read and read and know some etiquette, so I don't have a headache like a monkey every day. ”

The two were talking, and Hehuan, who had entered the door one step earlier, heard this, and looked at Qiu Chen with a slight light in her eyes: "I heard my mother say that my wife's sister also goes to school, right?" ”

Niu Shi was slightly surprised and said, "It's just over the Lantern Festival, and the class starts so early...... You're too strict with the kids! ”

Qiu Chen smiled slightly and said, "Since the little one met his father, he didn't want me to be a mother at all." The older two started classes yesterday, and I don't want them to take a leave of absence. ”

Niu smiled and said, "Why didn't you bring the children here?" When she sent the post, she also asked her mother-in-law to specially say that she invited the young master and Miss to come to the house together.

How could Qiu Chen let Niu wait for her to enter the door, smiled and took Niu's arm, slightly half a step behind, and entered the door together.

As he spoke, the group came to the door of the main house, and the girl who was waiting at the door picked up the curtain, and Li naturally pulled Hehuan into the door first, Niu took a step slower, looked at Qiu Chen sideways, and said with a smile: "You are still careful...... Although it's almost the first month of the new year, the cold is still very heavy, and it's cold all the way, so come into the house and warm up! ”

Niu Shi followed her on the other side and said with a smile: "It's okay, it's okay, she's getting better now, and she's wearing thick clothes, so after a while, it won't be anything." ”

After her reminder, Li also came to his senses, and hurriedly pulled Hehuan to the house, and said to Niu Shi with his head sideways as he walked: "I just don't know this girl, I forget anything when I see it." ”

Li laughed, and Qiu Chen took the opportunity to interject: "Madame let go when she sees Miss Hehuan pulling like it...... Since Miss Hehuan is frail, and the wind is strong under the eaves of this corridor, you should take Miss Hehuan into the house to talk! ”

He Wan smiled and nodded in response: "My mother told me the same way!" ”

Li patted Hehuan's hand and sighed with relief: "That's good, that's good." Your disease was brought out of the womb, and it took more than ten years to recuperate, so you simply ate more of this recuperation. ”

The turtle and deer two immortal gum are things that nourish yin and nourish blood...... Thinking about it, Miss Hehuan of the Zheng family was born weak and lacked yin blood, and in modern times, she is weak and anemic. No wonder he is so thin and pale, and he is so weak!

He Wan nodded with a smile and said: "Thank you Madame, I'm already well, and now there is no place not to send fast, and I am still eating turtle and deer two immortal gum to recuperate." ”

Li hurriedly let go of Niu, stretched out his hand to hold Hehuan, looked at the little girl's face with pity, and said with a smile: "It's great to look at it, but now you still feel where you can't relax?" Are you still taking medicine? ”

Zheng Hewan was very obedient, and with a sweep of his eyes, he bowed down to the Li family.

Zheng Hehuan raised her eyes to look at Li and Qiu Chen with a slight smile, and the moment her eyes met, Qiu Chen couldn't help but secretly exclaim, this girl's eyes were so clear, clean as a pool of clear spring water, not contaminated with the slightest impurities of the world. To be able to have such clear eyes, presumably because this child has been too well protected by his parents since he was a child because of his frailty!

Niu Shi listened to Mrs. Li's words, a heartfelt smile appeared on his face, and he looked back at the little girl behind him with doting eyes, and said with a smile: "This is Mrs. Li and Mrs. Jingbei Hou of the Liangguo Mansion, and they haven't come to see each other yet!" ”

Mrs. Niu has a slight figure, a gentle and hearty personality, this daughter and Wan look delicate and thin, a palm-sized little face with white skin and lack of blood, a pair of eyes are big and black, always with a sparkling water, although the appearance is delicate, but it reveals a touch of Chuchu, it looks like it should be a deficiency since childhood...... This appearance reminded Qiu Chen of Lin Daiyu in the Dream of Red Mansions, but I don't know if this Miss Shangshu's personality is also as sensitive and extreme as Lin Daiyu.

Mrs. Niu has never brought her daughter and daughter-in-law when she went out as a guest before, Qiu Chen only knew that Mrs. Niu had a son and a daughter, and her son was appointed to a foreign post after being a junior high four years ago, but her daughter was young, and she was ten years old after this year. There is a pair of children between a son and a daughter, but they are all concubines. Looking at it now, this little girl should be Mrs. Niu's youngest daughter.

"If you can't meet it far away, don't be weird!" Mrs. Zheng said and bowed to Mrs. Li, and while Mrs. Li bent her knees, she also reached out to hold Niu's and said with a smile, "You and I are still so polite...... It's great to look at the girl today, it's good to look like this! ”

Mrs. Zheng greeted a teenage girl at the door of the main room, and when she saw Qiu Chen walking in with Mrs. Li, she hurriedly greeted her with a smile.

Qin Xiuyi was friendly with Zheng Jiyu, and the Li family and Qiu Chen came a little earlier, and when they arrived at Zheng's house, the other guests had not yet arrived.

In the second gate, there were four neatly dressed mothers-in-law waiting, picking up the Li family and Qiu Chen, and separating two people to lead the two of them all the way through the corridor and straight into the Zheng family's main house.

Qiu Chen got up early to see off Afu Aman, and after dealing with a few housework, he greeted Qin Zheng and Brother Yun, and went out with Qingxing, Hanguang, and Yuegui. Qiu Chen arrived one step earlier and met Mrs. Li at the entrance of Zhengjia Street, and the two cars wanted to follow into Zheng Shangshu's mansion.

The next day was the nineteenth day of the first month, and the wife of Zheng Jiyu, the head of the household department, made a post early and held a banquet to entertain him.

Thinking of this, Qiu Chen slightly hooked the corners of his lips, revealing a relieved smile.

To put it mildly, Qin Zheng's influence in the court and the capital has benefited her a lot; To put it mildly, Qin Zheng took care of the children's concern for her...... There are also Qin Li, Qin Xiao, Chengying Hanguang, these hands, all of which are Qin Zheng's, she took them directly and used them, isn't it because it is Qin Zheng's that she uses them without a sense of indebtedness?

Just now, she was entangled in Qin Zheng's words, thinking that she was too self-reliant and ignored Qin Zheng's feelings, but in fact, Qin Zheng's help was already everywhere.

In a hazy sleep, Qiu Chen suddenly figured out one thing in his mind.

Soaking in the warm water, Qiu Chen relaxed and leaned against the bathtub, closed his eyes, and let Hanguang's movements gently and comfortably scrub her, and the nervous spirit was also soothed, making her feel a little sleepy.

After thinking about it for a while, Qiu Chen didn't come up with any results, but her head was a little dizzy, she simply didn't bother with this problem, and called Hanguang and Dongxiang on duty to order hot water.

She could also try to rely on this man?

Qiu Chen sat on the edge of the kang in a daze, thinking back to Qin Zheng's words just now, and subconsciously asked herself, she has always been used to her hard support, whether it is modern or here, no one can rely on ...... Now, married and married, with a husband, this habit does not seem to have changed...... Did she ignore Qin Zheng's feelings?

After speaking, without waiting for Qiu Chen to respond, he turned around and went out.

Qiu Chen was slightly stunned, Qin Zheng bowed his head and kissed her forehead, and said with a slight smile: "I took the children to practice!" ”

Secretly sighing, Qin Zheng reached out and hugged Qiu Chen, and said in a low but firm voice: "Don't stand up to anything alone, you have me now!" ”

In addition, there is another characteristic, that is, his wife is extremely protective of her shortcomings, but whoever is assigned by her to her own, whether it is right or wrong, she must protect it first.

However, seeing Yixuan's situation in her mother-in-law's house like this, Qiu Chen is afraid that he also subconsciously thinks of himself, right?! After all, she has always been supported by herself, and even a person will feel tired.

Qin Zheng didn't feel that these were drags either.

Of course, the wife didn't think that these were a drag, not only the children were very good, but the old people and brothers and sisters-in-law of the mother's family were also gentle and simple people......

Compared with Yixuan Yiheng, there is really no help, and it is his wife who relies solely on himself. No, she's not just not to rely on, but a lot of drags. Her mother's family is the lowest rural farmer, and she lives a prosperous life by pulling her; I have married and had children before, and I have been burdened by fame and children......

The women of this era marry blindly and dumbly, and some of them can be reconciled and love for a hundred years, but more of them are marriages between two families, and they are married with two surnames. Some of the status of women in the in-laws' families can be won by the women themselves, but more rely on dowries and their mother's family, and older ones rely on their sons and daughters...... Yixuan is a concubine, although the third aunt and grandmother Xu tried their best to choose a decent husband for their two daughters, there is not much way to do the dowry, and the dowry of the concubine sent by the Liang Guogong Mansion is the past that can be said, and it is not possible to talk about the richness. Qin Xiuyi is very light to her children, after all, the Li family is the mother-in-law, and she is still a continuation, and she is just a face-saving person to the concubines, and she will not really plan for them. Speaking of which, Yixuan really has no dowry and no reliable mother's family...... The reason why as soon as Qiu Chen married in, the Yixuan and Yiheng sisters worked hard to get along with her, firstly, because of Qin Zheng's status, and secondly, because of Qiu Chen's gentle personality, hoping that after befriending this sister-in-law, they could get more help from their parents' family. The parents are considered to be the mother's family, and the eldest brother and sister-in-law are also considered to be the mother's family.

Qin Zheng was silent for a moment and nodded in response.

Qiu Chen raised his eyes to look at Qin Zheng for a while before he smiled and said, "I know." I just let the Zhai family know that the second sister has a mother's family, so let them not go too far. ”

Qin Zheng stretched out his hand and hugged Qiu Chen, and said in a low voice, "Second sister...... Growing up with the fourth sister and the third brother, she is not so easy to be bullied, and you don't have to worry too much about her! ”

Hearing Qin Zheng say this, he knew that his expression was a little obvious, which made Qin Zheng also worried, so he hurriedly restrained his expression and smiled at Qin Zheng: "Well, I know, you don't have to worry about me." ”

Qiu Chen actually knew this, but he couldn't help but be a little worried. She is not used to doing this kind of thing, and it is inevitable that she will be apprehensive.

Qin Zheng looked at Qiu Chen with some thoughts, and after dinner, Ah Fu Aman went back to change his practice clothes, and said with relief: "Don't worry, Mama Chen is good, and Shen Hu and Zeng Da Niu are following, there will be nothing wrong, maybe there is something from the second sister who wants her to stay for one night!" ”

Chen didn't come back that night, Qiu Chen calculated the distance of the carriage, it would take about an hour and a half to get to Tongzhou, and Chen and they could get to Zhai's house around noon. If you turn back quickly, it will be dark when you come back...... If you delay a little longer, you will have to spend the night outside the city and enter the city early the next morning. Or, what happened to Yixuan, the Chen family stayed at the Zhai family and did not return?