"No matter what your mother says, she is also a dignified county lord, although the Yekang Kingdom is now gone, according to the customs of their Western Regions, it was to give thousands of cattle and sheep as a dowry." The second lady said eloquently, "You can't really drive those tens of thousands of cattle and sheep to Beijing, your mother's dowry is in more than a dozen properties in the capital, as well as some nearby fields, and there are a few silk Zhuangzi in the south of the Yangtze River." ”

Jin Yi was quite surprised, she never thought that her mother still had an inheritance left, and no one in the family had ever mentioned it to her. Qiao Wei didn't know, she was only five or six years old at that time, but Yirui didn't mention it yesterday.

She was a little puzzled and asked Mrs. Ying, "What about these properties now?" Is it in the hands of my stepmother? ”

Mrs. Ying nodded and said, "The property in our father-in-law has always been managed by Jinru's second uncle and me. I'm in charge of the things in the account, but I haven't seen them in the shop. Once, the shopkeeper talked back and forth, and I heard him talk about your mother's inheritance, which was all good. In particular, the four or five silk shops in Jiangnan were transported to Jianye by water in previous years, and even our family took the goods from him. ”

But then I heard that the club had been resold and did not do silk business. I was a little curious, so I asked him to inquire. Not only the silk in the south of the Yangtze River, but also several rice shops, pharmacies, wine shops and other businesses in Beijing have changed hands. I thought it was strange at the time, your Qingrong Marquis Mansion is not short of money, and it is also the dowry of the original lady, why did you resell it without a sound. ”

Jin Yi listened silently, and after a while, said, "My father and stepmother never mentioned my mother's dowry to me. In the past few years, the family property seems to be managed by the uncle, the stepmother takes care of some of her own private rooms, and she may also take care of some of the public middle school. ”

Mrs. Ying smiled when she heard this, "How much dowry can the Xu family have?" She was a concubine at the time, and she was carried into your house through the back door. ”

Jinru was a little strange and asked puzzledly: "Then where did she get the private money?" Could it be that her aunt's dowry was sold by her? ”

Mrs. Ying shook her head, "She is a lady of the inner house, how can she handle the industries in Jiangnan cleanly?" After thinking about it, it was not right, and said: "Her mother's family is from the Cai family in Jianye City, and she is a big rice family in the city. If you give her a few housekeepers to take care of the accounts, it will be enough to take care of your mother's shops. ”

At noon, Mrs. Fan sent someone to invite them over for lunch.

In the wide flower hall, there are three large round cases with yellow pear flower marble pattern, Mrs. Fan sat down with Jinru Jinyi, and four or five young ladies from Fan's house sat beside her. The other two tables were ladies and ladies from the other rooms.

There were dozens of people standing under the verandah outside the house, but they couldn't hear a sound quietly. The maids walked in and out with food boxes in their hands, and the hall was full of people, either chuckling or muttering. It's not like when the Qin Mansion eats, they are all muffled and silent.

Jin Yi and Fan Minzhi, the daughter of the Fan family who was sitting next to her, whispered about the needle girl red, because she heard that Jin Yi had pledged to the top of the donation list that day, Fan Minzhi chuckled and asked her:

"I heard that the embroidery of Buddha statues is extremely cumbersome, can Sister Jinyi finish embroidering it in a month?"

She was born handsome, and spoke softly. He is only half a year older than Jinyi, and he will marry the eldest son of the Fu family in the left servant of the Ministry of Officials in the future.

Jinru listened to it on the other side, and said proudly: "Sister Yi's embroidery is amazing, and she will definitely be able to finish the embroidery." It was as if she had embroidered extraordinarily herself, and she was full of pride.

After the meal was over, everyone ate tea and chatted for a while, and several ladies accompanied the old lady to play horse hanging, and the girls gathered at the pavilion in the garden to embroider under the warm winter sun.

The little maids moved a lot of low embroidery piers, and everyone sat everywhere, whispering about patterns and stitches.

Jin Yi sat with the eldest lady Minzhi and the third lady Minpeng. Holding a small shed in his hand, he imitated an ink lotus flower that he had just seen in the flower hall, and slowly embroidered it with a needle.

The third lady Min Peng turned her head to look at her, the embroidery threads were mixed with each other, gradually changing, and the colors were full and harmonious. Said in surprise: "Sister Jinyi, this is Hunan embroidery, right?" ”

Minzhi also came over to take a closer look, and Jin Yi chuckled, "The third lady has good eyesight, and now that Su embroidery and Shu embroidery are prosperous, there are not many people who understand Hunan embroidery." She skillfully changed the silk thread in her hand, and continued: "The ink flowers and birds embroidered in Hunan are the most natural and freehand, and I saw the lotus flower in the hall before, which seems to be the handwriting of the master Xu Yiran. When I was in Shangxiutang, I embroidered a picture of his "Autumn Pear Fragrance", and I made a very good screen. ”

Min Zhi saw that she talked about Shang Xiutang herself, and she didn't have a trace of inferiority and contempt, seeing that her complexion was calm and her face was frank, she didn't even have a good impression of her.

Min Peng had a hearty personality and said with a smile: "It would be nice if I could embroider as well as Sister Jinyi, my mother always said that I was impatient, and I should be more female red to raise my temperament." …… But I just couldn't sit still. ”

Jin Yi said with a chuckle, "I often hear people say that the ladies in the Fan Mansion are all straightforward and bright, and it is true that I saw them today." Our family Ru'er is the same, I think it follows her mother. ”

Min Peng suddenly spoke, "I heard that your sister Jinxiu is going to choose the crown princess next year." ”

Jin Yi was a little stunned, I don't know why she said this, "It should be." Heard from my stepmother. ”

"Where can she choose, it's just wishful thinking." Min Peng said triumphantly. Seeing her eldest sister glaring at her, she stuck out her tongue and lowered her voice, "I heard from the second lady of the Huan family when I was preparing for the meeting yesterday that their family Yanyan is also going to participate in the audition. If she goes, where will there be someone else's share in the position of the concubine? ”

"Yeonyan, she's only twelve, right?" Jin Yi thought of the delicate little girl led by Mrs. Huan yesterday, and said with some surprise.

"It's nothing to be young, and the prince is only sixteen. Now that the old man Huan is in full swing in the court, if his granddaughter is willing, the prince will agree. Minzhi is a year older and understands the reason, and said softly.

Jin Yi was a little surprised in her heart, and secretly amused. She had expected that the matter of the crown prince's choice of concubine would not be so simple, Xu's shaving head and picking her head was hot, and she wanted her daughter to ascend to the world of the phoenix throne in the future, how could it be so easy.

When it was time to apply, the maids served some pastries, and everyone ate them.

Mrs. Fan said that she was going to start a play, so that Jin Rujin would stay in the mansion today.

Jinru looked at Jinyi and saw what she meant. Jin Yi thought about it and said with a smile: "Let's go back first." I only embroidered a corner of the Buddha picture, and I will be busy after a few days for the New Year, I'm afraid that it will be late to make people laugh. After the New Year, I will come over to greet the old lady again. ”

Mrs. Fan had no choice but to nod and said, "According to what the girl said, then I won't keep you, and Ru'er will come to see me when you are free." I'm lively here, you young ladies have one more place to talk. ”

The two of them said goodbye to everyone, and it took more than half an hour to make a fuss.

The old lady called Fan Minting, the eldest son of the second room, to come and send her two back to the house.